Albrecht Durer -drawings and prints at the courtauld

Albrecht Durer,familiar to us all in his key identifying self portrait of 1500, is presented in his "early years"in the new pocket sized exhibition at the Courtauld.  Specifically the pictures and prints are from the years between the end of his apprenticeship and    the year he settled back again in Nuremberg. They represent the years when he was a "journeyman" literally travelling around Germany and heading down towards Italy, effectively they are his "exploration years" not only geographically but also artistically as he worked out what kind of artist he would like to be and what themes he would explore again and again. 

Highlights of the exhibition include his line drawing of the wise Virgins, which can be compared to the series of wise and foolish virgins carried out by durer' sown master, and a couple of self portraits including one from his teenage years where he conveys not only his struggles with the technique of self portraiture but also highlights his melancholy nature. This should be compared to his melancholia I print which hangs nearby. My personal favourite though is his sketch of his wife Agnes which is simple quick and tender, not overly sentimentalised or idealised but nevertheless full of affection in its spare form. 

Once a catholic at the tricycle

Last night I continued my new found love affair with the tricycle theatre. Lucky lucky north Londoners to have such excellent quality on their doorsteps. 

So "once a catholic" when it first came out was seen as a shocking indictment of the Catholic Church particularly the unsympathetic and stereotyped treatment of catholic schoolgirls in schools run by narrow minded nuns. Of course since then the Catholic Church has been rocked by a series of scandals which aren't addressed here. Inevitably given its 1957 setting the play feels dated in the issues it is concerned with (the adolescent pre-full adulthood of the schoolgirls and their interactions with the nuns (struggling with a world of teddy boys and premarital sex). More than anything else it's a nostalgic piece addressing the issues of a generation gap. 

One of the big draws for this production is its director, Kathy Burke, and she doesn't disappoint. Although she herself doesn't appear, her choice of Molly Logan as Mary Moonie the innocent and put upon main protagonist echoes so many of Burke's own stage and screen creations that you can't help but assume that this character had special resonance for the director. 

All in all it's a strong cast with engaging performances teetering on the correct side of parody though I'd like to give special mention to  Cecilia Noble as Mother Peter and Calum callaghan's bemused teddy boy  Derek. 

Tudors and Stuarts

Fascinating exhibition at the Queens Gallery (round the back of Buckingham palace).

 The exhibition focuses on the clothing/costumes of the royal court during the Tudor and Stuart periods through a mixture of paintings, jewellery and some original clothing (one of the highlights being a beautifully embroidered bodice). 

Made me yearn for the days of true excess when people wondered around in silks and stains with jewels and pearls sewn on their sleeves and hats the way we now walk around with studs attached to our coats,shoes and handbags. 

Charlie and the chocolate factory -go get your Golden Ticket

So went to a preview of Charlie last night and its got to be said Sam Mendes has managed to combine the charm of the 70's film with the wonder and pzazz of the more recent film but without the Michael Jackson overtones of Johnny Depp's Wonka. 

The songs are new being a mix of melodies, disco, pop, rap etc although none have the catchiness of "pure imagination", so it's lucky that is the one song they have kept from the original film as that's the only tune you'll be humming

Visually this show is simply WOW. Ever scene feels like you're stepping into your imagination. Big, slick, witty and quirky. 

Finally, a note on the casting, Nigel Planer is a revelation as grandpa joe, Douglas Hodge really is how I imagined Willy Wonka as a child and the children are amazing. Special highlights, the oompa lumpa's and the introduction to Augustus Gloop

Seriously, go get your golden ticket. http://www.charlieandthechocolatefactory.com/mobile/

And to put you in the mood: http://youtu.be/RZ-uV72pQKI

Park theatre: Yellow face

So last night went to see Yellow Face at the Park Theatre in Finsbury Park. My first ever visit to thePark  Theatre and it didn't disappoint. In brief the play is an entertaining take on the concept of residual racism in relation to the east asian community. Ie the idea that it's ok for Caucasians to play oriental figures eg Charlie Chan and Fu Manchu or Mickey Rooney in Breakfast at Tiffany's. specifically it relates to objections to Jonathan Pryce's casting as a Eurasian pp in the Broadway production of Miss Saigon.

The topic of residual racism and the pc ness of addressing the subject in auditions is dealt with deftly in this fast paced production but it was the perennial and non race related topics of parental/child relations which raised the most laughs. No matter your race or creed I defy you to watch the interaction between the main character and his father without a wry smile.

Highly recommended if you get the chance before it closes!

http://parktheatre.co.uk/whats-on/yellow-face

 Gemma Chan & David Yip in Yellow Face