London girl Florence takes Latitude Festival by storm

No-one had heard of Florence and the Machine a couple of years ago, her rise to the top has been so rapid. This fiery haired Londoner has gone from strength to strength with her individual sound and big personality.

I saw her last week at Latitude Festival and witnessed the Florence craze. Although her unique screeching voice isn’t on my top Ipod playlist I can’t deny that this girl has talent and determination. An enormous black curtain dropped to reveal this goddess all in white. An abundance of energy could be seen both on and off stage as the crowd went wild for her.

I have to admit I didn’t see Florence’s whole set – The National were on at the same time and I wanted to catch a bit of them (as well as giving my ears a break from Flo’s earth shattering volume!) My favourite Florence number is her cover of ‘You’ve Got the Love’ which really got the crowd going.

After all the live music had stopped, my friends and I ventured to the Comedy Tent for some late night dancing (a bit of a tradition). Little did we know Florence was lurking backstage ready for some raucous karaoke. She came on stage, this time to a tent of about 100. I enjoyed this appearance much more, and it was amazing to be only metres away from her. We all sang happy birthday to her sister, who danced alongside Florence onstage.

Latitude Festival is a vibrant mix of creativity. It was encouraging for me, to see Florence as part of it. She was just a girl from London, with a similar upbringing to me, and now she is a star, an icon even.

Jersey Boys and the power of the Falsetto

I went through a phase, when I was younger, of reading obsessively about the Castrati phenomenon. Castrati singers were incredibly popular in opera in the Baroque period, especially in Italy. Boys with promising voices would be castrated before puberty allowing them to sing much higher, almost equivalent to a female soprano.

Of course this cruel tradition no longer exists, however some men can train their voices to be higher, most often known as a falsetto voice, a particular timbre that has recently become very desirable in pop music. American musician Frankie Valli was known for his unusually powerful falsetto voice. It was his unique sound that made his band The Four Seasons such a success.

The msucial Jersey Boys follows the story of The Four Seasons, and their journey to stardom. The show is currently on at the Prince Edward Theatre, a large venue that gives the rock’n’roll numbers a chance to fill the space, and they do. There are two drum sets – one of which is often on stage and a gloriously large brass section. It is a lot of fun to watch.

Ryan Molloy is outstanding as Frankie Valli, and unsurprisingly won the What’s on Stage People’s Choice Award for Best Actor in a Musical. His voice is stunning and the challenging numbers seem effortless for him. Some find the higher male voice unnatural to listen to, but it is impossible not to enjoy Molloy’s rendition of this rock’n’roll legend. The other band members excel as well: Stephen Ashfield as the genius songwriter Bob Gaudio, Jon Boydon playing cheeky Tommy DeVito and Eugene McCoy as bass player Nick Massi.

This was the slickest production I have seen for a long time, filled with memorable tunes to hum on the way home.

Hot on the Highstreet Week 9

I find it really difficult to buy nice, suitable boots. It’s unfortunate that at most shoe shops you get bombarded with the exasperatingly ugly UGG boots, which you have to fight your way through to discover some decent shoes. Avoid UGGs - they are expensive and unflattering and worst of all, make you look like EVERYONE else!

Hudson is a London based company that strives to create ‘innovative, directional’ footwear. In 2004 they launched ‘H by Hudson’, their rebellious younger range. Hudson has a reputation for its fashion forward vision, offering shoes that are high quality and long lasting.

So I present to you H by Hudson’s Starley Multi Strap ankle boot. These sturdy little booties are ruggedly hip, they will look good with skinny jeans or floral dresses. Although casual in style Hudson’s boots are made from good quality suede and leather which allows them to be smart if they need to be. The Starley Multi Straps have just hit the shop floors and are selling out fast. Available in two colours – tan and brown, I prefer the lighter tan option (see above).

At £130 they are something to save up for, but will wear beautifully with age and should last you a while. They are available in shoe shops everywhere, but a little tip – if you are a student go to Office and you will receive 10% off (that’s a whole £13!)

Visit the Hudson website here.

Mint Leaf Lounge & Restaurant

Mint Leaf Restaurant and bar offers innovative Indian food and delicious cocktails. Situated conveniently in London’s West End, the restaurant space is expansive with smart wooden tables and stylish decor. I loved the trendy catwalk-like platform that runs through the restaurant.

