1.
Lancing College
–
Lancing College is an independent boarding and day school founded in 1848 by Nathaniel Woodard. The school is based in 550 acres of countryside in West Sussex, east of Worthing near the village of Lancing, Lancing educates c.550 pupils between the ages of 13 and 18, the co-educational ratio is c.60,40 boys to girls. The college is situated on a hill which is part of the South Downs, the college overlooks the River Adur and the Ladywell Stream, a holy well or sacred stream within the College grounds has pre-Christian significance. Woodards aim was to provide education based on principle and sound knowledge. Lancing was the first of a family of more than 30 schools founded by Woodard, roughly 65% of pupils are boarders, at a cost of £32,910 per year, c. 35% are day pupils, at a cost of £23,130 per year. Occasional overnight stays are available to day pupils at an additional cost, the school is a member of the Headmasters and Headmistresses Conference. Girls were first admitted in 1970, the school is dominated by a Gothic revival chapel, and follows a high church Anglican tradition. The schools buildings of the 1850s were designed by the architect Richard Cromwell Carpenter, in 1998 Lancing commissioned the choral piece Triodion to mark its 150th anniversary. The foundation stone of the chapel was laid in 1868. In fact, the chapel remains unfinished and it stands at about 50 metres, but the original plans called for a tower at the west end which would raise the height to 100 metres. The apex of the rises to 27.4 m. It was designed by R. H. Carpenter and William Slater, the chapel was dedicated to St Mary and St Nicolas in 1911, although the college worshipped in the finished crypt from 1875. It is the largest school chapel in the world, the eastern organ is a two-manual mechanical organ built by the Danish firm Frobenius and was installed and voiced in situ in 1986. A stained glass window was commissioned in memory of Trevor Huddleston OL, the chapel is open to the public. During World War II, students were evacuated to Downton Castle in Herefordshire, both the main college and the prep school buildings were requistioned by the Admiralty and became part of the Royal Navy shore establishment HMS King Alfred. In 1856 Lancing created its own code of football which was regarded as a means of fostering teamwork. S. H, maj Prince George G. Imeretinsky, Grenadier Guards and Royal Flying Corps Officer H. S. H. 13 Group, Air Officer Commanding No. F. C. J. C. O, F. Roxburgh, former Housemaster, first Headmaster of Stowe School Haldane Campbell Stewart, former Director of Music. Organist and choirmaster at Magdalen College, Oxford, cricketer for Kent County Cricket Team
2.
South Downs
–
It is bounded on its northern side by a steep escarpment, from whose crest there are extensive views northwards across the Weald. The South Downs National Park forms a larger area than the chalk range of the South Downs. The South Downs are characterised by rolling chalk downland with close-cropped turf and dry valleys, the range is one of the four main areas of chalk downland in southern England. The South Downs have been inhabited since ancient times and at periods the area has supported a large population, there is a rich heritage of historical features and archaeological remains, including defensive sites, burial mounds and field boundaries. Within the South Downs Environmentally Sensitive Area there are thirty-seven Sites of Special Scientific Interest, as a result, while old chalk grassland accounted for 40-50% of the eastern Downs before the war, only 3-4% survives. The South Downs have also designated as a National Character Area by Natural England. It is bordered by the Hampshire Downs, the Wealden Greensand, the Low Weald and the Pevensey Levels to the north, the downland is an extremely popular recreational destination, particularly for walkers, horseriders and mountain bikers. The term downs is from Old English dūn, meaning hill, the word acquired the sense of elevated rolling grassland around the fourteenth century. These hills are prefixed south to distinguish them from another chalk escarpment, the North Downs, the rock is composed of the microscopic skeletons of plankton which lived in the sea, hence its colour. The chalk has many fossils, and bands of flint occur throughout the formation, the Chalk is divided into the Lower, Middle and Upper Chalk, a thin band of cream-coloured nodular chalk known as the Melbourn Rock marking the boundary between the Lower and Middle units. The strata of southeast England, including the Chalk, were folded during a phase of the Alpine Orogeny to produce the Weald-Artois Anticline. The chalk, being porous, allows water to soak through, behind the steep north-facing scarp slope, the gently inclined dip slope of undulating chalk downland extends for a distance of up to 7 miles southwards. In the west, the ridge of the South Downs merges with the North Downs to form the Hampshire Downs. The Western and Eastern Downs are often referred to as the Sussex Downs. The Western Downs, lying west of the River Arun, are much more wooded, particularly on the scarp face, four river valleys cut through the South Downs, namely those of the rivers Arun, Adur, Ouse and Cuckmere, providing a contrasting landscape. Chalk aquifers and to a lesser extent winterbourne streams supply much of the water required by the surrounding settlements, dew ponds, artificial ponds for watering livestock, are a characteristic feature on the downland. The highest point on the South Downs is Butser Hill, whose summit is 270 metres above sea level, the plateau-like top of this vast, irregularly shaped hill, which lies just south of Petersfield, Hampshire, was in regular use through prehistory. It has been designated as a National Nature Reserve, however, Blackdown geologically is not part of the South Downs but instead forms part of the Greensand Ridge on the Wealds western margins
3.
