Our Ladies Of Perpetual Succour Review

Posted by RCNTV on May 16, 2017 · Leave a Comment 

The Plot

Six rebellious convent schoolgirls take advantage of a trip to Edinburgh to compete in a choir competition by instead embarking on a series of increasingly wild misadventures shamelessly fuelled by booze and sex.

The Good

All-female productions and genuine originality are sadly both rare commodities even in the West End. Our ladies delivers both as it offers up a boldly puerile and poignant tale of dramatically misspent youth.

The cast members do a compelling job of not just portraying the six wanton schoolgirls but also simultaneously taking turns portraying the motley assortment of teachers, boys,  bouncers and weirdos  that they cross paths with their wild ride of bad choices.  The shows six young stars deserve significant praise for bringing an entire world to life with convincing impressions, smart staging and a splash of imagination.

Musically Our Ladies provides a unique juxtaposition of elegantly harmonised choral music and karaoke style classic rock. Numerous classic tunes from operatic rock masters ELO give the show regular injections of punchy toe tapping fun. The production does well to avoid the usual pitfalls of so called jukebox musicals by using the well-known pop hits to emotionally punctuate key moments in the story rather than heavy handily trying to construct a narrative around the songs themselves.

While the show regularly falls back on catchy musical escapes and a steady stream of naughty humour it also frequently injects flashes of bitter tragedy that immediately create an additional and perhaps more meaningful layer to what could otherwise have easily been merely a guilty vicarious pleasure.

Having grabbed amusing attention with the contrast between choir girl stereotypes and reckless uninhibited teen delinquency, the play thankfully proceeds to push further and gradually reveal each character’s genuine adolescent struggles. The production ultimately sneaks in surprising nuance and fragile sincerity amongst a barrage of brash shameless antics.

The Bad

The production sets out to be provocative, raucous and often downright filthy. This will amuse and entertain many but undoubtedly also prove less palatable for those with more conservative theatrical tastes. Strong Scottish accents and the relentless barrage of shamelessly fouled mouthed slang will also prove a special test for both those with delicate sensibilities and tourists.

Those with a natural ear and appreciation for fierce Scottish banter will be able to enjoy it and the six stories it gradually reveals, however it could easily prove a barrier for those that may struggle to either comprehend or condone it.

While Our Ladies has much to offer it’s sometimes unclear exactly which audience the show best targets. Filth ridden adolescent comedy and the vintage classic rock soundtrack potentially appeal to very different audiences. Older ELO fans may find the characters harder to connect with, while younger audiences probably wouldn’t be allowed to watch it in the first place.

The Ugly Truth

Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour hits some impressive high and low notes to offer up a truly unique antidote for anyone bored with more typical safe and sanitized west end musical theatre.  Outstanding harmonies and a charismatic young cast help turn a challenging script and compact stage into an arresting display of wild entertainment.

Review by Russell Nelson

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BAFTA TV Awards Winners

Posted by RCNTV on May 15, 2017 · Leave a Comment 

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts has announced the winners of this evening’s Virgin TV British Academy Television Awards, celebrating and rewarding the very best programmes and performances of 2016.
There were two awards for Damilola, Our Loved Boy, with first-time winner Wunmi Mosaku receiving the BAFTA for Supporting Actress. The true-crime drama, written by Levi David Addai, which retells the story of Damilola Taylor’s tragic murder and his family’s fight for justice, also received the award for Single Drama.
In the Leading Actress category, Sarah Lancashire won the BAFTA for her performance in Happy Valley. The West Yorkshire drama also won a second BAFTA for Drama Series, adding to the BAFTA that writer Sally Wainwright won at the British Academy Television Craft Awards last month.
Adeel Akhtar won the BAFTA for Leading Actor for his portrayal of a single father juggling the pressures of a community where honour means everything, for one-off drama Murdered by My Father.
In Supporting Actor, Tom Hollander took the BAFTA for his performance as Lance ‘Corky’ Corkoran in The Night Manager while National Treasure fought off the competition to win in Mini Series.
Phoebe Waller-Bridge won in the Female Performance in a Comedy Programme category for Fleabag. Steve Coogan won Male Performance in a Comedy Programme for Alan Partridge’s Scissored Isle, the sixth BAFTA of his career. Meanwhile, the mockumentary series that follows pirate radio station Kurupt FM in west London, People Just Do Nothing, triumphed in Scripted Comedy.
In the International category the BAFTA was awarded to The People v OJ Simpson: American Crime Story, the dramatisation of the infamous OJ Simpson murder trial.
The BAFTA for Soap & Continuing Drama, which recognises the exceptional talent required to deliver stories that hold an audience over days, weeks and months, was awarded to Emmerdale for the second time.
The BAFTA for Entertainment Performance was presented to Michael McIntyre for Michael McIntyre’s Big Show, while the award for Entertainment Programme went to Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway, the programme’s third BAFTA in this category to date. Charlie Brooker’s 2016 Wipe won for Comedy & Comedy Entertainment Programme.
The BAFTA for Reality & Constructed Factual was won by Muslims Like Us, while the long-running series Who Do You Think You Are? took the BAFTA in Features.
The award for News Coverage went to Victoria Derbyshire: Footballers’ Abuse, and Teenage Prison Abuse Exposed (Panorama) received the BAFTA for Current Affairs.
Exodus: Our Journey to Europe, which revealed the gruelling journeys of people smuggling themselves into Europe, received the BAFTA for Factual Series. Hillsborough secured the BAFTA for Single Documentary, while the BAFTA for Specialist Factual went to Planet Earth II, which was also awarded two BAFTAs at the recent British Academy Television Craft Awards.
The Open took home the BAFTA for Sport, while the award for Live Event was presented to The Queen’s 90th Birthday Celebration.
The Special Award was presented to Nick Fraser, one of Britain’s leading figures in the documentary field, in recognition of his outstanding creative contribution to television throughout a career that saw him launch and grow BBC’s Storyville strand and fund and develop hundreds of award-winning documentaries. His work includes India’s Daughter, Man on Wire, Notes on Blindness, Project Nim and Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer.
The Fellowship, the highest accolade the Academy bestows, was presented to Joanna Lumley. With a career spanning 40 years, she has become one of the most acclaimed and distinctive performers in British television. Previous BAFTA recognition of Lumley’s work includes six BAFTA nominations, and awards for Comedy Performance (1995) and Light Entertainment Performance (1993) for Absolutely Fabulous. In 2000, she received the Special Award for The Avengers.
The Virgin TV’s Must-See Moment, the only award voted for by the public, was won by Planet Earth II: Snakes vs Iguana Chase.
The ceremony was hosted by Sue Perkins at the Royal Festival Hall, London, where presenters included Sean Bean, Kim Cattrall, Joan Collins, Rob Delaney, Anna Friel, Cuba Gooding Jr., David Haye, Adam Hills, Suranne Jones, James Nesbitt, Thandie Newton, Jennifer Saunders, Louis Theroux and Ed Westwick.

