Dubstep pioneer Benga yesterday unveiled his new track Hitman at the exclusive Trapstar x Hitman launch party in Shoreditch. The track, which was a hit with celebrity attendees Wretch 32, Cara Delevingne and Stooshe, was produced to promote the partnership between the eagerly anticipated Hitman: Absolution video game and London based lifestyle brand Trapstar.
Featuring Benga’s trademark dark wobble bass lines and reverberant drum patterns, “Hitman” includes clipped samples from the game’s script while the supporting music video showcases the new Trapstar x Hitman fashion collaboration and sees Benga take to the decks underwater.
“Collaborating with Trapstar is something I’ve always wanted to do since they started, I love their clothes and everything they’re about. When they approached me about their collab with Hitman: Absolution, again it made sense to me because I was always playing Hitman when I was younger, so the collaboration together was perfect,” said Benga. “When I was making the track, I wanted to get in the mindset of the people that play the game and for me the tempo, feel to the track is what I would expect to listen to whilst playing!”
To celebrate the fifth instalment of the hugely popular Hitman game series, the Trapstar x Hitman collaboration sees t-shirts, hooded sweatshirts and caps designed to incorporate the distinctive style features of the game. All pieces will be available to purchase from Trapstar’s flagship store from 20th November, to coincide with the game’s release.
Early samples of the Trapstar designs that include the iconic barcode, sniper reticules and the number 47 have already received considerable celebrity backing, with the global superstar Rihanna being spotted in several items, while UK artists Delilah, Angel and QPR hitman Djibril Cisse were all present at the photo shoot for the collection’s forthcoming launch.
“We’re always looking for new, innovative ways of extending our brand so when Square Enix contacted us about the Hitman idea, we wanted to get involved. It’s a dark atmospheric game that complements our own style and gave us a chance to be adventurous with our work and make something groundbreaking. There’s no doubt this vision has been brought to life through Benga’s work and completes a truly unique partnership.” commented Mikey Trapstar, Co-founder and Creative Director of Trapstar.
The exclusive track is now available to listen to below:
The Trapstar x Hitman collection is available in store at Trapstar: Unit 21 Portobello Green Arcade, 281 Portobello Road, London, W0 5TZ and online from http://store.iamatrapstar.com/
Cheryl Cole has proven this year that she doesn’t need to be on The X Factor panel to enjoy success as a solo artist. Her critics predicted failure after she departed the panel following a well-documented ousting from The X Factor USA. In true Cheryl style though she came back fighting with new single Call My Name which became the fastest-selling single of the year and her third number one single as a solo artist. A few months ago Cheryl took to the road for her first ever solo headline arena tour in support of her third studio album A Million Lights.
Reading the reviews of the arena tour at the time, it seemed the critics were still determined to bring down the nation’s sweetheart criticising everything from her singing and dancing to the colour of the costumes she wore on stage. Having now seen the show thanks to this DVD release A Million Lights Live At The O2 we have to say we don’t actually know what they were whittering on about. Over her 70 minute set Cheryl puts on a spectacular show that is uniquely her and thoroughly entertaining.
Opening with the high-energy Sexy Den A Mutha, Cheryl performs highlights from her three studio albums and treats the audience to a Girls Aloud Medley too acknowledging her roots. Call My Name is an early highlight, and still one of Cheryl’s best songs, whilst debut solo hit Fight For This Love provides a suitable encore for the performance before a reprise of Call My Name. Other highlights include will.i.am’s guest appearance on 3 Words, Wretch 32 performing with Cheryl on Screw You and recent single Under The Sun.
In the middle section of the show she performs from a second stage and surprises with Last One Standing, a bonus track from A Million Lights.
The focal point of the DVD will be ‘does she actually sing live?’ and the answer is most of the time yes. There are times she clearly can’t be as she’s dancing around so much but we’d say she performs around 75% live. There’ll still be those critics that say she’s miming to a pre-recorded backing track but she isn’t and she sounds great.
Extras on the disc include behind-the-scenes footage of Cheryl during the tour and personal videos filmed by Cheryl herself featuring her backing dancer and boyfriend Tre.
A Million Lights Live At The O2 is Cheryl at her absolute best and regardless of what people say about her you can’t say she’s not a bloody good popstar. We hope her next arena tour is slightly longer, 70 minutes is a little short considering she has 3 albums of material, but overall we loved the show. We’re still firmly on Team Cheryl and see can count us amongst her ‘soldiers’.
In the year where we Brits have had a year of celebrating our achievements and history – The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the Olympics/Paralympics, it seems fitting that we have Monty Python and the Holy Grail clip-clopping its way back to the West End, for our enjoyment.
When Monty Python and the Holy Grail was made, the joke was that the men galloped to the sound of coconuts derived from the budget not stretching far enough, to cover the cost of horses. It is therefore ironic today, that the analysis of how those coconuts could have reached England in the first place, when no swallow would ever be strong enough to carry them, unless of course it was an African swallow, that this joke still remains very funny and the audience were lapping up the silliness behind the story, with laughter all-around! The show also incorporates some more recent references, including some hilarious takes on Boris Johnson, through to the rapper Psy who is currently trending the charts with his Gangham Style song. Spamalot is also a pastiche of the cheesy musical, and includes such numbers as The Song That Goes Like This and The Diva’s Lament, in which the Lady of the Lake curses that she has not been seen for half an act.
