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Review: The Shark Is Broken

Review: The Shark Is Broken

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The Shark Is Broken, Birmingham Rep Theatre

The Shark Is Broken is making a big splash in the theatre world and its UK tour has now brought it to Birmingham.

This behind-the-scenes West End and Broadway smash hit comedy about the making of the iconic Steven Spielberg movie Jaws which celebrates its movie’s 50th anniversary this year.

Now a critically acclaimed Olivier award-nominated play in its own right, it is inspired by actor Robert Shaw’s experience playing ‘Quint’ – and played by his son Ian Shaw, who is also co-writer.

The result is a brilliantly funny play which peeks at the choppy waters behind Hollywood’s first blockbuster and imagines what happened on board ‘The Orca’ when the cameras stopped rolling during the filming of the movie.

The Shark Is Broken, Birmingham Rep Theatre

FADE IN: The open ocean, 1974. Filming is delayed… again. The lead actors – theatre veteran Robert Shaw and young Hollywood hotshots Richard Dreyfuss and Roy Scheider – are crammed into a too-small boat, entirely at the mercy of foul weather and a faulty mechanical co-star. Alcohol flows, egos collide, and tempers flare on a chaotic voyage that just might lead to cinematic magic… if it doesn’t sink them all.

It is a depiction of how the three, all from very different acting backgrounds, co-exist while dealing with the challenges of an extended shoot, from boredom and drinking, to playing shove ha’penny and crossed words. In fact, the roles and relationships soon mirror those of the characters in the film, with Scheider doing his best to play peace keeper between the domineering Shaw and the ambitious up-and-coming young actor Dreyfuss.

The Shark Is Broken, Birmingham Rep Theatre

Martha Geelan directs the tour of The Shark Is Broken, based on original direction by Guy Masterson, set and costume design by Duncan Henderson, lighting design by Jon Clark, sound design by Adam Cork, video design by Nina Dunn. Assistant director Molly Stacey, associate sound designer James Melling.

An excellent and endearing 90 minutes of theatre – especially knowing how personal it is to its co-writer. But, in my opinion, it only works for those who have seen – and enjoyed – the film. But surely that must be most of the population!

The Shark Is broken plays at Birmingham Repertory Theatre until Saturday. Tickets available from the box office HERE.

Party celebrates launch of new business collaboration

Party celebrates launch of new business collaboration

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Guests gathered in Warwick last week to celebrate the launch of a new local business partnership in the world of PR and marketing.

Amanda Chalmers of Chalmers News PR, in Warwick, has joined professional forces with Bianca Rodrigues-Perry, from Leamington, to launch Bia’s Marketing Production & PR.

Brazilian-born Bianca – also known as the face of YouTube’s Bia’s Kitchen Show – is reprising her career after enjoying huge success as the co-owner of a marketing agency in her native Rio de Janeiro before moving to the UK with her new husband 15 years ago.

Bia's Marketing, Production & PR, Amanda Chalmers, Bianca Rodrigues-Perry
Ruth Kelley, Elinor Perry, Amanda Chalmers, Bianca Rodrigues-Perry, Lianne Kirkman, Kirsty Leahy and Natasha Blacklock. Photos by Dave Perry Photography.

After enjoying success for her own brand through Amanda’s established PR agency, Bianca quickly recognised the potential for collaboration and the women, who hail from countries 5,500 miles apart, are now bringing their combined 50 years of experience to benefit their clients in south Warwickshire – and beyond.

Bia Rodrigues-Perry has over 20 years of experience in marketing and production, working with a portfolio of international brands including McDonalds, Gillette and M&Ms. She possesses the magic touch when it comes to elevating businesses or products to new heights, through a variety of tried and tested techniques, from essential marketing advice and support through to curating showcase events and productions which not only highlight – but celebrate – the brands.

Bia's Marketing, Production & PR, Amanda Chalmers, Bianca Rodrigues-Perry
Sue Cressman, Sally Bee and Karen Jones.

Amanda Chalmers is a trained journalist with over three decades of experience who now boasts a portfolio of successful PR campaigns through her multi-award-winning agency. Her news desk experience and bulging contacts book combine with her boundless enthusiasm, integrity and tenacity to bring the best results for her clients every time. Working with PRs in her capacity as a former newspaper editor in south Warwickshire, Amanda understands exactly what it takes to make a story stand out to both the journalist and potential audience.

