tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-338808142024-03-13T07:17:44.856+00:00my blogA writer's lifeCryssehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15733554167534664275noreply@blogger.comBlogger1020125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33880814.post-18679717553525058132022-08-28T20:49:00.009+01:002022-08-30T08:46:45.321+01:00Such a lovely place... can you ever leave?<p>Frome, it seems, is one of those places like the <i>Hotel California</i> where you can check out but you can never leave, but due to, as they say, beyond my control, this week's bulletin snapshots are gleaned largely from online notifications. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhBOLyWCVXY3TdF3wv0E06DxZ4bfaxCK5wgwKkcK9JDwoTCdnjJtBGCOx2LexyAqyF2tawI7z-367brwcZrICyLYoURa2IlbNOHnw73XIRuMspnDbAp7NhB_hxUPbGIf_4U_ym3TpR2gzL3g_1A2_0UXkBeqVwRWil4Tld5L9THuFyKi3CTM6g" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1440" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhBOLyWCVXY3TdF3wv0E06DxZ4bfaxCK5wgwKkcK9JDwoTCdnjJtBGCOx2LexyAqyF2tawI7z-367brwcZrICyLYoURa2IlbNOHnw73XIRuMspnDbAp7NhB_hxUPbGIf_4U_ym3TpR2gzL3g_1A2_0UXkBeqVwRWil4Tld5L9THuFyKi3CTM6g=w240-h180" width="240" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg1dvb4BbGakDHcBev-GrglfLIBs0byY_umG6BQmD_2M3Zhrl8ZoIkfd9o7SXSe1WAfxsZdJ7axzF230RuXg5tz2TdQIiqw95_R1nz-e5qo6Mo1lLaJoGHTkwoWpIBZbUwwDfUlXsTJE3r9wodSWCh3H9zx7wOYAsJQDtPlnhuRIPMOwKF-ktY" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1023" height="144" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg1dvb4BbGakDHcBev-GrglfLIBs0byY_umG6BQmD_2M3Zhrl8ZoIkfd9o7SXSe1WAfxsZdJ7axzF230RuXg5tz2TdQIiqw95_R1nz-e5qo6Mo1lLaJoGHTkwoWpIBZbUwwDfUlXsTJE3r9wodSWCh3H9zx7wOYAsJQDtPlnhuRIPMOwKF-ktY" width="320" /></a></div>A double book launch event at <b>Hunting Raven Bookshop </b>on Friday cele<span style="font-family: inherit;">brated</span> Nina Parminter's <span style="font-family: inherit;">collection <span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><span>Split Twist Apocalypse</span></i></span> and the wonderfully bizarre </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Wasp Disentanglement for Beginners </i>from</span><span style="font-size: 15px;"> </span></span></span>Xenon Lobster - aka Gorden Vells. I have yet to acquire Nina's but Gordon's boundary-leaping collection is simply brilliant - 'Trails' is a tiny taster. <p></p><p><span style="font-size: x-small;">(Thanks Dianne Preston for the nicked pic of the event.)</span></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="text-align: left;">Also reportedly a great night again at </span><b style="text-align: left;">Guggleton Arts</b><span style="text-align: left;"> Open Mic on Thursday - always a brilliant party-style event, this session including two of my favourite performers: Leon Sea, and 'Twitch' - both here as snapped at that venue earlier this summer:</span></span></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghJcqdYdku6hJiHRlqvwB6gUNVyg44xkJAgjMCSYKspgAxvkmD39mA4mj5Mrp_x2L4ZOoseR_lI215egCwxnn-wadYZ-HE0Uq8JlysumRLXelSEGDiKd9SSu4onDugRSKmahyRgsIwCeXq1bZnZuXZeWRGJJYCn1d8oiSoBB5zOY2KBIqMHuE/s2678/Screenshot%202022-08-27%20at%2013.36.39.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghJcqdYdku6hJiHRlqvwB6gUNVyg44xkJAgjMCSYKspgAxvkmD39mA4mj5Mrp_x2L4ZOoseR_lI215egCwxnn-wadYZ-HE0Uq8JlysumRLXelSEGDiKd9SSu4onDugRSKmahyRgsIwCeXq1bZnZuXZeWRGJJYCn1d8oiSoBB5zOY2KBIqMHuE/s2678/Screenshot%202022-08-27%20at%2013.36.39.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj-PErr4DxtpTF1TifXZXs8zJ9C5PT-w3D_Yl-sVwINQ1CjcP0Wk0sYO9IB2dXDQiCeiKOKg7_F3XuMPkkxv818ws82Dv7TvaYybyDj3bBxwmOxZDhr9IE_L1seu7LYdARDYnNv02oLjeDdtDyy7eDElqc85Mt7D2kkXdPBt7r3JHH0RKvcr9w" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1375" data-original-width="2268" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj-PErr4DxtpTF1TifXZXs8zJ9C5PT-w3D_Yl-sVwINQ1CjcP0Wk0sYO9IB2dXDQiCeiKOKg7_F3XuMPkkxv818ws82Dv7TvaYybyDj3bBxwmOxZDhr9IE_L1seu7LYdARDYnNv02oLjeDdtDyy7eDElqc85Mt7D2kkXdPBt7r3JHH0RKvcr9w" width="320" /></a></div></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgrzxRaLF-LfXQux7L3QOSRsHtyb1CmUiBnms4ZwDpEWVEwQ5TKrXDrP6E2BoIxk0tV4HHz_70McHhZiGR0L30Ae4MYeeHkFO5r3U3vbjqRcfy0C3vq58tSuYgeIE-ZsKEZuGs9Bbxl8jOSO4wq9vu8tqrp25Bdp7Y6265qEm-7zHCwU5Qt1d8" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="249" data-original-width="140" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgrzxRaLF-LfXQux7L3QOSRsHtyb1CmUiBnms4ZwDpEWVEwQ5TKrXDrP6E2BoIxk0tV4HHz_70McHhZiGR0L30Ae4MYeeHkFO5r3U3vbjqRcfy0C3vq58tSuYgeIE-ZsKEZuGs9Bbxl8jOSO4wq9vu8tqrp25Bdp7Y6265qEm-7zHCwU5Qt1d8=w119-h212" width="119" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">Meanwhile, great news from elsewhere about some of the incredible dramatic & lyrical creatives stars of Frome: </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/blackhoundproductions">Black Hound Productions</a>, the innovative young dramatic company, enthusiastically reviewed in this blog for several productions, has taken their double bill (see July 24) to Edinburgh and collared a massive 5 star review rating for <i><a href="https://www.thespaceuk.com/shows/2022/seeds-of-memories/">Seeds of Memories</a>. </i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">And moving to off-the-scale fantastic, Frome's poetic ambassadress <a href="https://www.facebook.com/liv.torc">Liv Torc </a>with fellow 'hot poet' Chris Redmond spent last week in Botswana, brainstorming with the UNFCCC - yes folks, that's the <span style="background-color: white; color: #4d5156;">United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Her online reports are amazing: here's a taster to read & re-read with awe & hope: <i>"</i></span><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;">We are in a giant conference centre / palace - where we spend all day with 50 other incredible people from around the world doing exercises and brainstorming ...</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;">to come up with totally new ‘there is no box’ ideas for a better more resilient world in the face of climate change. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;">We are scientists, futurists, architects, AI creators, zen masters, royals, indigenous knowledge experts, diplomats, economists, city planners, agriculturalist, artists etc. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;">We use a lot of post-it’s."</span></i><span style="color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i> </i> And it's pretty fair to say that if anyone can save the world with post-it notes, Liv can. </span></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgWW5iN1NM9AxMuAUagM9QQVSyy_3qww4J8W2Hiq5xO-xF-WJswzNfagV6m3Lt4il7prwkM9NKTG3WaGxP8Lyl6IVwEZbSuf0hVZQ9oiP1K2Cv7Qg6O6-ICdlquU_lqOTUkXUT3hc33-nAh_yEefPHagIv5scr1M6e3NX8nxDt0SpPAv3iZ4wA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3330" data-original-width="2183" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgWW5iN1NM9AxMuAUagM9QQVSyy_3qww4J8W2Hiq5xO-xF-WJswzNfagV6m3Lt4il7prwkM9NKTG3WaGxP8Lyl6IVwEZbSuf0hVZQ9oiP1K2Cv7Qg6O6-ICdlquU_lqOTUkXUT3hc33-nAh_yEefPHagIv5scr1M6e3NX8nxDt0SpPAv3iZ4wA" width="157" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">No apologies for concluding, despite planetary stress, on a very happy personal note: Pete Gage, superb poet & musician and friend, has sent me this delightful message: </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">"</span><span color="var(--primary-text)" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Crysse, I have just finished reading <i>Blow-Ins</i>. My God Crysse, I love so many things about it, not least your amazing descriptive style and use of words/vocabulary, so uniquely put together and so colourfully conveyed, but also your ability to convey the emotions and thoughts of the characters so sensitively and insightfully. It was as though I was there in all those interactions, a silent invisible member of the family in touch with it all up to the end of your brilliant novel. All i can say, is wow! xxxx</span><b style="font-family: inherit;"> </b></span><span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">Naturally I purred like a rescued kitten, and asked if I could quote this, but Pete had also prepared a more orderly and even more awesome review, which is now on the </span><i style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">Blow-Ins</i><span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"> FB page </span><b style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/Blow-Ins-110045561737935">here</a>.</b><p></p><div><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And this week's footnote will be my final one for MY BLOG, which</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"> began, incredibly, 16 years ago in September 2006. At that time, my writer's life was taking me around the country & around the world too, from Thailand to Chile - with Greek Islands in between, working with writers as well as performing poetry and promoting drama. The first post explains:</span><span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><i style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444;">"I thought a blog would be a great way of celebrating the wonderful variety of things I'm lucky enough to be doing...</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444;"> based on Jack Kerouak's 'list of essentials.' </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444;">Something that will find its own form. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444;">Write in recollection and amazement for yourself. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444;">Write for the world to read and see yr exact pictures of it."</span></i></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">MY BLOG has morphed, gradually, into a diarist's eye on artsy Frome, mostly, and as an addictive writer with a poor memory, it has given me massive pleasure over the changing years. Frome is in a state of flux right now (what - again? yes, as always) with the development of Saxonvale still unsettled despite the fantastic work of the Mayday team with massive support from the town; development is encroaching from the South, Marston Park is struggling, and shops are closing (sadly including much-loved Amica, owned by painter David Moss who created my last two book covers.) Frome will somehow survive, of course, and hopefully thrive - and who knows, maybe re-assert its belligerent history of protest at imposed change... but if not, it will still have its fantastic art, music, and drama. So ending this blog-story of Frome as centre of a creative universe feels a bit like the end of Winnie the Pooh: </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">"</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #202124;">whatever happens, in that enchanted place on the top of the Forest, a little boy and his Bear will always be playing.”</span></i></span></span></div><div><p></p><div class="alzwoclg" role="none" style="background-color: white; color: #1c1e21; display: flex; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif;"><div class="alzwoclg cgu29s5g i15ihif8 aeinzg81" data-testid="message-container" role="none" style="display: flex; flex-grow: 1; flex-shrink: 1; font-family: inherit; min-width: 0px;"><div class="k88nbmki alzwoclg cqf1kptm adechonz siu44isn lg77cbj3 gv6qu0l5" role="none" style="align-items: inherit; align-self: stretch; background-color: var(--messenger-card-background); display: flex; flex-direction: column; font-family: inherit; justify-content: flex-end; max-width: calc(100% - var(--mwp-message-list-actions-width,62px) - 5px);"><br /></div></div><div class="k88nbmki alzwoclg cqf1kptm adechonz siu44isn gvxzyvdx c7y9u1f0 lg77cbj3" role="none" style="align-items: inherit; align-self: stretch; background-color: var(--messenger-card-background); display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 0; font-family: inherit; justify-content: flex-end; max-width: 100%;"><br /></div></div></div>Cryssehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15733554167534664275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33880814.post-32273781281681121192022-08-22T10:29:00.005+01:002022-08-22T19:26:45.658+01:00Early Autumn: Vivid art & vibrant music for greyer days <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzL0IVeilX2Ed6f73tDxUYs6SejibwojTFpLSnkE54LmWbb46uH7J8qnj89d8CAOQfD2A9458EVgGhDBB6FR7EBjrwvnCLPtuS0br-RYXfpeJvmFmVigAaf2U-UU3nrPU06PFzfApd0IzMztW-Cy8ZeXilNT8dJ5lTn6Mmi1l6t0IenL2JsPo/s2588/blogP1400355.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1731" data-original-width="2588" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzL0IVeilX2Ed6f73tDxUYs6SejibwojTFpLSnkE54LmWbb46uH7J8qnj89d8CAOQfD2A9458EVgGhDBB6FR7EBjrwvnCLPtuS0br-RYXfpeJvmFmVigAaf2U-UU3nrPU06PFzfApd0IzMztW-Cy8ZeXilNT8dJ5lTn6Mmi1l6t0IenL2JsPo/w342-h229/blogP1400355.JPG" width="342" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6eBole2K0z_IZhjf875-WbnPkL0_-ZiR2rUHRoPKplNDnT97vcfTJy0LKTSPLvqlOGBEo4hE4FK3A_v2SW-vBFw0TFFtlH3uYPnlrtDp1s4kgbC9iSJy7gU2mh9jf421OiKUswGviAbfLfWd9gZYknJaLtJEbNPfCQAFovLaemFypyVWfeW8/s2736/6P1400366%20copy.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="1824" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6eBole2K0z_IZhjf875-WbnPkL0_-ZiR2rUHRoPKplNDnT97vcfTJy0LKTSPLvqlOGBEo4hE4FK3A_v2SW-vBFw0TFFtlH3uYPnlrtDp1s4kgbC9iSJy7gU2mh9jf421OiKUswGviAbfLfWd9gZYknJaLtJEbNPfCQAFovLaemFypyVWfeW8/w173-h260/6P1400366%20copy.JPG" width="173" /></a></div>With the wonderful Berry Bus going direct to Hammersmith from Frome for less than the cost of a pair of posh candles, days out in London are accessible as well as great fun for a capital-culture fix. This week my focus was art: <i>The Procession</i> at <a href="https://www.tate.org.uk/visit/tate-britain">Tate Britain</a>, a long and extraordinary historic cavalcade of all the cultures involved in the iniquitous sugar trade, created by <a href="http://hewlocke.net/Homepage2ndsite.html">Hew Locke</a>. The Tate galleries were built by that family from their exploitative wealth built on the labour of African people and their descendants, subsequently relying on the indentured labour of Asian people. The information on display quotes Locke's intention also to 'make links with the after-effects of the sugar business' so there's an enormous range of figures in this mesmeric procession. (Guardian review <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2022/mar/27/hew-locke-the-procession-review-human-history-in-all-its-variety?fbclid=IwAR0g-oozafkiK77r6U6aVdgqMNZoVJb6urBLh07-LvDiHmMSDYcd1ar5Tew">here</a>.) It really is extraordinary: beautiful and provocative, and showing until 22 January so do consider going...<div>As a footnote, it's a good thing the exhibition was so stunning, as the heavens opened torrentially in the afternoon...not sure I've recovered! So here's a picture from a dryer day : a family walk to Nunney.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgL_xA_JqsKKnnnfdcDe1m3LB34Y4FUp-PIipqB-55AZ738EV1F64ro5eee5a4XTxfrurwkh8XoUDLynWzq9C_mQr4A5nmC0v6C12THamAv_Nqmwa-3FwBYjDfHgKRBONO3nNJztAuqkbvjfujiqXSDnnZlnORuHsmgI1sIeJDk8krxkDHff4s" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1688" data-original-width="2552" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgL_xA_JqsKKnnnfdcDe1m3LB34Y4FUp-PIipqB-55AZ738EV1F64ro5eee5a4XTxfrurwkh8XoUDLynWzq9C_mQr4A5nmC0v6C12THamAv_Nqmwa-3FwBYjDfHgKRBONO3nNJztAuqkbvjfujiqXSDnnZlnORuHsmgI1sIeJDk8krxkDHff4s=w240-h159" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMazDgIWbZSY472W7EygK5VK8itlBPkvux6kYgLQpBXLraHi6VuyikKlUjKwcVkzWTV68JqnPpvuNPd1v7MwUOc2XkCY6v1A22AOX7xL80XEVcB2PXaqpo8HHDo9hKbKgmTPCjJU5rPtT-8jUgkXmQ7xYXOj9yFoxSbUDSzAqHXgzDzxA6J7M/s2736/P1380855.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="1824" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMazDgIWbZSY472W7EygK5VK8itlBPkvux6kYgLQpBXLraHi6VuyikKlUjKwcVkzWTV68JqnPpvuNPd1v7MwUOc2XkCY6v1A22AOX7xL80XEVcB2PXaqpo8HHDo9hKbKgmTPCjJU5rPtT-8jUgkXmQ7xYXOj9yFoxSbUDSzAqHXgzDzxA6J7M/w111-h166/P1380855.JPG" width="111" /></a></div><div><br /></div><br />Autumn seems to be arriving early here: lords & ladies have been glinting through the trees for over a month now, blackberries & other hedge fruit are ripe, while beech nuts & even conkers are falling and lots of trees are turning gold. Apparently, sadly this is a 'false autumn' caused by stress on trees on foliage by the drought. It's all explained <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-62582186">here</a> but, like most of what's happening these days, makes grim reading.</div><div><br /><div><p>Some excellent news for Frome now: the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/maydaysaxonvale">Mayday Saxonvale</a> team have finally succeeded in gaining acceptance, in principle, for their plan to develop this contested site in the heart of town, despite opposition from an alternative project which would in no way suit the ethos of our town. This not-for-profit social enterprise has been favoured by Frome residents from the start, and its fantastic that the immense hard work done by its originators and directors has won - with over 1,300 letters of support from local residents. This is not my photo - it's nicked from the Mayday facebook page, but speaks for all of us!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgdIxhi5QWdCZkbMox3YKPjPfB5L4uhDvaAYDcKlsROzMI8J3nsgM0Un_8uOJaLW34zSoaPomxJcLSAEbuZZ-Wxnh7w6S_luANRql5ODZm92ghmgn4xjN-o8KCumjAdg1cntfXq28ZaJLKk0hm4qx3TTWgcpoN72mO0MGrk_GYt1K04k5Y4VLM" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgdIxhi5QWdCZkbMox3YKPjPfB5L4uhDvaAYDcKlsROzMI8J3nsgM0Un_8uOJaLW34zSoaPomxJcLSAEbuZZ-Wxnh7w6S_luANRql5ODZm92ghmgn4xjN-o8KCumjAdg1cntfXq28ZaJLKk0hm4qx3TTWgcpoN72mO0MGrk_GYt1K04k5Y4VLM=w260-h195" width="260" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRViWZgeMM4TKCGsS0Yhn1x1qwGsUOMxJ50lycR7pnYKu8oAOJ8sxIq5AiGJ7jWgdyhDetA6IFVLZDw-ZnK_z9wmCOu6EaTcI0nhwF52UL43yJ2Xje-JnfFs-_TgUqE-Gw2V6zqGLnlm005nuNsyUlEpI9LFeZ1ff-cNNqh-J66uSWsnuyWR4/s2228/blogGugg%20copy.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2228" data-original-width="1824" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRViWZgeMM4TKCGsS0Yhn1x1qwGsUOMxJ50lycR7pnYKu8oAOJ8sxIq5AiGJ7jWgdyhDetA6IFVLZDw-ZnK_z9wmCOu6EaTcI0nhwF52UL43yJ2Xje-JnfFs-_TgUqE-Gw2V6zqGLnlm005nuNsyUlEpI9LFeZ1ff-cNNqh-J66uSWsnuyWR4/w164-h200/blogGugg%20copy.JPG" width="164" /></a></div>Music now: 'The Gugg' Open Mic at <a href="https://guggletonfarmarts.com/">Guggleton Farm Arts</a> did its usual thing on Thursdat: great live music, free, in a convivial atmosphere. There's always a mix of ages and music styles: this is Greg, reminding us<i> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jv9sDn_2XkI">you can't always get what you want</a>,</i> among other 60s & 70s classics.<p></p><p>And a final camping session of the year, at a private festival deep in Exmoor, with fabulous views as well as an amazingly sophisticated performance area, concludes this week: Campfire, bar, and great bands - here's the impressive finale of <a href="https://www.facebook.com/roscoshakes/">Rosco Shakes</a>' set, and the extraordinary <a href="https://m.facebook.com/davidsmalemusic/?locale=en_GB">David Smale</a>, creating psychedelic sounds not only on guitar but also & simultaneously by toe control, on keyboard. Unforgettable.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN94UEHPXMRbZG2HKjQwB3CfGTNJNHIauzj321kN79ZBvsqpkH8nSiAVnBXUnS_uEEkbmJnrgdVV-xqiLP-yYRWPSNg24Kjk-rD3BpMAbCoDTadBEJEGVQXRapAWcqeiq4_ik1akvyG2VTLgskAJhRKqF5m_SDWC9-E6KPeQtvOQy8nzsJplM/s2710/blogP1410022.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1478" data-original-width="2710" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN94UEHPXMRbZG2HKjQwB3CfGTNJNHIauzj321kN79ZBvsqpkH8nSiAVnBXUnS_uEEkbmJnrgdVV-xqiLP-yYRWPSNg24Kjk-rD3BpMAbCoDTadBEJEGVQXRapAWcqeiq4_ik1akvyG2VTLgskAJhRKqF5m_SDWC9-E6KPeQtvOQy8nzsJplM/s320/blogP1410022.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQnGxOamd1KcaNhw5BrVYNvL85yQCjWugiffdT8XMShiOZQR384-1PhCRaK948ZGVX8CJgyvH0peZsIUq4d0ZlwfbihvB1lNYRdhnyjlxJOeNmu7BmkrsLrGGOulOIL6ZWpNE5Yu5Dyon8jNvOc3TdpvIVzyCrtx4RNavLCFezhUxiFRIU6e0/s2074/Screenshot%202022-08-22%20at%2010.19.45.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1411" data-original-width="2074" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQnGxOamd1KcaNhw5BrVYNvL85yQCjWugiffdT8XMShiOZQR384-1PhCRaK948ZGVX8CJgyvH0peZsIUq4d0ZlwfbihvB1lNYRdhnyjlxJOeNmu7BmkrsLrGGOulOIL6ZWpNE5Yu5Dyon8jNvOc3TdpvIVzyCrtx4RNavLCFezhUxiFRIU6e0/s320/Screenshot%202022-08-22%20at%2010.19.45.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /></div></div>Cryssehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15733554167534664275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33880814.post-4743136538301951672022-08-14T23:50:00.005+01:002022-08-15T04:36:54.722+01:00The hot, late, one - with bonus supermoon<p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi9GbRqvxyEYGHYMC1WlC-K7yDLuZqo7vPfKbBmeemld7bDYomwHxLnXQTll26jRNh0tRN1sCNcz2EcqRsGj26fz63GJDnQOMtRuebiYwJsVGHQjWPXaqTtIWnZE9ksWKH7Gp4XQln3PhAjMXWgD_7n4z5S5a972r8iuQxdzikJE1RWvJ8XbBc" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi9GbRqvxyEYGHYMC1WlC-K7yDLuZqo7vPfKbBmeemld7bDYomwHxLnXQTll26jRNh0tRN1sCNcz2EcqRsGj26fz63GJDnQOMtRuebiYwJsVGHQjWPXaqTtIWnZE9ksWKH7Gp4XQln3PhAjMXWgD_7n4z5S5a972r8iuQxdzikJE1RWvJ8XbBc" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>Avid followers of this blog, who've probably been sighing <i>'it cometh not'</i> like Tennyson's Marianna mooning around mossy flowerpots, will have noted a week's delay in this bulletin. This is because last week's planned highlight, Folksy Theatre's <i>Much Ado About Nothing </i>on Frome's ECOS last Sunday, was sadly cancelled due to a vehicle crash, and the blog felt a bit thin without dramatic focus. So instead here's a bumper sunshine special with a music focus. </p><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKnuGe8hOz-IRGKO5Z1xLsqy_R6sg5qKEFRmP31-Smrft7zDpCMWx5IdkoH8BOsftn5VtPS1JpLh-4etKLq0rnCDL3a-FvRQ7W4mQ2XlaoaxJEoItDzVPcAuhD34tmRDZswLrt9OPGG3Xo1Z5ruyXxkXD19J4HweaGqQcfOSz4mQ_anmRoFcQ/s2736/P1390572.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKnuGe8hOz-IRGKO5Z1xLsqy_R6sg5qKEFRmP31-Smrft7zDpCMWx5IdkoH8BOsftn5VtPS1JpLh-4etKLq0rnCDL3a-FvRQ7W4mQ2XlaoaxJEoItDzVPcAuhD34tmRDZswLrt9OPGG3Xo1Z5ruyXxkXD19J4HweaGqQcfOSz4mQ_anmRoFcQ/w287-h192/P1390572.JPG" width="287" /></a></div></div></i>As the warm dry evenings continue, the Thursday sessions of <i><a href="https://www.facebook.com/theguggleton/">Open Mic at the Gugg</a> </i>in Stalbridge are increasingly popular. With fresh-made pizza on site and 3 hours of live performance free (though donations to this community project are encouraged) it's not surprising every seat in the courtyard is filled. The last two sessions provided the usual wide-ranging variety of sets and some stella performers. Here's Nick Coleman last week, powerfully recreating 60's songs Simon & Garfunkel's <i>Mrs Robinson</i> and Del Shannon's <i>Runnaway. </i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">And here, from this week, is Frome's Carl Sutterby who wowed the crowd with hi-energy classic punk ( Babylon's Burning specially smashing) played on ukulele. </span><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWQ0dw6uP40sbJiCKmbmq1ke6ljmpQN92oPu3gzWmc7klszV6_RLVOB7ntZ-wlsSn26Txxn8h_iCnMTd4YMFLYhhxsZdMI0kZI2fzYCAnd5o_UzAYtq_l3NZMG2RC8Zd2jiscx_o21beoJYpafUEvqULvGkUHyqogFZ0-88i4HZYbp4zv7I2A/s2139/*Screenshot%202022-08-13%20at%2009.51.49.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1401" data-original-width="2139" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWQ0dw6uP40sbJiCKmbmq1ke6ljmpQN92oPu3gzWmc7klszV6_RLVOB7ntZ-wlsSn26Txxn8h_iCnMTd4YMFLYhhxsZdMI0kZI2fzYCAnd5o_UzAYtq_l3NZMG2RC8Zd2jiscx_o21beoJYpafUEvqULvGkUHyqogFZ0-88i4HZYbp4zv7I2A/s320/*Screenshot%202022-08-13%20at%2009.51.49.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>Among other highlights for me in this latest event were the Beagles playing Lindisfarne's <a href="http://google.com/search?q=lindisfarne+hey+mr+dreamseller&rlz=1C5CHFA_enGB1002GB1002&oq=lindisfarne+hey+mr&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j0i22i30.13221j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8"><i>Mr Dreamseller</i></a>, and <i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKkIysX2Bow">I still believe</a></i> from 'Twitch'.</span><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjAGKWcR9WzS2P_48FCcWldBFcdxaudxbxt_QuAuuCvPYQ7RHwvge2V0bfv4CMDFzmhgHrc-hZHLqy0b5XRYdtWFN8PwUQRHCyapbCe9SW25gSBUKSshNh4KcQESPPBlx1Ngz94IzYSXJZo8SKGfu0nlsmIWKvbd9jwvlRdiX0F04sXGbpeZBQ" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1419" data-original-width="2054" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjAGKWcR9WzS2P_48FCcWldBFcdxaudxbxt_QuAuuCvPYQ7RHwvge2V0bfv4CMDFzmhgHrc-hZHLqy0b5XRYdtWFN8PwUQRHCyapbCe9SW25gSBUKSshNh4KcQESPPBlx1Ngz94IzYSXJZo8SKGfu0nlsmIWKvbd9jwvlRdiX0F04sXGbpeZBQ=w245-h169" width="245" /></a></div></div><div><p><br /></p><p>In Frome, despite the annual exodus to Boomtown & other festivals, the pubs have been throbbing with music. Last Sunday saw a <i><b>Jazz Jam</b></i> at the Cornerhouse, a session of fearsome talent and unrehearsed splendour. This is a totally inclusive night, with musicians from local funk bands playing alongside trad jazz aficionados, and numbers ranging from Miles Davis to Herbie Hancock. </p><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTE5dSc9AQnfpQWZPkOIJhsJjKXQKTMgTNzrf49NEdd9Hnr4rCV6b8rCBx6KkzWD9oW_bcs9aM-wGsjM4aOBsKl1ASARlrZ-zeV_DSnpXCo9lEdphVe--8jhc2_k59VTI8ZRbH36-W6TIPTMTNxvCwJIL-1l3Zg4lYBp0ggXWjKqvKZFVHuws/s2003/P1400065.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1153" data-original-width="2003" height="157" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTE5dSc9AQnfpQWZPkOIJhsJjKXQKTMgTNzrf49NEdd9Hnr4rCV6b8rCBx6KkzWD9oW_bcs9aM-wGsjM4aOBsKl1ASARlrZ-zeV_DSnpXCo9lEdphVe--8jhc2_k59VTI8ZRbH36-W6TIPTMTNxvCwJIL-1l3Zg4lYBp0ggXWjKqvKZFVHuws/w273-h157/P1400065.JPG" width="273" /></a></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><div><br /></div>A different musical mood, though still just as hot, on Saturday when <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/Music2Move2"><i>Unit 4</i></a></b> fulfilled their pledge to make it funky at <b>The Sun, </b><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: left;"></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgReKtDl3EMhmCnt3Kjilp4ZHlUyy-Uqy4t2fKHrM9p5_zk4CMrsCW_Vy4I3JXejjX3Y6Pe9IFtn7KW51LikLqX5RWGBqnRjU0mBNIjtMjziPOFJUDO0kEy4Dw3D9envRbQEESuRbpbrNuiutTPW7gSgjA2LYCmBaIHxqiAV6_e7oBcJpySjcc/s2168/P1400240.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1477" data-original-width="2168" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgReKtDl3EMhmCnt3Kjilp4ZHlUyy-Uqy4t2fKHrM9p5_zk4CMrsCW_Vy4I3JXejjX3Y6Pe9IFtn7KW51LikLqX5RWGBqnRjU0mBNIjtMjziPOFJUDO0kEy4Dw3D9envRbQEESuRbpbrNuiutTPW7gSgjA2LYCmBaIHxqiAV6_e7oBcJpySjcc/w248-h169/P1400240.JPG" width="248" /></a></div><p></p>and on Sunday we enjoyed the return to<span style="text-align: left;"> </span><b style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/barlottefrome/">Bar Lotte</a></b><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">of mega-popular</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><i style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/roscoshakes/">Rosco Shakes</a></i><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">with their 'jump jazz' versions of blues classics.<br /></span><p></p><br /><p> </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiIPjEwdnhW9_NMUshy7VBqTx0yVlgmaNqK5ZcST6h67vd6JZyCPApwtepLW8o09G078mHygqgban5liA9I-4qg5iutFJbi-yWfHuTmvFHmv9Z4lURGqMTDsc67Cd8Kot67GXUO5kWy4u3qWqCPCcGn6Aq34vJlhS-8La_78rwTESHml8kGwUI" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1488" data-original-width="2562" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiIPjEwdnhW9_NMUshy7VBqTx0yVlgmaNqK5ZcST6h67vd6JZyCPApwtepLW8o09G078mHygqgban5liA9I-4qg5iutFJbi-yWfHuTmvFHmv9Z4lURGqMTDsc67Cd8Kot67GXUO5kWy4u3qWqCPCcGn6Aq34vJlhS-8La_78rwTESHml8kGwUI=w257-h149" width="257" /></a></div>There's some great visual art around, too: Bath's <b><a href="https://www.victoriagal.org.uk/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwl92XBhC7ARIsAHLl9akgLK5SiILqxy0ITcfCIV1Q4yMKGEHEkhmNRGjw53Uqfi92n51gX64aAtZREALw_wcB">Victoria Gallery</a></b> has an exhibition of work by Mary Feddon, showing until mid-October. 'Simple Pleasures' is a celebration of the work of this artist originally from Bristol who painted still life and flowers with a delightful quirky style until her death in 2012. The show is beautifully curated, and includes some work from her husband, fellow-artist Julian Trevelyan.<p>Frome's <b><a href="https://www.blackswanarts.org.uk/">Black Swan Arts</a> </b>gallery is still buzzing with interest in the <a href="https://www.blackswanarts.org.uk/whats-on/exhibitions/black-swan-arts-open-2022/">Arts Open Exhibition</a>, where 185 selected submissions now fill the Long Gallery, the Round Tower, and the shop too - all for sale, though quite a few have now been taken. Sadly I missed the judges' talk on criteria & judging process, but 'Writers at the Black Swan', our regular ekphrastic poetry group, enjoyed exploring the works in thoughts & words on Monday. <span style="font-size: x-small;">Thanks Jane Hughes tor this snap of us waxing lyrical.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH_B_T_mT5cr8dxSOngpkmkYDOU3IBcdTwWrU08kq6FwAm7qmNLd2geB0TKdICp4nGGBXVdfugDVXldrC15MvrQmygwNKenbvm-_5QMJ3a4umrRxeHZYYMwhx7PiDLYHIzHhjHEurY9JllrzC4ksXdRr8bKFTlbFllLTY-fYiyy24yB5uphWo/s640/Poetry%20Group1Jane%20Hughes.POSTEDjpg.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH_B_T_mT5cr8dxSOngpkmkYDOU3IBcdTwWrU08kq6FwAm7qmNLd2geB0TKdICp4nGGBXVdfugDVXldrC15MvrQmygwNKenbvm-_5QMJ3a4umrRxeHZYYMwhx7PiDLYHIzHhjHEurY9JllrzC4ksXdRr8bKFTlbFllLTY-fYiyy24yB5uphWo/w267-h201/Poetry%20Group1Jane%20Hughes.POSTEDjpg.jpg" width="267" /></a></div><p></p><p></p></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio31TQfXKABQNIXaw8aLxc9JZ5jW2bn0iOVi40s6RGDXx-VAley1HwV8kKMX1OdXGaUtgQxBqQftIAcN_YAcyj53mFYudm96L2-AUAQ2xOTiScYtjSpEMRg3qMeBvIIapxfE-98GwoGOXewHLYo3y732TyQCxOO7Smy3fQQopHJLMus4ScvDo/s2667/P1390671%20copy.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1539" data-original-width="2667" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio31TQfXKABQNIXaw8aLxc9JZ5jW2bn0iOVi40s6RGDXx-VAley1HwV8kKMX1OdXGaUtgQxBqQftIAcN_YAcyj53mFYudm96L2-AUAQ2xOTiScYtjSpEMRg3qMeBvIIapxfE-98GwoGOXewHLYo3y732TyQCxOO7Smy3fQQopHJLMus4ScvDo/w306-h177/P1390671%20copy.JPG" width="306" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_BEnWbStIqb9_-U7siJb6dCvyTmCu7_YENzr_i45AXoeEg0Zb7FD-58bIXEa6kD9HSiZv7m7GK5WHM4GDNHT1EAREl78JzbqmskVl7wCLjnqd80W0cGjZLRC5Eqzrohw3stYFmo91exeGGhjR-t7H7f9SvbZOksaJnXhPtHYo2BtTNbcGULI/s1945/P1390661.:usedJPG%202.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1945" data-original-width="1317" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_BEnWbStIqb9_-U7siJb6dCvyTmCu7_YENzr_i45AXoeEg0Zb7FD-58bIXEa6kD9HSiZv7m7GK5WHM4GDNHT1EAREl78JzbqmskVl7wCLjnqd80W0cGjZLRC5Eqzrohw3stYFmo91exeGGhjR-t7H7f9SvbZOksaJnXhPtHYo2BtTNbcGULI/w157-h231/P1390661.:usedJPG%202.JPG" width="157" /></a><div style="text-align: left;">The first Sunday in the month always brings the Frome Independent, a wonderful chance to wander through stalls in the car-free streets, enjoying the market atmosphere & street food, especially under the azure skies we've had for several weeks now. I did a bit of onstreet-sales myself, outside <a href="https://www.facebook.com/HuntingRavenBooks/">Hunting Raven Books,</a> inspired by some great reviews sent me about my new novel <i>Blow-Ins. </i>You can hear more about the book, and how it came to be written, in this week's <b><i>Variations on a Theme</i></b>, the regular mixed-bag-culture show of Eleanor Talbot which you can listen to online as broadcast on <a href="https://www.mixcloud.com/FromeFM/72-variations-on-a-theme-120822-variations-creatives-series-frome-femme/?utm_source=notification&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=notification_new_upload&utm_content=html&fbclid=IwAR2vlmrUS5zvnfeNJ6tyLz1tAcDw-xRYY1rslljAydrAUftgRNZEjWE6dgE">Frome FM.</a> My interview starts at 1.23.50, but the eclectic music on Eleanor's shows is always great!</div></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><p></p><p>Final footnote goes to the weather: love it (I do) or worry about it (as we all probably do, for -literally- existential reasons) this fortnight has brought solid sunshine and cloudless azure skies to Frome. Our grassy meadows are turning to straw and our river is become drying sludge in many places, so to end here's a typical image from my walks this week: Whatcombe fields, on the edge of town. Rain, apparently, is due soon....</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj_Ord_RcERfu-12xGmlabdlSl5HcR061SrOqoRQxvnp5o8SeT90IrzcOFjylSTAjvO52C7xv8AonIF3Lg_G4l4kTIa_X8qTrdey4HDQhPy066D2uzugH0onbs3t-FhOwCj7v-WQXpDr1HfvnIoDSMnTnB9CAYHKFg4YCHzp8sx-XEtrwUH6mY" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj_Ord_RcERfu-12xGmlabdlSl5HcR061SrOqoRQxvnp5o8SeT90IrzcOFjylSTAjvO52C7xv8AonIF3Lg_G4l4kTIa_X8qTrdey4HDQhPy066D2uzugH0onbs3t-FhOwCj7v-WQXpDr1HfvnIoDSMnTnB9CAYHKFg4YCHzp8sx-XEtrwUH6mY=w297-h198" width="297" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p></p><p> </p></div></div>Cryssehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15733554167534664275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33880814.post-14677749618677257922022-08-01T10:19:00.000+01:002022-08-01T10:19:17.651+01:00Much Ado about lots<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgznhCHoQdA1Ctny2DlEKdhXt7u4g68-3WaW23AL-5NiGc2G7ORhQG4tkEDwR5f5iRM9fZp6PLQMXWNQ6ww3eK1dt1IE7bABM_Z_wN_zZU7zyBVF7zv3onobqwKYYKEy-tzvNQEGPrJMex1QXsKbAesOwrkFcICGAyzDZp9yafzUF3vQTEcj40/s1200/Katherine-Parkinson-and-Company-in-Much-Ado-About-Nothing-c-Manuel-Harlan.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgznhCHoQdA1Ctny2DlEKdhXt7u4g68-3WaW23AL-5NiGc2G7ORhQG4tkEDwR5f5iRM9fZp6PLQMXWNQ6ww3eK1dt1IE7bABM_Z_wN_zZU7zyBVF7zv3onobqwKYYKEy-tzvNQEGPrJMex1QXsKbAesOwrkFcICGAyzDZp9yafzUF3vQTEcj40/s320/Katherine-Parkinson-and-Company-in-Much-Ado-About-Nothing-c-Manuel-Harlan.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This week's bulging bulletin begins with a trip to London's South Bank for a <b>National Theatre</b> production of </span><i>Much Ado About Nothing - </i><span>the</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> final splurge of a gift-token from son2 last year. Directed by Simon Godwin with a lavish two-storey set designed by Anna Fleischle & Evie Gurney's amazing rag-time era costumes, this seemed at first a bit too '<i>Post-Modern Jukebox</i> meets <i>Hi-Di-Hi' </i>for dark themes of betrayal and redemption but, after a frivolous start, it steered its way into a lively, funny, clever production. <i>Much Ado</i> is notoriously 'difficult' although a comedy: we have to relish a happy ending that involves a mistrustful bridegroom who publicly humiliates his bride, whose sassy friend promptly demands his death from her own fiancé… some productions simply give up on resolving these aspects, but this production really has a go and, for me, really succeeds.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Much credit for this is down to Ursula Dowel, Beatrice’s delightful maid, and the director's decision to created a balcony scene which tricks </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">her as well as the watching spies - there’s quite a bit of this kind of softening of some of the bard’s rough edges, which helps to maintain much of the glamour of the upbeat opening scenes throughout.</span><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></div></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUIB_ZRJCybLfvBr98LK5c1eo5kWCLcTiqcBWiyi7jmvGq9uOQ8mN012OUYRzbSm1ZwKEr67KWvkFLHsC1X0bfzCoqTPn37JrVVCF0cqv8VrQ1CEq7kG8d7hxM_U7eRlXWLttk5Rposy2GHQJYUTpQCMyEhQzDLC122Z7rj08S6s1C9FiUFIY/s1200/David-Fynn-Al-Coppola-Olivia-Forrest-and-Nick-Harris-in-Much-Ado-About-Nothing-at-the-NT-c-Manuel-Harlan.