As suggested by the title “The Misfortune of the English” written by Pamela Carter is a true story of misfortune, unfortunate tragedy and catastrophic disaster. In 1936, 27 English schoolboys embarked on a school trip through the Black Forest in prewar Nazi Germany led by their teacher Mr Keast. The story is told through the eyes of three young boys,  Lyons (played by Matthew Tennyson), Eaton (played by Vinnie Heaven)  and Harrison (played by Hubert Burton); they begin the journey full of the youthfulness, mischief and naivety typical of teenage boys. However, as the boys trudge through the black forest, the winds become stronger and the group becomes engulfed by the icy cold – warned by German locals that the path they walked upon was too dangerous and they should turn back, Mr Keasts ignores these warnings. Blinded by stubborn patriotism and ideas of masculinity, Mr Keasts is determined to continue along this path with the naive boys who follow him eagerly, guiding them upon the mulish premise that the supremacy of the English means they are powerful enough able to push through even the most deadly situation. However, these foolish notions of English exceptionalism are not enough to prevent the death and catastrophe that lies ahead.

The first half of the play is full of the vibrant, and playful energies of our three protagonists, fooling around and joking with one another, and proudly expressing their excitement to be representing their school and their country in the “foreign air” of Germany. By the second half of the play, this energy begins to fade from innocent and playful and turns to grave and solemn, at one point the boys sing “I’ll Stand by You” in an attempt to keep up spirits. However, pride, passion and patriotism are not enough to push through such a situation.   Pamela Carter makes evident the political connotations of the play, through the snide remarks towards Lyons, who is Jewish,  the passionate nature of the boys towards their school and country and the English exceptionalism that Mr Keats uses to encourage his boys. On the surface, the story seems to be merely about young innocent boys who looked up to a foolish and irresponsible teacher who led them towards their deaths, but more than that it is a story about imperialism and the faults of arrogant patriotism.

The set, score lighting for the play remains rather simple. Most of the play takes place on the plain stage, with the lighting dimming during the intervals where tourist information about the Black Forest plays. The focus is mainly on the performance and personalities of the three boys and how they develop throughout the events.

Pamela Carter was inspired to write the play through a Guardian article about the research of  Bernd Hainmuller, a historian who has written about the event. Carter has managed to create a play that greatly showcases the political implications of the event as well as the unfortunate and avoidable nature of the tragedy.

The Misfortune of the English is playing at Orange Tree Theatre until May 28. Tickets are available here: https://orangetreetheatre.co.uk/whats-on/the-misfortune-of-the-english/

Photo by Ellie Kurttz

Reviewed by Lian Lakhope. Lian is a MA Global Media and Communications student at SOAS and a volunteer writer for Abundant Art. Lian has written for a number of different publications, mostly about music, culture and film and she is enthusiastic about expressing her passion for creating art and media.

‘My Two Voices’ is a documentary film reflecting on identity fluidity. It focuses on three Latin American women, Ana, Claudia and Marinella who share their intimate experiences of moving to Canada. When exploring the deeper reason for migration, the script focuses on their daily domestic lives, forming a fragmented picture of their exterior and interior lives.

Even though the three women are drawn from different backgrounds they have much in common. All three emphasise recurring elements of violence, belonging, motherhood and reconciliation in their lives. Filmmaker Lina Rodriguez named the film ‘My Two Voices’ because she highlights the links between identity and language in the narrative. The two voices in the title refer to their Spanish mother tongue and the newly adapted English language they learned in Canada. As it progresses, ‘My Two Voices’ reveals more of the women’s lives and personalities, gradually forming intimate family portraits in the closing moments.

The film combines carefully composed close-ups of hands and faces alongside contemplative imagery of private and public spaces. These take us deeper into the story with layers of subtle angles instead of merely presenting a linear perspective. With these detailed shots, we get the finer nuances of the actors’ facial expressions. This complements the subtle layers that Rodriguez conveys to her audience through ‘My Two Voices’. This prompts the audience into their own interpretation of the storyline.

