Swept up by the Summer of Sport

The Paralympic Games, 31st August 2012

After missing out on tickets repeatedly for the main Games I'd become a little disillusioned with the whole idea of the Games.  The disruption caused by the Olympic Torch Relay didn't improve my mood, then we had the Opening Ceremony and I was hooked.

Thanks to a tip off from a friend and an awful lot of website refreshing and shift negotiation with colleagues Mr Norfolkbookworm and I ended up with tickets to the Aquatic Centre and the Orbit Tower for the last day of August.

An early start from central London in glorious sunshine set the tone of the day - it was brilliant from start to finish.  We got off the Tube at West Ham and walked along the Greenway into the park and as the stadium got closer my excitement grew.  Security checks were fast and efficient and once we were in the Park we had time to grab coffee, juice and breakfast before going into the Aquatic Centre.

Our seats were right in the centre just under half way up and we could see everything.  Amazingly the pool area wasn't too hot and didn't smell of chlorine some really enjoyed seeing elite athletes give their all in the heats. We aren't ardent sports fans and so didn't recognise any of the swimmers at the time - after the past 11 days I now know many more! This didn't matter at all as we were just spellbound and cheering for everyone, especially when Paralympic records were broken.

After our session in the Aquatic Centre we wandered around the park, revelling in the space and beauty of the area and then we had our trip to the top of the Orbit sculpture...

...this was a bit of an extravagance but it gave us the chance to see over the whole Park, into the Stadium and across in to London.  I also found the structure beautiful and the red of the metal against a blue summer sky very eye catching. While we were at the top the athletics finished and we saw just how busy the park gets when 80 000 people start wandering around!

Lunch beckoned after this and we had a lovely Mexican meal in World Square before visiting the London 2012 Megastore. After this we were beginning to flag and so decided to leave before the evening rush hour but even then strolling towards the exit along the canal bank we found more to see - including Gloriana, the Queen's specially built Jubilee barge.  It was a fantastic day and we are both so pleased we got tickets and could take part in this fabulous event.

Theatrical Interlude 16

Taming of the Shrew, The Globe Theatre, August 2012

This was again a play I was a little nervous in seeing, not because I had any doubts about the performance itself but because it was a long awaited treat for my mum, and her first visit to the Globe.

Our seats were in the Upper Tier but dead centre and so we could see almost all of the action, barring a tiny amount that took place on the catwalk-esque thrust part. The first thing I noticed about the staging was how much scenery there appeared to be compared to the sparseness of the last two plays I'd seen there.

The start of the play was a little bit of a shock and was very unexpected (The play runs until October 13th so I won't 'spoil' this) but very quickly became a familiar Globe production. I didn't know the story behind this play at all before seeing it, I'd just been told that it was a problem play that I might find hard to swallow.  I didn't and I loved it from start to finish.

For me this version was funny, poignant, bawdy and brilliant. While Petruchio does try to tame Katherina I found this version wasn't about the subjugation of women but more about a couple having to both compromise for a marriage to work.  The relationship between Katherina and Bianca also had moments that felt very familiar, nice to know Shakespeare got the female sibling rivalry spot on as well as other family's feuds!

The costumes (or lack of them!) were fantastic as were the songs, musicians and the jig at the end. While there were lots of laughs throughout I do think that the kicking of the bucket scene stealing was my favourite!
As mum and I said to each other, if every school child saw a Shakespeare play like this, or even just at the Globe, he'd never be classed as hard work or dull again.

Like my dad earlier in the month I think mum had a great time on her first visit to the Globe and she now has her fingers crossed that her other favourite plays will be in the next season's run!

Book reviewing at a funny time

It is a funny time to be reviewing books at present. A pretty big scandal broke in the book world over the past few days. Authors have been creating false names and accounts on Amazon (at the very least) to positively review their own books and to do the same but negatively to their rivals.

I don't review on Amazon - the closest I come is leaving feedback on 2nd hand items! From the outset I think I've been honest if a book was won, a proof or by a friend. My views are all my own and there is even a picture of me on the blog.

Enough disclaimers. I actually started this post to review a book I won in a Twitter competition:

How to Save a Life by Sara Zarr.

This is where I start with a confession to the publisher - I wasn't paying too much attention when I entered the competition. I saw the publisher and the title and thought it would be a simple, non fiction first aid book that would be great to pass on to a family member who is a Cub Scout once I'd read it!

When a teen novel appeared on the mat I was a bit nonplussed, but then I opened the book. 4 hours later, with a great deal of sniffling I closed the most fantastic teen novel I've read in years.

At the start I thought I knew where the book was going but it continued to surprise throughout and while the ending was happy it was totally appropriate for the story.
I don't want to say any more about the novel as I'd like for others to come to it as unprepared as I was. Not because a spoiler will ruin it, but because the plot may seem trite and something that has been done many times before - it isn't and it hasn't!

If I still worked in retail this is the book I'd be hand selling to everyone buying for a teenage girl this autumn/winter however I will be raving about it to all and sundry in the library service and hoping to get at least one book group (not necessarily a teen one!) to try it.

This was a real surprise gem and again thanks to Usborne for sending me a copy.

Theatrical Interlude 15

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, The Cottesloe Theatre at the National Theatre, August 2012

I've managed to get a little behind on reviewing after another busy fortnight, I 'owe' two theatre reviews, at least two book reviews and my thoughts on the Paralympics. In addition to this I am also trying to get my head around a new piece of technology that isn't intuitive when it comes to Blogging software. Bear with me and any dodgy formatting for a while please!

My crazy theatre going August continued with a trip to see the adaptation of Mark Haddon's novel The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. This is a book I've read more than once and one that I read during my 2011 World Book Night Challenge  with that review in mind I am surprised I was so keen to see this play.

The play may just have dispelled all of my misgivings about the book, the staging and acting made it live in a way that the words on the page just hadn't for me.  The Cottesloe Theatre is a small theatre with seating in the round, and our seats were looking down on the stage. As the play started the theatre went totally dark, and with all black seating and walls I mean totally dark, then as the lights came up in the middle of the stage was a dead dog.

