MORNING BLOGPOST! MEN FROM MARS! MEN FROM MARS!

"No one would have believed, that in the last years of the twentieth century, that a mind superior to ours, would regard a famous novel with envious eyes, and slowly, and surely, he composed some music to entertain us!"

DA DA DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

*tape wipe sound*

It was a quiet night on the third of December in the year of our Lord 2014. Newcastle was preparing to host a Martian invasion in front of around 11,000 human bodies. It was almost a sell out show with some single seats left untouched around the arena. It was one of these seats that I managed to secure with one week to go.

When I booked my ticket I imagined that because I had waited until the very last minute, I wouldn't get a great seat. How wrong I was. Seriously guys, if you ever get the chance to sit in seat 262 in Row P of block 211, then you take it! The view was perfect, and whilst I was very far back, I could see and hear everything extremely clearly. When I walked into the auditorium I was greeted with a giant logo on a giant screen at the back of the stage above the action, and my heart started pounding in anticipation of what was about to happen, because it would be an experience unlike any I have ever had before.




After meeting a friend whom I had discussed the show with, I went back to my seat, and was this time greeted with a giant pair of alien eyes on the screen where the logo had been. These alien eyes seemed to be scanning the audience in the arena as a lot of people sitting in their seats were shown in them. I stared at the screen, eagerly trying to see if the eyes would spot my section, and sadly they didn't, or if they did I didn't get to see them staring at me. It was also kind of creepy, because there was no camera noticeable in the arena pointing at the audience, so unless you were looking at the screen, you would have no idea that you were being scrutinised.



Soon after 8pm Standard Earth Time, The first of the players took to the stage, in the form of Herbert George Wells (AKA H.G. Wells), the author of the book. In my opinion Callum O'Neil (Whom you might know as Wee Dingwall from Disney Pixar's Brave! Yep I was shocked too) managed to capture the essence and pompous nature of the author beautifully. We see him in three stages of his life in which he discusses his views on the world and his story, after the publication date of the book, after World War I and finally after World War II. Throughout the show, HG Wells ages, and the prosthetics used convey his middle aged and elderly nature beautifully. This was an addition to the show for the "final" tour, and it is definitely proved to be a success.

The Journalist soon appeared, after an out of this world interlude on the big screen which displayed the martians preparing to dispatch the first of the missiles to Earth. Liam Neeson was the perfect choice for the Journalist in my opinion, and the holographic interactions with other characters were so cleverly done and worked extremely well. Brian McFadden of Westlife fame became the Sung Thoughts of the Journalist, and my friend and I both agreed that he was probably one of the best vocalists for the role. I wasn't a fan of Marti Pellow's rendition of Forever Autumn on the DVD of the 2012 production, but Brian's vocals captured the emotion needed to pull off this difficult and powerful song. This was by far one of my favourite parts of the show and the addition of the leaves falling on the audience was very moving to say the least. I'm sure some would have been moved to tears by the number.

Special mention has to go to Shayne Ward, who gave an incredibly strong performance as the Artilleryman. I was sceptical to begin with, but he shone in the song Brave New World, which has now become one of my favourite songs in the piece. Jason Donovan's troubled Parson Nathaniel, and Carrie Hope Fletcher's Beth created a duo that not only became a memorable scene from the second act, but created a chemistry which wasn't there when Kerry Ellis did the role. Carrie's rendition managed to convey her love for the man she has lost due to his maniacal changes and her voice perfectly represents her innocence in the dramatic scene. In short I think I preferred Carrie's rendition to Kerry's. (but I might be a little biased having watched many of Carrie's videos on Youtube and seen her as Eponine in Les Mis.)

The staging is of epic proportions, for one thing the Orchestra is on two sides of it, there is a holographic screen, another screen to the left of the huge one, and to top it all off, we have one of the fearsome fighting machines that dominates the front cover of the CDs. The machine is one of the highlights of the show as it rises above everything and fires an extremely powerful heat ray which was so hot the audience further back probably felt it as well. There is some other staging for the Brave New World which is flown in from above. This little bit of set is really nice and has a very steam-punk feel to it which compliments everything else.

