News

The Cultural Olympiad: Better late then never?

Well the big news of the day is the announcement of some major theatre projects that will be heading our way in 2012. One of the elements of the Olympic legacy that never really seem to have caught the public imagination is the Cultural Olympiad – something aptly skewered in the BBC’s painfully accurate picture of life as a middle-manager on the Olympics (something that I have at times had the questionable fortune to view first hand). 

World Stages London is (and this sounds does sound a little to close  to the clip above for comfort) “…a once-in-a-lifetime celebration through theatre of the exhilarating cosmopolitan diversity of London’s people and culture”. Well okay, in fairness London is one of the great international cities of the world – and what sets it apart on the cultural stage is it is ability to be a melting pot that blends the ingredients of the art and world view of different cultures to create something unique – in a way that only New York can really claim to challenge..

With talents as varied as Peter Brook and Jonathan Dove, and pieces including a 500 strong site-specific work about Babel and the first-ever production of Wild Swans, it seems pretty certain that there will be something for everything in the run-up to the Olympics (where it will be wall-to-wall British sporting patriotism for the best part of six weeks).

Reasons to be cheerful…

The Suit

Peter Brook, in a collaboration with Marie Helene Estienne, continues his exploration of fables and the art of story-telling and  myth-making with this adaptation of a short-story by Can Themba. Now personally I have found Brook’s last two outings at the Barbican insubstantial and well below the standards that he is capable of. Lately his reduction of the stage to its barest essentials have taken on the feel of an ascetic. However one always lives in hope of a return to the form that made him a colossus of 20th century theatre.

It runs from 21 May to the 16 June. More details can be found here

Babel

In what looks like a very special production and the possible flagship event of the whole project, Battersea Arts Centre and WildWorks (responsible for the critically acclaimed The Passion at Port Talbot) are teaming up for Babel, which includes a cast of 500 community and professional actors, musicians and performers. It is site-specific and the location is yet to be revealed, but it seems likely that a famous London landmark is involved and one imagines that it will have to be somewhat tower-shaped (my personal hope is Big Ben but one imagines security concerns may make that one tricky)

It runs from 08 – 20 May. More details can be found here

Wild Swans

A literary classic and a world-wide best seller (no hyperbole here, over 30 translations and 10 million copies – thanks Wikipedia!), Juna Chang’s novel looks set to be one of the more popular smash hits of the festival. Telling a story of one family’s multi-generational struggle against the backdrop of an ever-changing China, it effectively contains the biographies of three generations of women in the Chang family.

I must admit it has never held any interest for me whatsoever. I haven’t read it and can’t imagine doing so soon. No doubt it is my loss but then so are many of the other books I have never, and sadly will never, read. It is almost certain going to be a complete sell-out and if you want to go, you should get your tickets soon.

It runs from 13 April to 13 May. More details can be found here

Three Kingdoms

Despite being one of the more mysterious offerings on the programme, its sheer intriguing nature has me hooked and will be what I will be most looking forward to this spring. Written by Simon Stephens and exploring the trade in trafficked women and organised crime across Europe, it doesn’t profess to being the most uplifting evening you are likely to spend in the theatre. However a new play by Stephens is always worth catching and it is interesting to see a plotline that seems more suggestive of a film being given the stage treatment – throw in the puzzling trail picture (above) and you can count me in.

It runs from 03 – 19 May. More details can be found here

Much more on World Stages London

The Stow Festival – A shameless plug and a great event

Tomorrow kicks off a project that I have been working on in the background  for almost 9 months. No, I am not expecting a baby but in its own way the residents of Walthamstow can look forward to a new arrival  of their very own tomorrow: a dedicated local music  festival in an area that is in desperate need of more culture.

A number of ‘concerned local residents’ decided to take matters into their own hands and have put together a 4 day festival that takes place over 9 venues and includes over 25 musicians. A massive thank you must go to all the bands, venues and local businesses who have helped us to create The Stow Festival.

Now all we need is an audience…this is where you come in.

If you live in Walthamstow you have no excuse,

If you have friends who live in Walthamstow, well its the perfect time to visit,

If you have never been to Walthamstow, well what could be better than kicking off your experience with a whole host of live music to enjoy.

Shameless plug yes but this blog does not endorse any old crap. It should be the last good weekend of the year – after this it will be cold, dark, gloomy and dank. So finish off the Summer in style by showing your support and having a great day out.

www.stowfestival.com

Stow Festival Programme

 

Ok shameless, shameless plug over. Normal service will be resumed once the festival is out the way and I have managed to catch up on the many hours of sleep that I am currently missing.

Reviews over the next few weeks should include: Othello in Sheffield, Hamlet in the Young Vic and One Man, Two Guvnors in its West End incarnation. If you have any productions that you would like me to review then feel free to get in touch, I am always interested in fringe productions and new writing.

 

London Riots: Theatre Special

So with the world, his wife  and their media entourage encamped in Edinburgh for the next few weeks, it asks the question of how those cosmopolitan metrosexuals of the capital can keep themselves entertained.

Well having asked the question, this week we got our answers… And our survey said that out of 100 participants the top two responses were:

 1) Looting

                               2) Appearing in court for looting

However for those who believe that life may have more to offer than G-Star Jeans, shiny new Nikes and £3000 of Rothman Superkings then there  is still the vibrant London theatre-scene…or not, an unfortunate consequence of the rioting meant that much of theatreland closed early to avoid the less than desirable impact of having your audience flambéed during the climax to Love Never Dies (the relief at being put of your misery twenty minutes early notwithstanding).

