reviews
theartsdesk |

We are bowled over! 

We knew that theartsdesk.com had plenty of supporters out there – we’ve always had a loyal readership of arts lovers and professionals alike – but the response to our appeal to help us relaunch and reboot has been something else.

Jenny Gilbert |

The jury was out when Ballet Nights first made its pitch to the dance-curious – a potential audience, the thinking went, that might be nervous about signing up to the full three-act deal in an opera house but could be tempted by something more akin to a variety show, a curated mix of classical and contemporary with a compère to schmooze them through

Veronica Lee
An evening in the company of the smiley Russell Howard always lifts one’s spirits and his latest show, Don’t Tell the Algorithm, proves no…
Markie Robson-Scott
“I was not a bad man. Nowhere near it. But they said I was anyway.”Makenna Goodman’s second novel (her first, The Shame, a brilliant exploration of…
Helen Hawkins
Before the lacerating spats of Albee’s Martha and George, and the circular kvetching of Beckett’s characters, there were August Strindberg’s…

Subscribe to theartsdesk.com

Thank you for continuing to read our work on theartsdesk.com. For unlimited access to every article in its entirety, including our archive of more than 15,000 pieces, we're asking for £5 per month or £40 per year. We feel it's a very good deal, and hope you do too.

To take a subscription now simply click here.

And if you're looking for that extra gift for a friend or family member, why not treat them to a theartsdesk.com gift subscription?

Graham Fuller
Kristen Stewart directs Imogen Poots in a shattering story of abuse and redemption
Kieron Tyler
Explosive collection of the Sheffield stylist’s favourite singles
David Nice
Conductor Dinis Sousa paces a brilliant cast and orchestra perfectly in this classy revival
Gary Naylor
Elton John fights back, and wins a battle with Fleet Street
Sarah Kent
Ecologists versus shepherds; can a compromise be found?
Adam Sweeting
Rachel McAdams and Dylan O'Brien sparkle in Sam Raimi's black comedy
Matt Wolf
Tom Stoppard's best play is unbeatable now as it was then
David Nice
Savage parade includes wonderfully discombobulating Martinů concerto
Helen Hawkins
Noel Coward never saw a staging of the play he wrote at 18, now exhumed at the Park
aleks.sierz
New play about urban alienation is a beautifully acted and acutely emotional experience
Rachel Halliburton
Thrillingly authoritative and stirringly poetic in Brahms
Helen Hawkins
Will Arnett’s standup is ably delivered but there’s not enough punch in his lines
Kieron Tyler
Double-CD set tracing the thread linking pub rock and punk rock
Bernard Hughes
Committed and high-class performance doesn’t quite overcome doubts about the piece
Rachel Halliburton
The production interrogates storytelling as a way of exerting power
Gary Naylor
Accomplished new musical with folk and country roots
Robert Beale
Susanna’s story takes the limelight in this imagined country house weekend
Adam Sweeting
Sinister shenanigans amid ravishing Welsh landscapes
David Nice
Deep sound under Mark Wigglesworth complements Richard Jones's vision
Helen Hawkins
Richard Linklater recreates the eccentric 20-day shoot that left cinema 'A bout de souffle'
Adam Sweeting
Grizzled Jason Statham teams up with new star Bodhi Rae Breathnach
Markie Robson-Scott
Kate Woods directs a warm-hearted Australian family comedy
Gary Naylor
Blackshirts seen off in a third outing for the bright new musical
Rachel Halliburton
Sonatas by Brahms and Prokofiev were revealed in all their intricacy

the future of arts journalism

You can stop theartsdesk.com closing! 

We urgently need financing to survive. Our fundraising drive has thus far raised £33,000 but we need to reach £100,000 or we will be forced to close. Please contribute here: https://gofund.me/c3f6033d

And if you can forward this information to anyone who might assist, we’d be grateful.

latest in today

We are bowled over! We knew that theartsdesk.com had plenty of supporters out there – we’ve always had a loyal readership of arts…
The jury was out when Ballet Nights first made its pitch to the dance-curious – a potential audience, the thinking went, that might be…
An evening in the company of the smiley Russell Howard always lifts one’s spirits and his latest show, Don’t Tell the Algorithm, …
“I was not a bad man. Nowhere near it. But they said I was anyway.”Makenna Goodman’s second novel (her first, The Shame, a brilliant…
The Straight Story is the slowest of road movies, its elderly protagonist crawling 240 miles from Iowa to Wisconsin at just five miles per…
Before the lacerating spats of Albee’s Martha and George, and the circular kvetching of Beckett’s characters, there were August Strindberg’…
After leaving my headphones elsewhere, I plugged my wired earphones into my laptop and sat cross-legged on my bed. It felt like the…
Sexual abuse and violence, self-harm and sadomasochism, piss and postpartum blood – Kristen Stewart’s The Chronology of Water doesn’t…
For Richard Hawley, a “little banger” is a top-notch single, one condensing everything about the performance and performer into what can he…
Star attractions for this revival of ENO/Improbable's Coney-Island-in-the-1950s Così were sopranos Lucy Crowe and Ailish Tynan, and…