#Review by Lou of Getting Away by Kate Sawyer @KateSawyer @bonnierbooks_uk #GettingAway #Summer #SummerRead #Holidays

Getting Away
By Kate Sawyer

I actually finished Getting Away when I had got away myself for a little while. It felt rather appropriate for a title whilst staying a rare summer’s night away in a hotel. I enjoyed catching up with this family and through their holidays and secrets.

Blurb

Margaret Smith is at the beach.
It is a summer day unlike any other Margaret has ever known.
The Smith family have left the town where they live and work and go to school and come to a place where the sky is blue, the sand is white, and the sound of the sea surrounds them. An ordinary family discovering the joy of getting away for the first time.
Over the course of the coming decades, they will be transformed through their holiday experiences, each new destination a backdrop as the family grows and changes, love stories begin and end — and secrets are revealed.
Coming this summer, Getting Away is a dazzlingly ambitious new novel from the author of Waterstones’ Fiction Book of the Month, This Family, and the Costa shortlisted The Stranding.

Review

This is a story of holidays, family, love, loss, secrets. It tells the multi-generational story of the Smith family through the lens of looking back through 90 years holidays, which I thought was a pretty original idea and perfect for the summer holiday period. You can see the passage of time over each holiday and how things have changed in that time. It’s quite thought-provoking in a way about how in certain eras it was about flying for the first time, trying new foods that at first seemed strange. The things that nowadays, we as a human race unfortunately take for granted.

You see how each character grows and evolves, relates to each other and uncovers secrets in this compelling character-driven story. Life hasn’t always been summery and easy for them. Their hardships have been of some of the most challenging people can face. This has issues and topics that bravely are not shied away from and makes for an intriguing story and one where you can really get your teeth into it and be moved by.

I highly recommend this summer generational family saga to read this season with its complex family to follow. Getting Away truly is a book to escape somewhere with and read.

About the Author

Kate Sawyer worked as an actor and producer, and wrote several short films before turning her hand to fiction. She is the author of three novels: the forthcoming Getting Away, Waterstones Fiction Book of The Month, This Family, and her debut novel, The Stranding, which was shortlisted for the Costa First Novel Award, won the East Anglian fiction prize, was adapted for BBC Radio 4 Book at Bedtime and is being developed for the screen by Fremantle and Afua Hirsch’s production company Born In Me.

When Kate isn’t writing, or talking to other authors about their writing practices for her podcast Novel Experience and as a chair for author events, she works as the Programme Curator for the annual Bury St Edmunds Literature Festival.

After twenty years living in London, she recently returned to her native East Anglia, where she lives with her young daughter.

#Interview By Lou with Toby Mitchell, Theatre Director about UK Tour of The Elmer Adventure, A Stage Adaptation of David McKee’s Books About That Patchwork Elephant #TheElmerAdventure #Elmer #Theatre #ChildrensTheatre #FamilyPlay #Summer #SummerActivities #TouringPlay

Interview by Lou with Toby Mitchell
The Elmer Adventure

Elmer The Patchwork Elephant is on tour in a highly anticipated, very colourful, very exciting new stage play – The Elmer Adventure, adapted from those worldwide famous books by David McKee. More about that in a moment.

Thanks to The Space InBetween, I have had the absolute pleasure to interview the Award Winning Artistic Director Toby Mitchell from “Tall Stories” (Room on the Broom, The Gruffalo and more… Discover more later in the interview) about this new play suitable for 3 year olds plus.

Welcome Toby to Bookmarks and Stages.

Elmer was created by David McKee and first published by Andersen Press in 1989. There are 30 picture books in the series and more novelty titles. Elmer has since gone on to sell over 10 million copies in over 60 languages. In the original classic book, Elmer realises that it is his differences that make him who he truly is, and these differences are what his friends love about him. ‘The Elmer Adventure’ is a new show that brings together three David McKee stories, ‘Elmer’, ‘Elmer and the Tune’ and ‘Elmer and the Hippos’.

Everyone is invited to come to see the show wearing their most colourful clothes and accessories.

