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.

Gary Naylor |

A right wing populist, a master manipulator of the media, he appears to be immune to the long accepted norms of professional behaviour. Foul-mouthed and a bully, but backed by an oligarch, he rides roughshod over those who play by the old rules, truth, like everything else, merely transactional. “What’s in it for me?” is the only question worth the breath.

Stop me if you’ve heard this before…

Sarah Kent
It’s a story being repeated the world over – apex predators such as lynx, wolves and bears hunted to extinction, followed by the gradual realisation…
Adam Sweeting
Fabled for (among other things) The Evil Dead, Darkman and Spider-Man, Sam Raimi made his last appearance as a director on 2022’s Doctor Strange in…
Matt Wolf
"How can we sleep for grief?", asks the brilliant and agitated Thomasina Coverly (the dazzling Isis Hainsworth) during the first act of Arcadia, a…

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?

David Nice
Savage parade includes wonderfully discombobulating Martinů concerto
Helen Hawkins
Noel Coward never saw a staging of the play he wrote at 18, now exhumed at the Park
aleks.sierz
New play about urban alienation is a beautifully acted and acutely emotional experience
Rachel Halliburton
Thrillingly authoritative and stirringly poetic in Brahms
Helen Hawkins
Will Arnett’s standup is ably delivered but there’s not enough punch in his lines
Kieron Tyler
Double-CD set tracing the thread linking pub rock and punk rock
Bernard Hughes
Committed and high-class performance doesn’t quite overcome doubts about the piece
Rachel Halliburton
The production interrogates storytelling as a way of exerting power
Gary Naylor
Accomplished new musical with folk and country roots
Robert Beale
Susanna’s story takes the limelight in this imagined country house weekend
Adam Sweeting
Sinister shenanigans amid ravishing Welsh landscapes
David Nice
Deep sound under Mark Wigglesworth complements Richard Jones's vision
Helen Hawkins
Richard Linklater recreates the eccentric 20-day shoot that left cinema 'A bout de souffle'
Adam Sweeting
Grizzled Jason Statham teams up with new star Bodhi Rae Breathnach
Markie Robson-Scott
Kate Woods directs a warm-hearted Australian family comedy
Gary Naylor
Blackshirts seen off in a third outing for the bright new musical
Rachel Halliburton
Sonatas by Brahms and Prokofiev were revealed in all their intricacy
Adam Sweeting
Sophie Turner stars in rapid-fire financial scam drama
David Nice
Rudolf Barshai's performing version undermines fine conducting and playing
Robert Beale
From misery to fun to grim discovery in a vivid opera-in-concert performance
Kieron Tyler
Thrilling auteur-driven album celebrates its 15th anniversary
aleks.sierz
New play about a devastating event is an excruciatingly powerful piece of new writing
Jenny Gilbert
A surprise new work from Christopher Bruce pays tribute to Leonard Cohen in this captivating programme
Gary Naylor
One-pitch show has its heart in the right place

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…
Star attractions for this revival of ENO/Improbable's Coney-Island-in-the-1950s Così were sopranos Lucy Crowe and Ailish Tynan, and…
A right wing populist, a master manipulator of the media, he appears to be immune to the long accepted norms of professional behaviour.…
It’s a story being repeated the world over – apex predators such as lynx, wolves and bears hunted to extinction, followed by the gradual…
Edward Simon shows again on this new album of re-imagined songs from Venezuela what a very fine pianist he is. His touch and inventiveness…
Fabled for (among other things) The Evil Dead, Darkman and Spider-Man, Sam Raimi made his last appearance as a director on 2022’s Doctor…
Mandy, Indiana are a Mancunian four-piece with a French singer who's based in Berlin. They make a lot of noise. Their second album is a…
"How can we sleep for grief?", asks the brilliant and agitated Thomasina Coverly (the dazzling Isis Hainsworth) during the first act of…
Two concerts packed with thorny repertoire playing to large and enthusiastic audiences of all ages: the London Philharmonic Orchestra is…
Another interesting thing about the endless flux of the streaming era is that, for all that it’s supposed to homogenise and flatten things…