Skip to main content

Month: December 2018

Review: Green Book

Heartwarming but not nauseatingly saccharine, Green Book is a pleasant reminder that this renaissance of the white saviour narrative has some upsides. This extraordinary, elemental film follows Mahershala Ali and Viggo Mortensen in the true story of how African-American jazz pianist Don Shirley hired tough guy Tony Lip to act as his chauffeur/bodyguard on a concert tour of the American South.

The two live-wire personalities forge an indestructible friendship out of the fires of professional struggles, personal insecurities, and 1960s racism. It’s this unlikely friendship that makes the film so entertaining. Shirley has had opportunities other black Americans could only dream of; he is classically trained, highly cultured, speaks eight languages, and lives among golden furniture above the historic Carnegie Hall, while Tony works as a bouncer in a nightclub, mingles with mobsters, and punches drunks for a living.

Their character development, which reveals interior lives of astonishing diversity, takes the simple ‘odd couple’ formula a step further to something special. Ali supplies gravitas in his sensitive exploration of Shirley’s identity crisis, asking in one rain-soaked scene, “If I’m not black enough, and I’m not white enough, and I’m not man enough, then tell me, Tony, what am I?”. Mortensen portrays Tony Lip’s comic irreverence with as much enviable verve and magnetic charisma as he had portraying Aragorn’s dauntless heroism in The Lord of the Rings, proving himself, once again, as a true poet of modern cinema.

You’ll find Green Book is mostly set in grand concert halls, white-only establishments, and dilapidated black-owned motels where the poverty-tinged reality of American segregation is handled with deft moral acuity. And, thanks to Sean Porter’s dexterous cinematography, each location has a sophisticated colour palette and contributes to the film’s beautifully rendered aesthetic. Writer-director Peter Farrelly doesn’t harness the same intrepid comedic style we’ve grown accustomed to from Shallow Hal and There’s Something About Mary, but he still delivers a picture that is shot with humanistic integrity and is technically sound in every respect.

The script (co-written by Farrelly, Brian Hayes Currie, and Tony Lip’s son, Nick Vallelonga) balances charismatic humour with an artful accumulation of fact and detail. Whether it’s the hilarious colloquial exchanges in Tony’s Italian-American neighbourhood or the pulse-quickening confrontations with Southern racists, each line of dialogue is enthralling and evocative. Finally, a film about musicians wouldn’t be complete without a stunning score and composer Kris Bower’s fertile imagination is put on display through a sound that is as bewitchingly raw as Ali’s emotionally graphic performance. The luminous jazzy melodies of his compositions and Shirley’s swirling piano washes build a tactile musical landscape that sticks with you long after the end credits.

The message of the film lingers too. Mortensen and Ali are mostly driving their way through a narrative laced with Martin Luther King’s pacifist philosophy, in which Shirley has to take the moral high-ground in the face of sickening racism. While there is some physical violence, a lot of the discrimination is the subtle violence of the Southerners’ micro-aggressions, who will applaud Shirley’s virtuoso piano-playing in one scene and then, in the next, force him to urinate in an outhouse or bar him from entering a whites-only restaurant.

Green Book matches its explosive timeliness with an emotionally rewarding experience, even though it’s one that lacks the visionary force and historical import of the best white saviour stories like Lincoln and 12 Years a Slave. I highly recommend this film, especially if you want another opportunity to see Mortensen and Ali display their consummate artistry before the 91st Academy Awards.

4/5.

The Mourinho Mistake: United’s continuing refusal to reform post-Sir Alex

Jose Mourinho is a serial winner — but more often than not, his methods do not delight.

This had increasingly become the reality for a Manchester United fanbase that grew frustrated with the personal battles, inexplicable team selections and negative tactical philosophy tied to the character of the Portuguese.

When he joined in 2016, Mourinho was seen as the safe choice. The club had gambled by appointing the inexperienced David Moyes, seemingly entirely on the merit of Sir Alex’s advice, and then choosing Louis van Gaal as his successor, a figure that while graced with vast experience and expertise, was hardly ready to overhaul a depleted Red Devils side, given that he had been intent on retiring before taking the hot seat at Old Trafford.

Having concentrated on the immediate post-Ferguson era as a opportunity to revitalise an ageing side, the United board had looked to the ex-Chelsea man to return the side to the pinnacle of English football rapidly, after a series of questionable transfers left the team out of the top four after just a year back in the Champions League.

Mourinho’s track record is difficult to challenge — he has won the domestic league at every club he has managed since 2002, guided Porto and Inter to victory in Europe’s premier club competition, and boasts an impressive overall win percentage of 64%. But the challenge posed by his first Premier League job away from Chelsea was more difficult; the need to instill his tactical ideology at a club that had rejected a such a way of playing as adverse ever since the dawn of a new era in 1986.

In essence, Mourinho’s failings at United do relate at least partly to this initial difference in philosophy. The intense rivalry between the Red Devils and Mourinho’s Chelsea in the late 2000s posed two very different sides against each other in the race for the title; one that played free-flowing attacking football with a well-organised back four, and another that while blessed with word-class forward players, were often capable of employing a defensively-minded midfield to sit back and grind out necessary results.

While it was predictable that Mourinho would not change his ways, United’s resistance to conform to the 55-year old’s sometimes controversial approaches has arguably contributed to the this season’s costly failures.

On the pitch, Mourinho has managed to build a starting eleven with a similar structure to his other title-winning sides of the past. The recruitment of former colleague Nemanja Matic from Chelsea created a deep-lying midfield trio of the Serbian, Ander Herrera and Paul Pogba, with a 4-3-3 resembling that of the 2014-15 Chelsea team. While criticised for a negative style, United secured an impressive 81 points in finishing second.

The board’s refusal to co-operate with the demands of their manager over the summer however has proved detrimental. If back page rumours are anything to go by, Mourinho had looked to sure-up the backline in pursuing Toby Alderweireld and Harry Maguire, and had targeted Willian to resolve his side’s continuing issues out wide. Ed Woodward’s control over the club’s transfer policy has been well publicised, and the additions of little-known Diogo Dalot and Fred, in a central midfield already burdened by quality are hardly likely to have satisfied Mourinho’s pre-window ambitions.

