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Month: September 2019

Proposed security legislation known as Martyn’s Law now “a question of when not if”

A campaign to make counter-terrorism security measures a legal requirement at public venues is claimed to have received a positive response from the security minister.

Figen Murray, mother of Manchester Arena attack victim Martyn Hett, met with Brandon Lewis MP on the 12th of September to discuss what has been termed “Martyn’s Law”.

Ms Murray created an online petition in 2018 which attracted over 23,000 signatures.

Within this petition she outlined the need for legislation to make counter-terrorism security measures mandatory after her son was killed in the Manchester Arena bombing in 2017.

In June 2019 Ms Murray defined the aim of Martyn’s law in a Comment article written in The Sun: “I want to see all venues, whether they are holding concerts, sporting events or theatre productions, to have a counter-terrorism plan in place, by law.”

She also called for public venues to assess the security of their customers whilst acknowledging that security methods will differ from place to place.
After the meeting last Thursday Brandon Lewis thanked Ms Murray on Twitter, describing the proposed law as a “hugely important area”.

Ms Murray also tweeted that “The meeting definitely felt as if we are being heard” and told the Manchester Evening News, “I am very grateful that we were given the opportunity to meet with the Rt Hon Brandon Lewis MP, who is definitely on board with Martyn’s Law.”

The meeting was also attended by former National Counter Terrorism Co-ordinator Nick Aldworth, Westminster attack survivor Travis Frain as well as Brendan Cox, husband of murdered Labour MP Jo Cox.

In regards to Martyn’s Law Brendan Cox subsequently tweeted, “it feels like it’s now a question of when not if government seeks to legislate.”

Artefact of the Week: Owens Park Tower

Owens Park Tower is so well-known to all those who have studied in Manchester, that most times its name drops the ‘Owens Park’ and is simply called ‘The Tower’.

Nominally a hall of residence, it now stands partially empty, like some poorly constructed social commentary on the streets of sky. Or, perhaps, it has become a symbol for students of their new home. Think of the warm feeling that enters the stomachs of the first years, as they see it emerging from the magic bus, indicating that they have returned back to Fallowfield after a hard day of a single English literature lecture.

Of course, an arts writer could look all day for a thousand ineffective interpretations for the abandoned 200ft block. But, what stills remains is memories, myth, and legend.

Once rumoured to be the home of the first year 2:2, it was the first choice accommodation for fresh-faced 18-year-olds who decided to live out their common people fantasies, but weren’t quite ready for the responsibility of cooking everyday.

Consolidating the notion of the move from ivory to concrete tower, Owens Park’s interpretation was home to Jack Whitehall, apparently informing his portrayal of J.P. in Fresh Meat. 

Writer of the O.G. university comedy, The Young Ones, Rik Mayall also called the tower home, setting the precedent for the freshers to get up to some wild hijinks.

And what hijinks have occurred! Perhaps most famously is the tower challenge, a creative solution for when the conventional methods of alcohol poisoning have become too slow and boring. Requiring the brave challenger to take a shot for each level, the feat of 20 shots (19 and a double at the end) could destroy even the most foolhardy first year.

With new, shinier accommodation opening, some day the brutalist horror is bound to be demolished. And what will be left in its powdery white remains? Likely some rogue fairy lights, empty cans and a Reebok sweatshirt that could have belonged to any graduate from 1981 to now.

Be mindful of your mental health

What is the one thing that all freshers have in common? Some aspect of starting university is making them anxious.

This will vary from the severe to the slight, but no one escapes some degree of anxiety. Similarly, depression is a natural reaction to stressful life events. Unfortunately, these normal reactions can become burdens, with 1 in  3 freshers experiencing a mental health problem each year in the UK.

My fresher-self was in the same position as many are this year – arriving with a case of depression and anxiety. Here are some reflections from my experience that current freshers may find helpful.

Get educated! Drug culture is incredibly normalised within university life, so you should make yourself aware of the effects substances can have on you – including coffee and alcohol. This is particularly important for those on medication for varying mental health conditions as interactions between different drugs can have some pretty nasty side effects.

Take care of yourself with good sleeping and eating habits as these can also affect your mental health. Distorted sleeping patterns starve the brain of recovery time, while living on a diet of junk food deprives you of the nutrients that contribute to maintaining a healthy mind.

Regularly partaking in simple physical exercise increases your resilience against mental illness and makes managing it easier. But, the key to managing your mental health comes from being self-aware and acknowledging your condition.

At such an early point in life, everyone is still finding their limits. I left a prior university after one semester in an aimless state battling depression and anxiety. Despite a healthy recovery and increased maturity, I failed to grasp the ability or importance of self-awareness and the need to respect my own limitations.

It is vital to overcome self-dismissal of suffering from any mental health issues, as the denial can often prevent you from managing them effectively. Upon arriving in Manchester, my self-denial allowed my illness to slowly creep back – a monumental act of self-harm that only made the inevitable recovery longer and harder. It takes bravery to speak frankly about your mental health but you should treat it like any other medical issue. People are becoming more educated about and understanding of mental health issues, so there will be help.

Unfortunately, not everyone is willing or able to support you emotionally or socially. Honest conversations with well-chosen friends will help you maintain self-awareness of both your mental and physical health. This takes practice, perseverance, and time but eventually becomes habit and a healthy part of your day-to-day life.

For me, this means taking my medication and meditating (there’s a prayer room in the SU), monitoring drug and alcohol intake (and acknowledging their negative effects), maintaining regular exercise, and finding my purpose at university.

Purpose is key to battling depression and can also help overcome anxieties if you are aware of specific triggers. It can be found in your education, societies, and pretty much anything that is done sober. While everyone enjoys a good night out, it is important to enjoy other activities and be mindful that binging can affect some people more than others.

Mental illness is difficult, it’s not always improving, and the effects can be devastating. Therefore, it is important to help ourselves with the resources at our disposal, help each other, and respect that our mental health is always a work in progress.

