The Theatre Royal at Bury St. Edmunds made national news three years ago when the Heritage Lottery Fund agreed to a plan to fully restore the only Regency theatre left basically intact in the country. Two years after the project’s completion, it gleams. Murals of the muses based on ones known at related theatres decorate the proscenium, while clouds and a wide blue East Anglian sky cover the auditorium ceiling.
So what was the theatre like for the original audiences? Smelly, the theatre press officer, Lucy Close, told me. The boxes which now hold six with the aisle filled with a fold-out seat would once have held sixteen and people smoked and drank beer through the plays (all four hours of them). The theatre was designed to be a social centre for the local gentry; the box which was originally the most expensive was at right-angles to the stage to give the audience a better view of its occupants (it’s now the cheapest) and the circulating space outside the boxes was made large to give them somewhere to talk (not for everyone, of course: the theatre originally had separate entrances, with critics naturally going in with the working classes).
Tobacco and lamps would not have been the only sources of smoke: the large amount of space under the stage is a reminder of gadget-crazed audiences who had the pleasure of watching windmills burn down on stage, as well as wind, lightning and boats crossing stormy seas, and the theatre puts on regular readings of plays from the period (to which, the Artistic Director, Colin Blumenau was pleased to tell me, a loyal and mostly local audience comes). The only theatre in the country which is a National Trust property, it is leased from Greene-King, whose massive brewery over the road dwarfs it, and it is run by a charitable company.
This historical significance makes it architecturally fascinating, but also brings problems compared to running the huge Victorian theatres that long ago replaced its contemporaries. When I asked Blumenau what his problems were, he didn’t hesitate: “We’re half the size of the Oxford Playhouse.” It had been a jerky interview up till then, my questions mumbled and hesitant from getting up at five that morning, his answers as clipped as possible (the theatre had been putting on the Christmas panto for two weeks twice-daily and he could only spare ten minutes from a meeting to speak to me) and Close often breaking in to explain to me what his short sentences meant with answers four or five times as long, but that question suddenly made his answers start to flow. The 360-seat theatre is too small for many touring companies to accept, Blumenau explained, and he had to be careful what he chose-“you’re buying in stuff unseen and…to keep the audience coming…you’ve got to keep the quality up”. Strikingly, however, he praised the Heritage Lottery Fund for being willing to back a total restoration programme over less ambitions options. My feeling, reading through their programme, is that they’ve been successful so far, with a far more interesting mix of plays than most local theatres offer, appropriately for such a distinctive, beautiful theatre.
The Theatre By The Brewery Entrance
Happy Hilary
The first Monday of Hilary is officially the most depressing day of the year. Perhaps not a surprising revelation to Oxford students – the return to work is never welcomed with boundless enthusiasm, especially when it comes accompanied by January puddles and greyness. Yet the first Monday of HT09, 18th January, is also officially recognised across the country as “Blue Monday” – the gloomiest, most miserable day of them all. It is a definition calculated by psychologist Dr Arnall according to factors of weather, debt, time since Christmas and abandoned new year’s resolutions, low motivational levels and the itch to begin afresh. No wonder we return to Oxford feeling slightly damper, heavier and grumpier than normal – we are statistically bound to it. Add to this the continual barrage of devastating news: mayhem in the Middle East, the continual collapse of high street stores, rising unemployment rates and consumer costs – and it seems as if 2009 is calculated to be a year of difficulty, stress and unhappiness. How will we poor students cope?
Perfectly well, infact. So stop your whining.
We may be entering the worst recession in living memory, but we don’t live in Gaza, the Democratic Republic of Congo or Afghanistan, and there is more chance of being killed crossing Queen’s Street than by Islamic terrorists. Let’s continue to be inspired by the fruitful dedication and hard work of the British Olympic team in Beijing, and remember the stealthy British resilience that we are famous for. We’re good in battle – so stand up straight, start humming ‘Jerusalem’ at all times, and recognise some of the many causes for Oxford Cheer in 2009.
1.Thankfully, most of us are yet to enter the job market and shocking unemployment rates still have time to (please) improve before we graduate. Plus, at the moment we’re doing out bit as the university is the second largest employer in Oxfordshire, directly and indirectly supporting over 18,000 jobs.
