Newport Food Festival - What I'm Going to See

Newport Food Festival has been one of my favourite Saturday days out since it began.  This year it is happening on Saturday 4th October and it has been really great to see it grow and develop each year.

This year I've booked to see 4 demos at the Studio in the Riverfront, Tom Westerland, Ping Coombes, Michael Hendry and Honeybunch Cake Company.  They all be "new to me" demos as I know some of the Chefs are regulars at Newport Food Festival and I really looking forward to attending them as I've learnt so much over attending demos during the last few years.

There's so much going on, in my free time I'm looking forward to seeing the Street Performers and visiting lots of local companies in their stalls throughout the town.  My favourite place to visit has been Gower Cottage Brownies - their brownies are amazing.  I've bought from them every year they've been in Newport.  I'm so glad they'll be attending again this year.  One I'm looking forward to visit is Pizza Wheels I love getting buy freshly made pizza from a wood fired oven.  Hoping they'll be making cheese ones (for the kids) and well as spicy ones for my husband and I.

Some of the events I think I might miss this year is the Festival Supper, this sounds like so much fun and the menu looks divine as well as the talks on Beer, Tea, Coffee and Welsh Tapas in lots of different venues from the Market to Waterstones.

Only 10 days to go, I'm loving the countdown on the Food Festival website.  Have you seen it yet?

What are you looking forward to seeing in the Food Festival?

REVIEW: Jesus Christ Superstar, Dolman Theatre, Newport

The musical Jesus Christ Superstar, written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, traces the last seven days of Jesus Christ as seen through the eyes of Judas Iscariot.

This weeks presentation by MY UK at The Dolman Theatre is the Arena version as originally portrayed by Ben Forster, Tim Minchin, Melanie C and Chris Moyles after the ITV prime time show Superstar where Andrew Lloyd Webber gave the UK public the chance to decide who would be playing the starring role of Jesus.

Jesus for this version is played by Jordan Leeming while Judas is portrayed by Connor Hendrýk Fogel and Abbie Davies is Mary Magdalene and they did a really great job within the production.

My highlight of the evening was Jordan Huntley playing Pontius Pilate, singing Trial Before Pilate pleading for Jesus to give Pilate a reason not to kill him.  Dave Jones also gave a rousing performance as Herod bringing a touch of light relief in the middle of a dark emotive story.
                                                   
One complaint for the opening night would be the lack of sharing microphones between cast members as there were several children with one line solos which were not heard due to the loudness of the band. Hopefully this technical difficulty will be rectified for later performances.

Jesus Christ Superstar will be at the Dolman Theatre until September 20 2014.

L'Oreal Paris - Elvive Extraordinary Oil Shampoo and Conditioner

I recently received some products from L'Oreal Paris to review for their web site.  I was so impressed by these products I decided to include them on this web site as well.  

Here are the reviews on the website:

• This shampoo, when used with the Extraordinary Oils conditioner works wonders on my hair.  I've got really weak, thin hair and after using the products my hair feels stronger and shiny-er.  It also works really well on my daughters thick hair leaving it really shiny.

• I love this conditioner. It worked really well on my daughter's hair as well as my own. She had really thick and full hair and I have really thin and fine hair. The conditioner used with the shampoo made both our hair look and feel really shiny and strong. Thank you l'oreal paris

Have you tried this shampoo?  What did you think?

REVIEW:Cats at the Wales Millennium Centre

When we arrived at the theatre on Tuesday night it looked like the rubbish bins of the Wales Millennium Centre had been tipped on the stage but when the house lights went down, the music started and the rubbish tip lit up you had the feeling it was going to be an enjoyable night.

The show opens with Jellicle Cats meeting for the Jellicle Ball and follows the story from the poems in TS Eliot’s Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats.  Throughout the show the ensemble’s dance and acrobatic moves astounded with the majority of the cast on stage through the whole show. 

As we were introduced to each cat individually (except for Mungojerry and Rumbleteazer, who were introduced together, and provided one of the best acrobatic routines of the evening) we enjoyed a variety of music styles and stunning dance routines.  Inbetween the dance routines there was lots of integration with the audience which provided some of the comedic elements of the show with the performers showing their cat characters.

