Whitworth Lates & Laughing Hole

What happens when you mix one of the greatest art galleries in the North West, top quality music and a pioneering art installation? The answer is Thursday Lates at the The Whitworth.

Taking place in the refurbished Whitworth Gallery, Thursday Lates offers late-night openings to the galleries with a twist. Wandering around, it was obvious that this was how galleries should be experienced. With DJs and jazz quartets echoing around the galleries and breathing new life into the exhibits, both artistic novices and royalty were seeing things from a new, refreshing, perspective.

What truly caught my attention was a SICK! Festival installation, titled "Laughing Hole". A six-hour long performance which aimed to confront the themes of sexuality, abuse and suicide, Laughing Hole filled the Grand Hall with continuous laughter and littered it with hundreds of cardboard signs. Three women roamed freely with disturbingly labelled placards (e.g "Impotent Mum" and "Warlord") and confronted visitors with their focused stares and disjointed cackling. The absurd nature of the space resulted in initial laughter, however with speaker systems amplifying the noise the oppressive atmosphere caused many to repeatedly read the placards for some distraction. Many watched others reactions, to see how they were coping. While being free to leave at any point, the combination of the laughter, signs and stares resulted in a sense of claustrophobia, which made the artistic themes really resonate. From an outsiders view I was completely unshackled, but inside I felt nailed to the floor. Never before have I experienced so much in an art installation.

Overall, the night showed that to bring the gallery to life, all you needed was some jazz, some drinks and a hard-hitting performance. If this edition was anything to go by, the Whitworth Lates have got themselves a regular visitor.

The Dumb Waiter

Hello, I'm back! 2015 is upon us and I'd love to say I've been incredibly busy. However, the truth is I haven't been particularly rushed off my feet (other than exams), so I don't have a great deal to tell you. Well, that's if you don't count my recent trip to see The Dumb Waiter at HOME...

The What?

The Dumb Waiter! A Ransack Theatre production, part of HOME's Re:play Festival 2015, which was performed on the 15th and 16th January. Taking place in HOME's new home on First Street, The Dumb Waiter was a production of the play written by Harold Pinter. If, like myself, you're not familiar with the works of Mr. Pinter, I'll give you a brief synopsis of the play, watch out for spoilers!

1.) Show starts. Two men, Gus and Ben, both in suits, are waiting in a grotty basement. The younger man (Gus) asks the older, more weary man (Ben), a series of questions about their next 'job' and other related (and unrelated) topics.

2.) The two men bicker about a series of items, ranging from whether Man City are playing this weekend, to the term 'put the kettle on'. It becomes evident the two men are actually hitmen (shock, horror!)

3.) A series of food orders arrive from the floors above, the two men panic. Hilarity ensues.

4.) Hilarity ends when the men receive their orders for the next 'job', causing betrayal.

Gus waiting for the next job. Photo: HOME

So there's a brief run-though of the play, without ruining too many plot details. At an hour long, this was a one-act play, which was well-received. Any longer and the story line would have been stretched thin, like butter scraped over too much bread. A two-man play can be a tricky thing to master, as if the actors don't fit together, then the audience will be lost relatively quickly. However, James Warburton (Gus) and Alastair Michael (Ben) were perfectly matched, with Michael's performance as the short tempered, wearier, Ben being of note.

The simple set design helped portray our duo's lack of control over their next job, a dingy, windowless room with two beds and a gas cooker which doesn't light. Almost a third companion, it helped amplify the rising tensions and the claustrophobia that accompanied the darker moments of the play.

How Much?

Tickets to the play cost £8 for students, and £10 normally. The play was run as part of the Re:play Festival, where the best fringe drama from the last 12 months in Greater Manchester is brought together for another run. The Re:play Festival has ended now, but I am in no doubt that HOME will run it again next year. 

Indy Man Beer Con

Hello again! I'll start by asking you a simple question. Have you ever been to the land of beer? Sadly this land is fictional, however the Independent Manchester Beer Convention (IMBC) acted as an embassy for four days last week. Taking place in the Victoria Baths over 9th-12th October, the IMBC brought together the most progressive breweries to show off their wares in the most impressive of surroundings. As a volunteer, I got to have a wander around and try a "few" beers.

What was it like inside?

