For classical music lovers it doesn’t get much better than the BBC Promenade Concerts, affectionately known as the Proms. A British national treasure since Victorian times, this world’s greatest festival of classical music roars into London’s Royal Albert Hall mid July, setting off 90 concerts and two months of non- stop musical feasting.
The original Proms’ promise, to create a joyous celebration of music and reach the widest possible audience, means there are plenty of affordable options, including half- price for under 18s and 1300 ‘promming’ (standing) tickets for every Prom at £6.
Each Prom Season gets bigger and more imaginative. This year welcomes a gobsmacking choice of orchestras, choirs and premier musicians from around the globe. There are 90 artist debuts and 42 world premieres, intimate late night Proms, lunchtime Proms, Prom ‘Extras’ and loads of free concerts and events for families.
As well as the usual generous helpings of Beethoven, Bach and Mozart, amongst this year’s delights are a Tango Prom, Havana meets Kingston Prom, Folk Music Prom and a jazzy evening with multi-instrumentalist sensation Jacob Collier. Reach-outs to other venues include Proms at Lincoln’s Drill Hall and Gilbert and Sullivan staged in the beautifully restored Victorian Theatre at Alexandra Palace in north London.
The Proms love anniversaries and 2018 is no exception. This year’s Proms feature works by 24 women composers to honour the 100th anniversary of Women’s Right to Vote. Debussy and Lili Boulanger will be honoured on the centenary of their deaths.
The Proms offer a massive grand salute to American composer, conductor and musical personality, Leonard Bernstein, who would have been 100 this year, including celebratory performances of West Side Story and On the Town. As a child growing up in 1960s America, this writer vividly recalls the joy of watching Bernstein’s groundbreaking Young People’s Concerts on national television. Several Proms will introduce new audiences to music as a tribute to Bernstein, the inspirational educationalist.
As ever, the season culminates in that beloved ritual known as the Last Night of the Proms. Last Night festivities, complete with traditional fancy dress, party poppers, balloons and flag-waving sing-a-longs to ‘Rule, Britannia!’ and ‘Land of Hope and Glory,’ are always sold out. That’s where Proms in the Park come in, created in 1996 so that the overwhelming numbers of Last Night fans won’t miss out on the fun. In addition to the Royal Albert Hall finale, audiences can choose from four open air spectacles nationwide. Park Proms in Belfast, Glasgow, Swansea and London’s Hyde Park bring the four UK nations together in song and spirit with the help of tirelessly enthusiastic compere Michael Ball and live big screen linkups.
Hyde Park’s stellar headliners will be Gladys Knight, Josh Groban, Matt Goss and Joseph Calleja. For the grand finale, Prom audiences join celebrities, choirs and fireworks as Prommers across the land sing, wave Union Jacks, pop poppers and let go of all that British reserve for another year.
Never mind if you can’t make it to the Last Night in person— you can join the party via giant video screens around the country or sing along by telly, tablet, smartphone, laptop or radio, thanks to the BBC.
Further information:
BBC Henry Wood Promenade Concerts, 13 July-8 September 2018
I have worked at Canary Wharf on and off for over 25 years, from when it didn’t have the Jubilee Line, and at weekends the only way in or out was by bus that took an hour to get from Canary Wharf to Bank. Now it has grown three fold, and is about to welcome Cross Rail, but what hasn’t changed in all that time is its style. Canary Wharf is a place with grandiose buildings with vast atriums, high ceilings, an abundance of marble and unfeasibly large doors that are almost impossible to push open!
Although Boisdale is located in Canary Wharf, its charm is how different it is, as it has the feel of a Mayfair men’s club in the heart of Canary Wharf and is certainly unique to all the bars and restaurants here.
Boisdale is situated on two floors overlooking Cabot Square, and regardless of whether you are on the first floor on the terrace surrounding the oyster bar or in the restaurant on the second, the view out over Cabot Square fountains is a wonderful backdrop. The oyster bar is an art deco connoisseur’s dream, and has arched bar mirrors the shape of the window leading to the terrace where those looking for an after work drink or an informal bite to eat can sip a drink and watch people making their weary way home.