So, on with the interview and some rather fun cast photos.
You can find out at the end where you too can join in fun of stories, magical puppetry, playfulness, songs and humour about a quest, friendship, acceptance and more…

1. Who or what inspired you to become a director and what was your pathway into this profession?

I’ve worked as a performer and as a director. When I was performing, I gradually realised that I preferred seeing the whole picture, rather than focusing on a smaller part of it. I originally studied French & German at university (and did loads of music and drama alongside) – I did an MA in Theatre Practice a few years later. Tall Stories was a very small company until we came across The Gruffalo story, just before the book became famous, and excitingly, we managed to get permission to put it on stage!

2. Elmer has had a very long life with many generations of children reading the books, meaning expectations are high. What made you decide to create a live action stage show of Elmer?

The stories are brilliant! Such life and humour and joy. Also, the world loves Elmer the Patchwork Elephant, and 10 million books have been sold internationally. David McKee wrote over 30 Elmer books, which have been translated into more than 50 languages. So we came up with a satisfying way of telling three of the stories together in one show that would involve an exciting onstage journey for our three storytellers/performers too. Elmer is a well-travelled elephant, and that’s why we wanted to bring him to life on stage in a magical way, and we specially developed a life-size puppet for a big reveal.

3. How did you go about getting permission to create the stage show and was this an easy or challenging process?

We were competing against three or four other companies, so it was both exciting and an honour to get the rights! And now, having the opportunity to translate it for the stage has been great fun! As well as co-creating the script, I had a hugely talented creative team on board: designer, composer, lighting designer, sound designer, costume supervisor, and many others. When the audience enters the auditorium, it really feels like they’re stepping into the heart of a magical jungle. At Tall Stories, we have become known for our unique design and audience interactions through all our shows. In particular, we have a style of ‘try it at home’ storytelling, and we know that children re-enact the story and dress up when they are back at home, which is great for their development.

You’ve talked about bringing playfulness and the magical spirit of Elmer to the stage. How was it to get inside the head of a 3 year old plus mindset and direct a play that would hold their attention and create magical memories?

Essentially, I’m still a big kid – many people who work in theatre are. When we bring picture books to life on stage, we’re able to bring so much more to the original text and pictures. The trick is to tell great stories and take your audience (younger and older) seriously. Then you need to add humour, music, songs, and (when needed) puppets. Our near-lifesize Elmer puppet is a thing of beauty. There’s also extra dialogue, jokes, music, puppetry – and we engage with and interact with the audience throughout the show. All of these elements add hugely to the audience’s experience and create great memories for families.

4. How can people find out where to see the play and where can they follow you on social media?

The Elmer Adventure is on a UK tour until 20 July 2025. For more information visit tallstories.org.uk/the-elmer-adventure and come and chat to us at https://www.instagram.com/tallstories/

5. Have you any other projects in mind at the moment?

Always! I’m especially proud of our famous adaptation of ‘The Gruffalo’ and our show celebrates its 25th birthday next year! ‘The Smeds and The Smoos’ is currently on tour, and The Gruffalo’s Child is on a national tour from September. Over our 28 years of existence (and 20 years as a charity), we’ve produced over 30 shows. I feel incredibly lucky to be able to spend my life making theatre for young children and families that captures their imaginations.

UK Tour Dates

Fri 27 – Sun 29 June: Norwich Playhouse, Norwich Booking LINK

Sat 5 – Sun 6 July: Chelmsford Civic, Chelmsford Booking LINK

Tues 8 – Weds 9 July: Storyhouse Chester, Chester

Tues 15 – Thurs 17 July: Sheffield Lyceum, Sheffield Booking LINK

Fri 18 – Sun 20 July: Lawrence Batley Theatre, Huddersfield

#Review By Lou of Craig Revel Horwood on Stage with Show, Revelations – Songs Boys Don’t Sing @CraigRevHorwood #Revelations #SongsBoysDontSing #Talk #Musicals #Theatre

Revelations – Songs Boys Don’t Sing is entertaining, humorous, poignant, emotionally moving as he cleverly intersperses talking about his personal and professional life with songs that relate to/link up to what he talks about.

“Everything’s Coming Up Roses” is what Craig Revel Horwood burst onto the stage with. Yes, he can sing and rather well. So much has come up roses for him and you can’t help but feel pleased as he reveals so much about his life.

