My Favourite Shows of 2017

Another year has come and gone, and with 2018 just around the corner, it's time for me to look back and reflect on what a great year 2017 has been. 

This year was a pretty exciting year for my blog. In June I was awarded Silver in the Kent Digital Awards, in the Entertainment Blog category, and then later in the year I was a finalist in the Favourite Blog category of the Theatre Community Awards. I'm forever amazed by the fact that people read my blog and value my opinions, and being nominated in two different awards in 2017 felt really lovely. 

In more personal news, I graduated from the University of Kent this year, with a degree in Drama and English & American Literature, and started a career in the arts, which was a dream come true. I moved to Stratford-upon-Avon for work, and so obviously I saw everything that the RSC had to offer during my time there, and visited loads of other great theatres in Warwickshire and the West Midlands too. I even wrote a few blog posts about the RSC's The Other Place, which can be found alongside some other brilliant blogs on the RSC Website. 

But enough about my personal life! I've seen some totally wonderful theatre this year and so with that in mind, here is a list of the 5 shows which had the biggest impact on me in 2017. 

5) LMTO's Honeymoon in Vegas

I thought long and hard about which show I should put at number 5 on my list. I've seen loads of great plays, musicals, ballets and operas this year, and really they all deserve to be shouted about. That being said, when I was looking back over the reviews I wrote in 2017, one kept jumping out at me, and that was my review of London Musical Theatre Orchestra's concert production of Honeymoon in Vegas. I have admired LMTO for a while now, and I really enjoy the way they take lesser known or lesser performed musicals, and bring them to life, even if it's only for a night or two. As a fan of Jason Robert Brown, I loved hearing the brilliant Honeymoon in Vegas score being brought to life by such a talented orchestra, and in the lead roles of Betsy and Jack, Samantha Barks and Arthur Darvill were a perfect pair. It seems like LMTO gets bigger and better every year, and I can't wait to see which musicals they will tackle next.  

4) Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour 

In 2017 no show surprised me more than this one. On the surface, Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour was a riotous no holds barred adventure, following a bunch of unruly ELO spouting youngster, let loose on Edinburgh during a school choir competition. It certainly had its fair share of rather outrageous content, but at its core it was something much more profound. Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour was a raw and real portrayal of 6 very different teenage girls, all trying to navigate their way to adulthood in different ways. It earnestly explored some sensitive themes, such as teenage pregnancy and terminal illness, from a very realistic perspective, and it was cathartic to see such realistic depictions of young women on stage. 

3) Hamilton: An American Musical

The enormous hype which surrounded this show since it first opened in America was impossible to ignore, and therefore expectations were high when a London transfer was announced. Fans and sceptics alike wondered weather the fundamentally American story would resonate with audiences in Britain. Thankfully, the excitement which followed Hamilton wherever it went was more than warranted. I was struck by the extent to which Hamilton felt like a new frontier, worlds away from the usually great, but increasingly predictable mainstream musical theatre. The London production was impeccably cast, showcasing some of the most talented performers working today, and heightening the musical's already formidable songs and raps. It seems very likely that Hamilton will experience a long run on the West End, and rightly so! 

2) 42nd Street

For all the talk I talk about wanting to see fresh, groundbreaking theatre, for me very little compares to a big, glitzy musical. And this year no musical was glitzier than 42nd Street. With its gloriously bright and colourful design, and incredibly talented cast, whose megawatt smiles radiated from start to finish, 42nd Street was completely irresistible. It felt like a couple of hours of pure distraction from the outside world, and I left the theatre humming and tapping my toes. Sure, it's relatively safe, and quite old fashioned, with some rather outdated aspects, but it's also unapologetically fun, and isn't that exactly what we needed in 2017?

1) The Glass Menagerie 

I was completely bowled over by John Tiffany's production of The Glass Menagerie, which transferred to the West End after a run in Edinburgh during the EIF in 2016. Tennessee Williams' semi-autobiographical play offered a fascinating look into a tumultuous family trying to thrive in 1930s St Louis, Missouri. Kate O'Flynn gave a spectacular performance as the fragile young Laura Wingfield, opposite Brian J. Smith's charismatic Gentleman Caller. Not only was the story immensely touching and complex, but the production itself was gorgeously designed, and complemented the play's dreamlike quality. When it was over and the actors had left the stage, all I could do was shake my head in awe! Whilst The Glass Menagerie is certainly not a groundbreaking play by today's terms, Tiffany's production felt totally fresh and unpredictable, and made a huge impact on me. Even now, it's hard for me to put into words just how much I enjoyed The Glass Menagerie, which I ended up seeing 3 times in London. From the first time I saw it I knew it'd end up on my end of year list, and looking back on 2017 I can safely say that no show this year left an impression like this one did. 

