17/07/2022 by Peter Viney
Review of the National Theatre production of MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING (Follow the link to the review). Directed by Simon Godwin with Katherine Parkinson (The IT Crowd) as Beatrice and John Heffernan as Benedick. National Theatre Shakespeare productions are always elaborate with marvellous sets and costumes. This is a very fluid, fast-paced production. It will be streamed to cinemas in early September. It’s one to note in the diary. Have a look at the review for the photos too.
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13/07/2022 by Peter Viney
Review of OPERATION MINCEMEAT now on Amazon Prime (linked). Great cast, led by Colin Firth, and a retake of a true story (aren’t they all?) about the Allied plans to invade Sicily in1943. With some references to recent British World War Two films in general. No plot spoilers, but i suspect most know the ending.
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07/07/2022 by Peter Viney
Review of Baz Lurhmann’s 2022 film ELVIS is added.Starring Austin Butler as Elvis, and Tom Hanks as Colonel Parker. While it’s not exactly accurate, it does capture the spirit and style, and the story has plenty enough in it to work. Great music is a given.
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04/07/2022 by Peter Viney
The exploration of British independent record labels at AROUND AND AROUND continues with Saga and its various incarnations … Society, Eros, Pan, Fidelity, (linked). It has a dubious and decidely dodgy aspect as it lurched from classical to folk to psych. “Fake” applied to many releases, though there was good folk within it. Some of its story is in the film Telstar.
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29/06/2022 by Peter Viney
Review of RICHARD III at the Royal Shakespeare Company, Stratford (follow the link).This is the version which features Arthur Hughes in the lead role, an actor with a genuine disability, which somewhat rashly, the RSC claim is now essential for an actor playing Richard III. This is discussed in the review. The review is ahed of press night, so no photographs. They will follow.
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27/06/2022 by Peter Viney
At AROUND AND AROUND. The latest addition on Record Labels is to the Transatlantic Group. Bill Leader, engineer and producer of Topic and Transatlantic folk albums, started his own two parallel labels, TRAILER and LEADER (follow the link). They existed from 1969 to 1977, but were a fascinating excursion into traditional folk. The article has material on traditional folk in general.
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26/06/2022 by Peter Viney
See the review of EMMA SWIFT at The Swiss Cottage, Twyford. If you love Dylan, you must hear her BLONDE ON THE TRACKS CD of cover versions. She played those and more accompanied by Robyn Hitchcock and Davey Lane. A beautiful show. Dylan fans should read the review.
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24/06/2022 by Peter Viney
Review of THE SOUTHBURY CHILD by Stephen Beresford (linked) at Chichester Festival Theatre. It stars Alex Jennings as the vicar who will not allow Disney Princess balloons at a child’s funeral. It’s going straight to The Bridge Theatre in London too, and reviews are overwhelmingly good. They’re right too. If you can’t see it, get the play text and read it.
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19/06/2022 by Peter Viney
THE DUKE (link to review) is finally available on DVD after several months when the only way to see it was Amazon Prime at more than £15 to rent it. It stars Jim Broadbent and Helen Mirren in the true story of the theft of Goya’s portrait of the Duke of Wellington from the National Gallery in 1961. it’s a gentle comedy that garnered 5 star reviews. My opinion differs …
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18/06/2022 by Peter Viney
Latest addition at AROUND AND AROUND, a section under “Art of the LP” devoted to John Patrick Byrne, (FOLLOW THE LINK) who did the sleeve art for some classic albums by Scots artistes. It’s almost entirely visual, but it is a visual treat. It’s the first of what will be a number of ‘single artist’ articles.
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