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operafantomet · 1 year

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POTO KRISTIANSTAD

PHANTOM OF THE OPERA Kristianstad (Kricccchhhensta’) Teater, April 15, 2023

PHANTOM: John Martin Bengtsson CHRISTINE: Hanna Ulvan RAOUL: Jonathan Böiers CARLOTTA: Anna Hammarqvist FIRMIN: Sebastian Lamberth ANDRÈ: Anton Salvin MADAME GIRY: Hanna La Fleur MEG GIRY: Johanna Westholm PIANGI: Filip Barna

And now for something completely different… The speaker announced «Not Broadway’s… Not West End’s… but OUR version of The Phantom of the Opera». And it sure is. This was a production that played with much of the well-known iconography: blonde Christine in white robes, lots of candles, the iconic chandelier, a Phantom in the shadows, and scenes you might feel resemble something you’d seen before. Yet the total felt independent, fresh and creative.

Take the AUCTION SCENE. You’d think featuring a woman as the auctioneer was a gimmick, in the vein of «it’s always a man, therefore we feature a woman». But it worked very, very well. A business woman with authority, and no time for nonsense. The set had a bold original Phantom feel with the drapes and the veiled chandelier in front. The cast was standing around it. But once the Overture hit we got the first glimpse of creative thinking. Raoul stumbled around in the auction set, like a hellish nightmare scene, before it slowly transformed into his youth and Hannibal. I loved this so much. The chandelier rose with flickering light and an added sound effect of crystals shaking. Effective.

HANNIBAL gave the first glimpse of a quite versatile set. In some productions you may tire quickly of seeing the same modules or sets being used for all scenes. I never really got the feeling in this production; only towards the end did I realize they used the same set pieces twisted and turned. But in a clever and effective way. So also in Hannibal, where the main set was a staircase, columns and drapes. I neither loved nor hated the costumes, they went for a minimalistic antiquity look and it served the purpose. Bonus for printed elephants on the ballerina costumes, I guess. Both Filip Barna (Piangi) and Anna Hammarqvist (Carlotta) had impressive vocals. Carlotta’s rant after a sandbag nearly hit her was also A+. And this Lèfevre... He was heading for AUSTRALIA.

THINK OF ME was the first real glimpse of Hanna Ulvan as Christine. The first think that struck me is how very enthusiastic, bubbly and outwards her Christine appeared. As I never saw her in the replica production in Stockholm, I don’t know if it’s the specific directing in this non-replica version, or her take on the role. But I rather liked it, as it made Christine a slightly different figure and in some ways I got Leroux vibes to the kind and giggly Christine described when she’s at the opera (but without the edge seen in the lair scenes).

Voice wise Think of Me didn’t quite do it for me. Ulvan has some glorious upper notes, a a good coloratura ring to it, and she appears to have a nice depth as well. But the mixed middle register, which this first aria has a sneaky amount of, appeared a bit muffled, and her voice sometimes has dominant overtones. At the other hand I know some Christines holds back a bit in the first act to also vocally show Christine progressing in the second act. It made me curious of what to come. Costume wise Christine herself ripped off the Hannibal costume, partly covered by other cast members, and they put on her a bronze robe more or less identical to Carlotta’s. Also got the first glimpse of Jonathan Böiers as a very sympathetic young Raoul.

ANGEL OF MUSIC gave RAH vibes. A set piece with a wall and mirror in the middle, a dressing table with the back turned to the audience to the right, imaginary door to the left. But with a nice twist: during Little Lotte it was Christine who was spinning around on the floor while Raoul sat down at the boudoir. Which very much underlined Ulvan’s bubbly Christine. She had nice chemistry with both Meg (Johanna Westholm) and Raoul (Jonathan Böiers).

Ya know how I rave about John Martin Bengtsson as the Phantom? Well. I had forgotten about just how amazing his vocals is. The second his voice boomed from behind the mirror I knew the next minutes of the show would be glorious. Such depth, such volume. As the mirror was down on the floor and not tilted, they had Christine sitting down on the floor for max effect. And that was beautiful - her reflection overlapped perfectly with the Phantom’s.

Now, for the TITLE SONG they used all the innovative tricks in the book and I loved it. For the first part a big gate went down in the middle of the scene. It gave an impression of a huge mirror - but this was in fact just doubles perfectly mimicking the leads; one pair crossing from right to left, and the other pair from left to right. This was one of my favourite set solutions in the whole show.

Then on to the boat, which basically was a mesh/cage structure rising from the floor. As the Phantom gondoled and Christine held the lantern, smoke and cliffs surfed past them, giving a sense of movement. The cage structure was then lowered into the floor, with a brief curtain down and the cadenza, and what had been the staircase structure for Hannibal was massively transformed into a labyrinth of stairs covered with masks, the monkey musical box, a creepy ballerina doll, a «cracked» backdrop, and a large organ to the right. During the song the ceiling was also covered with burning candles, Harry Potter/Restaged Tour style. Absolutely gorgeous.

Cue: MUSIC OF THE NIGHT. Which again was utterly vocal perfection. John Martin Bengtsson is tall, and this time in floor-length leather coat and half-mask covering the upper half of the face which created an iimposing figure opposite tiny Hanna Ulvan. The overall blocking felt like familiar terrain, with some poses resembling original Phantom. In this version I would have liked for the blocking to include more direct physical contact - or almost so - between the Phantom and Christine. Instead Christine got a bizarre dance with the creepy ballerina doll, which obviously made her faint… Gotta give props for a take on it I had never seen before, and also a foreshadowing to the Managers scenes where the Phantom is shows as the perfect puppet master. Yet… I’m not sure i loved it, I just enjoyed it on an intellectual level. If that makes sense.

