Review Archives - Nine to Three Thirty

Cirque Berserk! At The Rep Birmingham

We like to plan a day out or a treat for half term and this time we were invited along to see CIRQUE BERSERK! They have opened their new 2020 tour in Birmingham with dates over the half term holiday as the start of their UK tour.

Presented by Zippos, Cirque Berserk! Britain is an theatre-circus spectacular. It aims to combine beautiful contemporary circus artistry with hair-raising, death-defying stunts, all designed specially for staging in a theatre. I had wondered how well the circus would translate to the theatre, but it was a seamless transition. In fact, all the better to see the show at somewhere like the Rep, as it has excellent sight lights from all seats (better than you’d get in the Big Top). The stage fire curtain did get in the way of the acrobats performing high up slightly, but they seemed to realise this and most of their moves were performed at a slightly lower height.

There’s a real mix of acts and as one leaves the stage another group of performers enters it. There’s no ringmaster. I loved watching the acrobats, aerialists and dancers. Some of the skills on display were exceptional. I was amazed by Elberel who emerged from inside a bottle (think ship in a bottle) and juggled with here feet before shooting an arrow whilst stood on her hands and using her feet. Really spectacular!

Another of our favourite performers was physical-comedy star (and Brazilian ‘capoeira’ champion) 3ft 6in (107cm) Paulo Dos Santos. There was lots of good old-fashioned slapstick humour, but not content with being a very funny man, he’s very acrobatic too. He provided some light relief in between the more daredevil acts.

If you love watching the dangerous Globe of Death, then you will be amazed by how many motorcyclists they manage to get riding round the inside of a spherical steel cage at speeds of up to 60 miles per hour (even the teenagers in our party were impressed).

The 2020 tour follows a sell-out run at Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2019. The production will play at Birmingham Rep from Tuesday 18 February to Sunday 23 February 2020. We had a good night out and would recommend this show which is suitable for all the family.

If you’d like a video preview take a look at their trailer: http://www.cirqueberserk.co.uk/#master-header

Disclosure: We were provided with tickets for the purposes of this review.

Stamptastic Review and Competition #Ad

Stamptastic

I first came across Stamptastic a few years ago when I worked with them as an ambassador. But, I didn’t stop using their stamps when I finished being an ambassador and I use their stamp pretty much every time I need to label something for H. It’s so easy really, you just stamp the ink pad and stamp the item you want to label. It works well for almost all items of clothing, as even on darker items there is usually a white or lighter label you can use to mark it.

More recently I’ve discovered their white marker pen which means you can mark the few things that were difficult before. The white shows up very easily on darker colours and you can just quickly write the name on. For most things though I use the stamp, I find that is great especially if you are preparing for something like a school residential trip and you need to label a lot more than just school uniform. I find the stamp ink is hardwearing and that I don’t need to restamp items.

Recently Stamptastic got in touch and asked me to try out some more of their products. So I’ve been trying out their address stamps. I’ve had one in the past and it’s really useful for when you move house or change name (I’ve used the name and address stamp on the Christmas cards I send for instance) or if you are having a party or event maybe. It’s a great way to save a bit of time and it looks good too. I love the fact that you can choose from a range of coloured stamp pads, or even have a few so you can mix and match.

I’ve teamed up Stamptastic to give away some labelling products to one lucky reader. You’ll get a voucher that you can swap for an ink pad, 2 name stamps and a white fabric pen, so you will be ready to cope with back to school (as we all know that will come around sooner than we’d like). Enter via the Gleam widget below.

Competition Terms and Conditions

1. No bulk, third-party or automated entries.

2. Entrants must be aged 18 years or older and resident in the UK.

3. The winner or winners will be chosen by a random draw.

4. Promoter is responsible for fulfilling the prize and full contact details of the winner will be passed onto the promoter to enable prize fulfillment.

5. The winner’s name may be published on this site.

6. Competition closes on 9th June 2019.
Stamptastic

Brio Labyrinth Game Review

We were recently sent the Brio Labyrinth Game to review. It’s been a while since H had any new Brio toys – there was a whole Brio era when he was younger and into wooden train tracks and the like. In fact, I hadn’t realised that Brio had anything in their range for older children (or indeed in the case of this game adults). This game has been very addictive since it arrived. I have been struggling to get past the third hole for ages and H was too and then he suddenly pushed ahead and made it to the 6th hole. I am going to have to seriously up my game or I will be badly outclassed. I think this one is going to run and run.

labyrinth game of skill It’s a game of skill as you carefully balance the ball and try to manoeuvre it without it falling down any of the many holes. There are two knobs on the sides: one for to till the board in one direction and the other a different one. With the game come two small metal marbles to move around and they are returned to you when you fail. It’s a very addictive game. You can play the Brio Labyrinth game on your own or with a number of players and take in turns to see who can make it the furthest around the board. It requires perseverance, control and a bit of luck.

Enjoying The Weather With Sandals From Strive

bare feet and sandals

I got sent these sandals weeks ago by Strive Footwear and have been waiting for the chance to put them to the test for a review. We had a day or so of summer a few weekends ago, but I didn’t get the chance to wear them for long before it got cold again, but I did manage to take a few pictures. Thankfully we have had a longer burst of warmer weather and I’ve been able to try out my Java Sandals out more extensively now.

Strive footwear using Biomechanical Footbed Technology to support your feet in their natural position and many wearers say that the arch contour feels prominent or the footbed feels firm to start with. I’ve certainly been aware of the extra support for my arch. My arches are on the higher side of normal and whilst it felt a bit strange to start with, it was strange in a good way. I’m not sure if it comes across in the pictures that well, but the footbed does support your foot in a three-dimensional way. It’s designed to provide comfort through support rather than cushioning so it can feel a little more solid under your feet if you aren’t used to that.

sandals

Whilst it’s recommended that you walk your sandals in gradually, I’ve found them quite easy to wear from the outset. I haven’t been wearing them all day, but I’ve been gradually working up to that and I’m nearly there.

strive footwear

I’ve had some compliments about these sandals since I started wearing them on the school run in the nicer weather. They are very striking and the colour goes with just about everything. They have a real quality feel to them and I can see them lasting for ages. I’m found them very comfortable to wear and I love slipping them on in the mornings. They don’t have a back strap, but my feet feel very secure in them and I have no problem walking briskly wearing them. I think these will be my ‘go-to’ sandals for the school run this summer – let’s hope the weather gives me plenty of opportunity to wear them.