Victoria 3.2 "London Bridge is Falling Down" Review

                                               
Victoria (Jenna Coleman) gives birth to child number six amidst a backdrop of the Chartists' movement gathering momentum with the petition.  At the same time, well after a complicated birth in that Feo wasn't much help and she's watched by Bertie (Laurie Shepherd) and Vicky (Louisa Bay).  Police raid their HQ and find guns.  Which was a bit obvious in them knowing where to look and that anything would actually be there.  Even how they arrested Patrick (Kerr Logan) as if he was a suspect/person of interest and then he making his feelings known to Abigail (Sabrina Bartlett) about how he's never met a woman like her.  As I said before, I knew this was suspicious since last ep I said there was more to him than just being some activist or someone who was looking for more freedom.  As it's later revealed that he's an agent and the plan, instigated by Palmerston (Laurence Fox) no doubt, was just so Victoria would sign off on troops being on the street and preventing the Chartists from delivering their petition to Parliament.

She's even approached by Wellington (Peter Bowles) and The PM (John Sessions) as well as Palmerston and she was probably more willing to see him as he saved Sophie (Lily Travers) from the mob at her carriage.  Wouldn't it have been easier to be more obscure and at least use curtains or something!  Of course Victoria still doesn't like him.  As well as trying to deal with her people trying to 'kill' her and just wanting them to love her. She also has to (deal) comfort her children, Bertie going on about how they'll kill her, she'll have her head lopped off all cos the Louis Phillippe (Vincent Regan) can't keep his opinions to himself, telling Bertie and Vicky about Charles and also Madame Guillotine.  With Victoria having to reassure them; as well as Albert (Tom Hughes).  Though Vicky here seems so sure of herself, perhaps she'd have made the better queen in real life, who knows.  Albert convinces her to got to Osborne as they'll be safer there. 

The other person Victoria has to deal with is Feo (Kate Fleetwood) who tries to undermine her at every opportunity and plot against her.  She tells Victoria how she would have been at her wedding but she couldn't afford to and didn't want handouts.  Though she didn't hesitate at putting on the necklace or making waves between Albert and Victoria by telling him that she was with Palmerston.  With Sophie continually being besotted with Palmerston and Joseph (David Burnett) being enamoured with her: thoughts above his station, well both of them, she being married, but that aside her husband, Monmouth (Nicholas Audsley) is a brute and only cares about their son as he will be Duke one day and nothing more.  As the mob marched on the palace, the Louis, Lord Alfred (Jordan Waller) and Monmouth were just all sitting there gambling as if nothing was amiss!

Francatelli (Ferdinand Kingsley) buys the hotel cheaply cos of the Chartists' movement and tells Skerrett (Nell Hudson) he'll be waiting to marry her at the church and she tells him she wants to keep her job and that she doesn't really want to be there, but shows up, taking Brodie (Tommy Knight) there to give her away.  Also Abigail visits Victoria and tells her that there was an agent planted in    their movement and no one is trying to kill her.  As they prepare to take their petition to Parliament, Wellington readies the troops and escorts Victoria; but at the last minutes she has the carriage stopped and tells him she doesn't want her troops to march on Waterloo Bridge and they should be able to present their petition.  Which Albert called rather appropriate, re the Battle of Waterloo.  Wellington commenting to Victoria that's a "woman's prerogative;" to change her mind.

It was refreshing in many ways to see how Albert was thinking of the people and how he knows they failed them and should've done more for them, whereas Victoria is the opposite and wants her people only to "love me."  That's not how you rule and let's not forget the troops in Ireland and how she treated them during the famine.  No matter how compassionate and sympathetic she's portrayed here, it's just the reality will always seep through, even if this is just a dramatization.  Victoria here appears to be wanting love through surrogacy or proxy, through her people as she never got any when she was a child and is starved for it.  Gotta say still can't get into this third series.  Also Feo thinking the baby would be named after her, but alas no, it was Louise after Albert's mother!  You'd thunk we'd get to see Ernest for once, especially since there's such a royal brood now, I mean nephews and nieces, ya know!  But that's my lament!!