Having said that, every good rioter deserves favour now and again. And doing my bit to save London’s theatre, I suggest the following West End plays that are suitable for both rioters and vigilantes alike:

1) Hamlet – Young Vic

Shakespeare’s masterpiece about an emotionally troubled young man with an absent father. Watch as Hamlet slowly goes off the rails without the existence of strong familial discipline. Attempts from wise elders, young friends and even his own mother are unable to reign him in and the end, when it comes, is as tragic as it is sadly predictable.

2) Aladdin – Lyric Hammersmith

Experience the thrills and spills of Aladdin’s adventure to steal a magic lamp from a hardworking small business owner. Gasp in awe and laugh with delight as you watch Aladdin’s hilarious mishaps as he attempts to escape the local fuzz while holding on to a bin-liner stuffed with swag. And don’t worry folks, its just a pantomime so we can rest assured that Aladdin will get away with it and get the girl in the end.

3) Jerusalem – Apollo Theatre

A vision of life in our green and pleasant land. Follow Johnny Byron, spokesman for the everyday man as he faces eviction by the Council and hostility from the local community.

4) Les Miserables – Queen’s Theatre

Follow Jean Valjean,our hero and a former prisoner, who is pursuedrelentlessly by his nemesis, the policeman, Javert. Featuring the most convincing portrayals of civil disorder ever captured on the London stage and stuffed full of famous songs that you will have heard at riots up and down the land, you too can sing along with popular classics such as ‘Do you hear the people sing?’ and ‘At the barricades’

5) Accomplice – Menier Chocolate Factory

Described as part-tour, part-game, part-theatre, this innovative production takes people on a tour of Southwark. Constantly evolving, what started as a rather staid interactive mystery on the streets of London has turned into the capital’s hot ticket with new attractions including a burned out cornershop and a ransacked Lush. In this uniquely immersive productions, participants are able to throw bricks at police and indulge in a spot of light GBH in full-view of the much-loved London CCTV network. Smile for the camera guys!

Honorable Mention

Betty Blue Eyes – Novello Theatre

10% discount for English Defence League members.


Watch This! An anatomist of emotional pain

The signals have been there for a while – it probably started with the National  firing a warning shot off the bows with last year’s summer production of After the Dance at the National. Following that was Anne-Marie Duff’s barnstorming performance in Cause Celebre at the Old Vic; suddenly a star-filled, Trevor Nunn-fuelled Flare Path opens at the Haymarket and before you know it you’re in the middle of a full-blown set of centenary celebrations for one of the understated, and somewhat underrated, greats of 20th playwriting, Terence Rattigan.

A most enigmatic of figures who, like Noel Coward, was sidelined by the explosion in writing after Osborne’s Look Back In Anger blew away all the traditional conventions. However unlike Coward, Rattigan continued to write masterpieces in the form of Man and Boy and Cause Celebre.

BBC4 are shining the light on Rattigan, in which should be a fascinating look at a rather forgotten figure. Even better, current actor of the moment, Benedict Cumberbatch has been roped into host (naturally he must ‘go on a journey’, in this case visiting his own school, Harrow, where – surprise surprise – Rattigan was also a pupil)

Details: Thursday, 21:00 BBC4

Around the web

As usual the gigantic world of the blogosphere is putting me to shame in terms of creative output. Whilst I summon up the mental fortitude to begin writing a review of Emperor and Galilean, Ibsen’s monumental effort that deserves to be ranked alongside Michael Cimino’s Heaven’s Gate in terms of auterial epic fail, here are some of the more interesting things that are going on elsewhere:

1) For those who like their blogging hi-tech then you should head over to theatreVOICE (because capitalisation is so 19th century). I have recently discovered this impressive site but just a quick delve into the archives reveals a rich back catalogue of debate and analysis that dips into all area’s of theatre.

2) Whilst I fully intend to dedicate a full post to the wonderful Digital Theatre in due course, in the meantime you should most definitely visit their homepage. There is a long way to go but it finally seems as if their might be a decent way of watching expensive and sold-out shows in the comfort of your own home. Having downloaded the Open Air Theatre’s production of Into the Woods, I can confirm there is still work to do but it is definitely worth checking out.

3) Lyn Gardner talks to Felix Barrett, director of The Crash of the Elysium, and it makes me wish I was a child.

4) I went to see Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead and it is somewhere on the ‘to be written’ pile; there could be some sub-Stoppardian conceit in that but as it is you can read an even-handed assessment at Everything Theatre. 

5) A pithy review of A Women Killed With Kindness which opens on July 19th at the National.

6) And falling neatly into ‘And in other news…’ we can all learn about the fascinating history of a well-travelled suitcase over at the fabulous London Particulars.

The month ahead in reviews

A truth well recognised by those who must do the things they enjoy on an unpaid basis is that one must spend much time squeezed between the work you are paid to do and the work that you would like to do. Having spent the last few weeks dedicating some serious time and energy to the former, it feels that the latter requires a little more attention.

So now that the natural equilibrium of all things can look forward to being restored, here are the reviews that you can look forward to over the next month or so:

  • School for Scandal
  • The Infernal Comedy
  • The Cherry Orchard
  • Rosencrantz & Guildernstern Are Dead
  • Emperor & Galilean