Issue 347.
Editorial
A note from the editor As I write, I am coming to the end of my third – yes, third – consecutive week in the concrete office. There has been blood, sweat, and tears (not really, but almost) but I am so proud of what our editors and writers have managed to achieve.
-Tom Bedford
Deputy Editor We’re now too far in the January doldrums to reminisce on Christmas, or fantasise about the wonderful year to come. Instead, we must knuckle down and come to terms with the fact that we’re at the beginning of a new semester of work. And work we must; freshers are starting to understand that university isn’t just partying, second years are starting to realise that we’ve actually got to work hard here as well as party, and final years are coming to terms with the fact that we don’t have time to party at all any more. But it’s not all bad news, and there’s still a lot to look forward to coming up. Firstly, let’s give a warm welcome to new Gaming editor Amy Nash, who’s given us a barrage of fantastic articles in her section. Secondly, we have the chance to embrace our inner weirdness with a survey of some of the stranger artists in Music, or find out which Oscar nomination you most closely resemble in our Oscar nomination Features page. There’s a lot of work and stress coming up, but if we make sure to pursue our interests and passions too then everything will be okay!
Last week, Arts editor Miriea and Creative Writing editor Saoirse put together our annual Arts and Creative Writing supplement, “Contrast.” We had some amazing submissions, including paintings, photographs, poems, and short stories, and it was so nice to see everyone’s work come together to create something we are all really proud of. If you’re reading this and haven’t already looked through “Contrast”, make sure to get your hands on a copy in your issue of Concrete. We’d also love to see you at our open mic event to celebrate the launch of the supplement, taking place on Tuesday 6 February at 7pm, at Olive’s (a really cosy bar and café in the city center, for those of you that haven’t been). We are still looking for a couple more readers, so if you have any writing, or would like to have a go at writing something that fits the broad theme of contrast, please drop me an email. AND we have still produced a great issue of Venue. Don’t say we don’t spoil you. Television has an article on the rise of the anthology show, following the success of the likes of Black Mirror and American Horror Story, and we consider the carbon foot-print caused by the production of art on page 5. We are also excited to offer Venue readers discounted tickets to the Richard Alston Dance Company at Norwich Theatre Royal; take a look on page 6 for more information on that. I hope to see you at the “Contrast” open mic night, and in the meantime, enjoy this issue of Venue.
Arts Editor - Mireia Molina Costa Film Editor - Gus Edgar Fashion Editor - Leah Marriott Creative Writing Editor - Saoirse Smith - Hogan
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-Kate Romain
Venue Editor Gaming Editor - Amy Nash Television Editor - Dan Struthers Music Editor - Nick Mason
Arts and Design Assistants - Yaiza Canopoli & Emily Mildren
Contents
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30th January 2018
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Film
Fashion
Arts editor Mireia gives insight into what we can expect from Richard Alston’s Dance Company at Norwich Theatre Royal
Eight of our film writers share their all time favourite animated films
Camomile Shumba talks us through her the 20 fashion essentials to get you through your, well, 20s
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Music
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Gaming
Television
Gabriela Williams condemns Tonight Alive’s new album as “pointless” in her scathing review
Sean Bennett tells us what we can expect from Overwatch League
Evangeline Stanford discusses some of the controversy surrounding the BBC’s new drama, McMafia
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Arts
Wrap cover credit: Annie Tomkins
Creative Writing
Features
Aaron O’Farrell explores his fear of needles in his piece Trypanophobia
With Oscar season fast approaching, our writers talk you through what you can expect from this year’s nominations
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Arts
Classical vs. contemprary art
Art has been a key aspect of human existence pretty much since the dawn of civilisation. From the earliest cave paintings to modern electronic dance music, art, in its many forms, attempts to express the human condition, shining a light on all that is good and evil in our subjective experience of the world around us. But the world around us changes. So too does our art.
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The case for classical
The case for contemporary
We all still know about it. That would be the first plus point for classic art. Who among us can’t recognise da Vinci’s Mona Lisa? Who can honestly say that they have never heard Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata? These landmarks of artistic history remain recognisable hundreds of years after their creation, and are often still heralded as some of the greatest works of all time. Clearly, such art carries with it a certain inherent respect, simply by virtue of its age.
Though each generation no doubt would argue the same, the seismic shifts that have taken place in society over the last couple of generations have left behind a world ever reeling from constant change. And where there is change, there is art.
Not to mention that classic art is where it all began. New, contemporary art would arguably not exist without that which came before it. Many of the basic techniques, concepts and conventions which now form the foundations of an artistic education, regardless of field, were developed by visionary classical artists. If ever there were an argument for the superiority of classical art, would it not be that modern art could not exist without it?
Modern and contemporary art is of the here and now. The likes of Ed Sheeran regularly reference technologies that neither Beethoven nor Chopin would have ever dreamed of, in styles of music you would have been unlikely to hear at the turn of the 19th century. Equally, the bright and cartoony ‘Pop Art’ of Andy Warhol, while suited to 1950s Western society, would perhaps look slightly out of place on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.
Classical art grants its consumer’s more than just artistic satiation and personal cultural expansion; it offers a window into history. Wander through the National Gallery and you’ll wander through time. Centuries of artistic invention roll past from the 1200s, through the development of that ever useful ‘perspective’, right up to the 20th century.
These more recent creations offer us not the opportunity to look back, but rather to reflect on things as they are today and, if necessary, to then do something about them. We feel connected to modern art not out of nostalgia or detached interest, but because the experiences that drive contemporary artists to write their plays or capture their photographs are the same experiences that we, the consumers of that art, live through as well. Where the classical tells us how things were, the contemporary tells us that we are not alone in our experiences and that someone out there really does know how we feel.
Beyond curiosity, classical art can tell us a lot about society at the time of their creation. There is something decidedly meaningful and captivating in standing before a painting or listening to an opera, and knowing that you are experiencing emotions bestowed unto you by an individual who lived in a different world, many lifetimes ago.
Besides, one could argue that this entire debate is moot. Given enough time, what is now contemporary will become classical, and the unimaginable creations of future artists will take up the mantle of ‘modern’. Say what you will about art, but it always keeps up with the times. Sometimes it even makes them what they are.
-Sean Bennett
Images: (top) Wikipedia, Mona Lisa by Leonardo Da Vinci; (bottom) Flickr, Ron Cogswell
Arts
The world’s most hypocritical polluters? Whilst climate change, ecological issues and unethical consumption are widely addressed within the creative world, the carbon footprint of art production itself is widely overlooked. A stimulating and progressive aspect of our culture, art is placed on a pedestal; its environmental impact often being left unquestioned. But from transporting exhibitions across the globe, to the ecologically destructive toxins used in art supplies, to the energy-guzzling space heaters utilised for climate control in museums and galleries, the arts sector and creative industries are far from immune to environmental depredation. Commonly seen as the torchbearer for environmental awareness, should we think more carefully about the creative industry’s own consumption and carbon footprint? The turn of the century brought with it an increasing sense of fear and cynicism regarding the future of our planet. One way this manifested itself was through a surge in the production of climate change documentaries addressing scientists’ concerns. Six Degrees Could
Change the World, 2007, Conspiracy: The Sustainability Secret, 2014 and Before the Flood, 2016 were just a few. But a two-year study published by UCLA in 2006 indicated that the film and television industry was responsible for an estimated 140,000 tons of emissions a year, in Los Angeles alone. Creative endeavours such as these accrue air miles and resources just like anything else. Museums and art galleries, too, are far from exempt from accumulating a substantial carbon footprint. Last year, British artist Damien Hirst participated in a total of eight exhibitions across the globe. Artworks were flown all over the world: from Hong Kong, Visual Candy and Natural History; to Ukraine, Fragile State; to Washington D.C., What Absence is Made Of. While Hirst has never claimed to be an avid climate change activist, the environmental impact of producing these worldwide exhibitions must have been colossal. Artists exhibiting their work more locally might not advance their international acclaim, but it would undoubtedly reduce their carbon footprint. Many museums and art galleries, including the British Museum and V&A, use HVAC climate control systems to maintain an optimum temperature and humidity for the conservation of precious art and antiquities.
Hugely environmentally damaging, these systems guzzle phenomenal amounts of electricity. While looking after and conserving artworks is extremely important, surely it’s time to explore greener, low-energy ways to protect collections? Working with oils, acrylics, resins, and other art-related chemicals can also often do serious damage to the environment. Toxic pigments, solvents, petrochemicals and formaldehyde present in paint and art supplies can be harmful not only to the individual using them, but ecologically destructive too. If inhaled, ingested or put in contact with skin, many of these chemicals can be extremely hazardous to humans – and they are dangerous to plants and animals for the same reasons. Things have improved. Certain cadmiums, cobalts and lead-based paints have now been banned through EU legislation. But there’s more that can be done. Undeniably, environmental sustainability is heavily dependent on money; underfunding in the Arts means it is not always easy to invest in greener alternatives. But, although the carbon footprint of the arts and creative sector is admittedly minuscule in comparison to the footprint of the travel, farming and retail industries, that doesn’t mean it’s exempt from the responsibility to consider and improve its environmental impact. Environmental concerns and climate change are increasingly pressing issues. The creative industries have an obligation to set a precedent. The impact of artmaking and creative projects can hardly be compared to coal-burning power stations, but this doesn’t mean it can’t lead the way into a greener future.
-Hester Heeler-Frood Image: Pixabay, icame
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Arts
Richard Alston premieres in Norwich Richard Alston Dance Company, one of the UK’s most acclaimed choreographerled dance companies, is coming to the Norwich Theatre Royal on 2nd and 3rd of February – and what it has to offer is promising. Including the brand new work, Cabaret and Gypsy Mixture, both by Richard Alston, the company will also be presenting a new work by associate choreographer Martin Lawrance, which will receive its world premiere at the Theatre Royal on Friday 2nd February. He started dancing with the Richard Alston Dance Company in 1995 until becoming a Rehearsal Director in 2007. Lawrance’s Cut and Run dances to a loud, textural music by two contemporary classical composers, Damian Legassick and Michael Gordon, from the postminimal band Icebreaker. Both pieces, Evol and Yo Shakespeare, from the band’s album Terminal Velocity, blend contemporary classical, rock and alternative music.