2.Several upcoming events in Oxford will serve as happy, legitimate distractions from work such as the Oxford Folk festival in March, the Turl Street Arts festival and (in case you may have forgotten) the Boat Race in April.
3.An increasing number of colleges are paying for their students to be members at Iffley gym, which means a saving of £50, if not improved cardiovascular fitness and muscular endurance levels as well.
4.The Carling Academy is hosting a few good bands in the next few weeks, such as The Rifles, Starsailor, Hundred Reasons…and Goldie Lookin’ Chain, and there may actually be some good speakers at the Union this term.
5.Apologies here to students of Classics, Psychology, Law and other silly subjects who examine in Hilary, but for most students this is the term of stress-free bliss. Evaporated are the Michaelmas struggles of post-summer re-engagement, and the exams of Trinity are many a week away: spring can just breeze on by.
6.Student mentality has become the official British line of action. Frugality is good, and students are no longer the embarrassing, avaricious baddies ordering tap water in restaurants. We were right all along.
7.It looks set to be a great year for films -with double doses of Che Guavara and Kate Winslet, some more magic from Dan Brown and Harry Potter, and a dash of Star Trek. Grab your Orange Wednesday or Student Beans discount and trot on down to George Street to enjoy.
8.Hilary is the term of Varsity matches and university pride – so either shout and stamp furiously in support or, if you’re competing, make sure you bloody win.
9.Save money on meals out and impress your mother/friends/girlfriend by discovering your hidden talent: la cuisine. McCarthy Brothers, a grocer stand in the Covered Market, has reported an increase in sales as shoppers in the recession are inspired by lighter wallets and celebrity chefs to stay in, save, and get cooking themselves. JCR kitchens: stand by.
10.It’s cold outside. Really cold. Days spent wholly indoors (in pyjamas) are, for now, completely acceptable.
11.Finally, our two main political parties are starting to demonstrate real differences between each other. As efficient action is demanded to cope with immediate issues, it is becoming an exciting time to jump off the fence and onto a political side.
12.Likewise, the US is soon to have a cool, new president. Not only is Obama quite handsome, he’s making politics interesting and accessible for everyone and offering a symbol of hope and change for a world in crisis in 2009.
13.There are only 48 more Monday mornings until next Christmas.
14.If you live out, don’t feel stingy about turning down the heating in your house. You’re saving energy: you’re saving the plant. Keep at it. Similarly, buying new clothes for a happiness booster is simultaneously supporting Cornmarket’s stores. If you still feel guilty about being so grotesquely materialistic, then visit second-hand shops in Cowley instead, and call your new clothes ‘vintage’.
15.Oxford University researchers have struck gold and made what is, quite possibly, the most important discovery in centuries. Wine, chocolate and tea can improve cognitive performance: the student diet was right all along.
Happy New Year, everyone.
The Critic as Artist
On the topic of writing play reviews the first thing to say would be, ‘Look on it as an ideas party, no one will be judging you. Have fun with it, go mental. Then go sane again; stop, check and hit that delete button.’ There are few things in life more soul crushing than the slowly dawning realization that someone has a strictly voluntary attitude towards punctuation or is using the article as an excuse to take the path less trodden through a thesaurus. I should know – I’ve seen the pained look on editor’s faces when handling my own laboured pontifications. Seriously though, to move into the colloquial (another classic mistake) reviewing is great fun. First, and perhaps most important, it represents one of the most comfortable ways to inflate your ego on the market. As you stroll through the quads you could at any moment interrupt your fellow students discussing your latest searing indictment of the Oxford stage, their voices hushed with awe. I’m not saying it’s likely but it could happen. At least you get to express your opinion to people who aren’t obligated to listen to you by ties of friendship, profession or law. And you don’t have to call yourself a ‘blogger’ while you’re doing it. Some people have a gift that they should share with the world- a real gift not just the ability to grow their hair too long and play the guitar under a tree, groupies take note. And some only think they do; it’s a critic’s job to save people from having to waste time sifting through the good and the truly awful. Our gift, dear readers, transcends that of lesser mortals and allows us to pronounce on others; magnanimity is extended to the good, and righteous (yet constructive) fury to the bad. Take this from To shout or not to shout by Sophie Duncan:
‘I do understand that shouting onstage is fun, and that it is tempting: big scene, big part, and some dimly-understood blank verse that suggests this scene is All About You And Your Big Huge Angst. Your audience is with you. Your character has just suffered unimaginable heartbreak. And naturally the only way to express this is by covering the first five rows in noise pollution and phlegm.’
