My lovely little MP3 walkman has packed up. After a busy three months or so using it to dabble in the wonders of MP3's and iPods, I found the other day that I had seemingly loaded too much music/audio onto the player (or that some of it was corrupted), so now I have to look around at other means of downloading music from computer. Well, it was at a cheap price, I must admit.
All the same, in bygone days such gadgets would have lasted rather longer than just 3 months. I still generally prefer creaky but more reliable cassettes over CDs. The music shops in their infinite wisdom decided to remove cassette music from their shelves, as well as the much lamented but still popular and reliable vinyl - why else would they be called record shops, after all?
Current technologies have their flaws, and may well be a "quick fix". I can see DVDs for example (which have supplanted good old video) themselves being supplanted by downloads or much smaller forms of entertainment storage.
Wednesday, 6 August 2008
Sunday, 3 August 2008
Virtual arts facility
One of the biggest brouhaha's over the last year or so in Colchester has been the new Firstsite: Newsite, (aka. "Visual Arts Facility") intended as a massive extension to Colchester's existing art gallery, with many other potential facilities including conference rooms, screening rooms, galleries, new concourse and general pleasant ambiance.
To cut a very lengthy story short, the VAF was quickly proposed and pushed through by the Conservative-run local council in 2006. Almost overnight, the bus station was partly demolished to make way for the new building, which didn't endear it too much to the majority of the townspeople whose taxes are paying for it.
Now the original proposal to have the spanking new arts facility open by summer 2008 is gathering dust, the original budget has been spent, the builders have pulled out (with only the exterior finished), and has now fallen into the laps of the Liberal Democrat councillors to deal with.
By a complete coincidence (or is it?), the completion of Colchester United's new football stadium has overtaken the VAF, miles out of town, but with partial council (and private) funding. I personally suspect that, overlooking all the shenanigans with the builders, the VAF would probably have been up and running, if the fortunes of Colchester United had not improved in 2006.
As it stands, rotting away at the moment, the VAF is Colchester's Dome - and that remember, was a scheme which was only saved by Government money back in 2000.
Saturday, 2 August 2008
Good Things No. 12
QI
A programme of genuine wit and intelligence, even if genitalia often creep into the discussion, and Alan Davies reminds me of the sort of annoying, eager for attention little schoolboy that would always sit at the front of the class and put his hand up.
Sunday, 27 July 2008
The Sword in the Stone
(26th July)
Cambridge Touring Theatre/Cambridge Arts Theatre. Act I 60m. Act II 30m.
Merlin the wizard searches befriends a messenger boy named Wart who is destined to become King, in spite of of the spiteful jealousy of Morgan Le Fay.
Expecting some sort of historical performance, what I actually got in this exuberant youthful version is something more approaching a Summer Pantomime, quite carefully balanced between historical legend and tongue-in-cheek modern jokery (the "straight line" wrap was the only moment for me that seemed sluggish and unnecessary), and squarely aimed at the Harry Potter crowd.
My own reasons for seeing the show was to see fellow thesp Philip Young (who played Raleigh in Journey's End) in his first professional outing - not as Arthur, but in several other roles, with an excellent vocal range; a definitive requisite when dealing with the talkative children I shared a theatre with during the Saturday matinee.
w: Barry Evans, from the novel by T.H. White.
p: Milly Finch, Rosie Humphreys.
d: Emma Stroud.
s: Barry S. Evans, Lane Stewart, Lucy Lill, Milly Finch, Philip Young, Edwin Wright.
m: Simon Humphreys.
The Cambridge Arts Theatre, where the likes of The Goodies and Beyond the Fringe got their first break, and now also Philip Young.
Cambridge Touring Theatre/Cambridge Arts Theatre. Act I 60m. Act II 30m.
Merlin the wizard searches befriends a messenger boy named Wart who is destined to become King, in spite of of the spiteful jealousy of Morgan Le Fay.
