In The Blood by Ruth Mancini

I have to be careful when I read a book as compelling as In The Blood by Ruth Mancini – I need to put it down well before bedtime, or I’ll have to leave the light on. This unsettling crime novel draws in class, motherhood and power as in southeast London, a young mother has been accused of poisoning her young son, and leaving him to die. Just because Ellie is challenging, or actually unlikeable, does that mean she’s capable of murder? Lawyer Sarah Kellerman tries to prize  the truth from wherever she can. But then her own disabled son becomes ill…  Arghhhh.

In the Blood by Ruth Mancini £18.99 hardback. Head of Zeus   (Review: Milly Adams)

The Boy at the Door by Alex Dahl

How far would any of us go for the perfect life – if we hadn’t already won the lottery of course?

What if you had that perfect life: a yummy husband, two smashing children, and a large comfortable house in a cute town? Then a cuckoo crashes the cosy nest: Tobias has landed bringing with him the ability to shatter the edifice.

Should someone have to pay for an earlier mistake? How many of us have never made one?

A twisting and winding tale of secrets emerging. Complex but empathetic. I enjoyed it.

The Boy at the Door hb £14.99 Head of Zeus (Review Annie Clarke)

I did it For Us by Alison Bruce

Sophie Hannah found this challenging and compelling. And it is.

It’s intricate and the question it poses is just why does Emily do what she does? Is it really to prove to Joanne that the young widow’s new love is not what he seemed, or does she have her own agenda?

After all, Emily Stirling’s life had fallen apart after a devastating court case and she left that life in search of another. But how far does that search take her? Yes, she finds a refuge in a rental flat, and in a friendship with Joanne and her two young children but… but…

Pacey, twisting and turning, this psychological thriller works well. Phew.

I did it for Us by Alison Bruce pub: Constable. pb/ebook £8.99   (Review Milly Adams)

Milly Adams is an author with Arrow.

Anne Clarke  makes her debut with Arrow in 2019

image courtesy of Chris Reynolds

After taking the Edinburgh Fringe by storm in 2017, winning the prestigious Herald Angel Award, Ellie Dubois’ No Show offers a glimpse into what lies hidden beneath the showmanship of circus and deconstructs these incredible superhuman circus performers.

This is a show for anyone who has tried, failed and failed better.

The production joyously and heartbreakingly reveals what lies hidden beneath the showmanship of circus. What do you expect when you go to the circus?  The greatest show on earth?

No Show opens with five strong, glamorous circus artists showcasing their spellbinding acrobatics and flexibility – the perfect ‘show girls’.  But, after this opening number, the show starts to break down and No Show begins to unveil attempts and failures, revealing frustrations and how artists are pitted against each other.  The audience learn of everything that could go wrong from finger crushing to concussion and shoulder dislocation in a Cyr Wheel act.  And as someone who has dislocated, and broken her shoulder at the same time a year ago, let me tell you, it ain’t a bundle of laughs. But the show must go on…

In this production, we are allowed the opportunity to see behind the flawless smiles and perfect execution of traditional circus performance – to see the wobbles, the pain and the real cost of aiming for perfection.

Ellie Dubois comments, Touring is the lifeblood of theatre and part of the circus tradition, so it is super exciting to be taking No Show across the UK and bringing contemporary circus to many different communities in diverse venues from theatres to village halls.  At a time when sexual politics are being exposed in film, theatre and other art forms, it seems especially important that circus is also exploring its gender politics.

 No Show was also shortlisted for a Total Theatre & Jacksons Lane Award for Circus.

This tour is funded by ACE Creative Scotland.

