PAUL DONOVAN is chilled by the contemporary resonance of Harper Lee’s coming of age tale amidst racism and white supremacy in this excellent production
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Theatre: The substance of abuse
Two plays pose uncomfortable questions about the sexual objectification of young women, says KATHERINE M GRAHAM
GEOFF BOTTOMS recommends the unashamedly light-hearted escapism on offer in this stage version of the 1963 film
Full of mysterious religious references and radical sound design, the Scottish duo’s new offering is candidate for album of the year, suggests SIMON DUFF
MARY CONWAY revels in a powerful reminder that human lives are not defined by physical perfection
PAUL DONOVAN recommends the fine performances in this account of the pre-war meeting between the US president and the British king
TECLYN AROD relishes an intimate celebration of jazz improvisation that mixes local and national musicians
A Girl is a Half-Formed Thing
Young Vic Theatre, London SE1
5/5
Firebird
Trafalgar Studios, London SW1
5/5
IN TACKLING the issue of the sexual abuse of young women, these two productions make for challenging, timely pieces of theatre.
They may differ, with the poetic stylisation of A Girl is a Half-Formed Thing a marked contrast to the gritty realism of Firebird, but both give a platform to the victims of sexual abuse and it is in that voice that so much of their theatrical power resides.
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Gisele Pelicot said ‘shame must change sides.’ We may think we agree, but, argues LOUISE RAW, society still has some way to go
Sexual harassment on Britain’s railways is rising sharply, according to the British Transport Police, yet too many women still feel reporting is futile. LYNNE WALSH asks why the burden of safety all too often remains on women themselves
AMANDA J QUICK warns about the ever-expanding influence of the sex industry – and the harm it unleashes on both the women involved and society collectively, especially the young