Combine this with consistent complaints from fans that Mourinho does not play football the ‘United way’, a style that associated with Ferguson and is deeply contrary to the methods used by the 53-year old in the past, and it may seem more reasonable to suggest that Mourinho has entertained an unproductive reception from a club that has little wiggle room in their search seemingly for a like-for-like replacement for Sir Alex. In this regard, there are also interesting arguments about the club’s structure. While Ferguson was increasingly-omnipotent in his control over club affairs, Ed Woodward has re-asserted his authority post-2013; Manchester United now employ a head coach, not a manager. The most interesting manifestation of this contrast is in the isolating approach Mourinho has to certain players: His fallout with Paul Pogba, who appears to have somewhat protected status at the club, has been central to the image of Mourinho as a divisive figure who has lost the support of the dressing room. Meanwhile, when captain Roy Keane came to blows with Ferguson in 2005, he quit the club mid-season, there was no wavering of the club’s allegiance to their manager.

While the collapse this season has been as cataclysmic as the meltdown at Chelsea in 2015, and Mourinho’s divisive approach to man-management will persist to be a source of reproval for his critics, his status as a serial winner remains intact, having won three pieces of silverware in 2017 alone. United have axed their manager for not securing the Premier League title they had targeted, but their refusal to co-operate with his demands is perhaps the root cause of this. If Mourinho is an outdated, naive tactician in decline, then why is he reportedly considered for a return to Champions League holders Real Madrid?

Judging the decision by the club to sack Mourinho is simple. It was the right choice given the dynamic between the 53-year old and the dressing room, and the board. But the tragedy of the Portuguese is one of changing times, of the increasingly control of chief executives and club owners, and the lessening authority of managers. In modern day football, the ability for Mourinho-like figures to succeed is significantly tested; The next job will be his most important, and it must be at a side where he can conduct his own transfer policy, and make harsh decisions, that in the past have been key to building world-class teams.

Mourinho sacked by United

Manchester United have sacked manager Jose Mourinho after two-and-a-half years in charge. The news was announced through a tweet on Tuesday morning.

The Red Devils have struggled in the league this season, earning just 26 points out of a possible 51. Mourinho’s haul of 26 points from their opening 17 matches is the worst start to a top-flight season United have made since 1990-91. They are 11 points off Champions League qualification, meaning they are closer to the relegation zone than the top of the table.

Cross-city rivals Manchester City have 44, and league-leaders Liverpool have 45. Mourinho’s final match in charge of United was a 3-1 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday.

Mourinho made a fast start to life at Old Trafford, winning the EFL Cup and Europa League in his opening season in 2016-17, but the following season delivered a 2nd place Premier League finish, with Guardiola’s Citizens romping home to take the title by 19 points ahead of the Red Devils. They also crashed out of the Champions League at the quarter-final stage at home to Sevilla.

A club statement announced that a caretaker manager would be appointed until the end of the season “while the club conducts a thorough recruitment process for a new, full-time manager”.

It is understood former United midfielder Michael Carrick will take charge of training in the next two days, and any interim appointment will be external, but will be “steeped in the traditions of the club”, according the The Mail Sport. United’s next game comes away to newly-promoted Cardiff City on Saturday teatime, with an interim expected to be announced by the time Pogba and company head to South Wales.

Mourinho had been criticised for a large transfer spend, touching £400 million in his five transfer windows at the club, while not also not providing fans with the attacking football they had become accustomed to under club legend and 13-time Premier League champion Alex Ferguson.

Student loan change adds £12 billion to government deficit

A change in the way students loans are accounted for by the government will add over £12 billion to the deficit.

In a decision by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the portion of loans expected not to be repaid by students will now be written off as government spending. In the current system, loans are not counted as spending, but the interest earned from them counts as revenue for the government.

The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) have made initial calculations on the effect the changes will have, which found that the government’s deficit would increase by “around £12 billion in the current year”. This represents 0.6% of the UK’s gross domestic product (GDP).

The current design of the student loan system, according to the ONS, means many loans will never be repaid in full, as graduates frequently fail to meet the required salary threshold to repay the loan. Additionally, if a graduate begins to earn above the threshold — currently at £25,000 per year — and then falls below this figure, their repayments will stop.

A graduate earning £30,000 would currently repay just £37 per month, or £444 per year, according to the Student Loans Company.

Loans are also written off 30 years after graduation, meaning that many degree-holders who never earn substantially over the threshold will never repay their loan in full. The BBC reported that the amount expected not to be repaid could be up to 45% of the total loan.

In a blog post on the ONS’ website, David Bailey, Head of Public Sector Division at the independent organisation, explained that the decision came after months of consultation “with many other countries and international bodies such as the IMF and Eurostat about how best to treat UK student loans”, due to the fact “the UK’s higher education funding system is almost unique among other countries”.

Heather Proctor, History & Politics Student said: “The loan system is massively flawed because it not only creates a massive hole in the budget when it comes to the loans being written off but a really unpredictable one — a lot can happen to the economy in 30 years which affects how much people earn and therefore how much they can pay back. I mean just Brexit alone will have a huge impact and that’s happening before [current students] even finish our degrees’

“I’m not completely convinced that we should have completely free university but I think a graduate tax system would work much better.”

First-year economics and politics student Josh Sandiford added: “The decision made by the ONS will look to many like the government shooting itself in the foot after hiking up the prices of tuition fees in 2012 and now being made to fork out for the ones unlikely to ever be repaid.

“I think students will welcome this news as it gives the government a clear incentive to cut tuition fees and relieve students of the intense pressure of paying an extortionate £9,000 a year for a university education that many don’t believe is worth it.”

A government spokesperson said: “This is a technical accounting decision by the independent ONS. It does not affect students, who can still access loans to help with tuition fees and the cost of living, and which they will only start repaying when they are earning above £25,000.”

Review: The Forest of Forgotten Discos

Photo: Nick Field.
Jackie Hagan. Photo: Nick Field.

The Forest of Forgotten Discos was a joy to behold. Commissioned by Contact Theatre and written by Jackie Hagan, this show was beautiful and heart-warming, a triumph of the accessible theatre style it sought to represent.

Co-Founder of professional disabled-led theatre company TwoCan, director Nickie Miles-Wildin led a cast of talented actors to capture the imaginations of children with Hagan’s story of acceptance and celebration of difference.

The Forest of Forgotten Discos told the story of a nine-year-old named Red (played by Paislie Reid) who ran away from home because she felt ignored and forgotten by her dad because of his new girlfriend. In the The Forest of Forgotten Discos, she finds: Bear Grills (Marcquelle Ward), Bear Minimum (Ali Briggs), Bear Hugs (Sara Cocker), and Alexa (Sophie Coward). Together, these colourful characters learned to appreciate and support each other and bring back the power of disco to the forest.

It was beautiful to watch the children sat on cushions in the audience, entranced by the three forgotten teddy bears and their companion, Alexa, the robot made up of forgotten technology.