If you’re struggling with your mental health, then the University has plenty of resources. You can register with the university counselling service through their website. Alternatively, the Students’ Union Advice Service is located on the first floor of the SU with drop in sessions daily from 10am to 4pm.

UoM signs up for Covering Climate Now to fight climate crisis

More than 170 organisations and news outlets, including the University of Manchester, have signed up for Covering Climate Now, a global media initiative and project aimed at focusing media attention on the climate crisis.

The project, which is co-founded by Colombia Journalism Review (CJR) and The Nation in partnership with The Guardian, will see participating outlets join hands to devote their focus to climate coverage for a week, leading up to the United Nation Climate Action Summit in New York, on September 23rd.

During this meeting, the world’s governments will submit plans to meet the Paris Agreement’s pledge to keep global temperature rise “well below” 2 degrees celsius above the pre-industrial levels; and to limit the increase to 1.5 degrees celsius, which would lead to a significant decrease in overall catastrophic effects and risks of climate change.

The Paris Agreement, a consensus within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), was negotiated in 2016 by representatives of 196 parties at the 21st Conference of the UNFCCC in Le Bourget. It has since been signed by 195 UNFCCC members in total as of March 2019, with the aim to supervise and deal with the mitigations, adaptations and finances regarding the greenhouse gas emissions.

With regards to the Covering Climate Now project, Kyle Pope, CJR’s editor and publisher said:“The need for solid climate coverage has never been greater, we’re proud that so many organisations from across the US and around the world have joined with Covering Climate Now to do our duty as journalists—to report this hugely important story.”

As one of the most ambitious efforts to unite the world’s media around the globe covering a single coverage topic, Covering Climate Now also managed to join its lead media partners –The Guardian, CJR and The Nation– with other major media outlets including newspapers, magazines, broadcasts, televisers and global news and photo agencies all over North and South America, Europe, Africa and Asia.

The University of Manchester in particular, is aiming to demonstrate some of its most significant and widely diverse research, and thought leadership during this project; exploring major themes including climate change, sustainability, energy to social responsibility.

Climate Change has always been a widely discussed topic globally, especially over the past few decades. However, the severity of this issue is shifting significantly in some parts of the world, including the United Kingdom.

A recent report, published by think-tank IPPR North, indicates that the demand for water could considerably outweigh the accessible supply by 2035 in parts of Northern England. In the UK, the effects of climate change and near-nurture water shortage, has always been focused on dry South-East England, where London’s water consumption has already exceeded the supplies and water companies located in the capital are significantly water stressed. However, this spotlight is shifting to the North which could also be water stressed over the next decade.

Climate change is a huge risk threatening the future of our generation and the generations yet to come. Drastic actions need to be taken to improve the efficiency of water usage and transform public attitude by portraying the severity of the issue. The Covering Climate Now project is a major steps towards enlightening the public and raising more awareness towards climate change.

Katrina vanden Heuvel, publisher of The Nation said: “Collaboration with like-minded colleagues makes both journalistic and business sense in today’s media environment, and The Nation is happy to encourage such collaboration and proud to share our climate coverage as part of this exciting initiative.”

 

 

Dealing with insomnia as a student

Whether it’s procrastination or talent for working under pressure, most students have done an all-nighter at one time or another during their time at university. For those suffering with insomnia, however, all-nighters are a more frequent occurrence and can make those essay deadlines even more stressful.

Sufferers of insomnia may experience consistent lack of sleep, an initial struggle to fall asleep, or an inability to fall back to sleep after waking up. This disorder can be exacerbated or be brought on by stress, anxiety, drug use, and alcohol amongst other things. In some studies, the percentage of students at university suffering from insomnia can be put between 9.4% and 38.2%.

Insomnia is only a temporary affliction for some, but for many others it is a constant struggle.

Having been an insomniac myself for over five years, I know all too well how much insomnia can negatively impact student life. Most of my first year at university was spent skipping lectures because I was too tired, feeling guilty for missing those lectures and, subsequently, staying up into the early hours of the morning trying to catch up with work.

I struggled particularly around exam time because it was impossible for me to get up early enough to get a good seat in the library or the Ali G. I found myself trying to balance getting into uni in time for a seat while still being alert enough to do some actual work. There’s nothing worse than dragging yourself into uni and then being too tired to actually do anything productive. There’s only so much coffee or Red Bull can do, unfortunately.

Being unable to get some decent sleep exacerbated my stress which made it even more difficult to get to sleep at night. This felt like a never-ending cycle during the first and second years of my degree. But, some small tweaks helped me get through my third-year (mostly) intact.

In order to tackle the guilt I felt in relation to my uni work, I stopped trying to force myself to get up ridiculously early to get to the popular student study spots and found lesser-known places that I could arrive at much later than normal. Having that little more time to sleep enabled me to be more productive during the day and left my evenings free to wind down and relax.

To try and alleviate the lack of sleep itself, I forced myself into a regular sleeping pattern. It took time to get used to but it has significantly improved my sleep quality and doesn’t leave me too tired in the day to work. While keeping up with a schedule can be difficult, committing to the schedule on weekdays can be extremely beneficial.

These are the changes that worked for me but, unfortunately, they may not be a fix for everyone. However, finding small ways to change your lifestyle can help your uni-induced stress and, hopefully, will help you get some decent sleep.

If, however, you think your insomnia is having a significant impact on your mental or physical health, please contact your GP. If you do not want to contact a medical practitioner, the University counselling service is also available. Alternatively, and very apt for us insomniacs, you can talk to someone at Nightline: a confidential service, running from 8pm to 8am every night, that gives anonymous advice and support for students. Their number can be found on the back of your student card.

There might be more to your painful period

From as early as primary school, I came to expect and accept that I would grow up to experience period cramps, and that having a period would be painful.

Because we’re taught that having a womb and a vagina means pain is just part of being born this sex, excessive amounts of pain are often ignored. The message seems to be – don’t complain, take a painkiller, grow a pair of balls, and get on with it. It feels as if carrying around painkillers is as normal as carrying around chewing gum in your bag.

