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Look Closely

By
Vid Simoniti
-

Five stars
Information: 3rd-7th Feb at 19:30, Burton Taylor Studio. Price £4.

Yasmina Reza may be one of the internationally most performed living playwrights, but her fortunes are more uneven in her native France, where left-leaning critics often dismiss her as irredeemably bourgeois.
Her comedy Art is a case in point; in it, three comfortably off men are facing up to mid-life crisis and spend most of the play bickering about art and suffering at the hands of each others’ egos. The MacGuffin of the play is a completely white canvass, which one of them, Serge, buys for 20,000 francs, only to incur the contempt and ridicule of his more conservative friend Marc. Not only then does Reza commit the crime of setting her play in a completely unsubversive environment, she also dares to belittle the aesthetic worth of contemporary art.

This assessment, however, is unfair. As Reza herself pointed out once in an interview, it is the “subversive” contemporary art, which is the mainstream now, and if anything, going against the grain consists of querying its value rather than blindly lauding it.

This production, directed by Guy Levin, promises to give Art an enjoyable staging, thanks particularly to the strong performances of the three-strong cast. Matt Osman is especially convincing as the traditionalist Marc, bitterly resentful that his friend Serge (Jonathan Rhodes) has taken a liking to pretentious art and the unqualified use of fashionable intellecutalist terms, like “deconstruction”. Serge, on the other hand, can’t stand Marc’s oppressive, patronising attitude. Caught in the middle is Yvan (Frankie Parham), the bubbling, but spineless clown of the group.

Much of the humour derives from the snide asides that the increasingly infuriated friends make about each other and the comedy of their imperfect characters. Parham’s Yvan is quite hilarious in his hyper-active, affected manner, while Serge’s high-minded artistic ideals are exposed as narcissism when he muses that the Pompidou has three paintings by the same artist (incidentally, I’ve been to the Pompidou recently and there actually are three completely white canvasses there, by Robert Ryman).

It might not be in-yer-face theatre or body-art, but Art tells us a good deal about the confusions and frustrations of contemporary society, even if mostly of the segment that is middle-aged and middle-class. It might even provide its audience here with a taste of things to come. But, whatever it may be, it is far from being reactionary: Art is a clever, watchable and witty piece and deserves to be seen.

Take To The Streets

By
Andrew Mendelblat
-

During the 1980s the Communist dictatorships of Eastern Europe were crippled and finally brought down in a wave of national disappointment, demonstrations and a loss of Soviet support. The governments of these countries had aggressively funded the arts to create jobs and boost their prestige, but funding did not buy support. Theatres across Eastern Europe remained full of dissidents, among them Vaclav Havel, a prominent playwright who, after being released in 1989 from imprisonment for his work as a human rights activist, became the president of Czechoslovakia. Theatres had been used as a cover for anti-government messages before: the final spark for rioting in Poland in 1968 was the government’s halting performance of a classic 1816 play by one of the country’s most popular poets, as audiences and the performers gloried in its anti-Russian message.

Given this background, demonstrations against the government in Poland understandably paid close attention to the design and symbolism of their protests. A series of ‘events’ organised by a student group based in Western Poland in the late 80s, Orange Alternative, mercilessly parodied Marxist seriousness, responding to being exhorted to help the police every year on Police and Secret Service Day by helping to direct the traffic in Warsaw while wearing blue face-paint and carrying gongs and cymbals, which were beaten every time the lights changed: the result was chaos. In a parody of films singing the praises of honest toil, ‘a spontaneous action’ was organised in which a square was cleaned by students with toothbrushes dressed in 1950s clothes, followed later that year by a restaging of the October Revolution as carnival, with cardboard ships moving through the streets and a department store chosen to represent the Winter Palace peacefully ‘stormed’.

These demonstrations were more pranks than an indictment of the government (and often parodied real protests as well), but more serious demonstrations were often equally planned. In Gdansk in 1981, one of the country’s most famous film directors was asked to advise on a ceremony commemorating rioters murdered a decade earlier by police; it featured carefully controlled lighting effects, a specially commissioned piece of music and a reading by a famous actor, while later protestors used equipment supplied by the CIA to break into TV transmissions with calls for resistance at the exact moment when half-time began in the national cup final; a priest involved later said that this was intentional so as not to annoy viewers.

