Top Hat at The Mayflower Southampton - Review

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This Tuesday I was lucky enough to go to the opening night of the musical Top Hat at The Mayflower Southampton.

The stage version of the 1930’s moving picture is brought to life by a cast of 45 actors, dancers and musicians. A comedic and whimsical tale of love between Jerry Travers (Tom Chambers - 'Holby City' and winner of 'Strictly Come Dancing') and Dale Tremont (Summer Strallen - 'Hollyoaks') is performed in full Hollywood glamour.

Beautiful costumes and cleverly constructed sets ensured that this light-hearted play enthralled audiences as the couple dance from song to song. The quips and wit of the original is captured perfectly by the show and had me laughing un-ashamedly more than once. The dancing provided by the whole cast was stunning and provided the ballroom charm even if the pieces sometimes felt a little long.

I felt that the first dance by Tom Chambers (and a very strained fake American accent) was a little shaky but the performance soon mellowed into an easy to watch and entertaining musical.

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed the show and recommend to all lovers of ballroom dancing and musicals alike.

4/5

Thanks for reading,

Love Rie xx

[Top Hat is at The Mayflower until September 24^th before touring around the UK.

For more information and to book tickets: http://bit.ly/nP19VZ

Thanks to Carswell Gould for the opportunity to watch the show]

Carte Blanche by Jeffery Deaver - Book Review

Deaver launches the James Bond character into the 21^st century with his own unique style. A must have read for any Bond lovers, and thriller readers alike, but don’t be put off if you don’t like cars and guns, there is a lot more besides.

Aesthetically this book is very pleasing to read, the flocked, rubberised cover grips your hands. The cover image resembles a wisp of smoke and the design is repeated at the beginning of every chapter. I have both a standard copy (white/red) and a limited edition signed copied (black/white) which are both equally eye catching on my shelf.

All hard backs are going to be a little weighty and as this was a holiday read this summer, I did feels a paperback would have perhaps been better for travelling with, but the story gripped me from beginning to end and was worth the extra weight!  

The title is also really clever. So much better than the titles such as Octopussy and The Man with the Golden Gun, it has wit and style that really fits in with the narrative.

The narrative is well, Bond like. The formulae of the books were followed well, Bond had a fast car (although not an Aston Martin) and he even got the girl. He’s cheeky, witty and is one step ahead of the enemy no matter how much in trouble he seems. Yet it was Deaver’s personal writing style that made this book, for me, so enjoyable to read.  Red herrings and the rollercoaster ride of revolutions make this a fast paced read, and it will keep you guessing until the end.

The villain is possibly one of the best yet. Routed in modern issues with a flaw that makes your skin crawl, he is the perfect persona of 21^st issues of recycling and corporate responsibility and their darker side.

It was the technical information on the cars and guns that was lost on me. I was laying in bed reading out the names of cars to my boyfriend to describe, as I had no idea what they were, if they were good or not or what they looked like. I understand that they are necessary for the book, but just not for me.

Overall I loved Jeffery Deaver’s take on the James Bond novel, with a fancy cover, good name and great characters. Yet the very Bond-ness of it means I prefer his own creations.

4/5

Thanks for reading,

Love Rie Reviews xx

Oh Genre!

Hey all :)

I hope you have enjoyed the last few reviews. I have really enjoyed working with Sam and Flo and hope I can get a few more people involved in reviews when I am busy. Sam already has a book waiting for him when he gets home that he has promised me he will review!

So much for my summer off! I have managed to get my self into 3 jobs and reading has been segregated to only train journeys and at bedtime.Thus the slow progress on my very exciting 'to read' pile.

I am currently reading a very different genre than I normally go for... Historical Drama. Science fiction, fantasy, crime drama, a lot of teen vampire flicks are normally what I spend the most of my time reading, but I have really fallen in love with "Queen of Silks" by Vanora Bennett.

I inherited this book from my Dad's late godmother (RIP London Mary) with a selection of other books that she had in her home. She was a passionate reader and we had shared books with her for a number of years. This one however doesn't look like it has ever been read before, but I hope in her final weeks she had lots of other great books to read.

The book was originally published as "Figures of Silk" back in 2008 but I am reading the paper back version printed in 2009. As I have already mentioned I haven't read any historical style novels before so I wasn't expecting the rich content (I wouldn't know if it was accurate!) mixed in with more recognisable themes of ambition, feminism, romance and adultery.

