Monthly Archives: August 2015

Nobody writes letters today. It’s a lost art; more’s the pity. Roger Mortimer (1909-1991), racing correspondent of the Sunday Times, wrote letters to his son, Charlie, over a 25 year period starting in 1967. The letters, published 20 years after … Continue reading →

If you are looking for a bit of magic in your life, you could try Impossible. The audience is strongly advised not to try anything they see on stage at home, which is a pity because there will be many … Continue reading →

King Richard II (1377-99) came to the throne when he was 10 and believed he was king by Divine Right. He was too narcissistic, too self-indulgent, too indecisive and too full of self-pity to be effective as a medieval king. … Continue reading →

The fictional story of the abduction of the Sabine women by the Romans has been told by Livy and Plutarch. It has inspired some great paintings by Poussin, Rubens, David and Picasso. It has also inspired a much-loved musical film, … Continue reading →

The most thrilling theatrical experience I have had recently was at two in the morning at the V&A’s sold-out all-night show. “I find beauty in the grotesque,” said Alexander McQueen whose ravishing, outrageous and disturbing costumes are brilliantly staged. The … Continue reading →

Matthew Bourne’s hugely enjoyable dance-drama is now sub-titled Bizet’s Carmen Re-Imagined. The choreography is much improved since I last saw this Auto-Erotic Thriller in 2002. The only Carmen thing about the production is the re-orchestration of Bizet’s music by Rodion … Continue reading →

This 90-minute upbeat celebration of the American singer and songwriter whose songs from the 1960s and early 1970s have been re-arranged, re-fashioned, re-orchestrated and updated by Kyle Riabko for acoustic guitar, percussion, bass and keyboard. It’s a major deconstruction and … Continue reading →

Andrew Keatley’s promising but flawed three-generational family drama feels like an adaptation of a 1930’s novel which had been intended for television. There are far too many characters and far too many short scenes. Antony Eden directs with too many … Continue reading →