Norwich Nights Magazine Vol 2 Issue 1

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Norwich Nights Magazine Email: Norwich-nights-magazine@outlook.com

EDITORIAL Editor-In-Chief: Melissa Compton Senior Content Editor: Bethany Banks Lead Food Writer: Zena Leech-Calton Gaming Writer: Dawn Boyd Expert Panel—Food : Leech-Calton Expert Panel—Theatre: Antoinette Moses Contributor: Daniel Evans Design and Format: Melissa Compton Cover Photography: Melissa Compton Photography: Unspalsh.com, Melissa Compton, Arun Kapur Advertising: Melissa Compton

SUBSCRIPTIONS AND BACK ISSUES To ensure you do not miss an issue, visit our shop at www.inetermagazinesuk.com. To contact us about orders, renewals, missing issues or other ordering queries contact: info@norwichnightsmagazine.co.uk

INTERMAGAZINES LTD Company Director: Melissa Compton No part of this magazine may be reproduced in any form In whole or part without prior permission from the publisher.

All published material is either the copyright of Intermagazines Ltd or the copyright of the producer (including photographers, writers etc). Intermagazines Ltd do not require our writers to surrender their copyright; instead we work closely with our writers and artists to ensure all content is original. We reserve the right to edit letters, copy, or images submitted to the magazine. The submission of material to the Intermagazines Ltd unsolicited, or requested, is taken as permission to publish in the magazine. We cannot accept responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts, images, or materials lost in the post. Whilst every effort is taken to ensure accuracy, the publisher is not responsible for any errors or omissions, nor do we accepted liability for any loss or damage howsoever caused resulting from use of the magazine.

Intermagazines Ltd is a company registered in England and Wales with company no 12739216.

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Zena’s Lockdown Survival Recipe Kit

There isn’t much going on apart from lockdown and eating – so, if I had to come up with a survival kit recipe pack - this is what it would be!

All feel good meals begin with a Cocktail, a pick me up or pick me off the floor type of affair.

Admittedly this is not so much a cocktail but a recipe for a multilayered drink that you can order in a pub who don’t make cocktails, but you feel like something different and it will only cost as much as a double with a mixer and not the £10 usual cocktail price tag (when pubs open of course) or make it up from ingredients from your booze cupboard.

Recipe: 1 shot (approx. 30ml) Vodka / White Rum or Gin 1 shot Amaretto / Disaronno / nut liqueur

4 - 5 shots Cranberry Juice Served long over ice If you make a cocktail stirrer with a rosemary twig (brush), it’s even tastier .

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What do you do when you fancy a dessert but don’t fancy cooking? Why, you melt, and make a Tiffin, of course!

A non-cooked cake also known as Chocolate Tiffin, easy to make delicious to eat and even better to share.

Recipe: (Boozy) Chocolate Fridge Cake (16 pieces) 150g Butter - diced 200g good dark chocolate - chopped 2 heaped tablespoons Golden syrup 30-40ml (optional) Booze – whatever you fancy.

200g Biscuits – try digestives, rich tea, bourbons, ginger nuts, or shortbread – crunched into small bite sized broken pieces and crumbs.

100g raisins (or sultanas or currants) 50g dried apricots (or other dried fruit of choice) - chopped Optional extras – 40-50 g off either Glace cherry halves, pistachio nuts, flaked coconut, broken walnuts, Rice Krispies, coco pops, mini marshmallows (for Rocky Roads) or chopped fudge.

Method Melt the butter, chocolate, and the syrup in a saucepan over a gentle heat, (bain-marie) stirring until melted. (or in a microwave on a medium setting) TIP – make it boozy by adding a shot (3040g) of something yummy, I recommend dark rum, baileys, cherry brandy, mint liquor.

Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining ingredients.

Spoon into the lined dish, pushing down the top.

Set in the fridge for 20 minutes or so until firm.

Turn out and cut into small squares or rectangle bars.

TIP - Use - 20 – 24 cm square / round or rectangle dish or tin – lined with cling film or greaseproof paper. *Use a good dark chocolate of 60% or more cocoa, making it rich and easier to set. Of course, you can also mix milk and dark chocolate together and /or add white chocolate chips for a triple indulgent chocolate tiffin.

Recipe by Zena Leech-Calton © www.lovenorwichfood.co.uk 10

When looking for a comfort meal, there’s nothing better than home-made Mexican Tacos plus, red mole, salad, cheese, and guacamole, eaten by the half-a-dozen, to fill you with glee.

Mole – (Pronounced Moh-Lay) “mole poblano” This national dish of Mexico is a slightly spiced stew enriched with chocolate.

Recipe: 1 - 2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil 1 onion – medium diced 2 clove garlic – thinly sliced 1 dried red chili – whole 1 fresh red chili – finely diced 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds 1/4 teaspoon coriander seeds 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves 3 tomatoes – diced with seeds and all 30g / 1 oz cornmeal or polenta 100ml / 1/3-pint water or stock – made up with 1/2 chicken stock cube 30g / 1 oz raisins 30g / 1 oz flaked almonds 20g / 1/2oz plain dark chocolate – minimum 65% coco solids 3 tablespoons chopped flat parsley – stalks and leaf & seasoning Method

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Heat the oil in a large pan

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Add the onion and cook until soft

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Add the garlic and all the spice and chili and allow to cook gently, stirring all the time to cook out the spices

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Add the tomatoes and allow to cook for a minute

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Stir in the polenta, and add the stock stirring all the time, to stop any lumps forming

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Simmer for 20 minutes

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Add the raisins, almonds, and chocolate and boil for a few minutes

You can WHIZZ or not whizz I do prefer my Mole smooth but that is up to you.

