The director of the Whitworth Gallery, Alistair Hudson, has been removed from his post by the University of Manchester over showing an exhibition that involved a statement defending Palestine. Hudson received numerous complaints from UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI) over an exhibition by Forensic Architecture, a well-respected investigative agency, that labelled Israeli interventions in Palestine as ‘ethnic cleansing’.
The exhibition was first held last August and since then there has been much debate among artists, students and in particular, the UKLFI put pressure on the university, asking them to take action and interfere. They felt the university had breached its public sector equality duties by allowing representations to be shown that were inflammatory, triggering and inaccurate.
The agency argued against these claims of inaccuracy, presenting evidence in international and national courts as well as truth commissions. Initially, the University responded by briefly removing the statement from the exhibition. But it was restored last August, following backlash from student protestors that argued the university was silencing the Palestinian side of the debate and taming art.
Therefore, this recent decision to remove the director of the art gallery has sparked debate amongst students over the role of the university in interfering with artwork and political debates, since it is supposed to be an unbiased institution. This has led many students to side with the artist.
A Social Sciences student told The Mancunion that, “the university should not remove statements that they feel are biased because that’s how we speak up on justice, encourage debate and spread awareness, although they have the right to consider how these statements are presented.”
Another student, who studies Politics and International Relations, argued that “artwork is a form of freedom of expression, therefore, unless the statement has been proven to be inaccurate or triggering, the university should not suppress people’s opinions or interpretations of events.”
When speaking to The Guardian, a University of Manchester spokesperson said: “We absolutely uphold academic freedom. Staffing matters are strictly internal to the university and we never comment on questions of this nature.”
Fontaines D.C., since the release of their debut album Dogrel, have gone from strength to strength. Acclaimed albums, sold-out tours, and a residency at Manchester Academy for three nights seem like light work for the five-piece. Cementing their place at the forefront of the post-punk revival, all eyes are on them for their next steps. Their new single, ‘I Love You’, the second from their new album Skinty Fia, debuted at London’s Alexandra Palace. It is another example of their trademark gritty sound while advancing a new political voice about struggles with Irish identity.
A song of two halves, the opening ballad has an air of serenity. Yet, below the surface, it paints a twisted picture of love as a responsibility. There is an uncomfortable emphasis on ‘you’ (“I love you, I love you, I told you I do”). This paves the way for an aggressive, lengthy address. Frontman Grian Chatten is almost rapping, with a flow surprisingly echoing the middle verse of Kendrick Lamar’s ‘XXX.’. The lyrics express the subject’s self-loathing, anger, and reckoning with a sense of cultural pride. Chatten described it as “the first overtly political song we’ve written.” The music video sees Chatten take a stroll through a candle-lit church, only to be placed in harsh crimson lighting for the passionate address. This cinematically matches the brooding intensity of the song.
The promise of the first two singles (this and ‘Jackie Down the Line’) suggests that Skinty Fia may be Fontaines D.C.’s best album yet. The range that they are able to create while staying true to their unmistakable sound is remarkable. They have no sign of stopping from their perpetual victory lap.
Skinty Fia is released on the 22nd April via Partisan Records.
On February 4 we saw the release of the latest Kae Tempest single, ‘Salt Coasts’, which in their own words is a “love song to this complex, devastating [and] deeply beautiful island.” It is a serenade for an age rife with chasmic divisions that challenges and then proceeds to provide a redefinition of what it is to be proud of being British.
It’s no secret that national pride is a contentious subject. One merely has to mention it and rooms divide. Particularly in Britain. To proclaim pride in Britain immediately evokes images of Union Jacks, grimey boozers, and the EDL, giving rise to concerns of nationalism, shady false patriotism, and a general unease of unclear and unpleasant intentions. As a nation we’re not short of shame, nor should we be, for our history is littered with disdainful actions, offensive policies, insidious ploys, political scandals, and other atrocities. So how can one be proud to be British? Where, if anywhere at all, can pride be found in this country we call home? And what can account for the dialectical desire to be proud of our home whilst acknowledging its history tainted with horrors?
‘Salt Coasts’ encapsulates these queries exceptionally. Though listening to this masterpiece of modern poetry won’t answer these difficult questions for you, that, I have no doubt, was not its intended purpose. Rather, Tempest provides a beautiful connection between people, understanding that our society is experienced differently, and provides different issues for us all, but that nonetheless a sense of community can be found for all of us living between these salt coasts.
This single is the second release in preparation for Tempest’s fourth studio album, following More Pressure, featuring Brockhampton‘s Kevin Abstract, released at the start of the year. From the releases so far, two things are apparent. First, on a sonic front, the production underpinning the upcoming album will be more danceable than its predecessors. The electronic influence feels fresh – a significant departure from the hard-hitting Let Them Eat Chaos, the brooding beats of The Book of Traps And Lessons and the conceptual works of Everybody Down.
Don’t let this fool you though, more danceable doesn’t mean lighter. The lyricism, powerful as ever, continues many of the themes found throughout Tempest’s earlier works: the trials and tribulations commonplace in life around us; the despairing sense of disconnect from the institutions that govern us; and the sense of togetherness and unity that serve as the silver linings to these gloomy clouds. In many ways, this is what I love most about this record, and Tempest in general. It’s heavy, yet with levity. Even in the darkest hour, hope persists. And despite rampant divisions a sense of alienation unifies us all the same.
I’ve had the pleasure of following Kae’s work closely for the last eight years. Their capacity to keep every project feeling distinctly new, whilst simultaneously preserving every ounce of the poignant message and elegant wordsmithing we’ve come to love and expect never ceases to amaze me. I can’t wait for the new album, and if nothing else will, Kae Tempest makes me proud to be British.
Yellowjackets is a fantastic, entertaining show but it is also a flawed one. Following an all-girl soccer team who are stranded after a plane crash, the TV show explores the years following the tragedy, and the trauma each woman has to deal with. Guilty secrets and bubbling tensions quickly make this a heart-pounding watch, as audiences witness how even those who have their lives together find themselves caught in a cycle of repeating teenage dysfunction and terror.
First, there is Shauna (Melanie Lynsky), who is trapped in a loveless marriage with her ex best friend’s boyfriend. Tai (Tawny Cypress) is struggling to stay afloat running an ever-failing political campaign. Natalie (Juliette Lewis) is a recovering alcoholic who goes straight from rehab to bar. Misty (Christina Ricci) is manipulative to the extreme: “you don’t want to come back to mine because you don’t think I’m pretty,” she tells her dates, crying until they agree to accompany her home. Yellowjackets presents thoughtful character studies of these girls’ lives, and not all of them are the nice people. Trauma is used to create distance between them as their attempts to connect with ‘normal people’ are continuously sabotaged by their inability to escape their horrendous collective past.
It finds its standout character in Misty Quigley, the human embodiment of ‘girlboss, gaslight’. After being bullied throughout high school, Misty relishes the opportunity to define her worth in the wilderness. She’s medically trained, so the girls depend on her. In her adult life, her job as a palliative nurse enables her to indulge in a love of abusing any power she’s given. There’s a balance struck between her pastiche of sickly sweet pastels, kitsch sweaters, high-pitched voice, and her objective brutality. At her core, Misty is tragic – perhaps she wouldn’t be like this if she had ever had a friend that wasn’t bribed or forced into being around her. Or perhaps it would make her worse.