In short this show is absolutely spectacular. From the get go, you are immersed in an apocalypse of electronic/symphonic music, a catchy plot, and a performance which will blow you away in a series of heat ray blasts and an invasion of Red Weed. For me I wish I had discovered this show before now, but I also love the fact that I will never see it again, because I will always remember seeing this one. It's a spectacular night I will never forget. Special thanks goes to The Weather for making it atmospherically foggy when leaving the auditorium. It actually felt like Martians had invaded us.

Wait... I'm looking out my front window right now, and I see something in the distance, it's towering over everything and coming straight for my building... Oooh Er.....  I think it's time to end this post, and I'll write again soon... If there is a ne- ................................................................

UUUUUUUUUULLLLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

"The earth belonged to the Martians...."

A Magical Moment

My partner once discovered online that you could "open" the Disney Store at certain branches around the country. Unfortunately, we searched for more instances, but to no avail. It's a real shame because if you time it right, it can be a very magical moment.

My local Disney store opens at 9am every day. I had been to try and open the store once before, but I got there too late the first time. This morning I would make sure I got to open it, whatever the cost!

At 8:30am I approached my local shopping centre and got distracted by the Calendar Club stall which was just opening. Whilst looking at the Nightmare Before Christmas calendar, something in my head reminded me that I wasn't there for calendars. Instantly I put down the calendar and hurried along to the Disney Store. The shutters were up and in front of the doorway was a series of barriers and a giant padlock, presumably for a giant key. Two staff members were standing observing the passing public, obviously looking for someone who would approach them.

9:05 came and went, and I sought my chance. I went up to the staff members and asked if the store was opening soon. This was when they asked me to open it. I was flattered and the child inside of me started to get very excited.

I was asked a variety of questions, including who my favourite character from Disney was. (Tramp obviously...) The key was brought forward from the back of the store and was given to me. All I had to do was place the end of the key (A crafted lookalike of Cinderella's castle) into the padlock and turn it clockwise. This unlocked the barriers and opened the store. I was then given a souvenir miniature key, much like the one that opened the store.

This process is magical. No other word for it. It's something I've wanted to do for quite a while, so this morning made my day.

If you're an adult and are reading this, take your kid along to open the Disney store. It's worth every minute and they go away with a memory to cherish for a lifetime!

Review: Black Coffee - Newcastle Theatre Royal

Jason Durr stars in Black Coffee

  When someone turns around to you and asks you if you have seen Agatha Christie's Poirot on the TV, if you know what they are talking about, chances are you will picture David Suchet in the title role with the signature moustache. If you are really familiar with the character, perhaps you have seen the likes of Albert Finney in the role as well. When reading the books you may see someone different again (or you may just picture Suchet again). In short, many people have played Poirot in adaptations for TV, Radio and even onstage.

 I got given the oppurtunity to see Black Coffee in Newcastle at the Theatre Royal, and I didn't pass it up. But I was a little bit nervous about going... It's true that I find it hard to take to someone else playing Poirot, having seen many of the ITV adaptations with Mr Suchet on countless occasions, so when I found out I was seeing someone different playing Poirot, you can understand how I must have been feeling. It's rather silly of me, but I was worried I would never adjust to Jason Durr's take on the Belgian detective. But I soon discovered there was nothing to worry about.

Black Coffee is the first play Agatha Christie wrote for the stage. She began to write the piece in 1929, and it was initially produced one year later. The play is set in the library of Sir Claude Amory's house, approximately 25 miles outside of London. Sir Claude takes a sip of his evening coffee and, during a blackout, suddenly dies in his chair. Long before he even took his coffee, he summoned Hercule Poirot and Captain Hastings to his house to try to discover who is responsible for the theft of a formula he has kept locked in a safe. Of course Poirot and Hastings arrive too late and Poirot's 'little grey cells' get to work to help unravel the mystery surrounding the disappearance of the formula and Amory's death.

