Peter Viney's Blog

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.

The second NT Live At Home. This is the 2024 National Theatre production of DEAR OCTOPUS by Dodie Smith (follow link to the review). We chose it because it was directed by Emily Burns. It was a major success in 1938 and is a timely revival. For us it was the perfect play for the day. We had our Covid and flu jabs late morning, rested for an hour, then had a gentle walk on the beach, and home to spend the afternoon engrossed in this relaxing and pleasant play. It’s highly recommended. Reviews mention lack of plot, but it has three very different sisters, a sister-in-law, a bachelor brother, a 29 year old woman yearning for romance, a domineering mother, a benign but ineffectual father. Does that remind you of Jane Austen?

This is the first review of our NT At Home subscription. I fear I may have to limit reviews of these otherwise I’ll be at it too much of my time. This is the highly-rated THE OTHER PLACE which is billed as “After Antigone” and written and directed by Alexander Zeldin. It features Prince Philip / Captain Jack Randall, i.e. Tobias Menzies. FOLLOW LINK TO REVIEW.

It’s a change to review something everyone can see (or will be able to soon). This is the NT Live Streaming of INTER ALIA by Suzie Miller. (Follow link to the review). Suzie Miller’s legal plays sellout immediately, and Poole had to keep adding showings of this one. Rosamund Pike is the judge who deals with rape cases. Everything in the play is channeled through her, though we also have her son and her barrister husband. This is a highly-acclaimed production, and rightly so.

This has been a particularly good year for the Royal Shakespeare Company, but we rate this as the best so far. MEASURE FOR MEASURE (follow link to the review). This is a radical version, focussing on the main theme of men in power exploiting women, and it takes place in a modern political setting. Directed by Emily Burns. L to R: Isabella, Angelo, Claudio.

Vogue: Good Time Jazz, Contemporary These are two linked American labels, distributed by Decca (via the Vogue connection). Good Time Jazz had Jesse Fuller and some traditional material. Contemporary have a number of classic jazz albums recently reissued on premium quality vinyl. Worth investigating.