STYDI… A more literal take on «music that burns», as Christine wakes up from the thunderous composing and is franatically covering her ears to make it stop. The Phantom, in the mean time, ha brought over some composing quirks from the Danish production. YES to that. You’d think this would not encourage her to approach the Phantom, but she does. The unmasking was a perfect balance between utter rage and a «pitiful creature», and beautiful acted by both of them. Yet I could not stop wondering why the Phantom didn’t snatch one of the 15 other masks he had laying around in the lair to cover his face… I get the symbolism, that it’s not really about the mask itself, rather that Christine revealed him and saw his face. But still. Dude, you have a lot of masks!

It appears non-replica versions really love to have Buquet sing MAGICAL LASSO from box five, or at least one of the boxes. They did the same in Hungary, in Romania/Norway/Greece, and also here. It works well as a foreshadowing, you know Buquet is messing hard with the Phantom when doing that. Using the theatre’s actual boxes was a nice detail as well. In this scene I noticed what a splendid voice Madame Giry (Hanna La Fleur) has. Beautiful upper register.

1ST MANAGERS… This set resembled the dressing room set, but this time with a «window» in the upper left side, a staircase next to it, and in front right a writing desk and chairs. The managers was very good; André (Anton Salvin) was less flamboyant than in the replica versions. Firmin (Sebastian Lamberth) had more comical relief moments. Interesting change. The «window» and the staircase introduced an ever-flowing new range of people until the scene was set for the Phantom.

The moment they started reading his letter he appeared in the «window», and I was like «Aha! Just like Hungary and RAH and stuff». But then they took it up a notch. The people in the office froze, the Phantom physically entered the room, and at one point he even started waltzing with Carlotta when casting her as the silent pageboy, much like Christine had been waltzing with the creepy ballerina doll in his lair. This was eerie, as all of them were frozen except the Phantom. A true puppet master. With him leaving they returned to normal. The rest of the scene felt very ordinary after this! Carlotta changed into the Il Muto costume on stage, as favoured by RAH and a long line of non-replica productions.

The IL MUTO costumes had a LOT more going on than what photos ever showed. They were all glittering in silvery gold and pink. Pretty. I didn’t quite understand the Il Muto set, it looked like a tiny box on a big stage. Why so cramped? The scene itself was fairly close to the replica version, or maybe more RAH as they sat on a chaiselongue. But the acting was much the same, as was the costume routine. Here (as well as in Hannibal) they made a big deal out of Carlotta using a mouth spray. I never liked that, as it covers up the Phantom’s ventricolist abilities. You’d think they rather underline that here, with their Phantom being such a puppet master after all. But ah well.

I gotta admit I did not like the choreography in this version at all, and especially so the Il Muto ballet. The choreography made them look like a beginners class in jazz ballet. The Il Muto ballet was possibly my least favourite scene in this production. By no fault of the dancers, mind you. But it didn’t help that there were only three dancers in the scene. Would probably have been cooler with just one primadonna and the others standing in the back. But… dead Buquet was a great effect. He (I.E. his dummy) had a bag over his head and was flung in from the left. Looked scary and realistic, it did.

In the ROOFTOP scene Christine kept her Serafimo costume, but with an added cloak. If I had been a bit hesitant to Hanna Ulvan’s vocals in TOM she sung the h*ll out of this scene. Her «sooooaaar» absolutely soared, with a phenomenal upper register. She and Böiers sounded so lovely together. The set itself had a staircase solution and with two angel sculptures in the back. As is proper the Phantom was later on introduced by a bit of thunder and lightning, looking like a dark shadow like the sculptures. Very cool. Another stellar vocal moment for JMB, especially him holding the «…yoooouuuuu» for eternity, until the curtain call and the chandelier started crashing. DAYM.

(INTERMISSION: Oh so you only accept cash for the brochure? Great… *runs across town for an ATM*)

MASQUERADE. It was a bit meeeh. Again because I absolutely did not like the choreography. Lots of robotic arm movements. Also few costumes that identified the leads well; only when Christine and Raoul sung to eachother did I realize who they were. I would have liked more defined figures, or a choreograpy singling them out more. But nice formations throughout. The backdrop looked like a giant cracked mirror and of course the Phantom came crashing through here as Red Death. Only proper.

Now, for those who saw BBC’s «Behind the Mask» documentary back in the days, original magic consultant Paul Daniels told about his original idea for Red Death. He never liked the very obvious trapdoor which Hal Prince favoured. He wanted Red Death to just dissolve into thin air, his costume falling to the floor. And guess what: that is exactly what they did in Kristianstad. And WHAT AN EFFECT. Amazing.

The BACKSTAGE encounter with Raoul and Madame Giry was fairly standard: them in front of the curtain, with a lantern, still in costume. Again I noticed just how lovely a voice this Giry sported.

2ND MANAGERS: same set as the first, obviously, and the Phantom back as even more of a puppet master. Each time he mentioned a person, they moved like a puppet on a string, to his commandments. Here Christine wore her blonde hair up, and a purplish green taffeta day dress. Cool combo. In this scene i also realized that a redhead Christine with her hair up (like previous Christine Sara Ollinen had) and a redhead Carlotta with her hair up would have looked maybe too similar. Again good chemistry between Raoul and Christine, I can’t pinpoint what I liked so much except everything made sense and they worked so well together.

SITZPROBE: When you take a fairly ornamental piano and paint it white AND turn its back towards the audience… it will look like something from the 1980s. But anyway… fairly standard scene, with the piano to the left and the cast to the right. Biggest «problem» was that Piangi sung too well all through the show, and didn’t sound particularly out of pitch in the sitzprobe. Could probably have exaggerated his dislike of the twelve-tone scale more. But that’s an absolutely minor detail. Oh, and «music that burns»? It did of course make the piano burn, again a feature seen in a handful of non-replica productions (at the top of my head the Restaged Tour and Romania/Norway/Greece).

