Indigo 801

indigo

Featuring an exclusive interview with Nicholas Bonner, co-founder of Koryo Tours

www.palatinate.org.uk

EDITORIAL Thursday, 30 November 2017

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F EATURES 3 Breaking the binary: a celebration of Trans Awareness Week, 2017 V I S UAL ARTS 4 Lumiere: seeing Durham in a new light?

5 From Concept to Count’s House: Anna Thomas interviews Finola Finn about her light installation F ILM & TV 6 Jimmy Stewart: A Wonderful Life F O O D & DRINK 7 Christmas time, mistletoe and wine - the world of Christmas food and drink

CREATIVE WRITING / MUSIC

8&9 Thorn: Unbound In conversation with Katie Byford, Thorn’s founder and creative director 10 A collection of poems F ASHION 11 Breaking the Fourth Wall: the story behind DUCFS’ street art TRAVEL 12 & 13 “Tourism should be part of a process of improvement and not a zoo tour”: an exclusive interview with Nicholas Bonner, co-founder of Koryo Tours BOOKS 14 In conversation with renowned classicist Mary Beard: “I wouldn’t just turn the other cheek” STAGE 15 Pantomime: a gift well worth celebrating I N TERVIEW 16 “The play’s the thing”, but who knows what the next scene will show? An interview with Catherine Mallyon, executive director of the RSC

Cover photographs by Nicholas Bonner and Koryo Tours

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he supposed great misery of our century”, John Fowles wrote in ‘The French Lieutenant’s Woman’, “is the lack of time”.With Christmas just around the corner and deadlines ever-imminent, I have spent a lot of time recently thinking about time: about having too little or too much, about using it wisely or productively, about enjoying it, about wasting it, about it ‘running out’, ‘flying by’, ‘marching on’.

Because I sometimes wonder why we revel in being so busy? I sometimes wonder if there is not something darkly competitive in the way we attempt to supersede the very structure we impose: to wish for more hours, to cheat the minutes, to beat the seconds.

When John Fowles goes on to describe how societies thus find “faster ways of doing things – as if the final aim of mankind was to grow closer not to a perfect humanity, but to a perfect lightning-flash”, the sadness is how the process is continually lost to the outcome.

This edition of Indigo, the final one for the term, is the result of an incredible amount of hard work from the team. And I thank everyone for their unwavering effort.

Travel features an exclusive interview with Nicholas Bonner, co-founder of North Korean tour company, Koryo Tours, while Books speaks to classicist Mary Beard about her latest publication, ‘Women & Power: a Manifesto’.

Within Durham, Fashion explores the story behind DUCFS’ latest publicity stunt on New Elvet: Creative Vice President Bryony Duff tells us that their street art not only “encourages public engagement with the work” but also visually brings attention to the “theme of social and political revolution”.

Visual Arts reviews Lumiere and talks to Finola Finn, a Durham PhD student about the creation of her festival piece, the Count’s House installation – an exploration of the “classic heart symbol which is ubiquitous in our contemporary visual landscape”. Meanwhile Music and Creative Writing present us with a joint feature on Thorn’s latest collaborative arts event, ‘Unbound’ .

What the majority of these articles suggest is that singular moments extend indefinitely – timelessness is raw, disorganised and vital. If we can embrace the intervals between the ‘tick’ and the ‘tock’ of the clock, our lives will no longer be a flight from time. And the minutest fractions, the “lightning-flash”, will become important only in its relation to the whole.

TB

INDIGO EDITORS Tamsin Bracher Adele Cooke (deputy) FEATURES EDITORS Divya Shastri Katie Anderson (deputy)

CREATIVE WRITING EDITORS Chloe Uwitonze Scaling Kleopatra Olympiou (deputy) STAGE EDITORS Helena Snider Helen Chatterton (deputy) VISUAL ARTS EDITOR Madeleine Cater Anna Thomas (deputy) BOOKS EDITOR Julia Atherley Tanvi Pahwa (deputy) FASHION EDITORS Anna Gibbs Emma Denison (deputy) FOOD & DRINK EDITORS Emma Taylor Sapphire Demirsöz (deputy) TRAVEL EDITOR Harriet Willis FILM & TV EDITORS Imogen Kaufman MUSIC EDITORS Tom Watling Ashleigh Goodall (deputy)

Have a question, comment, or an idea for a story you’d like to write?

Email indigo@palatinate.org.uk to get in touch.

FEATURES Thursday, 30 November 2017

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Breaking the binary In celebration of Trans Awareness Week 2017, Features looks at what it means to live outside the gender binary

By Elijah Hall features@palatinate.org.uk

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was eighteen when I realised that I was nonbinary. I had spent a few weeks or so reading through articles and blog posts from other trans and non-binary people when I read a post titled ‘How to tell if you’re trans or non-binary’ and something just clicked. I’d been basing my gender identity on the idea that if I didn’t feel like a man, I must be a woman. Having another option was something that took me quite a while to understand, and that understanding

is constantly shifting as I learn more about myself.

Non-binary is a term that is growing in popularity and disdain in the media.

For me, ‘non-binary’ means that people referring to me by one of the binary genders makes me feel uncomfortable and upset, like I’m letting people believe a lie. I feel happiest when people refer to me with ‘they’ pronouns, and when I feel I can wear anything from a shirt to a dress without people trying to use it to disprove my identity.

One of the biggest misconceptions about nonbinary people is that we’re ‘in the middle’ of male and female, but that’s only the case for some. Non-

binary identity is something that a lot of people find confusing – if they have even heard of it – because we live in a world constrained by binary gender. If I try to put into words how I feel about gender, I have two opposite options. I can describe myself as boy, man, masculine, macho; or I can describe myself as girl, woman, feminine, girly.

We’re not ‘in the middle’ of male and female Whilst these words can be mixed and matched to

some degree (for example, I was a ‘tomboy’ for most of my time at school), this is not perfect and there is no third option that I can use to describe myself.

It makes my identity confusing for me and for the people around me. I think it’s also part of the reason that we have such a tough time from some groups.

Non-binary is a term that is growing in popularity and disdain in the media. Trans lives and issues are currently in the press, most likely because the government is reviewing the way that gender recognition works. Unfortunately, the views of the media can seep into other realms.

Whilst many people of our generation have begun to accept that gender is not a binary, there are still many people who would not agree or simply would not realise what that means for other things,

even within the University.If you’ve had a statistics lesson, you’ve probably used gender as a binary variable; if you’ve tested participants, it’s likely that you had to record their gender – perhaps you didn’t even have to ask what it was and simply assumed.

