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One hundred people’s ninth favourite thing: [title of show] @swkplay

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[title of show] takes you back to a time before the fast paced social media where word of mouth for a positive show came from chat boards, video diaries or (god forbid) blogs. A simple staging makes it an ideal (and economical piece to stage), but it’s sweet and earnest take on just putting on a show, and putting it out there and taking a chance gives this show its heart. With a strong and energetic cast and endless musical theatre references, it’s hard to resist and it’s currently playing at the Southwark Playhouse .  It opens with Hunter (Jacob Fowler) and Jeff (Thomas Oxley) as struggling young writers in New York City. An upcoming New York Musical Theatre festival, inspires them to write an original musical within three weeks to make the deadline. As they discuss ideas, writers block, distractions and endless other good and bad musicals, an idea for a show emerges. Which is about writing a show for a musical theatre festival.  Their friends Heidi (Abbie Budden) and Susan (Mary Moor

Movies: Pina 3D


PINA - Dance, dance, otherwise we are lost - International Trailer from neueroadmovies on Vimeo.

Pina 3D is a tribute to the work of choreographer Pina Bausch and tells of the feelings of her dance company to her unexpected death in 2009. At times it feels more like an embalming than a celebration of her work and her life. You're not presented with any background, or much biography (but it is on the internet), it is about the performance of four of Pina's works intercut with other scenes and anecdotes from the dancers, which are occasionally poignant...

You could be forgiven with all the gloating about 3D coming to the art house movies that this film is any better than the standard 3D fare. Alas it is not. Like all 3D films it is under-lit and like watching a focus group through a two-way mirror, even to the point the smears on the heavy 3D eyewear give the impression of fingerprints on the window pane. For most times dancers in the distance looked blurry and washed out and the movement distorted to the point that I felt I was a stroke patient. Watching the poor quality image was infuriating to the point of distraction.

Only on occasions does it look brilliant and makes use of the format, such as when a woman stands on a chair and dives through a mans arms like a fish, or in the scenes with water or on location in Wuppertal (the suspended monorail makes a few guest starring appearances). These are few and far between however. It isn't particularly sexy or sensual either (notwithstanding the partial nudity, the occasional nipple and obviously fit bodies). For something so fluid and thrilling to see live, it seems a bit plain...

All told it is an interesting failure... You're likely to leave the cinema with your head spinning, but that's the shutter effect from the LCD glasses rather than anything artistic or inspired. See it in 2D.

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