MAUSOLEUM scene was another where I felt they had gone for originality, and in a good way. A cloaked Christine buying a red rose from a mysterious cloaked woman. A violin appearing in box five during the violin solo, a shadow of the past, Daddy Daaé. Then a low-key graveyard with small black crosses here and there; Daddy Daaé’ grave with a white cross however, where Christine put the role. In the middle a mausoleum. Hanna Ulvan absolutely nailed this scene. Amazing vocals, shifting effortlessly between belting /or mixed voice) and divine top notes. And intense acting. I loved it.

As Raoul appears to find his fiancé, so does the Phantom, emerging from the mausoleum. At the beginning Raoul can’t see him, as he is more in the back, but he can hear him. Christine walks as hypnotized towards the mausoleum, but it cut off by Raoul who now also spots the Phantom. Then… 2004 movie. Sword fight. WHY. Everything up until now had been so perfectly eerie, and then something as mundane as swords. Ugh. It’s not that it was not executed well, and both JMB and Böiers did some amazing swordmanship. But it’s the fact that the Phantom needs to use a physical tool, much like Carlotta’s mouth spray or the infamous gun in the Romanian/Norwegian/Greek production. He looses his magic. Anyhow… no-one really wins, and Raoul and Christine eventually runs off.

DON JUAN. What. Even. Is. This. Scene. ??? Stage with a staircase on each side. Two dancers laying lifeless in the middle of the stage. Dead? Poisoned? Drunk? Then a black-clad and masked cast enters, with spitroasts and fruit and holds this over the dancers. Ah. They… are… the… fire? The grill? Uhm, WHAT? My brain is trying so hard to get on board. Passarino is a woman. Or a woman in a pants role. OK. Christine appears, clad in a white lace robe. The cast greets her by… holding the spits with meat towards her…? Are they threatening her? Welcoming her to the feast? I am so lost. Then they disappear. Christine is back to her very bubbly, grand self. Acts the HELL out of Aminta, standing at the top of the left staircase. The until-now lifeless dancers starts to move. The Phantom sings from the top right staircase. Christine and the Phantom sings to eachother, at a great distance. The dancers get more and more erotic, at one point I could have sworn they simulated intercourse (separately, but still). Yet SUCH A DISTANCE BETWEEN THE PHANTOM AND CHRISTINE.

This is the weirdest Don Juan I have seen in my life. And frankly the least sensual one, despite the effort of the dancers. There seemed to be no connection between the two leads, mostly due to the blocking. When they are finally descending the stairs and moving towards eachother the scene is over anyway and it feels too late. Original, yes. But too conceptual for me. Way, way, WAY too conceptual for me.

Back in the lair, for the Final Lair. What a relief after Don Juan. I never wanna go back there. Same set as first lair, but the Phantom has some tricks up his sleeve. When Raoul enters, he carries a gun. You should have learned by now you don’t bring down the Phantom with a weapon. The Phantom heads up to his organ and locks the gate with a lever (understood by a rumling sound effect). But then… The Phantom use Christine as a human shield to avoid Raoul’s gun. YOU DID NOT. Absolutely not. Just no. Then he simply snatches Raoul’s gun and use it against him. Buys with toys, enough with the silly weapons. They are a mere distraction. Don’t. Also: you still refer to hanging Raoul. It makes no sense.

Back and forth with the threatening Christine has luckilly had enough (and the Swedish translation of «…turns to tears of hate» is maybe even more powerful, as it means something like «NOW I WISH YOU DEAD», perfectly belted by Hanna Ulvan). As the chaos breaks down she eventually kisses the Phantom, once, twice, absolutely disarming him, if not physically then mentally. He opens the lever and orders them to leave. And it’s a broken Phantom we face at the end. Throughout the scene I almost got Frankenstein vibes, a tall and menancing figure with restrained bodice language. Like a wounded beast. Add booming voice - and it’s such an exclamation point of a character, demanding all attention. This is also why I think swords and guns are unnecessary. He already owns the room and commands all the other characters. But ah well. I halfway suspected the Phantom would just disappear into one of the staircase structure, as he was at one point curled up in one of the corners of it. But then he stood up and walked right through the backdrop, boldly lit up through the many cracks. Walking into the light and to redemption? Walking into the flames of hell? I’m not sure, but visually it looked very good.

In this production the whole goddamn mob enters the lair. But as per usual it is Meg who picks up the mask and holds it up as the light dims. Which objectively is beautiful. In the back of my head I was pondering on how Meg knew which mask was the right one, however. As this lair is decked with white masks. But that’s probably a nerdy or too literal point to make.Cue: thunderous applause.

OVERALL: a very interesting, clever and creative production, playing on familiar Phantom visuals as well as adding many of their own. Raoul stumbling around in the nightmare-ish Auction/Overture set, dreamlike title song and MOTN, a magical Red Death disappearance and a super strong WYWSHA stands out as favourites. Some outstanding leads throughout, with a extra shout-out to John Martin Bengtsson’s Phantom. He is world class. Period. I also really enjoyed Hanna Ulvan’s somewhat different take on Christine, Jonathan Böier’s abolutely solid Raoul and Madame Giry’ beautiful vocals. But frankly, all leads did very well. Energetic orchestra, falling chandelier, old and gorgeous theatre. This was Phantom allright.

So I traveled through three countries (and two train break-downs) to see this. It was the first live production I saw of POTO after the pandemic. It’s the second non-replica production I have seen live, and my second production where John Martin Bengtsson played the Phantom. I only had a vague idea of what to expect, but I very soon found out that photos doesn’t do this production justice at all. Scenes really needed to be watched in full to make sense. Many details were also much revamped for the 2023 run compared to the 2020 premiere. So I had to experience it live, and I am so grateful I was able to.

