When: Wed 15 Jan 1PM
Where: The Black Box
The Damage: £6 (includes lunch)
Ho Ho Ho
BBC ATL Review: The Magic Numbers
BBC ATL Review: Rams' Pocket Radio, A Northern Light, Serotonin
The Out to Lunch Arts Festival is on at the minute and features an amazing array of eclectic performers, any of which are pretty much worth seeing. I want to choose one of the lunch shows they put on as my pick for this week. The shows are all £6 and include lunch, and after being to 2 of them this week I can tell you they were both delicious, entertaining and incredibly good value for money. My pick is "lost voice Guy" the first stand up comedian to use a communication aid. Lee Ridley was born with cerebal aplsey and thus left unable to speak, but that hasn't stopped him being heard or doing what he loves. He uses his iPad to produce a show that is unique, hilarious and shows us that as technology grows it helps enable all those in the world around us do things that before were thought impossible. Check out the video below for a taste of what his show is like. When: Wed 15 Jan 1PM Ho Ho HoSir Christopher J Caldwell. I enjoy wrestling, films and nautical adventure. I've just finished making a short film which you can see here. I also DJ sometimes . You'll see me out and about eating or drinking. Sometimes even both whilst walking. I have written for The Big List. I currently also write for BBC Across The Line.
BBC ATL Review: The Magic Numbers BBC ATL Review: Rams' Pocket Radio, A Northern Light, Serotonin
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Before we start getting all festive on you, what with Christmas markets, presents and pantos, we thought we'd give you something to ease the post Christmas stress (and the hump day blues) in the form of the November instalment of Comedy at Lavery's in Belfast this Wednesday. Featuring Dublin's Robbie Bonham with some help from Gary Lynch, Darren Matthews and Colin Geddis (of I Am Fighter fame). This is sure to be a very very funny night, especially for the hecklers amongst you, so be prepared for some back chat. Where: Lavery's Bar, Belfast When: Wednesday 27th November, 8.30pm The Damage: £6 Who wrote this...Laura Caldwell
I'm 20 years old, studying Journalism with Photo-Imaging at the University of Ulster Coleraine Campus. I have an undying love for Belfast and all that it has to offer, an undying love for sleeping, Tegan and Sara, trashy tv shows, foreign snack-foods and being irresponsible with money. I also quite like origami, reading, jazz, hip-hop, dubstep, anything acoustic and Food Network TV. I've written for The Big List, Culture NI, Chatterbox and The Echo, as well as currently writing for BBC Across the Line. This week's pick is something to get your proverbial sides splitting, ribs tickling and jaws aching. On the 25th September as a part of Belfast's only comedy festival Belly Laughs, improv group Wonder Frog will be taking the stage at the Green Room in the Black Box for an hour of unscripted comedy gold. According to the Belly Laughs website "If you like your comedy energetic, inventive and on a Wednesday, then this is the show for you", and this definitely sounds like our kind of show. Made up of Colin Woodham, Aaron Marshall, Emma Little, Marcus Keeley, Saskia Leach and Frazer Robb this is NI comedy at its finest. Why not give it a go? Who isn't funny at all..?Laura Caldwell
Is trying to watch both seasons of Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23 as quickly as possible while avoiding the fact that University starts in a few days. She is also enjoying her new iPhone 5C, her new laser eyes and her new found respect for improv comedy. Bruiser Theatre Company have returned to The Mac with yet another spell-binding performance. Broadway's The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee may seem a mouthful to us, but that's nothing for the six quirky kids of Putnam County. The musical comedy follows these kids in their pursuit of being crowned winner of 'the Bee' and ultimately not being seen as losers by their classmates (and parents). Each of the kids has a very distinctive character which is played to perfection as these outsiders compete for top prize. There's William Barfee with his magic foot, Marcy Parks the overachiever, Logainne Schwarzandgrubenierre with her two dads, Leaf Coneybear the insecure, innocent one, Chip Tolentino the reigning champion and Olive Ostrovsky the shy one. There's also the adults to contend with: host Rona Lisa Peretti, Douglas Panch the vice superintendent and Mitch Mahoney the Comfort Counsellor. The backing band is visible, but also blends into the scenery and you often forget that they're there, but they definitely make the show shine as they don't miss a beat - really adding to the overall atmosphere. All of the reviews