Dashing heroes, beautiful heroines and villains you can boo and hiss at, they really are great family fun for all. Karen Neville offers up our guide to some of the star-studded highlights and those on the local stages…
Q. You’ve just come from your photoshoot for his new live tour, looking good! “Yes, I was looking rather lovely in a suit and freshly pressed shirt. It was a glorious sight to behold. As you know, I’m a very elegant man. I encapsulate a lot of Daniel Craig… Albeit after he’s been savagely beaten.”
Q. You’ve won gongs at the British Comedy Awards and the Royal Television Society… Why are you yearning to go back to live shows? “Live comedy is just such a buzz. People come just to see you. Sometimes you stand on stage thinking, ‘Good God, these people have all gone to the trouble of paying a babysitter and chosen to come and watch my show.’ That’s a very special feeling. It feels very natural to me. Sometimes people say, ‘I can’t imagine getting up on stage and performing. It would be so terrifying.’ But you don’t choose that life – it’s almost a calling, something you just have to do. You feel very comfortable on stage, and that grows over time. The more you get used to it, the more it becomes your norm. I like to entertain people and make them laugh. It’s a real privilege.”
Q. Is performing Songs & Stories not a risky business? “It’s a deliberate risk. I’ve got to the stage of my career where shows I’m in like Would I Lie To You? and The Trip and stand-up tours return. But I want to go outside my comfort zone and test myself. I’ll be nervous before this tour thinking, ‘What will the reaction be?’ But I’m taking a chance, and the fact that there is risk involved is part of the thrill of it. It will take some people by surprise. There are so many media outlets nowadays that some people might only know me from Gavin and Stacey or Would I Lie To You?. Those people often say to me, ‘I didn’t know you could sing’, and yet I have sung a lot. I hope this show is a very pleasant surprise for audiences. I recently went to see Jeff Goldblum play with his band. That was wonderful. That guy was just there to entertain people. He played his songs, but he did lots of other things as well, like film quizzes. The show followed no rulebook. I found that very liberating and quite instructive.”
Q. When did you realise you had such a beautifully rich singing voice? “I go back to my childhood. I was 16 and starting to get interested in girls, but I was always pining from afar. In my teens I lived in Porthcawl, a coastal town in Wales, and all the cool boys were surfers. I wasn’t a surfer. I had a go once, but I hurt my knee.”
Q. So music was your ticket to cool? “My musical taste was never considered cool. I never set much store by stuff being fashionable. I loved David Bowie and The Police, but also Shakin’ Stevens and Cliff Richard, which not many boys of my age did. Well, not the ones sitting at the back of the bus!”
Q. You don’t sound like a typical teenager! “I didn’t drink. My friends would all drink on a Friday and Saturday, and on a Tuesday and Wednesday, too, just for good measure. That meant they lost their fear of rejection. Unfortunately, I never lost that fear. I knew that I was funny and could make girls laugh. They would want to spend time with me. Had I had the nerve to close the deal with a kiss, I’m sure they would have responded, but I was too frightened. I would see neanderthals from my class with their arm around a girl at the school disco and think, ‘How did he manage that? He can’t string a sentence together and now it looks as if they’re setting up home together’. I talk a lot about my bemusement that girls were going out with those boys. At the time, Joe Jackson’s song, ‘Is She Really Going Out with Him?’ was a big hit, and I sing a bit of that by way of illustration.”
Q. What do you hope the audience take from Songs & Stories? “I hope people will come out happier than when they went in because they’ve had such a great time. I hope they will have forgotten about the world for two hours. As a performer in the last few years, you can really feel that people just want to escape. It’s tangible. People come up to you afterwards and say, ‘I’m so glad you didn’t talk about the state of the country or the current US President.’ My show is an escape. It’s a service. People want to go out and be entertained. In times of adversity, which you could definitely say we are in now, people want that more than ever. Of course, if the box office is still open, a percentage of the audience will be looking for a refund, I don’t doubt that.”
t the end of last year, after realising Sellotape was a single-use plastic, I decided to opt for plastic-free gift wrapping and to encourage others to do the same.
Sourcing real eco-friendly products was not easy. Some labelled “natural” or “jute” are actually entirely man-made! Others are natural but contain near-invisible plastic thread. And the products that are out there are spread far and wide making them hard to find and costly to deliver.
I was undeterred but began thinking this might put off other plastic-free wrappers. What we needed was one source of reasonably priced plastic-free wrapping products, shipped in plastic-free packing… After grappling with the computer for a few weeks this became a reality in February!
I was surprised how few people knew washi/masking/rice tape was even an alternative so took to social media. I post pictures of “Life after Sellotape” showing “sustainable choices”.
