Reignite M AY
2016
Is Disney Brainwashing our children feminism in nepal the unnown truth a feminist analsis of grey gardens is little edie a tragic hero
C A T E B L A N C HE TT S a r ah Paul s o n
R oon e y M ar a
D I R E C T E D B Y T OD D H A Y N E S
CAROL THE WESTERN COMPANY AND FILM PRESENT IN ASSOCIATION WITH STUDIO CANAL HANWAY GOLDCREST AND INFILM PRODUCTIONS AN ELIZABETH KALSAR STEPHEN A FILM BY TODD HAYNES CATE BLANCHETT ROONEY MARA “CAROL” SARAH PAULSON JAKE LACY AND KOLE CHOLLER DIRECTED BY TODD HAYNES S CR E E N P L A Y B Y P H Y L IS S N A C Y BASE D O N TH E NO V E L “ T H E P R IC E O F S A L T ’
Editors Letter thany e B y nB Writte Editor of e. e, Ho ar e Magazin it Reign sue Is May
This month has seen the release of the Oscar nominations, Beyonce announced a world tour and Donald Trump and Hilary Clinton battled it out it Iowa. Here at Reignite we have seen new releases such as Carol and The Danish Girl, fangirling over the romance between Rooney Mara and Cate Blanchett is a daily ritual. We have asked the universal question is Disney brainwashing our children and nterviewed a couple about gay life in a small town. This issue looks at how woman of different age groups and orientations are being affected by their portrayal in the media and the consequences this causes. I recently saw the London premiere of a musical called Grey Gardens that presents how two woman (Aunt and Cousin of first lady Jackie Kennedy) deal with their own expectations of society. Undoubtedly the woman crumbles to the pressure of society, ending up living with a 100 cats and no hair. This story of Big and Little Eddie inspired Reignite to want to change people’s perception of how woman are portrayed throughout their lifetime and how we can actively change this. As always we ask for contributions of work to be sent to Reignite so we can hear your own feedback and opinions on this subject.
Bethany x
POEM OF THE MONTH
Mad Girl’s Love Song Sylvia Plath
“I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead; I lift my lids and all is born again. (I think I made you up inside my head.) The stars go waltzing out in blue and red, And arbitrary blackness gallops in: I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead. I dreamed that you bewitched me into bedAnd sung me moon-struck, kissed me quite insane. (I think I made you up inside my head.) God topples from the sky, hell’s fires fade: Exit seraphim and Satan’s men: I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead. I fancied you’d return the way you said, But I grow old and I forget your name. (I think I made you up inside my head.)
I
should have loved a thunderbird instead; At least when spring comes they roar back again. I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead. (I think I made you up inside my head.)”
Photo g ra Bethan phy by y Ho ar e, Editor of Reigni te May I Magazine. ssue
Feminist Of The Month Our Feminist of the month is all of our twitter followers who have tweeted us in relation to Orange Is the New Black Star, Ruby Rose. Followers took a stand for the LGBT community when they saw a meme saying that the androgynous star had made woman “turn gay for her”. This offended members of the community for obvious reasons: 1.Being gay is not a choice. You’re sexuality doesn’t magical change due to new, attractive character being introduced to a TV show. 2.WWAlthough she refers to herself as “she” Ruby Rose is actually gender fluid. So saying you’re a lesbian in reference to Ruby Rose is actually incorrect….. And a little offensive We must solider on save the world one tweet at a time!
17. 16.