#phantom of the opera #poto kristianstad #poto sweden #john martin bengtsson #hanna ulvan #jonathan böiers #anna hammarqvist #sebastian lambert #anton salvin #hanna la fleur #johanna westholm #filip barna #non replica #operafantomen #kristianstad teater

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czgif · 10 months

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Filip Březina in stage play Diktátor (The Great Dictator) by Charles Chaplin 2021, dir. Martin Čičvák (x)

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basketballupdates · 6 months

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#james harden #los angeles clippers #philadelphia 76ers #nba #basketball #trade #p.j. tucker #marcus morris #robert covington #nic batum #kj martin #filip petrusev

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charlykoerbels · 2 years

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This was adorable 🥰 (rough translation below)

Filip: Hinti. The best man of this club. Best player of all. How was yesterday for you?

Hinti: Yesterday was very short, unfortunately.

Filip: It’s difficult without you, yesterday.

Hinti: Difficult without you, like, pretty relaxed. [A/N: no idea what he’s trying to say here]

Filip: But now we’ve already done it. We’re getting this cup and then there’ll be a big party.

Hinti: And then… Huh, now it’s getting very particular.

Filip: I am happy to have this guy on this team. He’s my brother.

Hinti: Me too.

Filip: I hope we play together for a long time.

Hinti: For a long time, yeah. If not, then for your hometown club in Serbia.

#eintracht frankfurt #filip kostic #martin hinteregger #uel22

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fifoavierka · 5 months

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Fifo a Vierka - Ako sa točil Rozprávkový vláčik, pesničky pre deti

Pesničky pre deti. Ako sa točil klip k pesničke Rozprávkový vláčik z predstavenia Šašo FIFO a VIERKA moreplavcami 2016. autor textu a hudby: Viera Šusteková foto: E. Šeligová, M. Kaiserová _______________________

Fifo a Vierka:

www.fifoavierka.eu

[email protected]

FB: / fifoavierka

Soundcloud: / fifoavierka

Instagram: / fifo_a_vierka

Twitter: / fifoavierka

Created with Wondershare Filmora

#art #fifo #fifoavierka #children #for children #music #theater #divadlo #event #youtube #martin filip #viera sustekova #Youtube

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allthebrazilianpolitics · 7 months

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New information corroborates Bolsonaro putschist meetings

Former President Jair Bolsonaro held a secret meeting on December 18, 2022, with Filipe Martins, an assistant who handed him a draft of a decree that purported to call new elections (although such a decree would be outrightly illegal). The then-president used the document to discuss a military coup with the heads of the Armed Forces.

The December 18 meeting didn’t appear in the official logs of the presidency’s schedule. However, it was registered in e-mails of Lieutenant-Colonel Mauro Cid, Jair Bolsonaro’s former aide-de-camp and right-hand man, according to news website Metrópoles. The messages were sent to investigators following his plea bargain.

The Brazilian Report showed that the meeting was not recorded in the logs of Alvorada Palace, Brazil’s presidential residence. In fact, none of the meetings with people involved in putschist acts that followed the election were registered, although experts pointed out that they should have been.

#brazil #politics #democracy #brazilian politics #jair bolsonaro #filipe martins #armed forces #mod nise da silveira #image description in alt

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ebbythust · 6 months

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Arslanbek Makhmudov vs. Agit Kabayel & Filip Hrgović vs. Martin Bakole in Riad, Saudi-Arabien!?

Unser deutscher Europameister Agit Kabayel soll es am 23. Dezember in Riad, Saudi-Arabien mit dem unbesiegten Russen Arslanbek Makhmudov aufnehmen. Die FightCard vom 23. Dezember in Riad, Saudi-Arabien wird immer monströser. Bahnt sich da die größte FightCard aller Zeiten für den 23. Dezember in Riad, Saudi-Arabien an? Tag für Tag dringen neue unglaublich News vom Vorweihnachtlichen Kampftag in…

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#Anthony Joshua vs. Otto Wallin #Arslanbek Makhmudov vs. Agit Kabayel #Daniel Dubois vs. Jarrell Miller #Deontay Wilder vs. Joseph Parker #Dmitry Bivol vs. Richard Rivera #Filip Hrgović vs. Martin Bakole #Frank Sanchez vs. Junior Fa

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graphicpolicy · 1 year

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W. Maxwell Prince launches Swan Songs in July from Image

Swan Songs explores the way things END…and also how they never really do #comics #comicbooks

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#caspar wijngaard #comic books #Comics #filipe andrade #image comics #martin simmonds #nimit malavia #swan songs #w. maxwell prince

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19burstraat · 3 months

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Random SOC Trivia I Gathered On My Reread

I'll be using this for fics, but it's fun just to read!

Jesper does not hold alcohol well (though this is according to Kaz, who is not exactly impartial)

Wijnstraat, Nemstraat, Havenstraat, Ammberstraat are all street names if you want em

Van Eck has been involved in trying to clean up the Barrel; pious. (Allegedly pious, I doubt he really is)

1/5 Van Eck (or general Kerch trading?) vessels are lost at sea

Kaz arrested three times at ten, twice at eleven, once at fourteen. Does stints in jail but it does not say prison (ppl assume he's been to Hellgate / another prison but I don't think so. He'd never have shut the fuck up about it if he had; I assume the Stadhall Jail)

Kaz's cane is lead-lined. I wasn't sure if this was canon or fanon

Kaz runs book on prize fights, horses, and chance games. Floor boss at crow club since fifteen-ish. Youngest to run a betting shop and has doubled the profits.