Tip: add the mole sauce to cooked chicken, crispy pork belly, more traditionally cooked turkey strips or your favourite cooked veggies – The worlds your taco.

Tacos stateside are small and you get 2–3 per portion sometimes they double up the tacos to form a thicker layer to stuff – Make a feast of it with a stack or flour tortillas, your mole stew, some iceberg, salad, or shredded dressed white cabbage (yum for crunch), cheese (go for crumbled feta which resembles Mexican cheese better) plus, some dips like sour cream, garlic mayo / Aioli, Guacamole or /, and salsa ‘picco de gallo’.

And simply enjoy with your bubbles.

Recipe by Zena Leech-Calton © www.lovenorwichfood.co.uk

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ollow Norwich Nights Magazine @NorwichNightsmagazine Meet our editor Melissa Compton Melissa is our editor-in-chief and Company Director of Intermagazines Ltd which publishes Norwich Nights Magazine and The Wales Connection Magazine. Melissa is passionate about theatre and food, and also is a Director of the new non-profit company Levelling Centre Limited which provides marketing support for small theatre groups and productions within the UK. Melissa’s experience includes writing reviews for Cardiff Times Magazine, running the blog Cardiff Let’s Talk Theatre .Melissa also writes fiction and poetry, and has published 2 poetry collections.

Norwich Nights Magazine Do you want your copy of Norwich Nights Magazine delivered directly to your door every month? Fill out the form below and send it to us and we will do the rest - easy and simple.

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Love is in the Small Business Air in Norfolk

Supporting Norfolk Small Businesses This Valentine’s Day The Norfolk Creative Box Valentine’s boxes are here – gift boxes of varying budgets filled with beautiful and curated products from Norfolk makers – the theme is love and self-care with treats to pamper your loved one – and easily sent in the post with personalised love note.

Following the disappointment of local businesses following Lockdown 3.0 of markets and the fairs being cancelled for the foreseeable future , as well as the success of the Christmas Gift Box the love of small businesses and the love of giving gifts is here.

I feel there is such talent in small businesses in Norfolk and we want to showcase their offerings. There’s also still a real appetite to support small businesses in these unusual times. Plus, with the physical barrier of not being as easily able to go out to shop we wanted to make it easier for people to find a one of a kind gift boxes for the people they love.

Handmade, locally sourced, affordable products – put in an easy online gift box to send to your friends and loved ones – or for yourself as self care so important – which we will send direct to the recipient all gift wrapped and ready to be opened saving time for the shopper.

It’s all about celebrating and showcasing the talents of Norfolk in one place, here at The Norfolk Creative Box, we guarantee that every single purchase you make will be a seamless process from start to finish.

Following feedback on the Christmas boxes, which expressed a desire to have male-focused gifts too, we now have two boxes for him and 2 boxes for her for you to treat someone in your life.

Shop small, shop Norfolk this Valentine’s Day. Carol Robinson Visit: www.thenorfolkcreativebox.com

Follow us on social media: @thenorfolkcreativebox

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What Makes HER Business Revolution Different?

HER Business Revolution offer training, coaching, events, and networking to passionate and ambitious Female Entrepreneurs and Women in Business to empower them to build bigger, better and more profitable businesses. They started as one small local networking group, and since launching back in 2015, have grown to become one of the most successful and supportive women’s business networks; offering fresh and innovative networking, training, wellbeing and empowerment events – both globally and online. HER Business Revolution are run by Chief Superwoman Serena Fordham and based in Norwich. If you’re watched her videos or been on the Facebook channel, you will have heard Serena say that the fact that they have online and offline events for networking as the key to their success. In truth however this is a huge undersell on Serena’s part who can sometimes be modest.

While the online and offline events are invaluable and often what captures members attention, the supporting and empowering—not to mention non-judgemental attitude of HER Business Revolution and its members is often cited as one of the best things about the Superwoman club along with its expert training courses that help it’s members take steps to improve their business regardless of what industry, they are in and improve sales, increasing profits too. HER Business Revolution makes no promises of what you will achieve which is what sets them apart from other companies, with no promises though also comes the prospect of no boundaries the company, and it’s members encourage and support each other making the impossible, doable.

One of the best ways to join HER Business Revolution is through their funded places, in association with NATWEST BANK PLC. HER Business Revolution work hard to ensure that finance is not a barrier to accessing the Superwoman Club and all it’s benefits listed opposite, The Funded Places give you the Superwoman Club plus a place on their excellent Elite Academy. You can access a funded place if you new in business, or earn a maximum of £1,000 turnover from your business, & based in the Midlands or East Anglian areas of the UK. In addition the Elite Academy has recently been improved there are no longer any fixed programme dates as you can access the programme online and complete tasks weekly when its’s convenient for you to do so Would you like to be part of the HER Business Elite Academy (worth over £1,200) & the Superwomen Membership Club (worth over £100) for 12 weeks at no cost to yourself?

