New York Recommendations - Health Wellbeing

Breathtaking Beaux Arts Building that feels more like a palace than a train station. Make sure you visit the bar on the main concourse and enjoy a Cosmopolitan whilst looking at the constellations painted on the vautled ceiling and generally soaking up the atmosphere. Alternatively, visit the Oyster Bar and shops on the lower concourse and discover a labryinth of subterranean treasures, including a market selling fresh fruit and vegetables.


The Radio City Stage Door guided tour is relatively cheap and gives you a chance to explore this beautiful Art-Deco theatre, from backstage to the stunning 6,000 seat auditorium. The ornate bathrooms/restrooms are a must visit.

The Statue of Liberty (Liberty Island) and The Ellis Island Immigration Museum (Ellis Island), subway to South Ferry and Circle Line Ferry from Battery Park

An iconic resident in the New York skyline and a museum which charts how New York became such a melting pot of different cultures. See if you can find your name on the American Immigrant Wall of Honor, the largest wall of names in the world. Battery Park is also a lovely place to sit and relax over a cold drink, overlooking the point where the Hudson and East River meet.

The Brooklyn Bridge, subway to Chambers Street or walk from Battery Park/Ground Zero.

Even if you don’t make it all the way across, a visit to the Brooklyn Bridge is a must. Beware strong winds once you reach the middle!

Broadway Lounge, The Marriott Marquis Hotel, 1535 Broadway.

The perfect place for a pre-theatre drink, with stunning panoramic views over Times Square. Head for the 8th floor once you reach the hotel and make sure you get there early (as close to 5pm as possible) to get a window table.

The Bronx Zoo, subway to Fordham Road/Bronx River Parkway.

If you fancy a day away from the frenzy of Manhattan, visit The Bronx Zoo, the largest urban zoo in the United States, set in 265 acres. Make sure you visit the Gorilla Forest, home to the largest population of Western Lowland Gorillas in America.


The best vantage point across Manhattan, best visited at dusk as the city lights up. Buy tickets from the booth on Rockefeller Plaza on the morning of the day you wish to visit.

Marc by Marc Jacobs, 403 Bleecker Street, Greenwich Village.

Enjoy looking through Marc’s latest collections at his Greenwich Village store, and make sure you pop into the store devoted entirely to accessories a few doors down where you are sure to find some bargain goodies and gifts, such as lipstick pens, key rings and necklaces which cost less than $20. Whilst you’re in the area, be sure to check out the Urban Outfitters at 628 Broadway (just follow Bleecker Street through to Broadway).

Also head to The Empire State Building, Macys, Central Park and Fifth Avenue.

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All's Well That Ends Well, The National Theatre - Health Wellbeing

This production of one of Shakespeare's lesser known works under the direction of Marianne Elliott turns the fairytale 'happily ever after' ending on its head. The story centres on Helena, a lowly maid who serves the Countess of Rossillion whilst harbouring a secret love for her mistress' son, Bertram. In order to win Betram's affection, Helena is set a series of seemingly impossible tasks, which even if accomplished, will be no guarantee of his love. The odds seem stacked against our heroine from the start, but her resourcefulness, fortitude and spirit see her healing an ailing monarch, confronting class and generation divides and following her 'husband' to the frontline of battle.

The aesthetic of the piece has the feel of a gothic fairytale, further illustrating that in the world created on stage nothing is as it seems. It is to the credit of Rae Smith's stage design that the audience is seamlessly transported from the extravagance of the court of the King of France to the forests of Italy. Set and lighting are especially impressive, and the use of backscreen projection is both innovative and comic, particularly when Parolles (Conleth Hill) is pursued by a wolf into the forest. The return of the triumphant forces led by Betram to The Widow's refuge for pilgrims is also very well executed, as the scene moves from slow motion to normal speed, illuminating the actions of certain characters, and directing us to observe Helena's reaction to Bertram after being apart from him for so long.

Michelle Terry excels as Helena in this performance and presents the vulnerability and determination of her character with energy and pathos. Her diction is excellent and she seems to really understand the language she delivers, and is acutely aware of how the whole meaning of a line can be changed if she delivers it in a different way. George Rainsford is appropriately arrogant as Bertram, and his facial expressions upon discovering his bethrothal to Helena say more than words ever could. Conleth Hill is excellent as Parolles, as are Elliot Levey and Tony Jayawardena as the 1st and 2nd Lords Dumaine respectively, providing moments of laughter in a performance which although considered a comedy, has a wholly bittersweet conclusion as the fates of the newlyweds Bertram and Helena remain ambiguous to the audience.

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Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare's Globe Theatre - Health Wellbeing Magazine

Romeo and Juliet is perhaps Shakespeare's most famous play. Written in the same year as one of my personal favourites, A Midsummer Night's Dream, the narrative is universally known. This alone makes it a challenge for any director to maintain the interest of the audience throughout the many tedious (and lengthy) preambles to the tragic conclusion of the piece, and is something which it seems Dominic Dromgoole's production at Shakespeare's Globe suffers from.