The highlight of the evening was the singing which included lots of harmonies and the most famous song from the show Memory which was sung by Sophia Ragavelas.

Cats is at the Wales Millennium Centre until Saturday 9^thAugust and includes many matinee showings so you have no excuses not to miss it.

REVIEW: Pudsey the Dog: The Movie

Last night we travelled to the Vue Cinema in Cardiff to see a preview showing of Pudsey the Dog: The Movie.  I hadn't seen any trailers or read anything about the film which meant I was unsure of what to expect but the children really wanted to see the film and as the designated driver I had to go.

We arrived at about 6pm and after waiting about 20 mins for Andy and several other journalists to interview and photograph Ashleigh and Pudsey we finally got seated in the auditorium.  Only to find Ashleigh and Pudsey came into the auditorium to intrduce the film. Here is my really bad picture which doesn't do Ashley or Pudsey justice as they looked beautiful on the evening.

The story  of the film (according to the official movie website) is:
A heartwarming, quintessentially British adventure for all the family, PUDSEY THE DOG: THE MOVIE follows cheeky London stray dog, Pudsey, who is quite happy being a lone ranger, looking out for number one, until he meets siblings Molly (Izzy Meikle-Small), George (Spike White) and Tommy (Malachy Knights).  After losing their father, their mother Gail (Jessica Hynes) is moving the family to the sleepy village of Chuffington and Pudsey tags along, to the dismay of their landlord, Mr. Thorne (John Sessions), and his cat Faustus.  As Pudsey starts to settle in with the family and realize what he was missing when he was alone, he stumbles across Thorne’s evil plan and he determines to save them and the whole village.

The film was an old-fashioned family comedy that had me laughing out loud in some places and feeling really emotional in other places. Izzy Meikle-Small, Spike White, Malachy Knights and Jessica Hynes really gelled together and from the scenes where the siblings argue to where they work together to solve problems I was convinced that they really were a family.  The star of the show for me was Pudsey and the other talking animals especially the farm animals in Chuffington, there were many LOL moments from the farmyard scenes.  

I didn't expect to like this film but I loved it, while the story is simple and easy to follow it allows the characters on screen to really blossom and it was their performances that really pulled me in and I found myself lost in the story of the film.  It opens in Cinemas on Friday 18th July 2014.

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REVIEW: Priscilla Queen of the Desert

I'm really fortunate to have a husband that works for the local paper and occasionally manages to get us reviews to shows in Newport or Cardiff.  This week I went to see Priscilla Queen of the Desert at the Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff.  You can see the review I wrote for the paper below or click here.

  

The first week of January is always really hard to get back into the routine of getting up and going to work but this week I’m really pleased that Jason Donovan, Richard Grieve and Graham Weaver and the cast of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert made the effort.

They have all turned up at the Wales Millennium Centre to perform this feel good show until the Saturday 18th January.

Having seen the show early in its UK tour while the show has not lost any of its dazzling style and I believe it has got better. There have been little improvements to the set helping the story to flow more freely and the cast seem to really enjoy playing up to their vivid and outrageous characters.

The show is a pop-roller coaster of sing-a-long songs that get the audience involved from tthe opening moments.

Jason Donovan, Richard Grieve and Graham Weaver are outstanding in the lead roles and all the supporting cast all deserve a mention as they provide as much of the entertainment throughout the show.

My husband as interview Jason Donovan and you can read that here.

Are there any new shows you're looking forward to see this year?

REVIEW: Stars of Strictly Come Dancing - Pasha Kovalev & Katya Virshilas

 

Famous from the BBC 1 show Strictly Come Dancing Pasha Kovalev & Katya Virshilas are touring the UK again with more dates and a longer show, performing on 

Wednesday night in St Davids Hall, Cardiff.  Having been dancing since they were children they quickly became Champions in their respective fields before it was Strictly Come Dancing in 2011 that brought them together in the UK .  Joining them on the tour are Ryan Hammond and Lindsey Muckle who have recently appeared on Got to Dance.

 

From the opening few numbers which included 2 Cha-Cha-Cha numbers, one from each of the couples, you could tell it was going to be a night to enjoy.  The set while elegant and simple didn’t detract for the dancers and the lighting transformed it blending in beautifully with each dance.