Bia's Marketing, Production & PR, Amanda Chalmers, Bianca Rodrigues-Perry
Amanda Chalmers and Bianca Rodrigues-Perry pictured with Steve Bazell of That Gin Company., which hosted the event.

Both women are also finalists in the Ladies First Professional Development Business Awards, Bianca for Influencer of the Year and Amanda for Professional Services Excellence and Excellence in Marketing & Media. Winners will be announced at the glittering ceremony at Dallas Burston Polo Club on June 5th.

Bianca said of the event: ““What a night! The launch of Bia’s Marketing Production and PR was everything I’d hoped for and more — full of heart, great energy and brilliant people. I’m so grateful to everyone who showed up with such love and support — friends, sponsors, fellow creatives and businesses who truly believe in the power of collaboration. A huge thank you to every single one of you. I’m beyond excited about what’s to come, especially through this collaboration with the wonderful Amanda – Chalmers News PR. This is just the beginning, and I can’t wait to see where we go next.”

Bia's Marketing, Production & PR, Amanda Chalmers, Bianca Rodrigues-Perry
Perm Bassi, Bianca Rodrigues-Perry and Tracey McAtamney.

Amanda added: “This is a vision Bianca had been working towards for a long time since settling in the UK and I am proud to be playing a key role within it. I was so touched by the number of friends and associates who made time to turn out and support us on the night and gave us so many words of encouragement for our collaboration. Exciting times ahead.”

The event was part-sponsored by one of Amanda’s long-term clients, That Gin Company, in Warwick as well as Ladies First Professional Development Network, based in Balsall Common and Alsters Kelley Solicitors which has offices across the county.

Bia's Marketing, Production & PR, Amanda Chalmers, Bianca Rodrigues-Perry
Lianne Kirkman and event sponsor Julie McGarrigle.

Other sponsors included Nailcote Hall Hotel Golf and Country Club in Berkswell; Glam & Glow Beauty Lab in Hockley Heath; Art Brazil Beauty in Leamington; The Fleur de Lys Pub in Lowsonford; Dave Perry Photography, in Leamington; Leopard Spots in Leamington and Warwick Spice.

Bia’s Marketing Production & PR offers the full range of marketing and PR services including marketing strategies, branding, website design, social media ads, events planning, content creation and social media management. It also offers access to appearance and sponsorship opportunities on sister company Bia’s Kitchen Show, which now boasts more than 60k followers and 6.5k YouTube subscribers.

Visit: www.biasmarketing.co.uk

Review: Much Ado About Nothing

Review: Much Ado About Nothing

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RSC, Much Ado About Nothing, Stratford-upon-Avon

Set in the world of top-flight football and celebrity culture, where scandal-filled rivalries are the hottest new thing and lads and WAGs collide, Longhurst’s latest reimagining of Much Ado About Nothing is the first production in Tamara Harvey and Daniel Evans second season as Co-Artistic Directors of the RSC.

Gone are the opulent Tuscan villas; in their place, the macho world of a European Cup-winning football team, Messina FC.

RSC, Much Ado About Nothing, Stratford-upon-Avon

The story follows the stubborn lovers Beatrice and Benedick, whose banter and mind games conceal a mutual affection. While the younger couple, Hero and Claudio, are torn apart by societal pressures before finding their way back to each other.

At its heart, this is a story about love, honour, and the perils of reputation – with hypocrisy and misogyny weighing heavy with the personas of footballers’ wives and girlfriends objectifying women.

Mobile phones, social media, bodycams and live-streaming onto big screens replace love letters and rumour in this new contemporary treatment of this Shakespeare play.

RSC, Much Ado About Nothing, Stratford-upon-Avon

Freema Agyeman, who made her RSC debut in Twelfth Night last year, is continuing her remarkable foray into Shakespeare’s canon, returning to Stratford-upon-Avon to play Beatrice. Freema is known for her WhatsOnStage Award winning performance in Romeo and Juliet at the Duke of York Theatre last year. This upcoming role will mark her third Shakespeare production in two years. Her screen credits include New Amsterdam, Dreamland, Sense 8, Dr Who and Torchwood.

The incredible Nick Blood joins her to make his RSC debut as Benedick. Nick was recently in After The End (Stratford East) and joins the cast following a recent SAG nomination for his role in Day of the Jackal (Sky). He is well known for his role as Lance Hunter in Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Other screen credits include Joan, Slow Horses, Andor, Euphoria and Trollied.