What’s on in Norwich The Band: Take That musical 6th - 17th Feb - Theatre Royal Venue supplement “Contrast” launch 6th Feb - Olive’s Visible Girls: exhibition opening 7th Feb- Norwich Arts Centre Volta! Poetry & Open-Mic 14th Feb - The Birdcage LOVE : NUA zine soc exhibition 14th Feb - Studio 20 Norwich
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Images: Chris Nash
With Legassick having played keyboards for artists such as Madonna, R.E.M., and Blur, and Gordon’s experience with underground rock bands in New York City, the piece promises dynamic and edgy sounds and movements: “Fast frenetic rhythm with a cool sombre undertone takes the dancers into a world of shadow and swift dodges.” Although the album describes itself as “visceral but undanceable”, Lawrance expressed his excitement to work with such challenging pieces. “I find them so danceable. They are full of texture and really complex rhythms, which for me is incredibly exciting. I have studied the music scores for months now and have the music inside me. It is a challenge but one I am rising to at
the moment. The dancers are loving the process and are flying with the high energy of the music. I hope to prove them wrong when it comes to undanceable!” With Jeffery Rogador as fashion designer giving an urban mood to the dancers’ costumes, and Zeynep Kepekli as lighting designer focusing on black, silver and gold, the piece will bring contrasting music and shimmering aesthetics together in a bold performance. The second piece performed, Richard Alston’s Carnaval, had its premier last September in Edinburgh and is danced to Schumann’s beautiful and evocative piano solo of the same name. Inspired by the personal life and mental health issues of the composer, two dancers represent his complicated relationship and depict the dual aspects of Schumann’s personality waltzing in beautiful flirtation. The third piece, Gypsy Mixture, is being revived for the first time in a decade and merges flamenco with electronic music mixed by DJs and artists from around the world. The piece is an exciting performance made of exhilarating dancing full of leaps and shimmies that move to the music of Romanian and Macedonian gypsy bands.
Ticket offer for readers
The Norwich Theatre Royal is delighted to offer all Concrete readers £8 band A & B tickets on either Friday 2 or Saturday 3 February. The offer can be redeemed using the following code UEAALSTON when booking online www.theatreroyalnorwich. co.uk or via the Box Office on 01603 00 00. Offer applies to band A & B tickets on Friday 2 or Saturday 3 February at 7.30pm. Cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer and does not apply to tickets already booked. Subject to availability.
-Mireia Molina
t r A
Contrast Supplement 30th Jan
with your copy of
Creative Venue Writing &
Contrast Photo Open Mic Feb 7pm grap 6thOlive’s hy 40 Elm Cafe Hill Image by Annie Tomkins
Film
Should films rewrite history? The Greatest Showman has received rave audience reviews, with its soundtrack hitting number one in the UK. The movie is moving, aesthetically pleasing and features some of the catchiest tunes we have heard in theatres in a long while. There’s just one problem — it’s based on an actual historical figure, Phineas T. Barnum. This is where all the controversy stems from, which is a waste. The film could have been great if it had not rewritten history and glorified a man who was, in reality, merely exploiting his disfigured workers for his own economic gains. Now, thanks to the film, cinemagoers who don’t do their research will have a shiny, family-friendly and idealistic image of Barnum in their minds. But does this really matter? After all, the way people see P.T Barnum hasn’t exactly shaped the course of history. People having an idealistic view of a man they would barely have known about in the first place, is not the world’s most pressing
issue at the moment. In my opinion, the show’s portrayal of disfigured people and circus acts is more concerning than the actual rewriting of history. The directors could have changed the name of the showman, made his background entirely different to the actual P.T Barnum’s, and the degrading presentation of deformed, disabled and black people would still have been problematic. Another recent movie that has rewritten a traditional narrative of a powerful man is Joe Wright’s Darkest Hour. It glorifies and romanticises Winston Churchill, a British politician who did do a lot for this country, but who was also an imperialist and a white supremacist. While, in Darkest Hour, Churchill is seen to be fighting against the Nazis, what the movie does not tell its viewers is that the British politician also said things like “the Aryan stock is bound to triumph”, using that as a justification for colonialism.
Even if the movie does ignore these horrifying aspects of Churchill and chooses to romanticise his more desirable traits, one film is not going to change history and make people forget about all the damage that Churchill did to the colonies. The movie is in no way implicitly racist, so unlike The Greatest Showman, it does not carry forward the morally unacceptable ideals that its white male character stood for. Films that rewrite history should be judged in the same way that fictional films are. As long as they do not represent problematic ideas that could hurt any marginalised group today, films should be allowed to twist history into an entertaining narrative. After all, people go to the cinema to be entertained, not for a history lesson that they can memorise and take to heart.
-Beverly Devakishen
THREE BILLBOARDS: “POWERFUL & POWERFULLY FUNNY”
Departing from the farcical, often metatextual tone established by his previous films In Bruges and Seven Psychopaths, writer-director Martin McDonagh tackles heavier themes of grief and redemption in his latest cinematic offering. Frances McDormand stars as Mildred Hayes, a grieving mother who, dismayed by the police’s failure to find her daughter’s killer, rents the titular billboards as an attempt to call out Chief of Police Bill Willoughby (Woody Harrelson). Naturally, this move causes much controversy within the town, and Mildred faces opposition from both the police and townspeople. Despite the film dealing with such a grave subject, there are many funny moments throughout which prevent
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it from ever seeming too bleak or ponderous. Most of these moments come from the idiotically racist police officer Jason Dixon (Sam Rockwell), and it’s a testament to both McDonagh’s writing and Rockwell’s performance that Dixon is able to transition from what is initially nothing more than a hateful buffoon to a much more complex and interesting character by the film’s end. Harrelson, too, is solid as the weary police chief whose desire to seek justice is just as strong as Mildred’s, yet is more aware of the realities of the situation. The film is truly McDormand’s though, her fierce, hardened exterior only occasionally cracking to show signs of anguish or tenderness. There is one monologue in particular that McDormand gives that attains such an excellent mixture of
hilarity and pathos and surely marks McDormand as the frontrunner for this year’s Academy Awards. Mildred appears to be a million miles away from McDormand’s most famous role, Marge Gunderson in Fargo, yet there is a similar strain of humanity that connects the two roles. Ultimately, McDonagh suggests that while there are no easy answers in life (the film ends on an ambiguous note which hints at both vengeance and forgiveness), and no way to erase the past, it is possible to change who we are as people going forward, and it’s this sincerity that makes Three Billboards his most powerful, and powerfully funny, film to date. -Tom Hall
Film
The Shape Of Water: “cinematically gorgeous” Guillermo del Toro’s The Shape of Water is a cinematically gorgeous film with a clever and creative script from the director and Vanessa Taylor. Sally Hawkins excels as the protagonist, a mute cleaner at a high security government base who befriends a reptilian creature held captive. The fantasy thriller explores relationships, humanity and the power of body language.
One of the film’s highlights is its antagonist, Richard Strickland (Michael Shannon). Shannon is incredible at being superficially restrained, evil, and frightening to the viewer, without being one-dimensional. The insight in to his past and home life depict him as equally unnerving and understandable. He also has one of the most unsettling but powerful scenes in the film: the grotesque imagery of his decaying fingers conveying the losing of his grip.
The opening - a beautiful panning shot through a home submerged in water forecasts what’s to come, establishing the tone of a noir fairytale. The blue and green colours here seep into the rest of the film, the colouring of the sea pushing this watery imagery throughout. Having the main character as mute makes for engaging script writing that is rarely lazy: dialogue often makes it easy to just say rather than show what you want to convey. But without Sally Hawkins’ character talking, and only using sign language occasionally, the film makes a great effort in getting the audience to really know her through action, repetition, colouring, visuals and creative uses of non-vocal sounds. The first act is
purely spent understanding character and situation; when the conflict arises, you feel her pain, conviction and frustration. Thus the action feels earned and heroic yet challenging, rather than a predictable step in the story.
All the supporting characters feel complex, with well thought out backgrounds and individual challenges even if not fully explored in the film. The story surrounding her neighbour, Giles (Richard Jenkins), feels so real and sad. He is just one example of how the smallest details are completely thought out, so much so that on each moment of reflection, the viewer finds a new thematic message or symbol. The Shape of Water is an enchanting and melancholic film that raises some interesting questions.
The best is yet to come
With box office disaster after box office disaster commercially, 2017 was a year to forget for the big studios. However, one thing going into 2018 that has emerged from these box office blunders is the popularity of the art film. Films such as The Florida Project and Moonlight that fell outside the commercial spectrum paved the way towards this new cinematic social-trend. Whilst these films may not have done as well at the box office as the bigger budgeted blockbusters, they have certainly held their own and gained both unsung global praise by critics and audiences alike. What does this mean for our cinema in 2018? With the rise of the art film, are we entering a new age of cinema. What will
audiences be looking forward to seeing in 2018, and what will happen throughout the year? Whilst the art film may have had its year in 2017 and have a big social role to play in 2018, the most anticipated film of the year is arguably Marvel’s Avengers: Infinity War. With a cast of over 40 superheroes, the film is being called the culmination of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Though does this mean that the dominance of superhero movies is coming to an end? Meanwhile, the art film has already kick-started 2018 strongly with Martin McDonagh’s moving black comedy, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.
