Into the madhouse… “The Changeling” at the Young Vic
The Young Vic’s slogan is “It’s a big world in here”. It’s a changing world, too. This most adaptable of venues wrong foots you with every visit. It’s quite simply a different environment for every show, a…
“Victor/Victoria” jinxed?
Blake Edwards’ adaptation of his own movie Victor/Victoria would seem to be stalked by a dark star. Henry Mancini fell ill and died whilst trying to complete the much-augmented score, Julie Andrews’ vocal woes began in the…
Hamlisch’s “Sweet Smell of Success” gets feisty UK premiere at the Arcola Theatre
It’s well known that a composer’s latest “baby” is always his favourite but when I met with Marvin Hamlisch a few days after the Broadway opening back in 2002 he really was full of The Sweet Smell…
Donizetti’s ‘Belisario’ marches in…
Among Donizetti’s 75 or so operas Belisario has all the credentials to be much more than just a curio. It was written in the wake of Lucia di Lammermoor‘s triumph and represents the composer in full maturity…
Will Young at the Kit Kat
It should not be underestimated what Will Young achieves as Emcee in the current West End revival of Kander and Ebb’s Cabaret. In a sense the director of the show, Rufus Norris, has greedily capitalised on Young’s…
Three Sisters, the Young Vic, and the extraordinary Benedict Andrews
Three of the best things I have seen in the theatre over the last couple of years have been directed by the same man – Benedict Andrews. The ENO/Young Vic’s extraordinary The Return of Ulysses, the Sydney…
Calendar Girls (and Boys)
In the ever unpredictable world of opera there are those, it has to be said, who wear rather less onstage than they do off but the image below – Dame Felicity Lott enjoying a little fantasy poolside…
Mercury Musical Developments at 20
Presenting the Sydney Brown Memorial Award 2012 to Denise Wright and Chris Burgess for a show called Emerald (which I hope is a better whole than the two numbers representing it here) Michael Ball recalled the original…
The Promotional EPK (Electronic Press Kit) Interview
I’m often asked to drive video interviews for promotional purposes – and tomorrow I’ll be doing just that for the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra with a young Russian born but now naturalised American pianist, Natasha Peremski, whose parents…
CD Review – the live experience
It was good being back in Radio 3’s busy continuity suite this morning. It’s been a while. My CD Review contributions are more often than not scripted and pre-recorded these days and there really isn’t anything quite…