Book: Dark Places by Gillian Flynn

If you haven't read Gone Girl then what have you been doing?! Dark Places was written three years earlier than Gone Girl and didn't have quite the same grip on me as Gone Girl did (I left Gone Girl at a friend's house in the middle of reading it and I could barely sleep!)

Dark Places follows the character of Libby Day who is trying to discover whether her brother actually committed the murders of the rest of her family that he was imprisoned for years earlier. The story line is gripping, but I wouldn't say that I couldn't put it down. It had a similar shock factor to it as Gone Girl, but on a smaller scale. I think if I had read this book before Gone Girl I would have enjoyed it more as I wouldn't have been comparing it so much!

The characters are interesting because none of them are particularly good people, but I really liked this because it just showed human nature. The main character was selfish, lazy and to some extent quite greedy (the only reason she began searching for the truth about the murders in the first place is because she was offered money to do so), but it didn't stop me from liking her because she seemed very real. There were also points where I felt empathy with her brother because he made juvenile mistakes like anyone would.

It was really well written, I marvel at how Gillian Flynn writes such complicated story lines from different character's perspectives, in different decades and still manages to weave it all together coherently so it is easy to follow for the reader.

I would definitely recommend this book, although try not to compare it to Gone Girl like I did or you might be disappointed! I didn't know until I did some research that it's been made into a film so that's on my to-see list!

Theatre: The Only Way Is Downton

East Riding Theatre
Sunday 15th February 2015, 3.00pm.

Written and performed by: Luke Kempner
Director: Owen Lewis

The only thing I knew about this play before I saw it was that it was a one man show and that he did impressions of people from Downton Abbey. I didn't really know what to expect - it could have been really bad! But it was so good. I wouldn't really describe it as him doing impressions of people from Downton Abbey, more like he played all of the characters complete with accents and mannerisms while keeping up a flowing conversation between all the characters. Sound impossible? Not for him! I was blown away by his ability and his portrayal of all the characters - he had all the mannerisms just right and he was also able to slip in and out of character seamlessly to address asides to the audience. As usual with actors playing multiple parts Kempner chose a different gesture for each character as an indication to the audience of who he was portraying and although he got a couple of these mixed up because of the fast pace of the show, it didn't matter because you could always tell who he was playing anyway. 

The script was wonderfully written and I think the fact that it was written by Kempner himself was ideal as he knew the script, the characters and he really owned it. The basic premise is that Downton Abbey is at risk of financial ruin and with the wedding of the Dowager Countess to a rather unlikely suitor to fund, various members of the house turn to various reality television shows in an attempt to raise money. This leads to other characters for Kempner to play as we see Mrs Patmore and Daisy compete in the Great British Bake Off, Miss O'Brien and Thomas appearing on Pointless and Mr Bates challenging Andy Murray at Wimbledon. In a plot that amazingly brings all these elements and more together, it is hilariously clever. 

The set, sound and lighting were fairly simple, which I think was needed in such a fast paced show, as you don't want too much going on for the audience. The set was a simple back drop of the library at Downton Abbey, which provided context, but didn't impose on the stage. The lighting and sound both helped to indicate a change in scene - and also enabled Kempner to grab a well needed drink in between scenes!

The standout moment for me was when a butterfly interrupted the performance by literally flying into Kempner's face. He dealt with it amazingly by making a joke in character to the audience. He did the same a couple of times, which I thought was great and just further highlighted his ability as a comic actor. 

I think the tour is nearly finished, but there are still a few showings left and I would highly recommend seeing it if it is near you! 

Film: Into The Woods

Director: Rob Marshall
Written by: James Lapine & Stephen Sondheim (music)
Cast: Emily Blunt, James Corden, Anna Kendrick, Meryl Streep, Johnny Depp, Chris Pine, Lilla Crawford, Mackenzie Mauzy, Billy Magnussen, Daniel Huttlestone

I didn't know a lot about this film before I went to see it, but it's basically the story of a baker (Corden) and his wife (Blunt) who venture into the woods to try and break a curse put on them by a witch (Streep). Along the way they meet Little Red Riding Hood (Crawford), Cinderella (Kendrick), Jack and the Beanstalk (Huttlestone) and Rapunzel (Mauzy).