- Evlyn Forsyth-Muris
With four Golden Globe wins, this film is definitely one to look out for when the Oscar nominees are released in the next few weeks, and may be looked back on in years to come. And, lastly, set for release on Netflix later this year (or possibly early 2019) is The Irishman. Martin Scorsese’s latest piece is not commercial, but neither is it art cinema. The Irishman was shunned by the big studios, yet boasts a cast that any gangster movie fan dreams of. If this passion project of Scorsese’s pays off, we could be looking at one of the biggest films of the year.
-James Mortishire
Images: Fox Searchlight Pictures, modified by Gus Edgar
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Film
8 great animated films Our writers share their favourite instances of life in cartoon motion... The Iron Giant
Yellow Submarine
One of the greatest Western animations not to hail from Disney/ Pixar or Dreamworks, The Iron Giant depicts a friendship between a boy and an innocent robot as they get caught up in a world of Cold War paranoia. It is heart-warming and heartbreaking, full of emotion and always entertaining. - Joel Shelley
The Beatles must save Pepperland from the devilish “blue meanies”; it’s like nothing you’ve seen before. Bursting with wonderfully weird imagery and creatures, the film’s dry humour and great music create an all-round spectacle. This may be its 50th anniversary year, but Yellow Submarine hasn’t dated a day. - Charlie Hunt
Moana makes you want to go out and find your own cultural destiny. It’s a brilliant film that portrays a marginalised culture in the most endearing and unproblematic way; refreshing, especially coming from Disney. The soundtrack is the most glorious thing you’ll ever hear too! - Beverly Devakishen
Full of colour, full of depth, and full of ideas, it’s fair to say this is Pete Docter at his best. Didactic without being pretentious, emotional without being over-indulging, and a film so finely tuned, you can tell Pixar did their utmost to make this their greatest film yet. - Tom Cascarini
Not just within animation, this is one of the best films of all time and rightly became the second animated feature to be nominated for the Best Picture Oscar. In its first five minutes alone, it manages to reduce you to tears, whilst many films fail to make an impression in their entire runtime. - Oscar D. Huckle
Through the lens of a child we witness the life of her future clone. Stick figures potter about in a tale that explores the profundity of existence. The simplistic imagery allows the narrative to explore ideas pressing to our time, while also reflecting the inconceivable nature of the future of humanity. - Helen Drumm
Aardman Animation’s first feature-length venture moulds The Great Escape into their own romp of British charm and wit. The use of stop-motion really adds a layer of tangibility to this dynamic world whilst capturing the essence of the more intimate moments. Powell’s score deserves a shoutout for realising the kazoo’s epic potential. - Joem Opina
A hidden gem of Australian cinema, this black-andwhite claymation spans the pen-friendship between young Mary Dinkle and a cantankerous chocolate addict with Asperger’s syndrome named Max. A touching exploration of loneliness, depression, neglect and alcoholism, it is a marvel of the macabre and bittersweet that will have you sobbing and laughing in equal measure. - Liam Heitman-Rice
Moana
Up
Chicken Run
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Inside Out
World of Tomorrow
Mary & Max
Image: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, modified by Gus Edgar
Fashion
20 items you need in your 20s Christmas Eve, I turned 20, and am here to encourage you guys with 20 items inspired by my new age, what it has already meant and will mean for me. Age 20 marks the year when things are more solidified in your life. I personally know I want an established look that I can easily dress up and dress down, a look that is memorable but simplistic. If you are anything like me, you are going to appreciate the 20 ways you can ensure you are always dressed for the occasion, but you are also honouring the person you have become.
1. First things first, you need to know what colours suit you, so you can be confident that you’re wearing your clothes, not the other way around. For example, I go for browns, yellows, oranges and golds to match my personality and my look.
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Three pairs of shoes; smart, casual, fun. This way you’re ready for a decent amount of occasions. It’ll also make life a bit easier!
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Three winter jackets, that can look good dressed up or down.
6. An investment bag. Splurge a bit and
go for a bag you will get plenty of use out of.
also try sparkly tights or tights that have diamonds on.
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Indoor shoes/slippers. Staying comfortable at home is very important, so treat yourself to some new slippers.
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Indoor socks, such as fluffy socks to stay warm! There are also thermal socks that come in great patterns.
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An interview outfit. Depending on the pathway university takes you, job interviews may become something arising more often. Having an outfit prepared will ensure you know what makes you feel and look good.
2. You need a signature hair piece or look.
I like to tie my hair into a puff using a brown tie. If you’re cheap like me, you can easily use your tights. Simply cut a pair that matches your hair tone to the desired length and then tie a knot. Otherwise, a gelled back look is easy to sustain and looks remarkable.
14. A daily perfume, cologne or fragrance that can become your signature scent.
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An outfit for special events, such as balls or weddings.
16. A collection of interview blazers.
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You need to know what type of accessories you like. For example, I like dangly earrings and bright scarves. Accessories are also a great way to complete an outfit.
17. 8. T-shirts with an empowering phrase. Not only are they great to throw on when you might be in a rush, but they’re also a great way to make a statement.
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Casual trousers. Something different to wearing the same old jeans everyday.
10. A good selection of skirts. Some for going out and partying to a more casual look.
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Fun tights and socks. Black and white socks are practical and all, but it’s always great to mix it up. You could Images: pixabay
Three smart outfits for birthday parties.
18. A daily skin care routine, or at least finding the perfect routine in your 20s.
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Lip gloss or balm to keep yourself feeling and looking fresh.
20. A weekend bag. Whichever way you decide to rock your 20s, ensure you are confident that the clothes you wear represent you. - Camomile Shumba
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Fashion
Nude lipsticks for all skin tones
Finding that perfect nude can be difficult. Nude doesn’t just mean pale pink, there is a huge spectrum of colours to be considered as a nude lipstick. Here are some brands that have considered and represent deeper skin tones to help you find the perfect natural shade.
NYX Cosmetics £7
NYX is a cruelty-free drug store brand with a great range of lipsticks. One of their most successful ranges is the Lingerie Liquid Lipstick collection. The formula is weightless while maintaining matte finish. For only £7, it’s a no-brainer to begin your search for the perfect nude at NYX. Available are browns, reds, plums, peaches, beiges, pinks and mauves, with pretty names such as Lace Detail, Ruffle Trim and Satin Ribbon. The applicator is also versatile, making it not only great for all skin tones, but different lip shapes!
NEW: Lime Crime Plushies £15
Lime Crime is known for their crazy and daring shades. Their new collection however, is tailored to fit all skin tones. With this brings a great selection of nude tones that will flatter just about everyone. Lime Crime states these
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liquid lipsticks will make your lips look as plush as a cuddly toy. They have a velvety matte formula, with a soft focus to enhance your natural lip colour. They’re also scented much differently to the typical vanilla scent you find in most liquid lipsticks! From Marmalade to Jam and Grape Jelly to Cola!
Jouer Cosmetics £15
Nudes don’t have to just be matte... Jouer Cosmetics’ Long-Wear Lip Creme Liquid Lipstick collection have a range of mattes and metallics for all sorts of skin tones. They’re highly pigmented and suit not only your skin tone, but every occasion! There are 17 shades to choose from, creating a ‘your lips, but better’ look that is desired with every nude shade. They dry soft but don’t dry out your lips.
HUDA Beauty £18
If you’re looking for a nude lipstick that stays put, won’t flake, smudge or transfer, this is the one! There are also lip contour pencils to match each shade. The shades range from deeps plums, browns and beiges. A lot of the shades are also muted, which gives off an even more natural look and finish.
Anastasia Beverly Hills £20
With 19 classic shades, incuding pale mauve and rich aubergine, you have many choices! The applicator is so soft, small and has a flat edge to make application much easier and achieve a natural finish. The formula is also protective, so there’s no need to worry about it drying out your lips!
Charlotte Tilbury £24
Maybe liquid lipsticks aren’t your thing, and if so, Charlotte Tilbury has a range of classic lipsticks to fit all. They’re known for being hydrating but also having a matte finish to give off a natural look. The lipsticks are also enriched with ‘lipstick tree’ extract, which has ‘powerful protective and reparative properties’. To enhance lips even further, there are 3D pigments to create the look of fuller lips. Glastonberry is a very deep blackcurrant shade, where as Lost Cherry is more of a coral shade.
-Leah Marriott
Images: pixabay
Fashion
All that glitters isn’t gold
Along with hoops and red lipstick, glitter is the accessory you can’t go wrong with. “Why do girls always put glitter on their faces?” one anonymous submitter to the Concrete Confessions Facebook page bemoaned recently. It’s fair to say we’re obsessed with anything that glitters - you can even buy lattes with the stuff. In November, here at Venue, we encouraged readers to use glitter in your eyebrows, put it in your hair, and smear it all over your arms. But all that glitters isn’t gold. The plastic-free glitter in most beauty products consists of little pieces of a coloured mineral called mica. Reporters for ITV shocked the globe when they discovered six year old children working illegally in mines, using hammers to break large chunks of the material into smaller rocks. 60 percent of mica products are sourced from mines in India, where it is illegal for children under the age of 14 to work there. However, children of primary school age are forced to work long hours in unregulated, dangerous condition, for low wages. The charities Terre des Hommes and SOMO estimated around 20,000 children could be working in mica mining. Some companies, like L’Oreal have pledged to ensure they only buy products from legal mines, meaning the chance of children being involved in production is a lot slimmer than in the informal market.
However, companies have struggled to sever links with the exploitative aspects of the glitter industry entirely. Lush began the process of eliminating natural mica from their ingredients lists in 2014. Directors said they found it difficult to completely boycott the product because of how much it appeared it mixtures. It wasn’t just that the material was part of a complex mix of other components; in 2016 Lush discovered natural mica in products they had been told did not have any in. They faced the realisation that they could not trust their present supplier.
situation in the region. In addition, local NGOs and expert organisations are supportive of efforts made to secure the mica supply chain and thus improve the living and working conditions in the region. “In India, mica mainly originates from socially and economically challenged regions where there is a risk of child labor, unsafe working conditions, and where the supply chain involves multiple actors.” They estimate 99.2 percent of their mica comes from secured sources.
