MARIA DUARTE, JAMES WALSH and ANDY HEDGECOCK review The Invite, My Father’s Island, Nirvanna: the Band, the Show, the Movie, and Oh My Goodness!
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Donkeys lead lions again
As the Establishment's spin on the first world war gathers pace, JOHN GREEN looks forward to the revival of a great satire with a radically different view of the conflict
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
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
When Oh What A Lovely War was premiered at the Theatre Royal in Stratford East in March 1963, it sent its audience wild with approbation.
But at the time many mainstream critics were less than enthusiastic about Joan Littlewood's musical satire on the first world war.
The Guardian noted that "it was as unfair as any powerful cartoon" and The Times wrote that it repeated "the familiar view of the war as a criminally wasteful adventure. A sitting target for anyone who wants to deliver a bludgeoning social criticism without giving offence."
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