Friday, February 11, 2011

Theatre Review: The Children's Hour


Keira Knightley, 香港對這英國女星應該不會感到陌生,最迎參與倫敦的舞台劇(The Children's Hour),得到正面的評價。她09年已參與The Misanthrope的舞台劇。
The Children's Hour (londonist)
Review From BBC:
Keira Knightley 'wins spurs' with West End stage return

Keira Knightley's return to the West End has drawn respectable reviews, with one critic saying the British actress has now "won her theatrical spurs".

Danny DeVito and Bend It Like Beckham director Gurinder Chadha were among the audience as the 25-year-old took her bows at London's Comedy theatre.

Knightley is appearing with US Mad Men star Elisabeth Moss in The Children's Hour, by Lillian Hellman.

The 1934 play tells of teachers accused of having an illicit lesbian affair.

Knightley received mixed reviews when she made her West End debut in 2009 in an updated version of Moliere's The Misanthrope.

Writing about that production, Charles Spencer in the Telegraph said: "She got through it with her dignity intact, but often seemed strained and nervous".

This time, however, he said the actress "displays confidence throughout before rising in the final act to dramatic heights that are shattering in their intensity".

The critic also praised Moss for "a fascinatingly conflicted performance that is as subtle as it is strong".
According to Michael Billington in the Guardian, Knightley and Moss "prove as potent a combination on stage as at the box office".

"Ian Rickson's atmospheric, slow-burning and ultimately enthralling production proves far more compelling that I expected," his three-star review continued.

Yet The Daily Mail's Quentin Letts expressed reservations, comparing Knightley to "one of those plucky amateur jockeys in the Grand National".

"Miss Knightley tries," he writes. "By God, she tries. She turns in a performance of which many a journeyman thesp would be proud.

"But is she a real leading lady? Is she a genuine stage star? Not quite."

The Children's Hour, which also features Oscar-winning actress Ellen Burstyn and veteran comedienne Carol Kane, has been filmed twice.

The second version, released as The Loudest Whisper in the UK, starred Audrey Hepburn, Shirley MacLaine and James Garner.

It was last staged in London at the National Theatre, with Dame Harriet Walter and Clare Higgins as the teachers, and Emily Watson as the pupil who accuses them.

In the latest production, that part is played by Rada-trained Bryony Hannah, singled out for praise by the critics.

"Hannah is memorably sly and horrible as the young troublemaker," writes Spencer, while Letts calls her "a fantastic find".

The Children's Hour continues at the Comedy until 30 April. Knightley can also be seen this week in the film Never Let Me Go, based on Kazuo Ishiguro's novel.

More Review:
Telegraph (4 out of 5)
Guardian (3 out of 5)
Independent (3 out of 5)

