Omar Khan, who brilliantly played fan favourite Mayur in #honesty, has been racking up the performances in West End play Life of Pi.
Omar has been understudying a number of parts, going on to play four different characters over the month of June alone.
Based on the best-selling novel by Yann Martel, the critically acclaimed 5-time Olivier Award-winning production continues to draw in full houses at the Wyndham’s Theatre.
You can see the trailer here >
Kit Esuruoso, who stars as the über-cool Yinka in #honesty, has been awarded the Best Actor award at Australia’s CinefestOz.
Kit was recognised for his performance in Akoni. The film follows the journey of a homeless Nigerian refugee who must integrate into Western life, after being forced to flee a devastating conflict in his homeland. Genna Chanelle Hayes’ debut feature film was shot across Australia, New Zealand and West Africa, highlighting the all too familiar plight of war refugees.
Speaking via his Instagram, Kit was unable to accept the award in person but was quick to thank the support for the film:
“This was a crazy journey and I want to thank all the continued support and love people have shown for me, this film and powerful stories that need to be told.”
Akoni hits cinemas this month and you can see the trailer here >
A lot of research has been conducted in recent years around the effects of social media on the minds of today’s youths. Influencer culture in particular has been determining trends and habits in a much deeper way than celebrity culture ever could alone. In a Centre for Mental Health blog post, Rhys Edmonds summarises that:
“[t]he evidence suggests that social media use is strongly associated with anxiety, loneliness and depression.”
And he suggests measures to mitigate this for young people, such as “integrating social media ‘lessons’ into subjects in school.”
But what about the impact this new fast-paced culture is having on the adult population. Are we too quick to assume that Gen X have avoided the worst of it? Sure, they might have been spared their teenage years being scrutinized online but there are still those who rely on a constant stream of personal updates to maintain their lifestyle.
“The hyper-competitive business of influencing takes a toll. Whether it’s hustling for deals or grappling with a constant itch to check your likes—the pressure is real.”
https://talkinginfluence.com/2021/08/20/influencer-marketing-trends-impacting-mental-health/
All the real-life Jack Brights and Jemima Princes out there might seem to be thriving thanks to this new economy, but at what cost?
It could be easy to brush all concerns aside. After all, aren’t they doing it to themselves? And don’t they seem perfectly confident and sure of themselves in their posts? Why should we care? But it’s important to remember that behind the glossy facade are real people who may be suffering from the same burnout, self-esteem issues and unhealthy cycles of behaviour that we worry about for younger users.
“[W]e’re all knowingly walking into a hall of mirrors and still believing the distortions beaming back at us … it’s absolutely playing tricks on our minds, and the effects might be irreversible.”
https://www.shondaland.com/live/body/a38964196/is-social-media-important/
So isn’t it time we asked: what about the grownups?
Niall Bishop, who plays guru Jack Bright in #honesty, was part of an all-star cast who performed for Her Majesty the Queen at the Platinum Jubilee celebration. The event was held in her honour at Windsor Castle on Sunday, the 15th of May.
Niall took his place alongside Dame Helen Mirren, Damien Lewis, comedian Omid Djalili as well as Tom Cruise and played the part of Lord Admiral Horatio Nelson, recreating his famous Battle of Trafalgar speech.
The event was broadcast live on ITV to an estimated television audience of over 10 million people, with HM the Queen making her first public appearance in several months.
Check him out as Jack Bright >
Kit Esuruoso, who stars as Yinka in #honesty, was invited to attend and perform at the recent Olivier awards along with the rest of the Spring Awakening cast.
“After two years of the industry coming to a pause it was amazing to see it come back full swing!”
Kit will be taking to the stage again this summer playing the role of Bernardo in West Side Story at the world-renowned Opera House in Strasbourg from May 29 – June 29.
Check him out as Yinka >