The film does not express sympathy for the protagonists’ experiences to a great extent.  Rodriguez plays with the angles of the camera to narrate a calm story. However, behind the calm, the unsettled experiences of the protagonists can be felt. The women are tenacious and that filters through the projected calm.

Rodriguez is a Colombian-Canadian filmmaker and has directed six short films and three features, which have been showcased in festivals and cultural venues including the Berlin International Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival and the New York Film Festival. Rodriguez fully and deeply tells the story of complex identity crisis and feminist issues in a brilliant cinematic language and is undoubtedly worthy of praise. However lengthy dialogues interspersed with voiceovers slow down the film. A special mention goes to the film’s critical thinking and thoughtful visual arts and that is the greatest takeaway from the film.

For more information and to watch the trailer of ‘My Two Voices’ click here: www.ica.art/films/my-two-voices

Reviewed by Jiajing Yang. Yang is a MA Documentary-Fiction student at UCL and a volunteer writer for Abundant Art. Yang has written several different articles on the WeChat platform and Zhihu website, mostly about film and literature, and she has published a romantic novel based on ancient China. 

Sarah Ruhl’s adaptation of Virginia Woolf’s Orlando is joyfully brought to life under the creative direction of Stella Powell-Jones at the Jermyn Street Theatre. Woolf’s lyricism is preserved through the sprightly dialogue of the chorus, whilst Taylor McClaine’s Orlando is gallant and charming. The chorus deftly switches roles and infuses life into small props cleverly hidden in costumes or hung on the stage wall. The actors moved with synchronicity and speed, making for a spell-bound audience.

The play began as does Woolf’s original text: with a sixteen-year-old Orlando in a noble duel with an imaginary foe. The first half of the show chronicles Orlando’s ascent to court under the adoration of the Queen; his unrealized poetic ambitions; his love for, and betrayal by Sasha. Tigger Blaize is a gloriously crusty Elizabeth I, whilst Skye Hallam’s Sasha is pantomimically conniving. Rushed off to Constantinople to escape the affections of a Romanian nobleman, Orlando wakes up one day transformed into a woman; just as we are to see the lady herself, as of yet concealed in shadow by a sheet-turned-curtain, the lights dim for the interval. Orlando’s sex change is the central conceit of Woolf’s novel; the timing of the interval neatly captures the immensity of Orlando’s transformation. When the second half of the play begins, our protagonist’s metamorphosis is complete, and the cast’s assumption of female pronouns as they guide Orlando’s story is seamless.

The second half lagged a little where the first brilliantly kept its momentum. Here, the plot skipped over various parts of Woolf’s novel: this Orlando returns quite simply to British high society, without her further adventures chronicled in the original. Orlando’s marriage to Stanton Wright’s deliciously effeminate Marmaduke also feels somewhat rushed in comparison with the attention lavished upon the earlier affair with Sasha. McClaine’s Lady Orlando doesn’t quite conjure the same affection as does the boyish charm of Orlando the nobleman. It would have added to the play if McClaine had done more with the female Orlando; as it was, she stood a little insipid in comparison to her former brilliance.

Although Orlando is the hero(ine) of the play, the chorus deserves huge credit. Rosalind Lailey, Stanton Wright and Tigger Blaize jumped between characters and speakers with infectious energy. Their performances were much more varied than McClaine’s, which speaks mostly to the difference between the chorus and protagonist. However, at times it was obvious that McClaine is a less experienced actor; indeed, the play marks their professional debut. That said, McClaine brought a youthfulness and charm to Orlando quite true to Woolf’s original. The casting of a young, non-binary actor at the beginning of their career very much fits the role: no doubt, Taylor McClaine is destined for great things.

