At Home He Feels Like A Tourist

  • Hamlet at the Almeida review *****

    Hamlet Almeida Theatre, 11th March 2017 “…. but I’ve forgotten what Hamlet is about.  It’s about a young man called Hamlet. And a girl called Ophelia who goes mad. And a ghost. And a Queen called Gertrude who gets poisoned. And a king called Claudius who gets stabbed. And a young man called Laertes…

  • John Latham at the Serpentine Gallery review ****

    John Latham: A World View Serpentine Gallery, 17th March 2017 in recent years I have had a growing fascination with the “pure” Conceptual Art (only capitals will do here) of the 1960’s and 1970s and the way it appears to have come to influence chunks of today’s artistic discourse. This is…

  • Some ideas for the culturally inclined in London

    So here is a brief list of what is on in London or coming up … and is of interest to me and maybe to you Theatre This is just an update of the following post … with a few new ideas that have cropped up recently Some forthcoming theatre ideas…

  • Michael Andrews and Richard Serra at the Gagosian Galleries London review *****

    Michael Andrews: Earth Air Water ***** Gagosian Gallery, Grosvenor Hill London, 2nd February 2017 Richard Serra: NJ-2, Rounds:Equal Weight, Unequal Measure, Rotate ***** Gagosian Gallery, Britannia Street London, 21st October 2016 Just a very late shout out for two of the most interesting gallery exhibitions currently on in London in…

  • Some forthcoming classical music concert ideas (with a bit of nostalgia thrown in)

    Some recommendations – but read the caveats below So in this post I have tried to draw out some highlights (for me) of the forthcoming classical music seasons at the major London venues. Remember this blog is for the curious – all you experts out there are permitted to snigger…

  • My Brilliant Friend at the Rose Theatre Kingston review ****

    My Brilliant Friend Parts 1 and 2 Rose Theatre Kingston, 27th February and 17th March 2017 I had not read the quartet of Elena Ferrante novels coming in to this (though I mean to put this right now). However, as this is a Guardian readers’ and various novelists’ favourite and…

  • Grounded at the Gate Theatre review ****

    Grounded Gate Theatre, Notting Hill Gate, 15th March 2017 Given that Grounded is now into its third run at the Gate and that is has had critical acclaim heaped upon it the last thing it needs is this chump adding to the sound and fury. But it seems I am…

  • Russian Art at the Royal Academy review ****

    Revolution: Russian Art 1917-1932 Royal Academy of Arts of Arts, 15th March 2017 Right short and sweet I think here. This was fascinating. But maybe less for the art itself and more for the insight into Soviet history. I only had a vague sense of the events that marked the…

  • Bryars and Reich, LPO at the RFH review ****

    London Philharmonic Orchestra, Synergy Vocals, Sound Intermedia Royal Festival Hall, 15th March 2017 Now it is a racing certainty that you will be familiar one way or another with the great minimalist composers of the second half of the C20 even if you don’t know it. The sound is ubiquitous…

  • Travesties at the Apollo Theatre review ****

    Travesties Apollo Theatre, 13th March 2017 Right then. I clearly have to up my game. The more theatre I see the better I am at appreciating, understanding and enjoying. This is particularly the case with the great playwrights. With Will Shakespeare given a half decent director and cast I can…