Stephen Tompkinson as King Arthur is fantastic and he truly delivers in this role. Tompkinson’s deliverance and accent is perfect. He has that rare ability to make it look as though he is improvising in his reactions to the shenanigans and bizarre scenarios occurring all around him as the acts go on and he is utterly believable and fun. It is however, Arthur’s coconut-playing servant Patsy, played by Todd Carty, who provides the unexpectedly brilliant performance of the evening. For us, he was the stand-out actor of the show. He doesn’t have that many lines to deliver, but when he does, his comedy timing is absolutely spot-on. Best of all, he is unafraid to do what this role really requires, which is to poke fun at himself. His facial expressions are absolutely priceless and this makes him stand out. There are many surprises in the show, which include a bit of audience participation and Eric Idle himself even pops up, as the ‘God’, in video form, which is hilarious.
The Playhouse Theatre is a much smaller venue than the Palace Theatre (where the show has previously been held), but this is rather the making of the current version of the show, which plays on its intimacy, to generate two hours of all-singing, all-dancing, fun. It has been shrewdly shortened and sharpened by Eric Idle and John Du Prez and it is a lot neater, less sprawling production than the original Broadway version and the humour is pure Python. The cartoony backdrops lends a feel of pantomime fun, which also happens to be the season for this!
Some may find it senseless, but that is rather its point and we feel that the entirely nonsensical He Is Not Dead Yetand Fisch Schlapping Song were even funnier than those numbers that occur once the show has started to acquire something of a plot. The French scene is pure childishness and again, proves to be absolutely hilarious, in a totally British and eccentric way. One should leave all seriousness and stresses at the theatre door and enjoy the show. Whether you are a child, or an adult with an almost innocent, playful and child-like sense of humour, you will love this!
We can guarantee that Spamalot will offer you a great evening out, although it might not be without a little pain and discomfort. This would be from all the laughing, of course. Your sides will be sure to ache and your jaw will have had a work out of its own! The entire audience had a great time and the new show was extremely well received, with almost every person in the theatre giving the cast a well-deserved standing ovation. Taking a look around the theatre, there are smiles all around and we leave with a heart that has been slightly warmed, from the icy cold streets of London on a fine winters night, such is the magic of theatre. All together now, “always look on the bright side of life, da-dah, da-dah, da-dah, da-dah, da-dah”. You will also be sure to be singing the shows closing number all the way home.
Bustling musical Sweet Smell Of Success, currently playing at the Arcola Theatre, is set in New York’s media world of high-fliers and powerful gossip columnists in the 1950s. Based on the 1957 movie of the same name, the 2002 musical has probably been revived to tap into the renewed popularity of the era through TV shows like Mad Men.
JJ Hunsecker (David Bamber) is the man with everything. With a readership of sixty million, as he frequently reminds everybody, he’s one of the most powerful voices in the media, deciding who’s popular and who’s dirt; capable of making and breaking careers; with every young press agent in town rallying around him desperate for their stories to make his infamous and influential column. When Hunsecker takes Sidney Falcone (Adrian der Gregorian) under his wing, he gives the budding young press agent everything he ever dreamed of. But when he demands Falcone controls his sister Susan’s (Caroline Keiff) love life, Sidney is forced to choose between his thirst for success and his moral scruples, where a happy ending for everyone is the only impossible outcome.
There are few actors better at playing oleaginous types than David Bamber, who was a memorable Mr Collins in the BBC’s 1995 adaptation of Pride And Prejudice. In slick suit and coldly reflective glasses, he cuts the right image, and with a charismatic performance of sly charm with an undercurrent of menace, Bamber brings the character to life and turns in a memorable performance that’s part-politician and part Bond-villain. Playing opposite him is Adrian der Gregorian as Sidney, a more affable and grounded man, but so driven by success as to be capable of anything. It’s Sidney who changes the most throughout the story, and der Gregorian’s carefully controlled performance guides the audience on the emotional journey at the heart of the piece.
The subplot involves Susan’s romance with a musician, Dallas (Stuart Matthew Price), and they are perfectly matched on stage as a romancing young couple. Price has the best voice of the cast, with his rendition of I Cannot Hear The City a spine-tingling highlight.
The musical score, by the late Marvin Hamlisch, is delightful, and very evocative of the New York jazz scene of the era. It’s part -dusky, part-sleazy and often spiky, with a hatful of songs you’ll be humming on the way home, with Welcome To The Night and At The Fountain proving amongst the best hits, and the Finale an appropriate hair-raising showstopper. This production boasts an impressive band. There’s nothing quite so magical as a live accompaniment to a musical, and the talented septet are note perfect, bringing to life Hamlisch’s sumptuous score with plenty of variation in pace and power.
The book is by John Guare (Six Degrees Of Separation) and it proves the weakest aspect of the show. Many jokes fall flat, the dialogue is horribly stilted in parts, and the mechanics of the storytelling are often clumsily obvious. It’s not quite badly written, but the structure and the dialogue don’t serve the story and the lyrics quite as well as they should, rendering the overall effect less impactful than it ought to be.
That said, director Mehmet Ergen crafts a gutsy and slick production, with an entertaining ensemble who fill the stage with joyously camp dance routines, flitting in and out of supporting characters along the way. Veteran performer Morgan Deare is great fun as a politician with skeletons in his closet, whilst Rebecca Louis’ tottering entrances as Hunsecker’s personal secretary Madge raises a smile throughout.