The play continued in such an innovative way all the way through with lots of moving of props by the actors - who were almost always on stage, just seated around the edge - to create new scenarios. Some of the scenes were created in almost a modern dance format as Christopher was bodily moved around the stage by the others to simulate, for instance, his wish to be an astronaut. The stage itself was a giant light board that at one point transformed into a realistic Underground platform, just stunning.

I am totally in awe of Luke Treadaway who portrays Christopher. This is almost a one man show and he carries it wonderfully, showing the wonderful mix of intelligence but also lack of understanding that is Christopher.  Paul Ritter, who plays the father, also deserves every accolade as he manages to create a very real dad, someone who cares deeply for his disabled child but also someone who is human and who snaps and can't cope at times.

I don't think I can find a thing wrong with this play, other reviews have said it was over long but that isn't something I found at all. It was possibly the most intense piece of theatre I have seen and as it is sold out at The National do try to catch it at one of the National Theatre Live events.

Theatrical Interlude 14

Richard III, The Globe Theatre, August 2012

I was a little concerned going into this play - it was the third play in just over 24 hours after all. Could this, the second play in as many days, really be as good as Henry V?

I must learn not to doubt - it was truly wonderful, but a departure from the preceding plays I've seen in this location as it was played with an all male cast.

I'd seen a few cast photos from this play before we went and I did wonder if I'd be able to believe that the female characters were female.  It was a little be of a shock at first but as with any good play this quickly became irrelevant and it was the lines that were important.

In my mind I'd always seen Richard III as a dark sinister character who was an archetypal villain but in this version Mark Rylance expressed his ruthlessness and madness through humour. Admittedly dark and often inappropriate humour but it was an intriguing way to play the role.

I also wonder if this play came closest to showing off The Globe as it would have been in Shakespeare's time as Richard III, and other actors, are constantly turning to the audience and encouraging participation.  It could have turned into a Shakespearean pantomime but the quality of the acting prevented this and I just felt I'd travelled in time.

The one thing I noticed with this performance was how relatively static it was - the actors didn't leave the stage and use the groundling area at all. This play is transferring to a traditional theatre in the West End later in the year and I do wonder if this has altered the staging at all.

All in all another wonderful production at The Globe, and I think a great introduction to the venue for my dad who accompanied us on this visit. I can't wait to introduce my mum to the venue when we see Taming of the Shrew in a couple of weeks.

Theatrical Interlude 13

The Doctor's Dilemma, Lyttleton Theatre at the National Theatre, August 2012

After leaving the stirring production of Henry V at The Globe my theatre going friend and I strolled along the South Bank until we got to the National Theatre.  We did intend to only visit the shop but the lure of the theatre was too strong and on discovering that there were reduced price tickets to a play that evening we were too weak to resist.

The joy of this play was apart from the playwright, George Bernard Shaw, we know nothing at all about it.  It has been quite a time since I've gone so 'blind' in to a performance.

The play itself was very good and very thought provoking, a lot of valid ethical questions were raised and yet at the same time the play was very funny for much of the time. I wasn't quite sure about the ending but I suppose that was the point Shaw was making - doing the right thing, even for the wrong reason, doesn't always get you what you want.

The real star of this play for me was the staging, the sets were beautiful and moved so cleverly that I at least felt I was walking between locations rather than the scenery changing!  This year has been the year of incredible scenery at the theatre, and the use of light through windows especially often makes me forget I am in a dark theatre and not actually in the house/garret.

All in all a surprise evening of theatre that was very enjoyable and proof that if a play is good then it doesn't matter if you don't know the story (or the actors) in advance.

Theatrical Interlude 12 - reprise (2012)

Henry V, The Globe Theatre, August 2012

A day out at The Globe Theatre is always a treat and as I've discovered seeing a play twice here is no hardship either so I was very excited to be seeing Henry V again.

It was just as good the second time around, and in a way even better as currently there is such a swell of pride in being British that when Henry calls "Cry 'God for Harry, England and St George'" the whole theatre seemed to become one.

Seeing this a second time allowed me to see the wonderful way the battle scenes were choreographed and just how clever the staging is in that you can imagine a full battle when there are less than 20 actors involved.

The play finishes in a week and I am sad that I won't see it a third time - I will however have everything crossed that the Globe release this on DVD sooner rather than later so I can enjoy it again.

Theatrical Interlude 11 (2012)

Hector Goes to Hollywood by The Blakeney Players, Blakeney Village Hall, August 2012.

I can never give an unbiased review of this show - even if it had been the most dreadful thing I'd ever seen (and it wasn't by any means) - as I've known one of the actors since she was born!

As ever the play was a fun romp with a daft story line which can easily be forgiven due to the passion that the whole cast throw into the performance.

The Players write, direct, choreograph their biannual shows as well as creating their own costumes and scenery.

If you haven't seen one of their shows before, or you aren't from Norfolk/Blakeney then you will be a bit lost at first but sit back and enjoy the ride, I guarantee that you'll laugh lots and find your toe tapping.

Overlook the imperfections, the corpsing and the missed lines and rush to book your tickets for the Christmas show as soon as they go on sale.

Theatrical Interlude 10 (2012)

Hamlet (Globe on Tour), Bungay Castle, August 2012

After a break of two months I was more than ready to go to the theatre again and so I'd been looking forward to seeing this production a lot.

The chance to see a play from the Globe that I'd missed in London was a real bonus and the setting for this was lovely - in the grounds of Bungay Castle.  Picnics with wine were positively encouraged and all that was needed was some nice weather...
...the drive from Norwich was not looking hopeful with torrential downpours. Stopping to pick up a friend and the picnic gave the weather a chance to improve and by the time we got to the venue the sun was out - hurrah!

I think that it has become clear that I am very fond of Shakespeare as performed by the Globe and this was no exception. The whole production really had the feeling of coming from Shakespeare's time - all of the props, costumes and staging could have fitted on to a couple of waggons and travelled around the country. The actors were also all talented musicians and I could imagine them earning their bread and board in Tudor England.

