Culture Digest – 30th March
Ken’s Show: Exploring the Unseen
Ken, or Ken Simons to give him his full name, has been an Art Handler at Tate Liverpool for 30 years, and has handled every single piece of art displayed during that time. So, who better to give an insight into the inner workings of the gallery? Ken has selected 30 of his favourite pieces from the Tate collection, including pieces by Turner, Hepworth, and Rothko. Ken will also be giving a series of talks and guided tours, offering a rare glimpse into what goes on before the gallery opens its doors to the public.
Until 17 June, Tate, Liverpool
Coraline
Mark-Anthony Turnage’s newest opera takes as its libretto Neil Gaiman’s otherworldly tale of a curious young girl who can’t help but open doors she’s been warned not to, resulting in chilling consequences. Turnage is one of the few living British composers to have really made the genre his own, so it’s definitely worth trying seeing this on its first outing. It’s a commission by the Royal Opera House, Aletta Collins directs, and Sian Edwards conducts the Britten Sinfonia.
Until 7 April, Barbican Centre, London
The Inheritance
Inspired by E. M. Forster’s Howard’s End, this two-part play by New Yorker Matthew Lopez is creating a storm amongst critics, with Dominic Cavendish of the Telegraph calling it “the most important American play of the century so far”. The Inheritance deals with a group of gay men in New York in the aftermath of the AIDS crisis, with Venessa Redgrave as the sole woman, and Stephen Daldry directing. The word is out about this play – book now!
Until 19 May, The Young Vic, London
Hamlet
A broadcast of the Almeida Theatre’s highly-acclaimed production from 2017 sees Andrew Scott take the lead, alongside Juliet Stevenson, Angus Wright, and Jessica Brown Findlay, in Shakespeare’s brooding tale of murder and revenge. It’s a career-defining performance from Scott and gained him a nomination for Best Actor in the upcoming Olivier Awards. Robert Icke directs.
31 March (9.00pm), BBC Two
Dido and Aeneas
Henry Purcell’s ever-popular opera, originally premiered by Josias Priest’s School for Girls in the 1680s comes to the Wigmore Hall stage for this intimate, lunchtime performance with La Nuova Musica. The libretto by Nahum Tate, retells Virgil’s tragic tale of love and loss, which concludes with the lament ‘When I am laid in earth’ on an ever-descending bass line. Soloists include Rachel Kelly, George Humphreys, and Anna Dennis. David Bates directs.
Rhinoceros
Zinnie Harris’ new version of Eugene Ionesco’s classic 1959 play has returned to Edinburgh after five-star reviews for its showing at the 2017 Edinburgh International Festival. The citizens of a provincial French town are turning into rhinos, trampling through the market square and crushing pet cats, and only one man, Berenger, the town drunkard, refuses to conform in this mass metamorphosis. Murat Daltaban of DOT Theatre Istanbul directs.
Until 7 April, The Lyceum, Edinburgh
Hope to Nope: Graphics and Politics 2008-2018
This exhibition tracks the monumental upheaval to politics caused by technology over the past decade, and the iconic images behind some of the biggest political upsets in modern history. It covers everything from Brexit and Trump, to ISIS and the Arab Spring, and how social media platforms helped to spread the message. Surely worth a visit now more than ever (just don’t check-in on Facebook).
Until 12 August, Design Museum, London
The Fourth Plinth
The twelfth sculpture to occupy the plinth is by New York artist Michael Rakowitz, and is entitled The Invisible Enemy Should Not Exist. The work is a replica of a Lamassu in Mosul dating from 700 BC that was destroyed by ISIS in 2015, and is described as a ‘ghost of the original’ by Rakowitz. It is constructed from 10,500 tins of Iraqi date syrup.
Until 2020, Trafalgar Square, London