Of course, a top 5 list is quite restrictive and although they didn't make my list I should probably mention a few more outstanding shows from 2017. I thought that Blanche McIntyre's production of Titus Andronicus at the RSC was really very emotional without being excessively gory, The Ferryman was a simmering play which bubbled over in the final act to horrific effect, and in contrast I really enjoyed the unabashedly silly The Wedding Singer which left me with a big grin on my face. 

There's no denying that 2017 has been a brilliant year for theatre, and I can't wait to see how 2018 compares. I'm particularly excited about the transfers of Strictly Ballroom, Fun Home and The King And I, all of which have been received really well elsewhere. No doubt loads of unexpectedly great pieces of theatre will crop up throughout the year too, and I'm really excited to see what's in store.

My Favourite Shows of 2016

Hasn't 2016 just flown by? And what a fabulously stagey year it's been! Personally, this year I visited New York for the first time ever and caught three Broadway shows (Allegiance, The Color Purple and Finding Neverland), put my German AS level to use in Austria while watching Anatevka (aka The Fiddler on The Roof) at the Volksoper Wien, and travelled up to Edinburgh to review new musicals as part of the Network of Independent Critics!

As always, with January just around the corner it's time for me to look back on the last year and pick out my top five favourite shows of the year. Last year I selected Matthew Bourne's The Car Man as my number 1. 

This year it's been so difficult for me to collate a personal top 5 list because I've seen such a wide range of shows ranging from million dollar Broadway productions to tiny productions in back rooms. However, after careful consideration I've finally managed to come to a decision, and so without further ado, here are my personal top 5 shows of 2016...

5) Dreamgirls

Amber Riley's performance as Effie White quite simply flawed me. The power behind her vocals literally brought me to tears and I can see many awards coming her way in 2017! The production itself was just gorgeous to look at, with so much sparkle courtesy of the Swarovski crystal embellished costumes and sets. West End musicals don't really get much bigger than this one.

4) She Loves Me 

A beautiful, sumptuous production of a really sweet if a little bit dated musical. Seeing it in December provided a wonderful bit of pre Christmas warmth to my theatregoing. Scarlett Strallen and Mark Umbers were hugely likable leads, and the supporting performances were totally first rate.  

3) Groundhog Day

Groundhog Day was incredible.... Groundhog Day was incredible... Groundhog Day was incredible... Groundhog Day was incredible.... Groundhog Day was incredible... Groundhog Day was incredible...Groundhog Day was incredible.... Groundhog Day was incredible... Groundhog Day was incredible...

2) Hand To God 

Despite receiving a number of less than favourable reviews from many critics, no show this year made me laugh, gasp and recoil quite as much as Hand To God did! Sure, there was a lot of gleeful violence, bad language, and some audacious themes, but underneath its irreverent exterior there was a lot of heart and some important messages. Plus the cast, led masterfully by Harry Melling, were uniformly excellent! It was a shame to see Hand To God close as I'd recommended it to so many people. Maybe one day we'll see the show back in the UK in some capacity. Fingers crossed!

1) Titanic

Gut wrenching, tragic, uplifting, and triumphant all at once! Titanic at the Charing Cross Theatre is a show which I wish I'd seen again and again. A hugely talented cast worked incredibly well, switching between their main, supporting and ensemble characters seamlessly in order to make the Charing Cross Theatre's tiny stage appear to bustle with life. I still think back to this incredible, heartbreaking show from time to time, and it never fails to make my heart flutter! Without a doubt, Titanic was my favourite show of 2016.

So there we go! I've loved looking back over my theatregoing year, and reminiscing about all the excellent shows I've seen, because there have been so many. I still find myself humming the title song from Paper Hearts, a new musical which I reviewed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Legally Blonde at the Leicester Curve was always going to impress me as the musical itself is one of my all time favourites, and undoubtedly Lazarus at the King's Cross Theatre has been my most discussed musical of 2016. I saw it twice and I'm still not 100% sure I understand what was going on during it, but it was certainly a spectacle, and one which almost everyone is eager to compare theories about! 

