reviews

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Two Prosecutors review - a warning from history

Nick Hasted |

The vertigo of lawlessness in Stalin’s Russia carries contemporary resonance in Sergei Loznitsa’s latest Soviet parable.

The Turn of the Screw, Linbury Theatre review - sorrow drenched in darkness

Boyd Tonkin
“Fear death by water,” says the fortune-teller in TS Eliot’s The Waste Land. There were a few moments in Natalie Abrahami’s new production of The…

St Matthew Passion, Irish Baroque Orchestra, Whelan, St Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin review - searing drama as before

David Nice
Was it a risk to attend a third Irish Baroque Orchestra Matthew Passion in as many years, given that previous indelible interpretations had come from…

Body & Soul, English National Ballet, Sadler's Wells review - a surefire hit and an absolute plonker

Jenny Gilbert
If it were true, as Timothée Chalamet has said, that ballet as an art form has become a museum, the job of running a national ballet company would be…

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Tom Misch drifts through ‘Full Circle’ without quite taking off

Ibi Keita
A well-crafted sound that plays it a little too safe

Gorillaz, OVO Hydro, Glasgow review - cartoon cavalcade has plenty of life

Jonathan Geddes
Damon Albarn's animated outfit featured dazzling visuals and constant guests

Tamerlano, London Handel Festival, Shoreditch Town Hall review - a Trump-style tale for our times

Rachel Halliburton
Orpha Phelan's multi-layered production looks at tyranny over the centuries

Teeth ’N’ Smiles, Duke of York’s Theatre review - Rebecca Lucy Taylor is a smash

aleks.sierz
Electric live music enlivens revival of David Hare’s elegiac gig theatre show

Power: The Downfall of Huw Edwards, Channel 5 review - re-creation with a journalistic scoop but minimal drama

Helen Hawkins
Mark Burt's script takes a measured approach to its potentially incendiary material

The Plough and the Stars, Abbey Theatre, Dublin review - uneven centenary production of O'Casey's Easter Uprising odyssey

David Nice
Some abstraction in the sets is fine, but several underpar performances mar the flow

Phil Ellis, Touring review - daft, unchallenging fun

Veronica Lee
Taskmaster star makes fun of 'loser' tag

Rory Carroll: A Rebel and a Traitor review - page-turning account of the Easter Rising

Bernard Hughes
Story of the rise and fall of Sir Roger Casement works on the small and large scale

Powerful singer, creator, activist Raye's 'This Music May Contain Hope' is astonishing

Sebastian Scotney
Raye’s moment has definitely arrived, and this is an inspirational album

Pukhlianko, National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine, Sirenko, NCH Dublin review - a golden mean in Beethoven 3

David Nice
Perfectly proportioned 'Eroica' sets the seal of distinction on these visitors' tour

The Cunning Little Vixen, Royal Northern College of Music review - keeping it simple in the countryside

Robert Beale
Janáček's protagonist is a pure soul, a socialist and a survivor

Rusalka, Irish National Opera review - great singing half-eclipsed by muddled staging

David Nice
Jennifer Davis is a dream nymph, not best served by Netia Jones' production

Gone, ITV1 review - whatever happened to the headmaster's wife?

Adam Sweeting
David Morrissey dominates a dark tale of secrets and lies

BBC Singers, BBC Philharmonic, Slorach, Storgårds, Bridgewater Hall, Manchester review - protest music of our time

Robert Beale
Outrage and fun from women composers make their impact

La Grazia review - the sphinx in winter

Nick Hasted
Sorrentino's latest political character study is cast in shades of grieving grey

Tristan und Isolde, Metropolitan Opera live transmission review - ideal dream lovers

David Nice
Peripheral problems, but the greatest love duet is perfectly sung, staged and conducted

Music Reissues Weekly: Don’t Let Him Hurt You! - Girl Group Sounds USA 1962-1968

Kieron Tyler
A one-stop showcase for the fabulous

Vincent in Brixton, Orange Tree Theatre review - van Gogh, 'ere today, gone tomorrow

Gary Naylor
Artist and landlady discover plenty in common - except their ages

Project Hail Mary review - grace under pressure

Nick Hasted
Ryan Gosling fights to save Earth in a family sf epic of rare optimism

Welcome to Pemfort, Soho Theatre review - too brief for its subject matter

aleks.sierz
New play about heritage, past crime and forgiveness is a bit tonally discordant

Steve Coleman and Five Elements, Ronnie Scott's review - incandescent collective jazz impro

Mark Kidel
Risk-taking flights of musical imagination

Dead Man's Wire review - Gus Van Sant's take on a 1977 hostage crisis

Markie Robson-Scott
The little guy against the system: Bill Skarsgård and Dacre Montgomery star

Siegfried, Royal Opera review - no bully, but a bright boy who learns fast

David Nice
Andreas Schager’s hero is a sword-forger and lover for the ages

R.O.I. (Return on Investment), Hampstead Theatre review - sick take on health and wealth

Gary Naylor
New play poses increasingly pressing questions

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latest in today

'We are bowled over!' Thank you for your messages of love and support
We are bowled over! We knew that theartsdesk.com had plenty of supporters out there – we’ve always had a loyal readership of arts…
Two Prosecutors review - a warning from history
The vertigo of lawlessness in Stalin’s Russia carries contemporary resonance in Sergei Loznitsa’s latest Soviet parable. As a Russian…
The Turn of the Screw, Linbury Theatre review - sorrow drenched in darkness
“Fear death by water,” says the fortune-teller in TS Eliot’s The Waste Land. There were a few moments in Natalie Abrahami’s new production…
St Matthew Passion, Irish Baroque Orchestra, Whelan, St Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin review - searing drama as before
Was it a risk to attend a third Irish Baroque Orchestra Matthew Passion in as many years, given that previous indelible interpretations had…
Body & Soul, English National Ballet, Sadler's Wells review - a surefire hit and an absolute plonker
If it were true, as Timothée Chalamet has said, that ballet as an art form has become a museum, the job of running a national ballet…
Classical CDs: Glee clubs, snow crystals and small trolls
Brahms: Trio Op. 114, Robert & Clara Schumann: Romances. Joachim: Hebrew Melodies Tabea Zimmermann (viola), Javier Perianes (piano)…
Tom Misch drifts through ‘Full Circle’ without quite taking off
Tom Misch’s Full Circle is an easy, pleasant listen, but it tends to drift by without leaving much of a lasting impression. He leans into a…
Gorillaz, OVO Hydro, Glasgow review - cartoon cavalcade has plenty of life
Years have passed since the early days of Gorillaz, when the real musicians behind the cartoon band remained hidden from view onstage. Yet…
Tamerlano, London Handel Festival, Shoreditch Town Hall review - a Trump-style tale for our times
Tamerlano, tyrannical Emperor of the Tartars, is a burger-munching boor with a golf-habit, a bulbous belly and a crashing disdain for other…
Don Broco continue pushing boundaries of rock with frantic 'Nightmare Tripping'
The premise of a four-piece rock band hailing from Bedford sounds very unassuming when compared to the reality of the eclectic rockers, Don…