RSC, Much Ado About Nothing, Stratford-upon-Avon

Also making his RSC debut is Daniel Adeosun as Claudio. His previous theatre work includes The Comedy of Errors (Globe), Trouble in Mind (National Theatre), The Secret Love Life of Ophelia (Greenwich Theatre) and his screen credits include The Red King, Andor, September 5, The Book of Clarence.

Like the standout talent from a football youth academy, Eleanor Worthington Cox steps back into the very RSC rehearsal room to play Hero, 13 years after her Olivier-Award winning performance as the eponymous role in Matilda The Musical.

Director, Michael Longhurst said: “I’m delighted to be tackling this play for my RSC directing debut with such an amazing company of actors – a premier league of talent indeed! It’s an incredibly exciting time to be directing for the RSC, as part of Daniel Evans and Tamara Harvey’s second season; thanks to Anna Cooper CDG for the assist in selecting the team.

RSC, Much Ado About Nothing, Stratford-upon-Avon

“Much Ado About Nothing is about love: finding and accepting it – but its timeless investigation of masculinity and sex and gender power dynamics in a slander-fuelled plot – felt ripe for exploration in the contemporary setting of topflight football where WAGs and players-behaving-badly can enact a not-so-merry war.”

The introduction of football and modern references into the play’s language, may not sit well with some Bard purists, but, for me, this ingenious reworking was a winner.

Tickets are available from the box office HERE.

Fancy pre-theatre dinner at the RSC Rooftop Restaurant? Check out my review HERE.

 

Review: RSC Rooftop Restaurant

Review: RSC Rooftop Restaurant

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RSC Rooftop Restaurant, Stratford-upon-Avon

It’s true, we eat with our eyes.

And there’s much to see when it comes to dining at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre’s Rooftop Restaurant – from the plates of food themselves to drinking in the scenic window views – arguably the best in Stratford-upon-Avon.

Relaxed fine dining is the vibe here with a cool industrial chic setting the scene for your culinary experience. RSC posters plaster the stripped back bare brick walls to momentarily distract from the sweeping River Avon.

RSC Rooftop Restaurant, Stratford-upon-Avon

Perched atop the RSC Theatre, this gem of a restaurant wraps neatly around the circular auditorium and is the perfect choice for building up an appetite for Shakespeare. Indeed that’s what we did and the themed cocktail menu to celebrate the current run of Much Ado About Nothing, was a fun opening act to our evening.

The Rooftop Restaurant is open daily from 10am for tea and coffee, and 11.30am for dining, whether for lunch, dinner, Sunday lunch or, as we experienced it, pre-theatre dining, available on show days.

The set menu option is always to be welcomed and represents good value at two courses for £29.95 and three courses for £35.95. And it’s a crowd pleaser too with something for all palates.

RSC Rooftop Restaurant, Stratford-upon-Avon

I went for the Tartlet of Creamed Leeks baked with Caerphilly cheese, hollandaise sauce, rocket & spinach starter while hubby polished off the Chicken & Apricot Terrine, with spiced pear chutney and crispbread.

Other options included Wild Mushroom Veloute, truffle oil and chives, served with sourdough; Harissa Cauliflower Fritters, chickpea & pomegranate salad, red pepper and hummus, chimichurri dressing; and Cajun Marinated Potted Shrimps with cream cheese topped with dill butter and served with ciabatta crostini.

RSC Rooftop Restaurant, Stratford-upon-Avon
Beef Feather Blade

The second act certainly didn’t disappoint, from my Beef Feather Blade braised in a rich red wine sauce with olive oil mash, buttered carrot and savoy cabbage – to hubby’s Red Bream Fillet, garden peas, green beans, new potatoes and chive butter sauce.

Other options included Vegan Shrimps with basmati rice, kimchi, roasted celeriac, crispy kale, lemon and green herb oil; coq au vin –Slow-Cooked Chicken with pearl onions, mushrooms and pancetta in a rich red wine sauce with creamed celeriac, cavolo nero crisp; and Slow-Cooked Pork Belly, saffron fondant potato, piccolo parsnips, garden peas, cider & apple puree and sage jus.

A selection of Sides, from Truffled Mac & Cheese and – the ever-popular – Chunky Chips with Maldon Sea Salt, are also available.

The food was too tasty to not leave room for an encore and the spotlight quickly drew me to my favourite sweet treat – Apple and Blackberry Crumble, but, as is the theme, served to its own script – in a filo basket with oat crumb and vanilla custard.

