A day trip to London yesterday to catch a matinee of “The Comedy About A Bank Robbery” at the Criterion. Produced by the same team that put together the hilarious “The Play That Goes Wrong“, it’s another farce but this one relies a lot more on comedy staging and acting than its predecessor.
Jon Boden at Snape (August 2016)
Our second visit to the Snape proms last night, this time to see and hear Jon Boden, whom we’ve seen many times before but only as part of the folk collective Bellowhead who, after 12 glorious years, finally decided to call it a day earlier this year. Boden has become one of the outstanding performers of traditional music of his generation and we were intrigued to see how his one man show would compare to a Bellowhead extravaganza.
Tommy Emmanuel at Snape (July 2016)
Last night was the first in a series of gigs we’ve booked as part of this season’s Snape Proms. Although we knew of him, we hadn’t heard any of his recorded work or seen him live before, so this one was a bit of a punt, spurred on by the musical company he keeps and the reverence other guitar players have for him.
A Line Through Time – Sainsbury Centre, Norwich
Spent yesterday at the Sainsbury Centre in Norwich to see the Alberto Giacometti exhibition “A Life Through Time“. First time visitors to the centre and have to say we were very impressed. Much to see for free and the light and space to be found in the building makes a welcome change from some of the more claustrophobic art centres and museums that we’ve visited.
Breaking the Bank
Sauntered along to the Riverside to see “Breaking The Bank” last night, as we were in need of a little light relief. Has to be said that it was hardly a film to remember, although you can usually rely on Kelsey Grammar to make the most of any script, even when it’s fairly weak, as this one undoubtedly was. He and Tamsin Greig made a …
Terence Davies at the Riverside
Another of the Riverside nights last night and something of a coup, as Woodbridge welcomed an artist described by the Evening Standard as “Britain’s greatest living film director“. The film showing was ‘The Deep Blue Sea‘, based on the 1952 play by Terence Rattigan.
AB Fab – The Movie
Spent the afternoon at the Riverside to catch the Ab Fab Movie. Reasonably good fun though not quite as sharp as the earlier episodes of the TV series – it was spikier then. Kathy Burke steals the few scenes she is in and Jennifer Saunders is still an excellent physical comedian. There were still one or two sharp observations but the satire around celebrity culture …
North Yorkshire / Bakewell
Just back from an eight day break in Yorkshire and Derbyshire. Spent the first three nights at a lovely hotel between Skipton and Settle and although the weather was mixed, we were lucky to avoid the worst. Skipton and Settle both worth a visit, as was the lovely village of Grassington. Then dropped down to Bakewell (via a stop off at the lovely Bolton Abbey …
The Silent Storm should have stayed silent
Went to the Riverside yesterday to see The Silent Storm, written and directed by Corinna McFarlane. Set on the Isle of Mull and undeniably beautifully shot, this was a slight, underwhelming and overwrought drama that promised depth and delivered stereotypes and a complete lack of nuance. We are presumably expected to see or hear the anguish in Damian Lewis’s fanatical preacher as he wrestles with his faith …
Money Monster
Spent a pleasant Sunday evening at the Riverside in Woodbridge catching a showing of the Jodie Foster directed Money Monster, starring George Clooney and Julia Roberts. We weren’t expecting too much after seeing the less than stellar reviews but it proved to be a more than competent thriller with a nice, sardonic edge to both the script and main character. I guess it’s more than …
Ten Days In Malta
Just returned (in the early hours of May 27th) from a ten day break in Malta, where we were blessed with the usual sunny weather, perfect for both a relaxing and interesting holiday. Although we’ve been to Malta on a couple of occasions, we were astonished when looking back that the last time was way back in 2004. So, it was good to return, this time using Sliema as a base.
Mark Steel: Who Do I Think I Am (12/05/16)
Went to see Mark Steel at the Apex on Thursday night. We’ve seen him on a couple of occasions before but this was the first time at Bury St. Edmunds. This tour was built around his search for his birth parents, which he admits he had little interest in pursuing until the birth of his own son. As we shall see, his own sense of self was confused, not clarified by his discoveries.