As Craig Revel Horwood talks about his life, there is also some never seen before footage of him growing up. He is so open and honest about the ups and downs of life, from his family in Australia, especially his dad. I won’t say what he talks about as that’s for him to reveal and for you to hear about in the show. Let’s just say, it’s moving, for me, partially relatable and sounded like it took immense courage. Some of which absolutely warranted the applause he received.

The instrument, the Recorder, he’s proven is nothing to be sniffed at, at all. We were treated to him playing a duet with Ben and it sounded brilliant! This humble instrument only led onto amazing opportunities like playing at the Sydney Opera House and more besides as life progressed onwards and upwards.

Turns out he’s a fan of Disney and witnessing an inflatable costume is a sight to behold. He brings the quirky and runs with it magnificently!
He talked about enjoying playing Pantomime villains, Miss Hannigan from Annie and other parts on stage, some of which were long before Strictly, as well as choregraphing shows. I’ve seen Chess, Strictly Ballroom, Now That’s What I Call A Musical and they were all fabulous, but he’s also done so much more. He also candidly talks about not getting the parts and something odd happening at the real Moulin Rouge.

A sweet treat anyone? He baked on stage to show off his culinary prowess and what he produced was nice and very edible. Pretty good for 10 mins or so.

To show how cleverly creative he is, there was a duet of Sunset Boulevard with many of the words changed to reflect Strictly and the BBC. The fun and charisma between Craig and Ben is brilliant and oozes into the auditorium.

Turns out he does a lot of charitable work, including for the Osteoporosis Society. His attitude towards using celebratory status was absolutely wonderful, so says I, who does a lot of charitable work too on a smaller scale.

Showing a whole different side that isn’t often shown to the public, this was an inspiring, moving, humorous truthful talk as he allowed you to see so much that makes him.
He finished with This Is My Life and This Is Me. This is what I saw in Craig Revel Horwood, he is truthful, inspiring, moving, humorous, kind, talented. He’s a man who does life his way and its working out marvellously and here’s to him carrying on with all that he does and brings to people’s lives.
“Everything’s Coming Up Roses” is what Craig Revel Horwood burst onto the stage with. Yes, he can sing and rather well. So much has come up roses for him and you can’t help but feel pleased as he reveals so much about his life.As Craig Revel Horwood talks about his life, there is also some never seen before footage of him growing up. He is so open and honest about the ups and downs of life, from his family in Australia, especially his dad. I won’t say what he talks about as that’s for him to reveal and for you to hear about in the show. Let’s just say, it’s moving, for me, partially relatable and sounded like it took immense courage. Some of which absolutely warranted the applause he received.The instrument, the Recorder, he’s proven is nothing to be sniffed at, at all. We were treated to him playing a duet with Ben and it sounded brilliant! This humble instrument only led onto amazing opportunities like playing at the Sydney Opera House and more besides as life progressed onwards and upwards.Turns out he’s a fan of Disney and witnessing an inflatable costume is a sight to behold. He brings the quirky and runs with it magnificently!He talked about enjoying playing Pantomime villains, Miss Hannigan from Annie and other parts on stage, some of which were long before Strictly, as well as choregraphing shows. I’ve seen Chess, Strictly Ballroom, Now That’s What I Call A Musical and they were all fabulous, but he’s also done so much more. He also candidly talks about not getting the parts and something odd happening at the real Moulin Rouge.A sweet treat anyone? He baked on stage to show off his culinary prowess and what he produced was nice and very edible. Pretty good for 10 mins or so.To show how cleverly creative he is, there was a duet of Sunset Boulevard with many of the words changed to reflect Strictly and the BBC. The fun and charisma between Craig and Ben is brilliant and oozes into the auditorium.Turns out he does a lot of charitable work, including for the Osteoporosis Society. His attitude towards using celebratory status was absolutely wonderful, so says I, who does a lot of charitable work too on a smaller scale.Showing a whole different side that isn’t often shown to the public, this was an inspiring, moving, humorous truthful talk as he allowed you to see so much that makes him.He finished with This Is My Life and This Is Me. This is what I saw in Craig Revel Horwood, he is truthful, inspiring, moving, humorous, kind, talented. He’s a man who does life his way and its working out marvellously and here’s to him carrying on with all that he does and brings to people’s lives.Craig Revel Horwood also has a CD out now that accompanies the show. He has also written several books, including the novel, Dances and Dreams on Diamond Street.

