A review of On The Ropes, a dramatised true story co-written by former boxer Vernon Vanriel. Over twelve rounds in the ring we chart heady highs, personal lows, and a case study in the inhumanity of the ‘hostile environment’. Vernon ‘The Entertainer’ Vanriel You may have seen renewed press coverage this week of Vernon Vanriel’s […]
A review of Tony! [The Tony Blair Rock Opera], a collaboration between Harry Hill and Steve Brown on now at London’s Park Theatre. Tony! I was intrigued enough to buy tickets when I saw the Park Theatre were putting on a rock opera all about Tony Blair, but I still wasn’t quite sure what to […]
A review of Cratchit at the Park Theatre and A Christmas Carol at Alexandra Palace Theatre. Two more great versions to choose from, continuing my annual tradition of overdosing on Charles Dickens’ seasonal ghost story. Christmas 2021: Concern And Comfort In The Familiar In December 2020 I wrote a double review of versions of A […]
A tenth anniversary tour of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time sees this National Theatre production of Mark Haddon’s beloved book made more inclusive, while retaining all the elements that made it a hit in the first place. The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time Ten years is a long […]
A review of When Darkness Falls, now on at the Park Theatre. A ghostly tale which improves as it reaches its spooky climax. When Darkness Falls There are a couple of ghost stories on stage in London at the moment – as well as this paranormal offering at the Park Theatre, there is 2.22: A […]
Sucker Punch is an insightful portrait of 1980s Britain, the world of boxing, and the barriers faced by young Black men in both. Sucker Punch Boxing. It’s one of those things. The prowess, the energy, the passion. It can bear the weight of stories greater than the fights themselves. It’s not so long ago I […]
Join me as we look back at some of the cultural highlights from London and beyond in a Salterton Arts Review 2022 Countdown. A Year In Review From the perspective of the Salterton Arts Review, 2022 was a pretty good year! 2020 was the year of an unexpected disruption followed by a blog relaunch and […]