Ghost Adventures 18.5 "Binion's Hotel and Casino" Review

                                         
More Las Vegas mob history tied to casinos, is there any other kind.  This one concentrated on investigating the hotels, The Apache and the tower above Binion's, which have been closed to the public since 2009.  Being the first to investigate here aside from one other paranormal investigator, Brian, who explained how he saw part of an apparition, as did his wife and son.  Although he only saw the legs of it. 
How the hotels were closed off and so there's so much energy waiting to get out and loose.  Another one surrounded by negativity with staff being attacked in the kitchen which isn't used anymore and being followed home.  As well as the TV turning on in one of the rooms, when the general manager spoke of taking the cabinet home as his wife may like it.  Oh and Zak got to keep that TV for the Haunted Museum.

Their investigation was divided as Zak, Dakota and Billy took The Apache and Aaron and Jay investigated the 25 story tower from 1965.  It did appear to be like breaking a crime scene tape, not only as there had been a murder here in the past where a member of the Binion family was killed, but also since no one's been in there for years.  But they didn't investigate the kitchen where the music played, or did they?  That would've been a good place to spend some time.  The music sounded like the sort they'd play at casinos, and that screaming sounded a bit like someone trying to sing!  Really it does, and it doesn't sound English either.  A little like a chant.  Oh and then there's Zak's wild hair!! ha.

Zak et al find the light turned on in a room, which Dakota noticed and it was the heat lamp in the bathroom, which required the knob to be turned on and didn't turn on by itself.  "Jackie" came through on the Ovilus, was that a man or a woman spirit.  On the static detector there's a light anomaly and it went off quite a lot reading static energy.  They get a "yeah" on the digital recorder.  That could've been Jackie.  Zak and Dakota are affected by transient energy and feel like they were run up on!  Zak uses the Polaroid camera again.  Zak takes a photo of what he calls "ghost legs".  As seen by Brian. There seems to be a figure at the end, although it's not clear what that is.  (See blue circle.)  But then it may not as we didn't get to see the two photos together close-up.  Then a kind of face towards the right of the blue circle on the wall.

Arriving at the 'Secret room' where the money was counted (and hear Zak comment on how Binion may also have skimmed some too! ha). Billy uses the Geophone and 'phone' comes through on the Ovilus.  Zak using the Intercom Device and a male voice tells them to "get out of the room."  Which to me sounds like "get on the roof!"  Well they were on the roof earlier on! What, if anything happened on the roof??

Aaron and Jay hear a noise in one of the rooms and someone stepped on the bed where the Bible lay.  A voice comes through on the spirit box saying "radio."  "Speak to me" comes through on the spirit box and a stick SLS figure is detected next to Aaron (for a change, it's usually Billy who gets them) and there was some weird movements going on with it too!  It was in the air it seemed, also it could have been the one on the bed. 

They set up an experiment using the TV as they did early on in the prison ep Old Idaho Penitentiary.

Also the Exit sign has the black tape ripped from it and the light can be seen.  This is similar to what happened in the Kings Tavern ep, when the blackout covering was ripped from one of the windows.
Great to investigate such an historic location, but somehow I just wasn't into this one.  The equipment seems to be regressing back into normal stuff now, at least some of it, instead of something where we can see anything visible rather than flashing lights.  That was going old school.  My friend has been to Binion's, so it seems it's just the hotel that is haunted, as she didn't have any encounters.

Victoria 3.1 "Uneasy Lies The Head Under The Crown" Review

                                             
Paris 1848

The revolution is underway and royalty are losing heads fast, as King Louis Philip (Vincent Regan) shaves and departs from France. (A new actor plays him in this series.)

