#Venus Williams Tickets

[miaisocool]

Lonely star

Pairing: Rockstar!ellie x Reader

warnings: 2 year age gap reader is 19 ellie is 21 cursing, explicit language,Modern AU mentions of alcohol and cigarettes i guess? not much warnings yet :) not proof read btw! underage drinking

a note: i was brainstorming this while playing guitar.. please like and reblog anything is highly appreciated i will give you a big fat smooch ;)

summary: Ellie williams was a rockstar sensation, she was on her rise to fame when she was finally doing a North America tour you immediately bought tickets for their tour....

You and your friend kiara who you knew ever since you were a freshman in highschool were standing outside the venue, eagerly awaiting the moment the doors would open so you could see Ellie Williams perform live. The anticipation was almost too much to bear, as the two of you had been dreaming about this day for what felt like forever.

You and kiara would ramble on about how much you guys enjoyed ellies music and the way her band performed on those live concerts on youtube kiara was your best friend ever since you bumped into her in your freshman year of highschool she was the first to see tears run from your eyes, the first person to ever see tears run from your dirt colored eyes as you went through your first break up with your first ever girlfriend you were so used to dating guys all through out middle school and high school until you started to figure out your sexuality and turned out to only feel sexually and romantically attracted to girls you didn't really enjoy having a label for your attraction as you felt it was useless but you decided it was easier if you do kiara was the first to ever know about it too that night in her dorm when you ran crying into her arms shaking with fear in your veins and muttering the words "i dont know" over and over as you cried.

She knew you well enough to know when something was deeply wrong, even more so on that night. She tried to comfort you, asking about what was wrong, but you were too distraught to even speak your tears that flowed to your cheeks ruining your mascara, staining her white shirt that she had usually wore as pajamas was leaving her to just hold you as you cried quietly.

She had never seen you so upset and vulnerable, and it made her concerned for you and your wellbeing but she knew it was better to wait and then talk. The first to see that vulnerable side of you, the first person you would come to whenever something went wrong and it truly showed how deeply your connection strengthened over the years you were now a 19 year old sophomore in college that had been with kiara every step of the way, kiara was your platonic soulmate and that's why you chose her to attend this concert with you, you were both in awe of how talented ellie was as you guys did research on her as if she was a lab rat, watching her rise to fame you guys bonded over the aura that the band gave as they would usually perform covers of songs or either perform songs they wrote themselves.

In the weeks leading up to the concert, you and Kiara couldn't stop talking about Ellie Williams it was like that everyday for a few months ever since you bought the tickets. You both knew every song on every album and even had nicknames for all the band members.

You spent countless hours listening to her music and learning about her history, from her early days in a small band to her debut as a solo artist. You couldn't wait to see her live, to experience her music in person, to feel the energy of the crowd as you sang along. You eyed out the line from what seemed like people ranging from high school teenagers to people in their 20s with some of their parents you couldn't help but smile at the thought of all the different age groups sharing love for ellies music and her band.

You and kiara you felt the breeze of the california air the people chattering and muttering in excited tones made your impatience die down for a bit as you swung your arms in boredom its only been 2 hours ever since you arrived in line kiara told you not to come so early but you wanted the closest view of ellie possible you didn't know the reasoning but you knew the closer the view the better but kiara mocked you for this as she said you just wanted to see ellie up close and personal although it was a half truth you didn't only admire the lead singer/guitarist for her looks you admired her for her creativity voice and the way her mind ranged so far when writing songs or performing its almost as if you were having parasocial relationship thoughts about her but you knew that wasn't it.

You just deeply admired ellie because you looked up to her she was doing all the things you've ever wanted to as a adult. mostly ranging from what looked like high school teenagers to people in their 20s with some of their parents you couldn't help but smile at the thought of all the different age groups sharing love for ellies music and her band shaking in anticipation as your body sent adrenaline running through your veins and you weren't even in the venue yet.

You felt your heart almost beating out of your chest as you catched your breath to talk to kiara you checked ellies instagram story over and over for any updates that would give you a clue on when the venue would finally open or when the performance would start but it was nothing she hadn't posted anything which you were so you finally untangle that knot in your throat to speak to kiara.

"why the fuck did we get here so early?" you mumbled under your breath to kiara

"we wouldn't be here so early if we went to that diner around the corner before getting here" kiara muttered leaning back against you as she looked off into the distance watching the line not move at all and people wait in anticipation

"it would be way better if we went to a diner or a bar after" you muttered a small groan leaving your lips as you grazed your fingers against your shirt tracing circles over your stomach

"cmonnn.. you're just hangry! plus you wanna see ellie real bad dont you?" kiara said playfully while laughing at your impatience

"shut up.." you deeply exhale as the tension that was once in your face goes away

At long last the doors swung open your heart beat sped up as you heard the sound of the doors slamming against the concrete wall of the venue echoing throughout the stage and outside of the venue, the excited murmurings, whispers, and exclamations rising to the noise level of a storm.

You felt like you were in the eye of the storm, or the wave in the ocean as everyone surged forth in a single mass. As your pace increased, trying to make it to the front of the line, you were met with a few more aggressive nudges and shoves than you expected. Your grip on Kiara's hand tightened, as if instinctually drawing comfort from her presence.

You moved forward through the chaos of the crowd, as you and kiara were both eager to enter the venue to see the legendary infamous Ellie williams but also tired of trying to push forward. You nearly lost your balance more than once in the chaos as you almost slipped running through the crowd, but eventually your feet found a solid stance and your eyes found the entrance of the venue as you finally take a break from all the chaos happening not too long ago you see the concrete floor and hard surface of the wall.

Many people making their way through calmly as security warned them not to run, the use of the spotlights for the concert beaming over their heads pointing out how dilated their pupils were from the rush of adrenaline as you and kiara made way you saw the front railing come into the sight of your eyes as your heart thumped with excitement knowing you finally had a chance to see Ellie Williams the rockstar you dreamt of seeing for months all the delusions of seeing her had finally became true.

The stage was bathed in a dim warm red light complimenting the bands red themed equipment from the red keyboard, drums, bass guitar and the other guitar that was still on a stand which you assumed had to be ellies. A hush fell over the crowd. The bassist, drummer, and keyboardist had completed their setup and were now ready to begin.

The spotlight focused on the stage, highlighting each of the band members in the dim light bringing out all their features the drummer adjusting his ear piece as he waited for ellie the rest of the band checked their instruments, tweaked some buttons, plugged in cables, and tested each microphone to make sure everything was working correctly.

In turn as they nodded to each other and prepared themselves. Slowly the chatter grew still the red lights still dimming around the venue around the crowd and each member of the band except ellie.

Each person in the room waiting with bated breath tension slowly making the walls close in as everyone waited for ellie. You looked at kiara with a confused look as if she knew when the show would start, you almost strain your neck trying to see the stage better and see any clue or signal of ellie as you were only there for her well so was everybody she was the heart throb of the band.

 People began to talk to the people they came with at the concert as if it was the only sense of entertainment, exchanging glances, asking if the show would be starting soon.

Some people sighed in disappointment and began to move away from the stage, their patience running out. Some members of the crowd grumbled to their friends, voicing their displeasure at the delay. The anticipation and the excitement were quickly fading now, with a more negative mood settling in.

The drummer started hitting his closed hi hat in sixteenth notes then the crowd started to erupt in excitement and push against each other to start a mosh pit the bass guitar starts to ring with a what you assumed to be a rock pedal muffling through the speakers amp.

Finally ellie ran to the front of the stage she stood at the edge of the stage, the light shining down on her, and wrapped her guitar strap around her. she takes a moment to bask in the aura of the crowd and her lips curve into a smile with a powerful strum of the guitar, she launched into a song, the sound ringing through the air, people cheering the sounds of the people roaring off of the walls of the venue, the red lights flashing as each instrument starts to sync up

"… The mirror's image, it tells me it's home time"

The last two songs

As the adrenaline that was coursing through out your veins dies down the songs that were playing not too long ago, you finally come to your senses, the venue buzzing with energy the excited chattering and cheering filling the hollow noise noticing the lights from the stage cast a soft glow over the venue fog slowly fading into the air through out the venue that was medium sized at least enough to hold five hundred people, illuminating the faces of the audience, speakers slowly making a faint signal noise as the band stops playing with their instruments The faint scent of sweat, mingling with the warm bodies of the crowd. The energy in the room was palpable, as fans of Ellie Williams cheered and screamed at the sight of her on stage. The hum of the amps and the sound of the bass guitar echoed through the speakers, permeating everything. As ellie began to talk again

"This is our last song of the night..."

she muttered breathlessly as she adjusted the guitar strap around her shoulder fitting it to

"i just wanted to thank everyone for coming and buying tickets or taking the time to listen to our music." She speaks into the mic as she wiped the sweat off of her forehead with a towel before throwing it into the crowd, and the audience erupted into a mosh-pit as they pushed and lunged at each other trying to grab the towel. The sweaty fabric fluttered down as fans jumped up and down, pushing and shoving each other in a bid to grab the towel.

One tall guy in the crowd managed to grab the towel, raising it in the air before spinning around with a victory scream, his hands waving the towel above his head like a trophy as he shoved people to avoid them to get the towel as ellie sees this her concerned look turns into her lips curving into a smile and then chuckling into the microphone as the white spotlight hits her blurring everyone else in the band . She adjusted her grip on her guitar, holding it like an extension of her own body, as she began to strum the chords that would support her powerful voice.

"When the zeros line up on the 24 hour clock"

The chord of the guitar complimented her vocals in the perfect harmony as you watched in awe and jealousy of how talented she was her live vocals lifted you up as if it felt like you were floating which put you in a trance forgetting the crowd of people that surrounded you transporting you to a world of ellies talent and beauty as you take in all of her features you were so mesmerized by her dirt colored hair, eyes greener than the grass in los angeles, slightly upturned nose and her hair sticking to her forehead as she was a bit sweaty from the jumping and adrenaline filled night you were in awe.

"When you know who's callin' even though the number is blocked"

With each note she sang, you could feel her passion and emotion pour out of her as her feedback from her microphone bounced off of the walls of the venue the crowd jumped with ecstasy and yelled cheering her on every chord she strummed or every time she would play a guitar solo which whenever she did it sounded like the guitar was crying showing truly how talented she was you felt her vocals powerfully blast to your ears almost as if you were right there in her shoes, experiencing the same emotions.

Her eyes were bright and sparkling as the spotlight complimented her dilated pupils, her smile full of joy as she sang within the instruments notes as she strummed the chords. Her voice echoed through the stadium, filling the air with a sense of longing and hope, as if she was talking directly to you. It was an unforgettable moment, you and kiara couldn't believe but tonight your eyes were only focused on ellie no one else just her.

After the concert, you and your friend Kiara make your way out of the venue your hair was messy from the jumping and mosh pitting as you still had a high from the adrenaline rush from ellie's performance. You can hear the buzz of energy and excitement from the venue as people made their way to the exit As you and kiara make your way down the street walking to god knows where you take in kiaras features noticing her hair is a mess, her dress sleeve sliding down to the point where you can see her bare shoulder and the faded mascara on her face.

Despite her fucked up appearance, she looks absolutely radiant as always. You can't help but let out a small chuckle under your breath as you see how emotional she is over the experience. "You're a mess," you say, grinning.

kiara breathlessly takes a breath, looking up at you with a twinkle in her eyes. "I know.." she says, brushing a strand of hair away from her face. "But it was so worth it seeing ellie and just hearing her live is like a dream come true." she says as you guys walk down the street

You nod in agreement brushing your messy curly hair out the way fixing your half messed up dress sleeves a bit rearranging yourself, still processing the experience yourself. "I know, right?" you say. "I can't believe how talented she is. And her live vocals… they just.. i don't know she just serenades me.."

"Not gonna lie i kind of saw her peeping you"

"please don't feed into my delusions especially not now.."

kiara nudges you as you both walked down the street the street lights beaming onto you both casting a glow that complimented the aura you and kiara held whenever you both were together

You and your friend kiara who you knew ever since you were a freshman in highschool were standing outside the venue, eagerly awaiting the moment the doors would open so you could see Ellie Williams perform live. The anticipation was almost too much to bear, as the two of you had been dreaming about this day for what felt like forever.

You and kiara would ramble on about how much you guys enjoyed ellies music and the way her band performed on those live concerts on youtube kiara was your best friend ever since you bumped into her in your freshman year of highschool she was the first to see tears run from your eyes, the first person to ever see tears run from your dirt colored eyes as you went through your first break up with your first ever girlfriend you were so used to dating guys all through out middle school and high school until you started to figure out your sexuality and turned out to only feel sexually and romantically attracted to girls you didn't really enjoy having a label for your attraction as you felt it was useless but you decided it was easier if you do kiara was the first to ever know about it too that night in her dorm when you ran crying into her arms shaking with fear in your veins and muttering the words "i dont know" over and over as you cried.