The set (Katharine Heath) was bright and exciting, giving you something to look at from every angle from giant baked bean cans to an enormous jammy dodger and colourful trees hung with lego. In the intimate setting of the Hope Mill Theatre, the set was like campsite, children’s playground and an imaginary dream land.

In an interview with The Mancunion, Hagan talked about the process of creating accessible theatre being about having this concept in mind from the beginning of the conception.

Alexa (Coward) had everyone involved from the beginning, the whole audience were encouraged to hold up ‘bear claws’ so as not to scare the teddy bears and ‘bear paws’ whenever the bears were suspicious that we were humans.

Deaf actress Ali Briggs was signing throughout the show, but she was not the only one. Some of the actors learned sign language from scratch for this production. This not only made the show inclusive for deaf adults and children, but introduced sign language to the other members of the audience, integrated into the performance rather than a secondary concept with someone signing beside the stage.

The Forest of Forgotten Discos was interactive and cheesy in the best ways. This show reminded both children and adults to appreciate the world around them and get away from screens sometimes. One of the best lessons of the show came from Bear Minimum (Briggs), when she reminded the audience to never forget or judge anyone wearing a tabard, respect the caretaker, the lunch lady and the cleaner and don’t dismiss them as inferior.

This show really is for all the family and it was a charming Christmas treat, The Forest of Forgotten Discos is running until 23rd December at the Hope Mill Theatre.

Live Review: Spector at Year’s End Festival

On an icy December day, I found myself splitting my evening across two of Manchester’s finest venues – the O2 Ritz and Gorilla – to explore Manchester’s newest festival, Year’s End. Full of indie favourites such as Bloxx, Vistas, Cassia, and Spector, the night really had something for everyone.

The combination of Ritz, its basement and Gorilla all being utilised, felt like a more compact version of our beloved Neighbourhood Festival. The atmosphere felt electric, though crowds did seem a little sparse on the ground. Security was swift, ticketing was easily operated and the whole affair felt well-organised and slick – especially impressive given the newness of the festival.

The highlight of the night came in the form of Ritz headliners Spector. Opening with classic ‘Fine Not Fine’, once more I found myself overwhelmed by the quality and power of lead singer Fred Macpherson’s voice. The crowd was particularly raucous, delving into pits at a moment’s opportunity. The tales of fragility and heartbreak are always resonant, and particularly powerful in a time when music can so often be shallow and lacking in depth. With lyrical brilliance shining right from the first song with lines like “If you’re the company you keep I’m holding on to you” and “I still lie to people, you still speak in allegories”, it’s hard not to wonder why the band aren’t more well known.

To a backing of heavy guitar riffs, the band worked up the crowd into a frenzy. Another particular highlight came in the form of ‘Untitled in D’, a personal favourite. Once more Spector’s lyrical excellence combined with the guitar and delightfully intrinsic beats. When “you’re not like the other guys” powers through the mic, it’s impossible not to feel not only deeply emotionally invested in the story being woven by the songwriting but also seized by the intensity and excellence of the riffs played.

The crowd was also treated to songs off the recent Reloaded EP, such as new track ‘Even When You Pass My Way’. Once more featuring lyrical brilliance and drops to die for, the line “you’re one of the good bad guys but you left me with a bad goodbye” brings to everyone’s mind that one person. In their usual fantastic way, Spector delivered a performance that felt intimate and room-filling all at once.

The jovial stage presence of Macpherson was captivating as he riled up the crowd and stood right at the edge of the stage. Something about him seemed almost as though it could take off as he leaned towards the audience for ballad ‘Never Fade Away’. One that tugged at my own heartstrings, I found myself hanging on to every word. As I found myself on the receiving end of his gaze, I relished in the opportunity for a dance and, it must be admitted, a cry. I’ve been lucky enough to see Spector once before, and I can confirm that they just get better. As they ended on favourite ‘All The Sad Young Men’ and I delved back into the pit, I was acutely aware that Spector are a band everyone ought to see.

An excellent end to Year’s End Festival and Semester 1, make sure to keep an eye out for next year’s line-up and catch Spector on tour. It certainly was a night of the year.

9/10.

Seven men arrested after assault at Factory

Seven men have been arrested following a violent incident at city centre nightclub Factory two weeks ago.

Police are investigating after 18-year-old Joe Sharatt was assaulted on Princess Street at and was subsequently taken to hospital with a serious head injury.

He has since been released from hospital to continue his recovery at home.

A video of the incident that took place on Sunday 2nd December at around 3:20am showed a group of Factory bouncers punching and throwing the young man to the ground.

It has since been watched over 800,000 times, prompting widespread criticism of the nightclub and security company it employs, Professional Security.

On Friday 14th December two men, aged 20 and 27, were arrested on suspicion of violent disorder, section 47 and section 20 assault. Another two arrested are suspected of violent disorder and section 47 assault.

These four men have been bailed pending further enquiries.

However, since the initial arrests, a 21-year-old man was arrested on Saturday 15 December 2018 on suspicion of violent disorder and section 47 assault. He has also been bailed pending further enquiries. 

Two men – aged 23 and 29 – were arrested on Monday 17 December on suspicion of violent disorder and section 47 assault.

Detective Inspector Geoffrey Machent, of GMP’s City of Manchester division, said: “We are progressing with our investigation and are continuing to follow several lines of enquiry to ensure that those responsible for this horrendous incident are brought to justice.   

“We have now interviewed a total of eight people as part of our enquiries and are continuing to review CCTV footage and witness statements. 

“I would continue to urge anyone that witnessed this disturbing assault to get in touch as soon as possible, even the smallest piece of information could really assist with our enquiries.” 

The arrests follow an investigation by Greater Manchester Police, which is still ongoing.

Meanwhile, Factory’s license has been revoked until a full investigation by Manchester City Council has taken place. It is expected that a decision will be made regarding the nightclub’s future by December 31st.

Factory say they have ended their contract with Professional Security, and did not contest the council’s decision to temporarily strip them of their license.

On their website, the firm who employed the bouncers said they were “appalled” at the incident and have terminated the contracts of all security personnel involved in the incident.

GMP are urging anyone with information to contact police on 0161 856 3221 quoting reference number 396 of 02/12/18 or the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

Testing for cancer with nanoparticles

Researchers at the University may have just opened a door into early cancer detection. A joint paper between the Nanomedicine Lab and the Manchester Cancer Research Centre found that nanoparticles can be used to harvest proteins from blood circulation for analysis allowing clinicians to identify cancer biomarkers.

