Monthly culture, November 2024
Monday, December 30th, 2024 01:24 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
tamaranth02NOV24: Oedipus (Sophocles / Icke) – Wyndham's Theatre
Compelling reworking set on Election Night: Oedipus (Mark Strong) is cruising to victory but easily angered, and his lovely wife Jocasta (Lesley Manville) is cheerful and competent. Their daughter Antigone is a stroppy and difficult teenager. Lots of jokey foreshadowing ('everything comes back to fucking you,' Antigone accuses her mother; 'oh baby, baby' moans Jocasta during a really quite steamy sex scene). Laius died in a car crash… and was 50 when he had sex with 13-year-old Jocasta. The final moments might have provoked laughter if not so unbearably intense. Very highly recommended.
my review of Icke's Oresteia, in 2015
07NOV24: Paddington (King, 2014) – Netflix
Which I had never seen! Very cute. And good prep for …
08NOV24: Paddington in Peru (Wilson, 2024) – Greenwich PictureHouse
Great fun. Banderas is splendidly scenery-chewing, Olivia Colman seemed to be on the same demented wavelength as in Wicked Little Letters, and there were some tender and / or profound moments throughout.
09NOV24: The Pirates of Penzance (Gilbert & Sullivan) – Wilton's Music Hall
Birthday present for N, who managed to remain unspoilt until we were actually in the auditorium! Performed by Sasha Regan's all-male troupe, who were awesome: I was especially captivated by Boaz Chad, who played various roles but always drew the eye with sinuous and expressive body language.
13NOV24: Paul Simon's Graceland (African Gospel Choir) – Barbican
my review of 2018 Union Chapel performance – not much to add, tbh.
14NOV24: Paddington 2 (King, 2017) – Netflix
Filled in some gaps and made sense of some jokes in Paddington in Peru: excellent villainy from Hugh Grant, and some lovely London tourist-trap scenes.
16NOV24: Doctor Strangelove (Iannucci, Kubrick) – Criterion Theatre
Starring Steve Coogan as Group Captain Lionel Mandrake, Steve Coogan a Dr Strangelove, Steve Coogan as the President of the United States, and Steve Coogan as the bomb-riding Major Kong. Lightly-updated version of Kubrick's original, with some clever stagecraft covering up the seams between Coogan's characters. There is a woman and she has all her clothes on! Why yes, it is Vera Lynn singing 'We'll Meet Again'. Very funny, excellent staging (especially the plane cockpit in the second act) and definitely worth seeing. (Note that there is only one entrance to the balcony, which makes mid-action breaks tricky.)
21NOV24: The Boy and the Heron (Miyazaki, 2023) – Netflix
As seen in the cinema. I think I noticed more little details this time, but I still find it surprisingly bleak. my original review from last December
22NOV24: Songs of Miura Anjin (Feargal Mostyn-Williams countertenor, Satoshi Kubo piano) – Stone House
The story of William Adams, a.k.a. Samurai William, a.k.a. Miura Anjin – an English shipwright who became a samurai. A selection of songs ranging from Purcell to Warlock, resonantly sung by Mostyn-Williams in the splendid environs of the Stone House in Lewisham – an 18th century mansion with 'idiosyncratic' design. Mostyn-Williams' voice overpowered really quite a small room, but I was replete with sparkling wine and let myself float on the music.
23NOV24: Gladiator II (Scott, 2024) – Greenwich PictureHouse
Nonsense, but enjoyably so. The CGI rhino moved exactly, though improbably, like a horse. Paul Mescal stars as Lucius, who is hunted by Romans as a child, but escapes them until captured in battle and brought to Rome as a gladiator, employed by perfidious Macrimus (Denzel Washington, definitely the best performance in the film). Lucius kills people (and CGI animals) for the entertainment of Geta and Caracalla (both sporting gold eyeshadow), and learns of his heritage… which revelation should not surprise anyone. Splendid effects, forgettable soundtrack, clunky dialogue, but fun.