Constant allusions to cannibalism are made but never directly confirmed. Shauna is terrified that someone may find her diary from the time, Tai’s political opponent launches a campaign calling her a cannibal, and Natalie is taunted with “but you never told us what you did,” in her rehab confessional circles. It is the drive of the show, the narrative hook – what did these seemingly innocent girls do to survive in the wintery wilderness?
However, Yellowjackets also includes some poorly executed psychological horror elements. Trapped in the wilderness, a survivor begins to have visions predicting a series of escalating threats. As their situation grows increasingly dire, it’s implied that this girl’s visions could have led her to control the group. This would rob Yellowjackets of its depth by suggesting a supernatural element behind their depravity as opposed to just their will to survive. Furthermore, a final twist that sees a long lost threat return feels unnecessarily mysterious and largely reductive of their struggles. Not everything requires a massive twist; the series shines when it’s focusing on how the girls are unable to adapt to regular life.
Despite these choices, Yellowjackets is more than worthwhile and is extremely watchable. Overall, it’s excellent in its character development and how it unravels the girls’ stories. It’s really worth watching just to see their progression or, arguably, their lack of progression – roll on season two!
As LGBT+ history Month comes to an end, so too does Contact Theatre’s annual Queer Contact. But all is not lost, for March is going to be an incredible month for the recently reopened theatre.
Alongside pieces from the Celebrating Syria festival, Contact is marking Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day with a trio of female-led shows.
News News News
News News News is a television news show made by children for adults, recorded in front of a studio audience and broadcast live on the internet. Working with artists Andy Field and Beckie Darlington, children will present bulletins from the city, offering a distinctive look at what’s going on right here and right now.
“In frightening times we are here to reassure you, through the good news and the bad, a friendly face at the end of the day, a voice in which you can trust. Coming live and uninterrupted from the theatre to an audience of potentially billions.
At a time when there is more news than there has ever been and yet our trust in journalists is at an all-time low, what is the purpose of news and how does it shape the way we see the world around us? And how might children teach us to look again at the places we live and the stories that we tell about them.”
The Glad Game is the story of finding herself in the bleakest of times, of discovering gladness in the saddest of moments and about how who and what you love can pull you through.
“You don’t have to do much to be an actor; just to be able speak and remember lines. Two very basic things”.
The Glad Game is written and performed by Phoebe Frances Brown. From her childhood impressions of Dolly Parton to grown-up roles at The National Theatre, The Donmar Warehouse and New York Theatre Workshop, acting has defined who and what she is.
In November 2018, Phoebe was diagnosed with an incurable cancer in the area of her brain that controls speech, language and memory. In her own words, she made sense of her cancer by creating art – and that’s exactly what she’s doing with this show.
The Glad Game plays at Contact Theatre on 16th and 17th March.
Photo: Contact Theatre.
The Bread We Break
The Bread We Break attempts to piece together fragments from an untold history.
“This is a story about bread. Except it’s not really a story, it’s a mixture of accidents, discoveries and movements, fermented over time. And bread is just the beginning…”
Miray Sidhom draws on her Egyptian heritage to explore Egypt’s suppressed history of political uprising. Weaving together memories of a childhood in Cairo, frank conversations with her mother, and archive footage, she questions bread’s cultural symbolism and fermentation as a metaphor for social change. A decade on from the Arab Spring, Miray traces the origins of uprisings to the first workers strike in the Pharonic era.
The Bread We Break is, essentially, an attempt to piece together fragments from an untold history, to knead the past into the preset, and to fee the future.
“Oscillating between personal and political, Miray reconciles and celebrates her Middle Eastern heritage; exposing the way everyday aspects of our lives can be politicised and controlled, and asks what are we driven to do when our fundamental rights are threatened?”
The Bread We Break plays at Contact Theatre from 24th until 31st March.
Mumbai (formerly Bombay) is known in India as the city of dreams. It’s one of the biggest cities in the world with 12 million people living in the main city and around 20 million in the entire metropolitan area. Once seven fishing islands, today it is the financial hub of India, with people from all ethnicities, cultures, religions and beliefs residing in it. It’s the place I call home.
In 2002 I was born in Delhi, however, at the time my parents lived in Mumbai. Throughout my life, I haven’t had to shift out of that city, until university. Hence I picked up on the little traits we share as a crowd.
We wear flip-flops everywhere, even if it is raining. We constantly carry a backpack – even if you are out just for lunch. During the monsoon season – yes we have a season for rain but it’s not as drab as the British rains – there is a mandatory polythene bag inside your backpack. Occasionally enjoying the fact that the Auto-Rickshaw – again yes that is what it is called, not a bloody “tuk tuk” – driver is crossfaded. To be honest there’s a thrill in the danger of it. And the street food.
Vada Pav. Photo: Rutvi Mistry @ Wikimedia commons
Honestly, the street food in Bombay is incomparable to what you would get here. I basically grew up on Vada Pav – or the yassified name of it “Bombay burger.” It’s nothing more than a deep-fried mashed and spiced potato put into a pav (a form of bread) with chutney on either side. Arguably nothing gets better than that. It may not seem like much but it is what most of Mumbai lives on. At the end of every major street or school cafeteria, you’re likely to find Vada Pav.
Mumbai has specific roads that have a lot of delicious food stalls. These are called “khau galli’s”, translating to food streets. For instance, there’s Mohammed Ali road in the southern half of the city. Up in all its glory during the time of Ramadan, people come to the street to break their fast.
The contrasts of Mumbai. Photo: Hardik Joshi @ Unsplash
Unknown to some, Mumbai has a friendly North-South divide. Neither are like the other, but will defend the city from anyone outside of it. Basically, the North is where the hard-working and often exploited working class and middle classes live. This side has no history to it, it is often called the suburb. But, people in the north of the city are fast-paced and don’t have time to rest. The North is where you see the overcrowded trains that the city is known for. If you see absolute slander in the next part, understand that I am from the north.
In the south, however, it’s for the people who have made it in life. The 1% of the 1% reside here, having privilege just overflow from the top of their heads. The people from here in general have no concept of being on time or being apologetic. They’re annoying.
Despite my loathing for the locals, the South is where the iconic part of the city is. It has the marine drive, nicknamed ‘The Queen’s Necklace’. It is a long stretch of road that goes along the bay, and at night the streetlights reassemble a pearl necklace.
View from the Marine Drive. Photo: Shikhar Talwar @ Mancunion
Here also lies CST station, where India’s first railway ran through. Essentially, it’s the only iconic historical monument we have, i.e. ‘The gateway of India’. It’s basically an over-glorified gate, put next to the port where the first British Monarch to visit India docked his ship. That’s about it.
However, there are sites with a lot of history to them, like Horniman’s Circle. Now to a normal person, it’s just a really funny name. Yet, Horniman’s Circle is based on a journalist who wrote for the Bombay Chronicle, being one of the few British people that fought for Indian independence. The man stole British records and published them in his newspaper, illustrating how Indians were being treated. In return, he was deported.
Image of Bombay High Court and Mumbai University. Photo: Shikhar Talwar @ Mancunion
Hands down, the most iconic building in Mumbai has to Antilla. It’s what we look up to, it’s what we have to salute. In simple terms, Antilla is the largest house in existence. Owned by India’s richest man, Mukesh Ambani, with 27 floors. It is also amongst the ugliest buildings I’ve ever seen. As comedian Vir Das put it, Ambani basically owns our electricity, water, politics and all of us. They can literally come forth presenting a new baby in their family like in the Lion King and all of us will gather below screaming ‘The Circle of Life’. It is literally a reflex for me to salute the building while going past it.