I'd not seen any version of Hamlet before this and I liked the staging and 'take' a lot.  While not in conspicuously period costume it seemed to me (and my theatre companions) that the clothes did have a definite 1940s feel and whilst not stating anything overtly this version was drawing parallels with wartime events in Scandinavia .

The cast was tiny and most of the cast played two roles at the very least, there was no time for costume changes and sometimes the two roles were even appearing in the same scene but thanks to clever use of body language and accessories you could always tell who was being portrayed.

The take on Hamlet was interesting and a lot of the time he came across as a very spoiled, petulant teenager, but as the play developed this worked wonderfully in his descent into confusion/madness. I recognised a lot of the famous lines in the play but in my ignorance hadn't realised that they came from Hamlet - the line 'Alas poor Yorrick' was a real treat to hear in context.

This was a really lovely evening - even with the torrential rain in the interval - and I am so pleased that the first play I saw after a break was so good.  One worry before the start was how would we hear the actors, they had no amplification and the stage was a distance away in open country. With only a couple of exceptions there were no issues at all - hats off to the actors who projected so well, even when competing with a flock of geese and an attention seeking pigeon.

My only (small) regret is that I saw Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead before Hamlet, I think I would have got so much more out of the former having seen the original first.

I already can't wait to see if The Globe brings a play to Bungay next year!

Book Review

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce

This was a last minute addition to my eReader before we went away. There had been a lot of interest on Twitter about the book and after several people who's opinion I trust praised it I thought I'd give it a go.

I am so pleased that I did. The premise is simple: after receiving some sad news in a letter the recently retired Harold Fry writes a reply and sets off to the post box to post it. However he finds that he can't post it and starts to walk from Devon to Berwick on Tweed.

It sounds a preposterous premise for a full length novel but this gentle novel worms its way under your skin very quickly, why are Harold and his wife so unhappy, why is there son estranged, what was the relationship between Harold and letter writer Queenie...? So many questions that are gently answered as the story goes on.

I was sniffling a lot by the end, but in a good way. I have recommended the book to a lot of people since we've been back and I am so happy that it has been included on the 2012 Booker Prize Longlist.

The Greatest Show on Earth

The Olympic Games

I think that it is fair to say that I was not really looking forward to the 2012 games.  I'd failed to get tickets in 2 rounds of the ballots and then there were no affordable seats left for the sports I wanted to see.

Even though the Opening Ceremony was being directed by Danny Boyle and scored by Underworld I wasn't that bothered. Like so many of us the whole ticketing fiasco had made me lose any interest.

On Friday 27th July Mr Norfolkbookworm and I decided that as it was such a historic moment we would at least watch the first few minutes of the opening.  We flicked it on about an hour before the start and to be honest it didn't look great, we crossed our fingers that it would get better.

In our opinion it did. We were both captivated at the spectacle, it was wonderful on so many levels. The artistry of the the countryside becoming an industrial nightmare, the celebration of children's books (and the NHS), the humour and cameo appearances and most surprisingly of all the wonder of the modern dance sequence.

I'll admit the arrival of the athletes did get a little dull - but hey they are what it is all about after all!

The arrival of the torch and the lighting of the cauldron was a masterpiece and from talking to other people I know that I am not the only one who had goosebumps at this point.

The only downside was letting Paul McCartney finish the evening...he might be a talented songwriter and musican but after this I have my doubts, and I don't think he can sing!

All in all my cynicism has vanished, I'm hunting through the website looking for tickets to the Paralympics and hope to get to at least one event. I knew holding on to that day of annual leave was important.

The thing that made Mr Norfolkbookworm and I laugh the most (apart from Mr Bean) was the recognition of the influence last year's Frankenstein play had on the spectacle - we're both still waiting for the train to appear...

Book Review

Abdication by Juliet Nicolson

I think that it is clear from the (rare!) book reviews I write that I like historical fiction, and especially those set in the first half of the twentieth century.

I was very much looking forward to reading this one as it ticked all of my boxes - family saga, intense historical setting and written by an expert.

In the main I wasn't disappointed, the story-lines of the fictional characters wove pretty seamlessly with the 'real' characters and the descriptions of people and places made the book really live in my imagination.

Whilst the book is called Abdication in many ways that is a minor, and almost dull, strand in the narrative. The portrayal of David and Wallis was verging on the unsympathetic a lot of the time and Nicolson makes it very clear that had he become King history would have taken a very different line.

The strand of the story that I liked the most was the portrayal of the Jewish East End, Mosley and the Black Shirts are often glossed over in fiction (and history) books but here the fear and contempt comes shining through, as well as the reminder that ordinary people did support the British Union of Fascists.

I had worked out that there was a twist to May's own story but cleverly Nicolson still managed to surprise me with the full story.

My only vague criticism with the book is that it felt almost too visual at times it felt like a screen play complete with stage directions.  It would make a great television but for me it felt a little too written with that in mind.  This is a very minor complaint however and this is a book I can whole heartedly recommend.

The copy I read was an advance reading copy thanks to Net Galley.

Book review

Double Cross - by Ben MacIntyre

This was one of the books I'd been saving up for my holiday. I've been a fan of Ben MacIntyre's books ever since I read Operation Mincemeat a few years ago. Agent Zigzag was a real treat last year on the World Book Night 2011 list and I was really looking forward to this one.

I didn't get to read it as quickly as I'd have liked as Mr Norfolkbookworm wanted to read it first and he is not the fastest of readers.

The wait was worth it, as ever the narrative was engaging and accessible. There is just the right amount of technical and historical detail to fully round out the story but this never swamps the human stories that are the key to the tale.

I have two criticisms of the book - one of my own and one from Mr Norfolkbookworm.

I found the constant use of cricketing terms really got on my nerves after a while. I can see why they are used - old boys' network, typically British etc. etc. but even though I am a cricketing fan they stuck out like a sore thumb to me as they were used so much. I do worry that if you aren't familiar with the terms then you might think this was another secret code being smuggled into a books about spies.

