David Porter » Archive
Risque Zero
Compagnie Galapiat, Gt Yarmouth Hippodrome part of the Norfolk & Norwich Festival 2013 Review published in the Eastern Daily Press, 27 May 2013 While contemporary, edgy, experimental, zany circus knows no boundaries, the French seem to have cornered the market. Risque Zero proved the point. In the great Hippodrome arena this young company of six created a moving, never-the-same, never-static piece of surreal madness with a talented virtuosity that was stunning. This was not traditional circus in any sense, yet it drew on the traditions of commedia dell’Arte, the Circus of Horrors, the Marquis de Sade and a breathtaking agility that chimed perfectly with the needs of pure entertainment. Mouth ping-pong was totally original. It explored exciting, escalating risk, so we had scenes involving axes, sledgehammers, darts, knives, fire, explosions, teeterboard, Chinese pole and ring juggling … Read entire article »
Filed under: Reviews
The Voice Project
Ideas of winged flight taking off The Voice Project at Norwich Cathedral part of Norfolk and Norwich Festival 2013 Review published in Eastern Daily Press, 13 May 2013 Swirls of ideas and flocks of birds taking flight, soaring to emotional and intellectual delights, came together sublimely in the Voice Project’s work in the great Cathedral arena. As darkness fell outside, the sense of bird above was palpable. The one hundred-strong choir, the brilliant Trio Zephyr, cool saxophonist Andy Sheppard, tenor Jeremy Aris, sopranos Rebecca Askew and Sianed Jones used ten poems about birds from all manner of poets to interpret the wings of flight. Music was variously composed by Karen Wimhurst, Orlando Gough and Barbara Thompson, from differing backgrounds and musical streams. The result was eclectic and rivetting, sometimes quirky and humorous, then sombre and dark. Jonathan … Read entire article »
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Oliver Coates
Oliver Coates at Norwich Playhouse part of the Norfolk and Norwich Festival 2013 Review published in Eastern Daily Press, 13 May 2013 Up and coming cellist Oliver Coates treated the audience in the acoustically apt Playhouse to a stunning masterclass. His virtuosity and the variety of works complemented each other perfectly. The cello fairly sang in harmony and jangled in disharmony, in turn. From Britten’s Ciaccona (Suite No.2 Op.80) to a pair of Bach Preludes (in D major, Cello Suite No.6 and in G major Cello Suite No.1), Coates was in flamboyant interpretative form. He then moved to Block’s ‘Prayer’ from ‘Jewish Life’ and three fragments from Kurtag, including a fascinating two-bow ‘Hommage of John Cage’. David Fennessy’s ‘The room is the resonator’ grew from one note to 12 to one, a dialogue of pitches in a … Read entire article »
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Ancient Parliamentary Privilege Still Vital in Modern Democracy
Periodically ‘Parliamentary privilege’ is a term thrown into the spotlight by events. Now it’s on the agenda again with a big consultation exercise. This article was first published on Suite 101, 27 April 2012. It is republished now, as the question is still outstanding. In May 2011, Lib Dem MP John Hemming named aloud in Parliament Ryan Giggs as the footballing celebrity who had been granted a High Court ‘super injunction’ to gag anybody from speaking about or reporting his alleged affair with a former reality TV star. The order was so powerful that it could not even be acknowledged as existing. Coming as part of a stream of big public names employing the same tactics to keep their lives private, the question of what the media should and could report was … Read entire article »
Filed under: Articles at Suite 101
Love Left Hanging
Stuff of Dreams Theatre Company at St George’s Theatre, Gt Yarmouth Review published in the Eastern Daily Press, 20 April 2013 The notorious Maria Marten barn murder at Polstead, Suffolk for which William Corder was hanged, still excites controversy, films and melodramas galore. However, this take by new and upcoming Stuff of Dreams Theatre offers the few facts and looks at the lies, deceptions and other likely culprits to ask the audience who it finds guilty. Policing was young in the early 19th century, forensics unborn. ‘It’s not what you see or are told, but what is branded in your mind’ persuades people now as then. Co-writer and Artistic Director Cordelia Spence weaves a clever narrative, moving from jury room to tragic village, with a puppet as a child, some powerful physical theatre and hanging … Read entire article »
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Swimming With Sharks
Swimming With Sharks Seagull Theatre Rep Company, Lowestoft The movie business is about illusion and self, ‘money, girls, power.’ This play from the George Huang 1994 film rips the rosy spectacles off Tinseltown, where everybody has a story, everybody pays a price in personal terms. They’re all sharks in that pool. The young, innocent Guy, (Ricky Reeve), arrives in the office of the mogul (John Hales at his theatrical best, who also directed) and starts learning the realities of Hollywood immediately and painfully. Milly Finch as the ambitious producer who dares to hope Guy is different gives a well-judged interpretation. Principals are ably supported by Alan Bolton, Richard Boakes, Patrick Pilgrim, Ryan Hammond, Rosie and Lily Vincent – an inspired mix of old hands and new faces. Rich with comedy and throw away truths, the … Read entire article »
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Personal Privacy: The Next Big Debate the UK Should Have?