 

The first act ended with a passionate Tango from Chicago performed by the whole company leaving the audience excited about the second half.

 

Mike Newman was the perfect host, keeping the interaction with the audience light and humorous all night as there was plenty of opportunities for audience participation through the whole show including a very revealing Q&A section where you felt like you were getting to know the performers.

 

Highlights from the second act included the opening Dirty Dancing sequence and a gorgeous Viennese Waltz to A Thousand Years, from Twilight.  I really enjoyed the Jive to Footloose from are Ryan Hammond and Lindsey Muckle.  There was only one disappointing part of the show and that was that we only had one dance where Pasha was shirtless, the Pasodoble where he displayed his stunning cape skills.

REVIEW: Rent 20th Anniversary Concert

A Monday night is not always the best night to go out but tonight it became the best night out I have had in a long time as I went to see Rent 20^th Anniversary Concert at St David’s Hall in Cardiff.

 

Rent is a Tony Awards winning rock musical based loosely on Puccini's La Boheme. Set in New York City portraying the story of a group of friends struggling survive under the shadow of HIV/AIDS.

 

Despite the many technical problems that blighted the first half the cast did not once let this affect their performance.  I can’t single out out one person from the cast as each one portrayed their part stunningly well and from the very first number their performances gave me chills.

 

My favourite songs in the first half were It's OK, Over the Moon and La Vie Bohème. In the second half I really enjoyed Take Me or Leave Me and Seasons on Love. The emotion portrayed on stage throughout the whole performance told the whole story without the need for a full set. You really felt that the whole cast were performing their hearts out for our entertainment.

 

One night in Cardiff is nowhere near enough, hope you come back soon for a repeat performance.

REVIEW: An Evening of Movies and Musicals, St David’s Hall

After a sell out concert in April 2012 and part of the nationally acclaimed tour An Evening of Movies and Musicals returned to St David’s Hall on Saturday Night. 

 

With a slow start the highlights from the first half included the Siren Sisters performing Sisters and Swinging Rascals performing Hello Dolly. Peter Karrie also showed why he is a Welsh favourite with an outstanding version of Papa can you Hear me.

 

A last minute stand-in Jamie Owen was the perfect Host but he was under used and it would have been more interesting to learn more information about the performers and why they had chosen to perform the particular songs they were performing on the night.

 

The second half moved much quicker beginning once more with outstanding early performances from the Siren Sisters and Swinging Rascals.  They were quickly followed by the very talented Bridgend and Vale Stagecoach group performing Suddenly, Seymour from Little Shop of Horrors.  Peter Karrie wowed once again with This is the Moment from Jekyll & Hyde.

 

A surprise highlight of the evening was Nathan James one of the contestants from last year’s ITV show Superstar, he received a standing evation for his performance of Gethsemane from Jesus Christ Superstar. 

 

The show also included outstanding performances from John Owen Jones (whose joy to be on stage was catching) and Ruthie Henshall (especially performing All That Jazz) the evening was a resounding success.

DISCLAIMER: While I am not paid for the review I do get the product/tickets for free

REVIEW: Priscilla Queen of the Desert - Bristol Hippodrome

Priscilla Queen of the Desert follows the story of three friends who hop aboard a battered old bus travelling through the Australian Outback searching for love and friendship and end up finding more than they had ever dreamed of. 

 

The audience loved the show which is filled with feel good music such as Venus, Go West, Girls just Wanna have Fun and Boogie Wonderland but for me there were 2 best songs of the night, Venus for the awesome dance routine and costumes and True Colours for the beautiful harmonies by the lead actors – Richard Grieve, Jason Donovan and Graham Weaver.

 

Richard Grieve was outstanding as Bernadette giving the character some depth when the script did not and Ellie Leah had the audience in stitches with her portrayal of Shirley.  But staling the show tonight was the young boy who played Benji and his portrayal of a young boy who finds out his father was a drag queen and accepts his for it.

 

The set constantly changed throughout the show ranging from very bare with a rotating outline of a bus that made you feel a little dizzy to full-on showbiz glitterati with props galore and too many drag queens to count.  And I mustn’t forget to mention the awesome band under the supervision of Musical Director Richard Weeden which maintained the hyped up atmosphere all night.