Also arriving in London is Victoria's half sister, Feodora (Kate Fleetwood) who had to dress in her maid's clothes and then take a carriage like a commoner.  She is announced in her rags, hoping her sister takes pity on her and has left her family behind.  As Albert (Tom Hughes) speaks of revolution in Austria and Berlin.  Victoria (Jenna Coleman) now having her sixth child is in no mood to see her.  Feodora meets Albert for the first time and her children.  Bertie was a bit of a brat (no change there when he was older) and Vicky turned into a show off.  Bertie refuses to wear the crown as it's only worn by women and Vicky is outspoken and wants to try it on.  Their different temperaments also shown in the play they perform for Louis, a history of France.  Would've thought it'd be a subject matter they'd steer clear of, but apparently not.  Not very tactful for this to be allowed, would've thought she'd have opted for English history instead.  Though most of that was very tumultuous too.

In England, the Chartists are gathering fuel as they want the vote, but only for men at this stage as Albert mentions Marx's Communist Manifesto and referring to the "ruling class" as not being very in touch with or sympathetic to the workers and their rights.  Having little effect on Lord Palmerston (Laurence Fox) the womanizing Foreign Secretary and another thorn in Victoria's side.  It's her PMs she doesn't get on with, not the Foreign Secretary's.

Victoria has another Mistress of the Robes in Sophie, Duchess of Monmouth (Lily Travers) whose husband, Duke of Monmouth (Nicholas Audsley) seems like a bore, okay he is a cruel, unfeeling wretch, cue beeline for Palmerston to intervene, when he's not betting on boxing matches in the park where Victoria drives by in her carriage.  Particularly as she can't have an Ernest around as the Duchess of Sutherland did!  AHH!!  Palmerston's against any sorts of rights for anyone and Albert once again draws, or attempts to draw attention to the squalor in which her subjects live.  Question being why she wasn't more vocal in this to her PM.  She also reiterating how her "subjects would not harm her" and "do not wish to harm her."  Then pondering why anyone would want her head to Skerrett (Nell Hudson) who has problems of her own with Francatelli (Ferdinand Kingsley) wanting her to marry him already, but she doesn't want to do anything resulting in her leaving the palace in disgrace.

Skerrett introduces Victoria to Abigail (Sabrina Bartlett) who embroiders Victoria's hankies and undies and she repeats how they want justice, not revolution, which not everyone agrees with.  As they get signatures to petition Parliament, Cuffy (CJ Beckford) is more one of action and demands revolution and an Irish newcomer also enters in the form of Patrick Fitzgerald (Kerr Logan).  Knew he was up to no good.  As he unveils swords at the end.  Obviously the Irish were no fans of Victoria and British rule.

Victoria invites Palmerston to dinner with her sister and Louis and Feodora flits about the palace as if she should have been queen instead and mentions George to Bertie, who doesn't want to be king as there are only queens.  Then slips in for a game of chess with Albert, who apologizes for not meeting her earlier and Victoria not inviting her sooner, as if she would.  She's tired of Feodora's presence and gives her old hand-me-downs which Skerritt can fix for her as they will be too high for her to wear.  Feodora remarking on how Victoria used to wear her dresses when little.  The insufferable Palmerston making a play for Sophie, who reminds everyone she's from a grocery family, much to Monmouth's distaste.

Then there's Joseph (David Burnett) the new footman fresh from Chatsworth who also has a good ogle at Sophie too, with Penge (Adrian Schiller) reminding him she's a Duchess and this isn't Chatsworth.  Seems like there may be sparks in the air between him and Skerrett, as she mends his footman's wig.  Especially as Francatelli takes her to look for a house and again she shows her reservations over marriage already.

The mobs reach the palace gates (again) and Victoria is so worried that she goes into labour, with Albert determined to take her to Osborne where she'll be safer...to be continued...
Seemed to get off on rather a slow start from the previous two series and the French Revolution as a backdrop to the woes of England at the time too, a time of great changes and how Victoria feels relieved to have the English Channel between them.  However Albert warns her how "ideas can travel." Obviously Palmerston and Joseph are the new characters to look out for in this series, which we would've been over and done with last year!

Apparently Victoria's sister in real life was meant to have been beloved by her more so than shown here.  She married a German Prince when Victoria was still young.  John Russell is PM to Palmerston's Foreign Secretary and a Whig, as was Lord M and still his party is not firmly secure in Parliament.

