MARIA DUARTE recommends a remarkable study of the friendship between a Palestinian and a Pakistani, broken by a hostile state
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Not much fun from these Merry Wives
MATTHEW HAWKINS rakes through un-fancy words and flair-free summaries to find who and what might be flamboyant
PETER MASON is exhilarated by an exciting, well-considered and historically minded tribute to the great Trinidadian instrument
Reducing historical lives to ‘male’ and ‘female’ roles, we lose the nuance of those lives and a clearer understanding of past societies, suggests CLAIRE ISABELLA GILMOUR
CHRIS SEARLE relishes the genius of pianist Alexander Hawkins, his many ensembles, and his new album
The Merry Wives
West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds/Touring
2/5
RUMOURED to have been written at the behest of Elisabeth I, The Merry Wives of Windsor is widely regarded to be one of Shakespeare’s weakest plays.
Even so, that’s no barrier to Northern Broadsides, who tackle the farce with their usual aplomb.
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KEITH RICHMOND relishes a superbly conceived modern version of Aeschylus’ drama of murderous family succession
GEORGE FOGARTY is dazzled by a breathtakingly skillful puppet version of Shakespeare’s greatest love poem
PETER MASON applauds a stage version of Le Carre’s novel that questions what ordinary people have to gain from high-level governmental spying