Picnik Entertainment present "The Almond And The Seahorse"

Peter Anderson • May 08, 2024

Rebel Wilson stars in new heartfelt drama


Picnik Entertainment & Mad as Birds Films are excited to announce that their Rebel Wilson led drama "The Almond and the Seahorse" will be coming to UK Cinemas from May 10th. Alongside Wilson, the film also stars Charlotte Gainsbourg (Melancholia, Jane Eyre, 21 Grams), award-winning Danish actress Trine Dyrholm (In a Better World, Margrete: Queen of the North), Celyn Jones (Swede Caroline, Set Fire to the Stars), Meera Syal (Yesterday, The Devil’s Hour - TV), Ruth Madeley (Years and Years, Doctor Who) and Alice Lowe (Prevenge, Swede Caroline).


Speaking about the film Rebel Wilson said, “I’m so proud of this great gem of a film that dives into the important subject of traumatic brain injury. It’s such a departure for me artistically after having done mainly commercial comedy films in America, it was a challenge to do something so very different, but I just adored working with Cel and Charlotte, Trine and Meera on this beautiful piece. I can’t wait for UK audiences to see it in May.”


Based on the play of the same name, the film, which was re-edited for UK audiences, showcases an incredible cast led by Rebel Wilson (Senior Year, Pitch Perfect Trilogy, JoJo Rabbit). The Almond and the Seahorse was co-written by playwright Kaite O'Reilly alongside Celyn Jones who also served as first-time co-director with Tom Stern (cinematographer on Million Dollar Baby, American Sniper). 


The Almond and the Seahorse are the nicknames given to the parts of our brains that lay down new memories and hold on to the old ones. After a TBI (a traumatic brain injury) these parts can change, become new pathways, creating a new you ... but what gets forgotten and who gets left behind? Usually, the people who love us the most.

The film explores the complex and very human relationships of two couples as they try to navigate a new life together or attempt to explore a life apart after TBI changes everything. It refreshingly focuses on the characters without brain damage, but have to carry the heart damage. Sarah (Rebel Wilson) is an archaeologist who loves her husband Joe (Celyn Jones) but after a TBI their love is trapped in the past. Toni (Charlotte Gainsbourg) is an architect and loves her partner Gwen (Trine Dyrholm) but after a TBI they have been imprisoned in a fifteen-year loop.


Love is the only thing that keeps them all going but something has changed and they need more help. Both women are on a parallel course, both want a future but neither know if it is possible or what that may look like. As Dr Falmer (Meera Syal) puts it ‘they’re the brains I can’t mend’. Nicola Pearcey, CEO of Picnik Entertainment, adds, “It is an absolute honour to be releasing The Almond And The Seahorse."


"We’ve all seen Rebel in those much loved blockbuster comedic roles, but this film demonstrates her dramatic ability on another level and we cannot wait for our audiences to see her alongside the amazing talents of Charlotte Gainsbourg, Trine Dyrholm, Meera Syal and of course the brilliant writer and co-director and co-star Celyn Jones, in UK cinemas this May.” Co-writer/director Celyn Jones adds.


“It’s wonderful and very apt that Picnik Entertainment are bringing the film to U.K. audiences. The performances from each of the leading ladies are astounding, a masterclass and it was a pleasure to be in their orbit. It’s a universal story about love , survival and the powerful fragility of memory . We wanted to shine a bright light on a poignant subject that affects many people caught in the emotional debris of TBI , caught between caring for and being cared for in a world that can leave you behind. I hope our film helps to heal as much as it entertains and don’t worry it’s as funny as it is moving.” 


