theartsdesk.com, first with arts reviews, news and interviews
Helen Hawkins |
With a sly wink, Ava Pickett’s early play, drafted before she went on to write 1536, wrangles another slice of history into a drama that resonates loudly in the days of Reform and…
Mark Kidel |
At his first ever concert in Bradford-on-Avon (at the Wiltshire Music Centre) last Sunday, Richard Thompson drew an enthusiastic full house: they cheered and joined in vigorously…
stephen.walsh |
Hay-on-Wye is so famous for shops that sell books and for a festival which platforms their authors, that it may come as a surprise (a relief, even) to discover that it also has a…
Graham Rickson |
Repeated viewings of Billy Liar remind one that it's pretty bleak in parts, a study of mendacity, infidelity and familial dysfunction in a grim northern town. Saint Etienne’s Bob…
Nick Hasted |
This is top-notch French popular cinema, a coming of age tale subtly interweaving themes of class and race and authentic memories, comic and musical set-pieces, star power and…
Helen Hawkins |
Fans of Steven McRae will relish this two-hour showcase of his self-reinvention; along the way they may well conceive a similar passion for the fine Bulgarian violinist Vasko…
Simon Thompson
There’s a chill in the Scottish air at this time of year, and the summer’s heatwaves are a distant memory as the September nights start to bite. Thank goodness for East Lothian’s…
India Lewis
'Tis the season for American Halloween – pumpkin spice lattes, maple and s'mores everything, endless reruns of Gilmore Girls, and the similarly syrupy sweet revival of the US’s…
Bernard Hughes
I didn’t think I was interested in Barbara Cartland, but it turns out I am. This new biography by Matthew Sweet, by turns revelatory, hilarious, gripping, astonishing and moving,…
Naomi Bedford
Like most people not immersed in the world of classical music, I had no clear idea of what a conductor does (other than a vague impression that they made contorted shapes in front…
Kieron Tyler
This useful five-CD clamshell box set collects the soundtrack music from the Tarkovsky films Ivan's Childhood (1962), Andrei Roublev (1966), Solaris (1972), Mirror (1975) and…
johncarvill
As in so many other cultural arenas, the UK punches way above its weight in pop music. And, drilling down a level, Manchester is the country’s greatest music city. Please: don’t…
Aleks Sierz
Marching feet, stamping feet, men in black balaclavas, masks, racist chants. In this home atmosphere, and with several European countries witnessing the resurgence of the hard…
Adam Sweeting
Guy Ritchie’s tall tales of toffs and robbers continue apace in this second series of The Gentlemen, as we return to the country estate of Edward Horniman, 13th Duke of Halstead.…
Graham Rickson
Frank Loesser: Guys and Dolls Sierra Boggess, Nathaniel Hackmann, Louise Dearman, David Seadon-Young et al, Sinfonia of London/John Wilson (Chandos)
Image…
Mark Kidel
The breathtakingly prolific artist, Rhiannon Giddens, inhabits a rich territory that breaks the constraints of time and space – the nourishment that comes from tradition on the…
Rachel Halliburton
For composers like Mozart and Beethoven, the key of B minor was traditionally one of the most melancholic keys – in Mozart’s case, specifically, it was closely associated with…
Helen Hawkins
Tamara Rojo was a staunch supporter of women choreographers when she ran English National Ballet, so it’s no surprise that her inaugural season as San Francisco Ballet’s director…
Gary Naylor
It’s a tricky elevator pitch for a night out. On the one hand, Kimberly Levaco, the protagonist, is aging in dog years and has just hit a not so sweet 16, her condition’s median…
disc of the day
tv
Further outlandish adventures of aristo Eddie and his criminal cronies
Vicky McClure returns as bomb disposal expert Lana Washington
Can detectives Silva and Longacre catch the killer and avoid triggering Armageddon?
film
Farce and joy in Eighties Paris in a funny, feelgood French hit
new music
Folk-rock pioneer and brilliant songwriter, joined by vocalist Zara Phillips
Box set collecting the music from all five feature films the director made in the Soviet Union
A journey to the American South: tradition and new roots
classical
Music therapy as treatment and creative act
An addiction charity's remarkable collaboration with a London orchestra
A Broadway masterpiece gets a lavish new recording, plus neglected British repertoire and German romanticism
opera
Zurich Opera production has some good singing, but its mood is monochrome
Singers, and players, rise above some clunky moments in Strauss's meta-opera
Missy Mazzoli’s impressive new opera follows Wynton Marsalis' jazz symphony opening night
theatre
Ava Pickett shows that her tragicomedy about witch hunts wasn’t a one-off
Celebratory return of superstar Tilda Swinton in a terrific version of a contemporary German classic
A show to make you happy and sad all at the same time
dance
The Royal Ballet principal shows off his tap skills, his colleague a Paganini party piece
The Pandora myth makes an underwhelming vehicle for the dangers of AI
Matthew Bourne’s 2000 hit revs up again with impressive dancers and a witty score
comedy
Larky cabaret; smart musical comedy; and a blast of a debut
books
This revelatory biography is sympathetically told and endlessly entertaining
Clint Boon lovingly recalls those baggy, funky, sinsemilla-scented Madchester days
The debut author discusses the value of emotional labour, the modern feminist, and why pain remains vital for a flourishing life
visual arts
The Festival may be over for another year, but there is plenty of art still to see
Great American photographers all in one place
Four artists' films and a computer game speculate on societal collapse
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