All in all 2016 has been a great year for theatre, and next year is already shaping up to be just as good, with shows like 42nd Street, An American In Paris, oh and a little old musical named Hamilton all due to open. No doubt there'll be tons of surprises in store for theatre fans up and down the country! 

My favourite shows of 2015

Happy new year! 

Wow, is it just me or has 2015 flown by? It doesn't seem that long ago that I was looking back on 2014 and reflecting on the wonderful shows I'd seen that year, and now here we are in 2016, and wow do we have some exciting shows to look forward too! 

2016 looks like it's going to be an amazing year for theatre, but as this post's title suggests, rather that looking to the future, I'm going to be reflecting on some of what I consider to be the best shows of 2015 (I know I unfortunately never got to see dozens of hugely successful and well reviewed shows this year, but I've also been lucky enough to catch some absolute gems). I've loved reading loads of #LDNtheatrebloggers' picks and so I hope you enjoy mine...

5) Peter Pan Goes Wrong

I'm no stranger to shedding a tear or two in the theatre, but normally I'm weeping tears of sadness, not hilarity. However, when I saw Peter Pan Goes Wrong on its UK tour in January 2015 for the first time in my theatregoing life I found myself laughing so hard I couldn't breathe!

In Peter Pan Goes Wrong the jokes came thick and fast and the mishaps were ingenious and largely unpredictable. I enjoyed every single second of Peter Pan Goes Wrong and would return to see it in a heartbeat, which is fortunate as it playing at the Apollo Theatre in London until the 31st of January 2016.

4) Gypsy 

I didn't actually write a review of Gypsy for this blog, because I saw it in its very final week on the West End and by then everything that needed to be said had been said. As I expected, Gypsy STUNNED me! Imelda Staunton's performance as bullish stage mom Madame Rose was dynamic, inimitable, and frankly more than a little bit terrifying.

Although the BBC recording of Gypsy which aired during the Christmas holidays was fabulous, nothing could replicate the electric atmosphere which I experienced while watching it live. I am incredibly grateful to have experienced this show, which I'm sure will be remembered for years to come!

3) Sweeney Todd (at Harrington's Pie and Mash Shop on Shaftesbury Avenue)

This creepy immersive production of Sweeney Todd was just as dark and terrifying as I'd hoped it would be. In other productions of Sweeney Todd, Todd's throat slitting has been gory and grotesque and perfectly grizzly, but of course, in the intimate pie shop setting of this production the use of fake blood would've looked unauthentic, so instead most of the murders happened offstage, and were signified by the sound of a piercing whistle being blown. A far cry from the norm, but chillingly effective nonetheless. Some of the grizzly murder moments still haunt me to this day!

This show was a dream. The cast was superb, the set and costume design was gorgeously gritty and the concept in general is so calculable but so, so unique! After all, I can't see myself getting threatened by an actor wielding a cutthroat razor inches from my face again any time soon.

2) In The Heights 

Given how much everyone raved about In The Heights when it first arrived in London, I deeply regretted missing this show at the Southwalk playhouse, and so when it transferred to the Kings Cross Theatre earlier this year I booked a ticket immediately, despite being completely unfamiliar with the story or music.... but I am so glad that I did! The energy and enthusiasm of the cast was infectious, the set and lighting design was gloriously evocative and the choreography was just sizzling!

I had such an incredible time watching this show, which can best be described as joyous. And it's still running at the moment! I'll absolutely be returning to the Kings Cross Theatre see In The Heights again in 2016, and if you've not yet experienced it then I recommend you pay it a visit too!

1) The Car Man

I've seen some absolutely incredible shows this year, but without doubt the most enthralling, visceral, and spectacular one was Matthew Bourne's The Car Man. This may come as a surprise given that I mostly review musicals (it certainly came as a surprise to me!), but honestly, The Car Man was just about as slick and perfect as you could hope for! Mathew Bourne's choreography completely reinvented the characters I thought I was familiar with from the Carmen opera, but did it with such ingenuousness that now I can't imagine seeing Carmen performed differently.

