A Sunday of Sondheim. Review by Barbara Lewis. Max Eade, nominally the director, who tells us he is really just the organiser, says he wanted this small-scale performance in the intimate space of the Union Theatre to be imperfect; a matter of “scribbles on a page”.
A Red that Sings. Review by Barbara Lewis. “The red that sings” is a phrase rooted in the intellectual atmosphere of the 19th-century when scientists first grappled with the concept of synaesthesia, and poets and painters seized on it as a heightened response to the anxiety and excitement of breathless social change.
Poetry review – CONVERSATIONS WITH A MACHINE : Michael Bartholomew-Biggs reviews a slim collection by Ruth Irwin that seeks to engage with big questions
Van Dyck, The European. Review by Barbara Lewis. A lack of evidence means art historians can only speculate about the relationship between Peter Paul Rubens and his most gifted pupil Anthony van Dyck (1599–1641).
Poetry review — CONVERSATIONS WITH MAGIC STONES: Sue Wallace-Shaddad admires how the techniques of writing and sculpture are related in Vivienne Tregenza’s collection inspired by the life & work of Barbara Hepworth
SEVEN STORIES: Emma Storr enjoys a selection of tales by Merryn Williams which touch on the darker side of human nature
Poetry review – BEYOND THE NINTH WAVE and RED DRESS: Simon Jenner reviews recent collections by Gordon Meade and David Cameron
Extreme Private Eros. Review by Alan Price. The opening scenes of Extreme Private Eros: Love Song 1974 shows Miyuki with her female lover Sugako who cannot verbally express her feelings about their relationship. They live in a small town near a US military base in Okinawa and both work in a bar frequented by black American GIs.
Poetry review – SKY SAILING: Marie-Louise Eyres finds that a surrealist element in Tony Kitt’s poetry doesn’t hinder its ability to connect with a world his readers can recognize
Poetry review – MULTUM IN PARVO: Alex Josephy is impressed by the range and richness of the material from which Jane Weir crafts her poems
Poetry review – FACE IT: Jennifer Johnson considers the psychological undercurrents in a substantial first collection by M Stasiak
Poetry review – THE LAST ONE PICKED: D A Prince recognizes how far Stuart Handysides has developed his craft and experience before producing a first collection
By Michael Bartholomew-Biggs • added recently on London Grip, books, poetry reviews, year 2026