BFI London Film Festival 2013

On the 19th and 20th of October I went to see two different films that were being shown as part of the BFI London Film Festival.

Short Term 12

Written and directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, this film initially caught my attention due to the involvement of John Gallagher Jr in it - something that links both of these films.

The film follows a 'foster care facility for at-risk teenagers' and both the carers - primarily a twenty-something woman called Grace - and the teenagers living there. Films which involve serious teen issues can sometimes seem over-dramatised or unrealistic, but Short Term 12 portrayed these issues with sensitivity yet adding a rawness which could be difficult to match. The structural similarity of the beginning and ending perfectly started the narrative and effortlessly brought it to a natural end.

Brie Larson was perfect for Grace and conveyed her yearning to help these teenagers whilst never confronting her own feelings and needs perfectly. John Gallagher faultlessly portrayed the helplessness of not being able to let his girlfriend, Grace, open up to him. Kaitlyn Denver was also heartbreaking as Jayden, a teenager whose journey is to talk about why she is in the facility.

Keith Stanfield stood out for me as Marcus whose looming eighteenth birthday means he has to leave short term 12. His complete lack of emotion on the surface was what made the whole plot seem like you were not watching written characters on a screen, but real people in such a devastating position.

This is writing at its best from Cretton. Nothing seems out of place, cheesy, or over the top. They made the best of what they had with such a small budget, but this heightens the rawness of the film. I think the cinematography was perfect; the camera work wasn't static, but as if you were there with these characters. 

I have never wanted to laugh and cry so violently in such a close proximity, but Cretton made the balance between comical and darker elements perfect. This is a film I would definitely recommend. Best film of the year, hands down.  

5*

Broadway Idiot

Broadway Idiot is a documentary about the making of the Broadway production 'American Idiot' which incorporates the music and narrative of the band 'Green Day's album of the same name.

It focused more on Billie Joe Armstrong's personal connection to the album and the making of the production. It was a bit disheartening hardly seeing Mike and Tre, but as the director and editor said in the talk afterwards, bits were shot with them however in the final cut Billie's story was the path they wanted to take. I found it extremely bittersweet when he repeatedly told how he found he had made true friends for the first time in a long time in theatre, which he couldn't do in the rock world.

Being both a massive theatre and green day lover this was the perfect documentary for me. I did find it initially took time to get started, but once it did it was relatively fast-paced, showing you all aspects of putting on a Broadway show - from set design, to musical arrangements, to pre-Broadway runs - without ever leaving you bored.

I couldn't help, but find that something was missing from it, but don't quite know what. Nevertheless it was a wonderful insight into the hard work and time that goes into putting together a production of such a large scale. Definitely a must for Green Day and/or theatre fans and it is great to see these two worlds colliding.

Georgia Goody-Miceli

4*

To Kill A Mockingbird

A couple of months ago I organised a trip to Regent's Park Open Air Theatre with six of my friends to see To Kill A Mockingbird directed by Timothy Sheader.

The play by Harper Lee is based on the tensions of racial discrimination in a town in Southern American. I must admit the production first caught my eye because Robert Sean Leonard was playing Atticus Finch. As expected, he didn't disappoint and carried the whole production from start to finish portraying Atticus as an incredibly kind and intelligent man who wasn't afraid to stand up for what he believed in. He, as well as Richie Campbell gave outstanding performances; Campbell's Tom Robinson was a broken man who had lost all hope of ever becoming free. After his monologue in the court house I'm sure there wasn't a single person who didn't have a tear in their eye.

The ensemble delivered too and all played several characters as well as narrating the story and were nearly always present on the stage. However, the three children in the cast stood out, particularly Eleanor Worthington-Cox as Scout. 

The staging and set design were imaginative as the ensemble were part of the audience before the play started and they drew the map of the town out with chalk on the stage as it began. The stage was subtle - only a tree being present for the duration of the play - with props coming in and out. 

This was a very exciting adaptation of Harper Lee's play. The drama was suspenseful with many highs and lows and it is something I'm glad I didn't miss.

