Search results for ""AURORA""

In this thorough exploration of the history and spread of Americana Music around the world, Ralph Brookfield goes beyond the headlines to uncover what drives singer songwriters to go to Nashville, play in small clubs and create their music against the increasingly difficult backdrop of Covid-19, dwindling recording revenues and fragmentation of the music industry. With so many music venues closed and incomes reduced, musicians speak of their hopes and fears for the future of the industry in challenging times. Based on numerous interviews with leading musicians and music industry professionals, this book explores the illusive genre and movement that is Americana. From its historical roots in Country, Folk and other rebel music, the story of Americana music is told by those who are taking it in new directions today. Extracts from interviews with: Emily Barker, Yola, Troy Cassar-Daley, Kasey Chambers, Dave Cobb, Paul Kelly, Lindi Ortega, Wildwood Kin and many more. --Publisher "Publisher website"

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With an overview of the history of women in sport, by Sport Historian Professor Jean Williams, this book celebrates our female sports pioneers and legends as well as featuring insightful interviews with over 25 women in sport today. Full colour illustrated hardback.

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NEW EDITION IN PAPERBACK to coincide with a new project to unveil a statue of the author in Richmond on Thames in 2022 "I ought to be grateful to Richmond & Hogarth, and indeed, whether it's my invincible optimism or not, I am grateful." - Virginia Woolf Although more commonly associated with Bloomsbury, Virginia and her husband Leonard Woolf lived in Richmond-upon-Thames for ten years from the time of the First World War (1914-1924). Refuting the common misconception that she disliked the town, this book explores her daily habits as well as her intimate thoughts while living at the pretty house she came to love - Hogarth House. Drawing on information from her many letters and diaries, as well as Leonard's autobiography, the editor reveals how Richmond's relaxed way of life came to influence the writer, from her experimentation as a novelist to her work with her husband and the Hogarth Press, from her relationships with her servants to her many famous visitors.

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A unique anthology of short stories and poetry by feminist contemporaries of Virginia Woolf, who were writing about work, discrimination, war, relationships and love in the early part of the 20th Century. Includes works by English and American writers Zelda Fitzgerald, Charlotte Perkins Gillman, Radclyffe Hall, Katherine Mansfield, Alice Dunbar Nelson, Edith Wharton, and Virginia Woolf, alongside their recently rediscovered 'sisters' from around the world. This book offers a diverse and international array of over 20 literary gems from women writers living in Bulgaria, Chile, China, Egypt, France, Italy, Palestine, Romania, Russia, Spain and Ukraine.

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Princess, poet, pacifist ... and World War II spy. The enigmatic, indefinable Noor Inayat Khan was an unlikely recruit to the SOE as an undercover wireless operator. How did she face off fascism with such courage and resilience and evade capture longer than any of her counterparts? Noor's moving and inspirational story takes us across borders and time into a shadowy world of espionage, as British officer Vera Atkins and Gestapo Major Hans Kieffer trade secrets to uncover the woman behind the code names. From her Sufi mysticism to her astonishing creativity, Noor's individuality was ultimately her greatest strength. Reviews of previous work: "... an incredible new voice; witty and wise." - Adele Parks "...some of the best, cutting edge Asian theatre." - The Herald, Scotland

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1995: Brightlingsea, a small port in rural Essex. Two women, Alice and Linda, wake up to find lorries thundering through their town, carrying live animals in horrendous conditions for export. Although from very different worlds, the pair unite to try to stop the lorries. They become unlikely friends, facing arrest and police brutality amidst the protests, while also dealing with the pressures of motherhood. When one of their group dies, things start to unravel, as they are forced to face the differences between them. Timely and lyrical, Humane is a play about activism, friendship and motherhood and the values that unite and divide us.

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At the end of the war, Nell is released from an internment camp in Indonesia. While searching for her father in the chaos, she meets and becomes close to Tim, who is looking for his family too. Nell's journey takes her first to Singapore then to a new life and new friends in Australia. Finally, she has a ticket to visit her father in the Netherlands. But will Nell really be able to settle there - and will she ever see Tim again? Based on a true story, this is an exciting tale of courage and friendship, hope and determination, about the search for love and a place to finally call home.

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In 1988, 14-year-old Michael comes out as gay. Later he returns as a teacher. In the background: the notorious Section 28 of Thatcher’s Local Government Act, which prohibited schools from “promoting homosexuality” . The narrative of the play spans from 1988 to 2003.