Follow this link to apply: HER BUSINESS ELITE ACADEMY Funded By NatWest | HER Business Revolution 16

Benefits of the HER Business Revolution Membership Private Members Community Members Directory & Web-Badge Free Online and Offline Discounted Events Access to Strategy Booster Call Exclusive Offers Content and Resource Library

Training and Educational Videos Access to the Business Accelerator Course Masterclass of The Month Free Digital Copy of HER Business Planner & Wellbeing Journal Book Publishing Online Expos Wellbeing Summit The Best-Selling Book HER Funny Business 121 Advice Sessions Superwoman Magazine (online)

The Superwoman Club thrives on a supportive, encouraging, and, empowering environment to join us see our website at

www.herbusinessrevolution.biz

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Personalise Your Life and Farm with New Gameplay Details for STORY OF SEASONS: Pioneers of Olive Town on Nintendo Switch™ Meet the Bachelors and Bachelorettes in the latest trailers London, United Kingdom – 15th January 2021 – Marvelous Europe Limited are today excited to unveil new gameplay details, including trailers for each of the new Bachelors and Bachelorettes, for the highly anticipated Nintendo Switch release of STORY OF SEASONS: Pioneers of Olive Town, which launches physically and digitally on the 26th March 2021 within Europe and Australia.

These newly released Bachelor and Bachelorette trailers will give fans a first glimpse at the new marriage candidates, such as Blaire, the bistro waitress who dreams of making it big in the city as an actress, and the reserved Damon, with his cool motorcycle and secret soft spot for helping animals.

Newly revealed gameplay details and screenshots for STORY OF SEASONS: Pioneers of Olive Town also showcase the indepth character customisation and enhanced lifestyle options that will be offered in the game, as well as the ability to ride various animals as a form of transportation.

Whether you wish to recreate yourself in Olive Town, or to create your ideal farm, STORY OF SEASONS: Pioneers of Olive Town will offer an entirely new STORY OF SEASONS experience for newcomers and long-time-fans to enjoy!

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Live Life Your Way With In-Depth Character Customisation: STORY OF SEASONS: Pioneers of Olive Town will let you freely choose your character’s appearance, voice, and clothing to further personalise your new life on the farm. New clothing and further customisation options can also be purchased in-game using currency earned through hard work on the farm.

Will you recreate yourself in digital form, or perhaps create your ideal persona for life on the farm? The decision is yours and the possibilities are nearly endless.

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Character Customisation: You’ll begin STORY OF SEASONS: Pioneers of Olive Town with a variety of customisation options including Gender, Skin Tone, Hairstyle and Eye colour. Further customisation options can be accessed, and purchased, by visiting the beauty shop or spa within Olive Town.

Outfits: A vast wardrobe of style awaits in STORY OF SEASONS: Pioneers of Olive Town as you’ll be able to dress to impress with the wide range of outfits available. At the beginning, your wardrobe will be limited, but more stylish and vibrant outfits can be purchased from the store in Olive Town. Will you embrace the life of a farmer, or dress in style? The choice is yours!

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Embrace Life On The Farm With These New Lifestyle Details: Expansion: Your new life in Olive Town starts by living in a tent, which is not very exciting, but by exploring, and conquering the wilderness, you’ll soon discover an abandoned building ripe for modification. By using your newly acquired survival skills, and the resources available in the wild, you'll be able to transform and expand this derelict area into the farm of your dreams.

Children: Life does not end at Marriage, as after getting married to your chosen partner, you’ll be able to have your very own child. Experience the joy of starting a family and raising your own child while overseeing the success of your farm.

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Pets: Pets make a welcome return to STORY OF SEASONS: Pioneers of Olive Town, but now fans will have even more animals to choose from with each having their own style of personality. Will you adopt a mischievous dog or inherit an adorable cat? The choice is yours, but always remember to take good care of your furry little friends.

Transportation: Traversing through the land in STORY OF SEASONS: Pioneers of Olive Town can be dangerous and tiresome, but thankfully transport is available in the form of your beloved motorcycle. Should, you wish to embrace the wilderness you can even