She knew you well enough to know when something was deeply wrong, even more so on that night. She tried to comfort you, asking about what was wrong, but you were too distraught to even speak your tears that flowed to your cheeks ruining your mascara staining her white shirt that she had usually wore as pajamas was leaving her to just hold you as you cried quietly.

She had never seen you so upset and vulnerable, and it made her concerned for you and your wellbeing but she knew it was better to wait and then talk. The first to see that vulnerable side of you, the first person you would come to whenever something went wrong and it truly showed how deeply your connection strengthened over the years you were now a 19 year old sophomore in college that had been with kiara every step of the way kiara was your platonic soulmate and thats why you chose her to attend this concert with you, you were both in awe of how talented ellie was as you guys did research on her as if she was a lab rat, watching her rise to fame you guys bonded over the aura that the band gave as they would usually perform covers of songs or either perform songs they wrote themselves.

In the weeks leading up to the concert, you and Kiara couldn't stop talking about Ellie Williams it was like that everyday for a few months ever since you bought the tickets. You both knew every song on every album and even had nicknames for all the band members.

You spent countless hours listening to her music and learning about her history, from her early days in a small band to her debut as a solo artist. You couldn't wait to see her live, to experience her music in person, to feel the energy of the crowd as you sang along. You eyed out the line from what seemed like people ranging from high school teenagers to people in their 20s with some of their parents you couldn't help but smile at the thought of all the different age groups sharing love for ellies music and her band.

You and kiara you felt the breeze of the california air the people chattering and muttering in excited tones made your impatience die down for a bit as you swung your arms in boredom its only been 2 hours ever since you arrived in line kiara told you not to come so early but you wanted the closest view of ellie possible you didn't know the reasoning but you knew the closer the view the better but kiara mocked you for this as she said you just wanted to see ellie up close and personal although it was a half truth you didn't only admire the lead singer/guitarist for her looks you admired her for her creativity voice and the way her mind ranged so far when writing songs or performing its almost as if you were having parasocial relationship thoughts about her but you knew that wasn't it.

You just deeply admired ellie because you looked up to her she was doing all the things you've ever wanted to as a adult. mostly ranging from what looked like high school teenagers to people in their 20s with some of their parents you couldn't help but smile at the thought of all the different age groups sharing love for ellies music and her band shaking in anticipation as your body sent adrenaline running through your veins and you weren't even in the venue yet.

You felt your heart almost beating out of your chest as you catched your breath to talk to kiara you checked ellies instagram story over and over for any updates that would give you a clue on when the venue would finally open or when the performance would start but it was nothing she hadn't posted anything which you were so you finally untangle that knot in your throat to speak to kiara.

"why the fuck did we get here so early?" you mumbled under your breath to kiara

"we wouldn't be here so early if we went to that diner around the corner before getting here" kiara muttered leaning back against you as she looked off into the distance watching the line not move at all and people wait in anticipation

"it would be way better if we went to a diner or a bar after" you muttered a small groan leaving your lips as you grazed your fingers against your shirt tracing circles over your stomach

"cmonnn.. you're just hangry! plus you wanna see ellie real bad dont you?" kiara said playfully while laughing at your impatience

"shut up.." you deeply exhale as the tension that was once in your face goes away

At long last the doors swung open your heart beat sped up as you heard the sound of the doors slamming against the concrete wall of the venue echoing throughout the stage and outside of the venue, the excited murmurings, whispers, and exclamations rising to the noise level of a storm.

You felt like you were in the eye of the storm, or the wave in the ocean as everyone surged forth in a single mass. As your pace increased, trying to make it to the front of the line, you were met with a few more aggressive nudges and shoves than you expected. Your grip on Kiara's hand tightened, as if instinctually drawing comfort from her presence.

You moved forward through the chaos of the crowd, as you and kiara were both eager to enter the venue to see the legendary infamous Ellie williams but also tired of trying to push forward. You nearly lost your balance more than once in the chaos as you almost slipped running through the crowd, but eventually your feet found a solid stance and your eyes found the entrance of the venue as you finally take a break from all the chaos happening not too long ago you see the concrete floor and hard surface of the wall.

Many people making their way through calmly as security warned them not to run, the use of the spotlights for the concert beaming over their heads pointing out how dilated their pupils were from the rush of adrenaline as you and kiara made way you saw the front railing come into the sight of your eyes as your heart thumped with excitement knowing you finally had a chance to see Ellie Williams the rockstar you dreamt of seeing for months all the delusions of seeing her had finally became true

The stage was bathed in a dim warm red light complimenting the bands red themed equipment from the red keyboard, drums, bass guitar and the other guitar that was still on a stand which you assumed had to be ellies. A hush fell over the crowd. The bassist, drummer, and keyboardist had completed their setup and were now ready to begin.

The spotlight focused on the stage, highlighting each of the band members in the dim light bringing out all their features the drummer adjusting his ear piece as he waited for ellie the rest of the band checked their instruments, tweaked some buttons, plugged in cables, and tested each microphone to make sure everything was working correctly.

In turn as they nodded to each other and prepared themselves. Slowly the chatter grew still the red lights still dimming around the venue around the crowd and each member of the band except ellie.

Each person in the room waiting with bated breath tension slowly making the walls close in as everyone waited for ellie. You looked at kiara with a confused look as if she knew when the show would start, you almost strain your neck trying to see the stage better and see any clue or signal of ellie as you were only there for her well so was everybody she was the heart throb of the band.

 People began to talk to the people they came with at the concert as if it was the only sense of entertainment, exchanging glances, asking if the show would be starting soon.

Some people sighed in disappointment and began to move away from the stage, their patience running out. Some members of the crowd grumbled to their friends, voicing their displeasure at the delay. The anticipation and the excitement were quickly fading now, with a more negative mood settling in.

The drummer started hitting his closed hi hat in sixteenth notes then the crowd started to erupt in excitement and push against each other to start a mosh pit the bass guitar starts to ring with a what you assumed to be a rock pedal muffling through the speakers amp.

Finally ellie ran to the front of the stage she stood at the edge of the stage, the light shining down on her, and wrapped her guitar strap around her. she takes a moment to bask in the aura of the crowd and her lips curve into a smile with a powerful strum of the guitar, she launched into a song, the sound ringing through the air, people cheering the sounds of the people roaring off of the walls of the venue, the red lights flashing as each instrument starts to sync up

"… The mirror's image, it tells me it's home time"

The last two songs

As the adrenaline that was coursing through out your veins dies down the songs that were playing not too long ago, you finally come to your senses, the venue buzzing with energy the excited chattering and cheering filling the hollow noise noticing the lights from the stage cast a soft glow over the venue fog slowly fading into the air through out the venue that was medium sized at least enough to hold five hundred people, illuminating the faces of the audience, speakers slowly making a faint signal noise as the band stops playing with their instruments The faint scent of sweat, mingling with the warm bodies of the crowd. The energy in the room was palpable, as fans of Ellie Williams cheered and screamed at the sight of her on stage. The hum of the amps and the sound of the bass guitar echoed through the speakers, permeating everything. As ellie began to talk again

"This is our last song of the night..."

she muttered breathlessly as she adjusted the guitar strap around her shoulder fitting it to her body

"i just wanted to thank everyone for coming and buying tickets or taking the time to listen to our music."

She speaks into the mic as she wiped the sweat off of her forehead with a towel before throwing it into the crowd, and the audience erupted into a moshpit as they pushed and lunged at each other trying to grab the towel. The sweaty fabric fluttered down as fans jumped up and down, pushing and shoving each other in a bid to grab the towel you couldn't help but feel in awe that you were in ellies presence as she looked more beautiful in real life than the music videos you watched.

One tall guy in the crowd managed to grab the towel, raising it in the air before spinning around with a victory scream, his hands waving the towel above his head like a trophy as he shoved people to avoid them to get the towel as ellie sees this. Her concerned look turns into her lips curving into a smile and then chuckling into the microphone as the white spotlight hits her blurring everyone else in the band . She adjusted her grip on her guitar, holding it like an extension of her own body, as she began to strum the chords that would support her powerful voice.

"When the zeros line up on the 24 hour clock"

The chord of the guitar complimented her vocals in the perfect harmony as you watched in awe and jealousy of how talented she was her live vocals lifted you up as if it felt like you were floating which put you in a trance forgetting the crowd of people that surrounded you transporting you to a world of ellies talent and beauty as you take in all of her features you were so mesmerized by her dirt colored hair, eyes greener than the grass in los angeles, slightly upturned nose and her hair sticking to her forehead as she was a bit sweaty from the jumping and adrenaline filled night you were in awe.

"When you know who's callin' even though the number is blocked"

With each note she sang, you could feel her passion and emotion pour out of her as her feedback from her microphone bounced off of the walls of the venue the crowd jumped with ecstasy and yelled cheering her on every chord she strummed or every time she would play a guitar solo which whenever she did it sounded like the guitar was crying showing truly how talented she was you felt her vocals powerfully blast to your ears almost as if you were right there in her shoes, experiencing the same emotions.

Her eyes were bright and sparkling as the spotlight complimented her dilated pupils, her smile full of joy as she sang within the instruments notes as she strummed the chords. Her voice echoed through the stadium, filling the air with a sense of longing and hope, as if she was talking directly to you.

It was an unforgettable moment, you and kiara couldn't believe but tonight your eyes were only focused on ellie no one else just her.

After the concert, you and your friend Kiara make your way out of the venue your hair was messy from the jumping and mosh pitting as you still had a high from the adrenaline rush from ellie's performance. You can hear the buzz of energy and excitement from the venue as people made their way to the exit.

As you and kiara make your way down the street walking to god knows where you take in kiaras features noticing her hair is a mess, her dress sleeve sliding down to the point where you can see her bare shoulder and the faded mascara on her face.

Despite her fucked up appearance, she looks absolutely radiant as always. You can't help but let out a small chuckle under your breath as you see how emotional she is over the experience. "You're a mess," you say, grinning.

kiara breathlessly takes a breath, looking up at you with a twinkle in her eyes. "I know, right?" she says, brushing a strand of hair away from her face. "But it was so worth it seeing ellie and just hearing her live is like a dream come true." she says as you guys walk down the sidewalk

You nod in agreement brushing your messy curly hair out the way fixing your half messed up dress sleeves a bit rearranging yourself, still processing the experience yourself. "I know, right?" you say. "I can't believe how talented she is. And her live vocals… they just.. i dont know she just serenades me.."

"Not gonna lie i kind of saw her peeping you"

"please dont feed into my delusions especially not now.."

kiara nudges you as you both walked down the street the street lights beaming onto you both casting a glow that complimented the aura you and kiara held whenever you guys were near each other the sounds of laughter and conversation echo in the air, as people rush by on their way to their next destination.

You can hear the hum of cars and the occasional honking as they navigate through the crowded streets, a few police cars blocking certain ways for god knows what, the sounds of shoes clacking against the pavement and people chattering about the experience of the ellie concert or just anything in general, the night air has a distinct smell that is both familiar and exhilarating.

The air is thick with the stench of gasoline and exhaust fumes from the cars, but that is covered by the smells of pizza and hot dogs emanating from the street food vendors that line the sidewalks, a faint odor of stale beer wafting in from nearby bars, a reminder of the fact that this is a city that never sleeps.

"So where do you wanna eat?" kiara looks around, taking in the lights and the sounds of the city the aroma of street vendor food through out the city

"To be honest i wanna drink" you say shrugging looking at all the food vendors with the neon lights including the prices above the food but none of them really catch your eye

"i don't blame you" kiaras eyes sparkle and she laughs at the thought of you being all burnt out from the concert "i know that there's a few bars around here" kiara says grabbing your hand and leading the way

As you and Kiara walk down the street, you both keep an eye out for any potential bars to grab a drink. You pass by a few crowded clubs, but the music seems too loud too many sweaty out of control drunk people and most of them stunk of cigarettes, most of the bars had the bouncers too intimidating to make a good hangout spot. You also notice a couple of cozy restaurants, but they seem more oriented towards couples on a date night rather than a couple of friends wanting to grab a beer or a shot and unwind.

Then, almost as if by fate, your eyes fall on a dimly lit lounge that seems to be begging you to go inside. The neon sign above the door flickers on and off, casting a soft glow on the sidewalk outside bouncing off of your dirt colored eyes almost somewhat ruining your strained vision.

The music drifting out of the lounge is barely audible, but it has a sensual, almost psychedelic quality that draws you in as you felt like the psychedelic vibe usually always drew you in ever since you were young the bar somewhat reeked of weed but in a good way maybe it was the only on the outside and not the inside.