Right now, Naturally Wrapt is a hobby (no big margins) but that’s OK. I enjoy promoting environmental gain for the planet over profit. The point is to raise awareness about choices (we need to think more about using what we already have). Sending orders plastic-free has attracted small businesses to ask for advice (FYI: gummed tape is the way forward!). I’m working with two refill businesses – check out Noel’s Farm Shop in Sutton Green and – if you’re over that way – Packaging Not Included in Marlborough. Who knows where this will take me next?
If there is one play you go to see this year, this is it.
I have just returned from the stage version of Alice Sebold’s 2002 novel The Lovely Bones, adapted by Bryony Lavery and directed by Melli Still.
My mind was blown. I am not one to be reckless with my superlatives, and this was the best play I’ve ever seen. It is the kind of show where you are not thinking about when the interval is coming, because you are completely enthralled by the performance.
The Lovely Bones was one of the few books I found gripping enough to read cover-to-cover as a teenager. The book is set in Pennsylvania, 1973, where the main character, Susie Salmon, dies at the beginning, raped and murdered by a neighbour. The rest of the story follows Susie’s journey in the afterlife, as she watches over her family, while they deal with the aftermath of her death.
When I heard the production was coming to the Oxford Playhouse, I was keen to see it. I was curious as to how a stage production could plausibly portray Susie’s ghostly presence alongside the living world, and how they would deal with the book’s complex and disturbing themes.
How could it be possible to convey that one part of the scene is in the present, then it is in the past, and some characters on stage are in heaven, while some are on earth?
The situation and mood changes were seamless, owing to the actors’ convincing performances, the suspense-building sound design, the lighting, and the innovative scenery. The actors frequently changed roles, which could have been confusing or overdone, but they subtly conveyed the changes, so it felt as if as if you were in the characters’ heads.
It was clear that the other audience members were as captivated as I was. Through the contrast of lightness and laughter with darkness and gruesomeness, a full range of emotions were teased out in each scene. We gasped, we giggled, and we had tears in our eyes.
The stage play was beautifully choreographed, and there were parts where I was mesmerised by how the motion of each actor slowed and sped up, in sync with one another. I wondered how many times they must have rehearsed to perform it so perfectly. The live band, which transported the audience to the place and era of the story’s setting, was worth seeing in itself.
The scenery was inspired. The backdrop was an angled screen, which, dependent on lighting, acted as a mirror of the main act, or an illusion between the dimensions. When the actor playing Susie (Charlotte Beaumont) talks to the audience and “breaks the fourth wall”, you could imagine that the scenery creates a fifth wall.
There was no weak link to be found in the play, certainly not among the actors. Holiday, the dog, was played by actor Samuel Gosrani, and was clearly recognisable while playing a dog, while also credibly playing Ray, Susie’s love interest. It is notable that Susie never leaves the stage, and despite her screams to her parents, siblings, and friends, she is in a different dimension, so they never bat an eyelid.
Oxfordians are fortunate to have the Oxford Playhouse, an attraction of such excellent productions. I went to see the captioned show on a Wednesday, which enables people with hearing loss to enjoy live performances. The casting team of this production should also be commended for their inclusive approach: the actors were selected for their role based on their acting ability and suitability to the character, no matter their race or gender.
Q. You’ve worked with truly amazing musicians. Who would be your dream collaboration? “I have! Seeing my name next to Bob Dylan’s on one of my records is one of my most surreal highlights; his was the first concert I ever went to, aged 17. Collaborating with lovely Kylie was a pinnacle, too, and working with eccentric, beautiful Mika on this album. Connecting with people, for me, is the best thing about music. Being in a room with someone who has this gift is incredible. My dream collab would’ve been Johnny Cash; that amazing voice.”
Q. How do you listen to music? “I have a beautiful 1960s record player. It doesn’t offer great quality but it gives a wonderful sound, if you know what I mean. My current favourite record is Chet Baker. I also have a nice Bose system for taking it up a notch. My earliest memory of music was the school run and it’s funny because now with my own children that’s the time we all share music, too. My four-year-old son reminded me the other day how great the Ghostbusters song is and my daughter is a little obsessed with ABBA. I wasn’t an ABBA fan but she’s slowly converting me – the songs are brilliant!”
Q. What surprises you most about parenthood? “I think how much you feel. I spent most of my twenties numbing myself. The love, the fear, the worry, the desperation they go to sleep… it’s overwhelming. They don’t know they have this magic trick at first until they figure out how to use it against you. I’m eternally grateful.”
Q. Being of European heritage, how does Brexit make you feel? “Sad. It’s a shame that we seem to have trivialised one of the greatest peace treaties of all time – certainly of the last two centuries – and I hate the divisive language being used. I heard the Prime Minister use the word ‘surrender’ and thought that was cheap. The EU isn’t without dysfunction and negotiating changes would’ve been good. But this feels like a lose-lose situation.”