Georgia Goody-Miceli

5*

Book Of Mormon Experience

Yesterday my amazing friend Rachel let me go and see Book Of Mormon with her and her parents. As I have previously said I have been to the lottery and failed many a time and Jared and Gavin are my favourite people ever, so this was awesome :)

I haven't entitled this as a review, it's more of my experience, because all I can say is that everything was really great. I can't fault it at all. Just a few points from it:

• It was hilarious. I know this is a given for anyone who knows about this show, but you really have to see it performed to get everything out of it - the cast recording just doesn't do it justice (I love the album, don't get me wrong!) 
• The atmosphere of the audience was beyond anything I've ever seen at the theatre. People were constantly laughing, applauding and cheering between numbers and even sometimes during the scenes. I know in America audiences are more vocal, but we are commonly known to be more 'reserved' so it was lovely to see an atmosphere this great.
• The sets were great and they all fed seamlessly into each other. 
• The whole ensemble were amazing; they sang and danced and were incredibly funny as a whole group. Everyone got their chance to have solos or a few lines of dialogue, so you got to see their strength as a cast.
• Stephen Ashford as Elder McKinley was hilarious! I am a massive fan of Rory O'Malley so was obviously really interested to see how Stephen would make the role his own and he did so perfectly. 'Turn It Off' was hilarious - my favourite part was his 'NO' when Elder Price says 'I think it's alright that you're having gay thoughts, just so long as you don't act upon them,' and the tap number to follow. Also 'I Am Africa' was a definite highlight. 
• Alexia Khadime as Nabalungi was perfect. Her voice....I cant even describe how much I could listen to it all day! She is an amazing actress too and her version of 'Baptise Me' with Jared was one of the funniest moments of the show. She is so lovely in person too, as is Stephen, as I met them at the stage door after and they signed my programme and took a picture (as did Jared and Gavin, but more on that later ;) )

• Jared and Gavin. What can I even say except for they are everything I thought would be times a million. From the get go they dominated the stage and their history with the show really showed with their chemistry together. 
• Gavin's voice is incredible. It is very different from Andrew's but, dare I say it, probably even nicer to listen to if that is even possible. His 'You and Me (But Mostly Me)' was hilarious along with Jared and 'I Believe' was vocally so amazing I never wanted it to stop. I loved his character too. Highlights were when he burst through the curtain in the middle of 'I Believe,' 'All American Prophet,' in general and just the whole of the beginning with him and Jared where you really see the love/hate side of his character. Also he really made the Elder Price his own. I am so used to Andrew on the album that when Gavin did something in a different way I really noticed it, but in a great way.
• Jared. I love him. The end. His 'Elder Cunningham' is the most lovable guy ever! I just love him as a person, so I really was looking forward to seeing him most and he didn't disappoint. He had great lines and delivered them so effortlessly and was so comedic. I couldn't pick just a few favourite moments as I have so many of him - he did the littlest things that were hilarious. Also I do prefer his voice to Josh's, so his solos were really lovely to listen to.
• I've never been as close to tears with a show as I was with this by the end. It is so uplifting and seeing everyone on stage having the best time at the bows, mixed with the whole audience on their feet, was a lot more emotional that I thought it would be!  (Yeah yeah, Broadway nerd I know...)

Now onto the stage door :) I've already mentioned seeing Stephen and Alexia who were incredibly gracious and sweet, but we all know who I really went there to see. There were only two other groups waiting at the stage door; a young, Chinese couple next to me - and we had a process going by the end of taking photos of each other with the cast - and four friends from New York. I must admit I was listening to their conversations while we were waiting and they were talking about 'Drood' and Chita Rivera I was quite happy inside because I've never seen anyone in real life who actually is a fan of Broadway. I actually almost went over and showed them my cast Newsies cardigan when I head them mention Jeremy Jordan and Corey Cott and Jeremy getting married. I was thinking 'I know all this too yay I'm not alone in the world!' Also the Chinese couple and I overheard another older couple walking past with the woman saying 'it's about Jesus' about the show very loudly which we thought was extremely funny! So now onto actually meeting who I was there to meet:

Jared: He came out all his jolly self and once he got to me I told him he was great and he signed my programme. I already knew what I wanted to say to him, so while he was signing I said 'Can I just say, Submissions Only...' and before I could finish he looked up at me and his face lit up. Literally. It made me so happy that he was excited that I knew it and he said just for that I deserved a hug and gave me a hug! Then we proceeded to talk about when Season 3 was coming out (he's going to be in the first episode yay...well better than nothing!) and how they shot it differently that the last season and the other cast member's involvement in it. It. Was. Awesome. We talked for so much longer than I thought we would and he was so lovely for taking the time to and for just having a casual conversation and being so happy! Then we took a picture and said bye. (It's funny how I thought he was insanely short and actually I was wearing tall boots and was the same height....)