I fear that the normalisation of period pain means that those who endure very painful periods don’t question it. Who judges when a painful period becomes a very painful period? We’re not given the tools to assess the difference, instead relying on our own individual pain thresholds.

Very painful periods can be a symptom of several conditions including endometriosis, which I first learned about on social media. According to the NHS, endometriosis is a condition where the cells that grow on the womb lining grow elsewhere and shed in a similar manner, causing extreme pain. Other symptoms include, but are not limited to, pain during or after sex or feeling constipated during your period.

Dysmenorrhea is the name given to extremely painful periods of which there are two types. Primary dysmenorrhea is caused by cramping due to periods. On the other hand, secondary dysmenorrhea is a result of other problems, like endometriosis. The problem is, it can be difficult to distinguish between the two.

Endometriosis-UK highlights that it takes seven-and-a-half years on average for endometriosis to be diagnosed, in part because the symptoms are easily dismissed as typical for those menstruating both by medical professionals and those experiencing them. If we stop reinforcing the idea that we need to accept our painful periods and instead emphasise the fact that there is such a thing as too much pain, hopefully doctors and those menstruating will diagnose and recognise these conditions sooner.

The narrative needs to be changed so that women’s experiences are taken seriously, instead of potential symptoms being brushed aside as primary dysmenorrhea. This is made all the more frustrating when the dismissal is handed out by male medical professionals who have no experience of any amount of cramping, or what other period symptoms feel like.

Of course, a diagnosis is always the ideal outcome. However, it is important to acknowledge that this isn’t always possible. Sometimes the cause of extreme pain might just be your menstrual cycle but that doesn’t mean that concerns should be cast aside, leaving you feeling ignored and uncared for.

So, let’s stop telling each other that all period pain is normal! After all, we are still expected to go about our normal daily life with a (gentle) clawing in our uterus and never complain about it. If we can open a discussion about menstrual experiences, this will provide comfort as well as increased awareness about conditions such as endometriosis.

Interview: Dolby Cinema’s Julian Stanford

For the launch of the new Dolby Cinema room at ODEON Trafford Centre, I had the opportunity to sit down for a chat with Julian Stanford, Senior Director of Business Development of Dolby Europe. In other words, Julian is responsible for their expansion throughout Europe. A film buff at heart, and a member of the British Academy of Film and Awards (yes, the BAFTA), he explained what makes Dolby the new industry standard for viewing Hollywood films.

To kick off the conversation, I asked Julian a difficult question: What’s his favourite film solely because of its sound design? Surprisingly, in the year of Bohemian Rhapsody and Rocketman, whose soundtracks really shine on Dolby Atmos sound, Alfonso Cuarón’s Roma was his answer because of its unique sound. Ironically, he said, Roma was meant to be seen in cinemas, particularly Dolby-equipped cinemas, because Cuarón built a soundscape which tells a story as waves crash on the beach and the chatter of the streets fill the room. This was one of the reasons why Roma’s short cinema run was so scandalous — it was meant to be seen on the big screen yet Netflix pulled it from cinemas in mere weeks.

Photo: Dolby

From the Dolby 2.1 surround sound stickers on the back of DVD boxes to fully equipped Dolby Cinemas, I wanted to know why Dolby is the film industry standard for sound. Since 1978, Dolby as a company has won 15 technical Academy Awards because of their developments in the field of sound. This journey has led to today’s Dolby Atmos technology, a three-dimensional soundscape achieved by the placement of speakers behind the cinema screen, above the viewer, behind them, and, of course, to either side of them. Surprisingly, India is the country with the most cinemas equipped with this technology.

Sound engineers and directors can work with Dolby’s tools, forgoing the traditional stereo sound channels in favour of being able to place up to 108 unique objects in a three-dimensional space. For this very reason, Ridley Scott prefers to use Dolby Atmos to “creep the sound over the audience” as a tool to build tension.

This led us to the three pillars of Dolby Cinema: Studio-grade Dolby Atmos sound, Dolby Vision projection, and the design of the room itself. 

Dolby Vision is a dual-laser 4k resolution projection system. Simply put, the image produced is much brighter than standard DCI projection systems, the contrast levels are 1,000,000:1, which makes black levels truly dark instead of humble grey. Furthermore, Dolby Vision is a post-production process, which means that any film, new or old, can be remastered in this crystal-clear format.

The design of the room is what completes the experience, requiring a completely new cinema room to be built with reclining leather seats and anti-reflective surfaces to complete the experience.

This experience is what leads Julian to believe that streaming isn’t a threat to cinema. While John Cooper and David Courier of Sundance believe that cinemas and streaming services go hand in hand to distribute films, Stanford argues that as home entertainment experiences become more advanced, cinemas need to stay ahead of the curve to provide an unparalleled collective experience which is worth getting out of the house for. 

“Forgive my crude analogy” he says “but it’s like religion; if you believe in God, you can pray anywhere, even at home. However, nothing compares to the experience of praying in conjunction with other people at a cathedral.”

I can honestly say that I agree with Julian, the magic of the collective experience of seeing a film at the cinema is almost impossible to top at home. After our chat, I got to see Ad Astra in the brand new Dolby Cinema room at Trafford Centre in the glory of its smell of fresh leather and made up my mind: the hype is worth it.

The Dolby Cinema is clearly meant to be the upper echelon of the cinema-goer’s experience; it’s where you have to go see big budget films as they’re intended to be seen. The sound experience is what I particularly enjoyed, with the hair on the back of my neck standing on end as the bass rumbled and the sound enveloped me. That said, I won’t expect to see niche horror or A24 films at the Dolby Cinema anytime soon.

And, you know what? That’s totally fine, big budget films may as well be seen in all their glory anyway.

Brutally beaten homeless man given home in Manchester

A man who experienced an almost deadly attack that left him in a coma is one of 400 rough sleepers in Manchester to be given access to housing and a fresh start.

