No excuses can hide the criminal actions of a Nazi fellow-traveller in this admirably objective documentary, suggests MARTIN HALL
What happens when the arts are democratised
GORDON PARSONS applauds a history of the US Federal Theatre Project, that brought political theatre to millions in the US
STUNNING: The arrival of King Duncan and his court at Macbeth's palace in Act I, Scene 2, of the Federal Theatre Project production of Macbeth at the Lafayette Theatre in April 1936
PAUL DONOVAN relishes a fascinating exploration of the leading lights of the Labour right in the 1970s
BEN LUNN alerts us to the creeping return of philanthropy and private patronage, and suggests alternative paths to explore
A novel by Argentinian Jorge Consiglio, a personal dictionary by Uruguayan Ida Vitale, and poetry by Mexican Homero Aridjis
MIK SABIERS savours the first headline solo show of the stalwart of Brighton’s indie-punk outfit Blood Red Shoes
New releases reviewed by IAN SINCLAIR
STEVEN ANDREW is moved beyond words by a historical account of mining in Britain made from the words of the miners themselves
The Playbook
James Shapiro
Faber, £20
IF it is to attract the attention of readers other than those interested in plays and playmaking, Shakespeare scholar James Shapiro’s compelling book certainly needs its subtitle, “A Study of Theatre, Democracy and the Making of a Culture War.”
The author, recognising this, prefaces his opening with dictionary definitions of the term “playbook,” including “A set of tactics frequently employed by one engaged in competitive activity.”
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A nervous year, showing that the theatre, like the world, stands on a precipice and seems uncertain where to jump
A manifesto for change, feminism in the digital age and a wordless play by Palestinians
JENNY FARRELL traces the critical role that the CPUSA played in the education of Harlem’s greatest man of letters