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUIB_ZRJCybLfvBr98LK5c1eo5kWCLcTiqcBWiyi7jmvGq9uOQ8mN012OUYRzbSm1ZwKEr67KWvkFLHsC1X0bfzCoqTPn37JrVVCF0cqv8VrQ1CEq7kG8d7hxM_U7eRlXWLttk5Rposy2GHQJYUTpQCMyEhQzDLC122Z7rj08S6s1C9FiUFIY/w320-h213/David-Fynn-Al-Coppola-Olivia-Forrest-and-Nick-Harris-in-Much-Ado-About-Nothing-at-the-NT-c-Manuel-Harlan.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9U7JhnNsOJu34ckG9bA4yVIIoAXja_loyqlG2dk1taO6XJgKQH_yCFtzRylitkCE-mkYkpe8u33aqorLz-TKhpTmdSG-h1iek_VY5PbhEjzuByWLxtea7VxEUx6I2ncYhGMF3d5dF9nRZ2CjJv5kTuXsWo93-2StOQxfb1sSQXp_wEyW76WU/s960/Much-Ado-About-Nothing-National-Theatre-review-3.webp" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="960" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9U7JhnNsOJu34ckG9bA4yVIIoAXja_loyqlG2dk1taO6XJgKQH_yCFtzRylitkCE-mkYkpe8u33aqorLz-TKhpTmdSG-h1iek_VY5PbhEjzuByWLxtea7VxEUx6I2ncYhGMF3d5dF9nRZ2CjJv5kTuXsWo93-2StOQxfb1sSQXp_wEyW76WU/w200-h125/Much-Ado-About-Nothing-National-Theatre-review-3.webp" width="200" /></a></span></div></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">The sequence when a team of inane watchmen ineptly uncover the treacherous plot to discredit Hero is direly unfunny in most productions, but in this one it's somehow hilarious - big credit to David Fynn's Dogberry and his Watch. Here they are <span style="font-size: x-small;">(above)</span>, and here too are Benedict (John Hefferman) whose friends tricked him into wooing and Claudio (Eben Figueiredo) whose boss did his wooing for him, though both got their girls in the end. A great interpretation of a play that's mainly about gossip, well presented and performed. (<span style="font-size: x-small;">Press image credits Manuel</span></span><span style="font-size: x-small;">-Harlan)</span><div><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFzg3eLMfR5ujh3Nm-zFd0TLXwvRKhSKIM1lWoBmP04KFq3NPA5XFgndTvVQLbNpIFm9hupgmhD0QGQOb4dS8Amq5KPD7lLmRQR_g0_Zudamczod5PmHEtNEYBbVQGrTiosM8J7Ap3E9fAY_B4W641I-e4hv2Rrklsh3QefdEkw7Kzz0elKu8/s2568/**P1390197.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1576" data-original-width="2568" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFzg3eLMfR5ujh3Nm-zFd0TLXwvRKhSKIM1lWoBmP04KFq3NPA5XFgndTvVQLbNpIFm9hupgmhD0QGQOb4dS8Amq5KPD7lLmRQR_g0_Zudamczod5PmHEtNEYBbVQGrTiosM8J7Ap3E9fAY_B4W641I-e4hv2Rrklsh3QefdEkw7Kzz0elKu8/s320/**P1390197.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKA4Gxb3D_YepU5QQTEC7TGOfcAN4kjA1KD9NNcYki7wZVrXOxwexSc2ggBV4N5cN4LE27cGjO7TD1IbTpwcSvvFpYr5SIXumLqO0NTzEEAcPuguh47YcM7UXm2p2x1AqU5tk2mKzqRUayEOrc-838lqceYGdx7uzLBkfcAxQcYOeoSm3VEdk/s1524/**P1390162.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1482" data-original-width="1524" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKA4Gxb3D_YepU5QQTEC7TGOfcAN4kjA1KD9NNcYki7wZVrXOxwexSc2ggBV4N5cN4LE27cGjO7TD1IbTpwcSvvFpYr5SIXumLqO0NTzEEAcPuguh47YcM7UXm2p2x1AqU5tk2mKzqRUayEOrc-838lqceYGdx7uzLBkfcAxQcYOeoSm3VEdk/w200-h194/**P1390162.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>Still with the bard, this time <i>al fresco</i> with the wonderful <a href="https://www.tlcm.co.uk/">Lord Chamberlain's Men</a> at <a href="https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/dyrham-park">Dyrham Park</a>. <span style="font-family: inherit;">There’s something intrinsically funny about men dressed as women, and when a man dressed-as-a- woman dresses as a man, and is played by a man-dressed-as-a-woman-dressing-as-a-man, the comedy is inevitably compounded. It can get chaotic, of course, so this company deserves huge credit for their brilliant, clever, production of <i>As You Like It</i>, in which seven men played every role with clarity and enormous humour. Rosalind (Ben Lynn) and Celia (Jonny Warr) are both adorable, and the rest of the team are funny and feisty, as necessary. </span>Handsome Orlando (Andrew Buzzeo), smitten with love for Rosalind, is excellent; Jaques’s melancholy is less turgid than sometimes, and the romance between tiny clown Touchstone and beefy Audrey is funnier than sometimes, so win-win all round. </div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiab-eHmf0CihZo2Ea9jYI7Ra02KC-s4oSnNO46VM4_A4ZjCQTGwrKRmDDGPIljiNfpejGH7GSK3xNlxYmXwRnOSuzu97X9wlzz-c8zY9oqhRvjXL_ztA47YFq9Yi9ohnJ9rqdhJbBoLIZ-0pNrjQbhd8KW9BZ2yW54uAgHiNcOa0UIARGW2Ig/s1712/**Audrey%20accepts%20Touchstone.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: left;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1712" data-original-width="1649" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiab-eHmf0CihZo2Ea9jYI7Ra02KC-s4oSnNO46VM4_A4ZjCQTGwrKRmDDGPIljiNfpejGH7GSK3xNlxYmXwRnOSuzu97X9wlzz-c8zY9oqhRvjXL_ztA47YFq9Yi9ohnJ9rqdhJbBoLIZ-0pNrjQbhd8KW9BZ2yW54uAgHiNcOa0UIARGW2Ig/w193-h200/**Audrey%20accepts%20Touchstone.JPG" width="193" /></a></div></span><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The set was a bit odd, though: a turd-like monolith neither palace nor forest, but probably easy for touring. The company will doubtless be exhausted by autumn - their tour schedule involves 73 locations - but they will have made a lot of people very happy. At Dyrham Park at least 200 of us gathered on the lawn with chairs, rugs, and picnics (in one instance with a folding table) and the multi-talented cast organised us seamlessly into best-viewing positions for all.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>It’s a great show - go if you can.</span></p><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNgD6WO_8bN87KGy4w-F0S4ICuhU01D4eBpj388oawLAWy3Aecy8RLt0Naf4hI05gZ0arcoF6MpnOU6n8dEJjsPQV1Eotd5GaQXNCOcsHDVLoqVYQVJjH-htPL_sKX-Sncg_Ic1XA2K_ZLZZxbRT5JYJ7-29GNJUODi61v9oNfmeq-LBhwsps/s2220/P1380639.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1727" data-original-width="2220" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNgD6WO_8bN87KGy4w-F0S4ICuhU01D4eBpj388oawLAWy3Aecy8RLt0Naf4hI05gZ0arcoF6MpnOU6n8dEJjsPQV1Eotd5GaQXNCOcsHDVLoqVYQVJjH-htPL_sKX-Sncg_Ic1XA2K_ZLZZxbRT5JYJ7-29GNJUODi61v9oNfmeq-LBhwsps/w287-h224/P1380639.JPG" width="287" /></span></a></div>This double-drama concluded my week-long birthday bonanza which also involved classy dining & bibbing and wonderful walks with son1 and with friends, discovering places nearby but somehow previously unknown to me - here's <a href="http://www.themansfields.org.uk/horningsham.htm">Horningsham Independent Chapel, the oldest Free Church in England</a>, build-date of 1556 and still in regular use for worship. This is within the 9,800 acre Longleat estate, famous for costly attractions - stately home, safari park - but free for walking around the lovely wooded environs where workers' cottage gardens look like flower-packet pictures and new-laid eggs from free range hens are £1.50 a dozen.<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWk_YH2TOGftGkOF108WE6o5Ol64uci6nsJ_lqIddZxlaRQ4XeYkKvPijm4lBqcBeZBWttM5UtWoW0Hz_E_MeCAMPiQpqzE4LhNSrIG7iozwMTBYWT_Yd9FxKTjhx8XtPQxFF80uDhtFKK30CEDwKZhKEYwn6wsVYZjTcjjIZk1psbnEbu6_c/s2718/P1380643.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1812" data-original-width="2718" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWk_YH2TOGftGkOF108WE6o5Ol64uci6nsJ_lqIddZxlaRQ4XeYkKvPijm4lBqcBeZBWttM5UtWoW0Hz_E_MeCAMPiQpqzE4LhNSrIG7iozwMTBYWT_Yd9FxKTjhx8XtPQxFF80uDhtFKK30CEDwKZhKEYwn6wsVYZjTcjjIZk1psbnEbu6_c/w275-h183/P1380643.JPG" width="275" /></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKOBXZOenD_hGzJMtZ-p6kIjPRRafn-JlKJ6QamQbStpXmNdVmIVUvsHU6X2Fyf8rV-lDLrcJFFt2avl2y7x7ADW-5CpChUw9kQ9xOrOpA-fTlD_7fV3lR8MrcscxEdoboeMPwSKkJ-2A4gaheONPkeZ8FPqDBFN5RiiMmuYpV7d5cUAHD188/s1638/P1390037%202.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1625" data-original-width="1638" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKOBXZOenD_hGzJMtZ-p6kIjPRRafn-JlKJ6QamQbStpXmNdVmIVUvsHU6X2Fyf8rV-lDLrcJFFt2avl2y7x7ADW-5CpChUw9kQ9xOrOpA-fTlD_7fV3lR8MrcscxEdoboeMPwSKkJ-2A4gaheONPkeZ8FPqDBFN5RiiMmuYpV7d5cUAHD188/w229-h227/P1390037%202.JPG" width="229" /></a></div></div><br /></div>Moving on to music now, with another session at <a href="https://guggletonfarmarts.com/">The Guggleton</a> in Stallbridge, the Arts Centre with a difference, a wonderfully supportive community venture to foster arts of all kinds, with the Open Mic nights regular well attended. The session on a sultry Thursday evening had some real highlights, one of which was talented duo The Davenports, aka Annie and Roger, with a moving version of that country classic <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pA9Z2teKB0A"><i>Please Remember me</i></a>, and a very lively finale from Alan, aka <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Therhythmjunkie">The Rhythm Junkie</a>, with a Bob Marley mashup and mass Oasis singalong. Always a good night at The Gugg outdoor venue - with pizza and bar provided too.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSgfyGThe1cKt3Kgv4haHDH3BldzY_y-P_vlhRPvN3kTWW2Fwkdnb_sIFjZSkHFuimj-2_Xf-D6Y-_5tRtO56YDAaqI_nOD9gCWitw9RivTKTBVBdxUVoBADdJ7c2eRWjKtvkl95f1McW4Y6EmOCgyLoc0yqBa5qxd-1M69acWGB1iGdcrR5Q/s1664/P1390353.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1664" data-original-width="1037" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSgfyGThe1cKt3Kgv4haHDH3BldzY_y-P_vlhRPvN3kTWW2Fwkdnb_sIFjZSkHFuimj-2_Xf-D6Y-_5tRtO56YDAaqI_nOD9gCWitw9RivTKTBVBdxUVoBADdJ7c2eRWjKtvkl95f1McW4Y6EmOCgyLoc0yqBa5qxd-1M69acWGB1iGdcrR5Q/w151-h243/P1390353.JPG" width="151" /></a></div><div><br /></div>A fizzing finale to this week and this month, at Bath's <a href="https://www.komedia.co.uk/bath/">Komedia</a>, Chortle award-winning 'Best Venue in the West & Wales' for comedy: here <a href="https://twitter.com/rosieisaholt">Rosie Holt</a>, aka twitter's @RosieisaHolt, on Sunday night shared a preview of her Edinburgh Festival show. 'an hour of character comedy based on her hit satirical videos'. </div><div>Rosie's horribly accurate parodies of political personalities both real & imagined are side-achingly funny, and the evil simpering of her inventions so appallingly realistic that confused commentators become apoplectic with virtuous rage. Rosie's show is already tipped by <a href="https://www.timeout.com/edinburgh/art-culture/best-comedy-at-edinburgh-fringe">Time Out</a> in their top 10 best comedy shows in the Festival - if you're up in Edinburgh in August, don't miss her!</div></div></div>Cryssehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15733554167534664275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33880814.post-74522617019624851832022-07-24T16:57:00.007+01:002022-07-26T09:44:43.144+01:00Yet more summer celebrations: drama, art & music<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC4jHGp-cLikbxn3PeURcsOMcvIWLwPxm6nwslENon_lzHWXneoXPBDJy4nLdYL9tBNLsJER6Afm7a2_q6Rrmvr-azEwwmDARN-f-YKHYm0lC34IMfn2PaSWi8A6Vz3mDm2jWFrNvrJdecLLmrnYKu9G5bri5g0U4abl1e2VJQZhL2Gd6iGaU/s3600/Production%20photo,%20Treasure%20Island,%20credit-%20Mark%20Dawson%20Photography.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="3600" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC4jHGp-cLikbxn3PeURcsOMcvIWLwPxm6nwslENon_lzHWXneoXPBDJy4nLdYL9tBNLsJER6Afm7a2_q6Rrmvr-azEwwmDARN-f-YKHYm0lC34IMfn2PaSWi8A6Vz3mDm2jWFrNvrJdecLLmrnYKu9G5bri5g0U4abl1e2VJQZhL2Gd6iGaU/s320/Production%20photo,%20Treasure%20Island,%20credit-%20Mark%20Dawson%20Photography.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Remember Treasure Island? A coming-of-age story, about desert islands, buried gold, pirates, and a parrot? Exeter's physical comedy theatre <b><a href="http://lenavetbete.com/shows/">Le Navet Bete</a> </b>are touring with their version, at <b>Bristol Old Vic</b> until the end of the month and strongly recommended. All the elements are there, except the parrot is called Alexa and is just as inept as that cloud-based info-system, and a raft of extraneous characters are also integrated, including Captain Birdseye and an erotic mermaid who steals every scene - a difficult task as the four multi-tasking performers are all fantastic. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh338wDQmKlFKgjoZxuXbnMmdVfbcyazdOXmP9p0fhSoSFL-552i15A8hQJQY2XjTdrUUr6cEIVG2Tt675plCFopuPgg8vo29UYiizP9Iyh5AaQeow7jNy3UvAgKM7Ktk92i3xcNJyNpelnXHpADvtEePMAFUkErqE9bjghcJSmUiIe9f88oTo/s1144/imageresizer.webp" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="654" data-original-width="1144" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh338wDQmKlFKgjoZxuXbnMmdVfbcyazdOXmP9p0fhSoSFL-552i15A8hQJQY2XjTdrUUr6cEIVG2Tt675plCFopuPgg8vo29UYiizP9Iyh5AaQeow7jNy3UvAgKM7Ktk92i3xcNJyNpelnXHpADvtEePMAFUkErqE9bjghcJSmUiIe9f88oTo/s320/imageresizer.webp" width="320" /></a></div>Director John Nicholson has somehow retained a key element in the story - the innocent young hero seeking buried treasure - throughout this hilarious mayhem, even when plot progress at one point depends on the outcome of a game of 'Play Your Cards' right with the audience. Matt Freeman is outrageously memorable, but all the cast are brilliant, interacting with each other and with the audience to make the whole show a giant party. I've never heard an audience laugh so much - strongly recommended.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghf-xEFmMXLeeGAFZU5ppIrpxxKt-WGQTOfFlZtGbPz92ZOZl9TXM7U986nDbnBV8FqSC3Uyjo6GWBBP599L09XLDJbL9xK-vmm6ReTUUEfh_1GGUgmTnFFmP9wdO4t3JEELcEBJr37JlZM5Y0OKk1CEW1qKeBPI4fASWHs_YDFVQqFGzx2gg/s1334/IMG_3917.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="750" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghf-xEFmMXLeeGAFZU5ppIrpxxKt-WGQTOfFlZtGbPz92ZOZl9TXM7U986nDbnBV8FqSC3Uyjo6GWBBP599L09XLDJbL9xK-vmm6ReTUUEfh_1GGUgmTnFFmP9wdO4t3JEELcEBJr37JlZM5Y0OKk1CEW1qKeBPI4fASWHs_YDFVQqFGzx2gg/w140-h249/IMG_3917.jpeg" width="140" /></a></div><br />A different dramatic mood now from <b><a href="https://www.blackhoundproductions.co.uk/">Black Hound Productions</a></b>, as Frome's fearsomely talented young theatre company has created <i><a href="http://www.merlintheatre.co.uk/whats-on/performances/edinburgh-fringe-double-bill/">An Edinburgh Fringe Double Bill</a></i> previewed at <b>Merlin Theatre </b>on Wednesday. Both plays use sensitive insight and humour to explore life experiences typical today. In <i>Seeds of Memories,</i> a young man reminisces in the garden of his much-missed grandfather, finding a kind of magic as well as many memories; in <i>Alright?,</i> a disaffiliated teenage boy struggles to cope in a school-and-home void without support - again, with humour as well as insight. <div> The first play is a virtual monologue for Ollie J Edwards, supported throughout by Lesley Hayes who morphs between beloved Nan & less-adored Mum, and by Lisha Allen as a glamorous evocation of Nature. There's clever puppetry and evocative, neatly-choreographed, scene-shifts evoking natural magic as emotions swell and shift.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3BJMQcxGS582QysNXG85F2vI1hKFUIUSlzfSvvXgeKvbaPoQSeaUp6Qz9EBHZTqAat_X4Xh4CNZ_TmZP4Mv3z-kbOaSiJgrh3niSfz3xCSA49w7UJvfT97zJ006NFL73A1WC_Yt93x0qi-D8zM6CyAAPZhHgE1WslyamRMVB2yMgMmgOjS4o/s4208/IMG_9252.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="4208" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3BJMQcxGS582QysNXG85F2vI1hKFUIUSlzfSvvXgeKvbaPoQSeaUp6Qz9EBHZTqAat_X4Xh4CNZ_TmZP4Mv3z-kbOaSiJgrh3niSfz3xCSA49w7UJvfT97zJ006NFL73A1WC_Yt93x0qi-D8zM6CyAAPZhHgE1WslyamRMVB2yMgMmgOjS4o/w229-h218/IMG_9252.JPG" width="229" /></a></div>The second play is even more engaging, and did actually drag a couple of tears from me as teenage Noah, played by Thomas Price, flails between the tedium of school and home, with a disaffected school counsellor, an inept father, and a dotty grandmother as his only support. This too is extremely well staged as Noah's isolation is evoked by the total absence of any 'key connections': the school psychiatrist is conveyed by a small recess - "because mental health is an afterthought in eduction" while Gran is a voice from the overly-plush corner where 'like some sort of confused pickpocket,' she drops hip-flasks in Noah's pocket in lieu of any real contact. He's heading downwards until the night his dad snaps & rants at him, and Noah realises 'this is the most we've ever spoken', and achieves an awkward, but realistic, breakthrough. Both plays are written and directed by artistic director Patrick Withey, who also designed the imaginative sets. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxb5sW7Qyk0i_ZlCjHDwBEqSJHlSsNs-9QlAJDW-IxaZ1I6IESnkxkGeCWnDlofUdPaBZfY1fLH3KbnzknQlJeQTO8wuPGeKiT-i2649JWAsyqxWramT6odZ_rD2pmGG8DL1QpIpg0eCzddE5rl5g0Ilm3hHdYEuEpKMwYAhGjfdlqXiYIehw/s2530/P1380565.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1470" data-original-width="2530" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxb5sW7Qyk0i_ZlCjHDwBEqSJHlSsNs-9QlAJDW-IxaZ1I6IESnkxkGeCWnDlofUdPaBZfY1fLH3KbnzknQlJeQTO8wuPGeKiT-i2649JWAsyqxWramT6odZ_rD2pmGG8DL1QpIpg0eCzddE5rl5g0Ilm3hHdYEuEpKMwYAhGjfdlqXiYIehw/s320/P1380565.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Summertime in the Southwest is as thick with festivals as Edinburgh's Royal Mile is with performers. The <b>Frome Festival of Photography </b>was speedily overlapped by the multi-inclusive<b> Frome Arts Festival</b>, and now <b>Black Swan Arts Open 2022</b> has filled every available wall and surface in the building with nearly 200 visual art works from over 1000 submitted from far & wide as well as locally - you can see them all in <a href="https://shop.blackswanarts.org.uk/collections/black-swan-arts-open-2022/">online shop</a>. There's a big buzz around this exhibition, which has insisted on a ceiling price of £1000 from all artists, even the most established - some already showing online as sold.</div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKGbSQpffjP1YfQlHvMIdZ-8G2DQw0R62QXVUi3uAfiTSvxaEriStTIubSEdScYmGzfqGN4Yij4RbItGhbvK4dH7uRtGf0jIl6wTul-uBb2_4VE7e2B8aLFHDikiHYiUeTjq0yqKwIke9451yuOtT9zwtp3HoqdNsYIXFByQW5tfyhpypVQjQ/s1248/1Screenshot%202022-07-18%20at%2023.12.56.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1248" data-original-width="980" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKGbSQpffjP1YfQlHvMIdZ-8G2DQw0R62QXVUi3uAfiTSvxaEriStTIubSEdScYmGzfqGN4Yij4RbItGhbvK4dH7uRtGf0jIl6wTul-uBb2_4VE7e2B8aLFHDikiHYiUeTjq0yqKwIke9451yuOtT9zwtp3HoqdNsYIXFByQW5tfyhpypVQjQ/w157-h200/1Screenshot%202022-07-18%20at%2023.12.56.jpeg" width="157" /></a></div><p>Theres an exhibition also at the <b>Good Heart <a href="https://www.thegoodheart.uk/food/">Tibetan Memories Cafe</a>, </b>where Lockhart Murdoch has filled the walls with photographs of Tibet from his archives. These are mainly historic press photographs from his vast collection at <i>One A</i> gallery and shop in Frome town centre, intriguing to visitors at the opening and thrilling to chef Namdi, who recognised the figure featured in one - his own lama and friend. (That's him in the background, behind Namdi's happy grin. ) Alison Murdoch, founder of the Good Heart, also spoke of future plans for this pay-it-forward cafe with a focus on community support</p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7JECPJVIPW3oL3H-GorwtGD8EgiviEvNPbrJkwgkBZFcO6mOD8C4nYAE_x7DkLmnIND0BQJrJNhj_E553MDBJS9tVHqMUIWm3u5EdeOgSgI5cCm1LmgrrV1JEfYBG2FfnT0LGY5XLFhJTnmb6-q-bUeGvIRBZtD5INK7fge-oWvjQeky3wIk/s1590/294499614_1608556922873581_1444680739001093229_n%202%202.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1422" data-original-width="1590" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7JECPJVIPW3oL3H-GorwtGD8EgiviEvNPbrJkwgkBZFcO6mOD8C4nYAE_x7DkLmnIND0BQJrJNhj_E553MDBJS9tVHqMUIWm3u5EdeOgSgI5cCm1LmgrrV1JEfYBG2FfnT0LGY5XLFhJTnmb6-q-bUeGvIRBZtD5INK7fge-oWvjQeky3wIk/w200-h179/294499614_1608556922873581_1444680739001093229_n%202%202.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>On a personal note: as well as all the above delights, it was my pleasure this week to be interviewed by the truly wonderful Eleanor Talbot about my latest novel <i><a href="https://www.hobnobpress.co.uk/new-and-recent-books/"><b>Blow-Ins</b></a></i>, for her weekly international online show <a href="https://soundcloud.com/eleanor-talbot-322179824">Variations on a Theme</a> (also broadcast on <i>Frome FM</i> next week, <span style="font-size: x-small;">link to be posted later).</span> Eleanor's insights are always incisive so our conversation was in-depth & quite challenging - it's great to be quizzed by an enthusiastic fan who also asks questions like "How do you manage balancing the funny with the darker themes?" Perhaps because art is, after all, like life...<p></p><p>This week's landscape is from the riverside at Freshford, at the end of a family walk on Sunday, with the recent intense heat now ebbing into a very pleasant languid warmth.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdgpSdCi2mQO2BXhr2ffFfZECu84oFAnVvkMX2dTSRawmQn7ag61DTAhLBpsjRPnJN-tKVh3TYj64V7KXe8AqcUw2n0tUH3YzYXgzzsbMoE5T4XaWf7bDaqe5KDvIRWLgf2VViHy87Fek3Xx-d28ZW6VKC1S1_hcc7qv8_m82WuUfQcpRlGXY/s2736/P1380626.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdgpSdCi2mQO2BXhr2ffFfZECu84oFAnVvkMX2dTSRawmQn7ag61DTAhLBpsjRPnJN-tKVh3TYj64V7KXe8AqcUw2n0tUH3YzYXgzzsbMoE5T4XaWf7bDaqe5KDvIRWLgf2VViHy87Fek3Xx-d28ZW6VKC1S1_hcc7qv8_m82WuUfQcpRlGXY/w287-h191/P1380626.JPG" width="287" /></a></div><p>Although Upton Blues is a week behind us now, in another world below the Malvern Hills where a campervan-village among golden 'cat's ear' field flowers waves with colourful flags, it's been great reviewing my photos of that festival... if you don't have facebook, here's a screenshot of a few snaps...</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5PCL1Z8Iel3kCp1Kf_mwR7fOc0vi-S51T4A0VnkTIwGJFJ3gfUzeWQvWBMYp9yfb4FWfp7lAyC9KzFxc8eeBWmQSAVm6osenidgBtJRcdY5EdvDg0-GuOqQwhWR7wL0bBSajq-hLKtop57u6iISBD3B3-8PFRVa7-YHUAVXPX3Q_ad7ENsy8/s729/Screenshot%202022-07-23%20at%2017.47.30.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="656" data-original-width="729" height="337" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5PCL1Z8Iel3kCp1Kf_mwR7fOc0vi-S51T4A0VnkTIwGJFJ3gfUzeWQvWBMYp9yfb4FWfp7lAyC9KzFxc8eeBWmQSAVm6osenidgBtJRcdY5EdvDg0-GuOqQwhWR7wL0bBSajq-hLKtop57u6iISBD3B3-8PFRVa7-YHUAVXPX3Q_ad7ENsy8/w374-h337/Screenshot%202022-07-23%20at%2017.47.30.jpeg" width="374" /></a></div><p></p><p>And finally, another in my series of occasional alerts to fantastic online music you might not already be aware of: <a href="http://peterbence.com/">Peter Bence</a>, officially the world's fastest piano-player. He's Hungarian, travelling Europe giving live concerts & on Youtube too: here's his version of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrQnnhAXLt0"><i>Don't Stop Me Now</i></a> - there's more fantastic Queen performances on his page <a href="http://peterbence.com/">here</a>. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhR7dPNnaR25Yf0XLb2twvRb6YEIDntG86Ccf1J3fmh0eAfUvcPbyHafhCKlLR-wJYT3Sl9Fl4z5xlO-oKAsAwdhoxAho_Hek16Od8H4z2b1j2nSy4BdPKBHUD_BaIO2PGuj2RB6t7Fibmfo3pZR8RgSxqk8MVQUtIfl0zfB8YHM2Rg0vXJYQ0" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1500" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhR7dPNnaR25Yf0XLb2twvRb6YEIDntG86Ccf1J3fmh0eAfUvcPbyHafhCKlLR-wJYT3Sl9Fl4z5xlO-oKAsAwdhoxAho_Hek16Od8H4z2b1j2nSy4BdPKBHUD_BaIO2PGuj2RB6t7Fibmfo3pZR8RgSxqk8MVQUtIfl0zfB8YHM2Rg0vXJYQ0=w274-h182" width="274" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Cryssehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15733554167534664275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33880814.post-6542536418524924562022-07-18T22:15:00.010+01:002022-07-20T15:46:14.228+01:00Hot week, cool blues... <div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgUlCpRUeJxWFjOP0A4x9HqtLf1yCVi6kj6SIyGUxj4VxsDtJ5Xzxp5AAv5Q0usk6aq8qjHyOOBbMr4IPWWx3AGlFos_IOhjoFZ5PZCrLtX3_bOjHPUDMjOSyj24MAN-4FA3Olmcux_F7Zqz0utPhaMz_bJVDoVODrmc4ZqAYLpRzHng8scLcE" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1758" data-original-width="2637" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgUlCpRUeJxWFjOP0A4x9HqtLf1yCVi6kj6SIyGUxj4VxsDtJ5Xzxp5AAv5Q0usk6aq8qjHyOOBbMr4IPWWx3AGlFos_IOhjoFZ5PZCrLtX3_bOjHPUDMjOSyj24MAN-4FA3Olmcux_F7Zqz0utPhaMz_bJVDoVODrmc4ZqAYLpRzHng8scLcE" width="320" /></a></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhMr9KVzxfYzCRSOSqyghOfIlX4JMTHn4ZIxu_9bh-bHgQ5xmS0cDKZorTYT2MBUSfMA93Gpi_lBVcuhln5LM7Hp_unXzy8hklAn6d9wtSqG3ik5veW8WpqC2mi5mAZq2F0sHYX-PzG1eeEjHVfceke0-t-UJDqiCQTX1e2a346YbnwbtXeaIM" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1737" data-original-width="2060" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhMr9KVzxfYzCRSOSqyghOfIlX4JMTHn4ZIxu_9bh-bHgQ5xmS0cDKZorTYT2MBUSfMA93Gpi_lBVcuhln5LM7Hp_unXzy8hklAn6d9wtSqG3ik5veW8WpqC2mi5mAZq2F0sHYX-PzG1eeEjHVfceke0-t-UJDqiCQTX1e2a346YbnwbtXeaIM" width="285" /></a></div><br /></div>This is a digression-ary posting, as my last five days have been spent soaking up the sun and listening to cool sounds at <b>Upton Blues Festival</b> - biggest free blues festival in the UK. Impossible to attempt a 'review' of any of the blisteringly good bands on the sixteen stages (and various pavements!) across this little town below the Malvern Hills as identifying genres - or indeed sometimes even instruments - is beyond me, but the campsite was brilliantly organised, the town was welcoming, the sound was fantastic and a great time was had by all. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj27hh8s4RHyS_30MfN3mYk01rUZvRb1dSOhFbWdWwINXbklTXBE3QwkcgnRyPvwVbZNbA8Wr0rkNZ_i3kobRWarpRg8qJhZYBBMAuW1qP4cMpEZY7q2dMDTV9ykc0DX4qvDjeUHpZn1fxbUtcwjkUDOogsL43uQZCPl0jNIo12vO_ZfdyvErE/s2727/blogP1380096.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1321" data-original-width="2727" height="155" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj27hh8s4RHyS_30MfN3mYk01rUZvRb1dSOhFbWdWwINXbklTXBE3QwkcgnRyPvwVbZNbA8Wr0rkNZ_i3kobRWarpRg8qJhZYBBMAuW1qP4cMpEZY7q2dMDTV9ykc0DX4qvDjeUHpZn1fxbUtcwjkUDOogsL43uQZCPl0jNIo12vO_ZfdyvErE/s320/blogP1380096.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>Don't go quite yet, though - I do have a brief review for you: <i>Bugsy Malone</i>, the stage version, which opened at <b>Theatre Royal Bath</b> and is now on its UK tour through fourteen theatres, concluding with a West End run. Based closely on Alan Parker's famous movie with its Oscar-winning music score by Paul Williams, this is directed by Sean Holmes, reviving his acclaimed 2015 production at the <b>Lyric Hammersmith. </b>It's certainly an enjoyable distraction from much that's happening in the 'real world' to be transported to a land and time when the biggest problem was 'You're no good if you haven't got IT!' and glamour, talent, and romance ruled.... The child stars are delightful, but inevitably it's the high energy of the adult ensemble set pieces that inspires the most exhilaration - the strobe-lighting-enhanced car chase that concludes the first half is simply fabulous... My full review, for <i>Plays International,</i> is <a href="https://playsinternational.org.uk/bugsy-malone-theatre-royal-bath/">here</a>.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhI2ilUaeMj_bt4lvbjLBCd1E_UDEEUzJErZDqjeInsw8Mc2rNb5GfjymTuLzdWudDFl5dUSqKI2h_MSZ3nXMlUP4gv3PokLjNQic6ny-lrQbZt3YJ51eQFSojUZ4a-zAKo1VikY-Tz9yva8jifs9jfxUwxWhH0YG2OEHiK_QOz2idqp4uX0PE" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhI2ilUaeMj_bt4lvbjLBCd1E_UDEEUzJErZDqjeInsw8Mc2rNb5GfjymTuLzdWudDFl5dUSqKI2h_MSZ3nXMlUP4gv3PokLjNQic6ny-lrQbZt3YJ51eQFSojUZ4a-zAKo1VikY-Tz9yva8jifs9jfxUwxWhH0YG2OEHiK_QOz2idqp4uX0PE" width="320" /></a></div><br /></div><div><p class="xmsonormal" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-size-adjust: auto;"><br /></p></div>Cryssehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15733554167534664275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33880814.post-79578249476123863412022-07-11T13:31:00.013+01:002022-07-12T13:57:42.222+01:00It's a wrap...Frome Festival 2022 now golden memories...<div style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5625rem; margin-bottom: 1.5625rem; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Our revels now are ended. Frome Festival, the week when every public space offers performance nightly while homes & gardens across the town open daily to share artistic & horticultural splendours, is over for another year. Festival Director Martin Dimery has steered the show splendidly for his final time, and can step down with due dramatic pride in this year's showcase of the range and quality of events. </span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3kJk-oym0Lm5isODuIjYgBALkF-ky_uUq2ii3hGXKdNzPQqcB3ny7GQT5PK47Qw-tu99-V21JLMplHUF3WNzmKfpiZIS6JlDn7dhhETfgnZJcS5hb5Ol1KnJ5B6vX1_f_OAKsqxVc0iFl2crh-j6qRGU_rcdKGqIdSPHwQsnuu-RDVbH-LBg/s1890/*4P1370204%202.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1735" data-original-width="1890" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3kJk-oym0Lm5isODuIjYgBALkF-ky_uUq2ii3hGXKdNzPQqcB3ny7GQT5PK47Qw-tu99-V21JLMplHUF3WNzmKfpiZIS6JlDn7dhhETfgnZJcS5hb5Ol1KnJ5B6vX1_f_OAKsqxVc0iFl2crh-j6qRGU_rcdKGqIdSPHwQsnuu-RDVbH-LBg/s320/*4P1370204%202.JPG" width="320" /></a></div></div><div style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5625rem; margin-bottom: 1.5625rem; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And as Martin is also responsible for this festival's theatrical highlight - he wrote the book & lyrics and directed the production - we'll start with <i><a href="Mr Johnson is not the cause of all that ails Britain. But his flaws tarnished good people. They poisoned the government—and by extension, the country.">The Haunting of Richard the Third</a></i>.<i> </i>With music by Martin and David Hynds, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Kairos-Theatre-Company-111765681573718">Kairos Theatre Company</a> performed this stunning drama, emotionally gripping and crammed with jeopardy and joy, on <a href="http://frome.fm/programmes/retired-shows/ecos/">ECOS amphitheatre</a>. It's the eve of the Battle of Bosworth Field, and Richard, <span>last Plantagenet <a href="https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/KingsQueensofBritain/" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; position: relative; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.1s linear 0s;">king of England</a> & last English monarch to be killed in battle, is recalling his increasingly indefensible rise to power. We see his glory days, and his fall, overwhelmed by the Yorkist army of Henry Tudor, whose dynasty </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">ruled England for the next hundred years. It's now 20 years since Richard’s body, in an unmarked tomb, was found in a car-park in Leicester. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/stevemiddle">Steve Middle</a> was superb as the degenerating king, and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/sarah.wingrove">Sarah Wingrove</a> genuinely moving as his queen, with all the cast of supporters & foes, nobles & peasants - and ghosts too, combining to create three hours of riveting entertainment. </span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZltxT0bcsbrqyMvgFl8jxwVS5HfbHx1UYNd7rHSkMEtKPEj7vI91JFgBF-DIev8psVZufW9N-2d1YAT7XJ2sfkiAdY2QLI64RqJScpG5woikgeJEew86wdRA9I0yYfb2-wtyBRQX1lOth0GRUpbRIEbtKwU6EqyWJd-ahk1UEnJu9A4FUPpk/s1978/*P1370144.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1650" data-original-width="1978" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZltxT0bcsbrqyMvgFl8jxwVS5HfbHx1UYNd7rHSkMEtKPEj7vI91JFgBF-DIev8psVZufW9N-2d1YAT7XJ2sfkiAdY2QLI64RqJScpG5woikgeJEew86wdRA9I0yYfb2-wtyBRQX1lOth0GRUpbRIEbtKwU6EqyWJd-ahk1UEnJu9A4FUPpk/s320/*P1370144.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>With several theatrical productions, and only one week of festival, choice was difficult: my next pick was the black comedy <i><a href="https://frome.nub.news/whats-on/culture/silence-by-moira-buffini-a-frome-drama-production-for-the-frome-festival-7-9th-july-39464">Silence</a> </i>by Moira Buffini at the Assembly Rooms, a Dark Ages drama billed as Monty Pythonesque. Written in 1999 and well received at the time (it won an award for best English language play by a woman) this production by <a href="https://www.fromedrama.com/">Frome Drama</a> definitely had its moments and was well acted and often funny but perhaps Black Adder and social media have raised the bar for dark age satire as there wasn't much edge or bite, and the thought-provoking aspect seemed lacking. </span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhRKdKk2ev7RP_zUw3OMqtFLfmeHeYo_AK5O6ZYpw_S5ICDFAZV8jHC0-HOmI4ECS_JCy96rJ_qhVzq2wFrazYLkX7lINUUyFhIg5WW_HY0Z0HYy_2vEiz1RpKT7clwdzoi0e-C_k28Zkew0gDkKQbd47hFhsAhMTmrSNigarwLOBPPzbOfq1I" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1209" data-original-width="901" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhRKdKk2ev7RP_zUw3OMqtFLfmeHeYo_AK5O6ZYpw_S5ICDFAZV8jHC0-HOmI4ECS_JCy96rJ_qhVzq2wFrazYLkX7lINUUyFhIg5WW_HY0Z0HYy_2vEiz1RpKT7clwdzoi0e-C_k28Zkew0gDkKQbd47hFhsAhMTmrSNigarwLOBPPzbOfq1I" width="179" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Even the <a href="https://frome-heritage-museum.org/">Museum</a> became a performance space this year, as Rosie Eliot of <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Nevertheless-Productions-122233787811048/">Nevertheless Productions</a> together with Debbie Clayton created a clever, funny, and informative drama around some of the characters in the current 'Celebrated Women of Frome' exhibition there. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/122233787811048/photos/a.400081490026275/5511697055531334">The Auditions</a> imagines six of Frome's most colourful historic characters chatting as they wait for their moment to impress the judges of Britain's Got Talent: here Christina Rossetti worries that <i>In the Bleak Midwinter</i> will be dismissed as too gloomy while Emma Sheppard is keen to further her philanthropic work with a rendition of <i>Bring Me Sunshine</i> - an apt choice as her 1859 pamphlet urging workhouse reform was titled 'Sunshine in the Workhouse'.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWBaO0Ogr5xNlwYCyD82gBzaZ0V4gFyjHHSdoqWYWxImYLsmCMjlIh47cA7YmZ4DfdmFYIMFltUgsNpIdRp7Z-fVQw4Hzck9LHgRXcFqJezwWndHUYl-JVRPoLgAK9zBDe8oWrKD3f4R6s9aTUUmkzCjoJg-3yj-ZvjG2nZ_Klrx0Ay5qEhAg/s1462/*P1370336.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1041" data-original-width="1462" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWBaO0Ogr5xNlwYCyD82gBzaZ0V4gFyjHHSdoqWYWxImYLsmCMjlIh47cA7YmZ4DfdmFYIMFltUgsNpIdRp7Z-fVQw4Hzck9LHgRXcFqJezwWndHUYl-JVRPoLgAK9zBDe8oWrKD3f4R6s9aTUUmkzCjoJg-3yj-ZvjG2nZ_Klrx0Ay5qEhAg/s320/*P1370336.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Segueing from conversational speech to narrative, the dark horse of the festival was a one-off extravaganza at the Assembly rooms on Monday: <i>The Magic of the Universe </i>from the Pagan Gospel Groove Machine, led by Ed Green, promised 'an interactive immersive experience with audience participation, harmony singing, music and dancers, told with love, hope, spirituality and connection'. Think '70s 'happening' idealism, with shared intention like an '80s 'encounter group'. It was moving simply listening to the music and watching the backdrop film of galactic activity, but the hall was too full of seating for the audience to actively join the dancers - a really lovely immersive experience though.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM7uYVBRU2HWYtVwsporeDV1Lwr9JmOucb_HBkuZBrPGDuP6Sad4zeY2LcuNYj8u_kJRvAiBi0kAi4NpiraamfeylSetYT_ig5Ku6uIA9vCU-G1JRr7e7Qjvrmh4uX2n09GpJg48k18jhfNwB-4Fsoazo_m4CNAeZYPuQWI8kwMk-sh13teOg/s2484/P1360818.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1452" data-original-width="2484" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM7uYVBRU2HWYtVwsporeDV1Lwr9JmOucb_HBkuZBrPGDuP6Sad4zeY2LcuNYj8u_kJRvAiBi0kAi4NpiraamfeylSetYT_ig5Ku6uIA9vCU-G1JRr7e7Qjvrmh4uX2n09GpJg48k18jhfNwB-4Fsoazo_m4CNAeZYPuQWI8kwMk-sh13teOg/s320/P1360818.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>As you'd expect, bands were playing in most of the pubs around town - Frome's popular <i>Unit 4 </i>had a 'Soundcheck' show on VRA, viewable <a href="https://www.visualradioarts.co.uk/wp/project/unit-4/">here</a> - and there was also excellent live music at nearby <a href="https://marstonpark.co.uk/">Marston Park</a> Glampsite, a pleasant 40 minutes walk away, down lanes and across fields, which offered free access during festival week to locals - fabulous to lounge by the lake at sunset, listening to high quality live jazz from the Damian Cook Trio, with Bryan Posslethwaite on piano & Henrik Jenson on bass.