Welcome To ShinyLife!

You can find all my reviews on Instagram, Google Maps, and TripAdvisor. All my reviews are based on my personal experience and never paid for! If I received a product or service for free in exchange for a review, I will always mention this in the first lines of the review, and will never let this influence my opinion. I write these reviews for fun and as a hobby!

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I recently saw Love and Other Acts of Violence at

I recently saw Love and Other Acts of Violence at the Donmar Warehouse. Being staged at this relatively small theatre, it definitely felt like a somewhat intimate performance.

The play begins with a Jewish physicist and a left-wing activist meeting at a college party, at first they don’t hit it off too well, but over the next few weeks they fall in love and eventually move in together. As their relationship shows quite a few red flags for emotional abuse, I couldn’t really get into this love story. They seemed extremely mismatched and as much as I tried, I just couldn’t see why they were in a relationship in which they constantly disagreed on the most basic of connecting factors.

Society around them falls apart as their relationship turns to violence, at least here we have a good analogy that somewhat works. But just as we reach the crescendo of their deteriorating love, the scenery switches to a very different one. I don’t want to give too much away, but it gets pretty grim.

Dark and emotional plays are usually quite my thing, but in this one it just didn’t quite click. The scenes felt too engineered to make a point, not life-like enough to build a connection to the individual characters.

Overall the play was interesting, but just didn’t quite come together for me. All the different ingredients seemed to just float in a goopy mess rather than coming together as a smooth dough. The characters seemed too one-sided and not fleshed out enough, the story so full of red flags that it drowned out all more nuanced colours.

#donmarwarehouse #theatre2021 #london #londontheatre #theatrereviews #londontheatrebloggers #theatreblogger #londonadventures #theatrenight

White Noise is having its European premiere run at

White Noise is having its European premiere run at the @_bridgetheatre , this new play by Sozan-Lori Parks takes a look at race in the 21st century. The play introduces us to four friends who have been close since college, Leo, Misha, Ralph, and Dawn. Leo suffers from insomnia, which stops him from developing his career in the way he had intended to, while he sees his friends progress and be successful. At night when he cannot sleep, he likes to walk through the neighbourhood, but one night he is stopped by police and roughed up. The incident leads to him, and his closest friends, reconsidering the role race plays in their day-to-day life. Leo is so shaken by the racially motivated violence he experienced, that he goes to extreme lengths to come to terms with what it means to be black in today’s world.

White Noise considers so many angles and viewpoints with jarring and quite extreme discussions, challenging some of the friend group (and by extension, the audience) to examine their “wokeness” and their own view of racism and equality. Presenting four different perspectives, there is a lot to confront and think about in this play.

I was at the edge of my seat for most of the 3hr performance, drinking in all the heavy discussion points and emotional revelations presented. White Noise is another new play examining internalised racism and its effects in our society, lingering preconceptions and what they do to people. It is definitely jarring at times, but important and intense. I hope this play will be around for a long time to come!

#londontheatre #theatrereviews #londontheatrebloggers #theatreblogger #londonadventures #london #theatre #whitenoise #newplay #racism #playsthatmakeyouthink

I recently attended the press night of Yellowfin,

I recently attended the press night of Yellowfin, at the Southwark Playhouse.

The stage was set up like a stark hearing room at Capitol Hill, with a solitary chair and desk at one end, and a raised bench with flags behind it on the other side, connected with deep red carpeting and surrounded by wood panelled walls.

The raised bench is quickly occupied by three senators, Marianne, Roy, and Stephen, all in work suits, wearing severe expressions. At the other table we have Mr. Calantini, who seems somewhat unaffected by the attempted grandeur and officialism of it all, quipping back at the senators casually and even helping himself to some snacks during the hearing.

The story unfolds quickly, there once were fish, and then there were no more fish. No one knows how or why they disappeared. People have invented synthetic fish, called squibs, but they don’t quite have the taste or texture right. There is a lot of talk about flakeage, which is quite amusing.

Mr. Calantini and his brother have a squib tinning company, but apparently dabbled in the illegal trade of tinned Yellowfin tuna, a highly sought after delicacy after the fishpocalypse and subsequent scarcity. Now the senators believe Calantini has hidden a tin of even more rare Bluefin at his facilities, one of only four tins remaining in the entire world.