Find out where he’s touring next on his website here: https://www.craigrevelhorwood.com/

#Interview By Lou with Producer Nathan Hertz and Writer Avra Fox-Lerner on new film, Thinestra and more… @thinestra @nertzzz @avra.jr @Tom_Brumpton_PR #Thinestra #Movie #Film

Interview with Producer Nathan Hertz
and writer Avra Fox-Lerner
about Thinestra

Interview by Louise Cannon

Welcome Nathan and Avra to Bookmarks and Stages to talk about your film and more…
Thinestra is a horror film that takes on the hot topic of diet pills where the type shown is like the popular one taken in the real world known as Ozempic that as a topic in the film and the answer is very personal to them and honest about mental health, diets and more…. We also talk about the film itself, classic horror like Jekyll and Hyde, how they celebrated the success at premiering at Raindance Film Festival, being picked up by Deadline and much more… The answers are in-depth, honest, personal and fascinating.

Without further ado, here is the synopsis and then we will get on with the interview, where you will also find links to where you can watch it…

Synopsis

A miracle drug delivers the overnight weight loss you’ve always dreamed of. But will it turn you into a walking nightmare? It’s a sweltering Christmas in LA. Penny—plagued by body dysmorphia and cycles of binge eating—impulsively takes Thinestra, a mysterious Ozempic-like drug. That night, she violently expels masses of fat in a painful and grotesque purge. But her discarded flesh returns… and like the Hyde to Penny’s Jekyll, PENELOPE is born. As her ravenous dopplegänger wreaks bloody havoc, Penny struggles to regain control. Can she overcome her hunger before it’s too late?

Styled as “The Substance” on Ozempic, “Thinestra” imagines a world not dissimilar from today in which quick weight loss drugs are readily available, but there is a price to pay. The cast also features Mary Beth Barone (“Overcompensating”), Brian Husky (“Veep”), Annie Ilonzeh (“SWAT”), Gavin Stenhouse (“Black Mirror”), and Shannon Dang (“Kung Fu”). “Thinestra” is produced by Alexandra Lubenova’s Dogplayer & Kelly Parker’s Mary Ellen Moffat, alongside Hitmaker’s Media and Stay Lucky Studios. Hertz, Joe Wesley, and both Macedo sisters act as executive producers.

What attracted you to the horror genre?

Nathan: I watched The Shining too young, and it kind of rewired my brain. I love the horror genre, but it encompasses a lot for me; I don’t make much of a distinction between horror movies and just… scary stories in general. I like to joke that Thinestra is Bridget Jones’s Diary meets The Fly.

Avra: I actually came to horror later, in high school. I was sick one summer and my dad had the entire Cronenberg canon on VHS. I spent a week sitting in a dark bedroom watching my way from Shivers to Dead Ringers and I’ve never been the same since.

2. The film covers the hot topic of weight loss pills, especially a fictionalised one called Thinestra, an Ozempic-like pill. What research did you do to make this believable and then credibly turn it into horror?

Nathan: I guess my research was mostly first-hand experience. I’ve struggled a lot with body image and weight loss—so when I heard about the new drugs hitting the market, I jumped at the opportunity to try them. Unfortunately, my body had a really bad reaction, and I was sick for over a week! I was left asking myself the same question that Penny, the main character in our film asks, how far am I willing to go to lose weight?

Avra: It’s funny I first wrote this script before Ozempic was even an idea in the world. Like Nathan, I’ve struggled with body image issues. I grew up in LA, a heavy set teenager and the daughter of a heavy set mother. I watched my mom go through starvation diets and early diet pills that had pretty nasty side effects and was also friends with girls who had full blown eating disorders. I remember being angry at myself in high school for not having the discipline to be anorexic because I always got hungry and ate something. At some point I began to fantasize about a pill I could take that would just make the fat melt away, but I also understood by that point in my life that nothing comes without a price, and so Thinestra was born.

3. The film looks at mental health and body dysmorphia. How important is it that films portray these issues, and why did you choose to explore them as a main theme?