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEibesOZyP6Hxri5Fp2QGu4qTqUyUS3WE5q0GsxEdn8_F0_6ek14V7F0zo4QUIvtfr9CfGU4IuVrROoz9CtMtAvaI8IXBoefKDy7I1dUZHeez22SAZeAoG_ciTI7bqedZ_h-SmEF_VUSDsMuNLum20MKuftBTeirpBl1zFTpbi9FnMSMTI8ErN8" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEibesOZyP6Hxri5Fp2QGu4qTqUyUS3WE5q0GsxEdn8_F0_6ek14V7F0zo4QUIvtfr9CfGU4IuVrROoz9CtMtAvaI8IXBoefKDy7I1dUZHeez22SAZeAoG_ciTI7bqedZ_h-SmEF_VUSDsMuNLum20MKuftBTeirpBl1zFTpbi9FnMSMTI8ErN8" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg9SJc-xwYMNnBg8SD81Od1GWEJELp7dAgKSDbXXlvnWQLghOxIsyyUgc_1hM4fnbv9KLJNV9XjJ7n2MqoCwIfxVPQW1aMlJZixS1EGWx9dN0oNxL0J6O7mniEii22RkACLh-a_u4Vt3CsOpu4X1JgtVcHjyqBiZrWuIN4SyAVYyFvmOAryR_k" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1491" data-original-width="2245" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg9SJc-xwYMNnBg8SD81Od1GWEJELp7dAgKSDbXXlvnWQLghOxIsyyUgc_1hM4fnbv9KLJNV9XjJ7n2MqoCwIfxVPQW1aMlJZixS1EGWx9dN0oNxL0J6O7mniEii22RkACLh-a_u4Vt3CsOpu4X1JgtVcHjyqBiZrWuIN4SyAVYyFvmOAryR_k" width="320" /></a></div>These were my evening highlights, but throughout the daytime there was an amazing array of art on view in venues right across the town - and beyond, too. Among my favourites were Cameron Scott's relief wood carvings, and the superb paintings of Miguel Ornia-Blanco and Dan Morley in their Silk Mill Studios, but there was much more that was hugely impressive too.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVPO-PtilncGNUOrjEVLj1TfA-1iRq-9lHDZHQXVOfyKGa5asZ_zKHlh86MYDplLvcWEZ-1pMgyzE4EonMp-oSWI9Hg6qCe9c4W9OsgKEvb0o9HdY1hG124eYl_qZ3uLXVeqaxCOyhjEXxeiUR5Rn8Qye-TvCyL9_EPjhbolAmT89AUeeAauQ/s1973/P1360886.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1973" data-original-width="1329" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVPO-PtilncGNUOrjEVLj1TfA-1iRq-9lHDZHQXVOfyKGa5asZ_zKHlh86MYDplLvcWEZ-1pMgyzE4EonMp-oSWI9Hg6qCe9c4W9OsgKEvb0o9HdY1hG124eYl_qZ3uLXVeqaxCOyhjEXxeiUR5Rn8Qye-TvCyL9_EPjhbolAmT89AUeeAauQ/w167-h247/P1360886.JPG" width="167" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ_AtVyiz3dreitBh9Yk3GIYUCQLUhQbEyqK1vcqYpzkqWObAddBqDIIa2LtUzEoUiVW3G561NYZas9Xi7Z8lzdxRWYFzwCiUeuXl3ZXjoA1-z__E_3DxcPhZ-iCALJCMF5Itgr7kOeaIi0esqRiPYuL-yX23oBSWrjmQkS5vpfiCE30nBEp8/s2736/1Miguel%20Ornia-Blanco.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="1824" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ_AtVyiz3dreitBh9Yk3GIYUCQLUhQbEyqK1vcqYpzkqWObAddBqDIIa2LtUzEoUiVW3G561NYZas9Xi7Z8lzdxRWYFzwCiUeuXl3ZXjoA1-z__E_3DxcPhZ-iCALJCMF5Itgr7kOeaIi0esqRiPYuL-yX23oBSWrjmQkS5vpfiCE30nBEp8/w198-h298/1Miguel%20Ornia-Blanco.JPG" width="198" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhbiMooTQrCSfN9NsFwShnjIV6xutCavVVplxwlP7poTDkScRo8XZWeayCZCu9PXg0kKwO69WicV7CxqVnAYEjszPIOGnYsJya3WkKXdxLvHzToZZGq7Wf4DGIPHsRr6fS5FhYF-nHV9O_gmxHIjztYaAQl5VquB6buy2cqES5EKQ7IxPASWK8" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1358" data-original-width="1772" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhbiMooTQrCSfN9NsFwShnjIV6xutCavVVplxwlP7poTDkScRo8XZWeayCZCu9PXg0kKwO69WicV7CxqVnAYEjszPIOGnYsJya3WkKXdxLvHzToZZGq7Wf4DGIPHsRr6fS5FhYF-nHV9O_gmxHIjztYaAQl5VquB6buy2cqES5EKQ7IxPASWK8=w230-h176" width="230" /></a></div></div><div style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5625rem; margin-bottom: 1.5625rem; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The final weekend brought another Frome Festival extravaganza/happening - the Open Gardens, when 42 private gardens in and around Frome reveal their locations and invite visitors to call in and admire them - the map plus details is a well-invested fiver, as wandering these gardens and talking to their friendly tenders is worth five times that. Lavender thick with bees, forests of hollyhocks, lily-ponds, trees, curios, and cups of tea all feature in these drop-in visits, with garden-lovers comparing notes and sharing recommendations. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjM4ANIoBE4lyk7ni-fqeASSIXPYo4369j8U8MVmZHKldNtssTehyBir-VHpFqSIvtgew89pqmT8luhWuhM4ujILZNvt8DCbHBn5OPRGfFpnqaWbmTkA6t6kvz8v4KgR_EbNcACps8tNdnYLfvnwBRLV-zTBDubfq80ePMsvVVLwSQww7VpAsg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1417" data-original-width="2284" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjM4ANIoBE4lyk7ni-fqeASSIXPYo4369j8U8MVmZHKldNtssTehyBir-VHpFqSIvtgew89pqmT8luhWuhM4ujILZNvt8DCbHBn5OPRGfFpnqaWbmTkA6t6kvz8v4KgR_EbNcACps8tNdnYLfvnwBRLV-zTBDubfq80ePMsvVVLwSQww7VpAsg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And finally... this week's artsy account of life in Frome life will conclude as mine did, on a writerly note: Frome Writers Collective gathered on the ECOS site to read flash fiction to each other - thanks Dawn Denton for this pic of me, with organisers Gill Harry & Brenda Bannister -</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4_I6eXJpwnWbGnTnx0prEIlwb2qrRso3vf2LGTQM-tRjWrVKe0GrtROPalxg_t6PbtUl1QvUOgeRCLWu2PWfpGSzo3jljvWpvchq_PoySDBXuCUcCH0zKTbAbIR8A41EVFXH8QKlSy4mbwrPkRPOugmT22v6FXA3KubUk7R2Q67-Q9Csq-S8/s1272/from%20Dawn%202.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="951" data-original-width="1272" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4_I6eXJpwnWbGnTnx0prEIlwb2qrRso3vf2LGTQM-tRjWrVKe0GrtROPalxg_t6PbtUl1QvUOgeRCLWu2PWfpGSzo3jljvWpvchq_PoySDBXuCUcCH0zKTbAbIR8A41EVFXH8QKlSy4mbwrPkRPOugmT22v6FXA3KubUk7R2Q67-Q9Csq-S8/s320/from%20Dawn%202.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgsQqUKV_EmyyL0nCaNQ87JM2NmzJMnMGy97-P33voSUXJFzZPo8yBaYBmjynp7QB5r6-RHmqtYkklhsTlZkEK-CHyT1pJaA6KrDri3ZmBkMALWl72c82eiJ6NU7tXafd4DvfQVSUGicJhfflKqhuQsEnCWJKbgXmhyGX-HZ8Xu4fjOP05-35I" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="631" data-original-width="400" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgsQqUKV_EmyyL0nCaNQ87JM2NmzJMnMGy97-P33voSUXJFzZPo8yBaYBmjynp7QB5r6-RHmqtYkklhsTlZkEK-CHyT1pJaA6KrDri3ZmBkMALWl72c82eiJ6NU7tXafd4DvfQVSUGicJhfflKqhuQsEnCWJKbgXmhyGX-HZ8Xu4fjOP05-35I=w118-h186" width="118" /></a></div>- and to discover the results of this year's <a href="https://www.fromeshortstorycompetition.co.uk/past-winners/">short story competition</a>,<span style="font-family: inherit;"> judged by <span style="color: #454545;"> </span><span style="color: #454545;">journalist and novelist, Keith Stuart</span> ... and the winner was: <a href="https://www.silverwoodbooks.co.uk/nikki-copleston">Nikki Coplestone</a>! And</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> my festival, having begun by sipping champagne with Roger McGough, ended with the monthly 'Proof Pudding' book-club meeting at River House, where we share our reviews of titles sent to <a href="https://www.facebook.com/HuntingRavenBooks/">Hunting Raven Books</a> for manager Tina Gaysford-Waller's consideration - mine this time was </span><i style="font-family: inherit;"><span>STALKING THE ATOMIC CITY </span></i><span style="font-family: inherit;">by Markiyan Kamysh, a shocking yet lyrical account of the perilous life of an illegal returner to Chernobyl. </span></div></div></div><p></p><br /> <p></p>Cryssehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15733554167534664275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33880814.post-40662291872455909352022-07-08T12:57:00.008+01:002022-07-08T14:34:23.474+01:00Detour from Frome Festival to Prospero's island...<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEizHzhLujHquy_d9ZEzJoD-WqLVXo-7mrwD8PMFyK6TWPVNkQ9k-l7nh12rBlTM0dSSlV3XZHHvbCwoOLZTuVSR3xYNqbEKtFAKxVRpOiUflrPNyE4eTRn47_lfiyBdg0xyBzeNwC4iLsKrCycRR3jCAJ0til9ILlxash1KqwGLTyuRIgqvXxw" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1841" data-original-width="1246" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEizHzhLujHquy_d9ZEzJoD-WqLVXo-7mrwD8PMFyK6TWPVNkQ9k-l7nh12rBlTM0dSSlV3XZHHvbCwoOLZTuVSR3xYNqbEKtFAKxVRpOiUflrPNyE4eTRn47_lfiyBdg0xyBzeNwC4iLsKrCycRR3jCAJ0til9ILlxash1KqwGLTyuRIgqvXxw" width="162" /></a></div>A midweek detour to Bath, for a new production at the Ustinov Studio which you really need to know about:<p></p><p>Shakespeare's final play is tantalising to producer and audience alike. <i>The Tempest </i>is crammed with all the bard's themes - betrayal, revenge, true love and clownish absurdity, psychological insight and romantic fantasy, and often seen as the final conclusion of his reign as magician/storyteller, but this production adds more, revealing themes and prototypes as timeless as today's headlines. Here's a coterie of political plotters, here's inept clowns struggling to seize control, believing in their own delusions. And here of course are Shakespeare's counterpoised captive spirits, both confined in roles they are desperate to escape. Ariel (Dickie Beau), seeming traumatised by terror of his master, is finally freed, while defiant Caliban ((Edward Hogg) continues to suffer - interestingly this Caliban is no monster and seems largely to have been degraded by mistreatment. But Prospero of course has acted protect his daughter, the gorgeous Miranda (Tanvi Virmani), a fit consort for this handsome Ferdinand (Pierro Niel-Mee). Nicholas Woodeson as Prospero is mesmeric, and the two groups of conspirators, overlords and underlings, are both well played - the drunken trio as drunk as you'll ever see them, piping alcohol into their mouths as they plan their work-event in Prospero's domain. Most memorable of all, the set (designer Christof Hetzer) is a living presence in itself - an extraordinary wasteland, violent and magical, with real stones, real mud, and a backdrop that converts from storms to faerie theatre shows.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhdNl5ibzcxcfoh5aPOvc50MYMwjbknWxMbFHvF5GrJR9zRNh0HX8dCUrApObl0qpaAK8sIeHEZgHf2NiRgUdA2MmOgfRyQ6xOH90qguP4vUjOAPWgUA2C4jpmlRe2aam6JZcL5cxgWyKBtQEgr-k16Ax04Oo4Cv5F9JLXkxuo64LgoXVz9s9o" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1348" data-original-width="1882" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhdNl5ibzcxcfoh5aPOvc50MYMwjbknWxMbFHvF5GrJR9zRNh0HX8dCUrApObl0qpaAK8sIeHEZgHf2NiRgUdA2MmOgfRyQ6xOH90qguP4vUjOAPWgUA2C4jpmlRe2aam6JZcL5cxgWyKBtQEgr-k16Ax04Oo4Cv5F9JLXkxuo64LgoXVz9s9o" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>This is the first production under new Artistic Director Deborah Warner at Ustinov Studio. It is amazing throughout and, from the unusual start with Ariel watching the set being readied, nearly three hours disappears with constant unsettling and brilliant surprises. We stood to applaud at the final curtain.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p>Cryssehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15733554167534664275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33880814.post-66313051135277907772022-07-04T14:03:00.005+01:002022-07-04T14:09:23.086+01:00Frome, fizzing with festivals this week<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgngFlfuD4Has5zNzEciEzr85_2pSvatw3mZ-ckLDomtr_aBDrRjAwt2AamNKfb9UaP5xYtWZYVSjCKTPzYqs5RPv7pgzDSMoHeoC1bUj4aBxoW9MVRJzck2Z7q98LBkuE1Eewk5mamQfamViqKUqmHC36DKG_WOlYlc5t-EHTJ7minS3WnR48/s444/P1360669.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="314" data-original-width="444" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgngFlfuD4Has5zNzEciEzr85_2pSvatw3mZ-ckLDomtr_aBDrRjAwt2AamNKfb9UaP5xYtWZYVSjCKTPzYqs5RPv7pgzDSMoHeoC1bUj4aBxoW9MVRJzck2Z7q98LBkuE1Eewk5mamQfamViqKUqmHC36DKG_WOlYlc5t-EHTJ7minS3WnR48/s320/P1360669.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg9PWsuv5i4BEDQ86Iv9u6SDDoPrqczbJvTD4zdYsQdY4pJirrtjv3xW5RGpCC8Rsdrzdx8O_ETh97sLU3iDWJLugzH90iY1hX5oyz8NmD-ZZv0CpK7EGlFiPmDr-RgsDW8B5TRhNOgUwRF-A3oK2HygbaoSlW4rkTNQG415P5MzMBXbL-qhj4" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1103" data-original-width="742" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg9PWsuv5i4BEDQ86Iv9u6SDDoPrqczbJvTD4zdYsQdY4pJirrtjv3xW5RGpCC8Rsdrzdx8O_ETh97sLU3iDWJLugzH90iY1hX5oyz8NmD-ZZv0CpK7EGlFiPmDr-RgsDW8B5TRhNOgUwRF-A3oK2HygbaoSlW4rkTNQG415P5MzMBXbL-qhj4" width="161" /></a></div></div>Frome Festival, PHOTO FROME, and Frome Open Art Trail, together conspired to make last week delightful but difficult for the conscientious arts blogger. With 45 festival events over the weekend listed in the brochure, this report can be only a personal skim-through, so let's start in the <a href="http://www.merlintheatre.co.uk/whats-on/performances/roger-mcgough-safety-in-numbers/">Merlin Theatre</a> with readings by Roger McGough, premier 'Liverpool Poet' in the 1960s, considered by ex-Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy to have brought poetry out of the grip of scholars and back to the streets. Roger is still brilliant, entertaining the full house with random & very funny raconteuring as well as with his recent poetry. That famous offbeat humour is still evident - 'Live fast, die young - failed on both counts" - and his anecdotes of poems sent in by sacked workers when he was Writer in Residence for BT were hilarious. With Liv Torc providing a brilliant opening, this was altogether a fantastic evening of entertainment, and it was a real privilege to share a glass of champagne with the poets and event organiser, Lockhart Murdoch, at his house after the show.<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjKXXXKWhXPYJLqOT4ffP3HeYmZzE6GzFF0oKWaR6FnwkaWujyU4WG2T_U3tYNH3OY6084jTks7wmfiwrNRt3khwY3heoRIZmDd0g381_OpuB3gD6MzW3vmecxANvDYwaM8_a04dEsPzETx2J9BOtfxg9vEeEpuIrSCU63rv_T6-suM7-lSPwo" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1326" data-original-width="2001" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjKXXXKWhXPYJLqOT4ffP3HeYmZzE6GzFF0oKWaR6FnwkaWujyU4WG2T_U3tYNH3OY6084jTks7wmfiwrNRt3khwY3heoRIZmDd0g381_OpuB3gD6MzW3vmecxANvDYwaM8_a04dEsPzETx2J9BOtfxg9vEeEpuIrSCU63rv_T6-suM7-lSPwo" width="320" /></a></div>Still with theatre performance, Olivier-award-winning <a href="https://www.littlebulbtheatre.com/about">Little Bulb Theatre Company</a> offered their <a href="https://www.discoverfrome.co.uk/event/feast-of-the-gods/">Feast of the Gods</a> on Saturday afternoon in Victoria Park, a wonderfully entertaining all-age, audience interactive, show which delighted a large crowd despite the thunderstorm. It's more about interaction than plot, and after the crisis threatening Cupid's wedding was sorted, the entire audience joined in the feast, with fizz & cakes served by cast & musicians. <p></p><p>There's a tenuous link now with the Sunday Independent Market, as bride Athena is, in the non-Arcadian world, guitarist for <a href="https://www.facebook.com/roscoshakes/">Rosco Shakes</a>, who were performing in Bar Lotte during the afternoon - as ever, brilliantly entertaining jump-blues band (since Glasto 'discovered' by The S*n newspaper.) </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhQayih1g9-6aIoAOs0gd0YBfLHUoSPOllvfbAbvrdbe-mD-AS_Ah5xovMeGHKUY8PjWTC3je3Y6nrZeCM2bmrJbFZ9kU9KTXJmYxGDl7roRn1CKDP2zhsFABbIIy9jb6_7vIUtMcPnIhUy_Jxpkjh3DQ3c-_sndU6Fasx7rBdUHhy4DheuHKk" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1552" data-original-width="2736" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhQayih1g9-6aIoAOs0gd0YBfLHUoSPOllvfbAbvrdbe-mD-AS_Ah5xovMeGHKUY8PjWTC3je3Y6nrZeCM2bmrJbFZ9kU9KTXJmYxGDl7roRn1CKDP2zhsFABbIIy9jb6_7vIUtMcPnIhUy_Jxpkjh3DQ3c-_sndU6Fasx7rBdUHhy4DheuHKk" width="320" /></a></div>So as we've shifted to the subject of music, there's been a lot of it, and extremely varied, from the many classical works in the programme to the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/thefromestreetbandits/">Frome Street Bandits</a> in the Market Place for the Food Feast on Saturday. So here they are, entertaining the large crowd queuing at the food stalls, and here for contrast are <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TheRaggedyMen/">The Raggedy Men</a> at the <b>Sun Inn</b> on Friday, Spanish guitarist Juan Picard entertaining at <a href="https://lorapitencspanishfood.com/"><b>Lo Rapitenc</b></a> tapas bar, and the immersive audiovisual club night with <a href="https://sensonic.co.uk/">Sensonic </a>at the <b>Silk Mill.</b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhwCeqAS_VZTOqRDOYdY5L1WKvm4Zw3r0HH_i4FephdVuB4y4014p5vDQta4peMQz1lMUC2hDv25R2L85VDCg43MWp63js7e1u2uIHUDtOjvqwSDEvRUydN8NiN5mV6-SAjS4DtlN_wudueU4urN-KJXpPesqwLeOYMLHDLQ9GPqPMAERgAyuU" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3311" data-original-width="3890" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhwCeqAS_VZTOqRDOYdY5L1WKvm4Zw3r0HH_i4FephdVuB4y4014p5vDQta4peMQz1lMUC2hDv25R2L85VDCg43MWp63js7e1u2uIHUDtOjvqwSDEvRUydN8NiN5mV6-SAjS4DtlN_wudueU4urN-KJXpPesqwLeOYMLHDLQ9GPqPMAERgAyuU" width="282" /></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgjIY6J--7Ta1SmiKvXZwRqoGOYkVIpSDwNB5H1bq2K0Ay28JFU5FQQCDzp4stcFta8Zw5BKVsCvock5fj9mfRrd_fN-xhJ2aJdMlL1ljQIUdr9ZrUP7KX1492iap8H3ayrAsGX0yEW59ak8bzEN8vHFtcX1ty7x2YwLju8I6GxzWSBSrXRsEk" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1706" data-original-width="2736" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgjIY6J--7Ta1SmiKvXZwRqoGOYkVIpSDwNB5H1bq2K0Ay28JFU5FQQCDzp4stcFta8Zw5BKVsCvock5fj9mfRrd_fN-xhJ2aJdMlL1ljQIUdr9ZrUP7KX1492iap8H3ayrAsGX0yEW59ak8bzEN8vHFtcX1ty7x2YwLju8I6GxzWSBSrXRsEk" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi59L4HuS5qlFJb5UJEHpdGkZTnY9Rb4so5_-2NwBoVffISOgCTuzc4qwNFBl3STrb8bF7MezY4ry1BKhBShm3hy_OB6GPYaC3oW9jO4zIhJaYY1bw3TtbO6Z_ljaCnx8S2aEwDXm43rps34mrvppXHL0ZUKqpcT8MXNcLhPkm840MYlv2BVy8" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1458" data-original-width="1382" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi59L4HuS5qlFJb5UJEHpdGkZTnY9Rb4so5_-2NwBoVffISOgCTuzc4qwNFBl3STrb8bF7MezY4ry1BKhBShm3hy_OB6GPYaC3oW9jO4zIhJaYY1bw3TtbO6Z_ljaCnx8S2aEwDXm43rps34mrvppXHL0ZUKqpcT8MXNcLhPkm840MYlv2BVy8" width="227" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiywaBvkOFXY4cD_F5xDQwrNJd6LjoUwD9-tEe76BrMKNbYU2GOpQ-2NVnospRKa1pGYCCPW31j2UbTfD4ad3xjNRdFyyJyH_8O9od4_x5ecgePPef0a0ETEmfom4gCr1OiyM2EVaiWElyes-zj0EaFNX-02iGKirQp17S13TVRYzA1pS2s9fQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2904" data-original-width="2755" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiywaBvkOFXY4cD_F5xDQwrNJd6LjoUwD9-tEe76BrMKNbYU2GOpQ-2NVnospRKa1pGYCCPW31j2UbTfD4ad3xjNRdFyyJyH_8O9od4_x5ecgePPef0a0ETEmfom4gCr1OiyM2EVaiWElyes-zj0EaFNX-02iGKirQp17S13TVRYzA1pS2s9fQ" width="228" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiLsZKPuwz7cRADLAjl5IwPGgix_N9JgzGqEjw-cLL6y5vjxnPztAn5pBJAzgMz-x2w1cEtLdpkIKiu2p6-bcbSkfl8TyQq88AStOlO__OBQ37GVDTO081Z428IjNZn_pc5D-NE2J5EjIHcK-ijqKkKdlaGXRWseqvrjWxtGuzh7kHHg7xRL2w" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiLsZKPuwz7cRADLAjl5IwPGgix_N9JgzGqEjw-cLL6y5vjxnPztAn5pBJAzgMz-x2w1cEtLdpkIKiu2p6-bcbSkfl8TyQq88AStOlO__OBQ37GVDTO081Z428IjNZn_pc5D-NE2J5EjIHcK-ijqKkKdlaGXRWseqvrjWxtGuzh7kHHg7xRL2w=w254-h169" width="254" /></a></div>The Small Publishers Fair is a long-standing festival feature, always popular with book-lovers. Organised very efficiently by the <a href="https://fromewriterscollective.co.uk/">Frome Writers Collective,</a> this event on the first Saturday sees literally hundreds of readers and writers checking out the stalls and buying books. Opened this year by Writers' Collective member Peter Clark, whose recent book '<span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;">'Churchill's Britain from the Antrim coast to the Isle of Wight' was New Statesman's Book of the Year, it remained buzzingly busy throughout the day, with tea & buns thoughtfully provided by FWC members. Definitely a useful event for writers - this was how & where I met my current book publisher, John Chandler of <a href="https://www.facebook.com/hobnobpress/">Hobnob Press</a>, seen here at his stall, which now features books by five!! local writers. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgyv4-TFaL8k7_rkoEBsLv9sWaj_9l1frS434KTltzWIGsRRNiI3iD7EmLBpiOO1ywa9XPMeTYG3bCjDvdE2-2HDCh5T3jZYi3-xcEO30ChTSaaSsMmyOHDb1vS5CblYncjPw_8v6wFGCbLlNAziVkX6K7RzkezaR0r1SBczXiXJj1S7nXBrZU" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgyv4-TFaL8k7_rkoEBsLv9sWaj_9l1frS434KTltzWIGsRRNiI3iD7EmLBpiOO1ywa9XPMeTYG3bCjDvdE2-2HDCh5T3jZYi3-xcEO30ChTSaaSsMmyOHDb1vS5CblYncjPw_8v6wFGCbLlNAziVkX6K7RzkezaR0r1SBczXiXJj1S7nXBrZU=w307-h204" width="307" /></a></div><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">So now we're on that subject, last week saw the launch of another book by a local author who recently joined this imprint: Alison Clink was at Hunting Raven with Frances Liardet on Tuesday to talk about, and read from, her new novel </span><i style="color: #050505; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">Two Blackberry Lane. </i><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">A crowded bookshop enjoyed hearing her extract reading, and the backstory of this intriguing and poignant 'house through time' tale, inspired when Alison discovered some old deeds in her own house.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #050505;"><span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;">Still with words, last week also saw the long-delayed return of a Poetry Cafe in Frome as a venue has now been offered: an upstairs room at HOME, the new cafe/bar in the centre of town. Twelve spoken word performers shared their poems in a convivial & supportive atmosphere, with a wide range of themes, moods and styles. A rich event - though the only visual evidence is a phone shot at the break, which fails to capture the rapt attention during readings...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjSGwCSfabXQW3dIQrebjQrd-uLW4LShe21HjrcKRfpitp6S1rtr3c38pFJtuBi_w_4RayxgNQMRiezZQicgMWgDkwa2t7UCqg_gIXudpNBh8A_lS3JqQ0jGXPbEVqgYsm4BNv9DpIvhaksGTF3aCFO_EdC6qPU_dYGccfBlvfEu0R9inbciiw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="1322" height="144" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjSGwCSfabXQW3dIQrebjQrd-uLW4LShe21HjrcKRfpitp6S1rtr3c38pFJtuBi_w_4RayxgNQMRiezZQicgMWgDkwa2t7UCqg_gIXudpNBh8A_lS3JqQ0jGXPbEVqgYsm4BNv9DpIvhaksGTF3aCFO_EdC6qPU_dYGccfBlvfEu0R9inbciiw" width="320" /></a></div><br /></span></span></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #050505;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Visual art now: and a new exhibition at <a href="https://risefrome.com/the-whittox-gallery/">Whittox Lane Gallery</a> has a seasonal <span style="font-family: inherit;">theme: </span></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #002957;"><i>Land of the Summer People</i>, showing until </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #002957;">4th Sept features large scale oil & cold wax landscapes and some framed watercolours by artist </span></span><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #002957; font-family: inherit;">Jenny Graham. The gorgeous gallery setting appreciates big images like these, and opening night was well supported.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg_ARULyhQyFe5I4tHKSXgKPpaTdraJWGBqGOLjQKvdYPCC3xdqf8stTf4NG3ElcbZeRhfYFqa3DTE_QIK-DWSM3dbUGraLU9uqO9Gp68mFPhqo6wg8ICAFhj1hQBqYTKKOde6M0Pf6FIKeChinIXELSLcWTJi-HxGO8J9WOsF7K0_eFSCXrcg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="671" data-original-width="1172" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg_ARULyhQyFe5I4tHKSXgKPpaTdraJWGBqGOLjQKvdYPCC3xdqf8stTf4NG3ElcbZeRhfYFqa3DTE_QIK-DWSM3dbUGraLU9uqO9Gp68mFPhqo6wg8ICAFhj1hQBqYTKKOde6M0Pf6FIKeChinIXELSLcWTJi-HxGO8J9WOsF7K0_eFSCXrcg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Another opening now, as 27 galleries open their doors to visitors for the Frome Open Art Trail 2022, on throughout the festival. A full report will hopefully follow in the next edition: here's your taster - venue 9. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/alexandrahowellart/">Alex Howell</a> paints evocative landscapes and seascapes, and her friendly opening was full of people discussing where they would hang their favourite images, so hopefully her sales will go well.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgBK2AcxjktL4e93LobiwCiKbJup34Rj9AvPe1xMTrHL1wH32hV4kSe9DBEJCpAPwD0m7MCoUKaWRaAGkWNKOFDYluxDDUhrrvzGXG16Me58mkdxngWZqB9u7pW_UNQ2v90GplMtqaleAhRnp5fIyb1sy-gLJS7jK8GCtahkhFpvGKztQdcfRI" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgBK2AcxjktL4e93LobiwCiKbJup34Rj9AvPe1xMTrHL1wH32hV4kSe9DBEJCpAPwD0m7MCoUKaWRaAGkWNKOFDYluxDDUhrrvzGXG16Me58mkdxngWZqB9u7pW_UNQ2v90GplMtqaleAhRnp5fIyb1sy-gLJS7jK8GCtahkhFpvGKztQdcfRI" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And art brings me back to photography, specifically to the final two exhibitions in the PHOTO FROME project which opened last week: 23 Bath Street is the quirky location for the work of Ramona Carraro <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgws3BYDKqoLwhrAnX6LtmpIcF1aqFxd2QNcS5Gr3i1qjO0NTu9WG4hS7QGDUHMq1OxQRP3AFJdxwHCX0bIRBdLSWPA7sS02yJ09h_CCJmPB0GgKkiy0eY_mpqJq77xMxMBMEqtGbqqvyRAaeOzGwvVZxljBC2mkuGuphOO2N20tz0e2X_79Wg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1322" data-original-width="2106" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgws3BYDKqoLwhrAnX6LtmpIcF1aqFxd2QNcS5Gr3i1qjO0NTu9WG4hS7QGDUHMq1OxQRP3AFJdxwHCX0bIRBdLSWPA7sS02yJ09h_CCJmPB0GgKkiy0eY_mpqJq77xMxMBMEqtGbqqvyRAaeOzGwvVZxljBC2mkuGuphOO2N20tz0e2X_79Wg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhHhOP7CmJsu49TCJnWZBN1SXLLOQZONTqdAv60cb9kDQ5HlMsuxsj292M9TxQJu0yIZq6FG5Zlo03Df_RR8VeUPMpBUUOzvu8wroVTEvTUOEo178H4aPsOm8gydcS3Y_pdK5fBTiTuYxlFGE9JkLIz5pYulYnu8W-ce66QF1_8W6XCeoL6VGA" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1787" data-original-width="1689" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhHhOP7CmJsu49TCJnWZBN1SXLLOQZONTqdAv60cb9kDQ5HlMsuxsj292M9TxQJu0yIZq6FG5Zlo03Df_RR8VeUPMpBUUOzvu8wroVTEvTUOEo178H4aPsOm8gydcS3Y_pdK5fBTiTuYxlFGE9JkLIz5pYulYnu8W-ce66QF1_8W6XCeoL6VGA=w189-h200" width="189" /></a></div><br />and our own local camera club, <a href="https://www.fromewessexcameraclub.com/">Frome Wessex Photographic</a>, has an impressive display of talent at the Town Hall. The theme for all members was "My vision, my process", interpreted in various different ways. Talking to the photographers just before the opening, it was moving to hear from Anna Kovalevska, whose theme was meditation, that<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"> the red image in this shot was taken in her homeland Ukraine on the day that war began.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div></div></span></div></div></div></div><br />Cryssehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15733554167534664275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33880814.post-74323232260544560792022-06-26T21:12:00.006+01:002022-07-05T10:53:11.565+01:00Big week for images & memories in Frome <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div></div><div>This week saw the launch of our town's first Festival of Photography:<b> <a href="https://photofrome.org/">Photo Frome</a>,</b> <b> </b>Nine venues will be showing, free, exhibitions of work by photographers both local and international, with talks, discussions, seminars and even walks, all designed to put the spotlight on photography in Frome. The project has already had a fantastic start, and will continues with more events until 15 July, all through the town festival - look out for the brochures if you live near.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMz1La4kkblLAKXogE6e9-iSDemCB3hpu7RBGdrb8-Cg93Zlsrf8ATYbludcjnVKMEaftH3OCxiyVpBoUNBtAehY5wuFSwQAYZqwOtsenDLfdua9gM7AM-jgtMO-iFvMYen4rjT-yLG3njVNRteNncsILeRsm58-GZ1wS-FVozqLJul-nVeEI/s2943/P1350643%203.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2124" data-original-width="2943" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMz1La4kkblLAKXogE6e9-iSDemCB3hpu7RBGdrb8-Cg93Zlsrf8ATYbludcjnVKMEaftH3OCxiyVpBoUNBtAehY5wuFSwQAYZqwOtsenDLfdua9gM7AM-jgtMO-iFvMYen4rjT-yLG3njVNRteNncsILeRsm58-GZ1wS-FVozqLJul-nVeEI/s320/P1350643%203.JPG" width="320" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEioHrhEQtfE6r_A3wk1nzHKakyAumd-QThO2mpUDuvNK5hjXl10IIkXl1UNSIDNB6oLNnXmEJLSyHQl4XlaM-kv5GAQnMFvIKVQmCForO_e4dTk0HIfcqg4U_G1jRkOH3tWPBOX0_EliSpE0nUYQvb3WIQ-gVNxC0GtFPj7SdMgJSu3ya1WOxc" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="936" data-original-width="2392" height="144" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEioHrhEQtfE6r_A3wk1nzHKakyAumd-QThO2mpUDuvNK5hjXl10IIkXl1UNSIDNB6oLNnXmEJLSyHQl4XlaM-kv5GAQnMFvIKVQmCForO_e4dTk0HIfcqg4U_G1jRkOH3tWPBOX0_EliSpE0nUYQvb3WIQ-gVNxC0GtFPj7SdMgJSu3ya1WOxc=w371-h144" width="371" /></a></div>The first opening was on Tuesday, with two splendid sets of B&W studies of local life in <b>Black Swan Round Tower</b>, featuring farming & rural life images by both James Ravilious and <a href="http://www.chrischapmanphotography.co.uk/">Chris Chapman</a>, who will be giving a talk on his pictures of Dartmoor on July 1st.<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi7GA5rEfxKgbWYv00ebgj8IIxX6XsnuxJT_rdjIDkuLwMGxg-pMYsBM33pmJYT4yZxYyiEeC_c3m9wyQ9UwaVN6h81y06Q-3CPTplC44gV3WRYxooya0zzTn9L9gysKV-Kq6GwyyhZW_Beza8vGRApxN7H_zbZxJFWFv4nvSdDfIMqULoqkCk" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3142" data-original-width="1871" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi7GA5rEfxKgbWYv00ebgj8IIxX6XsnuxJT_rdjIDkuLwMGxg-pMYsBM33pmJYT4yZxYyiEeC_c3m9wyQ9UwaVN6h81y06Q-3CPTplC44gV3WRYxooya0zzTn9L9gysKV-Kq6GwyyhZW_Beza8vGRApxN7H_zbZxJFWFv4nvSdDfIMqULoqkCk=w131-h220" width="131" /></a></div></div><div>The following night, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/GalleryAtTheStationFrome/">Gallery at the Station</a> hosted an impressive showcase of the wide variety of themes and styles represented in the personal work of Frome's photographers. The woodland dance set above, by Mark Brookes, celebrating feminine power in a collaborative project with Feraline: <i>Freedom, Sensuality, Power</i>, is there. So too are the images of Frome at night by James Butler-Bartholomew which Frome's Mayor, Sara Butler-Bartholomew, is viewing here. </div><div><br /></div><div>Thursday's event was <i><a href="https://www.designboom.com/art/makers-yard-culture-pool-photography-show-06-19-2022/">Culture Pool</a> </i>at the Makers Yard, featuring a large-format poster show - and great sound, by all accounts, though sadly this clashed for me so I missed the party but the yard is still full of great fly-posters, well worth a look. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhmIWSVJhcvFq2ddshLRC-gD0sUAHyo1q3EF97AVmTq_BPY249njM5s9TUQY_nY46mWjdILRlMusDPFut_EoFiOVKBLAjz32BexVAJCOOJkvScmXM-wZ0-fwrIBgsihJ1mOHuI0I9MmTUTZKHkvX1O7pD4fXLeUbb-R3vh5MJAEfCkt0LV_GDM" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1309" data-original-width="2289" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhmIWSVJhcvFq2ddshLRC-gD0sUAHyo1q3EF97AVmTq_BPY249njM5s9TUQY_nY46mWjdILRlMusDPFut_EoFiOVKBLAjz32BexVAJCOOJkvScmXM-wZ0-fwrIBgsihJ1mOHuI0I9MmTUTZKHkvX1O7pD4fXLeUbb-R3vh5MJAEfCkt0LV_GDM=w332-h190" width="332" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>And on Sunday, Rook Lane Chapel opened its doors to a spectacular exhibition filling the walls below those iconic high windows, with stands displaying work from a diverse range of high-status international photographers. Here is where you'll see the full-size image of Dave Grohl featured on the brochures, and here too are atmospheric black-&-white shadowy images, and feminist subversions, and biofuturist imaginings, and intimate street portraits, and much more... including a fascinating series of images by <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;">Hanna</span><span style="background-color: white;">-</span><span style="background-color: white;">Katrina</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d5156;">Jędrosz </span></span>taken along the 'European Green Belt' - the former Iron Curtain borderlands - which runs from Norway to Bulgaria as a no-man's land where wildlife flourishes and locals erect their own symbols. Each of the six featured photographers has amazing work on show so it's hard to select one image but this is from my personal favourite set, the portraits from East London by Trinidadian Robert Huggins. - somehow both honest & theatrical at the same time.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhcXPoYORstJ59AUJWYHZcGUbH6AqrByp6XHMVay3TBQ99p3oAA9xrToib-ILXUG_aarda4ii-BpaOAswRduWS6FsuXzsST2kq5cqJkvoyOSqVU_0YYWXhDgr6GDlk7xP3xJeQmLeN_DynJFYLBTfMA5jzW0TdnM5_iby2R2fjN7FJ1GNTZXys" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1071" data-original-width="1609" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhcXPoYORstJ59AUJWYHZcGUbH6AqrByp6XHMVay3TBQ99p3oAA9xrToib-ILXUG_aarda4ii-BpaOAswRduWS6FsuXzsST2kq5cqJkvoyOSqVU_0YYWXhDgr6GDlk7xP3xJeQmLeN_DynJFYLBTfMA5jzW0TdnM5_iby2R2fjN7FJ1GNTZXys" width="320" /></a><span style="text-align: left;">..</span></div></div><div><br /></div><div>Moving on now from images to words, as my own personal big event was the launch of <i>Blow-Ins</i> published by <b><a href="https://www.hobnobpress.co.uk/new-and-recent-books/">Hobnob Press</a></b>, held at <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/HuntingRavenBooks/">Hunting Raven Books</a></b> on a sunny Tuesday night with a gratifyingly full room - thanks to Pete Gage for the photo as I forgot, thanks to everyone who asked questions &/or said nice things about the book, and to Iona for hosting. <i>Blow-Ins</i> is also now available by post, with a mystifying array of prices includi<span>ng <span color="rgba(17, 24, 32, 0.87)" style="background-color: white;">$20.73 on ebay, but do support your local bookshop - it'll be less than a tenner there.</span></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjxbJNQTZVVDUx3QVSSm1NRzmk6LmyZt4O665KnprNEoN0jv9hmkQ-T6KGIIHXirK83BYHRk8Qdqu5F2acgXeL1A3SSn6xh9C_8y1n_moQMNpJpHZeW-vIQIy9DP4Doms8PHN6doaGtOzsECVgq7mIq08T6tWbO24UOJVOHFONJPMO781cOH7w" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1827" data-original-width="3687" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjxbJNQTZVVDUx3QVSSm1NRzmk6LmyZt4O665KnprNEoN0jv9hmkQ-T6KGIIHXirK83BYHRk8Qdqu5F2acgXeL1A3SSn6xh9C_8y1n_moQMNpJpHZeW-vIQIy9DP4Doms8PHN6doaGtOzsECVgq7mIq08T6tWbO24UOJVOHFONJPMO781cOH7w=w400-h199" width="400" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKZl38eNP0d2z5sjMCtpZJcRUNs-NedA5Qb_TiOM34_FSflwsRmlieLrt4UD5tzjKDSNg8i0hXraeQrHC9fx_OZ7SLMihaWhwreokTIqSyeiIoFZq_B2Q_7IQ0jZve1pqDfpt8o4G6Ip2w3GxIbo95SUaiS_VsEGKkD4932YW-h07_iuCSA3s/s3842/P1350744.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3316" data-original-width="3842" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKZl38eNP0d2z5sjMCtpZJcRUNs-NedA5Qb_TiOM34_FSflwsRmlieLrt4UD5tzjKDSNg8i0hXraeQrHC9fx_OZ7SLMihaWhwreokTIqSyeiIoFZq_B2Q_7IQ0jZve1pqDfpt8o4G6Ip2w3GxIbo95SUaiS_VsEGKkD4932YW-h07_iuCSA3s/w271-h234/P1350744.jpeg" width="271" /></a></div>Thursday evening is open-mic night at Guggleton Farm Arts, always a fun event with a wide range of offerings from the floor. This week's highlight for me was an entertaining set from <a href="https://www.facebook.com/leon.sea.3">Leon Sea</a> with a strong line in political comedy, including a version of that wonderful <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQiUYoLAaNM">Phat Bollard </a>satirical classic <i>I give my money to the millionaires </i>and Donovan's <i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEDk7eprIGQ">Goldwatch Blues</a> </i>in support of the train strikers, with its plangent chorus <i>'Get them to sign on the dotted line and work for fifty years.' </i> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">But this week's big music news is, of course, the drop-in visit of Paul McCartney, doing a Foo Fighters with a surprise instant concert at the Cheese & Grain just for Frome. News broke on Thursday while I was camping in Dorset after the Open Mic session at Guggleton Farm and tickets were all gone two hours later, but cameras weren't allowed anyway, so here's the image from Paul's twitter feed</div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjflhkMbwoAXYTaBNSXVq69K6GXsYv4rDRlEiNqbNTr1VPH4zsgq4hI_bEvI5Owue-KFOv5GW5UB8qZXBNaoh5lRsOvZBGv2EiAGh_wb1cHcCqlxRDNoL_6h2PkRk38WepZJfoUraOVv3-Zg_ahW2Ol5_QaQJmtlx27e7qo5SgC4dR2MSHZLro" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="900" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjflhkMbwoAXYTaBNSXVq69K6GXsYv4rDRlEiNqbNTr1VPH4zsgq4hI_bEvI5Owue-KFOv5GW5UB8qZXBNaoh5lRsOvZBGv2EiAGh_wb1cHcCqlxRDNoL_6h2PkRk38WepZJfoUraOVv3-Zg_ahW2Ol5_QaQJmtlx27e7qo5SgC4dR2MSHZLro" width="320" /></a></div></div><div><div>plus my personal memory of Macca, from 1980's London when my photos & articles on photography were published in various magazines, and <i>Hot Shoe Magazine</i> commissioned me to interview Linda McCartney about her upcoming book of<i> Linda's Pictures.