The Car Man also featured a cast of truly phenomenal performers. Zizi Strallen was extraordinary as the conniving Lana, while Dominic North was both endearing and unnerving as Angelo, the man who Lana frames for the murder of her husband, so that she can be with her new lover, Luca. The role of Luca was played by the incomparable Jonathan Olliver, whose jaw dropping dance virtuosity, incredible acting and irresistible charisma fit together to form an utterly flawless performance. This show was so good that the moment I got home after my first trip, I logged on to my computer and purchased a ticket for the next days performance. Utterly, utterly stunning!

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So there we have it! It was honestly so difficult to pick just 5 shows, as there have been so many brilliant ones. I was wowed by the choreography in the Top Hat UK tour, Funny Girl at the Menier Chocolate Factory totally lived up to my high expectations, Katie Brayben's performance in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical was remarkable, and Di and Viv and Rose totally took me by surprise as one of the most emotional, relatable plays I've ever seen. I thought long and hard though, and I'm very happy with my list. It just goes to show what a brilliant 2015 I've had. I'm looking forward to finding out whether 2016 can top it! 

Thanks for reading and have a wonderful new year!

Charlotte xx

(Tragically, as you may know, dancer and star of The Car Man Jonathan Olliver lost his life earlier this year in a motorbike accident. A sold out event celebrating his achievements, which is entitled Mr Wonderful, is happening in January, with profits being placed in charitable trust funds for his two sons Lucas, 6 and Issac, 12 months. If you didn't manage to obtain a ticket to the show but would still like to make a contribution then you can visit this page) 

Reviewing previews - yes or no?

Hi guys!

This will only be a quick post as I only landed in England a few hours ago after two weeks on holiday in Turkey, but I've been following the drama surrounding the newspapers who published reviews of Hamlet at The Barbican before press night, and subsequently, the uproar in the blogging community as a result of these actions being branded blogger-eque by some, and just wanted to consolidate my thoughts (which I posted over on twitter) into a quick post, so you all know where I stand.

When I began this blog in October 2014, it was solely for my own use. I wanted to practice my reviewing skills as I knew I'd be using them a lot while studying Drama and English Literature at uni. I posted online copies of all of the articles I'd written for my Sixth form magazine, and then began reviewing all the shows that I saw, regardless of whether they were local productions, tours, West End shows or anything else even remotely theatre-y. I shared them on twitter afterwards as it was the easiest way to tell my friends and family about what I'd been seeing. At this point, while I followed a lot of larger theatre blogs such a West End Frame and West End Wilma, I wasn't aware of the larger theatre blogging community (the fabulous #LDNtheatrebloggers and #UKtheatrebloggers) and I was very surprised when people I didn't know began reading and commenting on my blog posts.

During my first few blogging months, I saw two shows during previews, and subsequently posted my thoughts in a review form on this site. The first show, Memphis the Musical, was one I had been eagerly anticipating for months, and the second, City of Angels, was one which I very luckily managed to bag a Barclays Front Row ticket for, as it had sold out months in advance.

At this point, I wasn't aware of embargoes, and didn't realise that reviewing previews was not the done thing. However, I also has a VERY tiny audience, had paid for my tickets and was not being paid or rewarded for sharing my thoughts. I didn't see myself as a "theatre blogger", just a theatre fan who happened to also have a blog. I didn't receive any complaints as a result of posting both of these reviews (possibly due to the fact that I had next to no page views), and several actors read/retweeted my writing. One even put up a link on his Facebook page, which made me (the young, naïve blogger) very excited indeed. And that was the end of that.

However, after coming into contact with the #LDNtheatrebloggers via twitter, I decided to take a more professional approach to my blog. I ditched (for the most part) the gushing, in favour of a (slightly) more analytical tone, and quickly learned the theatre bloggers etiquette. I also became aware that reviewing previews was not really the done thing, and so swiftly stopped doing that as well. The last thing I wanted was for my past efforts as a rookie blogger to tarnish my reputation later on!

I know that a lot of theatre bloggers, myself included, would like to be seen as knowledgeable and reliable sources, and  as such, I now try to conduct myself in a professional manner, both in the theatre, and when writing my review or blog posts. Although I have not posted any other preview reviews aside from the two I already mentioned, I now make a conscious discussion to wait until press night (or afterwards) to post my thoughts.

That being said, I am a blogger, not a journalist, and I don't have the privilege of being invited to review every single new show in London. If I want to see as much as possible, then for monetary reasons previews become pretty much my only viable option.

