Monstering the Rocketman at the Arcola Theatre takes on 1980s tabloid journalism through the lens of Elton John and The Sun. Monstering the Rocketman I briefly considered sprinkling this review with Elton John puns. It’s easily done, and I’ve seen it work elsewhere in writing about Henry Naylor’s one-man show Monstering the Rocketman, now at […]
Debate: Baldwin vs. Buckley brings a landmark 1965 Cambridge Union Society debate to Wilton’s Music Hall, and proves that it still has plenty to say. Note: this post uses outdated terminology in a historic context. Debate: Baldwin vs. Buckley I love Wilton’s Music Hall for the possibilities its space and programming embody. In the past […]
Today’s review is a rare opportunity to engage with an interconnected play and exhibition: Mary Lincoln & Frida Kahlo UNFRAMED at the Royal Watercolour Society Gallery, and Mrs. President at the nearby Charing Cross Theatre. Both are the work of John Ransom Phillips, who took inspiration from Mary Lincoln herself to tell this story. A […]
Cable Street returns to London at a moment when its story of community resistance to fascism feels worryingly relevant. Cable Street Well. I can’t imagine that when Tim Gilvin and Alex Kanefsky independently had the idea for a musical about the Battle of Cable Street back in 2018, they quite realised how timely it would […]
In Tell Me, Sadiq Ali Company combines Chinese pole, theatre and dance to explore an HIV diagnosis with striking visual confidence. Tell Me I really liked Tell Me by Sadiq Ali Company. It’s a bold blend of unflinching subject matter and physical prowess across circus, theatre and dance. The hour-long devised work follows a young […]
The newly reopened Sainsbury Wing at the National Gallery is currently full of Neo-Impressionists from a Dutch collection, in Radical Harmony: Helene Kröller-Müller’s Neo-Impressionists. Back at the Sainsbury Wing Shall I let you in on a secret? After many years of complaining, I may have finally hit upon the right time to visit exhibitions at […]
There’s a noticeable appetite in London theatre right now for American history, particularly where private lives and public power collide. Our American Queen fits squarely into that trend. Our American Queen What is it about the American Civil War? That period is certainly having a moment on the London stage. Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln […]
One final last minute art dash for the winter exhibition season, and it’s to the delectable Wayne Thiebaud: American Still Life at the Courtauld Gallery. Wayne Thiebaud at the Courtauld Gallery It’s been a busy start to the year already. I always seem to get myself into difficulty at this time of year, getting behind […]
The historian in me was most excited about Malta’s Neolithic sites. With so many options to choose from despite Malta being a very small country, which ones should visitors prioritise? A Guide to Malta’s Neolithic Sites Long time readers know I love archaeology. If there is an archaeological site within reach during a holiday, I […]
Our final stop in Malta, the Wignacourt Museum includes art, objects, extensive tunnels, a church, and a site of Christian pilgrimage. A Final Stop in Malta The time has come for us to bid farewell to Malta. My trip there was a memorable one, and absolutely packed with cultural highlights. We learned about the history […]
