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The Forsyte Saga, Parts 1 & 2, RSC – review

09/01/2026 by Peter Viney

Review of THE FORSYTE SAGA PARTS ONE & TWO added (follow link). It’s a stage adaptation by Shaun McKenna and Lin Cochlan, at the Royal Shakespeare Company. Each act, two per play, gets an entire novel in. So how do they do it? Read the review.

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Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale review

01/01/2026 by Peter Viney

I’d reviewed the other two. I feel obliged to add DOWNTON ABBEY: THE GRAND FINALE, the third film (follow link to review). It’s the sort of thing you might choose for comfort viewing on a cold miserable evening. The trouble is, they now have far too many characters to squeeze into two hours. Too mmany pop in without sufficient plot or space. If you have no memory of the TV series and characters, it won’t make much sense.

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The Best of 2025-Theatre

30/12/2025 by Peter Viney

My annual round-up. Follow the link to BEST OF 2025. The photos for each give an idea of the breadth of UK theatre. There are links to the reviews on my site, plus extracts from each review. They run in star categories:
Shakespeare and early
Classics 1660 to recent
Contemporary & New

It’s a different year. The RSC at Stratford and Chichester dominate. Best plays in each category? You need to look.

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For Fox Sake! A rant

29/12/2025 by Peter Viney

An angry rant added on the ban on trail hunting, with thoughts on the sheer ignorant urban spite behind it. You may prefer not to read it. LINK TO “For Fox Sake!”

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Frankenstein (2025)

28/12/2025 by Peter Viney

Review added of Guillermo de Toro’s new film of Frankenstein (follow the link). It’s a hugely elaborate version too, and currently on Netflix. I’m not worried about plot spoilers. I’ve added pictures of other versions too before I get into the review. I thought it a great version.

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The Brightening Air- NT At Home

16/12/2025 by Peter Viney

Follow the link to the review of THE BRIGHTENING AIR by Conor McPherson. This acclaimed Old Vic 2025 production is available on NT AT Home streaming online. It’s as Irish as an Irish play can get with a cast including Chris O’Dowd (IT Crowd) and Rosie Sheehy. A very good reason to subscibe.

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Crisps … a history

16/12/2025 by Peter Viney

This is an odd addition to my blog. A few years ago I started noticing the increasingly odd flavours of crisps in supermarkets. I’ve been working on a British & American English book for years, and started taking iPhone pictures as possibles for the crisps v chips section. I realised I had accumulated a lot of pictures, from the basic ready salted to wild boar with apple. Then I looked online. The result is this highly illustrated history of the humble potato crisp.
https://peterviney.com/rants/crisps-a-history/ (FOLLOW THIS LINK)

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London Assurance review

30/11/2025 by Peter Viney

If you can access NT At Home streaming, go for LONDON ASSURANCE (link to my review) this is a must. Dion Boucicault’s 1841 comedy was produced at the National Theatre in 2010. It’s well-filmed and directed by Nicholas Hytner with Simon Russell-Beale, Fiona Shaw, Richard Briers, Mark Addy, Michelle Terry, Paul Ready and Nick Sampson. It was considerably tweaked by Richard Bean. And all there to see online.

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A Midsummer Night’s Dream: Wanamaker 2025 review

28/11/2025 by Peter Viney

My favourite play, A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM at the Wanamaker Playhouse (link to review), Directed by Holly Race Roughlan. This is a co-production with Headlong, Leeds Playhouse and Bristol Old Vic. It’s at the Wanamaker (at Shakespeare’s Globe) until the end of January, then tours into March. You can definitely get to see it. Yes, it’s a radical version. This play often is a radical version. Yes, there are changes, but for a small cast small stage production I thought it a must-see. Have a look. I don’t reveal too much about it.

L to R: Bottom, Puck, Theseus

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Dear England – 2025 tour review

22/11/2025 by Peter Viney

Review added of DEAR ENGLAND by James Graham (link to review). The story of Gareth Southgate’s management of the England football team. It was ‘Best New Play of 2024’ after its run at the National Theatre in 2023, the West End in 2023. It was revived in 2025, and is now on a tour stretching to March 2026. It has a large cast, and is action packed. It’s one everyone can get to. Comments say ‘You don’t need to know anything about football to enjoy it.’ I question that, but I do know about football and so appreciated it.

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