Kieth, 43, has spent the last 25 years in prison or sleeping rough but, thanks to the Greater Manchester Homes Partnership (GMHP), he has been given his own home.

The three-year programme, launched in 2017, aims to ‘prevent and relieve homelessness in Greater Manchester’ by providing homes as well as long-term support, including a peer mentor.

After being attacked in February 2018, Kieth was hospitalised for six months. He still currently ‘wears a brace on his leg as a result of the attack and has significant speech and memory difficulties’.

While Keith’s beating seems shocking, statistically, it is unsurprising.; in 2016, the charity Crisis found that, in comparison to the general public, those sleeping rough are almost 17 times more likely to have been victims of violence.

These statistics highlight the importance of schemes such as this one, which has provided Kieth with a flat in Salford. After struggling with addiction and childhood trauma, a permanent residence has helped him to gain control over his life and focus on making positive changes.

A social impact bond funds the programme, so it works on a ‘payment-by-results basis’. This means ‘providers only receive payments if they succeed in delivering better outcomes for rough sleepers’.

As the investors’ return is based on the programme’s success, there is an incentive for providers to help participants establish long term changes, such as Keith’s hopes to ‘start his own painting and decorating business’.

According to The Guardian, social investors ‘can receive up to £19,000 per participant if they successfully detox from drugs or alcohol, hold down a tenancy for two years, and find and keep a job’.

The success of programmes like the GMHP – which has helped provide accommodation for over 250 rough sleepers so far – demonstrates how long-term services that don’t judge immediately on past experiences can create lasting changes in the lives of homeless individuals.

UoM scientists’ breakthrough for cancer hair-loss

Hair-loss during chemotherapy for cancer patients could soon become a thing of the past, thanks to new breakthrough research at The University of Manchester.

Scientists from the Centre for Dermatology Research, based in Manchester, have been working on reducing arguably one of the most psychological source of distress in cancer therapy – induced hair-loss.

Taxanes, substances that widely used as chemotherapy agents in treating patients with lung or breast carcinoma, are believed to induce hair-loss as a powerful side-effect.

Research conducted by Doctor Talveen Purba and his colleagues, is believed to have found a way to prevent hair follicles from being damaged by the chemical taxanes, in the process of treating the malign formation in the body.

As the scientists explained in the journal EMBO Molecular Medicine, they have explored the proprieties of CDK4/6 inhibitors – a new class of drug. These are presumed to block cell division and are medically approved as being the future in chemotherapy.

The lead coordinator of the study, Dr Talveen Purba stated that even though it might seem counter-intuitive at first, they found that “DK4/6 inhibitors can be used temporarily to halt cell division without promoting additional toxic effects in the hair follicle.”

Dr Purba further explained that when they bathed human scalp hair follicles in a CDK4/6 inhibitors solution they became less affected by the effects of taxanes. It analysed that the most vulnerable to taxanes were the specialised dividing cells which are located at the very base of the hair follicle, and the stem cells from which they arise. For that reason, they started an investigation on how to protect these particular cells from undesired chemotherapy effects but in such a way that malign cells are still eradicated successfully.

Their ultimate goal for the future is to develop externally applicable medicines that will complement existing preventive approaches for cancer treatment-induced hair loss.

Dr Purba emphasised the importance of this study, as there are still uncertainties when it comes to why some people lose more hair than others while in chemo treatment, and why some drug combinations produce more damage than others. This study is aimed at revealing those aspects as well.

He added: “We need time to further develop approaches like this to not only prevent hair loss but promote hair follicle regeneration in patients who have already lost their hair due to chemotherapy.”

The researchers behind the study highlighted the fact that more exploration in the topic area is desperately needed in this field of cancer research, which is currently highly underfunded. Patients, too, have been impatiently waiting for a pharmacological breakthrough when it comes to chemo-induced hair damage as they feel that hair-loss, especially in women, affects them the most.

The study has recently attracted a vast amount of attention, with many people eager to hear the outcomes.

Déjà-Review: Blue Valentine

To many people, the entire genre of romance is based upon a well-worn formula. The traditional structure of a boy meeting a girl and, after overcoming some initial difficulties, them falling in love to live happily together for the rest of their lives.

Of course, as we can all appreciate from real-life, these storylines are far from the truth and, in many ways, the most truly affecting and realistic depictions of the joys and heartbreaks of love are found in the opposite of these idealistic daydreams.

This is the beauty of Blue Valentine. Written and directed by Derek Cianfrance, the film artfully presents the courtship and subsequent marriage of charming high school dropout Dean (Ryan Gosling) and aspiring doctor Cindy (Michelle Williams), but pulls no punches in its brutal depiction of the struggles they face during their marriage.

As a result of its non-linear narrative, the film contrasts the joys of a newfound relationship with the difficulties of sustaining that level of happiness amidst changing circumstances like no other. This gives the characters’ backstories and motivations a tremendous amount of emotional weight and deftly avoids the obvious pitfall of attempting to lay the blame directly at one of their feet.

Whilst there are arguments to be made for Dean’s refusal to deal with his depression-induced-stasis or Cindy’s inability to communicate her obvious dissatisfaction to her partner, they are both unified by the sacrifices they have made and the love they had for one another. This dynamic makes the slow unravelling of their relationship all the more poignant to watch and the conclusion almost unbearable.

This emotional weight is also in no small part thanks to the utterly spellbinding chemistry between Gosling and Williams throughout the entire film. During their relationship’s initial stages, they manage to fulfil the idealistic ‘rom-com’ stereotype with their chance encounter meet-cute, but then transform this into a deeper connection which seems, for better or for worse, to transcend the awful situations they find themselves in.

This feeling continues throughout their relationship breakdown and paints a harrowing picture of two people trapped between feelings of deep love, but also deep unhappiness. This is aided by Andrij Parekh’s gorgeous cinematography which creates an increasingly claustrophobic feeling and subtly lays the groundwork for a final explosion of emotion.

