Category: Culture
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The Hunt at the Almeida Theatre review *****
The Hunt Almeida Theatre, 1st August 2019 I am not sure where I stand on the films of director, controversialist and misogynist Lars van Trier. I guess if you venture into dark territory you are going to make the audience that follows you uneasy. Which is how I feel about…
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Blues in the Night at the Kiln Theatre review ***
Blues in the Night Kiln Theatre, 31st July 2019 Right. I’ll cut to the chase. Blues in the Night isn’t really a work of drama. Or really musical theatre. It is a nostalgic revue purporting to tell the story of three women, the Lady (Sharon D Clarke), the Woman (Debbie…
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Prom 15, Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra review *****
Prom 15 – Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Yannick Nézet-Séguin (conductor) Royal Albert Hall, 30th July 2019 Beethoven – Symphony No 2 Shostakovich – Symphony No 5 It always surprises just how few Proms concerts tick all the boxes for the Tourist. I can usually only manage 4 or 5 in…
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Van Gogh and Britain at Tate Britain review ****
Van Gogh and Britain Tate Modern, 30th July 2019 Took me way ages to find the time to see this. And even longer to comment on it. Really what is the point. Especially as even late afternoon on a weekday it was a bun fight with bugger all chance to…
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the end of history …. at the Royal Court Theatre review ***
the end of history … Royal Court Theatre, 29th July 2019 Jack Thorne, (recents include H. Potter, Woyzeck, Junkyard and Kiri and The Virtues on the box), writing, (so blame him for the lower case affectation). John Tiffany, (H. Potter, Road, The Glass Menagerie), directing. A cast of Lesley Sharp,…
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Noises Off at the Lyric Hammersmith review ****
Noises Off Lyric Hammersmith, 24th July 2019 Noises Off will transfer to the Garrick Theatre from 27th September. It is a generally accepted truism in luvvie-world that Michael Frayn’s Noises Off is one of the funniest plays. An opinion with which the Tourist heartily concurs. Alongside Lysistrata and The Frogs, most…
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Present Laughter at the Old Vic review ****
Present Laughter Old Vic Theatre, 24th July 2019 Ummed and ahhed about whether to see this. On the one hand it was Andrew Scott in the lead as one of theatre’s most renowned hyper-narcissists, Gary Essendine. On the other hand it was a play from the dreadful old reactionary Noel…
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Noye’s Fludde at the Theatre Royal Stratford East review ****
Noye’s Fludde Theatre Royal Stratford East, 3rd July 2019 You might think it’s a bit sad really. A grown man in his 50s on his own at a children’s opera performed by a community that he cannot claim to be any part of. Unfortunately my kids never caught the Britten…
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Bitter Wheat at the Garrick Theatre review **
Bitter Wheat Garrick Theatre, 4th July 2019 The last time I saw a David Mamet play it was the very fine revival of Glengarry Glen Ross at the Playhouse with an outstanding cast of Christian Slater, Robert Glenister, Kris Marshall, Stanley Townsend, Don Warrington, Daniel Ryan and Oliver Ryan. There…
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Wife at the Kiln Theatre review ****
Wife Kiln Theatre, 3rd July 2019 How difficult can it be to get to Kilburn? Very it would seem if you are the Tourist, this being the second time this year that he has missed the start of a matinee performance, (and having cut it perilously fine on another occasion).…