'The Odyssey' by Mark Hayward

26 April

On Thursday I was at The Place in Bedford to see The Pantaloons performing ‘The Odyssey’, co-written and directed by Mark Hayward. This is my sixth Pantaloons production but the first time I have seen them indoors: they have tended to specialise in summer outdoor shows, such as 'Much Ado About Nothing' and 'Pride and Prejudice' (both reviewed here in August 2015). Their approach is always charmingly silly and ‘The Odyssey’ follows the usual Pantaloons formula. It is written in modern rhyming verse with a multitude of contemporary references and no pretence of a fourth wall. There is much audience participation, competitive improvisation and occasional corpsing and it is a very funny show while somehow managing to actually stick to Homer’s tale. This trailer will give you a flavour: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdTLad-AAbU

'Ghosts' by Henrik Ibsen in a new version by Mike Poulton

26 April 2019

Ibsen’s ‘Ghosts’ is a grim play: the Daily Telegraph review of the first London performance in 1891 called it “a wretched, deplorable, loathsome history”. It’s a tale of incest, betrayal and sexually transmitted infection but Mike Poulton’s new version, which we saw at the Royal Theatre in Northampton on Saturday, finds some welcome humour amongst the angst. Lucy Bailey’s Royal & Derngate production is simple and effective, with great acting from Penny Downie as Helen Alving and James Wilby who manages to make Pastor Manders both a scheming manipulator and a bumbling fool. Mike Britton’s set, inspired by the paintings of Vilhelm Hammershoi, is bold and clear and it was good to see the Royal & Derngate continuing its practice of using a Community Cast of local amateurs alongside the professional leads.

'Mary Queen of Scots' by Josie Rourke

26 April 2019

Last Friday we made a first visit to the new Curzon Cinema at Milton Keynes Gallery to see Josie Rourke’s film ‘Mary Queen of Scots’. Although the film plays fast and loose with history, as a study of the characters of the two Queens – Mary and Elizabeth I – it’s a gripping drama. Saoirse Ronan is stunning as Mary and dominates the film, but Margot Robbie makes Elizabeth surprisingly sympathetic. There’s also a great supporting cast, including Martin Compston from ‘Line of Duty’ deploying his natural Scottish accent for a change and David Tennant playing John Knox behind a beard that deserves its own Oscar!

'As You Like It' by William Shakespeare

18 April 2019

I first saw ‘As You Like It’ on our first visit to the old Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1992 when it was Samantha Bond as Rosalind who took the stage alone at the end of the play to say “It is not the fashion to see the lady the epilogue”. I’ve seen it many times since and really enjoyed Kimberley Sykes’ new Royal Shakespeare Company production which we saw this Wednesday at the Odeon in Milton Keynes, broadcast live from the new Royal Shakespeare Theatre. ‘As You Like It’ has some great comic scenes and is always fun, though there are parts of the play that often seem to drag. But it is a rare Shakespeare play to have such a dominant female lead and Lucy Phelps was fantastic as Rosalind. Her manic nervous energy in the Ganymede scenes was brilliantly done with an amazing rapid fire delivery of the lines. Sophie Stanton, who is wonderful in the current RSC production of ‘The Taming of the Shrew’ (reviewed here in March 2019), played a female Jacques with a twinkle and a smirk that relieved the melancholy. David Ajao showed loveable vulnerability as a childlike Orlando, Sophie Khan Levy was a very funny Celia and Emily Johnstone gave a great comic turn as Le Beau. I have fond memories of a 1996 production of ‘As You Like It’ at Nottingham Playhouse in which Shaun Prendergast played Touchstone (the Fool) as Eric Morecambe – so it was fascinating this week to see Sandy Grierson’s Touchstone clearly channelling Billy Connolly.