Terence Rattigan
–
Sir Terence Mervyn Rattigan, CBE was a British dramatist. He was one of Englands most popular mid twentieth century dramatists and his plays are typically set in an upper-middle-class background. He is known for works as The Winslow Boy, The Browning Version, The Deep Blue Sea and Separate Tables. A troubled homosexual, who saw himself as an outsider, his plays confronted issues of sexual frustration, failed relationships and adultery, Terence Rattigan was born in 1911 in South Kensington, London, United Kingdom, of Irish Protestant extraction. He had a brother, Brian. They were the grandsons of Sir William Henry Rattigan, a notable India-based jurist and his father was Frank Rattigan CMG, a diplomat whose exploits included an affair with Princess Elisabeth of Romania which resulted in her having an abortion. Rattigans birth certificate and his announcement in The Times indicate he was born on 9 June 1911. However, most reference books state that he was born the following day, there is evidence suggesting that the date on the birth certificate is incorrect. He was given no name, but he adopted the middle name Mervyn in early adulthood. Rattigan was educated at Sandroyd School from 1920 to 1925, at the based in Cobham, Surrey. Rattigan played cricket for the Harrow First XI and scored 29 in the Eton–Harrow match in 1929 and he was a member of the Officer Training Corps and organised a mutiny, informing the Daily Express. Even more annoying to his headmaster, Cyril Norwood, was the telegram from the Eton OTC and he then went to Trinity College, Oxford. Success as a playwright came early, with the comedy French Without Tears in 1936, Rattigans determination to write a more serious play produced After the Dance, a satirical social drama about the bright young things and their failure to politically engage. The outbreak of the Second World War scuppered any chances of a long run. During the war, Rattigan served in the Royal Air Force as a gunner, his experiences helped inspire Flare Path. He was a friend of Spike Milligans junior officer, Lieutenant Tony Goldsmith, Rattigan wrote an obituary of his friend and sent it to The Times. A copy of it is in Rommel, Rattigan responded to this critical disfavour with some bitterness. His plays Ross, Man and Boy, In Praise of Love, aunt Edna inspired Joe Orton to create Edna Welthorpe, a mischievous alter ego stirring up controversy about his own plays
4.
Minerva Theatre, Chichester
–
The Minerva Theatre is a studio theatre seating at full capacity 283. It is run as part of the adjacent Chichester Festival Theatre, located in Chichester, England, the current artistic director is Jonathan Church. In November 2009, The Minerva allowed the University of Chichesters Musical Theatre Degree programme to perform a run of Oh, the show was well received and garnered positive reviews. It was directed by Garth Bardsley, with direction by Julian Kelly
5.
Chichester Festival Theatre
–
Chichester Festival Theatre, located in Chichester, Sussex, England, was designed by Philip Powell and Hidalgo Moya, and opened by its founder Leslie Evershed-Martin in 1962. Subsequently the smaller and more intimate Minerva Theatre was built nearby in 1989, the inaugural Artistic Director was Sir Laurence Olivier, and it was at Chichester that the first National Theatre company was formed. Chichesters productions would transfer to the NTs base at the Old Vic in London. The opening productions in 1962 were, The Chances by John Fletcher which opened on 3 July, The Broken Heart, by John Ford, opened 9 July, Uncle Vanya, by Anton Chekov, opened 16 July. The Festival Season usually runs from April to September and includes productions from classics to contemporary writing, during this time the theatre also puts on outdoor promenade performances and organises other festival events including cabaret and comedy nights. A range of events is designed to add to the experience of visiting the theatre, including events, family days, tours. The theatre is run as a registered charity and is chaired by Sir William Castell. It is a Grade II* listed building, Sir Laurence Olivier Sir John Clements Keith Michell Peter Dews Patrick Garland John Gale Michael Rudman Patrick Garland Sir Derek Jacobi and Duncan C
6.