People who can write like that need to be read. Note also how I clearly differentiate clearly between the writer, whose primary task is to be thoughtful, precise and imaginative, and the editor, whose job is to fill a page ostensibly dedicated to ‘stage’ in a week when there are no plays by any means necessary. Now this could be said about any section of the Cherwell but Stage has several other big advantages. You get to go see plays for free and you get the following awesome chat-up line, ‘Hey, I’m reviewing a little piece for the paper and I’ve got one spare ticket with your name on.’ Although it might be better never to use it: the option is there for you. It’s not all about ego though; you also get the liberating experience of responding to a piece of art not in theory but in practice- for yourself and for others. For all the cynicism of this article I do believe, as an editor, that reviews should be grounded in an artistic aesthetic; one that is bold, brave and, above all, punctual.
A more competitive league?
Sean wrote a very good piece on the struggles of the Big Four this season. It is demonstrably true that none of them have matched the levels we expect of them. Even league leaders Liverpool are only on course for an 83 point season. United won the league in 2002/03 with 83 points, but it wasn’t since 2000/01 that the league had been won with fewer points (United again, with 80).
He puts this down to the failings of each of the Big Four. This is certainly plausible: none of them have looked exceptional this term. But could it be attributed to another factor altogether?
Despite what Sky Sports News can lead us to think, none of the Big Four operate in a vacuum. Each game in which they drop two points, one unfancied opponent picks up one. Every shock defeat means that one of the Unfashionable Sixteen has picked up three.
Could this year’s tight league table be down to a big step up in quality throughout the division?
Almost all of the teams who have previously struggled are stronger this year. Fulham beat Arsenal and drew with Chelsea at home and drew at Anfield. Everton have held Chelsea and United to draws at Goodison. Promoted Hull won at the Emirates and drew at Anfield. Even Stoke have beaten Arsenal and got two draws against Liverpool.
Just watch old episodes of Premier League Years. Gone are the days when bottom half sides would be full of players like Peter Atherton, Graham Hyde, Peter Fear or Bryan Gunn. Gone are the ploughed up pitches, 9-0 demolitions and Peter Kay style centre halves. Could a player like Julian Dicks or Neil Ruddock survive in today’s game? Just watch the bottom few teams in today’s Premier League. West Brom keep the ball on the floor even when a more direct style could benefit them. Blackburn (19th) have Roque Santa Cruz, Spurs (18th) have Luka Modrić , Stoke City (17th) have, err, Ricardo Fuller, Middlesbrough (16th) have Tuncay Şanlı and Manchester City (15th) have a Brazilian inside forward who calls himself ‘Robinho’.
We like to define the Premier League as the triumphs and disasters of four big clubs, and therefore we naturally ascribe their struggles to their own failures. But could it be that the competitive nature of 2008/09is due not to a process of levelling down, but one of levelling up?
What’s On in Hilary
CORRECTION (27/1/09): The performance of Hamlet in 3rd week has been cancelled due to being unable to recruit a full cast. AM
There’s something missing from our spreadsheet of student plays next term: Shakespeare. We had trouble believing it, but apparently there is not one student performance of anything by the Immortal Bard, though there are two professional ones: an already-sold-out Othello from the RSC and an experimental version of Hamlet. In fact, classic plays have been almost locked out, with only the medieval morality play Mankind in 3rd representing the 97.96% or so of recorded history before 1900 in the first half of term.
With nothing on in first week, our spreadsheet starts a little later, with two sketch shows in second week: an Oxford Revue performance at the Wheatsheaf on the 27th and Correctness Gone Mad, a sketch show which has chosen the daring approach of not featuring swearing or sexual content, as well as the comedy Blind Date, which follows a date gone wrong, at the Burton Taylor Studio. Third week brings Art by Yazmin Reza, which analyses modern art through seeing how a plain white canvas shatters friendships, and the aforementioned Mankind (set in a tavern) and Hamlet, which involves the actors choosing which parts to play just before the performance and asks the audience to supply props. 4th begins with perhaps the three best comedies of the whole term, The Philadelphia Story, The Entertainer and Black Comedy, as well as Squirrels by Mamet and The Cactus Where Your Heart Should Be, a comedy-murder-mystery at Jowett Walk Theatre.