The highlights of my trip to Mint Leaf were the delicious cocktails, some of the best I have tasted. I opted for the fresh fruit choices – Pineapple Martini and Peach Daiquiri. I was wisely advised, by my very own cocktail connoisseur, to have the daiquiri straight up rather than muddled (and messed up) with crushed ice, which is the less tasty American way.

The food was good but not worth the hefty prices (starters £8 ish, mains £16-20), with all the extra trimmings (rice, naan etc) extra on top. The menu is short, useful when you have difficulty making decisions. We chose mostly meat dishes to share – Lamb Bhuna, a tomato based curry, fragrant from the whole spices added, and Chicken Biryani, which I wasn’t as impressed with – it lacked flavour. We gave pudding a miss when we discovered the chocolate fudge tart was unavailable. Bad form Mint Leaf, bad form.

Final verdict: Ambience – nice, cocktails – great, food – okay.

See menu here.

Remembering Michael Jackson at 'Thriller Live'

There has never been a better time to go and see the musical Thriller Live. With the one year anniversary of Michael Jackson’s death still fresh in our minds, this show is a wonderful way to celebrate his life and music.

Thriller takes you on a journey through all the major phases of Jackson’s musical life. There is not much of a narrative to follow, instead this show focuses on squeezing in as much singing and dancing as possible, performing popular hit after hit.

We are first shown an insight into Michael Jackson’s unique childhood and how his career began with his successful family band ‘Jackson 5’. The talented Mitchell Zhangazha is breathtaking as young Michael, with a voice and moves that rival the adult performers on stage. The dancers are fantastically exuberant, and perform in almost every number making me feel horribly unfit. The star of the show is Jovanny Pichardo Almonte who takes on the part of the main Michael dancer. He has studied Jackson’s dance and performance style for many years and it is certainly evident. Both his ‘look’ and his movement seem almost identical to that of Michael Jackson himself.

If you have a favourite Jackson number, it is sure to be part of this epic show, all my favourites feature. A trip to Thriller Live is a truly wonderful way to remember the King of Pop.

Book Tickets here.

A modern classic with a twist: Romeo and Juliet at The Rose Theatre

The Mokhwa Repertory Company’s production of Romeo and Juliet returns to the UK for only 10 days following its sell-out success at the Barbican in 2006.

Once again The Rose Theatre in Kingston presents a popular classic with a twist: Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet performed in Korean with English subtitles.The production hopes to show this famous love story in a new light, expressing the drama through martial art sequences, live music and dance. The highly stylised interpretation directed by Oh Tae-Suk promises to be a spectacle with striking set and costumes. The Sunday Telegraph has described the production as ‘unquestionably rewarding’.

Romeo and Juliet continues at The Rose Theatre until Sunday 25 July. Tickets range from £10 to 28, with pit cushion places at only £7. Sadly I am unable to make it, but let me know what you think if you get there!

Book here.

The understudy triumphs in Blood Brothers

Are you disappointed when you go to the theatre and discover the lead is being performed by an understudy? Let’s be honest, no-one wants to pay for second best. With the fall of theatre ticket sales, the ‘celebrity lead’ is often crucial to a show’s success. In my experience it is unusual for a celeb to really excel considering the vocal training and talent needed for a West End performer. Mel C, who recently starred in Blood Brothers was one of the few celebrities who did receive rave reviews and she brought new interest to the 21 year old musical. Niki Evans, recent X-Factor semi-finalist now takes on the role.

The night I went to see Blood Brothers Mrs Johnstone was played by Evans’ understudy Vivienne Carlyle. I didn’t realise this until the interval, but I never would have guessed had I not been told. Carlyle gave a charming rendition of this humble working-class single mum. Her voice is powerful and has a beautiful tone and her acting faultless. The drama explores the subject of twins and the intriguing ‘nature versus nurture’ debate. The brothers are played by Stephen Palfreman (Mickey) and Simon Willmont (Eddie) who both act tremendously. Palfreman convincingly portrays both the naughty schoolboy and the troubled adult, and is a pleasure to watch on stage. Mrs Lyons was also played by the understudy for the part, Rebekah Clifford. She is appropriately evil and a brilliant contrast to Carlyle.

Leaving the theatre I felt quite overwhelmed (I cried for most of the second half). The understudies in this performance stole the show and made the night a triumph. Enjoy the understudy next time you see one, there’s a good chance they’ll be better than the celebrity they are replacing.