T N O C E N 1. 27. T 14. S
1. Grey Gardens- An insight into mental health in musical theatre 2. This Week in Feminism 3. Why We Should Have A Female President- A personal essay from a male second wave feminist 5. Murder In The Trans Community- Why we will never be safe 6. The Children of SuffragettesHow our mothers gave us a future 8. Helena Bonham Carter- Her Role as Suffragette 9. Celebrating Shakespeare- How woman have evolved over 400 years 10. Quick Fire Questions with
Alison Bechdel 12. Feminism In Nepal 16. The Bechdel Test 17. Are Disney Brainwashing Our Children? 19. This week in Memes- Expect Tina Fey as Sarah Palin 20. LGBT Quick Fire QuestionsWhat it’s like to be a gay couple in a small town 24. Feminist Films- A collection of reviews on 2016’s empowering films 27. I Wore A Suit To A Wedding- A Short Story
Grey
Samantha Phillips enters Grey Gardens at the Southwark playhouse to assess female mental ilness in Musical Theatre and the double standards it posesses Grey Gardens tells the story of eccentric socialites Edith and Edie Bouvier Beale, first cousins of first lady Jackie Kennedy. First performed on Broadway in 2006 with the wonderful Christine Ebersole and Mary Louis Wilson who won the 2007 Tony Award’s for best and best supporting actress in a musical. Now the Southwark Playhouse has brought the musical, based on the 1975 Maysles Brothers documentary, to London’s best fringe theatre The Southwark Playhouse.The show was performed in the Southwark Playhouses’ large space; the audience are seated around the perimeter of the stage and is level with the front row of the audience. On entrance to the space you are immersed and if you are a member of the front row (like I was) you are guaranteed to be brushed past by one of the actors. The set itself is visually stunning. Usually the set is designed to look like the Bouvier estate when it was in its prime. However set designer Tom Rodgers has taken a brave step by making the set look like the decapitated ruins Grey Gardens 5 Facts About Grey Gardens 1)The Musical Grey Gardens takes place in two different era’s. The first act takes palce in 1941 and the second in 1973. 2) For $250,00 you can stay in the Beales East Hampton estate, don’t worry, it’s been refurbished! 3)When the Maysles brothers were filming the documentary they had to wear flea collars because the house was so infested. 4)The Musicals album has sold over 30,000 copies, 5)Grey Gardens was thought to be haunted. In the second act of the show the other characters represent the ghosts of the Beales past.
actually was. By paying close attention to the use of props it was clear that Rodgers based the houses design on Little Edie’s birdcage, emphasising Michael Kories lyrics “A bird cage for a bird who flew away”. However the tragedy of Grey Gardens is not the decrease in the Bouvier fortune, it is the fact that Little Edie is bound to her mother’s house for all eternity. Her mother has destroyed all ties she has with the outside world and allows her daughters mental stability to crash. Jenna Russell plays both Big and Little Edie within the two acts, however it is in the role of Little Edie that she shines in. It is clear that Russell has some sort of connection to the role, when singing the shows final ballad “Another Winter In A Summer Town” her tears are brutal and
The tragedy of Grey Gardens is not the decrease in the Bouvier fortune, it is the fact that Little Edie is bound to her mothers house for all eternity. real. Russell has beautifully captured Little Edie’s pain as well as her struggle to live alone with her mother at the age of 56. When playing Big Edie Russell is eloquent, gliding across the stage contrasting her comedic yet fragile portrayal as Little Edie. She creates clear relationships with every character on stage and particularly with Young Edie. In the first act Rachel Anne Rayham plays the “Young Edie”.Rayham gives us a completely engaging and endearing performance that allows us to watch how Edie’s mind slowly falls into insanity, showing us how she has become the cape wearing, middle aged ingénue that Russell presents to us in
the second act. Stage Legend Sheila Hancock must also be mentioned along with leading man Aaron Sidwell who charms us as the debonair Joseph P Kennedy. Hancock respectively plays Edith Bouvier Beale. Hancock proves she still has a quick wit and often steals laughs from Russell. The Southwark has put on a stunning production of Grey Gardens that deserves a transfer to the West End however I feel like audiences wouldn’t appreciate the lack of big dance routines and Cole Porter style music. I feel that Grey Garden’s should be more worldly received due to the subtext of mental illness within the show. It is rare in theatre that we see female characters portrayed with mental illness and this is a problem. Theatre is not a form that represents woman well; in theatre we still witness double standards. It is fine for an audience to accept Hamlet has mental illness but not Ophelia. Grey Gardens and other shows such as Next to Normal are starting to test boundaries
that have needed to be pushed for a number of years.
