reviews
theartsdesk |

We are bowled over! 

We knew that theartsdesk.com had plenty of supporters out there – we’ve always had a loyal readership of arts lovers and professionals alike – but the response to our appeal to help us relaunch and reboot has been something else.

Boyd Tonkin |

Literally the first masterpiece of the 20th century (premiered on 14 January 1900), Tosca has had to wait until the second quarter of the 21st to arrive on the Glyndebourne stage.

Helen Hawkins
Former Royal Ballet principal Federico Bonelli has brought his Northern Ballet company south in the latest of its trademark narrative ballets. His…
Rachel Halliburton
It began with a Gothic funeral procession. A drum beat ominously as a line of figures with shabby black suits, whitened faces, and jagged mascara…
David Nice
So polished and passionate are the 11 world-class players of Ensemble 360, pioneering music in the round in Sheffield and elsewhere for the past 21…

Subscribe to theartsdesk.com

Thank you for continuing to read our work on theartsdesk.com. For unlimited access to every article in its entirety, including our archive of more than 15,000 pieces, we're asking for £5 per month or £40 per year. We feel it's a very good deal, and hope you do too.

To take a subscription now simply click here.

And if you're looking for that extra gift for a friend or family member, why not treat them to a theartsdesk.com gift subscription?

Rachel Halliburton
Michelle Terry proves how well she understands this venue's tricky chemistry
David Nice
Adrenalin-fuelled star turns in a fine ensemble
Bernard Hughes
Period instruments and voices recreate the glory of a historical investiture
Helen Hawkins
Oscar Wilde's comedy with a serious core emerges as an inventive, rowdy entertainment
Florence Hallett
The mood is blue, but profundity is in short supply
Gary Naylor
Accomplished debut play from writer of W1A
Robert Beale
Rautavaara’s birds, Nielsen’s arguments, and an outstanding Sibelius concerto
Helen Hawkins
The latest helping of the Jilly Cooper adaptation is much like the first: sparky, filthy fun
David Nice
A celebrated sibling brings style and panache to two brothers
Sebastian Scotney
A fascinating cast of characters
Mark Kidel
The undeniable force of a musical original shows signs of wear
Veronica Lee
Absurdist comic's most personal show yet
Kieron Tyler
Celebration of first-rate but obscure Chicago soul
Rachel Halliburton
Joshua James plays Sherlock as an otherworldly rebel
Bernard Hughes
Adventurous programming showcases choir’s versatility and skill
Helen Hawkins
Sarah Ruhl brings a welcome whiff of Off-Broadway class to north London
stephen.walsh
Lucid playing with some unwanted appendages
Gary Naylor
RSC musical blows into the West End
Markie Robson-Scott
Steven Soderbergh directs Ian McKellan and Michaela Coel in virtuoso performances
Helen Hawkins
Ava Pickett’s debut transfers to the West End with a fine staging and same superb cast
James Saynor
An immersive tale of tangled paternity in a battered Budapest
Boyd Tonkin
World class principals can't quite fix a disjointed spectacle
Sarah Kent
The raw power of art to convince
Adam Sweeting
Bob Odenkirk stars in a fast and furious Eastern Western

the future of arts journalism

You can stop theartsdesk.com closing! 

We urgently need financing to survive. Our fundraising drive has thus far raised £33,000 but we need to reach £100,000 or we will be forced to close. Please contribute here: https://gofund.me/c3f6033d

And if you can forward this information to anyone who might assist, we’d be grateful.

latest in today

We are bowled over! We knew that theartsdesk.com had plenty of supporters out there – we’ve always had a loyal readership of arts…
Literally the first masterpiece of the 20th century (premiered on 14 January 1900), Tosca has had to wait until the second quarter of…
Former Royal Ballet principal Federico Bonelli has brought his Northern Ballet company south in the latest of its trademark narrative…
It began with a Gothic funeral procession. A drum beat ominously as a line of figures with shabby black suits, whitened faces, and jagged…
“I tell people this is my first and last big band album,” says Helen Sung about Oracles. The Houston-born pianist received a Guggenheim…
So polished and passionate are the 11 world-class players of Ensemble 360, pioneering music in the round in Sheffield and elsewhere for the…
This blistering account of Brecht’s classic – which he wrote in a white heat of fury as news reached him of Hitler’s invasion of Poland –…
There must have been something in the ether. Only last month, not knowing that they had a surprise album about to drop, I namechecked “…
Are Oscar Wilde's plays comedies of manners or just mannered comedies? Can they be kept afloat for today's audiences if they stick more or…
In 1595 a new Doge was invested in St Mark’s in Venice, an occasion celebrated with the full musical panoply at the state’s command. Which…