Blindness isn’t Love

By
Sarah Nerger
-

Four stars

Information: 27th-31st January at 21:30, Burton Taylor Studio. Duration 40 mins, price £4.

Meet Angie. Angie is a young and attractive secretary from Bromley. She is sitting in Charing Cross station waiting to meet her date, who doesn’t appear to be there yet. Meet Brian. Brian is a fumbling middle-aged businessman with a fabulously British awkwardness we know well from living and studying in Oxford. He is also waiting to meet his date, sitting on the same bench as Angie. As it turns out, Angie and Brian are meant to be meeting each other, having been set up on the blind date of the play’s title. The twist, however, is that they do not recognise each other until the date has effectively expired.

Frank Marcus’ “Blind Date” explores the differing aspects of human interaction through the struggle to find love, and the disappointment that comes when the ideal of love fails to match the reality. A simple setting and a fundamentally simple premise, but what we see is a vivid insight into the complexities of
human relationships, and the expression of hopefulness for what may come in a comic situation with deeply ironic undertones.

Rafaella Marcus directs this dynamite script with explosive force, capturing the subtlety of the scenario expertly. The staging compliments the simplicity of the setting and the plot wonderfully, with the changes from internal monologue to conversational dialogue exhibiting excellent timing, both comic and sharp. Sarah Clark realises the character of Angie with a refreshing wit, coming together to give at once the impression of cynicism and insecurity. Jaroslav Fowkes’ spin on Brian is a perfect complement, a performance which epitomises the awkward and gawky businessman, arousing several out-loud laughs in the process.

The verdict: this play is not to be missed. Opening in 2nd Week, it caters to everything you want out of a night at the theatre. And what’s more, it’s only 40 minutes long. Not a bad deal by my standards.

The myth of Jimmy Bullard

By
Jack Pitt-Brooke
-

Jimmy Bullard has a reputation as a great old-fashioned professional, a throw back to the days before agents and Bentleys, when a roast was something the players’ wives cooked on Sunday afternoons.

But the way Bullard has conducted himself regarding his move from Fulham FC to Hull City would shame Ashley Cole.  In September 2006 Bullard collided with Newcastle’s Scott Parker and ruined his knee ligaments.  He didn’t play again for sixteen months – until January 2008.  His return coincided with the arrival of Roy Hodgson, who orchestrated a miraculous escape from relegation.

A strong second half of the season led to a call up to the England squad in August 2008 – although he did not play in either game.  And how did Bullard react to this? By thanking the staff of Fulham FC for spending sixteen months rehabilitating him, which made his call up possible? No – he demanded a new contract with wages an England international (of sorts) deserved.

Roy Hodgson, understanding that his demands were beyond the club’s means, and that Danny Murphy is the true midfield general at Fulham, said no.  So Jimmy Bullard turned his back on Fulham and went up north to Hull City, who met his demands.  While he can claim that he has moved from the tenth placed team to the ninth placed one, Hull are sustained by a freakish run in Autumn but collapsing form since. Fulham, meanwhile, have the fourth best defence in England and one of the canniest managers around.  Only one of those teams risks getting sucked into the relegation mire, and it’s not the Cottagers.

It wouldn’t be a great shock if Hull City find themselves back in the Coca-Cola Championship next season.  And what then for good old fashioned honest pro Jimmy Bullard?

A Madman, and A Nod to the Old School

By
Nick Coxon
-

He’s gone feral. Which means he’s back in the news. Governor Rod Blagojevich has continued his recent series of surreal Friday press conferences, this week saying some truly strange things in that same strange way. It’s getting to the point where the best way to describe his approach is beyond parody. This week was just hilarity. But such well-delivered, mock-sincere, confidently-argued hilarity.