Gambling halls: Treasure Chest, Golden Bend, Weddell's Riverboat, Silver Garter

West Stave brothels: The Blue Iris, The Forge, The Obscura, the Willow Switch, the House of Snow

Van Aakster is the widow mercher who sees Nina to ease his grief

Inej likes orange cakes in white paper

Black Tips tattoo is a hand with first and second fingers cut at the knuckle, Razorgulls is 5 birds in wedge formation

Nina Jesper and Kaz definitely all have the crow and cup; the others don't

Jordie seems to like books

ridderspel and spijker are arcade games

Bilge, clams, and wet stone smell in the Barrel (per Retvenko)

Kaz definitely is partial to dogs; Smeet's hounds and the grey dog the Hertzoon household had, the windup dogs, the metaphors. He loves a dog metaphor sorry ur not real babycakes you'd have loved thematic web weaving posts

Geldspin is the cotton mill in Zierfoort, Firma Allerbest is a cannery. Both in Alys' name

Wylan was 8 when Marya 'died'

the black veil tomb is carved like an ancient cargo ship

3 flying fish on a grave: government. Palm trees and snakes: spices.

Inej's mother braids her hair with orange ribbons (colour of persimmons)

University a series of buildings built around the Boekcanal and joined by Speaker's Bridge (where people debate and/or drink). Boeksplein four libraries built around a central courtyard and the Scholar's Fountain

Shipping container at third harbour is a Liddie hideout; Jam Tart House is an old hotel near the slat that the Razorgulls use

Long scar across Kaz's right knuckle

Violating contracts and interfering with the market can get you hanged in Kerch; same sentences as for murder (this is. Insane)

Haskell holds court with his mates at the Fair Weather Inn every week

Belendt is the second oldest Kerch city and sits on the Droombeld River

Jesper was 7 when Aditi died

Inej has an uncle (who seems to have some sort of ringmaster role) and cousins; Hanzi and Asha

Kaz convinced a locksmith in Klokstraat that he was the son of a wealthy merchant who highly valued his collection of priceless snuffboxes, and that's how he knows what locks the rich are using

Hubrecht Mohren, Master Thief of Pijl, who Kaz doesn't appear to think much of; one of Haskell's old cronies

Martin Van Eck, Wylan's great great grandfather, was a ship's captain, brought back a big shipment of spices from Eames Chin and started the Van Eck fortune

Kaz and Jesper (+ other Dregs boys) taught Inej to fight

Kaz and Jordie are from a town near Lij, as per the 'Johannus Rietveld' exposition, but Lij is seemingly the closest major city/county so it's easier to just say they're from Lij lol

The last time the Council of Tides appeared in public was 25 years prior to CK

Kaz found Filip running a monte game on Kelstraat; he also got the clerks who turned over fake info, the fake attorney, the man who gave them free hot chocolate

The spelling of Zentzbridge lapses to Zentsbridge, not sure which is right or if they're actually separate bridges or if there's a lot of wrong quotes floating around lol

Dryden house symbol is the golden wheat sheaf bound with a blue ribbon; Van Eck is the red laurel but we knew that

Kaz taught himself finance and gambling hall rules

Church of Barter roof is copper and long has turned green

Church of Barter built around the First Forge / The Mortar, which is a flat lump of rock that's supposedly Ghezen's altar

Ghezendaal Hospital is. Idk. a hospital. Just thought ppl might want the name

#six of crows #crooked kingdom #grishaverse #soc duology #shadow and bone #my post

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valerieandherweekofwonderz · 1 year

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thank you for all you do! i just got into czech(o)slovak cinema because of you and was wondering if you had any favorite films on the GD that you recommend?

Hi! ❤️ Thank you for your words! I’m glad my blog has encouraged you to start exploring CS cinema! I’m pretty sure you won’t be disappointed 🙂

I’ll list my favourite films from each folder but you can’t go wrong with any film that you’ll find there.

30's - 40's

Divá Bára / Wild Barbara (1949) dir. by Vladimír Čech (drama)

Eva tropí hlouposti / Eva Fools Around (1939) dir. by Martin Frič (comedy, romance)

Podobizna / The Portrait (1947) dir. by Jiří Slavíček (drama, horror, mystery)

Fairy Tales

Byl jednou jeden král… / Once Upon a Time, There Was a King… (1954) dir. by Bořivoj Zeman

Jak se budí princezny / How to Wake Up Princesses (1977) dir. by Václav Vorlíček

Perinbaba / The Feather Fairy (1985) dir. by Juraj Jakubisko

Princ a Večernice / The Prince and the Evening Star (1978) dir. by Václav Vorlíček

Princezna se zlatou hvězdou / The Princess with the Golden Star (1959) dir. by Martin Frič

Pyšná princezna / The Proud Princess (1952) dir. by Bořivoj Zeman

S čerty nejsou žerty / Give the Devil His Due (1984) dir. by Hynek Bočan

Tři oříšky pro Popelku / Three Wishes for Cinderella (1973) dir. by Václav Vorlíček

Films directed by Juraj Herz

Morgiana (1972) (horror, drama)

Panna a netvor / Beauty and the Beast (1978) (fairy tale, horror, romance)

Petrolejové lampy / The Petroleum Lamps (1971) (drama)

Spalovač mrtvol / The Cremator (1968) (drama, horror)

Films directed by Karel Kachyňa

Kočár do Vídně / A Carriage Going to Vienna (1966) (drama, war)

Malá mořská víla / The Little Mermaid (1976) (fairy tale, drama)

Ucho / The Ear (1970) (drama, thriller)

Musicals / Opera

Noc na Karlštejně / A Night at Karlstein (1973) dir. by Zdeněk Podskalský

Films directed by Karel Zeman

Baron Prášil / The Fabulous Baron Munchausen (1961) (sci-fi, fantasy, adventure)

Čarodějův učeň / The Sorcerer's Apprentice (1977) (animated, horror, fairy tale)

Na kometě / On the Comet (1970) (sci-fi, fantasy, adventure)

Vynález zkázy / Invention for Destruction or The Fabulous World of Jules Verne (1958) (sci-fi, fantasy, adventure)

Other

Marketa Lazarová (1967) dir. by František Vláčil (drama, history)