Sweet Smell Of Success is a well-honed and stylish show, and lovers of the 1950s period and the New York jazz scene of the era will find much to enjoy in this tale of the seedy world of gossip journalism. With a good cast firing on all cylinders, Ergen’s production breathes life into a good, if not flawless musical.
Jeremy Kingston has been theatre critic with the Times, and formerly Punch, for many years. He’s also a celebrated playwright.
We caught up with him to ask about his play Making Dickie Happy, which is to be revived at the Tristan Bates Theatre in a brand new production for March 2013. Tickets are available from their Box Office.
Along the way we discovered his reaction to the revival of Making Dickie Happy; what it’s like having your colleagues review your work; and how it feels to have Lord Mountbatten’s daughters in the audience for a play you’ve written about their father…
Jeremy, where did the idea for ‘Making Dickie Happy’ come from?
A man I knew was honeymooning on Burgh Island, off the south coast of Devon, which I’d never heard of before. He was staying at the Art Deco Burgh Island Hotel, where people like Lord Mountbatten, Noël Coward and Agatha Christie had all been. I thought, gracious me, there must be a play in that! All these people together on an island – almost like Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None, which she set on this island. And then I came across the most extraordinary coincidence that connected Mountbatten with Agatha Christie. He’d suggested the plot of the novelThe Murder Of Roger Ackroyd which made her famous in the mid-1920s because [spoiler alert!] the man who was telling the story, the Doctor Watson character, turned out to be the murderer. This had never been done before. Mountbatten, who you wouldn’t have thought knew the front of a book from the back of a book had come up with this strange idea. I thought, what does that suggest about his mind? And I made Agatha Christie think that same question. It took off from there. Obviously they have to have boyfriends and girlfriends and things like that to build the story. That’s how it began. Whether or not they met one another on this island I have no idea – but playwrights can take whatever liberties they like.
There are three historical characters in it – Mountbatten, Noël Coward and Agatha Christie – did you worry about portraying relatively recently-deceased high profile people, who still have family living?
Noël Coward less so: his boyfriend Graham Payn died during the initial run of the show, I think. But no, I don’t think so. I’m not presenting it as a Newsnight item. Having said that, two of Mountbatten’s daughters came to see the original production in 2004. I was in a state of terror during the performance sitting behind them, and I knew that any minute there’d be certain lines coming up… but they took it very well! The elder daughter, Countess Mountbatten, said, “An interesting development of an idea,” which suggests she didn’t believe in it for a moment but she was interested in what had been done.
Did they recognise anything of their father in your written portrayal of him?
They didn’t say so. I did some research into the way Mountbatten spoke, and how he thought, in so far as one can with somebody like that. All three historical characters took great care of their private lives. Agatha Christie was a very private person. Coward created himself, and Mountbatten was always polishing his image.
Jeremy Kingston
Did you find any of the historical characters easier to write for, or more of a pleasure to give words to?
I did enjoy writing Noël Coward’s crisp witticisms – they’re very satisfying to do if you can get the style right. Agatha Christie was more difficult because as any playwright will tell you – getting someone who keeps herself or himself very private to reveal things so you understand about them in the course of two acts can be quite tricky. There’s a scene in the second act just between herself and Noël Coward with Coward probing her so that she’s obliged to come up with information so that I was able to reveal stuff about her then. But I enjoyed writing about all three, as well as the imagined characters who flesh out the play. As well as the three real ones there’s three invented ones.
What ideas were you trying to get across with the play?
What happens when we stop being in love with people? What happens when we start being in love with people? They all have different ideas about love. Agatha Christie’s on the island having a dry run to escape from her husband. Mountbatten is wondering whether to marry his wealthy Edwina when he doesn’t have two pennies to rub together – he’s engaged to a multi-millionaire’s daughter. And Noël Coward has a boyfriend, but unknown to him at the beginning of the play, that too is under strain. It’s the tugs of being in love and having a love affair, a marriage or a partnership and the strains they suffer from.
‘Making Dickie Happy’ is being revived for March 2013, and will this time play at the Tristan Bates Theatre. Is that a good venue for it?
It’s a very nice theatre. The two guys who run it do seem to be having good ideas. I reviewed a play there more recently – Silver Shores – a powerful piece. The design was very clever, which gave the impression of low decks on a slave ship. It’s not a huge stage. If you had the National Theatre I suppose you could have any effects you wanted to. The Tristan Bates is almost opposite the St. Martin’s Theatre where Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap is still running, a lovely coincidence! You could go from a matinee in one to an evening performance of the other!
What was your reaction to Robert Gillespie, who also directed the original 2004 production, reviving it?
I was delighted. What’s intriguing about a play having a new production is that the characters that have been played by particular actors are now going to be played by different actors. The new actors will emphasise parts slightly differently. He’ll walk out of the room in a different way: I remember being struck when the actor playing Noël Coward at the end of a duologue with Agatha Christie just stood up and walked out of the room without saying goodbye. I said to the actor, “That was a very abrupt departure.” He said, “I’m following the way you leave rooms.” It was a revelation to me that I sometimes walk out without saying goodbye to people! Now the next actor’s not necessarily going to do that. He’ll find some entirely different way to come on and go off. Watching the way different actors do things, just as watching a different actor play (god help us) Hamlet or something like that is one of the fascinating parts of theatre.
Is it pleasing being surprised by an actor’s interpretation, especially if it’s a character you’ve written?
