David and I went to see the excellent play by Alan Bennett tonight.
The action of the play takes place in Cutlers’ Grammar School, Sheffield, a fictional boys’ grammar school in the north of England. Set in the 1980s, the piece follows a group of History pupils preparing for the Oxbridge entrance examinations under the guidance of two teachers (Irwin and Hector) with contrasting styles.
Irwin teaches the essay style of brisk generalities flavoured with sufficient facts and quotations to engage the examiner’s interest. He teaches the boys to find a (sometimes controversial) angle on a point in History and find evidence to support it, enabling the student to prove a less than truthful perspective of History. He believes the truth is irrelevant when it comes to finding a stance that will make his pupils stand out in the examination board. This method was one of ‘false pretences’, that Bennett felt he had had to teach himself in order to succeed in examinations, one academic pursuit with which he constantly had trouble. Hector, however, wishes to teach knowledge, especially English Literature, for its own intrinsic value, hoping his students will benefit greatly from his influence. He wants the boys to become cultured, rounded human beings and believes that such contrived methods are practically indecent. Exams are the enemy of all that he stands for.
The play blends both comedy and tragedy, with multiple layers and themes, including growing up, the wider purpose of education in adult life, teaching methods, homosexuality, and the English education system.
Indeed the role of the pupil Posner with his hopeless attraction to classmate Dakin, fondness of Hector’s teaching methods and late development into adulthood represents deep autobiographical details of Bennett’s life. The play also takes much influence from director Nicholas Hytner’s time at Manchester Grammar School and indeed that institution is referenced in the play.
Share and Enjoy:
These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.
Written by TechStickle on January 30th, 2008 with no comments.
Read more gay blog news articles on Gay News Blog.
HOLLYWOOD star Heath Ledger, found dead in his New York apartment two weeks ago, died of accidental intoxication brought on by his abuse of a cocktail of prescription drugs, officials said today.
Heath Ledger, who scored critical acclaim for his performance as a repressed gay cowboy in “Brokeback Mountain” in 2005, was taking a mixture of pain killers, sedatives and antidepressants used to treat anxiety and sleep problems.
“Mr Heath Ledger died as the result of acute intoxication by the combined effects of oxycodone, hydrocodone, diazepam, temazepam, alprazolam, and doxylamine,” the city’s chief medical examiner’s office said in a statement.
“We have concluded that the manner of death is accident, resulting from the abuse of prescription medications,” it added.
The cause of the 28-year-old Australian’s death had been shrouded in mystery, with an initial autopsy proving inconclusive and conflicting speculation that he was a drug user and suffering from pneumonia.
He had been found naked and unresponsive in his Manhattan apartment, with police saying that prescription medications were found in the residence but that a rolled-up 20 dollar bill near the body had tested negative for drugs.
His family insisted throughout that he would not have taken his own life.
Ledger told The New York Times in November, during the shooting of the latest Batman movie, “The Dark Knight,” in which he portrays The Joker, that he often took Ambien, a prescription sleeping aid, to help his insomnia.
“Last week I probably slept an average of two hours a night,” he told The Times. “I couldn’t stop thinking. My body was exhausted and my mind was still going,” he said.
He was reported to have said that taking one pill had no effect on him and that he’d take a second one to fall asleep, only to awake an hour later with his “mind still racing.”
Ledger’s father Kim, said he hoped the official toxicology results would end rumors surrounding his son’s death and appealed for privacy.
“Today’s results put an end to speculation, but our son’s beautiful spirit and enduring memory will forever remain in our hearts,” he said in a statement.
“While no medications were taken in excess, we learned today the combination of doctor-prescribed drugs proved lethal for our boy,” he said, adding “we respectfully request the worldwide media allow us time to grieve privately.”
Ledger was seen as a rising star in Hollywood and his death on January 22 sent shockwaves through the film industry. His memorial service in Los Angeles drew an A-list of mourners including Tom Cruise and wife Katie Holmes.
Arrangements for Ledger’s burial in Perth have not been made public, but it is expected his family will hold a private funeral later this week at which they will bury their son in a family plot.
Ledger first came to prominence by acting as a homosexual athlete in a little-known Australian soap opera, “Sweat,” in 1996.
At 19, he left Sydney for Hollywood, where his talent was spotted by Mel Gibson when auditioning 500 actors for the role of his son in “The Patriot” — a break that led to his leading role in “A Knight’s Tale.”
He was nominated for a best actor Oscar for his “Brokeback Mountain” role and had recently been working on “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus,” directed by Terry Gilliam, which was due out next year.
Share and Enjoy:
These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.
Written by TechStickle on January 22nd, 2008 with no comments.
Read more gay blog news articles on Hunks.
More of Brazilian hunk Rodrigo Calazans showing off his Brazilian pubes
Share and Enjoy:
These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.
Written by TechStickle on January 20th, 2008 with no comments.
Read more gay blog news articles on Hunks.
Evan Wade has posed nearly naked for Gay Times (London) as well as on his knees in riped jeans for the cover of M Mensuel (Paris).
Share and Enjoy:
These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.
Written by TechStickle on January 20th, 2008 with no comments.
Read more gay blog news articles on Hunks.
Hot male model Benjamin Godfre is the new face and body of Timoteo Underwear. Last time was shirtless hunk James Ellis doing the promotional pictures. Now, it’s Benjamin’s turn to showcase his awesome physique in this men’s underwear line.
Benjamin is 20 years old, part Irish/Italian/English. Raised in Minnesota, USA, and now attending school in Orange County, CA, Ben is featured in Australia’s DNA’s online magazine (Feb).
Photos by Tom Cullis
Share and Enjoy:
These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.
Written by TechStickle on January 7th, 2008 with no comments.
Read more gay blog news articles on Benjamin Godfre.
