Reviews of Habibi Funk 031, Kayatibu, and The Good Ones
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Words words words
MARY CONWAY wonders if a single absurd concept is enough to sustain a drama, however beautiful the actors
SKILFUL: Aidan Turner as Oliver and Jenna Coleman as Bernadette
[Johan Persson]
SIMON DUFF relishes the cross contamination of Damien Hirst’s greatest hits by street artists from France and the US
In view of the grooming gangs inquiry, SIMON PARSONS feels the relevance of this powerful examination of trauma suffered at Medomsley Youth Detention Centre
JOHN GREEN doubts the motivations of a US war photographer who never questions why, or for whom, she is producing images of imperialist conflict
MARIA DUARTE reviews Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere, Hedda, The Mastermind, and Regretting You
TONY CONWAY welcomes a thrilling and concise history of Hope not Hate, that is also a manual full of tactical advice
PAUL DONOVAN welcomes an inspiring account of living with deafness that has important lessons for the treatment of deaf people in today’s UK
Lemons Lemons Lemons
Harold Pinter Theatre
IF I’d read this play before I saw it, I’d never have tipped it for the West End stage… which just goes to show what the charm and star quality of two handsome actors can do.
Heartthrob Aiden Turner of Poldark fame smiles and strolls his way through a deceptively tight and skilful performance as if he’s wearing a pair of cosy slippers, while Jemma Coleman (of Doctor Who and Victoria) keeps us on our toes with her easy physicality and warmth in this fast-moving, multi-scene bonanza. For the audience it feels like a private evening in the company of beautiful people, which is, it seems, sufficient to make it the blockbuster it is.
The play by Sam Steiner hinges on one single, frankly absurd, idea: that the government has, for some inexplicable reason, passed a law that rations language. 140 words is the daily limit per person. If this is enforceable, I’d like to know how.
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GORDON PARSONS is blown away by a superb production of Rostand’s comedy of verbal panache and swordmanship
MARY CONWAY revels in the Irish American language and dense melancholy of O’Neill’s last and little-known play
MARY CONWAY recommends a beautifully judged performance that shines a light on the experience of all female war babies and boomers
ANGUS REID applauds the inventive stagecraft with which the Lyceum serve up Stevenson’s classic, but misses the deeper themes