'All About Eve' by Joseph L Makiewica, adapted by Ivo van Hove

12 April 2019

I’ve never seen the classic 1950 film ‘All About Eve’ so I came completely fresh to Ivo van Hove’s new stage adaptation, which we saw at the Odeon in Milton Keynes in a live screening from the Noel Coward Theatre in London on Thursday. Ivo van Hove is a fascinatingly innovative theatre director: I really enjoyed his production of 'A View From The Bridge' by Arthur Miller (reviewed here in April 2015). His version of ‘All About Eve’ draws on Joseph L Mankiewicz’s film but also on the play on which it was based – ‘ The Wisdom of Eve’ by Mary Orr. The story of an ageing star actress and the young fan who aspires to replace her mostly takes place backstage, in dressing rooms, kitchens and bathrooms. Jan Versweyveld’s set cleverly takes the audience into the theatre’s hidden nooks and crannies, using live video projection to give us access to the most intimate spaces. But in a play about actors, this inventive visual approach rightly feels secondary to the acting, with Gillian Anderson and Lily James giving brilliant performances as Margo and Eve. Gillian Anderson’s world-weary cynical drawl delivery is hilarious and Lily James manages to switch Eve’s mood on a sixpence. I loved the way the height of the two characters’ heels gradually shift, scene by scene, to reflect the growing or diminishing strength of their positions – with Eve appearing to grow taller as Margo literally shrinks. The script is incredibly witty and the plot twists were very satisfying. The original music by PJ Harvey captured the ominous mood of the story but felt a little too intrusive at times. Monica Dolan gave a wonderful performance as Karen Richards – for which she has just won the Olivier Award for best supporting actress.

‘The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle’ by Stuart Turton

5 April 2019

‘The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle’ is a remarkable debut novel by Stuart Turton. It has the appearance of an old fashioned remote country house murder mystery but our narrator appears to be reliving the day of the murder, each time inhabiting the body of a different member of the household. It’s like taking part in the same murder mystery role-play game over and over again, always wondering whether this time you might be the murderer. This high-concept device is ingenious, allowing narrator and reader to gradually piece together the jigsaw puzzle plot. It also becomes incredibly complicated but Turton kindly finds an occasional excuse to recap what we know so far. The book (which I have just finished reading as an unabridged audio book, narrated by Jot Davies) is also beautifully written. It is packed with wonderfully quotable similes that perfectly evoke the person being described in an economy of words. I look forward to seeing what Stuart Turton writes next.

Hannah James and Toby Kuhn

5 April 2019

On Saturday we were at the Bristol Folk House to see the young English folk singer, accordionist and clog dancer Hannah James, performing with the French ‘cellist Toby Kuhn. This newly formed duo played an interestingly varied range of songs and tunes, creating beautiful gentle acoustic music. Hannah James is an excellent singer and a very accomplished performer. She is a member of the English folk vocal harmony trio Lady Maisery and several duos as well as performing solo. Her own compositions are great examples of modern folk music, responding to contemporary events such as the 2018 Florida school shootings. She is also an enthusiastic champion for the art of ‘percussive dance’, using her clogs (and occasionally her bare feet) to provide intricate and complex rhythmic accompaniment. (This reminded me of the wonderful Tilly and the Wall (reviewed here in March 2007)). See: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLZhTFvLKbI

Moya Brennan

5 April 2019

Last Wednesday we visited the beautiful manor house and grounds at Rhosygilwen in Pembrokeshire where a stunning modern glass-walled barn acts as a unique music venue. As the sun set across the wooded valley below, we watched the ‘First Lady of Celtic Music’, Moya Brennan, and her band perform a mixture of tracks from her solo albums, traditional Irish folk tunes and some very familiar Clannad numbers. Clannad was the Brennan family band and it was lovely to see Moya Brennan now playing alongside her daughter and son. It was also great to see two Irish harps on stage with Moya Brennan duetting with harpist Cormac de Barra – her collaborator on the series of ‘Voices & Harps’ albums.

Pembrokeshire

5 April 2019

We had a wonderful week in Pembrokeshire, with glorious weather throughout. We walked sections of the Coast Path every day, along spectacular cliffs overlooking peaceful turquoise seas. I particularly enjoyed the walk around Strumble Head where I actually managed to see a seal. We re-visited St David’s and Narberth and explored Fishguard and Newport. North Pembrokeshire has similar scenery to Cornwall but is much quieter – one of the most beautiful parts of the UK. You can see a few of my photos at: https://culturaloutlook.blogspot.com/search/label/Pembrokeshire2019