Parodies / Comedies

Adéla ještě nevečeřela / Adela Has Not Had Her Supper Yet (1977) dir. by Oldřich Lipský

Dívka na koštěti / The Girl on the Broomstick (1971) dir. by Václav Vorlíček

Jak utopit Dr. Mráčka aneb Konec vodníků v Čechách / How to Drown Dr. Mracek, the Lawyer (1974) dir. by Václav Vorlíček

Jára Cimrman ležící, spící / Jára Cimrman Lying, Sleeping (1983) dir. by Ladislav Smoljak

Tajemství hradu v Karpatech / The Mysterious Castle in the Carpathians (1981) dir. by Oldřich Lipský

Recent Films

Fair Play (2014) dir. by Andrea Sedláčková (drama)

Kolja (1996) dir. by Jan Svěrák (comedy, drama)

Kytice / Wild Flowers (2000) dir. by F. A. Brabec (drama, horror, romance, poetic)

Pelíšky / Cosy Dens (1999) dir. by Jan Hřebejk (comedy, drama)

Requiem pro panenku / Requiem for a Doll (1991) dir. by Filip Renč (drama, thriller)

Želary (2003) dir. by Ondřej Trojan (drama, war, romace)

New Wave

Lásky jedné plavovlásky / Loves of a Blonde (1965) dir. by Miloš Forman (comedy, drama)

Slávnosť v botanickej záhrade / Celebration in the Botanical Garden (1969) dir. by Elo Havetta (comedy)

Slnko v sieti / The Sun in the Net (1962) dir. by Štefan Uher (drama)

Valerie a týden divů / Valerie and Her Week of Wonders (1970) dir. by Jaromil Jireš (fantasy, horror)

Silent Films

Erotikon (1929) dir. by Gustav Machatý (drama, romance)

TV Series

Arabela (1980) dir. by Václav Vorlíček (comedy, fairy tale, fantasy)

Návštěvníci / The Visitors (1983) dir. by Jindřich Polák (sci-fi, comedy)

Films directed by Věra Chytilová

Ovoce stromů rajských jíme / We Eat the Fruit of the Trees of Paradise (1969) (CS new wave movement)

Sedmikrásky / Daisies (1966) (comedy, CS new wave movement)

Vlčí bouda / Wolf’s Hole (1986) (horror, drama)

Enjoy❣️

#Ask #beetlejuices

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tuppencetrinkets · 9 months

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Sorted caps, Season 4. The Expanse.

Adolphus Murtry - Burn Gorman #6,316

Amos Burton - Wes Chatham #6,734

Arjun Avasarala - Michael Benyaer #1,882

Bobbie Draper - Frankie Adams #9,510

Camina Drummer - Cara Gee #3,348

Carol Chiwewe - Patti Kim #903

Chandra Wei - Jess Salgueiro #2,429

Chrisjen Avasarala - Shohreh Aghdashloo #7,870

Clarissa Mao - Nadine Nicole #314

David Draper - Kolton Stewart #642

Elise Holden - Frances Fisher #287

Elvi Okoye - Lydie Greenwood #5,042

Esai Martin - Paul Schulze #1,611

Felcia Mazur - Kyla Madeira #1,107

Filip Inaros - Jasai Chase Owens #70

Fred Johnson - Chad L. Coleman #316

Jakob Mazur - Steven McCarthy #957

James Holden - Steven Strait #12,748

Josephus Miller - Thomas Jayne #2,419

Klaes Ashford - David Strathairn #5,381

Leelee - Dayle McLeod #825

Lucia Mazur - Rose Gilmore #4,578

Marco Inaros - Keon Alexander #3,308

Nancy Gao - Lily Gao #1,390

Naomi Nagata - Dominique Tipper #6,334

Thomas - Michael Xavier #1,185

This content is free for anyone to use or edit however you like; if you care to throw a dollar or two my way for time, effort, storage fees etc you are more than welcome to do so via my PAYPAL. Please like or reblog this post if you have found it useful or are downloading the content within. If you have any questions or you have any problems with the links or find any inconsistencies in the content, etc. please feel free to drop me a politely worded message via my ASKBOX (second icon from the top on my theme!)

Previous Expanse resources can be found HERE HERE and HERE. There are also some Expanse gif icon & base icon sets on my blog w/ more to come.

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mimilind · 4 months

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A Magical Classmate - Part 2

Pairing: Draco Malfoy x Reader

Rating: T

Chapter Word Count: 2500

Parts: [ < Previous Part ] [ Next Part > ] [ Masterlist ]

Full story: [ AO3 ]

Your new classmate is an excellent lab partner, and turns out to be a resourceful ally at a party as well. Especially if someone tries to mug you…

2. Lab Partner and Party Protector

The next morning you hauled out your cleanest jeans and best t-shirt, and spent far too long in front of the mirror before you rode your bike to campus. But when you arrived at the lecture hall you found that Catrine and Martin had already monopolized Drake, taking the seats on either side of him.

Feeling defeated, you realized he was probably a lost case, and felt embarrassed for dressing up like you had. As if he would ever notice you when there were attractive, fun people like them to hang out with.

Morosely you took a seat in the row behind the trio. You knew you were overly dramatic and silly for feeling so jealous and left out, but couldn’t help doing it anyway.

During lunch break, Drake went to a nearby restaurant while the rest of you sat in a student lounge to eat your packed lunches.

“I wish I could afford to eat out every day too.” Catrine took a bite of her dry cheese sandwich.

“It’s not very healthy though,” said Filip, the only vegan in the class.

You had brought leftover macaroni and meatballs and ate them in silence, still feeling a bit low. When you had finished you decided to indulge yourself and bought a chocolate bar in the vending machine to cheer you up.

It didn’t help.

Drake returned in the afternoon when it was time for labs, and to your surprise and delight he chose you as his lab partner. You tried not to look smug when Catrine and Martin gave you long, jealous looks.