Q. Does November’s season of Remembrance mean much to you? “Yes; a great deal. I think we need to remember the sacrifices previous generations made for us more, especially in school and with what’s happening in politics at the moment. From a personal point of view, I think of my grandfathers. One was Polish and Jewish; he married a German woman young and escaped to Paris and then London. My father’s father fought against Fascism to stop his country being torn apart by divisive language [in Italy a street bears the Savoretti name]. I’m fascinated by that generation’s stories. That’s how complex peace is – ironically you sometimes have to fight for it. Many men and women suffered and lost their lives in the name of peaceful, liberal values which I hope endure.”
Photo: Laurie Weeden Glider Pilot Regiment
As Remembrance nears, there’s a very timely new exhibition of photographic portraits on display at the Soldiers of Oxfordshire Museum, Woodstock.
The exhibition, titled 3945 Portraits, is the work of award-winning photographer Glyn Dewis and features portraits of Second World War veterans.
Glyn is leading an ongoing project to photograph Second World War veterans from all branches of the armed forces, and from a wide range of different regiments and corps, including the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry.
The portraits are on display until 5th January alongside recorded interviews with the featured veterans, recounting their wartime experiences, as well as a number of drawings produced by children as a ‘thank you’ to them.
The project, and the exhibition itself, is designed to “remember, honour and educate”. Glyn said he intends to “honour and remember our surviving World War Two veterans by photographing as many of them as possible in order to provide both them and their families with classic, timeless portraits they treasure and can remain in their families for generations to come” and “to sensitively educate the current and future younger generations about the events of World War Two and of those who served, survived and were lost”.
The exhibition opened on Saturday, 19th October with a number of the featured veterans present, and a surprise medal presentation for one of them. Two members of the Glider Pilot Regiment who were good friends during their service but had not seen each other since the end of the war, were also reunited during the launch, having both had their portraits taken by Glyn.
Glyn will also be running two 3945 Portraits project workshops on the 9th November and 7th December between 11am and 2pm. These will demonstrate how the portraits were taken using minimal kit and often in very limited space, showing how we can all create classic portraits without the need for all the latest and greatest equipment. Spaces can be booked on the SOFO Museum website.
The Soldiers of Oxfordshire Museum is open from Tuesday-Friday 10am-5pm, Saturday 11am-5pm and Sunday 2pm-5pm. The county’s only military history museum is located in the grounds of the Oxfordshire Museum, Park Street, Woodstock.
Breast Cancer Now’s wear it pink day takes place across Oxfordshire today (Friday, 18th October), during Breast Cancer Awareness Month. One of the UK’s biggest fundraising events, the event has had an enormous impact on the lives of those affected by breast cancer since launching in 2002 and has raised over £33million for breast cancer research to date.
Anyone can take part in wear it pink. Some people will choose to hold a cake sale, while others will opt to organise a raffle and some will arrange a pink fancy dress day at their school or workplace. No matter how people choose to wear it pink, all the money raised will help to fund vital breast cancer research and support.
Lottie Barnden, head of mass participation at Breast Cancer Care and Breast Cancer Now, said: “In 2017, in Oxfordshire around 584 women were given the devastating news they have breast cancer. In the same period around 111 women from the area sadly died from breast cancer.
“We currently fund around a third of all breast cancer research happening in the UK, and last year we responded to nearly seven million breast cancer support requests. Without the generosity of wear it pink supporters we simply cannot continue to fund this crucial research and support, for all those affected by breast cancer now, and in the future.
“That is why we are urging everyone across the UK to get involved in wear it pink on Friday, 18th October to help us make life-saving breast cancer research and life-changing support happen!”
Breast Cancer Care and Breast Cancer Now have united to create the UK’s first comprehensive breast cancer charity, united around the shared ambition that by 2050 everyone who develops breast cancer will live, and receive the support they need to live well. The charity cannot reach this goal without the money raised from wear it pink.
Wear it pink today and raise funds for breast cancer research and support. Visit wearitpink.org to find out what you can do to support breast cancer research this month and every other month.
For more information about the annual campaign to raise awareness of the disease and a free guide for women over 40, visit www.nationalbreastcancer.org
From 1990s kids’ TV to the BBC’s Countryfile, Springwatch and Autumnwatch, presenter and nature lover Michaela Strachan has been on our screens for three decades. David Lamont of Plastic Free Home got her views on things…
Q. How would you describe the challenges facing our planet? “The challenges are huge and many. Habitat loss, climate change, consumerism, greed, plastic pollution… the list goes on. Deforestation is a massive threat. If we compared the rate of loss relative to a city, the whole of London, would be wiped out in just under a week – think how many people that would make homeless. It certainly puts it into perspective.”
