Ryan Calais Cameron shows off his playwriting range in Retrograde, the story of a young Sidney Poitier faced with a difficult decision. Retrograde If I haven’t kept up with Ryan Calais Cameron’s recent work, it’s only due to overcommitment to evening outings on the part of the Salterton Arts Review. I saw an earlier play, […]
An energetic and uplifting musical treatment of 2001 novel The Secret Life of Bees is all about the musical numbers and the talented cast. The Secret Life Of Bees I snuck in just before the end of the Almeida run of The Secret Life of Bees. Based on a 2001 novel by Sue Monk Kidd, […]
A lovingly curated exhibition makes evident the wit and skill of Simon Pettet: gifted potter and sometime partner to Dennis Severs. Combine it with theatrical experience Simon’s Story for best effect. Dennis Severs And Simon Pettet If you live in London and haven’t yet visited Dennis Severs’ House, I have one question for you: why […]
A new play at the Arcola Theatre, The Misandrist is an edgy tale of sexual discovery. Don’t bring your mum. Warning: some content and links very NSFW. The Misandrist I was very curious about The Misandrist. A two-hander, it is billed as “a penetrating new play”. With pegging, no less. But how would this work […]
A lyrical journey through London and beyond, Jan Noble takes a tragedy as his starting point to create something beautiful in Body 115. The Story Of Body 115 I first noticed the memorial plaque a few years ago, on a wall at King’s Cross Station. It references a tragedy which occurred on 18 November 1987. […]
A small exhibition at the National Gallery on beauty and satire, The Ugly Duchess raised more questions for me than it answered, but did at least get me thinking. The Ugly Duchess: Beauty And Satire In The Renaissance I do love a one room exhibition at the National Gallery, but haven’t been for a while. […]
The largest exhibition to date in the UK of work by Alice Neel, this exhibition at the Barbican celebrates an artist who did things her own way. Warning: some images below NSFW. Alice Neel I very much enjoyed learning more about Alice Neel in Alice Neel: Hot Off the Griddle, the current exhibition at the […]
Lenny Henry’s debut play August in England starts like a comedy set and ends like a punch to the gut. August In England 2023 marks the 75th anniversary of the HMT Empire Windrush bringing more than 800 passengers from the Caribbean to British shores. It became a symbol of a wave of post-war immigration: thousands […]
Adapted from NoViolet Bulaweyo’s acclaimed novel, We Need New Names is a coming of age tale split across continents. We Need New Names A young girl growing up in Zimbabwe moves to the America she has dreamed of, but finds her experience of the Midwest is not what she had imagined. Such is the premise […]
A rallying cry against Malta’s restrictions on women’s freedom, Blanket Ban uses humour, fact and personal stories in an entertaining 85 minutes of theatre and political activism. Blanket Ban Abortion bans don’t stop abortions. That’s a fact. They make accessing a safe abortion more difficult, depending of course on your means. But with all the […]