The food hall. There were balloons everywhere.

Using the full space of the Victoria Baths, along with part of the car park outside, breweries clamoured to get your attention with their newest ranges. Any flavour of beer, you could probably find it. Want music and strobe lights? Just head to the Turkish Baths. Thought of a bizarre name for a beer? They've already got a stranger one. You could forget about traditional alcohol content as well, with certain stouts and ales reaching the lofty heights of 11 per cent. These weren't beers you'd find in Sainsbury's, these were boundary-breaking thirds, ready to blow the cobwebs from your tastebuds and dull your other senses.

What kind of beer was there?

Music! And more balloons.

Snazzy glass.

There was a plethora of different beers, more than you could even imagine. However, you probably worked that out already! But what was my favourite beer? Well that would have to be the "Earl Phantom", a 'lemon iced tea sour' beer, served up by Beavertown Brewery. Upon first taste you were greeted by a jolt of lemon zest, immediately followed up by the soothing taste of a cup of Earl Grey, all finished off with your body screaming for more. Either that or "Rapture" from Magic Rock. An incredibly hoppy red beer, with an intensely colourful flavour, it was another which really made you stop and appreciate what you were tasting. With drinks being served in the traditional one-third pint glasses, it was easy to try a wide range before you were ready to collapse down onto the bean bags in front of the music stage.

How much was it?

Tickets were £10 for a session, which would be approximately six to seven hours long. I must admit, as I was volunteering, I didn't buy a ticket, so I can't tell you what exactly was included in the ticket price. However, I do know you at least got entry, a fancy one-third pint glass, IMBC pencil, programme and the opportunity to sample dozens of beers! IMBC has been running for a few years now, so tickets are moving increasingly quickly. However, increasing ale awareness means that this will soon be an event on any beer drinkers calendar.

The Big Feastival

Hello and welcome back! I recently got the chance to spend a day at the Big Feastival, Sit back, relax and let me regale you with tales from Alex James' farm...

What? Alex James' Farm?

Yes, the Big Feastival was a food/music festival taking place on Alex James' farm in Oxfordshire. You'll know Alex James as the blur bassist turned cheese-man, who teamed up with Jamie Oliver to bring top quality food and music to the masses.

What Was There?

Ducks! Ducks, ducks ducks!

The festival had a whole host of different stalls, for all tastes. Obviously there were the food vans and music stages, which I discuss below. For those who wanted to improve their cooking skills there were cooking demonstrations with top chefs, or you could go to a Q&A sessions with food and drink experts (including Adam Henson from Countryfile), or you could even just go to the petting zoo. There were also market stalls where you could buy a range of items, including hot sauces, brownies and cooking utensils. For fans of cooking and food, there was almost everything you could wish for.

What Kind of Food?

Cheese! Clockwise from top: Little Wallop (Goats),
Blue Monday, Farleigh Wallop (Goats), Goddess Geu

There was food for all, of all shapes and sizes! From paella to dumplings via ice cream and cider, there was something for everyone. The traditional festival food had also been elevated to new heights. For example, at the Barbecoa stand (a Jamie Oliver venture), you could get short rib burgers along with double beef burgers. There wasn't a bottle of burger sauce in sight, this was a much "classier" affair. 

For fans of cheese, there was an entire tent dedicated to the cheese of the feastival co-founder Alex James. You could buy a sample plate of four of his award winning cheeses (I didn't check which awards they were), which were delicious. They were so good that I didn't even realise Alex James was standing about 10 feet behind me while I was eating them! If that's not a testament to their quality, I don't know what is.

And The Music?

As a food and music festival, there had to be a careful balance between the two. Focus too much on one and you risk losing the audience for the other. However, with several stages for new artists and a main music stage, all with different acts throughout the day, you couldn't go anywhere without hearing something good. The whole weekend had some big names, such as Fatboy Slim and Laura Mvula on Saturday, but on the Sunday I was able to see De La Soul and Jamie Cullum perform to the crowd. De La Soul gave an incredible performance, with tonnes of audience interaction. Seeing an Oxfordshire crowd all bouncing their hands to De La Soul is a sight I won't forget in a long time. 

There, proof I was there!

