Roundup: July 2024
The calm before the storm...
July has been a month of adjustment given that I’ve finally managed to return to full-time work. Even though I felt extremely busy during the months I wasn’t strictly working, it’s definitely taken time to adapt. That being said, it feels great to be back to it and doing something that is reflective of my desired profession.
Even better, returning to work has come at the best time as the end of July has meant mixing my new role with the return to IASG rehearsals so everything has fallen into place and now I feel as though I have the best of both worlds. It’s funny how things work out.
It’s experiencing things coming together that has caused me to find a new, selfish appreciate for my Substack. Even though I’m not as good at it as I wanted to be (I haven’t put enough time in to gaining a decent following or enough traction), it’s proving to be great as a means of reflection and referring back to earlier months to see how much can truly change in such a short space of time.
Here are all things July…
Television
I Am: Celine Dion
Amazon
I feel like this documentary has had quite effective promotion and given that Celine Dion is so well known, I decided to give it a watch. The candidness she provides regarding her diagnosis with SPS is so admirable and raw, but the overall construction of the documentary has its downfalls. Rather than making it purely about her diagnosis, or her achievements, her family, or her career, its a bit too much of a mismatch of everything. For die-hard Celine Dion fans, I’m sure that’s great. But for me, watching an intense scene regarding her illness, followed by another of her walking around a storage warehouse full of her old stuff and humbly bragging about it, the whole thing seemed arbitrary. Considering it’s not even 2 hours long, it took me four nights to get through it.
All Of Us Strangers
Written and Directed by Andrew Haigh
I decided to watch All Of Us Strangers this month thanks to my free trial of Disney+ and the global success it had upon its release in 2023. While I do believe that the film is very much deserving of such success, I watched it trying to find things that weren’t there which meant having to google what some of the plot meant upon finishing it.
If I didn’t put so much pressure on myself trying to be a film critic (which I’m most definitely not), I feel I would have got more out of it.
That being said, it’s a great film and Andrew Scott and Paul Mescal are a brilliant duo.
House of the Dragon, Season 2
HBO
My general thoughts of HOTD in my June roundup were so positive but I can’t help but feel as though this season is proving to be a bit too slow for my liking.
Nothing has really happened over the last few weeks and everything that has could have made up a couple of non-stop, pacy episodes. Although I will see it through to the end, it’s going to take a lot for me to remain a committed fan of prospective seasons.
I hate to be negative towards this one.
I have also watched a couple of crime documentaries this month which I won’t name (one on Amazon and another on Netflix) and they were absolutely terrible, structurally and narratively. If makers don’t have access to CCTV or real interview footage, I don’t feel like the programme is cohesive enough to be truly enjoyable. July has been a negative month on the telly front apparently.
Theatre
Oddly, no visits to the theatre this month. I’m positive August will make up for it…
Concerts
Four brilliant concerts this month! Kings of Leon at Co-op Live in Manchester, Brandi Carlile and Stevie Nicks at Hyde Park in London, and Griff at Rough Trade, Liverpool.
My Kings of Leon review which can be found here, along with my Brandi Carlile and Stevie Nicks review which can be found via the links.
I’m happy to say that my piece on Griff’s gig is my second publication with Liverpool Noise which can be found on their website!
Books
Orphans by Dennis Kelly
3.5/5
One of the many brilliant things of being on another writing course after finishing my previous one in 2022 is the opportunity to revisit plays I’ve already read. But, more importantly, reading them for a second time and realising that my level of understanding and appreciation for them has massively enhanced. The first time I read Orphans by Dennis Kelly, I didn’t really understand it. The second time around, it was the catalyst for starting my new script, thanks to its pace and shock; I’m very excited about it.
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
3.5/5
If you remember my list of goals for 2024, completing The Picture of Dorian Gray has meant that I have now succeeded in reading three classics this year. Amongst Frankenstein, The Outsider, and The Picture of Dorian Gray, it is Frankenstein that I enjoyed the most.
That being said, I appreciate Oscar Wilde’s writing and enjoyed a lot about the novel. The story itself I found to be interesting thanks to the overall narrative and how unapologetically Wilde incorporates morality into the text. There were also things that I didn’t love which mainly derived from Chapter 11. Some of the language that Wilde uses - though it makes for great characterisation - simply annoyed me. I’m aware that’s my own problem. Generally though, a good read.
And the rest…
Play Number 2…
I’ve made a pretty decent start to my second play, which has already undergone a title change. I’m also intending to revisit a few plays I’ve previously read just to solidify the form I want to take.
My approach so far is to write every single thing that springs to my mind for the first draft and gradually change and refine it. Let’s see how it goes…
I Am Steven Gerrard rehearsals
I was planning on writing a really detailed account of how this week of rehearsals have been going. But what I’ve seen and what has been fed back to me is too much to even describe. I cannot wait for the shows next week.
A somewhat shorter roundup for July but a very positive month nonetheless.
Have a great August, I am looking forward to the month ahead.
Thanks for reading!
Sean