It was an anachronism that stuck out for Mr. N - one of the spies is given a transistor radio at one point. From the outset Mr. N said that this was too early for such a device and to prove this hunted out an Internet hotspot to look this up and according to Wikipedia he was right.  The version of the book I read was a proof thanks to the Netgalley website so this may have been corrected in the final draft but once I knew that there was an error like this in the book I was constantly wondering if there were many other errors in the book.

In general this was an excellent book, I found that the twists and turns of the double/triple/quadruple agents clear and exciting and while we do now know the outcome of WW2 at the time it was far more uncertain and this book really explores another side of the battles we fought.

A little light reading

It has been all a bit quiet here for the last few weeks as Mr Norfolkbookworm and I went away for 2 weeks in the sun.  After the weather here in the UK we were really looking forward to the break and we weren't disappointed  in the slightest.

We didn't see a cloud for two weeks and for most of the time the sea temperature was warmer than the actual temperature back home.  All in all it was a perfect break for doing lots of relaxing and lots of reading...which is what I did!

In the two weeks we were away I read 21 books and as ever they were from a broad sweep of genres.

• Underground, Overground - Andrew Martin
• The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald
• Coronation - Paul Gallico
• Exotic Marigold Hotel - Deborah Moggach
• The Honorable Schoolboy - John le Carre
• 50 Shades of Grey - E L James
• Abdication - Juliet Nicholson
• 50 Shades Darker - E L James
• 50 Shades Freed - E L James
• Double Cross - Ben MacIntyre
• Dead Men - Richard Pierce
• I Still Dream About You - Fannie Flagg
• Chocky - John Wyndham
• Mani - Patrick Leigh Fermor
• The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry - Rachel Joyce
• All These Things I've Done - Gabrielle Zevin
• Whatever it Takes - Adele Parks
• London Belongs to Me - Norman Collins
• What Katy Did - Susan Coolidge
• What Katy Did Next - Susan Coolidge
• The Cat's Table - Michael Ondaatje

There were some real surprises among these books - some I'd been saving for months and was disappointed by, some I didn't expect to enjoy but couldn't put down and others that I loathed but at the same time was compelled to finish...

The main thing that was different this year was that I didn't actually read a physical book in the time we were away - all 21were ebooks. In the past I've always read a mixture but this time I had a paperback in my back for those minutes on the plane where they don't let you read from a electronic device but as I had a window seat I found I was looking out of that rather than reading.

I have thoughts buzzing round my head about some of these books and will endeavour to share them soon but in the meantime one more photo to make you jealous!

Theatrical Interlude 9 (2012)

Noises Off, Novello Theatre, June 2012

I am beginning to think that my theatre outings really are doomed - I promise I've never called the Scottish Play by its real name in a theatre!

This long arranged trip had the potential to become a logistical nightmare. A family bereavement meant I needed to be in Swindon at funeral on the morning of this trip, then the train was late and to cap it all the Circle Line suddenly stopped being a circle and was more of a horse-shoe missing out the area I needed to be.

I'd been so busy before this trip that I had absolutely no idea what Noises Off was about other than a play rehearsal. When I got to the theatre and saw it was by Michael Frayn my heart sank a little further - despite many good intentions (and enticing book blurbs) I've never yet managed to finish anything that the man has written.

On top of all this was the worry that after such a day, was a farce really what I needed?

The old adage that laughter is the best medicine could not have been truer.

From pretty much the second the curtain rose I was giggling, and by the time Act 1 had finished and Act 1 had started I was laughing out right. By Act 1 I really thought I would cry with laughter.  The play actually started before the curtain rose but that only became apparent as the story unfolded but I know that my companion and I were a little bemused by the pre-show announcements for a while.

The basic premise of the play is that Act 1 shows a play in the final dress rehearsal but that it isn't really ready to be performed. Act 1 then shows the same play but from behind the scenes, the final Act 1 is the same play but on the closing night when the cast have fallen out entirely and the show can barely go on.

Watching the same play three times in two and a bit hours shouldn't work but the energy of the script and the actors makes it a wonderful theatrical experience. The act that takes place behind the scenes is comedy genius and how the actors perform the stunts time after time without hurting themselves amazes me. I shall never look at cactus in quite the same way again!

I've never taken part in any theatrical show (apart from a school play when I was 14) but having read a few biographies and novels set in the world of theatre I think that although taken to the extreme there is more than a grain of truth in this play.

I am so glad that I did see it despite so many events conspiring against me, and I find it hard to see how anything I see at the theatre for a considerable time can be as funny.

Blowing a friend's trumpet

I am behind on theatre reviews, I do actually have a few books to blog about and I am trying to load my Kindle with books before going away but all of that pales into insignificance.

11 months ago I blogged about a friend's book, and how sad I was that it hadn't found a mainstream publisher.

Since then she's been working very hard on editing it and yesterday took the plunge and decided to start selling it via Amazon.

Now I know that many people think that Amazon are closely related to the devil but please, if you like a good escapist read and if you like a little bit of romance mixed with those realistic cringe worthy moments PLEASE download the sample of this book - then fall in love with the characters and buy the whole thing.

The author is talented and this book deserves to do well. And no I'm not on commission, just passionate about books I like. As I said in my original review I was honest with feedback and if I hadn't genuinely enjoyed the book I wouldn't be championing it a year on.

PS - even if you don't have a Kindle you can read this book via the Amazon widget on your laptop/netbook/phone/iPad...

Courting controversy

Forgotten gems?

One of the things I love about my job is the variety of events that I can plan and hold. Recently we've held two connected talks about books rather than given by specific authors.

The first, at the start of May, was held in conjunction with UEA and Persephone Books. It was all about forgotten authors and forgotten books and how a book that was a bestseller in it's day can so quickly be forgotten. And then how it can be rediscovered and republished thanks to the multitude of specialist publishers, especially Persephone,  that now exist.

There was lots of talk and discussion around this topic from the audience and, not least in the semantics of calling a book forgotten. Most of the books picked by Persephone are 'gentle' in tone and whilst I love the books I can sometimes see that without a 'champion' they might never be rediscovered, and possibly may deserve to stay in obscurity.

