Peter Viney's Blog

This year’s shortened popular Shakespeare at the RSC is Two Gentlemen of Verona (follow link to review) The concept of 80 / 90 minute Shakespeare for families, tourists and first time viewers started in the Garden Theatre. This year’s third production moves indoor to The Other Place at Stratford. We loved it. The second five star highly entertaining production in two days. Two clowns: Launce and Speed plus the dog. The only Shakespeare play with a dog.

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Follow link to the Royal Shakespeare Company production of FAT HAM. The play by James IJames won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2022. It’s a ‘kind of version of Hamlet’ set in the Southern USA, at a barbeque to commemorate the death of a father / marriage of the mother to her brother-in-law. The Hamlet figure is a young gay African-American. It’s very different (the deceased dad is a villain), hilarious and I can see why it did so well in awards. It’s running at the Swan Theatre until September 13th. Two weeks to go. Well worth the effort to see it.

Karaoke replaces the Payer’s Scene. Here Tedra (the mother so ‘kind of Gertrude’) lets it rip, watched by Opal (the kind of Ophelia), Rabby (the kind of Polonius) and Rev (the kind of Claudius).

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Added to the Music and Artists section at Around and Around (follow link). I found their two LPs from 1968 and 1969. US import on the Columbia label. They were never issued in the UK or Europe, but they were San Francisco psych era and she was already famous from her hit We’ll Sing In The Sunshine, It started me looking to find out about them and the two albums. It became a new section.

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Not a review but comments on the history I learned from Episode One of BBC TV’s expensive eight part series. Follow the link here.

Photo: Illegal immigrant arrives on beach near Dover from France in a small boat after crossing the channel. People traffickers in background.

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HEDDA (follow link here to my review) is written and directed by Matthew Dunster and is a reimagining of Henril Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler storyline, set in present day Frome. It is extraordinarily harrowing and powerful version, starring Lily Allen as Hedda, and Tom Austen as the tortured writer, Jasper. Brendan Coyle is Brack, now an MP rather than a judge. Ciaran Owen is the dull hubbie, George and Imogen Stubbs is his sweet Aunt Julia. We are on the most positive end of the reviews.

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Review of a major production of AS YOU LIKE IT at Bath Theatre Royal. Follow the link to the full review. This is part of Bath’s 2025 Ralph Fiennes Season, and is directed by Ralph Fiennes. It has some glowing reviews. We saw it the day before press night, and were pretty critical. Read the review. The photo is the final song. It is easily the best thing in the production.

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REVIEW added of The Ballad of Wallis Island (follow link). It must be one of the films of the year, simple, beautiful to look at, great to listen to, excellent story. A must see. Check the review which avoids serious plot spoilers and jokes!

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Review of Irving Berlin’s TOP HAT: The Musical at Chichester Festival Theatre (follow link to review). I hate reviewing things no one can see, but this is going on a SIXTEEN city tour after Chichester. So this is one you can see and you really should. There is an issue. It’s a classic 1935 tale originally featuring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers on film. So it’s a dance piece about dancers. We enjoyed it immensely, but is IS retro or if you prefer, faithful in style, but in colour and live with better performed music.

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New at AROUND AND AROUND. Follow this link to the article. Should this be a producer label, because Gamble & Huff produced virtually everything on it, or should it be in the CBS / Sony section because it was an integral label during its best years? It’s under ‘Producer labels’ but linked from CBS / Sony Group. An important label for the 1970s. O’Jays, Three Degrees, Intruders, Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, Archie Bell & The Drells, Patti LaBelle, Dee Dee Sharp and more.

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Review of CHOIR by Gurprett Kaur Bhatti at Chichester’s Minerva Theatre (FOLLOW LINK to review). This is about a community choir meeting and singing modern popular songs. They are a strange mix. One is described as ‘weird,’ another says ‘we’re all weird.’ It is very funny indeed, the renditions of the songs are marvellous. It is a highly enjoyable and runs till the end of the month. The matinee was full. You may have better luck in the evening. it is well worth the trip to Chichester.

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