The stories are all cleverly intertwined throughout the film. Each story is told separately, while still somehow relating to the overall narrative, held together by the main story of the baker and his wife. I felt that there were two flaws in the narrative. The first was that it seemed to reach an ending point when there was a twist, which resulted in at least an extra half hour! Because the film was quite long I was quite ready for it to end where it did! The second flaw was during the twist, which I won't say too much about as it would be a spoiler! But I felt that there was a huge lack of emotion from one of the characters when there should have been a lot more.

Something I thought could be played on more was the parody aspect of the film. There were quite a few isolated parody moments of the fairy tales, but I do feel these could have been expanded on.

I couldn't fault the acting and I was pleasantly surprised by James Corden, as I didn't think I'd be able to separate him from the stereotypical comedy character I'm used to seeing him play, but the fact that I didn't even think about that proves how well he did. I'm always impressed by Emily Blunt, she seems to be able to seamlessly slip into any role. The stand outs for me were the two young actors, Lilla Crawford and Daniel Huttlestone. I thought their charactertisation was brilliant and I'm hoping to see a lot more from both of them.

I thought the music was great and I usually don't warm to musicals the first time I hear the music so that's a big compliment! I did expect the music to be good as I love the music from Sweeney Todd, which was also written by Stephen Sondheim.

Altogether it's a film definitely worth seeing, but could definitely have been better! 3/5.

Theatre: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time

Hull New Theatre
Saturday 17th January 2015 2.30pm

I'm going to start this review by saying I have nothing bad to say about this play. Being a theatre graduate I can't help but critique every play I see so however much I've enjoyed a play there's usually something I can pinpoint that could be improved, but not this one.

It follows a teenage boy with learning difficulties as he takes it upon himself to investigate the murder of his neighbour's dog Wellington and along the way he discovers a lot more than he bargained for and his whole world as he knows it starts to unravel.

Having read the book by Mark Haddon I knew the story and thought that the play could really be a big flop if it wasn't done well. But boy did they do well. The actors, set, lighting and sound were all merged as one almost unnoticeably. I always think that a sign you've seen a really good play is when you leave and you actually find it difficult to separate all the different elements.

The day we saw it the understudy, Chris Ashby was playing the main part of Christopher Boone. I wouldn't have known he was the understudy if I hadn't read the programme and I can't imagine that Joshua Jenkins who usually plays Christopher could be any better than Ashby was. He was flawless. I'm not going to say too much about how his portrayal of someone with Asperger Syndrome was, as I don't think there can be a generalisation of what a person with Asperger Syndrome is supposed to be like, but the continuity of the mannerisms and habits that he chose to characterise was faultless. My absolute favourite mannerism, which I know was taken from the book was Christopher touching palms with his dad and mum, which was a small but powerful gesture.

All of the acting was brilliant and the way the ensemble worked together was extremely fluid. When I read beforehand that the movement had been directed by Scott Graham and Steven Hoggett from Frantic Assembly I had high expectations! My expectations were definitely fulfilled as the movement of the ensemble was the most natural thing. It seemed normal to me that people were acting as chairs or doors, another sign of a good play!

The set was so functional and another thing that just naturally merged into the production. The set incorporated the entrances and exits to the stage, cupboards from which props were smoothly incorporated into scenes by ensemble members and an interactive floor/wall so that the audience could see a projected version of what Christoper draws on the floor.

On reflection the lighting and sound were a lot more complicated than they seemed when watching. The fact that these elements were made to seem simple is yet another sign of a good play! The sound was completely in time with the actions of the ensemble and the lighting followed them across the stage perfectly. The lighting was quite stark, reflecting the harsh reality of the play.

The stylised dramaturgy of the production perfectly reflected the book, in the way that this is an unusual yet realistic story told from the point of view of a boy with learning difficulties. You could really see the world through Christopher's eyes and I believe that is what made it so beautiful.

This play is well worth seeing and the tour is currently continuing around the country until 7th November this year. If you do go, make sure you stay until after the curtain has closed to watch Christoper solve his A level maths paper!