 

If your looking for a good night out I would definitely recommend a visit to Bristol to see the show as Priscilla Queen of the Desert is at the Bristol Hippodrome until Saturday 27 April 2013.

DISCLAIMER: While I am not paid for the review I do get the product/tickets for free

Starlight Express at Bristol Hippodrome

On Wednesday night I had the opportunity to see Starlight Express at the Bristol Hippodrome, the only catch was that I had to write a review, here's the review:

Starlight Express is a rock opera that depicts the story that all boys dream of - train sets coming to life. We follow the chances of several of the trains as they move through the heats to the finals of the world championship. 

The whole show doesn’t stop from the opening scene to the finale helped by the fact that everyone on stage is on roller skates.  The vibrant music and costumes with amazing lighting transformed the bare and simple set from a high octane nightclub in some scenes to a desolate wasteland in others. One thing I would ask for is more tricks and flips from the skating professional that performed occasionally.

Kristofer Harding was magnificent as Rusty conveying a whole range of emotions throughout the show, as well as Mykal Rand as Electra who seemed to light up the stage whenever he came on.

My favourite song of the evening was Freight with all the trucks singing in beautiful harmony (must be the Welsh Male Voice Choir fan in me) followed closely by Starlight Express which was beautifully sung by Kristofer Harding with raw emotion. U.N.C.O.U.P.L.E.D. sung by Ruthie Stephens as Dinah was another comedic highlight as well as One Rock ‘n’ Roll too many (sung by Greaseball, Electra and Red Caboose).

If you get a chance go and see Starlight Express as the moment I would highly recommend it, it’s at Bristol Hippodrome until Satuday 6^th April 2013.

DISCLAIMER: While I am not paid for the review I do get the product/tickets for free

REVIEW: Green Day - ¡Uno!

¡Uno! is Green Day’s ninth studio album and the first in a series of 3 albums to be released over the next few months.  The album is full of melodic rock songs that will fill a moshpit really quickly.  Stand out songs for me were Angel Blue, Rusty James and Let Yourself Go because of a combination of their catchy music and easy to follow lyrics.  My favourite track on the alum was Carpe Diem where once again Billie Joe Armstrong has managed to capture the feelings of living life every day in his lyrics.  I am very much looking forward to the next 2 albums in the series.

DISCLAIMER: While I am not paid for the review I do get the product/tickets for free

REVIEW: Ice Age Live, Motorpoint Arena

The Second Ice Age has finally come! The first of six presentations of Ice Age Live! – A Mammoth Adventure took place at Cardiff Motorpoint Arena on Friday evening.

It has to be said this stage presentation of the popular film series has been eagerly anticipated, especially when you learn that the creative team was lead by Guy Caron and Michael Curry whose credentials include Cirque du Soleil, The Walt Disney Company and The Olympics.

Both children and adults looked on to the Ice stage in awe as characters familiar with the Ice Age movies including Scrat the sabre toothed squirrel, Manny the woolly mammoth, Manny's Wife Ellie, their cute daughter Peaches, Diego the sabre toothed tiger and of course Sid the sloth did battle with Shadow the prehistoric bird and his minions.

A vast array of colour bounced off suspended icicles as flying birds and acrobatic dancers took to the air to the backdrop of a fabulous and sometimes dramatic score. The character recreations were meticulous to detail and in the case of the Mammoth’s certainly lived up to the productions description.

There were plenty of surprises too, Peaches kidnapping by The Shadow as she took to the air, and spectacularly choreographed fight sequences when dancers appeared from within the main characters.

The coolest Ice Show around, Ice Age fans will not be disappointed when Ice Age Live! A Mammoth Adventure moves to Nottingham later this week before making its World premiere at Wembley Arena on November 2.

DISCLAIMER: While I am not paid for the review I do get the product/tickets for free

REVIEW: American Idiot, Wales Millennium Centre

Having been a long time fan of Green Day, I was really looking forward to the stage version of American Idiot. The original album was written as a rock opera, so it was quite easy for me to put my own minds eye interpretation on it. The stage realisation was much better than even I could have imagined and my high expectations were more than exceeded in this frenetic show.

