A Wonderful Week Of Shakepeare

This past week has been absolutely amazing. I've seen two contrasting Shakespeare plays in the space of seven days. On Friday the 27th September I went to see Othello, the rap version and on Saturday the 5th October I saw the one the only Midsummer's Night Dream- with David Walliams in it! I am going to be reviewing them both, one after the other.

Othello

Othello Rapping. Rapping Othello? These two words do not sound right together do they? Well, if you think that they are not meant for each other, then think again because they fit together perfectly! When I went to see the performance at the Unicorn Theatre, I was a little bit un-sure about the combination. But I was proved completely wrong. The production was a contemporary interpretation of the famous story of Othello. Instead of being about what Shakespeare wanted it to be, it was about the                                                      dangerous world of...The Music Business.

There were four men playing all of the characters in the story including the women and they changed their personas by using colourful wigs, aprons and various props. The set was very simple, but the way they performed was not. I don't know how they kept talking for such long periods of time without breaking character or complaining about losing their voices!

I have to say, if you are ten years old or younger, I wouldn't recommend this because it can be quite rude in parts with lots of suggestion and innuendo!

A Midsummer's Night Dream

David Walliams. As many of you know, David Walliams is one of my favourite authors, actors and comedians of all time. Also, he wrote my favourite book, Mr Stink. Now, the reason I am talking about him is that yesterday, I saw him perform. LIVE!!!!

The play is about four people who all fall in love with the wrong people and they run away to the forest. Also, a group of workers from the local market of Athens, go to the forest to practise their play. Along the way, one of the stall owners, Nick Bottom (portrayed by David Walliams), gets turned into a donkey. Titania, the Queen of the fairies, falls in love with Bottom because her husband, Oberon, poisoned her into thinking this. I know, very confusing. Then, the people all get married, Hermia and Lysander, Helena and Demetrius. And they all live happily ever after!

The entire play was absolutely amazing. The lighting, the characters, the set, the characters. Oh, did I mention the characters? Anyway, the play really was fantastic, the fairies led by Titania were in pink tutus and sunglasses- a truly strange representation of fairies!

I honestly couldn't find a single fault with the entire performance. I also saw my friend Andrew at the same time at the theatre!! Also, two of my other friends were going to the night performance the same day! It is one small world!


Malini

Read, Be Inspired and Write

Noughts And Crosses, Malorie Blackman

This book is one of the most intriguing books that I have ever read. I received this book as a prize from my school, in recognition that I and three others in my class, were the all round best pupils over the year. The book is about an alternate world, where the black Crosses, rule over the white Noughts. 

Callum is a Nought, a lowly white citizen in a society, disciplined aggressively by the black Crosses.

Sephy is a Cross, the daughter of an extremely powerful, brutal and cold-blooded man in the country.

Sephy and Callum live in a violent, hostile world where Noughts and Crosses are simply not made to mix. Although, nothing can keep these two apart. They know it's wrong and that they shouldn't be friends but when their childhood friendship turns in to a passionate love for one other, they are strong willed in finding a way for to be together.

This book is impossible to describe in one word. It is just too brilliant and deep to limit how many words I can say about it. I love the way it is written in alternate paragraphs, one with Sephy speaking and one with Callum. It was a brilliant read and it was a real page turner. I couldn't put it down on my holiday to France.

The book has many ups and downs and sends the reader on an emotional roller-coaster. As soon as there are blue skies, a grey cloud comes and rains heavily on it. I must advise you that this book is very violent and I would not recommend this for anyone below the age of 10 years of age.

I love the way Malorie Blackman made this book because, as most of you know, life isn't like that. I think that racism is a terrible thing and anyone who thinks that they are better than anyone else, because of their skin-colour is completely mad because we all have the same insides don't we?

Once again, this book is my favourite book that I have read this year and I hope that you guys could read this too.

Malini
Read, Be Inspired and Write

Eleana Kumana

Hi everyone!
I just wanted to say that my best friend has a new blog called Eleana's Advice and Opinions and I really want all of you guys to look at it because it is brilliant! It is basically Advice and Opinions, about things like sexism, racism, learning to live with dyslexia and I think you guys will love it. I know I do!!!
I would like to give my thanks to Eleana because I am glad to see that my slogan has really payed off, someone has read, been Inspired and Written Their own blog!

Malini
Read, Be Inspired and Write.

The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas-Film review

I'm sorry to have to review such a sad, true and realistic film.  As many of you know, World War Two was a tough, brutal and terrible time. The Nazis, (the Germans) were attacking Jews, gays and people with anything other than blue eyes and blond hair. They would pack them up into a truck and after a period of time, gas them. The useful ones that could be used to do things for rich people would go and work for wealthy families, who often treated them like the back of a muddy shoe. 

In the film Bruno, a young, innocent and harmless boy is moving to the countryside with his older sister, his mother and his Nazi General of a father. Bruno is used to the smell of the city so when the country air is inside of him, it is a change, but he doesn't like that. The air is really filled with smoke, coming from a nearby concentration camp. People are being burned to death. 