"Well, this place looks interesting." Kiara says with her eyes widened in awe with a smile, peering through the thick glass door. You can't help but agree. It seems like the perfect place to go for a drink or two, away from the crowds and the noise of the city.

Kiara steps ahead of you, a slight grin on her face. She pauses for a moment before reaching out to hold the door open for you, gesturing for you to enter first.

"After you." she says with a slight chuckle. You enter the psychedelic bar the dimly lit lounge opening up before you, you cant help but feel overwhelmed by all the neon lights spread through out the bar. The interior of the bar was a stark contrast of the somewhat trashy street outside the soft but warm blue lighting casting a warm glow over the clean, polished glowy tables that had stickers on them from brands all over the world.

The neon signs also complimenting the warm dim light that had glowed as the neon signs were all over the lounge truly complimenting the feeling of psychedelics the bar was supposed to have the servers and waitresses helping around with the cooks as they scattered around throughout the lounge, The smell of the cocktails, beer, wine and hot food surrounding you as you took a step in you couldn't help but feel a sense of euphoria as the lounge or bar brought you comfort and felt like you were right at home.The DJ over at the booth manned the mixing console, his fingers expertly spinning the records. The music was loud and clear in his headphones, the rhythm moving him to the beat. With one hand adjusting the volume, and the other spinning the records in perfect sync with the music, he bopped his head in time with the music.

As you scan the lounge spot your eyes settle upon a group of people gathered around the bar, laughing and talking loudly among themselves as if there was no one else in the bar you notice a few people giving them side glances due to their carelessness but they weren't paying attention to that it seemed like they were enjoying just being in the moment . In the midst of the chaos, a somewhat tall brunette haired woman stands out, her medium length hair flowing softly down her back as she inhales deeply from a lit cigarette then exhaling out as she sips from her beer bottle, her almond-shaped eyes glinting under the neon lights, her plump lips curve into a slight smile as she chats with friends reminiscing on how she recently had a performance of some sort..

"Holy fuck" kiaras eyes widened in shock as she starts grabbing your forearm and shaking it

"YOU HAVE TO ASK FOR HER AUTOGRAPH COME ON! or a selfie at least.." kiara protested as she recklessly grabbed both of your shoulders shaking them as she gawked into your eyes

"why can't you do it??" i mutter under my breath so ellie or her band members can't hear me as i lean away from kiaras touch

"dude i put you on to her so.." kiara rolled her eyes at you as she crossed her arms you knew she wasn't wrong you've only ever heard of ellies band because kiara sent you one of their music videos and you only fell in love with it because of the way ellie looked and sung the way she strum her guitar in the music videos you had watched you were in love with whatever sensation entered your body when you heard the bands music

As you approach ellie you couldn't help but fiddle with your fingers with nervousness as you walk towards the bar you felt your heart thumping in your chest, your breathing patterns becoming a bit uneven and the smell of ellies cigarettes weren't helping as you attempted to steady your breathing your mind ran with thoughts of what ifs?

what if she doesn't say yeah?

she's not obligated to.

what if she ignores me?

you weren't important to her.

what if...

You take a deep breath and approach the group at the bar. Ellie's bandmates are still laughing loudly with her as they drink beer a few empty bottles on the bar's counter as you inhale the smell of alcohol and cigarettes around them noticing how they were a bit intoxicated, but she seems to have noticed you she didn't seem as intoxicated as her bandmates she seemed pretty sober although she has had two beers which you noticed, of course you noticed. her green eyes sparkling as she gazes at you from across.

"Hey i saw your performance at that venue around the corner i just wanted to say you were really good." You finally feel a weight lifted off of your chest as you spoke to ellie, feeling more confident than you did when you were walking up to her.

Her green eyes gawked at you as her lips curved into a smile. "I appreciate that i mean.. we appreciate that thanks for coming i was pretty nervous before coming on stage" She returned a smile as she looked into your eyes almost feeling a bit of tension in the air but what kind of tension?

"You shouldn't feel nervous at all i mean you're the ellie williams ...lead singer of loathe.. you're truly amazing at what you do."

"That might be the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me" spoken ever so earnestly, as if she was hit by a sudden revelation and was taking what you said to mean much more than you thought it did.

The two of you lock eyes for a few moments, you getting lost in her vibrant green eyes and full plump lips as she takes another sip of her beer.

For a moment your senses of taste and smell immediately disappear and vanish into the cigarette smoke filled air, you feel like the two of you are trapped in your own little bubble, where nothing else exists but the two of you, the walls closing in, the tension of possibly a start of a new connection causing you to choke up feeling like you have barbed wires around your throat as you speak up. You felt ill at ease, looked away, and finally muttered the first thing that came to mind

"Nice?" You asked

"Yes, nice." she finally left her burnt out cigarette in the ashtray

"can you sign my dress?" You looked at her with eyes of awe as if you were a child begging for candy from a parent.

She pulls out a marker from the back pocket of her jeans and starts to gently write her signature on your soft, white clothed dress

As she finishes signing your dress, elie looks up at you with a smile on her face.

You notice the spark in her eyes and the warmth in her voice as she speaks.

"It's not often that someone takes the time to express their admiration, let alone ask for an autograph," she chuckles, holding your gaze for a brief moment before glancing down at the signature. "It's really nice to meet you, and I'm touched that my music has meant something to you that means a lot.." she smiles at you a bit as she mutters this for you only to hear

You smile back at her, feeling a shiver of excitement run down your spine. "of course listen, ellie. I've been a big fan of yours for a while now, and hearing your music live in concert was an incredible experience it brought me to emotions that i've never experienced before." you chuckle a bit

"i don't get that often. Well i always try to put my heart and soul into my performances, even if it's just for a few songs."

"your music is truly a comfort to me i really mean it..."

Ellie chuckles, a soft sound that tickles your ears. "I'm glad to hear that," she looks at her beer bottle but then glances back up at you "That's exactly what I want my music to be just a comfort spot.."

you nod in agreement as you sense a bit of a connection between yourself and ellie as you guys gaze into each others eyes

ellie's expression softens even further, and she reaches out to brush a stray curl behind her ear. "You're a good person, you know that?" she says, the kindness in her voice making your heart flutter. "Not many people take the time to look inward and reflect on their actions and thoughts, let alone strive to improve themselves. It's really admirable.. i feel like thats what truly attracts me to someone you know?"

You feel your face turning red as you smile softly back at her. "Thanks ellie" you cant help but smile at her kind words

There was the most silent silence you've ever encountered in your life as you looked at the empty beer bottles on the bar counter gazing at her green grass colored eyes a few times but then she clears her throat, breaking the spell, and looks away. "Anyway, it was great meeting you," she says, holding out her hand for you to shake. You take it and feel a thrill run through your body as your hands touch feeling a bit of ecstasy as your bodies made contact.

You couldn't help but let your mind wander off to what other feelings you would have when your bodies press against each other with the feeling of you being overstimulated. You hated yourself for having these thoughts come across your mind about a stranger

You start to scan the room for kiara and you finally notice her sitting in a corner of the lounge where it seemed comfortable enough to lay in as she was resting her head on the table she seemed half asleep but you knew she could handle herself as you start to walk away all of a sudden..

"Hey why don't you grab a few drinks with me?" She says with a bit of smirk growing as she looked at you, you noticed her taking in the sight of your flowy dress but you ignored the thought.

ellie's invitation takes you by surprise, but you quickly regain your composure as you nod in agreement. As you take a seat next to ellie you see ellie's confidence growing as she smiles and takes a few sips from her beer.

She orders a round of drinks for the two of you not asking what your choice of drink was but maybe it was because she wanted to treat you to something special?..

For a moment, the two of you sit in comfortable silence, enjoying each other's company. The music from the dj boorh still plays softly in the background, but it feels as though it's just the two of you there.

"So, tell me about yourself," Ellie says, breaking the silence as she leans in towards you. "What do you do when you're not rocking out to my music?" she chuckles with a slight grin

You take a sip of your drink before responding. "Well, I'm a student right now, studying finance. I've always been interested in just being a real estate agent. And when im not being a student i like to play the guitar or just draw my thoughts out"

Ellie smiles at your answer, clearly impressed. "Holy shit really?" she scoffs "i've always been jealous of people who study about businesses" she takes a sip out of her beer before clearing her throat "it's insane how much effort you can put into that.."

The two of you continue to talk and get to know each other, the night slowly fading away as the two of you lose track of time. For a moment, it feels as though the rest of the world has disappeared, and it's just the two of you in your own private bubble.

As the bar starts to close, you realize that it's time to head back to your friend. But before you go, Ellie grabs your hand and whispers something in your ear you couldn't make out what was said but you just obliged. A moment later, she leans in and gives you a soft kiss on the cheek. you felt a sudden rush of ecstasy running through out you.

"thanks for the company" she says with a smile. "maybe we can talk again soon? she whispers into your ear as she slips a paper into your hand

"yeah sure.." you take the paper into your hands not inspecting it at all but just taking it and walking away

As you walk back to kiara you couldn't help but feel your cheeks blush and your face muscles tense up not knowing what the future would hold for you this was only the start of a new chapter..

[brf-rumortrackinganon]

I was watching baby reindeer and it struck me how real trauma binding in such situations can be. Which got me thinking .... Did Harry marry his stalker??

We know she orchestrated the meeting with Harry. We know the lowkey stalking-manifesting on her part may have started a couple of years in advance. So many credible theories that they "accidentally" kept meeting again and again, their circles just "coincidentally" coincided over the years.

Various youtubers and Tumblr bloggers have put together very credible evidence of them meeting in -

1. May 2016 in Toronto for an Invictus lunch that Cory was a chef for.

2. In May/June 2015, Soho House Istanbul inauguration. Lots of pictures of Meghan being there, meeting various celebs. And Harry supposedly also attended since he was in Istanbul, with Charles, for a royal engagement. No pictures, but rumour is he landed a day early for the Soho gig.

3. May/June 2014, art Basel Miami, where Meghan met up with Misha, who also introduced her to Eugenie. Early articles mentioned Mm and Misha meeting there, and Misha said this in the interview she did for her store launch that happened with the smartworks thing Meghan did in london 2019. That article has since been edited. There were also mentions of this in Meghan's PR she did pre-harry (I used to follow her superficially). It was also on Tig. I remember this but those articles have also gone now.

Harry was in Miami at that same time for his friends bachelors and pre-wedding party. This is the same thing he broke-up with cressida over, not buying her ticket even though their whole friend circle was going to Miami. (William joined the gang later in another city for the wedding, so no chance of him meeting her).

Anyway, at the time this was covered by some media reports which said Harry spent the evening chatting up a "tanned brunette" in a corner and spent the whole evening with her. There were no photos. It's quite a coincidence that both HnM attended the same party at the same venue, were in the same social circle (misha-eug-harrys aristo group).

So, what I am saying is that it seems that they kept meeting every year around the same time, and that Meghan (or Harry) may have thought this was the universe trying to push them together. So when Meghan found herself in London in June 2016, having already met Harry 2 months back in May, she took her chance and "surprised" him with a blind date. She may as well have deliberately put her pictures with Violet on social media in order to bait Harry.

I know it's far fetched but this kind of orchestrated serendipity isn't unheard of. It's a very teenage, high school behaviour but it does happen. And people fall for this all the time.

This theory also aligns with how and why Meghan suddenly pivoted towards a humanitarian PR in 2014. For Harry, it may have been a forgettable encounter, but for her it was the perfect opportunity.

So, what do you think? Is there any credibility to the rumours that Meghan targetting Harry, and then enmeshed him in some sort of trauma bond?

Old ask from May 9th

To the first question, I don't think so. I think if one wants to believe that Meghan stalked/targeted Harry for two years, one needs to also believe the rumor that Harry met Meghan multiple times before he remembered who she was. And personally, I don't have any evidence of that other than the conflicting stories of when they met and who set them up. Those aren't slam dunks.

I'm not discounting that it couldn't happen, it absolutely can and the internet is chockful of stories about real relationships like this. I just don't think it's likely - primarily because given how messy Meghan is, something like this would've leaked out by now.

I do think Meghan was social climbing and strategizing for a wealthier husband - remember, she was going after athletes (hockey boys post-Trevor, cheating on Cory with Rory McIlroy, sliding into Ashley Cole's DMs) because being a WAG was the ultimate life of luxury - when the opportunity to meet Harry dropped in her lap, and she took full advantage of it. Because to someone like Meghan who's chasing WAG dreams, the only thing better than being a WAG was being a princess.

Which is, I think, the real story: Meghan and Harry hooked up in May 2016 at the Toronto Invictus Dinner behind Cory's back and met up again a few weeks later when she was in London for Wimbledon. The Violet photos could very well have been bait (to catch Harry's attention and let him know she was in town) or a plant (to create a Hallmark meet-cute story to hide how they really met).

