Monday 20 February 2012

A 'Mini' Interview

(Interview on 17/02/12 as appeared on The National Student)

With one successful series already under her belt, Freya is still living the dream. As a keen follower of Skins right from the early days having the opportunity to join was like “loving a band, listening to their music, then suddenly being allowed to go on tour with them!” But with such a big respect for Skins legacy, it was obviously very daunting having to step into such large shoes and yet she’s done it well, even taking the sex scenes in her stride…
Freya Mavor
Freya has a very rational approach to this, it’s simply something actors have to do! “Look at Michael Fassbender’s graphic sex scenes in Shame! Of course it’s a slight dread, but a bigger challenge is almost better. But it’s not just the sex Skins depicts teen "issues" such as parties and alcohol, but recent episodes have also featured death and physical violence…surely this isn’t common in an average teenager’s life? “Skins tries to catch on to relatable issues, but it’s a drama, so it needs drama!” says Freya, explaining that Laya (who plays Liv) has the perfect theory: “it’s all the crazy stories you hear at school apparently happening to various people, all mushed up, happening to one friendship group!”

The fact that such a wide audience (including friends and family) see her explicit scenes is part of the process to Freya.
“Once they’re out, they’re out and at the end of the day they’re there to move the story along.”
Her nerves prior to filming have also settled, “It depends completely on the scene and the awkwardness and mindset of the character…an hour in you kind of get over it!”

She describes a certain ease and confidence filming this series compared to the first series, she’s gained confidence and a certain know-how and is better at tapping into the right emotions. Yet she still admits to nerves. “I’m apprehensive in the sense that I want to give a good performance.” Hence having a whole episode focused on her is both exciting and daunting; “Acting is what I want to do, therefore it’s good to showcase my talent, but yes, the pressure’s on!”

It’s obvious she is committed to her cause. “I loved filming the scenes and it’s always a lot of hard work that goes into it. It’s great to watch it back and remember the filming process!” But it’s not all smooth sailing…Mini’s episode deals with some big and emotional issues, not always easy to take in your stride. “I’d just filmed a really intense crying scene and then went straight into a more chatting and upbeat one and I just couldn’t do it! It really affected me, to achieve raw emotion you have to invest in it; it takes it out of you, and immersion becomes more and more believable…”



Yet Freya makes it very clear that she’s different to Mini, far more “gangly and awkward” whilst Mini is a “cold fish!” She explains that she doesn’t do bitchy, she “doesn’t have the balls” to pull it off and would definitely crumble! Then again when she started playing her, she considered herself and Mini to be polar opposites, but since, she’s discovered that she’s a bit like Mini in the sense that she likes to know what’s going on! Even so, in her daily routine nothing has changed. “When I started, I though I’d have to polish up, but I’m still scruffy! It’s important to hold onto your identity.”

Since she hit our screens, Mini has developed quite a bit from a secretly insecure virgin with body issues, to a more promiscuous young lady, accused of ‘not being able to love anything.’ This is where her episode on Monday comes in: “she’s been carrying a big burden on her own and a big secret is revealed. In the past she’s been let down and deceived by men, so she’s learning to trust and prove she’s independent…she can have a man on the side!”

Maybe this is why her clothing has changed slightly? The Skins costumes, Freya explains, “emulate what the character is going through.” Her comment that “when at end of day you’re taking off your costume, you’re also taking off your character’s skin” proves that acting is something that she is clued-up and serious about, and her stint on Skins has only validated this, giving her the valuable experience of acting on a professional basis; her ideal career.

A member of The National Youth Theatre, Freya has a sound knowledge of the industry and her practical take on it is amazing.  “Whilst it’s important to embody your character, you can’t isolate yourself from real life, method acting is good, but there’s a fine line between it and losing yourself…” Perhaps this is why she has stayed so down-to-earth? “It’s a hard industry, so hit-and-miss…so it’s important to keep other things going.” Clearly this isn’t a problem for her, juggling filming with finishing her A-levels. “I’m just a bit geeky in that sense, so I worked hard.”

