Its very large cast (maybe 40) have learning difficulties and, so, to put on a production of this scale and complexity, with a strong political message is really impressive.
The show is based on the happenings at Lennox Castle, a famously intolerant “hospital” that only existed for three decades or so from the late sixties.
If you’ve seen The Magdalene Sisters Movie you’ll have a sense of the cruelty that was dealt out in what was essentially a prison.
Lung Ha face up to the brutality of prejudice that was the stock in trade of the ‘nursing” staff at this horrific institution by telling the story of Anes (not Agnes) who was dumped there by her horrific stepmother to fend for herself and become institutionalised.
Her story involves both love and friendship, (especially friendship) but is framed within prejudice and bullying.
Told, straight through, in 90 minutes it is theatrical, but musical too, and the climactic number brought me to tears.
The cast has multiple levels of ability from an acting point of view but the joy they bring to the stage is quite extraordinary.
Nothing is, or needs to be, perfect about this show. But the impact it has is profound.
I will remember this night in the theatre for many years.
The standing ovation it received was entirely merited.
For a start there’s the fact that Brandon Cronenberg is falling in his illustrious father’s footsteps as a body horror director of considerable note.
Then there’s the fact that it stars Mia Goth. I’ve only recently discovered her but I want to see her back catalogue. She was incredible in X and she is a stunning screen presence in this.
As horror’s leading lady she is approaching modern day Karlofian proportions. If you don’t know her and you have an appetite for non-mainstream interesting performers, she’s the one for you.
Alexander Sarsgard is fantastic too, as the put upon, abused, confused writer who’s one terrible novel is the hook by which Goth’s character reels him into a cauldron of horror that becomes more and more Kafkaesque as each reel unwinds.
The movie’s a druggy, hippy blast. A sort of R rated The White Lotus. Although even the White Lotus doesn’t pull its punches.
In Infinity Pool consider no punches pulled. It’s full on and brave. Really brave.
It’s also folk horror so sits alongside Midsommer and The Wicker Man. Like them? You’ll love this.
A bit long, I’ll admit.
My other reference point in this, and a good one I think, is Austrian Director, Michael Haneke’s, Funny Games. An unsettling horror that oozes class.
That’s what this is and I highly recommend it.
Ignore the 1/10ers who don’t know what they are talking about.
In a break from tradition I am joint curating a new strand of Gibberish with the queen of gibberish, Anna Aalto.
Let’s call it Eurogibberish.
She is a bona fide Eurovision expert and she talks plenty of gibberish. I’m simply an engaged and interested hobbyist but an expert in gibberish.
Between us we’re going to run some of the Eurovision 2023 entrants through our cultural and critical lenses in the lead up to the big day in Liverpool in May. So to kick us off we give you Austria, Azerbaijan and Belgium.
Let’s start with Austria
Mark’s view
Who The Hell is Edgar?, by Teya and Salena, rejoices in the fact that it’s Austria’s entry featuring a girl couple and is an ode to gothic horror writer Edgar Allan Poe, who is a ghostly inhabitant of Teya (or is it Salena’s) body.
This is appropriate because it’s a horror show.
It opens badly and grows steadily worse, encompassing the Spanish language for no apparent reason towards its shudderingly bad climax.
If Britney Spears were dead she’d turn in her grave at the appalling choreography that owes its inspiration to Oops I’ve Done It Again.
But forget the dancing, this is a song about possession. But if Teya (or is it Salena) REALLY think this is how Edgar Allan Poe would wish to have been reincarnated they’ve called this very wrong.
“Yeah the words are spilling out, what the heck is this about.” Indeed.
Utter nonsense. Complete pap.
Edgar Allan Poe wrote the Pit and The Pendulum. This is The Fucking Pits and The Pendulum.
Anna’s view
This entry is bizarre. This entry is truly manipulative. This entry might just be enough.
‘Who the hell is Edgar?’ sits within a near-perfect template of Eurovision entries every year that seek to capture every iota of press-attention and social media gargle – and generally do – without being good enough to win. It’s repetitive pseudo-chorus is enough for it to qualify from a Semi-Final absent of any meaningful bite, however it’s frankly deranged and desperate subject matter should prevent this winning. Last year we had Subwoolfer, this year we have Edgar.
