Culture – A London Journal

Cruel Comedy

Cruel Comedy is a double bill of short plays by the French anarchist writer Octave Mirbeau from his set of Farces et Moralités, first published in 1904. Mirbeau was a pretty savage critic of the society in which he wallowed and I hope I've carried through some of the anger and incredulity that informs Interview, a satire on the press of his day which we've updated to be a take on social media as Snoop. Les Amants - which I've translated as Lovers - is on the other hand a satire on the personal rather than the public.

James Ensor at the RA

Much more interesting and surprising than the overblown yanks below, who seem the most humourless bunch of po-faced canvas wasters set against the deftly humorous savagery of Ensor and his confrères.

The Roundabout

An excellent revival of a neglected JB Priestley play leads to thoughts of another possible JBP revival.

Chichester and Arundel

Having spent a few days away from London I would normally have returned to my desk with a slew of reviews to do from the place that I’ve been. But on this occasion that isn’t the case as I was away for a conference of the Society for the Study of French History. So this…

Delacroix Days

Thoughts on Delacroix in London and Paris.

La Philharmonie and a Musical Museum for London

Arguing for a landmark museum of classical music in the City of London.

Back in the north

A couple of weeks ago I went back to the north for a conference in Middlesbrough.* Some academics complain about having to go to conferences but for me, no matter where they take place (even Holloway Road), there’s always something to be learnt by getting out of the conference and having a good wander around. This…

Voluntary work for the Poppy Appeal

Once a year (or twice if I’m feeling very energetic and can get the time off work) I volunteer to collect donations on behalf of the Poppy Appeal.* It’s something that I welcome doing as a small act of remembering a good friend (now passed away) who once organised the poppy collectors of Chelsea, and also…

Houellebecq, ‘Soumission’ and the value of a PhD

Soumission I bought Soumission by Michel Houellebecq back in Spring when I was in Paris for a day trip. It joined a pile of books that I intended to get round to reading (quite a pile) and it was only when I heard a profile of the last week on Radio 4 that I thought to catch up…

On Somerset House

In my London lifetime Somerset House has been transformed from a large office block with a beautiful gallery* nestled within to a cultural complex of public areas, gallery spaces, university, pop up cinema, music venue with a variety of shops, restaurants and cafés to suit most pockets.** This process, being gradual, has largely been unheralded compared to the…

A London Journal

Category: Culture