The second event was held at the start of June, again in conjunction with UEA, and this one was the total antithesis to the first event. We spent the evening discussing Norman Mailer and Henry Miller, trying to decide if it was just their subject matter that kept them in the public eye and that without the shock factor would they too have become obscure authors rather than much studied, modern classics.

No area of these authors books or lives was shied away from and the discussion was full, frank and fascinating.  Personally I came away with the feeling that without the shock factor these authors would perhaps not have become so feted and also that I'd have hated to have been trapped in a lift with either of them!

We are hoping to continue this idea of talks about less well known areas of literature and also hope to start a 'forgotten gems' book group in the autumn.  Usually the words 'classic' and 'must read' send me running for the hills but now I'm not so sure...

Theatrical Interlude 8 (2012)

Henry V, Globe Theatre June 2012

This was the second play that Mr Norfolkbookworm and I saw during our weekend in London.  We'd packed fearing the worst - the forecast for Sunday was dire however it was a pleasant surprise to find it warm and  almost sunny as we strolled alongside the River Thames to get to the Globe.

There has recently been a season of Shakespeare plays from the Globe shown on Sky Arts and we did mean to watch the almost prequels to this one (Henry IV pts 1 and 2) but time got away from us and we didn't manage it.  Being Shakespeare this didn't matter.

Sunday was the first day of the 2012 "The Plays the Thing" season at the Globe - for the past few weeks it has been the "Globe to Globe" season where all 37 plays by Shakespeare have been performed but with each one in a different language. I didn't see any of them but I know that if I'd lived in London I would have done - the reviews have been excellent.

Henry V was the Globe Theatre's entry to G2G and so while we saw the first performance of the summer season it wasn't the first time is had been performed.

It was wonderful from the instant the musicians appeared on the stage to the dance at the end it was a masterpiece. I've seen the film version from 1944 with  Laurence Olivier and while that was good it felt very earnest, this version was human - there were emotions and so much humour, from the Bishops on their 'throne' to the scenes with Pistol yet none of it felt over blown or out of place.  As for the famous 'once more unto the breach dear friends' scene - I was ready to draw my sword and join in.

Having been to Agincourt a couple of years ago I could really see the scene of the battle - which is wonderful as the 'Chorus' does ask you to imagine the scene as it would be too hard to realise in the theatre - and thought that the way the fight is depicted using just a few of the cast was fantastic.

I am very glad that I am seeing the other 3 plays in the London season over the next few months and very pleased that I will see this play again.  It has quickly moved to the top of my (imaginary) list of Best Plays 2012.

 

Agincourt archers in Agincourt, France

Theatrical Interlude 7 (Reprise)

War Horse, New London Theatre, June 2012

Since seeing this last year, and since being a little disappointed in the recent film version, I've been trying to convince Mr Norfolkbookworm that he should see this play.

It didn't take a lot of work and so this past weekend we went down to the 'Big Smoke' in order to see some theatre together.

It was a lovely weekend and despite the dreadful forecast we had lovely weather and a great time.

It was nice to also see and evening performance of a play, I don't think that there is any particular difference in a matinee but if certainly felt more of a treat to be seeing a play in London at night!  It certainly didn't make any difference in the behaviour of the audience - how can so many people be so incapable of sitting through an act of a play?  I can understand the children needing to leave but the adults?

Anyhow none of the audience fidgets spoilt the play for me, and neither did it matter that this was a repeat viewing.  From start to finish I was captivated and immersed in the story. I think that this time it took even less time for me to see the horses on stage as real animals rather than puppets if I am honest!

War is a brutal thing and this play shows this, but it also brings out the best (and worst) in people and again that is shown fully.  An adaptation of a book written for children played on stage with puppets shouldn't be that emotional but all credit to everyone it really is. I was sniffling by the end that is for sure.

Last time I saw the play I was sitting in what they class as restricted view seats as you lose a little of the view at the edge of the stage, this time we were pretty much dead centre of the stalls, I discovered that we hadn't lost much of the action last time. I also discovered that these seats right at the front but at the side did in fact make the play a little more immediate - when the horses gallop across the stage it is impressive from the centre but at the side you do think the horse is going to run you down!

This was certainly a play that stood up to repeat viewing, but unlike one person that I overheard I don't think I'll be going to see it 11 times!

Theatrical Interlude 6 (2012)

The Duchess of Malfi, The Old Vic, May 2012

My theatre going friend and I ventured south of the river this time to the incredible Old Vic Theatre.

Before I even talk about the production I need a moment or two to rave about the venue - I found the Old Vic to be a wonderful example of how you can bring a traditional building up to date but at the same time lose nothing of the original character.  Unlike the Vaudeville Theatre from a few weeks ago this building is light and airy, comfortable and most important has plenty of ladies loos!  In addition to this while the auditorium still feels like a traditional Victorian theatre it isn't at all thread bare or dated, plus - and this was a bonus on an surprisingly sticky May day - it has wonderfully efficient air conditioning.  Much of this is I am sure due to the input from Kevin Spacey who was appointed artistic director in 2003.

Now the play...

This was another one that I knew nothing about before the performance except that it was written after Shakespeare but before the Civil War.  John Webster appears as a young boy in the film Shakespeare in Love but there my knowledge stopped!

I was sucked in from curtain up, the speech was easier to follow than that of Shakespeare but I still needed a few moments to fully get my ear in tune but then the plot and the acting carried me though and I felt I was living the drama not watching a play.

The basic plot is that the Duchess of Malfi has been left a rich widow and her unscrupulous (and increasingly unhinged) brothers don't want her to marry again as they will then not see any of this money.  The Duchess however has a mind of her own and does remarry for love, but shock horror he is from a much lower class than her.  Their happy life comes to an end when her brothers find out about the marriage and subsequent children.

I think we counted 9 murders, 2 fake corpses and a severed hand so this play is not for the faint hearted!

I saw the actress playing the Duchess last summer at The Globe and thought she stole the show there and the same can be said of her performance here, but again she was supported by a strong cast and they convinced me that they really were feeling every emotion.

