British Library: Punk + Bard

My last full day in London I headed over to the British Library to catch the Punk exhibit. On the way, I nodded to Saint Jerome‘s holy place: It was quite gratifying to see PUNK emblazoned across that bastion of quiet intellectual historicism, though it reminded me of the line from that much-treasured film which…

John Dee in London

Last Monday I headed down to London to catch a few exhibits. My first stop after dropping things at my hotel was to drop by the Royal College of Physicians to see John Dee’s Library. The RCP gave me strong sense of dejá vu for my Harvard Med years, where the rich and powerful men…

Review: Much Ado about Nothing @DundeeRep

I am grateful to have so many opportunities to enjoy Dundee Rep, though I am shaking my fist to know I will miss for the second time my pal Gary Robertson’s latest play Scaffies which will be on in late January after I have to return stateside. However, I’m looking forward to their production of…

Review: Upstart Crow

The final episode of the first series of Upstart Crow has aired and David Mitchell, who stars as the bard himself, confirmed on Twitter that there will be a second series. It follows the adventures of the up-and-coming playwright who still finds himself  struggling to make his mark in the hurlyburly of Elizabethan England. Action…

NT Live: Hamlet

I thoroughly expected to enjoy the new production of Hamlet from Barbican via the National Theatre, and as always am so very grateful for the live broadcasts because so far no one’s willing to pay to send me to London to see them all and I can’t always get there myself. There had been folderol…

Journey Planet 24: Tyrant Muse

Out now, Journey Planet 24: In Memory of Richard III. Yes, the car park monarch rides again in the pages of JP. James and Christopher have lured a bunch of folks together to muse on the king more legend than fact, forever (mis)shaped by the Bard’s juicy account. And you can read it all for…

Writer Wednesday: Bear-Baiting

We live in interesting times. By which I mean we live as ever in difficult times; given the state of the planet we can be forgiven for a penchant for weaving apocalyptic narratives. It can be comforting to think that it’s only because we know so much more about what’s going on thanks to the…

Switzerland: To Lausanne

              I’ll have to do a proper write up of Lear, which was wonderful of course. Anon!

Review: NT Live – Coriolanus

Thanks to mega-Hiddles fan Jay I got to see the NT Live production of Coriolanus with Tom Hiddleston and a very fine cast broadcast from the Donmar Warehouse all the way to Glasgow, which gave me an excuse to visit that fine city again. My visit included a stop by the Glasgow Women’s Library in…

Writer Wednesday: Time Inventory

Continuing the theme from last week of ‘know yourself‘ — and more importantly, I suppose, to know your habits — I have some homework for those who would actually like to write more. Take inventory! Not of things, but of time. Here’s the form. Print it out and consider a typical day. I know that…