The cosmetics company wanted to use up the rest of their stock, so as to not waste natural materials, but say as of 1 January 2018, there is no natural mica in any of their products.
Jakub Sobik, a spokesman for group Anti-Slavery International, a journalist from the Guardian synthetic glitter might not be the solution after all.
An answer comes in the form of laboratory-created synthetic mica. The natural minerals of this version of glitter mean that oceans are not damaged by hostile microplastics and avoids any association with child slavery.
They said: “Not all mica companies are involved in exploiting children. People’s livelihoods depend on it as well. So you would like to see conditions improve rather than the whole industry shut down.”
Other companies have pledged to stay wary of natural mica production, but admit they will not boycott the material. L’Oréal state the majority of the mica they use is sourced from the United States, but they will try to ensure the mines they use in India are ethical.
Dozens of companies have signed the Responsible Mica Initiative, including Chanel and L’Oréal, which aims to educate children in mining villages of their rights. The initiative’s ultimate goal is to clean up natural mica’s supply chain.
A L’Oréal spokesperson said: “We believe that discontinuing the use of Indian mica would further weaken the
the told that best
- Emily Hawkins Image: pixabay, typhooncollector
13
Find your 2018 oscar...
period pieces rule!
It’s Academy Award time - that time of year when everyone pretends to love films they’ve never heard of before. Nominations have just been announced, so it’s time you revisited the ‘classics’ from the past year with help from this handy guide to the Best Picture nominations. The ceremony is on March 4th.
Set it whenever...
Gimme violence
I want war!
and horror!
Modern,
age, lovely!
please!
The Front Line!
behind the
The Home Front!
seat!
Edge of the seat! Find your sexuality!
A love story! Politics & drama!
Darkest Hour
Dunkirk
14
coming of
The Post The Shape of Water
Three Billboards
Get Out
Learn to be an adult!
Lady Bird Call Me By Your Name
Images: Oscars- pixabay, Kalhh, icons: (L-R) pixabay - Clker-Free-Images, pixabay Maiconfz, Wikimedia Commons - Bill Haywood, pixabay - Glamazon
and the nominations are... Lady Bird
“I just want you to be the very best version of yourself that you can be.” This line, spoken to the titular Lady Bird by her mother, serves to sum up the message of the film. A classic coming-of-age comedy, filled with writer/director Greta Gerwig’s characteristic wit and honesty, Lady Bird traces the story of Christine McPherson as she clumsily makes her way through high school in California, dreaming of college life in New York. Warm, touching, and highly quotable, this directorial debut is a must see, covering aspiration, high-school crushes and everything in between. - Cat Leyland
Dunkirk
Nolan did not disappoint with his latest release, Dunkirk has become the highest-grossing World War II film of all time. Starring everyone from Kenneth Branagh to Harry Styles (who is surprisingly decent), the movie focuses on the 1940 evacuation of over 330,000 soldiers from Dunkirk beach through three different perspectives: land, sea, and air. The storylines twist and combine into a tense 106-minute evacuation epic, all shot in glorious 65mm film and underlined by a score that is quintessentially Zimmer. - Matt Nixon
Darkest Hour
Much has been made of Darkest Hour for Gary Oldman’s transformative and unrecognisable performance as Winston Churchill, who completely disappears and inhabits the role. Surely Oldman is a dead certainty for the win after triumphing at the Golden Globes and also winning the SAG Award. Darkest Hour recounts Churchill’s first month in office and his mission to win over those initially sceptical and hostile towards him at the critical moment in the height of the Second World War. As well as Oldman’s performance, the film is well shot by Bruno Delbonnel. It has mulitple memorable images, Delbonnel painted a suitably dark and gloomy picture of the perilous time this film is set in. - Oscar D. Huckle
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
After clearing up at the Golden Globes, award prospects look promising for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. It is the long overdue follow-up from playwright / director Martin McDonagh after In Bruges and Seven Psychopaths, both brilliant, the former one of my personal favourite films of all time. Three Billboards is another triumph - a biting drama that is blackly comic, heartfelt, consistently entertaining and takes many unexpected diversions in its original narrative. There are multiple moments The fact that a Spielberg film is nominated for Best Picture that genuinely invoke shock and awe. Although In Bruges remains should surprise no-one, but maybe the reported story that he McDonagh’s magnum-opus, this film certainly deserves all the paused work on upcoming Ready Player One because he was so - Oscar D. Huckle passionate about this story, or the allusions to current politics, or the fact it stars Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks, may suggest Jordan Peele’s satirical horror-thriller (or as the Golden Globes this is more than the usual Spielberg flick. The film follows the would have you believe, comedy?) is a scathing indictment of white real-life events of the Washington Post and their acquisition of liberal values, taking a wholly original approach to the topic of the Pentagon Papers in the 1970s, and the dilemmas faced by the racism. Making good use of twists, wordplay and foreshadowing, publisher of the Post (Streep). It goes without saying that the Peele’s film embraces a narrative that, in any other hands, would script is wonderful and Streep and Hanks give, as usual, fantastic seem ludicrous. Daniel Kaluuya is game too as the unsuspecting performances. The film also stars the forever under-rated Bob protagonist, but it’s the script - one that keeps on giving with each Odenkirk, who is poised to make a breakout any time now. rewatch - that props Get Out as one of the more deserving Oscar - Tom Bedford nominees. - Gus Edgar
The Post
Get Out
Call Me By Your Name
Call Me by Your Name is a beautiful love story, set in sundrenched Northern Italy, that just happens to take place between two men. With fantastic lead performances from newcomer Timothée Chalamet and the previously underrated Armie Hammer this may be one of the strongest examples of chemistry in a recent film. If the Academy decides to reward this film, which is seemingly the LGBT representation of 2017, this will be the second film centring on a gay relationship to win Best Picture after Moonlight’s win last year. This aside, it would be a well deserved win for one of the best films of the year. - Dan Struthers
The Shape Of Water
A fantasy thriller set in American 1960s, The Shape of Water explores relationships, humanity and the power of body language. The protagonist, a mute night-time cleaner, is beautifully played by Sally Hawkins as you follow her developing a relationship with an humanoid reptile kept captive at her place of work. As she attempts to save him from the eerie and terrifying Richard Strickland, a story of humanity becomes that of rescue and romance, focussing on character and feeling. This beautifully coloured film will climb deep into your heart, as difficult emotions are played out through physicality rather than dialogue - Evlyn Forsyth-Muris
15
Music
The paths less taken: weird bands we love Vulfpeck
The Dresden Dolls
“Weird Al” Yankovic
Vulfpeck truly embody the genre of funk with their hypnotic rhythmic groove. Although their brilliantly blundering bass lines carry their pieces, especially in their first two instrumental albums (Mit Peck and Vollmilch) it is their bizarre lyrics in their later work that hooked me. The ironic Guided Smile Meditation track on Thrill of the Arts epitomises their brave loyalty to unapologetically be themselves. Vulfpeck can be childish and play with odd motifs, like Captain Hook in their recent release Mr Finish Line, but if you’re looking for a route in, check out Back Pocket. Rest assured, Vulfpeck will quickly become your “special flower” in your jazzy Spotify playlist.
Imagine a mixture of a cabaret act, with the feathers and crazy characters, crossed with punk music, crossed again with eccentric personalities and make a band with the main instruments of piano and guitar. Sound interesting? At 13 years old, I thought so too. My favourite band to this day, for reasons unknown, is called The Dresden Dolls. Amanda Palmer, the lead singer who is married to the author Neil Gaiman, is a woman with a passion for being truthful – whatever that means. She has no problem calling out The Daily Mail either, who wrote an article about her nip slip!
For weird artists, you can’t do better than one with the word “weird” in the name. His songs are predominantly parodies of popular songs that subvert the original, with examples like Eat It (Beat It by Michael Jackson), Amish Paradise (Gangsta’s Paradise by Coolio) and Smells Like Nirvana (pretty obvious what this is based on).
-Bethany Bacon
Sigur Ros Sometimes Sigur Ros are just a bit odd, such as the legendary “Hoppipolla” or the anthemic Sæglópur. Then there are the fairly weird ones, such as Ny Batteri. And, finally, there is just the downright strange, such as the off-beat, distorted drums in Ovedur. The Icelandic altrockers have never been afraid of going against the grain, touring with massive, cinematic shows before falling silent for years. They’ve gone through incarnation after incarnation, from Radiohead-esque alt-indie, through to folk, ambient rock and industrial rock. They’re currently scoring the soundtrack to a Norwegian black metal film, so we can only imagine the weirdness that is sure to ensue.
16
-Nick Mason
-Freya Barrett
Cocteau Twins
Indecipherable lyrics sung by an angelic woman from Scotland, beautiful garbled language open to interpretation, all set to bell chimes, ambient sound waves creating indistinguishable audio and sweeping, atmospheric guitar riffs that seem like glissandos on a harp. The name may be misleading since there are no twins in the band, and any relation to a French writer is yet to be seen, but the beauty behind the name is unmistakeable. Theirs is the kind of contemplative music you would listen to during a particularly overwhelming, emotional day, or during a walk around the lake on a misty winter morning.
-Tom Cascarini
Images: Francis Butler
His non-parody songs are even weirder. His Polka Medleys are combinations of excerpts from various current songs, all played in a polka style at about twice the original speed. His original songs are even stranger, such as Albuquerque about winning a flight to the city, or One More Minute which is possibly the most insane love song ever.