At the end of the day, I really don't know enough to say for certain where bloggers stand in the argument. On one hand, we (for the most part) pay for our own tickets, form totally unbiased opinions of the shows we see, and, like the majority of audience members, we aren't sitting in the best seats in the house. We are normal audience members, and have a right to post what we like (as far as I know). What's the difference, after all, between sharing your thoughts on twitter, and sharing them in a blog post? I'd say that the majority of people who see a show in previews comment about it on some form of social media, and there is no way of censoring every single audience member who steps into the theatre before press night, is there?

However, if I as a blogger have dealings with the show directly, am invited to press nights or blogger nights etc. Basically, if I get invited to review the show, then jumping the gun and reviewing a preview beforehand is a huge no-no and the thought would never even cross my mind!

Those are just my thoughts though, and if I'm wrong then please do correct me in the comments! Although I am ecstatic with how much this blog has grown in the last few months, I'm still quite new to the world of blogging (I don't reach my first birthday until mid October!) and certainly don't know everything there is to know on the subject yet.

Thanks for the support, and for the fascinating conversations on the subject over on twitter too!

Charlotte xx

Theatregoing on a budget - The antidote to my blog break

Hi guys!

I can't believe how long it's been since my last post! I've just been so busy, and frankly too hard up to afford, well, anything recently. My housemates and I are moving house and so I've had to dole out so much money in the last few weeks.

SO. MUCH. MONEY.

Deposits, insurance and summer rent certainly aren't cheap.

For this reason, when I read a blog post entitled 'Do You Go To The Theatre?' on ThoroughlyModernMaisie's blog, it really resonated with me. As a theatre blogger, it's easy to feel left out and inadequate if you're not going to the theatre 3 or more times a week  and reviewing every single show. Especially when your twitter timeline seems to consist of new blog posts every time you check in.

Blog envy gets to us all. It's understandable.

But really, if you can't afford to go then you can't afford to go. Especially if, like me, you're not based in London and have to commute in on the train in order to see the shows which everyone is raving about.

That being said, London is not the be all and end all with regards to seeing fantastic theatre, and certainly by looking for ways to see more in my local area I've been able to fill that West End shaped gap when things have gotten a little tighter moneywise.

Consequently, I've decided to put together a list of hints and tips about how to see amazing theatre without having to sell a limb or forsake a weeks food shop. To regular theatregoers some of the points on this list may seem a bit obvious, but hopefully some of the information on here is helpful to someone. And so, without further ado, here it is...

1) Explore the power of the Student I.D.
I am very fortunate in that I currently live and study in a city which has not one but two brilliant local theatres, and both of them offer some form of student ticket deal. Theatres offering a percentage off the price of tickets for students is not uncommon, but my local theatre (The Marlowe in Canterbury) has a fantastic programme which enables young people aged 16-26 to access brilliant seats (often in the front stalls or first few rows of the upper circle) for prices starting at just £8!!! I've seen countless tours and fantastic one off performances at The Marlowe Theatre for the price of a night out or a cake and a coffee in Costa. This is an AMAZING example of a student ticket deal that actually makes theatre affordable for students, and as such I hope more theatres around the UK adopt a similar scheme. It may be worth investigating whether theatres near you offer a similar sort of deal because honestly it has opened so many doors for me and allowed me to see shows which I may have otherwise been hesitant to take a chance on.

2) Never underestimate a drama student.
If you go to uni or really live anywhere near a university, then you'll probably have at least been made aware of the student productions which are produced, directed and star drama students (or members of a drama society). Often these student productions will be very well acted, high quality shows, and are always fairly cheap to attend! Not to mention you may have the opportunity to witness new writing or experience a play which is staged more infrequently. I think by now every student theatre group has done Romeo and Juliet and Hedda Gabler to death and have had to dig a bit deeper! Fantastic for everyone involved!

3) Investigate unconventional venues
Pubs, clubs, forests, parks, even public toilets! Often local companies stage the most innovative, exciting productions simply out of necessity. It's worth checking out local notice boards/twitter pages etc. and exploring theatrical experiences that you perhaps weren't aware actually existed.

4) National. Theatre. LIVE.
Need I say more. See the show completely unobstructed.... from the comfort of your local cinema!