Yes, that’s the weird thing! It’s why it’s best for a playwright not to go to the early stages of rehearsal when actors are trying out the lines, because the actors keep fearing the author will intervene and tell them how to do it! They have to find their own way of doing it, fitting their own understanding of the character they’re creating. The last thing they want is the author fiddling about at that stage. So then when the writer comes in later it, you can be surprised by certain emphases, but they usually make sense if the actors are good.
Do you view your job as completed once the blueprint of the play is handed over to the director?
Sometimes in rehearsals, especially if it’s a new play, you can realise a point hasn’t been made adequately. Perhaps the actor himself can’t quite see why there’s been a change of mood. It’s maybe that an extra line is needed to deal with that. In that sense the author would have a role to play even late on in rehearsals. I know Tom Stoppard is always happy to add and cut things in a very genial way.
That would presumably require a good working relationship with the director? Do you have that with Robert Gillespie?
Yes! He did another play of mine, Oedipus At The Crossroads, which we hope to do again some time. It’s about Oedipus meeting his father where three roads cross. They find out one another’s identity – so how in that case will the myth be fulfilled? What will cause the death of the father? Robert directed it very well at the King’s Head Theatre and I was very pleased with it. He’s a very perceptive director in terms of understanding the implications of a speech that takes me by surprise. He’s noticed stuff I was presumably unconscious of. I’m interested to discover his ideas for the new production of Making Dickie Happy.
Jeremy Kingston
Was it through ‘Oedipus At The Crossroads’ that you became involved with Robert’s company Jane Nightwork Productions?
I’m not sure he called it that at the time, but it was through the Oedipus play that we worked together. I’d seen plays he’d directed before at the King’s Head, and I’m seen him as a very good actor scurrying about in Jacobean plays and that sort of thing. So I knew his work. I sent Oedipus to a producer, and he handed it to Robert, and I was very glad it went to him.
You mentioned ‘Oedipus At The Crossroads’ there, but are there any of your other works you’d hope to see revived?
I think only Oedipus and Making Dickie Happy I’d want to see again. There’s a play I wrote umpteen years ago about young people squatting [No Concern Of Mine] which is very much of its time. There was another one at the Vaudeville with Kenneth More in it [Signs Of The Times] but it was no good as a play.
Kenneth More was a great actor though.
It should have been good. I wrote it for a young man and woman, but the producer thought of Kenneth More – so then it was a middle-aged man and a young woman. The whole emphasis was changed as you can imagine.
As well as being a playwright you’ve been on the other side as a theatre critic for many years. How did that come about?
I began as a playwright. Then I came to know a man called Basil Boothroyd who worked for Punch. I’d had a play put on and a television play and I was chatting away to him about plays when suddenly he asked me if I’d like to be theatre critic of Punch, because they were looking for youth, and in those days I had youth. It had never occurred to me to be a theatre critic. I always thought they were the enemy, really – the other side! But I did it for ten years or so and then went to the Times where I’ve been ever since.
You must enjoy it?
Yes, I do. There comes a time when perhaps you’d rather not see The Taming Of The Shrew, say, but the opportunities to see plays by Chekhov or Tennessee Williams or new young playwrights is a real joy. I saw a rare play by Tennessee Williams, Vieux Carré, at the Charing Cross Theatre, which was a lovely opportunity to see a neglected work by a major playwright again. It’s great to see well-known works by poets of the theatre revived, but even the smaller ones, and even the ones that don’t quite work because they’re flawed in one way or another or they get into trouble near the end – they have snatches of poetry and ideas which catch the heart.
How would you compare theatre now to when you first became involved? Has there been a golden age?
My first job in the theatre was in the box office of the Criterion, sitting in the corner trying to make the books balance. In those days there was the Lord Chamberlain’s office and censorship. My own first play had to go to the Lord Chamberlain’s as it was before 1968 or whenever it was they did away with it. His readers described it as “a squalid little play”, I recall. But everything had to go in case there were references to sex, or the Royal Family, or god – all too stupid. But now writers like Mark Ravenhill can write anything – terrifying speeches of slaughter and blood-curdling behaviour, all riveting stuff. I’m reading plays by Steven Berkoff at the moment – real tough, in-your-face theatre. And of course fifty years ago there were no small or fringe theatres. The difficulty now is with schools not sending kids to see plays, whether it’s Shakespeare or anything else, it does tend to become too much of a middle-class event. Not so much as ballet or dance, I suppose, but still too much. I wish schools took more interest. When I was in grammar school in Surrey we were able to come up and see plays. There are more musicals than there ever were in London. So bringing it up to date what I enjoyed with Making Dickie Happy, as well as creating moments of drama and rage and anger on the stage, was being witty. I like an opportunity to do that!
Jeremy Kingston
How do you feel when you’re on the receiving end of theatre critics?
My colleagues who reviewed the original production of Making Dickie Happy at the Rosemary Branch fortunately liked it. One of them didn’t like it so much, but the others did. Speaking as a theatre critic it’s a dread one has to review a work by a colleague. It’s not an easy thing to do, but you have to grit your teeth and be courteously honest!
Do you go to press nights for your own shows?
No, I go beforehand to wish them all good luck and then go away and sit in a cafe, then reappear later. It’s a bit anguishing. I don’t mind seeing productions a bit later in the run, or even the day afterwards, but not on the first night – it’s a bit too itchy sometimes.
Which role has given you greater pleasure – playwright or theatre critic?
Oh, being a playwright!
We’re looking forward to seeing ‘Making Dickie Happy’. Thank you very much for speaking to us Jeremy Kingston.
Thank you.
