At Home He Feels Like A Tourist

  • Heather at the Bush Theatre review *****

    Heather Bush Theatre, 8th November 2017 For me the best plays take a very few ideas, or even better one idea, and then explore those ideas from multiple perspectives. If the writer loads up the text with too many ideas and messages, usually because he/she can and “it would be…

  • My pick of London theatre – on now and booking ahead

    Right let me cut to the chase. Here is my latest attempt to distil the best of what is on now and what is coming up in the world of London theatre. There is a bunch of new stuff notably at the National Theatre, the Barbican, the Donmar Warehouse, the…

  • Beethoven and Shostakovich: LPO at the Royal Festival Hall review ***

    London Philharmonic Orchestra, Andres Orozco-Estrada, Inon Barnatan Royal Festival Hall, 27th October 2017 Beethoven – Piano Concerto No 5 “Emperor” Shostakovich – Symphony No 7 “Leningrad” Off to the Festival Hall for a couple of big beasts of the repertoire (or at least the repertoire I like). Yet I have…

  • Follies at the National Theatre review *****

    Follies National Theatre, 2nd November 2017 I now think I might be mistaken in my general aversion to musical theatre. I think the problem may be that I just haven’t seen enough Sondheim. You can see from all the proper reviews and audience feedback just how well this production has…

  • Young Marx at the Bridge Theatre review ****

    Young Marx Bridge Theatre, 1st November 2017 Let me add to the chorus of theatre lovers telling you how wonderful the new Bridge Theatre is. Cracking location by the river (Thames obvs) with a view of Tower Bridge. Wide open foyer space with a long bar for those who fancy…

  • Beginning at the National Theatre review ****

    Beginning National Theatre, 30th October 2017 No need for some unseemly outpouring of emotional sharing from the Tourist but let’s just say that the very rare occasions when he has been compelled to confess his regard for another human being have been excruciatingly painful. A handshake is unsettling. Hugging and…

  • The Death of Stalin film review ****

    The Death of Stalin, 26th October 2017 There have been a lot of clever people born in Scotland. In fact there was a time at in the second half of the C18 when it was the smartest place on Earth, the Scottish Enlightenment. All right maybe I exaggerate a bit…

  • “Italy in England”, Academy of Ancient Music at Milton Court review ****

    Academy of Ancient Music, Bojan Cicic (director and violin), Frank de Bruine (oboe) Italy in England: When Handel Met Corelli, Milton Court Concert Hall, 19th October 2017 Corelli – Concerto Grosso in D major Op. 6 No. 4 Handel – Concerto for Oboe No. 3 in G minor Geminiani –…

  • Albion at the Almeida Theatre review ****

    Albion Almeida Theatre, 21st October 2017 Now we all know Mike Bartlett is a great writer. If you don’t know his stage work then, if you love your telly in the UK, you will likely have come across his mini-series Doctor Foster. So you will know that he can write…

  • Les Miserables at the Queen’s Theatre review ***

    Les Miserables Queen’s Theatre, 16th September I first saw Les Mis at the Barbican some three decades ago (gulp). I seem to remember me and TFF were perched up in the gallery and the view was obscured a bit by lighting rigs. To use the vernacular it blew me away.…