The play asks a few very pertinent questions, while also presenting a very entertaining, if at time quite dark, storyline. In this world, people knew of the impact pollution and over-fishing had on the oceans, but nothing ever changed until it was too late. Suddenly everyone was concerned about getting sea animals back, how to preserve them, how to save the oceans. But there was nothing to be done anymore. This argument feels very apt for our environmental debacle we are struggling with all over the world, still putting profits and comfort over the importance of preserving nature.

A profound and intelligent play, timely for a world ravaged by pollution and overuse of resources. I hope this gains a larger audience to keep asking its well worded questions.

#londontheatre #theatrereviews #londontheatrebloggers #theatre #theatre2021 #london #southwarkplay

Whenever the Vaults announce a new immersive show,

Whenever the Vaults announce a new immersive show, I jump to book tickets! I have never been disappointed, especially with their dinner shows, they are always impeccably entertaining and delightful.

Mulan Rouge is another fascinating mash-up that just opened and will be running until late January. The show can be booked without dining, but I’d recommend the small additional cost for a dining ticket, it is absolutely worth it, and as always is catered to all dietary requirements.

As the title might suggest, this one combines the basic idea of Mulan (young Mulan dresses up as their father to save him from going to the war) with the Moulin Rouge! Mulan follows the call of the war and ends up being drafted to Paris, where they need to report for duty at the Moulin Rouge, meeting a host of colourful dancers as well as the somewhat eccentric General Lee and his troupes. Together they must prepare for the arrival of the Huns and prepare a battle strategy!

Chock full of drag-performers, Mulan Rouge keeps pushing further down the road of acceptance, dismantling the social construct of perceived gender roles, and playfully pointing out problematic language and behaviours. With every new show I am more and more delighted with how well presented the inclusivity and support is, there is absolutely no room for discrimination here!

The meal was also as always stunningly presented. From the garlic tofu lettuce wraps, baked Camembert (or warm cauliflower dip), and crispy baguette to start with, over the main course of braised lamb (or roast butternut squash) with gorgeously creamy roast potatoes and peas, to the delectable dessert of pineapple tart, everything was deliciously paired and an absolute delight. Seriously, this venue never disappoints with the elaborate meals they put on for immersive dinner shows!

I am forever grateful for the amazing equality and diversity work The Vaults are doing and hope other venues will take a slice of their commitment to learn how to do it right! What an amazing, funny, raunchy, non-problematic show created with so much love and sass! Don’t miss out, it’s the best night out you’ve had in years!

I have been waiting for the Back to the Future mus

I have been waiting for the Back to the Future musical to open ever since I first heard about it back in “the before times”, so I was so excited to finally get to see it! What an amazing production it is.

There have been a lot of productions of 80s movies turned into musicals lately, and many of them failed sorely, partly due to the movies not having aged well, partly due to just not capturing the spirit of the original media. But this one, oh, this one is very different! It doesn’t just live up to expectations, it far exceeds them!

Being very true to the story apart from a few small storyline changes here and there, this musical truly turned the film into a stage production, often even using exact word for word quotes, leading to so many nostalgic moments of recognition. Drawing from the amazing soundtrack, I can’t fault anything about this bombastic production. The sets are beautifully created, the characters so true to their film-versions, the story wonderfully re-created, and the Delorean just an absolute piece of art! I don’t want to spoil too, so I’ll leave it at this and just say, don’t waste time, get a ticket right now and head down to the Adelphi Theatre as soon as you possibly can. This show is stunning, nostalgic, energetic, an absolute delight! So good in fact, I'm going back to see it again tonight!

#backtothefuture
#backtothefuturemusical
#bttf #bttfmusical #theatreisback #musicaltheatre #musicalreview #musical #theatre #londontheatre #theatrereviews #theatreblogger #discoverunder1k

Rockets & Blue Lights is a haunting production of

Rockets & Blue Lights is a haunting production of a new play, exploring abolitionist narratives and modern racism. Juxtaposing 1840s London, in which Lucy and Thomas try to come to terms with their freedom as well as lingering repercussions of the widespread slave trade, with today’s London, in which a film about Victorian artist Turner leaves the young actress Lou haunted by his painting The Slave Ship.

