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Review: THE LORD OF THE RINGS TRILOGY, Royal Albert Hall
It takes just under ten hours to appreciate J. R. R. Tolkien’s masterpiece if you watch Peter Jackson’s epic trilogy one film after the other. For many fans, it’s a yearly occurrence to gather with friends to re-watch Frodo and his band of brothers fighting evil to save the Shire. This year you can do things differently. The Royal Albert Hall rings in the 25th anniversary of The Fellowship of the Ring with a celebration of their own, showing Jackson’s magna opera in its entirety, accompanied by the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the London Philharmonic Choir, and the Trinity Boys Choir. As far as movie marathons go, you can’t beat the glamour of attending one of the most iconic franchises backed by a live orchestra in a magnificent setting like the Hall.
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Review: BLUE/ORANGE, OSO Arts Centre, Barnes
Joe Penhall's incendiary play, Blue/Orange, was garlanded with awards after its 2000 debut at the National Theatre, winning the Olivier, Critics' Circle and Evening Standard awards for Best New Play in 2001. It has been revived many times and endures as its themes remain both prescient and urgent. Now the tiny OSO Arts Centre in Barnes plays host, and it is as intense and provocative as ever.
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Review: JETTE PARKER ARTISTS: TALES OF LOVE AND LOSS, Royal Ballet And Opera
Ana Inés Jabares-Pita's set feels familiar and clearly defines time and place: The Departure remains in the 1960s; Making Arrangements moves into the 1970s, where a woman could choose to live independently; Four Sisters is in the materialistic 1980s, where 'greed is good'.
The changes of style in the music are notable, from the almost folk-style melodies of The Departure to the discordance of Making Arrangements and the patchwork of Four Sisters—all in all, an enjoyable evening highlighting women creators and changing social attitudes.
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