Running time  60 minutes   Box Office Tickets are available from the individual theatre box offices

Twitter   @ellie_dubois, #noshow

Trailer   https://vimeo.com/175412172

Performance Dates

12th – 13th Sept  Tayvallich Village Hall    Village Hall, Tayvallich, PA31 8PR

16th – 17th Sept  Lyth Arts Centre Lyth, Wick KW1 4UD

20th September  Eden Court Bishops Road, Inverness IV3 5SA

21st September  Comar, Mull    An Tobar, Argyll Terrace, Tobermory, PA75 6PB

23rd September  MAC Galashiels  Bridge Street, Galashiels TD1 1SP

26th September  The Brewery Arts Centre, Kendal 122a Highgate, Kendal, Cumbria, LA9 4HE

27th September Platform, Glasgow 1000 Westerhouse Road, Glasgow, G34 9JW

28th September Women of the World Festival, Perth Theatre    Mill Street, Perth, PH1 5HZ

29th September Woodend Barn, Banchory The Barn, Burn O Bennie, Banchory, AB31 5QA

4th October  Macrobert Arts Centre, Stirling University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA

5th October  The Lowry, Manchester Pier 8, Salford Quays, M50 3AZ

6th – 7th October Theatre Deli, Sheffield 202 Eyre Street, Sheffield, S1 4QZ

8th October  Carriageworks Theatre, Leeds 3 Millennium Square, Leeds LS2 3AD

11th – 12th October  MAC Belfast 10 Exchange Street West, Belfast, BT1 2NJ

13th – 14th October  Summerhall, Edinburgh Summerhall Place, Edinburgh, EH9 1PL

15th October  Nuffield Theatre, Lancaster Lancaster Arts at Lancaster University, LA1 4YW

16th – 17th October The Hullabaloo, Darlington Borough Road, Darlington, Durham, DL1 1SG

19th October  Quarterhouse, Folkestone Quarterhouse, Mill Bay, Folkestone, Kent CT20 1BN

20th October  Proteus Theatre, Basingstoke    Council Road, Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG21 3DH

24th – 27th October Tobacco Factory, Bristol Raleigh Road, Bristol, BS3 1TF

28th October  Cambridge Junction Clifton Way, Cambridge, CB1 7GX

Milly Adams is the author of Love on the Waterways published by Arrow. Hope on the Waterways comes out on 20th September.

Jennifer Wilkin Shaw was awarded joint second place in the WforW Gerogina Hawtrey-Woore Award for Independent Authors, Non-Fiction Category with the beautifully written a Testament of Grief.

My morning begins at 7.30 when I switch on Classic FM, stroke two cats, breakfast from a tray, including a pot of Earl Grey, and start reading. The latter, a pre-requisite to writing, is company and gets my brain into gear.  My choice is literary biography or rather, ‘other sillies like me’ and often the spouses of those historical literary figures, many of whom were writers themselves: Constance Wilde, Sylvia Plath, Assia Wevill.

I wake up as a writer and now having won a prestigious award I feel recognised and proud. After breakfast I answer emails, usually about my work, plan appointments, future talks, and have a quick audio chat.  I begin writing just after 9. At the moment I am working on a new book and fine tuning my third play, getting it ready for a staged read.

Lunch is another chance for reading, part of the writer’s toolbox, and a change of setting, conservatory if warm, my big red sofa if not, and although I’d love to be with the Durrells, chatting and indulging around their huge communal table, at the moment I’m with George Orwell in Paris and London, again! At this point Crumble or Custard may saunter in and lure me into some time wasting, but I resist.

People who create have to be single minded and often alone. I depend on solitude to work, but I do have to balance it with social interaction, otherwise, as a writer living in the sticks, I run the risk of feeling cut off. I remember the first time I wrote; a piece about a lonely rabbit. I was seven and confined myself to my bedroom until I finished. Nothing much has changed! So in the afternoon I routinely go out! A coffee shop, independents mainly, different beans, different days, they expect me!

At Filter Through Coffee Shop, Holsworthy

Generally, people take you seriously as a writer if you sit in a corner, fresh from the shower, with a state of the art Apple Mac and headphones. In a western world that struggles with too much, I value the ‘less is more’ approach. Sitting amongst people, with a small piece of paper, a tiny sharp pencil, correcting the work saved on my phone.  My world seems miniature, even my coffee is in a dolls size tea cup a ‘double macchiato’, titchy! But I have produced some of my best monologues this way.