Not being included in a statistical analysis may seem like a small thing. However, when people either deny that you exist or act like you’re something you’re not every single day, it begins to affect your mental health. I can understand where people with good intentions are coming from and I don’t blame people for making mistakes. I simply wish they would make less

of them; we notice every time, and it hurts just as often.

Still, it’s important to remember that things are changing. As I said, a lot of people in our generation are becoming more accepting, and those that do are able to go out and educate others who may not have the resources that we do. I’ve had nothing but respectful responses since coming out at university, and hopefully that will be the case for all non-binary people in the future.

When people deny that you exist it starts to affect your mental health Illustration by Marie-Louise Wohrle

VISUAL ARTS Thursday, 30 November 2017

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Lumiere: seeing Durham in a new light?

By Madeleine Cater and Anna Thomas Editor and Deputy Editor of Visual Arts visual.arts@palatinate.org.uk

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rom the 16th to 19th of November, Lumiere took over and lit up Durham for a weekend of visual art installations, soundscapes and light.

Visual Arts explores the written and photographic responses to the Festival, which attracted over 200,000 visitors to the floodlit city.

By Finn Haunch Walter Scott once said that he preferred the view of Durham across the Wear more than any view in Britain.

Lumiere has certainly made me agree. The lighting gave the trees an amorphous and surreal quality. An experience which recalled the Old English verse which describes ‘a most wondrous tree born aloft, wound round by light’.

Photograph by Qing Cong

‘a most wondrous tree born aloft, wound round by light’ Photograph by Jiahe Max Luan

By Mikaela Fletcher After hearing many accounts and seeing many social media posts about the upcoming Lumiere light festival back in Durham, it was fair to say my expectations were high! I went twice to the festival, once on the Thursday to try and avoid the queues and again on the Saturday as I realized there was so much I missed the first time!

To be brutally honest my expectations were not met by the installation at the Cathedral

I found that the festival theme varied from location

to location throughout Durham. The Market Square installation seemed to be more festive, while Prebend’s Bridge and the path down by the river gave off a more ominous feeling with their music and set up.

centre (where most of the lights were) it was definitely worth visiting. The church garden had a teaser display of beautiful lit up glass spheres in the trees leading up a lit path to the main church.

To be brutally honest, my expectations were not met by the installation at the Cathedral. Previous years saw it lit up in the most fantastic colours, patterns and images, whereas this year it seemed bland in comparison. Although the concept of the lights flashing in time with the bells was clever and striking, I felt it could have been shown off on the Cathedral face as that is the focal point of the city.

The concept of the lights flashing in time with the bells was clever and striking but could have been shown off on the Cathedral face

Out of the masses of exhibitions scattered around town my favourite had to be the installation in St. Oswald’s Church. Although, slightly out of the town

Once inside, the whole ceiling was occupied by hundreds of shards of coloured glass dangling down.

The soft lighting in the building was bouncing off the glass and illuminating the walls, it made for a really beautiful show piece.

VISUAL ARTS Thursday, 30 November 2017

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From Concept to Count’s House Visual Arts gets to know Know Thyself

By Anna Thomas Deputy Editor of Visual Arts deputy.visualarts@palatinate.org.uk

While the Durham sky was illuminated from all directions, we took the microscope to the Count’s House installation Know Thyself. We asked Durham PhD student Finola Finn, a winner of the ‘Brilliant’ Competition, about the creation of her piece and its realisation.

Could you explain some of the 17th Century imagery that lies at the heart of the Count’s House installation?

As you can see, the focus of the installation is a three-dimensional version of the classic heart symbol which is ubiquitous in our contemporary visual landscape. What many people might be surprised to know, however, is that this symbol has a long and rich history - and was just as ubiquitous in the early modern period, and even earlier.

I am fascinated by the continuity of this anatomically-inaccurate shape across time and cultures. I wanted to point to this consistency in the piece, by merging the imagery, materials, and beliefs of various time periods together. (For example, a seventeenth-century style heart that pulsates with LEDs and the sound of recently recorded heartbeats, and an ancient maxim in neon!)

Were there any major changes in the development of your work from the original?

Sketch by Finola Finn, digitised by Anna Thomas

What was the inspiration for your work?

The initial idea for the installation sprung from my PhD thesis, in which one chapter explores the role of the heart in nonconformist religious experience, 1640-1700. For the people I study, their heart was the site of inwardness, and encapsulated their spiritual and physical selves at once.

I found this particularly striking, given that many people today tend to locate their sense of self in their mind or brain, rather than the heart - and I decided to create a piece that would explore this apparent shift in thinking.

What part did your degree play in the inspiration and development of your piece?

My path to the well-known, ancient Greek proverb ‘Know thyself’ is perhaps a little more obscure than you would expect - stemming from a book that I looked at in my thesis: Edmund Gregory’s An Anatomy of Christian Melancholy, from 1653. A few pages into this text is an illustrated epigraph of sorts - which includes, at its centre, ‘Know thyself’ in English, Hebrew and Greek.

The way that Gregory merged this maxim with scriptural verses about the heart’s role in religious conversion was conducive to my chapter’s argument - but also got me thinking more widely, and pushed me to consider what it is to ‘know thyself’, in relation to the concept of the heart, both then and now.

The two key changes were the location of the heart within the site, its material, and its construction method. I originally envisaged the heart inside the interior of the Count’s House, but soon decided that the portico was more logical in terms of its visibility to the audience.

Graphic by Finola Finn

This did not impinge on the concept, however, as the portico (with its rib-like columns), and the site overall, still provided a sense of enclosed inwardness.

I considered a few different materials for the heart, before deciding upon LED Spectrum Perspex - as this could be vacuum moulded to achieve the most even diffusion of light.

How do you feel the location complements your piece (or not!)?

I feel that the location is vital - as it provides an enclosed space that invites a reflective mood, and conveys the timelessness of the issues explored in the piece.

‘Know thyself’ was originally carved on the wall of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi in the fourth century AD by the ancient Greeks, for whom the heart was the most important organ of the body.

So, by locating the installation at the Count’s House, which bears a remarkable likeness to this temple, heart-centric ways of thinking about the self that have existed for over 2,400 years are represented.