Mumbai also has a huge space for art. There’s street art and galleries all across the city. Some political, some just beautiful to look at. Most of which speaks to people. There is also a huge space for performing arts. Multiple theatres such as NCPA and Prithvi have been there for a long time, supporting and adapting alongside the city. There are multiple open mics throughout the city, and I myself have performed at one of them.
The city may not have had any instruments of its own, but it’s made music using everything available. The most obvious example of this is Bollywood. Mumbai runs on the magic that Bollywood creates. You see actors and directors in every nook and corner of the city, with everyone I know having dreamt at least once – “what if I was an actor?”
Photo: Shikhar Talwar @ the Mancunion
The only other thing that Mumbai runs more on: cricket. The city is crazy about it. If you go to Shivaji Park, you see a whole ocean of kids playing cricket. From school matches to coaching classes and everything in between. Back in the olden days, selectors would come to this ground to see which cricketer has what it takes to make it big. Old cricketing legends, such as Sachin Tendulkar, have played on this ground.
I went to that ground twice with the school cricket team, got snubbed last minute both games and ended up being a bench warmer, only for us to lose the game horribly. No, I’m definitely not still bitter about things that happened years ago, what makes you think that?
Other than that, there are two stadiums that stand out in Indian Cricket. One’s called Brabourne stadium, named after Lord Brabourne the then governor of Mumbai, made by the Empire. It was the hub of Indian cricket for a long time. It was only knocked over by the Wankhede Stadium, made by Wankhede (we aren’t that good with naming, our local cricket team is called “Mumbai Indians”).
Photo: Shikhar Talwar @ Mancunion
The weather of the city is the most horrendous thing to experience. In the summer you have hot humid temperatures that can go up to 40°C. During that time you just keep sweating as the sun laughs in your face while you go through pain. However, in the winter anything below 20°C is basically freezing. But with monsoons… Mumbai becomes more beautiful than it ever has been. As kids, we would go around finding puddles and making paper boats, whilst hoping that it would rain enough for school to be cancelled the next day. However, there would be days that it would rain so much that you would be scared for your life when the water comes as high as the knee.
Photo: Shikhar Talwar @ Mancunion
But more than anything the best thing about Mumbai is its people. The people make the city. Particularly the Parsi, a religion and a culture based in Persia. A sect that even Marx talked about, the Parsi has given Mumbai a lot of its culture, from its food to its art. On the other hand, you have the Gujaratis, a section stereotypically known to be a part of the business classes. The Marathis, the original community to have been in Mumbai. And then literally everyone else.
Literally, people from all over India would be found in every part of Mumbai. And Mumbai would probably be the city that accepts everyone the best. A city where though everyone is different, everyone still feels like one.
Nowhere was that feeling of oneness more evident than 26/11. An event that took place in 2008, when I was just 6, but an event I can still remember. I was playing hide and seek with my friends, and suddenly everyone came out excitedly as we saw a rainbow. Suddenly we saw a police van, a fire engine and an ambulance all with their sirens on go past us. Obviously confused, but with no clue yet we just excepted a fire. However, on returning home we realised that the city had become a victim to a terrorist attack.
People who were then claimed by a Pakistani Terror group, had entered the city in a fishing boat and began shooting people in its most populated areas. Then they hid inside a hotel right next to the Gateway of India. In that moment the once-great city of Mumbai was brought to its knees. Many people lost someone that day, but as a city, we knew that eventually, we would make it out of it.
Mumbai has so much to offer to the world. The arts, history, culture, sports, cuisine, and ultimately the strength and kindness of the people. These are the things I miss about Mumbai. The city, for me, has nothing that comes second to it. Obviously for me it is home. This article does not do justice to what the city is, however, I hope I provided a glance into what life is like in Bombay, the good and the bad.
The invasion has begun. Putin’s determination for war and bloodshed is evident for all those on the international stage to see. It is now clear that Russia’s intent to solve this crisis that they created diplomatically has amounted to nothing more than superficial gesture politics. As the west finds itself scrambling to force Russia into becoming an isolated, lonely, pariah state, I believe it is important to question how, in the 21st century, the concept of a full-scale invasion in Europe is not an idea bound to the history books.
I want to start with some background. Indeed, it is easy from the news coverage right now to think of the crisis in Ukraine as something that has spontaneously occurred, seemingly out of nowhere and for no reason at all. After all, the UK has been so fixated on its own domestic politics and instilling a misguided sense of British exceptionalism since the referendum that we have wilfully disregarded international affairs.
Naturally, in a way, British exceptionalism is feeding into the discourse of how Johnson has behaved in response to the declaration of war in Europe, leading the west with a sense of patriotic pride. It is important though to remind ourselves of the international standards Johnson promotes to us and ensure that he follows up, (both in the past and currently) on his words.
It is important though, to move past the failings of Johnson (at least temporarily, so that there’s room for less well known facts in this article) because this is more important than his self-inflated ego. To be fair to the guy, this conflict started way before his failed prime ministerial tenure.
I argue it began with the annexation of Crimea in 2014. The international community’s devastatingly lacklustre response to this previous invasion of Ukraine has inspired Putin to feel like he can once again employ on-the-ground war tactics. The response was so shallow that he continued to fuel tension by supporting separatists within South-East Ukraine, eventually leading to war. Is it a surprise to any of us then that he provoked the flames of separatist sentiment once again in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions as an excuse to start his sorrowful invasion of a peaceful nation?
The west knew about the Russian build-up of troops for months and yet we did embarrassingly little, something I feel will be one of the great regrets we look back on in the years to come. The US estimates anywhere between 169,000 and 190,000 troops and half of Russia’s entire air force surrounded Ukraine. Diplomatic demands from Russia were not met before the invasion and should not be met now the invasion has begun.
Putin deeply desires to scare the west into subjugating Ukraine, a sovereign nation, to a block from ever joining NATO. Whatever your opinion is about NATO, of which I’m sure there are many, the debate about whether it is right or wrong for Ukraine to join completely misses the point. Ukraine’s desire for membership, or exclusion, from NATO should not be dictated to it by another state. Especially not an aggressive state intent on bullying and controlling it. A nation’s right to self-determination is vital.
The Conservative government initially imposed underwhelming and highly criticised sanctions on five Russian banks and three Russian oligarchs. Their UK assets were frozen and travel bans were issued. The issue the UK government faced immediately after Putin stated he recognised Donetsk and Luhansk as independent republics is that for years now, the Conservatives have willingly accepted money from wealthy Russian oligarchs.
This week, foreign secretary Liz Truss was humiliated on live TV when she was confronted with the fact that the biggest political donation given by a female donor in recent British political history came from the wife of a former Russian minister with ties to the Kremlin. It amounted to £1.8 million.
More damningly, it has been uncovered that the group formally known as the ‘Conservative Friends of Russia’ has stated no intention to plan it’s in-person conference, due to occur in two weeks. This group has direct ties to Tory MPs and has hosted events attended by the prime minister’s wife, Carrie Johnson.
It is no secret that the Conservative Party has questions to answer regarding its closeness to Russian money and influence from the Kremlin, despite Johnson’s vehement denials. How then can the Conservatives be trusted to tackle and challenge Putin if their party has such close ties to wealthy Russian politicians and oligarchs?