Whilst Norway’s social storm last year felt authentic and fun – if a little daft – this similar type of entry seems heartlessly built in order to capture the same kind of emotional and viral sensation. It’s storyline is confusing and inaccessible – it reeks of an idea thought up half-cut in the pub. All that said, it is madly catchy in a Semi-Final with a distinct lack of fun. Most people don’t listen to lyrics, and those who do, will no doubt be manipulated.
Prediction: QUALIFIER – TOP 3 in Semi-Final. 10th to 13th in Grand Final.
Next up Azerbaijan
Mark’s view
TuralTuranX is an 80’s throwback band of twin brothers who look to me like the love children of Paul Young and Mary Berry.
Their song, Tell Me More, has echoes of Glasgow’s very fine Sound of Young Scotland that was the hallmark of Postcard records at the turn of the 80’s and brought us Orange Juice and The Bluebells.
Of course, because it’s written for Eurovision it descends from a height of enjoyable enough, almost tolerable gaiety to sub optimal twaddle by the final verse, but It’s certainly not gonna end up with nil points – that’s for sure.
I expect mid table respectability.
Anna’s view
From a nation who a decade ago treated us to pop-perfection that virtually guaranteed a top five placing on the final table, we receive a truly left-field and unique entry. This is not the Azerbaijan of ‘Drip Drop’ or ‘Running Scared’. Instead, ‘Tell Me More’ sets itself up as some kind of Indie pastiche, that tangibly and eclectically draws on the disparate sounds of Belle and Sebastian, Green Day and Oasis.
This breadth of musical spectra leaves the casual viewer with a song searching for a style. Too abrasive to attract any of the more ballad-inclined, and too half-paced to light up the imaginations of those searching for a banger or two, in a semi-final already loaded with up-tempo tracks. It also feels like this more temperate offering is being used as filler between the more popular and striking entries from Sweden and the Czech Republic, set amongst an army of eight near-sure qualifiers that leaves little room for a less eye-catching entry such as this to manoeuvre in an already crowded field. It may be time to grab another beer to recover from the behemoth of bookies-favourite Sweden.
All that said, we cannot ignore Azerbaijan’s near-perfect qualification record – only missing out on the Grand Final by one place in 2018 – which makes it even more shocking if it doesn’t qualify. In short, the odds are stacked against this entry, which may see it miss out on the final, but probably not by much, because it’s uniqueness may help it stand out from the crowd. If you hated Israel and Sweden immediately before, you’ll probably love this.
Prediction: POSSIBLE QUALIFIER – 8th to 12th in Semi-Final. 18th to 24th in Grand Final.
Finally Belgium
Mark’s view
Gustaph brings us ‘Because of You’ to represent Belgium.
It’s a camp Will Young Eurotrash disco anthem (or he’d want it to be) that actually strikes me as pretty decent. It has a tune for a start which always sets good Eurovision songs apart.
For me this is the sort of song I cheer for on Euro night and, of course, see it come 23rd.
It’s not going to beat Norway (more on that later) but ripped Belgian boys in Jean Paul Gaultier outfits singing falsetto disco are my kinda thing baby.
See you in Liverpool Gustaph.
Anna’s view
Belgium, what has happened?! You were on such a roll.
There’s nothing wrong with this song. I love listening to it – it’s camp, it’s flamboyant, it’s a rare moment of neon sunshine in one of the weakest Semi-Finals we’ve seen at Eurovision in many years.
However, there’s nothing truly right about it either. It’s middle-of-the-road disco sound and predictable lyrics scream of an era of Eurovision long gone, and don’t seem to inspire any call-to-action in the casual viewer.
This is one we’ll all be listening to down the EuroClub, but one we won’t be listening to it in the Grand Final on Saturday.
Too predictable, too forgettable, too dated. The best thing about it is the hat.
We’ve seen it before. The truth is, there are just more striking, impressive, and challenging performances in the competition this year. But Gustaph looks like he’ll be great fun to have around in Liverpool. I hope he enjoys his time!
A quickfire hour of searingly satirical, company-devised theatre has a lot to make you laugh in it, but also a lot to admire in the excellent script, direction by Jess Haygarth and a gender-blind cast of four: each of equally engaging presence.