'The Taming of The Shrew' by William Shakespeare

20 March 2019

On Tuesday we were at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon to see Justin Audibert’s new RSC production of ‘The Taming of The Shrew’. This misogynistic play is particularly difficult to carry off: previously the most successful version I had seen was the Shakespeare’s Globe On Tour open air production, directed by Joe Murphy (reviewed here in July 2013), which showed the relationships in a new light by having all the parts played by women. Justin Audibert has created something even more interesting by reversing the gender of every character, setting the pay in a matriarchal society where Baptista Minola wants to marry off her sons to the highest bidder. Her older son, still called ‘Katherine’ (played by Joseph Arkley), is the sharp-tongued shrew who meets his match in the swaggering Petruchia (Claire Price) – determined to woo a rich husband. It’s a very funny production: the gender reversal allows us to enjoy the comedy of the play without it being quite so uncomfortable. Hannah Clark’s amazing costumes give the women enormous dresses that dominate each scene, emphasising their power in this society and allowing them (literally in one case!) to glide across the stage. There are brilliant comic performances from Sophie Stanton as Gremia, Laura Elsworthy as Trania and Amy Trigg as Biondella. I felt we didn’t see enough of Joseph Arkley’s Katherine in the early part of the play: we needed more evidence of his shrewishness before he is tamed. But this is clearly Petruchia’s play and Claire Price is wonderful – a bird’s nest of red hair, a wicked grin and a physical dominance of the stage (and of Katherine) creating a fascinating and compelling character.

'Changeable Heart' by Ruth Notman and Sam Kelly

15 March 2019

Long-time readers may remember my enthusiasm for the young Nottingham folk singer Ruth Notman, who was one of my favourite discoveries of 2008 (reviewed here in February 2008, April 2009, August 2009 and January 2010). Ruth took a break from music over the past few years to study to be a doctor but I’m delighted to be listening to her new album of duets with Sam Kelly, ‘Changeable Heart’, which is released today. It’s a mix of traditional songs and some original compositions by Notman and Kelly – a gentle, thoughtful, acoustic collection, beautifully sung by both singers. The album is produced by Irish folk singer, banjo player and guitarist Damien O'Kane (whose own excellent album ‘Areas of High Traffic’ I reviewed here in February 2016). There’s lots to enjoy about ‘Changeable Heart’ but it’s particularly lovely to hear Ruth Notman’s distinctively beautiful quivering voice again after a gap of several years. See: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hSzZQBGyUs

'Abigail's Party' by Mike Leigh

8 March 2018

On Thursday we were at the Derngate in Northampton to see Sarah Esdaile’s revival of ‘Abigail’s Party’. Mike Leigh’s 1977 play – and particularly the television version with Alison Steadman and the rest of the original stage cast – is so familiar I could have chanted along with much of the dialogue. It formed the template for the comedies of social embarrassment that are now such a familiar part of British culture – such as ‘The Office’, ‘The Thick of It’ and Alan Partridge. This production was excellently cast with Jodie Prenger making Beverley simultaneously monstrous, hilarious and sympathetic and perfectly capturing those nasal Essex vowels. And Rose Keegan was wonderful as Sue, the middle class neighbour (and mother of Abigail) who feels increasingly like a hostage, albeit an incredibly polite prisoner. On the 40th anniversary of ‘Abigail’s Party’, in February 2017, Mike Leigh wrote a great piece for The Guardian, reflecting on the origins of the play, which explains how the TV version replaced Elvis with Tom Jones, and José Feliciano with Demis Roussos. See: https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2017/feb/24/mike-leigh-abigails-party-40

'The Remains of the Day' by Kazuo Ishiguro, adapted by Barney Norris

6 March 2019

On Tuesday we were at the Royal Theatre in Northampton to see a new dramatisation of Kazuo Ishiguro’s novel ‘The Remains of the Day’ - a Royal & Derngate joint production with Out of Joint, in association with Oxford Playhouse. Stephen Boxer gave a brilliant performance as Stevens, a constant presence, never leaving the stage. He perfectly maintained the butler’s stiff-upper-lip stoicism – the mask that never drops – whilst also managing to convey the simmering volcano of emotions that can never be expressed. Niamh Cusack was great as Miss Kenton, the housekeeper, determined to show she can match Stevens’ attention to detail but achingly frustrated by her inability to break through his over-formality. Adaptor Barney Norris finds a way of telling the story that is faithful to the book (and James Ivory’s 1993 film) but is distinctly theatrical, with Stevens’ post-war visit to the West Country sharing the stage with his memories of the pre-war Darlington House. It is a tribute to Christopher Haydon’s direction and Stephen Boxer’s performance that Stevens switches seamlessly between conversations with characters in the two time frames while the distinction is always perfectly clear to the audience. Lily Arnold’s wonderful set simply and effectively evokes the grand but decaying Darlington Hall, with incredibly realistic projected rain streaming down the windows and an enormous mirror at the back of the stage revealing unguarded reflections of characters trying to remain in the background. ‘The Remains of the Day’ examines the mid-twentieth century shifts in politics, class, gender and national identity – showing the refusal to acknowledge the end of an era. It’s an incredibly powerful, subtle and sad story and this stage version captures all its nuances brilliantly: one of the best things we have seen in the theatre for ages.

