Month: October 2026

The Moth by Paul Herzberg, Finborough Theatre, 31 October 2026

This is a chilling, powerful piece.

In the fascinating play text/programme, Paul Hertzberg explains that he experienced the terrible Angolan War of the late 1980s as a South African conscript and that he has, over the years, written several pieces about it; not least stories he has been told about other people’s shocking experiences.

Hertzberg wrote the central story of The Moth as a 10-minute lockdown monologue. Enthused by the success & stir caused by that piece, plus Hertzberg’s desire to expand the work and include some other dramatic ideas he had around the story, he came up with The Moth in its current form.

The play runs for some 100 minutes or so, plus interval.

Here is a link to the Finborough resource for this play/production.

Arguably, the play is a tad too long. Some of the themes repeat. But then, to be fair, Herzberg is using the dramatic device of the central characters’ paths crossing over the decades to illustrate the notion that traumatic happenings don’t just go away – they infuse and inform the lives of those caught up in them.

Some elements of the play are designed to tell us about the Angolan war, on the basis that we probably don’t know very much about it. But then, as the South African intervention in the late 1980s was a “secret war”, we’re not supposed to know much about it unless we are told. The story does need that context to make sense as a dramatic representation of the kinds of horrific things that really did happen.

In some ways it reminded me of “We Are Proud To…”, which we saw at The Bush over 10 years ago, and not just because it was about little-known South West African tragedies:

We Are Proud To… by Jackie Sibblies Drury , Bush Theatre, 15 March 2014

Not just the horrors of war – also horrific are the tales of the Afrikaner soldier’s upbringing; memories of his ultra-violent, failed-Nazi, father.

Differently upsetting were the tales of the freedom-fighter’s son – his upbringing in seemingly-benign Balham, yet his sense of invidious racism and the psychological damage caused by having a permanently absent mother and frequently absent father were some of the best aspects of the drama.

Both Micky Cochrane and Faz Singhateh act their parts very well.

The Moth is not an easy watch. It has split the jury on reviews – click here for those. But we were both very struck by it and it kept us both discussing and debating for the next couple of days – which we always take to be a strong sign.

The Moth is running until 21 November 2026. Here’s the Finborough link again.

(Youth) Club Night At Kimchee, 27 October 2026

Sandra, Liza, Linda, Andrea. I’m safely behind the lens for this shot.

I commented last year about the double meaning of the term “Club Night” for me:

  • almost monthly real tennis gatherings at Lord’s which I, for my sins, curate;
  • once or twice a year get togethers with my BBYO youth club pals from back in days of yore.
Two Club Nights & A Silver Racquet, Lord’s, Kimchee & Lord’s, 22 to 26 October 2025

This time, the Korean setting also had double meaning, as the previous week I had attended a work event with visitors from Busan on the Tuesday, then curated real tennis Club Night at Lord’s on the Wednesday.

One of the London-based Korean speakers was most impressed to learn that I would be eating at Kimchee the following week, as he and his family really rate that place. Well done Andrea for choosing it and using your connections (the Kimchee website) to book the table.

As always, it was really good to see everyone who could make it. We chatted about old times…and new times…and all that.

The evening flew by.

Someone thought that I’d be the best placed person to arrange a group selfie of the five of us who attended that night…

…but they were wrong. My effort was pathetic. You see young folk doing this sort of thing with apparent ease, but I have never got the hang of doing anything more than a double selfie.

That’s why I took the headline photo in traditional fashion, which accords with the way I was trained by my dad to take photos.

But I was not in that photo, so I had a go at mogging the whole evening with a solo selfie.

Hawk-eyed readers will observe that I even manage to get my fist in the way for a solo selfie. Discerning viewers will also conclude that my mogging attempt failed aesthetically.

OK, so I am useless at taking selfies with phones, but I have got the knack of instructing free versions of AI software to help get me out of holes. I sent the above three pictures to Google Flow (Nano Banana 2.1) asking it to produce the five person selfie that I ought to have taken.

Me, Sandra, Liza, Linda & Andrea – as envisaged by Nano Banana based on my instructions.

I think it’s done rather well. Or should I say that I have done rather well, instructing the software with such precision.

But the truth is, we don’t need pictures from these get togethers – it’s the memories and the friendships that really matter. Those have endured for decades and for sure will continue to endure.