If you take the elevator to the second floor rather than the first you come out into one the more majestic restaurants you will find. Canary Wharf restaurants are all glass and white walls whereas here the walls are Boisdale’s distinctive lacquer red and dark green with
rich mahogany panelling, more at home in St James’ rather than the modern Canary Wharf, but Boisdale dares to be different and stands out because of it. The feeling is warm and classy and the colourful walls are adorned with pictures of stars who have played the venue along with a few artistic nudes! Your route to your table is flanked on one side by an awe inspiring 12 metre long glowing amber whisky bar. The bar holds approximately 1,000 different bottles of malt whisky and I think can rightly claim to have one of the most extensive and magnificent whisky selections in the world.
The Boisdale is not just a restaurant and bar, it is a music venue as well, and regularly has jazz, blues and soul music sourced by its patron of music, Jules Holland. It also has bands/singers and that list of performers is impressive. We visited when Alexander O’Neal was playing and took advantage of their Dinner and Show Club, and other famous artists in recent months include Melanie C (the one Spice girl who could sing), Rita Coolidge and Marcella Detroit (from Shakespears Sister).
Our evening started with dinner followed by a performance from one of THE soul singers of the 80’s. For starters I selected the Mini Roast Dumfriesshire Blackface Haggis with mashed potatoes and bashed neeps, and my wife the Crispy Szechaun Pepper & Chilli Squid with lime and chilli mayonnaise. Haggis is not everyone’s cup of tea, indeed it is not my favourite, but as Boisdale has Scottish roots and I was promised it was something special I plumped for it and was glad I did. The tastes were rich and rewarding and the special secret ingredients and spices resulted in a very special sauce, and earthy neeps and creamy potatoes were perfect accompaniments. The Szechuan and Chilli Squid was light and crispy and packed a fair punch, and the lime in
the creamy mayonnaise added a slight hint of sharpness which married with the heat nicely.
Portion sizes are generous and none more so with our selections for mains. My wife opted for the Truffle Aberdeenshire Rib-Steak Hamburger with black truffle mayonnaise, gruyere de comte cheese, roast mushrooms and thrice cooked chips, and I the 12oz Dry Aged Aberdeenshire Ribeye Steak with thrice cooked chips. The burger was a gooey delight as the juices from the meat soaked into the bread, and my steak melted in my mouth and had that lovely chargrilled flavour with a slightly crispy outer skin. The chips were gorgeous and the light fluffy potato encased in
a crispy skin was perfect.
As said the portions are generous, so we
paused for a while before tackling dessert and enjoyed the happy buzz generated by contented diners whilst sipping on a crisp and light house Sauvignon Blanc. When we were ready my wife was served the Apple Tarte Fine with Burbon Vanilla Ice Cream and I went with the Dark Chocolate & Caramel Marquise with Honeycomb. The tartness of the apple and the sweetness of the pastry were perfect partners and that contrast was also exhibited with the sweet caramel and the bitter dark chocolate in the marquise. The marquise was indulgently smooth, and although I had eaten well, it was just so good I felt I could have eaten another slice!
Alexander O’Neal, featured on our cover, played a great set, and as we left we remarked that Boisdale has something for everyone and is a perfect way to spend an evening, as where else can you get such a perfect combination of drink, food and music, all set in an eclectic mix of styles and colours which combine to provide a unique venue. But don’t take my word for it, try it for yourself.
Tina Turner’s life has been well documented first in her autobiography I, Tina and then in the film What’s Love Got To Do With It with Angela Bassett and Laurence Fishburne. Therefore, it should come as no surprise to audiences that this fiercely talented singer endured years of brutal beatings from her husband Ike Turner. This violence is central yet again to Tina Turner’s story in this production, turning what could be a rags to riches, typical jukebox musical into a study of domestic abuse. Of course, we know that she will triumph and go on to record her Private Dancer album, become even more successful without Ike and will eventually find happiness, but the journey that takes her there is a difficult one to watch.