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Meet The Neighbours: Olive Town is filled with an abundance of people and many of whom you’ll meet during your daily activities. Naturally that first impression is always important, so here are some useful facts about some of the townspeople within STORY OF SEASONS: Pioneers of Olive Town: ▪ Victor – Olive Town’s visionary mayor ▪ Jacopo – Victor’s laid-back son ▪ Patricia – Owner of The Hoof House, the local animal shop, and mother to Bridget and Damon ▪ Georg – Captain of the ferry and Patricia’s husband ▪ Jason and Sally – Owners of the Gull’s Rest Hotel & Café ▪ Mikey – Jason and Sally’s mischievous son ▪ Misaki – Owner of the Capeside Bistro ▪ Gloria – Fashionable curator of Olive Museum and Victor’s wife ▪ Beth – An antique-hound who also works at Olive Museum ▪ Nigel – The town’s legendary carpenter and owner of Nigel’s Handiworks ▪ Clemens – The gearhead owner of the Worker’s Base Tool Shop ▪ Lars – Clemens’ motorcycle-loving younger brother ▪ Angela – Hardworking owner of the general store ▪ Simon – Angela’s father, and one of the original pioneers who founded Olive Town ▪ Jessie – Simon’s kindly wife and another of the original founders of Olive Town ▪ Cindy – Angela’s precocious daughter and Jack’s sister ▪ Marcos – Emilio’s father, and the best fisher in town ▪ Manuela – Emilio’s good-natured mother ▪ Raul – Marcos’ apprentice, an earnest and kindhearted young man ▪ Dosetsu – Iori’s dutiful retainer ▪ Nguyen – The flower shop owner who founded Olive Town alongside Simon & Jessie ▪ Norman – Owner of the grocery store and Laura’s father ▪ Sydney – Norman’s wife. A defence attorney who visits Olive Town on her days off ▪ Lovett – Globetrotting bon vivant and food critic ▪ Karina – Owner of Salon Ailes D’ange ▪ Jeanne – The hip young stylist working at Salon Ailes D’ange

About Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town: The brand-new entry in the STORY OF SEASONS franchise is putting down roots on the Nintendo Switch! This long-awaited entry in the original farm/life simulation offers players more freedom than ever before. Embrace the pioneer spirit to shape the untamed wilderness, discover new animals and produce, and help them flourish on your farm. Customise every inch of your new homestead to impress a new cast of marriage candidates from Olive Town, an aspiring tourist hotspot that grows and thrives along with your farm.

Key Features: * A Wild World of Discovery: Tame the wilderness of the peninsula, discover the flora and fauna that make it their home, and unearth the secrets of the world around you. Work with the land to build the farm of your dreams from the ground up. Build facilities wherever you see fit, level up your farming skills, and craft everything from fences to sprinklers for crops! * Cultivate Your Farm, Cultivate Your Town: Gather and process materials to fulfil requests and improve Olive Town’s infrastructure, upgrade tools, or commission new outfits and accessories * Simple Mechanics, Deep Gameplay: Fledgling farmers can rest easy with the return of Seedling Mode and Normal Mode, with a new request system highlighting the fresh features while you lend a hand to the locals! Veteran players ready to create a bustling farm of their own will find all the core elements of the STORY OF SEASONS series, with new twists on classic gameplay. * There’s Always Something Going on in Olive Town! Participate in local festivals as the town comes to life with over 200 unique events! Get to know your neighbours better and you may even find love with a special someone among them.

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Bugsnax: More-ish Fun For All Ages.

By Dawn Boyd

I first saw the trailer for this game by accident. My initial impression took me back to the old Viva Piñata days. Collect-them-all-Pokemon'esque' cuteness that is so addictive for the light-hearted gamer such as myself. A cute soundtrack and adorable voices; it didn't take long to get hooked, especially when the story took on some twists and turns that were not altogether expected.

So, let’s take a trip to the world of Bugsnax. Snaktooth Island is the home of yummy little creatures that are so sweet they will melt your teeth! You are a Grumpus journalist, not the best in the business but darn if you aren't passionate about your work. The world-famous explorer Lizbert Megafig has found this amazing island of tasty creatures and you are intrigued enough by what these little guys could be.to go.

So, in the end, you take yourself and your job by the teeth as you head her way to interview her.

When you arrive in your balloon before you come across the first village, you crash. In the midst of the chaos, you meet the adorable Filbo who, with his low self-esteem and even lower self-confidence, is out and about trying to find a lost Lizbert and her partner Eggabell. He is another Grumpus who put his faith and trust in Lizbert’s vision for the island. Right away, this search sets off a chain of events for a mystery that needs solving. You progress through with the idea in mind of learning more about what the Bugsnax are and who are all the people who live in the village.

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Your first aim is to interview all the villagers and to do that you need to find them by completing various mini-quests to gather various tools you will need to find the Bugsnax. The gameplay itself is very quick to adapt to for all ages and skill levels when it comes to game controllers.

The game has captured the heart of all but one of the people in our household. The final person is more into hiding in her room with music on and doing artwork, so hopefully the developers won't take it too personally. However, I do hope they would be pleased to know that they have managed to fuel a new obsession in our eight-year-old daughter, and she was only too happy to answer some of my questions on her time playing the game.

So here I introduce you to baby Boyd (‘aged 8’) and her love of all things Bugsnax. She spoke of how she enjoyed the cuteness of the bugs themselves but also the sense of adventure that came from collecting all the different types. The whole house can vouch for the fact that she has played the game a lot. Her own interest had been piqued in the game having watched me play it, she got inspired and was taken in by the sweet and naïve animations but also by the bugs themselves.

Now she has taken upon herself to create her own versions of Bugsnax with drawings all over the house and is now on play through number three of the game and setting herself various targets and challenges as she completes the game. And to be fair, she has been very impressive. The ease of game play and the flow of the story has made it very adaptable to her style and skills. She has even managed to platinum trophy 100% this game which is a testament to the craft.

