Identity. Being comfortable in our own skin. It is integral to who we are and what we stand for. English is about that. It is about love and loathing, aspiration and fear. It deals with learning to speak a language that is not your native tongue and, in so doing, fitting in, not standing out….
Patricia Font’s Spanish/Catalan-language film The Teacher Who Promised the Sea is based on fact, and shines a light on the horrors of the murderous Franco regime. The film uses a highly personal 2010 search to tell its story. Ariadna (Laia Costa) is a single mother whose grandfather is dying man. She begins desperately looking for…
Julie Rodgers (Elyse Batson) is having a very bad day. The 28-year-old has just been sacked from her secretarial job for rejecting her married boss’ overtures. It was her eighth job in 10 years and she is worried she won’t be able to pay the rent. She pays out by drinking (a lot) and playing…
Since the age of 11, when he was taken to see the dark musical Chicago at the Sydney Opera House, Scott Hollingsworth has dreamt of becoming a star. He went on to forge a successful 18-year career as part of the ensemble in big musicals on Broadway and the West End, but he yearned for…
Star crossed lovers all right, but this isn’t the Montagues and the Capulets. In fact, far from it … and neither are we in historic Verona. Romeo & Julie is set in contemporary Splott, a district south of Cardiff and concerns two decidedly different 18 year olds. Romy is a single father and school dropout…
Delightful feel-good entertainment, Mr Blake at Your Service is a fun-filled romantic romp. Andrew Blake (John Malkovich) is a successful English businessman who is pining the loss of his wife of more than 40 years. Diane, a French woman, was the love of his life. They met at a beautiful French chateau when they were…
An unrecognisable Nicolas Cage features in the decidedly creepy crime-horror-thriller Longlegs. A figure sits in a car looking at a little girl in a small house. She comes out to see who it is. Suddenly he confronts her. At first, we only see him from the nose down and says: “There she is, the almost…
Love, loss and laughter are potent and enduring in composer William Finn’s (The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee) Elegies. Based around the importance of community, Elegies is a song cycle, namely a series of songs that hang together thematically, rather than through a narrative thread. Having said that, attendees at a regular, all male…
One of the great plays of the 20th century retains its vibrancy and bite in a stunning MTC production, headlined by a bravura showing from Nikki Shiels. Written by Tennessee Williams in 1945, A Streetcar Named Desire was first performed on Broadway two years later. Now, here I am, coming up to 80 years on,…
Slick, Cirque Bon Bon is a lively and most entertaining showcase of the circus arts. Its very funny front man is an ardent fan of Queen and Freddie Mercury. In fact, the music (and spot lighting) in this production are among its many highlights, led by a gifted cast of acrobats, aerialists, jugglers, contortionists and…
