Culture & Literature – Page 9 of 35

A New Chapter – Five Books for a New Term

25Sep

By Jack WrightNo Comments

A New Chapter – Five Books for a New Term

That first week of a new academic year is a full landscape of emotion. Maybe you’re moving away from home for the very first time, or you’re mapping out the weekly commute; perhaps you’re a second or third (or fourth?) year student reorganising your bedroom in your new shared house. Maybe you got the box room. Maybe you should’ve drawn a longer straw. No matter how you’ll be commencing your studies at Royal Holloway this year, you’re bound to be feeling that trademark emotion: somewhere mercurial between ‘This is the start of the rest of my life’ and ‘I’ve left my stack of term one reading in Newquay’. But don’t worry. I’m here to suggest five great (and arbitrary) books I wish I’d read in my first year of university. Normal People by Sally Rooney You’ve probably seen the...

25Sep

By Mercedes-Georgia MayesNo Comments

Culture & Literature, Literature

Who translates our stories?

Translations control how hundreds of thousands of people perceive stories from across the globe. It is a difficult profession, often carrying little to no glory despite its arduous nature. It’s also a contentious field, inciting academic argument about what makes a truly ‘good’ translation. However, even within academia, one is hard pressed to find criticism concerning who controls translation. What is often overlooked is that every translated instance and particular word choice can influence a reader’s understanding of the events portrayed. In that sense, the translator has the power to completely change the nature of a text, even without intent. This poses a problem when it comes down to questions of representation in the media. When the voices of women and people of colour are being...

16Mar

By Saskia LeachNo Comments

Culture & Literature, Theatre & Performance

Chicago Razzle Dazzled!

Standing out in stark contrast with the convivial tone of previous productions Super Kart and Legally Blonde, MTS opted to tread a darker path in their final show of the academic year by bringing us the delights of Chicago. Based on the 1926 Maurine Dallas Watkins play of the same name, Chicago follows the trials of two women who murdered their lovers and satirises the corruption of America's criminal justice system and the notion of the 'celebrity criminal'. It boasts music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb, and a book by Ebb and Bob Fosse - the former of whom composed the Broadway hit Cabaret. Director Sorrel Wilson endeavours to present a production that is self-aware as a theatrical performance and her concept is clear throughout. The traverse stage, adorned with red drapes and li...

9Mar

By Isobel ClarkeNo Comments

Culture & Literature, Theatre & Performance

Love’s Labour’s Lost: A Review

The Shakespeare Society’s current production of Love's Labour's Lost puts on a sassy and charismatic spectacle of the timeless comedy. Love's Labour's Lost follows the young King Ferdinand of Navarre and his three lively companions, opening with their well-intentioned decision to abstain from the company of women for three years while they focus on their academic studies. This ultimately fails, as each of the male courtiers falls in love with the Princess of France and her own companions. Classic Shakespearian farce and trickery ensue as this colourful production directed by Jack Hardman brings to life the games of love and power between the sexes. Undoubtedly, the strongest part of the production was the dynamic between cast members. The performers worked seamlessly together, whe...

1Mar

By Saskia LeachNo Comments

Culture & Literature, Theatre & Performance

Here We Go! Super Kart: A Review

It's that time of year again when MTS put on their 'Variations' production, a unique show written, crewed, and performed entirely by MTS first-timers. This year, the task fell to Finley Hodges, Jamie O'Connor, and Gabriella Mulé, and they brought us Super Kart: The Musical. Based on the world-famous Mario Kart series, it features everyone's favourite characters and boasts a script packed to the brim with Super Mario references. Finley Hodges's clever writing ensured that even those without an in-depth knowledge of the Nintendo world could appreciate the numerous allusions to the franchise. I came out of the show wondering whether I had actually ever hit someone with a green shell, and why poor Blue Toad bore the brunt of so much mockery - I always played as her! Jamie O'Connor was the ...