Fair play to her, maybe it's something Mini could look into…

Sunday 19 February 2012

Skins Chat

So the other day I was lucky enough to interview Skins's very own Freya Mavor (aka Queen Bee Mini McGuiness...) the interview should go up on The National Student very soon, I'll let you know! x


Wednesday 15 February 2012

‘Shakespeare’s Villains’ @ Nottingham Playhouse


Stephen Berkoff is amongst the crème de la crème of Britains traditionally trained thespians, therefore it should come as no surprise that he can command the entire Nottingham Playhouse stage. On his own. Without any props or staging, whatsoever. Within the space of two hours he casually embodied Iago, Richard III, both Macbeths’, Hamlet and Oberon, to name but a few, to a highly convincing level. It’s fair to say, that the LA Weekly Theatre Award the one-man show received in 2000, is more than deserved.
Shakespeare’s Villains deals with Berkoff’s field of expertise: the villain. From Hitler to the ultimateBond baddies, he’s played them all. In this play Berkoff kindly takes us by the hand and explains some of Shakespeare’s finest characters; those who are inherently evil, whose situation leads them to evil deeds or who are at the mercy of an evil society. Rather than just a string of monologues, Berkoff wittily placed his villains in easily classifiable categories; the mediocre villain, the genius villain…and although all of these roles (highlighted by a spotlight tinged with blood) are clearly second nature to him, the spiel in between is improvised, bouncing off the audience in a truly amazing manner. Each villain is clearly a vulgar, intense feast of exaggeration and yet their very humane foibles are so keenly observed and applied. All of this is rolled up with a street-urchin like sense of humour.
The best moments for me were Hamlet trudging through his royal home shouting ‘Mother!’…’Mother!’ repeatedly, whilst climbing endless staircases and encountering numerous doors, all along the stage sides! Or Oberon, that last villain, as the first but most primitive Junk dealer, was sadly, as too much of a coward to administer this love drug himself and his noble servant (Puck) rises to the occasion. Puck – a name which Berkoff implies is best not shouted at the Globe in strong winds…
My only complaint is that dear Berkoff cruelly stereotypes us students. We after all have so dedicatedly forked out our cash for him, he suggests that the only reason poor Hamlet managed to drag his deed of revenge out across four hours was down to the fact that he is simply a student unable to firstly analyse and secondly plan his act of retribution.
Apart from this minor blunder, it truly was a brilliant performance. And yet the highly talented Berkoff himself seemed most genuinely proud about the fact that Sir Ian McKellen lives on his road. And no, he’s not bitter that he is not yet knighted. Not one little bit.
All content © 2006 - 2012 Impact Magazine

Tuesday 14 February 2012

To all you single ladies out there on this silly day...


May your Valentine's Day be merry, even if you're as free as a Pringle and ready to mingle. x

Friday 10 February 2012

Made on Essex Shore, ft. the Desperate Scousewives


It’s Monday night and here are your news at 10. The German Chancellor Angela Merkel and….” I switch to E4, just in time to catch the review of last week’s Made in Chelsea. Thank god, just in time. Maybe here it dawns on me that somewhere I’m potentially getting my priorities wrong. Obviously I’d like to defend myself by suggesting that as a student I’m allowed to live in the ‘student bubble’ without so much as the faintest idea of what’s going on in the outside world, and yet, as a budding journalist, I do feel naturally guilty and ashamed! A couple of years ago, the U.S. brought us The Hills and The City, only for us Brits to jump onboard the ‘constructed-reality’ show bandwagon and launch The Only Way Is Essex (affectionately: TOWIE), Made In Chelsea, Geordie Shore AND the brand new, yet to be rated or slated, Desperate Scousewives. But why are these shows such a success and why do we knock them, only to actively count down the days until the next episode…in the meantime agonizing almost as much as Millie, that Hugo has probably cheated on her with Rosie in Chelsea?! The drama!!

 As the British public, due to our notorious need for celebrity, we practically allow anyone and everyone to become a ‘celebrated public figure’ who is featured in our media. Wikipedia tells me that Amy Childs became “well-known in 2010 while appearing in ITV2’s semi-reality programme The Only Way Is Essex where she brought the word ‘vajazzle’ to public notice.” Yes, that’s right. She achieved fame and fortune by promoting vajazzles aka vaginal diamante… Kudos to her!