Gavin: Gavin came out a few seconds after Jared, so after speaking to Jared I looked around and had a mini heart attack because I thought I had missed him. Luckily he was still talking to the Americans and then took a selfie with them. I was more nervous meeting Gavin because I didn't know what I was going to say to him. I wanted him to know that I love his work and I have wanted to see him in something forever. That's what I ended up telling him and I said I keep up with Broadway.com and such and his face lit up and he said 'ah that's amazing, I'm so glad you could finally come!' He signed my programme and I then asked for a picture to which he replied, 'yeah but can I take  it, I love taking selfies they're kinda my thing. They are called selfies aren't they?' while taking my camera out of my hand. We then took to pictures and he was so lovely. (Don't you just love the photobomb in the first one!)

As I turned to go back to the station I actually had to try not to cry with happiness because the whole evening had been so overwhelming and if it hadn't been for my friend I don't think I would have ever gotten to experience that. The show was amazing, they were amazing and the night was amazing. I felt like a wally for getting so emotional, but theatre is practically the only thing that ever evokes any extreme positive emotion out of me anyway, so it's understandable. 

I hope people get to see it soon/have already seen it and loved it. If not I highly recommend seeing it! Judging by the audience's reaction it's not going anywhere anytime soon.

Georgia Goody-Miceli

5*

Merrily We Roll Along

On my birthday (May 4th) my mum and I treated ourselves to see 'Merrily We Roll Along' which has just transferred to the West End after its acclaimed run at the Menier Chocolate Factory. I had heard about the musical and its extremely short first run on Broadway, but neither me or my mum really knew what it was about. I did some basic research beforehand on the plot and listened to a few songs so kind of knew what sort of musical it was. 

The theatre is very small, but we had amazing stall seats (which weren't restricted view like many of the seats inside) at a great price. 

The first song 'Merrily We Roll Along' started and from the beginning there was a definite feel of 'this is something special.' The singing was strong from everyone and the first impression of Mary Flynn played by Jenna Russell was that she was a terrific actress, albeit her voice not being quite as great as the other two leads. She really conveyed her despair at being stuck in the middle of a ruined friendship and having an uncontrollable love for Frank, which becomes more apparent as the show progresses.

This musical has a backwards chronology, so it starts at the end of the trio's relationship (two songwriters and their friend who's an author) and ends at the beginning of their friendship. Contrary to my previous worries it was incredibly easy to follow and I couldn't imagine it being any different. As the story progressed the audience picks up little things that help make sense of what you have previously seen. Everything makes the story a whole in the end. 

The ensemble is a range of ages which makes the show seem complete as the spectrum of characters being played were wide. Mark Umbers was a highly charismatic Frank with a fantastic voice and he was a great head of the whole performance. Personally, my favourite of the three leads was Damian Humbley who played Charley. One of the first songs was 'Franklin Shephard Inc' which was a complete show stopper. It is an incredibly difficult song to perform and Humbley's diction and acting was beyond anything I've seen like it. Between Humbley, Umbers and Russell all the qualities for great leads were solid and present. 

The set and costumes were clever; they changed based on the style of the era - from 50's to 70's. They always made sense and added to the chronology of the musical and understanding of the backwards progression. 

Sondheim's music is diverse as there are tear jerking ballads, 'Good Thing Going' and 'Not A Day Goes By,' comedic numbers, 'The Blob,' and show stopping musical theatrical numbers like 'Opening Doors.' 'Opening Doors' was the only song I knew fairly well beforehand and I was delighted with this cast's performance of it. It is known to be one of Sondheim's most autobiographical songs as it shows Frank and Charley being told that their songs have no memorable melodies, which he was always criticised for. Well if this musical is anything to go by, those people were wrong as I came out of the theatre humming all the songs. 

The most poignant part of the show for me was the ending - the night they first met Mary - when Frank and Charley were talking on the roof. There is a line in that dialogue which connects the beginning to the ending and brings the story full circle. I won't spoil the show, but for me it was the epitome of the friendship that we spend the whole musical involved in and re-ravelling. The three proceed to sing their last song 'Our Time' which shows the youthful wishful thinking that they had at the start compared to how they changed as they got older. It truly makes you think. 

As the last note was played, the curtains closed and the lights came up, my mum and  I looked at each other and just said "wow." We were were speechless. This is what theatre is about.