The developers have managed to create a universe and immersion that has completely absorbed an eightyear-old girl whose love is primarily ponies and pandas. Looking at this, it would be an easy assumption to think that it’s a gentle smooth game targeting children and amateur gamers who don't like anything too difficult. A completely fair assumption to make and one I would probably make if it weren’t for the fact that I will now introduce you to a more seasoned gamer.

This is daddy Boyd aka Khazaboom, YouTube and Twitch streaming extraordinaire and well versed in most things game. At this point, he had watched me, he had watched baby Boyd and had been intrigued by the story. The very story I briefly introduced you that the more you progressed in, the darker the undertones became. These darker notes went straight over the head of little one but well and truly interested the horror game fanatic himself. He too had thought it was a cute little game but, in the end, he was quick to pick up the subtle nuances that have interested adults and made it such a fascinating game for so many ages.

I really do not want to spoil the ending for the readers so I will skim over the details, but I want to mention how the story managed to pull in a gamer who tends to look more towards an in-depth, hard story that it would be easy to immerse himself in. Yet this cute seemingly innocent little game has completely absorbed him and drove him to also 100% platinum complete the game. When I asked him, what made him want to he explained how it was owed to the game itself. The ability and everything worked on that he states it would have been disrespectful to not, almost a dis-service to the game to not do everything.

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The side quests, which if you want the best ending you need to complete, the collections. The transformations and story development have been achievable but not easy. The game itself gives you the tools you need to complete it but really it is a giant puzzle and logical challenge you need to think outside of the box to attain complete satisfaction.

From a technical standpoint, the map isn't overly large but Khazaboom expresses disappointment in the lack of fast travel and I completely understand that one. There are random shortcuts through the map that can make it easier to pass throughout and explore more. When you consider a trophy in the game includes collecting 100 Bugsnax or that is basically all of them, it makes sense to not have that fast travel that gamers have been spoilt with in the past.

There are so many arcs that it's easy to spend hours playing on the PS5 which loads it sublimely and submerges you into the world with the dual shock controllers containing microphones. You all too easily become that characters and (without giving any spoilers) a sequel is suggested. Both of our household Bug snack adventurers are chomping at the bit for more and will more than happily play. For that matter, so will I. WE NEED BUGSNAX 2.0!!!!

Technical gameplay: 4/5 Story: 4/5 Overall rating:

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Meet Antoinette Moses

Theatre Corner - February 2021 Waiting for the Sun This is the first of my monthly columns giving you snippets about what’s going on in Norwich theatres. I’ll also write an occasional blog, so do let me know what you’d like to hear about; I very much want this to be a conversation. You can reach me at: theatre@norwichnightsmagazineuk.co.uk.

This is a very difficult time for those who love theatre. We miss the shared experience of laughter and sometimes tears, and we worry about the local venues who have to remain closed during the pandemic. But behind the scenes there are plans being made and organisers doing their best to survive. Sewell Barn Theatre designed Put Your Shorts On! specifically to comply with the restrictions as did the Maddermarket Theatre with its Norfolk Voices Festival (which ‘I have to admit ‘I helped plan, and which included the world stage 33

premiere of Stephen Fry’s Moab is my Washpot.) Let’s hope, post-vaccine, we can enjoy these and many more plays and shows on Norwich’s wonderful stages. One highlight certainly is the new musical Bedknobs and Broomsticks coming to the Theatre Royal in September. Tickets going fast!

Meanwhile there are many online workshops. Check out The Garage, Norwich Theatre Royal and also Norwich Puppet Theatre, the last being just what you need with children at home. Norwich Theatre is also working with Cloth of Kindness to create a sewn testimony of the acts of kindness and compassion experienced through 2020/2021.

Stay safe.

Websites: https://thegarage.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/ Online_Timetable_Spring2021-V2.pdf https://norwichtheatre.org/whats-on https://www.puppettheatre.co.uk/whats-on/workshops/christmasworkshops https://maddermarket.co.uk

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A Public Murder

by Antoinette Moses If you’re longing to get out and pining for sunshine, a little trip to Crete might be just the answer. And why not add a juicy murder?

“Love DI Pam Gregory. This is Elly Griffiths meets Shirley Valentine.

A perfect winter read.”

NOW ON SALE

www.Hive.co.uk

Published by Black Crane Press, Norwich www.blackcranepress.co.uk

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Food Expert: Zena Leech-Calton

Norwich Food News It’s mainly been about takeaways and sweet-treat deliveries. But we do have a new pop up restaurant soon to be dishing out NY pizzas and Po Boys from the Reindeer pub on Dereham Road. The Blues Kitchen were new on the scene late last year with amazing food and Roasts being served out of The Rosebery’s kitchen NR3.

There is always cocktail deliveries and treat-boxes as well I recommend Mindful Mixology (lychee martini) or Arboretum (prescribed mixes) and Odelish who also offer a very fine rice bowl treat box to share.