</i> We met at the Apple Studio and half-way through our chat someone could be heard approaching along the corridor, whistling <i>Long Winding Road</i>. 'Oh, that's my husband Paul,' Linda explained as the someone entered, and she introduced us. I still have that tape, with Paul saying 'Hullo, Crysse' and me trying to breathe... <br /><br />And now that <span style="background-color: white;">days of midsummer blue-sky sunshine are less sparse, Frome's gardens and lanes are thrumming with bees & insects and damsel-flies are flickering along the river. Your local view this week is from the north side of town, the start of a field-and-woodland walk which passes the never-used canal bridges beside the river. Fingers crossed for more days like this next week. </span><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgGKOa5XVoi6sDIWLxD5a3Bq4fB2EqLFiqqDA3mg8ACgllMVR5iKNKpRAVTzIO3PQiiAqUSmpHRqj5dbSWTuvH1gl3LhkMPkgjNkeqYK_tm84zExspwHIYOZEDfORvwDVPf22cfY8sCxveiA1-ht0WOvs72o4s54RpIhtcwGLzdSHC1UaxhYyQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="3888" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgGKOa5XVoi6sDIWLxD5a3Bq4fB2EqLFiqqDA3mg8ACgllMVR5iKNKpRAVTzIO3PQiiAqUSmpHRqj5dbSWTuvH1gl3LhkMPkgjNkeqYK_tm84zExspwHIYOZEDfORvwDVPf22cfY8sCxveiA1-ht0WOvs72o4s54RpIhtcwGLzdSHC1UaxhYyQ" width="320" /></a></div></div></div></div></div>Cryssehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15733554167534664275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33880814.post-57508253996555951052022-06-19T23:55:00.000+01:002022-06-20T01:00:03.509+01:00Dragonfly days, gone too soon... and downpour drama<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglGm4eIxQsTy2Ne4OY7K6iw_0bAS0xwkB5cVkmy731QJnx9c7RKRNoDouAJbpZ_72f8uALxf1_Tjx8GE-a4ME2ZwaG2TUfnuvBIg9f1B_wmmMtcKLCQLrg4ngqMe4-aTTmKHDhlm1b-O0ubY5gXsI_eLwcfzHCBBmiZZnadeY5xUE9ALU-V8o/s2175/*blogP1350523.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1376" data-original-width="2175" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglGm4eIxQsTy2Ne4OY7K6iw_0bAS0xwkB5cVkmy731QJnx9c7RKRNoDouAJbpZ_72f8uALxf1_Tjx8GE-a4ME2ZwaG2TUfnuvBIg9f1B_wmmMtcKLCQLrg4ngqMe4-aTTmKHDhlm1b-O0ubY5gXsI_eLwcfzHCBBmiZZnadeY5xUE9ALU-V8o/s320/*blogP1350523.JPG" width="320" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A dramatic start to this week's blog, with <i>A Midsummer Night's Dream</i> as presented on the ECOS open-air stage in Frome by wonderful <a href="https://www.illyria.co.uk/"><b>Illyria</b></a> outdoor theatre company, uncut despite thunderous rain throughout the second act, and with a stunning rainbow overhead for the finale. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMc53E2okGa_W7R_Na-YyDZ7aIaZCbJajPDLIHP3wW7wuwRK-a8g9F3XhcATsDNTHXkSg5qkF1_Hr_H7wfzGoqDSGmOdyO_O7Gy9Ymyy2QdYa8V2DeSlgr2zEhM-uOKbmVohIT741dxHtF0InsyBrTqwHwDkup4DvJJ1kSH5tgFRSzswAnGAQ/s2255/*blog%20P1350478.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2255" data-original-width="1777" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMc53E2okGa_W7R_Na-YyDZ7aIaZCbJajPDLIHP3wW7wuwRK-a8g9F3XhcATsDNTHXkSg5qkF1_Hr_H7wfzGoqDSGmOdyO_O7Gy9Ymyy2QdYa8V2DeSlgr2zEhM-uOKbmVohIT741dxHtF0InsyBrTqwHwDkup4DvJJ1kSH5tgFRSzswAnGAQ/w165-h210/*blog%20P1350478.JPG" width="165" /></a></div>As Oliver Gray, director and inspirational genius behind these Illyrian creations, notes in the programme, it requires a lot of hard work to create a full production of Shakespeare's triple-layered fantasy with a cast of five, all quick-changing from nobles to fairies to workmen, with complex timing required for the hi-energy physical interaction and slapstick humour of the staging. The cast are all excellent: Sarah Coyne as a Scots Puck as well as a delightful Hermia, Lily Carter proving 6 ft 3 is no impediment to playing queen of the fairies, with Chris Laishley, Nathan Richard Smith and Richard Blackman also effectively multitasking. Wonderful to see again this great drama about love winning through despite folly and confusion, in these destructive days when it can seem Puck's words will be humanity's epitaph: <i>What fools these mortals be. </i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Ts-wi0-miGBTlMFlU-cLLSvx7zGYL7-SLazu8PaVthGc0D1e9OfHnuu0aYuZX-U87GoF8_nOFPdHr2shb35ce4oQ4UFbEbzhh8fq7itRMvnVFjPyztaCyNmHaYqOSQgbFMG7Tm1XGyrz4Aa0mPiDDNTq6JhnFqyrGGdeaoUmLfcTzdV70xY/s2972/*blogP1350477.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1848" data-original-width="2972" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Ts-wi0-miGBTlMFlU-cLLSvx7zGYL7-SLazu8PaVthGc0D1e9OfHnuu0aYuZX-U87GoF8_nOFPdHr2shb35ce4oQ4UFbEbzhh8fq7itRMvnVFjPyztaCyNmHaYqOSQgbFMG7Tm1XGyrz4Aa0mPiDDNTq6JhnFqyrGGdeaoUmLfcTzdV70xY/w354-h220/*blogP1350477.JPG" width="354" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Music next, with the return of fabulous <a href="https://www.facebook.com/roscoshakes/">Rosco Shakes</a> to Bar Lotte, creating something of a street party with the spillage of their sensational boogie-woogie R&B sounds - Josh, Dom, Ned, and Tim all on top form, with Dom adding a touch of flamenco to the blues from time to time<b>.</b> (Steve on sax joined later too.) The lads are playing Glastonbury, at the Croissant Neuf - where <a href="http://www.cutcapers.com/">Cut Capers</a> are headlining so definitely the venue to head for if you're going.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikSXcLnwtd-PpQnXcd6dwonFtRPZmVoKT4xdtMZ7HLOqLX0IamHJPPQIUcYSY3N4BEBD_6c_kupVZJQSXe_LV3uIAwpI7ndbG5anWF-tFT87n7gX7RCMWrdzaA-dBO8A4O9YgEMkJeTy9ggqsY6GnrS56edNTBuK1hnuhnnJZgNNAC8W0BlfE/s3740/blogP1350350.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1880" data-original-width="3740" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikSXcLnwtd-PpQnXcd6dwonFtRPZmVoKT4xdtMZ7HLOqLX0IamHJPPQIUcYSY3N4BEBD_6c_kupVZJQSXe_LV3uIAwpI7ndbG5anWF-tFT87n7gX7RCMWrdzaA-dBO8A4O9YgEMkJeTy9ggqsY6GnrS56edNTBuK1hnuhnnJZgNNAC8W0BlfE/w330-h166/blogP1350350.JPG" width="330" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Now poetry: And, with due sympathy for anyone who suffered, those lockdowns did encourage - as well as less pollution, increased wildlife, and time for personal creativity - the connection facility of zoom for <span>poetry workshops and performances. This week, Bristol-based <a href="https://www.facebook.com/FlightoftheDragonfly/">Flight of the Dragonflies</a> on Tuesday evening hosted an </span><span>excellent poetry event</span><span> featuring guest poet </span><a href="https://www.johnmccullough.co.uk/" style="font-family: inherit;">John McCullough</a><span> </span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkJuun7IAPc5XKWjxUS3s9zVsvzyUiwqcoBDl7HKN8_6B-_bejdUd1G57GAodCI5FunP7P8yBsR8Q3GXD9-T8WdcDTYA-x2nls8iaZK6KsXqM3XYSMozhiJjOS_LF4vsfjFbCzOMcAISwcJ5rNJQ6tIamo7H49q3jZUKEL26vQCckoUCLe6KA/s1795/Screenshot%202022-06-13%20at%2017.39.37.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1156" data-original-width="1795" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkJuun7IAPc5XKWjxUS3s9zVsvzyUiwqcoBDl7HKN8_6B-_bejdUd1G57GAodCI5FunP7P8yBsR8Q3GXD9-T8WdcDTYA-x2nls8iaZK6KsXqM3XYSMozhiJjOS_LF4vsfjFbCzOMcAISwcJ5rNJQ6tIamo7H49q3jZUKEL26vQCckoUCLe6KA/w333-h214/Screenshot%202022-06-13%20at%2017.39.37.jpeg" width="333" /></a></div></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">John's collection </span><i style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.pennedinthemargins.co.uk/index.php/2019/05/reckless-paper-birds/">Reckless Paper Birds </a></i></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">won not only the Hawthornden prize for literature but also their award for best UK book of the year, so quite a large group joined host <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiYlSkX1KJ-iN86iYmkHlwYqB6CxDHWpmcsK6lJIuIzKqGY6XBU5-hHuC3Nq-KukFpq8vC2IMIz7N95aqdphCIZpF26aM72hON4FyVL8sIqEzsKZrstCERXUm_CVFamjrgjU44n3vA6xmPvS-eOtmQ-mOPu_Sa4eXO43E1h71WkK08vUGmnG3U" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1475" data-original-width="2120" height="130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiYlSkX1KJ-iN86iYmkHlwYqB6CxDHWpmcsK6lJIuIzKqGY6XBU5-hHuC3Nq-KukFpq8vC2IMIz7N95aqdphCIZpF26aM72hON4FyVL8sIqEzsKZrstCERXUm_CVFamjrgjU44n3vA6xmPvS-eOtmQ-mOPu_Sa4eXO43E1h71WkK08vUGmnG3U=w186-h130" width="186" /></a></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://djbeaney.com/">Darren J Beaney</a> to </span>enjoy this session. <span style="font-family: inherit;">The poems weren't Spoken Word as a slam poet would know it, so it was helpful to have the shared screen facility giving a view of the text during the poet's reading. Among the excellent contributing poets I especially enjoyed </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9KeAgfnD5g" style="font-family: inherit;">Michael Sindler</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> zooming in from the USA (screenshot), and Damien Donnelly in Ireland.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As this was the week that summer made a brief appearance, before quitting abruptly at the weekend, I'm treasuring the memory with a couple of snaps taken on those idyllic hot midweek days: the pantheon at Stourhead and some of the myriad pyramid orchids in the long grass...</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEifPrEDjgqQsEPodFalWAXm-rJM3JOsFygE6W0snpHsWpIpydehuc5mF9ig8VVgPh5q3wDbrtf7bqX1I-e0wYmr7-oDLm0rQHfuFVmlWsl5VPUAlo8EPBJMwYZnrhadSDw0XB-VNa_5Kz2QCXYq-cvHA6PJ4dc5VoT6xnG9ohSpKFHPYJgHavU" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2273" data-original-width="2357" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEifPrEDjgqQsEPodFalWAXm-rJM3JOsFygE6W0snpHsWpIpydehuc5mF9ig8VVgPh5q3wDbrtf7bqX1I-e0wYmr7-oDLm0rQHfuFVmlWsl5VPUAlo8EPBJMwYZnrhadSDw0XB-VNa_5Kz2QCXYq-cvHA6PJ4dc5VoT6xnG9ohSpKFHPYJgHavU=w220-h213" width="220" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjroHOJjT44MSOXrPc4IEZaQEOMn7iGtoVrl6KUp-lcbpMNlMGNRZjTkQB8BfT8M7AogP7Hl5B2CTyTUWuJLRBLbgkhe5x0KIF9rdM1gpa-nwaIUD-Yz_h_4YRTih-PVcDzAYouw3zlT8vJKHjixJoyHgmV1ppO42ePCgmcBGuGvzbC3fdhSwQ" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2297" data-original-width="2668" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjroHOJjT44MSOXrPc4IEZaQEOMn7iGtoVrl6KUp-lcbpMNlMGNRZjTkQB8BfT8M7AogP7Hl5B2CTyTUWuJLRBLbgkhe5x0KIF9rdM1gpa-nwaIUD-Yz_h_4YRTih-PVcDzAYouw3zlT8vJKHjixJoyHgmV1ppO42ePCgmcBGuGvzbC3fdhSwQ=w253-h218" width="253" /></a></div><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> ... and Friday afternoon at Marston pond - no swans, but a large brood of baby ducklings, out with mama. Hopefully summer will return next week.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi72EG65j9XjkvBhwvsJ5VtsgSh6_jW0UV_ozYCeCYZeejc8SEpg9PJC4yO7j70ypUFciO7VM95M1Ur2kpQVUjRjKyC2J2BGDXtkSj-gQrclqcViClrgTZ4ZZlqPCxNwmMeq0FIY4vgMeOCUQ0S8prC2v9KjHcFb197v2-F_M7xXREfZ5fGhI0/s3669/P1350455.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2528" data-original-width="3669" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi72EG65j9XjkvBhwvsJ5VtsgSh6_jW0UV_ozYCeCYZeejc8SEpg9PJC4yO7j70ypUFciO7VM95M1Ur2kpQVUjRjKyC2J2BGDXtkSj-gQrclqcViClrgTZ4ZZlqPCxNwmMeq0FIY4vgMeOCUQ0S8prC2v9KjHcFb197v2-F_M7xXREfZ5fGhI0/w320-h220/P1350455.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><p><br /></p>Cryssehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15733554167534664275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33880814.post-44918577791917050032022-06-12T23:16:00.001+01:002022-06-12T23:46:26.830+01:00Music & words mostly this week<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih4WM428GL7XxAqPR_swgXIKg6rYfnsFEr9W-hij3pqgUa-kJHvcuGnQGvhH2nebB50SbCeGqYqCUKnsXq2PhiKnk2uc7KHicwJJgEYT9PEScoLdWFEoZOeV4bd0iVQY0u0VoR5BreFDPb0BsnMzxRCHr-jq-qk2t2FVA15wwbXvIbOyOHg-Y/s2615/P1350170.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1519" data-original-width="2615" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih4WM428GL7XxAqPR_swgXIKg6rYfnsFEr9W-hij3pqgUa-kJHvcuGnQGvhH2nebB50SbCeGqYqCUKnsXq2PhiKnk2uc7KHicwJJgEYT9PEScoLdWFEoZOeV4bd0iVQY0u0VoR5BreFDPb0BsnMzxRCHr-jq-qk2t2FVA15wwbXvIbOyOHg-Y/w400-h233/P1350170.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><span face="arial, sans-serif" jsname="YS01Ge" style="background-color: white; color: #202124; font-style: italic;">I'll meet you on the other side, </span><span face="arial, sans-serif" jsname="YS01Ge" style="background-color: white; color: #202124; font-style: italic;">I'll meet you in the light - </span><span face="arial, sans-serif" jsname="YS01Ge" style="background-color: white; color: #202124; font-style: italic;">If only I don't suffocate, </span><span face="arial, sans-serif" jsname="YS01Ge" style="background-color: white; color: #202124;"><i>I'll meet you in the morning when you wake... </i></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #202124;">Yes folks & fans of early 2000 alt rock, it's </span><i style="color: #202124;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50LOhILlLMQ">Bend & Break</a></i><span style="background-color: white; color: #202124;"> from the awesome voice of Tom Chaplin at the</span><b style="color: #202124;"> Keane</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #202124;"> concert in </span><a href="https://www.forestryengland.uk/music/keane-westonbirt-arboretum">Westonbirt Arboretum</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #202124;"> on Saturday - still with his idiosyncratic keyboard lead plus just bass & drums. As a fan of this band since </span><i style="color: #202124;">Everybody's Changing</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #202124;"> was released in 2003, it was a thrill to find my birthday present from number-2-son was two tickets for this concert... back in 2020... and after being twice locked-down, the show finally arrived here on a glorious sunny evening, and was sensational. Very well organised gig, good-humoured and friendly.</span><div><span face="arial, sans-serif" jsname="YS01Ge" style="background-color: white; color: #202124;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhnTwjbLiwb6afI5dtN1O6x-8u7LrQY2nyFC_9thBOWCwynZ_W5VhURCIplfwTWQOMJRD7fgY3XqBFAaNX8Sqi3OCQPDnVr9z3Ygxf9VHg5Mg5o0uHiPOFYn-YqiGAkBMNFbhT6MjYQHYcIjEahoHA3fKsh9CP9LP8o7qXB_mynAufzrcLK1jc" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="3888" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhnTwjbLiwb6afI5dtN1O6x-8u7LrQY2nyFC_9thBOWCwynZ_W5VhURCIplfwTWQOMJRD7fgY3XqBFAaNX8Sqi3OCQPDnVr9z3Ygxf9VHg5Mg5o0uHiPOFYn-YqiGAkBMNFbhT6MjYQHYcIjEahoHA3fKsh9CP9LP8o7qXB_mynAufzrcLK1jc=w200-h133" width="200" /></a></div></span><br /><p>It goes without saying that if you step out of Frome on a Friday night you'll miss an excellent local gig, so apologies for no report on the bands the Granary, but here's <a href="http://www.esbentjalve.com/bio">Esben Tjalve </a>on keyboard joining <a href="https://www.ballamy.com/">Iain Bellamy</a>'s band at Bar Lotte on Wednesday.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjYYxSshboSK3aLjZCRTOm2VBaRnv6LWWGNXxRf1xomGdNUo-1N0SpmScrUU32nKpxZYIThAb1IFc2WmMJ10v-tdIXfoGXpoSOjYkda6Xo69AUJj1v9uXNtPGo55Kx2jq15KZOAK7ZJ5gO0OJ_-X_W7OU5Zz-69KWIf4PKgt4q5N-05FwhHNE0" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2666" data-original-width="2907" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjYYxSshboSK3aLjZCRTOm2VBaRnv6LWWGNXxRf1xomGdNUo-1N0SpmScrUU32nKpxZYIThAb1IFc2WmMJ10v-tdIXfoGXpoSOjYkda6Xo69AUJj1v9uXNtPGo55Kx2jq15KZOAK7ZJ5gO0OJ_-X_W7OU5Zz-69KWIf4PKgt4q5N-05FwhHNE0" width="262" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgavHX-CjNd-UHf6bjuyNQn4nrGpYPu0SR8rMMCZ4Y9dA0VWEeYUC4z2QoeP8Hi2R2t-Uldz5fbTRc53WPSkhFtn89wIeRCSJwIOA0OTUddQ6BZ_rvAE6pchKk6Y5Bszn5LYD4kjHfWbo51TQ8hodmNqaJ7wXLM78TZlj57IElXno8RgEGkg8Q" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="109" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgavHX-CjNd-UHf6bjuyNQn4nrGpYPu0SR8rMMCZ4Y9dA0VWEeYUC4z2QoeP8Hi2R2t-Uldz5fbTRc53WPSkhFtn89wIeRCSJwIOA0OTUddQ6BZ_rvAE6pchKk6Y5Bszn5LYD4kjHfWbo51TQ8hodmNqaJ7wXLM78TZlj57IElXno8RgEGkg8Q=w146-h109" width="146" /></a><p></p><p>And now for Book News, starting upstairs at <b>The Three Swans</b> on Monday, as Mel Day (illustrator) joined me (poet, with Hazel Stewart) to co-host the local launch for our absurdly-titled poetry book with <b><a href="https://caldewpress.com/">Caldew Press</a></b>: <i>What's It Like For You/Dance for Those Who'd Rather Not</i>. This small but delightful event morphed, as the evening wore on, into a poetry <span style="font-family: inherit;">soir<span style="background-color: white; color: #4d5156;">é</span>e</span>, with several guests sharing readings and quite a few copies sold - thanks Mike Grenville for the snaps. And thanks to <a href="http://www.frometimes.co.uk/2022/06/07/busy-month-ahead-for-local-writer/?fbclid=IwAR38vMBGz3qj3GYJby0OIlXpTn4TW2cTtHzXZL1J2QOO9c0eQOkKMY2yidM">Frome Times</a>, too, for featuring a piece about both my current book-y ventures with this super picture of me looking mega-chuffed, taken by Suzy Howlett. This double-covered collection is on sale at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/HuntingRavenBooks/">Hunting Raven Books</a> now, or from me or from the <a href="https://caldewpress.com/">publisher</a>.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgT-Yzq42iXfmfM-8X-vsrnphrNran-U6K3JDj3LEgn1NV-V8spZs2okbmGHmEtSnE8ZcLSTR0O_2rEB7pdFSONFWO2jUgxkjbTUUeQgPX5fJBc4Jnf90WKmx3TWZ5xky1eHy2k4BOayUarQROo7kTuR0W7Riwqn2Oln4DnJiItJsNQ4Wr9ZIA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2278" data-original-width="1856" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgT-Yzq42iXfmfM-8X-vsrnphrNran-U6K3JDj3LEgn1NV-V8spZs2okbmGHmEtSnE8ZcLSTR0O_2rEB7pdFSONFWO2jUgxkjbTUUeQgPX5fJBc4Jnf90WKmx3TWZ5xky1eHy2k4BOayUarQROo7kTuR0W7Riwqn2Oln4DnJiItJsNQ4Wr9ZIA" width="196" /></a></div><p></p><div>And Thursday saw another launch - this one for the wonderful new novel by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/francesliardetauthor">Frances Liardet</a>, <i>Think of Me,</i> now on sale in <b>Hunting Raven Books </b>where the event took place. It was my absolute pleasure to talk with Frances about how the story connects with her previous best-selling novel <i>We Must Be Brave,</i> and her writing process, both topics eliciting fascinating responses. Appreciation to bookshop manager Tina Gaysford-Waller for hosting and thanks Nikki Coppleston for this super picture taken during the event.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEif4S7bMdrYdDBGJfp0hlRHqA6msPR3sLnSaapAGRWNfQ7tVvpmnmSz0E4wLk_5rr719X8DM-LFPs0OCvRL90cJ3FMgpunQab8mwl04vqF_Zqc7eF6d7bVceRl285KmLj6rzuLDtWUY31nu4N4ci3SiZkWxy5So9Fdes_YUUNWK8_XH_EknpyY" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1356" data-original-width="1808" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEif4S7bMdrYdDBGJfp0hlRHqA6msPR3sLnSaapAGRWNfQ7tVvpmnmSz0E4wLk_5rr719X8DM-LFPs0OCvRL90cJ3FMgpunQab8mwl04vqF_Zqc7eF6d7bVceRl285KmLj6rzuLDtWUY31nu4N4ci3SiZkWxy5So9Fdes_YUUNWK8_XH_EknpyY=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div></div><div><p>A slight shift now from words-on-a-page to words-online, as it's nice to see that my short piece on recent 'Theatre in the Southwest' has made it to <a href="https://playsinternational.org.uk/south-west-uk-creche-and-training-ground-of-original-drama/">Plays International</a> - special mention for Frome's <b>Merlin </b>for nurturing young talent, and the new direction at Cooper Hall. </p></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhSmRrrZ-RocK-z0JrdGJH8q7Y-qNJf4tmjk6oxgWprZ48tSB0RmQ-ZALMw2ieZjjCT8aqMTnDllDcTD3EJ1VUMQ6c7Xe9JtQL2z1fKiXC2kQVx2UVGGVHffyALl8F02kDpEh75PW_00HAn9upcAKNsNpgnZ19D5PpUUFQReWYzlC3nvctEw0E" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1455" data-original-width="2880" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhSmRrrZ-RocK-z0JrdGJH8q7Y-qNJf4tmjk6oxgWprZ48tSB0RmQ-ZALMw2ieZjjCT8aqMTnDllDcTD3EJ1VUMQ6c7Xe9JtQL2z1fKiXC2kQVx2UVGGVHffyALl8F02kDpEh75PW_00HAn9upcAKNsNpgnZ19D5PpUUFQReWYzlC3nvctEw0E=w331-h168" width="331" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div><div>Final image of the week, from Whatcombe Fields where the buttercup crop has self-harvested, but the long grass and daisies are magnificent.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjj0afV0oul994A5B23jUmmlxjsJOwkVLcL0JyKWiZbj1wjwLkHH7q084dhyGTs6X31FZL-KHTrzokF685C4SD8K6DLUWiTpgtVXGt6ON2mmbzoSNckZjxIKtuNT71Qtb4rpUK27CLceQuaILzVHgzZI0mY7drRGcjkOUjUqzRSbZYYON2atkY" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="3888" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjj0afV0oul994A5B23jUmmlxjsJOwkVLcL0JyKWiZbj1wjwLkHH7q084dhyGTs6X31FZL-KHTrzokF685C4SD8K6DLUWiTpgtVXGt6ON2mmbzoSNckZjxIKtuNT71Qtb4rpUK27CLceQuaILzVHgzZI0mY7drRGcjkOUjUqzRSbZYYON2atkY" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>Cryssehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15733554167534664275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33880814.post-31797258459309250172022-06-05T23:55:00.012+01:002022-06-06T08:16:05.395+01:00Dancing with Death, and more cheerful things<div class="separator"><br /></div><p></p><div><p class="UstivisitingbodyUstinov" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-size-adjust: auto;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: right; float: right; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhn_RR6EaJMtlwc6FfmRUkwUpPzxp6ootUoCmY8DTO6fKjMmOuITP_8_gD8Qgnc-ac9mtBRcmZ_LUrIh_IQmaLoQ9AphbNTMXc_fnKfMsks9WVNIhFuhsiytDojNJLFMXylx70vpjau08o2s-j-eHO9wY-pcWFXmpqP9pLDA_5fDe35uARvuJ4" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3158" data-original-width="4749" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhn_RR6EaJMtlwc6FfmRUkwUpPzxp6ootUoCmY8DTO6fKjMmOuITP_8_gD8Qgnc-ac9mtBRcmZ_LUrIh_IQmaLoQ9AphbNTMXc_fnKfMsks9WVNIhFuhsiytDojNJLFMXylx70vpjau08o2s-j-eHO9wY-pcWFXmpqP9pLDA_5fDe35uARvuJ4=w303-h202" width="303" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US"><i>"The Dance of Death</i> is August Strindberg’s landmark drama about a marriage pushed to its limits," explains the promotion for the current production<span style="font-family: inherit;">, </span></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">adapted by Rebecca Lenkiewic, </span>at Bath's <b>Ustinov</b> theatre<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit;">. </span>On a small island, an irrational tyrannical army captain controls his gloomy wife who regrets giving up her dramatic career, both snarling at the other but somehow feeding off this enough to survive. They are joined after a while by the wife's cousin but there’s no real shift in the unpleasant dynamic: it’s like <i>Waiting for Godot</i> without the subtlety or humour. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></div><div><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEguXYT-bOSIqkyRz1uUvUJ9m1OSdYYzPu3PehVphnLqiVby2gkyZ7--E6GwdulnJ7o0LeZNg7HniYoCCiqqVgWTy0JS8ZWHv5Qy4sRWrE7mKQ18ldPH20HLoRdY6Pz1H9dYpO5_ps0oj4UbW6_ekVb5Qe9yjJ4bLSvKS8MuFQ1JtJT01WZN8zo" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3162" data-original-width="4742" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEguXYT-bOSIqkyRz1uUvUJ9m1OSdYYzPu3PehVphnLqiVby2gkyZ7--E6GwdulnJ7o0LeZNg7HniYoCCiqqVgWTy0JS8ZWHv5Qy4sRWrE7mKQ18ldPH20HLoRdY6Pz1H9dYpO5_ps0oj4UbW6_ekVb5Qe9yjJ4bLSvKS8MuFQ1JtJT01WZN8zo" width="320" /></a></div>Hilton McRae is powerful as the appalling husband; Lindsay Duncan as the appalling wife is more stagey, frittering sympathy by being generally annoying, while the cousin (Grainne Dromgoole) doesn't have much of a role except as a butt for their vindictive games. The set (by Grace Smart) </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">is just that, a set. Changes </span> to the original play (the gender of the visitor, the repeatedly shouted expletives) seem repellent without resonance and the tone remains level throughout despite accelerating mini-dramas, with a sense of hopeless despair over the entire proceedings.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><span>In short, this is a story of rage and recrimination, irreparably damaged relationships, mistrust and self-inflicted chaos. A story for our times. </span><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-size: x-small;">photos Alex Brenner</span></span></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNML5wmjXM6PlCY9dhKqMHXmjWt-hmi_yexqwLzlTUge6i1dmZlTG1N7NJesdD_114a4ibTlM4W2To4p-djpe8fCIjSq1Dk44bHYWAoifdqQmKLK1u7SpeCWv05aV11V1lCFnuFBWmYNEWaKu_JpvYk1wGZ8NyLElzpnzyLyRifEUAxC0JiiM/s1016/Screenshot%202022-05-31%20at%2010.29.36.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="839" data-original-width="1016" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNML5wmjXM6PlCY9dhKqMHXmjWt-hmi_yexqwLzlTUge6i1dmZlTG1N7NJesdD_114a4ibTlM4W2To4p-djpe8fCIjSq1Dk44bHYWAoifdqQmKLK1u7SpeCWv05aV11V1lCFnuFBWmYNEWaKu_JpvYk1wGZ8NyLElzpnzyLyRifEUAxC0JiiM/w256-h211/Screenshot%202022-05-31%20at%2010.29.36.jpeg" width="256" /></a></div></div>It's always a pleasure and a privilege to be invited to join Eleanor Talbot on her weekly online programme <i><a href="https://soundcloud.com/eleanor-talbot-322179824/episode-139-dance-like-no-ones-watching ">Variations on a Theme</a> </i>and this week's upbeat show features the new-out poetry-&-pictures compilation from Caldew Press, words by me & Hazel Stewart and images from Mel Day. This image is her show's promo: us performing as <i>Live & Lippy</i> back in the day, and us on a weekend trip to Lille a couple of years ago, plus our book covers and launch promo. Her interview starts around 29 minutes into the show. As well as recording us reading some of her favourite solo pieces, Ellie has cleverly managed to create one of our shared poems - <i>What's it like for you?</i> - by splicing our recordings - and also included the soundtrack of one of the videos of us made by Howard Vause - you can view <i>Onomatopoeia</i> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrPu-9Xgwsg">here</a>, it's currently registering 8,910 views. Howard also made a great little vid of the poem that's (one of) the title(s) of this odd little volume - online <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxfWIa8PQ0w">here</a>. It's one of my favourites. <div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjpSWHoIlhdc4prXu89RoMXAeFqcqJKCaRoTl6937qurCYFE52Crl0CWSiSsVcIZOZwia0AjIgICmeRrKFwu-JVwQ13d2YXqeM11ZiNoV5456QFRVTgt1h02eY5_uZJBM1OaOkeUk1wgEmVIUnSWIPlAKafk3EL1UbTEwhBY27eoY_UAC-9PtM" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="3888" height="154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjpSWHoIlhdc4prXu89RoMXAeFqcqJKCaRoTl6937qurCYFE52Crl0CWSiSsVcIZOZwia0AjIgICmeRrKFwu-JVwQ13d2YXqeM11ZiNoV5456QFRVTgt1h02eY5_uZJBM1OaOkeUk1wgEmVIUnSWIPlAKafk3EL1UbTEwhBY27eoY_UAC-9PtM" width="231" /></a></div><a href="https://www.blackswanarts.org.uk/"><b>Black Swan Arts</b></a> enjoyed a double opening on Friday, with Lucinda Burgess' exhibition <i><a href="https://www.blackswanarts.org.uk/whats-on/exhibitions/lucinda-burgess-on-repetition/">On Repetition</a></i> in the Long Gallery, and the Frome Creatives in the Round Tower. Lucinda was a garden designer for many years and feels this has significantly informed her interest in materials that appear to change form, sometimes over time as with rusting metal, but also in different viewing conditions - as with poles viewed side-on.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhFhZ05Dt938_oy7NlXUAshhRkPxDt5NN_xX72wsxNW85w1G7dS-5AiTN9ThGRESTV3VzaTfCOgzNST8D3qLYKsbomdYM-Y6t0JFLcnBFvWgLvI4rOB_dT7aPyDWf-1_lgBrvN530Q2NtbKAhGh-6AM4nznrdB4a8YE7eg8_AFUHRJPI31rZ7Y" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2029" data-original-width="3129" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhFhZ05Dt938_oy7NlXUAshhRkPxDt5NN_xX72wsxNW85w1G7dS-5AiTN9ThGRESTV3VzaTfCOgzNST8D3qLYKsbomdYM-Y6t0JFLcnBFvWgLvI4rOB_dT7aPyDWf-1_lgBrvN530Q2NtbKAhGh-6AM4nznrdB4a8YE7eg8_AFUHRJPI31rZ7Y" width="248" /></a></div> </div><div>In contrast to these thought-provoking large-scale pieces, the <a href="https://www.blackswanarts.org.uk/whats-on/exhibitions/frome-creatives/"><b>Frome Creatives</b></a> have filled their exhibition area with a huge diversity of work of an extremely high standard - paintings and prints, photographs, ceramics, fabric creations and artefacts in every kind of media - a busy, friendly launch with much chat and bowls of chocolates. Postcards & cards available - recommended.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEho7nmpKjoc6C2PhNhIkypug02j_3ERozmssHxPnmFHmzWJqNQaSvLytBnE7MIGUpSYUO1saoozjAQrKSs9vn2M4DNSvlP_hkt0FxUIBlOL_xNx1Zw7FJSIm_O74Y47Zmj1FEC0m6u-Q6vI3S0ak8FjpoYQTZze8iHPvgOmDgKahHykrQZz5Vs" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2523" data-original-width="2844" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEho7nmpKjoc6C2PhNhIkypug02j_3ERozmssHxPnmFHmzWJqNQaSvLytBnE7MIGUpSYUO1saoozjAQrKSs9vn2M4DNSvlP_hkt0FxUIBlOL_xNx1Zw7FJSIm_O74Y47Zmj1FEC0m6u-Q6vI3S0ak8FjpoYQTZze8iHPvgOmDgKahHykrQZz5Vs=w200-h177" width="200" /></a></div></div><div>Music now, and a folksy vibe from <a href="https://www.facebook.com/bamamine">Bama Mine</a> from Bristol at Bar Lotte eon Wednesday. The monthly Independent Market survived, just about, the weekend rain, and provided some excellent performers on the Band Stage, including the trio <a href="https://farmfestival.co.uk/artist-2022/cura-3/">Cura</a> -who will be performing on this year's Farmfest. Sunday evening at The Cornerhouse put on its monthly jazz jam with the usual performers - here's Simon with singer Nicola Maskall, and Dave Wallace on bass. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjuxWC3YOhTbSTSXElGLX6aMdYUy2ODGZWCgpKrei8bP8nzZsQQtbx515YVHu3yDgLAtSKa1MKvNTJEmAw4XH7zQV4hLGyLwoTqa8l20mbhYKUxuhHrh4X2Kipl9fwY9zFjMy0-R6zVlrprAS1QS3Nog5mQWmP_X_kUlLy-0RNlXQVnh6wyGEo" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2424" data-original-width="2934" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjuxWC3YOhTbSTSXElGLX6aMdYUy2ODGZWCgpKrei8bP8nzZsQQtbx515YVHu3yDgLAtSKa1MKvNTJEmAw4XH7zQV4hLGyLwoTqa8l20mbhYKUxuhHrh4X2Kipl9fwY9zFjMy0-R6zVlrprAS1QS3Nog5mQWmP_X_kUlLy-0RNlXQVnh6wyGEo=w200-h166" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Ending this June medley with some out-and-about-this-week images: walking to Mells along the river, and a preview of three novels by Frome writers (to be featured later) displayed in <a href="https://www.facebook.com/HuntingRavenBooks/">Hunting Raven Books</a>! <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgUynW1G4eVyTqDRm-x-k4GpKzGXI0r-Hdknxo4KM4OelopCDxIZ0jQNZnPcjXVT_81ixKs1sCmEQCy9pZtwPTke647ZlaCW7HU9TW7q93szItpGu4l4jE0V4P_sB7nCp2ijEK7zj5AstXBHFqohbmgYEyjnFwHZWD1IuPR25Xl0fIT6ZXowRM" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="3888" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgUynW1G4eVyTqDRm-x-k4GpKzGXI0r-Hdknxo4KM4OelopCDxIZ0jQNZnPcjXVT_81ixKs1sCmEQCy9pZtwPTke647ZlaCW7HU9TW7q93szItpGu4l4jE0V4P_sB7nCp2ijEK7zj5AstXBHFqohbmgYEyjnFwHZWD1IuPR25Xl0fIT6ZXowRM=w243-h163" width="243" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjojf4_MMEXZdmEotcGk4yquTttihGNsUrRb8Tth4xquHAbOtKUlS5RB4RUO0Twe_VQMe_fPaY0PdVrp7sexz-H1J_tkBeHuS4TODDvUHYghljlI3pi9lwzIj2KnqU3BwsEbcN7PDmZueT5hsXOPhYKp2RdfAMxeVToz1CovR5zR9m2_DxQHlo" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2388" data-original-width="2830" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjojf4_MMEXZdmEotcGk4yquTttihGNsUrRb8Tth4xquHAbOtKUlS5RB4RUO0Twe_VQMe_fPaY0PdVrp7sexz-H1J_tkBeHuS4TODDvUHYghljlI3pi9lwzIj2KnqU3BwsEbcN7PDmZueT5hsXOPhYKp2RdfAMxeVToz1CovR5zR9m2_DxQHlo=w241-h203" width="241" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">and the roses in my garden. Just because...</span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEic3RtlEmy_d1r_EOFUJbmBH_pA1UtZEeEk77MXQ6gOBgng0kbX9s-GxuuzKjqb2XlGcV2bv4kcEiLIZ0xyGeirYanysuYtvAe7iDHym8sTOtWUS2D2Bt1p1cEXd3fgBuAB8fu0Mwsxkzb6KU_Szl0E73MlfwiS8YBsoeEfGEgYdFcwd8A6CMw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2436" data-original-width="3309" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEic3RtlEmy_d1r_EOFUJbmBH_pA1UtZEeEk77MXQ6gOBgng0kbX9s-GxuuzKjqb2XlGcV2bv4kcEiLIZ0xyGeirYanysuYtvAe7iDHym8sTOtWUS2D2Bt1p1cEXd3fgBuAB8fu0Mwsxkzb6KU_Szl0E73MlfwiS8YBsoeEfGEgYdFcwd8A6CMw=w254-h187" width="254" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div>Cryssehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15733554167534664275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33880814.post-86646786369271075192022-05-29T22:02:00.004+01:002022-05-30T16:54:51.287+01:00Fantasy, form, fables, futures - and fun <p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjSuWGfgv_v5STL3imlfi_8dHNa37MOZHjr1jzr8TwAXA-tT_kd3j9j-hE6t0pA6UK7KXYlr0lCGyHFnyQdDmJOXze_R0kYL2-PXbwsnDRS6ycow8ohGQ1vtIMLBMrFayjxM_RG6KZadicNOmPPPKe5NS5RCowRTu-_CuO7jv-Zn01-RwiYVT4" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="3888" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjSuWGfgv_v5STL3imlfi_8dHNa37MOZHjr1jzr8TwAXA-tT_kd3j9j-hE6t0pA6UK7KXYlr0lCGyHFnyQdDmJOXze_R0kYL2-PXbwsnDRS6ycow8ohGQ1vtIMLBMrFayjxM_RG6KZadicNOmPPPKe5NS5RCowRTu-_CuO7jv-Zn01-RwiYVT4" width="320" /></a></div>With June just a breath away, here in the southwest Open Air Theatre season has already begun: Frome hosted the endlessly inventive <b><a href="https://www.illyria.co.uk/">Illyria</a></b> company on Sunday as their touring version of <a href="https://www.illyria.co.uk/whatson">Peter Pan</a> arrived on the ECOS amphitheatre in the afternoon to delight a mixed age audience. The company boasts that this is the first production to include <i>real</i> flying, and while strictly speaking an offstage rig isn't actually quite the same thing as 'real', this complex apparatus contrived several brilliant stage effects - especially Peter's flamboyant fight scene, and the under-water life of the mermaid (with bubbles...) <p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiH1PFxyFWXRh_Efn3N2U6sM0PhXK5Qrt2335_As5b6-28aMgGMlWiZ4ZIC09M1aX7UeSQzJgPFORKAx1gkQSQn5OsT5jmIqXa_sem1IgyzLwtExTBo3icGqBBdUaogJEZRw-c3jrsD0Ja2waKYATTqtquTmjec0sJLNy_0zs0-Zo2F9lEjJZE" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1922" data-original-width="2601" height="172" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiH1PFxyFWXRh_Efn3N2U6sM0PhXK5Qrt2335_As5b6-28aMgGMlWiZ4ZIC09M1aX7UeSQzJgPFORKAx1gkQSQn5OsT5jmIqXa_sem1IgyzLwtExTBo3icGqBBdUaogJEZRw-c3jrsD0Ja2waKYATTqtquTmjec0sJLNy_0zs0-Zo2F9lEjJZE=w234-h172" width="234" /></a></div>Director Oliver Grey, the founder & godfather of Illyria, points out in his programme notes that the entire story of Peter Pan is rooted in psychology of its author - as JM Barry himself observed, later in life. And as much of the book's action is problematic for live representation, his directorial decision has been to focus on, and explore, the author's idea that 'everything in this story is a game played by children...' and their nursery is always present on this set. 'After all, what is an adventure if not a trip into the imagination?'<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyKTd2B-1H-rv-2AaELz-tySKQdSSS83ZRdkZat208_h1jWadnIxn789lCECEk62-yVkOTN1W2KXMrz14qKXTKEvFbYjJnG5yO7Zag3VjAp-izWQq-9H3nbflkVWWFrcVw6JjvO8JYSL1Dd0kiqnShd0mPBis3ScGG9IrM_oVCGsQhYcEYCac/s2750/*P1340287.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2166" data-original-width="2750" height="172" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyKTd2B-1H-rv-2AaELz-tySKQdSSS83ZRdkZat208_h1jWadnIxn789lCECEk62-yVkOTN1W2KXMrz14qKXTKEvFbYjJnG5yO7Zag3VjAp-izWQq-9H3nbflkVWWFrcVw6JjvO8JYSL1Dd0kiqnShd0mPBis3ScGG9IrM_oVCGsQhYcEYCac/w218-h172/*P1340287.JPG" width="218" /></a></div>This show is so much an ensemble production it's difficult to highlight individuals, but Nicholas Lee (Wendy's brother John, & Tootles) and Elizabeth Robin (Mrs Darling, Tinker Bell & Slightly) especially have great stage presence and dramatic energy. The croc, and Tinkebell, deserve special mention too. Basically, the whole show is a delight. <br /><p></p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIfTwfofCphenS6988JHRWqY1rzJPFEz8yaQK0eP12TR4OkZb-CRd_q_fhGx_CkPc3crrF2wdE90PzBqCfPraniXWUev-zIU6EhS5PuPHhq71WtcnFUf2PVosC8PSS0NN1WJ2rNDG5nqFU-mE8fdJQ8lESQF1RCOwLTMZLsZbRe4Auw2qFJmI/s2948/P1330973.