I walk for half an hour to an hour every other day, and after some food shopping I mosey home, meet a good friend for a meal, or sometimes go to the theatre. As a playwright, again this is important, but my default direction is the sofa, a decent glass of red, NCI S, then more corrections. A thoughtful couple of Beeb 2 or 4 programmes, loving Simon Schama’s presentations at the moment, it taps into my other love, Art History, and I am ready for bed; thankful for so many great friends, relatives coming into my life, and the freedom to write.

a Testament of Grief by Jennifer Wilkin Shaw pub Simone Bluestock Publishing

Available as e-book or paperback from: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Testament-Grief-Mothers-Story-Survival/dp/0995594902

www.facebook.com/jennifer.wilkinshaw

www.wordsforthewounded.co.uk

I have to admit that I came to this book as someone with very limited knowledge (and even less understanding) of Hokusai’s work. I hope I am not the only one who thought: ‘Hokusai? The Great Wave?’ and then could add very little more. If you are like me then you need this book. I suspect you will get even more from it if you already know something about late 18^th and 19^th century Japanese art.

Hokusai: The Master’s Legacy presents a selection of more than 200 works. It is a sumptuous volume with exceptionally high quality illustrations coupled with a text that supplies both a historical and an artistic context in which to explore these images.

Setting Hokusai’s life (1760 to 1849) and work in Japanese society gave me the opportunity to begin to appreciate the significance of details (the bow on an obi, the use of colour, the oblique indicators of seasons) and enriched my reading of the art. By pointing out that the arrival of the US Fleet in 1854 opened up Japanese ports to trade with Europe and the USA I realised why the passion for all things Japanese swept Europe soon afterwards. The fabrics, prints, furniture and porcelain must have been an explosive revelation of a new (to us) approach to design, technology and art. Realism gives way to minute detail of stylised figures, perspective is almost abandoned. Impressionism and Post Impressionism show some of the impact.

And I had no idea at all of Hokusai’s range. Yes, The Great Wave keeps its impact, but the landscapes (not just Mount Fuji) and the figurative work are a revelation. And although he was a significant master in his own time, and hugely influential, he did not work alone. The inclusion of a broad selection of works by his contemporary, Keisai Eisen, provides an interesting comparison of styles. Eisien’s seductive female portraits are particularly striking.

Take this book away and linger over it as I have done/am still doing. It will enrich your artistic understanding.

Hokusai: The Master’s Legacy is published by Skira.  Priced $55, £40, €46

Penny Deacon is the author of A Thankless Child and A Kind of Puritan.

Pub: Creative Content Ltd. Available on Amazon.co.uk

Denise Beddows took joint second place in the WforW Georgina Hawtrey-Woore Award for Independent Authors: Non-Fiction Category with the brilliant and engrossing Odd Man Out. And here she tells us of a typical day in her life.

Many of us recall with warm nostalgia the bedtime stories our mothers used to read to us. My late mother, a former wartime bus conductress in Lancashire, was an avid reader of lurid press accounts of murder. She could recount every detail of every murder of the twentieth century, and recount them she did – every time I begged a bedtime story. Not for me the gentle tales of Noddy or Peter Rabbit. No, tragic Ruth Ellis, last woman hanged in Britain, and Haigh, the acid bath murderer, were my bedtime companions. So, it came as a surprise to me when, only recently, I learned that one of my mother’s fellow ‘clippies’ was executed for murder; a murder Mum never once mentioned.

My curiosity piqued, I set about researching the case. Contemporaneous press reports were brief, perhaps because, although the accused confessed to the crime, she never said why she did it. She did not give evidence in court and nor did she appeal her death sentence. So, had middle-aged Margaret Allen brutally beaten to death Nancy Chadwick, an elderly woman whom she barely knew, and if so, why?

The victim, an eccentric and parsimonious scrounger, was described by her own nephew as ‘abnormal’. The killer, too, was unconventional to say the least. Allen, the twentieth of twenty-two children, born in extreme poverty, believed she was really a man and insisted on being addressed as ‘Bill’. The only explanation Allen offered for the killing was ‘I must have been in one of my funny moods’. The police presented the case as a murder in furtherance of a robbery, albeit that Allen was penniless when arrested. Clearly, the case warranted further investigation.

Close scrutiny of the records showed that much crucial evidence was suppressed by police at the time. Numerous witnesses claimed they had seen the victim hours after the alleged time of death. Statements by Allen’s family, putting her three miles away at the time of the murder, were neither tested nor put before the court. Scurrilous allegations made in court about Allen’s character and behaviour were demonstrably untrue, and public opinion was prejudiced by allegations of a lesbian relationship between Allen and her close friend Annie Cook. Seemingly, like Ruth Ellis, Allen was hanged as much for what she was as for what she was alleged to have done.