-Tom Bedford
Captain Beefheart No rock artist is more deranged than Captain Beefheart, and his most recognised album, Trout Mask Replica, displays his madness perfectly. Beefheart composed the entire album on piano, an instrument he couldn’t play, and ordered his musicians to play in dissonant time signatures, creating a sound described as “the musical equivalent of barbed wire”. When asked how he gets his musicians to play his music, he simply replied, “whip”. On top of this, his growling splintered vocals make Death Grips sound like Michael Bublé. It may be hard work, but you must listen to this album.
-Charlie Walker
Music
Tonight Alive’s Underworld: underwhelming The Australian pop-punk band Tonight Alive recently released their fourth and final studio album with their founding member Whakaio Taahi. The album, titled Underworld, features 13 songs in total and these accumulate into a total time of roughly 47 minutes. The album is likely to leave the listener extremely confused, with 13 almost identical songs that could probably pass for just one song. The album begins with the song Book of Love which is incredibly unremarkable and shows no effort or imagination in the process of writing the lyrics. The music that accompanies this monotonous recital is just as uninspiring and shows no signs of creative flare. There are two songs on this album that feature other artists. The song Disappear, which features Lynn Gunn (from the band PVRIS) in particular feels like it was a half-hearted attempt at gaining some more money from the younger pop-punk fans who
have begun to wean themselves off of the mainstream world of pop music and No. 1 charts. The second collaborative song on this album is My Underworld which includes some pointless wails from Slipknot’s Corey Taylor. The overall theme of this album suggests a darkness which is emphasised by the title, but this album doesn’t make you want to investigate or even to focus. It does the opposite, instead nestling itself amongst the background noises of the day (or evening) whilst failing to grasp any attention from the listener who has found themselves stuck with it on repeat and hasn’t noticed.
CD holder or box that never leaves the attic and eventually finds itself as a 50p instalment in a charity shop. “Underworld” is a pointless album, unless you are 13 and are of the persuasion that pop-punk music is edgy and cool, or if you are struggling to find anything else.
-Gabriela Williams
The album artwork is equally bland and features a block colour and not much else. The addition of the tape like headers hark back to the time of cassettes, but this album would not be in your bag or even inside your Walkman. It is yet another album to add to a
The Waterfront: venue profile
At this point, the Waterfront is essentially synonymous with Norwich. Opening in 1990, and being taken over by the SU in 1993, it has since become a staple of the music scene not only in Norwich, but East Anglia in general. Some of the biggest names in the alternative music scene have graced its sticky walls - Nirvana in 1990, Radiohead in 1995, Arctic Monkeys in 2005, Amy Winehouse in 2006. The walls of the staff office upstairs are plastered with posters of bands that have been and gone, signed with messages of admiration and gratitude. The singer of Basement, performing at the venue in 2016, said that he considered the Waterfront a hometown show, despite being from Ipswich, because of the amount of times he went in his youth.
It is, perhaps, known better to students as the home of Propaganda, the self-branded “rock and roll party” that sees 25,000 drunk indie kids attend weekly across the world, and of Meltdown, Propaganda’s younger, less cool brother. Though they’re a little out of the city centre, these events provide a safe haven for people who are sick of clubs still playing Despacito. They have a VIP room that’s not really a VIP room, a smoking area that, when fully opened, trumps any other smoking area I’ve been in. I think they have a Pringles vending machine although I may have imagined that. That’s not to say it’s perfect. On more than one occasion, the £10 minimum card limit has got the best of me, resulting in the purchase of three doubles at a time, downing one of them then putting
the other two into a pint glass, thinking that I’ve beaten the system and then throwing up behind my friend’s shed. But it beats paying the charge to use the cash machine. Kind of. With a capacity of around a thousand, the toilet situation can get pretty dire – in terms of the queue, but also in terms of general grossness. But that’s just the price you pay for getting to relive your emo days every weekend. Outside the Book Hive is a sign with a quote from Stephen Fry that says that it is the kind of place he dreamed about when he was growing up. And when I’m inevitably as rich and famous as he is, there’ll be a sign outside the Waterfront that says the same.
-Jacob Chamberlain
17
Music
The Arctic Who? Finally it’s here: word of a brand spanking new Arctic Monkeys album! The band’s return to the music scene was announced when they were featured on the line up of Firefly Music Festival this June alongside The Killers and Eminem, among others. New music from the famous Sheffieldbased band has been highly anticipated and has some very large boots to fill. After five album releases, the Arctic Monkeys still impress. Hit singles feature in each of the band’s albums, particularly AM that featured the hit songs Do I Wanna Know? And R U Mine?
Since the release of AM in 2013, Alex Turner has furthered his solo career by writing the music for the film Submarine directed by Richard Ayoade (the man, the legend). The successful side project has a 87% score on Rotten Tomatoes. Turner has been busy recording a second album for the Last Shadow Puppets with Miles Kane that was released in 2016. The sizable gap between the release of new music from the Last Shadow Puppets let alone the Arctic Monkeys mean we are long overdue a smash hit to play on repeat in the LCR. The progression of Alex Turner’s solo
career in recent years, and the rise in his individual popularity has led me to question whether the Arctic Monkeys are still as relevant as a rock band or if the majority of the excitement is caused by Turner himself. If we look at the long and successful history of previous Arctic Monkey releases we should expect nothing but greatness. However, the die-hard 16 year old fan within me hopes that the band stay true to their indie rock routes and don’t try to reinvent their sound too much. - Jess Barrett
Release radar: January’s new music Marmozets Knowing What You Know Now It had been a long time since we heard from Marmozets, but since they dropped the single Play last year, it feels as if they have never been gone. The follow up to The Weird and Wonderful Marmozets is set to be a riotous punkrock belter, hyped up by Jack Bottomley when we spoke to him in October as a collection of massive, monster tracks. Get ready for riffs, Becca MacIntyre’s snarling vocals and a pace so breakneck that you sweat just listening to it.
Tiny Moving Parts Swell
The Dangerous Summer The Dangerous Summer
Tiny Moving Parts have polished themselves significantly in recent years, taking the math-rock guitar of their early work and smoothing it out, whilst utilising frontman Dylan Mattheisen’s vocals more than they did on 2013’s This Couch Is Long and Full of Friendship and 2014s Pleasant Living. Swell has seen three excellent lead singles that are unquestionably Tiny Moving Parts without being the same as previous releases. Expect bittersweet, wholesome indie-rock, break out the cheap bourbon, and put this on repeat with every hipster cliché you can find surrounding you.
The reunited California-by-way-ofBaltimore emo-rockers drop their first new album in five years this month. From a solid clutch of singles, including “Valium”, quite possibly the band’s best song since their debut album, hype for the cult band’s comeback is peaking. In the four years since their unceremonious, and very public, collapse, the band attained a near mythical status in some circles. They were the band that could have been great if it wasn’t for internal strife. Free of the personal conflicts, it’s now time to see if The Dangerous Summer can live up to that hype. If AJ Perdomo’s powerful voice and heartfelt lyrics remain as immediate now as always, it’s a safe bet that they will.
-Nick Mason
18
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JANUARY HIGHLY SUSPECT
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CONCRETE
005
Gaming
“Future looks bright” for TWEWY
The World Ends with You is one of those games that seems entirely married to the system it was first released on: it was designed so specifically for the DS that Square Enix’s last port attempt (to iOS in 2012) fell a bit flat. While the presentation of the story elements was mostly unaffected, since most dialogue takes place on the DS’ upper screen in the original, the combat system decidedly suffered when on a single screen. TWEWY is a game about learning to work with others and the gameplay splits over both DS screens, with the player expected to control two characters at once. The bottom screen always displays the protagonist, Neku, who is controlled via stylus swipes, taps and scratches; the top screen shows his various battle partners,
with the directional pad used to direct them. Since this is all designed to occur simultaneously, TWEWY becomes something uniquely engaging as you have to divide your attention and keep an eye on both characters. It’s certainly a challenge- they share a health bar, so you can’t ignore one in favour of the other. The iOS port tried to solve this by all but removing the partner element of combat entirely- they are merely a special attack set off using the phone’s touch screen, like any of Neku’s other moves. This not only affected the depth of the battle system, but actively made some fights frustrating as the game struggled to differentiate between inputs. The future looks bright for TWEWY though - the Switch remaster revealed
during the latest Nintendo Direct showed both characters being present on the same screen and attacking at once. This seems like a much better option, since it allows the port to still retain some of the frenetic energy the combat had in the original game. Additional story content is coming too, expanding on the secret ending from the iOS port, which at the time was expected to be the sign of an upcoming sequel. A port onto the astoundingly popular Nintendo Switch might be better than a sequel at this point, since it has been over ten years since the original release and not many people are that aware of it. If it is handled well, TWEWY on Switch could potentially end up being the definitive way to experience the game.
- Amy Nash
Indie-penchant: Crypt of the NecroDancer More than two years after its original release date, 2018 is still the perfect time to discover Brace Yourself Games’ rhythm-based roguelike sleeper hit. NecroDancer offers a fun and inventive twist on the genre as no clear directions are given for the rhythm based gameplay, unlike most other titles in the category. Instead, it is entirely up to the player to decide on how they play with the rhythm and manoeuvre to the end of the level. This creates a consistent challenge as it mandates movement that is both speedy
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Image: Flickr, BagoGames
and thoughtful, constantly keeping the player alert and engaged. Whenever a new enemy or boss appears, the player must adjust whichever patterns they’ve created in order to fit the new challenger. Support for the game has been consistently strong, with 2017 seeing its first gameplay expansion as well as multiple tracks being released. What makes NecroDancer so memorable to me, however, is just how many gameplay elements are layered on top of the core rhythm-based action.
There are multiple playable characters (whose myriad abilities radically alter playthroughs of the game,) daily challenges to complete, as well as full mod support on the Steam Workshop. Ultimately, what makes NecroDancer the perfect pick for the January games drought is the endless value it offers. With an incredible amount of content that all reaches the same high-quality threshold, this is one title that will never truly go stale.
- Harry Routley
Gaming
A look at Overwatch League Given the phenomenon that Overwatch has become over the last couple of years, it was only a matter of time before an event of such epic proportions as the new Overwatch League found itself being tabled at a Blizzard conference room meeting. Unsurprisingly, the idea of having stupendously wealthy individuals pay in the region of $20,000,000 just for the franchise spot required to enter a team into this newfangled league was apparently not met with all that much resistance. Some are saying that this could one day be a sports league to rival the NFL, and with base salaries of $50,000 and performance bonuses totalling $3,500,000 for players, as well as healthcare cover, retirement plans and housing during the season, it’s clear that Blizzard have their sights set on lofty heights. This is an international professional sports tournament and makes no mistakes. Twelve teams representing major cities around the globe are competing in the inaugural year of the Overwatch League. The tournament is split into two divisions - the Atlantic and the Pacific - with six teams in each. Though there is an inescapable bias towards American teams, it might console readers to know that the namesake city of a team has little to do with its composition in terms of players. The London team, for example, consists only of players from Korea whereas one UK based player finds himself playing for the Philadelphia team. The diversity of players is respectable, with competitors from Ethiopia, Australia, Spain, Thailand, Canada, Belgium, Sweden and France, to name a few, all playing in the league. Yet some voices have been heard noting the distinct lack of female players, and lacking the Overwatch League truly is, with not a single woman on any of the
teams’ rosters. Could it be that there are no female players who are good enough? No, of course not. There are a number of female Overwatch players who are known to be at the very top of their game, perfectly suited to compete at the very highest levels of play. Notably, Kim ‘Geguri’ Se-yeon, who is widely considered to be one of the best Zarya players of all time, was passed over as a choice for the new Leagues teams and the reasons given as to why are unconvincing at best. Issues with co-ed housing, getting teams to gel and the risk of a female player being seen as a so-called ‘PR’ stunt by the press are all genuine reasons given by team managers to account for the lack of women competitors. A further, if somewhat less politically charged, issue that has arisen following the launch of the world’s newest e-sports league is centred on how it affects the game of Overwatch at large, for those of us who are not international competitors. As part of the event, and in familiar Blizzard style, a series of cosmetic ‘skins’ were released for purchase in the game. These allow players to change the appearance of their characters, with a specific skin representing each of the twelve teams being available for every one of the 26 playable characters, making a total of 312 individual products.
that the only way to get the League specific skins is to buy them, as they do not appear in the winnable loot boxes like most other special event skins. For those with the desire and money to do so, a full collection of all of the League skins will see you forking out a whopping £1,049.88. Given how new the Overwatch league is, and how lofty its future intentions are, it was inevitable that there would be teething problems. Blizzard know that they are on to a winner with the game, but if they aren’t careful their desires to reach the sporting importance of football and baseball will start to fade away. Athletes do not make a sport, the supporters do. If Blizzard out price the interest in their events, then their support might not fall away completely, but may not be as high as they need. Far more importantly, they are in real trouble if they can’t find a way to solve the embarrassing and woefully excused gender imbalance in their professional circles. £5 for an in game purchase might annoy a few people, but active gender discrimination can destroy a venture like the Overwatch League, and perhaps the people behind it too.
- Sean Bennett
The skins are bought with a token system only used for League cosmetics, with each skin costing 100 tokens. Players who log in before Feburary 13th receive 100 free tokens (amounting to one cosmetic skin of their choice). Any further tokens must be bought with real money – from £4.99 for the minimum 100 tokens to a substantial £87.49 for a haul of 2600 tokens. These prices have been met with some level of annoyance from the community, who argue that the prices are too high. The problem is made worse by the fact Image: Flickr, BagoGames
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Gaming
Ludonarrative: dissonance and harmony
Image: Flickr - BagoGames
Narrative hasn’t always been a core concern for video game developers. Even today, the majority of games don’t have dedicated writers. Ludology has always been the main focus, perhaps even rightly so. Video games are designed to provide players with systems and mechanics they have to learn in order to progress. The player is given skills, powers, tools, and challenges to overcome. Games are spaces where ordinary people can explore new places, atmospheres, and have otherworldly experiences. In a medium geared so much towards a player’s experience and freedom to express themselves, stories must be told, or shown, in an unconventional sense. The interactivity of video games adds a layer of realism, tangible to the player through manipulation of the game’s systems, that cannot be achieved in other forms of media. The player becomes a narrator, more than just a witness to events, and this is what makes video games such a unique and compelling medium.
player to follow, creating an element of mystery which encourages players to form their own theories.
The idea that players form narratives through the act of playing is not a new one. The term ‘ludonarrative’ has been used to describe this process in the past. Consider the success of the Soulsborne series, which requires players to learn the movesets, strengths, and weaknesses of their enemies in order to develop their own method for overcoming them. Each player’s experience of defeating a boss is a personal one, and the journey to reaching these milestones will vary between players. Furthermore, there is no clear sense of plot for the
To avoid this dissonance, many developers have opted for the route of minimal interaction. Take Telltale’s games as an example: the player is given enclosed environments, tools designed for specific tasks, and limited options in how they are able to progress. For the most part, this approach works. By giving the player less opportunity to pursue their own impulses, they are forced to give more consideration to the motivations and desires of the game’s characters. In other words, by having simple mechanics, it is easier for the developer to align the game’s ludo-
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However, whilst the ludonarrative is what makes the Soulborne games such memorable experiences, it does present a unique challenge for developers who want to exert more control over the narrative that the player extracts from the game. Essentially, if the game’s system allows the player to do things which conflict with the game’s narrative elements – a character’s principles for example – then a disconnect occurs between the player’s experience and the overarching narrative. This is otherwise known as ‘Ludonarrative Dissonance’. One often cited example of where this occurs is in the Uncharted series, where the player slaughters hundreds upon hundreds of people in tense and lifethreatening situations, whilst Drake remains his typically cheerful self, apparently unaffected by the amount of death and destruction surrounding him.
narrative with the narrative witnessed through conversation or cutscenes. Despite my love for many of Telltale’s games, I don’t think they are among some of the best games ever created. That honour would have to go to games like The Last of Us, Dead Space, or the recently released Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, which exploit the otherwise problematic presence of a ludonarrative to create highly evocative and meaningful experiences. After finishing The Last of Us, and thinking on what had happened, I became increasingly aware of how abhorrent Joel is as a human being, and how paradoxical it was that I still had so much empathy for him. I eventually came to the conclusion that the game’s ludonarrative had reinforced the theme of survival so well (especially when playing on the hardest difficulty), that empathy with Joel became inevitable. I had suffered the entire game, struggling to keep Joel alive in his harsh postapocalyptic world. By the end, I understood on a personal level why Joel had to save Ellie, that the mere thought of losing his daughter again was too much to bear. If more games can replicate the likes of The Last of Us in its treatment of gameplay as a narrative component, then I think that games will one day carry the same cultural significance that the mediums of literature or film currently have. It is happening already - just think of the mental health issues Hellblade addresses - but eventually games will be remembered for far more than the escapism they provide.
- James Nicholls
Television
Rise of the anthology
An anthology series, which tells a different story in each episode or season, is certainly not a new concept to television. Even in the 1950s this form proved popular: The Twilight Zone is perhaps the most famous and influential example, and its popularity has seen it undergo multiple revival attempts, for better or for worse. However, in the last ten years or so, there has been a wave of new, original anthology shows, the majority of which have achieved success both critically and commercially. Fargo, Black Mirror and American Horror Story, to name a few, are some of the most renowned and established anthology shows, known particularly for their quality drama and high ratings. However, their appeal is not just limited to the audience, as A-list actors often become interested in working on projects that do not require multiseason commitments, and that are often artistic and cinematic (and provide a good salary). Attaching big names, such as Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson in the first season of True Detective, or Ewan McGregor and Mary Elizabeth Winstead in the third season of Fargo, increases the marketability and hence furthers the success of the show. Making the decision to start watching a series that has ten seasons of 20 episodes each can be a daunting task, as it requires a serious investment of time and effort
to keep up with every storyline and character, as well as a need for some level of perseverance to make it through the unavoidably slower parts. Arguably, an anthology series is without this barrier. If each episode or season can be viewed in isolation, a new viewer might find it more accessible as they have greater freedom in what they watch and how much, especially because these shows can even be seen out of order. They can stop watching after one season and still feel satisfied because they have experienced a complete story. Another plus of this format is that the viewer need not even start at the beginning, instead perhaps following the recommendation of a friend to watch a certain season first, or even allowing the critical response to dictate their choice. For instance, the second season of American Horror Story is generally considered one of the best, and therefore might be an alternate gateway for a new viewer wanting to get into the show. In addition, the shorter form of telling a story in an arc of ten episodes - or around that - requires a concision and focus that often benefits the final product. Creatively, an anthology series grants the showrunners greater flexibility. They are not tied down to the same single story, setting, or group of characters, and therefore run less of a risk of going stale, a fate which has befallen many shows
Images Flickr, Lindsay Silveira, Flickr, Christo Drummkopf, Flickr, abstrusa
which were initially very promising, such as The Walking Dead. Consequently, they may even be able to broach a range of genres, as might be considered the case with the sci-fi/horror/dark-comedy/ drama/satire of Black Mirror, and in the process, attract a wider audience. What’s more, by returning to a completely clean slate before writing a new season, there is a greater possibility to create stories that are relevant to current-affairs and recent socio-political issues, whereas a conventional show would have greater difficulty in adapting to cover new topics as this would require a nuanced change in direction in order not to be too brash. The tide of anthology shows does not seem to be dying down any time soon: in September last year we saw the release of “Philip K Dick’s Electric Dreams”, while “American Crime Story” has recently aired its second season, “The Assassination of Gianni Versace” (see page 25 for preview). We are currently experiencing a so-called ‘‘Golden Age of Television’’, and it may be that the rise of anthology shows has spawned from this; they have provided some of the best television in recent history. Alternatively, the trend may have helped to establish this ‘‘Golden Age’’ due to the creation of successful, original intellectual property, and, if this era continues, we will likely see more truly brilliant anthology shows.
