Hello

Van Gogh Self Portaits – Courtauld Gallery Review

We are currently living in a time where the “Van Gogh mania” is at its peak: you can find anything Van Gogh themed, from Tiktoks, items of clothing and immersive experiences. Something about the dreamy and nostalgic universe of Van Gogh’s paintings is especially appealing to today’s audience, as they represent a form of escapism and dreaminess that our generation tragically lacks. Yet, the Courtauld Gallery’s new exhibition “Van Gogh Self-Portraits” manages to stand out from the abundance of Van Gogh content and iconography. The impressionist Gallery sheds a light on the persona of the artist through fifteen of his most famous self-portraits and takes a very introspective approach to the artist. Even those who might have seen “The Starry Night” and “Sunflowers” a thousand times will discover something totally new.

As soon as one surpasses the first emotion of seeing so many widely famous paintings hanging one next to the other, the first thing one notices is the interesting diversity within the repetition of the same subject. The man in the frame is never-changing: same sparkly bright eyes, defined and lean lineaments, dashing red hair and concentrated expression of someone analysing his own features in a mirror whilst trying to paint them. And yet every single one of the fifteen canvases exposed is indisputably different from the other. How can such variety be achieved when the subject is always the same, posing in a similar position every time?

Firstly, the painting technique is rarely the same: the animated dashes of paint in one painting can turn into a detailed and conventional brushstroke in the next; the backgrounds can be bare, detailed or abstractly colourful; the colours can be neutral or explosively vibrant. It is the technique of an artist searching for himself and his art, exploring new possibilities and artistic realities in a seemingly impossible and never-ending quest. The second element of change is the subject himself: spanning from 1886 to 1889, the paintings act as a real visual autobiography as they reveal the deep changes in the artists’ last years of life. We witness it all, from physical changes like different outfits, hairstyles and locations to the more nuanced evolution of a man slowly drifting to madness.

The real star of the show is indeed the man himself as he is a subject of observation and representation for Van Gogh the artist. The goal was reportedly to achieve something that portrait photography could not achieve and therefore prove that despite the technological advances, painting remained the superior art. And something is undoubtedly achieved, as each painting studies the relationship of the artist with himself and the interchangeable role of artists and subjects in art.

Get your tickets for the exhibition, as well as the Courtauld Gallery’s wonderful permanent gallery of Impressionist and post-Impressionist works at https://courtauld.ac.uk/whats-on/van-gogh-self-portraits-22/.

Vincent Van Gogh, Self-Portait with a Bandaged ear, 1889, The Courtauld, London (Saluel Courtauld Trust) © The Courtauld

Reviewed by Céline Galletti- Celine is a volunteer writer for Abundant Art. Originally from France and Italy, she follows her passion for writing and art by studying Comparative Literature at UCL, London. As an international student living in London, she is determined to fully experience and understand the city’s vibrant arts scene, and be a part of its creative storm.