Grey Gardens ran at the Southwark Playhouse from the 2nd of January to the 6th of February 2016. Article- Samantha Phillips
feminism aroun
We Cannot All Succed Whe
Although in Britain we still aren’t granted equality, feminists are still being compared to Nazi’s and our basic necessities as branded as luxuries. Great Britain is ranked 6th as the most feminist countries in the world. As we our so consumed with focusing on what is going on with in our own societies we often turn a blind eye to how feminism is effect the world around us. Nepal is one of the worst places in the world to live as a woman and a feminist. Nepal still holds and encourages its traditional values and men are worshipped within the community. Woman have little control over their own lives, it was only in 2007 that woman under 35 were allowed to apply for a passport without their fathers or husbands permission. I sat down to talk to Bandanna Karki, a Nepalese 18 year old that lives in Ealing London. Bandanna’s twitter account has over 1 million followers, who religiously follow and retweet her opinions and ideas about feminism in Nepal. She regularly visits Nepal with her family so gets to see the contrast of feminism in both her home countries.
Can you tell me about your family?
Both my parents were born in Nepal and lived in the same village, but didn’t really know each other. My dad is twenty years older than my mum and he moved to England to pursue business opportunities. He has a restaurant in Ealing. When my dad went back to his village in Nepal he met my mum and thought she was beautiful so asked her to marry him, then he bought her over to England.
How did your mum feel about moving to England? I think she felt very isolated as my dad couldn’t be with her a lot as he had to run the restaurant. She had no friends and London wasn’t
as multicultural then as it is now, so she knew no Nepalese people and was on her own for a very long time.
So, can you tell me how woman are treated in Nepal?
It’s not very good, it’s still a very patriarchal society. The men are expected to go out and work and the woman are supposed to stay home and cook and clean. My dad, because he’s nearly sixty, is very patriarchal. He believes that woman should still cook and clean, not because he’s a misoginist but because that’s tradition in Nepal. It’s something
that’s been instilled. Even when I go to visit Nepal it’s expected of me to do the cooking and cleaning.
Do you think this expectation to compile to a gender role is still existent because of female representation in the media? I think recently, in the media woman are
nd the world
en Half Of Us Are Held Back being portrayed as more in dependent figures rather than someone who conforms to gender roles. I’ve been watching some Bollywood television recently and there is an Asian series, Diya Aur Baati Hum, that has a woman as a police officer and this has never happened before, ten years ago it would of never happened. But still Bollywood, even though it’s not Nepalese we watch a lot of Bollywood because India is our
metaphorical brother, portrays woman as homemakers but there are some exceptions where woman are portrayed as something other than a wife. Its not a lot but it’s a start.
So do you think the Nepal is starting to accept feminism?
Yes, I think recently it has because we are watching these programmes that depict that woman can be strong. Also Nepal is slowly dismissing the idea that we should arrange marriages. Like my cousin, she doesn’t want to get married at the moment and she’s looking for work, she’s very career orientated and so are a lot of youth in Nepal. It’s
very rare right now for a woman to get married at 18 however this is only in the cities. In the rural areas it’s still like the 1950’s, men are still dominating the woman, they are still foced to fit into this gender role.
So Nepal’s president , Bidhya Devi Bhandari, is female. Is she helping in terms of the woman and the feminist movement?
Not really! I really thought she wouldn’t but some of the new laws she’s introduced aren’t supportive of woman. For example the new spouse inheritance law which basically means that if a woman with a Nepalese citizenship marries someone from a different country, when she dies her husband will not inherit anything. However if a man with a Nepalese citizenship
marries a woman from a different country, then he dies, she inherits nothing. So she’s instilling a double standard. It is a double standard. But a feminist movement is starting to happen. I know that India has a feminist movement and because they are above us ,geographically, we are starting to join in with this. But the media is definitely helping with this, people are a lot more aware of rape culture which was something that didn’t exist in our society before. There are a lot of feminist writers from Nepal like Manjushree Thapa who wrote a script about woman of education, actresses like Kerry Washington have voiced over it. But this has helped the idea that woman in Nepal deserve and education. Areas like Katmandu are making it happen,allowing girls to get an education.
Your parents are obviously hold very traditional Nepalese and Hindu values, what do they think about feminism?
They do believe and practice these values but they believe that I should’ve treated equally to my brother. They wouldn’t necessarily call themselves feminists but they definitely don’t believe that soma are beneath men. They have been influenced by western culture so believe that woman shouldn’t depend on men and should get a good career . They want me to be very career driven, they
don’t want me to marry young. They are subconsciously pro feminism, but I’m lucky because they are
accepting of western culture. If I had lived in Nepal I could have had a very different life.