Cianfrance’s direction also deserves significant credit. His decision to allow most of the film’s dialogue to be heavily improvised and the use of most of the first takes of each scene in the finished film gives an utterly shattering sense of realism and creates a heartbreaking portrait of a couple slowly drifting apart.

There is still much debate over whether Blue Valentine is truly a love story, or merely a story of two people united, and eventually trapped, by tragic circumstances. But given that the beauty of love is arguably that it escapes definition and transcends everything else as an intense and deeply personal connection, does it really matter anyway?

4.5/5.

Oldham prepares for food price hikes in case of no-deal

Oldham Council has set aside £20k to subsidise food banks in the event of a no-deal Brexit, anticipating that households will make fewer donations to food banks in the “economic fallout of Brexit”.

The Government has allocated a total of £77 million to help local areas prepare for exiting the EU, with Oldham Council receiving £315k from this pot.

The move comes after MPs forced the Government to publish their no-deal contingency plan – Operation Yellowhammer – last Wednesday.

The dossier, warning of the rise in food prices, medicine shortages, protests and counter-protests, and delays at ports, represents the worst-case scenario should Britain leave the EU without a deal.

Operation Yellowhammer warns that, while overall food shortages are unlikely, there may be reduced availability and choice of products in the event of a no-deal Brexit, which would increase prices and disproportionately impact vulnerable groups.

The Leader of Oldham Council, Labour Cllr. Sean Fielding, said: “We are providing funding to food banks because the anticipation is that, as generous Oldham households who donate foodstuffs to food banks come under more pressure because of the economic fallout of Brexit, they will make fewer donations to food banks.”

Conservative Cllr. John Hudson complained that Brexit had become a ‘dirty word’: “I think most people are fed up, whether they voted leave or remain, they just want the damn thing done and to move on.”

“You have to remember you’re in a council chamber that represents people and democracy.”

Two-thirds of Britons (64%) expect food prices to increase in the event of a no-deal Brexit, according to a recent YouGov survey. Opinion was split over whether food shortages were likely, with 62% of Remain voters expecting shortages compared to only 12% of Leave voters.

Boris Johnson maintains that the UK will leave on the 31st October, “do or die, come what may.”

Interview with the director and cast of Under Three Moons

Under Three Moons is a new play from Box of Tricks. It tells the story of two friends over the course of two decades and explores masculinity, friendship and mental health. After watching rehearsals, I interviewed the play’s director, Adam Quayle, and actors, Darren Kuppan and Kyle Rowe.

I asked Quayle what they were hoping to achieve with this play. He said, whilst there are “bigger societal issues” regarding masculinity at play, this piece is fundamentally about two male friends. He called the play a “platonic love-story,” with characters who are products of their environment and upbringing.

Quayle has been involved with this play from day one. He was especially interested in exploring masculinity, male-identity and male mental health. He has worked with the writer, Daniel Kanaber, for many years. Kanaber’s stories, he remarked, are grounded, “relationship-driven,” and not reliant on “big theatrical moments”.

As a director, he feels a responsibility to the writer’s intentions; he believes UK theatre is playwright-driven. He said he has been “agonising” over every word, which I could tell from watching the rehearsal.

However, he called theatre a “collaborative art-form”. He said plays go on a journey from being the playwright’s play, to the director’s play, to the actors’ play.

The actors play the same characters over the span of two decades, with each of the three scenes being set ten years apart. Rowe joked it requires three-times the amount of prep before coming into rehearsals. He remarked that the play is not necessarily about what goes on in those scenes; what happens in between those scenes informs those scenes.

Kuppan hopes audience members will watch the play and realise it’s not a sign of weakness to open up. Rather, it takes “strength” to talk about your feelings. The actors and Quayle agreed with me that setting the play in three different decades will appeal and speak to three generations of men.

The actors went on to discuss the challenges of acting, more broadly. Kuppan thinks he has become pickier about roles as he has gotten older. He believes actors are more open when they start off because they need the work. Now, however, he wants to be a part of plays that are “actually telling a relevant story”.

Rowe calls acting “frustrating,” because in any other job, you can “work towards something,” but acting is unpredictable, and success may never happen. He believes actors need to “exert” their energy into other things and “do life and let the acting happen,” instead of doing the acting and letting life happen. He believes this shift in life has made the acting pick up.

Kuppan is married to another actor, Bhavna Limbachia (Citizen Khan, Coronation Street). They met playing husband and wife in Limbachia’s very first theatre production. Life imitated art…

Whilst being a theatre actor requires him to be away from home, and this can be difficult, them both being actors allows a great level of understanding and appreciation.

Rowe does not believe his northern accent has disadvantaged him. However, he feels that northern theatre is not as thriving as it was, and he has enjoyed giving this play “a northern voice” (literally).

What drew Kuppan to Under Three Moons is its non-specification of the characters’ backgrounds and how it doesn’t tell the actors who they have to be. He likes how the characters are not put into a box, though he laughed over the fact that the company is called Box of Tricks…

Indeed, theatre and TV are very different beasts. Quayle finds TV challenging because you have to “think inside a box”. Theatre provides an immediate reaction and requires the audience to be a part of the story, even if it does not involve any audience-interaction.

Rowe enjoys the “buzz” of having one chance of getting it right and not being able to rely on re-shooting. He also feels there is an element of “self-awareness” and”‘self-embodiment” onstage. He offered an example of having a twitch in his hand: whilst on TV, this could be resolved by doing a close-up, performing onstage would require that twitch to be “worked with” and made a part of the character.

Rowe also stated that theatre requires actors and the audience to use their imagination: whilst the play is set at the beach, it is being performed in “pissing-wet Salford”.

Under Three Moons runs at the studio at the Lowry from the 24th until the 28th of September and then tours until the 2nd of November.

The Fleabag Effect

The highly-anticipated Phoebe Waller-Bridge performs her dry, acerbic and at times utterly devastating solo show, Fleabag, now six years on from its original run.