Photograph by Finola Finn

FILM & TV 6

Thursday, 30 November 2017

Jimmy Stewart: A Wonderful Life Film & TV take a look back at one of our most classical actors

By Alex Speakman film@palatinate.org.uk

Nowhere is this better illustrated than in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington through his impassioned speeches as Senator Jefferson Smith:

J

ust over twenty years ago the world lost one of the most distinguished actors of all time; James “Jimmy” Stewart. Known for such films as It’s a Wonderful Life, The Philadelphia Story and The Shop Around the Corner, he was one of Hollywood’s leading men for decades. But, in reality, we lost more than just a great performer – because, for Stewart, it seemed that acting was to some extent an outlet for a greater passion - a belief in the importance of kindness.

“I wouldn’t give you two cents for all your fancy rules if, behind them, they didn’t have a little bit of plain, ordinary, everyday kindness and a little looking out for the other fella, too.”

Seeing him in action here, there is no doubt in my mind that this is Stewart, not Smith. The catch in the voice, the glistening of the eyes - there is something so genuine in his nature that just makes it impossible to be insincere.

He never failed to convey sincere humanity.

His transparency fostered his connection with his audience.

While undoubtedly a versatile actor there was one role that Jimmy Stewart excelled in playing above all others - that of the honest man in crisis. Whether playing a naive senator fighting for his honour in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, or the family man down on his luck in It’s a Wonderful Life, he never failed to convey a sincere humanity that endeared him to all.

In many respects, the parts Stewart plays throughout his career reflect changes in his private life. There is a marked difference between his prewar and post-war roles for example - an indication perhaps of his battle with post-traumatic stress. During the war Stewart rose to become Brigadier General, the highest ranked actor in military history. But the scars left by the horrors of warfare are evident. His later career shows a much more troubled man, reflected by his selection for film noir classics such as Vertigo and Rear Window.

Pinning down the source of Stewart’s unique affability is a hard task - but it could lie in the strong link between his character onscreen and his personal life. The boyish charm that comes across in so many of his performances is mirrored by his pursuits in the real world. A lifelong supporter of the boy scouts, model plane enthusiast and philanthropist, Stewart was really not all that different outside of Hollywood.

Steward never lost his amiable magnetism.

There is something so genuine in his nature.

Watching Stewart perform with this in mind, you see that often he’s not really acting. Rather, Stewart is completely himself, using his role to express his own ideals. Even he admitted “Sometimes I wonder if I’m doing a Jimmy Stewart imitation myself” - his character in reality and in film were never too far apart.

He was one of Hollywood’s leading men for decades

Nonetheless, Stewart never lost his amiable magnetism. In fact, his candid and open presentation of himself only made him all the more relatable. It was this transparency, more than any of his abundant talents, that fostered his connection with his audience. Above all, he was a straightforward and genuinely kind man like any other. So, do yourself a favour this Christmas and buy a ticket for It’s a Wonderful Life hopefully I’ll see you there.

Image via Insomnia cured here on flickr

FOOD AND DRINK

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Thursday, 30 November 2017

Christmas time, mistletoe and wine Food and Drink explore

the world of Christmas food to make your season delicious as well as merry and bright

By Emma Taylor Food and Drink Editor food@palatinate.org.uk

with Christmas all around Europe – if you’re in Germany, home of the ultimate Christmas markets, be sure to try a glass of Glüwein!

Mince Pies

Christmas Pudding

Mince pies are one of the classics of the festive season, and there is little more comforting than pie when the days grow longer and colder.

I was on my year abroad last year, and remember trying to explain to my Erasmus housemates the concept of Britain’s most beloved sweet treat of December – pastry wrapping mincemeat which, bizarrely enough, doesn’t actually include any meat. On the 1st December I got the half-hour bus ride into the centre of the city to go to the only shop I knew of which sold English food, and crammed my basket with them. Sitting back in my room, eating a mince pie and listening to All I Want for Christmas Is You, it felt like Christmas had arrived.

It felt like Christmas had arrived Mince pies are lovely on their own with a cup of tea or hot chocolate as an afternoon treat, but they can also be made into a festive pudding. Warm them up and serve with cream or ice cream, and a glass of mulled wine.

Festive Sandwiches Christmas sandwiches can be considered the modern era’s contribution to the food world of the festive season. Whilst throughout the rest of the year a turkey sandwich is not in the top ten in the meal deal selection, add cranberry sauce in December and suddenly it’s a best-seller. Brie and cranberry sauce is also a very festive sandwich filling to brighten lunchtime with some Christmas cheer.

Brighten lunchtime with some Christmas cheer

Tradition dictates that if you’re making your own Christmas pudding, it needs to be done weeks in advance for the flavours to really develop before the big day. There are all sorts of rather lovely myths surrounding the making of Christmas puddings, so that making them has almost become an event in itself. Make a wish when stirring the mixture, and people often put a silver coin into the mixture which would bring wealth to whoever found it in their portion (which would hopefully make up for their broken tooth).

Images by Emma Taylor

The Christmas sandwich has become such a huge part of the Christmas foodie industry that food outlets try to out-compete each other every year with ever more festive creations.

There are even unofficial rankings (looking closely at the turkey-stuffing-cranberry sauce ratio), so if you want to get the best Christmas sandwich, do your research beforehand!

Mulled Wine It becomes Christmas in a cup The ultimate drink at Christmas markets, mulled wine is one of the most festive flavours around. Whilst hot, sweet red wine may not sound appealing at first glance, when added to spices – cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon and star anise are particularly associated with it – it becomes Christmas in a cup. A delicious way to warm yourself up wandering around the Christmas market in mid-December, it can also easily be made at home with red wine and spices. This is a drink associated

There are all sorts of rather lovely myths surrounding the making of Christmas puddings Served at the end of the Christmas day meal, brandy is poured over the pudding and then set alight, so the entire pudding is momentarily engulfed in blue flame.

Christmas pudding can also be known as ‘plum pudding’, although like mince pies and mincemeat, the pudding and plums have never met.

MUSIC / CREATIVE WRITING 8

Thursday, 30 November 2017

Thorn:

(Insert Label Here)

By Fahad Al-Amoudi creative.writing@palatinate.org.uk Too black for the white kids, Too white for the blacks, I’m trapped In the middle trying to fiddle with these handcuffs While a Rice Crispy Sugar Puff tells me to undress?! (with no context) Universally I represent the restless subset, Gagged between the Venn diagrams, A diaphragm spent, a lifetime left Of lectures and lessons Trying to decipher my complexion, The Magistrate will never interpret my discretion But we’re multiplying.