But to the second question, absolutely. Meghan definitely set things up so that Harry trauma-bonded to her and she did that with the Toronto break-in claims, which preyed on Harry's paranoia of paparazzi and security.

I couldn't get into Baby Reindeer. I tried several to watch it several times but it wasn't for me.

[razorblade180]

Jealous Knight Shade

For context, some of yall might remember this story. It’s really old and I just found out a tumblr update completely ruined the format and wouldn’t let me fix the og post. So I had to completely re structure, add, and edit it as a new post.

[Jaune’s Dorm]

Radio:Good morning Ladies and Gentlemen! It’s a beautiful sunny day completely with a slight breeze and temperatures in the mid seventies. Perfect for the Vale concert!!! *clicked off*

Jaune:*jean shorts and a muscle shirt* I am sooooo pumped for this concert. The lights, the food, but most importantly….

Blake:*in the bathroom getting ready* The one….the only…….Jaune and

Blake: Casey Lee Williams!!!

Jaune:Gods I can’t wait any longer! Blake, how much longer are you gonna take? We’re gonna end up looking wasted anyways.

Blake:I at least want to start the day off looking somewhat presentable. I never been to a concert before; honestly never expected to go to one.

Jaune:Really? I guess it’s a good thing you met someone who always gets tickets with the best view possible!

Blake:I still can’t believe you’ve met her before! I hope I get the chance to as well.

Jaune:That won’t happen as long as you’re in the bathroom. We still gotta catch the flight! (Actually we’re ahead of schedule, but Yang and Sun don’t need to know I’m hanging with Blake alone. A blonde war is the last thing I need.)

Blake:I’m ready! *walking out* how do I look?

Jaune:It’s about ti-*Blake in a purple crop top and black high waisted ripped shorts. Black ankle high converse and some wristbands*

Blake:*nervous* Well..? I knew it was gonna be a little hot out all day; plus I never get the chance just to dress casual.

Jaune:*red* You look good! Like really good; wait that sounded weird. I mean you know…you……it’s nice.

Blake:*giggles* Thanks. I’m guessing you’re ready?

Jaune:Uhh Yeah! *hands her a water bottle* concerts can get exhausting for her. *puts on a string bag* I got a few other things in here since it’s an all day thing.

Blake:Well isn’t someone prepared?

Jaune:I’m a veteran at these sorts of things.

Blake:Then I guess I’m in your hands then; let’s go. *starts walking away*

Jaune:*watching her walk away* …….. *sips water* I am not ready for today…

[Airship]

Jaune:*leaning forward* If I die right now Blake, tell my ghost about the concert.

Blake:Why would you get Airship tickets if you get air sick?

Jaune:It’s the fastest way. Too much traffic on the road and I’m sure you want to get there as soon as possible.

Blake:You don’t have to go that far for me. *leans in a bit* you look like you’re turning green.

Jaune:You say that and get closer to me?

Blake:*leans back* that could’ve been bad. Last thing I need is vomit on me; especially my hair.

Jaune:About that…*points to her bow* you can take that off since we’re off campus. Honestly I doubt anyone at our school is even gonna show up.

Blake:Yeah but….I just want to have a normal day.

Jaune:You’re more normal with it off to me.

Blake:*red* That’s nice to know. Besides my team you’re the first to say that. Thanks…

Jaune:That’s what friends are for. *leaning back* Phew, I think the worst has passed.

Blake:That’s good… *takes off bow and leans on him* glad you’re feeling normal too.

Jaune:*redish* Yep, things are just…. normal between us. Completely…..normal.

[A long airship ride later]

Jaune:*stretching legs* I’ll never get used to how long this trip is. My legs still feel *Blake runs passed him* asleep…..

Blake:*Looking at the venue* Wow….*it's basically like Coachella*

Blake:There’s so much of it, we'll do everything! It’s almost a little overwhelming. *ears wiggling*

Jaune:*Smiles don’t take it all in at once; you’ll go mad. First things first *pats her stomach* food.

Blake:I had half a mind to claw you just now. *stomach rumbles* but you’re right…

Jaune:Let’s go then, pizza is always a safe bet. *starts walking* I’m pretty sure it’s to our right.

Blake:Uhhh you might want to try left.

Jaune:Huh, really?

Blake:*points to her ears* I can hear essentially everything around here. I here grills to our right, and oven timers to the left.

Jaune:Blake….you’re amazing. Do you know how much of a maze this place can be!?

Blake:It’s no big deal. Still, there’s a lot of people here. I bet there’s a line for food.

Jaune:I can deal with that as long as I know where I am going.*grabs her hand* Let’s go!

Blake:Wait just a- *gets pulled onlookers staring at them*

Blake:Uh, I think people are staring at us.

Jaune:*looking around* I…think you’re right.

Blake:*folds her ears* I thought you said people wouldn’t care about my ears?

Jaune:*pulls out his hoodie and puts it on Blake. It goes down to her hips* Believe me, it’s not your ears. *starts walking behind her.

Blake:? *realization* Ohhhhh *red*

Jaune:Just ignore them and you’ll be fine.

Blake:I’ll try.

Stranger:*whistles* I think this is the first time I cat called a pretty kitty. What do you say about being with a dog?

Blake:Sorry, I’m not a fan of mutts.

Everyone:Ooooooohhhhh!

Stranger:What was that you little-

Jaune:*wraps arm around her waist* Walk away while you can dude. She may be the Faunus but I’m the one who bites.

Blake:*red* (That’s hot; why did it sound so hot!?)

Stranger:…..*stomps off embarrassed*

Jaune:I swear this place is awesome. Some people are just hot heads.

Blake:It’s alright! (He smells nice) Uhh maybe you should keep your arm around me. Just to be safe.

Jaune:Sure *starts walking happily*

Blake:(How did he do that!? Intense one second and happy the next!?)

Jaune:Wanna get some drinks?

Blake:We can’t buy any.

Jaune:*pulls out two fake IDs* I mean....Blake:......Have you always been this much of a rebel?

Jaune:I like to have fun when I can and I want to show you a good time.

Blake:*pondering* You know this is illegal.

Jaune:So is terrorism

Blake:Can’t argue with that; let’s get wasted!

Jaune:Yeah!!!!!*12 hours later*

Blake:*wakes up in a random bed* Ugh my head. Where am I? *sees she’s not wearing a shirt* What did I do!? Who did I do!?

Jaune:*laying on a couch* Look whose awake. *throws her aspirin* btw you slept with no one and this is Casey’s tour RV.

Blake:I met Casey!?

Jaune:You don’t remember?

Blake:.....No!

Jaune:We drank, the show started and we started singing your favorite song…

Blake:From Shadows is underrated.

Jaune:Yes it is. After that some more people started flirting with you and one grabbed your butt. After that I hit him and Casey had her roadies kick him out. She then proceeded to buy everyone drinks....

Blake:God she is a national treasure.

Jaune:After that we got to go back stage where I introduced you two and you turned into a total fangirl. You wanted an autograph but then you passed out and now we’re here.

Blake:That’s it?Jaune......[Last night backstage]

Jaune:*slightly buzzed* Blake, this is my good friend Casey.

Casey:Hello! Nice to meet a fan; also an old friend. *goes to hug Jaune*

Blake:*thoroughly drunk* Excuse me miss Williams! *grabs his arm* But he is taken!

Jaune:Uhhh what?

Casey:*snorts* What?

Blake:This man *hic* right here....is mine! He spent the whole day showing me an absolute great time! *rubs his chest* I intend on repaying the favor tonight.

Jaune:*bright red* You’re drunk Blake....

Blake:Drunk off of your love hehehe *almost falls over*

Jaune:*lifts her over his shoulder* I’m sorry for her. She’s usually super chill.

Casey:I believe it. Maybe I’ll get to meet her with less fireball in her system.

Blake:.....You have a cute butt Jaune. Not as cute as mine but still pretty nice.

Casey:*laughing*

Jaune:Oh boy....do you mind if we crash in your RV? I don’t think she’s quite travel ready.

Casey:No problem, *autographs an album and puts it in his bag* I figure she would want a souvenir.

Jaune:Thanks *turns around and walks away*

Casey:*waves* Bye Blake!Blake:I will fight you for him. You may be amazing but I call dibs! He’s getting laid tonight!

Jaune:You are going to bed!

Casey:*hysterical laughter*

Jaune:*puts Blake on the bed* Sleep!

Blake:Awww but I’m not tired. *takes off her shirt* Maybe you can fix that for me.

Jaune:(Why can’t this happen when we’re sober?) Blake go to sl- *pulled into her arms*

Blake:Come oooooon! I promise it’ll be fun.

Jaune:You’re drunk Blake, that makes it wrong.

Blake:Terrorism and Fake ID’s are wrong.

Jaune:I mean you’re not wr- no! *pulks himself free* Bed, now!

Blake:Fine, we’ll just do it in the morning. *passes out immediately*

Jaune:*flops onto the couch* Sigh, it’s always the quiet ones.

[later]

Jaune:....That’s it. *you got an album by the way.

Blake:Sweet! Thanks for the good time Jaune. Even if it’s a bit hazy *hugs him*

Jaune:Uhhh Blake *red* your shirt.

Blake:Eh, I don’t care. You probably saw them last night.

Jaune:Don’t worry, that’s the only thing I saw.

Blake:Too bad, you could’ve had an amazing night. *whispers in his ear* By the way, Faunus have high alcohol tolerance.

Jaune:*red* Huh!?

Blake:*walking towards the restroom* Well what do you know, this place has its own shower. Can you think of a more perfect way to start a morning?

Jaune:Depends, you remember what you said last night.

Blake:*playfully* Who knows? Maybe you should join me in here and jog my memory Mr. Cute Butt

Jaune:Now that is the best cat calling I’ve heard this entire trip.

[otomefiend]

Alfons Sylvatica

Story Event: I want to steal you

Chapter 3 Premium

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

NSFW. Enter at your own risk cause it's getting Alfons-kind-of-steamy. That double-take comment wasn't an exaggeration. You know he's going to misbehave. Enjoy!

~~Part 1~~

Alfons: "Since Liam is not around, I don't want to waste this rare opportunity to do all sorts of shameless, dirty things to you."

Alfons: "Now that our mission is complete, let's extend our date. It's going to be a fun, fun night, am I right?"

Continuing to smile mischievously, Alfons took me to an unexpected place.

~~~

(The Scala...?)

This was the theatre Liam was affiliated with.

(Why are we here, of all places...)

Alfons: "Look, there's a poster of Liam."

Alfons: "Stage production of `Midsummer Night's Dream` with Liam being a stand-in for Puck."

Kate: "Oh, that's right."

On the poster, Liam looked more confident and had a broad smile.

Lady with curly hair: "I can't believe Liam is performing tonight. We're so lucky!"

Freckled lady: "Our love is going to reach him, I'm sure. Ah, he's so attractive..."

Alfons: "He's indeed the leading actor of the Scala. He could easily take over the whole country, based on his popularity alone."

The image of Liam as a ruler of Britain briefly crossed my mind, but the idea was so implausible that I couldn't help but laugh.

Kate: "It's nice to come here, but we don't even have tickets to the play..."

Alfons: "That's not a problem. I believe William is the patron of this theatre."

Alfons: "Just mention his name and you'll soon have a Royal Box or two, I'm sure."

Kate: "Hey..., wait a moment."

~~Part 2~~

Alfons shook his raven black hair and went to get the tickets.

His actions had always been surprising, and their meaning was difficult to grasp.

That's why I couldn't stop thinking about his words, wanting to know his true intentions.

(Actually... I might be glad I followed him here)

For me, a visit to the theatre, a place I loved, was a reward,

It would likely ease the sound of gunshots in my ears and the pools of blood in my memory, even if just a little.

Alfons: "I have two tickets, Kate. You're Count Rex."

He waved the tickets in his hand, staring at my face.

Alfons: "You're fond of the stage performances, yes?"

Kate: "That's... You're right..."

Alfons: "Then let's enjoy it. Come, dear Robin."

~~~

We were shown to the Royal Box, something I had never been fortunate enough to experience before.

While I was admiring the luxurious environment, the announcement that the play was about to begin carried through the theatre.

Before long, a spotlight flashed on the stage --.

(Oh...it's Liam)

Liam appeared as the fairy Puck, flying, jumping, and wreaking havoc on stage.

The audience was mesmerised by his performance and the venue was filled with cheer.

Normally, I would forget about everything else in my daily life and become completely engrossed in the show,

....but lingering anxiety and fear were holding me back from enjoying it fully.

The more I tried to forget, to concentrate on the stage, the more I became entangled in the dark sensation.

(...I'm so frustrated. Liam is giving his all)

(I really want to enjoy the wonderful performance that everyone at the Scala is putting on)

It hurt to have a shadow cast over the things I loved.

