Wednesday, June 24Royal Holloway's offical student publication, est. 1986

Culture & Literature

MTS showcases talent with Summer Cabaret
16Jun By Jessica Beach-ThomasNo Comments
Culture & Literature, Theatre & Performance

MTS showcases talent with Summer Cabaret

With its annual show, MTS kicks off the post-exam term of Pimm’s drinking in Founders quad with their ‘Summer Cabaret’. Orbital sends its resident photographer Jessie Beach-Thomas to investigate the action and interviews Violaine Brunelin, a member of the production team. Jessie’s take: ‘Colourful, glittery- everything you would expect from a musical!’ From watching Summer Cabaret, a show directed by Max Harris and presented by both Pippa Gentry and Matthew Siveter, I was very impressed. It is clear to see why so many of MTS’s shows have been sold out throughout the year. MTS take pride in their inclusivity, with both auditioned roles and full cast numbers that do not require any auditioning. If you aren’t into the performing side of things, there is plenty of opportunity for students to...
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A sketchy situation
13Jun By Joanne ArcherNo Comments
Culture & Literature, Visual Arts

A sketchy situation

Joanne Archer investigates the prohibition of sketching in art galleries. Upon visiting an art gallery or museum, you would not be surprised to come across a ‘no photography’ sign, a widely accepted, but not always followed, symbol of a flashing camera that indicates guests might just be shot at if they dare so much as look in their bags for the snapping creature. A slightly unexpected uprising in the world of the arts however, is the ban on sketching in temporary exhibitions such as the V&A’s ‘Undressed: A Brief History of Underwear’. Most would assume that the reason that galleries ban photography is due to issues with work being reproduced. Sketching is defined as ‘a rough or unfinished drawing or painting, often made to assist in making a more finished picture’. It is virtual...
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Kygo triumphs with debut album Cloud Nine
7Jun By Beth CarrNo Comments
Culture & Literature, Music

Kygo triumphs with debut album Cloud Nine

There hasn't been an album in recent years that has surprised me as much as Cloud Nine, the debut album of Norwegian DJ and songwriter Kygo. Having risen to prominence with his single Firestone in late 2014, it is hard to believe that this is only his first album but it is well worth the wait. It captivates from the very beginning with a minimalist track Intro, full of building emotion and repetitive themes that leave you longing for more. More is exactly what the album brings, showcasing his production talent with 14 collaborations with artists including Tom Odell, Kodaline and Labrinth. The quality persists throughout the whole album with each track bringing a different vibe but reflecting the consistency of Kygo's technically complex but audibly pleasing style. A surprise highlight w...
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Savoy Kicks Off Half-Centenary with ‘Pirates Of Penzance’
21Mar By George SomersNo Comments
Culture & Literature, Music, Theatre & Performance

Savoy Kicks Off Half-Centenary with ‘Pirates Of Penzance’

"Everyone we capture says he's an orphan. The last three ships we took proved to be manned entirely by orphans, and so we had to let them go. One would think that Great Britain's mercantile navy was recruited solely from her orphan asylums — which we know is not the case." With Holloway’s oldest society celebrating its golden anniversary, it seems fitting for Savoy to open 2016 with one of Gilbert and Sullivan’s best-known operettas: ‘Pirates of Penzance’. Brilliantly witty, self-mockingly fickle and proposing possibly the most ingenious ‘Get Out Of Jail Free’ card in theatrical history (when in doubt, declare your adoration of Queen Vic), ‘Pirates’ has everything we’ve come to expect from a comic Savoy production: superb vocals, charming silliness and Will Davidson’s amusing variety of...
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Humour, Mystery and a Séance…What more do you need?
5Mar By Elisabeth CarltonNo Comments
Culture & Literature, Theatre & Performance

Humour, Mystery and a Séance…What more do you need?

While they may not all be drama students in the Drama Society, their acting could have fooled an Emmy committee. Blithe Spirit was a hilarious, mysterious production, centred around a 1920’s dinner party where a séance takes place to entertain guests. With a seven person cast, I would have expected to feel the performance lacking in characters, but each member consumed the space of Jane Holloway Building and put on a performance to remember. Director George Priestley (3rd year Music student) did an amazing job with costume, casting, and set design as the audience was level with the stage, which added to the ambience of the overall performance. The audience was captivated from the moment Ellie Smit walked on stage, as Blithe Spirits began. Laughter rippled through the audience as Sarah Doug...
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Review: Matthew Bourne’s Sleeping Beauty
26Jan By Louise JonesNo Comments
Culture & Literature, Theatre & Performance

Review: Matthew Bourne’s Sleeping Beauty

Matthew Bourne (or so I should say), Sir Matthew Bourne (New Year’s Knighthood and the likes), famed for his successful take on two of the great Tchaikovsky ballets, reinventing a dark, Dickensian Nutcracker and a wild Swan Lake, has taken to the stage to complete the Tchaikovsky trilogy with Sleeping Beauty. Yet, in tackling Sleeping Beauty, one would consider it to be a much harder challenge. A simple story with much loved, well-known characters, and the Disney retelling cemented in the public consciousness, in theory and on paper, Sleeping Beauty seemed a much harder ballet to reinvent. But Bourne delivers with style and excellence. (more…)
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The Revenant
19Jan By Nebiu SamuelNo Comments
Culture & Literature, Film & TV

The Revenant

Leonardo DiCaprio goes all out in The Revenant giving his most physical and raw performance of his career, which is highly likely to win him Oscar gold, something he’s been hunting for a while now. The Revenant, tells the story of real life frontiersman, Hugh glass who must survive the harsh wilderness of the American West to get revenge on those who wronged him. DiCaprio’s performance as Hugh Glass is largely characterized by his physical commitment to the role which he displays many times in the film such as through sleeping in a dead horse’s carcass, eating a raw bison liver, acting in well below freezing temperatures and getting mauled by a bear. However, DiCaprio never over acts in these moments, but keeps his performance subtle and as much as I always see DiCaprio as the good looking...
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Beasts of No Nation
18Jan By Nebiu SamuelNo Comments
Culture & Literature, Film & TV

Beasts of No Nation

Rise of streaming service have become a concern for cinema chains in recent years as smarter cinema goers realise they can wait for certain films and TV series to become available on streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime rather than giving the film a chance in the cinema, unless it’s a film that warrants to be seen on a big screen like a summer blockbuster. Cinemas have become worried that people will become lazier and less driven to see films in the cinema, if they have the option to watch films at home instead and to an extent they are right. (more…)
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Review: Stomp
12Jan By Maria HoartyNo Comments
Culture & Literature, Theatre & Performance

Review: Stomp

A smashing, crashing, bashing rhythmic ride, Maria Hoarty reviews London stage show: Stomp. What’s Stomp all about I hear you cry? Well, if you have ever wondered if music can be made from household items – Stomp, the percussion group, originating in Brighton, will show you how! The cast is only made up of eight performers but yet they are able to amaze audiences across the world. This is achieved by only using their bodies and items such as plastic bags and bins to create not only music but humour. By seeing the performers through your own eyes, you are able to identify the creativity within the performance. It is hard to believe that ordinary people who are the same as you and I have created something so magical. If you enjoy getting involved as an audience member, Stomp also...
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