> DUST - LIVE STREAM

From Royal Court Theatre
4 May 2020

Lockdown continues and so does our quest to keep our cultural hearts beating! This time, it's the wonderful choreography of Akram Khan that grabs our attention!

Akram Khan’s 'Dust' was one of three productions created by leading choreographers for the English National Ballet as a tribute to the hundredth anniversary of the First World War. The ballet starts with a flailing body in front of a bank of dry earth that alludes to the grim finality of the trenches. This piece of 'interpretive physical art' is about war’s agony! The dancers focused muscular movements and harrowing expressions sum up the emotional void of conflict - the result is a massively moving piece of visual storytelling.

Khan was intrigued by the thought that the men dug into the earth to build trenches, knowing that they were very likely to die as soon as they stepped out of them. “They were digging themselves into death”, he says. As the piece progresses, the male dancers disappear – slowly climbing and falling off the edge of the set. The middle section of the work was inspired by the huge social shift towards women. “They needed weapons made for the war, they needed a huge workforce. I felt this shift in role was interesting”, says Khan.

In the final duet, Dust explores the relationship between them and their loved ones at the front: “The women knew they would be letting go of fathers, husbands, and sons; they might lose them. Yet they were making weapons that would kill others’ fathers, husbands, and sons. But in order for someone to live, someone else was putting their life on the line. That cyclical thing was what I wanted to explore.”

With beautiful costume design from Kimie Nakano, a stunning soundtrack from Jocelyn Pook and minimal set design from Sander Loonen - Dust is a sensory overload that leaves you touched on so many levels.

I first noticed the work of Akram Khan during the opening ceremony to London 2012. His piece shaped around mortality was haunting, powerful and extremely beautiful... It's worth watching!

10 out of 10

> CYPRUS AVENUE - LIVE STREAM

From Royal Court Theatre
24 April 2020

Cyprus Avenue balances humour with horror, it's a hard hitting black comedy that holds no punches. Gripping, gritty and completely absorbing! Our quest for culture during lockdown continues...

Starring Stephen Rea and directed by Vicky Featherstone, the award-winning Cyprus Avenue by David Ireland mixes live capture of performance from the iconic Royal Court Theatre stage production with location shooting in Belfast. Even as a pre-recorded live stream, Cyprus Avenue has to be one of the most incredible pieces of theatre we have ever seen. Not for the faint hearted, it's certainly worth streaming while you can.

Eric Miller (Stephen Rea) is a Belfast Loyalist. He is experiencing a psychotic episode and mistakes his five-week old granddaughter for Gerry Adams. Generations of sectarian trauma convince him that his cultural heritage is under siege. He must act.

This hard hitting black comedy tells the story of a man struggling with the past and terrified of the future. It was awarded Best New Play at the Irish Times Theatre Awards and the James Tait Black Prize for Drama in 2017. For his portrayal of Eric, Stephen Rea won Best Actor at the Irish Times Theatre Awards 2017.

10 out of 10

> DRAWING THE LINE - LIVE STREAM

From Hampstead Theatre
17 April 2020

Really? Have the British sent a fool? Do they want to turn partition into a Gilbert and Sullivan opera?

As part of our quest to keep our cultural heart's beating, Dave and I prepare to enjoy another wonderful 'gift' from the team at Hampstead Theatre and the Guardian. With drinks in plastics, and another couple ordered for the interval, we experience Howard Brenton’s Drawing the Line (2013). Directed by the late Howard Davies, this play features a large ensemble, and tells the story of the chaotic partitioning of India in 1947 whilst celebrating the strength of humanity.

Summoned by the Prime Minister from the Court where he is presiding judge, Cyril Radcliffe is given an unlikely mission. He is to travel to India, a country he has never visited, and, with limited survey information, no expert support and no knowledge of cartography, he is to draw the border which will divide the Indian sub-continent into two new Sovereign Dominions. To make matters even worse, he has only six weeks to complete the task.

Wholly unsuited to his role, Radcliffe is unprepared for the dangerous whirlpool of political intrigue and passion into which he is plunged – untold consequences may even result from the illicit liaison between the Leader of the Congress Party and the Viceroy’s wife… As he begins to break under the pressure he comes to realise that he holds in his hands the fate of millions of people.

"An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind"

Mahatma Gandhi

We found this complex story hugely enjoyable. Beautifully staged with elegant lighting, props and styling - this production held no punches when portraying the clumsy, heavy handed approach of our Government and elder Royals. It highlighted the extraordinarily contingent and chaotic political circumstances that lay behind this momentous historical act of carving up a continent. 

10 out of 10

> WONDERLAND - LIVE STREAM

From Hampstead Theatre
10 April 2020

There’s 250 million years down there. A miner, he’s not just working a piece of rock, he’s working with the world…

As part of Hampstead Theatre at Home series and originally aired back in 2014 - Beth Steel’s Wonderland is a gritty, thought provoking piece of storytelling. Directed by Edward Hall, this epic and witty drama takes a look at the clashing ideologies during the UK’s Miners' Strike of 1984–85 and presents the full sweep of the turbulent events that transformed the country.

With the world in lockdown, it's never been more important to hunt down new ways to satisfy ones lust for all things cultural. Luckily, a selection of the planets best Theatres, Galleries and Cultural Institutions have literally thrown open their doors for virtual tours, live stream events and online exploration. Over the next few weeks, months - we look forward to enjoying virtual trips to exciting Theatrical events, walking around immersive VR exhibitions and discovering the hidden treasures of blockbuster art shows... all from the comfort of the laptop - can't wait!

10 out of 10