Katori Hall’s script has a lot of ground to cover, so doesn’t have much time to delve into any depth or ask too many questions of its protagonist. We first see Tina waiting to go on stage in Brazil in 1988, calmly chanting Buddhist prayers while a huge audience screams in anticipation. We then jump to the beginning of the story, an outdoor prayer meeting in Nutbush, Tennessee, where little Anna Mae Bullock is told off by her mother, Zelma, for singing too boisterously and showing off. Zelma is reprimanded for her criticism by her husband, Richard, the preacher, who hits her in front of the children, a foreshadowing of Tina’s life to come. Zelma soon takes off with younger daughter Alline to St Louis and Anna Mae is left in the care of her grandmother, a kind woman who encourages her. At sixteen, she joins her mother and sister in St Louis and almost immediately meets Ike Turner at a club, who insists that she join his band and charms her mother into letting her, promising that Anna Mae will be well paid and will send money home. He also promises to take care of her, but the early signs are not good. He loses his temper with everyone around him, showing a narcissistic, bullying personality, threatening fellow band members as well as the singers. Nevertheless, Tina joins him and is soon made the lead singer. Although she falls in love with saxophonist Ray, and has a child by him, Ike renames her Tina Turner and pretends that they are married for the sake of their band, the Ike and Tina Turner Revue. Two years later they do marry, despite Ike beating up both her and Ray, and what follows is years of abuse as well as many hit records.
What is glossed over is why Tina stayed all those years with Ike, who was a drug addict and philanderer. We see plenty of scenes of violence but never any love so it makes her look like an unquestioning victim, perhaps because she considered it normal for a man to beat his wife, as she saw in her childhood. Only after her suicide attempt does she eventually decide to stand up to Ike, fighting back and then escaping from him on the spur of the moment, while they are on tour.
Act Two sees Tina now left with no money, a single mum struggling to support two sons by doing Las Vegas shows, and follows her slow rise back to the top of the charts with the help of a new manager and a fortuitous collaboration in London. Along the way, she also finds love with Erwin Bach, a German music producer who is seventeen years younger than her. The rest is history.
Although Tina Turner’s life story is bleak, it is clear that what kept her going was the music and there is plenty of it in this production. The songs
are cleverly interwoven into the story, starting with Nutbush City Limits sung as a hymn by the outdoor church to Gran Georgeanna singing Don’t Turn Around as she sends young Anna Mae off to St Louis, to Let’s Stay Together sung by Ray in one of the rare tender moments.
The music really takes off though when performed by the astounding Adrienne Warren who perfectly embodies Tina Turner; despite not sounding or looking like her, she has Turner’s unbounded energy, strength and size. Her magnificent voice soars in every number. The scene where Phil Spectre is recording the iconic River Deep, Mountain High with Turner, making her do it repeatedly until she gives it her all, is particularly memorable. American actress Warren also captures Turner’s mesmerising stage persona, from the highly energetic, verging on manic dance moves of Proud Mary to the smiling powerhouse of Simply the Best. In addition, she has to age from sixteen to forty- nine, which is no mean feat, even though Tina Turner has always looked remarkably young.
Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, a fine actor who has worked frequently in theatre, including playing Laertes to Benedict Cumberbatch’s Hamlet, has the unenviable task of playing the unrelenting villain of the piece, Ike Turner. He plays it absolutely straight in an unyielding performance that doesn’t ask for sympathy, but unfortunately the script gives him little opportunity to show what first attracted Tina to Ike and what kept her with him for sixteen long years of abuse. He is, without a doubt, a powerful presence, however, and we do sense his resentment at never being recognised as the rock and roll renegade he was. He shapes and forms young Anna Mae into the iconic Tina Turner but cannot control his anger and brutal temper, lashing out at all around him.
Madeleine Appiah as Zelma Bullock, Lorna Gayle as Gran Georgeanna and Francesca Jackson as Rhonda Graam, Ike’s road manager and later Tina’s close friend and personal assistant, all turn in excellent performances. Mention must also be made of the actresses playing the Ikettes, the original back-up singers, who perform with as much gusto as Tina.