Life Begins At Forte: CPE Bach, Mahan Esfahani, Aapo Häkkinen & A Double Dose Of Keyboards At The Wigmore Hall, 19 October 2026

Harpsicord up front with fortepiano behind

Janie was not the only member of the audience who was perplexed from the outset by the stage configuration for this concert.

To be fair, the central conceit of the whole thing was the Emmanuel Bach double concerto for harpsicord and fortepiano, so I suppose we might have expected to see two big instruments on the Wigmore Hall’s small stage.

Fortepiano up front with harpsicord behind

What was not so clear on booking, or even from my pre show photographs, is that the Helsinki Baroque Orchestra, bless them, were entirely obscured from the audience’s view, apart from, to use Janie’s precise words:

…the performers’ crotches and their feet.

Looking at people’s feet is a bit of a busman’s holiday for Janie, of course.

Janie has a bit of a thing about the Wigmore Hall, with its lack of tiering, such that we basically land “front row mafia” seats by dint of our supporter level membership or we don’t go. Thus, not being able to see much, despite being with the front row mafia, did not go down well.

A shame, really, because the music was lovely. And we did have a very good view of the keyboard fellas – Mahan Esfahani & Aapo Häkkinen.

We’d seen Mahan Estahani before, several times. The first time we saw him, he was not much more than a boy:

The English Concert, Wigmore Hall, 15 March 2009

It wasn’t the first time we’d seen Aapo Häkkinen and the Helsinki Baroque Orchestra either…

Finns Ain’t What they Used To Be, Helsinki Baroque Orchestra, Wigmore Hall, 6 January 2018

…although we saw a lot more of the orchestra in 2018 than we saw in 2026, for reasons already explained.

Returning to 2026, we exclusively heard symphonies and concertos by CPE Bach:

  • Symphony in F Wq. 175 (1755)
  • Concerto in E minor for harpsichord Wq. 15 (1745-7)
  • Symphony in E minor Wq. 178 (1756)
  • Symphony in A Wq. 182/4 (1773)
  • Concerto in E flat for harpsichord and fortepiano Wq. 47 (1788)

The programme notes do a wonderful job of explaining CPE’s musical (and patronisation) journey from his earlier Berlin years to his later Hamburg years. That explanation also sets out the symbolism of the double concerto, which I did think was especially lovely.

Not only do the two instruments demonstrate a great contrast between the older plucked harpsicord and the “modern” hammering of the fortepiano, but Mahan Esfahani & Aapo Häkkinen demonstrate contrasting styles of play – the former flamboyant, the latter tense and precise. They also greet and take their bows in the most contrasting manner – Esfahani warm and emotional, Häkkinen quintessentially Finnish in his restraint.

All so intriguing, but Janie remained adamant that blocking the view of the whole stage rather diminished the event for her.

Of course, on a larger stage that work can be performed without so obscuring the other artistes. Here are some other folk performing the first movement on a large stage:

…and here is a birds-eye view of yet another orchestra – this time performing the whole piece:

And Janie did admit that an evening at the Wigmore Hall is always a stress reliever, even if the concert isn’t quite to her taste.

Hamsters v Dedanists, Royal Tennis Court, Hampton Court, 15 October 2026

Cum gratiis Musae Nanae 2.1 via Fluxus Google

My serene mood on the morning of this match was shattered by my sat nav announcing that my destination, Hampton Court Palace, had moved since my last visit. “Wow.  The power of AI”, I thought, checking the route and noting that it was unchanged from my previous visits.

After a smooth and traffic free journey, my serenity was restored; until I arrived at Tennis Court Lane to the sight and sound of a municipal rubbish lorry outside the tennis court.

In a faux American tourist accent, I asked the security desk attendant:

“Is that a genuine Tudor garbage truck?” 

The attendant laughed and radioed his colleague, alerting him that the “genuine Tudor garbage truck” was on its way. 

Post-truck, serenity was restored, until battle commenced. I even had time to walk around and take a couple of photographs on that splendid morning.

Even the geese looked serene, entirely oblivious to the sense of forthcoming battle.

The results card summarises the battle: The Hamsters narrowly won the first three rubbers, then narrowly lost the last two. Every rubber was really tight – even the two-setters had a great many 40-40 games, with ebb and flow aplenty.

Just a few comments on the dramatis personae.  Vernon Morris and Charlie Kearl of the Hamsters paired well to defeat the (previously undefeated in this fixture) pairing – me and Richard Prosser.  They also both kindly doubled-up later as injury substitutes. 