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2121" data-original-width="2948" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIfTwfofCphenS6988JHRWqY1rzJPFEz8yaQK0eP12TR4OkZb-CRd_q_fhGx_CkPc3crrF2wdE90PzBqCfPraniXWUev-zIU6EhS5PuPHhq71WtcnFUf2PVosC8PSS0NN1WJ2rNDG5nqFU-mE8fdJQ8lESQF1RCOwLTMZLsZbRe4Auw2qFJmI/w248-h178/P1330973.JPG" width="248" /></a></div>Music focus of the week, leading neatly into art spot, goes to <a href="https://simpsonharrisonbenjamin.co.uk/">simpsonharrisonbenjamin</a>, at the opening of <a href="https://www.hauserwirth.com/hauser-wirth-exhibitions/36155-henry-moore-sharing-form/?gclid=CjwKCAjws8yUBhA1EiwAi_tpERvwxKUmXsh6caqTpnIiFDtj848VbtWrq79ZW40DIJbn9dSaAuBUQhoCZ2gQAvD_BwE">Hauser & Wirth</a>'s exhibition on Friday evening. <a href="https://www.hauserwirth.com/hauser-wirth-exhibitions/36155-henry-moore-sharing-form/?gclid=CjwKCAjws8yUBhA1EiwAi_tpERvwxKUmXsh6caqTpnIiFDtj848VbtWrq79ZW40DIJbn9dSaAuBUQhoCZ2gQAvD_BwE"><i>Sharing Form</i> </a>- an impressive collection of works by Henry Moore that could not have opened on a more lovely evening, with blue-sky-sunshine to enhance all the amazing artefacts in the fabulous gardens, while indoors the rooms were full of thought-provoking 'investigative' pieces. You really need to visit if you can: it's superbly curated and this comment from the exhibition guide effectively says it all: <i>"a rich and often surprising visual biography of Moore's relentless interrogation of form and our shared comprehension of it."</i><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgkpLXQ8PyBsU3qJ2AI2kAhMa4fvwB39oGw5Isup5XX88HnZfMCLRii0rBe-t6jXJyDpPKK4SNplrNQ53Dyj5pWKbkYggzGhDvMBM1JS8rKnQTR0k4d4To71ywhb9OS11StsFv_aEg_6WncYJzO3hCDsqs2lifKONgkL0wYdxQP1gV-G9rO8EM" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2284" data-original-width="3071" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgkpLXQ8PyBsU3qJ2AI2kAhMa4fvwB39oGw5Isup5XX88HnZfMCLRii0rBe-t6jXJyDpPKK4SNplrNQ53Dyj5pWKbkYggzGhDvMBM1JS8rKnQTR0k4d4To71ywhb9OS11StsFv_aEg_6WncYJzO3hCDsqs2lifKONgkL0wYdxQP1gV-G9rO8EM" width="320" /></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi-cLyH7RR0qcXbG2yObEp01fFcnqmWhpzXg1AtfKg_t1Tp5EhANF4O3O7oQTrJhbbyzGvXk3bmzBU19J2cQdWDU16rdLua6jrFGgpYWidBzyJBN4i2YyMfyl8N9GUvufA_WB7Q1p33jAJqtyBMuo9PxcZFgyRgRFswMwYzTOKFL7-G018lxfI" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="3888" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi-cLyH7RR0qcXbG2yObEp01fFcnqmWhpzXg1AtfKg_t1Tp5EhANF4O3O7oQTrJhbbyzGvXk3bmzBU19J2cQdWDU16rdLua6jrFGgpYWidBzyJBN4i2YyMfyl8N9GUvufA_WB7Q1p33jAJqtyBMuo9PxcZFgyRgRFswMwYzTOKFL7-G018lxfI" width="320" /></a></div><br /></div></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEivVhUhdJ-hq80kSGBcObo9jWKhq_OKtNACDERBnevohvXHloIegtXKsdtr4Do1AxnQgt9FpklM9gNXt3bJz7pEwwfeS2OyJXerhEQ3BigB6R9VULZ-RtVZot5dvcrfUVZTBSngFrWRY9O3rK1iJ3eCMOFmbL0a3oQsH_9GNOWhotNeZR56pOY" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3345" data-original-width="2592" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEivVhUhdJ-hq80kSGBcObo9jWKhq_OKtNACDERBnevohvXHloIegtXKsdtr4Do1AxnQgt9FpklM9gNXt3bJz7pEwwfeS2OyJXerhEQ3BigB6R9VULZ-RtVZot5dvcrfUVZTBSngFrWRY9O3rK1iJ3eCMOFmbL0a3oQsH_9GNOWhotNeZR56pOY" width="186" /></a></div>Bit of a wild card now: a historical trip to the wilds of Wales, to explore a <a href="https://cadw.gov.wales/visit/places-to-visit/caerleon-roman-fortress-and-baths">Roman settlement</a> in Caerleon - well, the amphitheatre and the toilets anyway, though there was probably more going on in 1st Century AD - and, even more excitingly, the discovery in the unpretentious little church of <a href="https://stcadocsllancarfan.co.uk/">St Cadocs</a> in Llancarfan that beneath centuries of limewash the walls are covered with amazing medieval paintings, not only extraordinary as examples of 15th Century art but also as a record of the moral and emotional thinking of that era. Expert recovery has revealed the seven cardinal sins, the 'dance of death' and, the most strongly narrative story and at the present time best restored, the wondrousness of St George, dragon-slayer and warrior saint. Incredible, in so many ways, to witness this tribute to the legends that were vivid in the lives of this community more than 500 years ago.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjbyrOuXZrICU-t5hLejcKzqZytXKKT0xsc1ivOi4-Gv2UJ_HzoG4z3XGewI6rQdPhkvEPlYHQCenWiub_0oEJXJNgmusM3zQmdaWsiiyHG6Gbm88eBZWKRcTROaDfSc1-jeF_MUFQUY53365ov03F9ID2hU0HDc3qg1qPEsyg22ZhWJsjR0D8" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="3888" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjbyrOuXZrICU-t5hLejcKzqZytXKKT0xsc1ivOi4-Gv2UJ_HzoG4z3XGewI6rQdPhkvEPlYHQCenWiub_0oEJXJNgmusM3zQmdaWsiiyHG6Gbm88eBZWKRcTROaDfSc1-jeF_MUFQUY53365ov03F9ID2hU0HDc3qg1qPEsyg22ZhWJsjR0D8" width="320" /></a></div><br />Back in south-west England, <a href="https://saqibooks.com/2022/02/maggie-gee-at-novel-nights-bath/">Novel Nights</a> meeting at Burdell's Yard in Bath on Wednesday provided a fascinating evening as the theme was 'climate change' and the session featured not only Maggie Gee talking about her new novel on that theme, but also readings from three upcoming novelists - two of whom were Frome writers Nicky Lloyd and Alison Clink - pictured - plus Bath writer Richard Kemp.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhV3Xoi_rpMaPtHI6w0fQtFKEDtf7HCybwbZ04aS1Vxk6H-rmfZxzHTd9x1iOVEazi9qYwZanBDDfkGbbJ80hiaYE_ivyBzaRK9Cz09Nz_FYuHpnyvVyWKbw8ri5GBzopTT7gNDiyllj3MTgMMVEkH1zOT6tg-kGafuBMI5GBOkiQ8GyMW79SI" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1413" data-original-width="2875" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhV3Xoi_rpMaPtHI6w0fQtFKEDtf7HCybwbZ04aS1Vxk6H-rmfZxzHTd9x1iOVEazi9qYwZanBDDfkGbbJ80hiaYE_ivyBzaRK9Cz09Nz_FYuHpnyvVyWKbw8ri5GBzopTT7gNDiyllj3MTgMMVEkH1zOT6tg-kGafuBMI5GBOkiQ8GyMW79SI=w477-h234" width="477" /></a></div><br /> and this week's final note is a booky one too: the poetry collection with the impossible name (What'sItLikeFor You+DanceForThoseWho'dRatherNot) (with pictures by Mel Day) will be launching itself on the world, ready or not, on June 6th at Three Swans, upstairs. Grab a drink & come on up. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi6-BTkFtNDOcPFBVzaOhB7q0Ga4AEqvZ_kpDdXfpAXxkOxdC2WSxZV_Byti02NzsmMo7lf3-Kqchx3XYGoNPq02Y_YGLgMsWDmrBDcYl9cyhh_RiPhnz7TNySFOsaplK2Qbtzy7WPMwwp2NZMYNzVOanqcUvKSNLWl5Tbu8m5xy0UNeFquezs" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3508" data-original-width="2479" height="463" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi6-BTkFtNDOcPFBVzaOhB7q0Ga4AEqvZ_kpDdXfpAXxkOxdC2WSxZV_Byti02NzsmMo7lf3-Kqchx3XYGoNPq02Y_YGLgMsWDmrBDcYl9cyhh_RiPhnz7TNySFOsaplK2Qbtzy7WPMwwp2NZMYNzVOanqcUvKSNLWl5Tbu8m5xy0UNeFquezs=w328-h463" width="328" /></a></div></div><p></p>Cryssehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15733554167534664275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33880814.post-1894005784064420092022-05-22T19:18:00.002+01:002022-05-23T11:16:12.482+01:00Drama & burlesque, art &lit, and ancient trees <div class="separator"></div><div class="separator"><br /></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-style: italic; text-align: right;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjcLN0Mn3Iw1ECBXma0k7vYpRlApy5AesQ33V6EjKrrvxFC37CNJuJExBcgEzTLM4yLq3E9rqBaWDRfgVmdFC6MlOZwlKqrthCN0Tx9wnpkbKYmfQul41pcG7nvKi-uWTe4KPkAilFDtHULW_Elb8kQDyrIZP2XBEcOc1wlrAiwu3kstspGF7E" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2569" data-original-width="3272" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjcLN0Mn3Iw1ECBXma0k7vYpRlApy5AesQ33V6EjKrrvxFC37CNJuJExBcgEzTLM4yLq3E9rqBaWDRfgVmdFC6MlOZwlKqrthCN0Tx9wnpkbKYmfQul41pcG7nvKi-uWTe4KPkAilFDtHULW_Elb8kQDyrIZP2XBEcOc1wlrAiwu3kstspGF7E=w260-h204" width="260" /></a></div><span>Let's start straight off with</span><i style="font-style: italic;"> Mayfest.</i><span> </span>If you don't live in Bristol so can't appreciate the full experience, it's a lucky dip which event to choose: my pick of<i style="font-style: italic;"> Birthmarked </i>was sensationally lucky. This is the extraordinary story of Brook Tate, born into a Jehovah's Witness family and an active messenger for the cult until his gay identity compelled a rethink, an expulsion and a reincarnation. Brook relates the tale direct to audience, supported by his (actual) band of new friends, amazing props, a vast whale - which has notionally swallowed us all - and a mix of fantasy, pantomime, feel-good storytelling, and boundary-breaking devices like total costume change centre stage as part of the show. Incredible & unforgettable - there's more<b><a href="https://bristololdvic.org.uk/whats-on/birthmarked?fbclid=IwAR1CKhGkS_WkgX-QXmldZ6WEtc_7MApss9Tj11IRAqshjgTFKia5fHC7vMU"> here.</a></b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh75Baj6lT9J7nQ7SzM7Hc0xj1GBu4GLk2aVxudXEZkPMrOWtM7m7vcAgh0b4P1Qq4ceYJ1cEsij6xh4UVzDXrfZCQCrvlVxPL1teZf91OSPpfW_-PkWw-rA2LbKFkSYDQshtd9J-8SKFM2hCUfc_mR1cmlKAKAuIfk_PTmK1l9AyLXkFL-ZeA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1837" data-original-width="2783" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh75Baj6lT9J7nQ7SzM7Hc0xj1GBu4GLk2aVxudXEZkPMrOWtM7m7vcAgh0b4P1Qq4ceYJ1cEsij6xh4UVzDXrfZCQCrvlVxPL1teZf91OSPpfW_-PkWw-rA2LbKFkSYDQshtd9J-8SKFM2hCUfc_mR1cmlKAKAuIfk_PTmK1l9AyLXkFL-ZeA=w362-h239" width="362" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Time travelling now back to my jaunt to the big city on the previous day, for more drama:</span></span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh67xXV7Ue3_T45PqewKaqK1xG9AyNu3oydmb5NBSRitZSStEXW3Cp936wl6ub8NYnKz6GFnvrTZ1eQAXaX7vqTM146HOX2iBeRstJVNX4W6P3uBkL_Uejk6jOBsLLpGFeU8EjoSnFUa0L5FvPsBAD_8MIt7J2TQTPyrh0Dt_OF_E39y3Md-Lc" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="3888" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh67xXV7Ue3_T45PqewKaqK1xG9AyNu3oydmb5NBSRitZSStEXW3Cp936wl6ub8NYnKz6GFnvrTZ1eQAXaX7vqTM146HOX2iBeRstJVNX4W6P3uBkL_Uejk6jOBsLLpGFeU8EjoSnFUa0L5FvPsBAD_8MIt7J2TQTPyrh0Dt_OF_E39y3Md-Lc=w270-h180" width="270" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAejZF5WYd_Qn7WywYCZL5y2NN_DmjVIZ_5pWnSEgY7LiUcTDaCYKokdy6iLNTRsNlluRhwiYNaGQM8cyywU2pckJRtGvGur-hsEnJ7cDiAHcK_0wL7UNvP2Xfm9WQGGnswVGfj8oHFsHldBIh7qSrqfvTWQZtHokNWGs8q_ULTl-9WdcDDbQ/s3888/P1330588.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div></div></div><div><i>Earth hath not anything to show more fair, </i>Wordsworth wrote in <span style="text-align: center;">his 220 year-old love poem to London: </span><a href="https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/45514/composed-upon-westminster-bridge-september-3-1802" style="text-align: center;">Westminster Bridge</a><span style="text-align: center;"> in his version but it's lovely from Waterloo footbridge too. </span>Tuesday was a brilliant day overall though the play at the Dorfman (<i>Middle</i> by David Eldridge) which was my primary reason for this visit was a disappointing grumpfest of marital clich<span style="background-color: white;">é</span>s. But the Berry coach to London <span style="text-align: justify;">is fast & inexpensive, Victoria Embankment Gardens are beautiful, South Bank in sunshine is fabulous, it was great to revisit the Poetry Library in the Royal Festival Hall & find a <a href="https://burningeye.bigcartel.com/product/crumbs-from-a-spinning-world-by-crysse-morrison">my poetry collection with <i>Burning Eye</i></a> on their shelves, and to discover a nice pub - <i>The Swan</i> - close to Hammersmith Bus Station, so an overall ace day out. </span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgW55icFxTNIwu1sclqqKxkfydS8UezELoxqq0eJKeTXUX3hGTp71HzKcIyNarnJwiAS4zW73cvSqbVjN_f-oMIsoTfz6oCbDSNEKOdYChFbH_vXyXG7Au2UFzzDGXa65osRN6VdyHzUqNdmTd4wkUC3YJ7ceAhmTmJNmtGV8H3GzXVerrRVfY" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="2578" height="158" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgW55icFxTNIwu1sclqqKxkfydS8UezELoxqq0eJKeTXUX3hGTp71HzKcIyNarnJwiAS4zW73cvSqbVjN_f-oMIsoTfz6oCbDSNEKOdYChFbH_vXyXG7Au2UFzzDGXa65osRN6VdyHzUqNdmTd4wkUC3YJ7ceAhmTmJNmtGV8H3GzXVerrRVfY=w277-h158" width="277" /></a></div><span style="text-align: justify;">To get the show review out of the way: it's a middle-of-the-night row that goes on for two days - no, sorry two hours: he's money'd, she's bored: she reproaches, </span>he smashes the china, then they help each other clean up so you think <i>Oh good it's the end,</i> but it isn't, and the emotional hostility just carries on in the same flat way which may be due to the script (over-even) or the production (over-level) or just the length (over-long) so no need to name & blame the actors - they've suffered enough. And if you think this summary is overly critical, you should see what <a href="https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/two-hours-of-bickering-from-a-couple-of-doughnut-shaped-crybabies-middle-at-the-dorfman-theatre-reviewed">Lloyd Evans in the Spectator</a> says. Seriously, this is another of those pointless plays about affluent people bored by their own life-style (see <i>An Hour and a Half Late,</i> reviewed in this blog 27 Feb) - where's Jimmy Porter when we need a rant about pusillanimous irritations. With a support team of 32 plus the 2 wretched actors who had to memorise the tedious script, plays like this discredit the potential of theatre in society. Rant over.</div><div><br /></div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg0OUgDI4ltyV09MbyVONti5UgurXDHPoazNIXrHzJXANd66of1WpBRudvmkMspQNZPmHvFu3ZP9sHbBepPOoT_DdDBHEb1a8En2fW370aoJbe9wl_SHCyVGDVr2TrWPGbt-_RWmG4xdiYFBiCPv7gLkQHCG4FytSTAPg2ElAHBCof44WAVUKU" style="clear: right; display: inline; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="800" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg0OUgDI4ltyV09MbyVONti5UgurXDHPoazNIXrHzJXANd66of1WpBRudvmkMspQNZPmHvFu3ZP9sHbBepPOoT_DdDBHEb1a8En2fW370aoJbe9wl_SHCyVGDVr2TrWPGbt-_RWmG4xdiYFBiCPv7gLkQHCG4FytSTAPg2ElAHBCof44WAVUKU=w292-h146" width="292" /></a></div>Fabulous foliage beside the Thames - even fig trees fruiting - bring us nicely to the online talk by Julian Hight o<span>n <span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Recording Britain’s Ancient Forest through Ancient Trees</i> - a fascinating tour of Britain's historic forest told through the monumental oaks and other surviving trees. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;">Did you know that in Medieval times two-thirds of England was forest - a word that meant, not dense trees as </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;">we tend to think now, but owned by the king & lords for recreational hunting. </span> </div><div><p></p></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #050505; text-align: left;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">J<div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjxbL9Qf7U1eoL8dlI-cM3Y-qNmyshtiPmSYlriY2UDNsdSgf4UzZ1qAAChG0H381DHyQm_Ck0GpuhL-aHmDOMyVEwdeouwX2Z8j0l1SsFYlPcu7aroQMtSSS57VvzWB3BsM2GAHfcZj6-E_N-ueIFjVVuEepcvdXVCTDqfSdLUqBGGK1btSHk" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="2592" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjxbL9Qf7U1eoL8dlI-cM3Y-qNmyshtiPmSYlriY2UDNsdSgf4UzZ1qAAChG0H381DHyQm_Ck0GpuhL-aHmDOMyVEwdeouwX2Z8j0l1SsFYlPcu7aroQMtSSS57VvzWB3BsM2GAHfcZj6-E_N-ueIFjVVuEepcvdXVCTDqfSdLUqBGGK1btSHk=w157-h235" width="157" /></a></div></span></span><span style="color: #050505; font-family: inherit; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;">ulian has been exploring and logging ancient trees for many years, and his slides showed superb imagery of venerable trees and how to access them through the </span><a href="https://ati.woodlandtrust.org.uk/" style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ancient Tree Inventory</a><span style="color: #050505; font-family: inherit; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;">, where we can also record any you come across ourselves. His own favourites are the iconic oaks that are so distinctive in English landscape, and he plants acorns wherever & whenever possible - here's the little oak he planted in Rodden Meadow a few years ago, in a bramble hedge to protect it from being nibbled by rodents while young - </span><i style="color: #050505; font-family: inherit; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://www.greenfarmkent.co.uk/post/woodland-motheroftheoak">The thorn is mother of the oak,</a></i><span style="color: #050505; font-family: inherit; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"> as the old saying goes...</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span></div></div></blockquote><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjXtlvF3pa_HhRnFGr2ENhNUYMKeCbA_coor_ak_2DnQc7ltHwEgR1Trbt_YDcX3iStJD2pnLC4Q0IzYPxuaj1ps19DhOuFSLCPorf02zh4ofpQTd6xZ8cToXTmowFfT5yqeJQMDhgqq-tnjGMuSMKNPwDk4Ko2ans3MCVAOFnU2o2J7ZkU3iY" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2559" data-original-width="2131" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjXtlvF3pa_HhRnFGr2ENhNUYMKeCbA_coor_ak_2DnQc7ltHwEgR1Trbt_YDcX3iStJD2pnLC4Q0IzYPxuaj1ps19DhOuFSLCPorf02zh4ofpQTd6xZ8cToXTmowFfT5yqeJQMDhgqq-tnjGMuSMKNPwDk4Ko2ans3MCVAOFnU2o2J7ZkU3iY" width="200" /></a></div><br />A mega-busy <span>Thursday brought a bumper-bundle of goodies: let's start with the afternoon treat at Cooper Hall of a <span>presentation by Amy Webber of new material for a one-woman show she's been developing during her residency there. Amy is not only an incredible singer in a range of styles, she also has great audience rapport and some sharp & very funny material. 'I've got an opera degree that's never been useful,' Amy confides, and proceeds to demonstrate its potential by composing a funeral song for an audience member (me😊) and then giving an illustrated lecture on music genres over the years. Her satirical material is very funny and her voice is fabulous. </span></span><span> Next, </span><span>a quick dash back across Whatcombe Fields to the other side of town - so dramatically beautiful I'm including a snap of it here -</span> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhm72TufLoTZlxcJwZvf7jcj0BqWpzyPqixXniY2yKDJ9f40nsjd3ofvuN8cNxACzV0CXmx1U6Ioowq0dpRRB8Q5Pd9up0TDMBvPJ0tJkB3LrncnQYO1IVNzZQpTSYK9REydmtzjnM75UksJ-5A6tyXSH2Pcr0VtwogAqEA0tOF1GWzOe6eIh4" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="3888" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhm72TufLoTZlxcJwZvf7jcj0BqWpzyPqixXniY2yKDJ9f40nsjd3ofvuN8cNxACzV0CXmx1U6Ioowq0dpRRB8Q5Pd9up0TDMBvPJ0tJkB3LrncnQYO1IVNzZQpTSYK9REydmtzjnM75UksJ-5A6tyXSH2Pcr0VtwogAqEA0tOF1GWzOe6eIh4" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>- to arrive at the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/GalleryAtTheStationFrome/">Gallery at the Station</a> in time for the opening of the brilliant exhibition of paintings by Paris: </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Ultra Aesthetics </b>'a touring exhibition for changing times.' The images are mainly vivid mergings of colour & energy, and the concept behind the show is fascinating as explained by the artist in his leaflet: using found items (viz used Estate Agent signboards) the images 'hark back to Protest Art through the ages, and reference the work of young artists in New York's Lower East Side in the 1970s and 80s'. This development of his street pieces in Bristol (and Frome) is planned to develop into an extensive tour. </span></span></p><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhCg315enIlRzKZ2GD223GsKUaXucE4gpdQGI8cL1Ea7DdRPT_ASVQXcXr59FI7w_xQeugJBvy8OK25PgjGYmtrKkeCVKwgpld3ODN1yynWPuRVzpldlpRFTGKKZdf6rR7vJ3pi359hQ8UwOqF7ax6Yywtiy9LTJiSRZeQjy3_6ms5nhpw6Ayw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2574" data-original-width="3592" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhCg315enIlRzKZ2GD223GsKUaXucE4gpdQGI8cL1Ea7DdRPT_ASVQXcXr59FI7w_xQeugJBvy8OK25PgjGYmtrKkeCVKwgpld3ODN1yynWPuRVzpldlpRFTGKKZdf6rR7vJ3pi359hQ8UwOqF7ax6Yywtiy9LTJiSRZeQjy3_6ms5nhpw6Ayw=w367-h263" width="367" /></a></div></div><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhMnwOY0cEIkNgARqgPUmhUyeDTFJQiEU_pQ8AVBvjr-pn_Frhg7UmCJz49QhXfmlNMCquitKOEUVHkiQXWh4b2DOzaHa6yckknYACsubIX8Oyi65z1Cnk8CF3H0oMmGn2THsAH5aJcnc7ruMggUR7UHem9ehfo6_gOKgojjGTKGHMs_rAqu5g" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2440" data-original-width="2301" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhMnwOY0cEIkNgARqgPUmhUyeDTFJQiEU_pQ8AVBvjr-pn_Frhg7UmCJz49QhXfmlNMCquitKOEUVHkiQXWh4b2DOzaHa6yckknYACsubIX8Oyi65z1Cnk8CF3H0oMmGn2THsAH5aJcnc7ruMggUR7UHem9ehfo6_gOKgojjGTKGHMs_rAqu5g=w137-h146" width="137" /></a></div><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And then on to <b>The Three Swans</b> for <i>Dirty Laundry</i>, the new Spoken Word event run by Olly Davy, a tasty mix of storytelling and poetry. All the contributors were excellent but sadly my images were light-blighted so here's a picture of me doing a poem (thanks Mike Grenville) presumably (hopefully) a very fleeting moment during the bit about the Beastie Boys....</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #050505;"><span style="background-color: white;">While we're on the subject of me & me-pomes, this week saw the exciting arrival of a boxful of the double-anthology created by Hazel Stewart & I during lockdown, now published by <b>Caldew Press</b>. Snappily entitled <i>What's It Like For You?</i> at one end and <i>Dance For Those Who'd Rather Not </i>at the other end, this pushmepullyou book is filled not only with our lyrical creations but also some brilliant drawings by Mel Day - launch will be on June 6 at<b> The Three Swans </b>so do pop along if you live near Frome!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh6S_XK3lETzOTGOWZT0b3Vz7GtnP-VJ36-CBrfQe0Hev_AvuERHHsoa2lIauTX9zw8YwN-YIJ30tGtbpP52-ez5pp747_ncepWuu5DkGkXzRQspNo6Ib7a67AevH4uorPG0h0OJkI6tuOcDdDWnr7uzzcGvU1BRaM_BoqBnjdqhctfhMnXB2g" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2295" data-original-width="2822" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh6S_XK3lETzOTGOWZT0b3Vz7GtnP-VJ36-CBrfQe0Hev_AvuERHHsoa2lIauTX9zw8YwN-YIJ30tGtbpP52-ez5pp747_ncepWuu5DkGkXzRQspNo6Ib7a67AevH4uorPG0h0OJkI6tuOcDdDWnr7uzzcGvU1BRaM_BoqBnjdqhctfhMnXB2g" width="295" /></a></div></div></span></span></div><p><br /><br /></p></div>Cryssehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15733554167534664275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33880814.post-40822124636039817802022-05-15T18:34:00.003+01:002022-05-17T09:30:31.389+01:00Things to know about love, & death, & in between...<p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWeUEXzrpZuk2XCN4taknhVNK33CoyOy-1R4G39-hgEuPH93-iGGXrFnF1-s2b00d9lPrhXGZZyw1gekPBO3OIxGRXSDTFy_0iFGaolu2v1GMHMkouKLvrSZx0BSomD0FDk3jXrN715jzZ26qMOtPbAEivPA49_dylipwLPltRnLd1Z-vXWg4/s2048/280433673_10158697891676586_5609452067667160608_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1328" data-original-width="2048" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWeUEXzrpZuk2XCN4taknhVNK33CoyOy-1R4G39-hgEuPH93-iGGXrFnF1-s2b00d9lPrhXGZZyw1gekPBO3OIxGRXSDTFy_0iFGaolu2v1GMHMkouKLvrSZx0BSomD0FDk3jXrN715jzZ26qMOtPbAEivPA49_dylipwLPltRnLd1Z-vXWg4/w278-h181/280433673_10158697891676586_5609452067667160608_n.jpg" width="278" /></a></div></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXc0R26z2A5u9JwlBj37NAxWU6qV4y8uZzHFMUr559ydkm1SMlhqjENF0cAeJkPMycNkL0vxMPSERgSBp1tfE_Hxw7l20CJKNcnks7qpB9ghuhX-j6s32W0E8uGWLiq2d-BnTx46yD1t29x1iJ4nOEMnQu8zk6FC2uRx7g5t_Af-PjPCY8ie4/s1919/P1330547.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1919" data-original-width="1919" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXc0R26z2A5u9JwlBj37NAxWU6qV4y8uZzHFMUr559ydkm1SMlhqjENF0cAeJkPMycNkL0vxMPSERgSBp1tfE_Hxw7l20CJKNcnks7qpB9ghuhX-j6s32W0E8uGWLiq2d-BnTx46yD1t29x1iJ4nOEMnQu8zk6FC2uRx7g5t_Af-PjPCY8ie4/w226-h226/P1330547.JPG" width="226" /></a></div>Festival time has arrived already in <span>the Southwest, with </span><a href="https://bathfestivals.org.uk/the-bath-festival/">Bath Festival</a><span style="text-align: justify;"> </span><span>offering a splendid programme across the range of classic and popular arts, though there's too much also happening in Frome for me to do more than dip in. My chosen dip was <a href="https://twitter.com/brian_bilston">Brian Bilston</a>, dubbed 'the poet laureate of twitter', who for many people has redefined poetry for the electronic age in the way the Liverpool poets did for the 'generation gap' era of the 1960s. He must be used to online followers but seemed slightly surprised by the size of his live audience in the Assembly Rooms - the stewards certainly were, and made a hurried room-swap to assign us enough seating. Brian has a friendly unassuming manner, with little anecdotes about each of his poems - he shares 20 of them - 8 more than Carol Ann Duffy, he confides (and Simon Armitage doesn't do any, just stands on a dais drinking sparkling water while the audience applauds.) In between such pleasantries, and a diatribe about the Daily Mail, Brian reads from his collections, with a focus on his latest <i>Alexa, what is there to know about love? </i>The hour's talk goes very quickly.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhjQ5kxwtraff5QwYSYaL10ZCI0NAfiwKjhj0ixVBLtTpJnuYdj9ve7XEa9flHLfMN9QbSQKUeiPTRfB_D3YOvwODI-ucrVyTUyLfvCF11ntsturBERANzjifPc4lGvZUX2i_90FOlgk_I0RYyOeaVvAndE00bry_0jgRo7r0MVNulrHsDlcrg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="3276" height="154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhjQ5kxwtraff5QwYSYaL10ZCI0NAfiwKjhj0ixVBLtTpJnuYdj9ve7XEa9flHLfMN9QbSQKUeiPTRfB_D3YOvwODI-ucrVyTUyLfvCF11ntsturBERANzjifPc4lGvZUX2i_90FOlgk_I0RYyOeaVvAndE00bry_0jgRo7r0MVNulrHsDlcrg=w195-h154" width="195" /></a></div>My last glimpse of Brian was behind two tables of his books with a massive line of customers snaking across the big Georgian room with its dazzling chandeliers, all the way down the stairs, each queuing to buy a signed copy of a book by the bloke who wrote a comprehensive character assassination of <a href="https://www.thepoke.co.uk/2021/07/19/brian-bilston-boris-johnson-takedown-rudyard-kiplings-if/">Boris Johnson (click here)</a>. Sometimes Bath can be surprising.<br /><br /></span></div><i><div><i><br /></i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhHc9GQANc_H_QSEUo6Z9CworARbfKXcpYFoRRRCect0y8cD6IdNtZ2ZZlbaqhnScjEZCmejnEWOYMBntL6QijbBzjIN5pJue0mQg8LTmzraOekVBShv-DebS1NyxjqTFgz12ffoghdsjJEU6fkaao-kFGqMplV59WcJfKYWx7-yg-L7uGLj7c" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="671" data-original-width="1437" height="142" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhHc9GQANc_H_QSEUo6Z9CworARbfKXcpYFoRRRCect0y8cD6IdNtZ2ZZlbaqhnScjEZCmejnEWOYMBntL6QijbBzjIN5pJue0mQg8LTmzraOekVBShv-DebS1NyxjqTFgz12ffoghdsjJEU6fkaao-kFGqMplV59WcJfKYWx7-yg-L7uGLj7c=w304-h142" width="304" /></a></div></i><i>The Predicament of Jackson Scott </i>is the new drama from <b>Black Hound Productions</b>, on stage at Frome's <b>Merlin Theatre</b> on Saturday night. Black comedy doesn't get much more Stygian than this - a warning of <i>strangulation, blood, physical struggle, murder, scenes of a sexual nature, and grief</i> is handed to audience members at the door - but it's outrageously funny and unflaggingly intriguing. On a set that's half nightclub, half nightmare, with a bed that doubles as a grave, Jackson (Yves Scott) is squeezing Ted (Luke Ashley Tame) to death as the play opens. Ted doesn't take this lying down, and neither later does his sister Bernice - outstandingly well played by Mia Macleod - so the hapless haunted murderer has double the number of persistent visions than even Macbeth, not to mention the attentions of the strange Counsellor (Alex Wallacot). Written by Josh McGrillen and directed by Lex Kaby with set design by creative producer Patrick Withey, this original and entertaining drama is on its way to Edinburgh where, given its energetic physicality and slick staging, it should be very well received. Great to see something so different on stage.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjthYGNusa_KR3ZPd3jLeILMtgW8DV1uJS8dLlSdg3Ru_Y8t_7cinH5o-9esvptA3gJdqFoohfie4MFFDFfdWFTiSutcSfhDapZc7BKS3gy_FTmNgnq6Z49y2jj2W7b8wG9iJO1SDXxDfoZjs_qc5Dxhkj6fdYvl1cik7o24b0ZMWsArqqWOpA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1785" data-original-width="2771" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjthYGNusa_KR3ZPd3jLeILMtgW8DV1uJS8dLlSdg3Ru_Y8t_7cinH5o-9esvptA3gJdqFoohfie4MFFDFfdWFTiSutcSfhDapZc7BKS3gy_FTmNgnq6Z49y2jj2W7b8wG9iJO1SDXxDfoZjs_qc5Dxhkj6fdYvl1cik7o24b0ZMWsArqqWOpA" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Musical performance now: The Gugg - <a href="https://guggletonfarmarts.com/">Guggleton Farm Arts</a> to give this wonderful place its full name- is a bit of a shlepp from Frome, being just over the Dorset border, but it's rightly on the radar of bands looking for a popular open-mic venue. It's worth arriving early, as the Gallery always displays fascinating original art, and the main-street based little town of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stalbridge">Stalbridge</a> is delightful: unfortunately it's also a main route across the south-west, but framed around with fields & woods, & with an excellent independent Co-op. This week's Open Mic night featured a series of excellent performers, including local favourite 'Twitch', aka Darryl Rushby (pictured), whose set included <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnQ8N1KacJc">Time of Your Life</a> from Green Day and Nizlopi's <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQDnFTtr2UQ">JCB song</a>. Bar and pizzas completed the party atmosphere. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEifJWIWei_iCDPZUyrNP0FRBaQbSRGQc268GFHvGkzYp_3YrYcD5ZXDuIJRRuOgzQNr1AnvhGTz4qXRAncx9ciKCYGqYCT4V4nu3_kADFTUbiNmpY026wRk3ucXXsQ2Mue8K9LLAblNrVCl0Y_5Q2-x3oUQz1Ajb6APXf0YDsPBYRcYj-Qolkc" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2098" data-original-width="3062" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEifJWIWei_iCDPZUyrNP0FRBaQbSRGQc268GFHvGkzYp_3YrYcD5ZXDuIJRRuOgzQNr1AnvhGTz4qXRAncx9ciKCYGqYCT4V4nu3_kADFTUbiNmpY026wRk3ucXXsQ2Mue8K9LLAblNrVCl0Y_5Q2-x3oUQz1Ajb6APXf0YDsPBYRcYj-Qolkc" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiFcGYDlvXD2zn2vAFuGSdiKx-SD1viWbYN6uq_1Xz2ujc4PT1iKw7GIcqhskN49U6WSrfklufgbNK-onPzVNso_yjsQ0VXQKqIUnuNTN7IDt0s0Od50HQn5qvaqW5ytR1G5xVOzGP2U1633zJt6Nf2nA1btHGICkjQBw-R0M5m6tPJpQER51Q" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2370" data-original-width="2278" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiFcGYDlvXD2zn2vAFuGSdiKx-SD1viWbYN6uq_1Xz2ujc4PT1iKw7GIcqhskN49U6WSrfklufgbNK-onPzVNso_yjsQ0VXQKqIUnuNTN7IDt0s0Od50HQn5qvaqW5ytR1G5xVOzGP2U1633zJt6Nf2nA1btHGICkjQBw-R0M5m6tPJpQER51Q=w175-h182" width="175" /></a></div><br />Here in Frome, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/barlottefrome/">Bar Lotte</a> has become the go-to spot here on a Wednesday, with its excellent regular live music sessions. It was the turn of <a href="https://www.ballamy.com/">Iain Ballamy</a>'s jazz trio this week - here's <a href="https://www.davesmithdrums.live/">Dave Smith</a> who gave us a breathtaking drum solo in <i>Dancing Cheek to Cheek.</i></div><div><p></p><p>And finally: good news for Frome's many nature-lovers: large stretches of <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/145496879398545/permalink/145511036063796">Whatcombe Fields</a>, the 34-acre community-shared meadows on the western side of town, have been left deliberately and carefully unmown for walkers to enjoy the buttercups... so now fields of gold join the hedges of whit<span>e <span style="background-color: white;">florescence</span> all around the town.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiHta9sTJjEP75lfHClwBMat9IUsReA5icfsyTJZbsUMpEaRBpkQyHpn4mYGIQRzB_hBA60vc6amH7NKJtdF-2I9xt0H1RIiW0OtT-5VFnaXTxCEEb9ba6Pa_kIHJUbQ7Vq8UMlJ0ecqdad8X1DHtVQef8WUa-9339y48lggtKtZ_WrRmsuTzg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="3888" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiHta9sTJjEP75lfHClwBMat9IUsReA5icfsyTJZbsUMpEaRBpkQyHpn4mYGIQRzB_hBA60vc6amH7NKJtdF-2I9xt0H1RIiW0OtT-5VFnaXTxCEEb9ba6Pa_kIHJUbQ7Vq8UMlJ0ecqdad8X1DHtVQef8WUa-9339y48lggtKtZ_WrRmsuTzg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p></div>Cryssehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15733554167534664275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33880814.post-24005293569274562252022-05-09T08:23:00.003+01:002022-07-21T07:50:14.852+01:00A summery mix: art, music, fungus, & my new book!<p></p><div class="separator" dir="rtl" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv8lFxC8Y1F0GFi6uf1V4pjh7WBn05gEguCMwibS9ZAbm-sa9ahWeVMBo-KFviRM2u5OKU9qqWzDIKa9eIbYNI7DLc50fi4JOlN33ZHemm4BTppizV8nWZvTBIqEanxs8W5BbU_BwcnzncHiWYob3Q_nCSLJ9GGcC16n68FfMRLyX-ar6OuJQ/s2997/*1P1320922%202.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2583" data-original-width="2997" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv8lFxC8Y1F0GFi6uf1V4pjh7WBn05gEguCMwibS9ZAbm-sa9ahWeVMBo-KFviRM2u5OKU9qqWzDIKa9eIbYNI7DLc50fi4JOlN33ZHemm4BTppizV8nWZvTBIqEanxs8W5BbU_BwcnzncHiWYob3Q_nCSLJ9GGcC16n68FfMRLyX-ar6OuJQ/w261-h225/*1P1320922%202.JPG" width="261" /></a></div>Let's start with Frome's new photography gallery, part of a major focus on this art form this summer launched by Lockhart Murdoch on Friday evening in party style. Previously a charity shop, this is small but conveniently sited in the main precinct, by Boots and filled now with Lockhart's collection of amazing black-and-white photographs, many from the 1960s. <div>Frome is also looking forward to a <a href="https://photofrome.org/?fbclid=IwAR3QuTSH69827J-Pv_vaCs6OU2-mSQ68oG5NCNUNJmiM69eHysIdMZC7Wv0">Festival of Photography</a> this summer, starting on 21 June and overlapping with the general <a href="https://www.facebook.com/fromefestival/">Frome Festival</a> (July 1st-10th) - there's an insight into the wide range of photo-related events <a href="https://photofrome.org/whats-on/">here</a>.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjHAsyGSs3ycz9KaCyZxSlAzO7FMKbr2BRh0FPkEq0LNMKnf95Mmoe3twjspIFaZFgOKPSfitvBxJuh8jwWr_ZRynnApmNhdlceLaxmtwCzTM9CebipRHpp7B2xj1TKnx9JcUuz_1riUSF7OJoP6_zjTlNOhD_IM1afMKZzvYEt8kgtDZMPO_k" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="507" data-original-width="1668" height="162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjHAsyGSs3ycz9KaCyZxSlAzO7FMKbr2BRh0FPkEq0LNMKnf95Mmoe3twjspIFaZFgOKPSfitvBxJuh8jwWr_ZRynnApmNhdlceLaxmtwCzTM9CebipRHpp7B2xj1TKnx9JcUuz_1riUSF7OJoP6_zjTlNOhD_IM1afMKZzvYEt8kgtDZMPO_k=w534-h162" width="534" /></a></div> <br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">Still with visual arts: as Frome gears up for its annual arts festival, internationally renowned artist Corinna Sargood treated me to the tale of an earlier incarnation in 1996, when banners and coloured 'washing' transformed Paul Street into </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;">an Italian-style street festival. This hit national headlines </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;">by clashing with the BBC's filming schedule, with opinions divided on the 'Bloomers Battle' between the quirky festival and the <i>Harvest Moon </i>production team. The Beeb won the day with a donation to A.D.D but the </span></span><i style="color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;">Outdoor Laundry Installation </i><span style="color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;">was reinstalled once filming finished.