Arts – Page 4 of 8 – The Orbital

12Dec

By George WhiteNo Comments

The Strangest Thing about Season Two

*Mild Spoilers ahead* Unless you live your life as a certified hermit crab, you’ve likely heard at least whispers of the latest phenomenon of popular culture, Stranger Things. The greatly anticipated second season of the Netflix Original was released on 27 October, to both critical and commercial acclaim. This season certainly lives up to the formidable legacy left by the first, possibly even surpassing it in terms of quality. And while the narrative of this season feels completely fresh, the lasting effects of last season’s trauma are still very much present. The captivating opening scene to the series broadens the immersive universe of the show, yet there is a lasting impression that this season only scratches the surface of the immense backstory of the ST universe. This scene, acc...

Theatre Tickets at a Price You Can’t Afford to Miss

31Oct

By Rebecca OwenNo Comments

Culture & Literature, Theatre & Performance

Theatre Tickets at a Price You Can’t Afford to Miss

When you’re 40 minutes from central London, with a return ticket for as little as £7, studying at Royal Holloway is a drama student’s dream. But being a regular theatre-goer comes at a hefty price if you’re not savvy about how to nab the most reasonably priced tickets. Student life is expensive enough as it is, so I’ve compiled a list of the best ways to maintain your theatre addiction and save your pennies. Mousetrap Theatre Projects has a scheme called westend4£10 if you’re 19-25 (or theatrelive4£5 if you’re 18!) where they organise trips to the biggest shows currently in the West End, often accompanied with a backstage tour or Q&A to make the experience even better. You can sign up for free on their website. PROMPT offers students great deals from £16 to some of the best West ...

20Sep

By Beth CarrNo Comments

Culture & Literature, Film & TV

Learning French with Kimmy Schmidt

When I got a free trial of Netflix, it was because I wanted to finally watch some of the Netflix Original Series and also because you can watch endless episodes of Doctor Who without having to swap the DVDs around. What I didn't expect to gain from Netflix was the ability to learn a language. You may well have heard of a programme called Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. It's a very funny comedy series about a woman named Kimmy Schmidt living in New York, with a premise that I won't elaborate on too much because it was a very funny surprise for me. One thing that stands out about the programme is how easy it is to watch. Hours can fly by in the company of Kimmy and her friends and there's good, light-hearted stories that you can easily follow, whether you binge watch a season or dip in and out...

Doctor Who’s regenerating – in more ways than one…

21Jul

By Beth CarrNo Comments

Culture & Literature, Film & TV

Doctor Who’s regenerating – in more ways than one…

The casting of a new Doctor is actually a reflection of the intended audience, writes Beth Carr. Months of speculation and waiting ended at the weekend: not only did Federer win Wimbledon in straight sets but the identity of the next Doctor in Doctor Who was revealed. A hood was dropped and the secret of Jodie Whittaker’s casting was out. You might know her from Broadchurch, working with Doctor Who’s new showrunner Chris Chibnall, or from playing ditsy Beverley in St Trinian’s. She’s also no stranger to sci-fi after starring in 2011 film Attack the Block. Despite this success under her belt, Whittaker’s casting has caused a tsunami of response from both fans and non-fans of the show. The reason? She is a woman taking over a role traditionally and exclusively played by men, a Time Lor...

4Jul

By Beth CarrNo Comments

Culture & Literature, Film & TV

Losing It: Reshaping Sex Education

CONTENT WARNING: Rape. Beth Carr shines a spotlight on alumna Nina Lemon and her play ‘Losing It’. Watching a musical about sex education isn’t the most usual Friday activity for students, but that is exactly the theme of the latest play by Peer Productions, written and directed by Royal Holloway alumni Nina Lemon. ‘Losing It’ follows a group of school friends as they look back on their seven years at secondary school and the questions they had about sex and relationships, as well as examining what went well and what went wrong in their love lives. The play fits with Peer Productions’ vision “to use theatre to genuinely change young people’s lives” and is being toured around 30 local schools to tell pupils what they really want to know about sex and relationships. It was develop...

14Jun

By Georgia BeithNo Comments

Culture & Literature, Film & TV

And The Winner Is…

“Acting is the ability to put yourself in someone else’s shoes, and that doesn’t need to be separated into two different categories.” These were Emma Watson’s words as she accepted the MTV Award for “Best Actor in a Movie” as a result of her role as Belle in Beauty and the Beast. Her acceptance speech not only expressed her gratitude for receiving the award, but also her joy at it being the first ever gender neutral award for acting. While the MTV Awards are not renowned for being the most prestigious, in comparison to awards like the Oscars or the Emmy’s, the 2017 awards mark a milestone for gender equality in Hollywood. Many, like Watson, expressed their approval of the move. Billions’ actor Asia Kate Dillon, who presented Watson with the award, perfectly summed up the motivation b...

Medea: a monster, a mother, or a murderer?

13Jun

By Victoria BastableNo Comments

Culture & Literature, Film & TV, Literature, Theatre & Performance

Medea: a monster, a mother, or a murderer?

‘A bride of hate to me and death / Tigress, not woman’ (Euripides, Medea) Medea: a monster, a mother, or a murderer? Victoria Bastable reviews her week with By Jove Theatre company and how their ‘Season of Violent Women’ has made her question the dehumanisation of violent women in culture from Ancient Greece to the 21st century. I Googled ‘violent women in art’ and the results were dominated by articles titled ‘Violence Against Women in Art’. To me, this demonstrates how in art we often attempt to distance women from being portrayed as the perpetrators of violence, perhaps because of cultural expectations of the ‘ideal woman’ as either the nurturing mother or passive victim. But what about the violent women who do appear in art and literature? By Jove Theatre Company have been a...

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 ...

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...