There is always something new to enjoy in our fine city – keep up to date on my medias. www.lovenorwichfood.co.uk Instagram – @Love_norwich_food / Twitter @norwichfood / Facebook – Love Norwich Food Ask me a foodie question at Norwich Nights - - - - food@norwichnightsmagazineuk.co.uk

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Introducing Levelling Centre Stage Limited

Levelling Centre Stage Limited is a non-for-profit company, founded in December 2020 to provide smaller theatre groups/ productions including amateur groups with marketing support, and provide small grants to enable productions without the means to have a marketing budget to effectively market helping them compete in an ever vibrant, and evolving industry.

The premise behind the company is simply to help smaller theatrical groups compete for publicity and audience, and to get their productions noticed and to a wider audience while helping the industry to become more diverse in the process. The company are just getting started and are currently recruiting Trustees to extend the current board of Melissa Compton and Daniel Matthews.

The company offers a membership package and are committed to treating members like the theatrical royalty they are. So, in order to make sure their members are given the best package possible, they are taking time out before they reveal the full details, focusing on ensuring it will be affordable to all and that all proceeds will go towards the grant programme.

The company have a blog on their website and post tips for marketing on there and also planning a series of information sheets in the future.

You can keep up to date with Levelling Centre Stage Limited at: www.levellingcentrestagelimited.com Facebook @levelingcentrestagelimited Twitter

@LCS_Limited

Instagram @levelingcentrestagelimited

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Scriptwriting: Where To Begin: Melissa Compton explores the options to begin your journey in Scriptwriting.

If you attend any of the many screenwriting festivals or conferences, you would find it crammed with new scriptwriters trying to sell their scripts to directors. So, in a world where everyone thinks they can write. How do you get noticed?

Daniel Evans graduated last year with a BA Hons in Media and Creative Writing from Cardiff Metropolitan University, and aspires to write film scripts and direct films when he has completed his degree. He says, “On that course, we had a little jokey section where we made little movies: one of them was a crime noir. I really liked the style so the second I got home, I got to work writing my own little neo noir. I tweaked and refined it over the next two years. My grades were awful, so I knew I’d not get into uni with that, so I rang and asked if it was possible to submit my script to see if that would get me onto the course. I received an unconditional offer 3 days later.” The course Daniel is referring to is a training course run by The British Film Institute. The script he wrote was: “A neo noir detective drama/comedy set in New York. It’s about a detective trying to stop the Mafia kidnapping women” A neo noir film is a film with a dark or twisted theme, often with dark wit filmed with a stylish Hollywood flare, films such as Sin City or Chinatown are considered typical neo noir films.

James Dawes, another aspiring scriptwriter researched which famous scriptwriters had degrees in scriptwriting, telling me: “Out of the five screen writers I admire the most: William Goldman, Robert Towne, Aaron Sorkin and Shane Black, only one has a degree and that is William Goldman and that’s not even in scriptwriting.” William Goldman received a Master of Arts degree in 1956 from Columbia University. The script for Chinatown, a neo noir film previously mentioned, was written by Robert Towne, a screenwriter James researched who does not have a degree, but the film remains his most notable work.

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One thing that was apparent was that a degree in Scriptwriting is not necessary, but a degree in English, which could be joint with creative writing would form a solid foundation. Beth Banks, an MA English and Creative Writing student at Cardiff Metropolitan and aspiring Editor, suggests: “I think it is better to have a basis in Literature than it is to have a degree in scriptwriting.

Mainly because you need to understand how to form words than how to display them.”

Mr Dan Anthony former lecturer on the scriptwriting at Cardiff Metropolitan University He has also previously written for the BBC and has published several Children’s books. When asked if he felt a M.A Scriptwriting qualification was necessary to be successful in the industry, he said, “A lot of people me included started studying in universities after writing a lot of material.

So, I wrote for the BBC, I wrote a lot for radio, I wrote a lot of scripts and other material before deciding to go to university and have a look at what I had been doing.”

I think the common advice would be to just write, after all, practice makes perfect. One of the easiest ways to begin is the 3-act model. Simply defined, it is a story with a beginning, a middle and an end. You can learn this model through free online courses. It is a standard model used in most scripts. Unfortunately, sometimes this does not produce a good script; Truby had the following to say: “Because the 3-act structure gives you absolutely no map to the middle. Unlike the one-size-fits-all approach of the three-act structure, this professional approach is always unique to your story because it uses a map that details your unique hero” (Truby, J. 2013). The professional approach Truby is referring to uses story structure mapping the character’s journey and allowing the character to drive the story forward, instead of using a standard plot point system or set of acts. Students on Creative writing degrees are taught these skills, which would make such a degree an ideal starting point though not essential as there are many books on story structure. Dan Evans had the following to say about the three act structure: “I think it’s definitely used by most films, I don’t necessarily think it has to be used, I look at my scripts and if I’m honest I think you could feasibly say some of them have four acts and there’s films like Mad Max Fury Road where we essentially start the film in the second act.”

It is helpful to have an idea what medium you would like to base your career in. For example, a scriptwriter wanting to write films would be better placed looking at training with the BFI. However, if you want to base your career in Television, you would be best placed to join the BBC’s Writer’s Room on their website.

The BBC writer’s room is a great place to start. They have different sections like the drama room, and each of these rooms have windows [time periods] throughout the year where you can submit your script. The best parting advice would be it is all about exposure, contacts, and ,joining associations. Social media pages never hurt and entering competitions such as those on sites like submittable.com are always worthwhile.

