Tremendous Christmas Entertainment with The Lock In Christmas Carol (LINKED) from The Demon Barbers, with dancers. I guess it’s a theatre piece. But you might call it a concert. Or dance theatre. Or maybe pantomime suits it better. It’s one of the most energetic and lively bits of performance you’ll see.
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Bryony Griffith, Damian Barber, Matt Griffith, The Demon Barbers | Leave a Comment »
THE TEMPEST (LINKED) has been in preparation for two years, Royal Shakespeare Company, in collaboration with Intel so that Ariel can move on stage and also create a live-motion hologram. A visually stunning production, anchored by Simon Russell-Beale as Prospero.
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Daniel Easton, Gregory Doran, James Tucker, Jenny Rainsford, Joe Dixon, Joseph Mydell, Mark Quarterly, Oscar Pearce, Paul Englishby, Simon Trinder, Tom Turner, Tony Jayawardena | Leave a Comment »
A few weeks ago, with the release of You Want it Darker, Leonard’s last letter to Marianne, was revealed. She was the subject of his early songs and died soon after his letter last July.
Well Marianne it’s come to this time when we are really so old and our bodies are falling apart and I think I will follow you very soon. Know that I am so close behind you that if you stretch out your hand, I think you can reach mine. And you know that I’ve always loved you for your beauty and your wisdom, but I don’t need to say anything more about that because you know all about that. But now, I just want to wish you a very good journey. Goodbye old friend. Endless love, see you down the road.”
And to you too, Leonard. Leonard was 82. When I saw him in concert I was struck by his spirit, his energy, his humour, his SOUL. His live shows are among the very best I have ever seen. Along with Bob Dylan and Paul Simon he formed a triumvirate of unmatchable North American songwriters and poets.
See the Toppermost on Leonard Cohen, which I co-wrote with Jerry Tenenbaum and Lucretia van den Berg.
Four concert reviews are on this blog:
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Review of Terence Rattigan’s French Without Tears (linked) on its Autumn 2016 tour, by The English Touring Theatre. Rattigan’s first success on the stage in 1936, played in that era, it’s a light, frothy comedy played with enthusiasm and skill. It takes place at a language school in France where a group of young men are studying French, but are entranced by the lovely Diana.
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Alistair Toovey, Beatriz Romilly, Brian Curtis, David Whitworth, Florence Roberts, Joe Eyre, Paul Miller, Tim Delap, Ziggy Heath | Leave a Comment »
Review of Travesties by Tom Stoppard (LINKED) directed by Patrick Marber. A sell-out at the Menier Chocolate Factory BUT it is moving to the West End in February for 12 weeks. Stars Tom Hollander. It’s a play that gets into all those “Best play of the 20th Century” lists and is very funny indeed, but is it “too clever”?
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Amy Morgan, Clare Foster, Forbes Masson, Freddie Fox, Patrick Marber, Peter McDonald, Sarah Quist, Tim Wallers, Tom Hollander, Tom Stoppard | Leave a Comment »
Review of John Milton’s “Comus: A Masque in Honour of Chastity” at the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse. Director Lucy Bailey and writer Patrick Barlow have created a frame play, based on its 1634 original production. The result is very funny and very lively.
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Andrew Bridgmont, Danny Lee Wynter, Emma Curtis, Emma Rice, Lucy Bailey, Patrick Barlow, Paul James, Philip Cumbus, Rob Callender, Theo Cowan | Leave a Comment »
Review added of Thursday’s concert by Paul Simon (FOLLOW LINK) at the Bournemouth International Centre. Two hours twenty minutes. No support act. Fantastic band. Non-stop entertainment. A spectacular evening. Some old and beautiful. Some radically rearranged … and beautiful. By the encores the auditorium was full of lit iPhone screens so I followed the crowd and took one distant shaky shot. Well, it’s “impressionistic.”
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Saddened by the news of Bap Kennedy’s passing. This link is to my Toppermost on Bap.
And this link is to my 2012 concert review. RIP.
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Review of Ralph McTell at Poole Lighthouse (LINKED). Apparently he was living in Poole when he started out too. There is so much more to this singer-songwriter than “The Streets of London.” Excellent songs, first rate guitar playing and singing and engaging narration.
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Review of “folk supergroup” FLIT at Poole Lighthouse. (FOLLOW LINK) Features Martin Green (Lau), Becky Unthanks (The Unthanks), Adrian Utley (Portishead), Dominic Aitchinson (Mogwai) and singer-songwriter Adam Holmes. A show on the edge between concert and theatre, with animation projected, and a major lighting set up. These are tales of migration with folk tunes and electronic synth and accordion, guitar and bass. The picture s from Buxton, four days before Poole.
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Adam Holmes, Adrian Utley, Becky Unthanks, Dominic Aitchinson, FLIT, Lau, Martin Green., Mogwai, Potishead, The Unthanks | Leave a Comment »
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