The problem regarding Russian money in the Conservative party is not isolated to this one example. This week, the leader of the Westminster SNPs Ian Blackford rightfully pointed out that 113 limited partnerships have moved $20.8 billion out of Russian banks under the Tories. He noted also that since Johnson became prime minster, a total of over £2.3 million has been donated to the Conservatives from Russian oligarchs. This should make it clear to everyone that the Tory party alone are completely incapable and shamefully ill-equipped to pioneer any meaningful sanctions at this point – without upsetting vital donation links.
Again, the rhetoric of British exceptionalism appears to be little more than farce when put under scrutiny. It is an aspect of reality we so often seem to forget when trying to understand exactly why our government is so horrendously incompetent.
It is important to note however that it is precisely because of the EU and the US support, that the UK is in the position to announce the impressive swathe of sanctions it did on Thursday. As Biden announced over 7000 troops will be deployed to Germany, Johnson was able to announce he intends to impose the “largest set of sanctions ever imposed anywhere by the UK government”. This includes further personal sanctions on five more Russian oligarchs, including Putin’s former son-in-law, as well as tackling more than 100 businesses and individuals through sanctioning.
Additionally, Johnson expressed desire to introduce legislation that would limit the number of deposits Russian nationals will be able to hold in UK bank accounts. The prime minister also stated he intends to work with the G7 and NATO to exclude Russia from the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT), effectively cutting Russia off from the international banking system. These are welcome actions from the government and are planned to be implemented next week. However, at the time of writing, the exclusion from SWIFT now appears unlikely due to the hesitancy of some EU member states to follow through on this. Only time will tell.
Regrettably, there are certainly some prominent figures on the left side of British politics whom I think have acted foolishly in their acknowledgement of this crisis. Corbyn has shown himself to be, at best, extremely naive with his response. He initially advocated a suspension of NATO’s expansion eastward, effectively conceding to the demands of Putin.
I sympathise with Corbyn’s desire for peace and negotiation, and I believe that many members of the international community have the same desired goal. However, his surrender to Russia’s demands as a solution to this conflict highlights his oversimplified ignorance to the issue. By having such a stance, he undermines the concept of the sovereignty of nation states to choose their own stance, their own alliances, and their own path. Additionally, the Stop the War Coalition made a statement criticising NATO and 11 Labour MPs signed up in support of it. They have since withdrawn that support after they were told to do so by the Labour chief whip.
If the west conceded to Putin’s demands, what’s to say he won’t insist the reversal of NATO’s already established eastwards expansion in the near future? This event should be reason enough to persuade those on the Left who are suspicious of NATO that it is very much still needed to curb Russia’s hopes of expanding its imperialist sphere of influence. It should certainly not be a reason to double down on gullible predispositions. Nobody in the west wants war, but dictating the future of a sovereign nation is not the way to prevent it. Therefore conceding to Putin’s demands should not be something considered either on the Left or Right of our domestic politics.
It is often easy, and sometimes preferable for our own mental health, to focus on the political fallout of events such as this. But I want to finish this article by drawing your attention to the humanitarian crisis we are about to see unfold. I write this on the first day of invasion, that being the 24th February 2022 at exactly 22:17. Yet already, Ukraine has announced 203 individual attacks have occurred, 169 people have been injured, and 57 people have tragically had their lives taken from them. This total is already stark and will increase steadily day by day for months to come, that I assure you.
I urge you to keep in mind, as we watch this tragedy unfold, the mothers and fathers in Ukraine who will soon hear of the deaths of their children in the defence of the country they hold dear in their hearts. This crisis is far from concluded and you will hear stories of loss and devastation throughout the year. It is because of that that I deeply encourage you to show solidarity with Ukraine and to not succumb to Putin’s fear and despair.
The University has stopped providing free test kits from February 18 2022. At the same time, the government announced that the kits will no longer be free from April 1. However, both of these policies have been criticised heavily.
The University announced on February 16 that from February 18, they would no longer be providing free lateral flow kits. They say that this decision has been made by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) as they ended their agreement with the University to provide the kits. The University still urges those who have kits to test twice a week before coming to campus. However, they acknowledge that this would be difficult for many.
Students are concerned by this decision with one explaining, “I was using the free testing kits from the University for my own safety.” A Medicine student stated, “I commute from home and live with my parents. Having those free test kits were the way to ensure that everyone in my family is safe.”
Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that as of April 1, the Lateral Flow Test kits will no longer be free. There will be a £2-£5 cost added to each test. In total, a kit of 7 tests that is currently free now, will cost £20 from April 1. This announcement came along with one that decided that from February 24, self-isolation will no longer be required for anyone who test positive. People under 18 and vaccinated contacts of positive cases will not be required to test for a week. Close contacts who are unvaccinated will not be required to self-isolate. Moreover, the £500 payment being provided to self-isolating people will also be stopped.
However, critics have been vocal on the issue. Doctors have criticised this move saying that Johnson is pretending as if Covid does not exist anymore. Meanwhile SAGE member Professor Robert West believes they are “abdicating its own responsibility for looking after its population.”
Writers from The Mirror believe that this is going to add to the cost of living problem that already exists in the UK currently. However, Johnson defended the policy change stating to the House of Commons that his move is to “learn to live with this virus and continue protecting ourselves and others without restricting freedoms.” Leader of the Opposition, Sir Keir Starmer, refuted these claims going against Johnson, arguing “This wasn’t a plan for living with Covid. It was a plan for ignoring it.”
Students echo Keir Starmer’s comments, saying “Johnson is trying to act like Covid doesn’t exist anymore, and does not care about who it affects”. A second-year Creative Writing student believes that “It is dangerous and directly challenging to the most vulnerable.”
The Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) sent the new Clean Air Policy back to the government on January 20 in the hope of more funding.
The Clean Air Policy was made by the GMCA in response to the amount of NO2 pollution in areas of Manchester including Oxford Road and Wimslow Road. To rectify these levels the GMCA were going to fine vehicles that weren’t pollution controlled, however, they did not want to unfairly cause problems to local businesses and working classes, so they asked the government for funding for vehicle owners to upgrade their vehicles.
The government, however, has rejected this request saying that the GMCA will have to change their policy and no more funding will be provided. Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, has now responded, calling out the Conservative party.
Burnham’s initial plan, which has now been rejected, was to provide funds to allow people to upgrade their vehicles to one which matched the new emissions standards. Once these upgrades were made, the council would fine people who do not abide by the new standards.
The government has asked the GMCA for more “evidence” to justify the revised plan. As a result, the policy has effectively been put on hold until the summer of 2022. Yet controversy has ensued. During PMQs, Boris Johnson said that Burnham’s policy was going to do “damage to businesses and residents”. He added that the fines would unjustly penalise the residents of Manchester for not being able to comply with the guidelines in such a short span of time. This seemed to frustrate Burnham, who criticised the government for setting a goal for net zero emissions by 2024 straight after a pandemic, calling the plan “unworkable”.
Meanwhile, Burnham has been working with the Environment Secretary, and asked that the plan be pushed back to 2026 instead of 2024. This has been accepted, but again not without criticism from the government, who imply that the Labour mayor is pushing it back on purpose. Burnham has responded saying that whilst many would be happy with the policy being scrapped and reworked completely, he “cannot accept a situation where we leave some of our residents exposed to illegal air pollution.”