5) The cheapest options are not always the terrible ones
In fact, they're almost always not terrible.

Okay for regular theatregoers this is probably the most obvious point on the list, but I remember a time not that long ago when I bought massively overpriced seats, miles away from the stage, and was just willing to accept that when seeing a West End show, that was the way it was.
When I take a trip down to the West End, I ALWAYS sit in the cheapest seats possible. I'm a student, there's no way around it. But as strange as it may sound to some people, the cheap seats are very rarely terrible... I mean ... REALLY terrible. If you really want to see a show but you're not sure about taking a risk when ticket prices are so steep, sitting in the cheap seats is your best option. Again, this might sound obvious, however, I am always shocked by the amount of people who splash out of £70 seats when three seats along or one row behind you can get a ticket for a third of the price. You could always check out Seatplan for honest seat reviews in London venues if you want to be certain you're not going to be staring at a pillar for 2 and a half hours.
Aside from this, there's the option to get dayseats for a number of West End shows (very often these are in the front row and are normally around £20-25 so if queuing in the morning is doable for you then I'd fully recommend it.). Not to mention a load of student ticket schemes that operate in London theatres, such as the RSC Key, National Theatre Entry Pass and Menier Chocolate Factory Golden Tickets to name but a few. Yes, theatre in London is expensive, but there are nearly always ways to cut costs while maintaining an enjoyable theatregoing experience.

I'll be honest, I do find this post a bit sad. It may be a fact of life, and has been ever since I began going to the theatre, but unfortunately, there is no way to avoid the fact that theatregoing IS an expensive hobby. While I hope I've helped to prove that ways to see great theatre locally, and avoid unnecessary expenses, it is rather unfortunate that as far as the masses are concerned, the epicentre of all buzz-inducing theatre is still London.

However, I hope that this post has helped to prove that there are ways to see theatre without breaking the bank. There is only so much that we as audience members can do though, and I do feel that in order to attract younger audiences, theatres need to radically adjust their accessibility, and tailor themselves towards a younger audience. Otherwise I fear young people may be further deterred from attending the theatre full stop.

How horrendous!

But what do you think? Is theatre in London more well regarded by the masses? Do you find the theatre inaccessible because of price, or because of any other reason actually? Let me know here or on Twitter if you'd like.

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Right, that was long but fun. If you're still reading them I really hope you've enjoyed this post. Yes, it was a bit different my usual stuff, but hopefully I'll be posting regularly again soon. I've got some really exciting shows coming up in August / September, and then I'll be back at uni at which time business will resume as usual! Finally!

Thanks for sticking with me this long though guys,

Charlotte xx

Travel - Istanbul 2015

As if I hadn't already treated myself enough (seriously, I need to hide my debit card somewhere for the next few months), last week I flew out to Istanbul for a couple of days with some people from the school of arts at my university, in order to visit some of the historic sights, soak in some culture and do some generic touristy things as well. I've decided to write up a little account of the trip, which you can read below. Please excuse the lack of stageyness, but I just felt as if this incredible trip was worth a write up! My pictures were mostly originally posted on Instagram and more can be found there. (also, I'm new to Instagram and so I'm just getting used to it!).
Thanks guys x

Day 1

After a ridiculously long day of travel the previous day, we settled in to our hostel, the Sultan Hostel, and then having relaxed for a little while, we headed out into the city to visit one of the most iconic sight in Turkey, the Blue Mosque! It was an absolutely stunning building which dominated the skyline with its impressive towers and minarets. Inside, the Blue Mosque was decorated with beautiful painted ceilings and vivid red carpets. I felt very lucky to be standing inside such an ancient and important building filled with so much history.

After enjoying the Blue Mosque, my friend and I headed out in to Istanbul to explore. If history is your thing then Istanbul is a must-visit location. We worked our way around many museums and places of interest, and interestingly, many of them were free as well. Fantastic if you're hoping to see the city on a budget. 

As the day progressed, we headed out to the famous Grand Bazaar, another must-see location located along a winding alley about 10 minutes walk from the city centre. The bazaar was entirely sheltered underground and was so huge that it almost felt like a city on its own! No matter what you're looking for, you are guaranteed to find it in the Grand Bazaar. I picked up a red and gold pashmina, a Turkish tea set and a couple of knickknacks for my family and friends. All in all, a brilliant shopping experience.