Feeling sorry for myself, I looked down,

-- only to see Alfons' hand intertwine with mine at the same time.

(Huh...?)

~~Part 3~~

His leather-gloved fingers intertwined with mine.

As I instinctively turned to look at Alfons, who was sitting next to me, he whispered softly.

Alfons: "...it doesn't make sense if you take your eyes off the stage. You should look straight ahead, don't you think?"

(Well, of course that's true but...)

I leaned over to Alfons and whispered so as not to disturb the people nearby watching the show.

Kate: "....Alfons, why are you holding my hand?"

Alfons: "I told you before, didn't I? `There's nothing more enjoyable than a love affair that has been snatched away from someone else`."

Alfons: "-- as it happens, this seems like a perfect place to make a move."

Kate: "... perfect place?"

Alfons: "This is your favourite stage; Liam, whom you trust, is performing in front of you. So whatever I do..."

He lifted my hand and kissed the tips of my fingers.

Alfons: "You have no choice but to be quiet, don't you?"

Kate: "Hey, this is a theater. Don't mess with me......nn.."

The lips that had left my fingertips now touched my ear.

His wet tongue ran over its rim, followed by his hot breath... and then."

Kate: "...a-ah"

The soft, coaxing bite made me jump in my chair.

Alfons: "Shhh. I told you to look ahead. Besides, Liam will notice, won't he?

Kate: "....ngh."

~~Part 4~~

Prompted by his words, the moment I turned my gaze to the stage, I could feel his fingers slip between my legs,

His nails traced over my skin, leaving a stinging trail behind.

Taking pleasure in my response, the tips of his fingers teased my sensitive parts in a circular motion...

(...ngh, no, not here...)

Alfons: "...do you feel it? It's okay if it makes you feel better."

Alfons: "...forget everything and just enjoy yourself."

His fingers tightly squeezed my bud through my underwear.

I was desperate to keep my voice down so that people around me wouldn't notice.