Drawing on historic interviews, I also contacted people who had met Allen. Their recollections were of a kind and generous person, not at all the violent, brutish character portrayed in press reports. Although, after one of the shortest murder trials on record, the judge deemed this a ‘motiveless, senseless’ killing, I uncovered a very obvious potential motive.

There comes a point, however, when most researchers experience qualms about delving intrusively into a stranger’s background. Indeed, I questioned my own motives in exploring the intimate detail of Allen’s life. Was I seeking to establish Allen’s motive, to find reason to mitigate this awful crime, and, perhaps, even to prove her innocence, or was this simply morbid curiosity? After much soul-searching, I persuaded myself that, whilst curiosity was my motivation, my aim was to give a voice to a troubled and disadvantaged transgendered individual, a troubled soul who chose to say very little about herself or her crime but went quietly and with dignity to the scaffold. As Margaret’s executioner, Albert Pierrepoint, famously said: ‘murderers are so often ordinary people caught on the wrong foot’.

A volunteer researcher for several history and heritage groups, Denise regularly gives talks to a variety of community groups. She is married with one grown-up daughter.

Denise, who also writes under the name of D J Kelly, has also written the well received Buckinghamshire Spies & Subversives, The Famous and Infamous of The Chalfonts and Gerrards Cross, Chalfont St Peter and Gerrards Cross at War, A Wistful Eye – The Tragedy of a Titanic Shipwright, Running with Crows – The Life and Death of a Black and Tan, Homes for Heroes – Life in a 1940s Prefab (ghost written with Joan Brant).

This autumn, Blackeyed Theatre are back with a thrilling new adaptation of The Sign of Four – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s epic second Sherlock Holmes novel.

In association with New Theatre Royal Portsmouth and South Hill Park Arts Centre it will be touring the UK until spring next year.  September 2018 – April 2019.

Crammed full of adventure, romance, comedy and, of course, one or two rather brilliant deductions, this faithful adaptation sees Sherlock Holmes and his companion Dr Watson use their powers of deception to solve the mysterious disappearance to Mary Morstan’s father.

This fabulous play will appeal to devoted fans, adults, children and budding detectives alike, and will combine live music, composed by Tristan Parkes, and ensemble storytelling.

When Mary Morstan arrives at Baker Street to request help following the mysterious disappearance of her father, Sherlock Holmes and his companion Dr Watson are plunged into a murky world of deception and a complex plot involving murder, corruption and stolen jewels.

The cast features Luke Barton as Sherlock Holmes (The Unexpected Guest, Mill at Sonning; Misterman, Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse), Joseph Derrington as Dr John Watson (The Importance of Being Earnest, MAC Belfast; The Canterville Ghost, Erasmus Theatre), Zach Lee as Jonathan Small (Bouncers, Glass Menagerie, Hull Truck; The Derby McQueen Affair, York Theatre Royal), Stephanie Rutherford as Mary Morstan (Kubla Khan, Mirror Mirror, Oily Cart; Cinderella, Derby Theatre), Christopher Glover as Dost Akbar (Peckham The Soap Opera, Royal Court; Eastenders, BBC) and Ru Hamilton as Thaddeus Sholto (Tipping the Velvet, Lyric Hammersmith; Peter Pan, Derby Theatre).

Director Nick Lane comments, I don’t think I know anyone over the age of ten who doesn’t know at least the name Sherlock Holmes. He is part of the literary fabric of this country – hugely popular and hugely adaptable – and his cases with Watson are a blueprint for so many crime novels, films, TV shows and theatre. We have approached this adaptation in a stylised way which will appeal to avid fans of the novel as well as those who simply want to come to the theatre and enjoy a rattling good crime story!

Sherlock Holmes: The Sign of Four is produced by Blackeyed Theatre in association with New Theatre Royal Portsmouth and South Hill Park Arts Centre in Bracknell and supported by Arts Council England.