If it doesn't really sound your thing, I wouldn't blame you! I only picked this book up to read first as it was the smallest (mainly because it is a paperback) and would be lightest to read on the train. However I have been drawn into it, and found myself sat at Portsmouth Harbour station, sat on the train, reading speedily to reach the end of the chapter before I have to get off so the train can go back in the other direction!

Look out for the review when I have finished it! I would love for you guys to give a new genre a try as you never know - you might find a real gem!

What genre is your favourite normally? Have you been surprised by a new genre?

Please comment and let me know, I would love to hear from you!

Thanks for reading,

Rie xx

Pre-ordered :D

I have officially pre-ordered Kelley Armstrong's new book: Spellbound!!

I cannot tell you how excited I am to read this new book, Waking the Witch was good but this one promises to be soooo much better.

It will be with me early August so look out for the review!

Thanks for reading,
Love Rie xx

My Favourite Post Secrets - from this week!

Hi all :)
A little bit earlier than last week I thought I would do a Post Secret blog.

I realised that in my earlier blogs about Post Secret I didn’t say what it was all about, so before I talk about it anymore I will present to you a little bit about the site, who owns it and why it was started.

Post Secret was started by Frank Warren as a Community art project back in 2005. He asked strangers across America to write a secret on a postcard and send it to him. No restrictions were placed on the content of the card, other than it must be your secret, and that it had never been told before. Warren has now been posting between 10 and 20 anonymous secrets on his blog http://www.postsecret.com/ every Sunday for the last 6 years without fail (with only a hand full of missed days over that time).

I discovered this blog in my first year of college, recommended to myself by a class mate called Flo. It soon became a tradition on Monday mornings in college to go into the IT suite and check that week’s secrets with different people over the 2 years I spent there. Comments were made on the quality of their design, on the artistic-ness of the message and we always loved (I still do) an encrypted message to work out. But I like to think we never judged the content. These were people’s secrets, and it was not for me to judge what ever event or thought they needed to share.

I have been visiting the site every Sunday evening and saving secrets for the last 2 years now, and have compiled quite a collection. I only save my favourite secrets, as I am not creating a record of what has been posted but a scrapbook folder of the ones that drew me in.

The content of the blog has inspired many other projects, that I only learned the extent of its reach when researching for this post today. There are 5 directly affiliated blog sites that post secrets, some in English with translations, and some are sent in native languages. Currently there has been 5 books published including secrets never seen before. Enlarged copies of the secrets were used in the Washington Art Gallery for an exhibit, and Warren had done a number of Post Secret Events in American Colleges. The All American Rejects even used the project as the background for their song – Dirty Little Secret. (see the end for links and videos)


So with the introduction over, I will place my favourite secrets from the original Post Secret blog this week. Keep in mind that it was Mother's day in America last Sunday, hence the topics.

Am I the only one who wants to know what?

I found Wally (or Waldo as he is called in America) in this picture quite quickly.
But I can't help but wonder if there is a cartoon of this persons Mum that is more important.

The construction of this secret is unusual and that's why I was so attracted to it.

The links:

http://postsecret-uk.blogspot.com/ - UK version of the blog.

http://postsecretfrance.blogspot.com/ - French language version.

http://postsecretdeutsch.blogspot.com/ - German language version. [translations available]

http://postsecretpt.blogs.sapo.pt/ - Portuguese language version.

http://elmundopostsecret.blogspot.com/ - English secrets translated into Spanish.


All American Rejects song:

http://tinyurl.com/postsecretbooks - Link to books.

Thank you all for reading, 

Love Rie xx

Post Secret Again

Hey all,

I'm thinking of making this a regular thing - hopefully a weekly post of my favourite Post Secrets of that week?

Let me know what you think. I don't want to know your secrets - because those are yours to keep. But I would love to know what your favourite secrets are from Post Secret, or anywhere :)

With out further chatter: My favourite postcard secrets of this week are...

This secret really scares me... I really hope that this person can get over his/her image issues.

Why doesn't he say?

:)

I really think that happiness is not determined on IQ.
It takes someone really smart to recognise the flaws around them and be happy with them.
Or just someone too stupid to realise?

Never :P

Thank you as always for reading,

Love Rie xx

Hello Again

I may blame my busy uni work schedule for my absence from blogging for all this time, but in truth I have been finding it hard to find enough hours in the day to do anything consistently at the moment.