6Dec

By Saskia LeachNo Comments

Culture & Literature, Theatre & Performance

In Short: Edges was a hit

Following the success of Songs for a New World last December, MTS opted to continue their production of an autumn term 'mini show' with Pasek and Paul's Edges, a song cycle exploring the themes of love, coming of age, and self-discovery. Most well-known for writing the lyrics for La La Land and the music and lyrics in Dear Evan Hansen, Edges served as Benj Pasek and Justin Paul's first venture into musical theatre. It was written while they studied at the University of Michigan in 2005, and made Pasek and Paul the youngest ever winners of the Jonathan Larson Award. Aside from listening to Carrie Hope Fletcher's covers of I Gotta Run and Perfect (the latter of which was sadly omitted from this performance), I must admit, I was unfamiliar with the majority of the songs in Edges. But, if ...

27Nov

By Jamie WoodsNo Comments

Culture & Literature, Film & TV

Mr Robot – What Happens Next?

As we near 2020, there's a lot of talk on the 'top shows of the 2010s', but it's rare to see Sam Esmail's show, Mr Robot, get a mention. Warning: the second half of this post contains spoilers. We've made it clear where they start. If you're planning on watching the show, avoid avoid avoid! Mr Robot is a show, produced by USA Network, following the life of hacker-vigilante Elliot Alderson. The programme, loved by many film and TV nerds, has gained notoriety for its many unexpected twists and turns, character portrayal, and creative use of cinematography that is hard to illustrate without spoiling the series. Perhaps what I find most captivating about this show is the storytelling. Elliot, who is introduced to us as the show's narrator, has an unusual view of the world. As an au...

26Nov

By Saskia LeachNo Comments

Culture & Literature, Theatre & Performance

What You Want is to see Legally Blonde.

After bringing us the delights of Bake Off: The Musical last year, Lucy Wilson, Faye Tolliday, and Jenny Tipple return to whip us into shape with the Broadway and West End hit Legally Blonde. Based on the 2001 film of the same name, it tells the story of Elle Woods, a sorority girl who enrols at Harvard Law School. On a wet November evening, we were welcomely transported from the SU hall to sunny Malibu and Harvard Law School. The pink drapes hanging from the ceiling over the audience were a great addition and really helped the audience to suspend their disbelief. A couple more drapes around the stage would have helped to take this even further, particularly as Elle’s pink door had to be wheeled offstage at points. The effective use of lighting really helped bring the production tea...

25Nov

By Alex JonesNo Comments

Culture & Literature, Film & TV

Only The Dead Have Seen the End of War

Michael Ware gained a reputation in Iraq for being one of the few journalists to live in the country near-continuously for the duration of the American occupation. He also was not only embedded with American forces but also with insurgent groups. The film itself is a compilation of footage filmed on a Handycam by Ware and a fellow journalist. It is simply a taste of the hundreds of hours of footage he accumulated over the almost decade he was there. This leads to an outlook on war, those who have not been privy to first-hand, have never had. You are drawn into intense firefights, terrifying insurgent meetings and the shocking and often gruesome aftermath of suicide bombings. The sounds of the war are occasionally drowned out by a smooth Australian drawl as Ware offers commentary to make se...

Embodying Chaos: Why the Joker and the Goose are the Same Character

15Nov

By Alex WhitemanNo Comments

Culture & Literature, Film & TV, Science & Technology

Embodying Chaos: Why the Joker and the Goose are the Same Character

Warning; Spoilers for 'Joker' and 'Untitled Goose Game' There were two significant releases in entertainment recently. The first was the movie ‘Joker’, a bleak take on DC Comics’ darkest villain, re-imagined as a downtrodden, mentally-ill byproduct of a decaying city and a disinterested upper class. The second was ‘Untitled Goose Game’, a video game in which you pester the residents of a quaint English village as an annoying goose. Believe it or not, ‘Joker’ and ‘Untitled Goose Game’ share a lot of similarities. First, they’re both about two hours long. Secondly, they both received mixed to positive reviews. And lastly, they both feature the exact same main character, and are in fact two interpretations of the same story.I’m not kidding.Let’s start with the locations each story takes place...