This is a musical with heart, showing the bravery, fearlessness and extraordinary talent of Tina Turner, faced with not only an abusive husband but with racism, ageism and sexism from white executives in the music industry. However, it never takes a closer look into the mind of a woman who would endure such abuse for sixteen years, while still asking the audience to witness repeatedly such scenes of violence. It is an uncomfortable story to watch, alleviated by full throttle performances of Tina Turner’s greatest hits by the incredible Adrianne Warren. Although the musical is hard-hitting, it didn’t seem to bother most audience members who happily stood up and danced and sang along to the obligatory end of show numbers including Proud Mary. As Tina Turner had a hand in presenting this version of her life, we have to assume this is what she wants the world to see, that she will not be beaten into submission by anyone and in the end, we just have to keep singing.
Consent, a new play by Nina Raine which premiered at the National Theatre last year, is a biting dark comedy about what lies underneath and in between the lies that people tell each other and themselves. As the play opens, we see Kitty and Ed celebrating their move to a new house and the birth of their baby with another couple, Rachel and Jake. As the friends, three of whom are lawyers, loudly discuss the various rape and criminal cases they are trying, while holding a real baby, we sense that this play is not going to be an easy ride. Although each character is interesting, intelligent and funny, they are not particularly likeable and are incredibly privileged. As soon as Jake and Rachel have departed, Kitty and Ed surmise that something is wrong in their friends’ marriage. Sure enough, the next time we
see the group of friends gathered together, this time with Tim, a prosecutor and Zara, an actress they are trying to match him up with, Rachel is absent. It is soon revealed that she has thrown out Jake as she suspects him of having an affair, which he denies wholeheartedly to everyone who will listen, until he eventually confesses to many dalliances, saying it kept the marriage alive. As Ed and Kitty try to intervene, they find themselves taking opposite sides along gender lines. Kitty is aghast when Rachel eventually takes Jake back, a reunion orchestrated by Ed. Meantime, cracks in their own marriage start to show: in a scene where Tim and Ed are helping Zara to research a role, Tim censures Ed for flirting with Zara. He denies it and in turn accuses Tim of being attracted to Kitty. The real problem, however, is Kitty can never forgive Ed for an affair he had five years ago.
Interspersed with all this is a rape case that is being tried with Tim as the prosecutor and Ed defending the accused, whom we never see, witnessing only his harsh cross examination of the victim, Gayle. She keeps trying to tell them what happened but is told to stick to her original statement and finds herself torn apart by brutal questioning about her drinking and sexual history. We never do hear the whole story and it never seems important to the lawyers involved, even when a distraught Gayle turns up at their New Year celebrations, asking why her personal history was ripped apart and examined while her rapist’s was left untouched. For these lawyers, it is just one more horrible trial to get through. As the play goes on, and we see Ed continually putting the rules of the law above all else and dismissing emotional involvement, we understand when Kitty blows up at him for having no empathy. She says that he spends his life lying, defending criminals and rapists and it’s turned him into an unfeeling, heartless person. Later on, we see quite a different side to Ed as Kitty decides to exact her revenge so that he will know what it feels like to be cheated on. His rage and tears are the stuff of Greek tragedy, earlier referenced by Zara doing a production of Medea.
What follows next brings up yet again the question of consent as Kitty accuses Ed of rape and surprisingly Jake, who earlier had his own wailing and gnashing of teeth, takes her side while his wife sympathises with Ed.
This is a complicated play with complex,
familiar characters. Ed is the sort of person who just always has to be right, no matter what the consequences. Jake is no better and both of them seem to belong to a club where their own self-belief outweighs any ethical code. They freely lie, philander and demean others and are shocked when they are caught out and punished. Tim at first appears very different to them, a kind man whom Zara initially dismisses as probably “gay” and “a bit victim-y” before eventually getting into a relationship with him. Compared to the bombastic, aggressive masculinity of Ed and Jake, he seems gentle and thoughtful. However, we question his motives in having an affair with Kitty; does he really love her or is it revenge on the bullying Ed? The women in these couples are no mere helpless victims and display as much rage and fury as the men. Kitty, who is probably the most sympathetic, hurls a kettle at Ed as she accuses him of having no empathy, a clever reference to Tim’s earlier story of a kettle flying across the room in his poltergeist haunted flat.
There is a nice balance of humour undercutting tragedy throughout the play. As the emotionally out of control Ed weeps with fury at Kitty’s betrayal, he says he hasn’t cried that much since prep school. When Jake thinks he is unjustly thrown out by Rachel, he says he is “basically being bullied”. These men are ridiculous at times and don’t seem to be aware of it, despite their extreme intelligence.