Blood from six patients suffering from advanced ovarian cancer was used in this study to illustrate, for the first time, the potential applications of nanoparticle forming protein coronas. Up until now the protein layer, protein coronas, that form on the surface of nanoparticles when they come into contact with biological fluids were seen as a nuisance by researchers.

Different proteins bind with varying affinity to nanoparticles resulting in coronas of different lifetimes and stabilities. It is therefore essential that the  type of proteins associated with specific nanoparticles are understood before investigations occur. However, many reports have demonstrated that protein coronas differ between living and laboratory models making accurate predictions of nanoparticle behaviour particularly challenging.

This report changes things. Researchers found that intravenously injected phospholipid spheres were able to capture light-weight plasma proteins, even when their concentrations were below the level of detection by conventional methods. Furthermore, analysis of these proteins showed that some were released by growing cancers.

Disease markers are often hard to detect by traditional methods as they are small both in terms of particle size and quantity in the bloodstream. This can give rise to false positives or negatives with detrimental consequences for the patient and a decreased trust in the medical profession as a whole.

However, the heightened sensitivity provided by the protein corona and nanoparticle, called ‘nano-scavenging,’ allows for researchers and clinicians to develop a greater and more detailed picture of their patients. The authors of the paper are hopeful that this technology can amplify analytical identification of biomarkers in order to improve detection and ultimately form and early warning system for a range of diseases, not just cancer.

Whilst the approach may be novel, the use of nanoparticles is not. Patients in this study were receiving chemotherapy via nanotechnology. Nanoparticles have been used to delivery chemotherapy drugs since 2011, particularly for drugs that have damaging side effects or are degraded in the blood quickly.

For example, one of the first chemotherapy drugs delivered via nanotechnology was cisplatin, a compound that was used against half of all human cancers but degraded quickly and had the potential to severely damage patients’ kidneys and nerves. Prodrug forms of the compound were encased within nanoparticles and used to target specific sites within the body.

This approach was found to combat cancer more efficiently and with lower risks of further compromising the health of the patient. It would appear that the research marks the beginning of a new age of nanoparticle application in the fight against cancer.

Live Review: DMA’s

The problem with bands like indie favourite DMA’s is not that they’re bad — the acoustic sound of their guitars blends beautifully with not-awful vocals; the problem with bands like DMA’s is that they are intensely boring. Their December show at Victoria Warehouse began with debut album favourite ‘Play It Out’, and within the first three seconds a flare had been lit and mosh pits begun.

I couldn’t help but wonder what the crowd was moshing to — the song had very little steady rhythm and no drops. While there was no denying that the majority of the crowd seemed to crave the Gallagher-esque crooning of lead singer Tommy O’Dell, it was hard not to wonder if the band would have the same appeal if they didn’t fit the formula of ‘90s style male Britpop band with parkas and blunt fringes’. While the first couple of songs offered guitar riffs and a dance, by the fourth repetitive track, I came to the sinking realisation that DMA’s had about as much variation as their fanbase.

What struck me in particular was the desperation for the band to sound like the familiar tunes of Mancunian Britpop. The cynic in me couldn’t help but wonder if it was purely for marketability and profit-making purposes: the formula is tried and tested. As the band launched into lead single ‘In the Air’, it was understandable why you’d find them appealing.

However, it wasn’t special and it certainly wasn’t new. It drew easy and obvious comparisons to ballads from – you guessed it – Oasis, such as ‘Stop Crying Your Heart Out’. There was a generic quality and blandness to DMA’S live performance that while having mass appeal to the indie market, felt shallow and vapid.

The willingness for the crowd to sing back lyrics about as deep as a paddling pool and as unique as a pair of white trainer socks showed me the audience of bands like DMA’s will drink up anything packaged with the label ‘indie’. Highlights included the bland chorus of ‘Delete’, which crooned “don’t delete my baby, don’t defeat her still”. While on surface level appealing, there was very little depth and this came across live just as much as it does on record. Again, while by no means bad, it was delivered with a lacklustre stage presence featuring very little between-song discussion. It was an underwhelming nasal appeal with a backing track of acoustic strings. By the time fan-favourite and ‘Sally Cinnamon’ knock-off ‘Emily Whyte’ had started, I was willing to let the mosh pits fan swallow me whole.

As the band ended on ‘Lay Down’, my mind had been made up. It wasn’t an awful gig. DMA’s were not the worst band I’ve ever seen. In some ways, I wish they had been. At least then, perhaps, they might have had a shot at being either original or unique. Instead, DMA’s committed one of the worst crimes in live music: they were boring. I couldn’t believe how much the crowd seemed to be soaking up what seemed mediocre at best and downright tiring at worst.

As I left dissatisfied, I couldn’t sway the nagging voice in my mind telling me that DMA’s popularity was largely due to the willingness of the ‘indie’ crowd to accept any music written by four white men with a fondness for bucket hats. Overwhelmingly unoriginal, DMA’s and Oasis have much in common: they’re responsible for irritating, laddish crowds with a fondness for trite lyrics coated in faux depth. Altogether, the night was disappointingly average and reminded me my indie phase was as dead as the idea of an Oasis reunion.

5/10.

Our Emmeline unveil marked by march

A statue of Emmeline Pankhurst, one of the founders of the Suffragette movement, has been unveiled in St Peter’s Square.

The unveiling was marked by two marches converging on the city centre square, with one originating at the People’s History Museum, Spinningfields. The other began at the Pankhurst Centre, near the Whitworth Art Gallery. The ceremony featured a performance from the Manchester Community Choir, as well as speeches from those instrumental in bringing Our Emmeline to St Peter’s Square.

The Pankhurst Centre March featured thousands of Greater Manchester school children passing through the University, adorned with banners, rosettes, and rattles.

The procession was led by a horse and cart, with ‘VOTES FOR WOMEN’ written on the side.

In the ceremony, it was revealed that 94-year-old Nancy Sawyer was prepared to chain herself to railings to stop any disruption from Metrolink trams derailing the proceedings. Emmeline’s great-granddaughter, Helen, also spoke at the event.

Pankhurst was selected to be commemorated by a public vote, and received funding from a variety of sources, including the Government’s Suffragette Commemoration fund. The statue was created by Hazel Reeves, and was first proposed by Didsbury Councillor Andrew Simcock, who said: “We are delighted at how many people came together for the unveiling of Our Emmeline, an event that has celebrated the legacy of those who campaigned for the right to vote and remembered their sacrifices and bravery.”

In her speech, Hazel Reeves addressed Emmeline directly, saying “Emmeline, we need you as much as ever, back on our streets, continuing to inspire us all — women and men—- to rise up and demand gender equality and demand the end to violence against women.

