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March 15, 2013
Theatre Review: Hamlet

Everyman Theatre Company brings Shakespeare back to basics at Chapter Arts Centre

THERE have been countless adaptations of Shakespeare’s plays across the spectrum of theatre and beyond, so it is hard to make any one particular version stand out.

It is certainly true that this play came up against the same dilemma. Not only did the Everyman Theatre Company attempt a Shakespeare play, but they went for Hamlet, perhaps one of the most-loved of all.

They handled this monumental task not with modern special effects, with dramatic staging or with contemporary dance theatrics, instead the innovation came in the novelty of going back to basics.

March 15, 2013
Theatre Review: Rape of the Fair Country

Manon Eames' production about the struggles of a working-class Welsh family in the mid-nineteenth comes to the New Theate.

BE SURE to remember your hankies, as Manon Eames’ production of Rape of the Fair Country promises to be a tearjerker.This fantastic new adaptation of Alexander Cordell’s 1959 book, brings 20 years of Welsh history to life through the eyes of one working-class family, the Mortymers, and the community of Blaenavon. It charts the changing political ideologies of the mid-19th century and their dire consequences. 

March 12, 2013
The pick of last night's radio

Ken Loach draws parallels between the state of postwar Britain and the present day, as problems lie ahead for the country's ageing population.

Start The Week: Ken Loach on Postwar Britain Radio 4, 9am & 9.30pm

We should go back to working together. This is the message in Ken Loach’s new film, The Spirit of 49, which was the focus of yesterday’s Start the Week. Loach was one of four guests on the show and drew parallels between 1949 and today as Europe confronts mass unemployment, poverty and political discontent. His documentary ends in the 1970s but unfortunately the timeframe and opinions from the other guests meant the focus of the show darted around.

March 12, 2013
The pick of last night's TV

A new documentary following a bomb disposal unit in Afghanistan proves a hit, but the BBC's take on the Oscar Pistorius incident is flawed.

Bomb Patrol, Channel 5, 10pm

If you loved The Hurt Locker you will love this. As Channel 5’s latest US export, the first episode of Bomb Patrol got off to an explosive start last night.

Bomb Patrol follows eight members of the US Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Platoon 3-4-2 on their five month tour of Afghanistan.

The first episode shows the hostile environment surrounding the troops as they attempt to diffuse the many IED’s planted by the Taliban.

March 8, 2013
Art Review: After the Fall by Hin Chua

Guto Llewelyn visits malaysian-born Hin Chua's debut exhibition at Butetown History and Arts Centre.

THE BORDERS between cities and the countryside are becoming blurred, and one photographer has attempted to capture the beauty of areas where urban and rural meet.
Malaysian-born photographer Hin Chua’s debut exhibition, After the Fall, is currently being held at the Third Floor Gallery in Butetown.
The exhibition looks at the unusual sights which occur when the urban sprawl ventures into the wilderness, using photos taken in 15 different countries around the world.

March 8, 2013
Comedy Review: Funny People

 

A laugh a minute at Oxjam Cardiff's Funny People


MONDAY night saw 10 Feet Tall play host to Oxjam Cardiff’s monthly fundraising comedy show, Funny People.
At first the show suffered from the easygoing ambience, with the audience slowly filtering upstairs from the bar below in their own time.
The show was scheduled for an 8pm start but it wasn’t until 8.20pm the compere, Dave Munroe, gave a ten minute warning, telling the audience, “We have four acts. We might have another if he turns up”. Thankfully he did.

March 8, 2013
Single Review: Bad Blood - Bastille


SINCE 2012, it has been impossible not to get caught up in the quirky stylings of Bastille.
You are immediately thrust into the fast-paced chorus of Pompeii, which is guaranteed to get anyone moving. This leads on to the more emotional and thought-filled melodies of Oblivion.
The lyrics are written with wit and a sense of humour, but the music stays distinctly pop, without becoming synthesised or overworked.
If you haven’t heard from Bastille yet, crawl out from under your rock and buy this album, you won’t be sorry.
Rating: 4/5

March 8, 2013
Single Review: Girl who got Away - Dido


IF YOU are one of those people who always found Dido a bit bland then Girl who got Away is not exactly going to make you fall to your knees and beg forgiveness for misjudging her.
Dido occasionally moves out of her standard mid-tempo ballard mode on End of Night and Love to Blame.
There are still several wholly forgettable songs which are difficult to distinguish from one another. Happy New Year, for example, drones monotonously.
Dido has taken a couple of tentative steps into the unknown but for the most part there is little to grab your attention.