Some highlights: Speaking of the Illinois senators who will conduct his impeachment trial:”they’re just hanging me.” Responding to reporters enquiries about how his family was coping, he told them the day he was arrested was “what Pearl Harbour Day was to the United States.” He won’t attend his Senate trial, nor will he send witnesses or even an attorney, saying that to do so would itself be an “impeachable offense.” (Even when half-joking he seems fairly crazy).

And today, the news that, on Monday, he’ll make his first national TV appearance, on ABC’s Good Morning America, followed by an appearance on The View with his wife Patti (for whom it’s hard not to feel pretty sorry).

I can’t find the word: he’s not brilliant, that would be too positive. But there is something special and altogether interesting about someone so brash and defiant after having been (it would seem) so stupid and corrupt. He’ll quote Kipling and Tennyson at you. He’ll claim (as he did yesterday) that, if he’s impeached, it will lead to tax increases for Illinoisans. He’ll drag his poor wife onto The View to be gently assaulted by Barbara Walters, Whoopi Goldberg, et al. You don’t ever really believe he’s innocent, nor do you admire him. But you do think this guy knows how to work a news cycle.

My thought: When you read a bit about Blagojevich, his character and personality, all this stuff makes sense. To him, it’s a strategy. It’s part get your face out there, part say it enough and they’ll believe you’re innocent, part do what’s most ballsy. If nothing else, it’s entertaining (at least for those of us are not governed by him). He’ll be impeached, but somehow I doubt he’ll go away.

—

In this new bipartisan Washington, it’s refreshing to find that President Obama hasn’t forgotten that sometimes, when push comes to shove, he has a right to try to get his own way.

Republican congressional leaders had started to get a little irritated by the stimulus package: where particular funds would go, in what form money would be given back to consumers – agreeing in principle of the need for a package but trying to fight for some concessions to report back to the caucus.

The President hosted all the Congressional leaders – Democratic and Republican – for a closed-door meeting in the Roosevelt room, across the hall from the Oval Office. Sources said he listened to their concerns, noted where they disagreed and why. Then he spoke, at length, of the need for the package, of the need to act to avert a “grave situation”.

And then, as he neared the end of his summation, he reminded his opponents matter-of-factly: “I won.”

Nice to see that 70 million popular votes still count for something.

You can tell this is a President with a very handy 68-12 approval rating. In terms of approval, that’s 4 points behind Kennedy’s after his first few days on the job. It’s 10 points ahead of Clinton, 11 ahead of his predecessor, and 17 ahead of Reagan at the same stage. Not bad considering the circumstances.

—

Lastly, one for the nerds (myself included, clearly). A reporter at Huffington Post has managed to get a leaked copy of House Resolution 1, the draft stimulus bill. It’s obviously extremely long and boring, but it’s ‘fun’ to at least look at the first few pages of what will very likely become the first piece of major legislation of the Obama era.

World XI: Jack’s left back

By
Jack Pitt-Brooke
-

When evaluating full backs, it’s easy to get drawn towards attention grabbing attacking play rather than defensive consistency.  The highest profile left back of the modern era – Roberto Carlos – had a reputation founded on this sort of thing.  But whether he was a better defender than Bixente Lizarazu, or even Graeme le Saux, was overlooked.

So in picking the left back for our World XI we have to be wary of such players, whose cavalier instincts distract from their failure to function as an effective roundhead when needed.  This is why Gaël Clichy and Philipp Lahm don’t make the cut.  Similarly with Éric Abidal, whose defensive liabilities have forced Pep Guardiola to dust off the 34 year old Sylvinho in recent months.

This left me with a short list of Ashley Cole, Patrice Evra and Gianluca Zambrotta.  The criteria were defensive reliability, experience, pace and the ability to genuinely hurt the opposition in the final third.  First to go was Zambrotta.  As much as his versatility and reliablity – not to forget his World Cup winners’ medal – counts for, his lost pace puts him behind the Premier League options.