The cast are uniformly superb as is Roger Michel’s direction. Adam James as Jake and Stephen Campbell Moore as Ed, perfectly embody their entitled, self-righteous lawyer characters who also show a tender side as they are first seen holding a tiny, actual baby in the first scene. These are men who will fight to the death for their children, the only way they know how to show real love. Claudie Blakley is excellent as the dissatisfied and occasionally fierce Kitty, the only one who seems to have any morals until she decides to give Ed a taste of his own medicine. Equally good are Lee Ingleby as the awkward Tim, Sian Clifford as Rachel, Clare Foster as Zara and Heather Craney as Gayle.
This play will provoke much conversation and leave people debating the many issues raised as well as the controversial ending. It’s a disturbing yet entertaining and satisfying evening at the theatre. Consent is one of the best new plays I have seen in a very long time.
Top image: Claudie Blakley (Kitty) and Stephen Campbell Moore (Ed). Consent at the Harold Pinter Theatre. Photographer credit Johan Persson
Bottom image: Clare Foster (Zara) and Claudie Blakley (Kitty) - Consent at the Harold Pinter Theatre - Photographer credit Johan Persson.
On 1st June, the team behind Chewton Glen, Lygon Arms, Cliveden and 11 Cadogan Gardens, opened brand-new neighbourhood restaurant, Hans’ Bar & Grill on Chelsea’s Pavilion Road.
Located just a stone’s throw from Chelsea’s bustling Sloane Square, Hans’ Bar & Grill offers an oasis of calm, nestled amongst the artisanal shops and food suppliers of the picturesque street. Head Chef Adam England (previously of Le Pont de la Tour) has created an all-day seasonal menu, rooted in British produce and underpinned by his classical cookery skills, from his signature Duck Breast, to Confit salmon, goats curd and cucumber, and his own take on a classic Veal Carpaccio. Taking inspiration from the namesake of the restaurant Hans Sloane, who was credited with bringing cocoa to the UK, chocolate desserts and signature hot chocolate drinks will also take centre stage.
For early risers and weekend shoppers alike, Adam and his team have also created a breakfast and brunch menu, available every day from 7am until midday, featuring favourites such as Eggs benedict and Steak tartare alongside fresh-pressed juices and smoothies.
Housed behind one of Pavilion Road’s charming mews facades, Hans’ Bar and Grill has been designed by Goddard Littlefair. Upon entrance to the 106-seat restaurant, guests will be met by a bright and airy space featuring white fluted timber walls offset with original yellow-stock brick, a pale oak parquet floor and sky light windows. Throughout the restaurant, combines dark green banquettes and bespoke velvet chairs alongside white marble and black oak topped tables, with brass detailing and feature lights, giving a Contemporary-classic feel. The intimate 20 seat bar features a unique drinks selection, whilst a private dining room, ‘The Curio’, inspired by Sloane’s love of adventure and discovery, has capacity to seat a further 16 guests.
Restaurant General Manager, Simon Smith (previously of Berners Tavern and Hakkasan) oversees the wine list which features over 195 BINS with a focus on unique and quirky bottles from around the world, whilst a concise list of classic cocktails designed by Salvatore Damiano, and using British spirits, ncludes a twist on a Gin Sour and the British Mule.
“We are thrilled to be joining the Pavilion Road family and are proud of the heritage that our location inspires. I’m passionate about ingredients and fresh produce so having such great artisanal and family-run shops on our doorstep is a huge bonus for me” says Head Chef Adam England. “We want Hans’ Bar & Grill to be a real neighbourhood spot - a place people feel just as comfortable popping in for a drink and a salad for lunch, or for a special occasion with friends” adds Restaurant General Manager Simon Smith.
For classical music lovers it doesn’t get much better than the BBC Promenade Concerts, affectionately known as the Proms. A British national treasure since Victorian times, this world’s greatest festival of classical music roars into London’s Royal Albert Hall mid July, setting off 90 concerts and two months of non- stop musical feasting.