Both stories are beautifully interwoven, asking poignant questions about the still-present after-effects of slavery, ingrained societal racism, and the importance of seeing the stories and perspectives of people of colour on this subject. Often utilised as a spectacle for white viewers, this play reframes the suffering of Black people as an important part of their stories and heritage not to be used for mere entertainment.

Several stories and timelines effortlessly weave an emotionally touching, deeper story of the British history of the slave trade and its legacy. This play feel poignant and meaningful in a very timely manner, touching on still-present racism and the prevalence of framing Black narratives from a white perspective.

Harrowing and beautiful all at once, Rockets & Blue Lights feels bigger than its parts and an important step towards giving a voice to those often deprived of agency. Absolutely fantastic production of a radical and much needed play.

#theatre2021 #theatrereviews #londontheatrebloggers #london #londoner #mylondon #theatre #rocketsandbluelights #nt #nationaltheatre #theatregeek #discoverunder1k

I had booked this one a long time ago, and it fina

I had booked this one a long time ago, and it finally went ahead! I also happened to have booked on a day when the show was followed by a Q&A, which I wasn’t aware of until it was announced that evening.

Osman Baig is a journalist who his dipping his toes into being a playwright and actor, to great success. Fake News is set up like a Ted talk-esque lecture by a senior editor at fictional news media “The Millennial Times”, talking to a group of new interns. Quickly the talk starts to explore how having to make news profitable in our internet-dominated lives has changed journalism and how poorly researched stories with click-baity headlines can often rake in a lot more engagement than true stories ever could.

Fake News asks a lot of question about modern journalism, without answering any, thus sparking enthusiastic debate afterwards.

For the Q&A Baig was joined by Mevan Babakar, deputy CEO of Full Fact, an independent fact checking agency in the UK who hold media and politicians to account for the things they say. This Q&A was delightfully interesting, both speaking a lot about journalistic integrity, how to combat fake stories, what can be done to support fact checking, and still not answering very many questions about how we could divorce news media from the need to be profitable.

I really enjoyed being presented with so many viewpoints and explanations that really didn’t veer one way or another, but just presented a story that engaged the viewers in deeper thought about journalism and integrity. What a beautiful way to ask questions while leaving it up to the viewer to come to their own conclusions. A brilliant show that I’d definitely see again and recommend to anyone who has been complaining about the state of our world and “mass media manipulation”. Also head on over to @fullfactorg and support their wonderful work!

#theatre #londontheatre #bridgetheatre #fakenews #theatreisback #theatre2021 #journalism #london #discoverunder1k

Oh, what a fun show this was! I wasn’t really su

Oh, what a fun show this was! I wasn’t really sure what to expect, I often just buy theatre tickets without looking into a show synopsis or even knowing what genre it would be. I love going into media without any expectations or spoilers! Blithe Spirit absolutely surprised me in the best way possible, being an insanely hilarious show. But here’s a short description of the show for you:

Writer Charles Condomine wants to get some real world experiences of what he believes to be absolutely fraudulent mediums, so he hires Madame Arcati to host a séance at his home. But this medium turns out to be the real deal, and his late first wife starts haunting him, trying to sabotage his new marriage. A series of hilarious hi-jinks ensue.

I absolutely loved this show, so packed full of surprising wit and funny mishaps. I hadn’t laughed so much in quite a while and am so glad I got to see it! If you need a good laugh, Blithe Spirit is absolutely for you!

#londontheatre #theatrereviews #londontheatrebloggers #theatreblogger #londonadventures #london #blithespirit #theatre #theatre2021 #jennifersaunders #discoverunder1k

Last week I saw one of the first performances of S

Last week I saw one of the first performances of Snowflakes by @dissidenttheatre at the @orltheatre
Snowflakes is a Black Mirror esque dystopian story that examines the repercussions of trial by media. Marcus and Sarah are contract killers for a dark web start-up that streams “interviews” with the public villain of the moment, before dispatching them in front of their crowd funding audience. Marcus is the experienced poster boy for the company, while Sarah just moved up to fieldwork from the offices.

They start out bickering with each other a little, giving the audience some clues as to the nature of their work. Marcus genuinely delights in hurting and liquidating his targets, while Sarah approaches their work from a more practical angle of simply ridding the world of bad people who deserve what’s coming to them.