Not since times of war and national crisis has personal privacy been such a live issue. In times of rapid technological development, the concept of personal privacy is being consigned to history. Is a debate worth having before it’s too late? Or is it too late already? This article was first published on Suite 101, 3 April 2012. It is republished with more recent links below. Politically, it could be that Coalition Government problems about an ill-judged Budget, about handling a potential fuel crisis and about changing the definition of marriage will fade with time. However, these difficulties will probably pale into insignificance when set alongside the head of steam building against proposals to increase ‘official snooping’ into almost every corner of every citizen’s life. In a democracy it’s generally a given that … Read entire article »
Filed under: Articles at Suite 101
The Governing Compact Is Itself the Danger for UK Coalition
Published on Suite 101 a year ago on 8 March 2012, it is even more pertinent now as the Coalition faces some strains, any one of which could prove fatal. The recent Eastleigh byelection has upturned the normal views about the Liberal-Democrats being the impotent minor partners. Received wisdom says in coalitions, junior parties get swallowed up, are blamed and rarely praised. Is the UK ruling coalition about to fall apart? In politics it’s often enough to merely talk something up for it to become fact. It’s variously known as political wishful thinking or ‘flying a flag up the pole to see if anyone salutes it’. It appears to be so with the future of the governing Coalition. Some are muttering (with just a few actually speaking aloud) the thought that its days … Read entire article »
Filed under: Articles at Suite 101
British Tourism Stands at a Crossroads Looking for a Future
The UK’s tourist industry faces unprecedented pressure, competition and environmental issues that clog the political agenda. New realistic vision is needed.This article first published on Suite 101, 2 February 2012. The world’s biggest travel website, TripAdvisor, is created by millions of users of hotels and services who write about their experiences for the benefit of others. It’s the modern way, to use the wisdom of the crowd, but it has caused a storm when it turned out in January 2012 that some of the reviews were fabricated, condemned by the Advertising Standards Authority as ‘non genuine content’. The furore opened a wider debate in Britain, about the future of tourism in general and homegrown holidays in particular. In the past few years, the British ‘staycation’ has become part of language and culture. Strictly, … Read entire article »
Filed under: Articles at Suite 101
Happy New Year For Brand ‘United Kingdom’?
As the nation still basks in the feel-good big events from 2012 (mainly the Queen’s Golden Jubilee and the Olympic/Paralympic Games), and with the fireworks heralding 2013 still a vivid memory, it’s interesting to look back at thoughts I published on Suite 101 on 1st January as 2012 began. It’s no mystical prediction that after an economically trying 2011, Britons look to 2012 for relief and solutions. But will positives or doomsters be right? The end of 2011 media round-ups and new year messages from politicians, businesses, religious and community leaders serve to remind people that somehow by the simple process of moving from one day to the next, one year to the following, all will be well. Samoa, the tiny South Pacific nation jumped across the International Time Line a day by … Read entire article »
Filed under: Articles at Suite 101