As Christmas approaches Jenny Falcon has written a poem which will echo every grandmother’s thoughts, and of course, any mothers.

To ELOISE

By Jenny Falcon

Oh child of my child

I could never have known

The love that you’d bring to my soul

When a few hours old

You were placed in my arms

I responded to Nature’s loud call

Though tiny in size

Your effect was so strong

My heart began leaping with joy

When we’d only just met

I was hooked by your charm

Drawn in by a love unalloyed

Now only weeks old

I gaze at your face

So perfect, so vulnerable too

I hug and I kiss

Look into your eyes

Desperately yearn to protect tiny you

What will you be like

As you blossom and grow

And you’re tossed in the turmoil of living?

Oh child of my child

I’ll be there if you call

With love always ready for giving

The Old Red Lion Theatre, London

“…moody lighting simply isn’t enough.”

As soon as lightning flashes and thunder roars, the scene is set for a dark and stormy night chiller. The characters are thrown into a creepy house in darkest Wales for the night.

With a running time of 1hr20, this should be a tense and nervous time, but sadly, atmosphere is the major thing lacking in this production. Adapted by Duncan Gates from an early Priestley book, I feel the play is trying too hard to be a ghost story, a period pastiche and a tongue-in-cheek comedy. Each genre fights with the other and there is no clear winner.

Tom Machell and Harrie Hayes in Benighted

The cast of six actors, although earnestly telling us the story, look as out of kilter as the incredible set, designed by Gregor Donnelly, which at times, along with the sound design, manages to upstage the thin, hole-filled story.

Priestley wrote many successful plays (An Inspector Calls, Time And The Conways, When We Are Married) and I do wonder if he would have tried to adapt this particular story for the stage. It is thick in character detail but thin on plot, with Gates struggling to keep the action moving along between the speeches.

Matt Maltby and Jessica Bay in Benighted

There are moments when the play suddenly sparks to life, showing there is a promising production somewhere underneath the indecision. Should Stephen Whitson’s direction take the play into The 39 Steps territory? Perhaps not. Priestley is darker than that. And deeper, too.

The title implies a state of ignorance and darkness. Maybe the producers could be braver and actually take us deeper into that very darkness that Priestley writes about. The moody lighting simply isn’t enough.

Benighted runs at The Old Red Lion, 418 St Johns Street, London EC1V 4NJ

until Saturday 7th January 2017: Tuesday-Saturday at 7.30pm, with Saturday and Sunday matinees at 3pm.

www.oldredliontheatre.co.uk

Twitter: @BenightedPlay, @ORLTheatre

Book tickets on online or by calling: 0844 412 4307: £19.50 (£17.50 concessions).

Wonderboo, the creator of nutritionally-balanced and perfectly-styled canine meals, launched in the UK and is now available in Italy, Germany, France and Spain. Backed by global influencers, WONDERBOO is a Swedish-born brand that delivers premium food for your dog with a healthy dose of Scandinavian chic.

Apparently the reasons why you and your dog will love WONDERBOO is because it’s made from all natural ingredients that promote a healthy lifestyle, or is it just that it tastes yummy, which is the decision of our tasters?

It does come in lovely boxes, as you can see, but ours were just concerned with us taking the lids off and getting to it. Which they did, with gusto. A bit like Oliver, there was very much ‘Please may I have some more’ in the air.

Each meal comes portion-packaged to ensure your dog doesn’t over-indulge, which is a good thing, because these three most certainly would. The stylish packaging doubles as an on-the-go feeding bowl, which for ease and convenience can be delivered straight to your front door from digital emporium WONDERBOO.com.

Furthering its fashion credentials, WONDERBOO has already produced a series of high-quality accessories, including leads and collars, and will continue to develop this area of 
their brand in forthcoming partnerships with celebrated designers. 
WONDERBOO’S ethos and design has attracted high-profile tastemakers including Cara Delevingne (her dog Leo can’t get enough), Brix Smith-Start, Ashley Hicks, Charlotte Simone, Hilary Alexander, Bella Freud, Yasmin Mills and Giancarlo Giammetti. 
Founder and CEO Magnus Rosengren: “Dog owners’ awareness of canine health has increased, and the same high demands we put on our own food is now placed on the food we feed our dogs. I want to help

dog owners give their dogs the best conditions for a long and healthy life while making it convenient”.

If mine are anything to go by, give it a shot. Lots of good healthy ingredients, lots of tail wagging.

Details: www.WONDERBOO.com

With Christmas almost upon us, and thoughts of food and drink filling our waking moments, do consider this Classic Collection which we have been tasting, on your behalf…

…

Classic Collection Petit Verdot 2015. This is an interesting wine produced in the Western Cape, with a pleasant after taste and has  a slightly spicey tone – as it says on the bottle, with a hint of dark cherries, plums and mulberries. It think it’s better than the price would indicate. We loved it. You will notice that we have begun this particular bottle. Bad, bad granny and gramps, but so hard not to.

Stockist: NISA

RRP: £7.55

Classic Collection Grenache Blanc 2015

Another from the Western Cape, with more of a peaches and apple flavour and one that brings a taste of summer to what has been a damp and dreary week. Best to drink soon, and perhaps not to cellar it for too long. I think it would go well with salmon, and chicken.

Stockist: NISA

RRP: £7.55

KWV Mentors Petit Verdot 2014

Crikey, this is a good one. This is an intense wine, loads of flavour, with that dark cherry and plum. It is a hard wine to ignore. You can be chatting, take a sip, and then actually take time to think – this is gorgeous. You’ll love it.

Stockist: Ocado

RRP: £14.95

KWV Mentors Cabernet Franc 2013

This is the Cab France Challenge winner 2016 and trust me, you will be doing a lot of sipping, tasting and concentrating. It’s really good.  ‘Bold’ I think is the word, full of character. You might have met people who ‘command their space’. This wine does just that. Take time to enjoy its smoothness, and a flavour with that hint of dark cherries, and much more besides. A complex wine, and worthy award winner.

Stockist: Ocado

RRP: £14.95

Blackeyed Theatre, in association with South Hill Park, presents

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley Adapted by John Ginman

UK Tour: Spring 2017

OK, I know it’s still 2016 but it’s good to have something to plan for, and this could be it.

Marking the 200th anniversary of the creation of Frankenstein, Blackeyed Theatre’s brand new stage adaptation of Mary Shelley’s gothic horror masterpiece continues its sell-out UK tour this spring.

Geneva, 1816 – Victor Frankenstein obsesses in pursuit of nature’s secret, the elixir of life itself. But nothing can prepare him for what he creates. So begins a gripping life or death adventure taking him to the ends of the earth and beyond.

Adapted by John Ginman, who penned Blackeyed Theatre’s hugely successful 2013 production of Dracula, this world premiere fuses bold ensemble storytelling, live music, puppetry and stunning theatricality to create a fresh telling of what has become a landmark work of literature.

A unique feature of the production is the use of Bunraku-style puppetry to portray The Creature. Designed and built by Yvonne Stone (Warhorse, His Dark Materials), the full size 6’4” puppet, which needs up to 3 people to manipulate it, adds an exciting new dimension to the retelling of the classic story.

This gothic horror masterpiece fuses bold ensemble storytelling, live music, puppetry and stunning theatricality to create a fresh telling of what has become a landmark work of literature.

Frankenstein

125 minutes (including an interval) Ages 11+

For venues and dates: see www.blackeyedtheatre.co.uk.

@Blackeyedtheatr, #FrankensteinTour