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Feet Don’t Fail Me Now

Rhythmic Circus

If there’s anything you go see at the Edinburgh Fringe this year, make it Rhythmic Circus. This all-singing, all-dancing show really gets you dancing in your seat. Rhythmic Circus have the perfect mix of rapid-fire tap dancing, gorgeous tunes, and good old fashioned fun. Their enthusiasm ripples out into the audience infectiously and before you know it, everyone’s laughing and clapping along to the impressive and sometimes zany performance in front of them. The Minneapolis-based group is performing at the Edinburgh Fringe at Assembly, George Square 15:40pm from the 1^st to the 26^th of August (excluding the 13^th and the 20^th) before opening Off-Broadway later on in the year.

Just ten minutes ago, a sit-on-lawnmower burst into flames in the graveyard of St Marys Church, Luton. No-one was injured and the arrival of the fire-engine was swift. The flames were quickly put out before any more damage could be caused. 

See the full gallery on Posterous

Famous hollywood producer, MBE, and most noted for Blade Runner and her works with Sam Peckinpah; Katy Haber came to the University of Bedfordshire yesterday to talk all things Peckinpah, violence in films, and the lifestyles of some of Hollywood’s greatest.

Focussing on Straw Dogs, a Peckinpah film that was banned in the UK for 17 years, Haber was asked many questions about the violence in the film, and especially the scene that was responsible for it’s ban, the double rape of the protagonist’s wife.

Haber adressed these questions by saying initially: “imagine what it was like for me, as a nice jewish girl from Hampstead!” and then amended: “the only horror of the rape scene is when it becomes the secondary rape.” 

Haber continued: “you never really find out if her relationship with Charlie had been consummated, but I always thought it hadn’t been.” and went on: “it was not something he [Charlie] wanted to do, but was being forced to by Scott.”

When asked about Dustin Hoffman’s method training in conjunction with the film, Haber replied that it had been Hoffman who had suggested listening to Scottish music to help fire up his violent streak, and commented on his on-camera style, claiming: “the more you try and make him laugh on camera, the better he performs.”

Haber also commented on Susan George, who played Amy Sumner, claiming, “Susan has never been better in any film before or since, and she credits this to Sam … he made her life very harsh” following up with an anecdote where Peckinpah told her that her father, who was playing in the band in the scene immediately after the rape scene, looked very ill, and “wouldn’t it be horrible if he died before we finished filming?” and then stepped back and said ‘action’. 

Haber’s only comments on the 2011 Rod Lurie remake were, “I didn’t see the point. If you’re going to remake something, make it better.”

Being woken up by the sounds of horse-mounted police at 8am is a bizarre occurrence (especially as my hazy brain first interpreted it as rain) but, then again, today is the day for bizarre in Luton.

Today, right next to my university building, the English Defence League have led a protest, (although on what, no-one is exactly sure. ‘the council,’ they say. but why is anyone’s guess). Also, ‘cross town, in Wardown park, a counter-protest from the United Against Fascism group was being held.

Neither of these groups are allowed near the town centre, (a minute walk from the uni) and certain roads have been closed, and massive amounts of police were called in to oversee the whole thing.

Whilst it is comforting to know if I look out of my window I can see three police cars and every half an hour the patrols will sweep the street, -oh, and hear the constant drone of the ever-circling helicopters,- the sheer police presence seems to make everyone a little twitchy, waiting with hushed breath for the moment something goes wrong. 

Living right next door to the university, -luckily at the other end from where the protest was initially held,- the police presence is not that unwanted. The university byline has been, ‘don’t go out if you can help it. and anyone seen in the protests will get severely talked to’ which, for the exception of a few journalism students, armed with risk assessment forms, their student IDs, and permission from their lecturers, seems to be what everyone is doing. 

The main protest has not swept by my window yet, if it is to at all. However small groups have staggered past, chanting their support, as if it might rouse people from behind their safely locked doors. So far, no such luck.

The occasional ambulance has screamed past the main road, but no more than usual for a Luton saturday (and oh look, there’s the clip clopping of the patrol, right on time). Yesterday I entertained the idea of getting out there and snapping a few photos from a safe distance. Today, however, I decided that the eternal comfort of my flat has won out, and I shall stay here, sat by the window watching, until the official end at 3pm.

On the morning of our interview at first we had no idea what was going on. Our lecturers had been quite sparse with the information they had given out and it was only at 9am that we learnt we would have the opportunity to talk to Eric Joyce for an interview and Q&A session straight after his court appearance.

Joyce went into the courts that morning expecting to be put in jail and loosing his position as a member of parliament because of it. However, the luck was in our favour and Joyce left the courtroom with a numerous amount of fines and restrictions. After a few words to the press, he got in the car with our lecturer, and they were on their way.

Of course we had not been sitting idly by. Students had started work on producing The Ebdonite, others started a short “how we did it” film, and those who would be at the Q&A were put to work researching. Myself and James, another first year student, managed to worm our way into the room where the interview would take place, where I helped in small ways by buying bottles of water, running notes between different parts of the university, and help setting up the camera and lighting equipment. 

This led to the position of holding the boom microphone for the interview itself, which was a lot more fun than you’d expect, and a lot trickier. Keeping the boom out of shot whilst not knowing where the shot is, and having to keep audio levels consistent whilst turning the directional microphone between participants without missing the beginnings of words was challenging, but worth it. 

The interview was wonderful; Joyce spoke with conviction and charm. Then, after everything had been packed away, and Joyce was taken off to the Q&A, James and I were swept off to add to the “how we did it” footage, where we got to congratulate ourselves on our hard work and finally, got to take a breath.