Romeo and Juliet at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre

1 May 2009

My newest review is live on Spoonfed for Romeo and Juliet at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre:

When most students plan their gap years, preparations usually call for copious spending of their parents money, boozy nights in exotic countries and sorting out exactly how to make that all look good on a CV. Miss Ellie Kendrick on the other hand has opted to spend her gap year acting out the passionate throes of a Shakespearean tragedy and making her stage debut in Romeo and Juliet in the most famous Shakespearian theatre in the world. No doubt she’ll be fine when it comes to writing her CV…

Read On: Romeo and Juliet at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre

1930s Vintage Party at No. 5 Cavendish Square

30 Apr 2009

If I had been unsure of the time warp I was about to experience when some friends and I were preparing for the event by listening to 30’s jazz and modeling our hair after pictures of 30s icons, or if I wasn’t clear on what I was getting myself into when we later met up with more party-goers in a house that leaked early 20th century opulence like a sieve then walking into No. 5 Cavendish Square last night would have been a bit of a shock. But in fact the 1930s swingers party – which could hardly be described as a costume party but more of an attempt at an authentic recreation of a 1930s event – had been the talk of the girls in the office for nearly a week and even I was breaking my self-imposed work night curfew to check out the scene.

A friend knew the organizers (who had pitched their party proposal and won 10,000 pounds from Smirnoff vodka to host the bash) so after being checked off the guest list, we entered a world of pinup hair, cummerbunds and big band swing. The venue was perfect – various rooms wound up and down stairs leading to, among others a whiskey parlour and a private library. And the outfits! I was sorely out of place in what was probably a more accurate recreation of 1930s outside on a sunny afternoon compared to the evening gowns, gloves and pearls that all made their appearance on the women at the event but I didn’t notice a hair out of place thoughout the night. Instead, nearly everyone in attendence had tried their absolute hardest to come dressed for the era.

By 2am, I was beginning to feel the hour and so made my way back to 21st century London but I am so glad I went along and hope next time my wardrobe can be a bit more accommodating – amazingly the same friend knows another group who won another 10k for another 30s theme party – the next one out in a country house for a weekend of 30s frivolity. What a lark!

iPhone Fun

28 Apr 2009

I have suddenly found myself in what is perhaps the most hectic week of my time in the UK thus far.  A full recap of my somewhat excessive social life will be coming forthwith however I wanted to share my excitement over the recently released Spoonfed Events Radar Application for iPhones which is now available for free from the iTunes store.  Now, anyone in London can discover what’s on near them with their iPhone with our incredibly nifty app that includes both listings and the “radar” which shows what’s on in the vincinity.  Take a look at a video demo of the app:

The app has also been featured in TechCrunch UK, in an article that has already sparked some debate.  Read the full article about the Spoonfed Events Radar for the iPhone.

Happy Birthday Mr. Shakespeare

23 Apr 2009

Today is Shakespeare’s official birthday.  By official, I mean it’s the day the officials decided he was born. While it is a tad bit unfortunate for Shakespeare scholars and fans that his birthday isn’t known for certain, it actually worked out quite well for purposes of symmetry and national significance – April 23 is also St. George’s Day (and what better date of birth for a national hero than the day of the national saint?) as well as the month and day of Shakespeare’s death.  In any case, it is with relative certainty that we can say Shakespeare was born this week.

While I was unable to join the festivities, one of my favourite London landmarks, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, celebrated the date with Elizabethan-era music, dancing, costumed performers and the opening of their summer season.  I myself will be heading down to the Globe next Thursday to review this season’s Romeo and Juliet which, while lacking the unique flavour of improvisational Hamlet at midnight, promises to be absolutely magical.  In a tragic sort of way, of course, but that can’t be helped.  It will also be my third trip to the Globe theatre and I’m glad to be getting a start on the season early – I hope to have plenty of opportunities to go back throughout the summer.

For today, however, I’m wish a very happy (and very, very belated) birthday to Mr. William Shakespeare.  I don’t know where we’d be without you.  In honor of Shakespeare’s birth, here are a list of just a few of the words for which the first recorded use in the English language appeared in his plays. There are over 2000 words with which he is credited with inventing or using first.

  • Eyeball
  • Puking
  • Skim Milk
  • Obscene
  • Wormhole
  • Accessible
  • Accommodation
  • Bubble
  • Colourful
  • Critical
  • Dewdrop
  • Downstairs
  • Employer
  • Eventful
  • Lament
  • Love Letter
  • Moonbeam
  • Ode
  • Priceless
  • Successful
  • Torture
  • Weird

Scotland: Edinburgh

21 Apr 2009

Although I had a good five hours in Edinburgh between arriving in the city after my train from St. Andrews and my flight back to London, I found it was quite an awkward amount of time for properly exploring the city.  It didn’t help that I had a 15lb backpack stuffed with four days worth of clothes, shoes and travel accessories to carry around town with me.  All the same, I was determined to make the most of my brief time in the city and so began by making my way up to the highest point above Edinburgh where, naturally, sat the castle.  Compared to the small St. Andrews castle ruins, the Edinburgh Castle was a stunning feat of masonry, history and vantage, looking in every way as a highland castle should.  Despite the rather pricey entrance (12 quid plus another 3 for the audio guide), I made my way into the castle proper and found that it was going to take a lot more time than I had expected to do the castle right.  There were a vast number of rooms, chapels, monuments, passages, dungeons and turrets to explore and the crown jewels of Scotland themselves were on display.

One of my favourite parts of the castle was the view over the rest of town.  With the audio guide providing bagpipe music and a narrated history of Scotland as a soundtrack, I spent quite a bit of time appreciating the sun, warmth and spectacular view.  There was a lot to take in.  So much so, that as I started to push three hours at the castle, I felt I had to at least take a quick look at the rest of the town.

I left the castle by way of the Royal Mile, a road that leads down the hill from the castle into Edinburgh.  I took a brief detour into the tartan weaving mill tour – basically an outlet shop for tartan and cashmere goods but with a working weaving mill in the basement that allowed visitors a glimpse of the process.  Because it was a Sunday the mills were silent but it’s probably a good thing it was a quiet day or I would have quite certainly have been suckered into getting my photo taken in full Scottish tartan regalia.

I continued down the Royal Mile, bypassing the Whiskey Tour (if only because I had a lot more walking to do and a plane to catch), and crossing the entire town to make my way up the hill opposite the castle where a vast public park overlooked the town.  There, eating an ice cream, lying half-asleep in the sun, overlooking the North Sea on one side and Edinburgh on the other, I could not imaging a better way to spend an afternoon.

Dinner was a quick sandwich to go, eaten in the lovely Princess Street Gardens situated between the National Gallery and the train station before it was back on the bus to the airport.  It was a fantastic trip and I am very much looking forward to returning to Edinburgh for a bit more indepth look at what the town has to offer.