The beauty of this production lies for me, in the vivacity of the actors’ performances, aided by dialogue that was lyrical without being pretentious, comedic, if at times overly camp. The Jermyn Street Theatre made for an intimate viewing experience, although I found that the actors might have enjoyed a bigger stage. Ruhl’s adaptation foregoes some of the more serious tenors of Woolf’s novel, prizing the theatrical over the reflective; but under the guidance of Powell-Jones, tonight’s performance of Orlando made for a mesmerising watch.

Orlando is on at the Jermyn Street Theatre in Soho from 28 April – 28 May 2022. Ticket info here: www.jermynstreettheatre.co.uk 

Rosalind Lailey, Taylor McClaine & Stanton Wright in Orlando at Jermyn Street Theatre – photography by Steve Gregson.

Sophia Sheera is a writer interested in migration, cultural citizenship, displacement and queerness with a focus on Central Asia and Northern India. Sophia is inspired by talking to the people whose stories are sidetracked by sensationalist headlines, and as such aspire to share those counter-narratives through political journalism.

The first work catches your eye as you ascend the stairs to the gallery. Just outside the exhibition, you are met with a wall covered in fluorescent pastel flowers, a bright orange chair sitting to one side and a note, hand-written on the wall saying ‘Thanks’. ‘Thank You Darling’ sees Camden Art Centre present one of the Netherlands’ most celebrated contemporary artist, Lily Van der Stokker, for the first time in a London institution. 

The exhibition brings together works made by Van der Stokker over the last 35 years exploring society, home, caregiving, families, friendships and work. Often tiny preliminary sketches and plans are shown alongside final works painted directly on the wall. This exchange between the small and large is delightfully playful – causing you to peer in or step back to take in the works. In the final space, one wall painting covers the entire double-height wall, engulfing the viewer as they gaze up. On the other side of the space, a small piece of text is written above an object suspended halfway up the wall – almost impossible to view unless on tip-toes. 

Despite this seemingly-spirited approach, once up close, the works often feel melancholic. They talk of stifling expectations, strained families and in the more recent works, the global pandemic. Van der Stokker resists these dark feelings with brightly coloured motifs; flowers, clouds, spots and stripes. The artist utilises items from the everyday; washing machines, pots and pans, and cupboards, to explore the personal and the often-overlooked domestic spaces. Doing so with over-exaggerated sweetness, Van der Stokker exhibits a radical feminist artistic practice unlike no other. 

With no interpretation of texts and only a short opening paragraph about the artist, the exhibition may be difficult for those who prefer to be guided. At times the works feel a little confusing – short pieces of text throwing you off even further ‘Not itchy’, ‘childcare’, ‘bi-ba-ba by boomer’. However, if you are able to stop attempting to unravel meaning, you’re better placed to fully experience the works. ‘Thank You Darling’ is an assault on the senses – in a good way.

‘Lily van der Stokker – Thank You Darling’ is showing at Camden Art Centre until 18 September 2022. Tickets are free and are available to book here.

‘Lily van der Stokker – Thank You Darling’ is supported by Mondriaan Fonds, Cockayne Grants for the Arts and the London Community Foundation, the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and Thomas and Sabine Casparie.

The kitchen photo was taken by Amy Melling (see her biog below)

Reviewed by Amy Melling – Amy is a Curator and Creative Producer whose practice is centred around community-led arts projects. Her current research is focused on curatorial methods for exhibiting artworks outside. Amy has a keen interest in the arts and recently completed an MA in Curating and Collections at Chelsea College of Arts, UAL.