March 8, 2013
Single Review: Graffiti on the Train - Stereophonics


THE FIRST album since the tragic death of their first drummer Stuart Cable was always likely to be downbeat and Graffiti on the Train is exactly that.
It follows the disappointing Keep Calm and Carry On in 2009 and despite being far better, Graffiti on the Train is still hit and miss. There are a few good tracks on the album with the anthemic Indian Summer and the standout title track. But most of the album is just dull.
Graffiti on the Train would be the perfect album to have on in the office because at no point would anyone be distracted from their work.

March 8, 2013
Single Review: Sing to the Moon - Laura Mvula

LAURA Mvula’s debut album Sing to the Moon is soft and dreamy, with light and soulful tracks, driven by Mvula’s strong vocals.
The 12-track album has some catchy tunes including Like the Morning Dew, which has a fantastic choir-like chorus. Green Garden is upbeat, starting off with off-beat clapping and Nina Simone-esque vocals and building into a sing song chorus.
The innovative album offers something different with most songs, allowing you to drift away from the world, with Mvula's dreamy vocals and musical arrangement.

Rating: 4/5

March 8, 2013
Theatre Review: The Trench

Tom Metcalf attends the sell-out Les Enfants Terribles play, The Trench, at Wales Millenium Centre this week.


INSPIRED by a miner who was trapped in a tunnel during WWI, The Trench sold out at last year’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and has now come to Wales’s capital.
Entombed after triggering a mine while attempting to tunnel beneath No Man’s Land - a tactic employed by both sides during the war to compliment the aerial bombardments - Bert, the protagonist, finds himself bruised, battered and alone in the darkness.
Here he encounters a strange, nightmarish creature, which offers him the chance of salvation in exchange for completing three tasks.

March 7, 2013
Review: Sleeping Beauty

Ballet but not as you know it

IT'S NOT often classical ballet is met with standing ovation and whooping cheers, but then this is no ordinary ballet. Matthew Bourne's The New Adventures Company are celebrating their 25th birthday this year with their rendition of Tchaikovsky's Sleeping Beauty, which tours in Cardiff this week.

March 5, 2013
TV Reviews: Manchester United - Munich Air Crash and Question of Sport - 1000 Not Out

 

A documentary investigating the 1958 Munich plane crash where eight Manchester United players died and Question of Sport celebrate their 1000th episode with familiar faces

 

Manchester United - Munich Air Crash

Channel 5, Monday February 4, 10pm

ICONIC, tragic, emotional and devastating are all words which are over-used in modern society. This programme transports the viewer back to a freezing February evening in Munich, which left an indelible mark on the heart of a city. For once, even those superlatives cannot do the emotional rollercoaster of this programme justice.

March 1, 2013
A superb car at a bargain price

The Hyundai i30 is a smooth ride and very popular with customers 

 

THIS FAMILY sized Hyundai i30 was pitched by the Korean car maker to compete directly with the Ford Focus, and on paper, it’s hard to separate them.


The i30 1.4litre petrol is smooth on the road, the steering is light, if something, too light. It has a punchy pick up, and feels composed on bendy roads. The noise is kept to a minimum except when accelerating hard, but even then, it’s not a major problem.

March 1, 2013
Review: Once upon again

IF YOU watch Dora the Explorer, you’ll notice she never gets taken to a dark wood by her parents and abandoned.
 Peppa Pig never witnesses a wolf being slaughtered and her tramautised grandmother slithering out. Dora and Peppa go on picnics to the zoo instead, and while the occasional balloon may float away, no-one gets mauled or kidnapped.

March 1, 2013
Single Reviews: Bastille and Laura Mvula

Pompeii and Green garden 

Pompeii, Bastille
4/5

London indie-rock band Bastille have not been on the scene for long but they are causing a stir and new single Pompeii proves why. Pompeii is their third official single from their forthcoming debut album Bad Blood released this March.
A blend of staccato keyboard synths, slick drum rolls and harmonised backing chants gather energy and there’s no denying the catchiness of the track.

February 26, 2013
TV Reviews: Penguins: Spy in the Huddle and Britain on Benefits: Channel 4 Dispatches

An intimate and never before seen view of Penguins. Channel 4 investigates why the disability living allowance has been scrapped. 

 

Penguins- Spy in the Huddle

BBC1 9-10

Season 1, Episode 3 of 3, Growing Up 

Hear the collective and adoring sigh across the country to mark the last episode in this incredibly popular series.

