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| | | Hamlet review – an indie prince of infinite jest but little tragedy | | by Arifa Akbar Feb 4, 2022 | | Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, London
Although Sean Holmes’s production has some nice touches, it fails to plumb the play’s existential depths and lacks emotional intensity George Fouracres, best known as a comic, recently appeared on the Globe’s stage as Twelfth Night’s Andrew Aguecheek in a piece of exquisite casting. He returns as the avenging prince Hamlet, again under Sean Holmes’s direction, but this is not the Dane or the drama as we know it. It is Hamlet: The Comedy, or a “farcical-dramatical” as Polonius might say, with plenty of quizzical thrown in. Fouracres’s Hamlet is a modern-day Morrissey-singing indie-type stuck inside a period-dress court and speaks in a Black Country accent (Fouracres’ own). Sometimes he japes or raves, occasionally he verges on tears. That is all good and well, but Fouracres also flattens the poetry and rhythm in his character’s magnificent soliloquies, deliberately it seems, speaking them slowly, simplifying them so they sound almost like modern demotic. He also mines his character’s suicidal angst for laughs. This is entertaining – albeit strange, too – but sucks the tragedy out of the play. Continue reading... | | | | | 'And the loser is …': Are music awards shows in crisis? | | by Rhian Jones Feb 4, 2022 | | With plummeting ratings and accusations of racial and gender bias, the Brits and Grammys are facing a battle to stay relevant Once upon a time, the Brit awards and the Grammys were an annual staple in the TV calendar of even the most casual music fan. Drawing millions of viewers, the ceremonies offered a feast of entertainment, ranging from the unpredictable to the spectacular. Think Chumbawamba chucking a bucket of ice water over John Prescott at the 1998 Brits or Lady Gaga emerging from an egg at the Grammys in 2011. More recently, Brits sets by Stormzy and Dave have marked an important shift in mainstream recognition of Black British talent. For audiences, however, the shine seems to have worn off. Last year’s ITV broadcast of the Brits, which was postponed from February to May due to Covid-19, recorded 2.9 million viewers – a figure that plunged for the fourth year running. The 2021 Grammys were the lowest rated in history, delivering an audience of just 8.8 million viewers for CBS, down a staggering 53% on the year prior. (These declines aren’t exclusive to music award ceremonies: the Oscars also recorded a 58.3% dip in viewers last year.) Continue reading... | | | | | 'They just worked': reports of CDs' demise inspires wave of support | | by Harriet Sherwood Arts and culture correspondent Feb 4, 2022 | | Format might not have romance of vinyl but its versatility and reliability will never be topped, say supporters After languishing in his car boot for several years, Jordan Bassett’s CD collection – mostly dating back to his teenage years – will soon be on proud display in his newly converted home office space. Bassett, a commissioning editor at the NME, has no means of playing the CDs and, in any case, his musical tastes have moved on. But the 100-150 thin, shiny 5in discs have sentimental value – and, who knows, one day they may be part of a revival similar to vinyl among music aficionados. Continue reading... | | | | | |
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