I first discovered Real Lies via a Spotify suggestion during the latter days of November 2016, drawn in by a well-executed album cover and the cheapness of their name – a well-known clown from my hometown once posted to Facebook, ‘Real Eyes Realise Real Lies’, and the silent ‘lol’ I did to myself as I recalled this convinced me to try them. Over the preceding six months I had finished my A Levels, celebrated my eighteenth birthday, celebrated my results, moved away for university, and discovered the hours between 0300 and 0600 (but not how to cook, clean, or generally manage my life) in that order. And so it was that my wide eyed and rewired brain was magnetised towards the locomotive ‘Dab Housing’ and the metropolitan braggadocio of ‘One Club Town’. ‘I was destined to leave that one club town’, I thought to myself, not aware that avocados and anchovies are not the same thing. Their debut album, Real Life, had been released in 2015, and I waited eagerly in the wings for more music or a tour.

…And I continued to wait until 2018, when they reappeared with ‘The Checks’ to mark the resignation of Arsène Wenger as Arsenal’s manager, and then with a steady but uneventful stream of singles and features, of which some eventually resurfaced on the sophomore Lad Ash this year. Perhaps (read: without a doubt) the inertia of these releases was on account of the pandemic: Real Lies is not club music, but afters music, and without the befores, there can be no afters. And just as the city’s buzz was reduced to a gentle hum, the rush hour immediacy of Real Lies felt incongruous.

Their sold-out show at The Pickle Factory in Cambridge Heath did not come as a surprise, however. As metropolitan life picked up once again, the presence of Real Lies was re-electrified more or less in sync with how the night tube was supposed to. The gig in the cramped space came in a UK tour sandwiched between a headline at The Garage, Islington and Heaven this coming October – both of which are much larger capacity. And as the first homecoming slot less than a week after the release of Lad Ash, optimism and intimacy slithered between the gaps in the crowd. It was a curious bunch of arty types, house-heads, and terrace boys, with little crossover, but frontman Kev Kharas’s cheeky lyricism and DJ Patrick King’s mixing clicked in a natural way.

In the seven-year gap between Real Life and Lad Ash a lot has changed. Most noticeably, third member Tom Watson has departed the band. While Kharas’s narratives and perspectives are no less male, and still grounded in nightlife, there is certainly much less boyishness, which is supplanted by a more mature reflectiveness; the night-time must be respected and approached with caution. At the same time, the sound of Lad Ash and the way it is reproduced live leans much further into rave culture than their debut. The songs aren’t quite as instantly catchy, but guitars and conventional structures have been abandoned in favour of clubby ecstasy in standout tunes such as the dark and bassy ‘Since I’ and stomping ‘Your Guiding Hand’.

Some things do not change, though – Kharas remarked that many of the faces in the crowd are the same ones he saw seven years ago. I certainly felt like I had earnt my place in a small crowd I’d waited so long for, and it seemed like everyone else had, too. Some things, like ageing, band members leaving, and pandemics, are out of our control. But the biggest maturation in Real Lies is that they have figured out how to do something great with what we can control, and to let the rest just happen.

For more live dates go to: www.reallies.co.uk

Real Lies / Photography Will Gundy

We are used to looking at the achievements of Greco-Roman antiquity with admiration and even awe. The Ancient Greece: Science And Wisdom exhibition at the Science Museum makes us take a step back to discover how ancient civilization questioned, contemplated, and debated the natural world. Through the intellectual fusion of the arts, science and religion, ancient Greek thinkers sought to understand the world in a logical and mathematical way.

Strictly speaking, what we now call ‘modern science’ – research conducted in universities and laboratories – is a phenomenon that began only at the beginning of the 19th century; the very use of the term ‘science’ as a synonym for ‘natural science’ emerged in the 19th century. Nevertheless, as the exhibition reveals, Ancient Greek thinkers shared a similar philosophical interest in the natural world and used a variety of methods such as classifying, observing, measuring, and mapping to disclose the world around them. This ancient civilization boasts a long list of achievements in the scientific field. These include scientific discoveries such as the heliocentric hypotheses of Aristarchus, the principles of Archimedes, the discovery of the precession of the equinoxes of Hipparchus, the discovery of the nervous system of Herophilus, and the recognition of the importance of the quantitative mathematical expression of the laws that regulate the occurrence of physical phenomena.