Nathan: I think we’re living in a time where people are performing “wellness” while secretly falling apart. They’re posting ‘body positive’ platitudes while scrutinizing their own reflections in private. So I think we’ve all become a bit too isolated in our issues on this subject—me included. Nothing brings people together like a common enemy… And when the villain is a distorted version of yourself—the part you’re desperate to escape—big bad body horror becomes the perfect genre to externalize that inner fracture.

Avra: I think there is a privilege of beauty that people don’t like to talk about or admit is real, but we are all subject to and affected by. It’s a knife that cuts both ways. In my opinion it isn’t doing great things for anyone, even those seen as “beautiful.” I believe, especially when we are young, we think – if I could just fix this one thing, everything in my life would be better. And especially for a lot of young women, that thing is the way we look. So it becomes an unhealthy fixation that is a stand in for everything we don’t like about ourselves. As Nathan says, body horror is a gift that allows us to externalize the internal. What is more horrifying than living inside your own worst enemy – your body?

4. There’s a Jekyll and Hyde theme with Penelope and her doppelgänger. How did you approach that without becoming too derivative, while still nodding to Stevenson’s novel?

Nathan: No mustaches! And… Jekyll and Hyde inhabit the same physical structure, whereas Penny is completely physically separated from Penelope (evil doppelganger formed from Penny’s discarded fat) yet linked psychologically. Penbelope is a physical manifestation of Penny’s binge state.

Avra: I think when writing horror, and especially monster horror, you’re essentially building off a collection of classic archetypes. There’s always a moment when a writer wants to reinvent the wheel and come up with a monster no one has seen before but … it never really works! I’ve learned to embrace the archetype monster as a base and then figure out what my personal take on it is from there. And I don’t feel like I see enough Jekyll/Hyde influenced stories! And it’s so scary!!

5. Congratulations on premiering at Raindance and being picked up by Deadline and others! What was that like and how did you celebrate?

Nathan: With a trip to London and one too many pints!

Avra: With a lot of dancing around my apartment and telling everyone I know!

6. Where can people follow you and where can they watch Thinestra?
@nertzzz
@thinestra
www.thinestra.com
@avra.jr

And we are just starting our festival year, so we have lots of exciting screenings on the horizon.

7. What’s next for you?

Nathan: I’m developing a new feature called The Green. It’s a 1950s-set horror film (subgenre: people hunting people) that takes place on a golf course. It’s got mid-century Americana, humor, and plenty of blood in the sand traps!

Avra: I’m working on a folk horror script called Safe Haven about the cost of safety in an unsafe world and directing a play in New York City this summer called Transgression that is only horror in theme, not in genre.

#Review by Lou of The School Gates by A.A. Chaudhuri @aachaudhuri @hera_books #PsychologicalThriller #LBTCrewbie #BlogTour #Summer #School

The School Gates
By A.A. Chaudhuri

The school gates hold more than a physical entity. If only they could talk. They’d know many secrets, not to mention the parent politics and dynamics. No wonder there is a psychological thriller about this space that is so much more than just a drop-off/pick up point and an entry/exit point to the school grounds…
Find out more in the blurb and review below as today is my turn on the Love Books Tours blog tour.

Blurb

First comes gossip … then comes revenge

When single mum Lola Martinez’s son, Luca, starts school, she feels that she’ll never fit in with the yummy mummies in the playground. Confident, married to wealthy men, with ample free time, they are everything she isn’t.

However, Lola is invited into the inner circle, surrounded by seemingly friendly people, even if Lola’s silence about her child’s father puzzles them. Despite herself, Lola quickly becomes involved in playground politics, making as many enemies as friends.

But then Lola is brutally murdered, her death rocking the close-knit community. As the police investigate the case, they discover that Lola was hiding many secrets – as are the mums in her new social circle. But who had the most reason to kill her? And who else might unwittingly hold the answers to what happened that night?

An addictive psychological thriller with an end twist that will make you gasp, for fans of Lisa Jewell, T.M. Logan and Frieda McFadden. If you loved Big Little Lies, you’ll adore this.