Hot on the Highstreet Week 8

It’s all about ‘Lashes and Tashes’ parties at the moment. The perfect minimal costume for boys and girls, you can go as natural or crazy as you desire.

I love fake eyelashes and have tried and tested many brands. I love to wear them in summer because they add instant excitement to your look without needing to slap on lots of uncomfortable make-up. Shu Uemura with their psychedelic Tokyo Lash Bar offer every and any kind of lash action to suit every occasion. Conveniently each pair can be reused up to 10 times, so you really get your money’s worth. Also you can go into any Shu Uemura branch with your lashes and they will apply them for free.

The individual little groups of lashes are ideal for a natural look and allow you to create a style that is as full as you choose. My current favourites are the speckled feather lashes, shown in the photo above. Apart from being completely beautiful , on and off, they are very light to wear so don’t weigh down your eyes. You may find it difficult to see through them for a while though. Recently PPQ collaborated with Shu Uemura and together they created the amazing black and white zig-zag lashes. I have a pair and am just waiting for the right event to wear them.

Fake eyelashes are my festival favourite. Most of Shu Uemura's range will cost you around £10-15 and considering how much wear you can get out of them, are a real investment!

Don Giovanni at Opera Holland Park

This was, surprisingly, my first visit to see Mozart’s famous opera, Don Giovanni. Once again sitting in the buzzing audience at Opera Holland Park. I can’t get enough of this company!

The first thing I noticed as I sat down was the striking set in front of me. It was a luxuriously dark and moody stage, on one side the same devilish picture of Don hangs in frames small and large, a constant reminder of his presence throughout the opera. The set barely altered during the show, but clever props transformed the scene and made the changes in location completely believable. This was also thanks to the brilliant lighting director Colin Grenfell. Director Stephen Barlow decided on a late Victorian setting which suited the unique Holland Park setting.

Don Giovanni is a murder story, gripping from start to finish. Nicholas Garrett, who I have previously seen as ‘Scarpia’ in Tosca, plays the lead Don Giovanni. Garrett seems to have great fun playing the extremely licentious young nobleman. He owns the stage and sings the legato melodies with charm and charisma. Claire Wild is delightful as the naive Zelina; the seduction scenes between her and Garrett were witty and exciting. Simon Wilding is fierce as the Commendatore and particularly haunting when he returns in the final scene. Conductor, Robert Dean is an enthused leader for the orchestra injecting the whole show with musical energy.

This production certainly rivals London’s main opera houses. Every seat under the canopy was filled for a show that could have attracted an audience of double the size. I strongly urge you to visit Opera Holland Park especially if you haven’t been before, but hurry the season ends on 14 August.

The Family and the Land: Sally Mann

'Candy Cigarette', 1989

I tend to find photography exhibitions a bit dreary. There is a certain energy that surrounds handmade artwork - you can imagine the creator hard at work and their physical process. This is what photography lacks for me. However, The Photographers’ Gallery changed my mind last weekend.

I went along to the new Sally Mann exhibition with my dad and brother on Saturday. They are experts in the fields of art and photography, so I felt a little naive observing the work without such an analytical understanding.

Sally Mann is a successful American photographer, best known for black and white photos of her children and later landscapes of death and decay. In 2001 Mann was heralded as ‘America’s best photographer’ by Time Magazine. In 1949 Life magazine had similarly constructed the reputation of Jackson Pollock with such a headline. ‘The Family and the Land: Sally Mann’ is her first solo exhibition in the UK.

The first room displayed a collection of some of her more recent work. The images are ghostly and stare blankly at you as you wander round. Mann created these prints outside using a delicate technique called the ‘wet plate collodion process’, introduced in 1851. The technique is complicated and tactile and leaves Mann only five minutes to make the exposure.

My favourite works were the earlier family photographs displayed upstairs in the gallery. These controversially show three gorgeous children, often barely clothed. They are intimate and revealing portraits that offer an insight into her family life. ‘Candy Cigarette’ 1989, depicts her young daughter, pretending to smoke with a sweet cigarette. It is a beautifully captured moment, unsettling but stylish enough to appear in Vogue.

The final room, ‘What Remains’ is a collection of haunted landscapes some with discarded bodies in them. They are vague and eerie, and sometimes quite horrendous when looked at in detail. A startling contrast with the children’s portraits in the room before.

I loved this show, so much so that I even almost bought the insanely expensive catalogue.

Show continues until 19 September 2010. Check it out here.