The Almond and the Seahorse will be coming to UK Cinemas from May 10th

Beckett inspired May B comes to Sadler's Wells

By Peter Anderson • 19 May, 2024
Compagnie Maguy Marin presents May B by acclaimed French choreographer Maguy Marin , inspired by the works of Samuel Beckett, at Sadler’s Wells on Tuesday 21 and Wednesday 22 May. May B was created in 1981 and is based on the writings of celebrated Irish playwright Samuel Beckett, who unexpectedly offered his blessing to the then largely unknown choreographer to adapt his work. This haunting work features one single line from Beckett’s play Endgame: “Finished, it’s finished, nearly finished, it must be nearly finished” which Marin uses to give a pulse to her choreography. Her arresting and powerfully theatrical production echoes the relentlessness of Beckettian characters. The 10 performers appear barely human – an ensemble of lost souls, their faces plastered in clay. Moving together and alone, their gestures are distilled to repetitive shuffles and their words garbled and replaced with rhythmic sighs and grunts. Maguy Marin said: “ When Beckett’s characters yearn for stillness, they cannot help moving; be it a little or a lot, they move. In this essentially theatrical work, the point, for us, was less to develop words and speech than a blown-up form of movement, thus seeking the meeting point between movement applied to theatre on the one hand, and dance and choreographic language on the other.” Born in Toulouse, dancer and choreographer Maguy Marin studied classical ballet at the Toulouse dance academy. She joined the Strasbourg Dance Company, then Mudra, Maurice Béjart’s multi-disciplinary school in Brussels. In 1978, with Daniel Ambash, she founded the Ballet-Théâtre de l’Arche, which become the Compagnie Maguy Marin in 1984. Compagnie Maguy Marin is based in the suburbs of Lyon, France. Sadler’s Wells Artistic Director and Co-Chief Executive Sir Alistair Spalding CBE said: “ We’re delighted to introduce Sadler’s Wells audiences to the extraordinary work of French choreographer Maguy Marin. Created over 40 years ago, this is a rare opportunity to catch Maguy’s masterpiece. Based on the writings of Samuel Beckett, it’s an exploration of tenderness and humanity that emerges from a bleak and unsettling setting. It’s a remarkable piece of dance theatre, full of recognisable Beckettian characters and choreographic parades, that delves into the depths of our existence .” May B is set to the romantic music of Franz Schubert and Gavin Bryars’ contemporary musical genius. The sparse choreography in Marin’s intuitively potent and timeless work is mesmerising – the dancers journeying in stoic defiance of uncertainty towards a destination that will, quite possibly, always elude them. To make sure May B does not elude you, tickets may be purchased at www.sadlerswells.com or calling the ticket office on 020 7863 8000

Handheld release a new album "Live at 25"

By Peter Anderson • 18 May, 2024
" Short, to-the-point, poppy skate punk which" "has been refined to the purest form of the genre ."- Exclaim! In a landmark celebration of their 25th anniversary, Ontario Canada's Handheld , the dynamic fast melodic punk band that might have escaped your radar, have released 'Live at 25,' an extraordinary live album. Captured in a jammed packed small sold-out club, this record is a journey through their discography, brimming with energy. Celebrating a quarter-century, Handheld’s performance showcases their passion and evolution, delivering an unforgettable experience for fans and new listeners alike. If you are fans of Fast Punk with Lots of Melody, Face To Face, Bad Religion, NOFX, Rise Against, and Millencolin. Well then, I really think you would be missing out if having some how missed Handheld over the last twenty-five years you did not put yourselves into the new listener category. Here’s what Andy Dietrich of Handheld has to say:" I guess this was one of the 'hits' from the early 2000s, I guess it's about being in a band. Our singer hates the lyrics but people seem to like it. We've probably played this song more than any other. It was also around the time that song titles had to make no sense. Thanks Moneen! So we’ve renamed it to what we’ve been calling it in our setlist the last 20+ years, simply just “Lightbulbs”, always a fun one and favourite live, hope you enjoy! " Sure, it's been an incredible 25 years of Handheld, playing fast, melodic punk rock (some even call it skatepunk). Surprisingly, half of the band members don't seem to have aged a day since they first formed in 1998. As for the other half? Well, let's just say they're living the good life. From 1998 to 2008, Handheld tore up stages all across North America. Then, they took a 14-year hiatus, only to return with their most powerful album to date, "A Canadian Tragedy." The boys are back to their old tricks again, this time recording a high-production, top-notch full-length live record during a sold-out, intimate club show for all of us to enjoy. Now that they're back, there's no stopping them at this point; they might as well play until they're dead. Expect more new records and more shows on the horizon. Keep it fast, play power chords with your pinky, and unleash forbidden beats with a single kick pedal.
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