Feeds:
Posts
Comments

The 1950s Children’s Park … a rant

19/09/2023 by Peter Viney

A nostalgic and hopefully humorous piece on public children’s playgrounds of the 1950s. LINK HERE TO READ IT.

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »

Parlophone- part 1

18/09/2023 by Peter Viney

At AROUND AND AROUND, the first of several articles on the EMI Parlophone label, Parlophone- Part one (linked) . This first one is before The Beatles appearance in October 1962. Why was it EMI’s “third label”? Was it all novelty and comedy?


Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »

Farewell Mister Haffman – review

15/09/2023 by Peter Viney

Link to my review of Jean-Philippe Daguerre’s play FAREWELL MISTER HAFFMAN. This is the British premiere of the 2018 French play which was laden with awards. It’s set in Paris in 1942, where the jeweller Joseph Haffman, who is Jewish, gives his shop to his French employee, Pierre. He will hide in the cellar below the shop. In return, the sterile Pierre insists Joseph impregnate Isabelle, his wife. Then we meet the Nazi Ambassador to France … It’s a wonderful production at Bath’s Ustinov Studio, with a theatrical A-list cast.

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »

Columbia Lansdowne

12/09/2023 by Peter Viney

At Around and Around a further article on COLUMBIA LANSDOWNE (linked), Columbia’s other mainly jazz label.

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »

Columbia Clef

12/09/2023 by Peter Viney

Columbia Clef (LINK to AROUND & AROUND) was the UK version of Norman Granz’s specialist jazz label. Whether you like the music or not, the label is worth a good look for David Stone Martin’s artwork, which makes some discs highly collectible.

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »

Never Have I Ever – review

08/09/2023 by Peter Viney

Follow link to my review of NEVER HAVE I EVER by Deborah Frances-White at Chichester Minerva Theatre. It’s the world premier and running until the end of September so there’s ample time to see it. It’s set in a boutique restaurant run by Jacq and Kas. It’s about to go belly-up and they have to tell their friends, who invested in it. Heavy drinking and a game of ‘Never have I ever …’ ensues. It’s worth seeing though I suggest several improvements (arrogantly).

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »

Columbia (EMI)

05/09/2023 by Peter Viney

Columbia was EMI’s main popular music label. This very long, heavily illustrated piece at AROUNDANDAROUND.com traces the development and demise of the label. LINK here to Columbia (EMI).

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

Macbeth – RSC 2023 review

03/09/2023 by Peter Viney

Follow the link to the Royal Shakespeare Company’s 2023 production of MACBETH. This is a version with an all Scottish cast. It claims to be set in a future dystopia in Scotland, which does not explain why half the cast are wearing cast-offs from a Kurosawa movie. Reuben Joseph plays Macbeth crdibly, but it’s the longest version of the play I’ve seen, and good ideas add up to something of a mess. Worst of all is the insistence on 50/50 male female casting in the most male play of all. Meet Queen Duncan and Mrs Banquo.

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »

Rattle of A Simple Man – review

30/08/2023 by Peter Viney

I haven’t added many titles to my series of 1960s retrospective film reviews recently, but there will be more. This is from 1964, RATTLE OF A SIMPLE MAN. (FOLLOW LINK TO REVIEW) It’s the film version of the Charles Dyer play, and starred Harry H. Corbett, Diane Cilento and Michael Medwin. It’s just come out in a bright, sharp restored transfer on DVD and blu-ray. It’s the story of a Manchester football fan and an evening in Soho after the match. He’s 39 and never been kissed. She is probably on the game. Not the football sort of game. It’s very much of its time, with the cliche of the naïve Northerner in the big city.

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »

The Pillowman – review

28/08/2023 by Peter Viney

Review of Martion McDonagh’s black comedy classic, THE PILLOWMAN (follow link). The cast is Lily Allen, Steve Pemberton, Paul Kaye and Matthew Tennyson. Reviews range from five to one star, but that’s standard for McDonagh. We thought Lily Allen was superb, and that she came in for some most unfair criticism from some (but by no means all) reviewers. Again that’s standard for singers or film actors daring to venture onto a stage.

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »