At Home He Feels Like A Tourist

Category: War

• Acting art Capitalism Classical Music Classics Comedy Concert Contemporary Classical Culture Electronics England Exhibition Feminism Fiction Film Fringe Gender Generations Identity Love Memory Monarchy Monologue Novel Opera Pantomime Photography Politics Poverty Power Race Satire Sexuality Shakespeare Space Theatre Truth War

  Catching up (Part 3)

  April 2020 to December 2020 In which the Tourist condenses down 2020, in and out of lockdown, mostly watching stuff on a screen. Don’t worry he also took walks, saw punters when permitted and growled at the state of his disappointing nation, but it is only now he is back…

  November 5, 2021
• Culture Fascism Fiction Film Germany History Ideology Literature London Memory Novel Theatre Uncategorized War

  The Tin Drum at the Coronet Theatre review *****

  The Tin Drum The Coronet Theatre, 24th February 2020 I know. This is ridiculous. Posting some comments on something the Tourist saw over 18 months ago. But I started. So I’ll finish. And with some cracking live theatre now under his belt, the Tourist’s cultural mojo is back with a…

  October 1, 2021
• Classical Music Concert Concerto Culture London Russia Soviet Union Symphony War

  Noseda and the LSO at the Barbican review ****

  London Symphony Orchestra, Gianandrea Noseda (conductor), Roman Simovic (violin) Barbican Hall, 9th February 2020 Prokofiev – Symphony No 1 in D major Op 25 “Classical” Prokofiev – Violin Concerto No 1 Op 19 Mussorgsky arr Rimsky-Korsakov – Prelude to “Khovanshchina” Shostakovich – Symphony No 9 in E flat major Op 70 The latest all Russian instalment in…

  May 20, 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
• Community Culture Landscape London Memory Place Theatre Wales War

  On Bear Ridge at the Royal Court Theatre review ***

  On Bear Ridge Royal Court Theatre, 21st November 2019 Knockout premise. Some splendid dialogue. Beguiling, complex characters. Inspired design courtesy of Cai Dyfans. Supported by the lighting of Elliot Griggs and sound of Mike Beer, And engaging performances from the outstanding Welsh cast of Rhys Ifans, Rakie Ayola (the first…

  January 3, 2020
• Church Culture History London Religion Rwanda Theatre War

  Our Lady of Kibeho at the Theatre Royal Stratford East review *****

  Our Lady of Kibeho Theatre Royal Stratford East, 31st October 2019 Old Billers, now set to enjoy retirement as he steps down from his job as chief critic at the Guardian, knows a thing or two about theatre. So, when he identified, with his colleagues, OLOK as one of the…

  December 1, 2019
• Culture Empire History Institution Mental Illness Nationhood Politics Theatre War

  Plenty at the Chichester Festival Theatre review ****

  Plenty Chichester Festival Theatre, 27th June 2019 Sir David Hare has written a fair few plays. Important plays. As well as TV screenplays and film scripts. I’ve only seen a handful but it’s not difficult to work out why the old boy is so important. Even if some would suggest…

  August 23, 2019
• Birmingham Culture Film Greece History London Love Novel Theatre War

  Captain Corelli’s Mandolin at the Rose Kingston review *****

  Captain Corelli’s Mandolin Rose Theatre Kingston, 12th May 2019 WELL F*CK ME. LITERALLY AS I WAS ABOUT TO PUBLISH THIS POST I SEE THAT THE PRODUCTION HAS SECURED A RUN AT THE HAROLD PINTER THEATRE IN JULY AND AUGUST. EXACTLY WHAT I HOPED FOR. YEAH !!!!!!! Never read the book.…

  May 30, 2019
• Capitalism Culture Family London Morality Theatre Tragedy USA War

  All My Sons at the Old Vic Theatre review *****

  All My Sons Old Vic Theatre, 10th May 2019 Take Arthur Miller’s most “Greek” and, probably, most moralising play. Wheel in a couple of Hollywood heavyweights (Bill Pullman and Sally Field, Neve before seen on a UK stage). Add a couple of high recognition and talented Brit actors (Jenna Coleman…

  May 28, 2019
• art Culture Exhibition History London Painting Photography Sculpture Truth War

  Don McCullin exhibition at Tate Britain review ****

  Don McCullin Tate Britain, 1st May 2019 The main event first. The astonishing work of Don McCullin, the renowned “war” photographer, though this epithet doesn’t get close to covering the depth of the work revealed in this retrospective at the Tate, (now finished, sorry). McCullin, now 83, left art college…

  May 14, 2019