Dziļi Violets

28 February 2019

My new favourite band is not Deep Purple. Dziļi Violets – Latvian for Deep Purple (literally deep violets) – is a band created for the Latvian satirical TV show ‘Midnight Show Seven’. They recently released a tongue-in-cheek offering to be Latvia’s entry in this year’s Eurovision Song Contest, ‘Tautasdziesma’ (“Dance: I don’t know how to dance”) – and I love the first comment posted on the YouTube page for the song which says “Europe is the place were a latvian guy is wearing a scottish kilt while singing french and i think that's beautiful." But when they move away from spoof songs Dziļi Violets are a pretty cool band. Their song which first attracted my attention was ‘Sprīdītis’ which has a modern take on old-fashioned swing in a similar way to Caravan Palace (reviewed here in July 2009), see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNx6odHk-Jo And I love the cheery upbeat ‘Dullais Dauka’ featuring Elza Rozentale whistling, rapping and singing like a Latvian Caro Emerald (reviewed here in April 2017), see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Du9Sf7zLx3A I look forward to the first full album from Dziļi Violets.

'Already Ready Already' by Galactic

22 February 2019

I can tell you exactly when I first discovered the New Orleans funk band, Galactic: it was the attention-grabbing use of their powerful song ‘You Don’t Know’ (Featuring Glen David Andrews And The Rebirth Brass Band) in an episode of the third season of ‘Fargo’ (reviewed here in October 2017). This week I’ve been enjoying the new album by Galactic, ‘Already Ready Already’. Featuring a range of guest vocalists, its an eclectic set from a band that is always hard to categorise. There’s jazz, funk, R&B, rock, brass band, blues, hip hop, electronic and more squashed into eight tracks. I particularly like punk cabaret artist Boyfriend’s quirky speed-rap on ‘Dance At My Funeral’. Galactic are difficult to describe but undeniably cool. If you don’t know them I would recommend starting by listening to ‘You Don’t Know’ at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxNFYbCDkrY

'Living on the Volcano' by Michael Calvin

15 February 2019

Michael Calvin is a very accomplished sports writer who has been named Sports Writer of the Year and Sports Reporter of the Year (twice). He was Chief Sports Writer at the Independent on Sunday until 2016 and in recent years he has won the Times Sports Book of the Year prize twice and has received much acclaim for ghostwriting the autobiographies of the rugby player Gareth Thomas and the footballer Joey Barton. He also happens to be one of my neighbours, living a few doors down from us. I’ve just finished reading Mick’s book ‘Living on the Volcano: The Secrets of Surviving as a Football Manager’, which was shortlisted for the 2015 William Hill Sports Book of the Year. It’s a collection of interviews with managers working across the Premier League and the English Football League, including Brendan Rodgers, Roberto Martinez, Alan Pardew, Sean Dyche, Karl Robinson and Eddie Howe. Given the precarious nature of the football manager’s job, the book now feels like a snapshot of 2014 as hardly any of the managers Mick talks to are still at the same clubs now. It’s a fascinating examination of the transition from player to manager. I was particularly struck by the wide range of incredibly thorough approaches taken by most of the managers who have meticulously studied statistics, foreign coaching styles, other sports or completely different industries to give them an insight on how to build the best team for their club. It seems cruel that, given this determined attention to detail, the fate of most managers seems to be decided on luck and the mood of players, fans and owners: these days football clubs rarely manage to take a long-term approach. Mick is good at getting behind the pantomime villain image of many football managers and showing the genuine, sympathetic human beings struggling against impossible odds. While it is true that most sacked managers will have reaped huge financial rewards, when you consider the ridiculous levels of scrutiny and stress involved you do wonder why anyone would want to be a football manager.

'The Mousetrap' by Agatha Christie

6 February 2019

Agatha Christie’s ‘The Mousetrap’ has been running in the West End in London since 1952 so I have spent my whole life avoiding spoilers before finally seeing the play at the Royal Theatre in Northampton on Monday. The longevity of ‘The Mousetrap’ is particularly amazing as I can’t imagine many people wanting to see it more than once: it is not knowing who dunnit that is the appeal. Nevertheless Gareth Armstrong’s touring production is great fun and very well acted. The plot is darker and more believable than I had expected and I wasn’t alone in wanting to finally see it for myself: the Royal Theatre was packed and we all left the theatre promising not to spoil the show for anyone who hasn’t yet seen it.

