A Portrait of the Artist… The charismatic Phelim McDermott is the central figure in The Tao of Glass, a work that originated from a unique theatrical collaboration with the American minimalist composer Philip Glass. First staged as part of the 2019 Manchester International Festival, it tracks Phelim’s life from a young theatre-obsessed boy, to a […]
BBC Proms 2026 – Sibelius’s Second
Three Masterpieces, One Outstanding Prom How do you pick your Proms? Now that I’m not always in London, choosing which Proms to attend is a real challenge. The breadth of programming is extraordinary, often featuring orchestras and soloists who only appear in London once or twice a year. I try my best to balance going […]
Regional Supperclub Style Dining at Kanishka Indian Restaurant, Mayfair
A Taste of Goa – a six-course tasting experience by Atul Kochhar and Ashok Kumar Kanishka is a discreet and petite Indian restaurant tucked away just behind Regent Street in the heart of Mayfair. The name itself comes from ‘King Kanishka’ – an emperor in the second Kushan Dynasty who was known for his military, […]
Kanazawa, Honshu, Japan
Culture, Crafts and Cuisine in Western Japan My first impression of Kanazawa was monumental. Outside the central station, where most visitors arrive, is the Tsuzumi-mon gate, an enormous wooden structure fit for a giant. It is based on the tsuzumi drums used in Noh theatre and is an apt introduction to a city where traditional […]
RH London – Restaurant of the Month
Furniture and Food that’s a million miles from Ikea. How do you differentiate in the world of luxury? July’s restaurant of the month, RH London, might just be on to something. Visit their newest destination in Burlington Gardens – a stunning gallery, showroom and restaurants, and you’ll enjoy a few hours of immersive decadence. For […]
Trainspotting: The Musical (Theatre Royal Haymarket)
Much-loved 90s Scottish cult classic movie about heroin addiction gets a slightly baffling musical makeover Thirty years ago back in my provincial hometown, I sat down in the local movie theatre to watch Trainspotting. The subject matter (heroin addiction) did not sound like something that I would ordinarily be interested in, but everyone was talking […]
Hofesh Shechter: In the Brain
A New High-Octane Work for the Young Dancers of Shechter II Part rave, part ritual, relentlessly physical and danced to loud, throbbing music, Hofesh Shechter’s In the Brain is a high-energy, pulsating work, the kind that we’ve come to expect from this choreographer, showing many of his characteristic tropes, yet somehow fresh and newly engaging […]
The Royal Ballet School Performance
A Glowing Centenary Performance by the UK’s Premier Ballet School What a year 1926 was! It witnessed the births of Sir Peter Wright, dancer, choreographer and director extraordinaire, Glen Tetley, the American choreographer who first married classical ballet and contemporary dance, and (not forgetting naturalist and UK national treasure David Attenborough and Queen Elizabeth II) […]
Ariadne Auf Naxos – Glyndebourne Opera
The Serious Business of Comedy It’s a sign of a great production when the audience leaves with a stronger understanding of the composer’s intentions than any synopsis could provide. That was certainly the case with last night’s Ariadne auf Naxos, a spellbinding new production from Laurent Pelly. While the idea of a play within a […]
State Ballet of Georgia, Swan Lake
An Emotion-Free Production of the Timeless Classic Here’s the good news: true love comprehensively defeated evil, the sorcerer Von Rothbart is dead, and Prince Siegfried and his beloved Princess Odette, freed from her cursed life as a swan, are poised to live happily ever after. And there’s more good news in the current iteration of […]