Review

Do you fit in at the school gates? Will you dare, even after reading this book, to enter the school gate politics? You may not stay alive. Lola didn’t as her death shows just how things can get so out of hand that murder happens.
It’s a good topic to choose to write about and to turn it so vicious that murder actually occurs. It’s quite a page-turner, but underneath that aspect lies a more darker, deeper issue. How people are in cliques, inner circles at these gates and if you’re not part of it, you may be seen as an outsider and treated as such. Although the murder is extreme, there are clearly rooted aspects surrounding that in certain characters that I am sure some parents will recognise, either in others or even themselves.

Tensions rise and secrets are revealed across The School Gates and they’re rather juicy and twisty to read. Chaudhuri certainly knows how to play into the psyche of that of what is a normal everyday task such as taking your kid to school and making it so intriguing and twisty that you want to listen more to the gossip and spy on what people are doing.

This is a sharply observed summer read for the end of the school term.

#Interview By Lou with director, writer, producer, actor, musician Brandon Bernath about short film, Illionaire @brandon_bernath @Tom_Brumpton_PR #Films #Movies #Music #Illionaire

Today, I have the privilege of interviewing Brandon Bernath about new short film/music, Illionaire. It has been screened as part of the Dallas International Film Festival and at SXSW London. We also talk about inspiration, influences and what he is doing next, which sounds an exciting opportunity with his band, THE ABOMIC TOMS, which have featured on the BBC. Their most recent single, “RUN” landed placement in Amazon Prime’s hit new action/drama series, “Motorheads”. There are also links at the end for how you can see the film…

Brandon Bernath an accomplished writer, director, actor, producer, and musician based out of Los Angeles.

He has appeared in films such as “Queen Of Manhattan” alongside Rainey Qualley, (“Delilah”), Taryn Manning (“Orange Is The New Black”), & Drea de Matteo (“The Sopranos”) and “Shot In The Dark” with Jacqueline Toboni (“Grimm”), Austin Hebert (“Jack Reacher: Never Go Back”) and more…
Brandon was nominated for Best Actor at the 2017 CineFashion Film Awards for his role in the comedy short “The Selfie That Changed The World”.

He has been recognized in numerous publications for his work, including Rolling Stone Magazine NPR, & American Songwriter Magazine. He has collaborated with major brands and companies such as,L’Agence, Choose Love, Warner Records and more…
Brandon’s next project includes creating a series of shorts for the online fashion brand Vague Studios.

So, without further ado, let’s get down to business with the interview.

Brandon Bernath, who or what inspired you to become a director writer, producer, actor and musician and how do you manage to pull all those passions and talents together to make them work for you?

BB: I am a director, writer, producer, actor, and musician. I fell into acting at a young age and then pursued my studies in college and then law school. Coming back into acting 7 years later was a big struggle and forced me to create my own projects to star in, which led me to pursue more directing and producing opportunities. I am a project based artist. I find it easy to multitask in the mediums of art. Whatever the project is I find it natural to pivot to another medium if needed.

Your latest film, Illionaire follows rising New York rock and roll musician, Zoe Fromer and 3 demons in pursuit of Illionaire. How did you come to calling it Illionaire?

BB: Illionaire is the title of Zoe’s song.

The first time we see Illionaire, he is like a comic book character/hero in look and the way he acts. What inspired this characterisation?

BB: I have a deep desire to create real life looney tune characters that are relatable. I am deeply influenced by American genre films and American aesthetics.

You play with surrealism and humour in the acting that then turns into a rock music video like in feel and look. How did you arrive at the decision of this genre to play out the storyline?

BB: The genre is a surrealist comedy with sci-fi elements. I feel that is my aesthetic that I am exploring at the moment; a larger than life absurdist viewpoint based on American tropes, like greasers, burgers, fast cars, shiny colors, and rock and roll.

What is next for you and your very varied career?

BB: I am writing, directing, and producing more short content for fashion brands. I am finishing a feature script, and getting ready to open up for Billy Idol and Joan Jett at the kia forum in September with my band THE ABOMIC TOMS

Where can people watch Illionaire and where can they follow you?

BB: Here is my instagram https://www.instagram.com/brandon_bernath/.
Here is a link to the film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVobflw1UZY&list=RDzVobflw1UZY&start_radio=1