Having amassed a huge viewership, scores of nominations and awards, and a name as a genius of television with a witty golden touch, there is no denying that her reputation proceeds her. Her audience greet her with whoops and cheers, not as a performer of theatre, but as a rockstar. The Freddie Mercury of the West-End, and rightly so.

Those who have seen the television series can recognise the short, hour-long performance as a thinner version of the script. The bulk of the material is recognisable from the popular series.

Rather than a deeper insight into the character of Fleabag, the performance serves more as an understanding of where the now iconic characters and scenes in the star-studded series originated from. Like reading an author’s original notebook after having completed the full novel.

The jokes are now pre-empted by the audience. Nearly all the lines are laughed at, reinforcing the fact that this is not just any one-woman theatre show. This is Phoebe Waller-Bridge, and this is where Fleabag came from.

So, why re-run this six-year-old script that has been shot to notoriety through its refreshingly original and electrifying BBC series?

The sold-out theatre could suggest this is an exercise of financial interest. But it is the setting of the theatre that allows the full depravity of Fleabag to show. Waller-Bridge’s manipulation of her face and body to emulate her many and multi-faceted characters is second-to-none. The characters are instantly inflated and become bigger and bolder than when we saw them on television.

It is the ability of Fleabag (the character) to openly and uninhibitedly discuss sex that has sprung the work to a position of notoriety as original and unashamed. The audience squirm at, but ultimately and generally accept, the quips about incest, sexual assault and domestic abuse. It is the high status of Waller-Bridge that allows these highly controversial remarks to go unchastised and unshunned.

This status creates a paradox. It is Waller-Bridge’s boldness, willingness to transgress expectations and discuss sex avidly and openly that has made her so successful.

But now, it is this fame that allows her to make these jokes in the prestigious setting of a sold-out West-End show – and broadcast across the country as part of National Theatre Live. The phenomenon that is Phoebe Waller-Bridge is inescapable. The show can no longer hold the intimacy and relatability that it once did.

Fleabag is filthy and flawed. She is rude, vulgar and hedonistic. She is hailed as relatable and original because women cannot normally act like this. We didn’t used to see characters like this. But now we do.

We have Waller-Bridge to thank for this incomparably brilliant and revealing character and a TV series that is in equal parts stunning and devastating. But, it is time to move on and find new and original ways to write about bold and transgressive women.

Butternut Squash Soup: Cheap, Healthy and Delicious

It’s week two and you might have eaten more pesto pasta than you thought humanely possible. Alternatively, you may have consumed so much takeaway and alcohol that you actually want something healthy in your life… Perhaps. Failing that, you may have spent all your money and can now only afford a 65p butternut squash in Lidl. If this is what you seek, then look no further. Here is the ultimate cheap meal; a creamy vegan butternut squash soup. Enjoy in copious amounts and with way more bread than you care to admit.

You will need: (For 4 servings)

  • 1 large butternut squash
  • 1 vegetable stock cube (if vegan, check contents of stock)
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • Olive oil
  • Rock or sea salt
  • Herb of your choice (dried thyme works well)
  • An electric hand-mixer, blender or food processor.

Recipe:

  1. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees.
  2. Use a veg peeler to remove the skin from the butternut squash then half down the middle and remove the top and bottom. Using a spoon, scoop out the seeds and pulp and enjoy the nostalgic smell that will transport you to pumpkin carving on Halloween as a kid. You can thank me later.
  3. Once peeled and cored, chop into small chunks and distribute on a baking tray that has a sheet of foil along the bottom (saves on washing up).
  4. Drizzle in enough olive oil to coat the squash evenly and sprinkle with roughly a heaped teaspoon of salt.
  5. Peel the garlic cloves and toss them whole into the baking tray. Add dried herbs of your choice! Thyme works particularly well.
  6. Roast the squash for 20 minutes. It’s done when a fork goes straight through, and when the squash has gained a bit of colour. This roasting step adds more flavour to the finished soup.
  7. Remove from the oven and add the roasted garlic and squash to a saucepan. Add enough hot vegetable stock to cover the squash and bring to a simmer.
  8. Once simmered for around 10 minutes, turn off the heat and let it cool for a few minutes before blending.
  9. Use your blending implement of choice and ensure you try and get it as smooth as possible! Don’t rush!
  10. If too thick, add more stock and blend. If too thin, cook on a low heat for 20 minutes to reduce some of the excess liquid.
  11. Taste for seasoning and enjoy!

Preview: Liza Treyger

Liza Treyger is an American comic who has travelled across the Atlantic to bless British audiences with her incredible comedy (and Lord knows we need it!).

Treyger was named on the prestigious Variety’s Top 10 Comics to Watch 2017 and was a standout performer at this year’s Just for Laughs Festival in Montreal.

She performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival this August to sell-out crowds and rave reviews. Luckily, for those of us who couldn’t make it to Edinburgh, she’s now coming to us!

After her UK dates, she’ll be travelling to a few venues across Europe – it takes a real good comedian to be able to appeal to North American, European and British audiences, so Treyger has got to be a woman of great craft.

Originally from the former Soviet Union, she was raised in Chicago before moving to New York, where she is currently based.

She likes late 90s/early 2000s pop and soul music, so maybe she can perform at Comedy Store and then we can party with her at PopWorld next door?!

She also enjoys collaging, shopping, walking around NYC, private pools, chatting with friends and fighting with enemies. The thing she likes most of all, though, is telling jokes and giggling with girlfriends. Treyger is a woman of many talents, and many stories. I’m sure you’ll learn a lot just by spending an evening at one of her shows…

She is renowned for debauched stories and tales of raucous nights out. She blends millennial party animal anecdotes with her trademark self-aware attitude. I’m sure she’ll remind you of some of the wild nights you’ve had down Deansgate or the Printworks…

Treyger is currently developing a show based on her life in her twenties in Chicago. Most recently, she was seen on her Netflix half-hour special, Denegerates. Previously, she had a half-hour special on Comedy Central. She has also appeared on Louis CK’s Horace and Pete, Comedy Central’s @Midnight, Adam Devine’s House Party, and Joking Off.

