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.”
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Paul Simon. | Leave a Comment »
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.
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Ralph McTell | Leave a Comment »
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 »
Link to the article The Sound … and The Fury … at the Globe 2016. This is on the current early departure of the Artistic Director, with an overview of the arguments over the 2016 season with extracts from the relevant reviews here.
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Emma Rice, The Globe | Leave a Comment »
Much Ado About Nothing (LINKED) is at Chichester, Manchester then London for a long run. This is a revival of the 2014 RSC production directed by Christopher Luscombe, and paired with Love’s Labour’s Lost under the title Love’s Labour’s Won. For the revival they have reverted to the better-known main title. One of the funniest plays you will ever see. A perfect introduction to Shakespeare too.
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Chichester Festival Theatre, Chris Nayak, Christopher Luscombe, Edward Bennett, Jamie Newell, John Arthur, John Hodkinson, Lisa Dillon, Manchester Opera, Nick Haverson, Paige Carter, Rebecca Collingwood, Sam Alexander, Steven Pacey, Theatre Royal Haymarket, Tunji Kasim, William Bellchambers | Leave a Comment »
The highly-acclaimed 2014-2015 RSC productions of Love’s Labour’s Lost (LINKED) and Much Ado About Nothing (aka Love’s Labour’s Won) have been revived, and they are running at Chichester before going to Manchester and London. Though I reviewed the 2014 version, the cast changes mean a new review. It’s even better now.
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Chichester Festival Theate, Christopher Luscombe, Edward Bennett, Jamie Newall, John Hodgkinson, Lisa Dillon, Manchester Opera, Nick Haverson, Paige Carter, Peter McGovern, Rebecca Collingwood, Sam Alexander, Steven Pacey, Theatre Royal Haymarket, Tunji Kasim, William Belchambers | Leave a Comment »
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