Enshrine: The Florence Trust Review

Have you ever noticed where birds rest? Flying high in the air, birds usually rest also somewhere high up, dwelling close to the edge of the sky and thus connecting heaven and earth. In this sense, birds have traditionally been regarded as the messengers of God. In Japan, people symbolically assigned a specific place for these special creatures to rest, known as the Torii (鳥居, birds perch), which marks the boundary between the sacred and the mundane land, and serves as the symbol and entrance to Japanese Shinto Shrines. As one would expect Toriis to typically be found in eastern settings, the unexpected encounter with the Torii in St Saviours Church was quite memorable from the start, for its unique juxtaposition of East and West.
Against a solemn backdrop of the 19th-century building with a glistening triptych lit only by delicate candle lights, a silent sublime filled the air prompting you to expect the Holy Ghost, in the form of a dove, to alight on the Torii at any time. This is how “Enshrine”, the collaborative exhibition by Yuka Namekawa and Steven Allbutt came to me at first glance.
Upon closer look, one can see that the exhibition was quite small and simple. Only three works were on display: The first is “Monumental Words”, a piece of recycled studio timber with broken concrete casts of “Das Kapital” and “The Bible” in a box. Across from it is “Enshrined”, a resin-covered copy of “Das Kapital” found in a charity book shop; and sat between the two is the Torii “From the Mundane to the Sacred and Back Again”, made of recycled paper, wire and led lights.
Despite the simplicity of the visual, the symbolism within each piece was profound. It seems like the act of walking through a Torii has the connotation of Misogi (禊, the ritual of purification), implying the Torii is not merely a gate, but a gate that purifies people as they pass through it. Under it, going back and forth, I experienced the sensation of transferring “from the mundane to the sacred and back again”, as the title suggests. It also occurred to me that we always look back after passing through somewhere, like a tunnel, reflecting on our passing days and our pasts. Even with the lesson of the myth of Orpheus, we cannot help but always look back. As I shifted my gaze under the Torii, broken casts of Das Kapital and the Bible, hardened like ruins appeared on the edge of my vision. What does this juxtaposition between the Bible, which represents a traditional religion, and the Capital, which has become our new religion, represent? What kind of divinity have we secularized and what kind of secularity have we sanctified? Without any answer, the Torii, the opaque boundary between the past and the future, glimmered under the weight of the church.
The title of the show, “Enshrine” also evokes a unique feeling, since enshrinement always refers to the remembering and the preserving of someone or something that is valuable and admired. As the last ever show organized by The Florence Trust at St Saviours Church, the exhibition itself enshrines 33 years of the precious memory and history of the organization. Founded as an educational charity by painter Patrick Hamilton, the trust opened its doors to artists in 1990, providing a year-long residency for 12 international artists ever since. Two such artists, Yuka Namekawa and Steven Allbutt met at The Florence trust on their residency in 2008/09 and married in 2014. By encapsulating all the memories of the church for the last time into a poetic image, it can be said that they once again enshrined what had already been enshrined, and referred back to the quote that inspired the artist Patrick Hamilton to found The Florence Trust:
“Unless one says goodbye to what one loves, and unless one travels to completely new territories, one can expect merely a long wearing away of oneself and an eventual extinction” (Jean Dubuffet)
With the enshrined memory as such, The Florence Trust will certainly move forward, unwaveringly in search of a new home, so as to avoid their own “long-wearing away” and “eventual extinction.”

For more information about The Florence Trust and the artists, please visit: http://www.florencetrust.net/

Exhibition Poster for “Enshrine”. 2022. Image provided by: The Florence Trust

Sun A Han is a volunteer writer for Abundant Art. Originally from South Korea, she discovered her passion for art at the age of ten, by encountering Picasso’s masterpiece – “Guernica”. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Art Theory and Philosophy at Central Saint Martins. As a writer, she aspires to write about art that heals the soul, touches the heart, and gives voice to the oppressed.

 

Beatrix Potter: Drawn to Nature – V&A Review

Beatrix Potter: Drawn to Nature feels gloriously full-circle. Although Potter disliked London, describing her Bolton Gardens townhouse as her ‘unloved home’, she found solace during visits to the V&A, earlier known as the South Kensington Museum. As a child, she would spend hours making drawings of the collections, some of the pieces even feature in the children’s books she went on to write. Now, through a major partnership with the National Trust, the V&A presents Drawn to Nature, an exhibition celebrating Beatrix Potter’s life and work in all its facets; artist, conservationist, businesswoman, natural scientist and storyteller. 

Drawn to Nature sees Beatrix Potter’s journey from her childhood in South Kensington to the Lake District, where she spent the latter part of her life. Potter noted she had an ‘irresistible desire to copy any beautiful object which strikes the eye’ and it’s clear from the works on display that from a young age, she was an accomplished artist. The exhibition is filled with Potter’s sketches; from nature, from illustrations in her favourite books and most fantastically, from her own imagination. Under one drawing of rabbit fishing from a stepping stone is a quote, ‘Half believing the picturesque superstitions of the district, seeing my own fancies so clearly that they became true to me, I lived in a separate world’. This unique perspective continued throughout Potter’s life, resulting in the publication of over twenty ever-popular children’s books, including The Tale of Peter Rabbit.  