Their target, known author Tony who was very publicly accused of assaulting a woman in his youth, denies all allegations against him, but goes on long rants against millennials and their retaliatory culture, trying to add meaning to a world that doesn’t suit them. These long rants seem a little too well thought out and formulated for the situation Tony finds himself in, tied to a chair in front of a live-stream to an audience who has already made up their minds about him.

The premise seems to take the current social media prosecutions of people in the public eye to an extreme, adding physical and emotional torture, and often death, to the menu. I do think the play has great potential with just a few little cuts and changes here and there. It’s definitely a compelling presentation with many memorable quotes like “Beware the woke white man!”, but does stretch a bit too much. Marcus seems to be the most well developed character, while Tony did strike me as a little too engineered and polished. Sarah didn’t have much of a character at all, flowing from confident and sassy to helpless little girl to badass angel of revenge. There’s great potential here and I do hope to see Snowflakes develop into a dystopian think-piece it can become.

#london #londontheatre #theatrereviews #pubtheatre #newplay #discoverunder500 #theatre

This one was a recommendation that I felt I really

This one was a recommendation that I felt I really needed to see. The Museum Of Neoliberalism is a small shop-front space in Lewisham that has been turned into a stark exhibition of the harm capitalism and neoliberalism has done to our world. Focusing on the UK, but also including a few mentions from other countries in our well-connected world the museum aims to educate and open people’s eyes to what is happening the wake of “free markets” and neoliberalism being the dominating government policy in most of the world.

Showing just how far capitalism has penetrated all aspects of our daily lives, the museum shows real-life ad campaigns that seem too cruel and post-apocalyptic to be true, contains a genuine bottle of urine from an Amazon fulfilment centre worker, as well as a cross-section of the Grenfell Tower, where in 2017 72 people died as a consequence of money-saving measures.

The museum exhibits are starkly presented and feel very harrowing when viewed all together. It definitely provokes thoughts on where we as a society are going today and what we can do to save our future.

#london #londonmuseum #museumofneoliberalism #neoliberalism #capitalism #activism

I recently got to see one of the previews of Indec

I recently got to see one of the previews of Indecent at the Menier Chocolate Factory. The play follows the controversial history of the Sholem Asch play The God Of Vengeance, which culminated in the arrest and conviction of the cast and producer for obscenity.

This relatively new play is a beautiful exploration of the history of anti-Semitism and homophobia and how they stifled the artistic potential of Jewish artists by having to be prime representatives of their entire culture.

The whole performance felt very raw and intense, presenting a beautifully spun story with many challenges and obstacles presented with delicate charm. Indecent focuses on the stage manager Lemml, who unwittingly becomes the foremost spokesperson for The God Of Vengeance, bringing the play to stages all over Europe and eventually New York.

Part history lesson, part story on personal growth and standing up for one’s own convictions, Indecent is an absolute must-see production!

#londontheatre #theatrereviews #londontheatrebloggers #theatreblogger #londonadventures #london #menierchocolatefactory #londonlife

I recently went to the Horniman Museum and Gardens

I recently went to the Horniman Museum and Gardens in Forest Hill, which was first opened in 1890 to show off the private collection of Frederick Horniman, who used his inherited wealth to travel the world as a young man, collecting specimen with the intention on educating and enriching the local community in Forest Hill.

The museum acknowledges its history built on exploitation (the Horniman family’s wealth stems from the tea trade) and has been working for years to ensure that their cultural and international artefacts are displayed in respectful and ethical manner, hoping to make up for the colonial manner in which they were originally collected.

In 2018, the World Gallery opened, after having seriously reevaluated the way anthropological exhibits were treated within the museum. This care and respect is tangible throughout the gallery, giving information about and showing respect towards a variety of cultures. This was definitely my favourite part of the museum, along with the musical instrument exhibit, which holds thousands of instruments from many time periods and all over the world.

The natural history gallery was a little antiquated looking, with taxidermied animals that had seen better days, but there’s also live bees and loads of interactive exhibits for children to get invested in.

The gardens were definitely the highlight of the visit, with many walking paths, giant pumpkins and other seasonal plants, beautiful flower arrangements, and much more to see. An absolutely beautiful spot!