Nepal is dubbed one of the worst places to live in the world as a woman, do you think this could change?
We are changing, we are throwing away patriarchal ideologies but we still have our problems. But 90 years ago woman here were facing the same problems so there is hope.
You have recently started a YouTube Channel called Bandanathebanana, you talk a lot about feminism,
The problem is, is that if you’re brought up in one culture it’s easy to be oblivious to what problems are happening in others capitalism and other cultural issues. Do you think
this is helping young people understand issues other people are acing around the world?
I think it is, the feedback I’ve had from my blog has been very positive. The problem is, is that if you’re brought up in one culture it’s easy to be oblivious to what problems are happening in others. In Britain we rarely find out about what is happening in other countries because it’s not reported. The only substantial piece of news Britain learnt about Nepal last year was the earthquake.
Are You Going to speak more about woman’s problems in Nepal in your vlog?
I think so, else how is it going to be heard? I like to have fun with my blog, like I filmed a tipsy baking video, but I want there to be serious content as well. Obviously the issues with woman in Nepal is close to my heart because I am Nepalese so I’m not going to stop talking about it, someone has to. To follow Bandana online follow her on Twitter at: @Bandannabanana Story by Bethany Wilkinson
The Facts: 1.Nepal is in the list of top 10 countries that still condone child marriage. In 2015 it was estimated over 700 million girls had been married before the marriage of 18. 2. Although in 2009 a law against violence was put in place it is rarely enforced, this is because the majority of female sexual violence victims know the rule exists. 3. It’s estimated that only 17.9% of females in Nepal have had a secondary education.
The Bechdel Test Graphic artist Alison Bechdel created the Bechdel test, a test to see if a film or a work of fiction features at least two women who talk to each other about something other than a man. Surprisingly over 50% of films released in 2015 didn’t pass the test. Here are some films that surprisingly do and don’t
The Rules; 1) it has to have at least two women in it, who (2) who talk to each other, about (3) something besides a man
Clueless- 1995
Mad Max Fury Road-2015
Films that definitely pass the Bechdel test:
Ugh, as if! The film that made fetch happen before Mean Girls made fetch happen, the original chic flick. Thanks to Cher and Dion giving Tai a makeover and worrying about their grades this movie passes the Bechdel test. 50 Shades Of Grey- 2015
Films that sort of pass the Bechdel test
Not a surprise this film is on the list due to it causing controversy by subverting movie sexism! People were a little bit annoyed that the seven wives of Immortone Joe were each given a back story but it’s because of them that the movie passes with flying colours!
Friends With Benefits- 2011
Undoubtedly the most shocking film on our list due to its obvious depictions of abuse. Fifty Shades passes the test because of leading lady Anastasia having various conversations with her roommate and Christians mother about food. Are you in 50 Shades of shock?
Another film that only just passes the test. Although the majority of scenes take place between Mila Kunis and Justin Timberlakes characters Kunis’s character Jamie does have a heartfelt reminiscence with her mother Lorna that allows this film to pass the test.
Toy story and Toy Story 2-1995/1999
Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2-2011
Films that definitly dont pass the Bechdel Test
The first two films in the trilogy have hardly any named female characters, let alone female characters that talk to each other. Is this a fault in the great Pixar?
Although it’s filled to the brim with great female characters such as Professor McGonagall, Hermione Granger and Bellatrix LeStrange there are NO woman that have a conversation with each other.