Harold Pinter Theatre
–
The Harold Pinter Theatre, formerly the Comedy Theatre until 2011, is a West End theatre, and opened on Panton Street in the City of Westminster, on 15 October 1881, as the Royal Comedy Theatre. It was designed by Thomas Verity and built in just six months in painted stone, by 1884 it was known as just the Comedy Theatre. In the mid-1950s the theatre underwent major reconstruction and re-opened in December 1955, in 1883, the successful operetta Falka had its London première at the theatre, and in 1885, Erminie did the same. The theatres reputation grew through the First World War when Charles Blake Cochran, famous actors who appeared here include Henry Daniell who played John Carlton in Secrets in September 1929. The theatre was notable for the role it played in overturning stage censorship by establishing the New Watergate Club in 1956, the Theatres Act 1843 was still in force and required scripts to be submitted for approval by the Lord Chamberlains Office. Formation of the club allowed plays that had been banned due to language or subject matter to be performed under club conditions. Plays produced in this way included the UK premières of Arthur Millers A View from the Bridge, Robert Andersons Tea and Sympathy, the theatre was Grade II listed by English Heritage in June 1972. On 7 September 2011 it was announced that the theatres owner, howard Panter, Joint Chief Executive and Creative Director of ATG, told the BBC, The work of Pinter has become an integral part of the history of the Comedy Theatre
7.
BBC Radio 4
–
BBC Radio 4 is a radio station owned and operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967, the station controller is Gwyneth Williams, and the station is part of BBC Radio and the BBC Radio department. The station is broadcast from the BBCs headquarters at Broadcasting House and it is also available through Freeview, Sky, Virgin Media and on the Internet. It is notable for its news bulletins and programmes such as Today and The World at One, BBC Radio 4 is the second most popular British domestic radio station by total hours, after Radio 2 – and the most popular in London and the South of England. It recorded its highest audience, of 11 million listeners, in May 2011 and was UK Radio Station of the Year at the 2003,2004 and 2008 Sony Radio Academy Awards and it also won a Peabody Award in 2002 for File On 4, Export Controls. Costing £71.4 million, it is the BBCs most expensive national radio network and is considered by many to be its flagship. There is no comparable British commercial network, Channel 4 abandoned plans to launch its own speech-based digital radio station in October 2008 as part of a £100m cost cutting review, in 2010 Gwyneth Williams replaced Mark Damazer as Radio 4 controller. Damazer became Master of St Peters College, Oxford, music and sport are the only fields that largely fall outside the stations remit. It broadcasts occasional concerts, and documentaries related to forms of both popular and classical music, and the long-running music-based Desert Island Discs. As a result, for around 70 days a year listeners have to rely on FM broadcasts or increasingly DAB for mainstream Radio 4 broadcasts – the number relying solely on long wave is now a small minority. The cricket broadcasts take precedence over on-the-hour news bulletins, but not the Shipping Forecast, as well as news and drama, the station has a strong reputation for comedy, including experimental and alternative comedy, many successful comedians and comedy shows first appearing on the station. The BBC Home Service was the predecessor of Radio 4 and broadcast between 1939 and 1967 and it had regional variations and was broadcast on medium wave with a network of VHF FM transmitters being added from 1955. Radio 4 replaced it on 30 September 1967, when the BBC renamed many of its radio stations. For a time during the 1970s Radio 4 carried regional news bulletins Monday to Saturday and these were broadcast twice at breakfast, at lunchtime and an evening bulletin was aired at 5. 55pm. There were also programme variations for the parts of England not served by BBC Local Radio stations and these included Roundabout East Anglia, a VHF opt-out of the Today programme broadcast from BBC Easts studios in Norwich each weekday from 6.45 am to 8.45 am. Roundabout East Anglia came to an end in 1980, when local services were introduced to East Anglia with the launch of BBC Radio Norfolk. All regional news bulletins broadcast from BBC regional news bases around England ended in August 1980 apart from in the south west, in September 1991 it was decided that the main Radio 4 service would be on FM as coverage had extended to cover almost all of the UK. Opt-outs were transferred to long wave, currently Test Match Special, extra shipping forecasts, The Daily Service, long wave very occasionally opts out at other times, such as to broadcast special services, the most recent being when Pope Benedict XVI visited Britain in 2010
8.