“Whew, saved by the bell,” he murmured. “Is Catrine silent, like, ever?”

You grinned. “Rarely.” Just like that, your mood had changed from glum to cheerful.

“Even if I had understood Swedish I wouldn’t have caught one word of today’s lecture with her prattling in my ear the entire morning.”

“I still don’t get why you attend lectures.”

He shrugged. “Bored, I guess.”

It was time to begin and you tried to translate the lab instructions. Drake turned out to be adept at practical chemistry as well – except for a few very strange instances. The first one was when you had to help him turn on the light and the fan in the fume hood. Apparently he didn’t understand that he had to press the red button with ‘on’ printed on it.

His next difficulty was with the magnetic stirrer. This time he found the power switch, but didn’t put the plug in the socket.

”You need to plug it in,” you said, trying not to smile.

”Oh.” He turned the appliance over with a perplexed look.

”Here.” You helped him again.

First when you began the titration, Drake showed how talented he really was. He claimed to have never done it before, yet managed to create perfect solutions every time, and his calculations – written down with the neatest handwriting you ever saw from a guy – were made with ease. Though you wondered a bit why he used an old-fashioned ink pen.

A gleam drew your attention. From under the lab coat, Drake’s shirt sleeves peeked through, and you saw he wore actual cufflinks.

Seriously?

He had a matching silver ring on his index finger, with a serpentine pattern. It struck you he had really nice hands. Large but with a soft touch; he had no problem handling the fragile equipment.

”Wow, we’re already finished,” you exclaimed, looking around and finding that nobody else was done by far. ”Can I always be your lab partner?”

He just grinned and shrugged.

”Let’s go make the lab report now.” You figured it would be a win-win combination; he knew what to write in it, you knew Swedish.

As you went to a study area and sat around the small, round table, Drake removed his suit jacket and loosened the tie so he could open the top button of his shirt.

Your stomach flipped and filled with flutters. Damn, what a body he had! He must work out a lot. You wondered why he kept hiding it under suits and dress coats – all muscular guys you knew wore tight t-shirts to make it show.

Then you began on the report, leaning your heads over the paper. His semi-long hair fell forward and made his face look softer, less controlled.

Sitting so close, his pleasant perfume filled your nostrils and you had to refrain from sniffing him like an enthusiastic dog. It was increasingly hard to focus on the report.

There was no denying it anymore; you had to admit to yourself you were getting a huge crush on this guy. He was just so perfect in every way!

You were nearly finished when Catrine and Martin joined you. Like you, they hadn’t quite understood the lab and had many questions, which Drake seemed glad to answer. In the end, both the reports became mostly his doing, but since you others had translated and written them you figured you weren’t really cheating. Much.

Unsurprisingly, after that, Drake became everyone’s favorite lab partner. He took turns and changed partners each time, and though you were disappointed, you weren’t really expecting anything else. He had no reason to single you out.

A couple of weeks passed and Halloween was coming up. The following Friday there would be a big costume Halloween party hosted by Chalmers, the city’s famous university of technology. Since it was open to other academic departments as well, Catrine, Martin and you decided to go, and she managed to convince Drake to tag along.

“But remember this will be Swedish Halloween, not American,” said Martin. “Here we only dress up as evil and nasty things, like vampires, ghosts, witches and stuff.”

“Ah. Then I can dress as a dark wizard,” said Drake with a wry smile you couldn’t quite interpret.

The evening came, and as arranged you went to the Karl IX statue which was where everyone met up in this city. You had spent a long time picking your outfit – wanting to wear something that both matched the Halloween theme and made you look good – and at last settled on a bat face mask and a wide, black cloak that flowed around you dramatically as you walked.

Shortly afterwards, Drake arrived. “Neat!” He indicated your cape. “You look a bit like a dungeon bat I know, but much cuter.”

The compliment filled you with a pleasant warmth.

Drake also wore a black cloak, his with wide sleeves, and held an old-fashioned broomstick in one hand. He had used makeup to make his face paler, except for dark red shades around his eyes, and with his blond hair snugly combed back it gave the impression of a skull. His attractive smile took away part of the effect though.

“You look great too,” you said, meaning it wholeheartedly. He was exceedingly handsome no matter what he did. “Only a bit too nice for a dark wizard.”

“Nice?” His smile disappeared and he lowered his eyebrows, piercing you with a dangerous, sharp look. He loomed over you, a hand menacingly hovering near his sleeve like he prepared to draw a gun from it.

You took a step backwards, a nervous throb in your chest. The transformation was uncanny. Drake suddenly looked lethal.

He relaxed and grinned widely, his face perfectly friendly again. “Were you afraid?” he teased.

“Of course not!” you lied, laughing sheepishly.

Now the others had arrived and the four of you walked up the Avenyn boulevard. Along the way, you passed a beggar with a cup in front of him.

Drake stopped, pulling out his wallet.

“Don’t,” whispered Catrine. “He will just buy booze.”

He shrugged and put a hundred-crown note in the cup. “Then so be it.”

The beggar’s eyes became round and he grinned toothlessly, quickly snatching up the note. “Tack så mycket,” he repeated several times.

“It means ‘thanks a lot’,” you translated.

Drake chuckled. “I figured.”

“Are you always this generous?” asked Catrine, giving his thick wallet a speculative look as he put it away. You were all poor students and she probably hoped he would offer to share with you also.

“Nowadays I am.”

“But not before?”

He looked uncomfortable. “Shall we continue?”

The Halloween party was held in a large student union building and the loud music met you already outside. Drake got that same pained look you had seen at the pub the other week.

“Don’t you like pop music?” you asked.

“It’s just a bit loud. But I suppose I’ll get used to it.”

