Review of the NT At Home streamed 2024 play TILL THE STARS COME DOWN by Beth Steel. (linked) It’s on line you can see it. It starts as a bawdy classic wedding day tale, but wow, it develops! Well worth watching.
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The November / December 2025 tour is extensive. You should be able to see them. Do! Folk song for the season by two of Britain’s best-known folk singers. The review of the concert is here: Eliza Carthy & Jon Boden’s Wassail.
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MR BURTON (follow link to review) was shown on BBC TV last night, so will be on BBC iPlayer. This 2025 film had its theatrical release earlier in the year, but is shown for the 100th anniversary of Richard Burton’s birth. It tells the story of how young Ritchie Jenkins (Harry Lawtey) was tutored by his teacher, Mr Burton (Toby Jones) and became an actor. Lesley Manville plays their landlady. We thoroughly enjoyed it.
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Review of CYRANO DE BERGERAC by Edmond Rostand at the Royal Shakespeare Company added (follow link). This new adaptation by Simon Evans and Debris Stevenson has been deservedly garnering five star reviews. Adrian Lester as Cyrano, and Susannah Fielding as Roxane are joined by Levi Brown as Cristian. It was a wonderful production. Have a read and see the photos.
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Review of MACBETH at the Royal Shakespeare Company’s The Other Place (follow link). This one is set entirely in a gangland Glasgow pub, with Sam Heughan (Jamie Fraser in Outlander) as Macbeth and Lia Williams as pub Landlady Macbeth. It’s high concept, extremely violent, and much as I like concepts I don’t think the play squeezed into this one. The Three witches below:
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Review of the NT LIVE streaming of MRS WARREN’S PROFESSION by George Bernard Shaw. (follow link to review). This production featured Imelda Staunton and her real-life daughter, Betsy Carter, as the mother and daughter in Shaw’s then extremely controversial play.
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The Decca Years 1963 (follow link) added to the songs and albums section at AROUND AND AROUND. This 2025 2 CD / 2LP release is prime example of a genre I love: compilation albums. This is one of the best with 45 (on CD) singles from 1963. CD1 is a snapshot of British beat groups. CD2 is eclectic and covers all sorts of varied 1963 tracks. Heavily illustrated, with lots on Decca’s rationale and the individual artists.
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Review added of Noël Coward’s BLITHE SPIRIT at Salisbury Playhouse (follow link). Sadly we saw the last day, but I hope the review remains of interest on Noël Coward and theatre in general. The posh paper reviewers don’t get to Salisbury and they should. This original Salisbury production is as good as any version I’ve seen. Marvellous acting, set and direction. No “TV stars” on stage though.
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SAFE SPACE by Jamie Boygo (follow the link) reviewed at Chichester Minerva Theatre. The author plays the lead too. You can trust Chichester’s quality when you’ve got a new play – this is the world premiere. It’s set at Yale university in 2016/17 when there were protests about Calhoun College being named after the Vice-President who was a vehement defender of slavery. It’s not the politics you will notice so much as the relationships between the five students and how the debate impacts on them. Plus you get some marvellous a cappella singing. It runs until 8th November, and was by no means full. It’s well worth getting to Chichester to see it.
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Review of the 2003 BBC Films production of I CAPTURE THE CASTLE (follow link) by Dodie Smith. We saw the National Theatre streamed production of her 1938 play Dear Octopus, and we got interested in her both as a major playwright of the 1930s, and also as author of ‘I Capture The Castle.’ (1948). I had never heard of it, but discovered it is enduringly extremely popular, never out of print with versions as audio books, ELT readers and de luxe Folio editions. We decided to seek out the film and bought the DVD. Romola Garai is the narrator and leading role, Cassandra. Her glamorous sister Rose is played by Rose Byrne. Bill Nighy is their dad.
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