The Joy of Food at the Lund Gallery, Alne Road, Nr Easingwold, York, North Yorkshire YO61 3PA. T 013478 24400, E info@lundgallery.co.uk.
Opening hours are Thursday to Saturday 11am to 5pm, Sundays 12 – 4pm, or by arrangement.

EAST Gallery
214 Brick Lane
London
E1 6SA

4th Nov – 9th Nov 2011 (closes 5pm on 9th Nov)

Private view 3rd Nov at 6pm

This photographic exhibition encompasses themes of memory, intimacy and escape.
Diverse in style and approach, from the abstract to the cinematic, to stereoscopic, all eight exhibitors share the common history of being photography graduates from the University of Westminster.
The show represents the first group outing of this recently formed photographic collective.

In the current climate of continued jukebox musicals and film adaptations (there’s even talk of Bend It Like Beckham, the musical!), it’s refreshing and unusual to find a company dedicated to developing, promoting and performing new musical works. A Stage Kindly, led by Giles Howe and Katy Lipson, is just that sort of company, and has for the past three years produced a number of new musicals from a large batch of international writers.

It’s a great achievement when you consider the company is independent and un-funded, and most performers, as is often the case in fringe theatre, give their time and skills for free. So with that in mind, I was keen to see what the last three years had produced.

I must admit, I was a little worried upon seeing the nearly thirty songs listed in the programme, such an onslaught of musical theatre numbers can leave one more than a little numb. However, on the whole the evening programme was well enough balanced to maintain interest.

The ‘cast’ of nearly 20 delivered each song with great enthusiasm, and several performers stood out, particularly the duets of David O’Mahoney and Kendra McMillan and Kimberly Blake, who performed the opening number, I Love To Sing by Alexander S. Bermange. However, whilst individual performances were often memorable (and mostly for the right reasons), many of the songs themselves were fairly forgettable and few of the melodies have survived in my memory.

Some simply lacked a strong enough hook, whilst others suffered a little from rather vapid lyrics, leaving little for the listener to hold on to. Many were good, but perhaps in need of a workshop and rewrite or some critical analysis to make the move from good to great. Songs such as I Know I Love Him (Christopher J Orton & Bob Gould) would benefit from the odd lyric change, whilst In A Far Off Land (from ‘Soviet Zion’ by Katy Lipson and Giles Howe) was stylistically and musically successful but lyrically a little like a revolutionary shopping list.

The odd song seemed to be making up the numbers, and Rescue Remedy (Tim Prottey-Jones) in particular had me reaching for my own. However, it would be unfair not to single out some of the stronger compositions of the night. Marry Me (Noel Katz) encapsulated the commitment difficulties of every man in a neat couple’s duet, whilst I Just Need To Be Loved (Christopher J Orton & Bob Gould) was probably the most emotionally engaging of the night. That’s A Wrap (Michael Colby & Paul Katz) was notably the only song for an older character, the washed out actress seeking one more chance, whilst the lyrically engaging a Simple Valley Song (Pippy Cleary & Jake Brunger) is one of the few to stay firmly in my memory – partly in thanks to a great performance by Charlotte Bradford.

It’s perhaps unsurprising that in a revue-style evening the most successful songs were those with a strong character aspect. Others perhaps needed the support of context, a telling test for any composer. The crucial thing is that A Stage Kindly are doing what very few in the industry are, in giving new writers a chance to try their work in front of real audiences, to see what works, to develop and hone their craft, and for that they must be commended, encouraged and supported. I look forward to seeing what the next three years bring.

The action will consist of an outdoor artistic intervention: a live video projection on a building that has been badly affected by arson. It will show a video-collage of different visual impressions feeding from the collective memory of the disorder.

6th Hour Productions is also staging workshops at which staffers and local residents consider the various standpoints of the people involved, and jointly elaborate on visions for the future of the community, which will be edited into a newspaper (to be distributed free of charge on the 11/11). “Offret” will be the first large-scale project to address the subject of the riots in the UK.

6th Hour Productions (UK) is an art organisation based in London, consisting of artist Sofia Dawe (BR) and cultural manager Juliana Glam (BR).

11.11.2011, 6:00-8:00PM
268/270 Lavender Hill, Clapham Junction, London SW11, UK
Free of charge

Only one theatre company can boast such impressive achievements in its first three years, and with several exciting announcements to make The A STAGE KINDLY New Musical Theatre Initiative is staging an event called GALA – a one night only musical celebration at The Greenwich Theatre on Sunday 9th October, 7.30pm. Featuring highlights of their diverse back catalogue by popular demand and starring some of the brightest new stars they have discovered plus special guests, GALA is a celebration of the unique work that A STAGE KINDLY does to pioneer new musical theatre writing around the world.

Founded by Giles Howe and Katy Lipson, The A STAGE KINDLY New Musical Theatre Initiative offers unique opportunities to British and international writers independently creating new musicals.

“With the market dominated by a small number of successfully established practitioners, we feel passionate that the next generation of musical theatre writers should be given the opportunity to break into this notoriously difficult profession” says Giles Howe “and this was our reason to found the company.”

Katy Lipson continues “We are delighted to have survived as an unfunded and independent organisation for three years, and to have so many exciting shows under our belt and forthcoming to celebrate. We have worked so hard to bring audiences exciting new works that otherwise may never see the light of day, and we hope musical theatre enthusiasts from all around will join us to enjoy looking both backwards and forwards over what we have achieved and are looking forward to in coming years. This is a great chance for people who have missed out on our shows to experience selections first-hand, and for people who have seen our productions live to relive some of the greatest moments from our previous shows.”

Artistic Directors Giles and Katy met as students, and after writing and producing their own work for several years they founded this unfunded organisation to put their experience and expertise to good use encouraging other people with similar ambitions and creative vision. As well as five sell-out new-writing revues, they have debuted full-length works including:

• “Slay It With Music” – A murder mystery about a retired film stars movie comeback in a slasher film
• “Soviet Zion” – An epic new musical set in the Yiddish Autonomous Region of Siberia
• “Maya” – A musical drama about the final days of the Mayan empire
• “Turkish Delight the Opera” – A bizarre rock opera charting a scorned woman’s revenge
• “A Feast of Snacks” – A unique collection of mini-musicals
• “Don’t Cry Butterfly” – A new musical about the love affair between Puccini and Mata Hari
• “Ballets Russes” – A new musical set within the realm of the famous dance company

GALA also marks the launch of a new collaboration between A STAGE KINDLY and Stage Scripts Ltd – The Musical Song Book – an online source of especially selected fresh material from new musicals for singers to use in auditions, classes, and performances. Several other exciting announcements will be made on the night.

With guests already confirmed to attend from several foreign countries, GALA is a major highlight of the Musical Theatre calendar and an event that you don’t want to miss.

Sunday 9th October 7.30pm
£15; £10 Concession

Greenwich Theatre, Crooms Hill, London SE10 8ES
W: http://www.greenwichtheatre.org.uk/
T: 020 8858 7755

Peter Layton and Lionel Segal’s ‘Little Women The Musical’ is the UK premiere run, based on Louisa May Alcott’s 1868 novel of the same title, set in New England during the Civil war.

This well loved story is a celebration of women breaking the mold and achieveing success both in work and life. The show explores themes of family, ambition, the struggle of poverty, and well before its time this tale fights for women’s rights to work as well as publish books in their own name. This poignant and timeless classic is the perfect Christmas show for all the family.

Maria Robertson reviews Deivis Slavinskas’s solo exhibition

The solo exhibition ‘Textures of the Collective Unconscious’ by Deivis Slavinskas is not a passive experience. It is a call to explore, to revel and respond with dreams and imaginings. Each painting has a unique quality and message; together these paintings are a series of dreams set out on canvas. Physical layers of paint, correspond with psychological and metaphysical layers of meaning, to engage the viewer in a visceral and thought provoking interaction.

On one level, you can enjoy these paintings as a pure visual feast, in the here and now, an exciting cascade of colour and form. The use of sculptural techniques, heavy textures and layering create an impressive sense of vitality and energy, giving the paintings a real and active presence. In some paintings the subject material enthusiastically spills over from the canvas onto the surrounding frame. Each painting is a raft of colour, contrasts and textures, scores and scrapes, sweeps and curves in carefully crafted composition. Deivis’s assiduous attention to detail draws the viewer further in to the experience, underscoring the passion and intent behind the art.