Supernatural To End After Season 15

                                            
So it ends...
Supernatural will be closing the doors finally on that Impala after 15 years of ups, downs, love, hate, deaths, returns from the dead, brotherly love, family toils and woes.  Demons, angels, ghosts, alternate realities, myths and legends...

And having been there from the start with this journey it is such a sad time.  Howling here like a wolf, ha, no; but seriously it was 15 years of joy and heartbreak since I came into the show in 2005 with season 1 as that's when it was aired in the UK and it was so close to my life at that time.  It had such an immense impact!  The Dad storyline, especially when he finally died in the beginning of season 2.1 In My Time of Dying.  I was going through the same with my own father's passing and this just helped in many ways.  Not so much with moving on, that's something that just doesn't happen, you don't forget or move on, you just learn to live with it!  Thus everything Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) were going through was so familiar and similar and I could relate to it very much.  I say we, but all of us who were going through the same as I know there are many other fans out there who were going through such emotions too.

When it does end, there will be more on it for me to ponder and write and possible lament, but for now I just wanted to keep this brief and say if Supernatural hadn't come along when it did I wonder how I would've coped.  Since at the same time I also started writing the book which went for four seasons, and would I have felt the same feelings I did.  What would have been its substitute.  I know it wasn't the single, sole thing that helped, there were others, family, friends, music, other shows such as Alias.  Another one that dealt with loss with 'killing off' Vaughn (Michael Vartan) my fave (that's another story though!)  Sufficed to say I had plenty to rant on that too.

So for now I along with the rest of the fans will have season 15 to look forward to and then the tears will come, gushing forth, unstoppable, inconsolable; at least for a little while.  Until then...we will continue to "carry on my wayward son..."

http://amazon.com/Dudes-Demons-Unauthorized-Unofficial-Supernatural/dp/1326608266/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1479870358&sr=8-10&keywords=mila+hasan … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … My Supernatural book

Ghost Adventures 18.4 "Melrose Hotel" Review

                                                      
Melrose Hotel, Colorado; another dark episode highlighting all the negative elements that accompany a hotel which boasts murder, suicide and being attacked, as most hotels in the past have also shown.  With people questioning why they would stay here overnight, the managers, yes, you might need one or two there for guests, but not the same ones permanently every night and particularly if there is so much bad going on.  A possible explanation for men being attacked was the fact that Sabrina, a co-owner with her husband, Marcus Bebb-Jones (see below) was killed there by him and he was 'taken' over by the dark evil lurking there.  Which some have described as being some sort of dark entity, with long sharp teeth and horns. Hector and Travis confirming each other's story of what they've seen. 

With Zak getting angry in the hallway and having a chill around him shown by the Trifield meter.  Even telling Aaron he wanted to rip out his oesophagus.  But it's okay as he "doesn't want to do that right now."  Not every reassuring!  How come they didn't investigate individually here instead of staying together?  Yeah it was creepy but probably have gotten different evidence if they had even alone, like the others were.  That cat sitting in the hallway and just staring was creepy.  Something definitely seemed to be attracting its attention and holding it there.

Jessica and Travis, where he was getting attacked, why does he stay there especially since it hasn't affected Jessica, but it's affected him and Chris.  Wouldn't to be better to steer clear of there and particularly if you're getting angry all the time and bruised.  Look at Sabrina and Marcus and what happened there.  Even if there was no conclusive evidence to show he was possessed or influenced by anything there.  As well as the van being used by Marcus and then the blood being found in it.  How later was that van analyzed?

Sabrina's skull was found in the desert at an activity park and the DNA matched hers, showing she had been killed and dismembered.  Zak was called by Sommer at Rimrock Adventures.  What would possess her husband to do that, the same entity lurking there and was it conjured there, or always there?  With Christopher telling Zak about the new owners who carried out rituals, especially the husband who would lock himself in the basement.  He said the wooden box was still there with pitchforks carved into it, yet they didn't say if they looked inside or carried out any investigation around it, besides Billy not getting any activity in the basement.  But the men getting attacked doesn't per se show that it is Sabrina who is attacking them.  Also the toothed entity could be taking them over for its own evil means, proving its dominance over them.