I have worked at Canary Wharf on and off for over 25 years, from when it didn’t have the Jubilee Line, and at weekends the only way in or out was by bus that took an hour to get from Canary Wharf to Bank. Now it has grown three fold, and is about to welcome Cross Rail, but what hasn’t changed in all that time is its style. Canary Wharf is a place with grandiose buildings with vast atriums, high ceilings, an abundance of marble and unfeasibly large doors that are almost impossible to push open!
Tina Turner’s life has been well documented first in her autobiography I, Tina and then in the film What’s Love Got To Do With It with Angela Bassett and Laurence Fishburne. Therefore, it should come as no surprise to audiences that this fiercely talented singer endured years of brutal beatings from her husband Ike Turner. This violence is central yet again to Tina Turner’s story in this production, turning what could be a rags to riches, typical jukebox musical into a study of domestic abuse. Of course, we know that she will triumph and go on to record her Private Dancer album, become even more successful without Ike and will eventually find happiness, but the journey that takes her there is a difficult one to watch.
The music really takes off though when performed by the astounding Adrienne Warren who perfectly embodies Tina Turner; despite not sounding or looking like her, she has Turner’s unbounded energy, strength and size. Her magnificent voice soars in every number. The scene where Phil Spectre is recording the iconic River Deep, Mountain High with Turner, making her do it repeatedly until she gives it her all, is particularly memorable. American actress Warren also captures Turner’s mesmerising stage persona, from the highly energetic, verging on manic dance moves of Proud Mary to the smiling powerhouse of Simply the Best. In addition, she has to age from sixteen to forty- nine, which is no mean feat, even though Tina Turner has always looked remarkably young.
Consent, a new play by Nina Raine which premiered at the National Theatre last year, is a biting dark comedy about what lies underneath and in between the lies that people tell each other and themselves. As the play opens, we see Kitty and Ed celebrating their move to a new house and the birth of their baby with another couple, Rachel and Jake. As the friends, three of whom are lawyers, loudly discuss the various rape and criminal cases they are trying, while holding a real baby, we sense that this play is not going to be an easy ride. Although each character is interesting, intelligent and funny, they are not particularly likeable and are incredibly privileged. As soon as Jake and Rachel have departed, Kitty and Ed surmise that something is wrong in their friends’ marriage. Sure enough, the next time we
see the group of friends gathered together, this time with Tim, a prosecutor and Zara, an actress they are trying to match him up with, Rachel is absent. It is soon revealed that she has thrown out Jake as she suspects him of having an affair, which he denies wholeheartedly to everyone who will listen, until he eventually confesses to many dalliances, saying it kept the marriage alive. As Ed and Kitty try to intervene, they find themselves taking opposite sides along gender lines. Kitty is aghast when Rachel eventually takes Jake back, a reunion orchestrated by Ed. Meantime, cracks in their own marriage start to show: in a scene where Tim and Ed are helping Zara to research a role, Tim censures Ed for flirting with Zara. He denies it and in turn accuses Tim of being attracted to Kitty. The real problem, however, is Kitty can never forgive Ed for an affair he had five years ago.
This is a complicated play with complex,
familiar characters. Ed is the sort of person who just always has to be right, no matter what the consequences. Jake is no better and both of them seem to belong to a club where their own self-belief outweighs any ethical code. They freely lie, philander and demean others and are shocked when they are caught out and punished. Tim at first appears very different to them, a kind man whom Zara initially dismisses as probably “gay” and “a bit victim-y” before eventually getting into a relationship with him. Compared to the bombastic, aggressive masculinity of Ed and Jake, he seems gentle and thoughtful. However, we question his motives in having an affair with Kitty; does he really love her or is it revenge on the bullying Ed? The women in these couples are no mere helpless victims and display as much rage and fury as the men. Kitty, who is probably the most sympathetic, hurls a kettle at Ed as she accuses him of having no empathy, a clever reference to Tim’s earlier story of a kettle flying across the room in his poltergeist haunted flat.
On 1st June, the team behind Chewton Glen, Lygon Arms, Cliveden and 11 Cadogan Gardens, opened brand-new neighbourhood restaurant, Hans’ Bar & Grill on Chelsea’s Pavilion Road.
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