The setting was quite dark, very much like the theatres of Webster's time I suppose. While modern lights were used on stage actors carried candles a great deal of the time and it was all very atmospheric, including one scene which took place in pitch blackness - even the emergency exit lights were covered for it.

Reviews online seem mixed for this play - critics liked it but bloggers haven't been so keen.  I'm on the side of the critics. I thought it was fabulous and I will be looking at the listings for The Old Vic a lot more often now as well as following Eve Best's career closely.

Shiver my Timbers

Pirates! An Adventure with...by Gideon Defoe

Many years ago I read a daft little book called Pirates! An Adventure with Scientists. I remember it being funny but nothing more.  Thinking back on the book I am sure it is because I didn't know enough about the things Defoe was poking fun at.

Fast forward about a decade and the wonderful Aardman Animation studios release The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists which was brilliant.  From the opening to the end of the credits I think it was one of the best films I've seen in ages and for me it was better than the last couple of Pixar movies - heresy I know!

Since then I've use the library to borrow the book where the Pirates meet Moby Dick and have the one about the Communists on reserve. When I saw that the brand new book The Pirates! An Adventure with the Romantics available on Net Galley I knew that I had to request it.

This past weekend I developed a horrible summer cold and The Pirates! were just what the doctor would have ordered I am sure.

The Pirate Captain and his band of inept pirates are sailing on Lake Geneva once more in financial straights.  Lord Byron, Percy Bysshe Shelley and Mary Godwin are in the vicinity and bored.  Cue the start of the adventure.

I don't think that there was a chapter that didn't raise a snigger and I think that Mr Norfolkbookworm was ready to throw me to the sharks as I kept reading snippets out to him. Any book that rates the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford over the Ashmolean is always going to be a favourite with me.

As with the other Pirates! books some knowledge of the bit of history/literature that Defoe is lampooning makes the books far more enjoyable but I hope there are more books and more films!

Please note that this is a small review of a book that won't be published until August 30th, the other books in the series are available already and the film is still on release in UK cinemas and the DVD will be released in September 2012.

Proof is in the pudding

Till We Eat Again - Judy Gruen

I've had a few more success's with proofs downloaded from Net Galley since the last time I posted about the service.

Till We Eat Again was one of these.  This is an autobiographical account of a woman (Judy) who needs to lose 15lb before a special occasion and how she tries all manner of diets, exercise plans and holistic treatments in that goal.

As someone who has a love of food and a few(!) pounds to lose I loved this book.  Judy is unfailingly honest throughout the book - whether it is the revolt form her family at the food she is making them eat or the lapses she experiences when faced with a cinnamon bun.

I am someone with a healthy scepticism for the majority of the holistic and 'miracle' weight loss cures and at first I was nervous when Judy started exploring these but it quickly became apparent that she also shared these thoughts and that nothing tried made her change this opinion.

Unsurprisingly the conclusion of the book is that the only things that can help you lose weight are sensible eating and exercise. Not a shock to hear but a very entertaining book to have my prior knowledge confirmed.

Say Cheese

Here we go again...another post full of excuses as to why I'm not reviewing a book!

Once more my reading has slowed down, however this time not because I have got a reader's block or even my regular problem of getting stuck on a reading group novel. 


I've just been too busy to read!


I am studying again and a lot of the books I've been reading and dipping into are books relevant to the course - a Diploma in Drama.  The current units are on Shakespeare and so I'm reading a few plays, critical studies of the man and history books about the age in which he lived and wrote.  The current programmes on the television have been very helpful as well.


In addition to this I went on a photography experience day a little while ago. 


This was a truly wonderful experience.  A whole day was spent with a professional photographer, Paul Sawer, at the Suffolk Owl Sanctuary, we got up close and personal to a wide range of birds of prey and saw two flying shows.  All through the day we were guided with our shots and camera use and I've been blown away by my results from the day.  I am generally best at landscape shots but I could easily see myself wanting to do some more wildlife shoots like this.

Cobweb the male barn owl in flight

I was very pleased with the how my equipment behaved, I was using a super-zoom lens on this day and while it is a great lens for me to take out and about it doesn't always get the best reviews.  However I found that all my pictures needed was a little cropping to get rid of the tiny bits of lens visible in the tightly zoomed shots. The auto-focus and image stabilising worked a treat. Of course I've come away wanting a new lens specially for this type of photography but realistically I know that I don't need one AND would have problems carrying it about if I did!

My favourite shots of the day can be found on my Flickr stream but I can't resist putting just a few more here!

 

Three week old eagle owl chicks

 

Swooping red kite

Bataleur eagle

 

Pipped at the post

 Sadly the Norfolk and Norwich Millennium Library didn't win the Library of the Year award on Monday night.  We've shrugged off the disappointment and have started working on projects that will hopefully mean that 2013 is our year.

It was a shame we couldn't have added this award to Norwich as it would have been the icing on the literary cake as last Thursday it was announce that Norwich had become the first English UNESCO City of Literature.

We did lose to another City of Literature, Edinburgh, so there is no shame in it!

Dystopian Australian Fiction

A Small Free Kiss in the Dark by Glenda Millard

A while ago a friend in publishing sent me an advance copy of a new teen novel to read. To my shame the book slipped down my to-be-read pile and it wasn't until I got a small twitter nudge that I dug the book back out.

I read it from cover to cover on a train journey to London a few weeks ago and it has really stayed with me since I finished it.

I've read quite a bit of Australian kid lit, not trying to be trite but "some of my favourite authors are from Australia" and books from the antipodes can sneak their way to the top of the pile just due to this quirk.

A Small Free Kiss in the Dark was different from the start as it is all about a destructive war, about what we never find out, and the whole idea of bombings, barricades and military fighting in Sydney really stuck out.

I was quickly swept up into the story and read through the book quickly - although I can't recall a lot of the fine details now. It did move me hugely and the twists were unusual and the story a strange mixture of simplistic children's book and hard hitting war novel. It is the unusual premise of a book set in an area that I've visited but in a world that I can't associate with that location that has stayed with me.