February 22, 2013
Fine dining behind bars in Cardiff prison

Working in the restaurant has slashed prisoners' re-offending rates.

Two years ago, Brian (not his real name) was sent to jail for dealing cocaine. Today he's the bar manager at a high class Cardiff restaurant – even though he's still in prison.

The Clink restaurant, situated in the grounds of Cardiff Prison, is staffed by 28 prisoners, who work as chefs, waiters, barman and cleaners.

All the food is made fresh, from the bread to the ice cream – and you can tell. The menu changes each week, on a three-week cycle, so there is great variety.

February 22, 2013
Sebastian Faulks' Birdsong flies into Cardiff's New Theatre

Dom Gilbert reviews Alistair Whatley's production of Sebastian Faulks' Birdsong at the New Theatre, Cardiff.

AFTER an adaptation of Sebastian Faulks’ novel made it onto BBC screens last year, Birdsong has taken an even bolder move onto the stage in the first touring production of the 2010 West End play.

Flitting between a pre-war estate on the banks of the Somme, where young Englishman Stephen Wraysford embarks on a tempestuous relationship with the wife of his French host, and the battle-ravaged fields of World War I, as the idyllic world Wraysford knew crumbles around him.

February 22, 2013
Spillers Records Top Albums of the week

The staff at Spillers Records in Cardiff tell us the most popular albums available for order and pre-order at the moment.

Graff from Spillers Records told us the most popular albums in store this month.

Nick Cave: Push the Sky Away

Al Lewis: Battles

Richard Thompson: Electric

Atoms for peace- Amok (pre-orders)

February 15, 2013
Emily Portman trio wows St David's Hall

As part of their Roots Unearthed season St David’s Hall welcomed BBC Folk Award winners, the Emily Portman Trio.

The band, who all met studying folk music in Newcastle, were bereft of their third arm, harpist Rachel Newton. It was up to Portman and violist Lucy Farell along with friend guitarist Johnny Kearney, to try and rescue the show. 

 Any initial disappointment at the change in the line-up among the audience was quashed as soon as the first chords played out.

February 15, 2013
James's Peach is a Giant Success

James and the Giant Peach at the New Theatre is just peachy.

Based on the children’s classic by Roald Dahl, the adaptation of James and the Giant Peach for stage at Cardiff’s New Theatre was an inventive and incredible production that thrilled the audience of all ages.

The Birmingham Stage Company gave a colourful performance of the tale of James Henry Trotter, who moves to live with his two horrible aunts after a rhino kills his parents. They treat him like a slave and never let him play. One day, he meets a mystical old man who gives him a magical bag of crocodile tongues.

February 15, 2013
Review: David Tress exhibition at Albany Gallery

 Tress's West Wales landscapes refuse to be quaint.

PEMBROKESHIRE based artist, David Tress, has featured the West Wales landscape in his latest work, currently in exhibiton at Albany Gallery.

The London-born artist moved to Wales in his early twenties and was inspired to reject modernism but influence his landscapes with his early abstract art.

In the early days, Tress painted highly-detailed and realistic landscapes. Light was always central. One of his famous earlier works, Winter Sun, places a darkening sky behind brightly illuminated stone walls of a cottage. It could be a photograph.

February 8, 2013
All female Hamlet at RWCMD

The Cardiffian meets the cast members and director of the all-female Hamlet by RWCMD and comments on their interpretation of Shakepeare's play.

THE ALL-FEMALE production of Hamlet from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama (RWCMD) successfully liberates the audience from their traditional preconceptions of Shakespeare.


The concept of an all-female Hamlet is not a new one, as ambitious and innovative actresses have been playing the coveted role of the Danish Prince for generations. What makes this production stand out is the sensitive and powerful way the cast interpret their roles and interact with each other.

February 8, 2013
Theatre Review: Driving Miss Daisy

The New Theatre's adaptation of David Esbjorbornson's critically acclaimed play set in the deep South of America exploring human relationships and racial tension.

THE PLAY that spawned an Oscar-winning film is on at Cardiff’s New Theatre this week, Driving Miss Daisy.

David Esbjornson’s production of Driving Miss Daisy, stopping at the New Theatre until Saturday, is a leisured exploration of prejudice and friendship.

Set in the American south - KKK country as a street sign in the backdrop declares it – we see the Southern stereotypes of love for family and racial tension played out.