Sherlock Holmes: The Sign of Four

Running time 120 minutes (including interval)

Twitter @Blackeyedtheatr, #SignofFour

Tour details: Blackeyed Theatre

Age Guidance 11+

It most certainly does, unless of course you are going on a diving holiday or honeymoon but for all other occasions

Something in the Water by Catherine Steadman grips and won’t let go.

The Villandry Restaurant in Great Portland Street proved to be the perfect venue for the book launch of this brilliant new thriller, ‘Something in the Water’ by Catherine Steadman.

It seems that some people have more than their fair share of talent, and yes, I am talking about Catherine Steadman. Not content with carving out a successful television and film career, she has now turned her hand to writing and to continue the metaphor, she has made a pretty good fist of it.

It comes as no surprise therefore, that Steadman has had her first book, ‘Something in the Water’ optioned as a film, or that she has been commissioned to write a second book.

Erin, the protagonist of ‘Something in the Water,’ occasionally breaks the fourth wall, which somehow makes the reader complicit in some of the decisions that she makes. We can understand her thinking and feel her fear as the tension rises.

Moral dilemmas with increasingly severe consequences are presented in such a way that it is impossible not to agree with some of her choices.

So, where is Erin and what is she doing?

Mark and Erin are on the tropical island of Bora Bora, and Erin is convinced that  Mark will keep her safe. And he does, until …  they find something in the water. Something they decide to keep a secret — after all, if they do,  no-one will  be hurt.

Or will they? Their decision triggers a catastrophic chain of events…  and endangers everything precious to them.

Catherine Steadman ramps up the tension page by page, until it is impossible to put the book down. The various threads are drawn together as Erin and her new husband sink deeper into a world of crime they had never known, other than as a casual observer.

‘Something in The Water’ shows that when the going gets tough good people can justify almost anything.

At the very beginning of the book Erin asks if we have ever wondered how long it takes to dig a grave and before I read this I can happily admit that I hadn’t but now…..

If this was her debut novel I for one cannot wait for book two

Something in The Water by Catherine Steadman  in HB, PB, ebook and audio download and CD

The Scarecrows’ Wedding at Leicester Square Theatre, London

“Fun, cute and friendly with a happy ending (spoiler!)”

For those who don’t know the enchanting worlds of Julia Davidson and Axel Scheffler – this play, in itself, is a wonderful introduction. I deeply suspect, though, that the children in the audience were very much aware. The authors came to light with The Gruffalo and since, with Scamp Theatre, have toured the UK with adaptations of the others books Stick Man and Tiddler.

It all starts quite smoothly – the actors entering the auditorium quietly. A few greetings and plenty of smiles. They meet and start to sing a song, working their way towards the stage, gently taking us into the action. As is so common these days, the performers not only play all the characters, but act, sing and play instruments with ease and grace. This performance had the trio of Philippa Hogg, Matthew Burns and Mark Kane.

Utilising props in unusual and imaginative ways, they create the illusion of animals. A toad, a snail [pictured], a cow, a crab – yes, and he’s Spanish! – and those honking geese.

The story is a simple romance between two scarecrows. In order to fulfil their wishes for the wedding that no one will ever forget, both Betty O’Barley and Harry O’Hay seek specific objects (rings, bells, pink flowers, a shell necklace and white feathers). They meet  a variety of animals who help, including the farmer – Mark Kane, who also plays all of the animals!

There is plenty here for the adults, too. The children are mesmerised and the whole piece rattles along at a cracking pace. The songs lend themselves to traditional country in style, suitably fitting the countryside theme. (Although, I still don’t know how the crab fits in!)

It’s fun, cute and friendly with a happy ending (spoiler!). What’s not to like?

Photography:     Helen Maybanks

Producers:         Scamp Theatre

Director:             Eva Sampson

Designer:           James Button

Music:                Elanor Higgins

Length:                            55 minutes

Ages:                 3+

Venue:               Leicester Square Theatre, 6 Leicester Place, London WC2H 7BX

Running until:    Sunday 2nd September 2018

(Check website for performance dates and times)

Tickets:              www.leicestersquaretheatre.com – 020 7734 2222

Pricing:               £19.50 adults, £15.50 children. Family tickets available.

Babes in arms go free!