Tim Minchin and Danny Rubin take on beloved 90s film Groundhog Day in a return of their musical version at the Old Vic. Funny, heartfelt and endlessly rewatchable, I may like it better than the original. Groundhog Day Who among us has not seen the 1993 film Groundhog Day, in which Bill Murray plays grouchy […]
Don’t come if you’re in a hurry, but for those with some time up their sleeves, Isaac Julien: What Freedom is to Me is a stylish and thought-provoking, immersive experience. Isaac Julien I’m coming around a little to film-based art. When I was younger and less patient, I resented the demand on my time. Because, […]
Mark Povinelli brings an overlooked figure from history to life in the world premiere of The Return of Benjamin Lay. Just Who Is Benjamin Lay? I don’t recall having been previously to a play co-written with a historian. For me, a historian myself, this was a definite draw. The Return of Benjamin Lay is currently […]
A large-scale exhibition on modern art at the National Gallery, After Impressionism has some lovely works to offer, but slotted into a narrative that plays it rather safe. And where are the women? A Popular Subject, A Popular Exhibition This is perhaps my own fault: I went on a Saturday afternoon. Please somebody stop me […]
In its UK premiere at London’s Park Theatre, Paper Cut explores love, injury and disability as a young soldier returns home from Afghanistan. Paper Cut “It’s just a paper cut,” Kyle is heard to remark on a number of occasions. Deflectionary humour, its aim to create distance, to close down the subject. Because it wasn’t […]
Something of a marmite production, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! uses all the tricks in the book plus some new ones to shake up this classic musical. Oklahoma! I do like approaching productions from a place of determined ignorance. Sometimes (like my annual outings to A Christmas Carol) I know the plot of the thing I’m […]
A play for anyone, cast live on stage, Out Last First is a universal love story and a lesson in inclusive theatre-making. Our Last First Our Last First began, as did so many things (including the relaunch of this blog) as a lockdown project. During a socially distanced walk an idea was born in the […]
The placement of this exhibition of art by Ai Weiwei in London’s Design Museum prompts us to think about the meanings of art and objects. Ai Weiwei: Making Sense adds ever more layers onto the work of this most famous of Chinese contemporary artists. Ai Weiwei: Making Sense It’s been a while since I’ve ventured […]
A Midsummer Night’s Dream in the ultimate pastoral production by sustainable touring company The Handlebards. The Handlebards: Taking Shakespeare Back To Its Roots The thing about Shakespeare is… well there are a lot of things about Shakespeare. His mastery of language. The timeless themes. The complex characters. And the fact that some of his plays […]
A moving exhibition of art from the Southern United States, Souls Grown Deep Like the River is both thought-provoking and revelatory. Souls Grown Deep Like The River I’ve known rivers:I’ve known rivers ancient as the world and older than the flow of human blood in human veins. My soul has grown deep like the rivers. The […]