Forms still look terrifying, Crossing boxes after boxes, Boxed in like Procrustus’ bed, Stained with the tears we bled and sweat of fear.

For years the dearly departed bombarded, The mulatto tar brushed and half-casted Into a pile of unwanted toys: The house slave, the sepoy, the Janissary emissaries Acting as envoys of treacheries, Trespasses on enemies, We are the legacy…

Of crime and beauty, Love and inequalityThe paradox paramount to our qualities.

We people, Who are darker than blue But the spectra spilling colours and it’s draining all the hue…

Oops. That wasn’t appropriate.

I’ll just stick to opiates, Angels over the neighbourhood And my associate dealers.

I associate healers with a quick fix prescription for this twisted sick fiction Cause that’s not my reality.

I’m not bound by my post code I’m chained by a mentality, You see I’m just another victim of colourism.

These crowded thoughts getting funnelled By this tunnel vision, envisioning glass prisms, Mental prisons, imprisoning my mind So much I’m blurring the lines between silence and peace of mind.

Just want a piece of mine, No priest or imam trying to bind me to a word, I’m searching for the verb or adjective To describe my anguish but there just Aren’t enough words in the English language[You’re beautiful] {but I don’t speak Arabic, Amharic, Tigrinya or Italian} I’m sorry.

I don’t know what came over me, Hopefully this won’t be my eulogy Cause usually I apologise, And retreat back into my mental penitentiary. [spoken in Amharic] {spoken in Arabic}

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horn is a Durham and London based collective that showcases all forms of artistic exploration, unbound by constriction.

Led by Katie Byford, Thorn runs both an online journal and live events across the two cities. The latest interdisciplinary event was themed ‘Unbound,’ and Palatinate turned up a-plenty to review this most recent exhibition which combined the visual arts with an evening of collaborative music and spoken word.

Indigo interviewed Katie Byford, founder of Thorn, about setting up the collective.

Why did you decide to set up Thorn?

Despite a ‘soulful’ gap year in London (working, singing in a band and writing/performing in two poetry collectives), I still joined the mêlée of Durham fresh totally insecure and desperately seeking my place in it all.

When the dust settled a bit (and, I’ll admit, when my visits to the college bar became less regular), I realised there wasn’t really an arts space—or night, or collective—that welcomed all and any art form as its primary function. Durham students were, and are, undoubtedly a talented bunch, but (without being too specific) there are factors in Durham which limit different art forms from coexisting in the same spaces, working together or ‘talking’ to each other.

“We serve as a platform for outstanding creative work of young people,—in whatever form that art might take, in whatever combinations.”

So that was the basic premise. Since we set it up two years ago, events and initiatives have sprung up in the same spirit—little fresher me would have been overwhelmed!—and I like to think that we were an important part of that change.

What is Thorn’s main purpose as a creative arts platform?

We serve as a platform for outstanding creative work of young people, in Durham and beyond—in whatever form that art might take, in whatever combinations. Events are important for performance arts and audience interaction, and we run a variety of events to accommodate different genres and styles—from chilled readings to gig nights, we’re there. We’ve taken over a range of venues too (a vacant lot in the Gates shopping centre, a living room in the Viaduct, the covered market, Vennels...), and try to make each event an innovation on the last.

“We run a variety of events to accommodate different genres and styles” We also have an online journal geared towards the stuff that isn’t so easily put in front of an audience.

We can publish experimental essays which might work better on the page; we can chat to musicians about their new albums; and we can get the work of photographers and video artists seen by a slightly wider audience than an event allows. It’s the companion piece to the events part, and both complement each other.

Why is it important that Thorn is both interdisciplinary and collaborative?

- I think it’s vital to preserve a space for different kinds of art, partly for people to experience arts they’ve never looked into before. That’s how new artists are made. I’ve always thought if it’s possible to approach art a new way, one that helps people explore their own potential, you should try it.

CREATIVE WRITING / MUSIC

Unbound

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Thursday, 30 November 2017

Liverpool Have Scored Again

By Charlie Spence creative.writing@palatinate.org.uk

By Tom Watling & Ashleigh Goodall Music Editors music@palatinate.org.uk

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he paradox that is ‘unbound’ is an easy one to acknowledge but infinitely harder to understand, and I might be inclined to say that Thorn didn’t quite make it past the former:

Held at Empty Shop HQ, a venue attracting more people by the week, Thorn boasted an assortment of artists adhering to the chosen theme of ‘unbound’.

Whilst the idea of this theme seemed inherently nonsensical, I was interested to see and hear what the artists had to say and as the event broke for interval around 9, I can’t say I was any closer to understanding the theme than I was before I arrived.

Danny Booth, a solo keyboardist, kicked off the show with Sander Priston and Co concluding the first half of the event. Booth played a notably shorter set to the others but produced a fluid string of synthesized songs somewhat lacking in the kick it needed to be afforded the role of opening act. However, in the interest of staying positive I bought another drink, not necessarily to avoid the spoken word, and returned for Sander Priston and Co. In keeping with my opening comment, Priston and Co. epitomised what it means to acknowledge but not understand, improvising for a lengthy half-an-hour but never quite breaking past the form of background instrumentation.

Whilst their interplay was congruent, there was not much more to be said.

After a short interval, however, circumstances started to look up as Olivia Clark took to the stage. Despite apparent nerves, she projected an outstanding soul/ blues inspired performance with just her voice and the keyboard: it’s a mean feat to be able to fill the room (even one as small as Empty Shop) with just these two resources, but nevertheless, Olivia managed

it. She performed three original songs, each one filled with powerful, emotion-filled vocals that served to captivate the audience – who, at this point, had suspiciously diminished in numbers.

After the departure of two more spoken word artists, Mo Hafeez made an appearance. Supported by Armaan Sandhu on guitar, Mo performed a half-hour set consisting of an eclectic mix of genres: beginning with an electronic R&B sound, featuring scattered synths and reverbing vocals, shortly followed by a couple of guitar-only songs . To conclude the set, Armaan took over on vocals as the pair played a couple of stripped back alternative rock songs, featuring some well-executed guitar riffs. Although the versatility and variety in Mo Hafeez’s set was interesting and refreshing, I feel he perhaps tried to cover too much ground in such a short set time.

