It’s been a while since my last post, and it’s taken time for me to adjust to lockdown life and not knowing whether it will ever end. It’s been painfully sad to see theatres around the world closing down, shows ending, and particularly seeing all the local amateur theatres pausing for who knows how long. I pray that it’s not the end of theatre, but social distancing seems an impossible challenge to get past, especially in the performance industries. Though it may not have occurred to most people, television and film is on the precipice of change too, we just won’t really see the full effect of COVID-19 for a few months still. So while we can, let’s watch everything! And I mean, EVERYTHING!
As I write this I am watching Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Cats” on YouTube! What an amazing privilege this is! If you’ve been able to see this in the theatres when it was on, how lucky you are! Not all of us have been exposed to the theatre as children and some of us have come into it late in life! Not everyone has a keen parent to take them, not everyone lives near cities with big theatres and not everyone can afford it. Before lockdown, I was regularly getting cheap tickets off TodayTix and taking the train to see all the latest shows I could squeeze in between my own rehearsals for shows. So far, I’ve watched “Twelfth Night”, “Phantom of The Opera”, “One Man, Two Guvnors”, “Everyone’s Talking About Jamie” – all of which have been fantastic productions to behold. It’s not quite the same as watching them in the theatres but it certainly makes up for the fact that we can’t go. The biggest news to come out is that “Hamilton” will be showing on Disney + on July 3rd. I am fortunate to be able to afford a subscription, so its a shame it won’t be aired for free, but it really is quite the show. Possibly, the most stunning and impactful muscial I’ve ever had the pleasure to see from the front row. I’ve already written about it before.
So theatre on television is a miracle right now, I never thought I’d get a chance to see some of these classics, but there’s plenty of television shows that I have delved right into with no social life or evening activities to tear me away from my beloved LCD screen! Let me take you through some of the shows I’ve been watching.
I had quite a few friends mention the series”Normal People” to me which is currently playing on BBC3 on the iPlayer. A book adaptation, the series follows characters, Marianne and Connell, as they hesitate through childhood romance, into young adulthood, and the socio-economic barriers that divide them during their college days in Dublin and their torrid love affair. It’s beautifully captured on camera with lingering shots of the intimacy between them, never failing to get as close as possible to their faces and bodies through steamy sex and raw, emotional scenes.
It’s utterly sad watching this couple struggle to communicate with each other, often acting on assumptions and insecurities. If only they could say what they felt right from the beginning. This isn’t a millennial problem, even though I think mobile phone technology has a lot to answer for. Young people have always struggled with this problem, so it’s a hugely relatable story. Normal people really describes who these two characters are to SOME extent. My biggest criticism of this show is that they are just too darn beautiful. I mean, it’s very hard to believe that Marianne really thinks that she’s so ugly as a teenager because she’s utterly gorgeous. And the lad playing Connell, well… let’s just say it was nice to have shots appreciating the male body and not just the female as we are so used to seeing. The gaze here was just as much female as it was male which I really enjoyed though I wish it felt a bit more consensual!
My other problem with them being so beautiful is that if this is supposed to be about a relatable couple, then I wish they didn’t have such bodies that are the usual type we are so used to seeing on screen. Paul Mescal who plays Connell is fit, hairless, exceptionally tall with a strong jawline. And Daisy Edgar-Jones is petite, small-breasted and slim, very Audrey Hepburn like. And her wardrobe is gorgeous, with strappy dresses fitted to her shape, and very high end looking, though she is meant to be wealthy. It just gives such unrealistic expectations for young girls who might watch this. The series also never goes into why she seeks abusive men and BDSM relationships, and I think this can be quite dangerous. Overall, it’s a very aesthetically pleasing show about two tormented but beautiful people.
I also had quite a few people tell me I ought to watch Hollywood on Netflix, the latest Ryan Murphy television series. Another impossibly glossy show from the fantasy obsessed creator. And this show is exactly that, a glorious fantasy that applies all the modern liberated views during the golden age of cinema. Representation is a subject I am absolutely passionate about and I loved seeing this idea of what if a gay black man could write a script featuring a black actress and her white lover and the female lead studio would let it all happen, ignoring the potential violent backlash from the general public. It’s lovely but it’s also… ridiculous. I think I enjoyed it but it also made me sad, as if tolerance is like a magical thing we can cast over people. It did have some wonderful points to make about representation which I think is really important to watch. So applying that lens of modern tolerance to a drama set during a very intolerant period is pure television escapism.
So I’ve already rambled on too much and I didn’t even get a chance to talk about “Upload” on Amazon Prime, or “Never Have I Ever” on Netflix. I think I really need to write more regularly or else I’ll never be able to squeeze it all in! Until next time, then!
Jessie Square-Eyes 