London
–
London /ˈlʌndən/ is the capital and most populous city of England and the United Kingdom. Standing on the River Thames in the south east of the island of Great Britain and it was founded by the Romans, who named it Londinium. Londons ancient core, the City of London, largely retains its 1. 12-square-mile medieval boundaries. London is a global city in the arts, commerce, education, entertainment, fashion, finance, healthcare, media, professional services, research and development, tourism. It is crowned as the worlds largest financial centre and has the fifth- or sixth-largest metropolitan area GDP in the world, London is a world cultural capital. It is the worlds most-visited city as measured by international arrivals and has the worlds largest city airport system measured by passenger traffic, London is the worlds leading investment destination, hosting more international retailers and ultra high-net-worth individuals than any other city. Londons universities form the largest concentration of education institutes in Europe. In 2012, London became the first city to have hosted the modern Summer Olympic Games three times, London has a diverse range of people and cultures, and more than 300 languages are spoken in the region. Its estimated mid-2015 municipal population was 8,673,713, the largest of any city in the European Union, Londons urban area is the second most populous in the EU, after Paris, with 9,787,426 inhabitants at the 2011 census. The citys metropolitan area is the most populous in the EU with 13,879,757 inhabitants, the city-region therefore has a similar land area and population to that of the New York metropolitan area. London was the worlds most populous city from around 1831 to 1925, Other famous landmarks include Buckingham Palace, the London Eye, Piccadilly Circus, St Pauls Cathedral, Tower Bridge, Trafalgar Square, and The Shard. The London Underground is the oldest underground railway network in the world, the etymology of London is uncertain. It is an ancient name, found in sources from the 2nd century and it is recorded c.121 as Londinium, which points to Romano-British origin, and hand-written Roman tablets recovered in the city originating from AD 65/70-80 include the word Londinio. The earliest attempted explanation, now disregarded, is attributed to Geoffrey of Monmouth in Historia Regum Britanniae and this had it that the name originated from a supposed King Lud, who had allegedly taken over the city and named it Kaerlud. From 1898, it was accepted that the name was of Celtic origin and meant place belonging to a man called *Londinos. The ultimate difficulty lies in reconciling the Latin form Londinium with the modern Welsh Llundain, which should demand a form *lōndinion, from earlier *loundiniom. The possibility cannot be ruled out that the Welsh name was borrowed back in from English at a later date, and thus cannot be used as a basis from which to reconstruct the original name. Until 1889, the name London officially applied only to the City of London, two recent discoveries indicate probable very early settlements near the Thames in the London area
9.
Jonathan Bailey (actor)
–
Jonathan Bailey is an English actor, best known for the ITV drama Broadchurch, the BBCs Leonardo as a young Leonardo da Vinci and the Channel 4 comedy Campus. Bailey first began working as an actor on the ITV series Bramwell, after playing parts in various television series and films, Bailey secured a small role as sport enthusiast Flatpack in the sitcom Campus. In 2011, he was cast as Leonardo da Vinci in the program Leonardo and went on to play opposite Sarah Alexander in the BBC comedy Me and Mrs. Jones. He was nominated for the award for Outstanding Newcomer at the Evening Standard Theatre Awards 2012 for his performance in David Hares South Downs, Bailey has played the role of Tim Price in the musical American Psycho at Londons Almeida Theatre since December 2013. In September 2014, he played the character Psi in the Doctor Who series 8 episode and he portrays small town reporter Olly Stevens in the ITV series Broadchurch. Bailey was born in Wallingford, Oxfordshire, and has three older sisters and he decided that he wanted to be an actor at age 5 after seeing a stage production of Oliver. Jonathan Bailey at the Internet Movie Database
10.
Mark Shenton
–
Mark Shenton is a London-based British arts journalist and theatre critic. Between April 2002 and December 2013 he was chief Theatre Critic for the Sunday Express and he also writes a daily blog for The Stage online as well as reviews and features for the weekly newspaper, and contributes to newspapers and theatre magazines in the UK and around the world. Up to the age of 16 he was educated at St Johns College, Johannesburg. He took O and A levels at Albany College, London then in 1982 took up studies at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge where he read law, graduating in 1985 and gaining his MA Cantab in 1987. His first job in London came in 1986 at Dewynters plc where he edited and co-ordinated the publication of theatre programmes and souvenir brochures for West End and he is currently chairman of The Critics Circle, Drama section. In 2015 he was appointed joint lead theatre critic, with Natasha Tripney and he acknowledged the content of the pictures as being private, personal, stating that the images had been taken over 20 years ago and posted without his consent. The Sunday Express is said to dispute Shentons version of events
11.