The best listing of plays on this term is the University Drama Officer’s at http://www.stcatz.ox.ac.uk/udo/listings.asp, but it still doesn’t cover everything; there are several things on this term that we’ve only found out about through friends or that we know little about: if you think something might pass us unnoticed, please comment on this article and tell us.
The Higher They Climb
The ‘Great Players Who Couldn’t Manage’ First XI would surely prove all conquering, boasting legends such as Graeme Souness, Bobby Charlton, Bryan Robson and, maybe after a plague or two, Steve Claridge. But whilst this Dream Team continues to await its final Alan-Shearer-shaped piece of jigsaw, it has recently welcomed the addition of Paul Ince. From my point of view his dismissal from Blackburn was justified, yet do his allegations yesterday of mistreatment at the hands of his board, and general malaise at the life-span of the Premier League manager, hold any weight?
Top of Ince’s complaints to Sky Sports was the claim that his board had not given him a chance to spend. Yet surely a manager should be able to take a good group of top-flight players – which is what Blackburn had on Ince’s arrival – and prevent a drop into the relegation zone. Ince must have known whether funds were available before arriving and so can’t blame John Williams posthumously, the latter understandably trying to avoid the repercussions that fellow blogger Kristian suggests have haunted Harry Redknapp’s old flames.
The fact is that the league has become an island floating in the clouds; parachute payments remain insufficient to break the fall and revenue differences leave relegation a terrifying prospect for established Premier League sides. Most agree that Rovers would have flirted with the fall had they stuck with Ince and so maybe the ex-[how much time have you got?] midfielder should consider himself lucky to have been given such a high-profile chance at all, following reasonable rather than spectacular spells at Macclesfield and MK Dons. Blackburn did act quickly to replace Ince, but what was their alternative? In a similar position Portsmouth are apparently backing their own former legend, and the difference between these contrasting routes may be highlighted by a difference of division by next season.
Premier League managers do face some of the lowest levels of job security in any industry. Yet this is the result of astronomical investment, in turn providing equivalent wages which surely offset their short-shelf lives. And whilst only a cynic would suggest that Ince was in any way motivated by money during his career (call me a cynic), no argument can counter his claim that ‘it is important you stand by your manager through thick and thin’ better than his own example as a player. Paul Ince has had many a word hurled his way, but ‘loyal’ hasn’t been one of them.
It’s a bit difficult to feel sorry for a top-flight manager when the sack beckons because such casualties soon find another job, a safety net apparently glued to every rung of the managerial ladder. The real concerns are therefore the clubs, as constant manager-swapping will never result in stability or even allow good managers to naturally emerge. In the meantime, the squad of managerially incompetent ex-footballers will continue to strut their terrible stuff up and down, and then back up, the Football League.
CHERWELL EXCLUSIVE: Ferguson’s reply to Benitez rant
After Rafa’s sensational press conference regarding ‘Mr Ferguson’ this afternoon (which you can read more about tonight on Saturday 12:45), Cherwell managed to capture the United manager’s thoughts.
Has there even been a more flawed Big Four?
It has been noted pretty much everywhere that Arsenal aren’t in the best shape. Ravaged by injury, under pressure from Villa, and severely lacking big players in several departments. Arsenal’s problems though, are obvious. It is unsurprising that one member of the elite is so easy to criticise. What is rather more so is that it’s almost as easy to do the same for the rest.
Man United’s league form since drubbing Stoke 5-0 in mid-November may sound impressive when expressed as DWWDWW, but when those four Ws are laboured 1-0 victories over struggling Man City, Sunderland, Stoke and Middlesbrough the picture is decidedly less rosy.
Then the Derby game. ‘Only the Carling Cup’ it may be, but a 1-0 loss to the worst team in Premier League history struggling in the Championship with a line-up including Vidic, Anderson, Scholes, Nani, Tevez and even Rooney and Ronaldo from the bench should certainly raise some eyebrows.