-Joel Shelley
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The Editor’s Netflix picks:
Fargo season 3 (22 Jan)
For those who have doubt over Ewan McGregor’s range as an actor (as I did) I would advise watching the third season of Fargo to witness his (now Golden Globe winning) performance as both twin brothers: Emmit and Ray Stussy. The acting is phenomenal, with Carrie Coon (pictured) giving a subtly powerful performance and David Thewlis also being given a chance to shine as the dastardly V.M. Varga. The bizarreness that viewers of previous seasons grew to love is still present and better than ever.
Altered Carbon (2 Feb)
In a world where technology is improving the lives of many, it is also being exploited by the 1% in this dystopian/cyberpunk futuristic world. This new Netflix original series has been described as a combination of Blade Runner, Black Mirror and Westworld, which may be setting the bar perhaps a bit too high. It focuses on a lone surviving soldier - whose fellow soldiers are all long dead after a failed rebellion against the new world order - who must solve a murder. This promises to be a bold, lavish production and reports have cited that Netflix are very happy with it.
-Dan Struthers
Images: Wikimedia, FX Networks, wikimenda, Netflix
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Television
The Crown season 2 is “intriguing and exciting”
The Crown returned to Netflix last month with its second season, which continues to follow the intimate lives of Queen Elizabeth II and her immediate family. The first season focused primarily on Elizabeth and her childhood as well as the death of her father. This season, however, focuses on her sister Margaret and Prince Philip more than Elizabeth herself which makes for an interesting set of episodes.
The first episode of the season, “Misadventure” was a controversial start as it revolves around the rumours that Philip had an affair in 1957. The subsequent episodes follow this up by presenting Philip, played by Matt Smith, as a red-blooded “man’s man” with this overbearing masculinity being evident in the subsequent episode’s title: “A Company of Men”. Philip’s activities onboard the Royal Yacht Britannia come under scrutiny when his right-hand man, Mike Parker, is found to be having an affair after his wife began divorce proceedings. This episode, as well as bringing Philip’s character into question, was insightful as it reminds us how hard it was for women to get a divorce at the time, even when their husbands were having an affair. The other episodes focus on the political troubles in 1957, principally the loss of control over the Suez Canal. Jeremy Northam gives a convincing performance as Prime Minister Anthony Eden and the political hurdles that he faced. This season also manages to show us the amount of power that Elizabeth had and how independent her decisions were as she constantly clashes with the high status political figures in the patriarchal society. Another revealing episode was “Beryl” which saw Princess Margaret decide
against releasing a traditional Birthday Portrait to be published in the newspapers, instead choosing a more risqué photograph. Whilst this episode highlights the old-fashioned approach that the monarchy had at the time, it also presented Margaret as someone who was critical of the Crown. The episode “Marionettes” features the character Lord Altrincham, who writes an article that is critical of the way that royalty communicate with their subjects. At the end of this episode we are reminded that simple things, such as the Queen’s speech being televised, was an improvement suggested by Lord Altrincham. In the penultimate episode, “Paterfamilias” we see a cruel side to Philip when he forces his son to go to his old school in Scotland rather than Eton, adding to the already rather damning portrait of the allegedly adulterous Prince. Overall, this is well worth watching if you know a lot about the royal family or, for that matter, if you know very little. The cast portrays the monarchy and the other characters well, and the plot is constantly intriguing and exciting. I highly recommend this season of The Crown; it builds nicely upon season one and has some thoroughly interesting and thought provoking messages.
-Gabriela Williams
Illustrations (page 24 and 25) Megan Furr
Television
McMafia: “good things can be Elsewhere on expected” despite receiving TV... criticsm Now, halfway through the series, McMafia has received mixed reviews. It has been deemed suspenseful and exciting by some, with many viewing Norton’s performance as an audition for the role of James Bond following Daniel Craig’s retirement from the role. There are many scenes reminiscent of Bond right from the start of the series, from Norton’s portrayal of the protagonist, to even the camera angles which are used. There is no doubt that McMafia is high-paced and exciting, just like the Bond films, but there is doubt as to whether Norton really has the charisma to pull off 007.
Following a week of family films, period dramas and festive TV, the BBC mixed things up on New Year’s Day with the introduction of new gangster drama, McMafia, created by Hossein Amini and directed by James Watkins (most well known for The Woman in Black.) With the absence of popular dramas Doctor Who and Sherlock this year, the BBC seem to have invested greatly in this new eight-part drama which certainly has not disappointed so far. McMafia tells the story of a wealthy Russian family living in England, following their exile from Moscow, and is centred around the son of the family, Alex Godman – a privately educated young banker, played by James Norton. The first episode immediately introduces us to the world of the corporate gangster. Having attempted to escape the shadow of his family’s criminal past in the Russian mafia, Alex slips into the dangerous underworld and true to technology of the modern age, begins to avenge the recent death of his uncle from behind the laptop screen of his investment company in London.
In the first few weeks of the drama being aired, criticism has come from all angles. Despite being based on Misha Glenny’s non-fiction book, McMafia: A Journey Through the Global Criminal Underworld, the creators of the drama have been accused of adopting falsified stereotypes of Russian businessmen. The Russian Embassy’s Twitter account declared that the drama “depicts Britain as a playground for Russian gangsters” and emphasised that this is certainly not true. To add to this, the BBC has also been criticised from Jewish groups due to their negative portrayal of Israeli businessman, Semiyon Kleiman, who is introduced in the first episode as Alex’s gateway to the world of gangsters. McMafia is far more corporate than gangster in the early scenes, but it does not fail to live up to our high-profile gangster stereotypes, flitting between London, Tel Aviv and Moscow and ending the first episode with a very extravagant party in the Palace of Versailles. The BBC have clearly set aside a great budget for this new drama and only good things can be expected in the remainder of the series.
-Evangeline Stanford
The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story (17 Jan)
By the same team who brought us The People vs O.J. Simpson comes this second instalment (under the very vague anthology title ‘American Crime Story’) focussing on the murder of Italian fashion designer Gianni Versace. While season one focused on O.J. Simpson, it also made urgent parallels with racism. This season looks like it will examine, as well as the assassination, homophobia in society too. If this is even half the show of its previous season, viewers can look forward to slick direction, intriguing characters and great performances.
Waco (24 Jan)
Another true crime drama, this tells the horrific yet fascinating account of the Waco siege – a standoff between the Branch Davidians, led by the cult leader David Koresh, and the American law enforcement, which lasted 51 days in Texas. With such an interesting premise and the always brilliant Michael Shannon leading the cast, this might be one of the stellar shows to kick off TV in 2018.
-Dan Struthers Images, wikimedna, Jaqen, Federal Bureau of investigation
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#ALIST
C. writing
Death by Numbers One two, one two, me and you, We are caught in a ladder of numbers: the years roll out and scroll up. Watch them pass us by, through our toes and fingers, how they fly how they fly! Heyho: one day we’ll die. Three four, three four, all this and more. As the times pass by, flow on and along In to the sea of the future— where it goes, who knows, Not I, nor you, what is there to do? Make plans! Yes, those thin, finite bands that we tie across our wrists and loop around a rock, in this sea this silly sea, this sea of history. Unknown is the future: uncharted its waters, that splash of numbers, each droplet a digit. Five six, five six, we are lost in its tricks, unsure of where to start or look for that damned rock! Seven eight, seven eight, too late too late, We have already drifted out, where we cannot see coast or, what’s that? at most—the horizon! Yes, the horizon! Let’s pin our hopes on that, shall we? Look ahead to the horizon, young fella, plan and hope, nine ten, nine ten, begin again. A new year, a new horizon upon which to stack a list of things, goals, trinkets You want to earn or achieve, if you bwelieve it can be done so easily as writing on a sheet of paper A new me, Twenty-Eighteen. Nine ten, nine ten, again, again! What fun our little circus, how fast this carnival of ageing! A new year? New? New new, what’s new? Is there anything New about all of this? There is? well, that’s news to me.
- Liam Heitman-Rice
A Political Limerick Blue, Red, Purple, Green, My favourite colours when I was thirteen. Seldom is the truth, Ever spoken to the youth. Has this dystopia been taken from a movie screen?