Skylight (play)
–
Skylight is a play by British dramatist David Hare. The play premiered in the West End at the Cottesloe Theatre in 1995, the play opened on Broadway in 1996 and again played the West End in 1997 and 2014. The 2014 production transferred to Broadway in 2015, Skylight premiered in May 1995 at the Cottesloe Theatre, National Theatre, directed by Richard Eyre and starring Michael Gambon and Lia Williams. The production then moved to the Wyndhams Theatre for a run from 13 February 1996, again with Gambon. Both actors appeared in the Broadway transfer from September to December 1996, both earned Tony Award nominations for their performances, as well as Eyre as director and the play as Best Play. The play won the New York Drama Critics Circle award as Best Foreign Play, on 30 June 1997 the play opened at Londons Vaudeville Theatre starring Bill Nighy and Stella Gonet, directed by Eyre, running through 11 October 1997. The play won the 1996 Laurence Olivier Award for Play of the Year, a new production directed by Stephen Daldry and starring Carey Mulligan, Bill Nighy — reprising the part hed performed in 1997 — and Matthew Beard opened at the Wyndhams Theatre in June 2014. The play was broadcast live to cinema audiences via NT Live on 17 July 2014 and this production transferred to Broadway at the John Golden Theatre on 16 March 2015. The production officially opened on 2 April in an engagement to 21 June. The play was nominated for seven 2015 Tony Awards, including Best Revival of a Play, on June 10,2016, Hidden Cove Productions will open Skylight, starring Sara Topham, Lindsay G. Merrithew and Tim Dowler-Coltman, at the Berkeley Street Theatre in Toronto, Canada. Larry Moss will direct the four-week run, on February 14,2017, Theatre Calgary will open Skylight, starring Geoffrey Simon Brown, Dean Paul Gibson and Myla Southward at the Max Bell Theatre in Calgary, Alberta. Valerie Planche will direct the 2 week run, source, Skylight Tom Sergeant Kyra Hollis Edward Sergeant East London school teacher Kyra Hollis is visited on the same night by Edward Sergeant and, later, his father Tom Sergeant. Kyra had been living with the Sergeant family years earlier but left after her affair with Tom was discovered by Toms wife, who has since died. Edward now accuses Kyra of having him as well, as he saw her as a big sister. Shortly thereafter, Tom, a restaurateur, with real life references to Terence Conran, appears unheralded. Kyras less-than-glamorous lifestyle leads him to poke fun at her to the point of insult, Skylight at the Internet Broadway Database Skylight at the Internet Broadway Database
12.
Racing Demon (play)
–
Racing Demon is a 1990 play by English playwright David Hare. Part of a trio of plays about British institutions, it focuses on the Church of England, and tackles issues such as gay ordination, the play debuted at the National Theatre. Awards 1990 Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Play Nominations 1996 Tony Award for Best Play Hare, Racing Demon at the Internet Broadway Database Racing Demon at the Internet Broadway Database
13.
The Absence of War
–
The Absence of War is a play by English playwright David Hare, the final installment of his trilogy about contemporary Britain. The play premiered in 1993 at the Royal National Theatre, London, the play is based on his behind the scenes observations of the Labour Party leadership during their unsuccessful General Election campaign of 1992. The Absence of War at the Internet Movie Database
14.
Plenty (film)
–
Plenty is a 1985 British drama film directed by Fred Schepisi and starring Meryl Streep. It was adapted from David Hares play of the same name, Plenty was met with mixed reviews upon release. It currently holds a 57% rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 14 critics, Movie critic Roger Ebert gave the film three-and-a-half stars out of four. He said that Streep gave a performance of great subtlety, it is hard to play an unbalanced, neurotic, self-destructive woman, Streep creates a whole character around a woman who could have simply been a catalogue of symptoms. Plenty at the Internet Movie Database Plenty at Rotten Tomatoes
15.
