January 2009 Archives

Tuesday 27th January 2009 9pm til late

The Nightshift is a fantastic opportunity to see classical music with no rules, This means drinking wine, beer or soft drinks in the QEH, talking in between the music and a very relaxed atmosphere where you are no afraid to cough, sneeze, or laugh!

I have been attending the the Nightshift over the last couple of years and seen the fan base grow from a couple of hundred to nearing a thousand at the last event. The music is world class, and there is a discussion with the musicians and conductor half way through the performance which is enjoyable and enlightening. As a entry into the world of classical music it is second to none and even if you are an avid classical music fan you will find the atmosphere somewhat of a pleasant change.

This event is all about Bach and you can find more information including sound clips at www.oae.co.uk/thenightshift

Look forward to seeing you there

22nd - 24th January 2008

London Sinfonietta have taken over the foyer spaces on the ground floor and -2  of Kings Place showing in the form of sound, video and art installations, work combining the talents of local young parents from All Change, local young people from Copenhagen Youth Project, London Sinfonietta and Duncan Chapman, Patrick Furness, Alexa Reid and many others.

This work is to highlight the news culture we live in today and reflect on what news is for each of us and how it affects our lives. As well as concerts, the sound installation is available on headsets by the main doors and in small 20 second segments around the café space expressing the thoughts from young people at CYP. -2 level will host a free 30 minute event on Friday evening between the London Sinfonietta concert and Poetry Platform with Parents from Allchange who have worked hard with facilitators Yemisi Blake, Romain Forquy and Tony Nwachukwu to create a special piece telling their local stories of what life is like for them.

This is a great opportunity to connect with a world class contemporary classical orchestra, local people all from different backgrounds and world class poets, to discuss and enjoy a blend of art forms.

Please join us over the week

A REVIEW BY GABRIELLE MARIE

Since the age of six, Chris Cox has been under the spell of magic. Now, eighteen years on from the dawn of the Paul Daniels magic set, Chris brings us his award winning Edinburgh Fringe Festival show: Control Freak. The entertaining mind reader who can't read minds brought his production to the Southbank Centre for his last tour date of 2008.

 

A tone of intrigue had been planted. As we entered the room we were greeted with the invitation to write down any word from the English language, and then drop it into the bowl that lay in wait on stage. I take my seat, and ponder whether the wide-eyed Chris Cox from the show-reel on stage will bring us a brand of Derren Brown style mind control, or Tommy Cooper tomfoolery. I hope for more of the latter, as my seat is still too close to the stage and I'm in no hurry to hear the words '...now look into my eyes'.

 

While we wait, our senses are titillated by the familiar sound of well known signature tunes, from classic films such as Jaws, Back to the Future, and even the unmistakable Pearl & Dean jingle (freshly squeezed from any pre-movie cinema experience). We were offered blink-and-you'll-miss-it snapshots of the superstar-famous such as George Lucas, Cameron Diaz and Paul Daniels! Other subliminal images that flashed onto our retina were of popcorn and the words 'listen and learn'. So...I do.

 

With bums firmly in virtually every seat, the magic was ready to be released. As the film roles on screen, none other than Keith Chegwin, (yes, that's right,) pops into view to deliver a sprightly introduction to the man they call Cox.

 

A lithe figure leaps from behind the curtain. We meet Chris, who promptly engages us with his upbeat likeability and a toy ferret, (that is later christened as Freddie, through a series of random choices). No time is wasted in selecting unsuspecting volunteers by means of launching said ferret into the sea of metropolitans who harbour in this Thames-side audience. (The lucky person to catch the ferret selects someone else to join our magical mind reader onstage). A battalion of impressive tricks flow freely involving a hybrid mix of magic, NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming), reading of body language, and psychology to prove he's a mind reader who can't read minds.

 

Mr Cox recounts a personal story, which relays the message that when a course of events are altered, this can lead to a different set of consequences. We are challenged to consider if we have free choice and free will, and the possibility that our actions are shaped by other factors. Chris reminds us that "our ability to make decisions makes us unique".

 

This moral threads though an intricate show that is guided by the lightning speed mind of the accomplished producer. What we may not know at first glance is that Chris has gained striking experience in the realm of entertainment production, working with luminaries such as Chris Moyles and Russell Brand.

 

Chris ends the show with a spectacular DVD finale that ties together a complex series of events. We watch as the revelations unfold like a Poirot mystery conclusion.

 

Amazed and entertained, we applaud the mind-maestro, who is now circling the stage with a victory lap while sporting a shimmering cape. I collect my tongue-in-cheek 'I heart Cox' badge from the man himself after the show, and leave under the spell of this generous performer.