Monthly Archives: May 2014

The Screaming Staircase by Jonathan Stroud

Corgi Childrens 3 July 2014 Pre-order at Amazon BOOK REVIEW: ELIZABETH DAWSON The Screaming Staircase is the first in a new series by Jonathan Stroud, the bestselling author of the Bartimaeus Sequence. The new Lockwood & Co. series is set … Continue reading

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Frankie & The Heartstrings Live @ The Georgian Theatre

The Georgian Theatre, Stockton 22 May 2014 LIVE MUSIC REVIEW: KATIE CAIN Last Thursday, I was lucky enough to attend a Frankie & The Heartstrings gig with support from The Purnells and In Vibes. The gig took place at The … Continue reading

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The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

National Theatre Live From 22 May 2014 Director: Marianne Elliott Starring: Matthew Barker, Howard Ward, Nicola Walker Rating: 15, Runtime: 160 minutes Buy Tickets SCREEN REVIEW: BETH RUTHERFORD Does that mean I can do anything? The Curious Incident of the … Continue reading

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A Tap on the Window by Linwood Barclay

Orion Publishing 22 May 2014 Available at Amazon BOOK REVIEW: KATY TURNER What if the hitchhiker you pick up… isn’t the one you drop off? This is the central dilemma that lies at the heart of Linwood Barclay’s most recent … Continue reading

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The Wind Rises

Tyneside Cinema, Newcastle From 9 May 2014 Dir: Hayao Miyazaki Starring (English language version): Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Emily Blunt, Stanley Tucci, Martin Short Cert: PG, 126 minutes FILM REVIEW: SIMON RAMSHAW “Airplanes are beautiful dreams; engineers turn dreams into reality.” – Caproni And therein … Continue reading

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Don’t Even Think About It by Sarah Mlynowski

Orchard Books 1 May 2014 Available at Amazon BOOK REVIEW: MICHAEL EDWARDS Sarah Mlynowski’s latest novel brings her experience to the fore, providing readers with another engaging read about the tribulations of a group of high school teenagers – with a … Continue reading

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Hate by Alan Gibbons

Indigo 10 April 2014 Available at Amazon BOOK REVIEW: ANTONIA VELIKOVA There is no better way to fight for a good cause than to do it with the right words. Books are powerful enough to change mindsets and shift realities; that … Continue reading

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Frank

Director: Lenny Abrahamson Starring: Michael Fassbender, Dohmnall Gleeson, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Scott McNairy Cert: 15, 95 minutes FILM REVIEW: JOSH BROWN It’s such a great feeling when a film takes you by surprise. Going into something with little expectation and coming … Continue reading

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Godzilla

Director: Gareth Edwards Starring: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ken Watanabe, Elizabeth Olson, Juliette Binoche and Bryan Cranston Cert: 12A, 123 minutes FILM REVIEW: BARRY QUINN Spoiler Warning It’s safe to say that Godzilla is the king of monsters. But it’s also safe … Continue reading

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Spring Awakening

Headlong Theatre Northern Stage Tuesday 20 May  – Saturday 24 May 2014 THEATRE REVIEW: HANNAH MORPETH “Someone can’t help what makes them happy or not happy, that doesn’t make them a good or bad person.” A contemporary version of the … Continue reading

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Fargo: Episode Four – ‘Eating the Blame’

Channel 4 Cast: Martin Freeman, Billy Bob Thornton, Colin Hanks, Allison Tolman 11 May 2014 Runtime: 47 minutes TV REVIEW: ANTONIA VELIKOVA I have never been the Coens’ biggest fan. Fargo, the movie, and The Big Lebowski did not work … Continue reading

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Cuckoo Competition

WIN TICKETS TO KINGS OF LEON AT ST JAMES’ PARK! One of the biggest rock bands in the world, Kings of Leon formed in Nashville, Tennessee in 1999. The band received widespread acclaim after the release of fourth album, Only … Continue reading

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Wolf Alice

Stockton KU Bar 4 May 2014 LIVE REVIEW: AMBER EFSTATHIOU London-based “ice-cream rock” four-piece, as they describe themselves, Wolf Alice have received phenomenal praise for their bold live performances since their formation just over a year ago. The debut … Continue reading

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Yes at Newcastle City Hall

Newcastle City Hall Saturday 3 may 2014 LIVE REVIEW: LUKE DAVIS Formed in the late 1960s and peaking in the 70s, playing progressive rock music, Yes are the sort of band I would normally dismiss as being outdated and probably … Continue reading

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Larry and His Flask

The Cluny 2 Sunday 11 May 2014 www.larryandhisflask.com LIVE REVIEW: fionn OAKES Last year, I reviewed Larry and His Flask’s most recent album By The Lamplight and fell a lottle (little, but a lot) bit in love with them. With their … Continue reading

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The YA film phenomenon: what is the secret to success?

FEATURE: SARAH MCGHEE Over the last few years, film adaptations of books have boomed, especially in the Young Adult genre. Since the incredible success of the Harry Potter franchise, other directors jumped on the bandwagon with Twilight, The Hunger Games, … Continue reading

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Blue Ruin

Director: Jeremy Saulnier Starring: Devin Ratray, Eve Plumb, Macon Blair, Amy Hargreaves Cert: 15, 92 minutes  FILM REVIEW: EMILY CRAIG Blue Ruin is a 90 minute long revenge thriller directed by Jeremy Saulnier, who also directed 2007’s horror-comedy mash up … Continue reading

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Anthropoetry

Live Theatre Presented by Apples & Snakes Thursday 8 May 2014 For more information visit their website THEATRE REVIEW: fionn OAKES I wasn’t sure what to expect when I walked through the doors of Live Theatre last Thursday night. The tag-line … Continue reading

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Storm Chaser by Sheila Rance

Orion Books Buy the Book BOOK REVIEW: PHOEBE WALKER Storm Chaser is the second novel in Sheila Rance’s fantasy trilogy, a series that has already garnered comparisons to big-hitters of the genre such as Game of Thrones and Chronicles of … Continue reading

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Cuckoo Competition!

WIN TICKETS TO EVOLUTION EMERGING! Evolution Emerging is the region’s biggest event for emerging music. Previous events have unearthed countless artists from the North East and beyond. This year’s event takes place on Saturday 24th May and features 40 artists … Continue reading

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