In English
The Mahabharata | Peter Brook
Peter Brook’s original 1985 stage play “The Mahabharata” was 9 hours long, and toured around the world for four years. In 1989, it was reduced to under 6 hours for television. The Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India, the other being the Ramayana. Traditionally, the authorship of the …
Bab’Aziz (2005)
Bab’Aziz – The Prince Who Contemplated His Soul (2005) NARRATIVE A visual poem of incomparable beauty, this masterpiece from director Nacer Khemir (director of Wanderers of the Desert/El-haimoune, 1984) begins with the story of a blind dervish named Bab’Aziz and his spirited granddaughter, Ishtar. Together they wander the desert in search of a great …
The Unforgettable Lynette Davies
Lynette Davies She was an altogether exceptional woman. Of Welsh origin, Lynette Davies was an apparition of captivating beauty; tall, blond, elegant, and with a speaking voice to die for. She was generous, and her fondness of people, coupled with curiosity, intelligence and a vibrant vivacity, made her an easy person to engage in conversation …
Musical | Two Gentlemen of Verona
Two Gentlemen of Verona – The Musical In 1973 I was engaged to perform in Two Gentlemen of Verona, a new musical by Galt MacDermot (music, of Hair fame), John Guare and Mel Shapiro (book; Shapiro also directed the show), based on Shakespeare’s play by the same name. The rehearsal period and entire run of …
Terence Rattigan | Separate Tables
Separate Tables, Terence Rattigan’s famous play from 1954, consists of two linked one-act plays set in the Beauregard Private Hotel, a run-down hotel in Bournemouth, England. In one, a divorcee tracks down her former husband in order to resume a kind of half-life with him. In the other, a repressed young spinster offers moral support …
Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake (2012)
Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake is a feast for the eyes and a celebration for the senses. Watching it for the first time was a stunning experience for me; a revelation. Dark, mysterious, sensuous and full of drama, Bourne’s theatrical revamping of this Petipa classic to the music of Tchaikovsky made this evening in the theatre …
Amor Fati | André Bjerke | English Translation
Amor Fati is a poem which has meant a lot to me over the years. Ever since I first read it in my early teens, I’ve regularly brought it forth, year on year, getting inspired every time. Amor Fati is written by Norwegian poet André Bjerke who once revealed this was his favourite amongst his …