28NOV24: Les Contes d'Hoffmann (Offenbach) – Royal Opera House
Absolutely gorgeous and weird production which really highlights the nastiness of the original stories. Different sopranos for the female leads: Olga Pudova as Olympia was eerily mechanical, even during the applause after her Doll Song; Ermonela Jaho as Antonia was poignant, playing the role as ballerina rather than singer; Marina Costa-Jackson was a forceful Giuletta. Julie Boulianne was great as Nicklausse, who was also somehow a parrot: I was never quite sure why. And Juan Diego Flórez's Hoffman was weary and degenerate. I love the music, and this staging – full of shadows, glitter, fantastical dancers (mice, devils, fairies, cellists, stilt-walkers) was superb.
Marred, though, by some ugly racism in the audience: a lady in our row was accused by other audience members of not having a ticket. She was Black and disabled, and it definitely felt as though the accuser had decided she Didn't Belong. Kudos to ROH staff for being sensible and kind.
30NOV24:L'Elisir d'AmoreThe Elixir of Love (Donizetti) – English National Opera
And Les Contes d'Hoffmann primed me for more opera, so when a spare ticket for Donizetti at the ENO came up I jumped at the chance. (Sadly, it meant negotiating Covent Garden, at speed, on a Saturday in the run-up to Christmas. … not many dead.) This production was set in WW2, with a framing device of 'ENO TV' – and some splendid closing credits – indicating that this is actually a Seventies sitcom. Rhian Lois is landowner Adina presiding over a country kitchen full of loyal retainers; Thomas Atkins sings conscientious objector and general loser Nemorino, who had a whiff of the incel for me; Dan D’Souza’s Wing Commander Belcore is a dashing (and hot-tempered) pilot rather than a soldier, and Dulcamara (Brandon Cedel) is an American racketeer with a line in love potions ('just 5 bob will buy my mixture') and two icily perfect retainers. Lovely music, nice stage design and especially costume (the Land Girls wore their jumpers tucked in! The wedding dress was made from a parachute!) and happy endings for the deserving.
Compelling reworking set on Election Night: Oedipus (Mark Strong) is cruising to victory but easily angered, and his lovely wife Jocasta (Lesley Manville) is cheerful and competent. Their daughter Antigone is a stroppy and difficult teenager. Lots of jokey foreshadowing ('everything comes back to fucking you,' Antigone accuses her mother; 'oh baby, baby' moans Jocasta during a really quite steamy sex scene). Laius died in a car crash… and was 50 when he had sex with 13-year-old Jocasta. The final moments might have provoked laughter if not so unbearably intense. Very highly recommended.
my review of Icke's Oresteia, in 2015
07NOV24: Paddington (King, 2014) – Netflix
Which I had never seen! Very cute. And good prep for …
08NOV24: Paddington in Peru (Wilson, 2024) – Greenwich PictureHouse
Great fun. Banderas is splendidly scenery-chewing, Olivia Colman seemed to be on the same demented wavelength as in Wicked Little Letters, and there were some tender and / or profound moments throughout.
09NOV24: The Pirates of Penzance (Gilbert & Sullivan) – Wilton's Music Hall
Birthday present for N, who managed to remain unspoilt until we were actually in the auditorium! Performed by Sasha Regan's all-male troupe, who were awesome: I was especially captivated by Boaz Chad, who played various roles but always drew the eye with sinuous and expressive body language.
13NOV24: Paul Simon's Graceland (African Gospel Choir) – Barbican
my review of 2018 Union Chapel performance – not much to add, tbh.
14NOV24: Paddington 2 (King, 2017) – Netflix
Filled in some gaps and made sense of some jokes in Paddington in Peru: excellent villainy from Hugh Grant, and some lovely London tourist-trap scenes.