The Disney Standard Of Beauty Are The Perfect Princesses Brainwashin Our Children’s Perception Of Beauty? It’s a tale as old as time, Disney sells to little girl across the world, particularly the beloved Disney Princesses. Originally created to be a role model for younger girls however nowadays woman is seeing faults with their former idols. Not only does Disney portray an unhealthy body image to young woman but also it clearly has a problem with representing different ethnic backgrounds. There are many questions we could address to Disney but the real questions should be for the parents. Why are they buying in to this franchise and allowing their children to look up to the unrealistic portrayals of woman? When Kenneth Branagh’s live action remake of Cinderella hit the screen in March Downtown Abbey star Lily James, who plays Cinderella, was slandered for her waist size in the film. Many journalists worried that James’ body shape would give younger viewers unrealistic expectations of body image. However costume designer Sandy Powell says that the effect of James waistline is created by an optical illusion that happens because the large size of the dresses shoulder pads and skirt makes the corset look dramatically smaller. This may be the case, but if you look at the animated princesses none of them are above a size 8 whilst the average dress size of a woman is a size 12. This slender body image is not caused by an optical illusion but creative decision and if you assess the body image of the female antagonists within the franchise although they are not portrayed as overweight they are not as slender as the princesses. There is a
dramatic contrast between the size of The Little Mermaids Ariel and villainous Ursula. Although they are made to look ugly the female antagonists are perhaps a better representation of a healthy female body image. However when Disney released a collection of “Designer Villain Dolls” Ursula, perhaps the most curvaceous Disney character, was sold as a doll with a body shape that matches that of a Barbie. Is Disney worried about selling dolls that bodies don’t match that of a supermodel size?
38 minute film as a frog. Despite this Tiana has admirable qualities, she is strong willed and hard working. A role model to young girls as is Princess of China Mulan and Native American Princess, Pocahontas. Rumours recently surfaced that white actress Scarlett Johannsson is the favourite to play Mulan in Disney’s confirmed live action remake. Is there anything more to ask?
I posted an online survey onto social media asking parents their opinions on Disney. After reading my article After publishing a survey on social they said that although they see that media to find out about what parents “Disney has its faults but they are thought Disney Princess in relation letting their children watch Disney to body image I discovered some in- because of its enjoyable content and teresting points. My survey asked the the lessons it teaches our children”. simple question “Do you think that At the end of the day Disney does Disney (through its Princess charhave its image and race issues howacters) are portraying an unhealthy ever what it lacks in that it makes up body image to young woman?” over with in heart, although it may not 60% answered yes. However when give children an idea of positive body I asked “why are you allowing your image it doe teach them valuable children to watch this if it endangers qualities such as patience, hanrdwork their perception of how they should and sacrifice. look and act?” As well as this Disney clearly have an ARTICLE BY MOLLY PHILLIPS. issue with race. There are only three princesses with a different ethnicity. In one of Disney’s newest films, The Princess and the Frog, history was made when they cast their first black female as the lead character. However, Tiana spends just over one hour of the 1 hour
Quick Fire Questions W i t h
I have been close friends with Jack and Finn for over 7 years and up until this year knew them as individuals. However now in a relationship I decided to ask Jack and Finn what life is like as a gay couple in a small Devonshire town. Both are studying for their A levels and hope to move to London once completing exams. Can you tell me about yourselves? J: I’m Jack, I’m 19 and I’m from Devon (pauses) um F: I’m Finn, I’m 17 and I’m also from Devon. I’m studying for my ALevels. J: Yes me too! Do we say that we are a couple? F: Isn’t it obvious? Can you tell me a little bit about how you met and got together? J: We met through school and became friends whilst doing drama productions. We started to talk over social media, grew closer and eventually started dating. F: Being friends turned into something else I guess. How long have you been together? J:6 Months F: Actually it’s 5 ½ Months J: I was rounding up So can you each tell me how and when you realised you were gay? J: I feel like I’ve known for my whole life but spent a lot of my teenage years in denial, for a long time I thought I was bisexual. I fully came to terms with my sexuality when I was 17. F: I am actually bisexual, I’ve just always known this but have been worried about what my family might think
J a c k
a n d
F i n n
community Do your famiis like to be lies know you’re honest, I’ve “out”? only been J: My family apart of it knows about and for a few fully supports months, but my sexuality. I I do know couldn’t have a fair few asked for better of LGBT to be honest. peopleo out F: Some of my to clubs...I’ve family know but never been not everyoneinside a proper gay club. What were their reactions? F: I’m not really sure what the gay J: They all had very similar reactions like “oh we’ve always known” community is like to be honest, I’ve only been apart of it for a few months, but I do know a fair few “People will of LGBT people
understand you and others won’t, but those people are irrelevant.'