Gently encouraged by the manager though to try something other than one of his go-tos, Warm Golden Syrup Sponge Pudding, hubby took a punt instead on the Amarena Cherry & Dark Chocolate Tart with black cherries, plant-based Chantilly cream. He later agreed it had been a culinary risk well worth taking and proved to be the perfect epilogue to his pre-theatre feast.

RSC Rooftop Restaurant, Stratford-upon-Avon
Apple and Blackberry Crumble

I will definitely be returning to the RSC Rooftop Restaurant – and have my eye on one of their Cocktail Masterclasses, available every Friday from 8pm, in the rooftop Cocktail Bar.

With standout service and menus, this restaurant is one of the top dining choices in Bard’s famous town, but especially if you’re looking to life the curtain on your RSC theatre experience -in true style.

Visit HERE.

Love and Horror theme at this year’s ALSO Festival

Love and Horror theme at this year’s ALSO Festival

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ALSO Festival, Compton Verney

More than 130 new experiences have been confirmed for the 12th edition of the award-winning summer festival ALSO on July 11th-13th with the brand new theme of Love And Horror.

Set in the 17th century setting of Park Farm, Compton Verney, Warwickshire, ALSO is a highly curated three-day programme straddling art, science, psychology, comedy, wellness, food and music from around the world, specifically created for ALSO attendees to let ideas run wild and reconnect with nature via the Capability Brown surroundings.

Festival CEO and co-founder, Diccon Towns, said: “We’re so proud to present ALSO’s best programme ever including our legendary talks food and wellness and five stages of music, from pop, r’n’b folk, classical, indie-rock and of course many DJs in our strawbale night club.

“And this year, thanks to our Future Music Programme, we’ll be showcasing an extraordinary wealth of local musical talent. We have come of age as the ultimate boutique festival and we look forward to welcoming you to our award-winning weekend of music, dancing, ideas and lakeside revelry.”

ALSO’s theme this year is Love And Horror and festival-goers are encouraged to celebrate en masse at Saturday Night’s Extravaganza. It’s time to lean into midsommar by visiting Flower Haus for floral accessories from wings to crowns, or become part of the performance with a choreography session with Fiona Ring. Join the in-festival choir or the rumoured tug of war or just sit back and enjoy a spectacular evening commencing lakeside at 7.30pm.

IDEAS: Joining previously announced headliners Margaret Heffernan, Dr Camilla Pang, Gina Rippon, Miranda Sawyer and Kit de Waal, Robin Ince is also lakeside introducing his new book Normally Weird and Weirdly Normal: My Adventures in Neurodiversity, a personal look at anxiety and ADHD, whilst topics as diverse as Disco and Andrew Tate are addressed by DJ Legend Greg Wilson and award- winning documentary director Jamie Tahsin.

Broadcaster and award-winning writer Claudia Hammond delves into the psychology of festivals while Patrick Galbraith asks “does nature need us?”

Join mathematician Adam Kucharski for Proof: The Art and Science of Certainty for a lesson in how to embrace uncertainty when existing methods fail.

Writer and Art historian James Payne, founder of Great Books Explained and Great Art Explained talks about how he’s grown these educational platforms to an unprecedented 1.9 million subscribers and over 60 million views.

ALSO Festival. Compton Verney
Molotov Jukebox lead singer Natalia Tena.

Xenobe Purvis delves into ALSO25 Love and Horror theme on a tour of her book The Hounding, a haunting tale about five sisters in a small village in eighteenth-century England whose neighbours are convinced they’re turning into dogs.

The leading thinker, researcher and bestselling author of There is No Planet B, Mike Berners-Lee will be live to discuss his newest book, A Climate of Truth: Why We Need It and How to Get It.

Unique to ALSO is the opportunity for a more in-depth conversation with some of the authors after their talks in their programme of Double Talks and Book Signing experiences.

MUSIC: An absolute must for dance fans is Greg Wilson’s takeover of ALSO’s Disco Bunker. There are a wealth of other DJ’s to revel in covering every spectrum of music from 60’s soul and hip hop to the sounds of Brazil and South Africa.

ALSO presents ALSO Future Music, a brand new programme discovering new talent, supported by Arts Council England and featuring a diverse range of early-career artists, and offers development workshops with industry professionals. Grab your chance to see these future stars play live over the weekend.

Compton Verney, ALSO Festival
Juliet Russell

For those who enjoy immersing themselves in music via a top-tier sound system,

ALSO’s Album Listening Club will run across the weekend in the sound-proofed Bunker 54.