- Saoirse Smith-Hogan Image (top to bottom) Wikipedia, User:fool, Vexels
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C. writing
Trypanophobia “Can you stick it in my ass?” I asked him as I sat on the bench beside my girlfriend, holding her hand for comfort. Our palms were slippy from the sweat, my sweat, nervous sweat. Koh Tao baked in the heat outside, and though the small white room was air conditioned, salt water poured from head, stinging my eyes. He didn’t reply, just raised his eyebrows, a signal for me to repeat the request. I watched him put on the plastic gloves. “Can you stick it in my ass, please?” I said, this time pointing. He shook his head solemnly. No joy. I didn’t watch. Tears came to my eyes; A mixture of fear and reaction to the stinging sweat now filling them. He leaned in. I felt a pinch. He leaned out. Then he laughed to himself. It was over. “Are you alright now?” Ana asked as we left the clinic. “Yeah, fine. That was a bit embarrassing, sorry.” “Don’t be sorry, I see it a lot.” Being a nurse, Ana stabs people for a living. Watching thin metal puncture soft blue veins is nothing to her. Before entering that clinic, she had already given me the heads up that the doctor couldn’t stick it my ass. The needle had to go into a vein, and the ass was all muscle and fat, mostly fat in my case. Still, it was worth a shot. I will never pet a stray street dog in Thailand again. Lesson learned. Dreading a needle entering your body is a common phobia, and one I suffer from, though it wasn’t always so. As a kid, getting vaccinations at school never fazed me. Like most children I didn’t think twice about it. At the age of sixteen though, when I had to give blood for a standard allergy test, I did something I’ve always regretted; I looked. Blood gushing out of your arm at high speed into a vial looks a lot like beer pouring from a tap into a pint; the steady stream, the bubbly foam caused by the pressure – even the tilted angle of the glass. This is what fucked me up, the foam in particular. The sight of my arm spilling hot red fluid into a glass cylinder, the suds sitting atop the thick red liquid as the tube filled to the brim… I’m sorry. Writing this makes me want to puke. I’ve had blood taken since – twice - for an operation. I’ve also been injected a few times, like the tetanus in Thailand, my operation, or vaccinations I needed for travelling to malaria prone countries. And every time since that first frothy experience, I’ve quivered, cowered, and hyperventilated as sweat poured from my face until being told, “Now, that wasn’t bad, was it?” No, it was fucking awful, you bastard. I can’t watch scenes in films where needles are injected either. Only recently, I saw Requiem for a Dream for the first time and was left more shaken than a hand at mass. Horror films do nothing to me; I thought IT was hilarious. So was The Ring. But when Jared Leto sticks that needle into the black festering wound on his arm, I was in pieces. Given the choice, I’d almost rather watch my parents have sex than see that again, almost. Ana doesn’t always make it easier. Sometimes if we’re watching Netflix, and she’s stroking my arm, her hand might stop and she’ll say, “This one. I’d love to use this one. Straight in.” It makes me squirm. Working with a lot of junkies means she has to look for their veins sometimes. Mine stick out like jelly worms. I’m OK with having a phobia, but not this one. It’s irrational. If I’m ever unfortunate enough to experience a serious illness, it won’t serve me well. At times, fighting an illness can be just as much a mental battle as a physical one for some people, so I don’t ever want to live in fear of medicine that could save me. Also, there’s multiple winners if I overcome this, which I intend to, because I mean to face it head on by donating blood for the first time. This is something I have always wanted to do, as a way of helping others, but also to rid myself of this affliction. Two weeks from now, I am booked in to donate. Two weeks from now, I will read this and hopefully laugh, then go and watch Trainspotting and the needle pit scene from Saw II on repeat screaming “More!” Two weeks from now, I will be free, or unconscious and in need of spare trousers.
- Aaron O’Farrell
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Image: Wordpress, Laura Aebi
C. writing
Dreams and Reality
Every night, my dreams get stranger, but then they always have been strange. I’m back at school – I go back there often – and it’s Monday, P.E. day, but I don’t have my P.E. Kit. It’s not just a P.E. day, it’s a swimming day, and I have to borrow a swimming costume, which I suppose I manage with ease because suddenly I am in the swimming pool changing rooms. I see hundreds of purple cubicles in a huge room, high ceilinged like a warehouse. Some of them are showers, some of them are toilets and some of them are just changing rooms, but tiny changing rooms with too-small doors and broken locks. I know that the perfect changing room is somewhere in this vast chamber. No shower, no toilet, working lock, a door that reaches from the floor to at least above my shoulders. But I never find it. There were only two private cubicles in the damp communal changing room of my old school’s swimming pool. Too bad if the locks were broken. There were no corridors, no mazes, no expanse of purple boxes with different sized doors like there are in my dream. Another night whilst I slept in the bed of my university attic room, in my mind I was shopping for clothes in H&M. I looked through the racks of jeans and shirts and then I noticed a skirt that I liked but already had. But I’ve never had that skirt. I’ve never seen that skirt. I keep looking through the racks and a man who I had never seen before, a huge man with tiny eyes, turns around from looking at the clothes and walks towards me, his round doughy face growing big and angry. The top of his head is balding and a dark greasy ponytail hangs lank from the nape of his neck down the back of his shabby T-shirt. His face gets close to mine, as close as it can get, and he says the word “feminist.” I move backwards away from him, but still his face gets bigger, closer, and he says the word again, louder this time: “feminist.” I start to move quicker. I know I am in danger, and still he gets closer, coming towards me, faster now. I am moving backwards as fast as I can without turning around, because I can’t turn around. That word, one more time, this time yelled in my face: “FEMINIST.” My eyes open and I look around my room, but things are crawling on my wall, and I am still dreaming. I close my eyes tight, open them again. The things have gone and my room is dark. I suppose I am a feminist, depending on your definition, but I never really think about it. During the summer I took a sixteen hour road trip with my dad and his girlfriend from Michigan to New Orleans. They took it in turns driving and sometimes I sat in the back sleeping, and sometimes I sat in the front, choosing the music. When I chose a song my dad didn’t like he’d say: “change it. It’s boring,” and when he heard one he did like he’d sing along loudly, sometimes using the right words, but more often, using the wrong ones. When his phone rang, which it did often, I turned the music off and listened to my dad shout at whoever was on the other end. He shouted at them even when he wasn’t angry with them, but he often was. Eight hours into the drive we spent the night in a Travelodge in Tennessee. That night, I dreamt I was in a helicopter with my dad and his girlfriend. I don’t know why, or where we were going, but my dad was the pilot. We had flown for quite a long way, and I had been impressed when he performed some quite complicated manoeuvres. Suddenly it occurred to me: “I didn’t know that you could fly helicopters.” He replied “Oh yes. I’m not sure how to land them though.” Image: Pexels, Joody Runtgon
- Kate Romain
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Let’s get political... Whether you’re reading dystopian fiction, or a break down of New Labour’s policies, it has never been more important to engage with politics. Or, for that matter, with literature. Afterall, there are some things that a BuzzFeed article just wont tell you. Inspired by the recent release of Michael Wolff’s tell-all book about Donald Trump, three of Venue’s writers give us a little insight into their favourite political literature.
George Orwell’s 1984
Every time humanity appears to veer towards self-destruction, Nineteen Eighty-Four seems to pop up in conversation. The dystopian world of the novel was established way back in the late 1940s, long before the current young adult dystopian novels that have plagued our bookshelves since. In this respect, the novel was over half a century ahead of its time. Perhaps the most memorable name from the novel is the elusive Big Brother, a powerful totalitarian leader who is unquestioningly worshipped, and the sole figure of constant positive propaganda throughout. This is an ideal which many extreme right-wing leaders today strive towards, most notably Kim Jong-un. Another idea the book explores is Newspeak, described as “a controlled language of restricted grammar and limited vocabulary designed to limit the freedom of thought”. What world leader do we know who is famous for his restricted grammar, limited vocabulary
and tendency to dismiss anything clashing with his own views as “fake news”? It may be the same leader who adopts the Ministry of Truth’s philosophy when it comes to censorship of the press, which is to grossly exaggerate the positives and dismiss anything that contradicts this. The emergence of this radical right-wing ideology in our current climate may appear shockingly close to George Orwell’s vision, but then it is important to remember that this can be traced throughout all of history. Orwell wrote Nineteen Eighty-Four after World War II, the most obvious example of the dangers of censorship, nationalism and the shift to the right which all lead to totalitarianism and genocide. Maybe if more people took notice regarding this classic cautionary tale we wouldn’t be heading down this very familiar dangerous path. - Dan Struthers
Anthony Burgess’ A Clockwork Orange
A Clockwork Orange addresses the clash between desire for freedom at the cost of safety and political control in the perusal of safety, but at the cost of individual freedoms. Written around the rise of communist power, the building of the Berlin wall, and the Vietnam War; fear of state control was rife across the Western world. Yet these themes are so present in world politics today. In June 2017, Theresa May reported she would change human right laws if they “get in the way” of tackling terror suspects. Burgess challenges this loss of humanity in the perusal of the eradication of evil when the state inhumanely experiments on our protagonist for the supposed protection of its citizens. The character of Minister of Interior represents this support for ordered society, that questions of individual liberty are insignificant compared with the values of safety and order. Yet his actions show
us that these views are more about control and power to the party than actual concern over safety of the citizens. Burgess encourages us to question our political leaders who claim to have our best interest at heart. Burgess turns the disenfranchised apolitical youth he saw in Soviet Russia and countercultural Britain into a violent but likable individual through which to explore this clash of ideals. His writing style is unique. He weaves in fears of an all-powerful political party who will use any means to grow their power whilst brainwashing their citizens; by brainwashing his own readers through his use of almost nonsense language. And his use of motifs in sex, art and music display the struggle for personal vs political power throughout the novel. An exceptional work of literary fiction dealing with ideas just as relevant now as then. - Evlyn Forsyth-Muris
Andrew Rawnsley’s Servants of the People: The Inside Story of New Labour
If you really want to dig deeper in understanding the root causes of Jeremy Corbyn’s meteoric rise as well as the disillusionment with today’s political establishment that subsequently spawned Brexit, Servants of the People: The Inside Story of New Labour by the journalist and broadcaster Andrew Rawnsley is a must-read. Rawnsley’s book, a fly-on-the-wall account of what went on behind the doors of Number 10 during the first few years of New Labour’s time in office, hung out the dirty laundry of Blair’s government to dry in clear public view and elevated to new heights the now infamous feud between the Prime Minister and his Chancellor of the Exchequer.
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Controversially relying on many sources of ‘private information’ ostensibly gathered from some of those
closest to Number 10 – and tantalisingly perhaps even from those in the inner circle themselves – Rawnsley paints an intriguing picture of a publicity-obsessed government populated by neutered cabinet ministers, warring factions, feuding aides, and a Prime Minister almost neurotic in his fixation with focus groups, newspaper headlines and public opinion. Whether staunch Blairite, Corbynista or otherwise, this book is the perfect tool with which to unwind the relentless spin that the New Labour government entwined itself in and, above all, is a thoroughly engrossing and thought provoking read that will provide you with new perspectives – for better or worse – on the inner workings of one of the most important periods in recent British political history. - Jamie Rhodes
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