The story follows the journey of Johnny / Jesus of Suburbia and two of his friends from the small town to the big city with all the trials that life throws at them. The spellbinding cast features Alex Nee as Johnny, Thomas Hettrick as Tunny and Casey O’Farrell as Will, the latter two delivering awesome harmonies when they sing together. Alyssa DiPalma, Jenna Rubaii, and Kennedy Caughell all deliver powerful performances as the boys respective love interests. Finally a mention for Trent Saunders as St. Jimmy who completely grabbed my attention every time he was on stage.

The creative team has excelled in this production with a multifunctional stage that includes a piece of scaffolding that works as a backdrop but also transforms into a bus for the song "Holiday". The AV and Lighting team played an integral part of setting the atmosphere with the lights and helping to tell the story with over 30 onstage TV screens.

DISCLAIMER: While I am not paid for the review I do get the product/tickets for free

REVIEW: Sweeney Todd, Dolman Theatre

On this week at the Dolman Theatre is The New Venture Players presentation of Stephen Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd - The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. The Tony and Olivier Award Winning Musical recounts the story of Benjamin Barker, a convict who returns to London from Botany Bay to exact his revenge on his enemies who stole his wife and daughter and had him transported for crimes he didn't commit. With the help of Mrs.Lovett and stationed above her Pie Shop, the pair hatch a plan to help Todd reach his goal.

Joe Tulloch gives a convincing portrayal of the demon barber himself while Rebecca Evans adds extra menace as his accomplice Mrs Lovett. Michael Lowe makes a return to the Dolman Theatre after a year with the Welsh National Youth Opera to play Judge Turpin and James Price plays Tobias Ragg.

The set itself perfectly captures the moody eerie atmosphere of 19th Century London and makes a perfect backdrop to this musical presentation.

The first evening of this production was well attended so if you missed Sweeney Todd when it graced the West End earlier this year, be sure to catch this production.

DISCLAIMER: While I am not paid for the review I do get the product/tickets for free

Awesome night with Cerys Matthews and Ballet Cymru

Tonight Seren and I have seen one of the best ballet's ever. I'm not a huge fan of ballet. I really struggle with classical music so most ballet's I won't sit through. When I heard about a ballet set to music by Cerys Matthews I thought this might be good. From the Ballet Cymru website I learned that they like to present ballet in an unpretentious and original way so decided to give this a go.

Good has ended up being an understatement. The dancing was amazing from the opening piece "Cold Running" where the ballet was set to a rhythmn rather than music.  Cerys Matthews took to the stage to a huge ovation so you knew the audience was there more for her and her music rather than the dancing.

As soon as she got on stage Cerys was chatting and really friendly even though she had some technical issues to sort out.  From the opening song you know this as going to be an amazing evening.  Seren and I loved the fact that she was singing Welsh and the dancing added an extra factor to make the song complete. The evening ended up being a history lesson as well as a performance as Cerys was so knowledgeable about the history of the music she was playing.

My favourite songs were Migldi Magldi and At Lan y Mor but my favorite ballets were to Myfanwy and the Daisuke Miura solo (sorry can't remember the name of the song). One of the best features of the evening was every time Cerys sang she faced the ballet to make sure the attention was on the dancers not her. They added so much to every song.

The performance ended with Calon Lan, one of the most well known welsh hymns. Cerys sang it brilliantly but I was really disappointed with the audience net singing along with the chorus. That would have made a hairs on the back of my neck stand on end and been an absolutely awesome finale.  My one complaint from the evening is that is was much too short.

Thank you to Cerys Matthews, Ballet Cymru and The Riverfront for an awesome night.  You catch the show later in the year in Caernaforn, Cardiff and London.

DISCLAIMER: While I am not paid for the review I do get the product/tickets for free

REVIEW: Legally Blonde

OMIGOD you guys! It can be difficult to get excited about going out on a week night when you’re tired after a long day at work/looking after the kids/*fill with your own hard day!

But from the moment I walked into the Wales Millennium Centre and settled down to watch the musical version of Legally Blonde, I instantly felt myself relax and forget about my stressful day.

From the opening number, you are mesmerized and completely captivated by the non-stop singing and dancing in the show. It really felt like each scene blended into another and each act went by far too quickly.