that I have read compared Spelling Bee to Glee, but personally, I don't really think that that does it justice. This production is a delight; it's strange, awkward and hilarious with tons of charm. It's heartwarming without being cliched or overdone. It's humorous without being predictable. It's a definite must see, even if you don't really like musicals. For a homegrown cast, the standard is excellent, their singing is astounding and the accents are really good as well -there's even a guest appearance from a giant Jesus. It's not all about the cast though, it's the little details - several audience members also take part in the Bee and there's American candy given out to the audience which helps to set the scene and make the whole thing a bit more personal. Overall, the one word that I would use to describe The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee would be 'fun', just plain fun from beginning to end and I highly recommend that you give it a go! Who wrote this...? Laura Caldwell
I'm 20 years old, studying Journalism with Photo-Imaging at the University of Ulster Coleraine Campus. I have an undying love for Belfast and all that it has to offer, an undying love for sleeping, Tegan and Sara, trashy tv shows, foreign snack-foods and being irresponsible with money. I also quite like origami, reading, hip-hop, dubstep, anything acoustic and Food Network TV. "ponydance will now unleash their time honoured and much loved, irreverent approach to everybody’s favourite season…well not everybody’s, but spend a night with the ponies and you’ll remember why Christmas can be so much fun." - The Mac, Belfast Running from 11th - 16th December 'pony panto' was a Pantomime unlike any other. Other than the slightly odd and hilarious picture seen above (and the promise of a comedy dance troupe, there was little else to indicate what was in store for us at pony panto last weekend). 'pony panto was performed in the smaller of the two theatres, at The Mac, giving a much more intimate feel to the night. Although depending on your constitution, this intimate setting can only mean one thing in a show which relies partly on audience participation for its entertainment - you are almost certainly going to make a fool of yourself at one point. This pantomime for adults was quite unlike anything I've ever seen before, it was a dance show with attitude, a comedy show which wasn't afraid to call you out and tell you off. The members of 'ponydance': Deirdre Griffin, Neil Hainsworth, Leonie McDonagh, Paula O'Reilly, Duane Watters and guest pony Eileen McClory had the audience in tears (there were even a few snorts and a couple of cocktails spat everywhere) within five minutes of the show beginning. From genuinely talented and well choreographed dance routines, to a sullen tap dancer in a ridiculously oversized snowflake costume, pony panto was the perfect mix of comedy and dance routines, sure to have you in stitches. Our host for the evening Leonie Pony's sharp wit and dry sense of humour was second to none. A guest appearance by PaperDolls provided a slightly eerie element to the night with their very impressive aerial acrobatics, accompanied by the strange and exotic sounds created by Margie Lewis on the zither. My personal favourite part of the night was the airing of (fake) new celebrity Sinnead's new Christmas video complete with tracksuits, vaseline covered lenses and and all the cheesy Christmas cheer you can handle, followed by her very Irish rendition of The Waitresses - Christmas Wrapping. To be perfectly honest I haven't been able to get her chorus of "Meddy Chrissmas, Meddy Chrissmas" out of my head ever since. Overall, pony panto was one of the funniest nights out I've had in a long, long time and the fact that this was a local theatre group with local performers and musicians made it even better. Most of the music for the show was provided by local band Shake!, and there were guest appearances by Ajendance and drag queen Victoria Secret too. There was even a dance off between two audience members dressed as Jesus and Santa to find the true creator of Christmas. Pretty much everything you'd want form a night out. For those who haven't been to a pony show before, I urge you to give it a go. Whether you're a lover or hater of comedy or a lover or hater of dance, ponydance will have something to both amuse and astound you regardless. Who wrote this...?Laura Caldwell
I'm 20 years old, studying Journalism with Photo-Imaging at the University of Ulster Coleraine Campus. I have an undying love for Belfast and all that it has to offer, an undying love for sleeping, Tegan and Sara, trashy tv shows, foreign snack-foods and being irresponsible with money. I also quite like reading, hip-hop, dubstep, anything acoustic and Food Network TV. |