John Lucas is entertained by Keith Hutson’s collection of poems about music hall – and by the performers who appear in it
theatre
Of all Shakespeare’s plays, the problematic Taming of the Shrew lends itself to tongue-in-cheek adaptations. Already a play-within-a-play in the original version, framing Shakespeare’s account of the shrewish Kate and her borderline-abusive Petruchio with a backstage broken romance ratchets up a notch the already absurdly charged sexual tension.
One of the most vexed questions around prostitution today concerns the legal status and rights of sex workers. Feminists and policy makers fall into two camps.
Ex Machina/Robert Lepage: Needles and Opium Barbican Theatre, 7 – 16 July 2016
This was the UK premiere for the Compagnie Marie Chouinard from Quebec. She started with Soft virtuosity, still humid, on the edge – a title that means nothing in English but perhaps has more resonance in French. Happily the work was far more exciting than the title.
A new stage show by poet Martin Figura turns out to be both entertaining and thought-provoking
A dance-drama about the troubled lives of Caitlin & Dylan Thomas
In our modern, toxic world, the perfect embodiment of the endless struggle between good and evil could be the green warrior versus the polluter.
Ultimately, that’s the premise of The Toxic Avenger, the rock musical, which director Benji Sperring happened to see during one free afternoon off-Broadway in New York in 2009.
Michael Bartholomew-Biggs draws together his impressions of a novel multi-media show that combines poetry music and film.
Northern Ireland’s permanent representation in Brussels periodically brings to the capital of Europe a sample of Northern Irish culture in a spirit of cross-cultural exchange that risks being disrupted in the event of a Brexit.
Thomas Ovans enjoys an evening at the theatre which recalls a golden age of cinema.
For the non-initiate, The Beastie Boys were a group of white New Yorkers who made the leap from punk rock to hip hop. The result was the number 1 hit Licensed to Ill and an opening up to the white suburbs of a previously black musical phenomenon.
By Barbara Lewis • bands, music, performance, theatre • Tags: Barbara Lewis, music, performance, theatre