Showstopper

For the past academic year, my daughter has been perfecting her role as a lioness in a school production of The Lion King, so obviously I bought a ticket for one of the performances of the show this week.

Now it may surprise you to know this, but underneath this hard, Glaswegian exterior, is a heart that's as soft as a marshmallow. I kid you not! In fact I couldn't watch the animation of this film when my children were little, without dissolving into a puddle of tears. Not just the first time, but every time!

Likewise, I don't watch King Kong, because it breaks my heart, and if I ever watch a sentimental movie, I am a blubbering mess for days after. But this was a school production of a tale set in Africa and where all the characters were animals... how were a group of kids going to pull this off in any moderately interesting way?

I imagined lots of pretend animal noises and cardboard masks, coloured-in by the kids themselves.
Not so!

What these middle school children pulled off was such a refined performance, that I was thoroughly entranced. All of the major parts had been given to budding actors and actresses who quite frankly, acted and sang their socks off.

But the one person who made it for me, was the young girl who played 'Scar'. Her performance was so riveting, so filled with elements of light and shade, that she came across both as a dynamic and seasoned performer.

This show had everything it should have had, humour, wit, great costumes and interesting dialogue. And it was put across with real heart and soul. The costumes were well thought out and designed, and the music sung with gusto and just the right amount of poignancy.

So there's nothing more for me to add, other than:- Kids you were fantastic and I loved every minute!

And whenever you have another production, rest assured, I'll be there!

Until then, happy reading!

A new review!

Here is a review which has just been sent to me. It is from a Year 8 school teacher who read one of my books.

"The Owners, Volume I is a page turner of a read. The structure of the novel being a double narrative perspective leap-frogging chapter by chapter, really hooks the reader.

I thought it was beautifully written with wonderful use of imagery. For example, 'The drone of an insect outside served to shatter the silence, its drum a seeming answer to the staccato drumbeat of his heart'.  The musical term 'staccato' conveyed to the reader how fast the boy's heart was throbbing with fright.

This is a novel ideal for the young adult readership, as there were elements of peril interspersed with loving relationships and concepts of what makes us human. I thought there were many thought provoking elements such as making us think about our own relationships with our own pets. There is also the added feature of the mystery about the Eyons, who are they? Who controls them? And why? These questions leave the reader wanting to read the second volume, which is an excellent hook into the forthcoming series.

Overall, I would thoroughly recommend the book to my students, although there were a few 'typos' which need to be edited out. Having said that, I was so engrossed with the plot and turn of phrase that the 'typos' did not get in the way."

Mrs Sterenberg. Aston Fields Middle School.

So folks there you have it... if you haven't yet read it, you really should. :)