I won't give anything else away because it needs to be experienced to be understood. What I will say though is the Jason Durr captures the essence needed to pull off the Belgian detective, with a mixture of both seriousness and humour, bringing the character to life on the stage and you soon learn to forget David Suchet entirely as you watch him. Coupled with Captain Hastings, the chemistry between the two characters is absolutely fantastic, and both actors pull off the roles to the highest of standards. Inspector Japp was also portrayed quite comically, but he was only seen in the third act of the piece. In the short space of time however, he fast became one of my favourite characters of the play as a whole.


The cast of Black Coffee

The stage is set by an array of talents playing an assortment of interesting characters, all of whom are suspects in the case. The highlights however for me were Hastings, Poirot and Japp, creating a brilliant comedic trio.

If you have the chance to see Black Coffee whilst it tours the UK, I highly recommend it. You will be mesmerised by an unforgettable whodunnit, and it may even leave you with a desire to avoid coffee at all costs. It'll be safe as long as it doesn't leave you with a bitter taste in the mouth...

I'm back... And guess where I've been!

It's been a little quiet around here lately hasn't it?

For this I apologise.  I've done so much since the last post that I felt I'd rather round it all up in a small update post rather than post something for every single thing I've done.

So without further ado let's proceed with the update:

Caroline Rhea/Glasgow - 28th-29th March 2014
My other half introduced me to the magical world of Sabrina the Teenage Witch during the weeks leading up to my second outing to see Caroline Rhea (Aunt Hilda), only this time in Glasgow. I was terribly excited because it felt amazing to have this feeling of freedom (it's the first time I've been away on a holiday without my parents) and since I've never had a proper trip to Glasgow on my own, it could only get better.

Caroline Rhea was on top form during her show at the Stand Comedy Club.  I don't think I've ever laughed so hard at anything before. (well... the only exception being Monty Python's Biggus Dickus sketch... if you can call it that) Tears fell down my face and I nearly found myself on the floor on countless occasions. I would thoroughly recommend going to see her if she's ever near you.

Les Misérables - Broughton High School, 9th-12th April 2014


Yep you guessed it!

Captivate Drama brought Les Misérables back to give it a very fitting send-off. I'm very sad that this was the last time I'll probably ever do the School Edition, but every single moment was worth it.

After picking up the baton, and donning the bicorne for a second time, I can safely say that I feel that this run of Les Misérables was a lot better than the fringe run. Let me explain why.

Well, firstly you had the ENORMOUS set.

That's right. The set this time was even bigger than it was at the Edinburgh Fringe. The raised platform was 2 inches higher off the ground, and this time the orchestra were hidden behind a gauze at the back of the platform.  There was a downside to this. Javert's Suicide had to be completely re-done to fit the new surroundings, but when I look back at photos, and remember how it felt to be up higher, I cannot find a single fault in the way they made my death look realistic.  I won't go into details because I'll be here all day, but that's a significant highlight for me.



Secondly, the show itself was bigger. The chorus had multiplied a couple of times since the last time, and some of the principals were filled by some new faces.

Thirdly, the energy was insanely strong.  In the final performance alone, I've never experienced such an amazing cast of people creating the performance we did. I may be being biased (sorry!!) but I'll say it anyway. I could go as far to say that the final performance of Captivate Drama's Les Misérables was of West End standard, and a lot of people have said the same thing. And do you want to know the best part?

THERE WAS AN ENCORE! AND IT GOT FILMED JUST LIKE LAST TIME!

You can watch this amazing encore here !


Long Weekend to Aberdeen - Easter Weekend 2014

My other half is from Aberdeen.  If you don't know where Aberdeen is, perhaps you should look at a map of Scotland...

Anyway I've only ever been to Aberdeen twice before, and both times I've managed to miss out on the Granite City's centre.  Well not this time.

After a four hour train journey, Amy and I arrived in Aberdeen. The sun shone, the granite glistened and I felt very adventurous. New surroundings meant a new adventure, and that wasn't the only one that I had in Aberdeen.

I was introduced to Amy's lovely family, and Amy's dog Rolo. The staffie is absolutely bonkers, but he really is adorable.