Again and again, I was drowning in so much sweet pleasure that I forgot where I was --.

~~~

The play ended to a loud applause,

As soon as I got up from my seat, I rushed to Alfons feeling indignant.

Kate: "Ugh, Alfons!"

Alfons: "What's the matter? Are you so overwhelmed with emotions after a wonderful performance that you want to scream?"

Alfons: "In that case, I'll scream with you. It sounds like fun."

Kate: "... that's not it!"

Alfons: "Then you must be eager to express your gratitude to Liam?"

Kate: "...ugh, why did you do that?"

Kate: "In the theatre, and in front of Liam..."

Alfons: "Ah, that's what you meant."

Alfons: "It seemed you couldn't concentrate on tonight's show, so I thought you'd appreciate my effort to entertain you."

(I couldn't concentrate on the play...)

(...I tried not to show it on my face)

I felt miserable, unable to enjoy the performance as I was dragged down by my own dark emotions.

At that moment, I was desperately trying not to be noticed by anyone.

(However, if Alfons... had noticed)

~~Part 5~~

I felt miserable, unable to enjoy the performance as I was dragged down by my own dark emotions.

At that moment, I was desperately trying not to be noticed by anyone.

(However, if Alfons... had noticed)

Was the earlier behaviour an attempt to keep me from feeling down?

I wavered between thinking that it couldn't be true and feeling that it might be --

Kate: "... thank you."

Alfons: "..."

(Why am I thanking him...)

Alfons: "Haha! My dear, you truly are a pervert, aren't you?"

Alfons: "I took you to a decrepit building and then played with you in a busy theatre, and you're thanking me?"

Kate: "---! Please, don't be so eager to make fun of me."

(You're always so random and halfhearted, so phantom-like, hiding your true intentions, and yet...)

*flashback starts*

Alfons: "That man needs to forget the reality."

Alfons: "You're starting to realise that, aren't you?"

*flashback ends*

(I'm sure he's not insensitive to the subtleties of people's hearts)

When I wanted to protect the dream of an old man who lived alone with the ghost of his dead wife,

I sensed that Alfons shared my feelings.

Kate: "There was a reason for dragging me around and messing with me, wasn't there?"

Alfons: "Why do people think everything must have a lofty reason?"

Alfons: "It doesn't matter what the reason is. I just fill my life with pleasure and excitement because it's convenient."

Kate: "...."

Alfons: "What's with that wistful look on your face?"

Alfons: "Could it be that you've lost your heart to me?"

Kate: "That's..."

(Why can't I just deny it right away?)

Alfons: "Ah, Liam is already making his way here."

Alfons: "There, he found you. He seems happy to see you."

When I struggled to find the words to reach reach him, Alfons smiled at me like a demon teasing a mortal.

Alfons: "Then I'll leave you be."

Alfons: "If you feel like doing something fun behind Liam's back, please let me know."

(Ah...)

Alfons' silhouette faded into the darkness and disappeared from view like a phantom.

As if catching the lingering scent of illusion, my eyes kept chasing him.

Epilogue

[littlequeenies]

Jane Asher in a new play!

Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon ‘em.  

Malvolio runs the Lady Olivia’s house with puritanical zeal. By day, strict order is maintained and repeated advances from Olivia’s many admirers are firmly rebuffed. But after dark, wine flows freely and Olivia’s lady-in-waiting Maria is planning to settle old scores. When a shipwreck washes up two strangers, the scene is set for a comedy of romantic chaos.

Olivier Award-winning Oliver Ford Davies is among the greatest Shakespearean actors of his generation. He returns to the OT to play Malvolio, alongside Jane Asher playing Maria, last seen at the OT in The Circle.

OT Artistic Director Tom Littler directs a 1940s-set production of Shakespeare’s heartrending and hilarious masterpiece of mistaken identities and secret desires.

“Such truth, and such clarity, that one feels like cheering” Daily Telegraph on Oliver Ford Davies in King Lear  

“Tom Littler is the most enterprising Shakespearean director outside the big venues” Guardian on Hamlet 

--

Information to book your ticket on the link!

[pers-books]

Tom Stoppard and Jemma Redgrave back £1.25m fundraising appeal for Hampstead

NOV 23, 2023 BY MATTHEW HEMLEY

Tom Stoppard, left, and Jemma Redgrave in Octopolis, which recently ran at the Hampstead Theatre. Photos: Shutterstock/The Other Richard

Tom Stoppard, Robert Lindsay and Jemma Redgrave are among supporters of a campaign seeking to raise £1.25 million for Hampstead Theatre to continue commissioning and producing new plays.

It comes as the theatre announces a new season of work for the spring of 2024, which includes four premieres, including a new play by April De Angelis.

The fundraising campaign follows Hampstead Theatre being cut from Arts Council England’s national portfolio last year, meaning it lost an annual subsidy of £766,455, which prompted concerns from writers that the venue would cut back on original work.

It also resulted in the resignation of its then artistic director Roxana Silbert, with chief executive Greg Ripley-Duggan taking over responsibility for the programming.

Ripley-Duggan previously confirmed to The Stage that the studio space would continue to be a home for new writing, but warned there could be cuts to the number of shows staged in the space.

The #HampsteadAhead campaign is a philanthropic appeal for £1.25 million "to propel Hampstead Theatre as it continues to nurture and commission writers, produce new plays and offer significant ticket subsidies to thousands of young people".

A small number of Hampstead’s supporters and trustees have already pledged £1 million towards the appeal.

Playwright Roy Williams said the campaign was "vital to its continued success", while Stoppard added: “Just being here at Hampstead Theatre makes me feel the necessity of theatres like this, not just surviving but flourishing. It’s a lot to do with succeeding generations of writers and that’s why the #HampsteadAhead appeal is important.”

Ripley-Duggan said Hampstead’s aim had "always been to present outstanding new plays and champion original talent".

"Philanthropy is at the heart of Hampstead’s future and with £1 million already pledged towards our new £1.25 million #HampsteadAhead appeal, we want to say thank you for the rock-solid support of our patrons, audiences and trustees," he added.

The new season opens with the world premiere of The Divine Mrs S by De Angelis, directed by Anna Mackmin, about 18th-century theatre actor Sarah Siddons. This runs from March 22 to April 27, with press night on March 28.

Michael Longhurst returns to Hampstead Theatre to direct the UK premiere of Stephen Adly Guirgis’ Between Riverside and Crazy, from May 3 to June 15, with press night on May 13.

Concluding the season on the main stage is Christopher Hampton’s Visit from an Unknown Woman, an adaptation of a short story by Stefan Zweig, which will be directed by Clare Lizzimore and runs from June 21 to July 27, with press night on July 1.

The Hampstead Downstairs programme includes Grud, a first play by Sarah Power, directed by Jaz Woodcock-Stewart, Richard Molloy’s The Harmony Test, directed by Alice Hamilton, and Richard Nelson’s An Actor Convalescing in Devon, written for and performed by Paul Jesson and directed by Clarissa Brown.

“We’re thrilled that, as we approach the end of our first year without government subsidy, we can still offer such a rich and varied programme of new plays for our audiences to enjoy," Ripley-Duggan said.

[largesunglasses]

Night one JT was different. I met up with my cousin at her parents house to Uber in. I cried on the way to their house when I passed the now closed Chili's which was the last place I saw my grandmother alive. It was really weird and random and I've driven past it so many times but today I got a little teary and it could have been the song playing in the car that set it off but yeah it was weird. I was going to try and stop at the cemetery where my dad's parents are but I didn't. I felt like I needed to keep driving and I don't know if my dad's brother is buried there too now and for some reason I felt like I couldn't see that if he is.

Anyways concert related. We got there when doors opened and found our seats were at one end of the section that was over so far if we looked straight it was a wall and to look to the left where the stage was I'm not sure what we would have been able to see.

I'm sure we would have been able to see something but even this picture I was standing and sitting it was worse. When we got to the venue there was someone holding a sign that said upgrades were available and we found the women. She explained the upgrades and I asked if we could see them first she brought us to the "box seats" area first and when she showed us the last one that was available I said I'd take it. It was an extra $100 a ticket but my cousin paid for the Uber and dinner and I said screw it I didn't come all this way to look at a wall and maybe be able to see a guitar.

This was the "upgrade" we did have someone sit across us on the other side of the table but they were chill. The concert was amazing and even though we were high up I'm pretty sure Dorian pointed at me while I was dancing. James signed a few autographs after the intermission so I'll be prepared tomorrow with my Ted Williams hat just in case. If he doesn't do it again I'll be ok but worth a shot. I did check out the seats for tomorrow because if they were bad I was going to upgrade before we even got there to guarantee the best seat I could get.

That's tomorrow's view still over to the side a good amount but can actually see.

[girlreviews]

Review #474: #1 Record, Big Star

“I never travel far, without a little Big Star”, is the saying that goes, or rather, the lyrics from The Replacement’s ode to Alex Chilton. It’s true though. Big Star are my favorite band. While I disagree pretty adamantly with the order, all three of their records are in the Rolling Stone’s Top 500. I find that immensely satisfying. One thing Rolling Stone and I agree on – apparently — is that Big Star are special. I could talk possibly forever about the Big Star story, but it’s a rare occasion that I happen upon anyone else who knows, cares, or is interested. Which is pretty much part and parcel of the story itself. It’s part of its charm in a way.

I learned about Big Star the way everyone does, or at least did. Someone put a song on a burned CD for me (previously it would have been a mixtape, but this was the early 2000s and this is what we did). It was that fuckin’ boy, okay? And it was around when we actually met. He was trying to impress. He made me this CD, it was plain white, and it had scrawled on it in his stupid fucking handwriting “Summer Promo” with some little patterns doodled around it. Thirteen was the third track and it instantly became my favorite. I fell in love with it, and with Big Star, and that was it. I remember almost all of the other tracks, they were mostly trash. He gave it to me before fucking off for several weeks over the summer – to Bible camp, ha – and the douchebag didn’t ever have enough money to keep his cell phone with credit to call or text. By the time he got back he already was like, “sorry, dumping you”, and so began the 3 to 4 years of hellish on-off controlling, jealous, rage abuse from a boy who didn’t want me, and constantly cheated on me, but couldn’t stand to see me move on or be near anyone else. Who am I kidding, he didn’t say sorry.

Some years in, he had moved away but this all continued. He was back in town – and we were together at this point – and days into his visit he hadn’t called, texted, nothing. He eventually showed up, only to inform me that he had tickets to see an artist that we both loved, Kathryn Williams, at a very local venue, and that he was taking another girl. My father had to physically restrain me. Later that evening, my boy best friend just so happened to call me and said he and his parents were going to that same show, had a spare ticket and would I like to go. I said yes. When I arrived, I sat several rows ahead of my “boyfriend”, and he saw that I was there with my friend, a boy, who in his opinion, I was not allowed to spend time with. Then. As if by magic. Kathryn Williams covered Thirteen. Beautifully. I really do remember that in that moment, knowing that I wasn’t ever going to ever be able to let myself tie songs I loved this much to people that hurt me on purpose if I wanted to continue loving them. I turned around and looked at him as if to say “you will never get this song from me”. I’d love to say that was the end of it all, but it wasn’t.

In the Street also lives within #1 Record, and during my teenage years, That 70’s Show was such a breath of fresh air. We all loved it. I had really fond memories of watching that show with my friends. I used to download it illegally and we would all watch it in my room around my computer. The theme tune was performed by Cheap Trick in the show, but I always loved that Alex Chilton and Chris Bell were in the opening credits, and as I understand it, it earned them money in syndication. However, Chris Bell was already dead, and Alex Chilton died with not a great deal to his name. So maybe it didn’t help. It’s probably the way that most folks know Big Star, even if they don’t know it. I’d encourage you to listen to their original version of In the Street. It’s fun, and honestly would have been a better fit for the show if you ask me. Also, it’s got so much cowbell it’s just silly. Sadly — sadly isn’t really the appropriate word here — That 70’s Show and the majority of its cast are now mired by the actions of convicted rapist and Scientologist Danny Masterson. Fond feelings are now replaced by anger and sadness for his victims and bitter disappointment in his castmates for continuing to support him and his church’s actions.

Skip forward a few years, and that boy is finally out of the picture, but a new nightmare begins. I’ve pointed to this in a few previous reviews. A job with a boss, and that boss is no good. We’re not going to get too far into that here. But there was this time, I was working my seventh day in a week a fourth week in a row (!) at a trade show. I forget why, but the subject of music came up, or I was listening to music on my break, or something like that, and this guy wanted to know what it was I was listening to. He was in his 40s and in a previous life, he had very briefly and with a great deal of mediocrity enjoyed some commercial success in a band. I’m being quite generous in saying that. He liked to overstate that success. A lot. Anyway. It comes up that I’m a fan of Big Star, and this garners his attention (more so than usual), and earns me some respect as a “real music fan”. I’m at work, I’m exhausted, I’m paid 8 pounds an hour, and this man was my ride to and from some hotel trade show at the Heathrow Airport. Finally, the day is over, and we’re leaving. On the way to what I think is home, he tells me that his wife is out of town, and his bandmates are in town, and that he isn’t going to take me home, he’s taking me to his house to hang out with his band. It may surprise you to learn that I, an 18 year old girl, did not want to hang out by myself with five 40-year-old men, only one of which I actually knew. The thing is, I actually didn’t have any choice. At all. This is one of those things where I most certainly look back and think “Jesus christ, that was fucked up”, and at the time I recognized my discomfort, but I didn’t have enough of a voice or know what to do about it. He was my boss.

So there I was, at his house, just kind of stuck. They all got fucking white girl wasted. And they had set up recording equipment – I assume their entire weekend plans were to fuck around and record music. Well. He made me sing. He made me sing Thirteen. He recorded it. They played. I was shaking. Mortified. Terrified. He wouldn’t let me leave until I did it. Then I was allowed to be sent home in a private car. I feel really sad for myself when I think about this. I’m not sure how not one of those men thought it was strange that I was there, or that my discomfort was so obvious, and that not one of them thought I should be at home. In hindsight I get the feeling my boss wasn’t someone people felt comfortable standing up to. That’s no excuse, in my opinion.

In weeks following, he showed me the mix he made of the recording, and I hated it. Hated. It. To be clear: I sang it beautifully. Every single one of those men was surprised by what came out of my mouth, and they all shut the fuck up for awhile, because I sang it beautifully and they weren’t expecting it. I hated it because of how it was created. I hated it because he bastardized it with a bunch of weird added effects and elongations that were insults to the original. From that day, until I left that job to go to university, I was encouraged to not bother with school and let him manage my music career, and my aspirations of college and helping people were “a stupid waste of time”. I thank myself every day that I had no desire to take him up on his ridiculous offer, and that saying no required no second thought. I can’t imagine what would have happened to me had I said yes, but I know that it would not have been good. That wasn’t the last of that guy, either, unfortunately, but I did go to school and I did graduate before he had the opportunity to fuck anything else up again.

Again, I revisited that notion of never letting anyone ruin a song or a band for me. But, in writing these reviews, I have come to realize that the memory being attached to a song or an artist has served a really valuable purpose for me. I know that this shit really happened, because the song/artist makes me think of this memory. That’s how I know. It’s validating and it’s helpful to actually catalogue all of this in this particular way. I can believe myself. If I ever didn’t before, I do now.

At the end of 2022, I was able to see Big Star (well “Big Star”), perform all of their catalog live, for the 50th anniversary of #1 Record. In Memphis. Mike Mills of R.E.M., Pat Sansone of Wilco, Jon Auer of the Posies, and Chris Stamey of the dBs, playing alongside original drummer and only surviving member, Jody Stephens. Over the years – whether in the UK or in the US, so many Big Star events had come and gone. Movie showings, one-off shows, tributes, whatever. And no matter what, somehow, something always stopped me from catching them. Not this one. No fucking way. I was really overwhelmed, and overcome, to think of all of the things that had to happen in my life since I first heard Thirteen on that burned CD under my loft bed in England to put me in Memphis, listening to these songs live, finally, in my Thirties, knowing those absolute assclowns that I’ve written about above are well behind me and can’t hurt me anymore.

[lserver362reviews]

