Thursday 31 May 2012

"Wah Wah Girls" Coming To Hall For Cornwall

So... I am solving my Kneehigh Theatre dilemma by booking for the Emma Rice directed musical "Wah! Wah! Girls" written by Tanika Gupta and which is at Hall for Cornwall - 1st to 6th October 2012.
I think this be more my cuppa tea than "Steptoe & Son" at The Asylum (sorry Kneehigh). The Asylum is also showcasing a week of performance called "Short Blasts!" in August.

Anyway you can watch this video of "Wah! Wah! Girls" in rehearsal if ya want.

 

Tuesday 29 May 2012

Graphic Passions: Leela Corman's "Unterzakhn"




 
Just finished... in practically one sitting... this marvellous graphic novel by Leela Corman

Set in New York's Lower East Side in the early 1900s, "Unterzakhn" tells the story of twin sisters Fanya and Esther as they grow from childhood into young women... and life takes them in different directions.
And life is hard for these daughters of Polish Jewish immigrants. A gentle father whom they love and a tough mother who has strong ideas on what a girl should do with her life... which doesn't include time-wasting activities like learning to read. Pogroms, ladies doctors, burlesque and brothels, tough streets, and tough choices abound.

Corman's bold, largely black and white art work in Unterzahkn reminds me in some ways of Marjane Satrapi's graphic novels. If you haven't read Satrapi's Persepolis... well you must. (You can check my post about Satrapi's animated version of Persepolis here.) Then too there is Satrapi's own warm and elegant account of women talking about their intimate lives and relationships in a very different society: three generations of Iranian women swap stories over one evening in -"Embroideries".

Great graphic ladies tellin stories.

Saturday 26 May 2012

Cornwall Open Studios 2012: June 2-10

















As it says on the tin... or rather the brochure... Cornwall Open Studios runs from June 2-10. So that's very soon, babes. Next Saturday in fact. And its when artists and makers around the county open their studios or group exhibitions for your delectation. Did it meself a couple a times!
Grab your brochure from a shop, library, gallery, wherever... or visit the Open Studios Blog for an online view of the brochure and more.
May the week go well for one and all.

Wednesday 23 May 2012

Millennium Exhibition: Carlos Zapata "Child Soldiers"

This looks good. I am not a great fan of St Ives... (teenage years spent in Carbis Bay)... But I do rate the Anima-Mundi Gallery. And I do love automata. And this exhibition by Colombian artist based in Cornwall, Carlos Zapata, is the darker side of automata.
Take the time to watch the video interview and better still - the time to visit the exhibition. Think we shall.

Carlos Zapata 'Child Soldiers' - Artist Interview Film from Anima-Mundi on Vimeo.
Interview with Carlos Zapata to coincide with the exhibition 'Child Soldiers' held at Millennium, St. Ives from 25th May until 19th June 2012

Tuesday 22 May 2012

Tak! Tak! How's The Scandi Crime Viewing Going?

So boys and girls... how did you get on with The Bridge?
I be a bit unsure for a while there. Maybe twas indeed a bridge too far for a third language audience to watch a duel between Danes and Swedes... must have lost a lot of subtle digging there. And of course... Both languages be in subtitles for most of us in a UK audience.
But The Old Man and me do indeed gnaw our nails down to the quick and sit on the edge of our chairs for the final double episode. Then...tis all over... and we worries about next Saturday's Scandi-Noir viewing. Have no fear we do get more next Saturday... the burly Rolf Lassgard appears as police profiler Sebastian Bergman.

Find out more via Euro Crime here... Euro Crime: Sebastian Bergman on BBC4

Monday 21 May 2012

On Hearing The First...Cuckoo
















Ah me. Oh my. Sunday walking.
Spring is something lovely.
Back walking around the favourite places. Never seen so many buttercups as this year. And of course the blue blue bluebells. Up the top of Godolphin Hill... do hear a cuckoo. Have not heard one for several years... Lovely day.

Sunday 20 May 2012

That Torch Moment

So OK. I do in fact stagger down the road to the village main street yesterday in order to see what is going on wiv that Torch Running stuff.

Quite a lot of people be assembled along the road. Mucho children with flags to wave. People in jolly mood amidst the bunting and union jacks, waving and cheering every vehicle that goes past. Cycles, vans, cars, the No. 2 bus... at one point an articulated lorry goes past and gets considerable cheers. Rumour has it that the driver be holding up his cigarette lighter with flame in the spirit of the moment.