There is an adage in cricket-watching that the most formidable players are those with two first names, i.e. names that still make sense if you reverse the first and surname. Once Graham Findlay and Iain Harvey learnt that they were to face Vernon Morris and Barry Clive, the result was inevitable. Close but ultimately a win for the Hamsters was the result.

Before that, Ian Falconer and Christie Marrion looked well in control after the first set, only to be masterfully turned around by John East and Graeme Marks.  Ian’s previous connection with this fixture was my visit to see him act on the evening after this match, two years ago – click here to read about that.  I have oft observed that, ever the actor, Ian Falconer really turns it on, tennis-wise, when he has an audience. A party of schoolkids no doubt helped Ian in the first set. Had I not been marking, I’d have rushed to round up some more school parties for the second and/or third set, which might have made all the difference. 

In the fourth rubber, Ian Hopkins and John Yarnall looked in control, until Richard Sutcliffe and Charles Heaton, both unused to the vagaries of the RTC court, slowly got used to the court and took control of that rubber. 

Similarly, Charlie Kearl and promising Hamster newbie Jay Lewsey (remember where you read that name first) looked in control against Peter Brunner and James McDermott, until Peter and James settled into their task and took the final rubber in three sets.

And of course the Dedanists’ Society coffers have been enhanced by dint of the Dedanists’ playing fees and the generosity of Hamsters alike. 

The Hamsters hospitality, as always, was splendid – Ian Hopkins, with help from assembled Hamsters, provisioned us with delicious lasagne, salad, cheeses and lemon cheesecake, with wines flowing plentifully for those who imbibe. 

As usual, for this delightful fixture, serenity and that wonderful real tennis feeling of bonhomie prevailed.

A picture is worth 1000 words.  I asked Nano Banana 2.1 (Google Flow) to help depict the events of the day in the time-honoured fashion.  The power of AI.

What The Animals Say by David Ireland, Finborough Theatre, 3 October 2026

Janie and I both had a truly excellent evening of theatre with this one. If you are reading this piece wondering whether or not to see this play/production, please interrupt your reading, click this link to The Finborough and “sort yourself out” before reading any further on this piece.

We are fans of the Finborough, which tends to put on several productions a year that “float our boat”. This one certainly did.

For a start, the playwright is David Ireland. Janie and I saw his astonishing and wonderful play Cyprus Avenue in 2016…

Cyprus Avenue by David Ireland, Royal Court Theatre Upstairs, 30 April 2016

…and I have been on the scout for his stuff ever since.

Stop press: a film of that astonishing production of Cyprus Avenue is available on iPlayer until June 2027 – click here.

We missed out on his Ulster American when we went to the Edinburgh Fringe for a week in 2018, because I didn’t spot it ahead of time and learnt that it was the sold-out, must-see production of that season.

We might have missed out on What The Animals Say at the Finborough too, had it not been for a tangential e-conversation with Ben Schwarz about the Director, Harry Burton, a few weeks ago.

Ben was aware that Harry had been in touch with me, through Ogblog, about some earlier work…

The Wonder: A Woman Keeps A Secret, Susanna Centlivre, The Gate, 16 September 1989

…and that Harry & I had subsequently corresponded about theatre, Pinter, cricket and stuff.

Ben suggested that we three meet, I suggested that the last cricket match of the season at Lord’s in late September would be a suitable occasion, Ben discovered that Harry was going to be in full rehearsal for What The Animals Say at that time, and the rest is history.

For the record, Ben and I did spend a most enjoyable day at Lord’s for that match between Middlesex & Northants.

It looked a bit like this, although Ben joined me on 24th, Day One, whereas I took this picture when I popped back to Lord’s late on Day Two.

But I digress.

As indeed do the characters in What The Animals Say, verbally leaping around their earlier lives, their current lives, their aspirations, their dashed hopes, and, naturally, the Troubles. The politics of Northern Ireland is never far away in David Ireland’s work.

The largest heaps of praise, though, must go to the two actors, Robbie Martin and Matthew Blaney, who absolutely make this play dance off the page and onto the stage. Janie commented afterwards that this play could only possibly work on the stage if both actors were top notch.

Great praise also to Harry Burton, who has directed this short, powerful piece with aplomb.

This production really does deserve a larger audience. I feel like a stuck record when I say this about Finborough productions – but that house is so small and the runs are so short. Surely this production of What The Animals Say will be picked up for a transfer.

If it is still October 2026 and you read all the way to the end here without clicking the Finborough link and grabbing some tickets before it is too late…click here…Now please.