However my work is nearly all done and I have a long summer ahead of me to blog to my hearts content - and blog I will.

Tonight I have been working on my website and I think *fingers crossed* I am finished :D I have had a bit of help from my boyfriend who brought me back from the brink of breakdown after some problems with a JavaScript photo viewer but I am really happy with how it looks now - and it leaves me relaxed enough to write a short blog!

I am really excited as I have had a message from my Mum to let me know that the latests True Blood book - Death Reckoning has arrived so I can't wait to get home and jump straight in to it.

Just one more piece of work to do now and feeling super happy. I am just looking for a work experience placement now - so if you know anyone who can help please please email me at marie.malyon@gmail.co.uk

Thank you all for reading,

Rie Reviews xx

Studying in the Sun!

Hi all :)

Firstly, thank you for coming and reading my blog in just a short amount of time I have had more hits than I could of imagined (just another push and I'll hit 100 this month! Wooo).

I am studying hard atm - being the stress pot that I am I refuse to do anything else until I have done some uni work. Even though I have over a month till hand in, I like to know I have plenty of time to do work, and I sure have plenty to do.

But I don't think I have done work in such a pretty surroundings as today! The sun is shining and I am sat in the back garden at home in shorts, t-shirt and sunglasses typing away on my laptop.

I can't believe how warm it is - I had to move the table in to the shade because my little laptop was getting too hot (oh and me hehe!). It feels just like summer, but there are plenty of pretty daffodils around in the garden to remind me its only spring!!

This double headed daffodil got to heavy and broke :( but it has been a very pretty laptop accessory (until it got in the way to much and was moved to the pile of books) so it did not fall of in vain!

Hope you are all enjoying the weather were you are.

Please don't forget to comment,

Love Rie xxx

My TV Guilty Pleasures

Here is the first part of a series of posts on my TV favourites.

This blog is all about my guilty pleasures currently broadcast on the box an why i enjoy them so much.

Emmerdale

Although some people may take pride in watching this soap opera, it is not a programme with a high amount of viewers of my age.

However there must be a part of me that wants to run away and start up a farm in the countryside as I love catching up with what has been going on while I have been away.

I am not a big fan of the ITV Player as I find it so slow compared to the iPlayer, but even if I could stand the site for long enough, I am not sure I would watch Emmerdale online.

I think the biggest part of the pleasure of this show is my Friday night catch-ups with mum on the sofa finding out what has been going on with the town’s residents.

I am particularly fond of the idea of the farm shop, and the Woolpack

gatherings, simply the whole dying concept of village living that I have never really experienced.

For those cynics of my sanity, I do know that it is all created for the show, but I like the added drama and narrative that only a regular soap can provide, and I am sure I will continue to indulge in the show more often now, whilst I am home for Easter.

Snog Marry Avoid

As a media student, I often ponder how this show fits into the BBC’s remit to: educate, inform and entertain. Yes it may inform people on how to be naturally beautiful and certainly entertains those such as myself who bask in its triviality. But how far will this remit bend?

But don’t mistake these thoughts about the BBC’s motivations for the show as criticism. As for escapism TV I couldn’t think of anything better.

An acquired taste, but a must see for those who observe how people have taken ‘fakery’ the extreme, and chuckle to themselves at orange fake tans, clumpy fake lashes and outfits that look like they haven’t yet got dressed.

POD (personal overhaul device) is witty and cutting and such a giggle.

Shown on BBC3, normally in the late evenings it is a show aimed at the teenage audience, but I know that friends into their 40’s still enjoy a bit of a giggle at the state of the people willing to appear on the show.

Another of my core guilty pleasures.

Take Me Out

Oh Paddy McGuinness makes this show for me. That accent, that cheeky smile and wicked sense of humour make me grin every time.

Again I must bore you for a second with my wonderment on its reflection on dating culture in the UK. The objectification of men is really interesting to me. As well as how women perceive different aspects of the contestant’s life and decide so quickly that they do not want to know any more about him.

Whenever I watch it I think of my dad saying “chuck her a sugar lump and send her home” with reference to one of the women looking like a horse, and it makes me think that maybe these cutting observations are best made behind closed doors and not told to the male contestants so openly.

It’s so cruel, it’s so cutting, and so totally my ultimate guilty pleasure.

A class entertainment for those who want nothing more.

Thank you all for reading :)

Please comment and let me know what your TV guilty pleasures are.

Love Rie

xxx