The Secret Rapture (film)
–
The Secret Rapture is a 1993 British drama film directed by Howard Davies. The screenplay by David Hare is based on his 1988 play of the same title, isobel and her lover Patrick own a small graphic design company that is struggling to stay afloat. Her sister suggests she and her born-again Christian husband Tom help them expand the business by finding investors, isobel has grave misgivings about the plan, but finally agrees to it when Marion convinces Patrick of its potential success. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on 12 September 1993 and it opened in one theater in New York City on 29 April 1994 and earned $18,719 during its four-week run there. It went into release in the UK on 3 June 1994, stephen Holden of the New York Times thought the films emotional texture is considerably richer than the Broadway production. And its wrenching performances and dark, clammy atmosphere cast an unsettling chill and he added, Much of the power of the film. Lies in the lurching unpredictability of its story, in observing the characters up close, the film exudes an emotional intensity that was missing from the more politically pointed Broadway production. As dislikable as Marion may be, Ms. Wiltons portrayal allows us enough glimpses through her mask of hard self-sufficiency to suggest the fearful, isobel, with her outpourings of concern and conscience, is far more sympathetic. But Ms. Stevenson also doesnt shy away from showing the characters streaks of stubbornness, the films flashiest performance belongs to Ms. Whalley-Kilmer as the impulsive, sexually magnetic Katherine. At moments she oddly suggests a young, tipsy Joan Collins whose bravado cannot conceal her lack of an inner core, the films biggest flaw is its attempt to compress too much story into too little space, in scenes that shift abruptly from character to character. Leonard Klady of Variety called the film fitfully successful and observed, Howard Davies provides an appropriately somber tone for this tale of blood rivalries, yet the relentless weightiness of the proceedings wears down the viewer and limits the films appeal to a specialized audience. Existing in a room between upscale kitchen-sink reality and allegory, The Secret Rapture challenges the director and performers to find their ground. Stevenson effects a powerful, strident and unpleasant pose that ultimately works against the material, others in the cast are less successful in finding a balance, though Whalley-Kilmer gains our sympathies in an eccentric, bravura. Ultimately Hare and Davies fail to bring us into or make us sympathize with rather cold environment. On screen, the rate of power reversal and the sheer abruptness of the characters U-turn give the melodrama a foreshortened quality that is unintentionally comic. But there is considerable fascination in watching Whalley-Kilmer and Stevenson share the screen, the Secret Rapture at the Internet Movie Database
16.
My Zinc Bed (film)
–
My Zinc Bed is a 2008 British television drama film directed by Anthony Page and based on the stage play of the same name by David Hare. It was commissioned by the BBC and produced in association with HBO Films, the one-off drama follows Alcoholics Anonymous member Paul Peplow who is sent to interview wealthy businessman Victor Quinn. Victors obsession with addiction soon makes sense when Paul meets Victors beautiful wife Elsa – who reveals that she herself is a recovering alcoholic. The film is shot in locations across London, including the now-standard crossing the Thames introductory shot backdropped by St. Pauls Cathedral. The Quinns new residence is shown to be in the locale of the real Regents Park, the drama was well received by some critics, mostly overcoming the distraction of its high-powered cast. It was both commended and criticized for its retention of its stage-play roots and it received 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. The drama was seen by around 1 million viewers, considered poor ratings and my Zinc Bed at the Internet Movie Database
17.