@hornimanmuseumgardens #hornimanmuseum #museum #londonmuseum #gardens

I treated myself to a little song cycle viewing. C

I treated myself to a little song cycle viewing. Closer Than Ever is a new production of the iconic song cycle about modern love, created specifically for online audiences. Filmed in London, with a stellar West End Cast of Kelly Ellis, Dalton Harris, Lee Mead, and Grace Mouat, this revival of the musical revue is an absolute treat to watch.

The cast jump from song to song, belting out beautiful hymns to lust, romance, marriage, loss, obsession, ageing, and many other aspects of life and love. From yearning for love, over feeling trepidation about a relationship, to divorce, there is such a great variety in the songs presented, including some more traditional ideas as well as more modern interpretations of love.

A great showcase of talent and passion, Closer Than Ever is now streaming on Broadway HD, which also has an abundance of over productions. There are free trials available if you just want to check out the offerings, but be warned, you might not want to stop at the trial if you’re a musical geek like me...

#theatre #westend #closerthanever #broadwayhd #onlinetheatre #discoverunder1k

Another show that kept getting delayed was Frozen,

Another show that kept getting delayed was Frozen, which finally opened in the West End! I had tickets for one of the preview performances and was so excited to see what they’d do with the material.

The Theatre Royal Drury Lane has also been fully refurbished in recent years and it is absolutely stunningly gorgeous, with a grandeur that few theatres in London can match.

Unfortunately the audiences of shows like this are of course often jam packed with young children and theatre-inexperienced adults, so I was prepared for a more rowdy audience than what I’m used to, but it turned out to be even worse than I expected. Adults talking at full volume, encouraging children to sing along, crinkly popcorn bags, children standing rather than sitting and blocking everyone’s view… it was a lot!

Still, I tried to ignore this as best I could, to enjoy a show that I’ve been looking forward to for so long.

The cast really did bring so much energy and love to the stage, it was wonderful. The changes and additions to the show felt very suitable and lovingly curated, especially a fun song about Hygge and small comments referencing Frozen 2 really gave depth and loads of quirky spirit to the show!

What a fantastic start to the long awaited West End run of Frozen! I’ll definitely be back to see it again, I loved it so much.

#musicaltheatre #theatreisback #londontheatre #musical #frozen #frozenmusical #frozenwestend #theatrereviews #westendtheatre #discoverunder1k

We absolutely loved Dinosaur World Live years ago

We absolutely loved Dinosaur World Live years ago when we saw it, so when Dragons and Mythical Beasts by the same creators was announced, tickets were immediately booked. It took a little while to actually get around to seeing it as last year was a bit of cancellation fest for many live shows. But, it finally happened and was absolutely worth the wait.

We were greeted by Dave the hero trainer, who would take us on as his trainees and help us become truly legendary heroes. All we had to do was face a succession of mythical beasts to procure the rarest items and prove that we truly are heroes.

The gigantic puppets are as ever absolutely stunning and so well presented by the puppeteers. The children were in awe.

The story is presented so lovingly as well, an absolute delight! We would have gone back to see it again if we’d seen it earlier on in the summer holidays. A beautiful show for children.

#theatre #dragonsandmythicalbeasts #dragons #childrensentertainment #childrenstheatre #thingstodowithkids #openairtheatre #theatrereviews #review #discoverunder1k

I was invited to see Amélie The Musical so decide

I was invited to see Amélie The Musical so decided to give it a go. First off, if you liked the film, you’ll love the musical!

I personally didn’t like the film at all, which put me in a solid minority of two in my circle of friends at the time the film was released. Not that it’s a particularly bad film, it’s just not really my kind of media and felt quite tedious in a way. However, I love musicals, so here we are!

Amélie is a naive young woman who grew up incredibly protected by neurotic parents. She decides to move to Paris and ends up orchestrating a series of obscure acts of kindness to help friends and strangers alike. It’s a very fanciful and absurd storyline.

The musical follows the story relatively closely, as far as a stage version can, and is presented by a cast of musician-actors who beautifully accompany the story with gorgeous music. However, I personally found none of the songs very compelling or memorable, sweet and romantic as they were.

I did like the musical as far as staging and presentation go, but the plot is still not really my thing. However, as said above, if you liked the film at all, do get yourself a seat and enjoy the musical version!