The display of over 200 objects, from fungi illustrations to rarely seen letters, echoes Potter’s multifarious interests perfectly. However, it’s her love of nature that is at the heart of this exhibition. It is shown through her botanical watercolours, rock collections and well-worn walking clogs. In the latter part of her life, conscious of the threats of modern development, Potter partnered with the National Trust to ensure the green spaces she loved so much were preserved. Lovely, then, to consider their involvement now in this exhibition celebrating her life. Beatrix Potter was a champion of access to nature for all, a mission that is even more important today.

Visiting Beatrix Potter: Drawn To Nature is like stepping into a storybook. Every corner presents something to be discovered; an intricate sketch to marvel at, a squeaking mouse hole to investigate, a microscope to peer through. Immersive and nostalgic, it’s the sort of exhibition that leaves you wanting to get dirt under your fingernails. 

Beatrix Potter: Drawn to Nature runs from 12 February 2022 – 8 January 2023. Tickets start at £14 and are available here. The exhibition is co-curated by Annemarie Bilclough, Frederick Warne Curator of Illustration at the Victoria and Albert Museum and Helen Antrobus, Assistant National Curator at the National Trust. Supported by Kathryn Uhde.

Creator: Robert Thrift Copyright: ©National Trust Images/Robert Thrift

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.

 

Two Billion Beats – Orange Tree Theatre Review

Playwright Sonali Bhattacharyya was in residence at the Orange Tree in 2018 where she wrote Chasing Hares, winning the Sonia Friedman Production Award and Theatre Uncut Political Playwriting Award. She returned with a new play which was first shown over lockdown as part of the Orange Tree’s Inside/Outside livestream. This time, the complexity of sister relationships is at the heart of her creation of Two Billion Beats. Facing the world and its inequalities together, we watched Asha and Bettina grow up while trying to create a better world.

Asha is sitting in a square, her rainbow headphones playing music while she is reading an essay about  BR Ambedkar, an Indian politician advocating political rights and social freedom. His words resound in her, questioning Gandhi as an untouchable political figure. The play continues with Asha’s sister Bettina asking for her help as she is bullied on the bus to school. The question presented to the audience is will Asha be able to put into practice her ideas to fight injustice and help her sister? 

In this two-hander (performance with two actors), playwright Sonali Bhattacharyya finds a perfect balance between Asha’s intense thoughts and her sweet and less confident sister Bettina. The lighting design created by Alex Fernandes shifts from warm daylight tones to lights flashing.  Asha’s different experiences are conveyed through different types of lighting techniques, ranging from scenes at the bus stop where she meets her sister after school to those where we see her reflecting on her personal thoughts on injustice and racism.   At the bus stop, for instance, the light was bright like the natural sun yet when Asha was deep in thought the entire space was black and she was the only one under the light. Between laughter and tears, this coming-of-age drama takes us back to high school while reflecting on burning societal issues. 

Two Billion Beats is a compelling coming-of-age drama immersing us in the struggle between political ideals and social reality. You can learn more about Orange Tree Theatre and get your tickets at: https://orangetreetheatre.co.uk/whats-on/two-billion-beats/about

Safiyya Ingar and Anoushka Chadha in TWO BILLION BEATS, photo Alex Brenner.

Reviewed by Alix Berthelot–Moritz- Alix is a volunteer writer for Abundant Art. Originally from Normandy, France, she follows her passion for journalism and art by studying at the European Political and Social Sciences of UCL, London. As an international student living in London, she is determined to fully experience and discover the entirety of the city’s vibrant arts scene and share the beauty of it through her writing.

Francis Bacon: Man and Beast – RA Review

Beasts, violence and carnality: The Royal Academy is currently exhibiting Francis Bacon’s famously gut-wrenching works with the new exposition “Man and Beast”. The artist blurs the line between human and animal, showcasing unnervingly monstrous humanoid figures in contrast with animals full of expression and humanity. A very human horror show of flesh and beastliness that shows us Bacon’s vision of the human: “We are meat, we are all potential carcasses”.

At first glance, one might claim that the figures are the furthest thing from human: we do not want to associate ourselves to those contorted screams, raw flesh and monstrous deformities. However, the creatures chillingly hold some undeniable human features, such as teeth, lips or ears. We have to face the harsh truth: we are indeed looking at a human, at ourselves, the ugliest and yet most real version there is. Something in the muted screams of the paintings is extremely relatable, and acts as an expression of the violence typical of human nature that we all hold inside and die to express. Even religious themes, such as the head of the pope or the crucifixion are stripped of their spiritual meaning and turned into representations of violence. In contrast, animals are represented as curiously full of humanity, as they adopt humanoid poses with a vivid spark in the corner of the eye. Once again, the line between man and animal is erased.

A common characteristic ties all the subjects, whether human, animal or beast: They are all seemingly in motion, and even the canvases seem to be barely able to pin them down. The strong and repetitive brushstrokes as well as the different contrasting colours give an impression of strength, vitality and violence in movement, which is further explained by the fact that Bacon used stop motion images as a base of study. The creatures represented are hardly pinned down by the canvas: they are agitated, violent and loud.

The exhibition works chronologically and thematically, and gives a rich biographical insight to the works exhibited. It is usually preferable to avoid any comparison between an artist’s life and their work, as it can often take away from the universality and the message of their art. However, Bacon’s paintings are so intimate and raw, and modeled on personal people in his life, that the biographical aspect of his work is hard to ignore. Born and raised in Dublin in a horse-breeding family, he learned everything there is to know about life by observing dogs and horses: birth, violence, sexuality and death. The exposition retraces his tormented life, from his experience of World War II to his dangerous asthma, as well as the deaths of friends and family, his tumultuous love affairs and the discrimination faced because of his open homosexuality.

This exposition is a chance of rediscovering the artist for those who are already familiar, and a perfect introduction for newcomers to his core ideas and signature style, as well as his biography. Get your tickets at https://www.royalacademy.org.uk 

Francis Bacon, Figure Study II, 1945-46. Oil on canvas. 145 x 129 cm. National Galleries of Scotland. Lent by Huddersfield Art Gallery, Kirklees Council (Presented by the Contemporary Art Society to Bagshaw Museum, Batley) © The Estate of Francis Bacon. All rights reserved, DACS/Artimage 2022. Photo: Prudence Cuming Associates Ltd.

Reviewed by Céline Galletti- Celine is a volunteer writer for Abundant Art. Originally from France and Italy, she follows her passion for writing and art by studying Comparative Literature at UCL, London. As an international student living in London, she is determined to fully experience and understand the city’s vibrant arts scene, and be a part of its creative storm.

Akala in Conversation on his ‘The Dark Lady’- Southbank Centre Review

Celebrating the launch of his debut novel, The Dark Lady, Akala joined us for a conversation at the Southbank Centre, delving into the context of his new book and the ideas around which it revolves.  Joined by Canadian poet and singer, Mustafa the Poet, this event marked the release of this novel whilst opening up a fundamental conservation about race, identity, class, and society.

The Dark Lady is about a young, black, orphan boy living in the streets of Elizabethan London, who is haunted by dreams of the mysterious Dark Lady. Inspired by Shakespeare, the novel refers to Bard’s Sonnets and attempts to paint a realistic picture of street life in Renaissance England.

In parallel to his first book, Natives, Akala centres this novel around issues of class and race, which are ever-so prominent in both Elizabethan and modern society. Akala discussed how Shakespearean theatre was the only place where the working class and elites would intersect for entertainment. As most period novels and dramas focus on the lives of the royals and elites, he wanted to emphasise this in his novel by experiencing London through the eyes of a character who is largely unrepresented in British and London’s history.

As he described the process of research behind his novel and the scholarship around African presence in London at that time, he talks about the importance of weaving in this history and creating a new conception of London’s history through his novel.

As well as persuading the audience to purchase and read this gripping tale, this event was amazingly inspiring! An evening filled with knowledge and talent, this flowing conversation left me with new perspectives and thoughts to reflect upon. It was a real joy to hear the BAFTA and MOBO award-winning hip-hop artist, writer, Akala, share his wisdom and passion, regarding history, issues of division in society, and how we can rise against them.

