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.

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 years, that you'd be grateful enough to hear them in wall-to-wall standard fare.

Rachel Halliburton
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 – pitches us…
David Nice
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 less to…
Bernard Hughes
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 was a lot…

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?

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
Robert Beale
Artistic achievement and production values vie for attention in a mediated experience
Helen Hawkins
Lee Sang-il’s handling of this intriguing subject is conventional but compelling
Liz Thomson
Country icon bids a gracious farewell to the road

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…
“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…
It’s safe to say Oscar Wilde enjoyed a good party, so it’s very likely he would give a big thumbs up to the Lyric’s An Ideal Husband, which…
Art should reflect its times, but after a preview week dominated by the controversial participation of Russia and Israel, the 61st Venice…
Rewind the clock back 10 years, and all seemed very promising for the upcoming rock group Marmozets. Cultivating an energetic sound from a…