“We need, today, to channel your passion, courage and determination and take this back into our lives – into our homes, into our communities, into our workplaces.”

The statue, named ‘Our Emmeline’, is the first statue of a woman to be erected in Manchester since Queen Victoria in 1901.

Emmeline Pankhurst was a vital figure in the Suffragette movement, which secured votes for some women a century ago this year. Born in Moss Side, she founded the Women’s Social and Political Union in Manchester in 1903. She passed away in 1928, the same year that both men and women were allowed to vote from the same age. Her home now stands as the  Pankhurst Centre on Denmark Road, a museum dedicated to remembering her life’s work.

Drugs to PrEPare for HIV

AIDS is one of the worlds most feared diseases claiming many lives and being heavily stigmatised over the past few decades. It arises after an individual has had their immune system severely compromised by the virus HIV. Since first jumping the species barrier over 50 years ago, HIV has travelled to every corner of the earth and claimed over 35 million lives.

However, with infection rates falling the future is getting brighter by the minute. So, what can we thank for fending off this viral villain? One contributor is PrEP, a tablet defending individuals against HIV pathogens before an infection has occurred; like a biological booby trap ready to strike if the target arrives.

PrEP, or pre-exposure prophylaxis, is the name given to a method of treatment aiming to stop HIV from being transmitted to uninfected individuals. The main candidates of this preventative approach are people who are HIV-negative and considered at high risk of developing it. In its current form PrEP is a tablet taken once a day and is comprised of two separate drugs. But before the details of its pathogen busting properties can be discussed, a little bit about HIV itself must be understood.

HIV attacks CD4 T-cells which, as part of our immune system, reduces the body’s ability to fight off infection making individuals vulnerable to illnesses that would otherwise be benign. The way it does this is by entering the cell, unravelling and using the machinery it finds to produce many viral particles, which accumulate and then burst out to cause infection elsewhere.

This process not only increases the number of HIV particles but also kills the T-cells. Therefore, there are fewer cells available to prevent other infections. HIV is also a retrovirus, meaning that its genome is comprised of RNA rather than the DNA found in the human genome. Hence, it relies on enzymes to convert it into DNA so that it can be replicated with human cells.

One such enzyme is HIV reverse transcriptase. Ordinarily, when a person is infected with HIV, this enzyme happily converts the virus’ genome from RNA to a form that cellular machinery can process, DNA. However, PrEP ends this. PrEP, also known as Truvada, contains two drugs, tenofovir and emtricitabine. The drugs are analogues of RNA building blocks adenosine and cytidine. This property is utilised to target the enzyme and block it from converting the virus’s genome, thus making the cell inhospitable to HIV.

The principle is that, if taken regularly, PrEP enables individuals to accumulate a high level of antiretroviral drugs in their circulation so that, should they ever come into contact with HIV, the virus will not be able to establish itself.

Other drugs are also being tested for use as PrEP therapies. Most work with the same mechanism of blocking the enzyme’s function to prevent viral replication. The appeal of these candidates is that they possess different delivery methods to Truvada, which may be more desirable or successful than a daily tablet.

It must be stressed that PrEP is not a vaccine. Much like birth control pills, it only provides protection for as long as it is taken as prescribed. The protection it does give however is highly effective: in its current form, Truvada, 99% reduced HIV risk is given if pills are taken daily, and a 76% reduced risk if only taken twice a week. With a 51% decrease in AIDS-related mortalities since its distribution in 2004, it is hoped that PrEP is a stepping stone in the pathway to global AIDS eradication.

Soviet ‘Zond 6’ lunar mission audio recording surfaces

Jodrell Bank Observatory has given the public a glimpse into the past by releasing a 50 year-old audio archive containing recordings from the Soviet Zond 6 Lunar mission.

Professor Tim O’Brien is responsible for the resurfacing of this extraordinary piece of history — as Associate Director at the Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics, he has been sifting through the observatory’s archives in preparation for a new exhibition set to open in 2021. The audio clip is said to be one of many recorded by the Lovell Telescope during, what Prof. Tim O’Brien describes as, “a crucial period of human history”.

The 1960s were an exciting time for astrophysicists, but it was also a decade of severe international tensions between the USA and the USSR. The world watched on as the superpowers competed extensively in many aspects, but most notably, in the race to reach space. The huge investments in the space industry, by both governments, ultimately lead to some of the most colossal advancements in science and technology the world has ever seen.

The audio file is accompanied by a transcript where Sir Bernard Lovell can be heard introducing the tape, as well as beeps, signal noise, and Russian voices from Soviet communications. The transcript contains a translation from Russian to English, courtesy of Professor Sir Kostya Novoselov, one half of the pair of Nobel Prize winners credited for their work on graphene. He described it as “a great fun and honour simultaneously” to experience the piece of history from the age of space exploration.

The ‘space race’ culminated with NASA’s Apollo 11 mission. Neil Armstrong became the first ever human on the Moon on July 20th 1969. However, the Zond 6 mission recording was taken on the 14th November 1968, with the probe being a forerunner in the lead up to Apollo 8, scheduled for December 1968, to be the first manned mission to orbit the moon. Zond 6 didn’t have a crew, so the voices in the recording could, therefore, have a number of purposes. For example, it could have been pre-recorded and sent into space to test communications. Or Russian scientists could have been practicing their broadcasting skills in preparation for future planned circumlunar missions.

This instalment in the space race successfully orbited the moon with a nearest distance of 2,420km. The mission did not turn out to be entirely successful, though. On its return to Earth, there was depressurisation in the cabin. The parachutes also went on to deploy prematurely and the probe crash landed in Kazakhstan. Some panchromatic film photographs of the lunar surface were at least recovered from the crash site.

Jodrell Bank Observatory’s team of astronomers, led by Sir Bernard Lovell, tracked many space missions from both opposing sides of the Cold War. It’s refreshing to look at history through a scientific perspective, as oppose to a political one, and it will be exciting to see what else is on show for the new exhibition opening 2021.

It’s certainly awe-inspiring to think of all the lunar missions, some carrying the first humans into space, being observed with advanced equipment in a large field just south of Manchester 50 years ago. Listen to the audio clip and feel almost transported back to an otherworldly era.

UoM researchers identify genes linked to serious heart condition

This week scientists at the University of Manchester have published research, which for the first time shows a link between genetics and the heart condition tetralogy of Fallot (ToF).

ToF is the most common cyanotic congenital heart disease — cyanosis being the abnormal blue discolouration of the skin due to decreased oxygen flow because of low oxygen content in the blood. It is a condition that predominantly occurs in males. Approximately 1% of newborns are diagnosed with some kind of heart defect, and out of this, 10% have ToF. The prevalence of ToF is estimated to be one in 3,000 live births.

