Reading Time: 2 minutesWell received by millions, The Rest Is History is a popular podcast that delves into fascinating historical events and figures with a lively, conversational approach. This time at the Royal Albert Hall, Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook explore the lives of two most famous composers throughout history: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Ludwig van Beethoven.
Reading Time: < 1 minuteHow does it feel to fall from a trapeze, suffering a spinal cord injury that leaves you paralysed? For the ordinary, it's already unimaginable; let alone for an acrobatic dancer. Yet, having lived through this experience, dancer and choreographer Diana Niepce recounts her journey of recovery in her latest solo work, The Other Side of Dance.
Reading Time: 2 minutesDeveloped from her solo piece Hatched in 2007, Mamela Nyamza's Hatched Ensemble questions and confronts this legacy, eventually transformed into a celebration of South African culture and dance traditions.
Reading Time: 2 minutes21 classical masterpieces in 1 minute? That's just the least of what to expect from the acclaimed musical clowns Släpstick in their recent award-winning show, Schërzo—a delightful and hilarious mashup of well-known classical pieces by Schubert, Mozart, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Bach, Brahms, and many more.
Reading Time: 2 minutesChoreographed by Qudus Onikeku and presented by Dance Consortium, Re:INCARNATION endeavours to bring about Nigerian culture and the vibrance of Lagos - the metropolis of West Africa - to the UK audience.
Reading Time: 2 minutesWritten by Robin Fiedler and Wyatt Gaer, with music also by Fiedler, Serenoid is a sci-fi opera telling the steampunk-infused queer romance between Xaven (Victoria Oruwari, soprano), a blind engineer, and Corrie (Taryn Surratt, mezzo-soprano), an android violinist who is unable to stand or walk, spending her days playing gloomy violin pessimistically. Their relationship is hindered by Merton (Philippe Eugusyene, baritone), a jester-like villain. The story sounds promising, as it taps into the trendy academic environment to explores non-human agents and their relationship with human beings.
Reading Time: 2 minutesThe Sands of Time is such a well curated concert that showcases Richter both as a composer and pianist. It has two parts: Part I is performed by the Richter Trio, including twelve pieces, with many of them from his latest album Chronos. Alena Zinovieva (violin) and August Krepak (cello) are both renowned musicians who have literally played everything, from Bach to Silvestrov, and they chose to explore music's infinity with Richter.
Reading Time: 2 minutesWhen I was a teenager, the story of Verlaine and Rimbaud was once my favourite: intense passion, unrequited love and resentment, rebel and blood ... such an abundance for fanfic creation, but none comparable to the origin. By the way, Rimbaud also declared the death of God slightly earlier than Friedrich Nietzsche. I mean, who can resist that?
Reading Time: 2 minutesWritten (and possibly directed) by Tim French, The Bastard Sons of Catford Elvis tells the story of two best friends, Danny (Mike Gillette) and Billy (Niall Hemingway). Together with Danny's mother Brigitte (Kathryn Haywood), they confront Danny's estranged birth father John (Neil Maddock and Tim French), after receiving a mysterious invitation to a rock&roll event. There, they meet John, a self-proclaimed rock star, and Lisa-Marie (Maggie McGuire), later Billy's love interest. John needs Danny's cooperation to seize upon a famous TV show which is actually produced by Lisa-Marie's father, while Danny sets up an Elvis quiz to challenge John's fatherhood.
Reading Time: 2 minutesWhy We Left Home is a light-hearted, slightly awkward comedic mime scratch conceived and performed by Taiwanese artist Hector T.J. Huang. Starting with a miniature sandbox representing their living room back home, Huang explores their journey away from home, depicting a bit shy and nervous protagonist through their improvisational skills.