Sources: Interview: Dan Evans, Cardiff, Via Facebook Messenger, Interview: Dan Anthony, In-Person

Interview: Bethany Banks and James Dawes, In-Person Why 3 act will kill your writing by John Truby Available at: http://www.raindance.org/why-3-act-will-killyour-writing/

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EVERYONE HAS A STORY TO TELL - LET US TELL YOURS

If we use it, we’ll pay you £5.00 Do you want to have your short story featured in Norwich Nights Magazine, each month we publish a short story up to 1000 words. Send us your story to info@norwichnightsmagazine.co.uk and you could feature in our next issue?

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Toivonen

By Daniel Evans

May 1st, 1986. The Delta S4 screamed its way off the side of a tight left-hander with no guard rail. The aluminium fuel tank underneath the driver's seat caught a tree, ruptured, then exploded. The flames practically ate the car, driver and co-driver whole, leaving nothing but the charred skeleton of the 600 horsepower Lancia dangling from the branches. Rescue teams arrived long after the flames had died a natural death, accelerated far beyond reason, as was the sport. Toivonen was scattered to the atmos. Why did Toivonen die? He was, after all, a top sportsman at his craft, was he not? Or was he a boy who felt the only place his father's approval waited was at the bottom of the accelerator pedal? Every man wants to change the world, and Toivonen did. Safety regulations stopped this kind of lunacy happening again, but it was all too late for the Finnish boy to see any benefit. Lost in the name of entertaining the sadists of the world who enjoyed nothing more than seeing a man at his peak.

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Blithe Spirit (2021) A Film Review by Melissa Compton.

Before we get into the review, we have a policy of judging everything on its own merits, so you’ll notice there is no comparison to either the play or 1945 film adaption. If you have seen the play, you may be disappointed with this version.

This enchanting and humorous adaption of the play hits all the right notes. Directed by Edward Hall we’re loving the wide sweeping panoramic shots of the locations within the film.

The story plays out perfectly with lots of twists and turns along the way. When a struggling writer (Charles) asks a spiritualistmedium played brilliantly by Judi Dench to hold a séance, he expects it to be just what he needs for his writers block, but chaos ensues when she accidentally summons the spirit of his deceased first wife, which leads to an increasingly complex love triangle with his current wife of five years.

And Norfolk when Charles Proclaims to Ruth (current wife) that he asked Edna to fix her ‘Norfolk Kippers’ for breakfast.

The whole cast is simply delightful to watch in this film, Isla Fisher as Ruth is outstanding, as is Leslie Mann as Elvira Charles deceased wife.

While this film is not hilariously funny, there are enough funny moments to make it charming, and the set, and costumes are brilliant. The acting is good, we loved it. Now let’s get to the soundtrack it features Michael Ball, Alfie Boe, and our favourite track is The Price of Inspiration by Shaun Escoffrey. The use of the soundtrack in the film is subtle and (much like the comedy) deposited in certain scenes rather than throughout.

Rating: 7/10 A thoroughly enjoyable film.

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GROUNDHOG DAY MEETS BROTHERS GRIMM MEETS OZ IN THE NEW VIBRANT FANTASY ADVENTURE SCARLET HOOD AND THE WICKED WOOD

Developed by the Team Behind the Popular ‘The Coma’ Series, Arriving on Steam in February Cologne, December 18, 2020 – Publisher Headup and Devespresso Games, the developer of popular The Coma series, are delighted to announce the upcoming launch of Scarlet Hood and the Wicked Wood, a new story-driven fantasy puzzle game with multiple endings, on Steam Early Access in February.

Featuring Devespresso’s signature manhwa-style with hand-illustrated graphics by Minho Kim and story by T.L Riven, Scarlet Hood and the Wicked Wood is a vibrant puzzle adventure set within an Oz-esque fantasy world. The game features a recurring time loop (think Groundhog Day) that creates unique branching story paths.

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Scarlet, the protagonist and a rock diva in the making, awakes in the realm of Glome after being flung over by a rogue tornado.

She discovers a vibrant world brimming with magic, beauty, and artifacts from a mysterious bygone culture. Her strange journey begins when she takes up the mantle of the Red Witch and leads a troupe of Munchkins through the forbidden Wicked Wood. In a world full of riddles and wonders, she encounters witches, tin knights, talking beasts, monsters, and many fearsome creatures to overcome. The fledgling witch soon discovers a Recursion Hex has her reliving the same day. However, each death presents new opportunities to branch out the adventure in exciting new ways. Ultimately, her decisions lead to multiple endings. In the deep wood, where a bad hungry wolf roams and a wicked witch casts her evil spells, Scarlet must rely on her wits and a small fox, acting as her pathfinder, to overcome the disasters that await her at every turn.

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About Scarlet Hood and the Wicked Wood Scarlet Hood and the Wicked Wood is a story-driven adventure game. As Scarlet, you must relive seven days of misfortune, and make a series of decisions to guide your Munchkin troupe safely out of the Wicked Wood. Experience branching outcomes based on your decisions. Most importantly, immerse yourself in a bewitching story of fantastic adventure!