The heart consists of four chambers. The two upper chambers known as atria are separated from each other by a fibrous partition known as the atrial septum. The two lower chambers are known as ventricles and are separated from each other by the ventricular septum. Valves connect the atria (left and right) to their respective ventricles. The blood in the left side of the heart is oxygen rich, and on the right side blood lacks oxygen.

ToF is characterised by a combination of four heart defects: Ventricular Septal Defect, Pulmonary Stenosis, Right Ventricular Hypertrophy, and Overriding Aorta. These manifest themselves as heart deformities that firstly restrict the heart’s abilities to transport blood around the body, especially to the lungs (due to artery constrictions and valve defects). It also allows oxygen-poor and oxygen-rich blood to mix due to holes in the septum and  complications regarding the position of the aorta.

Symptoms of ToF vary widely from person to person. Affected infants may have difficulty breathing due to the condition. As a result, they tend to play for short periods and then rest. Other symptoms can include poor appetite; slow weight gain; heart murmurs; an abnormal increase in the numbers of red blood cells (polycythaemia); fingers and toes with wide, enlarged tips and overhanging nails; and/or delayed physical growth.

With more acute cases of ToF, known as pseudotruncus arteriosus, the infant can become restless, extremely cyanotic while gasping for air and non-responsive to parents’ voices. Severe incidents may lead to the loss consciousness, and occasionally to convulsions or temporary paralysis on one side of the body (hemiparesis). This is due to alarmingly low concentrations of oxygen being carried in the blood.

With funding from the British Heart Foundation (BHF) and help from colleagues in Belgium and Australia, the study by the University analysed the DNA of 829 ToF patients, making it the largest of its type to have ever been conducted. These patients were sourced from seven UK children’s heart centres, as well as through the collaborators in Belgium and Australia.

The research identified two genes, NOTCH1 and FLT4, which were associated with rare and damaging DNA changes in ToF patients. Using experiments on cells grown in the laboratory, the team showed that some of the changes identified caused abnormal function of the genes involved.

The study showed that the DNA changes in these two genes are present in around 7% of ToF patients, making them the two most important genes that contribute to the condition.

Further research is required to discover additional genes, hopefully leading to the DNA testing of adult patients with ToF who are considering having a family. This will give them better information on the how likely it is that they will have a child with this condition, as well as also shedding some light on the development of the condition whilst in the womb.

More work needs to be done to identify the remaining factors that increase the risk of inheriting ToF. However, confirming the first genes that have a hand in causing the disease is a major step forward for the diagnosis, treatment, and prediction of it.

Still at work: Stephen Hawking

Stephen Hawking was regarded as one of the most brilliant minds of his generation. He was a physicist and cosmologist who worked tirelessly to unravel some of the most persistent mysteries of the universe including black holes.

Even though not many people are equipped with the ability to comprehend and decipher his works, he is a household name across the world. He exemplifies perseverance and determination as he braved ALS throughout his life, and still managed to make some of the most indispensable contributions to theoretical physics and science.

His passing in March 2018 came as a tragic loss to science and humanity. He was eulogised by figures in science, entertainment, and politics. Even though he will continue to inspire generations, it was feared that his contributions to science might be curtailed. But even when he was days from his death, he didn’t stop striving. Consequently, we are still discovering new research he produced.

Recently, Hawking’s colleagues at Cambridge and Harvard released what may be his final research paper. It is titled, ‘Black Hole Entropy and Soft Hair’, and further defines the black hole information paradox. The information paradox is perhaps the most puzzling problem in fundamental theoretical physics today. It was discovered by Stephen Hawking 43 years ago, and still continues to riddle many, essentially suggesting that physical information could permanently disappear in a black hole, allowing many physical states to devolve into the same state. This theory has been debated upon ever since its discovery as it negates some of the core principles of physics.

The latest research paper opens up his career-long battle with theoretical physics of the information paradox, and what happens to information when objects fall into the black hole. It describes the current thoughts of the researchers on the matter. It also describes a way of calculating the entropy of black holes. Entropy is basically a quantitative measure of what one knows about a black hole apart from its mass or spin. The term ‘soft hair’ in the title refers to the crown of photons surrounding the black hole’s edge at the event horizon.

The paper has been co-authored by Professor Malcolm Perry, a professor of theoretical physics at the University of Cambridge. He revealed that the information paradox was “at the centre of Hawking’s life for more than 40 years.” “We still don’t have the technology to verify Stephen Hawking’s big ideas”, he commented.

“The difficulty is that if you throw something into a black hole it looks like it disappears. How could the information in that object ever be recovered if the black hole then disappears itself?”

Professor Perry added, “while this is not a resolution of the information paradox, we believe it provides some considerable insight into it. Further work is needed but we feel greatly encouraged to continue our research in this area. The information paradox is intimately tied up with our quest to find a theory of gravity that is compatible with quantum mechanics.”

The paper sheds light on the long list of unknowns on the way to demystify the theory of black holes. This would aid the contemporary pioneers in their quest to solve the mysteries surrounding the cosmos while building on the work of Stephen Hawking.

I’m dreaming of a green Christmas…

With the start of December comes the unstoppable force that is the spirit of Christmas. Like flat-pack furniture, the Christmas markets assemble like clockwork. Fairy lights frolic above the cobbled city streets, while below market-goers cling to their cocoa and brisk the ever-worsening winds. There is an undeniable charm to the holiday but often when the world is swept with the spirit of Christmas, conscientiousness can be brushed under the rug.

This is a phenomenon that is becoming increasingly damaging to our ecosystem. Each year we devour millions of turkeys and trees and tonnes of non-recyclable wrapping paper. David Attenborough’s forewarning that climate change will bring the collapse of human civilisation is a sobering wake-up call that radical changes need to be made. This responsibility to change not only lies with the world’s decision-makers, but also with the everyday person.

These influences have led to a movement towards a greener Christmas, acting on the resentment of the holiday’s consumerism, over-indulgence and destructiveness of the environment. For one, the campaign “Manchester on Ecosia” hosted a Conscious Christmas Fair at the Student’s Union on December 4th and 5th, selling an assortment of environmentally conscious gifts. These included hanging plants, home-made cards, and second-hand books as sustainable alternative to the throw-away gifts we have become used to over the past few years.

