Women waging war in the second act brings out the very finest of Chinese operatic theatre in a culturally spectacular performance that showcases awe-inspiring costuming and make-up. Dozens take to the stage, along with a supremely talented six-strong musical ensemble, to bring to life the Warrior Women of Yang, opulent and majestic. The story is…
Art and capitalism can be uneasy bedfellows. In our society each depends on the other to some extent. The exploitation of art in the name of money is nothing new, but things could be changing. Critical examinations are now happening around their relationship, particularly as it intersects with issues of race and power. Steven Soderbergh…
Irish lyricism, bluster and blarney combine in Wild Mountain Thyme. This romantic drama has the sole purpose of joining a lovelorn woman and her timid neighbour. Rosemary Muldoon (Emily Blunt) grew up initially doubting her purpose until her father told her she was the white swan, like in Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake (which is a recurring…
Two Snow Whites in a week, both dark, sexy and totally entertaining, one a contemporary dance piece from Ballet Preljocaj and one from La Boite that combined opera, theatre, dance and even burlesque and audience participation. It was an odd combination but it worked splendidly and with technical brilliance to link the story it produced…
Osees, led by frontman John Dwyer, have carved out a distinctive niche in the underground music scene. Known for their relentless touring and prolific output, the band has consistently evolved their sound over the years, incorporating elements of garage rock, punk, and experimental music. Their recent work reflects a commitment to pushing creative boundaries and…
St. Vincent’s eponymous 4th solo album, released in 2014, was easily her most accessible, while also delivering some pretty amazing songs packaged with electro-pop polish, and marked by her unique guitar playing. And it paid off big, landing her on dozens of “best of year” lists and winning that year’s Grammy for Best Alternative Album,…
By the end I was bawling like a baby. CATS, the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical as a Tom Hooper-directed and co-written (with Lee Hall) film, is a triumph of theatrics – costuming, make-up, choreography, colour and emotion. In the original 1980s stage musical, CATS takes place on the night of the annual Jellicle Ball, when…
Inanely silly, slapstick comedic and fun, it is hard to believe that Masterminds is based upon a true story and wasn’t simply a late night, tall-tale concoction. It follows the riotous misadventures of unlikely anti-hero David Ghantt (Zach Galifianakis) as he pulls off one of the largest robberies in U.S. history. He is painted as…
From The Hunger Games to Divergent, dystopian films aimed at tweens have made serious coin; so why wouldn’t producers keep pouring money into them? They follow a familiar storyline where youngsters are outcasts. And so to the latest incarnation, The Darkest Minds. Based on the popular YA novel by Alexandra Bracken, The Darkest Minds starts…
Skyscraper is essentially a cross between Die Hard (the best action film of the 80s), and The Towering Inferno (the best of the 70s disaster films). This is a big dumb action film, and no-one is better at making big dumb action blockbusters than the charismatic Dwayne Johnson; arguably the biggest movie star on the…