</span><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgyESAKIehAIbb9aYUaGclNtfb8SYYdSU7W4-qk0iPXwOjlUn7iOce8AWyZqV1cFQJhmGYhinuQN4vNRBJaD61SJy0oo6d06aC9CC7NY7YXuGhiXhahWbO9YZ_ty_7k9-onJn61lN8D_WejUnaZu6YbXrnwg4Z76XTC80ANGqkhq-jVGhhCBr4" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2428" data-original-width="2207" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgyESAKIehAIbb9aYUaGclNtfb8SYYdSU7W4-qk0iPXwOjlUn7iOce8AWyZqV1cFQJhmGYhinuQN4vNRBJaD61SJy0oo6d06aC9CC7NY7YXuGhiXhahWbO9YZ_ty_7k9-onJn61lN8D_WejUnaZu6YbXrnwg4Z76XTC80ANGqkhq-jVGhhCBr4=w176-h195" width="176" /></a><img alt="" data-original-height="3584" data-original-width="2089" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjoTmsvB5ID16kGTpuDQgH8sulaqz43nXILM1SVsn6XOMS5XmV054k8fCaAzw8n9zVR16LCwXq8QAlJkVkVS2esaPJhzygyGlziQ_GuJ1KCvf80rAxDjABL9ErZbUCsJXZcG-vHKsgwll-ZOxzoXFQwm0PN-5C3sfSPkKl18EU0FuROZm8Sc1w=w113-h194" width="113" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj3Or2Jx9Or-xlBWSP4IpYB_E5Boair12TpZamPxpLrUG_FL9gazUvkNzBWJ_8B75ADr7B3-Gdio8YwzePG-MdhagEqTcnmMtQr7bk6uLx5PfMXDI2vO-oEwlpDX2gwbzLkI3Ivvgd5FIBxS5md_2SQL_DuBGogomShpCUDG_Zuq3uIPG5fdcU" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1130" data-original-width="1951" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj3Or2Jx9Or-xlBWSP4IpYB_E5Boair12TpZamPxpLrUG_FL9gazUvkNzBWJ_8B75ADr7B3-Gdio8YwzePG-MdhagEqTcnmMtQr7bk6uLx5PfMXDI2vO-oEwlpDX2gwbzLkI3Ivvgd5FIBxS5md_2SQL_DuBGogomShpCUDG_Zuq3uIPG5fdcU=w292-h169" width="292" /></a></div>And this week's extended art spot goes online too, with the latest of National Gallery's occasional talks: this month's is <span style="background-color: white;"><a href=" https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/picture-of-the-month/picture-of-the-month-may-2022?utm_source=wordfly&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=NG_2022May_Newsletter_NM&utm_content=version_A&promo=189196." style="color: #202124; font-style: italic;">Une Baignade, Asnières</a><i><span style="color: #202124;"> (</span>A swim at Asnières) </i></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span>painted in 1884 </span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span>by Georges Seurat, a favourite for me because of the suburban location - no false pastoral image but factory-land just north of Paris - and the two boys in the foreground, seemingly self-absorbed in private solitude. Disappointingly, this short <a href="https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/picture-of-the-month/picture-of-the-month-may-2022?utm_source=wordfly&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=NG_2022May_Newsletter_NM&utm_content=version_A&promo=189196">'<b>talk</b>'</a> in superimposed text argues the artist's theme was apathy and loneliness. But it's a fabulous painting, whatever you decide. </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span><br /></span></span></div></span><span style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgDqzGrj6ZjTBC4noe0tHb8nguMsvXhgGclHOM6O4lOeeIcJJcuCazPjVJH5DdoyKKUQCxUXZPVcLJGO9pYsH2Cesej05ahQ8AdBA6n6FoA8V0UFbBbWPMBn-RpBeURupw4Tb4xPhFDp_rxF1g7JIXWU_9mczM8MZ3PxvrnuqIJZnnE981hdkU" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="954" data-original-width="1845" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgDqzGrj6ZjTBC4noe0tHb8nguMsvXhgGclHOM6O4lOeeIcJJcuCazPjVJH5DdoyKKUQCxUXZPVcLJGO9pYsH2Cesej05ahQ8AdBA6n6FoA8V0UFbBbWPMBn-RpBeURupw4Tb4xPhFDp_rxF1g7JIXWU_9mczM8MZ3PxvrnuqIJZnnE981hdkU=w347-h179" width="347" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div>Music! Saturday night was a big night for big sounds: first a trip to Bristol with Rosie Eliot to see the <a href="https://postmodernjukebox.com/">Postmodern Jukebox</a> in a live show at the O2 - a great chance to posh up! - and then a dash back to Frome to catch the final half hour of UNIT4's brilliant band act at 23 Bath Street. Poor picture quality, at each venue, is partly my phone's fault and partly because of dancing...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj7lARYDK6CdEZJQX56AUm6ozRsTSn3twCoqTKKkraQ6on0SZqWjsbAQSwGCv6nakyrCVfy8snsbfQzfHZ8cn6HB16aQz31UNK82hxyYvVRQHmLjCxrtEAVtAux9xZVeT8hVt6Revo-UipJUG_LhKlVFikgo1EaDfOToA60qAxDQdHIXbVi7Ek" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1266" data-original-width="1922" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj7lARYDK6CdEZJQX56AUm6ozRsTSn3twCoqTKKkraQ6on0SZqWjsbAQSwGCv6nakyrCVfy8snsbfQzfHZ8cn6HB16aQz31UNK82hxyYvVRQHmLjCxrtEAVtAux9xZVeT8hVt6Revo-UipJUG_LhKlVFikgo1EaDfOToA60qAxDQdHIXbVi7Ek=w302-h199" width="302" /></a></div></div></div></span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgLZsY4Iw5cQ_JxOzSPMsBk0owybXtPzlRY4UwMvQd5GiCD5vEvz2iD1GaTlg_T1Iik54DmIGoCCo6fIbrno6pw9B9tRJsdTWy0uWWXjnulLkjXF99vmHHxKYrIA0zs1xbs_p7layv7KypDyBDBIho4BihK0tUpYcmsejn7tExRxm-VLsgp_fM" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2253" data-original-width="2007" height="155" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgLZsY4Iw5cQ_JxOzSPMsBk0owybXtPzlRY4UwMvQd5GiCD5vEvz2iD1GaTlg_T1Iik54DmIGoCCo6fIbrno6pw9B9tRJsdTWy0uWWXjnulLkjXF99vmHHxKYrIA0zs1xbs_p7layv7KypDyBDBIho4BihK0tUpYcmsejn7tExRxm-VLsgp_fM=w138-h155" width="138" /></a></div>Also this week, several rural walks around Frome to enjoy the emerging green on the trees and the abundance of white below as dense clouds of cow parsley join the wild garlic and bluebells rampant around our woods and verges. While you're imagining all that, and the birdsong, and the fabulous lipstick pinks of the blossoming trees, here too is a fascinating fungus found on Nunney footpath which was identified by keen-eyed Kieron Bacon as a firerug inkcap.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiHxdTTTttQWTq3jcThbnWse2jwNZQFoVMrcGuW4hqVAeKNALSuvQy4TN3XOFKoTi-TMReq2QVZT_tjDBgCAh04_fjVrPu-ZPkn_UI-8EZkanmVbHRdstSJWdcpGt7YJIQPr9X5BepNvduspIazLmL-qQjxjqjcKYgNsDLNtHpc46iBRoetKQI" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3330" data-original-width="2183" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiHxdTTTttQWTq3jcThbnWse2jwNZQFoVMrcGuW4hqVAeKNALSuvQy4TN3XOFKoTi-TMReq2QVZT_tjDBgCAh04_fjVrPu-ZPkn_UI-8EZkanmVbHRdstSJWdcpGt7YJIQPr9X5BepNvduspIazLmL-qQjxjqjcKYgNsDLNtHpc46iBRoetKQI=w181-h277" width="181" /></a></div>And to end the week on a high note for me, here's the sneak preview of my new novel <i><b>Blow-ins,</b></i> about to be published by Hobnob Press - cover design by David Moss who was also responsible fo<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i style="font-weight: bold;">r </i><span style="background-color: white; color: #5f6368; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Déjà</span><i style="font-weight: bold;"> Lu. </i>This is a tale of not-quite everyday not-quite country folk: it's meant to be funny and maybe thought-provoking, and I'm immensely proud that two bestselling writer friends have given it the thumbs up: 'wonderful...and original', said Katie Fforde and 'funny, sharp, and moving - a vivid and intriguing read... ' said Francis Liardet. This is the proof copy: when it's been corrected you'll be hearing more... </span></div><div><p></p></div></div>Cryssehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15733554167534664275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33880814.post-72365000748476871612022-05-02T11:14:00.009+01:002022-08-30T11:34:18.348+01:00May Day fun, frolics & failure...<p></p>So.. an odd thing happened just as I was about to post this update: the entire entry disappeared. So instead of an a thoughtful and possibly insightful review of last week, here - one day late - is a slightly frantic summary: <div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJVbuhz4FqQHlarXS-093uucp9TLTmnFAW9haIDF0BC-udcpD9Mpoor_Q4hRR4fnKmXw5FX6zvCMXN657dwRfNveFwDEVESMGEQTpJv6yncV4h9zRD5QMYdY-9p0rViuXgvF25GdP-pX_Ww9fdy-bHRfWyStf2KXUAkTNjziNrkiroE_GegyM/s2633/P1320571%202.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1631" data-original-width="2633" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJVbuhz4FqQHlarXS-093uucp9TLTmnFAW9haIDF0BC-udcpD9Mpoor_Q4hRR4fnKmXw5FX6zvCMXN657dwRfNveFwDEVESMGEQTpJv6yncV4h9zRD5QMYdY-9p0rViuXgvF25GdP-pX_Ww9fdy-bHRfWyStf2KXUAkTNjziNrkiroE_GegyM/w379-h235/P1320571%202.JPG" width="379" /></a></div>Music first, as Saturday night was the hotly-anticipated <a href="https://www.cheeseandgrain.com/events/ukraine-humanitarian-appeal-event/">Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal event</a> at the <i>Cheese & Grain</i>: five superb acts performing to a full & friendly audience, with opening and links from DJ Patmandu. Here's <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BackwoodRedeemers/">The Back Wood Redeemers</a> who followed <a href="https://www.musicglue.com/henry-wacey/">Henry Wacey</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Fromeband/">Back of the Bus</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/mightyoneuk/">Mighty One,</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TheRaggedyMen/">The Raggedy Men</a> - all brilliant. A fantastic night of dancing with friends and listening to fabulous music from these great Frome performers.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuPoMvGPjuNBI-682h1t7qzSn1o9ymIypU4QbSYWejw1aN4w99BQVQCZ8PVTGR00RXANWBzt16Td3pMbzFAuZ6l1LHvX5IVIrMr2KgBAoMJQN81RX-vzB8-3kGDRwX8X1ME2GrgChDURvzbhbYLsxApCaNwgT4d8CwKLcvIfKUqcHS93_jhsA/s3485/P1320666.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2213" data-original-width="3485" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuPoMvGPjuNBI-682h1t7qzSn1o9ymIypU4QbSYWejw1aN4w99BQVQCZ8PVTGR00RXANWBzt16Td3pMbzFAuZ6l1LHvX5IVIrMr2KgBAoMJQN81RX-vzB8-3kGDRwX8X1ME2GrgChDURvzbhbYLsxApCaNwgT4d8CwKLcvIfKUqcHS93_jhsA/w369-h234/P1320666.JPG" width="369" /></a></div>Sunday was Independent Market day, followed by an afternoon session at Bar Lotte from the truly brilliant <a href="https://www.facebook.com/roscoshakes/">Rosco Shakes</a>, with daylight giving a slightly better opportunity to catch a snap of this fabulous funk-blues band. From a laconic version o<i>f Ain't nobody's business but my own</i>, to a rocking <i>Kansas city here I come</i>, the Rosco team delivers superbly in its own inimitable style, with Tim literally dancing as he speed-plays the keyboard. </div><div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAf3QN0cASehKPRmR7sUvi6uRVg7iTnx7niRs20j8Ql0p4dZ_-aODcwpRYd0Hs7kx_QaNHjWWh6ojHB1_fxHW9Qj6Q_k32KW3GAtUxxpG-wDU0mEycLvG1_VGHq6zY47GLMHn-yb3gpMvq5UHNZGFB-91spp0fKF97qjujo_HB5RC-2fNdj8Y/s3372/P1320148.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3372" data-original-width="2226" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAf3QN0cASehKPRmR7sUvi6uRVg7iTnx7niRs20j8Ql0p4dZ_-aODcwpRYd0Hs7kx_QaNHjWWh6ojHB1_fxHW9Qj6Q_k32KW3GAtUxxpG-wDU0mEycLvG1_VGHq6zY47GLMHn-yb3gpMvq5UHNZGFB-91spp0fKF97qjujo_HB5RC-2fNdj8Y/w151-h229/P1320148.JPG" width="151" /></a></div><br />This was a great week for arts: Mark Brooke's provocative and unusual images of Melissa Stanton-Matthews were on show at the Station Gallery, where on Thursday Melissa also read some of the poems from their shared collection of art and words <i><a href="http://www.frometimes.co.uk/2022/04/26/frome-poet-and-models-book-with-photographer-triggers-an-exhibition/">Meet Me Inside</a> - </i>a candid sharing of feelings about 'being human' in a world that values beauty above other attributes. Melissa's intimate personal poems chime with the series of portraits Mark created to show the real woman beyond the perfect model, but Melissa is actually very beautiful.<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS6k8GYaYP9v5oEzWgPRDHSZxIqIoW4w1tx2Y-eIVzDJnjEC3Hq81T9c6l9WgVw5z7fiJiCfyQD29k3pwVsZBn7HPuxxEvtUnRIwmj2hLaxRjW92rBmziFUdR_kHknXRyhR4a8aeEzldWfyyElCyjpm8fLyeERnkH4Fw6Pq_L8CmldkgmM4lY/s3756/P1320245.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2280" data-original-width="3756" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS6k8GYaYP9v5oEzWgPRDHSZxIqIoW4w1tx2Y-eIVzDJnjEC3Hq81T9c6l9WgVw5z7fiJiCfyQD29k3pwVsZBn7HPuxxEvtUnRIwmj2hLaxRjW92rBmziFUdR_kHknXRyhR4a8aeEzldWfyyElCyjpm8fLyeERnkH4Fw6Pq_L8CmldkgmM4lY/w276-h168/P1320245.JPG" width="276" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">Friday saw a plethora of exciting art show openings: <b>Black Swan</b> has some amazing work from Simon Hitchens, whose <a href="https://www.simonhitchens.com/latest-news/beyond-body/">Beyond Body</a> exhibition explores the connection between our experiences and those of inanimate matter like rock, to ask questions about our concept of experience: "<span style="background-color: white; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">what makes a being sentient? Is a mountain or stone a being?" <a href="https://www.simonhitchens.com/">Simon</a> is fascinated, he explains<span style="font-family: inherit;">, by 'the </span></span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">difference between the human and the non-human – what passes and what outlasts.”<br /></span></span><div><div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /><br /></div>Showing until 26 May and well worth a visit.<br /><div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXeKkfdHZxa0fkIABJveavd9bGDtRsEhJmFyEVVG2CudMtkQrx-d_Oc9ETdZBb3-mm54FeZi-7p32qh0YW_oIFMrPKPEbEbcl4CN2nj4P_IZoba-GkEAMS4ff-EDzelfhan11q_m2WaUeExpk67uKBB7Y2WQDINZooxYKT3dhKKW7U9UVKcOU/s773/Manning-Julia-The-Decline-Of-Eels-No1-YELLOW-EELS.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="773" data-original-width="500" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXeKkfdHZxa0fkIABJveavd9bGDtRsEhJmFyEVVG2CudMtkQrx-d_Oc9ETdZBb3-mm54FeZi-7p32qh0YW_oIFMrPKPEbEbcl4CN2nj4P_IZoba-GkEAMS4ff-EDzelfhan11q_m2WaUeExpk67uKBB7Y2WQDINZooxYKT3dhKKW7U9UVKcOU/w175-h272/Manning-Julia-The-Decline-Of-Eels-No1-YELLOW-EELS.jpg" width="175" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>Over at the </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/thewhittoxgallery/">Whittox Gallery</a> on the same night, another thought-provoking exhibition opened. <b>Endangered </b>tells an important story about <span style="font-family: inherit;">the life cycle of eels in </span>Britain where sadly they are now close to extinction. <a href="http://juliamanning.co.uk/?page_id=804">Julia Manning</a>'s beautiful wood and linocut prints chronicle their amazing journeys from birth in Somerset rivers to finally reaching the Sargasso Sea, and she has been working in schools to raise awareness and hopefully halt their decline. This fascinating and informative exhibition, which also includes some wildlife sketches by Nik Pollard, is showing until 25 June.<p></p><br /></div><div>Finally in this splendid arty triumvirate of Friday night openings: the <b>Art Fair</b> at the Silk Mill & Bennett Centre was open throughout the weekend - a delightful throng of art and craft of every description. The quality of work by these local makers is fantastic, and their ingenuity is amazing too: Paul Juillerat's felted banners incorporating personal treasures, and esoteric art created from scrap by Matthew Sowter to name just two of the intriguing practices on display along with the paintings and high-quality craft work.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1js7us69Vz6-A5L6cidHpNytqE-Ca52Bqts4kKknRTDYEzNS0trYU4lTF2s4OgCHBjgtHkIuBQ9sSlvIJcYeqMCvjxYjlu3vaVD81sV2qzaecbLECB5qFYgPi8UDu45CyQOV9VDuhRBj5WqRmAXQBgpkMIClxPURaH_6L4V4wcpfqJtLmRHw/s3369/P1320265.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2157" data-original-width="3369" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1js7us69Vz6-A5L6cidHpNytqE-Ca52Bqts4kKknRTDYEzNS0trYU4lTF2s4OgCHBjgtHkIuBQ9sSlvIJcYeqMCvjxYjlu3vaVD81sV2qzaecbLECB5qFYgPi8UDu45CyQOV9VDuhRBj5WqRmAXQBgpkMIClxPURaH_6L4V4wcpfqJtLmRHw/w289-h185/P1320265.JPG" width="289" /></a></div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVplf7qNTzIBjzKMHR6Ms1Gl-wD389JZrE4-5-xXe8BmVcHEK_qoXDYONYXxZjrrGlIHoAg6aspfCSrk943DndWeLxoHr09zaAsuk50NUol1yjLUGN3qZdRGa7IDtL23VCTV1RuMeruN7R6dcjcdLktM8LVVwYMLND9rkMbgh9MqhHjy_XgX4/s3592/P1320202.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3592" data-original-width="2569" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVplf7qNTzIBjzKMHR6Ms1Gl-wD389JZrE4-5-xXe8BmVcHEK_qoXDYONYXxZjrrGlIHoAg6aspfCSrk943DndWeLxoHr09zaAsuk50NUol1yjLUGN3qZdRGa7IDtL23VCTV1RuMeruN7R6dcjcdLktM8LVVwYMLND9rkMbgh9MqhHjy_XgX4/w139-h194/P1320202.JPG" width="139" /></a></div>So Friday night in Frome was buzzing with arty vibes but unfortunately I'd booked to see Mark Thomas at the <b>Rondo</b> in Bath and missed all these openings, although did manage a full catch-up around the venues in Frome next day. Mark's lockdown shows had been funny and full-on political so I was hoping for some satisfying satire on the current state of the nation, but disappointingly his focus was on other issues, like having a row with the front rows and giving a detailed description of his annoying aged mother's toenails, so I left at the interval to enjoy a stroll back through the city and a wait for the bus at <a href="https://www.beatone.co.uk/bath">Be At One</a>, where barmen wear ear plugs but the vibe is always friendly. Here's <a href="https://statues.vanderkrogt.net/object.php?webpage=ST&record=gbsw075">Bladud</a> in the Parade Gardens, from my afternoon stroll round the city.</div><div><br /></div><div>And finally - I think, though I may have missed something as it was a busy week - the continuing benefit of lockdown for me has been Zoom, a portal to art talks and theatre performance when live visits were banned and this week a connection to two interesting meetings hosted by <a href="https://www.bathspa.ac.uk/our-people/penny-hay/">Penny Hay</a> at Bath Spa School of Education, who talked with Liv Torc about the amazing work with the Hot Poets.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjYUIc9LaATV2L4hsin_7lcsJscGmguQMmD3jDsi58j5em-lFk0j7AwD68us-bjnSZLy5smrY1O_WlBl6fUdwe4b_IwB3FPjFerM1EghyBYiEEepurC5DipcpS4XRrIHffAnfVGd73Q_8CY7OOUzgG6RPE9RjimNgmGNWkp68OvjFT58YBWVRc" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1462" data-original-width="1612" height="136" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjYUIc9LaATV2L4hsin_7lcsJscGmguQMmD3jDsi58j5em-lFk0j7AwD68us-bjnSZLy5smrY1O_WlBl6fUdwe4b_IwB3FPjFerM1EghyBYiEEepurC5DipcpS4XRrIHffAnfVGd73Q_8CY7OOUzgG6RPE9RjimNgmGNWkp68OvjFT58YBWVRc=w150-h136" width="150" /></a></div> Liv is passionate about poetry and about the urgency of need for awareness of our climate crisis: the <a href="https://www.livtorc.co.uk/hot-poets/">Hot Poets</a> project she's spearheading made such an impact at COP26 that the team have been invited to join the UN at COP27. Liv talked fluently, and often funnily, about the contribution that poetry can make to essential awareness of issues, and about her own writing process: 'I look on it like sculpting a piece of clay - you have to work on it while its wet', she says. <br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjfVvT20QG0qz8unPbOobOAWtjzXYRBJc9x_xwJWIT-oMMgo_EuFmAz4gvwwiTJxufK83Fu3VN5x1_2AUBprD8IIxS5xRLlmpqPlK53I1H-NUfMVP-cBUNF4RF3xe5sAzOoy_l0va3tNjA5V7Rs5ZqFAjKpGbRPceeYOLq0Fch1EJfuhHjpMPk" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1526" data-original-width="2136" height="141" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjfVvT20QG0qz8unPbOobOAWtjzXYRBJc9x_xwJWIT-oMMgo_EuFmAz4gvwwiTJxufK83Fu3VN5x1_2AUBprD8IIxS5xRLlmpqPlK53I1H-NUfMVP-cBUNF4RF3xe5sAzOoy_l0va3tNjA5V7Rs5ZqFAjKpGbRPceeYOLq0Fch1EJfuhHjpMPk=w197-h141" width="197" /></a></div>Later that day Penny Hay also zoom-interviewed <a href="https://vimeo.com/mikeyplease">Mikey Please</a>, recent recipient of a Bafta for his Aardman-developed animated film <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Khyk6VEvJ18">Robin Robin</a>, Mikey talked entertainingly about his own animations and the process with Aardman - surprisingly, it's so complicated that no retakes are possible meaning everything you see is the first take - and gave credit to all the team who worked on the project, including musicians Ben & Beth Please aka <a href="https://www.thebookshopband.co.uk/home">The Bookshop Band</a>, and, especially pleasing for me, my writer/film-maker son <a href="https://zerply.com/SamMorrison">Sam</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi71Id5NvCNPmTHMNCMz4IfRsgmk1B_JyfdRVXRRjgUcw2Xa4Y3H-BthTt4O0xe3NJxSHfGpWmXYkArNTTlCREtjaHETiaxqcun3PA5t4ZgxxNZfghmdbeVIv1a_PXp2Pf8EfOhYduKpRaJxmlbUYOtgcVxYhNNq0ulaLe4_n_ZsEZly6BimIo" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1060" data-original-width="1292" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi71Id5NvCNPmTHMNCMz4IfRsgmk1B_JyfdRVXRRjgUcw2Xa4Y3H-BthTt4O0xe3NJxSHfGpWmXYkArNTTlCREtjaHETiaxqcun3PA5t4ZgxxNZfghmdbeVIv1a_PXp2Pf8EfOhYduKpRaJxmlbUYOtgcVxYhNNq0ulaLe4_n_ZsEZly6BimIo=w180-h148" width="180" /></a></div>So there you are, that was the week that got wiped by my system, or at least the shreds remaining in my memory - with a final footnote which is also the reason there's no report here on the May Independent Market, as my morning was shared with 400 others forming a human chain around the Saxondale site currently under threat of cynical development. There's an alternative plan on offer which would benefit us all far more (you can <a href="https://maydaysaxonvale.co.uk/our-vision-for-saxonvale/">view it here</a>) and the <a href="https://maydaysaxonvale.co.uk/hug/">Big Mayday Hug</a> around the site will hopefully have shown how much support this one has, and the level of concern in Frome about the future of this area in the heart of the town.<br /><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></span></div></div></div>Cryssehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15733554167534664275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33880814.post-62816610414928443992022-04-24T20:12:00.003+01:002022-04-24T21:25:58.075+01:00Dramatic dysfunctions & other distractions<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><span style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiW2z9C4Q2blKCopF4Z16VJ2NJEj-Bz3K0m1HJ0MBiLJrOeME9zK0DjGUmSTVjvEwdQNnQpajoO0woaQANrUOWYtNNW0yfVRZO-IzVdqut2blllnvU0uTSAwRj3rZv_avil4RZyiAsCfGaPfUhMBIvBDFQbhSHmI1FtOAx8mKlrNiCY9MlxuDs" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="744" data-original-width="1240" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiW2z9C4Q2blKCopF4Z16VJ2NJEj-Bz3K0m1HJ0MBiLJrOeME9zK0DjGUmSTVjvEwdQNnQpajoO0woaQANrUOWYtNNW0yfVRZO-IzVdqut2blllnvU0uTSAwRj3rZv_avil4RZyiAsCfGaPfUhMBIvBDFQbhSHmI1FtOAx8mKlrNiCY9MlxuDs=w296-h178" width="296" /></a></div>The main feature, culturally, this week is<i> The Fever Syndrome</i> at <b>Hampstead Theatre,</b> the tale of a family gathered to celebrate their father's lifetime award for scientific success. <i>Time Out </i>gave only 2 stars to this 'overwrought<span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a;"> and underwhelming drama'<span style="font-family: inherit;"> by </span></span></span><span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1e1c;">Alexis Zegerman</span> </span>but I'd already booked for a matinee as a talisman of hope back in those dire cold days in February, and bought my Berry Bus ticket too, so to London it was. A sunny walk through Regent's Park and a strong performance by Robert Lindsay as the patriarch both rewarded me, but the review did have a point: the actors were excellent but all seven characters are in personal crisis so there's little variety in emotional tone. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgsOIJsUmHdibWZ_8oD546AQLWBjHX79PWTgFCGGR4bpW00ZSZT9zhiCDQrFLzPEApFDv8SRL3otVl9uuoEfxqP8h3YGvLmHgLbDqMOGUaxi-FHcyoD6tyWjOAMQDBNT11NxsyZsqNgqMQ0aFlfNvcVTXnSerUi_V4FHqEeHic657HR1PZEm_I" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1077" data-original-width="1296" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgsOIJsUmHdibWZ_8oD546AQLWBjHX79PWTgFCGGR4bpW00ZSZT9zhiCDQrFLzPEApFDv8SRL3otVl9uuoEfxqP8h3YGvLmHgLbDqMOGUaxi-FHcyoD6tyWjOAMQDBNT11NxsyZsqNgqMQ0aFlfNvcVTXnSerUi_V4FHqEeHic657HR1PZEm_I=w249-h207" width="249" /></a></div>Some directorial decisions made by Roxana Silbert seemed added specifically to vary this unrelenting solidity by adding odd behaviours under stress, but the main attraction remained Lizzie Clachan's inspired set design: the entire house sliced through the middle to reveal everyone's activity at all times.<i></i></div><div style="text-align: left;">But the story is long, overly intellectual, and unrelentingly sad. And there's a child ghost, a further distraction to confirm that you can't throw everything in the larder into a bowl and expect it to make a good pudding. Here's the set viewed from my seat, and below is a moment from my walk through the park & up Primrose Hill, from Baker Street to Swiss Cottage - the best enjoyment of the day.</div></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj1IV_mJyO8zZ4qvFNirKaqYLIWKbyZZ30VvIr7v-TCJd6zxKrntHw-T9iK0xaywcBuUBzz2MZh7PAzqDq_Mapv-dIqwSZO3iIExOGAUq9IvQStI_2Lsqjjv1Uz6czm6Dm0-q3leVI8JVgIdc9N_9692NCSi_sBnwCCbO3QSYms5Tcna3rkxfQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2369" data-original-width="3513" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj1IV_mJyO8zZ4qvFNirKaqYLIWKbyZZ30VvIr7v-TCJd6zxKrntHw-T9iK0xaywcBuUBzz2MZh7PAzqDq_Mapv-dIqwSZO3iIExOGAUq9IvQStI_2Lsqjjv1Uz6czm6Dm0-q3leVI8JVgIdc9N_9692NCSi_sBnwCCbO3QSYms5Tcna3rkxfQ" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">To Shakespeare now, so steady yourself for another rocky ride:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO_1XGSIhJY9dNY0p8JKrsivNLfWUK9oj2KVOv7kFID4PbZ7FcQiINU5E8vAgL1nZcoPuqUfql0CltRSXftqS_kIp2I6gNhBjDdmo24_ngrA_6cij-OyHL2Y1itqfN48rYbjo5OZnjliA1HptB66QFeYn8C7KwxMsZmICGG4CGvzYmh2a0qiI/s1000/image4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO_1XGSIhJY9dNY0p8JKrsivNLfWUK9oj2KVOv7kFID4PbZ7FcQiINU5E8vAgL1nZcoPuqUfql0CltRSXftqS_kIp2I6gNhBjDdmo24_ngrA_6cij-OyHL2Y1itqfN48rYbjo5OZnjliA1HptB66QFeYn8C7KwxMsZmICGG4CGvzYmh2a0qiI/s320/image4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>If you decide to update Shakespeare's <b><a href="https://henryv.ntlive.com/synopsis/">Henry V,</a></b> as Donmar Warehouse has, it's probably a good idea, at this point in time, to find some new angle on the brazenly patriotic theme of English courage in invading other lands. This <b>National Theatre Live</b> production directed by Max Webster was streamed to participating venues - including Merlin Theatre - on Thursday and a small audience watched Kit Harrington take the role of the king, showing him as monotonously brutal from his puking party days to his aggressive invasion of France as soon as he was crowned.<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgkkeDV-nSHzIsTB6G495twwDkEOPwqX8IAIdvlY5Ann1NEpYbkG9ERjxQuhqfq7E7iXV5VpjFde2lPl_n_Epqf3lvR_vRW2DRT24NwxpnPSu-fpafS7QMWn7iWXJOlJWcyLf-EG2A3mqFPEIQL460v5FNleUWkKqRKrjBi1slAz2i2NIJNluU" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="620" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgkkeDV-nSHzIsTB6G495twwDkEOPwqX8IAIdvlY5Ann1NEpYbkG9ERjxQuhqfq7E7iXV5VpjFde2lPl_n_Epqf3lvR_vRW2DRT24NwxpnPSu-fpafS7QMWn7iWXJOlJWcyLf-EG2A3mqFPEIQL460v5FNleUWkKqRKrjBi1slAz2i2NIJNluU=w281-h163" width="281" /></a></div>It may have been awesome for the live audience in London, inches away from full-on action with flashing lights and impressive props as well as intense emotion and manic energy, but it was exhausting to watch on screen. Long sequences of subtitles were required for scenes in which the script had been translated into French, presumably for historical verisimilitude although, with a multi-national mixed-gender cast, that aspect inevitably remained evasive. I don't know the bard's view of Henry as a king but in this production he's a deeply unpleasant character: a war-monger and a bully, with a compulsion to dominate everyone around. It was a very long 3<span face="arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #202124; font-size: 14px;">½</span> hours.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjHYL9bo8mQEjptWU8MtQOJdjL5sDx0j-QD4pQc_oKPfZJwgXFjl01eTwD-S-os614z-95yp_LJ-meNRjubSFpt_55qm3Kyq80_pT7TJuN-Le0of9fasc78AMBkaAe9v5E8p8KqX7a9c0-Fdwdd4aoqCcMwoQCd3LB8kRZaIH4ZMzO3csArG14" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2027" data-original-width="1373" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjHYL9bo8mQEjptWU8MtQOJdjL5sDx0j-QD4pQc_oKPfZJwgXFjl01eTwD-S-os614z-95yp_LJ-meNRjubSFpt_55qm3Kyq80_pT7TJuN-Le0of9fasc78AMBkaAe9v5E8p8KqX7a9c0-Fdwdd4aoqCcMwoQCd3LB8kRZaIH4ZMzO3csArG14=w192-h283" width="192" /></a></div>Art now, made in Frome & small but perfect. Dan Morley, renowned for his superb paintings of tiny items like feathers and keys, has taken his observation of detail in a different way. Jonathan Meades in <i>Museum without Walls </i>wrote of 'the glory of decay, decrepitude's pattern-making, entropy's sublimity' in our inconspicuous hinterlands, and Dan's new exhibition at the WHY Gallery, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/danielmorleyfineart/?fbclid=IwAR0-Bjnx-rV6P8YpPanYpTfBj-6-phvSLaZ-uuMOMqXTUgdYKTk3XKYy1vk"><i><b>Unseen</b></i></a>, explores this concept in a fascinating way with a list of the locations of the small gems photographed & then meticulously painted. This irresistible exhibition runs till 4th June - strongly recommended: you may look at these 'unseen landscapes' (as Robert Macfarlane in<i> Landmarks </i>calls them) in a different way in future, and perhaps record some yourself: here's an exquisite detail of graffiti near the river painted by Dan. Inspired by these tiny images, Eleanor Talbot & I photographed some urban 'edgelands' in Apple Alley and then went, via <i>HydeAway </i>secret cocktail bar, to <i>Home.in.Frome</i> for a superb Spanish tapas board & fizz.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj1hsEbcBizlrBsW7kGyljzu8beA3cn1NGZ2HEJBvx56tAE414pNUZ--Xbb_Be0ot_PeEZh6ndH4sLs39_t6sDhQIRt4MCEnA-YN34SfVoOS0ugs_hM4g9jILryoChH7alJKCDHMysDpg6A2ioHvhMUqP8g9dhqBgOnnEwJ5dGxToTLRMAka1I" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj1hsEbcBizlrBsW7kGyljzu8beA3cn1NGZ2HEJBvx56tAE414pNUZ--Xbb_Be0ot_PeEZh6ndH4sLs39_t6sDhQIRt4MCEnA-YN34SfVoOS0ugs_hM4g9jILryoChH7alJKCDHMysDpg6A2ioHvhMUqP8g9dhqBgOnnEwJ5dGxToTLRMAka1I" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjR1NadKeohX5TC0K7JBQovzeYtFALrRHHcvzuEwc27imm25p8oW2TQJHFOqTBYCh46b8GGqIfRZSMFTPSGGYpMz0fA7-bDZYSg452t1oOqnp8lV0HWGZTqNDz4C7kUmbWybG5JjFjAO6_nBdWjSRDmr_NxjLAJ_U2TW_Bh5Vmvnu-nJqcOTzE" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2516" data-original-width="2516" height="137" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjR1NadKeohX5TC0K7JBQovzeYtFALrRHHcvzuEwc27imm25p8oW2TQJHFOqTBYCh46b8GGqIfRZSMFTPSGGYpMz0fA7-bDZYSg452t1oOqnp8lV0HWGZTqNDz4C7kUmbWybG5JjFjAO6_nBdWjSRDmr_NxjLAJ_U2TW_Bh5Vmvnu-nJqcOTzE=w137-h137" width="137" /></a><img alt="" data-original-height="1175" data-original-width="1756" height="134" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj1hsEbcBizlrBsW7kGyljzu8beA3cn1NGZ2HEJBvx56tAE414pNUZ--Xbb_Be0ot_PeEZh6ndH4sLs39_t6sDhQIRt4MCEnA-YN34SfVoOS0ugs_hM4g9jILryoChH7alJKCDHMysDpg6A2ioHvhMUqP8g9dhqBgOnnEwJ5dGxToTLRMAka1I=w200-h134" width="200" /></div></div><div><br /></div><div>And on to music: <b>Bar Lotte</b>, always offering excellent sound on a Wednesday night, this week gave us <i>The Country Boys </i>who luckily turned out to be more Postmodern Jukebox than Worzels, with funky jazz numbers and sensational skills on guitar & vocals (Joseph Trudgeon), bass & harmonica (Bill Frampton) and keyboard (Dan Somers). They're not a regular line-up, but let's hope they visit again.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhtDyxiQv9HfsWjVuC2Oln9orcGVdmPBzMCYEOzmUWTyF6AGtiTguABfD43vE8LvLbbmrZGLbCwoy36vH6FKE7rgaW-yIxexvYrIBjTQA5VuNrl3pbYHCpe6cjk2uecYFlOW55kuTUcuxwEBrjRCnCbafR_SpeHT7cD_k6PP_cyyQ5Ym5xIXsE" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2270" data-original-width="3709" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhtDyxiQv9HfsWjVuC2Oln9orcGVdmPBzMCYEOzmUWTyF6AGtiTguABfD43vE8LvLbbmrZGLbCwoy36vH6FKE7rgaW-yIxexvYrIBjTQA5VuNrl3pbYHCpe6cjk2uecYFlOW55kuTUcuxwEBrjRCnCbafR_SpeHT7cD_k6PP_cyyQ5Ym5xIXsE" width="320" /></a></div></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #202124;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhmPHaGV62RNMBEOpUU8Z0xNlGHDbs1Wuyw-OhYDiS-499m906b9S4P1GPPePAtbEJYVdoE6JNeOyRM6-nR1nd3bupzHSRdS841qAqpVcM2KKFhG7Wu7l4FM0MFddgTn5SYgson3iTEQBE2SzwymmY8jyELqJ6nBS2e3scNuOaRLqld8TKvg_U" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1763" data-original-width="2465" height="151" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhmPHaGV62RNMBEOpUU8Z0xNlGHDbs1Wuyw-OhYDiS-499m906b9S4P1GPPePAtbEJYVdoE6JNeOyRM6-nR1nd3bupzHSRdS841qAqpVcM2KKFhG7Wu7l4FM0MFddgTn5SYgson3iTEQBE2SzwymmY8jyELqJ6nBS2e3scNuOaRLqld8TKvg_U=w211-h151" width="211" /></a></div></div></div></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Ending with a blast of nature: the Easter blossoming from the Judas tree in Frome's Victoria Park, allegedly so named because that disciple hanged himself in penitence from one of this species. A gentler theory suggests the name derives from <span><span style="background-color: white; color: #202124;"><i>Arbre de Judée,</i> as these trees are abundant in Judea. Yet another name </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">is</span> the