Treyger has picked a hell of a time to visit the UK. I imagine she was looking forward to leaving America for a while, but things aren’t much better here now… Still, if anyone can add light and laughter to a time of darkness, it’s Liza Treyger!

Liza Treyger performs at the Studio at the Lowry on Sunday 22nd September and then continues her European tour until 1st October.

XR protest the UoM Freebies Fair

Climate protest group Extinction Rebellion (XR) Youth are protesting the University of Manchester’s annual Freebies Fair.

Protestors glued their hands to the entrance gates of the fair shortly before 2pm today in an effort to raise awareness of the climate crisis and the environmental impact of some of the companies at the fair.

Three of the protestors glued their hands to the barriers at the entrance of the fair and the tarmac, whilst others stood in front of the gates with a banner.

Photo: Anja Samy @ The Mancunion

Speaking to The Mancunion, one of the protestors explained: “We’re protesting these companies, they’re contributing to the climate crisis. We are demanding that these companies tell the truth about their environmental impact.”

The XR Youth protestors also accused a number of companies at the ‘Freebies Fair’ of “greenwashing”.

The protestors declined to comment on whether they were students of the University, and how long they planned to remain glued to the entrance of the fair.

SU Exec Officers Lizzy Haughton and Adam Haigh were present at the protest. Both have declined to comment.

SU Women’s Officer Ayla Huseyinoglu raised concerns about the accessibility of the protest, saying: “I absolutely support the right to protest, I think climate activism is absolutely necessary as well, but I think when you employ direct action you have to think about who that disrupts, and I think that this disrupted our students and staff and not the system.”

Education Officer Chloe Salins agreed with Huseyinoglu, adding: “From an accessibility point of view, more should have been thought out in terms of the accessibility and the location of it, to ensure that any students that do want to attend the freebie fair, whatever their rights and views are, can still attend it safely.

“For me, my concerns are more with health and safety. If there was to be a fire or any incident the entrance that they’ve used would probably be one of the most commonly used ones for students, and it [the protest] would not only impact people inside the fair but it would also impact their own safety as well, and I think that should’ve been more considered.”

Keith Wright, a legal observer for XR during the protest disputed that there was any safety or access issue: “I noted that the emergency exit gate was not close to the protests and was staffed by and directed people that way.”

 

Match Report: Salford secure best-ever finish with KR win

Salford ended their record-breaking Super League season on a high with a golden-point win over relegation threatened Hull Kingston Rovers.

Krisnan Inu’s 88th-minute drop goal secured a 17-16 win for the Red Devils, who now have won a record eight games in a row and finished best ever third place in Super League. In doing so, they have a shot at winning the league’s top prize for the first time since its inception in 1996.

Hull KR also had reason to celebrate – Wakefield’s home win over London Broncos relegated the southern side, and assured the Yorkshire’s club Super League status for another year.

It was KR who started the game better, with Josh Drinkwater diving over in the 8th minute. In truth, KR looked like the play-off side for much of the first half as Salford were guilty of making far too many errors, most of them unforced.

KR’s main error was Danny McGuire’s yellow card. He was sin binned for interfering with Jackson Hasting’s quick play the ball on the 20m line, and spent 10 minutes on the sidelines in his final club appearance.

It was Hastings who capitalised on that error himself, as he fed Jake Bibby to cross for the Red Devils, making it 4-6.

A jubilant Salford fan at full-time. Photo: Ethan Davies.

A Rovers penalty just before the interval from Ryan Shaw added to the lead, and once McGuire had returned from his spell on the sides, it was the away side who looked more assured. By kicking into wide space behind the defensive line, it forced Salford to drop a winger deep to cover – meaning the Red Devils’ forwards had to carry more, tiring them out – and allowing Hull KR to start their sets further into Salford’s territory.

However, as the game progressed, Salford began to raise their intensity and bombarded the Rovers’ line for the final five minutes. Hull KR at this point had put themselves into 16-10 lead, courtesy of a Linnett try, and a Shaw penalty. Tui Lolohea had replied for the home side.

In the final minute of regular time, the third back-to-back set Rovers had to fend off resulted in Joey Lussick’s dive for the line being one too many for their defensive effort to deal with, taking the game to golden point extra time.

Consisting of two five-minute halves, neither side could come within striking distance of a drop goal in the opening period, with Craig Hall having an effort from half-way fall way short, and Krisnan Inu also seeing an attempt fail, this time being charged down.

Inu’s next attempt would be the crucial one, with centre’s right-footed attempt from 25m out proving sailing between the uprights to secure the win, and a trip to Wigan in the play-offs.

If Salford were to lose against Wigan, it wouldn’t be the end of their season as the new Super League play-off format allows the loser of second vs third to have a second chance against the winner of fourth vs fifth – Warrington vs Castleford, in this case.

After the fixture, Watson said that he believed if his side played like they had done in previous weeks, they could “cause a few problems” at the DW Stadium.

Review: Mrs Lowry & Son

English artist Lowry famously painted industrial districts of North West England. Whilst often overlooked in the art world, others admire his authenticity and distinctiveness. Like Lowry’s art, Mrs Lowry & Son is likely to receive mixed levels of appreciation. This film seems not to be about garnering money or renown. It is about creating art and celebrating the artist who inspired this artful film.

Did I mention the word art?

The film takes place in the period of time before Lowry becomes Lowry. Flashbacks to his childhood appear sporadically; each are short to keep the focus on the main timeline. The majority of the action takes place in Lowry’s mother’s bedroom. This highlighted the importance Lowry bestowed upon their relationship and the emotional power she wielded over his career. Noticeably, the film is ‘Mrs Lowry and Son,’ not ‘Lowry and Mother’ – the film wants us to know Lowry would not be Lowry without his mother.

The film boasted powerhouse performances from legends Vanessa Redgrave and Timothy Spall, both of whom attended the premiere. They appeared humble and grateful others were there to appreciate their beautiful film.