The Children's Hour是有學生優惠的,最多7日前到該Theatre購買,學生票不設網上預售。TKTS Ticket Booth 不售賣這舞台劇。

英國的火車和巴士


剛剛訂了到Birmingham 的火車, 可以分享一下英國的火車(Rail)/巴士(Coach)的資料



gb_brail.gif
火車標誌
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火車票 (railsaver.co.uk)
英國有不同的火車公司,例如 Virgin, First Great Western, London Midland, Arriva 等等,當然可以在公司的官方網站訂票,不過大部分人都從National Express Nationa Rail 訂票,價錢一樣,但比較方便和清晰。個人喜歡National express的版面,但登入National Rail可以翻查Confirmation Code, 每次成功訂票後(信用卡即時付款),會出現confirmaion code,都會電郵確認信,到火車站的自動購票機插入信用卡(不扣錢),再通過電子屏幕輸入confirmaion code拿取車票。有一次沒有記低confirmation code,電郵應該打錯了所以收不到確認信,嚇到半死啊,後來到constomer services ,只要講出所訂的火車時間,地點就發票給我。都有一次朋友發現車站唯一的售票機壞了(可憐的小鎮車站,城市的出站一定多於一個的),當時他坐第一班車,constomer servies 還未開,拿不到票的他直接上火車,幸好他有印出電郵的確認信,展示給查票員就可以了。如果他沒有確認信的話,應該要重新買票了。
要在火車站找月台是很簡單的,記時間,不記地點。如非主要的大車站,電子屏只會顯示終點站,如果你到的地方不是其終點站,訂票的時候不會列出,就很難找。所以以時間作重點就最好,火車的排序絕大部分是每一分鐘只有一班火車開出,即是只有一班火車,與你的時間吻合,這就是你要到的月台了。
RailCard 只給16-25或全日制的青年申請,國際學生都可以,到服務處填表,付上相片即可。都可以上網申請。25磅一年,65磅3年。憑證車票便宜三分之一(包括頭等票)。另一方面,三人以上享有Group Ticket優惠,價錢與持有RailCard的差不多,所以多人的話可以不用申請RailCard ,是不可雙重優惠的。
英國車票'基本上'是早買又便宜,不過都要因應需求量,這些減價票(Advance Ticket)只可於特定的時間乘坐,價錢通常都估定的。有時分開2張Single ticket比return ticket便宜,有時Single ticket加上Coach ticket較便宜,有時,,,沒有特定的方程式,要找便宜交通得要付出吧。不過Standard 的票是估定的。在火車上與查票員和購票機買是沒有任何Advance Ticket的(只有RailCard/Group Ticket discount等)。所以先上網訂票比到時候買票更便宜。

至於巴士,稱為Coach, 主要有National express, MegaBus . 貫穿全英國,大部分路線比火車慢,巴士是旅遊巴的大小,有洗手間,沒有像飛機/火車的摺枱。價錢普遍比火車平,MegaBus通常比National Express平,低至1磅一程加上每交易需要付0.5磅手續費,National express有fun fare 的優惠,低至3.5磅一程。電子票,列印確認書給司機就是了,都可放有電話上展示給司機。

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

First Post

這篇是我Blog的第一篇文章,應該介紹一下我讀書的地方吧!
我在英國讀書,英國是香港留學生的熱門地,相信不少人都知道英國分為英格蘭(England), 蘇格蘭(Scotland), 威爾斯(Wales)和北愛爾蘭(N. Ireland). 不論旅遊,升學,大部分人都到英格蘭(倫敦,曼城)和蘇格蘭(愛丁堡)等地。對英國多點認識的可能知道威爾斯的首府是Cardiff,但我在威爾斯的最西邊,名為Aberystwyth的小鎮上讀書,再初連怎樣讀都不懂呢!

從Google maps看(A點),可見這地方極小,附近都沒什麼城市。這是威爾斯的鄉村小鎮特色吧,即使首府Cardiff(B點)都是近年新開展的城市。亦可能這因素,令威爾斯人(Welsh) 的隨和,友善性格得到肯定。不得不提的是威爾斯文,我校校名Aberystwyth就是威爾斯文,與英文完全沒關係,不用擔心的是,威爾斯文是瀕臨消失的語言,年輕一代都不懂,溝通不會是問題。

威爾斯是留學冷門的地方,就算去的都是到Cardiff University, Aberystwyth的亞洲學生很小,不會出現如倫敦曼城等城市'見唐人多過見鬼佬'的情況,算是在這裡讀書的好處吧。加上這小鎮是'大學城',除了大學及其舉辦活動、舒適的海邊(Irish sea)和充裕的運動設施就什麼都沒有的地方。這就是我喜歡這裡的原因,可以享受真正的大學生活,讀書氣氛。不像其他在城市的大學,因為校外的生活比校內更豐富,學生之間的交流不多,上課後就各散東西。唯一討厭的是地理問題,因為我喜歡看現場音樂表演(Gigs),另外有時想到城市購物(女生嘛),可惜從Aberystywth到再近的城市Birmingham需要三小時。除了這兩個活動做不到之外,雖然身處小鎮,但比我們想像中多的活動是不斷進行,不會感到悶或無聊的!

威爾斯是一個很簡單而充實的地方,同時保留自己的文化生活特色。如果想知多點或交流有關威爾斯和英國的資訊可以聯絡我(右面的Contact me),最後當然繼續支持我的Blog啦!