MICK MCSHANE is roused by a band whose socialism laces every line of every song with commitment and raw passion
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Best of 2019: Theatre
STANDOUT: BAC Beatbox Academy's Frankenstein
New releases from Mountain, Soul Asylum and Michael McDermott
ALEX HALL is disgusted by the misuse of ‘emotional narratives’ to justify uninformed geo-political prejudice
SUE TURNER welcomes a thoughtful, engaging book that lays bare the economic realities of global waste management
JOHN GREEN welcomes an insider account of the achievements and failures of the transition to democracy in Portugal
SIMON PARSONS applauds an imaginative and absorbing updating of Strindberg’s classic
PETER MASON is enthralled by an assembly of objects, ancient and modern, that have lain in the mud of London’s river
ANY round-up of theatre productions can throw up some strange bedfellows. This year's harvest is no different, highlighting the wonderful diversity of performers and themes on show in the last 12 months.
The Edinburgh Festival provided a cornucopia of live theatre, from the banal to the brilliant. Among the 63 countries represented in 753 shows, BAC Beatbox Academy's Frankenstein: How to Make a Monster stood out.
Six youngsters blew audiences away with a dynamic reinvention of Mary Shelley's classic which tackled contemporary social issues. Conceived as a "live concept album," the thrilling vocal soundscape, ranging from slick beatboxing and original rap numbers to haunting, soulful harmonies was inventive and mesmerising.
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SIMON PARSONS applauds an imaginative and absorbing updating of Strindberg’s classic
SIMON PARSONS is discomfited by an unflichingly negative portrait of motherhood and its trials
SIMON PARSONS applauds an insightful state-of-the-nation play that explores the growing class divide in South Africa
SIMON PARSONS applauds a tense and thoughtful production that regularly challenges our political engagement and prejudices