There’s our overly familiar productivity manager, Shelley, who runs the show, and the other three cast members’ lives, as the recruiter of zero hours contract staff: a nurse, a care worker and a fast food junior.
Each is mired in a relentless monotony of impossible-to-hit targets, incessant work with no room to breath, or struggling with childcare and putting their kids’ lives at risk.
This Kafkaesque nightmare is life in modern Britain that disproportionately impacts the young and the female, and although the show is mostly humorous the blackness of the humour reminds us that this kind of life is shit, degrading, exhausting and ultimately dangerous.
Set against a backdrop of a countdown clock, every second of this taught production is there for a reason. Music and sound effects are used to superb effect to create a sense of urgency that counters the mundanity of these (mostly) young people’s lives.
The message is clear. Zero Hour contractors are mere fodder for the machinery of Britain’s industries, although the play either fails to or decides not to, land a blow on the Brexiteers who contributed to this mess by running those that fuel this carnage out of town.
It chooses instead to focus on Britain’s unfortunates who have to use this form of economic barbarism to put food on the table.
The four performers really are a joy to behold and the show is a rare ‘out of August’ treat at Summerhall (where we saw it, although it’s on tour) to bring back happy memories of The Fringe’s Summerhallery theatrical majesty.
I saw two 4/5 star shows in Summerhall’s Red Lecture Theatre, where this is performed, last year. “I hate it Here” would not have been out of place in such rarified company.
This is not of general interest I would have to say.
It’s long, rambling, full of obscure B movie, C Movie and D movie references.
It’s about exploitation, blaxploitation and trivia that won’t make you look any cooler in your local bar if you could even remember it.
It’s a reference book with little or no real reason for existing.
A very, very large % of the population – about 99.83 I’d say – would consider this utterly self indulgent wank.
And they’d be right.
Even 88.9% of Tarantino fans will hate this.
100% of the moral majority would bristle at it.
It’s full of long lists of actors, directors and critics I just don’t give a damn about.
But.
I’m glad I read it.
When he’s not listicalling he can be thrilling with his put downs.
Most of the films he chooses to “review” (or speculate upon) he derides, yet they are his favourite films. ( Taxi Driver, Paradise Alley, The Funhouse, Bullit, The Getaway).
He has a fucking OBSESSION about The Searchers and its influence on nearly every movie in this textbook.
It’s a thing of great paradoxes. The films he loves he slates quite often.
What’s even more amazing about it is that my son bought it for me. Tom is emerging from a 28 year cocoon of non-reading to alight upon shit like this.
He liked it. Sort of. I liked it. Sort of.
You know what? It’s a male-bonding, sonofabitch, kinda wanky motherfuckery that you might just like.
This snuck under the radar and has not been given the credit it deserves.
I’m amazed it wasn’t firstly a stage play before it’s movie theatre incarnation, and should be now because it will thrill in a theatre.
Of course, in a theatre it won’t have Nancy, played by Emma Thomson, or Leo, played by Daryl McCormack, and that might be its outdoing because this movie relies on them absolutely and the viewer is rewarded with an acting masterclass.
It’s electric from the opening moments and these two characters are critical as they have 98% of the movie’s screen time.
It’s billed as a romcom and it does indeed have some funny moments and arguably some romance. But it would be far better described as a psychological thriller (not in the slasher vein, but in the real sense in that it’s about the psychology of sex and relationships, and it’s thrilling).
It’s thrilling because Emma Thomson is gobsmackingly great in the title role of a bereaved late 50’s woman who married as a virgin and entered a marital sexual relationship that was as erotic as preparing a shopping list (indeed I imagine that’s what she did during her conjugals).
Anyway, the husband is now dead and Nancy has embarked on a journey to discover what thrilling sex with a handsome, cool as hell, young, black Irishman might be like.
Well, she finds out, slowly but surely, as Leo and Nancy’s professional relationship unfolds (professional because Leo is a sex worker, albeit a nuanced, subtle, listening type with a great line in fear reduction).
The tension is palpable throughout the movie as Nancy and Leo gradually deepen their relationship and talk about the untalkable in a script laced with pathos, dignity and a rare quality of writing.
It’s very emotional. It’s very compelling and it’s very, very good.
gibberish 