16NOV24: Doctor Strangelove (Iannucci, Kubrick) – Criterion Theatre
Starring Steve Coogan as Group Captain Lionel Mandrake, Steve Coogan a Dr Strangelove, Steve Coogan as the President of the United States, and Steve Coogan as the bomb-riding Major Kong. Lightly-updated version of Kubrick's original, with some clever stagecraft covering up the seams between Coogan's characters. There is a woman and she has all her clothes on! Why yes, it is Vera Lynn singing 'We'll Meet Again'. Very funny, excellent staging (especially the plane cockpit in the second act) and definitely worth seeing. (Note that there is only one entrance to the balcony, which makes mid-action breaks tricky.)
21NOV24: The Boy and the Heron (Miyazaki, 2023) – Netflix
As seen in the cinema. I think I noticed more little details this time, but I still find it surprisingly bleak. my original review from last December
22NOV24: Songs of Miura Anjin (Feargal Mostyn-Williams countertenor, Satoshi Kubo piano) – Stone House
The story of William Adams, a.k.a. Samurai William, a.k.a. Miura Anjin – an English shipwright who became a samurai. A selection of songs ranging from Purcell to Warlock, resonantly sung by Mostyn-Williams in the splendid environs of the Stone House in Lewisham – an 18th century mansion with 'idiosyncratic' design. Mostyn-Williams' voice overpowered really quite a small room, but I was replete with sparkling wine and let myself float on the music.
23NOV24: Gladiator II (Scott, 2024) – Greenwich PictureHouse
Nonsense, but enjoyably so. The CGI rhino moved exactly, though improbably, like a horse. Paul Mescal stars as Lucius, who is hunted by Romans as a child, but escapes them until captured in battle and brought to Rome as a gladiator, employed by perfidious Macrimus (Denzel Washington, definitely the best performance in the film). Lucius kills people (and CGI animals) for the entertainment of Geta and Caracalla (both sporting gold eyeshadow), and learns of his heritage… which revelation should not surprise anyone. Splendid effects, forgettable soundtrack, clunky dialogue, but fun.
28NOV24: Les Contes d'Hoffmann (Offenbach) – Royal Opera House
Absolutely gorgeous and weird production which really highlights the nastiness of the original stories. Different sopranos for the female leads: Olga Pudova as Olympia was eerily mechanical, even during the applause after her Doll Song; Ermonela Jaho as Antonia was poignant, playing the role as ballerina rather than singer; Marina Costa-Jackson was a forceful Giuletta. Julie Boulianne was great as Nicklausse, who was also somehow a parrot: I was never quite sure why. And Juan Diego Flórez's Hoffman was weary and degenerate. I love the music, and this staging – full of shadows, glitter, fantastical dancers (mice, devils, fairies, cellists, stilt-walkers) was superb.
Marred, though, by some ugly racism in the audience: a lady in our row was accused by other audience members of not having a ticket. She was Black and disabled, and it definitely felt as though the accuser had decided she Didn't Belong. Kudos to ROH staff for being sensible and kind.
30NOV24:
And Les Contes d'Hoffmann primed me for more opera, so when a spare ticket for Donizetti at the ENO came up I jumped at the chance. (Sadly, it meant negotiating Covent Garden, at speed, on a Saturday in the run-up to Christmas. … not many dead.) This production was set in WW2, with a framing device of 'ENO TV' – and some splendid closing credits – indicating that this is actually a Seventies sitcom. Rhian Lois is landowner Adina presiding over a country kitchen full of loyal retainers; Thomas Atkins sings conscientious objector and general loser Nemorino, who had a whiff of the incel for me; Dan D’Souza’s Wing Commander Belcore is a dashing (and hot-tempered) pilot rather than a soldier, and Dulcamara (Brandon Cedel) is an American racketeer with a line in love potions ('just 5 bob will buy my mixture') and two icily perfect retainers. Lovely music, nice stage design and especially costume (the Land Girls wore their jumpers tucked in! The wedding dress was made from a parachute!) and happy endings for the deserving.