After Jake Berry, the Conservative MP for Rossendale and Darwen in Lancashire, criticised the policy, saying it would be challenging for the bus services in his constituency to afford the fines, Burnham shot back, instead drawing attention to the government’s refusal to increase funding to allow people to upgrade their vehicles.
Burnham further explained that the government had asked the GMCA to make the plan during the pandemic, and there is an “inflation” in the vehicle market, that the government is not accounting for. Burnham went on to talk about the “dishonesty of the modern Conservative party”. He ended saying, “you impose this directive on clean air and you all come out saying scrap the clean air zone. It’s the dishonesty of the modern Conservative party playing for the Trump Handbook.”
Russell group universities have faced criticism in recent days after the telegraph reported that between the 24 universities a surplus of £2.2 billion was held. During the pandemic these same universities were handed £115 million as part of the furlough scheme, brought in to help pay the wages of staff members. This has led to discontent from students who have already felt hard done by due to the handling of the pandemic by universities.
The increase in this income is in part due to the increase in students being accepted in to university after the fiasco of grade inflation of A-Level results, after students were given their grade based on a computer programme, leading to uproar. Students were then disproportionately achieving high A-Level grades, which led to a much higher acceptance rate at universities.
Recently the University of Manchester released its financial report which stated that in 2021, the university was operating at a surplus of £61 million. This is higher than previous years, with £5 million surplus in 2019/20 and £50 million in 2018/2019.
When asked about its operating surplus, a University of Manchester spokesperson outlined the nature of this surplus operating cost. They made the point that “Whilst it had improved from the previous year, it is only 5.6% of our income. We need to be able to generate at least 10% operating cash surplus in order to invest in the future of our students.”
They point to a section on financial sustainability in their report which states: “Due to the current funding environment, the rising costs we face and the growing demands on us as a successful teaching and research-intensive institution, we need to generate a surplus of about 10% of income each year to meet growing demands and deliver on our ambitions.”
Explaining what this meant in terms of surplus they stated: “Essentially our surplus reflected the fact that student recruitment had improved for 2020/21 but also that, in response to the pandemic, we had implemented very strict cost controls such that a lot of expenditure was halted or was deferred into subsequent years.”
On the furlough scheme, the spokesperson expanded by stating that the university received £3.7 million in the academic year which ended 31 July 2021, and £9.7 million in the previous year in the Coronavirus job retention scheme.
Nightmare Alley, Guillermo Del Toro’s first film since Best-Picture-winning The Shape of Water, is yet another aesthetic feast from the acclaimed director, a film that is a pleasure to look at and that has a stylistic identity easy to indulge in. This time, however, the setting is far from fantastical. Del Toro pays homage to American noir films of the 1940s and 1950s, meticulously crafting a classic rendition of the genre.
The story is a traditional noir tale, based on William Lindsay Gresham’s 1946 novel of the same title, first adapted to film in 1947. The protagonist, Stan Carlisle (Bradley Cooper), is a con artist on the run who joins a travelling carnival after having committed murder and arson. There he begins to learn cold reading and coded language from two of the carnival performers, Madame Zeena (Toni Collette) and her husband (David Strathairn). While exploring the boundaries between performative arts and magic, there arises a grasping sense of mystery and a heavy, unsettling atmosphere that permeates throughout Stan’s surroundings.
Not for a moment does Stan want to settle, consequently looking for opportunities to expand his career. Soon, he engages in a romance with another performer, Molly (Rooney Mara). They start their own act of clairvoyance, and eventually leave the troupe to begin performing independently.
Stan and Molly quickly gain popularity and find themselves performing acts for the richest and for the elites. During one of these shows, Stan meets the femme fatale of the film. Played seductively and charismatically by Cate Blanchett, Dr. Lilith Ritter enamours Stan effortlessly. Blanchett is the undeniable star of the film, a true scene-stealer with an unforgettable nature that enthrals the viewer as much as the protagonist.
The film’s runtime of 150 minutes naturally implies that the story involves a significant development throughout. It is not short of twists and radical changes of scenery, from the dirty and gloomy carnival to grandiose, polished, art-deco interiors.
In the case of a stylish work of craftsmanship like Nightmare Alley, however, the story itself plays a less crucial role than the excellency of technical craft and careful world building. In the foreground is a visual and technical feast, the adaptation of every great aspect of film noir to the capabilities of modern cinema. Whether it’s the unforgettable festival funhouse, the atmospheric cinematography, or the chilling score from Nathan Johnson, every aspect of the film’s craft is worth praising.
However, there remains the feeling that the screenplay, as well as the film as a whole, is unable to deeply explore or modernise the confines of the source material and of film noir overall. It becomes clear that the cynicism and cold-bloodedness of the genre, which brought it mainstream popularity back in the day, entrap the film within the limitations set decades ago. Yet, it would be unjust to consider it a flaw, as it highlights certain timelessness of noir tales and how well-established the way of telling them on screen is.
Del Toro did not attempt to modernise the story, but rather to pay homage to the classic genre and to build another triumph of the craft of filmmaking. It might not be a triumph of art and creativity in the sense The Shape of Water was, but it wasn’t meant to be that; Nightmare Alley is an old-fashioned love letter to a genre that although long gone, never came close to being forgotten. And in Del Toro’s heart, it still is very much alive in an unchanged shape and form.
9 to 5 has finally blessed us with another UK tour after being situated at the West End. Claire Sweeney stars in the Dolly Parton musical based on the film, unsurprisingly called 9 to 5 (1980). Did you know there was also a film series spinoff of 9 to 5? Truly, Dolly Parton has had it all.
If you’ve never seen 9 to 5, either the film or musical, the plot revolves around three women who devise a plan to ruin their sexist boss who doesn’t appreciate or value them. They try to change their office forever, but will it go to plan? The musical came much later than the 1980 film, with its first performance in the US in 2008 before coming to the UK in 2012, with its West End debut and second UK tour in 2019. The last tour starred Louise Redknapp and Amber Davies, who had also starred in the West End production.
Although the musical is based on the iconic film, it does have a reimagined script and features all-new songs written by Dolly Parton herself as well as some songs that Dolly had recorded for other projects such as ‘Bacwkoods Barbie’. Despite its reworkings for the stage, the dream of equality in the workplace still resonates with audiences today, making the 1980s film even more poignant in how far we still have to go. However, with sold-out shows, the musical ultimately confirms the solidarity for the movement, and people’s love for the Queen of Country (sorry, Shania).
Claire Sweeney is best-known for her work in musical theatre and for playing Lindsey Corkhill in Brookside. She has also appeared as a contestant on the first series of both Celebrity Big Brother and Strictly Come Dancing, as well as a panelist on Loose Women.
If you’re interested in seeing the show, it’s only in Manchester for five days and tickets are selling fast. With a star-studded cast and its country-music charm, it’s sure to put a smile on your face after working your own 9 to 5 day job!
9 to 5 plays at the Palace Theatre from 1st to 5th March – which will be the final stop of its UK tour.
There is no doubt that Nobody is breathtaking and exhilarating, but by no means is it an easy watch.
Often, one can watch a piece of theatre and forget about it. However, shows like Nobody leaves a deep imprint on one’s mind as it challenges the viewer to immerse themselves in the experience and invites them to make sense of it.
On the surface, the performance is an exposition of the tension between our inner lives and our attempts to understand the world around us. Through its dance-circus (a combination of contemporary dance along with the acrobatics of circus) routine, it invites the audience to experience for themselves the strain of trying to make sense of something that at first glance looks pretty apparent but somehow still feels strange and inexplicable – surreal almost.