After a long day out in the sun, we headed back to the hostel and, having grabbed a bite to eat in one of the many tiny cafes in the bazaar earlier, indulged in some potato wedges (adventurous, I know.) We had intended on getting an early night, but once we rejoined the group, that all changed. Instead, we had a catch up over cocktails (I veered away from my usuals (mojito or daquari) and tried an espresso martini for the first time, which I very much recommend, particularly to coffee lovers!). We also tried the traditional Turkish Hookah (a smoking pipe flavoured with fruits such as apple or peach). As my friend and I were non-smokers, we only gave it a little go, an were both unimpressed, but when in Rome...or should that be Istanbul...

Significantly later than we had intended, we headed to bed.

Day 2

After a late-ish night, we gave ourselves a lie in in the morning, but desperate to make the most of our time in Istanbul, we set off just before midday, on a 2 and a half mile coastal walk north to the Galata Bridge, and then back via the Istanbul spice market. The spice market was a wonder we hadn't anticipated. The smell of herbs, spices and various other foodstuffs filled the air completely and honestly I wanted to buy pretty much everything I saw. Turkish delight, baklava, dried fruits, nuts and various different teas were also available to purchase. After hours of wandering I settled on some spices for my kitchen at uni (you've got to liven up the pot noodles somehow!) and a tea blend called Love Tea, which looked pretty if nothing else (it comprised of a number of different dried flower heads and smelled like roses! Yum!), then, exhausted from our trek, we headed back to the hostel.

On the way, we spotted a lovely looking restaurant called the Palatium Cafe, where we stopped off for some food. Oh my gosh, we were not prepared for the deliciousness! We ordered a portion of humus, a portion of halloumi salad and a portion of vegetable couscous and spent 2 hours eating it all! The couscous was particularly delicious, and unlike what we would consider to be couscous in England. It had an almost pasta-y flavour and consistency and was served in a vegetable sauce. Wow! I could eat it for every meal! The best part was, the meal only cost us 60 lira (about £16 between the two of us), and after the meal, our waiter showed us an amazing underground cavern which had only recently been excavated UNDERNEATH the restaurant we'd just had our meal in. It was unbelievable! Talk about luck!

We found ourselves in a bit of a food coma after that, so we headed to bed for an early night. 

Day 3

We woke up early on day 3, and caught the tram to the TÜRVAK Cinema and Theatre Museum. We spent the morning looking at the headshots of hundreds of Turkish actors, and learning about the Turkish film and theatre industries. As drama students, my friend and I found this particularly interesting. Having looked around for about an hour, we headed out into the city and managed to get ourselves on a boat tour up the Bosphorus river for only 12 lira (£3) each. The tour lasted for 2 hours and was interesting and very picturesque, if a little bit long-winded towards the end. Having disembarked, we walked back through the city and found another restaurant to eat in. This one was lovely, as it was filled with beanbags which we sat on for the duration of our meal. I ate a fantastic spiced vegetable casserole, which was absolutely lovely. 

As it began to dawn on us that this was our last day in Istanbul, we decided to do something we'd been wanting to do since the start of the trip...visit a Turkish bath! On the recommendation of some friends, we headed over to the Çemberlitas Hamami, which claims to have been built in 1584. We opted for the traditional bath treatment which cost us 95 lira (about £25).

This was an unforgettable experience, and something you must do when in Istanbul. Dressed only in bikini bottoms (the idea of toplessness terrified me before we entered, but as soon as you stepped into the hamami and saw everyone was doing exactly the same thing and no one was blinking an eyelid the awkwardness dissipated), you lie down on a cloth, on a large slab of rock in the middle of a giant domed room. The room was heated to a very high temperature and was effectively a sauna. Having relaxed on the slab for about half an hour, one of the women who worked as a therapist/washer/masseuse tapped my ankle and it was time to begin the washing. First I received a full body exfoliation, then was covered in bubbly soap and scrubbed from head to toe. Then I was given a back, leg and ankle massage before finally having my hair washed. The experience was unlike any spa treatment I'd ever had here in England, and cost a fraction of the price of even a facial here! Feeling squeaky clean, I was directed towards a niche which contained cold water taps and little silver bowls. Here you are encouraged to dowse yourself in cold water, to wash off any remaining soap and cleanse yourself. My friend and I were reunited and spent about half an our here before leaving the bath. Outside, wrapped in our towels we were met by a woman who asked us what we'd like to drink. We opted for Turkish tea, followed by freshly squeezed orange juice. I felt totally relaxed and rejuvenated as we drank our drinks, and then finally dressed and left. 

