PAUL DONOVAN applauds an intriguing multi-layered depiction, dominated by a stunning impersonation of Marilyn herself
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LYNNE WALSH is intrigued by a new play that examines the dilemma of cancel culture on campus
Tanya Franks as Amy and Julian Ovenden as Charles Nichols in Paul Grellong’s Power of Sail
[Manuel Harlan]
LEO BOIX applauds an audacious, self-questioning film about grief, friendship and film-making
MARY CONWAY admires a brave and topical study of Armageddon that is, unfortunately, unable to come to a conclusion
ANDY HEDGECOCK, JAMES WALSH and JAMIE BRITTON review Hanging by a Wire, I Want Your Sex, The Pout-Pout Fish, and Rise of the Foot Soldier: Retribution
Chris Searle speaks to US pianist RAN BLAKE
The Bard hands out medals for his Edinburgh campaign and urges us to support The Men They Couldn’t Hang
Power of Sail
Menier Chocolate Factory, London
WRITER Paul Grellong has embarked on a precarious voyage with this one-act play. Power of Sail doesn’t quite go aground, rescued by some powerful performances, but there is certainly a bit of a riptide in the narrative arc.
The big issue here has huge resonance with audiences: is our belief in free speech absolute, or are there arguments for deplatforming a speaker?
Benjamin Carver is the archetype at the rotten heart of this controversy. Holocaust-denier and white supremacist, he is the perfect addition to Harvard professor Charles Nichols’ symposium. Carver is never seen, an emblematic figure, the far-right contrarian who sees academia as a slick goose-step away from fame and power.
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