reviews
Bernard Hughes |
Where the US President chose to mark the 250th anniversary of the founding of his country with a cage fight, the BBC stuck to music in this Prom of 20th century Americana. Featuring Marin Alsop and the Philharmonia, it ticked lots of boxes – but slightly fell over itself in the process.
Adam Sweeting
Exactly how Ronnie Wood has reached the age of 79, after decades of rock’n’roll debauchery with the Faces and the Rolling Stones and surviving cancer…
David Kettle
Up: Violin vs Football, French Institute in Scotland ★★★★★Is it theatre? Is it music, or maybe dance? Or even some kind of circus, or simply sport?…
Rachel Halliburton
Last year, Chineke! delivered one of the Proms’ more hard-hitting offerings, in a programme including Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 10, “50 minutes of…
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Simon Thompson
Arch wit and folksy strangeness from opposite ends of Europe
David Kettle
Three lynched men shoot the breeze in Zora Howard's brief but potent play
Kieron Tyler
Exhaustive box set dedicated to the North London band which briefly featured David Bowie
David Nice
Some mezzo nuances lost, though none from vivid tenor or players
David Kettle
A high-velocity storytelling show challenges us to understand a barely comprehensible world
Sebastian Scotney
Glorious soundpainting from Ambrose Akinmusire and arrangements by Miho Hazama
Simon Thompson
Strings with two guest artists, and a tribute to Alfred Brendel
David Kettle
Homophobic hate crime and affectionate celeb capers in two memorable shows
Aleks Sierz
Exaggeration central: cartoon version of Mike Leigh classic arrives in the West End
Boyd Tonkin
Singers, and players, rise above some clunky moments in Strauss's meta-opera
James Saynor
A knowing American horror parody that’s all-self-consuming
Bernard Hughes
This wide-ranging miscellany combines urban history and geography to nerdily entertaining effect
David Kettle
Ancient Greek myth and a valedictory celebration in two plays at the Traverse Theatre
Veronica Lee
Larky cabaret; smart musical comedy; and a blast of a debut
Kieron Tyler
When a new album is an adjunct of an old one
Boyd Tonkin
A virtuoso clarinettist shines between two murder-ballets
David Kettle
Ivo van Hove's radically stripped-back staging blurs fantasy and reality in Tony Kushner's epic
David Nice
Spanish cellist's Elgar goes deep, while Walton's Second Symphony glows and throbs
Adam Sweeting
Alan Ritchson adds brain to brawn in the title role
Simon Thompson
Ortiz glitters, Adès grips, Beethoven purrs
Veronica Lee
Political gags; absurdist fun; and a personal update
David Nice
Despite the mass percussion and four brass bands, the quieter moments register most
David Kettle
A site-specific stage adaptation captures the fleeting brilliance of Andrew O'Hagan's novel
Jonathan Geddes
30 years into their career, Idlewild were on snappy form in Glasgow
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