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Cinderella, A new play by Matt Beames with Lyrics by Kayleigh Benham. Published to coincide with #404 Production in The Chapel, Royal Victoria Country Park Winter 2018. A witty updating of the classic Cinderella fairy tale. As the feast of Midwinter approaches, the King wishes to find a suitable partner for his eldest son and heir to the throne, Prince Arren. He decrees a Midwinter Ball and all across the land his excited people prepare for the big celebration. But in a small shoe shop close to the palace, one young woman sits at her workbench, carefully making shoe after shoe after shoe... Poor Cinderella has so much work to do, she can't hope to go to the Ball, however much she might wish to... but sometimes dreams really do come true!

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• New 'totally captivating' stage version of THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME. • Two original stage plays about World War I and transportation to the colonies. • Suitable for professional productions to family audiences, or for students, amateur groups and youth theatres to perform.

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A Girl with a Book and Other Plays brings together four plays for young people by acclaimed playwright Nick Wood. Topical and wide-ranging, they concern refugees, friendship, loss and courage.

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Imagine swapping places with a monster for day... A funny and thrilling play for children (aged 6+) about friendship and facing up to your fears. Ben has a BIG problemo. His best friend Vince has stolen his precious binoculars, his Dad is far, far away... oh, and there's a monster under his bed. But when Ben swaps places with the underbed monster, Ben's life - and his school - is turned inside out, and upside down. First presented as a staged reading in April 2008, at the John F Kennedy Center for Performing Arts in Washington D.C, USA, as part of New Visions/New Voices. First produced at Polka Theatre, 6 June 2009. North American premiere at the Lorraine Kimsa Theatre for Young People, Toronto, March 2010. Resources for teachers and parents: Polka Theatre's free Monster Under the Bed Activity Pack download contains activities for you to do with your children after you have seen and/or read the play. Most of these exercises are drama based and are good for developing speaking and listening skills. All of the exercises are suitable for both KS1 and KS2 pupils. Watch Allen MacInnis, Artistic Director of Young People's Theatre (Toronto), talk about the play https://youtu.be/sYyqA6rR7F8.

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Ang Lee came to the forein the 1990s as one of the 'second wave' of Taiwanese directors. After studying at NewYork University, Lee returned to Taiwan where he directed Pushing Hands, The Wedding Banquet, Eat Drink Man Woman. Austen's Sense And Sensibility was a tremendous critical and commercial success. But it was his triumphant return to the East with Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon which has transformed him into an internationally successful director.

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An exciting adventure story and children's allegory about the realities of death, power and allegiance. Somewhere beyond the rain, the wind and the stars, and as far from the Earth as it's possible to be, there was a town so old that no one can remember how or when it began. It was a town where everyone stayed exactly the same, a town where no one grew older, a town surrounded by a million miles of yellow corn, which was so strange that if you went in, you disappeared immediately. And perhaps Thistown would have always stayed the same if they hadn't found The Sleeping Man. He changed everything...Forever.

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Shortlisted for the Saga Award for Wit A darkly satirical vision of a society in which a political party conspires to stay in power at all costs . Grace Fry, bold and beautiful Minister for Women, discovers a plot to suppress the truth by means of spin, murder and manipulation. With her own life in danger, will she dare to speak out or be seduced by the promise of a post at the top table?

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Time Out Critics' Choice. Featured on BBC TV, Choice FM and local radio. Randoulph is in hospital, a convicted murderer. His doctor unravels the incidents leading to the murder and his mental collapse. The play raises questions about the way black people are perceived and treated in the mental health system.

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Award-winning playwright Jonathan Moore has been described as a "singular voice for his generation: furious, nihilistic, poetic..." (Time Out). This anthology brings together three of his critically acclaimed plays, including: This Other Eden, Fall From Light, and Treatment.

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Exploring a host of female parts, rites of passage, love, loss, danger, revelations, strange relationships, the pleasures and pains of growing up female, a fantastic collection of short stories from some of the best women writers today dealing with all aspects of female life from youth to old age. Includes stories from: Hilary Bailey, Sally Cameron, Betzy Dinesen, Souad Faress, Chrissie Gittins, Bonnie Greer, Vicky Grut, Kirsty Gunn, Brigid Howarth, Mizzy Hussain, Geraldine Kaye, Carolyn Patrick, Ellen Phethean, Kate Pullinger, Stella Rafferty, Ravinder Randhawa, Máire Ní Réagáin, Michéle Roberts, Daphne Rock, Elisa Segrave, Kirsty Seymour-Ure, Susanna Steele & Karen Whiteson.

