Nick

Jordan Luke Gage as Salieri, if Salieri was a sexy vampire. Saving Mozart at The Other Palace, 2025.

"A fair bit more flamenco than I usually associate with Mozart" Theatre review: Saving Mozart partially-obstructed-view.blogspot.com/2025/08/thea...

Rosamund Pike as Jessica, wearing a judge's wig and robes, dances with a microphone stand in front of the royal coat of arms. Inter Alia at the National Theatre's Lyttelton, 2025.

"Uses the Lyttelton's size to expand into a bigger - and scarier - world" Theatre review: Inter Alia partially-obstructed-view.blogspot.com/2025/08/thea...

Image of an upcoming Netflix movie called "Songs from the Hole."

Most people just call them farts but OK.

Around a circular formal table, Sinéad Matthews as Sylvia wears a wedding dress and stands on a chair, while in the foreground Julian Kostov as Marek wears a suit and stands with his arms and legs wide, looking at her. Till The Stars Come Down at the Theatre Royal Haymarket, 2025.

"It's been compared to Chekhov, though it owes as much to Coronation Street" Theatre review: Till The Stars Come Down partially-obstructed-view.blogspot.com/2025/08/thea...

Topless John LIght and bottomless Bertie Carvel sit back to back on a bed. The Winter's Tale at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, 2025.

"The latest instalment of Topless John Light Making Things Homoerotic In Kind Of A Weird Way" Theatre review: The Winter's Tale (RSC/RST) partially-obstructed-view.blogspot.com/2025/08/thea...

Adeel Akhtar as Angad wears blue trousers and braces, a white shirt and red tie, standing in front of a huge scene showing him live, as at a political party conference. Confetti falls on him. The Estate at the National Theatre's Dorfman, 2025.

"Mixes lively political comedy with a much bleaker look at generational trauma" Theatre review: The Estate partially-obstructed-view.blogspot.com/2025/07/thea...

It's their own tourism industry they're harming with this half-hearted promotion.

Bunch of students on the way to Leamington Spa because that's where you get the good ketamine, it's amazing the stuff they forget to mention on the tourist information boards.

I was going to do something snarky here about how I'm sure they'd have no objection if he also did it in blackface but... they probably wouldn't.

(Yes I get that if you can't get Sharon and Ncuti back you might as well think outside the box, but when there's a notorious history of older actresses being excluded from one of the few plum roles written for them because a man fancies a go at it, you've got to know it looks a bit regressive.)

Hey so it's been a couple of days, are we going to talk about the optics of recasting Caribbean Lady Bracknell with an old white man, or...

I still chuckle at the thought of the writers admitting after it finished "people didn't realise we were making it up as we went along!" Like, what people didn't realise this, people without TVs?

Sleb Spot: David Suchet at the National's café. Nice to see him out in public with trousers on.

The cast of Burlesque in forgivingly low lighting. Burlesque at the Savoy Theatre, 2025.

"Only really shows signs of its troubled origins when the lights are on and there's people on stage" Theatre review: Burlesque partially-obstructed-view.blogspot.com/2025/07/thea...

Upstage and brightly lit, Zheng Xi Yong as Pete and Lewis Cornay as Rafe wait at the door with a bottle of wine. Downstage in shadow, Jo Foster as Andy sit on a chair waiting for them. Four Play at the King's Head Theatre, 2025.

"Are three-quarter length bell bottoms really what The Youth are wearing these days? Crikey" Theatre review: Four Play partially-obstructed-view.blogspot.com/2025/07/thea...

Sandman explicitly making Loki and Puck a chaotically evil gay couple is the representation we deserve.

Sheridan Townsley as Conor, dressed as a New Romantic, stands in the spotlight as lead singer of the band Sing Street, who wear sparkly blue jackets as they play their instruments, including two keyboards. Sing Street at the Lyric Hammersmith, 2025.

"Comedy and pathos with the energy of a live gig" Theatre review: Sing Street partially-obstructed-view.blogspot.com/2025/07/thea...

Watching students struggling to open a door, thinking well that exam must have gone SWIMMINGLY for them.

In white, patterned Elizabethan gowns, Katherine Pearce as Mistress Ford and Emma Pallant as Mistress Page chat animatedly. The Merry Wives of Windsor at Shakespeare's Globe, 2025.

"The less salubrious underside of the suburban farce" Theatre review: The Merry Wives of Windsor (Shakespeare's Globe) partially-obstructed-view.blogspot.com/2025/07/thea...

Just got off a 6-hour Teams call, how much custard am I legally entitled to?

In a red Mediaeval gown, Arsema Thomas as Clare sits grumpily while Jacoba Williams and Liz Kettle as her servants braid her hair. Poor Clare at the Orange Tree Theatre, 2025.

"Mediaeval politics with Valley Girl one-liners" Theatre review: Poor Clare partially-obstructed-view.blogspot.com/2025/07/thea...

Luke Brady as Hercules in a tight mesh top. He's in front of a picture of the Acropolis, if anyone cares about that. Hercules at Theatre Royal Drury Lane, 2025.

"Once you've taken the sexual assault out of Greek Mythology you've got what, 5% of the original story left to play with?" Theatre review: Hercules partially-obstructed-view.blogspot.com/2025/07/thea...

I've been told "scanning the barcode deactivates the security tag" which is such obvious bollocks it convinced me half of those stickers are just for show, like those empty red boxes on the sides of houses pretending to be a security system.

Emma McDonald as Marie-Louise and Luke Norris as John stand close to each other against a sepia-toned Art Deco background, and he touches her face. The Constant Wife at the Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, 2025.

"Well worth reinventing for a modern audience" Theatre review: The Constant Wife partially-obstructed-view.blogspot.com/2025/07/thea...

Next you'll be telling me Simon Russell Beale's from Malaysia.

You don't have to choose the way of chaos every time, you know.

*bursts urgently through the door* Guys, guys, are we calling the current RSC regime Danmara or Tamaniel?

In a darkened room, Samira Wiley as Esther works at a sewing machine. Intimate Apparel at the Donmar Warehouse, 2025.

"Something simmering under a quiet heartbreak" Theatre review: Intimate Apparel partially-obstructed-view.blogspot.com/2025/07/thea...

John Thomson "nice" gif

Today's NYT Connections included "blow" and "rim."

Last Thursday.