Jeremy Kingston’s play ‘Making Dickie Happy’ will be running at the Tristan Bates Theatre near Covent Garden from 5th to 30th March 2013, to be directed by Robert Gillespie. Tickets are on sale from the Tristan Bates Theatre Box Office.
Richard Arnold became the latest celebrity to hang up his dancing shoes as he left Strictly Come Dancing tonight.
Last night’s Wembley spectacular saw the remaining 9 couples dance for survival and on tonight’s results show Richard and his partner Erin Boag found themselves in the bottom two with Nicky Byrne and Karen Hauer.
Richard and Erin were first to dance as they performed their sun-drenched Salsa once again. Nicky and Karen followed with their rock’n’roll inspired Jive. Now their fate was in the hands of the judges.
Craig saved Nicky and Karen for their ‘exuberance and energy’. Darcey said both couples performed well but she felt Nicky and Karen were better so she saved them. Bruno said both couples were entertaining but saved Nicky and Karen for their energy and content.
The music this evening was provided by Kylie and Kimberley joined her Girls Aloud band-mates for a show-stopping performance.
Tune into Strictly at 6.40pm next Saturday for another nail-biting live show where literally anything could happen.
We’ve reached the seventh week of The X Factor live shows, and last night saw the remaining six contestants take on a Guilty Pleasures songs!
The X Factor began with Dermot O’Leary walking out toWe Need A Hero by Bonnie Tyler, and then danced along to some cheesy ’90’s music.
Union J kicked proceedings off last night, and in their VT, we saw them discuss the aftermath of being in the bottom two against District 3 last week. They vowed to come back fighting this week. We also saw them perform in front of 2000 people in Disney Land, Paris. They loved it! Their song this week was Carly Rae Jepsen’s Call Me Maybe. Hey sang it well and it was clear that they were having fun together on stage. Tulisa told them: “This is a real performance for me to judge, because I’m not a big fan of that song. I’m trying to put aside the fact that I dont’ like the song. I thought you sounded great, and your harmonies were fine.” Gary Barlow said: “I think you’ve never looked better. You’ve won the battle of the boybands, and you’ve bounced back from last week.” Nicole said: “I would like to see you be a bit more creative with your staging. You did that song justice.” Louis was happy with his boys.
Next up was Ella Henderson. After an amazing performance last week of Written In The Stars, Ella was feeling very happy. She joined Union J in Paris and performed Katy Perry’s Firework in front of 2000 people. We also saw her attending the Twilight premiere and she loved it! Her song last night was You’re The One That I Want from Grease. She started it off very slowly and atmospheric, and it was truly beautiful. We’ve never heard it sung like that before. Gary told her: “We’re only four weeks to the final, and that was your best performance so far! You’ve always engage me emotionally, and thats a great attribute.” Nicole said: “You’re special. I didn’t like the song choice, but you made it work. I would have liked it to have picked up a little, but your voice sounded glorious and you look like a golden goddess. You’re beyond your years. You have so much fire in every single one of your performance.” Louis loved the song choice: “That was electrifying for me.” Tulisa was so happy with her girl: “Ella, that was taking a cheesy loveable classic and make it your own.” Well done Ella.
James Arthur was next, and in his VT he said he took a risk in taking an Adele song last week. We saw him go to Paris and performing in Disney Land. He LOVED it! This week’s song isn’t his usual style of music, but he decided to give it a go. We were interested to hear what it was! The song was Andy Williams’ Can’t Take My Eyes Off You. Strange song choice, but it worked for him. It was nice to hear him sing something different for a change. Louis said: “Every week you pick a brilliant song and do it your own way. You’re gonna get a record deal!” Tulisa said: “Even though it’s guilty pleasures week, that was a very credible and cool performance.” Gary said: “I want you to win this competition. I think you’re brilliant. I love everything about you.” Nicole was very happy: “You did a real live acoustic performance James, but you’re so inspiring!” Go James!
It was then the time for the one and only Rylan. In his VT, we saw him being all excited about going to perform in Paris. His song this week was a mix of Duran Duran’s Girls On Film and Bros’ When Will I Be Famous and he wasn’t bad at all! The production was typically camp, and he is a great entertainer. Louis said: “Somebody’s voting for you because you’re still here! You haven’t got a great voice, but you’re a great performer!” Tulisa said: “It wasn’t my best one, and I expected you to go nuts!” Gary said: “The good news is that you are famous. The bad news is, give it a couple of months! This is going nowhere for me, and it’s not getting better, it’s getting worse.” Nicole defended her act and said: “I brought you to the live shows and took a risk with you. You’re still here in week seven, and you’ve worked hard!”
Christopher Maloney was next to face the judges, and it was a perfect week for him. In his VT we saw him going to Paris and performing a song from Aladdin. His song was Bonnie Tyler’s Total Eclipse Of The Heart. A perfect song choice for Christopher, and he sang it well. We can’t see him being a massive star out of X Factor, and this is why we are not excited by his performances. Nicole said: “That was a lot to take in. It was hard get round the lasers and portrait behind you, but you sounded nice.” Louis said: “Vocally, I cannot fault you.” Tulisa said: “Putting my issues aside, your vocals are amazing, and I’m admitting defeat and tonight I decided to just sit and enjoy your vocals.” Gary said: “Well done, I thought it was a brilliant performance.”