Q. Do we have time to turn things around? “There’s been a real shift in consciousness. With movements like Extinction Rebellion, amazing young campaigner Greta Thunberg, parliament declaring a state of climate emergency, documentaries like Our Planet, we can’t help but be aware. As David Attenborough said: ‘Saving our planet is within our reach’. The human species is incredible at reacting in a crisis and coming up with amazing and innovative solutions and there is no doubt we have reached the crisis stage. We have to all make an enormous shift in our thinking, habits and way of life. And put the planet before profit and that’s a huge challenge. A recent study by New Zealand Cider brand [delicious by the way!] Old Mout showed 80% of Brits want more ways to take action and those aged 45-54, closely followed by millennials.”
Q. How does the situation make you feel? “I tend to have huge swings in my emotions when it comes to the future of the planet and what we have done to it. When you look at the facts, it’s hugely depressing, but then you look at what people are achieving and it lifts you back into a more positive frame of mind. I am ashamed at the absurdity of humanity, the crazy things we do thinking we are progressing and moving forward when so often we aren’t.”
Q. Do you think that big brands are taking things seriously and doing enough? “Many aren’t but it’s great to see that others are. I’ve been working with Old Mout Cider now for three years, because they care about the environment. For two years they put money into helping the endangered Kiwi in New Zealand and raised awareness; this year they’re partnering with the WWF to help save half a million acres of natural habitat and we’ve done a lot of campaigning to get people thinking and talking about how we can all be more environmentally aware.”
Q. Do you think we need to take things more seriously? “Of course we do and we need governments and policy makers to force radical change. Individuals often think that what they do won’t make any difference, but if we all do small things it collectively makes a huge difference. Now we need to give people hope, ideas and inspiration.”
Pupils in state-funded schools will learn first aid from September 2020. Primary children will be taught basic first aid such as how to call the emergency services or how to help someone with a head injury while secondary pupils will learn lifesaving skills such as helping someone who is having a cardiac arrest.
Research by the British Red Cross found that nine out of 10 children agreed knowing first aid skills would make them feel more confident to help in a first aid emergency and that it was one of the most important lessons they could learn at school.
Another study revealed up to 59 per cent of deaths from injuries could be prevented if first aid had been given before medical services arrived.
One of those who has been championing the campaign is Marina Fogle, co-founder of the Bump Class and host of The ParentHood podcast. She is married to British Red Cross ambassador and adventurer Ben Fogle.
She said: “I’m delighted that first aid lessons are now part of the national curriculum. So many women I know, especially those weaning their babies, are terrified of the possibility of their child choking.
“You never know how you might act in an emergency, but children learning first aid could make all the difference if one of their younger siblings were choking at home.
“Now we have to make sure school children in the rest of the country – outside England – get the same chance to learn how to save a life.”
The British Red Cross is also relaunching its first aid mobile app so everyone can have lifesaving skills at their fingertips.
Teachers wishing to sign up to receive free British Red Cross resources that will support them to teach first aid can do so at www.redcross.org.uk/teach-first-aid
That’s the message from the Samaritans today (Thursday, 10th October), World Mental Health Day.
This year the World Health Organisation (WHO) has chosen the theme suicide prevention. Every 40 seconds, someone in the world takes their own life. The organisation is encouraging people to prepare to take “40 seconds of action” to help: improve awareness of the significance of suicide as a global public health problem; improve knowledge of what can be done to prevent suicide; reduce the stigma associated with suicide; and let people who are struggling know that they are not alone.
“Put simply, this is an opportunity to show you care,” said Chris Lindsay, director of Samaritans of Bracknell, Wokingham, Ascot & Districts. “Talking, rather than bottling things up, helps but sometimes, when we are worried about someone, we are not sure how to start the conversation,”
The website Samaritans.org offers “SHUSH” tips on how to be a good listener.
“We would like to get the message across that Samaritans can help people acquire the skills to look after their emotional health and look out for others, before they reach crisis point,” said Chris.
Samaritans offers free resources for schools and colleges to incorporate into their emotional health programmes.
The charity also offers Wellbeing in the Workplace. This is an online learning programme which brings Samaritans’ listening and wellbeing expertise into the workplace.
“It’s okay if you’re not an expert – just listening can help someone work through what’s on their mind. When people feel listened to, it can save a life,” said Chris.
Samaritans is available round the clock, every day of the year. The charity provides a safe place for anyone struggling to cope, whoever they are, however they feel, whatever life has done to them. Call 116 123 (free to call) (UK), email [email protected], or visit www.samaritans.org for further details.
YoungMinds, the UK’s leading charity fighting for children and young people’s mental health, is encouraging people to say #HelloYellow today and help raise funds for YoungMinds.
Whether you choose to go for a subtle splash of colour or really turn up the sunshine with head to toe yellow, join in to show young people they’re not alone with their mental health.