This show means a whole lot to me. In March of 2019 I travelled over 900 miles to see the show twice at the Comedy Attic in Bloomington, Indiana. It was two months after I got myself into therapy for the first time. My workplace had flooded Dec 2018 and I was in a really dark place mentally. Dealing with my workplace really shook me and I basically experienced dark feelings that I hadn't dealt with for 8 years. I had fallen in love with Repertoire in March of 2018 and it was one of the few things that still gave me joy during that dark time (Nov 2018-March 2019). Going on this trip to see Cold Lasagne Hate Myself 1999 was a manifestation that I deserve to take the time to give myself what I need. I owed it to my 15 year old self, and my 24 year old self. I arrived at the venue pretty late, and had to sit against the back wall and I only got to hear Paul William's Euroleague once or twice with James playing it off his ipod. Each of the shows were only one hour long, but the first show James got so distracted by audience members (someone had hiccups) that he only got through, at most, three bits from the actual show. It was a disaster. I found it to be hilarious and I was just in awe of arriving at this place I'd never been before and seeing my fav comedian, regardless of the fact that it was basically an hour long improv set. You could see that James was unhappy about how it went when he got off the stage. Everyone left, except for me because I had a ticket to the second show, and the employees of the venue had been given word that I'd be staying inside the room during the reset for the next show. During this time, I moved up to the front row and James went into the bathroom. I seriously questioned whether or not I should say hello. I had bought peanut butter cups at the airport just in case I did get the chance to meet James and wanted to give him a gift. I knew I'd be mad at myself if I didn't take the opportunity to say hi, I had come a long way and really needed a laugh, although I wasn't sure he'd be happy to say hello to a fan after he bombed a performance. I took a breath and said, "hey James!" when he was headed back to the green room. He looked as me like I was an employee there, and then realized I wasn't. He just looked tired. I gave him the peanut butter cups and said I'd come from a long ways away, which prompted him to say, "well, sorry for that then!" but I assured him it was still great and I had bought tickets to both shows so it wasn't bad at all. I then took a breath and told him that I recently got myself into therapy because of his honesty about seeing a therapist on some podcasts and that his work has had a great impact on me and I thanked him for that. He looked genuinely surprised and more relaxed, said thanks, and went back to the green room. The second show lasted for 45 mins because he sped through almost all the bits of the routine. He left out the Brexit stuff for the American audience, finished with the Great British Bake Off story, and ended the show with a Question and Answer portion. I made two friends at the table I was sat at that night, one of whom I still keep in contact with. Seeing this live streamed in 2020 from my home I am even more happy I went on the trip to see Cold Lasagne Hate Myself 1999 in person, and I am even more grateful for the work of James Acaster. You. Gotta. Heap.

[silenceofgrowth]

When you’re 12, In the back seat every conversation is the center of your orbit.

Crossing the boarder between Vermont and Canada for the first time was confusing and scary.

Downtown Montreal felt like a cool dark purple, my first grey city.

We stopped for dinner at subway. I’d never been, and had never considered we would stop somewhere that wouldn’t have food I wanted.

Will’s mom Angie kindly encouraged me to order something, but I sheepishly said I was okay. I was really hungry but still picky the way a child is. I watched Will eat and I felt embarrassed.

After, we walked to the venue and Angie helped us navigate our way through tickets, the way a mother does. We hadn’t learned yet about getting to shows early.

The ballroom couldn’t have had more than a few hundred others, but will and I both felt so small.

Angie suggested we go off to find a standing room spot. She reassured she would be close, but encouraging us to embrace independence; the gesture felt like a final present for Williams 13th birthday. A high stone wall of late teens and early adults curtained the stage. Poster boys and girls with cigarettes, Ice & laughter. Neither of us said anything but our silence must have revealed that we were intimated to be among then.

Their gravity washed us up to the outerbanks.

The band opened with cough syrup and Will and I were enameled. The audience and musicians unified a vision in me of how I dreamed to be seen when I was older.

Now, 12 years later, all those people must be in their 30s - when my friends and I see them at bars, we cross the street afraid of catching youths death.

I wonder when they transitioned out of the ice and laughter - when did their personal gravity fade? Is it when you become more an adult than not? What does that transition feel like and do we notice when it’s happening?

For those now 30 year olds sitting at the well lit bar with their dogs and strollers.

The world belonged to them, all for a short while.

-

Will passed away a few weeks ago. He was 25. I wonder if he still had that plastic bin under his bed where he hid his secret treasures ; He never let anyone see what was inside. Did he still have the perfume of that night stained in his memory?

The world belongs to you, all for a short while.

September 11th, 2023. 3:28 PM

[reasoningdaily]

For Catherine Morris, the founder and executive director of the Boston Art and Music Soul Festival, Franklin Park is a sacred ground of sorts. The site is home to Elma Lewis Playhouse in the Park, an open-air performance venue that has hosted Black artists since 1966. The park's tie to Black history is one of the reasons Morris decided to host BAMS Fest there. “Franklin Park is ground zero for us because of Elma Lewis,” she says. “I stand on her shoulders.”

Lewis, a famed Black Boston arts educator and organizer, created Playhouse in the Park in the 1960s to serve marginalized communities in Boston. BAMS Fest is a festival that continues the tradition set forth by Lewis — taking up space in one of Boston’s central locations to celebrate Black people and Black art. “We need to think about how our people experience a green space, as Black and brown bodies,” Morris says. “It's fertile ground. It's native ground. All those things we need to be in tune with.”

WBUR is a nonprofit news organization. Our coverage relies on your financial support. If you value articles like the one you're reading right now, give today.

These concepts shaped what would become the first annual BAMS Fest in 2018, where two stages featured musical acts at Franklin Park. The festival also had vendors, street artists, resource tents and more. Around 2,200 people attended the first BAMS Fest. Five years later, the festival is expecting close to 15,000 people.

In the past, BAMS Fest has been a free, one-day experience. This year, that will change. “What's been remarkable is the decision to scale, going from one day to basically three days,” says Morris. “We start with the inaugural BAMS CONX conference, centering Black imagination, entrepreneurship, connection and unity at the Berklee College of Music.” Patrons can expect to hear discussions on topics like equity in music, songwriting, sneaker culture and more. The conference will feature creatives and industry leaders, including drummer and composer Terri Lyne Carrington and journalist Dyana Williams, co-creator of Black Music Month.

“We have chefs. We have food trucks. We have a dedicated kids' zone, which is called 'Kids Play.' We have Black and brown face painters; we have dance,” Morris says. “We have a vendor market. We have over 50 Black and brown nonprofits and businesses. And we added a job fair this year.” To celebrate the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, Grandmaster Flash will close the festival, followed by an afterparty at Chez-Vous Roller Skating Rink.

One other marked difference from years before is the addition of a tiered ticketing system. Buying the BAMS Fam Access Pass at $225, for example, gives visitors access to the entire lineup of events offered during the festival, along with priority seating at Saturday’s events. The new ticketing model was an important decision as the fest moves toward an end goal of expanding and offering more to patrons.

“As a nonprofit organization, as a cultural movement that started from zero to get to where we are, the tiered ticketing model allows for people to support,” Morris points out. “The sustainability of continuing our tradition requires investment. It requires investment from the business community, from the local community, from the arts community.”

However, “there will always be a portion of this that will remain free to the public,” Morris says. Patrons who cannot buy a tiered ticket can always register for free to experience the music, art, vendors and more at Saturday’s festival at Playstead Park. At the end of the day, Morris wants visitors to feel free: “Feel free to take off your shoes. You should feel free to be able to run. You should feel free to be able to do a cartwheel. You should feel free to dance."

One of the musicians taking the stage this year on Friday night is Tim Hall, a Boston-based musician. He’s been playing the saxophone since he was 9 years old and now teaches other musicians at Berklee College of Music as an assistant professor in the professional music department. He's also the co-owner of the digital media company HipStory.

Hall has played on a multitude of stages and at many shows but his upcoming performance at BAMS Fest will be his largest to date as a featured artist. "It's very emotional to now find myself performing, not as a sideman, not a session musician for somebody else, but to do my own music at the festival," Hall says. "It's been an emotional experience."

Hall worked at BAMS Fest in different roles between 2015 and 2021. Although he’s no longer working with the nonprofit on the business side, he still feels BAMS Fest is essential for musicians like him. Not only does the festival offer an opportunity to play on one of its two stages, but "there is an educational component to working with artists. It wasn't just like 'Submit your art or submit your profile,'” says Hall. BAMS Fest sought to create active platforms for artists to develop professionally.

But both Hall and Morris point out that the city is still lacking major music venues and spaces that allow for expansive expressions of Black music and culture. Because hip-hop is included in the festival, Morris says she's run into barriers like insurance companies refusing to cover it. “There is a level of tension or trepidation with law enforcement about a potential, you know, gang affiliation.” The festival pays a higher premium because of assumptions about hip-hop. “It's something we have to deal with every single year,” says Morris.

The question of whether or not Boston is hostile to hip-hop has been raised again and again by musicians and festival organizers like Morris. WBUR's Amelia Mason reported in 2018 that hip-hop artists, DJs and event coordinators faced heightened difficulties when trying to book acts or ran into roadblocks when trying to execute hip-hop themed events.

For Morris, it makes the work BAMS Fest is doing even more important. “We're more than a festival,” she says. “Everything from challenging our city government around the permitting process, how Boston police are involved in the permitting process. There are a lot of us giving our lives to the work so that future curators and producers and organizations don't have to go through what we are experiencing right now.”

Despite the hurdles, the outcome is worth it. As Morris says, BAMS Fest is more than just a festival — it's a movement. “Doing a multidisciplinary intergenerational festival that feeds people, gives them nourishment, something they can be proud about starts to change the attitude about what's possible and will hopefully inspire the next generation to go bigger,” says Morris.

[steelcityreviews]

FRINGE REVIEW: Bimbos in Space!

Director: Kit Simmons

Playwright: Claud Spadafora

Company: Femmepire 

Performers: Kitoko Mai, Claud Spadafora, Severine Salvador, Tarah Ahmad, Catherine Allen, Mykola Paskaruk,  Kristina Kuhnert (also stage manager)

Captain Shadowban and her rebel crew of degenerate space bimbos must save the galaxy from evil! Inspired by B movies and exploitation film of the 1960s, the audience straps on (in...I mean, in) board the SS Slutbucket and SS Virago and hyper-drive themselves to encounter space westerners, dommes, an immortal tampon deity and Elon Musk’s cryogenically frozen head to negotiate the true meaning of justice in an increasingly polarized galaxy.

As much as this show is about bimbos and what that looks like to different groups of people, it is truly a fascinating piece of absurdist, feminist theatre. The folks at Femmepire have neglected nothing in terms of set, props, digital media and some truly immersive sound and lighting design. The story (a true labour of love and justice by Claud Spadafora) seems a bit much at times. It crams in as many social and political references and internet slang/turns of phrase as it can but we can ultimately forgive the wordiness when you’re having that much fun watching the space saga unfold. 

The characters are a mixed bag of hilarity. The domme who uses fear for good. The captain who is empty-headed...on purpose. The HR personnel who is all rules and regulations, horny for accountability. The delightfully queer communications officer who is a descendant of William Shakespeare. The technician who suffers from the sweetest struggle with low self-esteem and of course, our fearless leader who is no nonsense and may, quite literally, eat the rich. They are performed well, with only a few noticeable hiccups in line delivery due to sound cues overpowering them. There’s still some nervous energy too but it adds to the overall charm of the piece.

The audiences have been enormous since opening night, and thankfully the venue has released even more seats for our eager space cadet audience to see the bimbos fight for justice (and good hair). There was so much infectious laughter, cheering and hooting throughout that it’s easy to understand why this show is so popular and comes so highly recommended. 

Bimbos in Space not going to be for everyone but those that love this show are going to love it intensely. There is so much to take in, I would suggest this company films a version of it to better capture the hilarious absurdity that this show has in spades. Also, let there be a sequel. I need more adventures with these bimbos. This is a very strong contender for one of the weirdest and wonderful shows this year at Fringe. Engage besties! 

Event Details

Price: $12

Genre: Theatre—Comedy, Theatre—Drama

Duration: 60 mins

Warnings: Sexual Content, Coarse Language, Violence, Other

Age Suitability: Mature (ages 18+)

For tickets, please visit: https://hftco.ca/events/bimbos-in-space/

[f1]

Williams driver Sargeant says first race on home circuit in Miami is a big hurdle to climb

Logan Sargeant says that the Miami International Autodrome will prove a “tough” challenge, even if the promise of racing on his home turf is an exciting one. Sargeant is not only preparing to compete in his first home Formula 1 race, but his first car race in the United States with this weekend’s 2023 Miami Grand Prix. The Williams driver karted near the stadium on his way to F1 and also raced at the nearby Homestead-Miami Speedway – while his brother Dalton Sargeant is a stock car racer. READ MORE: ‘No air to be cleared’ with Verstappen says Russell as Mercedes prepare for podium battle in Miami Given the challenging nature of the Miami International Autodrome, and the hot and humid weather, Sargeant said he’s not expecting his weekend to be an easy one. “It was nice to get home after Baku, I was able to spend two days at home to really recharge and get out on the water, which was nice," he said on Thursday. "And yeah, I’m excited for this weekend – it’s nice to be back in my well-known climate, which is extremely hot. But it’s going to be a tough weekend not knowing the track. It’s a big hurdle to climb but yeah I’m excited." Sargeant seeks his first F1 point in Miami The American F1 driver, who seeks his first F1 points, added that his motorsport roots lay just miles from the Miami Dolphins’ stadium and this almost brand-new F1 venue. “I started racing 10 minutes down the road at Homestead-Miami Speedway," he explained. "It was really just at the time something to do with my dad and my brother. Obviously we were competitive kids, and we just loved the sport and we love the adrenaline, and that just took us on a long journey. Here we are, done the full circle back to Miami for my… first home F1 race. so yeah, looking forward to it.” DESTINATION GUIDE: What fans can eat, see and do when they visit Florida for the Miami Grand Prix This feature is currently not available because you need to provide consent to functional cookies. Please update your cookie preferences 2023 Azerbaijan GP Sprint Shootout: Logan Sargeant crash brings out the red flags And Sargeant added that he’s looking forward to the atmosphere provided by thousands of home fans. READ MORE: How to stream the 2023 Miami Grand Prix on F1 TV Pro “It’s amazing to be here," he said. "I probably had about a thousand ticket requests at this point – no, not that many, maybe a hundred – but no I don’t have tickets as easy as everyone thinks. It’s nice to be here, it’s going to be nice to actually take part in my first ever car race in America, that will be pretty cool. “Just to see the American fans, our friends and family here - the atmosphere is always good in America. The American fans put out, so I’m excited to have that home atmosphere for the first time and really just enjoy every part of the weekend.” via Formula 1 News https://www.formula1.com

[whileiamdying]

Tina Turner, Magnetic Singer of Explosive Power, Is Dead at 83

Hailed in the 1960s for her dynamic performances with her first husband, Ike, she became a sensation as a recording artist, often echoing her personal struggles in her songs.

By William Grimes Published May 24, 2023 Updated May 25, 2023

Tina Turner, the earthshaking singer whose rasping vocals, sexual magnetism and explosive energy made her an unforgettable live performer and one of the most successful recording artists of all time, died on Wednesday at her home in Küsnacht, Switzerland, near Zurich. She was 83.

Her publicist Bernard Doherty announced the death in a statement but did not provide the cause. She had a stroke in recent years and was known to be struggling with a kidney disease and other illnesses.

Ms. Turner embarked on her half-century career in the late 1950s, while still attending high school, when she began singing with Ike Turner and his band, the Kings of Rhythm. At first she was only an occasional performer, but she soon became the group’s star attraction — and Mr. Turner’s wife. With her potent, bluesy voice and her frenetic dancing style, she made an instant impression.

Their ensemble, soon renamed the Ike and Tina Turner Revue, became one of the premier touring soul acts in Black venues on the so-called chitlin’ circuit. After the Rolling Stones invited the group to open for them, first on a British tour in 1966 and then on an American tour in 1969, white listeners in both countries began paying attention.

Ms. Turner, who insisted on adding rock songs by the Beatles and the Stones to her repertoire, reached an enormous new audience, giving the Ike and Tina Turner Revue its first Top 10 hit with her version of the Creedence Clearwater Revival song “Proud Mary” in 1971 and a Grammy Award for best R&B vocal performance by a group.