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Celebrating 10 years of the London New Play Festival, featuring six plays: Wild Turkey by Joe Penhall: Two small businessmen struggle to keep their flagging burger bar afloat, in the face of increasingly savage and bizarre forces. Everlasting Rose by Judy Upton: Terrified of ageing, a caravan Casanova changes wives every decade, until a woman of the 90's challenges his routine. Strindberg Knew My Father by Mark Jenkins: Life becomes farce as Strindberg loses control over his characters while writing 'Miss Julie'. In the Fields of Aceldama by Naomi Wallace: When their only child dies in an accident, Mattie and Henry draw on her spirited past to find the strength to go on. Two Horsemen by Biyi Bandele: Baja and Langbaja trade stories about life, sex and god in a run-down shack. Will their stories sustain them, or trap them forever? Maison Splendide by Laura Bridgetman: House-sitting for gangsters, Honey and Moon enact a 'let's pretend' lesbian white wedding, parodying suburban customs.

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DARK TALES IN WINTER adapted for the stage by Matt Beames & Hannah Torrance A mysterious door that will not close... A haunted railwayman at his lonely post... A chilling presence haunts a quiet household... A black cat reveals a grim secret... A collection of four classic ghost stories by masters of the genre, each newly adapted for the stage. Each tale can be enacted by a single performer and together they make for a chilling evening of ghostly tales. Features: The Open Door by Charlotte Riddell The Signal-Man by Charles Dickens The Shadow by E. Nesbit The Black Cat by Edgar Allen Poe

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Original by Charles Dickens Adapted for the stage by Charles Way Dominated by Gradgrind and Bounderby, Coketown's prosperity is built on the cotton mills where thousands of men and women slave away for long hours and little pay. Gradgrind's obsession with material progress damages his children Louisa and Tom, leading to scandal and disaster. Hard Times celebrates the importance of the human heart in an age obsessed with materialism. Circus, music, and dark comedy all go into the rich mix of this truly Dickensian theatrical tale.

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Giorgio Gomelsky was at the centre of the counterculture in 60s' London and 70s' Paris before running a studio for avant-garde musicians in New York. He was the original manager of the Rolling Stones and the Yardbirds in London, then managed the French supergroup Magma and developed the career of Gong. Dumaurier recounts his friend Gomelsky's love of life, his dynamism, and the creativity that made him "push the envelope". With a keen eye for talent, Gomelsky's ideas helped shape the rock music we know and love today - acting as a catalyst for change and innovation. With recollections from colleagues, friends and musicians: Larry Birnbaum, Madeleine Carr, Raul Gonzalez, Brian Gooding, Bob Gruen, Roman Iwasiwka, Amy Madden, Jesse Malin and Bradley Rim.

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Lena is on a mission to veganise her Tinder dates. Multiple conquests later, Lena finds herself looking for her next victim - but what happens when her life starts to rapidly crumble around her? Meat Cute explores the trials and tribulations of activism and what it means to care in an indifferent world.

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I collected the first bone when I was twelve. This fact was not mentioned in court... Such a tiny little bone, more like a tooth. I only kept it to keep him safe. Holloway prison, 1925. Dr Kathryn Darkling, branded The Westminster Vampire by the press, has two weeks until she is hanged for a series of brutal murders. Facing death, she knows that time is running out to complete her mission. Will she find a way to escape her fate? Will she be able to perform the special bone rites that will save her brother? Winner of The Virginia Prize for Fiction, Bone Rites is a dark, literary tale of love, loss and one woman's obsessive fight for justice and redemption within a ruthless world.

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"It's not about whether or not the stories are being told, because they are. Every day, all around you, stories are told. It's not about that. It's about whether or not you choose to listen." Investigating a dusty museum after dark, the discovery of a shining sword thrust into an ancient stone resurrects a figure from Arthurian legend - Merlin! As the wizard weaves his words and magic, a group of friends are transported on an incredible journey - into the past and the future - to shadowy caves in dark forests and rocketing beyond the stars. The Tales of Merlin proves that the world is made up of stories and we all have a part to play in telling them ...

