EWAN CAMERON picks out two fascinating music shows, fusing the Korean, and the Celtic, with the modern
Theatre: Richard III, Bristol Old Vic
A new version of Shakespeare’s history has more style than substance in its search for contemporary relevance
Two-faced: Stefan Adegbola as Buckingham
[Marc Brenner]
BENJAMIN POTHIER suggests that Palaeolithic cave paintings in Spain point to the ceremonial use of hallucinogenic flora
The bard confirms that the right has a humour bypass, and replays the English Revolution on period instruments
MARIA DUARTE and ANDY HEDGECOCK review Sunny Dancer, Tony, Songs of Forgotten Trees, and The End of Oak Street
JOHN GREEN relishes a powerful and moving drama that explores the lived realities of west London’s Punjabi community
MARTIN HALL welcomes a plea for greater compassion between believer and non-believer via the framework of philosophical enquiry
DIRECTOR John Haidar’s new version of Richard III starts with the killing of Henry VI and streamlines the text so that voices merge, characters are cut and Richard totally dominates proceedings.
The intention is to show a pragmatic world of mercenary values that has modern relevance and to focus on Richard’s self-made reality.
The end product, akin to a graphic novel with the protagonist something of a Marvel villain, sees Tom Mothersdale going to town as the deformed Duke of Gloucester. Twisted internally and externally and existing entirely in his own evil universe, few other characters manage to engage with his self-obsessed creation.
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