A glance at their squad makes this patchy stretch of results rather more understandable. It is often said that games are won and lost in central midfield, but this it seems is currently United’s weakness. The once promising Anderson has stalled, Hargreaves is crocked and Paul Scholes is a shadow of the player he once was. All of which leaves the not-so-mighty combination of Carrick and Fletcher likely to face Chelsea tomorrow. Hmm…
Adding to this the lack of a first choice right-back and the problems up front should leave Chelsea rubbing their hands with glee. Right? Well, actually, they rather have problems of their own, having lost that air invincibility they were playing with in October. Fortress Stamford Bridge is no more after not unreasonable losses to Liverpool and Arsenal, but it is the draws with West Ham, Everton, Fulham and most bafflingly, Southend, that are most worrying. Games like this would normally be won dismissively.
The Deco centred Plan A was quickly proven too predictable. With such a narrow formation more than one side has realised that putting the brakes on their rampaging full backs would restrict the space. Yet the switch back to the previously successful 4-3-3 is no longer a real option due to a lack of width. I refuse to acknowledge Malouda as a footballer, so that leaves just Joe Cole, hardly a natural wide man anyway. A far cry from the Mourinho side that had Wright-Phillips, Duff, Cole and the wonderful Arjen Robben to choose from. Yet 4-4-2 isn’t an option either without width. Chelsea have suffered from Robinho slipping from their grasp more than they might have imagined.
That leaves Liverpool, top of the league by 3 points, and the hardest of the bunch to criticise. They have easily the most balanced side this season; top goalkeeper, three excellent centre halves, ditto in central midfield and the best striker in the world. This balance even stretches out wide with Riera and Kuyt. Whatever anyone says about the latter as a footballer in general his effectiveness in this Liverpool side is without question.
Yet hardly anyone who doesn’t support them thinks they’ll win it. Current betting indeed still has them third favourites despite their league position. There certainly still seems to be a nagging national thought that this Liverpool team only seems good in terms of the weakness of the others and this was never the case for the best sides of any of their rivals.
The perceived wisdom is that they will crumble and the first evidence comes from the manager. With this bizarre press conference rant, Benitez has bitten Ferguson’s bait. If his team follows suit the league title will be contested between the three poorest sides in recent memory.
Barcelona would obliterate the lot of them on current form. Mind you, it makes the league rather more interesting.
You Betcha!
Me and my missus went to the zoo and she said she wanted to see the zebra. I told her I’d been looking at them since I hooked up with her.
I’ve got a four matches for you this week, do with them what you will.
Sheffield United v Norwich City (4/6)
People will be worried about United’s recent home but the three losses they suffered were at the hands of Wolves, Reading and Burnley. Norwich do not possess the same quality as those three, especially away from home. They’ve only won twice away from Carrow Road and suffered four straight defeats on the road. Kevin Blackwell has just signed a one-year extension to his Sheffield United contract and expect him to celebrate it with a win.
Leeds United v Carlisle United (4/7)
Simon Grayson has had a positive effect on Leeds since he took over at Christmas, snatching a 1-1 at home to Leicester and winning impressively at Edgely Park. Their home form isn’t bad really – the majority of their losses came during McAllister’s lowest ebb in charge. Carlisle have only won one away all season and Danny Graham has been the subject of unsettling bids from Huddersfield. Coupled with Grayson looking to get his first home win, Leeds should win comfortably.
Gillingham v Aldershot (21/20)
Gillingham impressed me a lot against Aston Villa last Sunday. Don’t be worried by the fact Gillingham have drawn a lot recently compared to Aldershot winning four out of the last six. Aldershot’s away form is woeful. Before their last two victories against Chester and Barnet (two of the worst teams in the league), they’d lost 7 out of 8 on the road – the only other win coming on the opening day against lowly Accrington Stanley. Gillingham have only lost one at home, so it’s hard to see an Aldershot win.
NB: The match has now been postponed but keep it in mind when it’s re-arranged.
Notts County v Exeter City (8/5)
This one is here more for the price and is certainly worth a few cheeky quid. Notts Co are struggling at the bottom of the league – minus pre-season deductions, they’re 5th from bottom. Notts County have won 1 of their last 6 at home and only won two all season. Exeter, on the other hand, have only lost 1 of their last 6 away and are looking good for a surprise playoff place after their promotion from the Conference last season. At 8/5, Exeter can’t be ignored.
The fourfold would have paid 13/1 but unfortunately, Gillingham has been postponed. The treble pays just under 6/1 though, and the home double of Sheff Utd and Leeds pays over 6/4 if you’re going for bigger stakes.