Wetherby (film)
–
Wetherby is a 1985 British mystery drama film written and directed by playwright David Hare. Set in the town of Wetherby in West Yorkshire, the focuses on Jean Travers. One evening, she invites married friends for a party, only to have some terrible repressions. The strange young man arrives at Jeans cottage the next morning with a gift of pheasants, while sitting at the kitchen table waiting for tea, he puts the barrel of a gun in his mouth and kills himself. The central mystery of Morgans suicide is the fulcrum around which the narrative turns, the narrative construction of the film resembles a jigsaw puzzle and, in keeping with Hares style of exposition, frequently appears to have key pieces missing. There are further scenes of the party as well as scenes of the police investigation into the suicide. We learn Morgan had not been an invited guest—he walked in with others who assumed he was an acquaintance of Jeans, and Jean assumed that her friends had brought him with them. An aloof and peculiar young woman named Karen Creasy—a former acquaintance of Morgans—is delivered from the funeral to Jeans doorstep by Mike Langdon, for several weeks after, the girl insinuates herself into Jeans life and home and shows no intention of leaving. Sullen and self-centred, Karen is curiously unmoved by Morgans death and is hostile to his memory. It is implied this rejection may have been a factor in his decision to leave Essex for Yorkshire with the intention of committing suicide. When Jean suggests to Karen that she may have been responsible for Morgans decision to kill himself, Karen makes it clear that she hates emotional involvements—what she harshly describes as people digging into each other—and likewise resents Jeans attempt to engage her in a close relationship. In a sudden fit of pique, Karen quits Jeans home, but before leaving, she cruelly taunts Jean by remarking that, if Morgans suicide wasnt merely an accident, then she would love to know what possible role the spinster played in causing it. In addition to the events occurring in the present day, there are flashbacks of Jean and her friend, Marcia. These scenes reveal Jean had been engaged to airman, Jim Mortimer, in a brutal twist of fate, Jim was senselessly murdered in a gambling den during the anti-imperial uprisings in British Malaya. As these episodes from the past and present criss-cross and overlap, Jean begins to understand the dull resentment and she also seems to gain some insight into the restlessness and self-destructive impulses of the younger generation. In a related incident, she tries to get one of her students to see the value of continuing her education. Jean is likewise affected by the hopes of her contemporaries. She regularly discusses these current matters with Stanley Pilborough, Marcias husband and the town solicitor and she observes the unhappy marriages of her middle-aged friends, particularly the endless bickering that goes on between Roger and Verity Braithwaite
18.
Damage (1992 film)
–
Damage is a 1992 British/French film directed by Louis Malle and starring Jeremy Irons, Juliette Binoche, Miranda Richardson, Rupert Graves and Ian Bannen. Based on the novel Damage by Josephine Hart, the film is about a British politician who shares a relationship with his sons girlfriend. Miranda Richardson was nominated for an Academy Award and won a BAFTA in the category of Best Supporting Actress for her performance as the wife of the films main character. Their adult son, Martyn, a young journalist, lives elsewhere in London. At a diplomatic reception, Stephen meets a woman named Anna Barton. A short time later Martyn brings Anna with him when he drops by his parents sumptuous home to introduce her to his family. The developing sexual tension between Stephen and Anna becomes increasingly clear at this brief meeting although Martyn and his mother seem oblivious to this, despite her relationship with Martyn, Anna arranges a tryst with Stephen at her small London town house. The following day, Martyn is appointed deputy editor at his London-based national newspaper. Ingrid arranges a dinner to celebrate in London, while at dinner, Ingrid shows a distrust in Anna and asks her aggressive questions regarding her childhood. Anna mentions the loss of her brother who was an older than her. When Ingrid asks why he killed himself, Anna replies, Love, after dinner, Martyn drops off Anna and Stephen follows them. Once he leaves, Stephen talks to Anna about how much he wanted to touch her during dinner and they have sex on the floor and in the bed. She also says that people are dangerous and she hates a possessive relationship with anyone. While Martyn sleeps in their room, Stephen and Anna have public sex in broad daylight in a churchs open doorway as the church bell peals in the background. Afterwards Stephen checks into a hotel across the street from Anna and Martyns, by then his infatuation has reached a point where he desires to be with Anna permanently, even at the risk of destroying his relationship with his son and family. In a meeting in a London park, however, Anna dissuades Stephen from doing this, during a subsequent visit to Annas home, Stephen finds that another man named Peter Wetzler is already present and he tells Stephen that they are former lovers. A jealous Stephen initially assumes that Anna is cheating on him and, Anna denies being currently involved with Peter, and then recounts that she had compulsively run to Peter and slept with him as a reaction to her brothers suicide, which she had witnessed. Stephen is placated by this explanation and the once again have sex
19.