Zak took Polaroids and remarked how "primitive" equipment is being used!  Heck I love my Polaroid and still use it, also there are various new versions of it around, so nah not so primitive, kinda looked like a face or two in one shot and will have to take another look, it would've been better if he took the pics without the camera filming him, as some look like there's some light reflection going on in them.

I looked at that bit of the photo where he pointed out what could have been a dark figure too, but it was debunked as some sort of flaw in the wood.  Lots of footsteps and banging heard too.

I liked the new equipment, the 'Direct Link' where Zak had to put his finger over the copper for the energy to be utilized and voices come through.  There's no antenna as it uses the holder's energy.  "The general" also comes through,a male voice.  The first one being a female "help."  That device was great especially since it didn't have the interference of the SB7 that obscures voices.  However when Aaron used the spirit box, the first word he got was a male voice also saying "help."  When Billy asks Sabrina to speak to them a female voice comes through, "I'm trying to."  Another male voice comes through and I hear "demon" not "evil."

Beware cactus pots in the way!  Using the Ovilus "lady" comes through in a creepy voice!  As Zak turns slowly the words "turn slower" come up.  That was a chilling voice! The mist in the photo was a cool capture.  Billy getting another stick figure next to him!  Also the way it appears the second time, looks as if it's trying to get ready for bed, or crouches down like it's going to sit down. 

Making Billy leave the room, Zak gets hit/touched on his ankle by the bed. So there was some monster under there.
The Geophone kept going on 66.6 as if that's all I needed to see, over and over upstairs, when they kept zooming into it, like yeah dude once or twice was enough especially if you weren't going to comment about it in the final version.
The other new device used was called the ITC (which I thought was kinda akin to the Geoport used by Nick.)  Scanning frequencies etc,  Inter Comm Box.  With a voice coming through "are you diggin"??  Will have to check it! Then "Jim" comes through and there's a blue light that comes on, is that from whatever's on the bedside table, what is that??  However if you look at the 40 minutes mark, there's a blue light reflecting on the wall near to where Aaron's standing, even before they notice it when they get the "Jim" EVP!

The name of the man who founded the hotel was named James William Ponsford and also with his two sons, in 1908.  Perhaps that was him coming through as Jim.

A spooky place and not your average Melrose Place either! Sadly Jay couldn't make it to this one, missed him and his input!

Was reported in the UK too.  Also he's out for parole in 2019, reportedly.
https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/poker-ace-whose-luck-ran-13400534

Ghost Adventures 18.3 "Lutes Casino" Review

                                           
Could we get any further apart, as I tweeted was someone eating beans again or something?!! ha.

Another location which has a dark side, history of attacks and scratching people.  As well as being attached and followed home. Although none of this happened to any of the GAC.  They spent about twenty minutes interviewing and getting the background of the place which was far too long in my opinion.  I get that they probably didn't have that much evidence to get into thirty minutes or so, but most could be spent doing other things, especially as they didn't have much on the background of the place or its history.  (Begging the question of how much research is actually done by their 'resident' researcher.) Seriously Jay had to find the little clipping with news of the clairvoyant and he is the one who makes most of the connections and does worthwhile research for the show! That's why I said I can relate to him in that sense, more than the others!

Even before the lockdown they heard a noise, a voice in the beginning where Lupe had the dream with the hands.  As well as the EVP that they thought sounded like "Zak."  To me is sounded more like "sick."  Either sick as in ailment, such as Lupe relaying her dream and presence of the attachment which made her vomit.  Or sick as in 'sick joke.'  Not knowing what sort of spirit lurked there, good or bad.  Then Aaron and Jay when doing filming heard the voice come through on the spirit box when Aaron asked what they could bring them?  The reply they thought was "car" but again it sounds like "book" to me; and others I have spoken with.  Especially since there is nowhere near a 'ca' sound.  It's more 'ba.'  Book would be more relevant since they don't know if it was a child (although there's no reason why a child can't ask for a book, it's not always about toys) again it's just a matter of being logical and applying some relevant common sense in their allusions at times, which again only Jay manages to accomplish more so than the others.