Tickets are still available for the Akala in conversation livestream, which is available to watch online until Until⁠ 6 March – tickets for £8.50.

Look out for more events at the Southbank Centre here: https://www.southbankcentre.co.uk

Reviewed by Ridha Sheikh – Ridha is a volunteer writer for Abundant Art. She is a recent History and Politics graduate from Queen Mary – University of London. Ridha is excited to explore and share her strong passion for London’s art scene.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Chosen Haram – Jacksons Lane Theatre Review

The Chosen Haram is an LGBTQ circus performance dealing with different themes such as faith, sexuality and addiction. It’s not Adam and Eve but Ahmad and Steve! This circus piece tells the story of two queer men, meeting through a dating app and trying to overcome their socio-cultural differences. In this non-verbal performance, Sadiq Ali who graduated from the National Centre for Circus Arts plays a young man torn apart between his religious beliefs and his sexual orientation. Facing him is the actor and circus artist Hauk Pattison who has appeared in productions at the National Theatre and plays a young man hungover in the middle of bottles of alcohol, living a life of excess. When they meet, they start a powerful sexual relationship that will not last as the collision of their different worlds puts them in an identity crisis.

The Chosen Haram was part of the Jacksons Lane program for the London International Mime Festival running from the 14th January to the 6th February 2022. ‘Haram’ is an Arabic word to describe something that is forbidden by Islam. Sadiq Ali, the lead artist and performer created this production performance following his own experiences in life.

“Growing up I had the realisation that my sexuality didn’t connect with what I was being taught about the world. This left me as a young queer person confused, self-loathing and full of shame. Unfortunately, to deal with those feelings I had to numb the world around me and then found myself shrouded in addiction.”

He chose to use two Chinese poles which both performing artists specialise in. They play around these poles as they are in the early stages of their relationship and they take refuge on top of them when they are afraid of the consequences of their sexual relationship. The two actors play beautifully with those poles, integrating them as storytelling tools and moving their bodies in the air as they are stuck in their identity crisis. This circus piece is a multiple-sens experience where you will be immersed in a nightclub atmosphere after entering the peaceful atmosphere of a mosque and before living the tumult of city life.

The Chosen Haram portrays a contemporary theme about the highs and lows of relationships in the modern world and the challenges faced due to sexuality and faith.

You can learn more about Jackson Lane and get your tickets for future performances at: https://www.jacksonslane.org.uk/whats-on/.

Reviewed by Alix Berthelot–Moritz- Alix is a volunteer writer for Abundant Art. Originally from Normandy, France, she follows her passion for journalism and art by studying at the European Political and Social Sciences of UCL, London. As an international student living in London, she is determined to fully experience and discover the entirety of the city’s vibrant arts scene and share the beauty of it through her writing.

 

Drive My Car – ICA Review

And in the great beyond we’ll tell him that we cried, that we suffered, that life was hard.”  This sentence is from the play Uncle Vanya by Anton ChekhovProtagonist Yûsuke is in charge of directing a theatre production of Uncle Vanya and this is a great embodiment of everything that Drive My Car is. The film is a tale of acknowledgment and acceptance of the abruptness of life, of the sadness, suffering and melancholy that living can bring. An adaptation of author Haruki Murakami’s book of the same name, Drive My Car, directed by Ryusuke Hamaguchi, it is a 3-hour long journey through the life of theatre director Yûsuke (played by Hidetoshi Nishijima). The film explores the grievances of his relationship with his finding peace and forgiveness within himself through conversations with others. Particularly with Misaki, a young woman assigned by the theatre agency as Yusuke’s personal driver, in charge of driving him around in his beloved scarlet red Saab 900.