After some time the numerous police motorbike outriders start goin past... then the police vehicles... then the Met Police vehicles... Then Boom! Bang! The Official Torch Relay Bus bearing its Gold "Moment to Shine" mission statement.... and containing the next-in-line torch bearer already clutchin a torch....The Sponsors vehicles... a Red Coca Cola thing like a carnival truck, dishing out plastic frisbee type "lids" to the kids.... Blue Samsung truck with cheerleader dancers dishing out inflated plastic rod things to the kids. Dunno what they be for but said "Samsung" in large letters. Both vehicles be booming out microphoned exhortations for us all to wave and patronising us wiv "Jolly good show there" type comments... (This did prompt a rude gesture from The Old Man.. but I don't think he made it to the telly.) ... Then off they all Boomed down the street. And I do stand around there and begin to think... "Where's the Torch then? Is they not running this bit?"
But after a while more outriders and police vehicles do come along, Met Police Bodyguard type people..... and finally... a woman carrying a Torch, bless her. We do clap as she do wend her comparatively lonely way at the end of this palavering shindig.

What a lark!

Wednesday 16 May 2012

A Little Light On The Subject

As you can imagine, things are heating up round here. Cos West Cornwall sees the start of the Olympic Torch Bearing thingy which sets out from Lands End this Saturday. As it happens... the Torch will go through this village, as through many others around the land. So... the verges are cut (watch out you untidy bluebells and cow parsley). And yellow and black bunting is strung along the route wherever the Bearers get out of the car to start running.
Quite sometime ago, the Village Newsletter did ask that villagers who come and support this event bring flags to wave and be dressed in something "sporty". Some do say that some website or other has specified that these sporty clothes should also be yellow, but maybe that be just rumour. Whoever knew that the colour for Olympic celebration be yellow?
The Old Folks Home down the way is bedecked with general jolly coloured bunting... I wonder if they realise how unofficial that be. I read that some shops who have decorated their windows with Olympic logos etc have been chastised for infringement of copyright and told to remove the display. The University of  Derby had to take down specially printed banners too. Heavens we all have to be careful in our Olympic Spirit.
Our main road will be closed of course so we can't be going anywhere. I hear that the road around Culdrose Naval Air Base is due to be closed for the Friday night on to Saturday also. That means nobody from the Lizard peninsula will be going anywhere either on account you can't easily avoid that road to get out of The Lizard.

What a lark, eh?

Sunday 13 May 2012

Spring Song

Woke Up this mornin'....
And da blues was on my mi-i-ind.

Well yes and no.

Then I hear a different birdsong somewhere out there in the sunny morning. Rush to check the RSPB bird site. Cos I'm that kind of nerdy girl. Think it's likely a Blackcap. We do see them in the garden sometimes. Our neighbours (with more trees and hedge) more so. Course I do not see the bird this time... but whoever... it's a lovely little song.

Saturday 12 May 2012

Graphic Passions: Guy Delisle

Just finished a graphic novel by French Canadian Guy Delisle.  It's "Pyongyang: a Journey in North Korea".
This is a few years old now.. but tis not always easy to locate a graphic novel in the flesh in West Cornwall...
Anyway... It's his account of his time spent in the aforesaid Pyongyang whilst working for a French animation company outsourcing the "inbetweens" of a production to North Korea. It's a great book.


Thursday 10 May 2012

The Old Man's Downfall

Oops!
The Old Man did make his annual trip to Helston's Flora Day on Tuesday. I don't often go, it has to be said... you may gather that I am rather short... and I do get tired of crowds and staring at people's backs. But it is a very jolly occasion and I do love that all the buildings be decorated with flowers and greenery.

Carried away with the joy of it all, The Old Man did lurch and fall. He be promptly stood up again by a gentleman standing outside the pub and be only a little the worse for wear. The Old Man do explain to me that he has so little muscle that he do collapse like a sack of potatoes and nothing do get very hurt. Nevertheless he do have some bruises and a pulled muscle.

And... Boy do I know this!
How can someone who has made more than one close call to the Pearly Gates without a murmur of complaint be such a martyr to cuts, bruises and headaches? Someone explain this to my hard heart.

Sunday 6 May 2012

The Sunday Walk: Long Rock and Whimbrels

Grey cloud over us but decide to visit old walking beach, Long Rock.
Ah but the sun is out down there... as is the tide.... so far out...the rocks exposed as never before.
Staring out towards sea I can see some waders moving backwards and forwards over a patch of sand quite far out. Suddenly they take flight and move towards us and inland. Distinctive call and long, down-tipped beak. Not as big as curlews and quite a few of them, maybe  a couple of dozen by the time they fly over in groups. Whimbrels. Been sightings of quite large numbers in West Cornwall recently.

Also saw a pair of wheatears flying between seaweeds and rocks.

And the good news is that the Council has made the beach parking here free on Sundays. So... like old times.

Friday 4 May 2012

The Number of The Chilli Seedlings

The Old Man is very pleased with himself.
He has just potted up his latest batch of chilli seedlings. He do love a chilli pepper. And so it is that he proudly informs me that the number of seedlings now tallies at 66.

I sit down suddenly and wonder where they will all live and how do we eat them all. This kind of thing do not bother The Old Man. Rather he do worry that there may be a lack....

Wednesday 2 May 2012

All Fingers and Thumbs....

... are present and accounted for.

Mrs D has sorted out me finger situation. In fact I's got a whole new pair of hands.
Ain't life wonderful.