Then when they went to the second floor where they got the stick figure trying to grab back its doll which was meant to be: 'Present' Drop' as shown on the Ovilus.  The light anomaly going past Billy when showing the Trifield meter reading, which hit 15 since it was the spirit was angry at its doll being taken or touched even.  As well as the light anomaly downstairs with Aaron and Billy, that didn't go into Billy, it went into the metal pole thing behind him.  Also what was going on with Billy's shoes?!  Shiny much ha!

The EVPs on the spirit box that Aaron caught, I heard the deep man's voice as saying "Aaron."  Well he heard his name enough times and also he was the one who was making the effort to actually ask questions and carry out the spirit box session.  As well as getting "I am human" in response to Aaron asking "are you human?"  I also hear something like "mad as hell"?? when they say it's "God is evil."  Or I had to laugh at "padded cell!" "Parasol" yeah in my mind!  Again if they haven't been met with any negative spirits when they were there, why would they suddenly get that coming through.  There was no activity with the cars, did anyone actually think this was cos cars weren't asked for!  That's another EVP to take a closer listen to with my headphones later.

Though the Ovilus did get "gently;" "speaking" in response to the children question at the end.  Really didn't know what to make of this episode and have to say not one that I found particularly interesting either way, could take it or leave it.  I feel I'm getting desensitized to these 'dark' eps, they sadly don't particularly appeal anymore!

Constantine: The Wishful Campaign for Season 2

                                              
Fanning the flames of indignation...

It was great to hear that rumours and articles abound of there being talks of a possible Season 2 of Constantine being on the cards.  Which was excellent news and most welcome for us fans and avid Hellblazers who have been campaigning for this for years, trekking the bowels of hell ever since cancellation by that network, NBC! (Spit twice and turn around three times - yeah those childish things you do when younger at school!)  Seriously it has been an age, an eternity, since we had positive news about this show.  It didn't deserve its fate of cancellation at all and that it was, then some network should've picked it up sooner rather than later and letting it fester over the years.

Instead it fell to Legends of Tomorrow to bring John Constantine and Matt Ryan reprising his role as the eponymous character, gracefully and hellishly featuring in the Hellblazer comics for decades!  Somehow someone (not mentioning too many names, or any at all) fiendishly thought of bringing him back, making for brilliant TV, but also a push in the ratings, garnering more viewers.  Yet at the same time I thought that it was an attempt to ascertain the ratings here and how Constantine performs, not as a stand-alone character, but more as a cast ensemble.  Nothing wrong with that and it did perform superbly in the ratings and the episodes were much more interesting as a result of his inclusion (both actor and character!)  That coming from someone who only watched the show for that reason alone!

However the time is now right (again) for a season 2 show not just to continue with the cliffhanger, tie up loose ends and for new material, but as there is added interest in this.  Not that there never wasn't outpouring of condemnation and demands for its return; but the momentum is building and gaining fire again and we as fans need to take this forward.  Thus this brief piece, yet also I feel that someone's gotta say it.  That if we want to campaign for this, beg even, that it's not just the usual people who are tagged on Twitter about it.  Everyone has something to say and a contribution to make and a lot of people (who prefer not to be known and remain anon) did contribute to tweeting/writing in any small form or large, to getting their voices heard.  Standing together is what it's all about! Bloggers, writers, or not, there are several writers/bloggers who get vast numbers of viewers on their blog and are just left out of the equation.  Which is a shame.  I have gotten DMs asking for something to be said about this as they don't feel they will be heard or taken seriously!  Again that is disappointing for me to read!

Having written several pages on Constantine and Matt, we can't let a season 2 slide past us again!
The Hellblazers are a community/family of fans who all share the phenomena that is Constantine and the more voices we have, the louder we can shout to make them heard!  It's not about kudos or recognition, being singled out for solitary praise, or pats on backs.  But ensuring we reach the ears of the desired networks, influencing the right audience to see some form of progress in getting what we ALL want!

