**Here be spoilers**
Being perplexed by The Master Builder is nothing new. Generations of audiences have sat equally bewildered and fascinated by Ibsen’s play, arguing what the play is all about. Is it about an elderly professional on the way out and the destruction caused by his infatuation with a young woman? Is it about a hero on a creative journey that ends wrong? Is it about keeping death at bay by an affair or by dreaming again? Continue reading The Master Builder at the Old Vic | A triumph of tenderness and madness →
The s.o. loves me despite some of my weirdness (and sometimes, because of it). Case in point, he surprised me with tickets to Beyond Bollywood – even though the last thing he will ever watch is a Bollywood film which I really like. Beyond Bollywood is a sell-out musical in Mumbai which just had its London debut.
We didn’t just watch the show, I managed to have my very own Bollywood scene with some of the team and Irfan Siddiqui (Lyricist). Read on. Continue reading Beyond Bollywood | or how I had a Bollywood scene →
I love the Old Vic. Let me get that out of the way now. I’ve watched an earth shattering Hedda Gabler there, the tender Winslow Boy and a very strong Sweet Bird of Youth (even if Kim Catrall’s wig was a bit eyebrow raising). Kevin Spacey as the Artistic Director has performed miracles there.
Sadly, Electra is not one of them. This was the single most disappointing play I have ever watched in London and I don’t feel I am exaggerating when I say that effectively its a crime against Sophocles and ancient Greek tragedy. Continue reading Electra at the Old Vic | Hugely disappointing →
A few years ago, while I was doing academic research on online creativity, I had the honour of discussing activities in Second Life with a number of users who kindly agreed to help me out. Very early on, one of those users took exception to my phraseology when I asked him what he did in Real Life.
This *is* Real Life, there is no difference
he said to me and I have never forgotten the lesson.
Continue reading The Nether | Disturbing and fascinating in equal measure →
There are two reasons why I don’t want to be too harsh with The Commitments. One has nothing to do with the show (my friend kindly invited me and he has a thing about the film). The other is that this is a very obviously young and enthusiastic cast.
Having said that, I have promised that this will be an honest blog so I will say sorry to my friend (and the cast) but I must note that The Commitments felt like nothing special. A bit of a shame that really.
Continue reading The Commitments. Good cast in an unconvincing musical. →
Discussing The Drowned Man with my s.o. (I loved it, he was enraged by it) we soon finished our “did we have fun” and “did we understand it” arguments and moved on to the nature and scope of knowledge. This is good art in my humble opinion. The type that makes you question and discuss the very basis of how you view the world.
Continue reading The Drowned Man | An exercise in epistemology →
I’m visiting my mum in Greece, her house being the repository of all things I can’t fit into wherever I live in London (which is pretty much everything apart from some work clothes and a toothbrush).
I’ve discovered some old theatre programmes – especially from the 90s when I was still living in Greece.
Here is the Greek set on Flickr and here are some from my London days – I’ll try to populate the later.
Stuff that Sofia eats/ drinks/ hears/ sees/ does in London (and sometimes other places)