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Monthly culture: November 2020
Wednesday, December 9th, 2020 06:55 am07NOV20: From Here to Eternity (Stuart Brayson and Tim Rice)
Based on the 1951 novel, this musical had good dance numbers, decent acting, unexceptional songs and didn't seem quite sure whether it was a celebration or a vilification of the US military. It did not especially engage me.
14NOV20: Top Story (Sebastian Michael)
Filmed in the Old Vic tunnels, in 2013, by a cameraperson who liked feet. This cheery story of an imminent world-ending catastrophe felt like a historical document: those were simpler times, et cetera. Somewhat sexist (the only female character is desired, and propositioned, by all the male characters) and rather imbalanced, between two flatmates having existential discussions about the LA-sized meteor due to (ironically) hit LA, and two fast-talking angels who seemed mostly concerned with quantum physics. The world is eventually saved, which felt like a shame.
21NOV20: Emilia (Morgan Lloyd Malcolm)
All-female cast (and, I think, company) portray the life and times of Emilia Bassanio, candidate for the role of Shakespeare's Dark Lady: the daughter of a court musician, she was Italian, possibly Jewish and possibly with North African ancestry. Three actresses (Saffron Coomber, Adelle Leonce and Clare Perkins) play Emilia at different stages of her life, from her childhood to her vexed relationship with a plagiarising playwright named Will, to her maturity. Occasionally rather polemic, and I felt the second half lagged: but this archive recording -- that is, not intended for an audience, and suffering from muffled sound and murky lighting -- encouraged me to see the play on stage if and when such things become possible again.
28NOV20: Death of England: Delroy (Clint Dyer and Roy Williams)
Michael Balogun performs this monologue, a sequel to 'The Death of England' which I did not see. Delroy is Black, British and a Brexiteer, racially profiled by police (he's arrested for a u-turn at the tube station), desperate to get to the hospital to be with his white girlfriend as she gives birth. Balogun is phenomenal, inhabiting the sparse staging -- using the plexiglass corona-guard as a prop -- and his rage and sorrow is utterly compelling.
This was the play's first and last night: it opened just before our second lockdown. I'm so glad they filmed it, and that we got to see it while it still felt immediate (George Floyd, BLM, lockdowns, Brexit).
Nitpick: Delroy says "I've never committed a crime in my life" and then immediately follows with "I voted for Boris twice". Hmph.
Based on the 1951 novel, this musical had good dance numbers, decent acting, unexceptional songs and didn't seem quite sure whether it was a celebration or a vilification of the US military. It did not especially engage me.
14NOV20: Top Story (Sebastian Michael)
Filmed in the Old Vic tunnels, in 2013, by a cameraperson who liked feet. This cheery story of an imminent world-ending catastrophe felt like a historical document: those were simpler times, et cetera. Somewhat sexist (the only female character is desired, and propositioned, by all the male characters) and rather imbalanced, between two flatmates having existential discussions about the LA-sized meteor due to (ironically) hit LA, and two fast-talking angels who seemed mostly concerned with quantum physics. The world is eventually saved, which felt like a shame.
21NOV20: Emilia (Morgan Lloyd Malcolm)
All-female cast (and, I think, company) portray the life and times of Emilia Bassanio, candidate for the role of Shakespeare's Dark Lady: the daughter of a court musician, she was Italian, possibly Jewish and possibly with North African ancestry. Three actresses (Saffron Coomber, Adelle Leonce and Clare Perkins) play Emilia at different stages of her life, from her childhood to her vexed relationship with a plagiarising playwright named Will, to her maturity. Occasionally rather polemic, and I felt the second half lagged: but this archive recording -- that is, not intended for an audience, and suffering from muffled sound and murky lighting -- encouraged me to see the play on stage if and when such things become possible again.
28NOV20: Death of England: Delroy (Clint Dyer and Roy Williams)
Michael Balogun performs this monologue, a sequel to 'The Death of England' which I did not see. Delroy is Black, British and a Brexiteer, racially profiled by police (he's arrested for a u-turn at the tube station), desperate to get to the hospital to be with his white girlfriend as she gives birth. Balogun is phenomenal, inhabiting the sparse staging -- using the plexiglass corona-guard as a prop -- and his rage and sorrow is utterly compelling.
This was the play's first and last night: it opened just before our second lockdown. I'm so glad they filmed it, and that we got to see it while it still felt immediate (George Floyd, BLM, lockdowns, Brexit).
Nitpick: Delroy says "I've never committed a crime in my life" and then immediately follows with "I voted for Boris twice". Hmph.
