Giffords Circus – Laguna Bay. Review by Barbara Lewis. Imagine a time when childhoods were free from mobile phones, video games and Instagram, and when the arrival of an exotic circus troupe on a village green or at the seaside represented magic and excitement far beyond the everyday.
Barbara Lewis
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No More Normal. Review by Barbara Lewis. Consultant neuropsychiatrist Alastair Santhouse has for more than a quarter of a century worked to try to solve the diverse and complex issues of those considered to be abnormal.
By Barbara Lewis • added recently on London Grip, books, psychiatry, society • Tags: Barbara Lewis, books, psychiatry, society

Cul-de-Sac. Review by Barbara Lewis. “Do you think this is enjoyable for anyone to be around?” It’s a very dangerous question in the mouth of Ruth Townsend, who is the aptly named wife of the overly frank Frank Townsend, the central couple of this tale of frustrated lives at the end of the line in London’s Zone 6.
By Barbara Lewis • plays, theatre, year 2025 • Tags: Barbara Lewis, plays, theatre

The Big Bite-Size Breakfast Show. Review by Barabara Lewis. The Big Bite-Size Breakfast Show is a mood-enhancing, life-affirming start to the day – and after an 18-year run at the Edinburgh Fringe and an 11-year absence from Brighton, where it began, it is back on the English coast.
By Barbara Lewis • comedy, theatre, year 2025 • Tags: Barbara Lewis, comedy, theatre

Nocturnal Journey. Review by Barbara Lewis. Detachment from time and space are the hallmarks of Hans Op de Beeck’s meticulously crafted art, which arguably make it fitting that he has never had a complete exhibition of his work in his native Belgium – until now.
By Barbara Lewis • art, exhibitions, sculpture, year 2025 • Tags: art, Barbara Lewis, exhibitions, sculpture

Books of Hours, Books of Hope. Review by Barbara Lewis. If, like me, you need a reminder of the definition, a book of hours is a devotional manual designed for personal prayer.
By Barbara Lewis • books, exhibitions, history, religion, year 2025 • Tags: Barbara Lewis, books, exhibitions, religion

Peter Grimes. Review by Barbara Lewis. In difficult times, it would seem, people crave total escapism – or deep catharsis from confronting our own failure as humans and society.
By Barbara Lewis • music, opera, theatre, year 2025 • Tags: Barbara Lewis, music, opera, theatre

Chicago. Review by Barbara Lewis. Born of a rift between French and Dutch speakers in the Belgian city of Leuven, Louvain-la-Neuve, one of Europe’s youngest cities, dates back to 1971 and has a history of creating new traditions.
By Barbara Lewis • musicals, theatre, year 2025 • Tags: Barbara Lewis, musicals, theatre
Grayson Perry: Delusions of Grandeur. Review by Barbara Lewis. One of the joys of Grayson Perry’s exhibition is that it is he who provides the explanatory notes. A standout peg is: “An artist’s job is to bite the hand that feeds him, but not too hard”
By Barbara Lewis • art, exhibitions, fashion, painting, print, textiles, year 2025 • Tags: art, Barbara Lewis, exhibitions, fashion, print, tapestry, textiles
Stiletto. Review by Barbara Lewis. On average 5,000 boys were castrated every year in 18th-century Italy in a desperate attempt by poor families to change their fortunes. They nearly always managed only to add tragedy to their misery.
By Barbara Lewis • musicals, theatre, year 2025 • Tags: Barbara Lewis, musicals, theatre
Storehouse. Review by Barbara Lewis. As the former CEO of the national independent TV and radio stations in Georgia, Liana Patarkatsishvili has strong views on freedom of expression and on attempts to stifle the truth.
By Barbara Lewis • added recently on London Grip, performance, society, technology, theatre • Tags: Barbara Lewis, performance, society, technology, theatre