Georgia Goody-Miceli

5*

Matilda

After trying and failing to get Matilda tickets on Wednesday, I was prepared today! I got to the theatre at just gone 9am to queue up for the 16 tickets for people between 16 and 25 years old that go on sale everyday at 10am. I was about 22nd in the queue, but luckily a few people in front of me got evening tickets, so there was still enough for me to a get a matinee one-at just £5! :)

The production was incredible. The first scene/song starts with the children and the first thing I thought was 'damn these children are good.' They were all perfectly in time and sync and really funny too! Cristina Fray played Matilda and she was amazing; her voice was flawless and she had great comedic timing, as did all the children.

I had already heard the songs because I have the album so I already knew I liked them, but hearing them live adds a whole other dimension to it-seeing how they are all staged and performed. I particularly loved the building blocks and just all round choreography in 'School Song.' Tim Minchin's clever lyrics really make the show.

David Leonard's Miss Trunchbull was amazingly gruesome and he did a wonderful and hilarious job portraying a character as vile and cruel as her. Also, Mark Goldthorp deserves a mention for being the  extremely comical Mr Wormood. I thought he was a true standout amongst the actors and that's not even his usual role!

The set was absolutely magical and definitely completed the show. It had the feeling of a children's story, but wasn't distracting from the content. The lighting was also well done and used in various ways and the tricks-such as throwing the children up in the air-looked very realistic. The sound, however, was a little distorted and especially at the beginning it was very difficult to hear the individual words the ensemble were singing.

The audience were mostly families with predominantly girls around 7-10 and the fact that you didn't hear a peep out of any of them during the entire performance shows how enticing this musical really is. It really is a show for all ages; a children's story and child friendly, but with some added humour that only adults and teens would understand.

Overall, even though it was a tiring and long day, I thoroughly enjoyed the show and would recommend it to anyone who likes a bit of childish fun and humour!

Georgia Goody-Miceli

4*

Once

Cast of 'Once'

On Tuesday I went to see a preview of 'Once' at the Phoenix Theatre. Preview tickets are £20 cheaper than seats when it officially opens and they performed in Dublin before here, so we decided to go now as they have still done the show many times already.

The first thing that struck me was going into the theatre and having all the ensemble on stage playing songs. It really made the atmosphere incredible and put a smile on everyone's faces! You could go up on stage and watch and they were selling drinks like in an actual pub.

The musical was absolutely incredible; all the people on stage played an instrument and made all the music themselves. What talented people they were! I already knew most of the music from the movie and the Broadway production, but they left out a few songs from the movie that I really liked which was unfortunate.

I particularly liked the set design as the mirrors added another layer to the show. It was also useful when the piano was turned away from the audience, but you could still see the Girl playing the keys through the reflection of the mirror.

However, the two leads were incredible-both their acting and their musicianship. The storyline was a mixture of comedic and serious moments and the two blended exceptionally with each other. The only minor detail I would say was a negative was that towards the end - in the second act - there were too many consecutive moments where the plot was moving a bit too slowly. However, that was only me being pedantic and overall I thought this production was fantastic.

I had been waiting to see it since it opened on Broadway, so I'm glad that it exceeded my expectations!

Georgia Goody-Miceli

4.5*

Country Fest

Yesterday afternoon I went to the O2 Arena to see some country artists whom I love perform. This is what went down...

6pm: Litte Big Town

They were so awesome I can't even describe it! For anyone who doesn't know the band is comprised of two men and two women who share the vocals and their vocals were extremely amazing! Their harmonies were so tight and all the songs were at the same great level. A definite highlight was their country rendition of Lady Gaga's 'Born This Way!' They performed for an hour and I was sad when they finished.

7:15pm: Vince Gill

Now this was true musicianship at its best. He was probably my favourite of the night. He gave a very different energy from the previous band as he only took up one square of the stage, surrounded by his experienced band, but they played so well together and there wasn't a boring moment. His 30 years of recording really showed as he sang a whole range of his songs from old to new. His guitar playing was the most beautiful thing I have ever heard. I could listen to it forever! His singing was also amazing and showed of his real vocal range and when he talked he really seemed like the sweetest man!

9:15pm: Tim McGraw

The crowd went nuts as soon as he entered the stage; he is a true entertainer (his looks didn't hurt either!) He powered through a few songs at the beginning exclaiming 'he doesn't like to bullshit' before singing a few ballads that made all the older women swoon! He sure knows how to get the crowd up on their feet! The only downer I would say was that the music was so loud that I had such a bad earache and I heard other people say the same thing. It made it hard to enjoy it sometimes, but on the whole he was astounding!

It was a really great night and I had an amazing time. I wish I could have gone tonight and seen Carrie Underwood!

Georgia Goody-Miceli

4*