Entertainment | Theatre Review: Crazy For You @ The Lyceum, Sheffield

Crazy For You tells the story of Bobby Child (Tom Chambers) who, shoved into working for his mother's bank, is sent from glamorous New York to Deadrock, Nevada to foreclose on a rundown theatre. However, finding himself falling in love with the theatre owner's daughter becomes problematic when she realises what brought him to Deadrock. What follows is a Shakespeare-like tale of mistaken identities with a predictable, yet fun, romantic plot. Rather a pastiche of an older, golden age of Broadway, Crazy For You is gorgeously put together by a hugely talented cast and crew.

Entertainment | Theatre Review: Legally Blonde @ The Lyceum, Sheffield

Although Legally Blonde has been around as a musical since 2007, until seeing it I'd only really encountered the songs 'Bend & Snap' and 'Positive', giving me the impression of a very fun and sassy musical but not piquing my interest in the way that the likes of Hamilton might. As I'm such a fan of the film, I was sceptical about it as a musical and worried it would follow the trend of churning a Broadway musical out of anything. But, as Elle Woods' character has such a sing-song chirp about her, it soon became clear how well Legally Blonde lends itself to the stage.

Entertainment | Literature: Off the Shelf Festival of Words, Sheffield (ft. Jenni Murray and Stephen McGann)

Over the past month, I've attended a variety of talks across Sheffield as part of the Off the Shelf Festival of Words. The festival invites authors of newly released books to come and talk about their latest work and this year has included the likes of Mark Haddon, Robert Webb and Brian Blessed to name but a few. The festival encompassed both fiction and non-fiction, although the events I attended were mostly about books of a non-fictional, specifically historical nature.

Entertainment | Theatre Review: Cabaret @ Leeds Grand Theatre

With Chicago being one of my favourite musicals of all time, it was a real joy last night to see another Kander & Ebb musical in the form of Cabaret at the Grand Theatre in Leeds. Usually starring Will Young and Louise Redknapp, our performance saw Young's understudy Jordan Livesey take the reigns as Emcee - and what a fantastic job he did too!

Entertainment | We Started a Podcast?!

Hello, hello! So, it's been a while. University started hectic and I'm sure it shall remain hectic in the months to come. Thus, the blog may be taking something of a backseat whilst I wade through pages of dissertation research, run a university society and try to retain a social life. But I did want to check in to essentially plug a little something my housemate, Jonny and I are working on.

Entertainment/Travel | The Treehouse Board Game Café, Sheffield

Last night, I attended the press launch of Sheffield's first ever board game café, down on Boston Street (near the St Mary's Gate Aldi and Waitrose). Being just out of town gives it more of an air of being a hidden nook in the city of Sheffield, and it certainly sits in a convenient location for us - I imagine my housemates and I will probably pop by it on our way to Aldi some days!

Entertainment | Theatre Review: The Addams Family @ The Lyceum, Sheffield

Last night I caught the first Sheffield show of The Addams Family tour. Of course I was very excited to see it in action having watched Carrie Hope Fletcher's (Wednesday Addams) backstage vlogs over the past few months and it was all the fun I'd come to expect of it.

Entertainment | Book Review: 'The Penguin Lessons' by Tom Michell

"The penguin, meanwhile, was quite unperturbed by the dramatic appearance of the hound, and continued sniffing some wayside buttercups that had caught his attention"

The Penguin Lessons tells Tom Michell's true story of his time in 1970s Argentina as a twenty-something schoolteacher with a pet penguin, Juan Salvado. Having rescued Juan Salvado from a terrible oil spill, the pair form an unbreakable bond of friendship and what follows is a wonderfully charming tale.

History | History in an Object: The Elephant

For a while now, I've been toying with the idea of doing a 'History in an Object' on the blog. Whilst I wouldn't really call an animal "an object", it seemed the best catch-all phrase for the series as I have a few actual objects lined up for future posts. I'm of the opinion that you can learn a lot about history by picking one thing and broadening it out. Thus, three small tales of elephants actually reveal quite a bit about the societies they lived in.

Kirsteen Thomson Exhibition Launch @ Knight & Garter | Leicester

Last Thursday, I attended the Knight & Garter's re-launch, accompanied by the launch of an art exhibition in the pub's basement bar. Whilst not a permanent exhibition, the idea of an art exhibition in a bar intrigued me and I thought I'd head along.
As you're probably aware, I'm no expert on art. But by placing an art exhibition in a bar, I feel that the Knight & Garter are trying to break down the idea that you have to be an art critic to enjoy art when really it shouldn't be so exclusive.