Northampton Symphony Orchestra concert

5 February 2019

On Saturday I played in the third concert of the Northampton Symphony Orchestra’s 125th anniversary season. Our programme focussed on the year in which the orchestra was founded, 1893, featuring one piece written in 1893 and one by a composer who was born that year. Arthur Benjamin is best remembered for ‘Jamaican Rumba’ but his ‘Romantic Fantasy’, premiered in 1938, is a much more complex, serious piece. It is a remarkable double concerto for violin and viola, for which we were joined on Saturday by Stephen Bryant, Leader of the BBC Symphony Orchestra, and Benjamin Roskams (who played Bruch's 'Scottish Fantasy' in a Northampton Symphony Orchestra concert reviewed here in June 2015). Most of us had not heard the ‘Romantic Fantasy’ before but NSO conductor, John Gibbons, knows it well, having conducted one of its few recordings (with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra for Dutton Epoch). It’s a lovely piece which really grew on me as I got to grips with it. The two fiendishly-difficult solo parts intertwine to sound at times like a single player. Stephen and Benjamin’s synchronicity was amazing, particularly in the cadenzas. We finished the concert with a much more familiar piece,  Antonín Dvořák’s ‘Symphony No 9: From the New World’, composed in 1893. The NSO has played the ‘New World Symphony’ 20 times over the past 125 years and I think Saturday’s performance was really impressive. Jayne Henderson had the scary challenge of having to play one of the most famous tunes in orchestral music – the cor anglais solo in the slow movement – and she delivered a perfect performance which was the highlight of the symphony. There were also beautiful solos from most of her woodwind colleagues, including Sarah Mourant (oboe), Graham Tear and Helen Taylor (flute) and Naomi Muller (clarinet). And the brass section was in magnificent form, particularly in the finale. It was a lovely concert.

'Don Quixote' by Miguel de Cervantes, adapted by James Fenton

31 January 2019

Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra was a contemporary of Shakespeare: they died within a few days of each other in 1616. So it was fascinating to see the Royal Shakespeare Company’s production of ‘Don Quixote’, adapted by James Fenton, at the Garrick Theatre in London last Saturday. When I read ‘The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha’ (reviewed here in January 2012) I realised what a debt more recent comic creations, particularly double-acts, owe to Don Quixote and Sancho Panza. In this stage adaptation David Threlfall and the comedian Rufus Hound create a believably warm relationship between these two deluded simpletons. The show is great fun though, as with the novel, laughs at the expense of what is effectively mental illness feel a bit uncomfortable at times. The most ground-breaking aspect of Cervantes’ book, however, is the meta-fiction of Volume 2 where the characters start to encounter people who have read Volume 1. The stage version tried to incorporate this narrative complexity, with actors carrying copies of the book and Rufus Hound breaking the fourth wall to banter with the audience. But I felt it missed the impact the book has when you start to wonder who is writing the story – which really messes with your head! Nevertheless Angus Jackson’s production is incredibly enjoyable and made me fall in love with Cervantes’ characters all over again.

'Our Lady of Kibeho' by Katori Hall

25 January 2019

In 1981 at a Catholic college in Kibeho in the mountains of Rwanda, three girls apparently experienced a visitation from the Virgin Mary. Katori Hall’s remarkable new play ‘Our Lady of Kibeho’, which we saw at the Royal Theatre in Northampton on Tuesday, uses this incident as a way to explore the conditions that led eventually to the Rwandan genocide of 1994. Some people believe the Virgin Mary appeared to warn of the approaching tragedy but the play leaves us to make up our own minds about whether the events at Kibeho were a religious miracle, mass hallucination or something else. Katori Hall is more interested in showing the growing divisions between Hutu and Tutsi that would have catastrophic outcomes. The UK premiere of ‘Our Lady of Kibeho’ is a triumph for the Royal & Derngate and its Director James Dacre, receiving glowing reviews from several national newspapers, including a five star review from Michael Billington in The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2019/jan/17/our-lady-of-kibeho-review-royal-and-derngate-northampton-katori-hall-rwanda It’s a beautiful production, full of charm and mystery, with an underlying ominousness. The excellent cast includes a Community Ensemble of local amateur actors and features stunning performances by Ery Nzaramba as the Headteacher and Gabrielle Brooks, Yasmin Mwanza and Pepter Lunkuse as the three girls. Orlando Gough’s music features some gorgeous a capella singing and Jonathan Fensom’s set manages to match the contradictory sunny but storm-laden feel of the play.