 He looks out of his window and sees lots of people behind a barbed wire, in striped pyjamas. He is a curious young boy, who is wondering who these mysterious people are, in a dull, dusty yard. He tries to explore but the first time, his mother catches him and tells him not to go anywhere outside their grounds. He tries again and this time, he succeeds. He runs through a leafy jungle to find the back of the barbed wire. A boy is sitting there, looking hopeless and alone, he has a bald head and is wearing the enigmatic striped pyjamas that Bruno is wondering about. 

To cut a long story short, the two boys become friends and near the end, the mother decides not to live with their father anymore because he lied to her about the fact that there was a camp nearby. Bruno is sad to leave his new friend but he won't be for long. His friends Papa is missing and he goes into the camp to look for his dad. His friend gives him some pyjamas to look like one of them. Bruno looks like him. He climbs under the fence...

What will happen to Bruno on the other side of the barbed wire?

This film was a huge contrast to Despicable Me 2, don't you think? I cried so much after watching it, I probably cried off a few pounds. It was the fact that what I was watching, was something that had happened in real life. 

You have to be prepared to be emotionally drained to watch this film.  

Malini

Read, Be Inspired and Write

Despicable Me 2 - Movie Review

Right, so, have you ever laughed so hard that your insides hurt and your eyes start watering dramatically?

Well, if that doesn't happen to you often then maybe you should ... Ya know, watch the most amazingly hilarious film in 2013!

I loved the first Despicable Me very much. Especially since after going to my dads house, my two little sisters have made me see it millions of times, therefore, I could probably tell you what happens in just about every scene in the first hour of watching it. It says a lot doesn't it...

Anyway, I am not here to tell you about my experiences with being tortured into watching movies tens of thousands of times. I am here to tell you about my trip to the cinema to see Despicable Me 2.

Ok, if there was one word to describe the film it would be ' hilariously-fantab-ulosous-ly-tremend-didly-endous. ' I learnt that one off of my friend Alice!

So, in the film, ex-villain 'Grew' is hired to catch another villain who stole a potion to make a harmless bunny into a man eating monster. Grew and his 'partner', Lucy go undercover (as cake makers, in a mall) to try and find out who has it. Grew has a hunch about one of the other shop owners and his hunch is correct. I shan't tell you who or what happens because I guess you'll have to watch it!

I went to the cinema with my Dad my Step-Mum and my two sisters, Olivia and Annabelle. They were so excited to go and see the movie, that they wanted to see number three, directly after the fifth or sixth showing of the brand new number 2. There is no doubt that I could, by the time number 3 comes out, know the entire film of one and two!

Please go and see it, I think that you will love it!

Malini

Read, Be inspired and Write

xoxo 

True Blogger Spirit

Hi Everyone, I thought you might love this as much as I did when I first saw it.
Hopefully you do!
I love this image so much, it's amazing!!
Also, I just wanted to remind everyone that in three months, it will be my first full year with M Likes It! 

Malini

Read, Be Inspired and Write.

Swan Lake- Is It Really Just Girls In Tutus?

Performed At The Royal ALbert Hall By The English National Ballet

My thoughts on Swan Lake were very mixed. I had never been to the ballet before and I was expecting a three-hour nap to be scheduled. I watched the ballet in the royal Albert Hall, with my mother. The exterior is a very old, red building with faded gold swirls on the edges, a truly wonderful sight. The inside of the grand Hall was really huge. We were sitting right next door to the orchestra, who were dressed in black head to toe. It was performed in the round and our seats were great. We could see everything that was taking place.

While we were waiting for the performance to start, we could see all sort

s of lights flickering, cameras flashing and a constant low level chatter. The stage was set with two chairs and by the looks of them they were supposed to be thrones. Also the stage was lit with a blue light, suggesting that it was meant to be a lake.

When the ballet started, I have to admit that I nearly fell asleep. I was not that excited about going to the ballet so I was just expecting there to be silly men in tights, lifting up women in swan costumes. One thing that was really funny was the fact that one of the jugglers dropped his baton!!!

In the first third, my expectations were correct. I was so bored I had to keep one eye open to give a signal to my mum that I wasn’t bored out of my wits. The orchestra, however were fantastic though. Even though I don’t appreciate classical music Tchaikovsky is the one thing that kept me awake. Thanks Dude for composing that stimulating music. No, seriously, thanks!

In the second of the three sections, the beginning was very much the same as before. Then the story really built up and it started to get more enjoyable. One of my favorite parts of the performance was when the evil dancers vanished while there was an eruption of smoke, which filled the stage. The dancers were really getting into it and so was I. I was starting to appreciate that even if I could see the outline of a parade of men’s bottoms, the ballet was something magnificent and I couldn’t wait for the last third.

The last third was the best of the three. The reason being that it was just so exhilarating and fiery. At the end

Odile, the Queen Swan, was ‘karate kicking’ the evil dancer. Maybe she got lessons from Jackie Chan?

My conclusion to my title is that no, the ballet is not just girls in tutus. The ballet is an extraordinary thing that all people should experience once in their life. So yes, I do recommend this.