Here’s a list of a few ideas to have a greener Christmas without bringing out your inner Scrooge:

  1. Instead of using decorative wrapping paper and ribbon littered with glitter and sequins, try using brown wrapping paper and string for your gifts. Brown wrapping paper is always recyclable which cannot be said for decorative wrapping paper, which can be plastic-based.
  2. For your roast dinner, make an effort to find locally sourced meat and vegetables. The amount of fuel spent each year to transport food up and down the country is often overlooked but should not be understated. Each year UK households waste approximately 7.1 million tonnes of food and drink. In the season of over-indulgence, we tend to waste much more than the rest of the year — avoid the temptation of buying far more food than needed.
  3. The centrepiece of Christmas, the tree, also finds itself in the centre of a debate: real or fake? A re-useable plastic tree saves the life of a pine tree each year, but the manufacturing of its components (plastic, PVC and steel) and its transportation makes up its carbon footprint. The alternative tends to be the most popular: a real one cherry-picked from the high street. This Christmas, look out for trees with their roots still intact. After the festive season, they can be planted in your yard to be re-used for next year.
  4. Black Friday is the epitome of our shopping habits. When images surface of feral customers stampeding department stores and fighting over flat-screens, one can only think the same scenario must be playing out on some desolate plains; hyenas scrapping over the last morsel of food. Our ‘shopaholism’ has a huge impact on the environment through manufacturing and transport costs. If you feel disenfranchised with this consumerism, look into Buy Nothing Day for next year. Spend the day spending nothing! More details can be found here.

The festivities can let us all get carried away, and we often become careless without pausing to think how our holiday traditions can impact the environment. If we all made small steps in the right direction, it would go a long way.

A Flamingo Called Frank

What would you do in the name of comedy? Learn a few lines? Make a bit of a tit out of yourself in front of your mates? Maybe even forfeit your oh-so-edgy Fallowfield aesthetic? Well, A Flamingo Called Frank, Manchester’s hot pink boiler suit clad comedy troupe, are taking it one step further.

The group comprises five young comedians: Jordan, Joe, Simon, Luke, and Jimmy. All the boys are former or current members of the Comedy Society, with Jordan as the President this year. Jordan and Jimmy met in secondary school, but decided to band together with some other ComSoc members this year to form an “elite sketch group”.

“We sort of found each other in various ways,” says Jimmy, “we always thought the Edinburgh Fringe Festival was a bit inaccessible so wanted to start a little group to try and crack it.”

This definitely seemed to work, putting on a sell out (on one of nine nights, but shh) performance at the festival last year.

“So”, I ask, “why the name?”

They tell me that the name basically comes from a list of potential band names that Simon has, based on funny or slightly bizarre things that people say in conversation. They all had a look through, for some reason really loved the name Frank, and the idea morphed from there.

“It’s a very Fringe name,” they laugh. “The boiler suits came after — obviously bespoke Armani.”

I went along to their show, ‘Back to the Fuschia’, on Tuesday the 11th of December, for a little taster of what they’re all about. They started thinking about the show in October, but some of the sketches they used have been in the works a little longer. Performing bits and pieces in places like Solomon’s and Fuel, both in Withington, has allowed them to really put together their best ideas into one coherent show.

“It’s like our highlights, but with a bit more structure. We wanted our five different personas to be slightly meta, but also tie everything together.”

‘Back to the Fuschia’ was, as you may have already guessed, a sketch show with an interlinking time travel plot. Not only did this help keep the sketches light and bind the whole thing together very nicely, this also allowed Joe to show his commitment to the cause. How do you differentiate the past Joe from the future Joe? By a very rushed backstage head shave, of course.

Besides the obvious shock factor, the troupe have a genuinely very funny show — it’s well thought-out and well put-together. What’s nice and refreshing in student comedy is that they don’t take themselves too seriously, and aren’t afraid to make jokes that are so bad they’re actually good. For the most part, these jokes were well timed and well delivered, and although some of the floor-based humour was a little lost on those of us sitting near the back, this is something that hopefully, as their following grows, can be ironed out with a change of venue. Besides all this, there’s some great acting talent which promises good things for these guys. They want to go professional in the future, and judging by their performance in Back to the Fuschia, this is definitely a well founded ambition.

So, what’s next for A Flamingo Called Frank? They’re now looking towards Fringe 2019, and their performance will be their next big thing. But, if you’re looking to get a piece of the action, don’t despair — the group are also hoping to put on another bigger and better show at some point this year. If you want to keep up with their latest news, give them a like on Facebook.

“Keep an eye out for us, we’re very hard to miss. We’d like to say thank you to everyone that’s come to support us so far, it’s so important that students support independent comedy groups, it really means a lot. Most student groups will either do shows for free or very cheap, and you’ll have a great night out!”

Primary school children takeover All FM

AdkinsOn Friday 14th December, children from Chapel Street Primary School, Levenshulme, will be presenting all day live on All FM 96.9. From 9 am to 7 pm the children will be hosting shows on a range of topics from sports to maths and everything in between. The children will be interviewing people in their communities, hosting live music, and celebrating Christmas live on air.

Twenty pupils are being trained by All FM so they can design, write, present and produce their own live radio shows.

ALL FM Director, Ed Connole said, “It’s going to be a very exciting day. This project isn’t just about talking on the mic, but learning the skills and craft behind creating a radio show. They’re a very talented group and we’re looking forward to hearing their shows.’

The project is supported by Manchester City Council, Children in Need and One Manchester’s Community Soup initiative.

Chapel Street Head teacher, Sally Lowe says ‘This is a wonderful opportunity for our children to get involved in the community, applying their creativity and skills in a really exciting forum’.

All FM 96.9 has been training and broadcasting for nearly eighteen years, and currently has over 110 volunteer presenters.

They seek to train volunteers in all aspects of radio production: devising a show, interview skills, and using the software. All in aid of communication skills, employability skills and confidence.

Tune in to All FM 96.9 from 9am on Friday or online.

The schoolboy refugee attack exemplifies UK attitude to immigrants

Immigration has become synonymous with a lot of things lately. From bendy bananas to terrorism, from literal invasions to cockroaches, it’s almost as if nothing is too low, too much, or too far. The rulebook has been rewritten, only in messy crayon, and as a society we have collectively accepted the dialogue around immigration to descend to standard of gutter talk that sewer rats would be ashamed of.

A combination of general anti-immigrant hysteria in the media and misused academic jargon thrown about by government officials, police forces and security services has shaken and stirred a dangerous cocktail of intellectual and emotional justification for the marginalisation of immigrants in the UK. People, human beings, are now nothing more than “security threats”, “burdens”, “leeches”, to be used as a scare quotes in newspaper headlines. This slow, menacing process of dehumanisation has been all but epitomised in the video recently making the rounds on social media of a young Syrian refugee being attacked by another student at his school.