On finishing the book I was instantly reminded of the unsettled feelings I experienced as a teenager on reading Louise Lawrence's Children of the Dust or Robert Swindell's Brother in the Land.  These books were about living in the aftermath of nuclear war (a still real prospect during my childhood) and it was the fear that, although unlikely, the happenings in the books *could* come true that haunted me.
A Small Free Kiss in the Dark has that same foreboding - as we are in a time when terrorism or economic crises could cause society to disintegrate quickly and entirely - and that it what has made this book stick in my memory.

As dystopian books are all the rage at the moment this book might do well, but I found it very unsettling as it was too realistic, unlike many of the Hunger Games'esque books that are all the rage.

Theatrical Interlude 5 (2012)

What the Butler Saw, Vaudeville Theatre, May 2012.

This was a surprise addition to my theatre calendar for 2012: an unexpected trip to London for work, some lieu time and a May Madness Offer from Lastminute.com all worked in my favour and after a lot of deliberation I decided to see Orton's What the Butler Saw.


I found the play to be a very full on experience from the instant the curtain rose and it wasn't until the 2nd act that I felt I had got in my stride to go with the humour, I almost felt that a 'warm up act' was needed like you get at some stand up comedy shows just so that you are in the right mindset for when the action starts.

Like most of the plays I've seen so far this year this was truly a comedy (nay farce) and I enjoyed the performances of all six actors immensely, as to be expected Tim McInnerny is brilliant but I found Omid Djalili's style of delivery spot on for his role.

I knew nothing about the play before seeing it which was a delight for as the plot became more and more farcical I was swept up and eager to see how it was all going to resolve itself.

I can't say that this was the best play I've seen, and to be honest it would probably fall in the bottom half of a ranked list. I can't quite put my finger on why, I liked the actors, the acting and the scenery. I also laughed a lot - especially in the second half. I'll also never again be able to look at a statue of Winston Churchill without sniggering. There's even full frontal (good looking) male nudity. But...

Perhaps a comedy/farce like this needs to be a shared experience? I saw this alone and sat in an area of the theatre that was sparsely populated...

It was great for the £10 I paid for the ticket but not one I want to see again, or that I can put my hand on my heart and recommend. I am left wondering if I shouldn't have paid the same money and gone to see The King's Speech.

When I saw the play it was still in preview, and it isn't until May 16th that the press night is held and it is officially 'open'.

Theatrical Interlude 4 (2012)

Hay Fever, Noel Coward Theatre, May 2012.

This theatrical trip was nearly a disaster.  Once more there were huge rail problems on the day of the outing, however this time I'd always planned on going the slower, indirect route and consequently missed all of the trouble.  It was a good feeling to outwit the trains for once.

I'd not seen any Noel Coward plays before this one. I've seen some of the films he scripted and read a few of the plays but I wasn't sure what to expect, especially as reviews have been so mixed.

I loved it.  It was laugh out loud funny, the cast worked as a whole, the set and the costumes were fantastic.

When we arrived at the theatre we were expecting to be seated in limited view seats in the Upper Circle however as we tried to get in to the theatre we found we'd been upgraded to the fifth row of the Dress Circle in seats that were far more expensive than the ones we had paid for.  Sadly the reason for this was because there weren't enough people in the audience to fill the Dress Circle let alone that and the Upper... I hope it was just a quiet day because the play is very good and deserves to be seen.

There are a lot of famous people in the play - Lindsay Duncan, Jeremy Northam and Olivia Colman being the biggest names, but it wasn't about them at all - it was a true ensemble piece without a weak link. The acting is quite over the top, but only as the script demands and the physical comedy was just as funny as the script. I shall now be looking for more Coward plays to go and see.

The lasting impression of the play - I really want some silk pyjamas and a silk dressing gown to swan around the house in - the elegant cigarette holder is an optional extra.

Lest we Forget

War Diaries, published by Simon and Schuster and the Imperial War Museum

I've written in other places about my fascination with the diary format and I've reviewed quite a few books set during war time.  Now two of my favourite genres have collided with these new books from the Imperial War Museum:

A Chaplain at Gallipoli: The Great War Diaries of Kenneth Best
A Nurse at the Front: The First World War Stories of Sister Edith Appleton

Kenneth Best was, as the title says, an army Chaplain in WW1 and he served in Egypt and then at Gallipoli. After being invalided home from this battle front he continued as a Chaplain on the Western Front.  He is very frank in his diaries, he criticises and questions constantly and unlike a lot of his fellow priests he spent a lot of time right on the front line and got a reputation for bravery from the men he ministered to.

While I knew that the Gallipoli campaign was ill fated, badly planned and ultimately a disaster this book with the full explanation of Kenneth's comments really brought this home.  I really didn't realise how many British and Indian soldiers were involved, I did have the idea that it was almost a solely ANZAC affair.

Edith Appleton was a career nurse with the Queen Alexandra's Imperial Nursing Service and served in France throughout World War One.  I knew more about this aspect of the war, Vera Brittain's Testament of Youth was the first memoir of WW1 that I read and she was a nurse in France during some of the war. This lead me on to other nursing memoirs and novels.

What I wasn't aware of was the animosity between the various nursing services and especially towards the VADs such as Vera Brittain.  In most of the books about this era that I've read the VADs have been pretty much the equivalent of the 'brave Tommies' who could do no wrong...Edith's diary certainly gives another view!

There are already another two books planned in this series and I for one can't wait to find out more about these lesser known theatres of war. I'm personally hoping for a more personal account of the naval experience of WW1 but I know I'll read what ever is published.

Trumpet Blowing

I always knew I worked somewhere very special but we are all very proud and excited at the Millennium Library because we've made the short list for the Library of the Year award at the Bookseller Industry Awards.

We are up against some really strong competition but to be named one of the top 5 libraries in the country is something special.

We find out if we are the winner on Monday 14th May and I think I'll be keeping everything crossed between now and then.

In addition to our wonderful news, the children's book department at Jarrolds here in Norwich has also been nominated for an award - Independent Children's Bookseller of the Year. Just goes to show how great Norwich is!