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Blade Runner 2049 Trailer

Posted by RCNTV on May 10, 2017 · Leave a Comment 

Check out the first official full length trailer for much anticipated sci-fi sequel Blade Runner 2049. The trailer showcases the new cast lead by Ryan Gosling & Jared Leto alongside Harrison Ford reprising yet another iconic role as replicant hunter Rick Deckard. Arrival Director Dennis Villeneuve seems to have done a great job at capturing the noirish dystopian future  of the original 80s cult classic.

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Wonder Woman Final Official Trailer

Posted by RCNTV on May 8, 2017 · Leave a Comment 

DC have released a final trailer intended to persuade audiences to forget how serious and gloomy the Zack Snyder cinematic universe has been thus far and embrace the empowering glory of  Gal Gadot in a metal warrior goddess costume. Check it out below and see how you feel about it…

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The Asian Awards 2017 Winners

Posted by RCNTV on May 5, 2017 · Leave a Comment 

International sporting legend, Sachin Tendulkar, Hollywood’s most sought-after child star, Sunny Pawar, CEO of Mastercard, Ajay Benga, world-class snooker player, Ding Junhui and Google DeepMind CEO, Demis Hassabis were among the big winners at the seventh annual, The Asian Awards, a global celebration of Pan Asian excellence, on May 5th at the Park Lane Hilton, London.

The Asian Awards also paid tribute to Om Puri, who passed away earlier this year, with the Outstanding Achievement in Cinema award, which is given to those who push the boundaries of cinema-making. Om Puri’s wife, Nandita Puri and son, Ishaan Puri accepted the award on his behalf.

Hosted for the first time by comic genius, and winner of the 2015 Outstanding Achievement in Television award, Sanjeev Bhaskar, The Asian Awards was attended by London Mayor Sadiq Khan and glittered with A-listers like Lindsay Lohan, Meera Syal, Ding Junhui, Richard Osman, Greg Rusedski and Bollywood stars, Varun Dhawan, Amy Jackson and Anupam Kher

Winners on the night were Chief Executive Officer of Mastercard, Ajay Banga who was presented his award for Business Leader of the Year, while Jack Preger, British doctor offering medical treatment to the less fortunate in Calcutta since 1972 collected his Philanthropist of the Year award; and acclaimed Indian singer, music composer, pianist and dubbed the fastest keyboard player in the world, Adnan Sami won the Outstanding Achievement in Music accolade.

World-class cricketer, the most prolific run-maker and one of the greatest batsmen of all time, Sachin Tendulkar was honoured with the prestigious Fellowship Award, which is given to global icons that have excelled and made significant strides and contributions in their respective careers. Hollywood’s latest child actor sensation, Sunny Pawar was presented with the inaugural Rising Star of the Year award by Bollywood star Varun Dhawan.

Founder of SoftBank Group and Japan’s richest man with an estimated net worth of $20.4bn, Masayoshi Son won the Entrepreneur of the Year award; and Chinese snooker sensation and the most successful Asian player in the history of the sport, Ding Junhui picked up the Outstanding Achievement in Sport accolade. In six years, Nisha Dutt went from Senior Manager to Chief Executive Officer of Intellecap and collected the Social Entrepreneur of the Year award.

The Outstanding Achievement in Science & Technology award went to Demis Hassabis, founder and CEO of DeepMind, a neuroscience Artificial Intelligence company bought by Google; Krishnan Guru-Murthy, Channel 4 news anchor and journalist, collected the Outstanding Achievement in Television award; and Chief Executive Officer of Cancer Research UK, Sir Harpal Kumar was awarded with the Outstanding Contribution to the Community accolade.

This year, The Asian Awards selected One Family to be the Official Charity Partner for its annual gala event. One Family, a new, digital-first charity, has global reach and a simple vision: to inspire a generation and to build a united family that works together to make the world a better place, a family that is moved to act through the force of love.

Previous winners at The Asian Awards include Sir Ben Kingsley, Jackie Chan, Sachin Tendulkar, Bruce Lee, Shah Rukh Khan, Zayn Malik Freddie Mercury, Kumar Sangakkara and Ahmed Kathrada who was jailed alongside Nelson Mandala on Robben Island in the fight against apartheid.

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