Feeling as relaxed and detoxed as we were, we opted to yet again have an early night (A wise choice given our impending day of travel) so we relaxed on some cushions in the hostel downstairs, before saying goodbye to Istanbul for the last time and heading to bed! 

I had such an incredible time in Istanbul and I would honestly go back in a heart beat. We explored so much in our short time but I still feel like there was so much more to the city that we just didn't get round to seeing. I'll definitely be returning again at some point hopefully, but until then, I'm back in the UK, and back to the theatre! I've got so many exciting shows to look forward to and I cannot wait. 2015 has been pretty good so far and it looks like it's going to stay that way, for now at least.

Twitter: @OddJazzShoes

Bloglovin: Talkstageytome

Coursework, Cooking and CABARET - A Quick Update...

Oh my goodness, it feels like years since I last stepped foot inside a theatre! Not as an audience member at least. I can’t believe I haven’t blogged since the 1^st of March. However, although it was incredible, I haven’t spent the last month-and-a-bit recovering from the awesome Assassins at the Menier ChocolateFactory (...a few days, maybe!) No, I’ve actually been quite busy as of late. Aside from the litany of coursework deadlines I’ve been faced with, I’ve also been performing in The University of Kent Musical Theatre Society’s production of Cabaret as everyone’s favourite lady of the night, Fraulein Kost, at the Gulbenkian Theatre in Canterbury. This was actually my first time performing with the society, and I couldn't have wished for a better show, or a more talented cast, to share my inauguration with.

Aside from that, I’ve also been writing a few articles for London Theatre Direct recently, which has been fun, particularly on April Fool’s Day. However, being an hours train journey away from theatreland when it’s so late into the term that you have to reconsider whether a pack of own-brand digestives is really necessary is not a healthy place to be. For this reason I’ve also managed to get myself a new job... kind of. It’s a casual babysitting job, but every little helps at this point. Especially given that my trusty old mobile mysteriously disappeared on my walk to uni a few weeks ago, meaning that I’ve had to invest in a new phone too.

In a bid to keep me from splurging my last few pennies on theatre tickets (my local theatre is blessed with so many amazing touring productions that even if I had unlimited money there wouldn’t be enough time to see everything I’d want to see) I’ve also been experimenting with cooking more adventurously, using a vegetarian cookbook which my mom bought me as a going-to-uni present last year. I’ve made some great meals (if I do say so myself) including couscous stuffed peppers, butternut squash enchiladas and my personal favourite, poached eggs Florentine with spinach and cheddar…on a bagel!  Yum!

Thankfully though, I do have a couple more theatre trips coming up before the end of term. This weekend I’m off to see the West End transfer of Tooting Arts Club’s production of Sweeney Todd in the pie shop on Shaftesbury Avenue, followed by the final performance of Made in Dagenham in the evening. I’ve also got a ticket to see Top Hat at the Marlowe Theatre, and finally I’ll be dropping in to The Playhouse Theatre to see Woman On The Verge Of A Nervous Breakdown on my way home, although it stupidly hadn’t occurred to me that I’d have my suitcase with me and I had to ring up the theatre in a panic to ask if there would be anywhere for me to drop it off. Thank goodness for the cloakroom!

After Easter I enter my final term as a first year student, so I’ve no idea what sort of stuff I’ll be seeing. In a perfect world, I’d love to see the How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying concert, starring Jonathan Groff, which is playing in London for one night only in May, and I’m also eyeing up High Society at The Old Vic and the UK tour of The Car Man, which my favourite ballet dancer Dominic North is due to star in. For now though, I am mostly looking forward to seeing my family for the first time since Christmas, and sheltering away from all shops/Starbuckses/ shows until the next student loan payment comes through, so I can stop worrying about money, pay my rent and then see what happens next!

Charlotte xx

Twitter: @OddJazzShoes

Bloglovin: Talkstageytome

"Soon, says a whisper, arise arise,tomorrow belongs to me..." 

The lyrics to the final song of act 1 in Kander and Ebb's Cabaret are absolutely chilling!