The exhibition features rare and remarkable objects that spotlight five areas of ancient Greek science and allow us to discover the significance of their insights. Through iconic sculptures, storage jars, decorative plates, probes, musical instruments, and uncanny mechanical devices used to predict and map the movements of the stars in the sky, this exhibition testifies how wonder is the sole beginning of wisdom.

Short films and documentaries explain how Ancient Greek engineers employed their skills and knowledge to design ships that would travel further and faster in perilous seas. The deep blue waters of the Mediterranean intrigued Ancient Greek thinkers for the variety of fauna that lived within it, and many conducted systematic studies to uncover how these creatures survived, reproduced, and died. Interest in the human body laid the foundations for studies in human anatomy, whilst sculptors explored symmetry and proportions to achieve balance and harmony when realising the ideal of the mathematical body. Blending the outer aspects of the surroundings with its inner movements and rules were perceived as the purest form of beauty, and the Ancient Greeks aspired to measure and express all phenomena of the universe in mathematical terms. Music was not an exception, and some sought to understand and identify its fundamental qualities through sensory perception. An exceptionally well-preserved aulos, a double-reed pipe, is presented in the exhibition alongside an interactive screen which encourages visitors to give it a go at playing this musical instrument, whilst the short film reveals the difficulties in recreating the sound of the aulos today.

Through the use of audio-visual animation and other virtual media, as well as the latest scientific research and discoveries on these objects and artworks, the Science Museum invites us to step into history and cultivate curiosity, ingenuity and talent in the pursuit of knowledge.

FREE EXHIBITION

DATE: 17 November 2021 – 05 June 2022

PRICE: Free, ticket required

LOCATION: Second Floor Studio, level 2

Gold headdress (about 350-100 BCE) adorned with an image / Athena, Goddess of Wisdom @ Benaki Museum, Athens.

Reviewed by Rachele Nizi- After completing her MA in Reception of the Classical World at UCL, Rachele joined Abundant Art as a creative writer. Her British and Italian origins have inspired her to want to study Art History and European Literature, with an interest in the afterlife of antiquity in the Western tradition.

Emotive choreography, dramatic soundscapes and dream-like spaces: Punchdrunk return to London with their first major show, ‘The Burnt City’, in eight years. The colossal production sees ancient Greek mythology around the fall of Troy retold, with a dystopian twist.

Outside, the building is unassuming – we enter through double doors and drop our bags in the cloakroom. Soon, however, it becomes evident this isn’t a normal theatre production. As with previous Punchdrunk shows, ‘The Burnt City’ is a non-linear performance. The audience walks through the spaces encountering actors performing short scenes at various intervals. As we enter we’re instructed to wear blank, full-face masks; differentiating us from the actors and allowing for anonymity in our exploration. We are told not to stick together – this is a show best experienced alone. 

In the first performance space we are met by a series of huge curtains, that, when swept back, reveal unmade beds and flickering lanterns in hidden corners. This space acts as a gentle introduction before we become fully immersed in ‘The Burnt City’. A little further in, the production is overwhelmingly vast – with so much to explore, it’s hard to shake the fear you’re missing out on something better in the next space along. However, once you get your bearings, the best moments are the ones you discover accidentally; a barman setting out cups in a neon-lit backstreet bar, a secret passage full of coats through a wardrobe door, a wall that, when tapped, reveals an ornate gold sculpture in a cloud of smoke.

‘The Burnt City’ is eerie, surreal – like stepping inside a David Lynch film. The spaces are meticulously considered, subtle details making you feel as though someone has only just left. Cast members drift around the spaces with groups of masked audience members in tow. The actors are mostly silent, instead communicating via carefully considered movements and expressions expertly choreographed by Maxine Doyle. Often over as quickly as they begin, these movements are mesmerising to watch.