Next up was Jahmene Douglas. We saw him in his VT saying how incredible it was to have such amazing support from everybody. He also said he’s now starting to believe in himself. He loved performing in Paris and loved being in the other contestant’s company. His song this week was Thelma Houston’s Don’t Leave Me This Way. He totally smashed it! Singing with passion and soul is what Jahmene does best. Louis loved it! He said: “You have to make the final! I’m hearing bits of Marvin Gaye here. You’ve got it all.” Tulisa said: “I can’t lie, I’m running out of lines to kiss your butt. The man before me now is not the man we saw in auditions. You’ve evolved into the man you’re meant to be. Well done.” Gary said: “Tulisa’s right, the growth in you is incredible.” Nicole loved her boy.
This weekend, we loved Ella and James’ performances. We do hope they’ll go through to next weekend.
Disney Epic Mickey was released in 2010 exclusively for the Wii console. Critics and gamers alike raved about the inventive and innovative game, whilst we were a little more reserved in our praise citing bad camera work as one of our main complaints. Two years on from that game Disney Epic Mickey is getting a sequel in the shape of DisneyEpic Mickey 2: The Power Of Two. This time though the game is being released on multiple platforms rather than just the Wii.
For the purposes of this review we’re talking about the PS3 version. Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power Of Two is set some time after the original game following Mickey’s defeat of the Mad Doctor. At the beginning of the game The Mad Doctor returns to Wasteland and claims to have changed the error of his ways. He offers to work with Oswald the Lucky Rabbit to help repair the damage caused to Wasteland by recent earthquakes. Soon doubt arises over the Mad Doctor’s miraculous turnaround as the damage to Wasteland gets worse. Worried by this, Oswald’s girlfriend Ortensia turns to Gus The Gremlin and the pair decide to contact Mickey. Mickey returns to Wasteland determined to get to the bottom of the Mad Doctor’s claims and help Oswald.
There’s quite a bit of narrative to get through at the start of the game but that proves to pretty entertaining. Visually the game and the cut-scenes look stunning and there’s actual voice acting throughout this time. The Mad Doctor refuses to speak preferring to sing his way through his lines and encourages everyone else to do the same. The look-and-feel of Disney Epic Mickey is present for this sequel and it will feel familiar to anyone who played the game the first time round.
The graphics are very much in the same vein as Disney Epic Mickey and the majority of the game takes place in roaming 3D environments. It really does feel like you can explore anywhere you want and isn’t as limited as the original game. As is expected you spend your time collecting object, battling enemies and solving puzzles. Armed with thinner and paint, Mickey needs to use these to aid his exploration of environments and solve problems. These include things like taking away house walls with thinner to get inside buildings and painting scenery to restore an environment to its former glory. You can also enter various shops and buildings to interact with the character inside. They task you with missions to complete often in exchange for rewards that will help you progress with other parts of the game.
Something that is new with Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power Of Two is the inclusion of side-scrolling levels. With more than a nod to LittleBigPlanet, the levels shrink Mickey and Oswald down placing them in very detailed and busy environments. During these levels there are puzzles to solve and there’s some innovative ways of getting from A to B such as scrambling across moving records or becoming the ball in a pinball table. The variety is a plus, even if it’s not wholly original.
The biggest change this time round is in the inclusion of Oswald as a second playable character. He can be controlled by another gamer or you can let the CPU control him and assist you onscreen. The best way to play is with somebody else though as allowing the CPU to control him still requires you to get him to do things; something which isn’t always terribly clear and caused us to almost pull our hair out several times. Pressing the circle button forces Oswald to interact with you and you can throw him in the air and use his feet to glide across platform gaps. Oswald has his own set of skills based more around mechanics and electricity so it’s important to keep that in mind when scratching your head over the game’s many puzzles.
The camera has improved this time round. In Disney Epic Mickey it was a constant source of frustration as the camera often pointed in really odd directions making it near impossible at times to see what you’re doing. This time round the camera feels freer but be warned we experienced a bit of motion sickness from time-to-time and had to take pauses in the game.
On PS3 the game does support Playstation Move so you can use a combination of the Move controller and the gamepad if you like. We found it easy enough to use just the gamepad to play the game but you may feel more immersed in it if you have the Playstation Move controller.
Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power Of Two is a more refined gaming experience than its predecessor. It’s clear that the complaints from the original game have been taken on board and for the most part rectified. The game is massive and hugely enjoyable but be warned that it can be very frustrating at times due to the lack of clarity as to what you are actually supposed to be doing. Having said that, kids will lap it up and enjoy the eye-catching visuals which feature plenty of the characters from Disney’s extensive catalogue.
Strictly Come Dancing went to Wembley tonight in aid of Children In Need as the show entered its seventh week of live shows. Last week saw the couples go from 10 to 9 as the competition heated up.
This week the remaining 9 couples fought for their place in the competition as the pressure got even more intense. The show opened with a group number featuring all of the professionals and the remaining celebrities. The atmosphere was buzzing and the excitement was apparent as the audience whooped and hollered in appreciation.
Kicking off the Wembley celebrations tonight was Lisa Riley and her partner Robin Windsor aka Team RiRo. Last week the couple impressed with their entertaining Foxtrot and the judges commented on the improvement in Lisa’s footwork. This week they were dancing the Samba but could Lisa better her high score from last week? An emotional Lisa got a rousing applause from the audience and even Robin looked a bit choked up. Len said he would like a little more polish in Lisa’s technique but said he loved the performance. Bruno said Lisa’s personality shined through and said he loved it. Craig said it was ‘big, bold and beautiful’ but said she lost a little timing. Darcey said the energy of the routine was perfect.
