Category: History and Culture

At a school in Kings Cross I take a chemistry lesson in cookery. Sodium alginate, calcium lactate, maltodextrin, hydrocolloids and spherification, may have you thinking I was embarking on a Science Class, but no these were just some of the ingredients used throughout the day at the Molecular Christmas course @ the Waitrose Cookery School in Kings Cross. With the current trend for food blogs and the constant stream of food pictures on Instagram my culinary exploits remain more personal, but combining food with science does make things more interesting. How does the liquid made from reduced apple juice and coloured with squid ink, dropped by pipette into the sodium alginate instantly create a film around the sphere and set it? Even after studying Chemistry and Physics at school I am still baffled how reactions can turn one thing into something else.

I am generally not one to go and see musical theatre but the reviews for Gypsy and in particular Imelda Staunton playing Rose had me climbing the stairs to the Grand Circle of the Art Deco Savoy Theatre. From her first entrance Imelda takes over the stage, her portrayal the overbearing and pushy mother fighting to get her daughters to be stage stars to make up for the missed opportunity she would have relished in her youth. The whole cast from the group of young children and the nauseating Baby June, through to Lara Pulver as Louise and Peter Davidson as the downtrodden agent Herve. In the final curtain call the sheer exhaustion of the performance was clearly shown on Imelda’s face, as she really did become Rose from start to finish.

A dark crawling shape appears over the rocks and comes to stand centre stage, Dionysus, an androgynous Ben Whishaw and with a wicked grin instantly makes you feel slightly unnerved about what is coming next in this production of Bakkhai at The Almeida Theatre. Opposing Dionysus is Pentheus, Bertie Carvel, just and righteous, before his mindless murder by his mother Agave. The haunting female Bakkhai tell the story through song, shouts and high shrieks bringing a strong climax to this Greek tragedy.

A dark crawling shape appears over the rocks and comes to stand centre stage, Dionysus, an androgynous Ben Whishaw and with a wicked grin instantly makes you feel slightly unnerved about what is coming next in this production of Bakkhai at The Almeida Theatre. Opposing Dionysus is Pentheus, Bertie Carvel, just and righteous, before his mindless murder by his mother Agave. The haunting female Bakkhai tell the story through song, shouts and high shrieks bringing a strong climax to this Greek tragedy.

Bradley Cooper’s metamorphosis into the Elephant Man began with him entering the stage and taking a position next to a large projection screen. Through the use of images and dialogue describing the horrific deformities he slowly contorted his body into character. Although there were no prosthetics the audience were still able to relate on an emotional level the physical and mental issues John Merrick had to go through on a daily basis. Bradley Cooper delivered an astonishing performance.

Operetta, with Joanna Marie Skillett.

A living poster outside the V&A, poorly executed but the idea has plenty of potential.

This evening we are watching a friend Marion Schirra in a German choir singing Brahms German Requiem by Candlelight in the nave of St Martins, a very moving experience.