This is all in addition to the previously announced music line-up, featuring Molotov Jukebox, Hackney Colliery Band’s Steve Pretty, Madeleine MINX Dunbar and Denmark’s Smag På Dig Selv (SPDS).

COMEDY: Joining the likes of Rob Deering, Robin Ince, Athena Kugblenu and Dom Joly is Hattie Snooks a Brighton-based singer, songwriter, theatre-maker, and cabaret performer whose work fuses lyrical storytelling, lush melodies, theatrical flair, and a healthy dose of humour.

Julia Raeside will be live on the Woods Stage with her powerful debut novel Don’t Make Me Laugh, exploring control and manipulation and fighting back in a business that is anything but funny.

FOOD: ALSO’s award-winning Executive Chef in Residence James Whetlor will be conjuring up a special Love And Horror-themed long-table banquet on Saturday night, with guests encouraged to dress in their midsommar best. On Friday there will be classic French cuisine to enjoy, Saturday’s woodland three-course long table lunch is seasonally sourced within close vicinity of Park Farm and is sponsored by Roebuck Estates, the award-winning Sussex-based sparkling wine producer, and includes a glass of English sparkling. Sunday’s fabulous fiesta of a Balearic-inspired lunch with paella cooked to order and be part of ALSO’s now legendary Bingo Brunch on Saturday and Sunday morning.

Wine connoisseur Jane Rakison hosts two wine tasting experiences, looking at wines that support women, communities, minorities and more in EDI and Proud plus lifting the lid and sharing a few glasses of wine from some of the eco frontrunners in the industry in Planet Wine.

Chef and scientist Dr Johnny Drain’s Adventures in Fermentation Tasting Demo will take an extraordinary journey into this ancient practice exploring how it has been utilised in different cultures across the globe and how we can do the same.

Compton Verney, ALSO Festival
James Wheltor

Kathy Slack, food writer, stylist, photographer and kitchen gardener, leads a Summer Garden: Demo & Tasting experience which takes its inspiration from Kathy’s new book, Rough Patch.

Or festival-goers can book on to a cheese & wine tasting experience with cheesemonger, cheese maker and cheese awards judge, and author of ‘The Cheese Wheel’, Emma Young. 

EXPERIENCES: All new for 2025 – festival-goers can book on to ALSO Runswim, a trail running around the ALSO site before wild swimming in the half-mile wide Capability Brown lake.

Anna Payne leads a number of SUP – stand up paddle boarding – sessions including bookable yoga and meditation classes along with an introduction to SUP in the lake. Or join Anna for a morning session fusing mindfulness and sound with singing bowls, chimes and nature’s own chorus.

Enjoy the lake from dawn to dusk with bookable guided swims led by wild swimming expert Caroline Saxon. A midnight swim for those over 18 is also on the agenda. 

ALSO Festival, Compton Verney

Festival-goers can rejuvenate the body and mind in the ALSO Sauna. With its beautiful lakefront setting, the sauna is the perfect place to unwind and reconnect with nature before dipping into the silky lake waters.

It also features wellbeing partners, sisters Melissa and Holly creators of NUMINITY; more inspiration for the perfect Love and Horror look, with ArtLab and Flower Haus; bookable workshops with Perfect Petals.

Or try your hand at a maker masterclass with Sophie Rochester, founder of London-based Yodomo, and learn how to natural dye an oversized silk scrunchie with Suspended in Sunbeam. Or unlock the secrets of a forgotten romance ritual with Sara Veal, Happiness Facilitator, storyteller, and founder of Sirena Curiosa.

Other experiences include the chance to follow in Jane Austen’s footsteps with Ella Berthoud, as well as guided tree and bat walks, a Love Boat experience, midnight murder mystery and a workshop on horror film techniques.

FAMILY: Playbox are providing interactive theatre workshops for from 5-14-year-olds, including mime, movement and improvisation. For the very young, Playbox’s storyteller and director Stacey soothes sleepy heads before bedtime with Teddy Bear’s Bedtime Stories. And back by popular demand, Mortimer Nannies are on hand so you can enjoy a meal while it’s still hot or hit the late night dance floors in childfree style. Kids will also have the chance to star on the ALSO stage to learn how to survive in the wild with Wild Adventures UK Bushcraft & Survival to hula hooping and raft building.

ALSO25 Festival

Tickets available to buy HERE.

Parking is free but there are also a limited number of car passes available which allow vehicle access to the campsite as well as campervan passes.