Month: February 2013

Missed Kisses by simon david, Alchemy Centre, 9 February 2013

Janie and I have been to a few of simon david’s things now – I think this was the first of them and possibly the one we liked the best.

A stalwart of the Royal Court bookstall for many years, simon gently persuaded us (and many other people) to attend his shows.

This one was in a funky place in Chalk Farm known as the Alchemy Centre.

It was a fun piece comprising lots of short sketches and vignettes only tangentially/thematically connected.

There is a Facebook page – click here – but nothing else I could find on-line.

I Know How I Feel About Eve by Colette Kane, Hampstead Theatre Downstairs, 8 February 2013

Another Friday evening well spent at the Hampstead Theatre Downstairs.

Here is a link to the Hampstead resource.

This was a strange play in many ways; a drama about a pretty unpleasant, or at least dysfunctional, couple, who lost a child and desperately want to replace her…possibly with a clone.

There was weirdness and creepiness about it, plus some good lines and drama. It was very well performed and helped cement our view that the Hampstead Downstairs is a seriously happening thing.

No formal reviews downstairs at that time, but here is a link to a search term that finds whatever there is.

 

 

Marianne Elliott And Simon Stephens On Port, 7 February 2013

We went to see this play about 10 days before attending this talk/discussion:

Port by Simon Stephens, Lyttelton Theatre, RNT, 26 January 2013

The “platform” (as the RNT calls such talks) was held in the Lyttelton.

I think I asked an incisive question – Janie might even remember what it was about…I don’t.

Below is a short on-line interview with Elliott & Stephens – not as good as attending the platform, but still good.

Money the Gameshow by Clare Duffy, Bush Theatre, 2 February 2013

We were in need of distraction at that time and this was a light, yet thoughtful piece, in which the audience gets to participate in a game show…or is it the financial system?

Here is a link to the Bush resource on this play/production. 

Below is the trailer:

Below is some footage and vox pops:

It divided the critics a bit, but the reviews were mostly good and I think the run was extended – click here for a search term that finds the reviews.

Janie and I both thought this was an imaginative piece that covered its subject matter well. Well performed and staged too.

Guillermo Klein, Aaron Goldberg, Chris Cheek, Miguel Zenon, Wigmore Hall, 1 February 2013

Another jazz night under Joshua Redman’s stewardship. This time, more colour than the four saxs we saw in November:

Axis Saxophone Quartet, Wigmore Hall, 2 November 2012

This time – two pianos and two saxophones.

Still, only some of this jazz worked for us. Some was very melodic and pleasing to the ear – some was a bit complex for our taste.

Well worth hearing, though and much needed distraction from all Janie’s health stuff, which we were trying to process at that time.