The prologue of the film is dark and erotic, unlike the rest of it which mostly has a more tranquil feel. The film begins with Oto, a screenwriter who is also Yusuke’s wife. We see Yusuke having intercourse as Oto recites a story about a young girl who sneaks into the house of her unrequited crush. The intimacy and these stories serve as a re-connection for the pair after losing a child that caused pain and tension within their marriage. However, one evening on an unexpected return due to a cancelled work flight, Yusuke catches Oto cheating on him with popular notorious actor Koji. He watches blankly for a minute, before leaving quietly, unnoticed Yusuke later casts Koji as the lead in his production of Uncle Vanya.

His days are mostly the same, a long drive to work in which he plays a recording of Uncle Vanya voiced by Oto, reciting lines back, working on his play at the theatre, driving home and reciting the play with the recording once again, returning home to Oto, usually engaging in intercourse whilst she continues her story. Yusuke seems not to be miserable. Rather, just compliant with his life, numb to anything outside what he knows. He does enjoy driving, it’s soothing and serene for him, he uses it to unwind. In an attempt to avoid a conversation with Oto, as she insists, they need to talk after work, Yusuke takes a long drive before returning home. When he returns Oto is laid loosely on the floor, with no pulse. The doctor concluded that she suffered a cerebral haemorrhage and was dead on the scene. These events in the prologue are a catalyst to the themes explored through the film.

Drive My Car is slow-paced and introspective. There are several shots of the red Sabb 900 driving through the streets of Hiroshima, packed and empty, through the blue skies of the day and the serenity and darkness of the night, that present the meditative nature of the film. The dialogue that occurs between Yusuke and Oto, Misaki, Koji as well as other individuals within the vicinity of his car help to explore and overcome the pain Yusuke has held onto. Yusuke does not doubt that his wife loves him, despite her infidelity. He voices this to both Misaki as well as Koji. He also voices that this is why he chose to remain oblivious to it around her. The acknowledgment of her infidelity would result in a change of dynamics within their relationship. His refusal to face the situation prevented abnormality and inconsistency within their relationship. However, he blames this fear and complacency as reasons for Oto’s death –confessing he thinks perhaps if he didn’t take a longer drive to avoid their conversation, he could have made it back before her pulse stopped.  Misaki does not doubt that her mother loved her, despite the way she treated her.

The bonds and relationships we form with people in our lives are often based on our understanding and what we think we know about these people. But we can never really know everything about someone and why they do the things they do, no matter how much we love them or how much time we spend with them. Drive my car encourages us to embrace the fleeting and changing nature of our relationships as well as to not blame ourselves for the things we cannot change.

Book tickets to watch Drive My Car at the Institute of Contemporary Arts here: https://www.ica.art/films/drive-my-car

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.

 

 

Costa Rica blooms at Kew’s Orchid Festival 2022

Rafael Oritz Fabreg, Ambassador of Costa Rica says: “We look forward to welcoming visitors to the Orchid Festival – to both celebrate our Costa Rican heritage and our policies that encourage sustainable land use practices. Today, Costa Rica is one of the only countries in the world to reverse its deforestation, stop biodiversity loss and increase forest cover to over half of its total territory, whilst increasing economic growth. Ultimately, we want to build a better future for the planet – an ethos we are proud to share with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew”.

World-famous scientific organisation and top London visitor attraction Kew Gardens’ annual orchid festival has returned for its 26th year loud and proud. Celebrating all the different forms of life in Costa Rica, get ready for some colourful displays! There are over 5000 dazzling Costa Rican orchids on display in the Princess of Wales Conservatory. In amongst the amazing orchids, every so often you might notice a monkey, sea turtles and hummingbirds, and some nocturnal forest animals which are all handcrafted from plants.

What must have taken Kew’s horticulturalists weeks to create really brightened up our mood. We felt like we had set foot into a tropical paradise. All the vibrantly coloured orchids, tropical plants, floral smells and sounds of water falling lit up our senses. We were bedazzled by the therapeutic beauty of nature. There were arches, columns and various other displays festooned with orchids and bromeliads, indistinguishable from the atmosphere and experience of being at a festival. That is perhaps why it is called the Orchid Festival.