True, 100 years ago our ancestors didn’t have reality shows or even Heat or Hello! to inform them what their contemporary Kate Middletons were up to and yes, perhaps they were less trivial, materialistic and superficial. Then again, look at Georgiana, the Duchess of Devonshire or Lord Byron, the celebrities of their own time. They have always existed. It is in our human nature; we need someone to look up to, to crave to follow, to aspire to. The triviality of our generation lies, if anywhere, in our ability of showing a genuine interest in someone who specializes in genital gems. Personally I think it’s wonderful to admire and observe public personalities such as Stephen Fry, French and Saunders, Judi Dench, JK Rowling…I could go on. Yes, they’re on TV, on audio and in print, but due to their talents, passions and hard work, not the fact that the camera follows them when they go on a ‘constructed’ night out.  

So surely, come next Monday night at 10pm I’ll be watching the news or Stephen Fry’s QI… 
Nah, I can safely assure you I’ll be watching Made In Chelsea because yes, I love it and a little bit of easy viewing never hurt anyone. 

Wednesday 8 February 2012

Hiding behind the internet...



“Hi sexy xxx ” - these were the actual words a complete stranger sent me on Facebook the other day via private message. Upon looking at the ‘info’ on his Profile, I was delighted to discover he was an apparently single sleaze looking for ‘attractive, single girls for…’ (I won’t burden you with it) After I’d obviously deleted the message, WITHOUT responding, I did stop to think.

Why on earth do people think that this is ok?! I put good money on the fact that had I passed this lovely lad in the street, he wouldn’t have even so much as squawked at me, so what gives him the right to do it over the internet?

Another scenario: one of my housemates is one of this years ‘Flirty Thirty’ on ITV’s dating show Take Me Out and I hasten to add puts on by far the best performance. She comes across as genuine, pleasant and good fun and doesn’t once put a foot out of place. Yet still, five minutes into the show #takemoeout is obviously trending on Twitter and, although there are nice comments about her, the majority, are simply unnecessary and ridiculous.



So why do people think that it’s in any shape or form acceptable to hide behind the internet? An ‘online presence’ myself, I like to occasionally twitter my (probably useless) thoughts and ideas to the outside world or get in contact with people via Facebook, and yes it is a way of meeting new people. But surely just because the receiver of your message may not know you or know who you are, does not make it in anyway acceptable to be horrid or simply out of place? You may not be face to face and the other person may not physically see you, but you’re still conversing, so surely conversation conventions apply. I wouldn’t dream of walking up to a random person in the street and telling them their voice is annoying/I fancy them, would they like to…(you get the jist).

Come on guys. Manners apply on the internet as much as on the street.

Tuesday 7 February 2012

Guten Abend, gute Nacht...


After some blasé dabbling in the delights of Insomnia a while ago, I would like to say I’ve moved on to bigger and better things. Those of you (yes my dear sister I mean you!) who put your head on the pillow and fall asleep immediately, well that’s great for you, well done. Go and have a cookie. For the rest of you insomniacs I advise a mug of hot milk and honey; an old wives tale it may be, but boy does it work!

As a child I was ALWAYS the last one asleep at sleepovers and my parents stopped checking up on me before going to bed because I’d still be awake anyway. So it seems Insomnia and I were a match made in heaven…however I’d like to take this opportunity to publically announce our split. I haven’t looked back since. (touch bloody wood)


Before I continue basking in my stronger-than-ever-free-woman-glory, I’ll give all of you still suffering, some advice on how you too, can break free from this tiresome (sorry…) relationship.

 Exercise. Remember that sleeping is to recover, so if you’ve done absolutely nothing all day, what’s the point in recovering? Obviously you don’t HAVE to do this…a day of lectures/working etc is equally tiring!
No caffeine. NO caffeine. If you have an afternoon lull, a banana is cracking.
 An hour before bed, stop working and turn off the TV/laptop…read a magazine, have a hot bath, play some music…chiiiiiill…
Don't try and nap during the day
 Read a couple of pages in bed of something you enjoy.
      This one is the most important: if you can’t sleep, who cares?! Don’t stress about it. I know it’s easy to say, but if you don’t sleep tonight, tomorrow will still happen! Yes it probably won’t be as peachy as you’d hoped, but you’ll get through it and panicking will just make everything SO much worse. Put on an audiobook and just lie there and listen…the average Harry Potter is about 7 hours long and you can download it from iTunes whilst in bed.