Needless to say, the ongoing pandemic heavily inspired the plot line (if one can call it that) and pushed the artistic director, Kevin Finnan, to explore how the voices in our heads became more pronounced as we spent more and more time alone.
Ever since I got back, I have been trying “make sense” of what I saw, how the movements and the visuals created by Logela Multimedia fit into the narrative that was described in the program. I distinctly remember the set and the movements combining together to touch upon every feeling that must have passed through our hearts in the last two and a half years. On the other hand, I also found myself wondering, was that all there was to it? Unconsciously, I find myself looking back at my own experience of lockdown — the isolation, the endless scrolling through newsfeeds hoping for a sign that the ordeal has ended, the longing to see friends again, the endless anxiety for the wellbeing of near and dear ones — and realising, this is exactly what makes the show so brilliant.
In evoking these feelings yet again through dance, music and visuals, the show has succeeded in capturing a paradox — the shared experience of being in isolation. Nonetheless, it doesn’t stop at that; in the second half, it goes on to celebrate the shared sense of community that enabled us to emerge out of the worst disaster in recent history, all the while acknowledging that not everyone was able to make it out.
This makes the show exceptional as it condenses the paradox, the ordeal, the pent-up feelings, and the collective joy of relief of the past 2.5 years into an hour and a half long performance, capturing the wide spectrum of emotions without relying on any dialogues but instead utilising a plethora of movements and a set that doubles as our inner and outside world to the point where the boundaries between the two are completely blurred.
Nevertheless, the biggest triumph of the show lies in its ability to make the audience introspect, to explore how our inner voices constrain us but also to make us feel hopeful about our ability to break free of them through the help of the communities around us.
Having said that, I still feel dissatisfied. I feel that in my attempt to box the performance into the descriptions I have provided, I have missed the chance to experience far more than I could imagine. Somewhere, I still feel my review (or any of the other available) doesn’t do justice to this evocative masterpiece, because as critics, we had remained so fixated on what to tell our readers that we completely overlooked the opportunity to hear our own inner voice.
Nobody is touring Europe and the UK until the 26th of May 2022.
Many scientists like Darwin came up with their famous theories on the basis that the main purpose of all animals was to reproduce and pass on their genes. Homosexuality simply does not fit into this. It has been a debate for many years as to whether the emotion of “love” is simply a dreamt-up concept by humans which therefore does not apply to other species. For example, could it be that your darling dog doesn’t actually love you but only gives you physical cues to make you feed them?
However, whilst it is not physically possible to prove that love exists, the evolution of monogyny (only having one sexual partner) cannot be ignored. Prairie voles for example, only have one partner and mate for life. This is also the case for penguins, swans, and gibbons. If animals have evolved to have one partner (which decreases the number of offspring a male could father), who’s to say animals couldn’t evolve to have homosexual relationships?
In fact, there are many animals who have shown either bisexual or homosexual behaviour. Homosexual activity in penguins was observed as early as 1911. Currently, in London Zoo, there are two male penguins named Ronnie and Reggie in a same-sex relationship. They even adopted an abandoned egg and co-parented their chick, named Kyton. If that doesn’t make your heart swell, I don’t know what will!
Dogs have also been shown to be interested in members of the same sex. The Channel 4 documentary My Gay Dog and Other Animals came out (no pun intended) in 2019 and followed the same-sex behaviour of many animals. One of these was greyhound Norman, who was constantly “expressing his excitement” towards male dogs but was not interested in female dogs at all, even if they were on heat (i.e. ovulating). Whilst Norman’s sexuality is accepted, scientists are still puzzled as to why he carries out these behaviours.
These stories, whilst we may find them touching, are extremely important in the scientific community. They are genuine examples of homosexuality being found in nature. This phenomenon could not only change how we view the complexity of animals’ brains, but also play a part in fighting the prejudice against the LGBTQ+ community.
This Tuesday (1st March), Manchester University’s very own Women in Media Committee are taking us on a musical tour through the 70s, 80s, 90s, and 00s. So – it’s time to dig out those flares you haven’t yet had an excuse to wear, throw on some florals, mom jeans, or neons, and head down to Withington’s finest, XLR nightclub. Doors will open from 9:30 until late, and with UCU strikes happening the next day, it’s the perfect excuse for a weekday night-out!
Click the link to get your tickets online for just £3. Alternatively, you can pick-up your tickets at the door for £5. Each hour begins a new decade; starting with 60s hits from the likes of Blondie and Queen, to 80s throwback tunes like Journey’s ‘Don’t Stop Believin’, straight into 90s group classic from Oasis and the Spice Girls, and iconic noughties hits from Winehouse to Bowie. With such an expansive range of music on offer, you can be sure to find your favourite hits amongst them – this is definitely not a night to miss!
Don’t forget also to buy your tickets for this year’s Women in Media Conference, happening in late March, which promises to be an amazing week filled with guest speakers from a range of positions within the media. Get your tickets here now, and follow WIM’s Instagram for any updates!
So … grab all your friends, pick your favourite decade, and dress-up groovy for WIM’s Time Trippin’ extravaganza. We can’t wait to see you all there!
After their headline tour was rescheduled countless times thanks to everyone’s favourite C-word, Boston Manor finally got to play Manchester Academy 2 on Friday 11th February. The band originally hail from Blackpool, and so it was as close as they would get to a homecoming gig, with lead singer Henry Cox shouting out his family in the audience.
As expected, all you could see when looking across the top of the crowd was black box-dyed hair, the rock-on/horn hand gesture, and eyes wide with beer and testosterone.
Boston Manor were supported by Jools and Movements, and I was surprised to see that, unusually, the crowd were already fans. There was a mosh pit in place by the middle of Movements’ set, and I counted eight crowd surfers who were plucked from the front barrier during their 30-minute slot alone. I’m not sure if this is because the support acts were announced months ago (way back on the 427th rearrangement of the tour) and so ticket-holders had time to acquaint themselves, or if this was simply perfect judgement on the part of whoever booked the supports.
Photo: Serafina Kenny @ The Mancunion
Boston Manor themselves were, I am afraid to say, a bit of a disappointment. I really love their music and so was excited to see them live, amongst other fans, and perhaps to edge into a mosh pit if the fancy took me, but it was quite an average gig with a lot of wasted time and a lot of wasted words.
They began with ‘Everything Is Ordinary’, the song which opens their album GLUE – which the tour was originally supposed to be promoting. They then played a few songs from previous releases, like ‘England’s Dreaming’ and ‘Flowers in the Dustbin’ from their album, Welcome to the Neighbourhood, and ‘Desperate Pleasures’, taken from their 2021 EP Desperate Times, Desperate Pleasures. You can see a full setlist here.
They also played quite a few older songs, such as ‘Burn You Up’ and ‘Laika’ from their 2016 EP Be Nothing. This wouldn’t usually be a problem, but Henry kept talking about those fans who had been around when that EP was released, directing his words multiple times at only those who were Boston Manor stans pre-2017. As someone who *only* discovered the band in 2020, I felt a bit slighted by this, not expecting to be assaulted by the whole new fan vs. ‘true’ fan argument at a gig – especially not by the lead singer himself!