Trying New Things

Dancing on Ice, Nottingham Arena, April 2012

I didn't intend 2012 to be a year of new challenges and experiences but that does seem to be how it is panning out so far - and that includes the blog as blogger seems to have changed quite radically since I last posted.

On Saturday I took a friend to see Dancing on Ice Live in Nottingham.  This really was a treat for her and I admit that I was dreading it a little bit.  I am the clumsiest person around on solid ground and can't ice skate to save my life, plus I've never watched an episode of Dancing on Ice.  However I do remember watching the Olympics back in 1984 and seeing Torvill and Dean winning their gold medal with Ravel's Bolero.

The arena was huge and we were *pretty* high up - jokes about oxygen masks and nosebleeds felt pertinent!  The advantage to these seats became clear as soon as the skaters appeared on the ice as we could see all of the skaters at once and the patterns they were creating on the ice.  There were big screens to the side so that seeing close ups were possible.

I only knew one of the 'celebrities' who was skating and so that part of the show left me a little cold but I was blown away when Torvill and Dean or the professional took to the ice - the speed, grace and moves that these people performed were truly incredible.  Skating whilst hula-hooping fire has to be seen to be believed.

What surprised me the most was how influenced I was by the lighting (and costumes) when the ice and lights were yellows and oranges I instantly disliked the routine but the pinks, blues and purples really captured my attention.

I did surprise myself with how much fun I did have, but this was a one off - I don't think I'll be doing it again.

The trying new things continues today as it is World Book Night and I will be the MC for an Open Mic poetry night...

Too Much of a Good Thing

Life in the Dales

I started reading the Gervase Phinn autobiographies a few years ago and found them great fun. Phinn started out as a teacher in a small school in the Yorkshire Dales and progressed on to school inspector. These are his memoirs of this career - I suppose they are a school version of the James Herriot books. I think that they have to be heavily condensed and pretty fictionalised but I might be wrong on this account.

These came to an end and then I discovered the novels by Jack Sheffield, these are very similar to Phinn's books but very definitely fiction. At present these are coming out at the rate of one a year and I eagerly await each new volume, especially as they generally end on a real cliff hanger. The other appeal of these books is that they start in the same year that I started school so while I went to a school in a Kent town rather than a rural village I can remember some of the things that Sheffield talks about.

I was quite excited to see a new book in this vein on the library shelf last week (All Teachers Great and Small by Andy Seed) however after the genius that is Phinn and Sheffield this just feels like a pale imitation, it is *another* memoir/novel of a teacher just starting out in a rural school in the Yorkshire Dales in the 1980s...yawn.

Now I know if something is selling then there are likely to be more in the same style but really - another one just the same as those that already exist? I will try to read it to the end but I think that this might be a book too far. If only it was set in another county I'd be okay but I'm only on page 27 but I already feel like I've read it before but in a better, funnier format.

Theatrical Interlude 3 (2012)

She Stoops to Conquer, National Theatre Live (encore), Cinema City Norwich. April 2012

Having never seen any theatre from the 1700s by a strange quirk of timing I've ended up seeing two in three days thanks to the delights of the National Theatre Live programme.

Sadly this experience wasn't quite the joy that I found the Recruiting Officer to be, however similar the themes in both plays.

I'm not sure if She Stoops didn't quite hit the spot because it was at the cinema and thus I had to watch what the camera showed me or if it was because I found the size of the Olivier Stage created a barrier between the actors and the audience. In the intimate Donmar the knowing winks, nods and asides felt like they could have been aimed at me but knowing just how big the Olivier Theatre at the National is I never felt as much a part of the play as I was supposed to.

The acting in the play was very good, again not a dud amongst the main players and even though the play is well over 200 years old it did feel very accessible and funny. The elements of farce were well handled and just on the right side of cringe worthy. I did think at a few points that the male leads were channeling Black Adder the Third but it (just) worked wonderfully.

I do wonder if I'd seen this play first and The Recruiting Officer at the cinema I'd feel the same but I love the opportunity that National Theatre Live gives me to see more London plays and this was a very nice way to spend a Monday afternoon.

Theatrical Interlude 2 (2012)

The Recruiting Officer, Donmar Warehouse, March 2012

From all accounts my theatre going friends and I were incredibly lucky to secure tickets for this production as it is quite hard to get tickets for this venue without being a 'friend of the theatre' for any performance - let alone when it is a sell out 5 star play.

We knew very little about this play in advance short of it being a comedy written in the very early 1700s.

Our tickets were very clear in saying that late-comers wouldn't be admitted so we arrived in plenty of time and found that as soon as the auditorium doors opened there was action on the stage - with musicians and dancers lighting hundreds of candles. The theatre itself was tiny but the seats were very comfortable and even being sat at the end of the row at the side of the stage we could see everything.

The play itself was a real surprise, it felt like a real bridge between Shakespearean theatre and modern plays - the interaction with the audience and the use of space beyond the stage was very much like a production at the Globe but the language was modern dialogue and natural rather than poetic and rhythmic.

The action all took place in a very short space of time and followed the intrigues of both star crossed lovers and the unscrupulous manner in which people were press ganged into the army. From the very start the play was incredibly funny (and that is before the stage became slippery and a dramatic skid led to some corpsing) and in a way the whole experience reminded me of an up market pantomime with lots of playing up to the audience although luckily no actual audience participation.
The humour continued right up to the last scene when all of a sudden it became wonderfully poignant - the lovers had all been reconciled, the pseudo-baddy (a wonderfully camp Mark Gatiss) had got his comeuppance and overcome this and the recruiting officer had his new soldiers. Then the new recruits all stood in a line playing the traditional song "Over the Hills and Far Away" and through their actions remind you that soldiers go to war...

All of the cast were brilliant, each person inhabited their role completely and the skill of the ensemble to act whilst playing musical instruments, singing, dancing and acting as stagehands was a real stand out.

This was a thoroughly fun play to see and yet again a play that I came out of wishing I could straight back in and see it again.