Expecting some sort of historical performance, what I actually got in this exuberant youthful version is something more approaching a Summer Pantomime, quite carefully balanced between historical legend and tongue-in-cheek modern jokery (the "straight line" wrap was the only moment for me that seemed sluggish and unnecessary), and squarely aimed at the Harry Potter crowd.
My own reasons for seeing the show was to see fellow thesp Philip Young (who played Raleigh in Journey's End) in his first professional outing - not as Arthur, but in several other roles, with an excellent vocal range; a definitive requisite when dealing with the talkative children I shared a theatre with during the Saturday matinee.
w: Barry Evans, from the novel by T.H. White.p: Milly Finch, Rosie Humphreys.
d: Emma Stroud.
s: Barry S. Evans, Lane Stewart, Lucy Lill, Milly Finch, Philip Young, Edwin Wright.
m: Simon Humphreys.
The Cambridge Arts Theatre, where the likes of The Goodies and Beyond the Fringe got their first break, and now also Philip Young.
Saturday, 26 July 2008
Ten Great Running Gags
(in no particular order)
1. Alfred Hitchcock appearing briefly in his own films.
2. Beau Hunks: Oliver Hardy joins the Foreign Legion with Stan Laurel, in order to forget his jilted love, Jean Harlow. They arrive, and find that everyone else (including the enemy) have been jilted by: Jean Harlow.
3. To Be Or Not to Be (various characters): "So they call me Concentration Camp Ehrhardt!"
4. Bob Hope or Bing Crosby appearing uncredited in each of the other's "solo" films.
5. (from I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue): "Would you please welcome [to the Builder's Ball], Mr and Mrs Bennett That's Twice The Estimate, and their son Gordon Bennett That's Twice the Estimate!!!... and many subsequent variations.
6. The letters page of Private Eye magazine, which often finds an excuse for a picture of Andrew Neill (in a string vest) standing arm in arm with a bikini-clad Pamela Bordes.
7. The "Wilhelm Scream" in loads of blockbusters and action films, particularly anything associated with Ben Burtt.
8. Oliver Hardy to Stan Laurel: "Well, here's another nice mess you've got me into!"
9. A Have I Got News for You clip of Charles Kennedy playing skittles.
10. The very last joke, at the very end of the film Airplane!
1. Alfred Hitchcock appearing briefly in his own films.
2. Beau Hunks: Oliver Hardy joins the Foreign Legion with Stan Laurel, in order to forget his jilted love, Jean Harlow. They arrive, and find that everyone else (including the enemy) have been jilted by: Jean Harlow.
3. To Be Or Not to Be (various characters): "So they call me Concentration Camp Ehrhardt!"
4. Bob Hope or Bing Crosby appearing uncredited in each of the other's "solo" films.
5. (from I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue): "Would you please welcome [to the Builder's Ball], Mr and Mrs Bennett That's Twice The Estimate, and their son Gordon Bennett That's Twice the Estimate!!!... and many subsequent variations.
6. The letters page of Private Eye magazine, which often finds an excuse for a picture of Andrew Neill (in a string vest) standing arm in arm with a bikini-clad Pamela Bordes.
7. The "Wilhelm Scream" in loads of blockbusters and action films, particularly anything associated with Ben Burtt.
8. Oliver Hardy to Stan Laurel: "Well, here's another nice mess you've got me into!"
9. A Have I Got News for You clip of Charles Kennedy playing skittles.
10. The very last joke, at the very end of the film Airplane!
Midsummer Madness
Priory Players. Act I 64m. Act II 64m.
Priory Players' latest outdoor version of A Midsummer Night's Dream (or "A Midsummer Night's Grease" as I preferred to call it) had everything I expected of it: a wonderful ensemble cast, a typically energetic and enthusiastic performance by Andrew Jeffers as Bottom, and plenty of camp, outrageous touches by director Ian Amos, not least of which the idea of making Oberon and the other fairies Teddy Boys and rock'n'roll dancers.