Photo: Serafina Kenny @ The Mancunion
In fact, Henry speaking was one of the main issues with the gig for me. He spoke a lot. Like, a LOT. He kept repeating the same sentiment about the pandemic finally being over and it being great to be touring again, which is all well and good but doesn’t need to be said more than once. He also did a long spiel about how Boston Manor had met the supporting bands, and how much they loved them, even dedicating a song to them. Again, all well and good but honestly I’m not sure how appropriate being all lovey-dovey on stage is when you’ve got a sweaty, riled-up crowd eagerly waiting to mosh…
The worst was his repeated attempts to create energy in the crowd, which did the opposite and actually decreased the energy. He kept saying he wanted the gig to be as rowdy as possible, and actually asked the crowd to be rowdier on multiple occasions. He even asked for “as many crowd surfers as possible“, wanting to “make security work“. This all felt slightly artificial and embarrassing for me – surely if the band’s performance is good enough, the crowd will get rowdier as an organic consequence?
Photo: Erin Botten @ The Mancunion
At the start of the gig, Henry even said that he expected the gig to get quite unruly, asking fans to make a ‘T’ sign with their arms (like what you’d do for a ‘time-out’ in Tig back in primary school) if things got too much. This was a kind gesture and I think would have made people feel more comfortable knowing there was an out if things got too rowdy.
But they didn’t really. Rowdiness definitely could have been achieved, if Henry had spoken far, far less, and the gaps between songs weren’t hours long.
It’s hard to keep up the energy levels if you’re forced to emerge from a rock-fuelled haze by a two minute lull in the music whilst the band do… what? Tune their instruments again? Tell each other how much they appreciate each other? I fully appreciate that the band needs to occasionally take a second to have a sip of beer, or to attune themselves to each other, or even just to give their arms and voices a break. But I genuinely think Boston Manor could have played at least three more songs if there had been a little less talk and a little more action.
Photo: Serafina Kenny @ The Mancunion
The songs themselves were great, exactly as expected – loud guitars, heavy drums and raspy vocals are always better live – but the performance aspect was a little lacking. For a start, the lighting only illuminated the middle of the stage, meaning you couldn’t really see the two guitarists, brothers Mike and Dan Cunniff, and the band members didn’t perform, just simply played their instruments. Apart from Henry, who did lots of talking, of course. I would have appreciated even just a little headbanging, or maybe for him to briefly share a moment on the mic with Ash Wilson on backing vocals.
Perhaps this review is a little too scathing – it was a decent gig and I did get to see some of my favourite songs live. But I’m not sure it’s one I will really look back on fondly, or re-watch videos from to remember the ~vibe~. I think it is best forgotten so I can go back to enjoying Boston Manor in my headphones, where they perform better than on stage.
At the end of 2021 Taylor Jenkins Reid’s book The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo was lauded on TikTok, and eventually I felt compelled to pick up a copy. Based loosely on the life of Elizabeth Taylor, the book explores how being an actress in Hollywood can make or break your dreams.
As a lover of historical fiction, I thought I would enjoy this book before even reading the blurb. However, it exceeded my expectations by miles. The novel starts with Monique Grant, an unknown journalist, being selected by the infamous star Evelyn Hugo to write about her extraordinary life as an actress from the 1950s. Evelyn retells the events that define her career and progression as a woman in the industry, spanning from her teen years through to the present day.
Her story unfolds through the events taking place in each of her marriages, with Evelyn at times struggling to reveal intimate details about her life which she had suppressed for so long. I was gripped from the beginning, desperate to know what each of her husbands had to offer her and, the most important question of all, who was the greatest love of her life?
This tale of lust and love underlines the struggles faced by a Cuban woman in the late twentieth century. It is clear from the start that there’s much more depth to the novel than I had expected, with issues of race, sexuality, societal norms, and misogyny raised by Jenkins Reid. Although the story focuses on a Hollywood star – nothing like the life I lead – I still found myself relating to many of the struggles Evelyn faces.
The vulnerability all the characters possess encapsulates what it means to be a woman striving to be the best in an industry you’ve dreamed of conquering. Between Monique’s domestic and ‘normal’ life and the wonders of Evelyn’s glamorous life, Jenkins Reid perfectly illustrates how anyone can face problems no matter the privileges you may be seen to have.
The fast-paced and shocking nature of Evelyn’s life completely enticed me from the first mention of her, but it was understanding her complexity and her vulnerability as her life became more ‘ordinary’ that made me keep reading. I felt like the only person in the world to whom these exclusive and exciting secrets were being unveiled, almost like being the only person at a premiere of a movie you’ve been dying to watch.
Although this was published in 2017, its subsequent and continued success proves that so many of us are fascinated by Hollywood and wish to be a fly on the wall for so many intoxicating celebrities. Jenkins Reid is sensational in creating the perfect fantasy for readers to become engrossed in whilst trying to figure out who this powerful woman really is, just as Monique is doing.
I definitely think this book deserved all the hype it accumulated on TikTok, and I now can’t wait to read Jenkins Reid’s other recent books Daisy Jones & The Six and Malibu Rising. I only wish I could read The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo for the first time again to relive the overwhelming excitement of Evelyn Hugo’s life.
This year will see the 40th birthday of one of the most well known and loved locations in Manchester. Whether you want to shop for some alternative or creative items, have a coffee, or even get a tattoo, Afflecks has been the go-to spot for generations. The indoor market has even been visited by a few famous guests, such as Lady Gaga, the Happy Mondays, and The Stone Roses. This article will delve deeper into the history of Afflecks, and celebrate some of the amazing vendors which create its buzzing and vibrant atmosphere.
Afflecks started out as Affleck and Brown, a drapery vendor on Oldham Street in the 1860s. However, after the Second World War, Affleck and Brown were taken over and replaced by Debenhams before properly closing in 1973.
Photo: Christopher Elison @ Flickr
But the spirit of Afflecks could not be extinguished from Manchester, and in 1982, James and Elaine Walsh opened Affleck’s Palace in the Northern Quarter. Their aim for Affleck’s Palace was to create a nurturing and safe environment for independent vendors to sell their goods without complicated contracts, and a sense of creative freedom was encouraged.
The 1990s saw Affleck’s Palace popularised by the alternative community of Manchester, and it became famous for fashionable items such as flares and tie-dyed clothing. The indoor market was thriving, and highly popular with students – as it still is today.
However, the famous establishment faced another hurdle in 2008, when its lease expired, and its future was thrown into jeopardy. Luckily, the indoor market was bought out by landlords Bruntwood, who looked for a manager with more expertise in the field.
Photo @ Afflecks.com
After nearly closing down, and an unprecedented fire in 2013, Afflecks and the people that run it have hurdled many obstacles to keep the beloved indoor market as vibrant as ever.
I decided, after delving into Afflecks’ past, that a trip to the establishment to find out more was necessary. Despite it being a rainy Monday morning, Afflecks stood proudly in the Northern Quarter. The beautiful paintings on the outside of the building provided some colour on a grey day. When I went in, I explored the various shops, with products ranging from gothic clothing, to a beautiful array of crystals, to a print shop with beautiful paintings and prints.
I walked into Trouser Project, a colourful corner on the 2nd floor of the indoor market where I was drawn in by the beautiful paintings and clothing covering the walls. I was welcomed by Megan, who gave me a warm smile and let me chat with her about what she does as a vendor, and whether she enjoys working at Afflecks.
