Benvenuto Cellini

Last Thursday was my first visit to the English National Opera. I went to see ‘Benvenuto Cellini’ directed by Terry Gilliam. I was excited to see such an imaginative film director adapt this Berlioz opera and I was not disappointed. The production was dazzling with large scale scenery, film projections, acrobats and crazy colourful characters.

 

  

Opening with a spectacular pre celebration of Mardi Gras, the streets filled with dancers, acrobats, artists and townspeople. Large puppets swung either side of the stage, glittery confetti tumbled from the sky falling over the audience and naturally causing me to squeal with delight. 

Cellini the sculptor, fiery, brash and macho. Strutting about the stage with full command, stealing into Teresa’s bedroom in a hot air balloon and in a passionate rage threatening to destroy his beautiful sculpture. 

 

Sat 24th and Thurs 29th May

As we left the Royal Opera House after the first night of the show we were each given a rose. Not normally one to take 'selfies' I couldn't resist and snapped myself with my flower on Charing cross. The photo doesn't capture the feeling of brilliance London can have on a summers evening, lit up and busy even after 11pm but for me it reminds me of that wonderful Thursday in May. Below,  is me in my costume on the roof piazza. Here I have the view of Covent garden below as I tuck in to a beautiful salad, baguette or cooked meal (it varies from day to day). We have our food during the show when we are not on stage and its funny sitting eating on a breezy rooftop when minutes before we were standing on stage hot and glowing from the lights.

 The Saturday before had been a dress rehearsal where friends and family were invited. Post show we all went to the beautiful Paula Hamlyn hall for drinks and toasts. After we went to Ben's Cookies and got a box of warm cookies. Ben's is a treat!

May Images

Above, the Yardley adverts featuring the beautiful Olivia Hussey

Below, Ive been loving the new adverts for Dorset cereal (on tv) and Pimms (in print)

 

Nunhead Cemetery

 Last Saturday (17th May) there was an Open Day at the Nunhead cemetery. I'd wanted to go to this cemetery for a while as I live relatively near Nunhead and it is one of London's Magnificent Seven victorian Cemeteries. The cemetery was very busy with lots of little stalls, people eating ice creams and children with jars on bug hunts. It was a lovely atmosphere and the weather was glorious. My favourite part was the visiting birds of prey. Jack and I both had photos taken with the owls (we love owls!!). I loved stroking the little barn owls soft feathered belly. We went on a tour of the crypt which was dank and dark and enjoyed the music in the open roofed chapel- it was a lovely day

 The first photo is one I took of a woman holding a little bird. There were alot of people in victorian dress and in the cemetery surroundings they dressed the part. I layered the poster over the photo to remember the day/event.

Dialogues des Carmélites - Royal Opera House

Today was our first rehearsal on the stage of the Opera House and with it an appreciation of how big this stage truly is. I thought I would post some of my sketches from my journal to show my musings on the project, from the first rehearsal back in January. Most of these sketches were quick drawings related to the story of ‘Dialogue des Carmelites’ and the divide between the peasants and aristocracy. Here is a nun, based on the theme of hope and devotion that has come across to me; much more so since seeing the live performance of ‘Salve Regina’. 

Also I have got to hear the beautiful voice of Anush Hovhannisyan and watch the incredible Anna Prohaska in rehearsals!!

Toulouse in his tunnel

PRETTY IN PINK

 So, I have been very busy (which is always exciting) and have been spending alot of time at gym classes and rehearsals at The Royal Opera House. Ive also been to see lots of theatre which has been completely inspiring and a life of such luxury I could really get used to! Because I like reviewing/recapping my experiences, I will write another post about the shows Ive seen including the 2 Operas that have become such a new part of my life. With the two bank holidays came an outing to Greenwich with delicious food from the market and strolls around the park, and a dinner party (below) at Jack's with a candlelit table and cluster of friends bearing home-cooked goodies

With the impending summer and glorious sunshine all are feeling the happiness, including my cat Toulouse who has got his cool hang-out ready in this pink tunnel. This snazzy new tunnel is where Toulouse can be found most days where he will be peacefully snoozing and dreaming of prawns (his favourite dish).

Unicorn Bedroom Mural

I was asked to do a bedroom mural for my dear little friend Lola; the room is very small so I decided a small portrait would be ideal. The window is very much in the princess/castle style with the round shape and criss cross detailing so I planned to enhance this with some ivy creeping up around it. Lola loves unicorns so I took inspiration from the ‘Sleeping Beauty’ horse and some unicorn images on pinterest. The piece is not entirely finished as I plan to add a banner above with her name but other than that the mural is complete. It was a very quick job but most enjoyable!

 my pinterest images for inspiration (above)

 

'Sleeping Beauty' Ballet

On Friday 21^st March I went to see ‘Sleeping Beauty’ at The Royal Opera House. A friend from the Opera I am in had a spare ticket and I jumped at the chance to see this ballet. I have only seen one other ballet live before and that was ‘The Nutcracker’ many years ago. I’ve watched many ballets on t.v, but of course live is always much more magical we had wonderful seats and the house was completely sold out. The ballet was beautiful and for a few hours I was completely transported into a fairy tale world filled with sparkling tutus and music so rich and sweet it felt I’d known it by heart all along. During the intervals we talked excitedly about the joys of theatre and our favourite parts, my favourite dance was when Princess Aurora on her 16^th Birthday pricked her finger on the spindle. This dance shows Aurora becoming more and more sleepy, whilst trying to stay upright and bright but finally failing and collapsing to the floor. When the lilac fairy cast a spell over the kingdom and one by one the people on stage fell asleep, this was very handsomely done. In slow motion the characters yawned and drooped to the floor. The set was very fairy tale inspired such as the illustrations of Kay Nielsen or Arthur Rackham and when lights were shone through the curtains of ivy, magical patterns appeared on the stage floor. The woods in which the prince wandered were filled with a thick fog that gave an impression of a fresh, crisp morning and the boat scene with the prince and the lilac fairy was wistfully pretty.  Ballet dancers are fascinating, I’ve always known this but Friday just reminded me what the human body is incredibly capable of.

‘The Great War In Portraits'

A few days ago I went to the National Portrait Gallery to see one of my favourite paintings on display ‘self portrait as soldier’ by Kirchner. I knew the painting was going to be displayed in the new ‘Great War’ exhibition (free entry) and was excited to see this painting up close, as I had no idea of its size. This is always interesting when one has gazed so fondly at a reproduced image but never considered how it would be up close. I first consciously came across this painting in sixth form when I was looking at German Expressionism and was captured by the crude, haunting expression of Kirchner’s portrait. The severed hand suggesting lack of creativity and ability to paint against the blacked out eyes suggests deadness; a feeling all too prevalent with War. I love the expressionists visible brush strokes, flat bold colours and exaggerated characters.

I could’ve stood in front of the Kirchner painting for hours actually, I felt so connected to it. It was smaller than I was expecting (of course) but the paintwork was exactly as I imagined and the cigarette still felt so camp and reckless that there was still that drollness present.

Some other things of interest done recently:

Played Laser Quest, had a vegetarian breakfast at Carnaby streets ‘The Diner’, watched ‘Legends of The Fall’ (Amazing movie) and ‘Last of the Mohicans’.

Also, I am part of an ensemble of the production ‘Dialogues of the Carmelites’ which will be on at the royal Opera House. I have been attending rehearsals every Monday and last week we had a talk by Director Kasper Holten, which was completely inspiring.