The unfortunate truth is that this video is no misrepresentation, no one-off, but exactly the way we treat refugees and immigrants in this country. It’s not just the media constantly creating this dramatic image of some kind of swarm or invasion of people knocking on our doors, it’s not even necessarily just about the populist right wing political parties talking-sans-thinking about white genocide and a so-called ‘great replacement’, nor is it only the government enforcing their extreme, harsh cuts on legal aid and heartless deportations. It’s all of it. It comes together as some kind of horrid realisation of a busted cartoon hydrant that instead of shooting out water, shoots faecal matter right on every immigrant and asylum seeker every single day in this country.

When it comes to policy on immigrants and refugees, this Conservative government ranges from incompetent to downright insidious. Day after day after day, after day again, another headline story appears about yet another unlawful deportation – the antipathy the British establishment feels towards anything even superficially foreign is laid bare for all to see in the Windrush scandal. If British citizens, people who have lived in this country their entire lives and are by any definition British, are treated in such a repugnantly callous and illegal way, then there is no hope for the rest of us immigrants.

The truth is, in the eyes of most of the political establishment, we are nothing more than a means to an end and a way to get votes: a political football. If that means kicking us even harder to get a bigger cheer then they will; so why are we surprised when the general public follows suit? If the people in the highest rungs of government and the media, the people who shape what we are as a society are caving our skulls in with threats of deportation and constant dehumanisation, is it actually that shocking when people start to believe it?

Review: National Theatre Live’s ‘Antony and Cleopatra’

National Theatre Live (NT Live) brought William Shakespeare’s complex yet riveting play ‘Antony and Cleopatra’ to HOME Theatre Manchester, giving its audience a drama-filled evening full of laughs, action and breath-taking tragedy.

Ralph Fiennes and Sophie Okonedo took on the prominent roles of the tragic couple and delivered a performance that left viewers falling under their spell and wishing for their love story to flourish and never end.

Director Simon Godwin chose a contemporary setting for his production of Shakespeare’s tragedy; Egypt was seductive with a warm, inviting set design complete with pool and relaxing lounges, whereas Rome was a reflection of a rigid, cold and steely military base. From the set design to the costumes, without the actors speaking you were already presented with the juxtaposition of the two worlds which Antony tried to balance and bring together.

This was my first time attending a NT Live event and as a lover of the theatre I was sceptical about having to rely on a camera to catch every emotion, gesture and word. It was interesting to see a play in this format; the camera was able to zoom in on individual character’s facial expressions and therefore allow the viewer to clearly see the shifting intense emotions of grief, anger, and love.

This was especially the case for Cleopatra. Okonedo was exquisite in her depiction of the strong female lead, driven by her emotions and free will as Queen of Egypt. You could not help but be drawn to her in every scene she appeared in, her powerful presence on stage, and the close-up camera shots and angles emphasised this.

What’s more, the costumes designed for Okonedo made it impossible to miss her stage presence and aura. During the interval, a short film was shown interviewing costume designer Evie Gurney, and how she wanted to look at other female figures of power throughout history when designing Cleopatra’s gowns. One notable gown was a yellow ruffled dress with billowing sleeves, an allusion to Beyoncé’s 2016 Lemonade music album as an example of the different types of female idols and representations of empowerment for women.

Ralph Fiennes too developed and conveyed his portrayal of the “noble Marc Antony” in such a way that he demanded complete and immediate attention from both the audience and actors on stage. The Roman soldier’s conflict over who he is and where he belongs – Egypt or Rome, Cleopatra or Caesar – was illustrated in such a way by Fiennes that as a viewer you too were caught up in the inner turmoil felt by the title character.

What was frustrating however having to rely on a camera was that during close shots of an individual or two characters, other figures on stage could not be seen. The audience lost what other characters were feeling and doing because the camera focus was not on them. For example, when the focus was on Fiennes, we lost Cleopatra and her reaction to his outburst of love and devotion to her. But perhaps what I missed most was the intimacy and complete intensity of the characters’ performances that cannot be reproduced via a camera and broadcast. While I praise the entire cast for evocative performances and well-developed characters, the viewer lost that connection between audience and actor because every action, gesture and emotion were being filtered through a camera.

The character of Eros, played by Fisayo Akinade, stood out for me because of his utter devotion and love for Antony, his friend and leader. The scene in which he kills himself so that he would not have to suffer the pain of Antony dying was one of the most engrossing and heart wrenching scenes of the entire production, rivalling that of Antony’s botched death. Akinade took on a role that projected him from secondary character status to scene stealer, an undoubtedly strong presence on stage.

The tumultuous romantic relationship of Antony and Cleopatra was incredibly illustrated on stage by Fiennes and Okonedo, and the supporting cast and director Godwin succeeded in telling the story of a couple in love despite their apparent differences and worlds colliding. Although I did lose some of the intimacy because of the camera acting as a mediator between viewer and actor, the intensity of the performance largely remained and as a result, I was gripped from beginning to end.

Review: ‘Wicked’

Whenever returning to something held and cherished so dearly in your memory a certain amount of caution comes with it. A touring production of ‘Wicked’ back in 2014 was one the first pieces of theatre I had seen. It was, to this day, one of the most impressionable moments I have ever had at the theatre. How could seeing it again, four years later, manage to even come close to expectations? Well: I tolerated it, I liked it, I loved it!

‘Wicked’, premiered on Broadway in 2003, starring Idina Menzel as Elphaba and Kristin Chenoweth as Glinda. This new production stars Amy Ross as Elphaba and Helen Woolf as Glinda. The pair bring an energy and affection to the roles which is stunning to watch. It won three Tony Awards and six Drama Desk Awards, while its original cast album received a Grammy Award. Since then, it has gone on to become Broadway’s sixth-longest running show.

The show, a type of prequel to ‘The Wizard of Oz’, tells the story of Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West — and Glinda, the Good Witch of the North. Throughout all the hype around the incredible production values, from the most beautiful and intricately designed costumes to the overwhelming scale and detail of the set, the touching and moralistic narrative of ‘Wicked’ can be easily lost.

Without spoiling too much, ‘Wicked’ is a story as timely today in our Trump-terrorised, Brexit-brainwashing times than ever before. Posing questions around who is put into power, how and why? How does corruption manifest and how do we define Good and Wicked? And, how can operate as individuals within a society and community bigger than us? But it’s also so fun!

‘Wicked’ is truly one of the most magical musicals you could ever see — heartwarming, funny and generously aware of the social-political climate we are living in today. It is an absolute treat to see it.