Photo: Emily Hayden @ The Mancunion
Megan said, “This business is called Trouser Project, and we do sustainable and upcycled clothing – it’s all hand-painted, one-off pieces. We have 18 artists involved so we are a collective, everyone has their own brand and we share the space together.
“Working in Affleck’s is really great – it’s a good way to start a business I think. You’re surrounded by people who are all doing similar things, and everyone is always up for helping each other.”
It was great to chat with someone who has experienced the buzzing atmosphere first-hand, and her creativity was so beautifully displayed in the establishment, with her clothing creating a beautiful display.
Afflecks is a gem in the heart of Manchester, and the establishment is well-deserving of a celebration – so next time you are in the Northern Quarter, it is well worth a visit, to be immersed in the warm, exciting environment and get a taste of its colourful history.
Fatal Attraction was good as a press night: a full house, a red carpet, and a return to normality after two years of liminality. Fatal Attraction as a play, however, was just that: fatal – and my attraction to the show (and the cast) blinded me to the reviews that warned me not to go.
The show’s cast is headed by popstar turned soap star Kym Marsh (Coronation Street, Hear’Say, Morning Live, The Syndicate) as the seductive Alex Forrest, the role made famous by Glenn Close in the film. The play’s central trio is completed by Oliver Farnworth (Coronation Street, Hollyoaks) as the sleazy Dan Gallagher and Susie Amy (Footballers’ Wives, Hollyoaks) as the sweet Beth Gallagher. Good casting, if not only because soap traitor Farnworth is torn between women from each of those soaps.
Now, they are all great actors – and I’d seen Farnworth in The Girl on the Train, so I knew he was good on stage – but they were let down by lousy writing. Marsh was great as Alex; she successfully combined sadism and sex appeal with bellowing breakdowns, but it’s hard to live up to the iconic portrayal that Close gave in the film. She also had the best American accent – albeit still flimsy – but that’s not saying much because Farnworth’s was hit-and-miss and Amy’s was entirely unconvincing.
I hate to say it, but Amy offered the weakest performance of the three – but that could be because of the way that the role was written. Amy is soon stepping into the role of Alex, when Marsh leaves the show, so hopefully she’s better as the ‘other woman’ than she is the ‘wife’. Louise Redknapp will be taking over the role of Beth; she was great in both Cabaret and 9 to 5, so if she too gives a mediocre performance of Beth, we know the writing is to blame.
The play’s first act was pretty boring – even the explicit sex scenes could not save it. I spent the majority of the first sex scene looking at the big group of people who arrived late, and by the second sex scene, I was struggling to keep my eyes open. The pace gradually picked up, and the second act was pretty wild – though that is not necessarily a good thing.
I also wasn’t a fan of the show’s metallic set (by this point, you’re wondering if I was a fan of anything, aren’t you?). I think it was supposed to represent the claustrophobia of living in New York City – relevant, given Beth’s desire to escape the city (and Dan’s need to escape Alex) – but it just looked a little cheap. The lighting and projections, too, didn’t quite have the sinister effect that the creatives wanted them too; it felt a little corny and cheesy. However, I liked how video calls were projected on to the walls.
That’s the thing about this play: as mediocre as it was, there were some nice moments. Even the silly script had some good one-liners that gained laughter from the audience. Fatal Attraction has potential, but it needs to be rewritten and redesigned – and maybe even recast.
I’ve never seen the film that the play is based on. I might have enjoyed the play more if I’d seen it; it’s undeniably iconic, so watching the play would probably have felt nostalgic – if nothing else.
I did get a sense that the play had been updated to make it a little less sexist, and this was confirmed by Jay Sky’s boyfriend, who told me that the play’s ending is very different to the film’s ending. It appeared to be an attempt to show that the blame does not lie entirely with Alex but Dan, too – you know, the person who is actually already in a relationship?
If you’ve seen the problematic film, the play’s changes might seem progressive, but as somebody who’s never seen it, I found the play to be pretty poor in its portrayal of women. Beth and Alex are polar opposites: the virgin and the whore; Mary, the mother, and Mary Magdalene (who was not actually a prostitute, might I add).
I was also disappointed that the play did not offer an examination of mental illness. Alex is not just some crazy, obsessive mistress; she’s quite clearly suffering from severe mental illness(es). She’s tortured, tormented, and victimised – both by mental illness and a charming, married man who treats her like a fleshlight. In a society that stresses the importance of mental health, you’d expect Fatal Attraction to better address mental illness. Perhaps the point is to show how mental illnesses are often ignored, and how people who suffer from them are stigmatised, but that didn’t work; by virtue of ignoring mental health, it vilified Alex.
Now, addressing Alex’s mental health would not be anything new: since the release of the film, Alex has been discussed by psychiatrists and film experts; she has been used as a film illustration for the condition borderline personality disorder. The play’s creatives had an abundance of academic, literary and psychiatric content on Alex to engage with, so it’s disappointing that they chose not to.
As mediocre as Fatal Attraction was, I’m glad I went to see it – if only because I met Strictly Come Dancing‘s Graziano Di Prima. However, I then realised that he’s actually working in my building. He stars on Morning Live (alongside Marsh), and I work at Studio Lambert, across the road from the Opera House – and I saw him there the following morning, surrounded by fans. Turns out, I didn’t have to go through the torture of watching Fatal Attraction to meet Graziano; I could have just bumped into him at work!
Now, I do like to remind my readers that I’m a brown-skinned, 22-year-old Politics graduate and theatre critic; I am, by no means, the target audience for a show like this. Whilst the show has received countless negative reviews from critics, that doesn’t have to put you off. We all like a little trash – whether it comes in the form of booze, burgers, or Fatal Attraction.
“Hi, I live in a 2 bed flat with a girl and her boyfriend. I’ll be frank, something in her room absolutely stinks and I think it’s her and her boyfriend. It’s so bad to the point where if you walk past her room, there’s just a lingering stench in the air. I think it’s coming from them because sometimes if I use the bathroom after them I physically gag from the body odour smell. They do take showers occasionally, but I don’t think they wash their clothes or their bedding regularly – I’ve only seen her wash her bedding once in the three months I’ve been here…
I don’t really know how to approach this because we’re not friends (I got my room from the previous tenant). I was wondering if I should ask the landlord to approach the conversation. There was recently a viewing so they must have smelt it. I’ve tried all the air fresheners and reed diffusers possible and nothing is working!”
–Via Manchester Girl, Facebook
Yikes … that’s a tricky one, especially if you’re not friends. I’d definitely get the landlord to be the messenger in this scenario. If there are issues with the tenants, particularly in regards to hygiene, it’s their responsibility to address them. Plus, if the landlord is conducting viewings, they’ll want the place to look (and smell) spotless – otherwise, people won’t want to rent that property. I’d shoot your landlord an email, but be sure to address the smell issue as a ‘concern’ rather than a complaint. Hopefully, this will get them to the awkward conversation sooner rather than later.
In the meantime, LUSH bath bombs are a good way to cover odours. You can hide one in the bathroom or near their room. The smell lasts for weeks and you can obviously use it after. My mum uses it in her classroom, effectively shielding the odours of 30 children! That or offer to wash her bedding. Use the excuse that you’re about to wash yours and are just offering to lighten the domestic load. It’s a subtle way of saying “I think it needs a wash”. If all else fails, throw all your useless air fresheners and diffusers at her and start being the smelly one! Become the problem you want to solve.
Hope that helps!
Kisses, Aunt Angela x
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