Restless Nights and Vivid Dreams

Jennifer Kirby, Leonie Elliott, Helen George, Charlotte Ritchie - Credit: BBC/Neal Street Productions/Nicky Johnston I first started watching 'Call the Midwife' for study reasons. My research thesis for my MA at Sorbonne-Nouvelle was on Women's work in the 1940-50s in Britain and I found out about this show which covered perfectly what I was looking for. What I didn't know is that I would fell madly in love with it - and will still watch it years later.  'Call the Midwife' is BBC period drama series following a group of midwives working in East London, Poplar, in the 1950-60s. It was created by Heidi Thomas and is originally based on the memoirs of Jennifer Worth, a nurse working with the Community of St. John the Divine at their convent in the East End. As we follow the nurses caring for their community, we learn about the social and economic issues of the time that they are facing as well as the personal struggles of these families and the midwiv

The Three Emilias - Clare Perkins, Saffron Coomber, Adelle Leonce - pic:   http://www.stagereview.co.uk   I remember stepping into the Vaudeville Theatre without really knowing what to expect. Before booking the show, I’ve heard really good things about it. People saying how inspired, how affected they were coming out of it. Even reviews raved about it. If so many talked about it that way, it must be good right? So, learning it would close soon, I decided to buy a ticket. Before going, I only knew one thing. I knew that it was the story of one of the first published women in England during Shakespeare’s time. As a writer and a woman, it was enough to convince me. History-based shows always fascinated me but knowing that I would learn about a woman whose work and story had been ignored for centuries, I was even more curious about it. I just hoped it would live up to its praise.  Shakespeare's Globe’s production Emilia tells the story of Emilia Bassano, a poet, a

When I’m feeling anxious or stressed, there aren’t a lot of things that help me feel better. Except for music. I’ve always loved listening to music. I listen to music all the time. Whether,  to escape my reality, to help go to sleep or just to relax. But I’ve discovered recently that listening to music also helps me calm down, especially when I’m not feeling great mentally.  So I’ve decided to put together a playlist of songs to listen to from musicals that I love. The Broadway community has always been an advocate for mental health but furthermore, musicals often have included songs that try to bring up a more positive and love-centred message. These songs are going from upbeat melodies to beautiful and serene ballads, depending on your mood.  I hope it’ll help you feel better too.  You Will Be Found - Dear Even Hansen You are never alone, even when you think you've reached your darkest point. Out of the Darkness - Everybody's Talking About Jamie Don't

 Trigger Warning: Death, Suicide So today (5th of November) marks the 9th anniversary of my uncle's death... I never wrote about it before so it's very personal...  The first time I was confronted with death, I was thirteen years old. Until then, I had considered myself lucky. I had spent thirteen years of my existence not losing anyone, and especially, not worrying or even thinking about losing someone I cared about. My grandparents were healthy, my parents were fine, my siblings and I were thriving. No one in my family had ever been seriously ill or had been in an accident. I thought we were invincible. I naively believed that it was always going to be that way; but, for a time, it was a nice feeling to hold onto. It didn’t last long, however. My first experience with death was a brutal one. It happened violently and unexpectedly. It took me by surprise and, from one day to the other, everything changed.

How very! On Tuesday 16 th October, I was incredibly lucky to catch the leading ladies of the West End show Heathers: The Musical in a memorable one-night performance at Studio 88!   Jodie Steele and Carrie Hope Fletcher at Studio 88 (photo: Mia Alicia)

Yes, this is really happening, Waitress: The Musical is finally opening its dinner in the West End starting February 8 th ! The beloved show has been long awaited by musical theatre fans in the United Kingdom. Although not much information has been revealed on the future production, we can only be delighted by this wonderful news. The musical, based on the 2007 film by Adrienne Shelly and starring Keri Russell, became a total smash hit since it opened on Broadway in 2016, even getting nominated for four Tony Awards, six Drama Desk Awards and a Grammy Award! Jessie Mueller and the Original Cast of Waitress (Photo: Joan Marcus) For those who may not know, Waitress tells the story of Jenna, a talented pie-maker, who longs to escape her unhappy life and loveless marriage. The perfect opportunity presents itself when a baking competition comes to town; however, Jenna unexpectedly discovers that she’s pregnant, shattering her dreams of a fresh start and a new life.

Yesterday was World Mental Health Awareness Day and it seemed appropriate to post an article I wrote about mental health and Carrie Hope Fletcher's advocacy for mental and physical health awareness.  Last night, as I was watching a video by Carrie Hope Fletcher entitled “Looking After Your Mental Health” where she openly talks about taking care of ourselves and our mental health, but, most importantly, I noticed that she raises an important point about the difficulty of seeking help and believing we are ‘worthy’ of help.

Vivian Ward may feel like she “ain’t Cinderella” , but for us, Samantha Barks became a true princess portraying the sassy hooker. Andy Karl, Ezra Night, Samantha Barks and Robby Clater; photo: Matthew Murphy As the production of Pretty Woman: the Musical has just released its original cast album , we are re-discovering the wonderful yet atypical love story of Vivian and Edward through the beautiful voices of Samantha Barks, Andy Karl, Orfeh, and many others . The musical, based on the 1990 movie of the same name starring Richard Gere and Julia Roberts, is as much a smash hit, featuring fantastic original tracks composed by Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance . First of all, let’s talk about how Samantha Barks shines as Vivian. Not only does she play the role with perfection, bringing both sass and glamour, she also has such an incredible voice that you almost wish that she had more tracks on the soundtrack. Whatever she does, Samantha puts her everything into it. It m