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• Stage adaptation of Mick Jackson's celebrated novel (1997), which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize, the Whitbread First Novel Award and winner of the Royal Society of Authors' First Novel Award. • Adapted by Nick Wood, critically acclaimed playwright and bestselling author of A Girl With A Book and Other Plays; his works are performed extensively in the UK, USA and Europe. • Co-produced by Nottingham Playhouse (co-producer of the critically acclaimed stage version of 1984) and Nick Wood's AJTC (A Girl with a Book).

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An epic love story told across four centuries by Sunderland-born Tanya Sealt, a woman who cannot age until she has cried. Collector of Tears is a play about about history, oppression and loss. Taking both male and female lovers, Tanya is an outcast. She carries with her an amazing collection of glass tear bottles which she tenderly unpacks before telling their stories. On the day of Margaret Thatcher's resignation on 22 November 1990, Tanya finally stands her ground and fights those who have hunted her and her lovers, male and female, down through time; finally learning how to cry. Best North East new play of 2014 by the British Theatre Guide.

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A beautifully written and absorbing story of exile and redemption set against the stark Patagonian wilderness at the start of the modern age. Matthieu Macanan has fled his home in France, to work as a doctor in a remote region of South America where his past is unknown. There he tends to the locacl tribes and tries to avoid contact with European settlers. When Silke Kahn and her husband Theo fly into his world with plans to run an airmail service in the area, his reclusive life is irrevocably altered. While Matthieu struggles to resist his attraction to Silke, hostilities created by the coming war escalate, drawing the local people into their orbit and forcing the doctor to decide which side he is on. But what is he hiding from? Can he really help the local tribes to survive the disease and trouble the Europeans unleash? In offering refuge to Silke Kahn, has Matthieu finally committed a fatal move?

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Charles Dickens’ timeless story is brought to life in this vibrant new version by the award-winning playwright Neil Duffield. Christmas, the most wonderful time of the year! Well, it is for everyone except the miserable Scrooge. He prefers to spend Christmas all alone in his large house, instead of celebrating with mistletoe and merriment. Bah, humbug! But one cold, dark Christmas Eve Scrooge is surprised by the ghost of Marley, his former business partner. Marley warns Scrooge that he will be called upon by three spirits - each will take him on a mysterious and magical journey to show him the error of his ways... Can Scrooge discover the true wonder and meaning of Christmas before it’s too late?

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A play collection with an introduction by Afia Nkrumah and bibliography by Susan Croft Featuring five works by prominent Black and Asian playwrights. Harvest by Manjula Padmanabhan | Under their Influence by Wayne Buchanan | Calcutta Kosher by Shelley Silas | Made in England by Parv Bancil | Brother to Brother by Michael McMillan These five plays in this collection each give us a glimpse of a different world - from the poverty of a Bombay tenement in Harvest by Manjula Padmanabhan to the world of rock and pop in Made in England by Parv Bancil, from the fading grandeur of former wealth in Calcutta Kosher by Shelley Silas to the inside of a mental institution in Under their Influence by Wayne Buchanan and many voices collide in the tales from the city in Brother to Brother by Michael McMillan. Some of these plays have been commended by critics and won awards, going on tour nationally. A few have been broadcast or adapted for film. By publishing these texts, we aim to inspire further productions, perhaps in venues where little or no work by black and Asian writers has previously been performed. In addition, the book includes a unique list of published plays by black and Asian writers, compiled by Susan Croft, so that those looking for plays to study or perform can access the considerable body of work that now exists in libraries, bookshops and archives.

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Naked Yoga expert Doria Gani recounts her own transformational journey to help you challenge your hang ups, combat shame and develop new body positive attitudes. In this inspirational story, discover how Doria overcame critical illness, learned to deal with unexpected consequences for her life as a woman, and set out on a new path to reconnect with her soul. Enjoy the benefits and freedom that practising Naked Yoga can bring and discover your true self - with no barriers, limitations or social constraints. With Naked Yoga, you really can learn to love your body and heal your mind. Includes photographs and instructions for practising Naked Yoga either at home or in a group. Naked Yoga expert Doria Gani recounts her own transformational journey to help you challenge your hang ups, combat shame and develop new body positive attitudes. In this inspirational story, discover how Doria overcame critical illness, learned to deal with unexpected consequences for her life as a woman, and set out on a new path to reconnect with her soul. Enjoy the benefits and freedom that practising Naked Yoga can bring and discover your true self - with no barriers, limitations or social constraints. With Naked Yoga, you really can learn to love your body and heal your mind. Includes photographs and easy instructions for practising Naked Yoga either at home or in a group.

