Act One Drama Society’s Jungle Juice

Mahala Gainer Contributor

Ihad the privilege of getting to attend the opening night of Act One drama society’s performance ‘Jungle Juice’ at Pulse Nightclub. The performance was a parody of the Jungle book, that used Cardiff University to put their own hilariously relatable spin on the classic.

gone are the sepia-toned hallways of the old studio, and we are greeted with colour and realism as Audrey encounters janitor Wilson, who is working late alongside her. As made obvious by the teaser trailers, Wilson is set up to be the game’s antagonist, and promptly tricks Audrey into reactivating the Ink Machine, turning her into an Inky-Human hybrid and banishing her to the depths of the long-forgotten studio once more. Audrey is tasked with making her way through the cartoon world, fighting enemies and avoiding the elusive ‘Ink Demon’ at all costs. In her journey, she comes across many characters we know and love, such as Alice Angel and Boris the Wolf, who help her along the way. But yet we are left with a dominant question: who is Audrey, and why was she chosen to save the cartoon world?

BATDR was one of the most enjoyable indie horror games I have seen. It was clear that Kindly Beast had used their time wisely and produced a piece of art, rather than just a cash grab. The attention to detail within the animation is excellent, and every scene is truly an immer- sive experience. BATDR incorporates mass details into its environments without it appearing messy or confusing. Within recent years, especially since the rise of the Five Nights at Freddy’s franchise, having complex game lore has been championed within the indie horror community. However, this can often be executed poorly and coherent gameplay can be sacrificed; as seen with the infamous flop of the game Hello Neighbor. BATDR strays from the norm in this aspect as it leaves interesting hints to a further story, without obsessing over it. Instead of a complex linear timeline, the Bendy franchise only focuses on important lore elements, such as the fates of different employees of Joey Drew Studios. This keeps the franchise interesting, without forgoing the quality of the actual games for the sake of a feature on ‘Game Theory’. In all, Bendy and the Dark Revival is a welcome addition to the story of Joey Drew Studios. It is an enjoyable and adventurous game for new and experienced gamers alike. Although it looks as if the franchise ends here, the Bendy games and Kindly Beast will be known for their greatness in video game development for a long while.

Daisy Jones and the Six- ‘set to be an Amazon hit show’

Author of six novels, Reid’s 2019 book ‘Daisy Jones & The Six’, is certainly a fan favorite, with its wholly original format, brilliant characterization and compelling rock aesthetic, captivating readers. It’s no surprise that Reese Witherspoon’s production company ‘Hello Sunshine’ swiftly claimed filming rights after it was selected to be the February 2019 pick for ‘Reesesbookclub’. Amazon has commissioned a 13-part series based on the book, with the first episode set to release on March 3rd, starring Sam Claflin as tortured musician Billy Dunne, and Elvis’ granddaughter, Riley Keogh, as the chaotically beautiful Daisy Jones.

So, what is so gripping about this story?

For starters, the novel is uniquely original, written in the format of a VH1: Behind the Music special, with the identity of the interviewer being revealed in a pretty shocking way. This format was quite unlike any other novel I’ve ever read, narrated in the past tense, it feels like you’re diving deep into a real band’s dramatic history, making for a great audiobook listen by the way! It is written as an interview with various members of the band and those around them, such as managers, producers and even significant others. I found it so clever to read from all the different perspectives, and I loved how those viewpoints are slightly altered. Everyone seemed to remember the events leading up to the band’s untimely breakup differently, allowing the readers to make their own decision, and believe whichever character they want.

Considering there are seven band members in total, and many characters surrounding them, the characterization is absolutely brilliant. Reid ensured that each character had their own unique voice, as she does in all of her novels, meaning I was never once confused about who was who. Taylor Jenkins Reid has a real talent for creating flawed, vulnerable characters that I grow to care for very quickly. For instance, I fell in love with the character Nina in Reid’s 2021 summer novel, ‘Malibu Rising’ as well as the infamous Evelyn Hugo in her 2017 book entitled, ‘The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo’. Daisy Jones was no different. Although the character is by no means perfect, I couldn’t help but root for her individual triumphs, as well as her success within the band.

It’s a classic story about sex, drugs and rock and roll, illustrating artis-

The show began by Baloo, played by Ben Lewis, setting the scene for what was to come. I can assure you there was no risk of being bored in this pantomime full of audience participation, impromptu reactions, songs and dances. Right from the start the audience was encouraged to participate by responding to Baloo by saying “hello you sexy bear”. Next the audience was introduced to Mowgli, played by Chelsey Hughes, who was anxiously heading off to start his first year at Cardiff university and to hopefully find love. This led to Mowgli spending his first night at the Student Union (SU) at a Jungle themed night with his new flatmate Baggy, played by Matilda Hawken. The story explores Mowgli’s journey finding his feet at university, and journey to try and find love.

Reid ensured that each character had their own unique voice ” tic conflicts and romantic struggles during a whirlwind decade. The rise and breakup of this iconic 1970s rock band was inspired by Fleetwood Mac Reid admits, but what separates Daisy Jones from this legendary band is the unique songs written in the back pages of the novel, allowing readers to imagine the band’s sound in their own way. Songs written by Reid like ‘Midnight’ and ‘Aurora’ are set to be constructed for the show by Bob Dylan, Blake Mills and Phoebe Bridger’s. With this highly anticipated soundtrack, fans can expect a rock ‘n’ roll show for the ages.

The directors Sian Howells, Joe McCartney, producer Tim Winterborn and musical director Rhiannon Green worked together with Austin Hampshire the comedic writer to produce a storyline and songs that were so relatable to a Cardiff University student. Every little detail seemed to be effortlessly executed throughout, from the references to popular SU nightclub, to the thick fake Welsh accent and terminology like ‘fresher’ to make reference to the first years. They used a comedic way to present real issues that first year students experience, like struggling to make new friends. It is important not to forget about the brilliant Acapella society that performed beautiful choruses throughout the show. A highlight was Thomas Daudelin performing ‘The Lion Sleeps Tonight’ supported by the rest of the group. The cast and acapella group did a brilliant job of keeping the crowd attentive and entertained throughout the performance. Although audience members would randomly shout things out, the cast always seemed to be prepared with witty and amusing responses. The society has produced a group of very talented performers. Even the audience was brilliant at willingly being a part of the show. Audience members were asked to sing songs like ‘Baa Baa Black Sheep’, and one was even asked to show his ID and interrogated about it.

I highly recommend Jungle Juice for anyone who needs a good laugh. The show was not for the faint hearted with hilarious profanity throughout. My one piece of advice would be to maybe not come see with your parents!

I highly recommend Jungle Juice for anyone who needs a good laugh. ”