The second couple to dance was Nicky Byrne and Karen Hauer. Last week Craig said he saw a massive improvement from Nicky. The Foxtrot seemed to be a turning point for Nicky as he finally managed to impress. Could he maintain the momentum with the Jive this week? Bruno called Nicky a ‘randy rascal’ but told him he needed to work on the kicks and flicks. Craig said it was flat-footed and stompy but admitted he loved the energy of the routine. Darcey said it was a great Jive but agreed that the kicks needed work. Len said he saw a different side to Nicky and called the routine ‘slick’.
Frequent leaderboard topper Denise Van Outen was the next to take to the floor at Wembley. Last week she impressed with the Paso Doble and won praise from all of the judges. This week Denise was dancing the Charleston with her partner James Jordan. Dancing to Walk Like An Egyptian could Denise keep her spot at the top of the leaderboard? Craig said it was the best Charleston he’d ever seen on Strictly. Darcey said it was a polished performance and commended James’ choreography. Len said it was the dance of the series so far and Bruno called Denise ‘the jewel of the Nile’.
Louis Smith had a rough week last week after Craig pulled apart his Waltz. Determined not to let it knock his confidence, Louis came back fighting this week with his partner Flavia Cacace. Tonight he danced the American Smooth in a bid to win the judges back. Darcey said it was a different style of American Smooth but said she loved the tricks. Len said he was bewildered as it was more of a Quickstep than an American Smooth. Bruno said the tricks were impressive but criticised the lack of side-to-side dancing. Craig said he thought it was refreshing and admitted that he loved the choreography.
TV critic Richard Arnold was next to face the judges as he took to the floor at Wembley. Last week Richard impressed with his Charleston and is starting to prove that he can hold his own in the competition. Tonight Richard danced the Salsa with his partner Erin Boag. Could he continue to impress? Len said it was a ‘proper party’ whilst Bruno said it was fun despite the technique being sketchy. Craig said it was littered with timing issues but said he liked the three speedo-clad dancers.
Victoria Pendleton recovered from her poor Samba by wowing the judges with her Quickstep. Determined to continue her momentum, Victoria vowed to improve again this week. Dancing the Paso Doble with partner Brendan Cole, Victoria flew onto the stage on a bike. Would the judges be impressed? Bruno said Victoria’s shaping wasn’t right throughout the routine. Craig agreed with Bruno whilst Darcey said she felt Victoria got overwhelmed with the large arena. Len disagreed with Bruno saying he felt that Victoria’s arm placement was pretty good in parts of the routine.
Actress Dani Harmer wowed last week with the Tango. She admitted in her VT that she felt pressure as Vincent is the king of the Tango. For this week’s dance, Dani performed the Quickstep with her partner Vincent Simone. Did she prove once again that she’s the competition’s dark horse? Craig said it was fearless whilst Darcey said she loved it too. Len said that the quantity and quality was there calling Dani ‘Little Miss Dynamite’ and Bruno called her a ‘gorgeous little Smurf’.
The penultimate couple to dance tonight was Kimberley Walsh and Pasha Kovalev. Last week was a bit of a shocker when the couple found themselves in the dance-off against Fern Britton and Artem Chigvintsev. Despite pleasing the judges with her Viennese Waltz, Kimberley didn’t seem to connect with the audience. Tonight Kimberley danced the Salsa to Ricky Martin’s Livin’ La Vida Loca but could she battle her way back to the top? Darcey said Kimberley captured the vibe of the carnival calling the routine ‘fiery’. Len said the routine was ‘fabulous’ whilst Bruno said he loves it when Kimberley ‘flashes and flaunts it’. Craig said it was full of challenging rhythms and revealed that he hoped people were voting for Kimberley.
The last celebrity to take to the dance floor was Michael Vaughan. Michael is the most improved celebrity so far this series and he’s found his niche with Ballroom. Last room he proved that he could also triumph in Latin and it seems he may make it to the end stages of the competition. Tonight Michael danced the American Smooth with his partner Natalie Lowe. Len said that Michael puts the ‘oo’ in Smooth whilst Bruno said Michael really sold it. Craig said that he could tell Michael has been working hard and called the performance ‘fantastic’. Darcey said Michael gave her the glamour and impressed her with the lifts.
The leaderboard for the evening was:
Denise Van Outen and James Jordan – 39
Dani Harmer and Vincent Simone – 36
Michael Vaughan and Natalie Lowe – 35
Kimberley Walsh and Pasha Kovalev – 34
Lisa Riley and Robin Windsor – 32
Nicky Byrne and Karen Hauer – 30
Louis Smith and Flavia Cacace – 30
Richard Arnold and Erin Boag – 24
Victoria Pendleton and Brendan Cole – 24
Tune into BBC One tomorrow night at 19.20 to find out which couple leaves the competition.
Strictly Come Dancing goes to Wembley tomorrow night in aid of Children In Need as the remaining 9 couples dance to secure their place in the competition.
Last week Team RiRo aka Lisa Riley and Robin Windsor achieved their highest score yet being awarded 32 points for their entertaining Foxtrot. This meant that they finished fourth in the leaderboard at the end of Saturday night’s live show.
This week Robin was struck down with the vomiting bug and spent Wednesday resting up to ensure he was well enough to dance in tomorrow’s Wembley spectacular. We called him yesterday to see how he was feeling, talk about last week’s show and get the gossip on all things Wembley.