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Celebrating Rock's 60th Birthday, from the formation of the Rolling Stones and the heyday of the British Invasion to the spawning of the Reading Festival, this book explores the music history of the London clubs that were the engine rooms for British rock n roll. The Rolling Stones, the Who, Rod Stewart, Pink Floyd, The Faces, David Bowie and The Yardbirds are amongst the many acts who performed on the London club circuit at venues such as The Ealing Club, The Crawdaddy Club, The Bull's Head, The Half Moon, The Ricky Tick, The Marquee, The 100 Club, and the infamous Eel Pie Island Hotel. We revisit the days when Eric Clapton was God and Rock ruled the world. Play it Loud! Why is 2022 'Rock's Diamond Year'? On March 17th 1962, Alexis Korner and Cyril Davies started the EALING BLUES CLUB. The first UK gig devoted to 'electric blues music'. Musicologists agree that this event was the catalyst that would define British Rock music. The Ealing Blues Club sparked a musical revolution that grew further at Twickenham's Eel Pie Island and Richmond's Crawdaddy Club, 3 venues that were vital in the careers of: The Rolling Stones, The Yardbirds / Eric Clapton, The Who, Cream and many more. Elsewhere in 1962 there were rumblings of a cultural shift with The Beatles, Dusty Springfield, The Animals, Marshall Amplification and many others setting the tone for what became the UK's most significant cultural export... Rock & Pop Music. 60 years on from 1962 and 'ROCK'S DIAMOND YEAR' will celebrate the UK's unique contribution to what has become a global music form. The initiative is led by The Ealing Club Community Interest Company' set up to champion West London music heritage while inspiring new music opportunity for the future. www.rocksdiamondyear.com WRITERS Introduction by Ralph Brookfield The Ealing Club by Alistair Young The Eel Pie Island Club/Eel Pie Club, Twickenham by Gina Way The Crawdaddy Club, Richmond by David Sinclair The Ricky Tick Club, Windsor by Pete Clack The Half Moon Club, Putney by Nina Jackson The Marquee Club, Soho by Charlotte Banks The 100 Club by Richard Luck

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A wide-ranging collection of essays from new and established voices writing about nature, environment, conservation, biodiversity and the challenges that London faces to protect green spaces from urban development as well as the drive towards rewilding. The first of four books about London's wildlife, this edition focuses on the green spaces of Richmond Deer Park, Barnes Wetlands, Kew Gardens, Gunnersbury Triangle, Crane Park, Chiswick House, Bushy Park and many others.

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Do you love your natural hair? Some of the world's most inspiring black women tell us about their attitudes to, and struggles with, their crowning glory. Kinky, wavy, straight or curly, this book will help you celebrate your natural beauty, however you choose to style your hair. With an overview of the politics and history of black hair, the book explores how black hairstyles have played a part in the fight for social justice and the promotion of black culture while inspiring us to challenge outdated notions of beauty, gender and sexuality for young women and girls everywhere. The power is in our hair. And we've come to tell the world what ours can do! Interviewees include: Annika Allen, co-founder Black Magic Awards and podcaster, UK; Samantha Allen, arts activist, Singapore/UK; Doreene Blackstock, actor, UK; Sienna Brown, writer and filmmaker, Australia; Dawn Butler, Member of Parliament, UK; Sokari Douglas Camp, artist, Nigeria/UK; Deitra Farr, blues, soul and gospel singer-songwriter, from Chicago, USA; Ruthie Foster, is an American blues singer-songwriter from Texas, USA; Jamelia, singer-songwriter, broadcaster and author, UK; Judith Jacob, actor, radio presenter and fitness instructor, UK; Angie LeMar, comedian, presenter, producer, UK; Lynette Linton, artistic director theatre, UK; Nnenna Okore, artist, Australia; Anita Okunde, climate activist, Ireland; Chi Onwurah, Member of Parliament, UK; Olusola Oyeleye, writer, director and producer, UK; Djamila Ribeiro, feminist philosopher, Brazil; Vivienne Rochester, actor, UK; Kadija George Sesay, writer and curator, UK; Cleo Sylvestre, actor, singer, writer, UK; Carryl Thomas, actor, UK; Nellie Travis, blues singer, USA; Rianna Raymond-Williams, sexual health advisor and social entrepreneur, UK. Photos and illustrations throughout

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