Sarah Frankcom directs Samuel Beckett’s ‘Happy Days’ Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester Winnie Maxine Peake plays Winnie, a woman in something of a predicament, but determined not to let it get her down. Winnie is buried in the ground up to her waist, yet for her this is all a perfectly normal aspect of every day. The same […]
Consent To Entertainment: The Newspaper Boy
It probably says a lot about the kind of theatre I’m accustomed to that I was initially disappointed by the lack of soliloquies and arty shouting. After some adjustment, it turns out that well-drawn characters struggling relatably against society’s pettiness and cruelty, speaking from the heart with witty, unpretentious dialogue, against a backdrop of impeccable […]
Kinofilm Festival shorts are expanding the boundaries of cinema
The Meteor has been in attendance for every step of the short films and animation Kinofilm Festival. The films may be short, but they are packed full of quality cinematography, acting, production techniques and exceptionally creative story telling you would struggle to find in the comparatively straight jacketed world of long form cinema. The festival […]
Kinofilm Festival kicks off with a star studded red carpet bash
The Kinofilm Festival opens this Saturday with a star studded opening gala at the Odeon, Great Northern, in Central Manchester. Former Coronation Street stars Denise Welch and Jack Deam (also appeared in Shameless) will be attending, along with Ewen Macintosh who played Keith Bishop in The Office. The red carpet bash, with drinks on arrival, […]
Manchester artist channels the spirit of Duchamp and dada
One hundred years have passed since Marcel Duchamp had his famous urinal ‘Fountain’ refused entry into the Society of Independent Artists exhibition. The society, bound to accept all members submissions, took exception to ‘Fountain’, believing that a piece of sanitary ware associated with human waste could not be a work of art. In May, Manchester […]
British sound and Manc slang: Argh Kid brings poetry to Victoria Warehouse
Before David Scott became Argh Kid, his dream was to have a career in music. Ten years later, he has been invited to be the Poet Laureate at Kendal Calling festival, named UEFA’s Official Poet, written a film for Manchester United FC and last weekend was invited to host The British Sound Project – a […]
Who Let Grenfell Burn ?
Manchester poet Tom Skinner wrote this two days after the fire in Grenfell Tower. “It was a response to seeing the government trying to dodge the guilt of what they have allowed to happen”, says Tom. It’s based on Bob Dylan’s song Who Killed Davey Moore. Who let Grenfell burn, Who’s to blame, what can we […]
Acoustic Amnesty fundraiser brings a taste of Americana to Salford
Once again an Acoustic Amnesty gig approaches with a top notch line up of singer/songwriters and poets that promises to bring a transatlantic feel to the beautiful Sacred Trinity church in Salford. The performance on 9 June, the day after the general election, provides an excellent opportunity to soothe away your sorrows or celebrate your […]
The fight for freedom of expression rages on in Syria
Warning: contains images and ideas that some may find shocking/controversial. War is a cruel and powerful muse. Those affected by the death, destruction and misery create works as acts of rebellion and survival against the inhumanity, chaos and insanity thrust upon them. The people of Syria rose up against the oppressive culture of fear of […]
What do a care worker, spy and suffragette have in common?
This year has got to be one of the worst times to be a woman, particularly a working class woman. So it is great to see a play that examines what it means to be a woman over the last 100 years. This is not the usual narrow issue-based narrative, it takes on some of […]