Jamie Cullum was the headline act and his performance truly earned that slot. He was electric and full of energy, blasting out classics with his band. He was unafraid to get the audience truly involved, which culminated in pulling up one man to play piano with him on stage. Luckily the man knew his piano, which saved Jamie Cullum from a very embarrassing moment. 

Summer-y

Sorry for the awful pun. As it was a festival, the cost of the food was inflated, along with the fact you were paying for top quality stuff, so it was a event where your wallet could take a significant hit, if you let it. The whole event took place on the 29th-31st August near Kingham in Oxfordshire and if this year's impressive show was anything to go by, then it will be back next year! So all in all, the Big Feastival managed to bring together brilliant food and great music in a way that many other events would fail to, all in the Oxfordshire sunshine.

Just So Festival

Hello and welcome back! Yes, it's not just a welcome back for you, but for me as well. I'll admit I neglected this blog recently, it's been waiting for the day I could come back and wow you all with my recent adventures. So, like a man blowing off the cobwebs from his favourite suit, it's time for me to dust off this blog and give it a new entry. With no further ado, it's time to relay my thoughts and opinions about my most recent venture, to the "Just So Festival"...

Why was I there?

Just like my visit to the Towersey Village Festival, I was volunteering with the Institute of Physics on their "Physics In The Field" stand. On this stand we used everyday objects (bottles, marshmallows, handkerchiefs, etc) to demonstrate principles of physics. I was on the stall on the Saturday and Sunday of the event for most of the day, meaning I didn't have much time to explore the festival, but I gave it my best shot!

Tell me more...

The Rode Hall Estate. Lovely.

As you wish, the Just So Festival was a family arts festival taking place at the Rode Hall Estate in Cheshire over 15/16/17 August. As a family festival, it aimed to provide something for the kids to remember, but also something the parents would take pleasure in. A difficult balance, as too much of a focus on child-friendly content can leave a parent bored and the inverse, well, can get a bit inappropriate. But clearly a lot of care had been put in to get the programme right, with child-friendly performances galore during the day and more adult themes later on.

Oh no!

Talking of themes, the festival theme (from what I could guess) was one of general fantasy and wonderment. This theme presented itself everywhere, from the festival areas ("Lazy Days Glade", "High Seas", etc) to the events taking place (Circus acts, wandering tea ladies, a mirror maze). All around the festival site there were posters saying of the disappearance of the "Fairy Queen", who could only be brought back with the help of festival-goers all around the site! Now, I'm not sure on the details, but I believe families could tie bells to trees to help bring her back. The bells showed children still believed in her and sure enough, Sunday evening she had returned! Hurrah!

    
  

Yep, it's a frog.

Animals of all shapes...

The festival-goers were split into various tribes, which competed against each other to win the "tribal tournament". However, the real competition was definitely in who had the best costume, with some people putting in ridiculous amounts of effort to transform themselves into foxes, fishes, frogs, stags or lions (I might have missed one).

Spot the odd one out. I know, purple?

Performances

Time for a song!

During my brief time at the festival, my highlight was wondering into the "Spellbound Forest" and seeing a performance entitled "The Story Giant". A tale about a dying giant desperately trying to find the last unknown story, with his 4 companions. A whirlwind story full of other tall tales ranging from that of a woman with a magical bag to the wise man who came to dinner. Taking place on a stage in the "Spellbound Forest", the performance of the Shanty Theatre Company was thoroughly impressive, with the surroundings also lending themselves to the mystery and fantasy elements of the story. I would definitely recommend seeing any performance of theirs if they're at a festival near you!

Guess which one is the giant. No, it's not a trick question.

Information (Or lack of)

The one disappointment that springs to mind is the lack of information available about and from the festival. For example, on Saturday I asked the information centre if they had the number of a local taxi company. This is information a festival should have listed down. After a brief discussion between the two women on the desk, I was told they didn't know and that I should 192 it, as I didn't have internet available. I was unable to find basic information on their website about their programme, or even their festival map. This is basic info that I'd expect from a festival.

Finishing Touch

To finish off, apart from the information issue, the festival itself was a enjoyable experience. However, it must be noted that I spent little time there, so I will have missed a fair bit, but from what I saw, it seems like a great weekend for the whole family. It's perfect if you've got a flair for fancy dress!

Watch out!