As a catalyst for subconscious thoughts and recollections, these paintings draw on internal landscapes of memories and emotions. Abstract images, and icons assimilated naturally with my own imagination, and lead it to weave its own stories. Along with the paint, scraped away to reveal underlying layers, layers of imagination pealed away to unexpected thoughts and impressions. The more I looked, the bigger the image became, and the more there was to see. I found myself wandering around the outback of Australia, along the banks of the River Thames, into dusty old rooms, down childhood streets and to places of emotion, hope and familiarity, nostalgia and longing.

A further layer reveals a spiritual realm to Deivis’s art, something mystical and arcane, glimpses of a deeper universal theme. Totems and glyphs are woven into the fabric of the art. An animal, words, the flow of water, an overseeing eye, the monster, the river, the depth, the crown. These reassuringly primal images provoke feelings of innate recognition, motifs of a shared understanding and belief system, a ‘collective knowing’.

These paintings communicate both the personal and the profound, inviting the viewer to explore relatedness to the ‘self’ and in a broader sense ‘connection to others’. A remarkable, creative achievement, provoking a uniquely human response and taking the viewer on a compelling visual, psychological and spiritual journey.

http://www.Slavinskas.com

Working in a range of media, including stone carving, drawing, glass sculpture and photography, the artists will explore the perception of the body in today’s society and the essence of human form across boundaries of gender, ethnicity and sexuality. The artists featured in this exhibition combine their creative practice with a range of professions associated with the body and include an anatomist, psychologist, medical illustrator and architectural stone carver.

557 Shadows
The Crypt Gallery, St Pancras Church, Euston Road, London NW1 2BA

Private View: Saturday 6 August, 6–9pm
Open daily Sunday 7 – Saturday 20 August, 10am – 7pm

Admission free

Find out more at www.facebook.com/557shadows

For further information about the exhibition, please contact Julia Tatiana Bailey on 07891 730083 or email jetbailey@yahoo.com

A sister desperately trying to hold onto her relationship with her brother. Two friends, one who never gets the chance to speak what is on her heart, and the other doing all she can to get what she wants. All the while, the man they have as their focus makes a life changing decision for them all. The four are taken on a journey that leaves them exactly where they start, but in turn changes their world. Through a combination of physical theatre, rock climbing, text, song and contemporary dance, it discovers the complicated private lives of four individuals literally Climbing The Walls.
Kim Charnock, writer and director, has a track record for producing innovative pieces of theatre and Climbing The Walls is no exception. With funding support from the Sir Barry Jackson Trust, and support in kind from Vertical Limits and Creation Climbing Centre, Climbing The Walls proves to be an exciting night of theatre.

Climbing The Walls is on at the Creation Climbing Centre, Moseley, Birmingham on Thursday 21st, Friday 22nd and Saturday 23rd July at 8pm. And again at Vertical Limits Climbing Centre, Worcester, on Wednesday 27th and Thursday 28th July at 8.30pm. Tickets cost £8 and can be bought on www.rogueplay.co.uk or over the phone on 07746327284.

Doors open at 7pm and the screening begins at 7.30pm.

COST: Free. Suggested donation of £5. Bring your own refreshments.

LOCATION: The Old Fire Station, 84 Mayton Street, London, N7 6QT

DATES:
• 1st July 2011 – “The Umbrellas of Cherbourg”. A 1964 classic starring Catherine Deneuve. The first French musical in colour – where all the dialogue is sun. Come and see this amazing, heartbreaking classic.
• 5th August 2011 – “Wings Of Desire”. Directed by Wim Wenders. Starring Bruno Ganz, Solveig Dommartin and Peter Falk. An angel tires of overseeing human activity and wishes to become human when he falls in love with a mortal.
• 2nd September 2011 – Wild Places theme – curated by local green groups. Details to be confirmed.

Booking in advance is not required. Email firstfridayfilmclub@gmail.com in order to be added to our mailing list.

If you would like to curate an evening please get in touch. There are spaces available from November onwards.

For more information please visit the website. http://www.reelislington.com/film-club