The songs seamlessly blend together, moving the story of Elle Woods’ transformation from Sorority girl to legal student.

It’s hard to pick out any members of the cast as they all excelled, especially in some scenes where the background actors are completely upstaging the main characters.

I must mention Iwan Lewis, from Llandeilo, West Wales, who was outstanding as Emmett Forrest, performing in his first national tour; as well as Faye Brookes, who played Elle Woods with loads of enthusiasm.

Although the set was quite minimalist, it worked really well with the show, as the story was able to blend from one scene to another without the actors having to leave the stage.





DISCLAIMER: While I am not paid for the review I do get the product/tickets for free

A Rare Night Out

On Saturday night, Andy and I finally had a night out together!  These are very rare so I do my best to enjoy them as much as possible.  We went to the Riverfront Theatre in Newport to see Talon performing the best of The Eagles.  Only knowing about 5 of the songs they played all evening I have to say it was a really relaxing night and I loved getting to spend time with Andy.

Here's a link to Andy's Review of the evening.

DISCLAIMER: While I am not paid for the review I do get the product/tickets for free

Calamity Jane

Thursday night saw me going out to review a performance of Calamity Jane from the Newport Operatic Society.  I have to admit, I didn't really want to go as I was really tired as it was the first week back in school and work for everyone.   But anyway, I went and here's the review:

Calamity Jane is a stage play loosely based on tales from the life of Martha Jane Cannary and was developed from the classic 1953 Doris Day film of the same name. Newport Operatic Society¹s presentation features many new songs added for the stage production and also retains many of the favorites from the movie including The Deadwood Stage, A Woman¹s Touch and the Academy Award winning Secret Love. The whole cast was flawless in their singing of these songs and performance throughout the whole show.


From the moment she stepped on stage Jackie Robins as Katie Brown gave an impeccable performance, her rendition of Love You Dearly with Dafydd Lansley was marvelous. It was also clear to see that the audience were really enjoying Rachel Woodsford portrayal of Calamity Jane and Adrian Bevan as Wild Bill Hickock.


With a history that includes running an International Doris Day fan club, I was hoping for an outstanding performance from Martin Woodsford as Francis Fryer the rather shy performer. He didn¹t dissapoint, as he lit up the stage, playing the bumbling character to perfection, really playing up the part where he has to act in drag. I also really enjoyed watching the love story develop between Francis and Susan, played by Jodi Bennett.


The best song of the evening was the Ensemble singing The Black Hills of Dakota in which they managed to produce some beautiful harmonies.


The show runs at the Dolman Theatre until Saturday 28th April 2012.

Steps at CIA

Last Friday night S and I went to review the Step's concert in the CIA in Cardiff.  I was an amazing night, not only was I surprised by really good customer service (the first time I have received the tickets without any problems!) but Steps and their 2 warm up bands were awesome.

A great party was had by everyone in Cardiff's Motorpoint Arena while watching Steps and their friends on Friday night.


Shockolady was the first act on stage and one of her highlights was a disco version of Bennie and the Jets, including disco light boots.


The next act was former Miss World, Kamaliya who entertained us with Ibiza inspired dance anthems. Not just a pretty face, Kamaliya knows how to present a song that makes you get up and dance. This she demonstrated to perfection on her new single Arrhythmia when she was joined on stage by 6 dancers that displayed athleticism gymnastics.

Then it was Steps turn to take the stage. Their opening act included A Deeper Shade of Blue closely followed by a Steps Dance section enabling the audience to learn new dance routines to old favourites Last Thing on My Mind and Better Best Forgotten.


All 5 members of Steps individually showcased their own voices in a solo section. Highlights included Lee’s performance of Moves like Jagger and H singing Don't Stop Believing.


Steps were also supported on stage with 10 phenomenal dancers whose movements ranged from classic Steps disco pop to flamenco dancing and even dancing on roller skates!

Other Step-tacular highlights included When I Said Goodbye showcasing how strong their voices are and a Better the Devil You Know mash up with Judas by Lady Gaga.


The concert ended on a high with one of my favourite all time songs One for Sorrow followed by Steps new cover version of ABBA’s Dancing Queen and the BeeGee’s classic Tragedy.