Berberian Sound Studio Donmar Warehouse

                                             
"Peter Strickland’s acclaimed subliminal horror film is adapted for the stage by Joel Horwood and Director Tom Scutt in this darkly comedic, sonic experience."  From the Donmar Warehouse website.

A play of magnitudes, epic sound effects and a lead in Tom Brooke, that absolutely stole the show! Have to say that since it's true, as Gilderoy stole every minute he was on screen, from the comical, to the innuendos, to the absence of understanding or speaking Italian on his part in the play, it was funny, serious and even scary at times.  But not that scary for someone who's into that kinda stuff.  Hey I got it right again getting seats on the side of the stage where all the action was taking place!  Yay for me!  ha.

The play about a group of actors who get together and add sound effects to the production of a film, with the 'sound foley artist' which comes across as being "art" by Santini, apparently the 'weirdo' producer, who goes all out to ensure his film is a masterpiece, sorry his work of art!  With Luke Pasqualino appearing in his almost 10 minute role, which you could dub (no pun) a cameo almost.  His addition more of a pep talk for Gilderoy, but also it reeked more of a producer getting his way and how he wants things done as long as he has money and can all all the shots!

Gilderoy gets messages from his mother in England in the form of the old fashioned tapes and she's not a well woman.  As he begins to add the sound effects to the film, demonstrating all manner of objects in the process which could be used to create potential sound, the cast approach him on the script and what they have to do, including having to scream realistically and loudly!  And not being happy with the script and what was filmed, ranging from the actress, Terese having to be exorcised by priests as she's apparently possessed by a demon and the priest being able to rip off her clothes and run hot metal on her body and caress it.  With the end scene where she's meant to be kissed to death!  Whilst the other priests stand by and do nothing.  Got the impression that Santini was making one of 'those' movies, as Terese, or the actress voicing Terese says that she's killed at the end for real.  Cue loud noises from the recording studio booth, as though there's a stray spirit lurking.  Well I got the impression she wasn't alive!

Terese also appearing saying she will get her revenge on everyone and show the curse is real, as she destroys his tape deck.  We then hear another part of his message from his mother saying they need money for her ailment and he should go to Italy eve if he doesn't know the language.  As a man walks on the stage who is meant to be Gilderoy, now aged.

Will never look at another piece of celery in the same way again!  Used as sound effects for neck break!!  Or the humble water melon even!  Comedic moments as the others come onto the stage producing their own sound effects with the film playing, explaining why the cast kept looking towards the audience, part of them anyway, as the were really looking at the projection screen.

It's an effective drama and enough to keep you watching and interested (especially f you haven't seen the film of the same name).  Tom as Gilderoy, as said, was particularly great in his role.  The cast stating that it's a play about the 'differences' between men and women and their roles.  Not only on the play but also in society.  Which is true as it's the men who are in charge, Santini getting his own way, Francesco too as the 'not so good' man in charge and for a brief moment Gilderoy gets to boss him about when Santini is around!  With the females just being ordered around and seen as token objects as Francesco refers to Terese as having "poison tits."  Clearly it's a play on ethics too, how art is created, artists manipulated and seriously questioning how that art is made, filmed and even interpreted to an extent!
Let's hear it for Gilderoy's Box Hill doco.

Only most of it was spoken in Italian and so a little detracting unless you know Italian but it's easy not to get lost and you can follow what's happening.  If anything it just puts you closer into the shoes of Gilderoy and this is exactly how he feels being a foreigner in a foreign land! Probably also a more modern nod towards Brexit seeping in, or is that just my imagination?!! 

A must see until 30th March at the Donmar Warehouse who put on some of the most best and brilliant productions going!

NB some of these are my own writings of what I interpreted and may not be definitively what you were meant to think/feel/imagine etc.

Luke did a vanishing act on 5th March as there were a few fans waiting to see him and apparently he was already gone!!