Spall was perfect as Lowry. He quietly channelled a number of emotions and suppressed the heartache and anger he felt towards his cold, critical mother until the end of the film, when it all came pouring out…

Redgrave lived up to her reputation as ‘the greatest living actress of our times’. For those unaware of her stellar success, she has won the Oscar, Emmy, Tony, BAFTA, Olivier, Cannes, Golden Globe, and the Screen Actors Guild awards. Her performance as Lowry’s bed-ridden mother, bitter about her downward social-mobility and critical of her son’s art, was superb. She managed to garner pity, anger, sympathy and laughter from the audience.

This film might not be as successful as your average Redgrave film, but Redgrave is nothing if not daring. In the 1970s, she joined a far-left political party, expressed support for (and created a documentary about) the Palestinian Liberation Organization, and criticised ‘Zionist hoodlums’ when accepting her Oscar. So, Redgrave agreeing to this film probably means she believes in it, and that is reason enough to at least watch it…

One of the most powerful scenes was towards the end, where Lowry was sort-of in one of his paintings. People came gushing onto the street before suddenly freezing. Lowry walked through the crowd before encountering a man who had made sporadic appearances throughout the film: his father. Whilst his overbearing mother had an obvious influence over him, so did the memory of his deceased father. The filmmakers highlighted this through the use of flashbacks and (sort-of) placing him in his son’s painting.

After the film, there was an ‘in conversation’ with Redgrave, Spall and director Adrian Noble. Timothy was funny and insightful. Redgrave was sassy, witty and sardonic, at one point bluntly asking the interviewer “what do you want me to say?” and another time savagely telling him, “that’s what I said.” The interview was an experience, for sure…

Mrs Lowry & Son is a must-see for art-lovers. It was poetic to host the gala premiere of a movie about Lowry at the theatre named after him in the area where he lived. The film displayed a humble man who grafted and struggled, but when the house lights went up and we remembered where we were, we were reminded that that struggle wasn’t for nothing… Though, given this was a modest man who turned down a knighthood, would he really be pleased with all of this renown?

Preview: PLAYLAND

Elysium Theatre is making a welcome return to the North West after sold-out and critically acclaimed productions at HOME in 2018 and Hope Mill Theatre in 2019.

Elysium was founded by Jake Murray, Danny Solomon and Hannah Ellis Ryan. It is currently Company In Residence at the Assembly Rooms, Durham.

Their next production is the Northern Premiere of South African playwright and novelist Athol Fugard’s PLAYLAND. It is running as part of Black History Month, and was the last play that Fugard wrote under Apartheid.

“Set on New Year’s Eve 1989, only a month or so prior to Nelson Mandela’s release from prison, the Cold War is over, the world is changing, and two men encounter one another in a remote corner of Playland – a run-down funfair somewhere in the vast wilderness known as the Karoo.”

One of these men is a white ex-soldier fresh from the Border War in Namibia and suffering PTSD. The other is a black night-watchman who murdered his white boss a decade earlier for raping his wife. They confront each other, each of them fleeing from the demons of their past. Neither are able to escape what they have done. They “must work out their own redemption as they beat against the limits of forgiveness.”

PLAYLAND will see the reunion of actors Danny Solomon and Faz Singhateh. They first performed together in Elysium’s acclaimed Jesus Hopped The A Train at HOME last year.

This will be Solomon’s sixth and Singhateh’s second show for the company.

Multi-award winning director Jake Murray is the director of this production.

He comments: “In our modern era in which racial and religious divisions are re-asserting themselves all across the world in our political lives, PLAYLAND could not be more relevant or timely and I am very excited to bring this play to the North West and East for the first time.

PLAYLAND is both a beautiful and moving play that resonates far beyond its immediate context to become about pain and reconciliation, guilt and repentance, the possibility of understanding across racial and political divides and the limitations of forgiveness. It reminds us of how it was when those divisions were at their most vicious, and the damage they caused when imposed across society.”

PLAYLAND runs at The Empty Space, Footlights House, Media City from 24th until 26th October.

Preview: Contact Young Company’s Baby Fever

Baby Fever is an exciting new piece of theatre created by Contact Young Company and Theater DEGASTEN. It is presented by Contact and SICK! Festival.

Contact is ‘where young people change their lives through the arts.’ They are the leading national theatre and arts venue to place young people at the heart of the decision-making of everything. Contact Young Company is Contact’s renowned, Manchester Theatre Award-winning young ensemble.

Theatre DEGASTEN is a non-profit organisation that aims to develop the talents of young people in theatre.

SICK! Festival is an upcoming festival that ‘faces up to the complexities of mental and physical health.’ They weave in perspectives from researchers, clinical practitioners, public health professionals, charities, and those with lived experience of the issues that they are addressing. So, their work aims to offer an authentic portrayal of the realities faced by various groups in society.

Baby Fever asks the interesting question: if happiness can be bought, are milestones the new currency?

Buying a house, getting married and having a baby are all seen as measures of ‘success’. Baby Fever questions whether these milestones are outdated. Additionally, the piece explores the relationship between ‘milestone and materialism,’ and will fuse movement with monologues and physical theatre. To make a comment about trust, the actors will perform parts of the piece with their eyes closed.

Baby Fever is an interactive piece of theatre, and audience-members will be sat on mattresses and chairs. The show will last as long as each audience wants it to – typically between 20 minutes and 1 hour. It sounds like an immersive experience as well as an entertaining play.

This piece is part of Contact and SICK! Festival’s ‘pay between’ scheme. Audience members can choose to pay between £5-15 to watch the show, and those who pay £15 will support cheaper tickets for other audience members.

Everything about this piece sounds admirably progressive. So, whether you’re keen to immerse yourself into an interesting piece of theatre or you want to support a progressive collaboration, you ought to give yourself a case of baby fever and get yourself a ticket to this exciting new show.

Baby Fever runs at STUN Studio from 1st until 3rd October.