Soon your group was swept along by the many cheerful partygoers, each more scarily dressed than the other, and it didn’t take long until you got separated. Catrine and Martin wanted to dance, and you too, but Drake disappeared before you could invite him.

Biting down the disappointment, you danced with your friends instead. At least you felt unusually cool and interesting in your outfit. You were not used to drawing others’ looks, but tonight a random guy even bought you a drink unprompted.

It had become quite late when you finally saw Drake again. He was standing outside the entrance, talking with your classmate Andreas who was a bit of a lone wolf.

“There you are!” you said.

“The volume was more bearable here,” Drake explained. “Is it time to leave soon, you think?” He had a longing tone in his voice.

You immediately decided it was. “I’ll fetch Catrine and Martin.”

Catrine was easy to find, dancing like there was no tomorrow in her demon costume, and after a while you found Martin too, closely embracing a handsome ginger guy.

“We’re going home. You coming?”

“Don’t wait for me; I’ll be sleeping elsewhere tonight,” he said with a proud grin.

Secretly very pleased, you returned to Drake. Martin had always appeared to be your most serious rival for the object of your crush, so it was a relief he had found himself another guy.

A few blocks away, the silence was nearly deafening after the noisy, crowded hall. The fresh fall air was cool against your heated face, with a light drizzle making the dark streets glisten.

Andreas had been tagging along, now he fell into step with you. “He is such a nice guy,” he murmured in Swedish, nodding discreetly at Drake. “I didn’t see anyone I knew at the party and felt out of place at first, but then he came. He kept me company all evening, and even tried to match me with a girl I found pretty.”

“He’s super nice,” you agreed. “How did it go?”

“Well, she only had eyes for him, so not good unfortunately.” He smiled wistfully. “Still, I had a lot of fun for a change.”

His words gave you a pang of bad conscience. Andreas had been nearby when Catrine and you others asked Drake to come with you to the party – why had neither of you thought to ask Andreas too? Perhaps he wasn’t a lone wolf, just lonely and left out.

You decided to be more like Drake and be kinder to fellow students from now on.

After a while, you noticed two strangers following you. Something about them made you uneasy, and you involuntarily increased your step.

The strangers did likewise.

Drake had seen them too, and cast many nervous glances across his shoulder. He had become tense and alert.

Suddenly he stopped, turning to face them. “What do you want?” he asked in a low, threatening voice very different from his usual one. He looked dangerous. Like a tiger ready to pounce.

“Oo an English tourist,” sneered the bigger of the two. He wore a frayed leather vest and his bare arms were covered in tattoos. A biker.

“We just want to talk,” said his companion. You suddenly noticed he had a knife in his hand.

Cold to the marrow with fear, you tugged at Drake’s sleeve. “Let’s go!”

“Don’t worry,” he said calmly. “These gentlemen were just going to leave.” For some strange reason his stance had become less taut, as if he found a couple of professional criminals no big deal at all. As if he had expected someone worse.

“No we aren’t, you little shit.” The big one drew a knife too. It looked nasty.

“I’m calling the police,” said Catrine in a trembling voice. She was fumbling with the buttons of her Nokia.

“Don’t.” Drake didn’t take his eyes off the thugs. “You go ahead. I will catch up with you.”

When you hesitated, heart pounding, he swiftly turned around. “I said go.” There was a steely edge to his tone.

“But–”

“Get the hell out of here,” he growled, looking so stern and intimidating you didn’t dare disobey.

Together with Catrine and Andreas you scrambled away a few meters, but then stopped again. You couldn’t just cowardly flee when your friend was in danger!

One of the bikers charged and Drake caught his knife with his bare hand. Blood trickled between his fingers.

You yelped, hands flying to your mouth.

Drake said something in a foreign language and his other hand moved too fast for you to see what he did.

The bikers cried out and dropped their knives with a clatter of steel against asphalt. Their voices changed pitch, becoming shrill as they turned around, stumbling over each other in their hurry to run away.

You dashed to Drake’s side, shaking with excess adrenaline. “How are you?”

“Fine. They were just bullies.”

“Your hand…” Your voice trailed off, breath hitching. His hand was uninjured. No blood, nothing… but you had seen it!

“What about it?” He calmly flexed his fingers. There was not a mark on them.

“I can’t believe you scared them away,” said Catrine, joining you. “How did you do it?”

“Oh, I just… what’s that technique called, uh…”

“Martial art? Karate?” Andreas suggested.

“That’s it, yes. That’s how I scared them.”

You shook your head, trying to clear it. You had a few drinks at the party, perhaps you had seen wrong… the injury and the blood must be your imagination.

Warm relief filled you then, making your legs go weak. Drake was alright! You were all safe!

“I’m sorry I yelled at you,” he said, voice again soft and kind. “I was afraid they would go for you too if you stayed.”

You looked at him mutely, at the same time immensely grateful and awed over how heroic and selfless he was. Your throat constricted with emotions and you couldn’t stop yourself from giving him an impulsive hug. “Thank you,” you mumbled against his cloak. “That was so brave.”

At first he stiffened, then he hugged you back. “It was nothing. I’ve trained for this, you haven’t.”

You shyly drew back, wiping your eyes from tears that had appeared out of nowhere.

He patted your shoulder soothingly. “It’s alright.” The motion made his cloak sleeve slide up, exposing the cuff of the black shirt he wore underneath.

That was when you saw it: there was a drop of fresh blood on his silver cufflink.

A/N:

Oops hehe. He should have been more thorough with his scourgify, but I suppose he was a bit in a hurry…

Thanks (or 'tack så mycket!') for reading! :)

Parts: [ < Previous Part ] [ Next Part > ] [ Masterlist ]

Full story: [ AO3 ]

#draco malfoy #draco #draco malfoy x reader #draco x reader #harry potter #harry potter fanfiction #draco x you #fanfiction #draco malfoy is nice #muggle reader #tom felton #a magical classmate #mimi lind

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