#musicaltheatre #musical #theatre #londontheatre #amelie #ameliethemusical #theatrereviews #discoverunder1k #londontheatrereviews #musicalreview

I’ve been wanting to try these wooden puzzle box

I’ve been wanting to try these wooden puzzle boxes for quite some time, so the Davy Jones’ Locker cluebox seemed like the perfect opportunity. It’s assembled from laser cut birch wood without any glue, so the pieces slide apart when the puzzles are correctly solved. All clues and answers are found on the box, though there is a website for those who need a little help figuring things out.

While working my way through the different challenges, there were a few pieces here and there that stuck and were a bit hard to slide, but as it’s a natural material, that’s not too surprising. Still, everything worked really well, the puzzles and hints hidden on the box seemed somewhat obvious though, so I felt it was more of a dexterity puzzle than a logical challenge.

I really enjoyed it, but wish it was a little more difficult. It only took me just over half an hour to finish, rather than the advertised 60-90 minutes. But I did have a lot of fun tackling this gorgeous little box game!

I’ll definitely be trying more puzzle box type games in the future.

#idventure #puzzlegames #puzzle #puzzlebox #woodpuzzles #puzzler #escapegame #escapology #discoverunder1k

Have you ever wanted to try axe throwing? I defini

Have you ever wanted to try axe throwing? I definitely have! As you probably know, I’m always up for a good adventure, so when Lynsey mentioned she’d like to try out Axeperience, we got it booked in asap!

And what a fun afternoon it was! You book in a one hour session, and each axe throwing lane is split between six people to take turns and engage in a little tournament. For our session, there were eight people in total, so we got to split two lanes for more axe throwing action.

First we got a thorough introduction by Darsha, who was then joined by Ross to oversee our efforts. We all got to do some test runs under close supervision, and then the tournament started, in which two people face off against each other to see who can achieve more points. Seeing as most of us struggled to even get the axes to stick into the boards, it was a hilarious experience.

I had so much fun trying my hand at this, I’ll definitely be back again soon. What a fun and different group activity! Thanks Axeperience!

#axethrowing #thingstodoinlondon #entertainment #challenge #london #axe #runandflydungarees #experience

I was a bit hesitant to book Anything Goes, as old

I was a bit hesitant to book Anything Goes, as older musicals don’t always hold up very well for modern audiences. Having premiered in 1934, I was worried it would be a bit old-timey and problematic, but a friend talked me into giving it a go and I am very glad I did!

This musical comedy surprised me with witty plot lines, compelling characters, and brilliant evergreen songs. Despite being over 90 years old, it didn’t seem antiquated at all but surprisingly fresh and very funny.

Taking place in the post-wall street crash era of financial uncertainty, a host of colourful characters end up on a cruise ship travelling to New England. A nightclub singer, a debutant, a wall street broker, several greats of the criminal underworld, and a British aristocrat lead to blackmail, misunderstandings, comical hijinks and of course plenty of tap dancing! What a fun show, I can definitely see why it’s still lauded as one of the evergreen classics.

#theatre #theatrenight #musical #musicaltheatre #anythinggoes #barbican #coleporter

When I heard there was a new play at the Bridge Th

When I heard there was a new play at the Bridge Theatre based on the life of Johann Sebastian Bach, I just had to see it for myself. While there are some liberties taken here and there of course, the basic plot follows Bach’s life quite closely as it is documented.

A gifted composer and musician, Bach had very rigid standards and was devoted to his Christian faith. His sons also grew up to be musicians, though not as gifted as their father, which of course caused a plethora of tensions and family drama.

Nina Raine wrote an intense, emotional play that highlights the struggles of families and the human need for recognition. Wilhelm and Carl, two of Bach’s sons, are characterised very well and their individual struggles are put in juxtaposition to each other. One receiving too much attention, the other too little, both feeling smothered by the overwhelming presence of their father. They choose very different paths in life that are beautifully illustrated.

While most of the play is very engaging and funny despite some very dark subject matters being discussed, I do have to mention that it is chock full of fat-shaming jokes strewn throughout. The biggest saving grace here is the intense presence of Pravessh Rana as the eccentric Frederick the Great, single handedly elevating the entire play to new hights.

Despite some issues around the edges, I enjoyed this emotionally heavy play very much and can definitely recommend it to those who enjoy classical music, family dramas, and well told stories with precise characters.

#theatre #londontheatre #bridgetheatre #bachandsons #johannsebastianbach #theatrereviews

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