To conclude the evening, Soham De took to the stage to perform an acoustic set. In my opinion, Thorn really did save the best until last when it came to Soham: he absolutely blew me away. Soham is clearly a very talented guitarist and vocalist – he was absolutely pitch-perfect throughout, even when hitting some eye-watering high notes, and his performance was emotional and mesmerising. Apparently, the rest of the audience was lost for words too: you could have heard a pin drop at the quiet moments. I can really see Soham De making it as a professional artist, which is a wonderful concept, especially when you take his sincerity and humbleness into account.

The paradox that is ‘unbound’ is an easy one to acknowledge but infinitely harder to understand After a perplexing and chaotic first half, Thorn really picked up the standard with the later acts: although the relevance of the theme of ‘unbound’ still managed to escape me, overall, the evening was pleasant and enjoyable.

Liverpool have scored again I can see the fans are leaving I can’t believe it went like this I really had that feeling That somehow, now, this would be our season.

The screen goes off, I know it now That I should stop believing, The hinges squeak, the door it slams, Last night’s girls leaving; Finally, she’s gone again And I’m in my place to be: The TV screen in front of me, The pillow behind my head.

I actually can’t explain How happy I am she’s left But Liverpool have scored again So now the TV’s dead.

Can it be you who makes those hinges squeak again?

Can I not be left staring Out the window at my world outside That’s never seemed as caring As when you were sat beside me here Sharing in this awkward ritual That followed every game we watched That follows every game I watch.

I watch, I wince as I notice every mark.

My watch, it ticks and now my week it starts; Every mark denotes a meeting Some friend of ours I’m seeing, Some friend of ours who’s tired of hearing The excuses I keep repeating.

I’ll tell them it was yours to take And so you went and did it The train was moving fast enough You won’t have known you’d hit it.

I’ll be begging for the week to end With the pillow behind my head Sat here in my place to be.

And for 90 and a little extra Hope my team play a little better So I forget for 5 more minutes How it feels that you’re no longer with us.

Thank you to Jasmine Price, Fahad Al-Amoudi and Charlie Spence for allowing Creative Writing to publish their work.

Photographs by Tamsin Bracher for Thorn

CREATIVE WRITING 10

Thursday, 30 November 2017

La forêt

28/06/16

By Ellen Bao creative.writing@palatinate.org.uk

By Jasmine Price, for Thorn creative.writing@palatinate.org.uk

We once settled in a forest where it never rained yet the fresh ferns could grow and grow into an enormous shelter the sunlight there was green every leaf breathed magic we thought that in the forest one day we would find an elephant.

For all the years I was away the forest was there in me but when I return, looking out only to find a few weary trees hardly covering the bruised earth at night the big forest shrinks before my eyes when I reach out my arms to touch it it bursts into flame.

Was there ever a forest? my premature body bears no testimony.

Where did the forest go?

Where do the memories go when we have lost them?

Photograph by Katie via Creative Commons and Flickr

When You’re Not Sure Anymore

By Natalia Quiros Edmunds creative.writing@palatinate.org.uk Fill it with chocolate.

Fill it and feel it lace your Eyelashes like the Lancôme Mascara you bought to fill – It’s Like those pretty white girls in Vogue fill – and feel it lace your Eyelashes with the fat tears you cry in the shower because you’re fine.

Photograph by Virginia StateParks via Creative Commons and Flickr

The weather doeasn’t call off for sad occasions.

But at least the rain let up a little, lending itself to our eyes instead.

There wasn’t grandeur in your ceremony, fitting, A few words, A few piles, washing away in the Bala tide like the peaks of abandoned sandcastles.

There was no ceremony in the grandeur Seeing you windsurfing, skimming, a stone across the surface of the lake.

You didn’t sink.

I couldn’t see them, the people on the far shore you were waving to.

Perhaps they were the glossy firs that crowded the bank, smiley and bristly and changed.

But then you can’t see much through kaleidoscope eyes.

You waved a last goodbye as the wind caught your sails and carried you, speckled, winged above the vague June clouds and into the obscured sun.

And I clasped a stone from the beach to remember you skimming, perfectly fitting, My hand, which I suppose isn’t so different to yours.

Photograph by Sami Keinänen via Creative Commons and Flickr

FASHION Thursday, 30 November 2017

11

Breaking the Fourth Wall (Disclaimer: No walls were harmed in the making of this street art, only beautified) Fashion gets the story behind Durham University Fashion Show’s (DUCFS) latest publicity stunt on New Elvet

By Anna Gibbs Fashion Editor fashion@palatinate.org.uk @palatinatefashion on Instagram

Y

ou might have noticed it out of the corner of your eye as you‘ve scurried out of Elvet Riverside and into the biting ten o’clock air, or perhaps you’ve stumbled across it on your way home from a night out and thought, ‘wait, what?’. But yes, merely confirming our belief that fashion IS indeed art (and now street art to be precise), DUCFS aren’t confining their publicity to just Facebook walls this year. ‘‘Over the summer the DUCFS PR and Marketing team worked with Durham Student Letting agency, Morgan Douglas to bring the first-ever society street-art to the Durham community. Morgan Douglas has been very supportive of this year’s chosen charity, Mind.’’ Jacqueline Baker, Head of PR and Marketing tells us. ‘‘Lee Ferry at Custom Artwerk Bespoke Artwork and Murals brought the creative vision to life on 10 November 2017 on the side of the Three Tuns Hotel on New Elvet. Lee has also been a huge supporter of DUCFS 2018.’’

Creative Vice President Bryony Duff filled us in on the inspiration behind the wall art, ‘When we first started thinking about how we were going to further push the boundaries with this year’s show, we discussed how we could use art in a proactive way to visually bring attention to the 2018 theme of social and political revolution.”

“At first we thought of the way that everyday spaces, like our streets could be turned into spaces of creative protest. We looked at the work of politically motivated street artists such as Banksy, who as well as encouraging people to think about the deeper message of the artwork, embraces the optional lighter excitement that pop-up art brings to people, in spaces that would otherwise be unnoticed.”

She continued, “Our street art follows the black and white theme of our social media campaign. The piece encourages public engagement with the work, as the onlooker feels as though they too make up part of the sprawling abstract crowd in the foreground.

As do the mass of heads, we look on to the show. We hope that this new and exciting street-art builds your excitement for what the 2018 show has in store.”

As an advocate of all that is theatrical in fashion, as well as of the merging of the art forms together, we now eagerly await the college fashion show walls which will surely spring up in due course...Mildert, what are you waiting for?