Features: • • • • • •

Survive a narrative time-loop Solve ridiculous puzzles Follow your own multi-path story Unlock multiple endings based on your decisions Ogle the hand-illustrated graphics Use Scarlet’s witching skills to avoid detection

Watch the YOUTUBE Video Trailer at : https://youtu.be/rj_VECmSgvs 57

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Happy Birthday Hero Zero Nuremberg/Munich, January 18th, 2021 – Just nine years ago today, in 2012, it all began – the free browser game Hero Zero launched its very first servers worldwide! Since then, the players have been trained as absolute superheroes, have joined forces to free the world from evil, and have always enforced justice in their homeland, the small superhero town of Humphreydale. Since the start, Hero Zero has always been on the rise. Today, the development team of Playata and the game publisher GamesGroup rightly celebrate the great success of their free2play title.

Already in 2018, the 30 million mark of registered players was broken! Today, there are almost 34 million superheroes on 175 different global servers who enjoy daily missions, exciting adventures, varied in-game events and an assortment of continually updated features. Of course, the helpful items and cute sidekicks are not to be forgotten.

Anniversary celebration in the superhero town of Humphreydale From January 17th, superheroes can look forward to an amusing anniversary break. In the game, heroes will find a special birthday gathering event on these days, which will surprise them with exclusive rewards. In addition, the casino opens its doors during the birthday event to celebrate the anniversary with high-quality rewards: while the regular rewards are doubled, this time the items and sidekicks are more powerful. As an extra highlight, parts of an exclusive hero set as well as two cuddly birthday sidekicks with special abilities await the heroes as casino prizes.

At the moment, other unusual events and features are being tinkered with at full speed. Players can be excited...

Happy Birthday, Hero Zero!

About Hero Zero In the free2play browser game Hero Zero, players strive towards being a superhero, take on a range of missions in many different worlds, train their character, and improve their strength to fight against other superheroes and move up the rankings. Every single character can be upgraded individually – meaning there are several attributes to be improved such as strength, conditioning, and brain power. The guild system is a must to fight together with other superheroes for world domination!

Since launching in January 2012, the humorous online RPG, Hero Zero, has captivated over 30 million registered users!

Gamers from all over Europe, North and South America as well as Asia have joined the mission. Hero Zero is a crossplatform game playable on iOS, Android, PC and Facebook.

Hero Zero is playable directly on play.herozerogame.com, over Facebook and also available for free in the AppStore as well as in the Google PlayStore.

More exciting information is available on Facebook and Twitter.

For real heroes, the Hero Zero Megastore is available on this link.

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Story Corner: Mylee Falls

By Melissa Compton

Mylee was speeding towards Milton Keynes in the new red Ford GT she had just stole of an aged millionaire who had been trying to impress her.

Men are so easy! It wasn’t even a challenge anymore.

This car was special you see, the prize; Mylee would keep this one a while. The Ford GT was a rare supercar: you could only buy them by invite only. So, for a girl like Mylee this meant she was on top of her game right now.

Mylee was very smug right now, she lowered her sunglasses from her head to perch neatly on the arch of her nose and pushed the pedal to the floor. The car thundered down the motorway, leaving nothing but dust behind her. Mylee was on her way to Silverstone race track to attend the annual Ford Fair and it had seemed only fitting to steal a Ford car for the occasion. Ford Fair was like Christmas for Ford fans, more a festival than a show.

Mylee was finally pulling in to her allocated slot on the Silverstone grounds. All Ford owners got to display their cars at the show. Mylee stepped out of the car in her red high heels, blue jeans and a cropped pink top. She leaned against the car, shaking her long hair in the breeze. A few moments later Mylee noticed a Rally driver coming towards her.

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Oh surprise!

She smiled because, as much as Mylee found men annoying, she did love Rally drivers. Although she wasn’t sure if it was the racing or the leathers, but she bit her bottom lip whenever she saw a cute one. And this one was cute. He was walking towards her now with shoulder length hair blowing in the breeze, and a face like an angel.

“Hey, I’m Ray,” he said.

“I’m Mylee,” she replied.

“Sweet ride, is it yours?” he said.

Mylee rolled her eyes. “Of course!”

“How, did a nice girl like you get this car?”

“Nice girl, like me?” Mylee laughed “yeah, you look kind of sweet.”

“It was a gift, and I am not sweet.”

“Okay, if you say so.” he replied.

“I do, so where’s your car?” Mylee asked.

“It’s being prepared, I have to go race in a minute.”

“Oh really.”

“Yeah, do you like racing, Mylee?”

“I like things that go fast.”

“You should come then.”

“You mean like watch?”

“No, I mean like in my car, you know, if you can handle it.”

“Okay, I’d love to.” Mylee said.

She locked up the car and walked to Ray. He put his arm around her and lead her to the area where his car was and gave her a helmet.

“You’re going to need that.” Ray said.

Mylee took off her sunglasses.

There was another man in front of her now with Ray opening the door to a rally car.

“You got a passenger, Ray.” the man said as he smiled, “Yeah, don’t worry. I won’t scare her too much.” Ray said.

“You couldn’t if you tried, I bet you aren’t even that fast.” Mylee said as she climbed in the car.

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