The Gut Girls is a fantastically powerful play with amazing performances from everyone involved. A Northern Irish premiere, it is the story of working class girls employed in a slaughterhouse in Deptford and their struggle to become who they want to be. A strongly feminist play, it deals with issues such as male dominance, misogyny, rape and how women can be “destined” to a life of domestic and marital drudgery. Despite all this, it is never preachy and is frequently hilarious.
BY BEN FINCH
Staff at Queen’s Library are to take action against students who ‘lock’ computers or leave them unattended for long periods of time.
UPDATE: All-student email sent to students.
BY BRENDAN HUGHES
Bawdy comedy Gut Girls, written by Sarah Daniels, will be this year’s Drama Studies Showcase, running in the Brian Friel Theatre from Wednesday 28 April to Saturday 1 May. Professionally directed by Rachel O’Riordan of Ransom Productions, it is the story of a group of “brash, foul-mouthed but full of pride” working girls, labouring in a Victorian Slaughterhouse. An erudite, upper class widow, Lady Helena, takes it upon herself to tame and find ladylike employment for them. However, with one week’s pay in the slaughterhouse equal to one year’s wages as a servant she is “as welcome as a temperance speaker at the local pub.”
BY BEN FINCH
The QFT will be holding a zombie themed weekend on the 30h April through to Sunday 2nd May. The weekend includes the premiere screening of locally produced horror film ‘Deadville’ on Saturday the 1st May at 6.45pm. Shot in HD and made with the very modest budget of £1000, ‘Deadville’ is a psychological horror that explores just how far someone will go for love.
BY EMMA GALLEN
www.queensfilmtheatre.com
Todd Solondz is not a mainstream filmmaker and probably never will be. His films are dark (though funny) and very much for a niche audience. He is probably best known for 1998’s hilarious ‘Happiness’, which tackled paedophilia and other difficult subjects. His new film, ‘Life During Wartime’, is a sequel to ‘Happiness’, picking up ten years later and following the logical progression of all the same characters.
BY MATTHEW MCKERNAN
www.queensfilmtheatre.com
After observing the televisual oddity that was the first national leaders’ debate last Thursday, hopes were high for another evening to rekindle fresh political discussion. Unfortunately though, this vague and hurried debate is unlikely to fire up the jaded masses.
BY BRENDAN HUGHES
Queen’s Students’ Union have won in two categories at the 2010 Smedia Awards. VP Gareth McGreevy picked up the ‘Website of the Year’ award for the QUBSU website, and ‘Society Publication of the Year’ for the Student Handbook.
BY BRENDAN HUGHES