You can follow the DUCFS 2018 hashtag #TheShapeOfNow to keep updated in the run up to February.

For more exclusive photos head to @palatinatefashion and @ducfs on Instagram.

Photograph: DUCFS

TRAVEL 12

Thursday, 30 November 2017

“Tourism should be part of a process Travel interviews Nicholas Bonner, co-founder of Koryo Tours – an independent tour company that aims to educate tourists about some of the world’s least understood countries, including North Korea

By Tamsin Bracher Indigo Editor travel@palatinate.org.uk ow did you become interested in the DemoH cratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK)?

Could you describe your first trip to the country?

I was initially trained as a Landscape Architect and came to Asia as a lecturer on sabbatical to look at Chinese and Japanese architecture. Historically, Chinese culture filtered into Japan via the Korean peninsula and I therefore jumped at the opportunity to visit North Korea in 1993. My friend had worked there for a year and a North Korean friend of his was in the tourism business, which started taking Western tourists to the country in 1987. But the problem was no tourists were actually visiting, so in 1993 I stopped lecturing and set up Koryo Tours.

so many Koreans who want contact with the outside world and have 25 years worth of projects that vindicate the true value of engagement.

Everyone we have taken into the country rates it as one of their most amazing and unique travel experiences We make sure that the tours are observational and that hopefully you travel with as few preconceptions as possible. Ultimately, the rest is up to you: some people hate the place and some people love it. But for the majority of people it raises more questions than answers. Everyone we have taken into the country rates it as one of their most amazing and unique travel experiences.

On the Koryo Tours website, you describe your mission “to facilitate responsible tourism” and to encourage “people-to-people engagement”. In what ways do you achieve this?

We also have ongoing projects that can be described as humanitarian in nature. We have provided playground material and food assistance for orphanages, solar-powered ovens, refitted a paediatric operating room, to name just a few examples.

We don’t see humanitarianism as being political (although we know that some do of course) but instead as a responsibility to do what we can to assist those in need, rather than simply comment on them from the outside. As the market leader, the company is very often imitated by others and we hope that this serves as an example. Some companies have a tendency to ‘exoticise’ North Korea rather than humanise it, whereas others do good work in generating better understanding and so on. This is how we see tourism as a beneficial force. Being apolitical doesn’t mean not having an opinion; it rather means understanding that there are differences, not excusing them, and providing information rather than living in ignorance.

We have ongoing humanitarian and cultural projects which range from filmmaking to sports As part of our commitment to engagement we also have ongoing humanitarian and cultural projects which range from filmmaking to sports.

These ventures are two-way, informing the west on North Korea and vice versa. For example, while our BBC documentary on the lives of two gymnasts involved in the 120,000 crew Mass Games performance was made for a western audience, taking the feature film Bend It Like Beckham to North Korea (the first ever western film broadcast around the country) was clearly aimed at a local audience.

This comment was related to responsible tourism. I believe that any travel company interacting with North Korea should do more than simply run tours in and out of the country with profit as their main motive. North Korea opened up to Western tourism only in 1987 and it is one of the very few avenues available to build upon projects year after year and foster engagement. We meet

There are ‘Friendship’ groups that operate trips to North Korea as well, although these are often not referred to as ‘tours’. This is not what we offer - we’re not supporters of DPRK politically and we are careful not to take a political position on issues related to the country: our mission is to facilitate learning, experiencing, and interaction. And this is crucial for both sides - foreigners and Koreans – in order to gain an understanding of the simple fact that human beings populate the societies so often portrayed in the macro-impersonal sense by the media. Monolithic ‘North Korea vs the West’ presentations ignore and gloss over the wider complications - that there are human populations on either side of the bigger issues, the vast majority of which have no control over the disagreements and are further painted unfairly as part of the problem by both sides.

Our mission is to facilitate learning, experiencing, and interaction

Our structure is designed to make sure our tourists are travelling with knowledgeable people. We are a team of 12 who book and lead the tours – we are not set up as a travel agency where you have a sales team and are then sent on a package. Our staff are primarily interested in Asia and North Korea, and the high level of tour leading comes from that passion and expertise. As we are all in and out of Korea regularly, we develop a great bond with our North Korean colleagues and can therefore identify opportunities to mix with the locals as much as possible. After that it is up to the individual tourist.

In an interview with Lucy Horner for the Financial Times, you said that “just taking in tourists is […] not enough. Tourism should be part of a process of improvement and not a zoo tour”: what experience do you hope to give people who go on one of your tours?

Korean film to be shown to a public audience in South Korea . One of my best moments was when a member of the South Korean audience asked at the Q&A “It’s nice to see that Mother-in-Laws in the North are the same as they are in the South”!

Some companies tend to ‘exoticise’ North Korea rather than humanise it How has your own interaction with the country developed during the last 24 years of your involvement? Has your perception of the DPRK and its people changed significantly?

Our interaction with North Korea has moved in little steps - from small scale projects (such as bringing in Middlesbrough Women’s Football team to play two local teams) to filmmaking on a large scale. Without years of building up trust and relationships it would never have been possible to shoot Comrade Kim Goes Flying, a film made primarily for a North Korean audience. It is their first ever girl-power film and became the first North

General Manager of Koryo Tours, Simon Cockerell, describes how “Koryo has always been an apolitical company”; given the significance of politics in North Korea both domestically and internationally, what obstacles do you need to overcome so as to achieve this ethos in its true sense?

Politics infuses so much of life in the DPRK it is everywhere. Mentions of the Leaders are both constant and ubiquitous. This is something that tourists experience for a short while, and that locals experience all the time. It shapes society and is one of the hardest things to get past. Knowing and learning about the political ideas of the country and how people feel about them is important, but it is not necessary at all to agree with them. We have never

TRAVEL 13

Thursday, 30 November 2017

of improvement and not a zoo tour”

found pressure from our partners in the country to go along with political aims, to pretend to be something we are not, to commit to anything that we don’t believe in. We have a business relationship with our partners and not a political one which is helped by the fact that they are not a ministry but are instead a company, with the same motives as all companies in the world (profit, expansion, competition for market share — relatable things to the outside world).

What do you think the graphics showcased in your latest book ‘Made in North Korea: Graphics from Everyday Life in the DPRK’, can tell us about the country? Is there anything that makes the design aesthetic unique to the DPRK?