The Hours (film)
–
The Hours is a 2002 British-American drama film directed by Stephen Daldry, and starring Meryl Streep, Julianne Moore and Nicole Kidman. Supporting roles are played by Ed Harris, John C, reilly, Stephen Dillane, Jeff Daniels, Miranda Richardson, Allison Janney, Toni Collette and Claire Danes. The screenplay by David Hare is based on Michael Cunninghams 1999 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same title, the plot focuses on three women of different generations whose lives are interconnected by the novel Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf. The film was released in Los Angeles and New York City on Christmas Day 2002 and it did not receive a wide release in North America until January 2003, and was then released in British cinemas on Valentines Day that year. Critical reaction to the film was positive, with nine Academy Award nominations for The Hours including Best Picture. In 1923, Virginia has begun writing the book Mrs Dalloway in her home in the town of Richmond outside London, in 1951, troubled Los Angeles housewife Laura Brown escapes from her conventional life by reading Mrs Dalloway. Richard tells Clarissa he has stayed alive for her sake, and she tells him she believes he would have won the award regardless of his illness. Richard often refers to Clarissa as Mrs. Dalloway - her namesake - because she distracts herself from her own life the way the Woolf character does, Virginia, who has experienced several nervous breakdowns and suffers from bipolar disorder, feels trapped in her home. She is intimidated by servants and constantly under the eye of her husband, Leonard, Virginia both welcomes and dreads an afternoon visit from her sister Vanessa and her children. After their departure, Virginia flees to the station, where she is awaiting a train to central London. He tells her how he lives in constant fear that she take her own life. She says she fears it also but argues that if she is to live, she has the right to decide how, pregnant with her second child, Laura spends her days in her tract home with her young son, Richie. She married her husband, Dan, soon after World War II, on the surface they are living the American Dream, but she is nonetheless deeply unhappy. She and Richie make a cake for Dans birthday, but it is a disaster and her neighbor Kitty drops in to ask her if she can feed her dog while shes in the hospital for a procedure. Kitty pretends to be upbeat, but Laura senses her sadness and fear and boldly kisses her on the lips, Laura and Richie successfully make another cake and clean up, and then she takes Richie to stay with Mrs. Latch. Richie runs after his mother as she leaves, fearing that she will never come back, Laura checks into a hotel, where she intends to commit suicide. Laura removes several bottles of pills and Mrs. Dalloway from her purse and she drifts off to sleep and dreams the hotel room is flooded. She awakens with a change of heart and caresses her belly and she picks up Richie, and they return home to celebrate Dans birthday
20.
The Corrections
–
The Corrections is a 2001 novel by American author Jonathan Franzen. The novel was awarded the National Book Award in 2001 and the James Tait Black Memorial Prize in 2002, the Corrections was published to widespread acclaim from literary critics. Chronologically, the novel shifts back and forth throughout the late 20th century, depicting in detail the personal growth, Alfred Lambert is a railroad engineer and the stern patriarch of the Lambert family, based in the fictional Midwestern suburb of St. Jude. After his children grow up and move to the East Coast, Alfred retires, Alfreds loyal wife Enid has long suffered from his authoritarian behavior, and her life is made more difficult by Alfreds worsening dementia. She is also concerned by their three childrens questionable life choices, as well as their abandonment of traditional Protestant values, gary, the eldest Lambert son, is a financially successful but alcoholic banker in Philadelphia. His family suspects he is depressed, although he tries to deny it, Denise, the youngest of the family, is a successful chef in Philadelphia but loses her job after separate secret affairs with her boss and his wife. As the economic boom of the late 1990s goes into full swing, the separate plot-lines converge on Christmas morning back in St. Jude, when Enid and her children are forced to confront Alfreds accelerating physical and mental decline. The title of The Corrections refers most literally to the decline of the economic boom of the late nineties. This economic correction parallels the simultaneous corrections that Franzens characters make to their own lives in the final pages. Enid becomes more flexible in her worldview and less submissive to her husbands authority, gary, the only central character who fails to learn from his mistakes and grow during the course of the novel, loses a lot of money as technology stocks begin to decline. Another key theme in the book is Americas transition from an economy to an economy based largely on the financial, high-tech. Alfred, an engineer with a pension and a deep loyalty to his company. His children, a chef, an investment banker, and a professor/internet entrepreneur, Franzen depicts this economic transition most concretely in his descriptions of Denises workplace, an abandoned Philadelphia coal plant converted into a trendy, expensive restaurant. The book addresses conflicts and issues within a family that arise from the presence of a debilitating disease of an elder. As Alfred’s dementia and parkinsonism unfold mercilessly, they affect Enid, medical help and hype – the latter in the form of the investigatory method “Corecktall” – do not provide a solution. At the end, Alfred refuses to eat and dies, the ultimate “correction” of the problem, in 2005, The Corrections was included in TIME magazines list of the 100 best English-language novels since 1923. In 2006, Bret Easton Ellis declared the one of the three great books of my generation. The novel was a selection of Oprahs Book Club in 2001, Franzen caused some controversy when he publicly expressed his ambivalence at his novel having been chosen by the club due to its inevitable association with the schmaltzy books selected in the past
