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“What if I’m mocked mercilessly by beautiful, pint-sized fashionistas? What if they throw their countless skinny lattes over me, whilst beating me with luxuriously soft leather Marc Jacobs bags, heavy with iPhones and Swarovski crystals, (or whatever it is in those huge bags) whilst cursing my choice of shoes?”
“This world is so far from mine, what will I do to make a name for myself?”
If go to the river today you'll find a big suprise. You'll find the unassuming Riverside Studios and Cardboard Citizens' new play A Few Man Fridays. It is gritty, insightful and you may just learn about a culture you didn't even know existed.Cardboard Citizens are a fab charity that works towards helping the homeless, through theatre. Sounds a bit poncy? I here you think. Yeah it does sound a bit... well you can imagine the theatre luvvie stereotype. But this charity does amazing work. Through the charity many homeless people are rehoused and find stable work and new lives. One of the many ways the company raises awareness and enables people to gain the confidence and skills to start a new chapter in their lives is through putting on plays. Running right now is A Few Man Fridays directed by Adrian Jackson.Chagos Islands? Diego Garcia? Heard of them? Well neither had I until I had the pleasure of seeing this brilliant play. The story follows a young man, Prosper, on his journey to find out his true identity. Brought to Brixton with a white woman years ago to live in a Rastafarian commune, Prosper has no clue as to who he is, or where his white mother now lives. Just like Prospero in The Tempest, (who can't fail to see a similarity in the name, coincidence I think not) Prosper has been forced from his native land, and just like magic everyone seems to forgotten about it. Strange that.As the story unfolds the audience get a lesson in British and American foreign policy. No prizes for guessing that it is calculated, immoral and leaves a whole bunch of people in a very undesirable situation. The people of Diego Garcia live on the island peacefully working for a British owned coconut farmer. They work hard and enjoy island life. Then some genius American decides "I want that Island so I can nuke everyone around it." They put it a bit more slyly then that, but that is the general gist of why the Americans want Diego Garcia. So the Brits and Americans come to a deal. Ship the inhabitants of the Chagos Islands off to Mauritius and make the people their problem, swap some dollar, ake it impossible for people to return, and then America put a huge army base on the island. Nice guys. Apart from the fact that the Diego Garcians now live in slums, and their Civil Rights have been grossly abused. This is a true story. One that should be listened too. This is at the heart of what theatre should be about; engaging audiences with issues that matter, educating people and stirring debate. Go see the play it offers so much more then I could possibly write about (prepare yourselves it has a long running time).
RANN NU DIEGO!
Last night I dreamt of Manderley again. It seemed to me I stood by the iron gate leading to the drive, and for a while I could not enter, for the way was barred to me...Then, like all dreamers I was possessed of a sudden with supernatural powers and passed like a spirit through the barrier before me.
- nameless girl, page 1.
I love Daphne Du Maurier's Rebecca. It is a beautifully written horror of a love story. We read with such promise at the beginning. Pretty, plain, poor girl meets super rich, handsome fella with a grand name of Maxim de Winter, I mean mega swoon. Plus they meet in Monte Carlo! Marriage proposal shortly follows, Bob's your uncle Fanny's your aunt love story done. But oh no no no, not our Daphne. That'd be far too simple, too easy. Mr de Winter whisks nameless girl back to the mansion on the Cornish coast and all goes a bit wrong for the lovely Mrs de Winter. She has to contend with the ultimate ex wife.
Rebecca de Winter is in Manderley. Dead a year ago, but haunting the couple from her watery grave. Du Mauriers prose is descriptive and yet so utterly concealed. Hints of the woman Rebecca was are left everywhere for us, her handwriting, her hairbrush, her night dress, her maid. And yet it is like always catching a glimpse of someone as they turn a corner, you see them but couldn't really say what they looked like. And it is this that made the story just too perfect for Alfred Hithcock. It is dark, moody, a touch of the supernatural seeps through. Hitchcock constantly has his audience thinking of Rebecca, an avid sailor, even as we first meet Maxim (Laurence Olivier), with his future wife (Joan Fontaine) we skip up a sunny Monte Carlo cliff side to the sound of the crashing waves. That is Rebecca, a crashing wave. Relentless, strong, and she'll drag you down with her.The scene to watch out for is most definitely Ms Danvers coaxing Mrs de Winter to jump out of Rebecca's window. Her love for her former ward is like that of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, aka majorly creepy.
Hitchcock uses the camera so intelligently, utilises a fabuous cast (Mrs Danvers is soo scary in the book, the film completely lives up it) to create the impending doom, stomach of lead feeling that young Mrs de Winter must feel at that point.
All I can say is watch it! It is pure Hitchcock genius and Du Maurier terror. For those that don't know she wrote The Birds, so expect great things and let me know know what you think, especially your thoughts on a lead character with no name. Daphne what a clever girl you were.