Monolithic ‘North Korea vs the West’ presentations ignore the wider complications Even in comparison to China in the early 90s, North Korea was isolated from the world and that isolation created graphics that have a certain individuality. No internet access, no foreign design magazines — all that was available was perhaps occasional images gleaned from foreign magazines and represented by State organisations in an acceptable form. Very few designers would have travelled outside the country and there would have been no influence from international art movements. All that was allowed was traditional art (Chosunhua), propaganda or socialist realism. And yet despite these

limitations, North Korean designers showed enormous talent and great variety in their work – looking for innovation while using traditional designs.

I love how the historical colours and patterns specific to Korea are mixed with socialist style graphics.

To present a well-known Korean landmark — a mountain, a building or sculpture — on a packet of cigarettes, or a box of matches, is to imbue them with instantly recognisable ‘Korean-ness’, thereby making them, in their eyes, ‘the best’ — even in the absence of any competition. Places of revolutionary importance, ancient or mythical, and areas of natural beauty, all appear on different products, lending each item an aura of special significance. Graphically, this means that a simple line drawing can convey a level of importance far exceeding its aesthetic decoration.

Since the North Korean economic changes in 2002 (encouraging a slight tilt towards market reform), more and more foreign goods are arriving in Pyongyang and design is now influenced particularly by the cheap, flashy and low-cost Chinese products available. Funnily enough, the end of the era was marked by the arrival of their redlabelled hour glass shaped ‘cola’ bottle (remarkably similar to a certain American model). Since then product graphics have become much more like the ubiquitous glossy designs you find on cheap mass-produced goods anywhere in the world.

Do you think the way the DPRK is presented

by Western media is problematic? If so, how can we educate ourselves further about such an

enigmatic country?

Further isolating a country that has its own policy of isolation always surprised me Certainly journalistic restrictions mean that Western media only tells one part of North Korea’s story. I believe that by visiting North Korea you will have a greater ability to understand both the country and its political situation, even if it is from a limited viewpoint. Koryo Tours has practiced responsible tourism for 25 years and our wide range of projects, from filmmaking to sports exchange, are testament to this approach.

In my mind, the ignorance of one another that is propagated by both the West and North Korea is dangerous. Further isolating a country that has its own policy of isolation always surprised me, particularly when you can see what a concerted and continuing input of soft power could have done (I witnessed this in China and saw how it influenced a number of people to think outside the box). The intention of this book is to show people a small section of North Korea: even if it reveals something banal, it is something that we can draw connections with to inform people there is more to the country than simply the black and white view we are limited to.

Photographs by Nicholas Bonner and Koryo Tours

BOOKS Thursday, 30 November 2017

14

“I wouldn’t just turn the other cheek” Books speaks to classicist Mary Beard about her new book: ‘Women & Power: a Manifesto’

By Julia Atherley Books Editor books@palatinate.org.uk

up and shut up). If someone came up to me in a bar and said that my vagina smelled like a cabbage (as they have on twitter), I would respond. I wouldn’t just turn the other cheek.

Y

ou have always been vocal about your feminist views, but this is your first book entirely focusing on gender issues. What made you finally want to write specifically about sexism in ‘Women & Power’?

“If someone came up to me in a bar and said that my vagina smelled like a cabbage, I would respond”

“There has been a very long history of silencing women in the West”

The book seems all the more pertinent considering the ongoing Westminster harassment scandal. Is there a classical precedent for this ingrained system of abuse? Is the problem being dealt with in the correct way by the government and by the media?

It was happenstance really. I had done two lectures on related themes and they went together well… and more than that, I felt they added up to a message – maybe even a manifesto. So it seemed useful to put them out in traditional covers.

I am not sure. I fear that there is too much concentration on celebrity environments. The Palace of Westminster is one thing, but women have this as they stand next to the average photocopier. I am not especially interested in naming and shaming for a hand on the knee 15 years ago, I want the guys to stop doing it.

Working in a university which has been male-dominated for the majority of its time, have you seen any changes in the approach to gender during your time at Cambridge? How far do UK universities have to go?

“There has been a revolution since the early 70s but of course this doesn’t mean the job is done” They have to go a lot further. But when I was an undergraduate, 12% of Cambridge students were women. Now it is more or less 50%.

There has been a revolution since the early 70s, but of course this doesn’t mean the job is done.

Your book misogyny back do we need to mans to better

traces the roots of modern to Athens and Rome, why look to the Greeks and Rounderstand our own society?

We need to understand some of the reasons why we think as we do. Our sexism and misogyny are learned from our predecessors, they’re not natural. Now that doesn’t mean that we

can simply blame the past for our failings. But we do need to see that there has been a very long history of silencing women in the West.

Is trolling a modern equivalent to how women have been silenced in public speaking? The common response is ‘keep mum and block them’ – what, in your opinion, is the best way to respond to online harassment?

“Our sexism and misogyny are learned from our predecessors, they’re not natural” I think that everyone online has to make the decisions they are comfortable with. If people want to block and not respond I understand that, but I do feel for me that that is a cop out – and it mirrors what women have always been told to do (put

“I am not especially interested in naming and shaming for a hand on the knee 15 years ago, I want the guys to stop doing it” Finally, the subtitle for ‘Women & Power’ is ‘A Manifesto’. I wonder what solutions you could offer us to justify such a subtitle. How can we begin to think about redefining power in the 21st century?

Well maybe manifesto should have a question mark by it! It is clear enough to me what the problem is. I think I help a bit by analysing with a classical focus. But we all have to work on the solution.

Image: University of Kent via Flickr

STAGE 15

Thursday, 30 November 2017

Pantomime: a gift well worth celebrating Stage discusses the cultural, economic and educational value of Christmas pantomime

By Helen Chatterton stage@palatinate.org.uk

W

ith the end of term only three weeks away, Christmas is nearly upon us.Within the theatre world that can only mean only one thing: pantomime. Whilst pantomime can easily be dismissed as a novelty of little ‘serious’ worth, behind the glitter and slapstick the genre has a much greater value to the theatre community.

Pantomime is critically important to the future of theatre both socially and economically The primary joy of the panto lies in its accessibility. Working off a basis of harmless fun (but expect lots of Trump-based jokes this year), any good script will have layers of humour and references to reach all ages. It is consequently one of the few opportunities for the whole family to be entertained by a stage show, and it is thus that the panto has become

a happy tradition for many families.