What advice would you give to young people who want to come out? J: I would say for young LGBT members to do everything at their own pace. Do not force yourself to come-out if A. You are not ready! or B. It is not safe for you to do (which is a little presumptuous but so. I can’t promise that life will be full of roses and that everything they still care) and “this doesn’t will get better when you come out change who you are as a person but know that there are people and we still love you”. out there who support and love F: There wasn’t much reaction everything about you. Including really... Which is preferred to be me! honest my mum just had a few questions like ‘how do you know’ F: That coming out is difficult, there’s no hiding from that, but it’s which was just out of curiosity. most likely that your coming fears are completely irrational because You live in a small town in social attitudes toward us are Devon, what is the gay changing. People will understand community like there? you and others won’t, but those J: I feel that I am slightly out of people are irrelevant. touch with the gay community down here due to my lack of a For the purpose of this article Jack and gay dating app (not that I’ve ever Finn have decided to remain anonymous. needed one) and because I rarely For the sake of privacy thier names have go out to clubs...I’ve never been been change and a picture of them has not been included. inside a proper gay club. F: I’m not really sure what the gay
Feminist Film An Recently the big screen has
been blessed with an array of fantastic feminist films with a range of different films. From a zombie invasion to the struggle of identity, 2016 marks a year of change in the film world with an Oscar sized welcome to equality.
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
Adapted from Jane Austen’s classic novel Burr Steers brings us this horror filled parody, written by Seth Grahame-Smith, to the big screen. Full of stereotypical young period drama stars such as Downton Abbey’s Lily James and Great Expectations Douglas Booth the movie brings a horrific
The Bennet sisters aren’t portrayed as young girls waiting to be proposed to, they are strong woman trained by ninja’s to take down the zombies they face twist to the much loved classic. Austen’s novel doesn’t exactly scream feminism, which is why I
was apprehensive of how the Bennet sisters would be portrayed in a pre-zombie apocalypse. However the Bennet sisters aren’t portrayed as young girls waiting to be proposed to, they are young girls trained by Chinese ninja’s to take down the zombies they face. Not only this but the person who is praised as the most “notorious zombie slayer in England” is Lady Catherine de Bourgh, yes she’s a woman. James leads the siblings as Elizabeth Bennet. Often scrutinised for playing the same character throughout her body of work (the characterisation between Downtown’s Lady Rose and Cinderella doesn’t differ) she portrays Elizabeth as a strong fighter who can take don any man or zombie in her way. Sam Riley (Maleficent, Brighton Rock) plays Mr Darcy, now promoted to Colonel Darcy. Riley had a standout performance showing both the arrogant and tender side of Darcy. However Matt Smith as Mr Collins stole the show, his comedic timing is faultless and it’s a great shame he doesn’t play more comedic roles. The film as a whole was very funny, its refreshing to see a balance of strong male and female leads within an action film. Graham-Smith should be praised for turning Austen’s girlish sisters into strong fighters who engage and connect with an audience. For the female representation alone the film is worth watching.
The Danish Girl Tom Hooper’s biopic The Danish Girl, based on the life of Lile Elbe and wife Gerde Wegener, has already
had 4 Oscar nominations with stars Eddie Redmayne and Alicia Vikander receiving nods for best actor and best supporting actress. The Danish Girl sees Gerde attempting to become as renowned a painter as husband Einar however needs to find a new subject to paint. As Einar poses as a woman, while Gerde paints, he realises why he feels trapped inside his body.
