A visit to Sutton House and Breaker’s Yard in London. Hackney’s oldest house is a National Trust property with a difference. The Oldest House in Hackney Sutton House, in Hackney, is very unassuming. It sits on a main road, with not much land around it, and doesn’t look like much from the street. Yet this […]
A review of Lubaina Himid at Tate Modern. An interesting exhibition of work by an interesting artist, yet somehow the overall effect doesn’t quite come together. Lubaina Himid Aside from some works in group shows (including this one), this was my first opportunity to see Lubaina Himid’s work up close. Himid is the first Black […]
A review of Future Shock, an exhibition of digital art at 180 Studios on the Strand, London. London’s coolest exhibition space strikes again! Back At 180 Studios The latest exhibition from 180 Studios (on London’s Strand) is entitled Future Shock. It’s an exhibition of digital art, with the industrial basement space divided into separate sections […]
A review of Folk at London’s Hampstead Theatre. A ‘play with songs’ that goes to the heart of Englishness, tradition and preservation. Folk How fortunate that I was able to get a return ticket for Folk! I missed its first run as part of Hampstead Theatre‘s winter season, and initially missed out on tickets for […]
A review of Jitney, part of August Wilson’s ten play cycle on a century of Black life in America, and on now at the Old Vic. An Old Vic, Headlong and Leeds Playhouse co-production. Jitney Definition of jitney:1. An unlicensed taxicab2. Bus. Especially: a small bus that carries passengers over a regular route on a […]
A review of Sun & Sea, an opera about Climate Change which unfolds over several hours as the audience at the Albany look on. Strangely mesmerising, this is an atmospheric rather than didactic response to the Climate Emergency. Sun & Sea Sun & Sea, by all-female creative team Lina Lapelyte (visual artist and composer)̇, Vaiva […]
A review of Favour, an intergenerational drama by Ambreen Razia on now at the Bush Theatre. Powerful themes and strong performances from this all-female cast. Favour It has been a busy week for the Bush Theatre! Earlier in the week we saw Nikhil Parmar’s Invisible in their Studio space; today it’s Favour on the main […]
A review of Invisible, written and performed by Nikhil Parmar. This darkly comic one hour monologue is on at the Bush Theatre for a limited run. Invisible It’s perhaps fitting given the title, but Invisible is one of those plays where you don’t necessarily notice the change in tone until you find yourself wondering “When […]
A review of the reprise of Jerusalem at London’s Apollo Theatre. What can I add to the effusive praise of other reviewers? More of the same! Jerusalem Jez Butterworth’s Jerusalem has had a long life in this format – directed by Ian Rickson, with Mark Rylance starring, supported by returning cast members Mackenzie Crook, Gerard […]
A review of Raphael at the National Gallery. A blockbuster exhibition highlighting the range of this Renaissance master. Raphael What did I know of Raphael before seeing this exhibition at the National Gallery? Reasonably little. I knew him as a real Renaissance man, had seen his frescoes in the Vatican. I had an idea that […]