Whilst children sit enchanted, for adults, the simple act of going to the theatre can act as a welcome break from the stress that can creep in over the festive period, not to mention the doom and gloom of current affairs.

Pantomime is critically important to the future of theatre both socially and economically.

For many, pantomime is what draws them to a particular theatre for the first time. To theatres, this provides a perfect advertising opportunity for future productions. This is especially crucial to local and regional theatres.

With most pantos suitable for very young children, it is an opportunity for children to fall in love with the theatre, before they encounter the divisive Shakespeare in their teen years. When they do first meet ‘Romeo and Juliet’, having a background of critical awareness of the theatre, even if that’s as simple as discussions over which character

was their favourite and why, will help. With mounting concerns over aging audiences, creating a relationship between a child and the stage has never been more important.

Similarly, performances provide performance opportunities for local youths and amateurs.

Pantos are also crucial in providing a month of employment to otherwise forgotten soap and reality TV stars. When else will you get the opportunity to boo and hiss at that vaguely recognisable face?

It is an opportunity for children to fall in love with theatre Whilst a theatre dominated by young families may not be the most natural of habitats for a group of twenty-somethings, panto is a genre which rarely disappoints, and is definitely worth trying to squeeze in between summatives this Christmas.

Clockwise from top left: John Terry, roogi, Phil Richards, DirkJan Ranzijn via Creative Commons

THE indigo INTERVIEW 16

“The play’s the thing”, but who knows what the next scene will show? indigo interviews Catherine Mallyon, executive director of the Royal Shakespeare Company...

By Adele Cooke deputy indigo editor indigo.deputy@palatinate.org.uk

ties and inclusions plan, we’re being cautions in a way that sounds quite difficult I think... It is quite hard to get 50:50 if you have a very compelling and rigorous

Catherine Mallyon is an impressive name in the theatre scene. Boasting roles including Executive Director of the Royal Shakespeare Company, board member of SOLT, (the Society of London Theatres) and an accomplished violinist with the Oxford Sinfonia, her talents are numerous and varied. Taking time out of her busy schedule Catherine sat down with indigo to discuss trigger warnings, technology- and of course the future of Shakespearian theatre.

carefully about it and discuss what they are including of course in the performance, so we’d never be imposing that on anyone. And we never want to use it gratuitously and obviously sometimes, someone’s careful directorial choice is someone’s gratuitous. But again it’s what feels appropriate for the production and the interpretation of the production, and what works for the director and the company. And sometimes we would, depending on its context, alert audiences in advance, and sometimes not, depending on our assessment of the impact of it.

Interestingly Oxford University have just introduced trigger warnings to some of their Shakespeare productions, especially given the recent production of Titus Andronicus, which was very gory, should the RSC consider doing the same?

What’s the best way for aspiring creatives to find a job in the arts?

I think it’s see as much as you can, and do as much as you can, do a lot of exploration of all of the different roles that there are within the theatre. We have a range of opportunities, as an example of what theatres do have, of course they are terribly competitive, often because so many people want to do them, but to keep an eye out for those roles and then to apply with the benefit of real tangible experience either in a student content, an amateur context, or in the professional world. But having said that if the question is as broad as any role in the theatre, some of the roles that exist across sectors, like finance, development, fundraising, HR offer particular development at the moment. There aren’t as many good candidates sometimes as there are roles, so there really is potential.

Do you have any plans to do any other big budget musicals, for example, following the success of Matilda?

We do, trigger warnings are quite a new thing aren’t they and they cover so many things. With something like Titus we will tell audiences if there’s particular significant content that is potentially upsetting. Because we don’t want audiences in there that could have taken a different decisions had they known. So we try to do that if we think something should have age guidance for example. So with our Titus it is the first one when it was transmitted into cinemas, for example, the ratings folk decided that it should have an age limit on it. We will suggest age guidance or let people know. I think there’s quite a significance around a wider range of trigger warnings because so many of Shakespeare’s plays contain so many things, so many references, so much challenging subject matter that it would be tricky to cover everything in that way. So I think we would be content to continue what we do, if there’s something a range of people would like to know before going into the theatre.

We’re always commissioning and developing work of various sorts.

I think the challenge of all those things is if we could produce a Matilda every week, obviously not only would we, but so would everyone. It’s something about how do we make sure that we have the right conditions, that should something turn into a blockbuster, like that, we’re well placed to do that.

It’s amazing Matilda, now seven million people have seen it across the world, so we have on the box writers under commission, and we produce alongside Shakespeare, his contemporaries, and new writing as drama. We do produce musical theatre and musicals as we go along, and we’ll see where we turn, but we would be completely open to one if we found that we were getting there. But they don’t grow on trees.

approach to the play. So we would always encourage that, whenever it’s possible, but we also look at other areas, so we’ve got a lot of female directors on our books, as you will have noticed. Next season is nearly one hundred percent female for example. And we’ve got a lot of women commissioned to write new work because we’re very conscious of the playwright gender imbalance as well. And we also want to work at the 50:50 balance across the whole of the creative teams as much as what is on stage, so composers, musicians where there’s also work to do... I think there is a place for everything and it’s just important that across the piece, as far reaching as we can that we are as inclusive as we possibly can be.

Would you say that trying not to constrain the directors is the reason why you haven’t followed Michelle Terry and the Globe’s move to do 50:50 casting in all productions?

I saw Antony and Cleopatra recently, I was quite surprised when she gave her speech and she there was a lot of nudity involved. What is your attitude towards nudity on stage?

Yes I’m sure is the answer to that. The Tempest was wonderful. It was great, we learnt masses from it. We were able to do it because of the collaboration with Intel, who brought some dollars to the table and of course we’re always ready to use technology and we use lots of technology in theatre, and often have.

Often we have been introducing new things all the time, from stage machinery to moving lights, so this is but a natural development of that to be honest, and one we’d want to carry on doing. What the equipment of the future is we don’t know. But we’re constantly doing research and development and thinking about that all the time. So yes, I hope we will.

We have had some productions over the years that have been all women, or more women than men, and we’re always looking at that and rattling with that.

At the moment of course with equality and diversi-

Again, I was similarly startled in a good way, I thought it was incredibly brave and incredibly appropriate for the text and the story and where it all was. Which I think reflects the point really. Directors always decide very

Photographs from “The Tempest” and “Antony and Cleopatra”, Copyright RSC

Also, do the RSC have any plans to use more technology in their future productions, as with the tempest?