I'd heard over two years ago about Ian's idea to go 1950s for this play (apparently the Mercury Theatre in Colchester asked him to postpone in 2006 because they were putting on a rival production), and had my misgivings (and quietly opted out), not least the losing of Felix Mendelssohn's atmospheric music (composed for the ballet version and the 1933 film) which to me makes "The Dream" the magical experience that it is. Sadly, much of the magic and mysticism seems lost from this version, as well as some of the lovers' wistfulness - although having said that, Claire Warden makes for a beautifully forceful and vindictive Helena. What a loss she and Alex Fletcher (as Puck) are going to be to the local drama scene when they move across the pond to America next month.
The crassness of some of the later scenes put me off after a while, but never let it be said that audiences weren't wowed by it, many of whom had probably seen countless versions of this play before, so they were ready for something different. The energetic dance to the (1960's) hit "Nut Rocker" by the entire cast (and nothing at all to do with Shakespeare), is an abiding memory.
d: Ian Amos
s: Andrew Jeffers, Scott Sophos, Alex Fletcher, Chrissie Kettle, Claire Warden, Heidi Mussett, Will Parrick, David Elliott, Robin Warnes, Paul Reed, Martin Rayner, David Wenden, Nigel Worland, John Flint, Maggie Brush, Brian Butcher
Priory Players' latest outdoor version of A Midsummer Night's Dream (or "A Midsummer Night's Grease" as I preferred to call it) had everything I expected of it: a wonderful ensemble cast, a typically energetic and enthusiastic performance by Andrew Jeffers as Bottom, and plenty of camp, outrageous touches by director Ian Amos, not least of which the idea of making Oberon and the other fairies Teddy Boys and rock'n'roll dancers.
I'd heard over two years ago about Ian's idea to go 1950s for this play (apparently the Mercury Theatre in Colchester asked him to postpone in 2006 because they were putting on a rival production), and had my misgivings (and quietly opted out), not least the losing of Felix Mendelssohn's atmospheric music (composed for the ballet version and the 1933 film) which to me makes "The Dream" the magical experience that it is. Sadly, much of the magic and mysticism seems lost from this version, as well as some of the lovers' wistfulness - although having said that, Claire Warden makes for a beautifully forceful and vindictive Helena. What a loss she and Alex Fletcher (as Puck) are going to be to the local drama scene when they move across the pond to America next month.
The crassness of some of the later scenes put me off after a while, but never let it be said that audiences weren't wowed by it, many of whom had probably seen countless versions of this play before, so they were ready for something different. The energetic dance to the (1960's) hit "Nut Rocker" by the entire cast (and nothing at all to do with Shakespeare), is an abiding memory.
d: Ian Amos
s: Andrew Jeffers, Scott Sophos, Alex Fletcher, Chrissie Kettle, Claire Warden, Heidi Mussett, Will Parrick, David Elliott, Robin Warnes, Paul Reed, Martin Rayner, David Wenden, Nigel Worland, John Flint, Maggie Brush, Brian Butcher
Sunday, 6 July 2008
Look who's...talking?
Yesterday I engaged in my first ever "chatroom" session with a friend (an actual person, not an assumed identity in case people are wondering) - a bizarre but curiously addictive experience, from which I couldn't tear myself away without trying to embellish the discussion, or end it with some sort of courteous wrap-up, as I would in a normal conversation - except that we weren't actually communicating by voice.
Then again today, on that fun but slightly meddlesome application Facebook, I find I have been "Superpoked" by a friend whom I haven't actually spoken to, or met in fact, for the last ten years!
What marvels the Internet can provide, without the seeming necessity for any human element.
Then again today, on that fun but slightly meddlesome application Facebook, I find I have been "Superpoked" by a friend whom I haven't actually spoken to, or met in fact, for the last ten years!
What marvels the Internet can provide, without the seeming necessity for any human element.
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