At Home He Feels Like A Tourist

Category: Culture

• Capitalism Communism Culture Ideology London Politics Soviet Union Sport Theatre USA

  Ravens at the Hampstead Theatre review ***

  Ravens: Spassky vs Fischer Hampstead Theatre, 18th December 2019 I can see why Tom Morton-Smith would have alighted on the infamous chess match between Boris Spassky and Bobby Fischer in 1972 in Reykjavik. There are a ton of tomes on the subject and, after all, if it was good enough…

  February 3, 2020
• Class Culture England Family London Race Relationship Theatre

  A Kind of People at the Royal Court Theatre review ****

  A Kind of People Royal Court Downstairs, 16th December 2019 Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti was a new playwriting name for me. No longer. A Kind of People takes a not uncommon subject, racism in contemporary Britain, and not uncommon set-ups, a mixed race marriage, friendships, a party, a workplace, and conjures…

  January 31, 2020
• Baroque Choral Christmas Classical Music Concert Culture London Oratorio

  Freiburg Baroque Orchestra at the Barbican Hall review ****

  Freiburg Baroque Orchestra, Trevor Pinnock (director), Rachel Redmond (soprano), Claudia Huckle (alto), James Way (tenor), Ashley Riches (bass), Zürcher Sing-Akademie Barbican Hall, 11th December 2019 The Tourist’s annual Messiah. Almost Billy No Mates. But eventually MSBDB1 stepped into the breach. For which many thanks as Messiah is best shared. Now…

  January 30, 2020
• Culture London Power Race Theatre USA

  Fairview at the Young Vic review ***

  Fairview Young Vic Theatre, 11th December 2019 Fell like a bit of a fraud putting pen to paper on this. For, I confess, I did not completely understand Fairview. African-American playwright Jackie Sibblies Drury won the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for the play. The conceit is ingenious. A birthday dinner for…

  January 30, 2020
• Comedy Culture Stand Up

  Stewart Lee: Snowflake/Tornado review *****

  Stewart Lee: Snowflake/Tornado Leicester Square Theatre, 10th December 2019 It’s Stewart Lee. He is so far above other comedians that it makes me wonder why they bother. Of course it is a 5* review. Even when he is meandering he is a genius. Here the show was delayed by a…

  January 29, 2020
• Colonialism Culture Family London Nationhood Nigeria Theatre War

  Three Sisters at the National Theatre review ***

  Three Sisters National Theatre Lyttleton, 9th December 2019 Opportunity partially missed I am afraid. Inua Ellams has come up with a brilliant idea by transporting Chekhov to 1960s Nigeria, specifically during the Biafaran Civil War. Yet his urge to educate and contextualise leaves the dialogue heavy on exposition. And, in…

  January 29, 2020
• Age Ballet Beauty Classical Music Culture Edwardian Fiction Film Literature London Love Opera Venice

  Death in Venice at the Royal Opera House *****

  Death in Venice Royal Opera House, 3rd December 2019 Fresh from the superlative semi-staged version of Peter Grimes from Ed Gardner, the Bergen PO and assorted chums and straight into this. A top drawer new version of Death in Venice from David McVicar. I have fond memories of seeing Deborah…

  January 26, 2020
• Classical Music Community Concert Culture Landscaoe London Opera Place Sea Suffolk Tragedy

  Peter Grimes at the Royal Festival Hall review *****

  Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Edward Gardner (conductor), Bergen Philharmonic Choir, Edvard Grieg Kor, Royal Northern College of Music Chorus, Choir of Collegiûm Mûsicûm, Håkon Matti Skrede (chorus master), Vera Rostin Wexelsen (stage direction) Royal Festival Hall, 30th November 2019 Let’s not waste too much time on this. For this extraordinary evening…

  January 26, 2020
• Culture Disability Family London Theatre

  A Day in the Life of Joe Egg at Trafalgar Studios review *****

  A Day in the Life of Joe Egg Trafalgar Studios, 30th November 2019 Not a fan of the Trafalgar Studios which has been asking daft prices for mediocre seating in the last year or so, (though it seems to have eased up a bit now and is nowhere near as…

  January 23, 2020
• Beauty Classics Culture Film London Minimalism Myths Opera Paris Poetry

  Orphee at ENO review ***

  Orphee English National Opera, 27th November 2019 The Mask of Orpheus. Extraordinary music, fine singing, showy production. Orpheus and Eurydice. Fine music, mostly, superb singing, faulty production. So how would the Tourist fair in his third encounter with the Orpheus myth in the ENO season. Well since you ask. Best…

  January 20, 2020