A monthly round-up post of what I’ve seen on stage, watched
on film or TV and listened-to podcast-wise.
SEE
Just like in January, I only saw two things on stage: WOT? NO FISH!! at the Malthouse – which
is an exquisite little show about a Jewish family’s history in the east end of
London, stretching from the 1920s through the 1980s and right up until now.
Danny Braverman is an engaging performer, who brings his great uncles’ sketches
to life in a charming and sometives very moving way.
I also saw Flesh
Eating Tiger at the Owl & Pussycat. This is the first show at the Owl
& Pussycat, under co-Artistic Directorship of Gabrielle Savrone &
Thomas Ian Doyle. Previous artistic director Jason Kavanagh has returned to
direct this new work by American playwright, Amy Tofte. Really great
performances by Zak Zavod and Marissa Bennett. A solid start to a new year at
the Owl & Cat.
 |
| Wot? No Fish!! |
WATCH
Film
The Academy Awards were on this past week and I’d probably
seen the least number of nominees before the ceremony than I ever had before. I’d
only seen three of the Best Picture nominees – and I’m glad that Birdman won. Though I would have liked
to have seen Boyhood take a prize or
two.
I saw Julianne Moore’s Academy Award-winning performance in Still Alice just the day before she
won. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Moore give a bad performance and not here,
either. I just didn’t think much of the film, overall. Odd that she would be
finally honoured for a film that is not a patch on the films she’s previously
been nominated for.
 |
| Julianne Moore in Still Alice |
Television
Parks &
Recreation is over and it went out in an emotional one-hour finale. It used
a clever structure to really pay off seven years of a sitcom that, at the
height of its powers, was one of the best on television.
Agent Carter had
quite a strong first season and wrapped up in solid fashion. I really hope it
gets another season, because I’d hate to never see Hayley Atwell’s Peggy Carter
again.
I caught up on Galavant,
which was a bunch of silly fun. Better
Call Saul started really strongly. Looking
continues to impress. And The Americans
& Justified have returned, and
are still exciting in their own ways. Oh, and I hadn’t noticed Episodes was back – so I’m catching up
on that.
And I must say that the fifth season of The Wonder Years on DVD is very odd – mostly because early 90s TV
really doesn’t care much for continuity, plus it had sidelined most of its
regular characters to focus on Kevin and a bunch of new kids. Weird.
 |
| Parks & Recreation - the final season |
HEAR
This American Life
is never dull – and their two-part episode “Cops See It Differently” is a
fascinating insight into how police see recent news stories very differently
than most of the general public. It’s engrossing and depressing.
Invisibilia’s “The
Power of Categories” was a highlight from that series.
Scriptnotes’
interview with African American screenwriter Malcolm Spellman (who writes for
the series, Empire) is incredible:
he talks about the evolution of his career and they discuss writing black
scripts and black series and how the landscape is changing. Highly recommended.
And I’ve started Pleasuretown,
a serial drama podcast. I’ll have more to say when I’m done with the first
season, I’m sure.
Comments