Choosing between Cole and Evra is difficult.  There’s one inch between them in height. six months in age, two Premier League titles each.  They’ve both been exceptional for the last year or so: defensively flawless, incisive in attack, and able to keep competent deputies out of the side – forcing Mikaël Silvestre and Wayne Bridge to move to Arsenal and Manchester City respectively. 

But I’m just going to go for Patrice Evra.  As good as Cole has been, the quality of Evra in the last year or so has been phenomenal.  His pace and energy – ninety minutes of full length pitch sprints twice a week – is reminiscent of the great Cafu.  His runs into the final third – dragging the right back wide – creates the space for Cristiano Ronaldo to gallop into.  And his crossing is better than most top flight midfielders. 

Jack’s Word XI

  • Iker Casillas (Real Madrid and Spain)
  • Patrice Evra (Manchester United and France)

Far Cry 2 review

By
Dave Mcleod
-

Few animals are as distinctly African as the Zebra. Everything about it has that strange, alien quality of the dark continent. Watch the way it gallops across the Savannah, the sight of a herd in motion, the jerk of the head as it startles, the curious way it pokes at a ticking hand-grenade… Far Cry 2 highlights that, as much an evolutionary curiosity the Zebra is, it has thus far failed to achieve that most important of attributes; a fire-proof hide. Nor, indeed, legs that carry it faster than a Jeep.

Far Cry 2 is a gaming metaphor for Africa. War-torn, sprawling, it demands that you learn survival skills quick to keep yourself afloat. 50km2 of jungle and desert, with the odd pocket of civilization. The world is rich, cloying with humidity and unseen life. Your goal? Find and kill ‘The Jackal’, an arms dealer fueling a bloody war that’s left everyone feeling very, very angry.

The opening is standard first-person-shooter style; from the back of a jeep, a brief tour of the country shows you the soldiers, the corruption, the bribery, the fear, and just how much time Ubisoft spent on the engine. The attempts at authenticity then go as far as you passing out from Malaria. You take to find ‘Jackal’ standing at your bedside, at gunpoint. After a brief passage from Nietzsche’s ‘Beyond Good and Evil’, he hands over the gun while you pass out again. BGE and Conrad’s ‘Heart of Darkness’ are unnecessarily milked of quotes; like an interviewee desperate to impress a Philosophy tutor, if you like.

You’re first mission is randomly chosen by an equally random lieutenant. I got a youthful, sporty Korean, while you might get an grizzled Eastern European. Whoever it is, you have to rescue a buddy (yep, random) from captivity. Your buddy, whoever they might be, thanks you by offering demanding extra objectives to missions, as well as covering while you ‘heal’ in combat. This, amusingly, consists of using rusty pliers to pull shattered metal from your arms, before dosing yourself up on heroin in order to charge into combat. Oh, the mercenary lifestyle.

Such unorthodox medicine is for the lovers of gunplay. Several mechanics, centered around both aggressive and stealthy play styles makes either option fun and exciting. The AI patrol their camps independently, sometimes wandering from the camp for cigarettes and indiscreet public urination. You can take things all Jason-Voorhees (‘Friday the 13th’ franchise…keep up people) with a meaty machete. Or, try trusting your weapons. I say trust; as a weapon weathers through use, it begins to jam, requiring a gentle slap before settling down. Rather than irritating, it’s kind of charming; temperamental rocket launchers turn fights in something either from Die Hard or Platoon.

Does that make me seem less shallow? Good; because also, FC2 is crazy-beautiful. Little details make the world breathe softly around you. The trees are my favorite; they’re procedurally generated from algorithms based on the patterns in which actual trees grow. They sway gently in the wind, sunlight dapples through onto your map when standing in the shade…and they burn. Appropriately, the only thing ‘better’ than the trees, is the fire. One explosion can set fire to bushes, which spread to the grass, to the trees, and suddenly a flash blaze has appeared, to drive enemies into, or shelter (carefully) behind while you reload (and shoot-up). There are animals too, but they’re not as fun to burn. And hence less interesting.