Love Tree. It doesn't have the fairytale-ballgown-style coverage of many other flowering trees in Frome, or the majesty of splendid veterans, but it's a favourite of mine because the pinky-red blossom bursts from the bark without waiting for foliage. </span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And when the wild garlic blooms, it's time to head for the woods... this one is by Berkley, just beyond the town, every yard of it thick with wood anemones and the dense blue haze of bluebells... thanks David Goodman for being my guide to this paradise.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhMad-FvlJ1PCuwRtIn2XxIZE0IPVqRu2vWNa5lE-aTfUVgeNshXGWmXq-xKiHYMX8QV4TUQXZ8rL5UxjKTGsU-D2Zu4ytty6YB90Etpt79MbfRU7hwAyZBxJXHZPQgSrr7KFYpFhcAxkxBL9da9eLBGAnSIWUg8YiKXXovIb4RBnry-gnS7OI" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="3888" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhMad-FvlJ1PCuwRtIn2XxIZE0IPVqRu2vWNa5lE-aTfUVgeNshXGWmXq-xKiHYMX8QV4TUQXZ8rL5UxjKTGsU-D2Zu4ytty6YB90Etpt79MbfRU7hwAyZBxJXHZPQgSrr7KFYpFhcAxkxBL9da9eLBGAnSIWUg8YiKXXovIb4RBnry-gnS7OI" width="320" /></a></div><br /></span></span><p></p><p><br /></p></div>Cryssehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15733554167534664275noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33880814.post-18972273582429711982022-04-17T21:44:00.007+01:002022-04-17T23:45:54.520+01:00Music, art, & sunshine plus a dash of technotrauma<div class="separator"><div class="separator" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEglYPYfzG3w2sGbB7VlJ72PaXbs8BzOQV2pqwalfwD_H7UXXp5dGvq7SRdGsKjYqaH9FKnXhjCqgtM5XsBGu58szbTtdg_dqygU1rrn91onRO0Wh9Ps6SZMGyQ4jOwsFse0dJvw-RyJUZ7fMxmNP7uxiRp31XdoxwxOJbsOfFk7AgWXj3c_aW4" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2349" data-original-width="2845" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEglYPYfzG3w2sGbB7VlJ72PaXbs8BzOQV2pqwalfwD_H7UXXp5dGvq7SRdGsKjYqaH9FKnXhjCqgtM5XsBGu58szbTtdg_dqygU1rrn91onRO0Wh9Ps6SZMGyQ4jOwsFse0dJvw-RyJUZ7fMxmNP7uxiRp31XdoxwxOJbsOfFk7AgWXj3c_aW4=w307-h254" width="307" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So this week we're on a new MacBook, which is at present wary & wilful but hopefully will calm soon. Or perhaps that's me. Anyway, here goes with the update - music first: Frome loves its punk: no need ever to ask <i>Whatever happened to the heroes, all the <a href="https://www.theshakespearos.co.uk/">Shakespearos</a> - </i>they're here, in the throbbing heartbeat of the town's music life, and specifically so on Thursday at <b>Frome Cricket Club </b>where band night turned into a massive dance party. Here's Du Kane (vocals) Steve Smith (bass) Nick Horton (drums) and Dave Maskrey on lead guitar, after a staunch opening set from Carl Sutterby, rocking the room with <i>Teenage Kicks, Sex 'n Drugs 'n Rock 'n Roll</i>, and other unforgettable classics.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEipA8MeDSId4zgYnvNTAyei2iyB-bDzDBlsxOqc2iwLkHyuj6cpBZ1FACDeL3mbAl4rabOhbz9D_MklFEPb7G3Obc75uvpyH3dPvh0pTopYcAO5X4Q0B5_Ose7bMldqtUCEDZeJHS_y4WOqZVVfXo1yj7W8rgr8DIsFeI6qW_XdgR1M5KNDz4I" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="3888" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEipA8MeDSId4zgYnvNTAyei2iyB-bDzDBlsxOqc2iwLkHyuj6cpBZ1FACDeL3mbAl4rabOhbz9D_MklFEPb7G3Obc75uvpyH3dPvh0pTopYcAO5X4Q0B5_Ose7bMldqtUCEDZeJHS_y4WOqZVVfXo1yj7W8rgr8DIsFeI6qW_XdgR1M5KNDz4I=w271-h181" width="271" /></a></div><br />On Wednesday evening <i>Bar Lotte </i>enjoyed <a href="https://www.ballamy.com/">Iain Ballamy</a>'s brilliant band line-up, with Henrik Jenson on double bass, Jem Stacey on drums and Denny Illett on guitar, with classic numbers ranging from the romance of <i>The Street Where You Live</i> to a funky version of <i>Take Five</i>. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: normal; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEge8HM3mKi7Z4ubDQQvD2DZxIrzqoYlF2-0Hb-k9LmecyuDMG60aRVo-j3ajmR9rH2qJxpAj4Tk3pMSvu6XE-z-2wWfvDHErN-Mfz8SBzhHTNLyQNw0GMj3NQLcoTty99BbmojaBhnF10fBouDb3hv2s8hwd-i2hEeqsxCh8EXKGPw-g8C_lcg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1917" data-original-width="2607" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEge8HM3mKi7Z4ubDQQvD2DZxIrzqoYlF2-0Hb-k9LmecyuDMG60aRVo-j3ajmR9rH2qJxpAj4Tk3pMSvu6XE-z-2wWfvDHErN-Mfz8SBzhHTNLyQNw0GMj3NQLcoTty99BbmojaBhnF10fBouDb3hv2s8hwd-i2hEeqsxCh8EXKGPw-g8C_lcg=w282-h207" width="282" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">And zigzagging from punk via jazz to rock, on Saturday night <a href="https://www.facebook.com/OfficialBrakeLightBandPage/" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Brakelight </a>filled <b>The Sun</b> with their capering and classic anthems: Meatloaf, Stones, Queen, Beatles, Bowie... and more, all delivered hi-energy style to the enthusiastic audience in the bar.</div></span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg1DgalIYXXdwrMnj0xB8BIBl11FjqrFEkzKNfyLk1FbxuA46gyaWkfJFljhFY6SjAmX6PSFLKdzZa-U2uYQTicqcPmLeCQIxjVNbavT0Z78fEhq0oZ0O_yAf3V2LWFeFWgZJIpJE0_sA46ThmhMVmNSDnM-T_7yCQ3ngrVLOzRn8-nOQtKdac" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1055" data-original-width="801" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg1DgalIYXXdwrMnj0xB8BIBl11FjqrFEkzKNfyLk1FbxuA46gyaWkfJFljhFY6SjAmX6PSFLKdzZa-U2uYQTicqcPmLeCQIxjVNbavT0Z78fEhq0oZ0O_yAf3V2LWFeFWgZJIpJE0_sA46ThmhMVmNSDnM-T_7yCQ3ngrVLOzRn8-nOQtKdac=w183-h241" width="183" /></a></div>Art openings featured this week, as Black Swan Arts is offering two impressive exhibitions at the moment: the Round Tower is featuring <b><a href="https://artistsforukraine.squarespace.com">Artists for the Ukraine</a>,</b> a small but impressive collection of work donated by the makers to raise funds to send in support for Ukraine's refugees via our twin tow<span style="font-family: inherit;">n <span style="background-color: white; color: #202124;">Rabka-Zdój</span> </span>in Poland. Some, like this painting 'Sunflowers of Hope' by Annemarie Blake, have been created especially for this project - you can see all the art <b><a href="https://artistsforukraine.squarespace.com">here</a></b>. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi6S6dXWh3JR7zN9L4kiSGuNwWBt3vXlYvIpVTcDLY5czrueGHcxS06VExtbqw7CPUprjCoK82w3NUIWsIhXN2lhOUcgwhQjAwLBZhkLS7nNTLNg5FQegp9wWn0bTMQlgTcYD9CkXc96H9jRI4M70839T0PA_e1o6xqeLuPuVr3FtrzI3RFTWE" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1934" data-original-width="1605" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi6S6dXWh3JR7zN9L4kiSGuNwWBt3vXlYvIpVTcDLY5czrueGHcxS06VExtbqw7CPUprjCoK82w3NUIWsIhXN2lhOUcgwhQjAwLBZhkLS7nNTLNg5FQegp9wWn0bTMQlgTcYD9CkXc96H9jRI4M70839T0PA_e1o6xqeLuPuVr3FtrzI3RFTWE=w212-h256" width="212" /></a></div>In the Long Gallery, another impressive diversity of artwork is on view at the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/fromeartsociety/">Frome Art Society Spring Exhibition.</a> This egalitarian group is fully supportive to artists of all abilities, and all submissions for the annual show are accepted, which makes the standard of work on show all the more impressive. Here's Stuart Weightman, standing below his portrait of 'Lee', which won second prize in the Vera Skinner awards and wouldn't have looked out of place on TV's <i>Portrait Artist of the Year</i>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgszIcAzC99v-v10wVLr1hhpN6JHcpKTYfDBHCJ1RDdh3mA7-ZWN7n_rgTOl5VUOTTGCE9PLi8LJCDRvfH5WseX0VUBKqm0vqkCFDogyGXhY385ggqFQyTpNkDLkcxLt_I-ztLZAVqYxdGG_Fe89_tO04pXgbgEKJS8H0UxLQUJ692FcwsIET4" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="3584" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgszIcAzC99v-v10wVLr1hhpN6JHcpKTYfDBHCJ1RDdh3mA7-ZWN7n_rgTOl5VUOTTGCE9PLi8LJCDRvfH5WseX0VUBKqm0vqkCFDogyGXhY385ggqFQyTpNkDLkcxLt_I-ztLZAVqYxdGG_Fe89_tO04pXgbgEKJS8H0UxLQUJ692FcwsIET4=w261-h189" width="261" /></a></div>Big excitement in the town centre of Friday night, as new proprietors Francis and Keren Hayden (of <i>Nunney Acoustic Cafe</i> fame) celebrated their arrival at <i><b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/homefrome/">Home </a></b></i>- a re-christening of the establishment previously known as <i>Fat Radish. </i>The theme here will be 'grazing' while chatting, rather than set courses, and Keren's focus is on fresh ingredients and desserts. There will also be regular performance events! The launch party was great fun, with much chat, free-flowing fizz, and sound-supremo Will Angeloro. Here's me & Keren with <a href="https://www.instagram.com/rupprawlins/">Tracey Rupp Rawlins</a>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEglzfcu3wClURVRkrCiiAwu7FA9eWtbBjbc9M7GrQTv5etwlaGZZP_QN0WQBDbp-R3gZxYVRRWV53qSSObGHaXrM_6SkXddFbWf65GIxDnUShFIVp7DxXNYjEInTOTXtVhLTJT5yI0_oSXDQjHy-3YERhJih7N9UDSCgJx_4LFXg7EAcj6Fg40" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="451" data-original-width="600" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEglzfcu3wClURVRkrCiiAwu7FA9eWtbBjbc9M7GrQTv5etwlaGZZP_QN0WQBDbp-R3gZxYVRRWV53qSSObGHaXrM_6SkXddFbWf65GIxDnUShFIVp7DxXNYjEInTOTXtVhLTJT5yI0_oSXDQjHy-3YERhJih7N9UDSCgJx_4LFXg7EAcj6Fg40=w275-h207" width="275" /></a></div><br />Sunshine continued into the weekend for the market - also a 'Makers Market' in the main hall, for local craftsfolk of all kinds, offering edibles, wearables, cuddleables, and more: among the many intriguing artefacts, <a href="https://www.littlespoonjewellery.co.uk/about">Little Spoons Ethical Jewellery</a> was especially intriguing, as Lizzie buys antique silver spoons and remakes them into rings, retaining some of the patterning. Also beautiful & intriguing, <a href="https://farnhammaltings.com/profile/ginger-pink-yarns">Ginger Pink Yarns</a> are created with dyes from foraged plants and plant-based food waste - onion skins, if you were wondering, create a luscious toffee-gold colour.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgUtidlrtCkcPRWjFTZ_8ToZGfAzZhOWDnrbwy-vyANXvEd-Qz3gK-rzznvECyAr0VO_VqR_3bfMTVyIh1ay6qD-gHyesdSJz56atLrHNnvJm42A_HGq3frarphHAJFcEXFdgjNleOEB2xiWxO383mJWhS9A3p2Rp9zOYVncrTw2LUcbIFPAJk" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1693" data-original-width="3111" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgUtidlrtCkcPRWjFTZ_8ToZGfAzZhOWDnrbwy-vyANXvEd-Qz3gK-rzznvECyAr0VO_VqR_3bfMTVyIh1ay6qD-gHyesdSJz56atLrHNnvJm42A_HGq3frarphHAJFcEXFdgjNleOEB2xiWxO383mJWhS9A3p2Rp9zOYVncrTw2LUcbIFPAJk" width="320" /></a></div>Meanwhile outside in the market yard, traders & buyers enjoyed the hottest day of the year so far, and the return of popular busker Mark Abis. And La Strada's icecreams are back...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg6PZkuf5hj-2gWAI_RWSTdCzRfzV5qiLElH03EJQZ6U31yE-T_Y24SKXc1kRTlMq-AQn9oyMrHsLS8kehNzq5oCH2dZKVrFnBUSHW46Id3InPv9gzH39Esb5dCBDXoW1ewPRYSl88qfV2_qyLyL44bPpzm-uwzjOhsMxAcoJWxBIqZEYCxnUY" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1842" data-original-width="3482" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg6PZkuf5hj-2gWAI_RWSTdCzRfzV5qiLElH03EJQZ6U31yE-T_Y24SKXc1kRTlMq-AQn9oyMrHsLS8kehNzq5oCH2dZKVrFnBUSHW46Id3InPv9gzH39Esb5dCBDXoW1ewPRYSl88qfV2_qyLyL44bPpzm-uwzjOhsMxAcoJWxBIqZEYCxnUY" width="320" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><br /></div>Concluding this week with a view of early evening across the lakes my way home from a walk to Marston Church: it's a lovely route, with flower-rimmed lanes and long views across the fields to Cley Hill - very precious now, as this land is all under threat of dubious development - and, after seeing Jacob Rees-Mogg's gushing tweet <span style="font-size: x-small; font-style: italic;"><span face="TwitterChirp, -apple-system, "system-ui", "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #0f1419; white-space: pre-wrap;">Christ is risen, </span><span face="TwitterChirp, -apple-system, "system-ui", "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #0f1419; white-space: pre-wrap;">He is risen indeed, Alleluia, Alleluia,</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1419; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i> </i><span style="font-family: inherit;">my </span></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">thinking was that there might be some kind of celebration in churches today. At Marston. I found a few sheep </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">nibbling grass bin the graveyard but the door was locked. A great walk, though.</span></div><div class="separator" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjcvRU4DOzb1EtNWSitm-SpmAQZiaZ5XCuDbVigfe57EdCppv6kmo8osgV9z_htJBOXQlWL2aovkY0hr9rksa7VF00aFjd9Ffn0U3W2Yo1EDXObTzF31kYP7VScYwYL9T643tROsWwda0NW0_TxiJed4xrsnkBSwXD3mC1A4Fpwp32UReAUIM0" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="3888" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjcvRU4DOzb1EtNWSitm-SpmAQZiaZ5XCuDbVigfe57EdCppv6kmo8osgV9z_htJBOXQlWL2aovkY0hr9rksa7VF00aFjd9Ffn0U3W2Yo1EDXObTzF31kYP7VScYwYL9T643tROsWwda0NW0_TxiJed4xrsnkBSwXD3mC1A4Fpwp32UReAUIM0=w365-h243" width="365" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><br /></span></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div><p></p></div></div>Cryssehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15733554167534664275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33880814.post-49232641272898095862022-04-10T19:05:00.006+01:002022-04-15T12:08:36.716+01:00A double dose of drama, and some Hot Words<p></p><div><br /></div><div><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieaaxfdgr21yKOgHtUuj_olzco_dfuPVlpyESA3-irpQ_mJPEMXIIo-xWtAGVGNSloMFywP6DIC2meq7YNFCo8omZHjhaISlK3roEgiNzO_8G8JBoF2bWoVAsTgfxtbcLgFU_nu6JPEbEu9fYyhwW33lvJ7h7fImqq_QmbnDSMhydHCeQrN-k/s2400/fagsTHE%20HOMECOMING%20Ian%20Bartholomew%20(Sam),%20Keith%20Allen%20(Max)%20&%20Mathew%20Horne%20(Lenny)%20%C2%A9%20Manuel%20Harlan.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="2400" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieaaxfdgr21yKOgHtUuj_olzco_dfuPVlpyESA3-irpQ_mJPEMXIIo-xWtAGVGNSloMFywP6DIC2meq7YNFCo8omZHjhaISlK3roEgiNzO_8G8JBoF2bWoVAsTgfxtbcLgFU_nu6JPEbEu9fYyhwW33lvJ7h7fImqq_QmbnDSMhydHCeQrN-k/w297-h198/fagsTHE%20HOMECOMING%20Ian%20Bartholomew%20(Sam),%20Keith%20Allen%20(Max)%20&%20Mathew%20Horne%20(Lenny)%20%C2%A9%20Manuel%20Harlan.jpg" width="297" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Never boring for a split second” was Noel Coward’s view of Harold Pinter’s dramas: that's certainly true for <b>Theatre Royal Bath</b>’s new production of <i>The Homecoming, </i>arguably<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>the most Pinteresque of all this playwright's plays. Complex family relationships are revealed by conversational interaction which, whether brutal or benign, always seems banal. On a superb set (designer Liz Ashcroft)<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>conveying in its spaciness the isolation of each inhabitant, director Jamie Glover ensures that every utterance contributes to the sense of non-connection and personal fantasy. The whole saga is brutal, physically and emotionally, yet the stylised unreality of speech with Pinter's iconic pauses and nonsequiturs ensure that it’s more intriguing than scary.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">All the men are steeped in their own delusions, never fully interacting, their speeches full of self-important fantasies. When these are challenged they crumple, several times literally. They don’t listen to each other, except to scoff. In reality these men are weak and seedy, and when Ruth arrives, the prism tilts.</span><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">In a society more than ever concerned with gender roles, it’s interesting to surmise what Ruth’s effortless dominance signifies. Her husband’s passivity is as bizarre as her behaviour, and the unseen children are another insoluble: it’s almost as if Pinter didn't want his puzzling play to be ‘solved’ at all...</span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzBv4a7eG3EsVD3S1_sLtEg7ivMYrGNhU3KYqxMPie8I4qIrt747ixL05jfVGwr-ts6o-LtdOkHH6G2WFX59yT2HvsXTYmc6MyQfvzCzgiIpS5nAsVHPU_PHUR49GbN46sKSENsYqWoRxwmxnOREgl57VMmsqInY-2by-rtBN6fWDlwPBTaRQ/s2400/useTHE%20HOMECOMING%20Shanaya%20Rafaat%20(Ruth),%20Mathew%20Horne%20(Lenny)%20&%20Keith%20Allen%20(Max)%20%C2%A9%20Manuel%20Harlan.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="2400" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzBv4a7eG3EsVD3S1_sLtEg7ivMYrGNhU3KYqxMPie8I4qIrt747ixL05jfVGwr-ts6o-LtdOkHH6G2WFX59yT2HvsXTYmc6MyQfvzCzgiIpS5nAsVHPU_PHUR49GbN46sKSENsYqWoRxwmxnOREgl57VMmsqInY-2by-rtBN6fWDlwPBTaRQ/w291-h219/useTHE%20HOMECOMING%20Shanaya%20Rafaat%20(Ruth),%20Mathew%20Horne%20(Lenny)%20&%20Keith%20Allen%20(Max)%20%C2%A9%20Manuel%20Harlan.jpg" width="291" /></a></div>There are big names here: Mathew Horne - a million miles now from Stacey’s patient adoring Gavin - is impressive as Lenny, one of the strange sons of Max, who is well played by Keith Allen (Trainspotting), and the rest of the cast all have strings of credits. Shanaya Rafaat takes the role of Ruth, the wife who accepts her husband’s family’s offer to adopt her as a whore with the unforgettable farewell to her husband ‘Don’t become a stranger’; Ian Bartholomew is moving as Sam, the more-nearly-normal brother of Max; Geoffrey Lumb is touching as the quiet boxer and Sam Alexander plays Teddy, the homecoming brother.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> The best thing I've seen on that stage for a long while. <span style="font-size: xx-small;">Images: Alan Henning</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="font-size: x-small;"><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-converted-space"><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiWO4_NZSOuPx4X8AK55NFJ54O-VGsxB7rqwTe-CDsSNtJQiBfs4D6tp3c2yz_j7pP7z8dlSpC84Wi8YIV41zQjFntvoP24XbOcDTyEMnuCQbyETL_s-UAVxsUB-aiHiPrgMhLPY5W3bIuMbMFMNA4dhJpPOsNVdy14BBSIHt1DNyiXV9ZjFsE" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="341" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiWO4_NZSOuPx4X8AK55NFJ54O-VGsxB7rqwTe-CDsSNtJQiBfs4D6tp3c2yz_j7pP7z8dlSpC84Wi8YIV41zQjFntvoP24XbOcDTyEMnuCQbyETL_s-UAVxsUB-aiHiPrgMhLPY5W3bIuMbMFMNA4dhJpPOsNVdy14BBSIHt1DNyiXV9ZjFsE" width="160" /></a></div>W</span>e move, theatrically speaking, now from the social attitudes of England in the 20th Century to those prevailing in 1782, when 133 men and women were thrown off the Zong slave ship as unwanted 'cargo' to preserve their drinking water. The radio version of <i>The Meaning of Zong</i>, produced by <b>Bristol Old Vic, </b>was broadcast on Radio 3 last year (reviewed in this blog March 28) and was both shocking and moving , but this full-stage 2-act version brought spectacular imagery and sound to the tragedy. Giles Terera, who took the role of the agitator for justice Olaudah Equiano (an actual 18th Century campaigner who was himself a stolen for slavery as a child) has been working with director Tom Morris for six years to bring this story to the stage. During that time Bristol became a hub for Black Lives Matter protests, culminating in the toppling of the Colston statue to join the bones of the many black slaves drowned there for their insurance money. As a case study of an era when black men and women were simply cargo, and their<br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhYWPjLOXqAaIKqfxF1jh8lHy_P1tyWTFZy-K0eSsCpo6pYO8G1XeZnzaHYKHAzWPHy8L8wrryWsymnz8nKuULujjwwSZkI_2Uww3kQo3NW_oxmFQ3x4FkPkDV4n4ISNjCruhCyaaEKDNzSSHTpbqvQ7N9RQayfzVlZsj2BYKylnuQALkN6PrU" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="341" data-original-width="512" height="140" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhYWPjLOXqAaIKqfxF1jh8lHy_P1tyWTFZy-K0eSsCpo6pYO8G1XeZnzaHYKHAzWPHy8L8wrryWsymnz8nKuULujjwwSZkI_2Uww3kQo3NW_oxmFQ3x4FkPkDV4n4ISNjCruhCyaaEKDNzSSHTpbqvQ7N9RQayfzVlZsj2BYKylnuQALkN6PrU=w210-h140" width="210" /></a></div><span class="Apple-converted-space">killers were prosecuted not for murder but for an insurance scam, this is fascinating, but it's superb as theatrical performance too, shifting from spectacular displays of djembe drumming (Sediki Dembelo, music designer & performer) to dreamlike sequences under the sea, then shifting to eloquent arguments as the legal case is gathering momentum. Paul Higgins is brilliant as Granville Sharp, nearly worn out by his lonely role of opposition to the slave trade, but sharp enough to see the case through. Jean Chan's stage & costume design enhanced every mood, with wooden planks a powerful link between the scenes whether as ship decks or menacing threats. <span style="font-size: xx-small;">Images </span></span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">@curtisrichardphotography.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span>Readers with particular interest in the theatre bits of this blog will find more on <i>Plays International</i> website </span><a href="https://playsinternational.org.uk/sorry-youre-not-a-winner-bristol-old-vic/">here</a><span>, and </span><a href="https://playsinternational.org.uk/the-homecoming-theatre-royal-bath/">here</a><span> 😊 </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-converted-space"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgvrejSAMwmWo5zEKXzFpnYE3g685scdCARIBMktNaJNp26Lp4O024fHN7Im8URnkxU4uhuEFtvJoN-3Y2kMloYuuYrLLTtAVenPQYNxG2j03GocM9JQrj_mVfU--zuwpfe3OBTXAyomVtcVdDjDwN0X-FH_KSlzmR7b86bUvrsniZqM8NZc54" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="742" data-original-width="1081" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgvrejSAMwmWo5zEKXzFpnYE3g685scdCARIBMktNaJNp26Lp4O024fHN7Im8URnkxU4uhuEFtvJoN-3Y2kMloYuuYrLLTtAVenPQYNxG2j03GocM9JQrj_mVfU--zuwpfe3OBTXAyomVtcVdDjDwN0X-FH_KSlzmR7b86bUvrsniZqM8NZc54=w280-h193" width="280" /></a></div>Moving on now to a group enterprise in environmental awareness: Poets have been concerned about the damage caused by mankind to the earth's environment since at least 1820, when John Clare published <a href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1057/9780312299514_4?noAccess=true"><i>Poems Descriptive of Rural Life and Nature</i></a> but since <b><a href="https://unfccc.int/conference/glasgow-climate-change-conference-october-november-2021">COP 26</a> </b>this concern has become - in the southwest at least - a coordinated effort to create positive change, through raised awareness and informed action. <a href="https://www.livtorc.co.uk/hot-poets/">Hot Poets</a> is the result of a collaboration between performance poets Liv Torc and Chris Redmond, supported by a raft of institutions and individuals, and last year they produced a collection of <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=hot+poets+book&rlz=1C5CHFA_enGB974GB974&sxsrf=APq-WBtIGF6VW21YTlZf07pbh1xl-RdAcA:1649262581322&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&vet=1&fir=YlXbLxMx3z50dM%252CCTIGfRvQbGN5_M%252C_%253BohgnIeXXZyUGyM%252CCTIGfRvQbGN5_M%252C_%253BWsFM40OXZe4xWM%252CLoJgnzMS11mrVM%252C_%253BPGbhbUpf9MZikM%252CqMBz5KHQ1pCtZM%252C_%253BmIfR4kQeqFWkLM%252Ck2sDrqLzqueZ0M%252C_%253BadFzYyh7IM8TBM%252CCTIGfRvQbGN5_M%252C_%253BDchGQ-WWjVIiTM%252CZwr5i5AJ8F__1M%252C_%253Bb7WLIcqt4rDNiM%252Cz_BFsOFxmo_wvM%252C_%253Bbw8gdmxouX-bbM%252Ccrfal0qg9CwXrM%252C_%253B4OU89nBHjnUjIM%252C9LWXlVjgDvA0MM%252C_&usg=AI4_-kTd0tZ5JLiY-R97GOXuzZkezHJ4bg&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiQ_LPy7f_2AhWDi1wKHVeVCwoQ9QF6BAgWEAE#imgrc=PGbhbUpf9MZikM"><i><b>12 Poems About Saving the World</b></i>.</a> Liv and Chris have now taken<b> Hot Poets</b> a stage further, with online workshops to create performance pieces about a chosen environmental project: this week they hosted two readings. At the session on Monday (thank you David Thompson for inviting me!) all of the sixteen poems presented were excellent: impressive in their research, compelling in their message, cleverly crafted, and moving in their delivery. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgzcb0Z8Sqo_ciQPb_19h9pXuBphKMZTz7wKi011pliCCT3GS_L4HBmKUCAFiGudGDcPxU0gwdkkCKw-bwp6bD_Dfhk33hvbK_i86vcNi_KRe5mUaQ_oELO-XymfGrEq1xaUkAI5EdBSlOX76nxwU1u_tu_H3uO7b9-74v8JwyBwobQdQlgKB0" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="718" data-original-width="1388" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgzcb0Z8Sqo_ciQPb_19h9pXuBphKMZTz7wKi011pliCCT3GS_L4HBmKUCAFiGudGDcPxU0gwdkkCKw-bwp6bD_Dfhk33hvbK_i86vcNi_KRe5mUaQ_oELO-XymfGrEq1xaUkAI5EdBSlOX76nxwU1u_tu_H3uO7b9-74v8JwyBwobQdQlgKB0=w320-h166" width="320" /></a></div>The diversity of chosen projects was fascinating, as was the diversity of approaches to crafting a poem: </div>Angela Higgs wrote from the future, 'remembering' the transformation of brown-fill sites to solar farms, while Tokoni mourned the sinking islands ('is it home when you can no longer stand on it?') and Jay Farley's marvellous combination of scientific research and clever word play actually managed to convince me that mushrooms can, or at least could, save the world... <div><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj_hCaumByGKWFwwNev47BMRJD10NBcCqnStP1ZKY7FADAre15hEOLSUdEXRTpWpMc8OYXW5_OfdrQ3I5gGGbXEY31jY1BBTZjwfVWswAavHu6k8KoUPJfGmce0qrLM7VVGM6MxWvDbsp-qsTEvtODsiT82xZ59oOPV9mB3aLfqlsMuzFJGK0U" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2270" data-original-width="3629" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj_hCaumByGKWFwwNev47BMRJD10NBcCqnStP1ZKY7FADAre15hEOLSUdEXRTpWpMc8OYXW5_OfdrQ3I5gGGbXEY31jY1BBTZjwfVWswAavHu6k8KoUPJfGmce0qrLM7VVGM6MxWvDbsp-qsTEvtODsiT82xZ59oOPV9mB3aLfqlsMuzFJGK0U=w312-h194" width="312" /></a></div>Music spot this week goes to the marvellous <a href="https://frome.nub.news/e/%F0%9F%8E%B6--live-music--the-sun-inn">Brue River Band</a>, who promised and delivered 'floor-filling funky blues' at the <b>Sun Inn </b>on Saturday - a friendly venue great for atmosphere but not for photos - and Sunday saw quite a lot of people at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/risefrome/">Rise </a>Community Centre in Whittox Lane chapel for a fabulous exhibition of wildlife recorded in <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/744405966156374/">Easthill</a></b>, the most ancient of all Frome's undeveloped sites. As well as a large number of screens filled with superb images and fascinating information, there were quizzes to inform and intrigue, cakes and plants for sale, and music to enhance the mood. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgJ6n0w2Pcca3xvSoQFlDRJesLtFUC1Aub-uqW7YDQYUrBHYwDXpoW-6qxvvUDFB2_CVOQRjdHCOVU1a8JGluIwutzJ_rXFstorizg7bC-Wt89n385F9QSD8An6WcvQjRA2fSqJjOot77j9_zfbp5iLNZm2ATfDeZw2rlXUPsEguEirazkTd4E" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2054" data-original-width="3738" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgJ6n0w2Pcca3xvSoQFlDRJesLtFUC1Aub-uqW7YDQYUrBHYwDXpoW-6qxvvUDFB2_CVOQRjdHCOVU1a8JGluIwutzJ_rXFstorizg7bC-Wt89n385F9QSD8An6WcvQjRA2fSqJjOot77j9_zfbp5iLNZm2ATfDeZw2rlXUPsEguEirazkTd4E" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjLCX2ajw5RT-ZhG8sKLcr-ZdZY0lsJFnFTC8LZt0vIJWq4Gswa9am5n6p4FLAxihoEr_airv4ze75bNftqOoxImYbIFAhBkOs-jNW1VYnaTnNc41Ym8JjbkRVxPumTLRL-h0BT1obNipuAGwIJ-XvNstnviFN8gxH4zQjJAcRasfXKW4g83Io" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2500" data-original-width="2960" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjLCX2ajw5RT-ZhG8sKLcr-ZdZY0lsJFnFTC8LZt0vIJWq4Gswa9am5n6p4FLAxihoEr_airv4ze75bNftqOoxImYbIFAhBkOs-jNW1VYnaTnNc41Ym8JjbkRVxPumTLRL-h0BT1obNipuAGwIJ-XvNstnviFN8gxH4zQjJAcRasfXKW4g83Io=w312-h264" width="312" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div><div>Signing off this week on a personal note: my devoted MacBook, constant companion for the last 7 years, had a heart attack on Thursday and has been dying by degrees. It's currently on a life support system - a new separate keyboard - but requires so many rests, and splutters for words so often, (eg this paragraph has taken 5 minutes) that I've had buy a replacement, on which, hopefully, normal service will eventually be resumed. Massive appreciation to David Goodman, without whose technical - and emotional - support, my MacCrisis would be still unresolved. Off now to the Proof Pudding book club, for review-sharing and cake.</div><div><p></p></div>Cryssehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15733554167534664275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33880814.post-22891191112664649102022-04-04T15:18:00.003+01:002022-04-05T10:29:09.431+01:00A dramatic week for personal passions <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZfbd5sO8ksT015iRwJn4dqWSPiNyXs4qiHjt7KsyoDHvqMA-8zVd-S0a0UbE-N8NqAX_fRuVFACYgkf65yoSvgryJeVidG7fO0Qbs_KavaIUozzRGDnHUNq9VB0cGC62qOnoCwugsaBxR6Noudzp0-ju-y4_guSocXe95UVAiJVSb5J5NaU4/s6499/ST107787.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4333" data-original-width="6499" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZfbd5sO8ksT015iRwJn4dqWSPiNyXs4qiHjt7KsyoDHvqMA-8zVd-S0a0UbE-N8NqAX_fRuVFACYgkf65yoSvgryJeVidG7fO0Qbs_KavaIUozzRGDnHUNq9VB0cGC62qOnoCwugsaBxR6Noudzp0-ju-y4_guSocXe95UVAiJVSb5J5NaU4/w261-h174/ST107787.jpg" width="261" /></a></div><i style="font-weight: bold;">Sorry, You're Not a Winner, </i>the new play by Samuel Bailey produced by Paines Plough & Theatre Royal Plymouth and currently ending its tour, arrived at <b>Bristol Old Vic</b> for only three nights so unless you live in Newcastle you won't be able to see it now, which is sad because it's absolutely brilliant. The title is an ironic comment on a social setting the writer knows well - but Liam has stepped up, he's got a place at Oxford, moving away from the drab neighbourhood that limits his options, and leaving his best friend Fletch who's too ready-to-be-rough to ever succeed. This 90 minute play is about friendship, lost yet enduring, and how hard it can be when you come from a place where success feels a bit like shame. It's also immensely rich in humour and insights that go beyond social cliches, tightly written, and superbly acted. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv4pYkKy7OKNgmLCHYZehgzVHLiSCPqhwGJIzaBugOkRguK1DkyBH3LEmqG1A7ABLSo9dUb0MjRW9vlMZQ-ZdsZj3vwkqvTZ43REnXD_mpNfLqocan4gAU8MjuB8h-jVZhUTdK2sDdaVngIxABHCJdXsb8S_wPldsP-ennu9ZuU66pckQW4NU/s6915/ST200001.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4649" data-original-width="6915" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv4pYkKy7OKNgmLCHYZehgzVHLiSCPqhwGJIzaBugOkRguK1DkyBH3LEmqG1A7ABLSo9dUb0MjRW9vlMZQ-ZdsZj3vwkqvTZ43REnXD_mpNfLqocan4gAU8MjuB8h-jVZhUTdK2sDdaVngIxABHCJdXsb8S_wPldsP-ennu9ZuU66pckQW4NU/w268-h180/ST200001.jpg" width="268" /></a></div>Eddie-Joe Robinson is compelling as the clever lad who doesn't feel comfortable with the Oxford crowd but can't reclaim his home territory; Kyle Rowe is utterly believable as his irrepressibly reprobate home-town 'bestie'. The storyline focus is so strong that this feels mostly like a two-hander although the lads' women are also very well-played, especially Shannon (Alice Stokoe) with Katja Quist as posh Georgia. Also integral to the production's success is Jesse Jones' tight direction and Lucy Sierra's superbly simple set: an immovable environment where doors both invite and abruptly bar entry. As a social comment on Unequal Britain, this is unarguably convincing; as a drama it's mesmeric. <span style="font-size: x-small;">Images: Steve Tanner.</span><div><i>As a footnote, Sam Bailey won the Papatango Prize with his first play <b>Shook </b>which was released as an online production after plague stopped play on the stage of Southwark Playhouse: you can read my review in this blog Feb 7th last year. </i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1fTyYacHUpa4gw8xSRZKDg0TdsVHJAvYZiwa53OvXP8LwpVXrX8a3v445XgljgD-R9C2YkgH1d_R1Fc1VVXIl0mYpZ8AnuNdR7i5qMN6Sv62sRoFHuFEklR1bIxHmwc47k7bR8ssqpNi-4ibwNAg9sG-kIq9NiqpNVgCZHlXc8-4CEA0Jl7Q/s681/277673347_1083697352284246_5233253096870063446_n.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="681" data-original-width="526" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1fTyYacHUpa4gw8xSRZKDg0TdsVHJAvYZiwa53OvXP8LwpVXrX8a3v445XgljgD-R9C2YkgH1d_R1Fc1VVXIl0mYpZ8AnuNdR7i5qMN6Sv62sRoFHuFEklR1bIxHmwc47k7bR8ssqpNi-4ibwNAg9sG-kIq9NiqpNVgCZHlXc8-4CEA0Jl7Q/w203-h262/277673347_1083697352284246_5233253096870063446_n.jpg" width="203" /></a></div>Back in Frome, the Merlin stage was filled with elaborate costumes from the decadent end-game days of the French 'Ancient Regime' as revived in <b>Frome Drama Club's</b> production of <b style="font-style: italic;">Les Liaison Dangereuses. </b>This version of the epistolary novel by Pierre Choderios de Lacios is from Christopher Hampton: it's all about decadence and deceit, and this production involved fantastic costume and a lot of scene changes - in fact the set-movers were on stage more frequently than several of the characters. It's also a tour-de-force for Laurence Parnell, onstage most of the time as the tirelessly immoral Vicomte de Valmont. Director John Palmer confesses in the programme notes to a longstanding desire to produce this saga of decadence and abuse on a delirious scale in pre-Revolution France.</div><div><i>As a footnote, blatant sexual importuning unexpectedly became topical at the weekend when news broke - on every national media outlet - that Frome's MP is suspended for sexual shenanigans & drug use. And we thought all he did in parliament was abstain!</i></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg1VesypYIFrQO6BcGdhW9RaI2keYQfodiZOjo0sbcWBgGrkr-T9bM2EdOlkp-8B7EpnTPwKqMiYWG--dYX8mE_LJpGCHW5NLRO3nmWblDWiJX8hbvfLZY7iExwBAMtO3deOgPKNkYgTNd7KkvV5wuT4zy4FuDRPuSVW2zYwaALZILMJDZcuRY" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2420" data-original-width="2237" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg1VesypYIFrQO6BcGdhW9RaI2keYQfodiZOjo0sbcWBgGrkr-T9bM2EdOlkp-8B7EpnTPwKqMiYWG--dYX8mE_LJpGCHW5NLRO3nmWblDWiJX8hbvfLZY7iExwBAMtO3deOgPKNkYgTNd7KkvV5wuT4zy4FuDRPuSVW2zYwaALZILMJDZcuRY=w167-h181" width="167" /></a></div>A very different performance event came to Frome with the first session of <b style="font-style: italic;">Dirty Laundry, </b>an evening of story-telling and poetry at <b>The Three Swans</b> on Wednesday. The brain-child of Olly Davy, a superb raconteur himself, this was a really brilliant event with a wide range of themes and styles offered by the ten performers to an enthusiastic audience - I'm chuffed to have been one of them, and look forward to the next session on May 19th. Here's guest headliner Chris Redmond, currently working with the 'Hot Poets' at "the hopeful end of climate change" with a brief to change the narrative to 'imagine a future we love rather than one we fear.' </div><div> </div><div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgOq66OZNFiNsYDXYlWxCsCfkXWORjKtCDEr_BmupFcOZIBV-KWhDw3U8ZD-uFSqSKjScUWUaokzOOeR3x97KEgLTwhM3N1BXsyM2BGsjdiVXcSKLrNi5iaQpF_n4F7paXM9nal5-gC2IHz3rASi3ip_XxVypM0fsqQ5kj3t-Yh_M3wnh7fXgs" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2473" data-original-width="3359" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgOq66OZNFiNsYDXYlWxCsCfkXWORjKtCDEr_BmupFcOZIBV-KWhDw3U8ZD-uFSqSKjScUWUaokzOOeR3x97KEgLTwhM3N1BXsyM2BGsjdiVXcSKLrNi5iaQpF_n4F7paXM9nal5-gC2IHz3rASi3ip_XxVypM0fsqQ5kj3t-Yh_M3wnh7fXgs=w248-h182" width="248" /></a></div><b>The Three Swans </b>upstairs room was also the choice of Vicki Burke, multi-talented musician who plays sax in funky-folk band <a href="https://www.flashharryband.com/">Flash Harry</a> as well as performing on harp and singing her own compositions: she used all her self-expression talents on Monday at in the launch of her new CD, <i>Beauty in the Beast, a Musical Journey into the Labyrinth</i>. These compositions complement the spiritual journey described in her book, from which Vicki read extracts, supported by v<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;">iolinist </span><span style="background-color: white;">Gina Griffin. A well-planned and fascinating event.</span></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQJZXgm2gVZF6HiFQiO-2h57u4rwqKRfOkutuwJKu8DTvkwA-O9dXTav9S2f7Kh5SuVoj15a6fqEuhL2ekVq1Mb9iNFKgO78TSah_MOg1DNVThmUy0X0d7wxywlydztwFAXdvwEApQVFTLPYMKnf2bKiB_bEYUuNDYVT7fY3qO4FaHM_n-uB0/s2851/blogPeteP1300572.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2172" data-original-width="2851" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQJZXgm2gVZF6HiFQiO-2h57u4rwqKRfOkutuwJKu8DTvkwA-O9dXTav9S2f7Kh5SuVoj15a6fqEuhL2ekVq1Mb9iNFKgO78TSah_MOg1DNVThmUy0X0d7wxywlydztwFAXdvwEApQVFTLPYMKnf2bKiB_bEYUuNDYVT7fY3qO4FaHM_n-uB0/w254-h194/blogPeteP1300572.jpg" width="254" /></a></div><p>Pete Gage, widely admired as a talented musician, became well known as a poet after publishing <i>44 Poems </i>with <b>Hobnob Press</b> last year, and has followed this with his second collection <i><a href="https://www.petegagemusic.com/words">Gerontius</a>:</i> deeply-felt personal reflections illustrated with atmospheric colour photographs also by Pete. His launch for this collection was at <b>Hunting Raven Books</b> on Thursday, and Pete talked about his influences and his central theme of light and darkness, to an attentive & appreciative audience. He also brought his piano and played some favourite songs that chimed movingly with the themes of his poems: <i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQTNjV580LU">Evening</a></i>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjsWDef95Lg"><i>Motherless Child</i></a>, and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDMp7ORS1vM"><i>Nobody's Fault But Mine</i></a> - these links are to live performances by Pete with his band at <i>The</i> <i>Cornerhouse </i>in Frome and <i>The Bell</i> in Bath, but Pete is just as impressive on his own, in a bookshop... We're privileged, in Frome.</p></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNBUezSE7dJToQfBLsiHjho95tfpdRF9FQ-g_n1PccRT128coMTTNgaiMeCzjogeyFeigN_WmyNCwfM7lb9PSI0iCmYT7RY0Ddkt6T_niN2CMAgsvhBYkxKtPAXSlEows0qe3O1EMdspL5NS-l1lZiLKao0AP7JF1kxf1v3lhV9KKNJzw19vY/s3173/*2P1300621%20copy.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3173" data-original-width="2356" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNBUezSE7dJToQfBLsiHjho95tfpdRF9FQ-g_n1PccRT128coMTTNgaiMeCzjogeyFeigN_WmyNCwfM7lb9PSI0iCmYT7RY0Ddkt6T_niN2CMAgsvhBYkxKtPAXSlEows0qe3O1EMdspL5NS-l1lZiLKao0AP7JF1kxf1v3lhV9KKNJzw19vY/w172-h231/*2P1300621%20copy.jpg" width="172" /></a></div>Art top spot this week goes to <a href="https://www.simongriffithsart.com/">Si Griffiths</a>' exhibition at <b><a href="https://spacecraftwestbury.co.uk/">Spacecraft</a></b> in Westbury, a wonderful shop selling arty things of all kinds, including guitars handmade by Lucas Vermeeren. Si's work is in a separate gallery and looks terrific: there are several paintings featuring his iconic clown character, some sinister but most poignant, but a street-art influence is emerging in Si's newer work which is really impressive. This image (right) is one of his largest, and visitors all found it fascinating.</div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>(You can see the painting I bought last year in his 'Sold' gallery - line 8 down, 2nd along, which he has titled Grief but I saw as My Parents' Marriage. So, same thing really.)</i></span></div><div>And a shout-out to Tony, the kindly bus-driver who generously drove me all the way back to Frome when I'd misread the timetable and there were actually no more buses running beyond Dilton Marsh.... </div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh-oLb_7yle4xY_vNl6s0uTFQMg13gP1kHRcAjfPT65c8Px69X5eNWr57M-flYVOlQtV7bWDO51pH5034tZ3ydmukrLopm2xoj84r9Zdo1JeeWtsPvb05lmoAJswJuWWfTMhmU2WQX8OijTvZAHTJrJapcltrPsVHiihatqHLtNsxmq8nZUz9g" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2344" data-original-width="1786" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh-oLb_7yle4xY_vNl6s0uTFQMg13gP1kHRcAjfPT65c8Px69X5eNWr57M-flYVOlQtV7bWDO51pH5034tZ3ydmukrLopm2xoj84r9Zdo1JeeWtsPvb05lmoAJswJuWWfTMhmU2WQX8OijTvZAHTJrJapcltrPsVHiihatqHLtNsxmq8nZUz9g=w123-h161" width="123" /></a></div></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Still with paintings: <a href="https://www.blackswanarts.org.uk/whats-on/exhibitions/artists-for-ukraine/">Artists for Ukraine</a>, the new exhibition at <i>Black Swan Round Tower</i>, is showing works donated by over 30 local artists for auction, with all proceeds going to the Town Council's fundraising <span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #383838;">for Frome’s twin town Rabka-Zdrój in Poland, which is arranging to take in over 500 Ukrainian refugees. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">This painting is <i>Freedom and Truth</i>, by </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sabrina Rowan Hamilton</span><span style="background-color: white;">: There's a wide range of styles and themes, some from very well known names, and the exhibition is showing until 24 April so plenty of time to view and bid - you can see all the art works and bid online <a href="https://artistsforukraine.squarespace.com/">here</a>.</span></span></span></div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>And finally: Sunday could not have been more busy, with a <a href="https://thefromeindependent.org.uk/">Frome Independent</a> - market, that is - in the morning, including the usual busking stage where <b><i><a href="https://www.facebook.com/Fromeband/">Back of the Bus </a></i></b>drew a large crowd of supporters (and several toddler-dancers) then the brilliant <a href="https://www.facebook.com/roscoshakes/"><b><i>Rosco Shakes</i></b></a> at <b>Bar Lotte</b> all afternoon, with a <i><a href="https://www.facebook.com/jazzatch/"><b>Jazz Jam </b>at the Cornerhouse </a></i>in the evening... So I'll end with an image of each, and hope you can work out which is which... Good luck everyone with next week's promised snow!</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiEFY0rjYuTPWkhiLHRdTWi209SGp94d7G_xTcjSCEPPCUnrRpPu9CHksA1dbqWYDCliH6mFVQh7830re93OBs2ula-VyXb5AZhxuSP70X-OE2nu-erdxm_rwnYOpW28t0tam__-52UjwH2ktF7Tkj5FKkp5t7k6smFvfH3s8seW5mdcNWFLvw" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2278" data-original-width="3514" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiEFY0rjYuTPWkhiLHRdTWi209SGp94d7G_xTcjSCEPPCUnrRpPu9CHksA1dbqWYDCliH6mFVQh7830re93OBs2ula-VyXb5AZhxuSP70X-OE2nu-erdxm_rwnYOpW28t0tam__-52UjwH2ktF7Tkj5FKkp5t7k6smFvfH3s8seW5mdcNWFLvw=w294-h190" width="294" /><br /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiEFY0rjYuTPWkhiLHRdTWi209SGp94d7G_xTcjSCEPPCUnrRpPu9CHksA1dbqWYDCliH6mFVQh7830re93OBs2ula-VyXb5AZhxuSP70X-OE2nu-erdxm_rwnYOpW28t0tam__-52UjwH2ktF7Tkj5FKkp5t7k6smFvfH3s8seW5mdcNWFLvw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiCtNLnokV21mXHung6XXm9rjK5iEH5FUdNQ7RX4mmW4Ah8mReRhQ6_Y-9U4l5XiJKWf4RjLMQy4S_3G9TVe76gm61yk-SWuVCXbouRRn0bUgbRT9aIYZdV8WLZJASCJI5EfM9e1Oby17FL_BT75DiotVTz194cXltOqr-6xwp57HpP0gctMbU" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1896" data-original-width="2405" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiCtNLnokV21mXHung6XXm9rjK5iEH5FUdNQ7RX4mmW4Ah8mReRhQ6_Y-9U4l5XiJKWf4RjLMQy4S_3G9TVe76gm61yk-SWuVCXbouRRn0bUgbRT9aIYZdV8WLZJASCJI5EfM9e1Oby17FL_BT75DiotVTz194cXltOqr-6xwp57HpP0gctMbU=w283-h223" width="283" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiEFY0rjYuTPWkhiLHRdTWi209SGp94d7G_xTcjSCEPPCUnrRpPu9CHksA1dbqWYDCliH6mFVQh7830re93OBs2ula-VyXb5AZhxuSP70X-OE2nu-erdxm_rwnYOpW28t0tam__-52UjwH2ktF7Tkj5FKkp5t7k6smFvfH3s8seW5mdcNWFLvw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgYKxm2xuZ6M-1LYV6VIwP-tsSZGga2daO2PLKM78YY0O-RA1qz4sOy6-koLRHFbb5kXL_YpMb3PYgGHlauB_ycBwc28oBQqPc3SLt53Cu3surnP22WKV0hncD2cr7JTeeGjUTzaM3UtQY3FauPjSxepJ5CplwkednYEWnt0zykQJICtv5TKqg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2249" data-original-width="3800" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgYKxm2xuZ6M-1LYV6VIwP-tsSZGga2daO2PLKM78YY0O-RA1qz4sOy6-koLRHFbb5kXL_YpMb3PYgGHlauB_ycBwc28oBQqPc3SLt53Cu3surnP22WKV0hncD2cr7JTeeGjUTzaM3UtQY3FauPjSxepJ5CplwkednYEWnt0zykQJICtv5TKqg=w309-h183" width="309" /></a></div></div></div><div><br /> </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Cryssehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15733554167534664275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33880814.post-78390362021316264062022-03-27T22:39:00.003+01:002022-03-27T22:39:52.227+01:00Mostly music, and some crazy golf, as summer arrives<div style="text-align: left;">A mega-musical week, with <b>Frome Busks </b>filling the town centre with young talent, so we'll start there, as eight acts from the College, some soloists and some groups, rotated from 11 till 2 around eight locations. Ages ranged but the sound was superb in each case. Here's Hushwind, a very accomplished duo, Becca who sang with verve and confidence, and classical music student Ollie, fantastic on guitar. The organisation was impressive too, with routes & changeover times all planned and equipment and power needs all covered. An impressive display of young talent, and a very enjoyable day.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEikMRa26tw8Vi7VNtZfUNeSmdhxxO3uWe4Ajhr3w0vdbRXL06r8Xlvz7MJTIgyGC0EuQMDJnBesurYQWoJCyuolFHhSUy3_JPNQaEi8Dhyopm8us0-pR8_81SYj7ScdQLi-7WoIJOZ8CYPJB4DuIIs9rFlttOKHgGOO5v-fumkozUpcV_rWpvs" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEikMRa26tw8Vi7VNtZfUNeSmdhxxO3uWe4Ajhr3w0vdbRXL06r8Xlvz7MJTIgyGC0EuQMDJnBesurYQWoJCyuolFHhSUy3_JPNQaEi8Dhyopm8us0-pR8_81SYj7ScdQLi-7WoIJOZ8CYPJB4DuIIs9rFlttOKHgGOO5v-fumkozUpcV_rWpvs" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjtehhdeFDhQH1V-d_lFzlFNesnpmlk3KdSi-ypBJSZi3AcSjNIwrInpirLZpgC0qfhlrowbfGnBhDxk3yiR9X3FD_zyquDgSInPMVfgR6qLzc4WpOlzDGRrd4fAj-OY8mCwlnYtqFgo8haQHoaOtxARuOD7ncyJQqsFG22CVsJ6kaRmlr1tnA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2113" data-original-width="2752" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjtehhdeFDhQH1V-d_lFzlFNesnpmlk3KdSi-ypBJSZi3AcSjNIwrInpirLZpgC0qfhlrowbfGnBhDxk3yiR9X3FD_zyquDgSInPMVfgR6qLzc4WpOlzDGRrd4fAj-OY8mCwlnYtqFgo8haQHoaOtxARuOD7ncyJQqsFG22CVsJ6kaRmlr1tnA" width="313" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgECtWklui-QQcQAfGV4qTLobREqTpbN9bRNqvL0HXWh9ihLMi_vfZepnhkwj8mxvfI3quZMxsXKIuro-5k2agk9JVPMa3BjfbirxPR5nKsC8U9iqOrzWqvoEa4LoZOcwWtKYcK4tsiIlu3zdRk8CupT6O5KO_aSBwmb9o5_ZamN9iG_Wiy6iY" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="702" data-original-width="969" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgECtWklui-QQcQAfGV4qTLobREqTpbN9bRNqvL0HXWh9ihLMi_vfZepnhkwj8mxvfI3quZMxsXKIuro-5k2agk9JVPMa3BjfbirxPR5nKsC8U9iqOrzWqvoEa4LoZOcwWtKYcK4tsiIlu3zdRk8CupT6O5KO_aSBwmb9o5_ZamN9iG_Wiy6iY" width="320" /></a></div></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgqmPl5XA65vC2t-lIGYq05eI_j8KEKgV-QkkNzGY1MeN-ch90QaTduNsRT19p3RHlnskM_9IRNFH-4lCkcQBUDauq6Q_nfzFk_wLFu2O4vzbBmmGPLcPuzXmGXACuTJb_hJGmN7EM2wegyLbYD3Xmi11Rdgmnl3nuH-6r_u6bbemLzmUX46EM" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiQBjPQiaERK2kDHz-PoLK1xUi3OCPEcsXUgKgJlYHl__NFjzY6T1uRIbTKRjrW-nPIwyFApRDMLALuWNWQjSHH-nqSGTHrhsSll2gIfzSXsh3hx0FHmTLJmOAW0j4u6_sx2EEdO9-5Q9y5fs5_a0xdLDQhFsjttbd_cOEM-GoklvS7QV0YCs8" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="605" data-original-width="1218" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiQBjPQiaERK2kDHz-PoLK1xUi3OCPEcsXUgKgJlYHl__NFjzY6T1uRIbTKRjrW-nPIwyFApRDMLALuWNWQjSHH-nqSGTHrhsSll2gIfzSXsh3hx0FHmTLJmOAW0j4u6_sx2EEdO9-5Q9y5fs5_a0xdLDQhFsjttbd_cOEM-GoklvS7QV0YCs8=w338-h168" width="338" /></a>Still with local young talent, Monday's <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/289835553296446?ref=newsfeed"><i>SOUNDCHECK</i></a> session on Visual Radio Arts<i> </i>featured <i style="font-weight: bold;">Afraid of the Dark, </i>the band who caused a sensation at the last Nunney Acoustic Cafe. All four members are studying music at Bath College, and as well as playing some of their stunning original songs - lyrics by Gwen Sutterby, pictured - they <a href="ttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcViiRlf_VM">talked in interview</a> about what each brings to their collaboration. This brilliant session will remain on the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/watch/?ref=search&v=1697585530579443&external_log_id=0fd7da8e-2a9e-44e2-ba46-1967184647a4&q=afraid%20of%20the%20dark">VRA site <b>here</b></a>, <span style="font-size: x-small;">(screenshot includes some listeners' comments) </span></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/roscoshakes/"><i><b>Rosco Shakes</b></i></a> brought their hi-energy jazzy blues to town again on Wednesday as these five performers lit up the night in <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/barlottefrome/">Bar Lotte</a></b>. Pictured here are Dom (guitar) Ned (vocals & drums) and Tim (keys & wild leg-dancing) but Josh (base) and Steve (sax) enhanced the band's terrific sound too.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgblif1DbWYe1sqQ8b8s48dzKoSn_1HQRf5_rEq632TO4Ms0sEixMGfa-gUyCIJiT1n_cgXBGVKrw2ejb1YIz0-HxcD201SUJd_7fKj4ln-4RQxJI3h3CN4-O2poM5xsc7v62JanRtN4A25OHDuBcD0a6gj_kox4-L6g8j0rZbmNR1GOIar908" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2392" data-original-width="3768" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgblif1DbWYe1sqQ8b8s48dzKoSn_1HQRf5_rEq632TO4Ms0sEixMGfa-gUyCIJiT1n_cgXBGVKrw2ejb1YIz0-HxcD201SUJd_7fKj4ln-4RQxJI3h3CN4-O2poM5xsc7v62JanRtN4A25OHDuBcD0a6gj_kox4-L6g8j0rZbmNR1GOIar908" width="320" /></a></div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjHE9VrJgn_hIXRXgLKRdglIlVmB_O6gpPmlNIuOzoqR4XOyAGkfrDkf6iGtMHnr8DQOYycmQrV10GyuX9lko6dqZxJgXniMJAbKwunmrabu-XUSgByqhRRen04ibGudXYf2MFmN92fLUFisaALgIS8CFcNGKlgjRHa_V7pLFabuP1qT3BzBYA" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="162" data-original-width="310" height="144" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjHE9VrJgn_hIXRXgLKRdglIlVmB_O6gpPmlNIuOzoqR4XOyAGkfrDkf6iGtMHnr8DQOYycmQrV10GyuX9lko6dqZxJgXniMJAbKwunmrabu-XUSgByqhRRen04ibGudXYf2MFmN92fLUFisaALgIS8CFcNGKlgjRHa_V7pLFabuP1qT3BzBYA=w276-h144" width="276" /></a></div>A movie recommendation now: <i>Phantom of the Open, </i>showing at Frome's <b><a href="https://westwaycinema.co.uk/frome/now/">Westway</a> </b>this week, a delightful true story from the 1970s. The lure for me was that Mark Rylance plays the central role of Maurice Flitcroft, the Eddy-the-Eagle of the golfing world - appearing in different disguises as he is repeatedly banned from competing in the British Open Golf Championship. Mark is impressive, evoking humble tenacity and care for his family as well as delusion bordering on idiocy. Loyal wife Jean (Sally Hawkins) and his dancing twin sons (Jonah and Christian Lees) are excellent too. </div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgilupB-5O_XUJPqYVes2ZKoBd7A57gKmkXWQSvmDkU00LBQZGDCCMP9WO-cegAtmTc8ZMwpw0UHpAPzylWQKd1Wwi8yAQ6DzEU9SbgWZzN0xuRSqPhFBai8_rP9BQZoiKmQRduT39RffV-lYhWE3ftu26i7iNGiLvvPTBTiab356lOTT2_zLA" style="clear: left; display: inline; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img data-original-height="185" data-original-width="273" height="144" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgilupB-5O_XUJPqYVes2ZKoBd7A57gKmkXWQSvmDkU00LBQZGDCCMP9WO-cegAtmTc8ZMwpw0UHpAPzylWQKd1Wwi8yAQ6DzEU9SbgWZzN0xuRSqPhFBai8_rP9BQZoiKmQRduT39RffV-lYhWE3ftu26i7iNGiLvvPTBTiab356lOTT2_zLA=w212-h144" width="212" /></a> Curiously, despite finding similarities to Paddington Bear, none of the reviewers have pointed out that the format is exactly the same as for <i>The Duke,</i> recently reviewed on this blog. Eccentric quirky Northerner takes on the Establishment - golf, this time, not art - to snatch a trophy, with support from his son/s and after struggle that's poignant and funny in equal measures, all ends well and the movie ends with snapshots of the real individual to affirm the truth of the tale... check out the link <a href="https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/the-phantom-of-the-open-review-a-charming-golfing-triumph/">here</a> - then go see the movie! </div></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgLymThUcGpXjVloAO0Ll6toJUSZ5HoxIgWtjKoDNWXCs9Bxp3ZBqHflPNyuIQbPCwC_1czPepZd_PLF83Teju9Ad71NxO___7unrGOF7HQ04X4FXF98a_f2JzMopATPMccROY9-zuBlZ9RAKXoRWwec6R8DoRjAf5qo1BGFVk-tEIFTtGiimY" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3662" data-original-width="2429" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgLymThUcGpXjVloAO0Ll6toJUSZ5HoxIgWtjKoDNWXCs9Bxp3ZBqHflPNyuIQbPCwC_1czPepZd_PLF83Teju9Ad71NxO___7unrGOF7HQ04X4FXF98a_f2JzMopATPMccROY9-zuBlZ9RAKXoRWwec6R8DoRjAf5qo1BGFVk-tEIFTtGiimY" width="159" /></a></div>An away-day trip also this week: to Tewkesbury, which - as the town's <a href="http://www.visittewkesbury.info/">website</a> reports - is '<span style="background-color: white; color: #4d5156;">an historic riverside town in Gloucestershire with an a</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d5156;">bbey, medieval streets and a high street full of independent shops', which (apart from the abbey) makes this Cotswold town sound rather like Frome. In fact it has far more shops and is generally less poky than Frome, but the vibe is the same: relaxed and friendly, with quirky pubs and a jazz tea-room. Here's the splendid interior of the abbey: the stained glass windows are impressive too.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d5156;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d5156;">And as the wind drops and days fill with sunshine, a chance once again for long walks around Frome as the banks beside the river paths fill with blue and golden wild flowers. ... and s</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d5156; font-family: inherit;">peaking of blue & gold, here's my Mother's Day necklace from son number one - how well he knows me! (smiley-face)</span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhij8F1OSV5vyh3eevLxRNBlRSY8VDnNBuJaIMJ5obkj2KgrprZ2yXoAa259FLSJw1seVVjC52lKl9XYrLtVr_I177FkBePtI-hE_HMm1m2HmUOuyZeeH_h8njLasPtN58LRo5F-7ikYQJCf1cwmFm8x0t-IQv4RA_eurDT_BhqEUekV6Bk98c" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="219" data-original-width="336" height="92" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhij8F1OSV5vyh3eevLxRNBlRSY8VDnNBuJaIMJ5obkj2KgrprZ2yXoAa259FLSJw1seVVjC52lKl9XYrLtVr_I177FkBePtI-hE_HMm1m2HmUOuyZeeH_h8njLasPtN58LRo5F-7ikYQJCf1cwmFm8x0t-IQv4RA_eurDT_BhqEUekV6Bk98c=w140-h92" width="140" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d5156; text-align: left;">Wishing all readers peace and sunshine as summer time officially arrives.</span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d5156; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div>Cryssehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15733554167534664275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33880814.post-89288967719278727022022-03-20T14:09:00.006+00:002022-03-20T19:41:55.916+00:00A blue & yellow week, with a touch of green <p></p><p>With foreign affairs, as they used to be called before we discovered that everything in the world is interconnected, on everyone's mind these days, let's start with the <a href="https://www.frometowncouncil.gov.uk/fromes-twin-town-ukrainian-appeal/?fbclid=IwAR1QfxAs9RTDj2WRXItUY2Q2c83dCqE4XPYzkSvpAD9iTRr1hioocgBGzYU">BIG GIG FOR THE UKRAINE </a>- an evening of soul funk jazz at 23 Bath Street<span style="font-family: inherit;"> <span style="background-color: white;">to raise money for Frome's twin town in Poland, Rabka-<span style="font-family: inherit;">Zdrój, which has already taken in 500 Ukrainian refugees. </span></span></span>Organised at short notice by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Emma.Harris.Singer/">Emma Harris,</a> this featured the talents of <i><a href="https://www.facebook.com/Rivers-Of-England-179701408111/">Rivers of England</a></i>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/leandermoralesmusic/">Leander Morales</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/alokanemusic">Al O'Kane,</a> <i><a href="https://www.facebook.com/FlashHarryTributeToQueen/">Flash Harry</a></i>, and Emma herself - a brilliant night with great musicians and fantastic sound. The atmospheric red lighting helped create a party atmosphere - this snap of Leander joining Al's set may give a glimpse of the vibe.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEipfa2yMUuKtYbWSEqU8C9SqicgIOhVbXsfF2AJvJwKD6N2HhdBK1yux_4ZTF9Y5aPPa573jwRfE02vpiudNFe3YZ2dXkXWs-Vn7vka_LZ7SLUqwvu9Ec4yZJ3a0RVGLOTcZTJS-VHaL2lqJu18J97SSoUNT1_z800RmZIg_0naNB4_oN0chjQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2398" data-original-width="2764" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEipfa2yMUuKtYbWSEqU8C9SqicgIOhVbXsfF2AJvJwKD6N2HhdBK1yux_4ZTF9Y5aPPa573jwRfE02vpiudNFe3YZ2dXkXWs-Vn7vka_LZ7SLUqwvu9Ec4yZJ3a0RVGLOTcZTJS-VHaL2lqJu18J97SSoUNT1_z800RmZIg_0naNB4_oN0chjQ" width="277" /><br /></a></div><p></p>Music has been a strong theme of this week, with Paddy's Day celebrations in two venues: At <b>The Sun </b>on Thursday, celtic band <i><a href="https://www.facebook.com/crossingtherockies/">Crossing the Rockies</a> </i>cleverly illustrated the division of Ireland by arranging a massive pole to segregate the band members, and this day-late homage to St Patrick was followed next night with another hooley as the Celtic & Transatlantic Music team arrived at the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/CornerhouseBA11/"><b>Cornerhouse</b></a> in force and played throughout the evening. <div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiswOoG8mAm8JSUz3NU3IgXaWV4gDLGqxHfbjnEam7jksljPQm1tL0LmmFLAogj9p5YsnF_lRdEYECnC85cTneGIiWo3ti12SN_wp5FGpqSvTuFZF8nBJGWvNSHWRJkirb59D-E7eHglDEdWhWuDiHXoN9rSuB4ll6GwfPu8HM1imWC2g8QsCk" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2229" data-original-width="3361" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiswOoG8mAm8JSUz3NU3IgXaWV4gDLGqxHfbjnEam7jksljPQm1tL0LmmFLAogj9p5YsnF_lRdEYECnC85cTneGIiWo3ti12SN_wp5FGpqSvTuFZF8nBJGWvNSHWRJkirb59D-E7eHglDEdWhWuDiHXoN9rSuB4ll6GwfPu8HM1imWC2g8QsCk" width="320" /></a></div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhyw-R96PkhZuRmsX-UGIf33MdvBvtuw8vcX0GmSu9CJ-FVqZqpeHXY10S2U1wRXRNzpeGWhEyrrq0Si1bP91XkOm7nmPS1-1Pp0hrRdHgn5PY0nvoVqplFHKNZDOzcTaZNG9jggQlng6YBz2n8H3KmQ0o4mMFo8RtNAhojyzLwdciW0yAkOdA=s3574" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2334" data-original-width="3574" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhyw-R96PkhZuRmsX-UGIf33MdvBvtuw8vcX0GmSu9CJ-FVqZqpeHXY10S2U1wRXRNzpeGWhEyrrq0Si1bP91XkOm7nmPS1-1Pp0hrRdHgn5PY0nvoVqplFHKNZDOzcTaZNG9jggQlng6YBz2n8H3KmQ0o4mMFo8RtNAhojyzLwdciW0yAkOdA=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh7qbABSj1OKIU6jaoRtEG8xg6RIUQGllDoFjQ-5LnldZrxUi4woUIq9W8p2o06VLnoFyVHXQcPqwXDeucDD3J3Foo4NI02OV-3LHtEPdJTEXpLwgBkbU_If5TpkTFI9Y4-G_3HWrip6pOSBxt9GDSuK4KE1_B-6fa_1te5_s5HVfULBY97tTE" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="550" data-original-width="516" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh7qbABSj1OKIU6jaoRtEG8xg6RIUQGllDoFjQ-5LnldZrxUi4woUIq9W8p2o06VLnoFyVHXQcPqwXDeucDD3J3Foo4NI02OV-3LHtEPdJTEXpLwgBkbU_If5TpkTFI9Y4-G_3HWrip6pOSBxt9GDSuK4KE1_B-6fa_1te5_s5HVfULBY97tTE=w151-h161" width="151" /></a></div><br />Still with an Irish theme: Derry's most widely-known band <i>The Undertones, </i>playing at the <b>Cheese & Grain</b> on Friday, was the subject Eleanor Talbot's <a href="https://soundcloud.com/eleanor-talbot-322179824/episode-128-overtones-of-an-undertone?utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing&fbclid=IwAR3Tvm7-y9omFnMGMbXWyXk7lNuE9I70LzGJstPvN5KKbBEoZj-kDwcngnk"><b>Variations on a Theme</b></a> this week. Mickey Bradley, bassist for the band since its inception & now also a record show presenter on Radio Ulster, is a charming guest with a good memory of the '70s, and is surprisingly modest for a key member of the group responsible for John Peel's favourite track of all time: <i>Teenage Kicks</i>. </div><div><br /></div><div>Theatre spot his week is a substitute: <i>Eng-er-land</i>, solo show at the Merlin was sadly cancelled due to illness so instead here's an online production from <b><a href="https://originaltheatreonline.com/about">Original Theatre</a></b>: <i>The Red,</i> directed by Charlotte Peters. The 'red' is a bottle of wine, which in this two-hander Benedict imagines, as he mourns at his father's funeral, that his dad really wants to watch him drinking. </div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhpEJ7gxYxu2RTeDgLegKf2-fS1v2ED7hIALdjvRYyOCfmMEyMvwYwebzNdvCS7Nj2UyjkZVxVmJmGbTXXzqu6EaeghAYWZyJKZlcpdpZpVpKCmwZahE38YsxQojoboPiythgnO_EHrKkfWH3ch5MOg3JWJ41eCxNIKCoFrtw6SU5dP92r7T44=s1327" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="805" data-original-width="1327" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhpEJ7gxYxu2RTeDgLegKf2-fS1v2ED7hIALdjvRYyOCfmMEyMvwYwebzNdvCS7Nj2UyjkZVxVmJmGbTXXzqu6EaeghAYWZyJKZlcpdpZpVpKCmwZahE38YsxQojoboPiythgnO_EHrKkfWH3ch5MOg3JWJ41eCxNIKCoFrtw6SU5dP92r7T44=s320" width="320" /></a></div>The storyline is essentially a list of reasons why an alcoholic should never drink again, and writer Marcus Brigstocke admits the play is basically a summary of his own temptations and truths. <i></i>It's performed by a genuine father & son combo on a set authentically representing a wine cellar but with constant faint music which is slightly irritating. Bruce Alexander is very good as the probably-also-alchi-but-not-bothered father, but Sam Alexander his son is less convincing as a totally fit non-drinker. Reminiscence replaces story development, as the will-he/won't-he finale is not really in doubt, but my main problem with this as with all online productions is that the cameras don't consistently show the full stage and therefore, to me, it's Not Theatre. It is dramatic, in that people play parts in a rehearsed drama, but the camera-eye rather than the viewers' eye is in control, so it's just a movie that's been shot on one set. </div><div><br /></div><div>Moving from drama to poetry: Frome's 'ekphrastic writing' group had a very productive session this month, all creating powerful responses to the <i>Duet of Lines</i> exhibition in the form of pantoums under the excellent tutelage of Jennie Gilling. Our group's responses can all be seen <a href="https://www.facebook.com/wordsattheblackswan">here,</a> and the exhibition is on until 3 April.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEikkK27BO06iNMwO5UzYwsJVttJ3M4mMwQp1l91949U41XiyB3h9n4F44MCIh1yMuiHTf-ri9xbmVnZWQ_drdD7_tCwOSEiU_PEd5IYBJQ7_1_BlLHd9C9eVgrtkGPQS2I9Mj6GcXlbahtzHvkWNhILU_Rg4PPt3VzLh4JkyvHz-F-50Ilaz-U" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="3888" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEikkK27BO06iNMwO5UzYwsJVttJ3M4mMwQp1l91949U41XiyB3h9n4F44MCIh1yMuiHTf-ri9xbmVnZWQ_drdD7_tCwOSEiU_PEd5IYBJQ7_1_BlLHd9C9eVgrtkGPQS2I9Mj6GcXlbahtzHvkWNhILU_Rg4PPt3VzLh4JkyvHz-F-50Ilaz-U=w266-h178" width="266" /></a></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh-2fpZPgSj9KcMyCs0vI-0-zEo7GcFsvn54dYvwCJIZ0mHCUyluIJr8ZNZkz1fM4DiPEFU_26qcH0JS1dSGq0EkDJ9mFvW3KmVG8GOVkgLqUC7xIwadSAgfx7R6Iv7MxU-ph1VzT9l9NmuGu9O8RyGZlJNFZ4zl-n105aQbBzcb0rlKsI9v_k" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2968" data-original-width="2252" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh-2fpZPgSj9KcMyCs0vI-0-zEo7GcFsvn54dYvwCJIZ0mHCUyluIJr8ZNZkz1fM4DiPEFU_26qcH0JS1dSGq0EkDJ9mFvW3KmVG8GOVkgLqUC7xIwadSAgfx7R6Iv7MxU-ph1VzT9l9NmuGu9O8RyGZlJNFZ4zl-n105aQbBzcb0rlKsI9v_k=w138-h181" width="138" /></a></div>Art with a purpose now, and and Auction for Ukraine at the Silk Mill which opened on Friday evening with wine & live music. The gallery was filled with donations from Frome's creatives - not only wall art, which is wonderful, with artists like Dan Morley contributing, but clothes, earrings, books & toys, and edible goodies.</div><div><br /></div><div><div>Finally: at times like these, creativity & entertainment become even more important, which is why Frome is a genuinely awesome place to live: this week's <i><b><a href="https://edition.pagesuite-professional.co.uk/html5/reader/production/default.aspx?pubname=&edid=8f500a4d-bf4b-4ae0-8273-9a9440cefd1d">Frome Times</a></b></i> includes as well as positive initiatives in response to Ukraine, ongoing aspects of our town's life: volunteer street tidiers, restorative conversations, appreciations for projects like Window Wanderland & the Kindness Festival, green initiatives for children, drama for adults, music for all, and more. And a connection with nature is also vital, so this week's bulletin will conclude with a couple of images from local walks: one of the lakes on the southern side, and the river path from Frome to Mells. Imagine spring flowers & birdsong... And... breathe.... </div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi6BznDgOEYuAGW9ByxKPWaHSU1uU1oe9oRRc_YJufgaAP8L2z7lJ9pbsOefeQKNZ5WSjtnlSt_KfbsAp2mEOrAD8r1BMpodaPuDSTC3KYdTFiV4G8O7TP47Sex41yHg0rOGUb5PoFHPJDbijzT9d93yK-brVq705Go3S8W-9YjlD_EuChUkw0" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2101" data-original-width="3635" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi6BznDgOEYuAGW9ByxKPWaHSU1uU1oe9oRRc_YJufgaAP8L2z7lJ9pbsOefeQKNZ5WSjtnlSt_KfbsAp2mEOrAD8r1BMpodaPuDSTC3KYdTFiV4G8O7TP47Sex41yHg0rOGUb5PoFHPJDbijzT9d93yK-brVq705Go3S8W-9YjlD_EuChUkw0" width="320" /></a></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjOxTm-hBQUgA-bzVO2da65C0F3_8UPvrShjmHFd58JZNz1P27dfAicVPs7AoyZrgMvv4x0RPDSQdJNDbOupevDrDB0FCaN7cYMoy8xKi7ZOnL1dRC2Yq2lXefdgeiC6_7AFc8VnJ8PSVKLv2T8ERRKHbnBkg3XfQInV1CB8ak36p6bnWuO7uY" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2522" data-original-width="3725" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjOxTm-hBQUgA-bzVO2da65C0F3_8UPvrShjmHFd58JZNz1P27dfAicVPs7AoyZrgMvv4x0RPDSQdJNDbOupevDrDB0FCaN7cYMoy8xKi7ZOnL1dRC2Yq2lXefdgeiC6_7AFc8VnJ8PSVKLv2T8ERRKHbnBkg3XfQInV1CB8ak36p6bnWuO7uY" width="320" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div><div> <p></p></div></div></div></div>Cryssehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15733554167534664275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33880814.post-18817060511564524512022-03-13T22:02:00.009+00:002022-08-30T11:48:26.688+01:00Is it springtime yet? Apparently Yes...<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhkeIwT59hWTfu-3STUwuA6i-o27Jpvlyse8Nea66CZuXMI94i9cieyq1SDOgdilQAMapVPZQXytKx_1iLlJ0QJVrsOU6cCnMHiD7IL1uGR2-vAgszUiaoRnsbHJBXAJy4xtRjY-hZn3VRXaNcuJH1tuWEGxDj79iz_oS5E1giW07X3CLfqTB4=s6334" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4225" data-original-width="6334" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhkeIwT59hWTfu-3STUwuA6i-o27Jpvlyse8Nea66CZuXMI94i9cieyq1SDOgdilQAMapVPZQXytKx_1iLlJ0QJVrsOU6cCnMHiD7IL1uGR2-vAgszUiaoRnsbHJBXAJy4xtRjY-hZn3VRXaNcuJH1tuWEGxDj79iz_oS5E1giW07X3CLfqTB4=s320" width="320" /></a></div>Theatre first this week, as a stunning new show jumps on stage at <b><a href="https://bristololdvic.org.uk/">Bristol Old Vic</a></b>: <i>Wonder Boy, </i>the product of a new concept in collaboration between city's theatre and its schools, also brings new concept to performance by literally visualising the spoken words in a way that's hugely entertaining. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgeZM3jTfrPdL_VZce2afS5lEyU_lHV1WEZ_Q-wPWHzs6CnaLtl2SxPs-lInXengRuwGK1W3iwemfUxPI2exQfhCOC8-qlW5JVUuDYdbYaCjRfnBoSLUc6nG00jI3Og-kUAT3tjqAbmvpuJasYUOKHuGZe0ykKvRMfZ-ySO1Azi8H1kvIN9VsU=s6524" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4352" data-original-width="6524" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgeZM3jTfrPdL_VZce2afS5lEyU_lHV1WEZ_Q-wPWHzs6CnaLtl2SxPs-lInXengRuwGK1W3iwemfUxPI2exQfhCOC8-qlW5JVUuDYdbYaCjRfnBoSLUc6nG00jI3Og-kUAT3tjqAbmvpuJasYUOKHuGZe0ykKvRMfZ-ySO1Azi8H1kvIN9VsU=w325-h216" width="325" /></a></div>Written by Ross Willis and directed by Sally Cookson, this is a feel-good tale with a familiar scenario - damaged child, wounded healer - but the edgy, entertaining, script is projected behind the action as well as spoken, a brilliant device that as well as enhancing the show also subtly making visible the point that what we try to say matters and those who can't vocalise are just as vital to society as the articulate. The cast are all superb: Raphel Famotibe plays the chronic stammerer, here with his less-than-helpful superhero alter-ego (Ramesh Meyyappan) and his more sympathetic tutor Miss Wainwright (Amanda Lawrence) There's also a bitchy headteacher, and all are great but best of all is his marvellous friend Roshi (Juliet Agnes), pictured above, with an example of the effective & entertaining script projections which kept up with the action even at the noisiest of moments. At the end of the 90-minute straight-through show on Thursday's press night the entire audience rose to applaud, and quite right too. It's on till 26 March, hugely recommended - or watch the <a href="https://bristololdvic.org.uk/whats-on/wonder-boy-live-broadcast">livestream!</a> <span style="font-size: x-small;">photos: Steve Tanner</span><p></p><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjKyGBuH5fzFJoka5ok5OTwoTZbKYY2-BwprEijedkLQLa0E_gcnYsKUgVA_mJnM_18vk0BgaxH2MfEMJV8yOI9YP5iX1r1kh14jc6Fj6QId-8TgFyjfnKNhIAr4IB6whfb_9h1_u3MDIiErbpNwwufQeM6QQNW0FzIm_ihQ7pnL5UbPuYMfKU" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="360" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjKyGBuH5fzFJoka5ok5OTwoTZbKYY2-BwprEijedkLQLa0E_gcnYsKUgVA_mJnM_18vk0BgaxH2MfEMJV8yOI9YP5iX1r1kh14jc6Fj6QId-8TgFyjfnKNhIAr4IB6whfb_9h1_u3MDIiErbpNwwufQeM6QQNW0FzIm_ihQ7pnL5UbPuYMfKU=w268-h178" width="268" /></a></div>Running concurrently, on the Weston stage, <b>Bristol Old Vic</b> has another excellent production with a very different mood. <a href="https://bristololdvic.org.uk/whats-on/what-remains-of-us"><i>What Remains of Us</i></a> is an imagined reunion between an elderly ex-soldier who has made a life in the North Korea since the end of the war and his daughter who remained with rest of his family in the South. This largely-forgotten war, formally ended in 1952 but never resolved, separated thousands of families and there were a few state-organised & supervised reunions arranged. This is one: Seung-Ki re-meets her father, Kwan-Suk after 50 years. This is no rejoining of twin souls: after the initial emotional reconnection, they can barely communicate so rigid is each in the conviction their society is the 'right' one. For nearly 90 minutes, political disagreement seems their only shared language. Much of their struggle to connect is shown in dance and imagined fight sequences (choreographed by Dan Canham) which, with the dislocated fragments of their dialogue, combine to create an extraordinary and powerful performance. Kwong Loke as the initially intransigent father, remeeting his child only because it is his duty, brings an extraordinary emotion to his stilted speech, and Jung Sunn den Hollander as the daughter of his first marriage shares her backstory with poignant passion. Written by David Lane, Sita Calvert-Ennals' direction ensures that unspoken emotions are the strongest. My only reservation is that it wasn't clear to me whether military personnel were observing them at some times but not always, and whether they were aware of that difference, which would have been an important factor. But it's a moving production and a reminder that politics like puppies stay with you for life. <span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">(My full reviews for both these plays published in <a href="https://playsinternational.org.uk/category/review/"><i>Plays International</i> here.)</a></span></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjRMtQC_-uRTdKb7dQTaK9mIkBJznGRPSqysxO6MAeQlK4GB819fXL-qNfVQ4BaergTpmuUq-pW2ctkInpHdBKzoo25bXFGa6MF2HD5UVGBI-5D97d3Ds1sjNynYUmpDH-AVSjGERUgU0a9fxW6pkXsG2R6SxpiHa49fuzUvrWlvTyTdeaS9m4" style="clear: right; display: inline; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2765" data-original-width="2481" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjRMtQC_-uRTdKb7dQTaK9mIkBJznGRPSqysxO6MAeQlK4GB819fXL-qNfVQ4BaergTpmuUq-pW2ctkInpHdBKzoo25bXFGa6MF2HD5UVGBI-5D97d3Ds1sjNynYUmpDH-AVSjGERUgU0a9fxW6pkXsG2R6SxpiHa49fuzUvrWlvTyTdeaS9m4=w196-h218" width="196" /></a><br /></div><div>While we're still in Bristol, there's an impressive <b>Paula Rego</b> exhibition -free - at the <b>Arnolfini</b>, where three galleries are filled with the artist's prints and commentaries on her themes & techniques. Like Angela Carter this artist is fascinated by feminist themes, and the etchings & paintings in this collection explore psychological narratives & human dramas. There's more info & an audio link here: "<a href="https://arnolfini.org.uk/whatson/paularego2022/">Subversive Stories</a>".</div><div><br /></div><div>Music now, and <b>Rosco Shakes</b> were again at Bar Lotte on Wednesday evening to entertain a crowded room with their <span>"<span style="background-color: white;">high-energy jump blues and rock & roll" style of music-making</span>, joined for a couple of nu</span>mbers by Pete Gage. This event is so popular now that there's barely room for dancing, though we still manage to...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhZhb8W4cOAjaqAPSWFq2XWiEVMD_2pWjnCd5L8GzQ_HDVoIPLMnsuybWeDnNz88rrUba1rDqMJ8wQ_YwwoEzYL_VopMytHpjmGaoTsHd5hKO7jdv1gIOB9IuxnqkNI0qDVdTbkFTe_ZC3U8sOK3VBcp1xkzsXuLj7ZjLy-wkX1fT1eg_25vzc=s3735" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1917" data-original-width="3735" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhZhb8W4cOAjaqAPSWFq2XWiEVMD_2pWjnCd5L8GzQ_HDVoIPLMnsuybWeDnNz88rrUba1rDqMJ8wQ_YwwoEzYL_VopMytHpjmGaoTsHd5hKO7jdv1gIOB9IuxnqkNI0qDVdTbkFTe_ZC3U8sOK3VBcp1xkzsXuLj7ZjLy-wkX1fT1eg_25vzc=w389-h199" width="389" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Dancing featured in a big way too at the <b>Red Brick Building</b> in Glastonbury for Friday Night Blues with the <a href="https://redbrickbuilding.co.uk/event/friday-night-blues-mar-2022/"><b>Brue River Band</b></a>, an exciting six-piece band playing<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: #fefefe;"> electric blues Chicago style, which seems to be more upbeat & </span></span><span style="background-color: #fefefe;">funky than Mississippi blues - there's a sample of their style <b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nFw00_TFzg">here</a></b>. </span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgtWC7gatSPyjgld00Yg7728Llzig1d1jOEIvtSXZKBagnDP8S7_Wgm4LyQqDqEzvaDj37qMvNkxOdOIfJXyIjvIO9xvUQstKUOGqgR3GagV9WmUkIoJOlOurwFlv_rhk8EdUpVlsLGQ0MgDl2z1FCrvQVDg1buc6lAHuwefhWpq0YNkPT_-kI" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2254" data-original-width="3320" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgtWC7gatSPyjgld00Yg7728Llzig1d1jOEIvtSXZKBagnDP8S7_Wgm4LyQqDqEzvaDj37qMvNkxOdOIfJXyIjvIO9xvUQstKUOGqgR3GagV9WmUkIoJOlOurwFlv_rhk8EdUpVlsLGQ0MgDl2z1FCrvQVDg1buc6lAHuwefhWpq0YNkPT_-kI=w327-h223" width="327" /></a></div>And more music on Sunday, too, with the welcome return of live music in <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/124651957266/">Nunney</a> at the Cafe that puts the electronics in Acoustic, and a brilliant afternoon session with a superb young band as main guest: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/afraidofthedarkuk"><b>Afraid of the Dark</b></a> play alternative indie with fluency & style and a wonderful singer, Gwen Sutterby. Gwen's father Carl, a popular punk/uke player, ended the session. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiECzGMsUrLd_A8CbS6Sw1xcyUY1t9kaPQvF1gKA5UGeyQ8RGNEuSrpW5JTdP1rOBdSq4UCgaSNFyVoocisaESxMx5XQQSg46Ku7ty1wp64Yeb9yJf5R2oFZRZrnyD2NeALN8tkeKfgHA3m44st7Bzm-qQ7CzdmzLlyASrOkpfDaM1QVhB8N5Q" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="1308" height="162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiECzGMsUrLd_A8CbS6Sw1xcyUY1t9kaPQvF1gKA5UGeyQ8RGNEuSrpW5JTdP1rOBdSq4UCgaSNFyVoocisaESxMx5XQQSg46Ku7ty1wp64Yeb9yJf5R2oFZRZrnyD2NeALN8tkeKfgHA3m44st7Bzm-qQ7CzdmzLlyASrOkpfDaM1QVhB8N5Q=w353-h162" width="353" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div><div>After all which excitement, let's finish the week with a glimpse of the river path at Nunney, brimming with snowdrops. Yes, folks, spring is definitely coming...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgtNu-XvIotLJCnM_6gvuxnxwePPVJCYtcdQX0GjgS2Z48n6Ls8RZOFSQPuZnDkFmwuMEJFVB_4Hf_Jv7y_ltoh4Lx_4LNzfT_Rfh3IEkUn6bnGk146wkAcd76-rUhLxFLW-3uC3DWc83Na01Z0TUVo_6JmeqAHWEWq7riYeRSGSx6cFUTus0I=s3635" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2184" data-original-width="3635" height="165" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgtNu-XvIotLJCnM_6gvuxnxwePPVJCYtcdQX0GjgS2Z48n6Ls8RZOFSQPuZnDkFmwuMEJFVB_4Hf_Jv7y_ltoh4Lx_4LNzfT_Rfh3IEkUn6bnGk146wkAcd76-rUhLxFLW-3uC3DWc83Na01Z0TUVo_6JmeqAHWEWq7riYeRSGSx6cFUTus0I=w275-h165" width="275" /></a></div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Cryssehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15733554167534664275noreply@blogger.com0