According to the Chinese calendar 2017 is a Rooster year (and if Nostradamus is right, a super-power will become increasingly ungovernable and incompetent, wow, who could possibly be responsible for that?) but Chinese New Year doesn't start till the end of the month so right now we're still in monkey zone: smart, naughty and wily, a good time to make plans and have something to crow about later.
Panto season isn't even over yet, which is why I was at the Wardrobe Theatre watching ROCKY a horror show - and what could be more entertainingly horrible than a comic pastiche of every 1970s American Dream cliche in a boxing movie with (spoiler alert but it really doesn’t matter) an alien twist...? Nothing at all, unless you detest burlesque, satire and unrestrained vulgarity, in which case this ‘christmas show’ isn’t for you. Luckily the full-house at last Saturday's loved it, shrieking with joy as the cross-dressing cast of four talented young actors engaged in vigorous faux-bouts of more physical activities than can be readily imagined. There was singing too, and (luckily) no need for much of a storyline with this amazing cast: Katy Sobey took on the Stallone role with Harry Humberstone as his evil but staggeringly sexy opponent, while James Newton was superb as his girlfriend and his manager, and Emma Keaveney-Roys stole every scene in whatever weird guise she appeared, including the exasperated tortoise. Director was Tom Brennan, soundtrack by Tom Crosley-Thorne, and Madelaine Girling was responsible for the commendably simple design. Do see it - it’s on till 21st January, but don’t sit in the front row if you’re easily shocked.
So back to looking forward to writerly events in the year ahead: Frome Writers Collective's plans are featured on Discover Frome (gratifyingly, Crumbs from a Spinning World is in the top ten currently-read books... no cynicism please) and I'm looking forward to great poetry events like the Poetry Platter at Merlin Theatre, and the Frome Poetry Cafe next month, with Bristol's The Spoke as guests. Dramatically speaking, Feet First is taking our Time Walk on another outing in June with Take Art. Lots more artsy things happening in & around Frome too so tune in next week for another exciting instalment. Go well, and may your creative juices flow with you.
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