And I was also introduced into the world of spiritualism. I was aware that Amy was a spiritualist, but never did I think that I would join her. I'm proud of the fact that I can now say, I believe in the Spiritworld and its exercises. I'd rather not say much more about this at this early stage, but maybe in the future I will post more about it once it becomes clearer.

Amy also took me to the beautiful Brig O' Balgownie. I never knew that such a beautiful location could be hidden away in the depths of a city like Aberdeen.  At first glance you could say that this sight is probably from the Cotswolds or the Black Country, but NEVER Aberdeen...  It just goes to show that every city in the world has it's hidden secrets and treasures. I will look forward to going back when I'm next in Aberdeen.

Here is a photo I posted to Instagram of the bridge.  It's stunningly beautiful and has to be seen to be believed!


And aside from all that, that is my latest update.  I hope I didn't bore you too much. I will post more frequently in future.  For now, I leave you with a Staffie Selfie!



Kind regards

Gordon H

Suriving College/University: - Ways To Pass Time Between Lessons

A lot of students, like myself, face the same problems every year, but I have found one problem to be particularly frustrating:

Time between lessons.

I recieved my college timetable at the end of January and I groaned when I saw I had two hours between lessons on a Monday. At the start of March, I've already had 4 Mondays to kill the space between lessons and the first one was agony because I had nothing to do!

Don't make the same mistake! Here are some things you can do between lesson time, and why I find them to be effective at passing time (or not!) and if they worked for me. In no particular order:

Internet Browsing

East Durham College, where I am based on a Monday, has many computers and iPads on offer, but when you have a mobile device that can connect to the Wifi, browsing the internet in EDC has never been easier. I own a Nokia Lumia that connects to the internet, so I have used this to pass the gap before.  Unfortunately the internet is addictive. Sadly I find that spending too much time online can become quite a headache (literally and metaphorically speaking) so I do try to avoid this method, if I can. Having the wifi connection always there makes it extremely difficult to resist logging online to check Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Hotmail and other sites. I would advise you to avoid this method if you can, lest you face the wrath of the sight headache...

Go for a Walk

This method is a great way of getting to know your surroundings and the area where your education centre is placed. I took a walk recently and discovered a new part of Peterlee which I'd never seen before, and 2 hours was a great amount of time to do this in. Not only is it nice and refreshing, it is also very beneficial if you want to locate a nice spot you could escape to during this time. If you are in the city centre, you can probably find a very good walk in a nearby park, or if you're near the coast, why not head down to the beach every now and again. This method is a great way of passing time between lessons, whether you have 2 or 3 hours to spare, however, if you don't have a watch with you, you may end up losing track of time, resulting in you missing some lesson time, so I would advise against going very far away from where you're based if you can.

Read a Book



This is the method I find to be the best way of passing time bewteen lessons. I've finished many a novel quicker by reading during this time, and I have loved this method because it's very relaxing.  There's nothing like finding a quiet spot to sit down and open up at where you left off.  Sadly you may encounter a noisy bunch of people which doesn't enable you to read very well, however if you find a nice spot to escape to, as mentioned in the last paragraph, you can escape to this place and read as much as you like without interruption. You should also make sure you have a watch on so you can keep track of the time to ensure you aren't late at getting back.

Revision/Work



Probably the best use of time, but not my favourite, is to do your work.  You're likely to get a lot of work to do whilst at college/university, and to avoid leaving the work until the evening, where you could be going to that party, or going to get drunk with your friends, do it during the day.  That way you can keep your evenings free, and won't be stressing at midnight, that your assignment is unfinished.  This is definitely very effective, providing you find a quiet spot to do this in.  Of course if you need a computer, you can't avoid being in a noisy environment, but where possible, do try to find a quiet place. It'll help you to concentrate.

I have found that these methods of passing time are all really effective if you use them to your best advantage. I have also found that all these can have major consequences if you aren't careful.  Another tip I recommend is to drink water at regular intervals whilst doing these activities (if you can call them that) because keeping hydrated is VERY important.

I hope you found this post useful and informative.