‘The Burnt City’ is unlike any other theatre experience; completely immersive, exciting and compelling – what it lacks in traditional narrative it more than makes up for in pure spectacle.

‘The Burnt City’ runs at One Cartridge Place until 4 December and tickets are available here: lyric.co.uk/shows/scandaltown

Photo of performer Alison Monique Adnet is by Julian Abrams

Reviewed by Amy Melling – Amy is a Curator and Creative Producer whose practice is centred around community-led arts projects. Her current research is focused on curatorial methods for exhibiting artworks outside. Amy has a keen interest in the arts and recently completed an MA in Curating and Collections at Chelsea College of Arts, UAL.

Mike Bartlett’s Scandaltown is a modern restoration comedy that combines the heightened and melodramatic nature of 17th-century restoration dramas as well as humour and satirical content that reflects current times. It successfully manages to combine these different periods to form a ‘New Restoration’. This allows the audience to experience flamboyant costumes and hyperbolic interactions of restoration comedies amidst politically topical jokes that can only be understood in a present-day context. These jokes and spoofs include digs at the pandemic parties thrown by the governments, satirical comments on the hypocrisy of the right-wing and the overzealousness of liberal social justice on Twitter. Amongst the themes of political satire, Bartlett’s script includes silly gags, innuendos and exaggerated content that makes the audience laugh as well as meaningful monologues about morality and virtue.

Scandaltown begins as Phoebe Virtue (played by Cecilia Appiah), an uptight, idealistically hopeful and socially conscious young woman, tells her Aunt Julie (played by Emma Cunniffe) she is worried about her twin brother Jack (played by Matthew Broome) who has recently moved to London. Phoebe believes London has contorted her brother’s reputation and caused him to have fallen into a sunken place of meaningless sex, class A drugs and right-wing, capitalist ideas. When a letter arrives from her brother that seems to disprove her suspicions, Phoebe is relieved – until a peculiar white powder seeps from the envelope and she realises the letter has been written on the back of a page ripped out from the Telegraph. Phoebe is horrified, she decides she has no choice but to travel to London in disguise to catch out her brother’s dishonest life and revert him from a life of villainy to a life of virtue. Life in London is exactly what Phoebe suspected and more as she gets a glimpse into the scandalous web of sex, adultery, drugs, secrets, social climbers and constant drama that Jack’s life entails. Amidst the scandal of London we meet other characters; Lady Climber (played by Racheal Stirling), always ostentatiously dressed, eager to do anything to climb the social ladder and propel her career;  Hannah Tweetwell, a straightforward, social media manager with suspicious motives who is employed by Lady Climber to help her rise to fame; and Matt Eton (played by Richard Gouldling), an Eton graduate and Tory politician – a caricature of both these attributes who is introduced to Lady Climber by Miss Tweetwell.

The set design, created by Good Teeth,  has its best moments during a  sultry and sensual sex scene which is presented as a cabaret-inspired yet also humorous dance, the stage engulfed by a provocative dark red light so that the silhouettes of the characters are visible. The costume design, by Kinnetia Isidore consists of an impressive 40 plus costumes. It sees both modern and edgy clothing worn by characters such as Hannah Tweetwell as well as extravagant and elegant gowns worn by Lady Climber.

Bartlett and the cast of Scandaltown have shown great versatility with the play. It is shrouded in the scandalous going ons of soap operas and TV dramas yet still manages to touch on topical issues, as well as make its audience laugh hysterically. It is showing at Hammersmith Lyric Theatre until May 14th. Book tickets here: https://seatplan.com/london/scandaltown/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIu8jltKCn9wIVa4BQBh2fugNzEAAYASAAEgKuA_D_BwE

Photo by Marc Brenner.

Reviewed by Lian Lakhope. Lian is a MA Global Media and Communications student at SOAS and a volunteer writer for Abundant Art. Lian has written for a number of different publications, mostly about music, culture and film and she is enthusiastic about expressing her passion for creating art and media.