The central display in the glasshouse pond was the highlight of the festival and was filled with dazzling Costa Rican orchids and bromeliads. Arranged with metal spikes, representing sunrays, the display was almost spiritual and wonderous. Walking through the conservatory, surrounded by the beauty and diversity of the orchids and other flora, enjoying the subtle scents, it was not impossible to imagine ourselves being in the Costa Rican rainforest.

RBG Kew is a global leader in plant science and this year’s festival showcases its work helping to identify, protect and promote the inspiring biodiversity of Costa Rica. With around a quarter of its land, part of a protected forest or reserve, Costa Rica is setting an example for the rest of the world by encouraging sustainable land use practices. Kew’s focus on Costa Rica for Orchids 2022 highlights the country’s unique position as a biodiversity hotspot, as recently recognised as such and awarded the inaugural Protect and Restore Nature Earth-shot Prize.

If you have not been to Kew Gardens before we recommend you take a break from the virtual world and get some nature therapy!

Book your tickets here: https://www.kew.org/kew-gardens/whats-on/kew-orchid-festival

See Julia’s other review of the Nature Reserve Exhibition at Kew Gardens below:

Natural Reserve Exhibition at Kew Gardens Review

Written by Julia Nelson who does marketing and operations for Abundant Art.

 

The Glow – The Royal Court Theatre Review

Sci-fi has taken over the stage at the Royal Court Theatre with a new play written by Alistair McDowall and directed by Vicky Featherstone, “The Glow”. Enigmatic powers and mystery flirt with psychology in this thrilling story, which acts as an open letter to humanity.

The story starts in 1863, in the darkness of an asylum. Suddenly, a light appears, held by Mrs. Lyall (Rakie Ayola), and reveals another person in the room: a young woman, apparently nameless and speechless (Ria Zmitrowicz), crouched on the floor. The spectator takes a while to understand the context of the situation, which will be a recurring aspect of storytelling throughout the play. We come to understand that Mrs. Lyall is a medium who uses people from mental institutions to communicate with spirits with the unwilling help of her son, Mason (Fisayo Akinade), and she has chosen the girl as her new vessel of communication with the underworld. The darkness of the mansion, the mystery surrounding the identity of the girl and the cartoonish villainy of Mrs. Lyall contribute to an atmosphere of uneasiness and fright typical of a horror film. The oppression and mystery are so great that the walls of the set literally close on the protagonist as she realises her situation.

The second act is distinctly different from the first, and as the mystery of the girl and her powers are slowly unveiled, we are suddenly transported outside of the oppressive closed doors of Mrs. Lyall’s mansion to travel through a myriad of different locations. We go from a story of captivity to a tale of travels, where Brooke (as her name is revealed to be) will meet curious new companions such as a bloodthirsty knight (Tadhg Murphy), an eccentric historian and an old nurse. Even those who are skeptical of the fantasy genre will enjoy the ride: the superpowers and supernatural are hardly the centre of the story, as the play focuses more on psychological themes of loneliness, pain and love for humanity. Alistair McDowall admits that he wanted to build a “fairytale where you feel the impact of the things that are happening “. We indeed witness all the suffering of Brooke, who is chained to what seems to be a curse more than a gift. What is the answer to her seemingly incurable suffering? The love of the few friends that she manages to make along the road, and her seemingly unconditional curiosity and affection for humanity despite everything is her only respite.

The otherworldliness and mystery of the story are enforced by the set design (Merle Hensel) and the lightwork (Jessica Hung Han Yun) – their creative use is the most striking aspect of the play. The stage is transformed into an uneven iron box that gives a feeling of a temporality that is essential to the plot. However, most of the elements of the plot such as the powers, the locations and the state of the character are communicated through a brilliant use of light design, as one could expect from a play called “The Glow”.

Expect to be thrilled, amused, terrified and overall touched by this fantastic yet extremely human story. Get your tickets at https://royalcourttheatre.com/whats-on/theglow/.

Reviewed by Céline Galletti- Celine is a volunteer writer for Abundant Art. Originally from France and Italy, she follows her passion for writing and art by studying Comparative Literature at UCL, London. As an international student living in London, she is determined to fully experience and understand the city’s vibrant arts scene, and be a part of its creative storm.