Consent, 29/05/2018; a review.
30 May 2018 • Consent, From the Box Office, gracie gets dramatic, theatre, theatre review
TW: rape.
Last night I saw Nina Raine’s ‘blistering new play’ (New York Times), ‘Consent’. The play, directed by Roger Michell, has opened at the Harold Pinter Theatre after a sold out season at the National.
(Source: National Theatre 'Consent')
What not to say.
26 May 2018 • brain cancer, cancer, Maggie's, Maggie's Centres, the tumour tale, words
TW: cancer.
Words are powerful. It's quite amazing how many we have at our disposal when writing, reading or conversing; how we're sometimes able to write our feelings down perfectly in letters, directly quote books or authors that have inspired us, and express ourselves effectively when talking with loved ones.
And sometimes, we simply have to grab a pen and highlight a snippet of prose that speaks to us. We call our best friends after a few drinks to tell them how much we love them. We create a blog when we're crippled by the most intense crush on the cutie in our college Drama class (just me? Okay...).
But it's also astonishing how sometimes, words can fail us. How quickly we can forget what's been said. And how some words can stop us dead.
Words like 'cancer'.
Words like 'cancer'.
A beginning.
25 May 2018 • counselling, creative writing
~
January 2018 ~
‘So.
It sounds like illness has dominated your life – been your
definition, almost – for years. And now, you’re coming out of it,
and you’re wondering...who am I?’ She says, putting the folder
down and looking at me kindly over a pair of
glasses.
I
give a shy smile. I can feel myself opening up, and I’m
excited. ‘Yes, I think so.’
Later,
I sign myself out, I thank the receptionists, and I walk outside. The
cool air hits me, and I pull my jacket tighter around myself,
pressing my woollen hat down on my forehead. I stop as I do it, hold
my head in my raised hands, I gasp, and cry. Just for a few
seconds. I feel the enormity of what's about to happen, and how badly I need it. I wonder where I'll be in 10 weeks time. Somewhere better, I think.
Then I straighten up, stick my chin out, and walk on.
~ I wrote this not long after my first counselling session, back in January. My 10 weeks of therapy ended in March, and just the other day when I was really struggling again, I was offered another slot with my counsellor - and I grabbed it. I'm still working on me. ~
Matilda the Musical, 23/05/2018; a review.
24 May 2018 • From the Box Office, gracie gets dramatic, Matilda, matilda the musical, theatre review
I
saw 'Matilda the Musical' at
the Cambridge Theatre on Wednesday, the 23rd of May. This show has
been in the West End for almost 7 years now, after opening in October
2011, and is currently booking until February 2019. It's safe to say
it's a West End staple, at this point. The RSC (one of my
all-time favourite companies) absolutely nailed it with this
one.
(source: Matilda Musical UK)
Matilda
the Musical tells the story of a young girl of incredible
intelligence who is determined to change her own story, even if it
means being a little bit naughty...
Some very morbid plans.
20 May 2018 • death, health, just in case, the tumour tale
Does
anyone else ever think about how they’re going to die? Or maybe,
what will happen when they’re dead? Just me? Okay then…
I’ve
been thinking about it quite a bit, after my last
appointment with my wonderful neurosurgeon. He confirmed that I am still stable (yay!) and then said, quite confidently, that he thinks it’s more likely I’ll pass away due
to old age, rather than my t-word finishing me off.
An ending.
18 May 2018 • creative writing, personal
~ February, 2016 ~
After
it happened, a burst of wrenching fire tearing through the air above
us as we drank coffee – well, I did, after I said the words you
pushed away your mocha and left it to go cold – we walked to the
station together in near complete silence. I wish you’d seen inside
my head, then; I was full of words I didn’t dare utter, I almost
took it all back, because I couldn’t stand to see you so hurt. Hurt
by me. It was stamped hard on your lovely face. It looked like someone had thrown you off a
bridge, and run away laughing.
Recent Reads: The 16th and 17th 2018!
17 May 2018 • bookish, Meg Fee, Places I Stopped on the Way Home, recent reads, Tom Pollock, White Rabbit Red Wolf
My
recent reads have brought me out of a nasty slump, and for that I am
so grateful. I also admire both the books' authors, for very
different reasons...we'll get to that.
'Places I Stopped on the Way Home: A Memoir of Chaos and Grace' is a beautiful collection of essays by Meg Fee (and the other night I got to see her in conversation with Laura Jane Williams at The Owl Bookshop; it was a DREAM) about her life in New York; her at times desperate search for a home to call her own, her great loves, and more turbulent relationships. It was a total treat to read.
