EXCELLENT: Devs
HENRY BELL is fascinated by the underlying curiosities and contradictions of one of the great poets of the Mediterranean
DAVID RENTON recommends a books that explores the ways in which disabled people are made to feel both of and not part of this world
JONATHAN TAYLOR is fascinated by the philosophical problems that permeate the art of life-writing
GORDON PARSONS steps warily in between the lines of Britain’s most famous diarist
SIMON DUFF recommends a recording of Arvo Part that takes the listener on a pilgrimage through seemingly distant times and events of the Bible
MY CONSUMPTION of media this week has been irregular and random, a thing of shreds and patches.
I limit corona coverage and won’t watch junk, which rules out most TV — except for Devs on BBC2, excellent. I concentrate instead on live streaming and the feeling of collective consciousness, singling out a play reading of Somebody Else by Jonathan Chadwick.
With actors Laura Lake Adebisi and Ruth Lass, it’s about the relationship between a refugee and her helper, and it has great emotional truth as each actor zooms in at us, as if we were the other character.
PAUL FOLEY picks out an excellent example of theatre devised to start conversations about identity, class and belonging
