ALEX HALL is disgusted by the misuse of ‘emotional narratives’ to justify uninformed geo-political prejudice
Latest editorial
The tears of a clone
SIMON PARSONS applauds a moving version of Ishiguro’s vision of a world in which science and ethics have diverged
PINKIE PROMISE: Nell Barlow and Amelie Abbott in Never Let Me Go
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
MICK McSHANE rubs shoulders with Mod legend Steve Craddock and joins in with the joyous Glasgow choir
DENNIS BROE sifts out the ideological bias of the newest TV series offerings, and picks out what to see, and what to avoid
Never Let Me Go
Bristol Old Vic
SUZANNE HEATHCOTE’S stage adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro’s highly acclaimed 2005 novel is an assured and theatrically satisfying production.
The dystopian elements of an alternative England that has embraced human cloning are merely the framework on which to hang an elegiac story of friendship and innocent childhood memories recalled from the perspective of an adult world of sacrifice.
Nell Barlow’s effectively restrained and intelligent performance as the narrator Kathy provides a poignant yet non-judgmental commentary on her seemingly idyllic, rural boarding school days as she tries to come to terms with the fate destined for her and her classmates who were once made to feel so special.
More from this author
While the group known as the Colourists certainly reinvigorated Scottish painting, a new show is a welcome chance to reassess them, writes ANGUS REID
ANGUS REID recommends an exquisite drama about the disturbing impact of the one child policy in contemporary China
The phrase “cruel to be kind” comes from Hamlet, but Shakespeare’s Prince didn’t go in for kidnap, explosive punches, and cigarette deprivation. Tam is different.
ANGUS REID deconstructs a popular contemporary novel aimed at a ‘queer’ young adult readership
