• The Plough and the Stars at the Lyric Hammersmith review ***

    The Plough and the Stars Lyric Hammersmith, 26th March 2018 One way or another I see a fair amount of theatre. Making up for lost time I guess. Anyway this requires a reasonable degree of organisation. Nothing a small child couldn’t cope with but I do need to be on top of the diary. Very…

  • Patricia Kopatchinskaja and the LPO at the Royal Festival Hall review ****

    London Philharmonic Orchestra, London Philharmonic Choir, Thierry Fischer, Neville Creed, Patricia Kopatchinskaja (violin), William Davies (treble) Royal Festival Hall, 24th March 2018 Igor Stravinsky Symphony of Psalms Violin Concerto in D Credo, Ave Maria, Pater Noster Leonard Bernstein Chichester Psalms I have banged on before about the virtues of Moldovan-Austrian-Swiss, (forget national borders people), violinist…

  • The Great Wave at the National Theatre review ****

    The Great Wave National Theatre, 24th Mar 2018 Now theatre can do a lot of things. Delve deep into the psychology of characters and shed light on the human condition. Convey a passionate and heartfelt message. Put poetry into the mouths of actors. Dispense shock and awe through sound, light and material. And, of course, tell…

  • From the House of the Dead at the Royal Opera House review ****

    From the House of the Dead Royal Opera House, 22nd March 2018 Now this is it what opera is all about. Not just some portly punters, (though a couple of the chaps here were carrying as much timber as me), parking themselves mid-stage and belting out their arias. No here we get a concept, and…

  • Carducci Quartet at St John’s Smith Square review ****

      The Carducci Quartet St John’s Smith Square, 23rd March 2018 This was the second time I had heard the Carduccis perform the first five Philip Glass string quartets, following their performance at Kings Place as part of the marvellous Minimalism Unwrapped year long festival in 2015. They are, along with the Smith Quartet, (whose…

  • BBC Symphony Orchestra and Vilde Frang at the Barbican Hall review ****

    BBC Symphony Orchestra, Sakari Oramo, Vilde Frang (violin) Barbican Hall, 21st March 2018 Anna Clyne – This Midnight Hour Benjamin Britten – Violin Concerto, Op 15 Ludwig van Beethoven – Symphony No 6 in F major “Pastoral”, Op 68 The Violin Concerto is one of those Britten pieces that takes a bit of time to…

  • The York Realist at the Donmar Warehouse review *****

    The York Realist Donmar Warehouse, 22nd March 2018 Live in Sheffield? Like theatre? Then you must go see this production of the 2001 play, The York Realist, which is on at the Crucible for the next couple of weeks. Live in Sheffield and no interest in the theatre? Even more reason to go. The family…

  • The Birthday Party at the Harold Pinter Theatre review ****

    The Birthday Party Harold Pinter Theatre, 21st March 2018 Look into his eyes. look right into his eyes. Old Harold Pinter didn’t seem that menacing did he? But, as you well know, he created a whole genre of “comedy” presenting the violent and sinister which lurks below the everyday and which still resonates with playwrights…

  • SWR Symphony Orchestra Stuttgart at Cadogan Hall review ****

    SWR Symphony Orchestra Stuttgart, Sir Roger Norrington, Francesco Piemontesi (piano) Cadogan Hall, 16th March 2018 Ludwig van Beethoven The Creatures of Prometheus Overture, Op 43 Piano Concerto No 3 in C minor, Op 37 Symphony No 3 in E flat major “Eroica”, Op 55 I guess the fashion for all Beethoven programmes began with LvB…

  • Hamlet at the Hackney Empire review ****

    Hamlet Hackney Empire, 19th March 2018 Working on the premise that it surely is impossible to see Hamlet too often in a lifetime, and keen to make sure the RSC continues to bring as many productions as possible to London, I signed up some time ago for this gig. This despite having already seen the…

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