“In the context of today’s show business, Tina Turner must be the most sensational professional onstage,” Ralph J. Gleason, the influential jazz and pop critic for The San Francisco Chronicle, wrote in a review of a Rolling Stones concert in Oakland in November 1969. “She comes on like a hurricane. She dances and twists and shakes and sings and the impact is instant and total.”

But if the Ike and Tina Turner Revue was a success, the Ike and Tina Turner marriage was not. Mr. Turner was abusive. After she escaped the marriage in her 30s, her career faltered. But her solo album “Private Dancer,” released in 1984, returned her to the spotlight — and lifted her into the pop stratosphere.

Working with younger songwriters, and backed by a smooth, synthesized sound that provided a lustrous wrapping for her raw, urgent vocals, she delivered three mammoth hits: the title song, written by Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits; “Better Be Good to Me”; and “What’s Love Got to Do With It.”

Referring to its “innovative fusion of old-fashioned soul singing and new wave synth-pop,” Stephen Holden, in a review for The New York Times, called the album “a landmark not only in the career of the 45-year-old singer, who has been recording since the late 1950s, but in the evolution of pop-soul music itself.”

At the 1985 Grammy Awards, “What’s Love Got to Do With It” won three awards, for record of the year, song of the year and best female pop vocal performance, and “Better Be Good To Me” won for best female rock vocal performance.

The album went on to sell five million copies and ignite a touring career that established Ms. Turner as a worldwide phenomenon. In 1988 she appeared before about 180,000 people at the Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, breaking a record for the largest paying audience for a solo artist. After her “Twenty Four Seven” tour in 2000 sold more than $100 million in tickets, Guinness World Records announced that she had sold more concert tickets than any other solo performer in history.

‘Well-to-Do Farmers’

Tina Turner was born Anna Mae Bullock on Nov. 26, 1939, in Brownsville, Tenn., northeast of Memphis, and spent her earliest years on the Poindexter farm in Nutbush, an unincorporated area nearby, where she sang in the choir of the Spring Hill Baptist Church.

Her father, Floyd, known by his middle name, Richard, worked as the farm’s overseer — “We were well-to-do farmers,” Ms. Turner told Rolling Stone in 1986 — and had a difficult relationship with his wife, Zelma (Currie) Bullock.

Her parents left Anna and her older sister, Alline, with relatives when they went to work at a military installation in Knoxville during World War II. The family reunited after the war, but Zelma left her husband a few years later and Anna lived with her grandmother in Brownsville.

After rejoining her mother in St. Louis, she attended Sumner High School there. She and Alline began frequenting the Manhattan Club in East St. Louis, Ill., to hear Ike Turner and the Kings of Rhythm.

“I wanted to get up there and sing sooooo bad,” Ms. Turner recalled in “I, Tina: My Life Story” (1986), written with Kurt Loder. “But that took an entire year.”

One night, during one of the band’s breaks, the drummer, Eugene Washington, handed her the microphone and she began singing the B.B. King song “You Know I Love You,” which Mr. Turner had produced. “When Ike heard me, he said, ‘My God!’” she told People magazine in 1981. “He couldn’t believe that voice coming out of this frail little body.”

In his book “Takin’ Back My Name: The Confessions of Ike Turner” (1999), written with Nigel Cawthorne, Mr. Turner wrote: “I’d be writing songs with Little Richard in mind, but I didn’t have no Little Richard to sing them, so Tina was my Little Richard. Listen closely to Tina and who do you hear? Little Richard singing in the female voice.”

Mr. Turner used her as a backup singer, billed as Little Ann, on his 1958 record “Boxtop.” When Art Lassiter, the group’s lead singer, failed to show up for the recording of “A Fool in Love,” she stepped in. The record was a hit, reaching No. 2 on the Billboard R&B chart and No. 27 on the pop chart.

Mr. Turner gave his protégée — who by now was also his romantic partner — a new name, Tina, inspired by the television character Sheena, Queen of the Jungle. And he renamed the group the Ike and Tina Turner Revue.

It was a dynamic, disciplined ensemble second only to the James Brown Revue, but until “Proud Mary,” it never achieved significant crossover success. Up to that point it had only one single in the pop Top 20 in the United States, “It’s Gonna Work Out Fine” in 1961. The group did generate several hits on the R&B charts, notably “I Idolize You,” “It’s Gonna Work Out Fine” and “Tra La La La La,” but most of its income came from a relentless touring schedule.

Ms. Turner’s relationship with Mr. Turner, whom she married in 1962 on a quick trip to Tijuana, Mexico, was turbulent. He was dictatorial, violent at times and, in the 1970s, hopelessly addicted to cocaine. She left him in 1976, with 36 cents and a Mobil gasoline card in her pocket, and divorced him two years later. He died of a cocaine overdose in 2007.

“When I left, I was living a life of death,” she told People in 1981. “I didn’t exist. I didn’t fear him killing me when I left, because I was already dead. When I walked out, I didn’t look back.”

Her marriage provided much of the material for the 1993 film “What’s Love Got to Do With It,” with Angela Bassett and Laurence Fishburne in the lead roles. Ms. Turner rerecorded some of her hits, and a new song, “I Don’t Wanna Fight,” for the film, but otherwise declined to participate. “Why would I want to see Ike Turner beat me up again?” she said at the time.

A Second Career

In 1966, the record producer Phil Spector, after hearing the Ike and Tina Turner Revue at the Galaxy Club in Los Angeles, offered $20,000 to produce their next song, on condition that Mr. Turner stay away from the studio. The result, “River Deep, Mountain High,” is often regarded as the high-water mark of Mr. Spector’s patented “wall of sound.” It failed in the United States, barely reaching the Top 100, but it was a big hit in Britain, where it marked the beginning of a second career for Ms. Turner.

“I loved that song,” she wrote in her 1986 memoir. “Because for the first time in my life, it wasn’t just R&B — it had structure, it had a melody.” She added: “I was a singer, and I knew I could do other things; I just never got the opportunity. ‘River Deep’ showed people what I had in me.”

After she walked out on her marriage, encumbered with debt, Ms. Turner struggled to build a solo career, appearing in ill-conceived cabaret acts, before signing with Roger Davies, the manager of Olivia Newton-John, in 1979. Guided by Mr. Davies, she returned to the gritty, hard-rocking style that had made her a crossover star and would propel her through the coming decades as one of the most durable performers on the concert stage.

Her fellow artists took notice. In 1982, Martyn Ware and Ian Craig Marsh, of the band and production company known as the British Electric Foundation, recruited her to record the Temptations’ 1970 hit “Ball of Confusion” for an album of soul and rock covers backed by synthesizers. Its success led to a second collaboration, a remake of Al Green’s “Let’s Stay Together.” A surprise hit in the United States and Britain, it was the turning point that led to “Private Dancer.”

Ms. Turner followed the runaway success of “Private Dancer” with two more hit albums: “Break Every Rule” (1986) and “Foreign Affair” (1989), which contained the hit single “The Best.”

She made an impact onscreen as well. Ten years after she solidified her persona as a rock ’n’ roller with a riveting performance as the Acid Queen in Ken Russell’s film version of “Tommy,” the Who’s rock opera, she drew praise for her performance as Aunty Entity, the iron-fisted ruler of postapocalyptic Bartertown, in “Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome” in 1985.

That film also provided her with two more hit singles, “We Don’t Need Another Hero (Thunderdome)” and “One of the Living,” which was named the best female rock vocal performance at the Grammys in 1986.

In 1991 she and Mr. Turner, in prison at the time for cocaine possession, were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. (She was inducted again as a solo artist in 2021.) She received a Kennedy Center Honor in 2005 and a Grammy lifetime achievement award in 2018.

In 1985 she began a relationship with the German music executive Erwin Bach, whom she married in 2013 after moving with him to Küsnacht and becoming a Swiss citizen. He survives her. Ron, her only child with Mr. Turner, died of colon cancer complications in 2022. Another son, Craig, from her relationship with Raymond Hill, the saxophone player for the Kings of Rhythm, died by suicide in 2018. Her sister, Alline Bullock, died in 2010. Ms. Turner raised two children of Mr. Turner’s, Ike Jr. and Michael.

Complete information on her survivors was not immediately available.

After releasing the album “Twenty Four Seven” in 1999, at 60 and touring to promote it, Ms. Turner announced her retirement. It did not last. In 2008, after performing with Beyoncé at the Grammy Awards, she embarked on an international tour marking her 50th year in the music business.

She announced her retirement again a few years later, but she remained active in other ways. In 2018, she published her second memoir, “My Love Story.”

She and Mr. Bach were executive producers of “Tina: The Tina Turner Musical,” a stage show based on her life and incorporating many of her hits, which opened in London in 2018 and in Hamburg and on Broadway in 2019; Ms. Turner worked with the show’s choreographer and shared memories with its writers.

While reviews were mixed, the musical earned 12 Tony Award nominations; Adrienne Warren, who starred as Ms. Turner, won the award for best actress in a leading role. “In a performance that is part possession, part workout and part wig,” Jesse Green wrote in a review for The Times, “Adrienne Warren rocks the rafters and dissolves your doubts about anyone daring to step into the diva’s high heels.”

The show closed after four months because of the pandemic lockdown, reopening in October 2021 before closing again a year later and going on the road. There is currently a production touring the U.S., as well as productions in Stuttgart, Germany; Sydney, Australia; and London.

Through it all, Ms. Turner’s music endured.

“My music doesn’t sound dated; it’s still standing strong,” she told The Daily Mail in 2008. “Like me.”

A correction was made on May 24, 2023: 

An earlier version of this obituary misstated at one point where Ms. Turner attended high school. As correctly noted elsewhere, it was St. Louis — not East St. Louis, Ill.

A correction was made on May 25, 2023:

Because of an editing error, an earlier version of this obituary misstated the current number of productions of “Tina: The Tina Turner Musical.” In addition to the one touring the United States and the one in London, there are productions in Stuttgart, Germany, and Sydney, Australia.

[stageyrebecca]

The West End's Premium Priced Ticket Problem

This isn't a thinkpiece on whether or not premium priced theatre tickets are acceptable or not - rather a comment on the general discussion that Twitter users had over the last few days regarding the current cost of theatre tickets.

The West End relies on the tourist market - i.e. those with money who want to see the big long-runners or Hollywood stars. But if we're wanting to continue to create a diverse, theatre-loving UK, we need to stand up to ensure that domestic theatre tourism have a fair way of accessing tickets.

Sparking this debate on Twitter was Theatre & Tonic who posted a screenshot of the seating plan for The King and I's return to the West End, and commented that the prices aren't accessible. From the plan, the majority of the stalls seats are £75, with the lowest price being £35.50 (where the view is majorly obscured by the circle's overhang). Some of the tickets were over £200 - which prompted a lot of conversation on Theatre & Tonic's thread.

I was surprised to see a fair few people defending the pricing - with examples that, to me, seemed deeply unrelated to the original comment. For me, the advance price tickets are what is putting audiences off - which is money in the bank that sustains theatre.

Of course, top price seats are not reflective of the entire pricing range, nor are they reflective across all shows in the West End. It's worth noting that The Stage found top price seats in the West End are 20% more expensive than pre-pandemic, and the lowest price seats are about 3% more expensive. But seeing those triple figures for some shows must be disheartening for those who aren't as savvy in finding the cheaper seats. Even then, cheaper seats are often in the form of 'side restricted view' or 'limited legroom' - not exactly a thrilling subtitle for an expensive outing.

I also don't think it's helpful to draw comparisons to Broadway, like some users on the thread did. Broadway boasts higher wages, larger rents and bigger costs.

The King and I's UK tour has sold pretty well so far, where I imagine star-casting Helen George has drawn in a lot of the audiences. I bagged a ticket in the presale, before casting announcements, for £25 at my local venue. When I had to return that ticket due to illness, that ticket was resold for £51 - over double!

The last few weeks have also shown some users bring up the fact A Streetcar Named Desire, starring Paul Mescal, has tickets exceeding £300. And while that's true enough, I don't believe Streetcar should be made an example of for the argument being made here. There was sufficient time to sign up to pre-sales and grab the cheaper tickets, of which 83% were under £100 and 7000 were £25. The £300 seats are in the 'final release' of tickets - and it's not like a Tennessee Williams show with a Hollywood actor in the West End is under the radar edgy theatre.

Some have drawn comparisons to Theatre & Tonic's example of The King and I's launch pricing to A Streetcar Named Desire's dynamic pricing. But it's worth noting that The King and I can't overly argue supply and demand like Streetcar can - sure the UK tour could be a litmus test for demand, but it's a musical that generally skews older and is reaching audiences in their hometowns rather than the capital.

Perhaps my controversial opinion on this matter is that commercial theatre, such as the West End, is a business and the dynamic pricing at play is not the worst of what's going on; the advance ticket prices of usual West End shows are leaving a lasting impression on aspiring theatre-goers, particularly where decent cheaper seats are not readily available.

Rush Tickets

One of the popular counterarguments to premium priced seating is the fact they help subsidise schemes like TodayTix's Rush Tickets, where you can be in with the chance of getting £25-30 seats on the day of performance. This point of view, to me, is without nuance.

Some pointed out that The King and I is likely to go on TodayTix's Rush scheme. I personally feel like the average person in TK&I's demographic isn't going to whack out their smartphone to try Rush. But also, the reliance of Rush for cheaper prices (and discounts closer to the time when they panic that no-one has bought top price tickets) entirely mug off those who loyally put money into the theatre early on to secure their seat.

As theatre lovers, we often take for granted that we know the 'tips and tricks' of using Rush, but we have to put ourselves in the shoes of the average UK citizen. We can't apply London-centric schemes on everyone who comments that advance theatre ticket prices are expensive to those who can't do Rush out of location, time, choice of show and so on... Schemes like this aren't "accessible", merely a Get Out Of Jail Free Card for producers, and a lucky win for those who get them. Plus, if everyone in the UK who wants to see theatre tried for Rush, then there'd be no chance of receiving the tickets. For example, The Choir of Man releases just 8 Rush Tickets per performance.

You can't always just hop on a train minute (because you can't complain about train prices without someone saying you could have booked an advance ticket a year ago when mercury was in retrograde on a dusky Tuesday morning...) - but because you have to expect a level of disappointment with these options. Cheaper schemes for accessing tickets shouldn't have to be at odds with living outside of London.

If you're going with your kids who want to see Frozen, or going with your mum who's intent on seeing Pretty Woman, neither party are probably going to accept To Kill A Mockingbird as a reasonable alternative. Us regulars might not be so fussed, but the only way to ensure you see a show is to book in advance. And those advance tickets at present can come with a hefty price tag.

But back to The King and I, imagine you're the average UK earner on roughly £25k, you don't go to the theatre often and you want to to take your nan to see the show - those prices stated are probably going to make you think that that's the standardised ticket cost. Well, it's theatre after all so it's a fancy occasion, right? It's for the elite and should be expensive - is what some might think.

The Olivier Awards

Last weekend, we celebrated the 2023 Olivier Awards ceremony with major wins coming from new northern-penned musical Standing At The Sky's Edge. The highlights from the ceremony were shown on ITV at 10:15pm.

A lot of theatre fans on Twitter cried out for the full ceremony to be shown, stating that there's enough demand for this to happen... (one example below). I personally do not think there is enough demand. Award ceremonies have had dwindling viewers for a long time with the death of live TV - and the fact they're generally pretty long, boring and out of touch.

"But Rebecca, what the hell does that have to do with ticket prices?!"

Well, ITV generally skews towards northern audiences and take up a much larger proportion of ITV's audiences than other regions in the country. What's the point of live screening the London-centric Olivier Awards when their audience's best chances of attending any of the theatre showcased is beyond their price point?

Standing At The Sky's Edge, supposedly representing northern working class audiences, is due to head to the Gillian Lynne Theatre in 2024 where Crazy For You's current advance prices also hit the £200 mark - certainly a world away from the National Theatre's £10 Friday Rush scheme.

Even the actors admit the cost of tickets are pricing people out. At the Olivier Awards, Derek Jacobi stated the prices were "disgusting" and that cheap tickets were key to him becoming a passionate theatregoer - understandable as an actor from a working class background.

Again, I'm not here to comment on why premium pricing is in place, or whether it's an acceptable model for West End shows. But the consequence of top price tickets will be a catalyst in ensuring theatre does not succeed in diversity, and will outprice loyal audiences who have want to support the arts.

What are your thoughts?

[mttstructures]

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