It’s fun just exploring. See a base? Climb a rock face to find the perfect sniping nest. Use binoculars to point out every ammo nest and soldier, before methodically slaughtering the lot. Use the environment; my personal favorite is destroying an entire air base with one carefully aimed grenade rolled under some fuel tanks; no witnesses, no survivors. Satisfaction. Are you ‘Always outnumbered, never out gunned’? Try a shotgun then. A ‘Rambo’? You’re limited only by the number of grenades you can fit in your pockets.

Switching styles this way is a necessary part of keeping the experience fresh, because this is, undeniably, a shallow game. Murder and Mayhem are the basest of pleasures, quickly becoming tiresome without a driving reason. The ‘Jackal’ plot-line just isn’t compelling for much of the game, with the missions being helplessly formulaic. Go here, explode, kill; it never ends. It doesn’t matter if it’s a statement about the trauma of only being able to express yourself violently; it’s tiring.

This is why its best to set your own goals for missions. Decide; will this be stealth, will this be bloody or will this be fiery? Provided is no end of material to work with; but you have to form your own entertainment out of it. Which is, for some, slightly embittering. This isn’t a tightly scripted action film; if anything it’s the total opposite. You come out with stories to tell, but no focal point to share with others.

Far Cry 2 is not perfect. But it is an epic achievement, and a very, very entertaining game. I recommend it, not for what it asks you to do, but what you can do. Play it, see how far games have come, because its amazing. Best game of 2008, without question.

Science Minister visits Oxford

By
Andrew Steele
-

Government Science Minister Lord Drayson visited Oxford this week, meeting academics and students for a pilot ‘town hall’-style consultation.

The meeting, on Friday 23rd January in the plush new biochemistry building, was focussed on how the government could facilitate and stimulate scientific investigation with a view to developing intellectual-property–based industries which could help us through the current economic downturn.

Drayson is an unusual minister in that he does have a scientific background—having completed a PhD in robotics, he founded a highly successful spin-off company, PowderJect Pharmaceuticals, which was bought out for $800m in 2003. This grounding seems to have given him something of a prejudice towards business-based solutions, and a drive to generate more, and more profitable, spin-offs from UK university science departments.

I asked the Minister to outline what research had been done or had been commissioned into the economic and social benefits of scientific research and science outreach, in particular whether UK involvement in the European Space Agency’s manned spaceflight programme, for which he has expressed vocal support, represents good value for money as a tool to inspire schoolchildren. He said that an independent investigation into the merits of the manned programme had been commissioned, but conceded that he didn’t have the knowledge to assess the current ‘balance’ of research in different fields. He also believed that having a scientifically-trained Science Minister could not be relied upon, and therefore it was crucial that scientists, not ministers, should be in charge of allocating research funding.

Asked about the post–post-doc career bottleneck, Drayson replied that the fundamental problem of there being too few academic positions was systemic and insoluble. However, he wondered about the capabilities of entrepreneurship and business, saying that more could be done to encourage research careers in industry, or founding of spin-off companies by post-docs.

There was some concern about the difficulties of getting financial support for ‘high-risk’, blue-skies research in a climate where funding bodies are increasingly asking for applications to be listed on grant proposals. He asked the audience whether this was a general feeling. ‘Yes,’ we responded, in unison. Refreshingly free of political obfuscation, Drayson replied simply ‘I’ll look into it.’

Week 1: The Papers

By
Aldate
-

First the good news, OxStu’s laying is much tidier and has some proper news this week. Librarian also much funnier.

And for the Stu hacks, managing to run another front page story about Wafic Said (known in OUSU towers as THE DEVIL INCARNATE) must rank up there with Christmas. Not able to blame him for the single-handed destruction of the University and possibly the world, they satisfy themselves with reminding readers about the ‘arms deal’ he organised with Saudi Arabia. Nudge nudge, wink wink.

That said, at least it involved some journalistic research. Cherwell lucked out with the timing of the anti-Israel protest. They also managed to somehow run yet another ‘students may possibly use study drugs’ piece. Could they find anyone willing to admit to using them? No, but one anonymous student could ‘definitely understand’ why people might, occasionally feel like they wanted them. Definitely worth a story then.

