ArtwordBlog

Grimeborn: Alternative Opera at the Arcola Theatre

We love the Arcola Theatre, London's most vibrant and ambitious alternative theatre. It's up in Dalston, a maelstrom of multicultural life, once an area of dubious repute, but now verging on getting to be maybe nearly (dare I say the word?) trendy. Every summer, for those of us who can't afford the Glyndebourne Festival, it hosts the Grimeborne Festival of Alternative Opera, where tiny, impoverished opera companies present glorious music.

Wednesday's program was called The Clown of Clowns, consisting of two works: Arnold Schoenberg's Pierrot Lunaire and Sideshows, by Leo Geyer. The presenting companies were Constella Ballet & Orchestra in collaboration with Khymerikal. The program points out that "many of the musicians involved in this production are members of both ensembles".

"The Beaux' Stratagem" at the National Theatre

National Theatre, London "The Beaux' Stratagem" is usually thought of as a late example of Restoration Comedy, and that's how I was thinking of it as we entered the Olivier. I didn't know the play, but I was ready for…

"A Number" at the Young Vic

Opera Singer Busking at Blackfriars Bridge The Young Vic is just a stroll east from the Old Vic, along the street called The Cut. (The two theatres have no connection with each other, by the way.) We like the Young…

Back in London, August 2015

Judith at Gabriel's Wharf We're back, but we almost missed the plane! We arrived at the airport three hours before departure, pre-booked tickets and boarding passes in hand, checked in our luggage, and went off to have something to eat.

Why Hydro One should not be privatized

Hydro One Voltage Lines in Woodbridge Ontario, photo Tom Stefanac, from Wikipedia The privatization of Hydro One is a terrible idea, for many reasons. There is one argument that I have not seen in the press, and I'd like to…

Cycling in London, with Boris Bikes

Boris Bikes at Hyde Park, photo by ZanMan (from WikiMedia) This visit, I decided to try cycling in London. When I first went to London, many years ago, the traffic was scary. The streets were filled with cars tearing around…

Ensemble theatre company Idle Motion: Shooting with Light

Shooting with Light. Photo by Richard Davenport Our biggest surprise in our recent London theatre binge was a production by an ensemble company called Idle Motion, at a small space called the New Diorama Theatre near Euston Station. The play…

Lullingstone Castle and the World Garden

On a whim, we visited the ancient castle of the Hart Dyke family, with a pedigree going right back to William the Conqueror. Our friend David Hart Dyke, Green Party Candidate for Stoney Creek, would sometimes mention (after I had served him…