How are you feeling now?
I am feeling much, much better. I’ve the lovely 24-hour Norovirus that’s been going round. I went to rehearsals in the morning and they told me to go straight back home because they didn’t want me to pass it on to everybody else who hasn’t had it yet. I was in confinement in my bedroom for the entire day bored out of my brains.
Surely it was a great excuse to catch up on some TV Robin?
You’d be surprised that I didn’t even turn on the TV yesterday except to watch It Takes Two at 6.30pm.
Fingers crossed that you continue to feel better. Let’s talk about last weekend’s Foxtrot. How do you feel it went?
Last week’s Foxtrot was absolutely incredible. Lisa was just the epitome of Broadway and she sold it. She was everything I could have asked for. Her footwork was great, her posture was much better and yes she was still leading a little bit but we’re working on it day-by-day.
The judges passed comment last weekend on how much Lisa’s footwork has improved. That must feel like a sense of achievement for you both?
We’ve worked so hard on the footwork. It was nice to hear from the judges that they’d seen that and that they marked and commended us on that. It was our highest score to date and who would have thought that it would be a Ballroom dance?
It’s proof that Lisa is versatile isn’t it?
Lisa is completely versatile. She’s no one-trick-pony and she’s coming along in all of the dance styles. I can’t wait for our Samba this week.
What can we expect from a Team RiRo Samba?
We’re dancing to the Car Wash and it’s at Wembley so it needs to be big, grand and camp; that’s exactly what everyone’s going to get.
We take it that means we’ll be seeing the fun side of Lisa again?
You’ll see more than the fun side of Lisa this week…
Is there anything crazy in the routine or are you keeping all the details under wraps?
We’re ending the routine with something very special and we’re also beginning the routine with a few things really special. I can’t tell you much about it except that Lisa’s in heaven at the beginning of the routine.
You’re not going to end up on your head again are you?
Erm…no (laughs) but there is a nice little surprise at the end.
How have the rehearsals been going this week? Is Lisa picking the routine up?
Lisa’s picked up the Samba really, really well. The biggest thing in Samba is bounce and that’s something Lisa’s got bundles of. That’s something I never have to teach it and she’s just got straight away. There’s a lot of choreography so she’s had a little bit of difficulty picking it all up but we’ve only had two days. Obviously Artem stepped in yesterday which I think Lisa was secretly very happy about because we all know she’s got a massive crush on him.
She looked happy on ‘It Takes Two’ on Wednesday night when she won Artem as a present…
Yeah, she had a big grin on her face. She’s got a little secret crush (laughs).
What was Artem doing with Lisa then yesterday in rehearsals?
Artem went through the routine cleaning up arms and footwork. He was just making sure that Lisa knows the routine going through it time-and-time again keeping it in control until I could make my return. He’s my best friend and I trust him immensely.
Lisa commented on ‘It Takes Two’ that Artem isn’t the taskmaster that other people have suggested he is. Is that true?
I don’t know. I’ve never seen that side of him. I don’t know what Lisa might have done to him to make him a little bit more relaxed. I’ll see at rehearsal today what he’s actually done to her (laughs).
We all know, and you mentioned earlier, that Artem is a good friend of yours. Were you gutted to see him go at the weekend?
I don’t normally shed many tears but I was actually quite tearful after Artem and Fern were voted off last week. He’s my best friend and he was sad. I don’t like to see him sad but he and Fern did such fantastic jobs. They’ll be missed hugely but of course Artem will be there for the group numbers this week.
Last week proved that anybody can end up in the bottom two. Kimberley and Pasha being in there was a shocker…
I know! It was a huge shock and there were gasps in the audience when Kimberley’s name was announced to be in the bottom two. Everyone was so shocked. It goes to prove that nobody is safe and anyone could go.
It wouldn’t be right for us to not mention your little incident last weekend…
Yes, I did have a little slip at the bottom of the stairs. Thank goodness it wasn’t during the number. I gracefully picked myself up and I was very embarrassed as you could see. These things happen. It’s live TV. I was a little excited. I was running towards the stairs and thought I’d be a little bit clever and skid towards them. I was going so fast that my poor little legs couldn’t stop me and I went onto this old lady in the front row. I went down and gave her a big kiss and a hug afterwards.
At least you probably made her evening…
It did. She was over the moon bless her.
What can we expect from the Wembley show this week?
This week you can guarantee it’s going to be the show of all shows. Jason Gilkison, the choreographer and director of Burn The Floor, has been choreographing our group numbers and he’s an absolute genius. Everybody should really look forward to these group numbers this week, they are going to be spectacular.
There’s some great musical guests too this weekend. Kimberley’s performing with Girls Aloud and Kylie is performing too…
Yes! Kylie is performing this week. I’ve spoken to my boss and asked please, please, please can I have a couple of minutes with her. They’ve said yes so I’m absolutely excited with excitement this week – you’ve got no idea!!
Maybe you could dance to a Kylie number at some point this series?
I think I might be able to pull a Kylie number out somewhere.
Why should people vote Team RiRo at Wembley this weekend?
You watch Lisa and myself dance and you smile. You just smile and that’s what it’s all about, seeing someone having a good time. Lisa’s great at what she does, she’s improving week-upon-week and she’s what the show’s about. If she can go all the way to the end then I’ll be thrilled.
‘Strictly Come Dancing’ continues tomorrow night at 6.30pm on BBC One. Watch Team RiRo’s high-scoring Foxtrot from last week’s show:
