Culture & Literature – Page 18 of 35

3Apr

By Samantha DavisNo Comments

Culture & Literature, Theatre & Performance

Hamilton: I’m Willing To Wait For It

Hamilton: whether you've been listening to the soundtrack non-stop or have been lucky enough to see it live on Broadway, it's a near guarantee that you've heard the name. The musical written and composed by the genius Lin-Manuel Miranda - whose other works include In The Heights and Bring It On - tells the story of Alexander Hamilton and the founding fathers of America as they create the foundations of the political system that is still in use today. Having opened on Broadway in August 2015, the show was immediately a smash-hit, producing sold-out performances almost every single night. Hamilton also broke records, beating Wicked's $3.2 million for nine performances with a record breaking $3.3 million in a week for only eight shows. In fact, as tickets were difficult to obtain and sold ...

30Mar

By Joanne ArcherNo Comments

Culture & Literature, Film & TV

Disney and Diversity

Joanne Archer discusses the developments and diversification in Disney’s films. If you know me well, it is no secret that I am a huge fan of Disney, probably the most obsessed person you will meet. That said, I am able to see the faults in the company, and diversification is a matter that Disney has often fallen short with. Although Disney have been including diverse characters in their films and TV programmes for a while, Princess Tiana was Disney’s first black princess, joining Jasmine and Mulan in the line-up of diverse females. Released in 2009, I can’t help but agree that this revelation came far later than it should have. The Princess and the Frog is one of my favourite Disney films, but it was considered a Box office failure when it made ‘only’ 267 million USD. That may still see...

29Mar

By Georgia BeithNo Comments

Culture & Literature, Film & TV

‘Lipstick Under My Burkha’

Georgia Beith criticises the ban of ‘Lipstick Under My Burkha’ Upon first inspection, the Indian Hindi film ‘Lipstick Under My Burkha’ would seem to be a relatively harmless, small, independent yet uplifting film. And what was intended to be an empowering portrayal of ordinary Indian women has sparked a wave of controversy after the Indian Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) refused to certify it; thereby preventing it from being released in India. There is little basis for their argument, which has opposed the film on the grounds that it is “lady orientated” and contains “sexual scenes, abusive words and audio pornography”. It is the first criticism of the film that has garnered the most attention, with accusations that this is an attempt to silence women in Indian popular cult...

28Mar

By Michele TheilNo Comments

Culture & Literature, Theatre & Performance

Dreamgirls: A Dream Come True

Dreamgirls, a brilliant musical that opened in October 2016 at The Savoy Theatre on the West End stars Glee’s Amber Riley and tells the story of a group of African American singers in the 1960s trying to make a name for themselves. I had the opportunity to see Dreamgirls last month at the Savoy theatre and, not having seen the original movie that the show is based on, I wasn’t sure what to expect. What I found was an amazing spectacle of bright lights, beautiful costumes and spectacular music, used to tell the story of these young women who struggled to make a name for themselves while having to deal with the societal pressures of beauty and race in the male-dominated world of music. Amber Riley, with her powerful voice, played the role of Effie White, the lead singer of ‘The Dreamet...

20Mar

By Rosalie FallaNo Comments

Culture & Literature, Music

Coffee House Session: Marios Panayi

Rosalie Falla chats with Marios Panayi after his Coffee House Session on 27 February. The dulcet tones of Marios Panayi filled Tommy’s this Monday evening as the 3rd year Music student performed a mixture of acoustic covers and original pieces. Accompanying himself on guitar, Panayi caused the audience to pause their burger-eating and listen with his bluesy take on Bill Wither’s ‘Ain’t No Sunshine’, Panayi’s favourite song of all time. Panayi describes his music as both folky and alternative, acoustic and bluesy, this hybrid sound makes for surprisingly easy listening and Marios is clearly passionate about his sound. He is inspired by swing artists such as Frank Sinatra and the blues guitarist and singer, Eric Clapton, as well fellow Cypriot indie/folk singer Metaxas. Marios first go...

