Medea, The Barbican. Review by Julia Pascal.
Medea is perhaps the most potent myth for the #MeToo generations. First-performed in 431 BC, Euripides’ drama has had countless interpreters.
Julia Pascal
The Good Person of Szechwan, By Bertolt Brecht. Review by Julia Pascal.
It is rare to see productions of Brecht in London today. It is even rarer to see them performed in Russian.This jewel from Moscow came only briefly to London but it showed audiences that there is an antidote to endless naturalism.
Guys and Dolls, Royal Albert Hall. Review by Julia Pascal.
Damon Runyan’s short stories inspired what has become an iconic and much-loved Broadway musical and movie – Guys and Dolls.
La Malady of Love, Katie Mitchell, Barbican Theatre. Review by Julia Pascal.
This piece of theatre is inspired by La Maladie de la Mort, Marguerite Duras’ 1982 novella. The original text explored a homosexual’s purchase of a woman in a vain search for love.
Emilia, Shakespeare’s Globe. Review by Julia Pascal.
This play is a picaresque adventure describing the life of Emilia Bassano Lanier. Emilia, born in 1569, was a direct contemporary of Shakespeare, and perhaps the inspiration of his Dark Lady of the Sonnets.
BBC Proms 50. Review by Julia Pascal.
The evening opened with Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto in A Major K622. This is Mozart’s last finished orchestral work. Composed in 1789, it is one of the most exquisite of Mozart’s creations. Annelien Van Wauwe’s interpretation was curiously intimate and delicate.
Much Ado About Nothing, Gray’s Inn Hall. Review by Julia Pascal.
This is Shakespeare light. Very light. Antic Disposition’s presentation of Shakespeare’s 1598 comedy is aimed at touring in South West France during the summer months when Paris empties and the French take to the countryside.
Andersson Dance/Scottish Ensemble – Goldberg Variations – ternary patterns for insomnia. Review by Julia Pascal.
This is a playful, absurdist and yet serious performance of contemporary dance set to Bach’s Goldberg Variations.
Polarity and Proximity, Birmingham Royal Ballet at Sadler’s Wells. Review by Julia Pascal.
Polarity & Proximity, a triple bill, follows the success earlier in the week of Romeo & Juliet. This London programme’s aim is to reveal the range of styles this strong company employs.
Romeo & Juliet, Birmingham Royal Ballet, Sadler’s Wells. Review by Julia Pascal.
Romeo & Juliet, set to Sergei Prokofiev’s 1935 composition, is one of the most thrilling dramatic ballets ever produced in the twentieth century.
I am of Ireland by Seamus Finnegan. Review by Julia Pascal.
I Am Of Ireland is an epic piece of theatre rooted in Irish identity, politics and history. It journeys from The Troubles to The Good Friday Peace Agreement and on to today.
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The Merry Widow, ENO. Review by Julia Pascal.
This was the first time I had seen this operetta and the idea of Viennese kitsch did not excite me. Director Max Webster clearly shares my antipathy for schlock. His production is a wonderful reframing of the story from a post #MeToo perspective.