Peter Viney's Blog

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:

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The re-appraisal series ‘Reviled! Albums Critics Love to Hate’ on Around and Around included John & Yoko’s ‘Sometime in New York City.’ Now that Power To The People is being released with the 1972 Madison Square Concert and remixes of the album, I’ve made some revisions and additions to the original article. It is odd that they have devoted a 9CD / 3 blu ray box set to whaty may be John’s least rated album, but there you go. Follow the link to SOMETIME IN NEW YORK CITY

Review of SMALL HOTEL by Rebecca Lenkiewicz, (follow link to review) at Bath Theatre Royal. This is the third play in the Ralph Fiennes Season, and commissioned by him. He plays Larry, a fading and washed up TV Talk Show Host who invites his lover of twenty years ago who is now a major film star (played by Rosalind Eleazar) to be interviewed on the show. It reunites him with Francesca Annis, who plays his mother, just as she did in Hamlet in 1995. Read the review – there’s a lot of background, we suspect.

New article PINTER & ME (follow link) added in the influence of Harold Pinter on my ELT writing, with links to the Pinter reviews I’ve done.

From my 2024 review of The Caretaker:
In 2016, I thought the acting was superb, but the play itself creaked. It creaked far less this time. Times have changed. We’re now familiar with homeless people in shop doorways all over the town centre. Boarded up shops in crumbling malls. The times have caught up with the play again.

Newly added at AROUND & AROUND. It’s been building for ages. Music For Pleasure / Classics for Pleasure EMI claimed that their budget MFP division was the UK’s Best Selling LP label. They should have known, and judging by the number in cardboard boxes in charity shops, I expect they’re right. Eclectic isn’t the word. It was a huge label. My guess is that this was one of their best sellers. It swas in print for years.