17Mar

By SumibalNo Comments

Culture & Literature, Film & TV

What Went Right at the Oscars?

The Orbital’s Sumi Bal discusses the disaster that was the Oscars. As I’m sure you’ve heard, the 2017 Oscars were quite the event. We had milestones reached with the first Muslim to win an Oscar, and we had disasters like a performer savagely attacked by a prop, and of course presenting an award to the wrong film. It’s been interesting to say the least. Let’s go through the good, the bad and the oh so very uncomfortable. The highlight of the night was Moonlight’s Mahershala Ali being the first Muslim actor to win an Academy award. His hard earned success is being celebrated across the world, as not only is Moonlight centered around a black cast, but is also based on a gay relationship. This film breaks boundaries, and in doing so will be a source of inspiration for like minded people...

Look At Me: Get Involved in Student Film

16Mar

By Joanne ArcherNo Comments

Culture & Literature, Film & TV

Look At Me: Get Involved in Student Film

The Orbital’s Joanne Archer interviews the producer, Ellie Glover, and crew of Look At Me, a student film in the making. Tell us more about the film project. The film is very much in the works at the moment, but here’s a synopsis: Following the aftermath of the assault of her son, Jane begins to question the choices she has made as a mother. Meanwhile Jake, her son, decides whether he should be honest about the secrets that have been quietly tearing him apart. Jake and Jane’s relationship begins to crumble as resentment of one another rises leading to terrifying consequences. We have a crew of four people and are looking for a cast to get involved in this very exciting project. The film will be about 10 minutes long, it's a collaboration project and it's our graduation film....

Curtain Call: The Expense Of The West End

14Mar

By Georgia BeithNo Comments

Culture & Literature, Theatre & Performance

Curtain Call: The Expense Of The West End

Georgia Beith discusses the inflating prices of the West End theatre scene and how that negatively impacts upon students. Theatre has long since been a favourite pastime of British society. From the playhouses of Elizabethan England, to the grand music halls of the Victorian era, theatres have been landmarks of London for centuries. Yet with soaring ticket prices, it’s becoming an art form that is increasingly inaccessible for people without mountains of disposable income, people like students and young people. Despite sales of tickets stagnating, the prices for West End tickets have continued to rise, alienating much of the British public from enjoying London’s top plays and musicals. A quick Google search show that if you want to book tickets to see a West End show this weekend, yo...

13Mar

By Beth CarrNo Comments

Culture & Literature, Music

Coffee House Sessions: April Keen

Beth Carr catches up with April Keen after her Coffee House Session on 6 February. April Keen brought superbly moving music to Tommy’s Kitchen alongside her guitarist Jesse on the first Monday of February, performing a range of original songs and covers. Her cover of Hey Soul Sister blew me away with its stripped back nature and a melancholy feel. The set was incredibly well crafted and there was a real sense of passion in the movement and energy shown by April on stage. She doesn’t always know what genre her music fits into but it is best described as folk, pop and indie. Her Coffee House set is naturally stripped back but in studio recordings there’s more electronic production, although her chilled vibe remains. Her lyrics are more in the style of Gabrielle Aplin but her melodi...

Founding Fathers: Hamilton and the American Identity

7Mar

By Rachel Perry-WattsNo Comments

Culture & Literature, Theatre & Performance

Founding Fathers: Hamilton and the American Identity

As many will be aware, and many will not, the hit musical ‘Hamilton’ recently released tickets to its West End show, opening at the Victoria Palace Theatre in November this year. According to the Telegraph, over 100,00 people registered to be notified of the general sale of these tickets. I was lucky enough to get one through the pre-release sales, however as time goes on tickets will undoubtedly become like gold dust. But what is it that has made this show such a global phenomenon? The musical was written by the multi-talented playwright Lin-Manuel Miranda and tells of the life of the lesser known founding father, Alexander Hamilton, predominantly through the medium of rap and show tunes. To many, this might sound like an absolute nightmare, but to others, like myself, it gives a fresh...