The performance began promisingly enough, as members of the chorus and musicians performed dirges and poems from the 16th century, including a composition by Walter Raleigh, which cites life as a 'play of passion', an appropriate prelude to a narrative which is argued as the most romantic of all time. Unfortunately however, the interactions between Romeo and Juliet in this performance never reached the intensity required in order to maintain the interest of an audience through to the denouement.

The main problem I had with this performance was rooted in Ellie Kendrick's portrayal of Juliet. Although the character is weak by comparison to some of Shakespeare's feistier heroines (Katherina in The Taming of the Shrew, Portia in The Merchant of Venice) she is still gifted with some eloquent and powerful speeches. However, Kendrick's poor diction often means that the subtleties of Shakespeare's language are lost, and in her haste to deliver her lines (presumably before she forgets them) she makes the performing of Juliet feel laboured, when it should feel carefree and natural. Kendrick looks uncomfortable and overwhelmed by the sheer scale of the stage and I never got the feeling that any of the sentiment behind her Juliet was felt in earnest.

Adetomiwa Edun's Romeo is far better than Kendrick's Juliet, and he seems to relish the challenge of the character, delivering speeches emphatically and commanding the stage with gusto. However, his Romeo seems far older than Juliet, and the pairing feels unbalanced from the outset, something which makes Edun's task in portraying a lovesick young man even more difficult.

Particularly memorable performances in this rather stagnant production come from Philip Cumbus as the bawdy yet fiercely loyal Mercutio; indeed his famous death scene takes on a new comic dynamic as Mercutio tries to disguise his hurt from his fellows. Jack Farthing too portrays Benvolio with a youthful enthusiasm and offers a light-hearted and jovial interpretation of a character who is too often performed as middle aged and stern. Fergal Mcelherron is welcome comic relief in his multiple roles and performs with an energy which the performance as a whole is lacking.

The aesthetic of the piece also lacks cohesion; the costumes feel like they have been procured from the Globe's dress up box of breeches and dresses left from previous performances and the central staircase, far from being an interesting addition to the set, becomes irritating as actors labour up and down it with little energy. Overall a disappointing performance, which I only hope is not the benchmark for the 2009 season at the Globe.

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Death and the King's Horseman, The National Theatre - Health Wellbeing Magazine

Rufus Norris' new production of Wole Soyinka's rarely staged masterpiece was a vibrant if ultimately tragic journey into Yoruban culture. From the rich vibrancy of the communal market, to the symbolic all white ball thrown in honour of a visiting dignitary, the stage design, overseen by Katrina Lindsay was faultless, consistently leaving the audience breathless as bales of hay came to life and the ensemble danced with dummies.

Standout performances came from Lucian Msamati and Jenny Jules as Simon and Jane Pilkings respectively, performing the white colonisers in white face paint and with perfect cut-glass accents. Their first entrance, where they danced on to the stage dressed in traditional egungun costumes, engendered rapturous laughter from the audience, complemented by a member of the ensemble dressed as a lamp, which came to life when switched on and off.

Clare Benedict was equally warm and formidable as Iyaloja, the 'mother' of the market, and praise too must go to Kobna Holdbrook-Smith as Olunde, Elesin's son, who is gifted with perhaps the most striking dialogue of the play as he shatters the Pilkings' illusions about the world in which they live.Nonzo Anozie's portrayal of Elesin struck a different chord to the expected; on paper the Horseman is an honourable man and his failure in enacting his ritual suicide can be largely attributed to the intervention of Pilkings in a culture which he does not understand. However, by bravely playing Elesin as a smug, self assured and above all fallible character, Anozie encourages the audience, as well as the other characters to consider whether his godlike status is rightly deserved, especially in light of the tragic events which follow his failure to carry out his sacred duty to his King.

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The Young Victoria - Health Wellbeing Magazine

                           

A standout performance comes from the mesmerising Emily Blunt, who plays Victoria as a sensitive yet formidable young woman; one minute she is painting a portrait of her beloved Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Dash, the next she is demonstrating her unrelenting refusal to yield to the wishes of the self serving Sir John Conroy (Mark Strong), demanding a regency which would see him effectively rule through Victoria’s mother, The Duchess of Kent (Miranda Richardson). Rupert Friend too, is enchanting, and bears a striking resemblance to Prince Albert, who turns into Victoria’s very own Prince Charming as the film unfolds. He whole heartedly assumes the role of Albert, much as in the film when Albert himself whole heartedly commits to learning to waltz, much to Victoria’s delight.

Jim Broadbent’s star turn as King William strikes the right balance between hilarity and formidability and Paul Bettany is suitably strong (if a little Machiavellian as he assumes influence over Victoria in her early reign) as Lord Melbourne. Julian Fellowes’ screenplay engages, meandering through the birth of Victoriana amiably and adeptly and succeeds in presenting a side to Britain’s longest reining monarch that is rarely remembered. Through presenting Victoria’s unrelenting love for Albert, we begin to understand why she mourned him so deeply when he died, leaving her alone to navigate a world of political pitfalls, industrial transformation and social reform and becoming an icon in the process.

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