The Music of the Night

This is a non writing related post, but as I'm struggling to blog at the moment, this will have to do! (Plus I will use any and every opportunity to talk about this particular subject matter...)

PHANTOM.

Ahem. In case you don't already know, I am a HUGE fan of the Phantom of the Opera. Ever since the 2004 movie with Emmy Rossum and Gerard Butler, I have been ever so slightly obsessed. I think the first ever fan fiction I wrote was about Phantom, but I never finished it! (Sarah, not finishing a story? GASP, IT CANNOT BE!)

I was lucky enough to see the West End production in April when I went to London with friends. It was an amazing experience and I cried through most of the songs. I even waited after and got to meet the wonderful man who had played the Phantom, Peter Joback. I did talk about it in a previous post here.

Now, Phantom of the Opera has been around for 25 years, and to celebrate this there was a special production produced in the Royal Albert Hall in London, which they released on DVD. ALSO, there has been a second UK production that has been touring all over the country. Through July they were in Dublin and I took my mother down to see it for her birthday! (Really it was just an excuse to see it again, but she did REALLY enjoy it! Honest!)

The Phantom was played by the fantastic John Owen-Jones, a bit of a legend in the world of musical theatre, and it was so amazing to see him live. And, like a true theatre fan, I was waiting at the stage door and got an autograph and picture with both him, and Simon Bailey, who had played Raoul.

Me with Simon Bailey who played Raoul. Isn't he gorgeous!

Me with John Owen-Jones who played the Phantom.
This man has the voice of an angel.

My brochure now has two Phantoms and two Raouls. 

As you can see I'm wearing a self-designed t-shirt which says "Get angry and drop a chandelier". If you know the plot of Phantom then you'll know why that's funny!

I've been really lucky these few months in getting to see this phenomenal show twice. Unfortunately though, it's  bit like a drug, and the more I see it, the more I want to see it again!

If you ever get to London, or New York I really would recommend it.

Gloat over!

Sarah x

Explaining my absence

I doubt that many of you had actually noticed that I hadn't posted here since April, and are now reading this in your dashboard with mild surprise and curiosity, thinking something along the lines of "I don't remember following this person..."

NO MATTER.

Hello again. It's been a while. Let me tell you what I've been up to.

April was a busy, busy month for me. I turned 20, and had lots of Uni work to do. I also went to London with my house mate and her friend. We went to see Phantom of the Opera. Ever since the 2004 movie with Gerard Butler (which is incomparable by the standards of seeing the live West End or Broadway versions let me tell you) and it was a dream come true to see it. I even waited after to meet the lovely and talented gentleman who played the Phantom. His name is Peter Joback, a Swedish pop and theatre star. He was so lovely.

8 years after the obsession began, I finally get so see it live!

This guy is 40 is gorgeous and has such an amazing singing voice.
He's also got a husband, so not only would I be barking up the wrong tree...
I'd be in the wrong forest.

So that was a nice break to have in Easter when I should have been revising for my exams. We also went to see Rock of Ages, the show that the new movie with Tom Cruise is based from. I've since seen the movie as well and would recommend the show a HUNDRED times more. The movie was ridiculous. The show is too, but it's much easier to go along with it in a theatre environment!

So exams ate away at April and May. Then I went to Spain for 10 days with the two girls I live with the first week of June. It was my first holiday away without 'adults'. It was amazing. Here are a few snaps! 

One of the scariest, yet most thrilling things I've ever done. 

Salou, Spain.

Blatantly for Facebook cover photo!

Such beautiful and intelligent creatures.

The last night!

We were instructed to pose. It was under duress... honestly.

The wonders of a metre long pizza. The three of us struggled to finish it, but did!

So now that that's all behind me, I'm finally getting back to writing. But it's not going to be easy.

I'm having to remind myself what I'd written so far, and with that comes the irresistible temptation to edit as I go through it. Can't. Resist. 

Hopefully I'll be able to have something to show for myself by the end of the summer. I'll try to resume my normal blogging frequency, but make no promises! 

Hopefully it won't be to long until we see each other again!

Sarah x

Starstruck: Period Drama Costume Exhibition

WARNING: Picture heavy posts.

A while ago there was an exhibition in my local museum which featured actual costumes from some of the best known and loved period drama films and TV shows. It was a fabulous experience seeing all the costumes up close and personal. The detail is so fine, way beyond what the camera's can pick up, so I wonder why they do it? The work that would have gone into some of them is astounding.

Here are some of the pictures of my favourite costumes, the movie that they're in and the actor/actress that wears it.

Howards End - Susie Linderman

Onegin - Liv Tyler

The Secret Garden - Irene Jacobs

The Merchant Of Venice - Joesph Fiennes

Portrait Of A Lady - Nicole Kidman

Charles II: The Power And The Passion - Rufus Sewell

Downton Abbey - Maggie Smith

Downton Abbey - Jessica Brown-Findlay

Downton Abbey - Thomas Howes and Rose Leslie

Downton Abbey - Michelle Dockery

Pride and Prejudice - Colin Firth

Elizabeth I - Cate Blanchett

Phantom Of The Opera - Minnie Driver

Casanova - Heath Ledger 

The Kings Speech - Freya Wilson and Ramona Marquez

The Kings Speech - Colin Firth

The King's Speech - Helena Bonham Carter

Ever After - Drew Barrymore

Sarah xx