Josh interview: LOL. He sounded like a celeb whose just checked into rehab and is now doing a tell-all about those heady drug-addled days. 

Elsewhere, the Stu apparently couldn’t think of an ending to their grad job piece. It finishes “Oxford students just don’t answer the questions properly on ap-…”

It also managed to spin a whole page of news out of ‘controversial’ JCR motions, and an article on the ever-thrilling subject of NUS constitutional reforms. Woop.

The features were a bit more interesting though.

As for interviews, Tim Brabants and Frank Turner anyone?? It’s become painfully obvious how much both rags are relying on the Union for anyone notable.  

Cherwell might be going a bit over-board on the whole international front. Comment, editorial and feature on Israel conflict, and 2 features with Obama’s pretty face. Remeber, you are a student newspaper. Even if some ex-hacksdid manage to buy a plane tickets for the inauguration.

Round 2 to Cherwell. Just.

The Saint. x

Students barricade Bodleian

By
Theo Merz
-

Over eighty students barricaded themselves in the Bodleian library on Thursday to protest against Israel’s recent action in Gaza.

The demonstration started at midday in the Clarendon building, and lasted until the protesters felt their demands had been met six hours later.

Minutes after the beginning of the protest, security began to block the main entrances to the building, but demonstrators then began to enter the building by climbing through the windows.

At ten to one, police entered the building and led away Omar Alshehabi, President of the University Arabic Society, from the railings at the front of the hall.

Alshehabi was warned that the group were committing an aggravated trespass. Police requested that he inform those inside that there was a possibility they could be arrested.

On hearing the police’s message relayed, one of the protesters inside shouted to spectators that the police “can’t arrest all of us!”

Alshehabi commented that the police were simply “trying to give us a threat, they are trying to get us out as soon as possible” and maintained that the group would stay as long as necessary.

He said, “we are here and we are going to stay here, we are going to stay until our demands are met.”

After a series of negotiations between protesters and senior proctors, the Gaza supporters finally agreed to leave the Clarendon Building .

The group, composed of members of Oxford Palestinian, Indian and Pakistani Societies and others, were demanding that the University release a statement condemning the attacks in Gaza, as well as ceasing investment in any companies that provide arms to Israel.

They aimed to pressurise the University into providing scholarship for five Gazan students to study at Oxford, as well as providing resources to help rebuild the University of Gaza. They also want an end to the lecture series run from Balliol that were controversially inaugurated by Shimon Peres, the President of Israel, last term.

Aisha Mizra, one of the protesters, said, “we decided to halt the protest because we felt completely satisfied with the outcome.”
She said that the senior proctor had given satisfactory responses to all their demands.

The University has agreed to publicly condemn civilian deaths in Gaza, and hold a transparent investigation into allegations that the University holds shares in the arms dealer BAE systems.

The Proctor dismissed demands to cancel the lecture series inaugurated by Shimon Peres, saying that it was a college, not a university issue. He, however, expressed support for offering five scholarships to Gazan students who are unable to study in their own country due to the conflict.

She also said that protesters had escaped severe punishment by the University. Each student taking part in the protest would be fined £20, but no marks would be made on their academic record.

Protesters started to leave the building at 6:30, after which they marched to Balliol College and chanted outside to demonstrate their continued opposition to the Shimon Peres lecture series.

One member of staff in the Admissions Office, who found herself “in the midst of it all” once the protest began stated that the protest was “wonderful and for a good cause…the last occupation we had here was in the 1960’s.”

Within the building the Clarendon building the mood remained buoyant. A local Lebanese restaurant offered to pass food in to the protesters, while students passed around biscuits and drink.

The students in the hall formed a human chain and chanted, “in our thousands, in our millions, we are all Palestinians. Stop the killing stop the crime: Israel out of Palestine.”

Cries of “Free, Free Palestine” were heard throughout the afternoon, whilst a member of the group shouted through a megaphone, “we are here for the Palestinians and the Israelis who have been killed. This is a peaceful demonstration.”

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