All things LEGO: Madness, Mayhem, Movies... and Minifigures

It was the morning of the 14th of February, and all around the world romance blossomed, couples shared romantic dinners, many proposals were made and children flocked to the cinemas to watch a plastic toy come to life in it's first block-buster adventure. Extremely goofy puns aside, it's just another ordinary Valentine's Day isn't it?

Of course it isn't...

I've never really liked the concept of Valentine's Day, but this Valentine's Day was special, because it was when I fell in love with the children's toy, LEGO.

Well... not really.

My LEGO obsessions started way back in 2000 when I spent pocket money on a little helicopter made of blocks that could be put together.  Speed forward 14 years and 190 LEGO sets later, and you get to my latest acquisitions, which were bought at the LEGO store which recently opened not far from where I am currently living out the rest of my abnormally long childhood.

The latest LEGO sets I bought all had one thing in common: The LEGO Movie.

The LEGO Movie was released nationwide (and possibly worldwide) properly on Friday 14th February 2014, the day after I turned 19.  Everything that happened on that day now came under the category of "Awesome!" as exclaimed by Emmet, an ordinary minifigure who's life changes forever when he finds the legendary Piece of Resistance. Accompanied by an all star cast of minifigures including Batman and Liam Neeson (well, Good Cop, Bad Cop) and an Anime style kitten with a Unicorn's horn, Emmet must find a way to stop the megalomaniac Lord Business from ending the world on Taco Tuesday. Needless to say I loved this movie and I suggest you go and see it. It really is the Pièce de résistance...

Groans aside, On Friday 21st February 2014, a week since the LEGO Movie was released, I embarked on a journey to the LEGO Store in the Metrocentre to use my LEGO giftcard (which I was given on my birthday, the day before the movie came out) to buy some minifigures and sets that featured in the LEGO Movie.

I purchased Cloud Cuckoo Palace for £18, which got me a Unikitty (the hybrid I mentioned previously) and 3 minifigures for £2.49 each. Because I surpassed £25, I got given an exclusive LEGO Store T-Shirt, which the other employees in store were wearing branded with "LEGO Store Metrocentre", complete with a minifigure of the Angel of the North, which I thought was a nice touch. That beats an exclusive polybag I was meant to get with my purchase anyway!

My better half also bought me a further 4th minifigure to compliment the others.  With her help, I managed to squidge out Emmet, Abraham Lincoln, Velma Staplebot (Lord Business's Secretary) and Marsha, Queen of the Mermaids.

Below are some pictures of my purchases.  I enjoyed building the set as it's very colourful! LEGO have done a fantastic job capturing the scene. I may have to pick up some more of the sets in the future to go with my almost complete minifigure series. Will I do it?

Only time will tell...

   

The Student Birthday

Okay, I admit it.

I'm a big kid when it comes to birthdays.

 Today I entered into my nineteenth year. My final year as a teenager. Am I scared?

Of course I am.

Should I be scared?

Definitely.

However, I'm not here to ramble on about the nail-biting concept of surviving in the adult world. I am here, though, to share the antics of my first birthday in a different country, away from home and away from my family.

All night I tossed (which healthy teen doesn't?) and turned, unable to sleep. Perhaps this was the excitement for presents - I know, I know! - or maybe it was partly due to the nerves of not really knowing how I'd react to being away from home comforts on a day I'd always spent with my close family. I had no idea how things were going to turn out.

The day was pretty much just like any other birthday: I opened presents; I ate cake; I even ran knee first into a fellow student during an exercise at university. But still it felt like something was missing.

But then something magical happened, something so very spectacular that it's almost too good to be true:

SKYPE.

Thanks to modern-day technology, we don't really ever need to be too far from our loved ones. Sure, a phone call is nice, but nothing beats seeing your family face to face on your special day. And that is my top tip for students: before you leave home to go to university, or if you've already left and are visiting home soon, try and set your parents up with Skype if they've not already got an account. It's free and easy, and really helps to ease the pains of being away from home (and no matter how macho you think you are, you will fall victim to homesickness eventually!).

To conclude my birthday as night draws in, I've included below a small selection of photos from today. Let's all show our love for Lego Lone Ranger...