“it is undoubtedly Vikander who is the films driving force. Flawless throughout Vikander gives the performance of her career” Therefore Lile is born and the couple face a long journey of helping Lile become who she is. Although Redmayne is nominated for best actor it is undoubtedly Vikander who is the films driving force. Flawless throughout Vikander gives the performance of her career showing us her mourning for Einar whilst supporting Lile’s sex change. Gerde is indubitably the strongest female character film will see this year and Vikander has received a lack of praise she deserves for her portrayal. Redmayne falls flat as Lile, the only differentiation he presents in his portrayal of contrasting genders is subtler hand movements. He didn’t por-
nd Music Picks tray that he was trapped in the body of a man until Lile went through her sex change however this could have been because of the fast pace of the film. There was no struggle presented in Einar’s character only a fascination for woman’s clothes, which suggested that the reasons for her transition were weighted more on the opportunity to wear woman’s clothing rather than being trapped in the body of a man. However this film carries a message that is integral to the LGBT community and is a must watch for every person who needs to educate themselves of the struggle of the transgender community
Carol Based on one of the only LGBTQ novels with a happy ending Todd Haynes directs the film adaptation of Pa-
“The woman have undoubted chemistry that is stronger than most heterosexual couples depicted on screen,” tricia Highsmith’s acclaimed novel “The Price Of Salt”, otherwise known as Carol. With a cast bursting with female powerhouses such
as Cate Blanchett, Sarah Paulson and Rooney Mara it is no surprise this film has been popular amongst fans. Set in the early 1950’s Carol tells the love story of the glamorous Carol Aird and shop girl Therese Belviet who embark on a road trip so Carol can escape from the stress of her divorce, along the way the couple realise their feelings for each other. Blanchett plays Carol with intense glamour and vulnerability. The moments depicting her potentially losing her daughter are utterly heart breaking and you can only feel sympathy for her when she is given the ultimatum of loving Therese or loving her daughter. The doe-eyed Rooney Mara portrays a gentle interpretation of Therese highlighting Therese’s naivety and infatuation for Carol. The woman have undoubted chemistry that is stronger than most heterosexual couples depicted on screen, giving you an overwhelming sensation that both woman are destined to be together. With an Oscar nominated score Carol is a film not to be missed.
Music Kiss Me Kate
Name: Kiss Me Kate Composer: Cole Porter First Performance: December 30th 1948 Plot: Kiss Me Kate features a play within a play, revolving around a staged version of The Taming Of The Shrew. It focuses on conflict that happens between director Fred Graham and the shows leading lady/ex wife Lilli Vanessi.
Fun Fact: Kiss Me Kate is considered one of Porters biggest successes ,along with Anything Goes, as it was his first show to run fir over 1000 performances on Broadway. My thoughts: I was excited to listen to Kiss Me Kate because I’m a fan of Cole Porters work, I like his dramatic yet jazzy style. Overall I liked the album, but I didn’t love it. I think it’s a very
“i think the style of music is consisten however it lacks a ballad” entertaining piece and like Anything Goes has catchy songs like “Another Opening, Another Show”, undoubtedly a great opening number. I think the style of music is consistent throughout but it lacks a good ballad, however so does Anything Goes. Standout songs for me were “I Hate Men” a solo sung by Lilli Vanessi and “ Always True To You In My Fashion” sung by Lois Lane. The show in general is good for duets that feature the ensemble, it’s not my cup of tea but if you want to listen to more Cole Porter I recommend it.
To read more film, music and book reviews visit our website: WWW.Reignitemag.com Article by Jay Pilkingson
THE ALL FEMALE SHAKESPEARE COMPANY
WW
I Wore A suit to a wedding
I detest skirts, this hasn’t always been the case but as soon as I hit 16 out they went. I don’t know why, perhaps it’s an evolved phobia or I decided that I must finally dress appropriately in relation to the weather, but nevertheless there came a day that I knew I must put on a skirt…. or worst case scenario I had to put on a dress. On December 28th 2016 my wonderful friends got married at the Globe Theatre. As someone who is nicknamed “Shakespeare’s Baby” I was extremely excited to attend such a wonderful event at the fatherland. However when I saw the dress code was black tie my heart sunk. If you’re woman and you’re invited to a black tie event it means one thing, you’ve
got to put on a dress. Or so I thought…For months I looked for a dress to wear to the wedding. Long dresses, short dresses, tea dresses, but my mantra remained the same “Skirts are a no”. It got to the day before the wedding and I was sat in a pile of clothes when I stumbled across an old pair of trousers and a blazer. This made me think, why do I need to wear a dress to this event? Why can’t I wear a suit? Lorde wore a suit to the Grammys and Emma Watson wore a suit to a UN conference. Would it be a complete travesty if I wore a suit to a wedding?
It wasn’t a travesty. It was arguably the best decision I have made in my entire life. A lot of woman I spoke to that night said they wished they had been able to wear a suit to a wedding. Well ladies, you can. At the end of the day you need to wear what you feel confident and comfortable in. For you that could be a dress, but for me it’s a suit. Short Story by eliza hoare
I wore suit to a wedding.