Monday 6 February 2012

Blagger's Guide to the ultimate Reading List (for students)

February is grim. The nights are getting longer, but noooooot quite fast enough... Put the kettle on, put your feet up and grab a book.
The Help: Kathryn Stockett
This has recently come to us on the big screen, but was first and foremost a novel and is a cracking read! A New York Bestseller, it narrates Miss Skeeters uncovering of the unfair discrimination against the ‘coloured help’ in 1960’s Jackson, Mississippi homes. Although it focuses on a relatively serious issue, it provides plenty of good humour and fun; it is a brilliant ‘in-between-lecture’ read.






The Great Gatsby
: F. Scott Fitzgerald
The newest film incarnation of this novel has been taken on by Baz Lurhmann and, although it is not out until late 2012, it will undoubtedly be an obligatory watch. Therefore being the academics that we are, reading the novel beforehand is also a must! Set in the roaring ’20s on the East Coast, this is a Fitzgerald Classic, featuring literary greats such as Gatsby himself and the infamous Daisy Buchanan.






Starter For Ten: David Nicholls
Unless you’ve been living under a rock you will have heard of the hype surrounding Nicholls’ ‘One Day’. His equally successful and earlier novel, ‘Starter for Ten’ (also a film) is equally top-notch! It neatly sums up university life — the cliques, the halls and the humiliations. Although we’re probably not all gagging to get onto University Challenge, there’s definitely a little bit of Brian Jackson in all of us.
The Other Hand: Chris Cleave
A dual narrative story about a reunion in England between a Nigerian asylum-seeker and a British magazine editor after a chance meeting during the oil conflict in the Niger Delta. This book is incredible. Although it won't exactly lift your mood through its dealing with political violence, British colonization and the treatment of refugees, it is still a moving and enjoyable read.












All content © 2006 - 2012 Impact Magazine

Sunday 5 February 2012

Thoughts of a university OAP


“Woop I’m going to Mbar tonight, are you out?”
“No, we’re just having a chilled house-night in with some wine.” – Lies. Maybe one of us will drink a glass of wine, but I’ll do some work, have dinner and after watching a bit of mind-numbing TV and a big discussion on how we WILL be finding our husbands before the end of uni, going to bed with a book. Shit. I’m 20 and in my final year of uni and not 50 with a mortgage. Right so we often giggle about how much of a ‘Grandma’ we’ve all become, but jokes on us, the witty jest is in fact far from ironic!

The memory of Fresher’s Week alone makes me tired…out every night, in bed at 3am at the earliest and on average 15 units of alcohol consumed a night (don’t judge…we all know it’s easily done).  Oh and on a Saturday? Up at 8am after a heavy 9pm-3am stint at Ocean and onto the Rag Raid bus to Cardiff/Leeds/Newcastle/Liverpool/etc to ‘do our bit for charity’ and then get absolutely legless on the bus on the 8 hour journey home. The thought now honestly makes my toes curl.


But the icing on the cake simply has to be our ‘house party’…  The Facebook event had been created and we were even planning on a DJ! No chance. Suddenly I was flitting off for a casual family holiday for the weekend, another housemate had been called home and yet another had boyfriend commitments. The tables quickly turned from ‘so what dates is that DJ free?’ to ‘why don’t we just invite people over and make a huge pot of tea and some cupcakes?’ I kid you not, the suggestion was serious and we all agreed!!

So have I grown old and boring (at 20?! FML)? After a mild oh-god-I’m-so-old panic, I draw the conclusion that no, I’m not boring. I’m simply enjoying sober time with my friends and making the most of seeing them whilst I can. And when reality confronts you that next year you’re suddenly out there in the big bad world sans student loan (David Cameron I’m forever in your debt…quite literally) spending about £20 a night every night on drinks that are quite honestly gross, just doesn’t seem feasible!

Still, Fresher’s, I salute you. 



Thursday 2 February 2012

Tralalala

So I take back my whinge. I have been offered an internship with a fashion magazine in Zurich...time to grow up!