11/09/2016 by Peter Viney
Review of The Entertainer, by John Osborne. (FOLLOW LINK) The last play in the Kenneth Branagh Company season, starring Kenneth Branagh as music hall comedian Archie Rice, a part often considered Sir Laurence Olivier’s greatest role. So how did he do? Five stars for us.
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Christoper Oram, Gawn Grainger, Greta Saatchi, John Osborne, Jonah Hauer-King, Kenneth Branagh, Rob Ashford, Sophie McShera | Leave a Comment »
10/09/2016 by Peter Viney
Review of No Man’s Land by Harold Pinter (FOLLOW LINK), 2016, with Ian McKellan and Patrick Stewart. In spite of the fulsome reviews and the presence of both Gandalf and Captain Picard, we both disliked Pinter’s intrinsic play. We are completely out on a limb here! Reviews disagree.
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Damien Molony, Ian McKellan, Owen Teale, Patrick Stewart, Sean Mathias | Leave a Comment »
06/09/2016 by Peter Viney
Review of The National Theatre of Scotland Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour, by Lee Hall at the National Theatre, London. Energetic, coarse, vulgar, great singing in this vibrant musical about a Catholic girls’ school choir from Oban who plan to “go mental” on the way to a choir contest. Very funny. Great music (mainly covers of ELO).
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Alan Waner, Caroline Deyga, Dawn Sievewright, Frances Mayli MCann, Karen Fishwick, Kirsty MacLaren, Lee Hall, Martin Lowe, Melissa Allen | Leave a Comment »
29/08/2016 by Peter Viney
Names, Scribble and Numbers (FOLLOW LINK) is a chapter from Around Around: All About Vinyl which will eventually emerge after an incredibly long gestation sometime in 2017, initially as an iBook to accommodate the very large number of illustrations. This sampler chapter is a look at the scribble and numbers you will find on used (or as we now say, pre-loved) records, with a humorous snapshot of how records were played in a 1962 Youth Club. As this is a work still in progress, I’d be delighted by comments and corrections.
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28/08/2016 by Peter Viney
A detailed review of The Two Noble Kinsmen, by John Fletcher and William Shakespeare, in one of its very rare outings by the Royal Shakespeare Company. In spite of the intrinsic issues of the play itself (advertised as A Midsummer Night’s Dream Meets Fight Club) this is lively, inventive, and in the two lead roles, Paloman and Arcite (illustrated), very funny. One to catch at Stratford as it is so rarely seen.
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Allison McKenzie, Blanche McIntyre, Danusia Samal, Frances McNamee, Gyuri Sarossy, James Corrigan, Jamie Wilkes | Leave a Comment »
27/08/2016 by Peter Viney
Review added the Royal Shakespeare Company’s King Lear (LINKED) with Antony Sher as Lear, David Troughton as Gloucester and Paapa Essediu as Edmund. A magnificent production.
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Antony Sher, David Troughton, Greg Doran, Paapa Essediu | Leave a Comment »
21/08/2016 by Peter Viney
Review of John Galsworthy’s play “Strife” at the Minerva Theatre at Chichester. Powerful performances in a 1909 industrial dispute … far more interesting than it sounds!
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Bertie Carvell, Ian Hughes, Julian Firth, Lizzy Watts, Lucy Black, Madhav Sharma, Mark Quartely, Rosie Sheehy, William Gaunt | Leave a Comment »
19/08/2016 by Peter Viney
The latest graded ELT Reader in the Garnet Oracle Classics series is now available. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, Retold by Peter Viney. Dickens is particularly irritating for adaptors, in that he loves convoluted indirect narrative. In the end the storyline is so absorbing that it’s worth the effort. Even in the graded ELT version, I STILL feel that ending very moving.
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12/08/2016 by Peter Viney
A Midsummer Night’s Dream reviewed at Bath Theatre Royal (FOLLOW THE LINK) I think that will be six performances I’ve seen of my favourite play this year. This one features Phill Jupitus as Bottom.
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Darrell D'Silva, Eve Ponsonby, Katy Stephens, Lawrence Boswell, Maya Wasowicz, Phill Jupitus, Simon Gregor, Wilf Scolding, William Postlethwaite | Leave a Comment »
05/08/2016 by Peter Viney
The three plays at the National Theatre in the Young Chekhov Season are transfers from Chichester last year with the same cast. The original Chichester Reviews can be found at YOUNG CHEKHOV SEASON here. Individual play links are:
Platonov
Ivanov
The Seagull
Picture is from Platonov which we enjoyed most of the three.
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