MICK MCSHANE is roused by a band whose socialism laces every line of every song with commitment and raw passion
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Theatre: Richard III, Bristol Old Vic
A new version of Shakespeare’s history has more style than substance in its search for contemporary relevance
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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
DIRECTOR John Haidar’s new version of Richard III starts with the killing of Henry VI and streamlines the text so that voices merge, characters are cut and Richard totally dominates proceedings.
The intention is to show a pragmatic world of mercenary values that has modern relevance and to focus on Richard’s self-made reality.
The end product, akin to a graphic novel with the protagonist something of a Marvel villain, sees Tom Mothersdale going to town as the deformed Duke of Gloucester. Twisted internally and externally and existing entirely in his own evil universe, few other characters manage to engage with his self-obsessed creation.
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