The British city of Bath has a new children’s theatre, known as The Egg, and its designers are right proud of it, which is good, since they’re also the target demographic. “Children have played a large part in creating this theatre, which has been built inside an old cinema the entrance of which is round the side of its parent company, the Theatre Royal Bath… Being inside the Egg is like being inside a traditional theatre but with none of the more daunting elements. There are no dark velvet curtains, there is no prickly plush, the seats are smooth and not flip-up.” And perhaps best of all, there’s a soundproof room at the back where parents can take a screaming baby away from the crowd while still being able to see and hear the production.
Tag: 10.12.05
Blasting the Beeb
The BBC is under intense fire from members of the British Parliament over its lobbying to increase the country’s “television license fee” (yes, you have to pay to watch even normal television in the UK) by 2.3% above inflation per year. Some MPs complain that the BBC is trying to “wallow in cash” at a time when commercial broadcasters are struggling to stay in the black. The fee could rise to £200 ($349) per year by 2013 under the proposal, although BBC estimates put that figure considerably lower. The BBC insists that it needs the cash to cover shortfalls – critics say the broadcaster needs to rein itself in.
Britain’s Theatre For New Writing Turns 50
Tom Stoppard and David Hare have each been commissioned to write a new play for the 50th anniversary season of London’s Royal Court Theatre. The Court has been one of Britain’s premiere venues for new plays, and Stoppard said he “[didn’t] want to fall under a bus before having a play on its stage.” Another highlight of the anniversary year will be a rare acting appearance by playwright Harold Pinter, who will perform the role of the “wearyish old man” in a Beckett play. “The Royal Court’s illustrious history as Britain’s new writing theatre has seen it associated with writers such as Edward Bond, Caryl Churchill, Sir David Hare, Joe Orton and Sam Shepard. In the 1990s the theatre nurtured a new wave of talent, including Sarah Kane, Martin McDonagh and Mark Ravenhill.”
The Politics of Jazz (And Race, And Poverty) In New Orleans
As the rebuilding of New Orleans begins, concern is growing about the direction the reconstruction will take, and whether it will benefit the city’s poorest and darkest-skinned residents. In particular, New Orleans jazz musicians have begun to raise their voices against what they fear will be the “Disney-fication” of the cultural scene. “And if the plans for the future of the city don’t include its humblest residents, I fear that the communities that created jazz in the first place will be dispersed — and the country will have lost a good bit of its soul.”
Reinventing Comic Books For A Darker, More Cynical Age
“DC Comics is in the midst of a major effort to revitalize the company’s fabled superheroes for the 21st century and better connect with today’s readers. The undertaking, which began in 2002, has involved a critical look at DC’s characters – from Aquaman and Batman to Zatanna – and developing story lines that sometimes have heroes engage in decidedly unheroic deeds… If fans embrace the new DC superhero universe, the gamble will be worth it. Last year, the comic book industry generated nearly $500 million in sales.”
Florence Biennale Wraps Up In Typical Style
“The Florence Biennale is predominantly an Old Master paintings fair, although a few dealers venture into the 19th century and one, Tornabuoni Arte, showed modern works by Lucio Fontana. Most of the mainly Italian visitors have conservative tastes and come in search of traditional paintings, drawings, sculpture and furniture produced by artists and craftsmen from their country… Despite efforts by the fair to promote itself internationally, most overseas visitors this year were Americans and Britons who have second homes in Italy. This left the field largely clear for Italian collectors.”
Beamish Binge
Sally Beamish is officially “Britain’s most prolific composer of concertos,” a distinction that frequently puts her in the position of composing especially for some of the world’s finest musicians. This fall, Scottish concertgoers will have a chance to hear what all the excitement is about, and then some. “What is about to happen is probably unprecedented in Scotland, outside of a festival context. Within a period of six weeks, five of Beamish’s concertos will be played, including one world premiere and one Scottish premiere.” And it’s not even her 50th birthday or anything! (That comes next summer, along with what will surely be an even larger wave of performances.)
Rethinking Sarah Kane
It’s been six years since the brilliant young British playwright Sarah Kane committed suicide, and time has done nothing to diminish her impact on the UK’s theatre scene. But as is so often the case with artists struck down in their prime, the myth has begun to overtake the reality, and her entire output is frequently viewed through the lens of her final, desperate act. “Kane’s work wasn’t just some outpouring of the soul. It was immensely crafted… There’s a danger that we see all of [her] work as one long preparation for suicide. [Instead,] we should look at the plays as the work of a writer of great anger, of sardonic humour, who saw the cruelties of the world but also the human capacity for love.”