Strictly Ballroom, 15/05/2018; a review.
16 May 2018 • From the Box Office, gracie gets dramatic, strictly ballroom, theatre, theatre review
I
got to see 'Strictly
Ballroom' at
the Piccadilly Theatre last night. I took Mama Latter; she seemed the
best choice for this theatre date, as she's an Aussie and major fan
of the film. She also insisted I take her, or else...
I
personally am a major fan of Strictly Come Dancing, the brilliant 80s
soundtrack, and Will Young. So before we even went in, I was sold.
Here is your first look at @BazLuhrmann’s STRICTLY BALLROOM The Musical, now playing in London’s West End. Starring @JonnyLabey, @ZiziStrallen and the sensational @willyoung, this unforgettable production will make your heart soar and your feet want to dance! #StrictlyBallroom pic.twitter.com/DFebwOtYOe— Strictly Ballroom (@strictlystage) May 2, 2018
Am I vain?
12 May 2018 • personal, self care, self worth, vanity
'I
often find my mind wandering,' I said to my counsellor, 'when I'm
talking to someone, or meant to be listening to something, or
driving, or running errands...and I am almost always thinking about
myself.'
Right,
so....I think about myself. A lot.
I've already written about my Busy Brain; how often I worry that the inside of my head is just a swirling vortex of terror made up of my most unpleasant memories that surface at the worst possible times and awful thoughts threatening to spill out of my mouth for all to hear...while at the same time it's constantly streaming warm and cosy episodes of 'Gilmore Girls' and conjuring up sexy scenes with Chris Hemsworth, in which we eat the very best vegan food on the planet before turning in for a night of mischief...but also, my brain is obsessed with me.
SOAP @ Underbelly, 8/05/2018; a review.
9 May 2018 • From the Box Office, london, SOAP, Underbelly, Underbelly Festival
I
went to see 'SOAP' at
the Underbelly Festival last
night, with my fellow theatre nerd Ella, and it was...completely ridiculous.
I don't know when exactly I became a circus fangirl...but I'm not complaining. Seeing contortionists and aerial artists twist and turn, and watching funny skits with audience members, is fast becoming one of my favourite forms of theatre.
The things I can't ignore.
7 May 2018 • creative writing, exes, love, memories, personal
I
came across Kelsey J Barnes’ TinyLetter some time ago – and
miraculously, it seems to be one of the few that actually land in my
inbox, despite subscribing to several since? Gmail, sort your sh*t
out.
Anyway,
Kelsey wrote a little something entitled ‘10 Things Ex-Lovers Ruined For Me’ (‘because of their need to introduce me to songs,
books and other things that now appear at random moments in my life
without warning’). It of course moved me, and inspired me to write
something similar.
But
I won’t be writing a list. Because when I settled down to actually
pull together all the things I remember, and am now somewhat sensitive about doing/seeing/hearing...it didn’t
all come to me in a neat little list. It flooded in like a storm at
sea, throwing everything up around me and trying to suck me in.
These
are the things I cannot ignore. The things I think of, and the
things I miss.
(Photo: Lex Brookman)
Dating myself.
4 May 2018 • dates, flying solo, personal, self love
I
go on solo dates very often, these days. Sometimes they’re small –
just a quick coffee and a few pages of a book, or a drink in the pub
before my friends arrive. Sometimes they’re bigger – a trip to
the cinema, the odd gig, a lunch out in London between meetings...
The pin-tastic Old English Co.!
2 May 2018 • enamel pins, Old English Co, Old English Company, pins
So,
you all know I absolutely love cute
and quirky accessories, right? Well, over the past few years I've
been splashing out on adorable enamel pins for my backpacks,
dungarees and jackets. I have a whole collection of bookmarks
on my
Instagram profile
entitled 'perfect pins'!
(source: Old English Co.)
Every
single one I've ever bought has reflected some element of my
personality – a
cup of coffee, a cat, even little words I particularly like, and my
cousins got me a perfect bookish one for Christmas.
I
recently discovered Old
English Co., a brilliant company specialising in prints,
homeware, stationary...and pins. Their
enamel pins are absolutely brilliant; I think when I first
browsed that area of the website I bookmarked approximately 20 of
them to buy on a future payday...!
So
I thought I'd share some of my favourites with you – and any
fellow pin lovers...
(Click
the images for the links!)
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