Theatre

Once Upon a Time in Nazi-Occupied Tunisia ★★★★

Once Upon a Time in Nazi-Occupied Tunisia ★★★★

A schematic pitiless sun glares down on levels of woodblocks, standing in for sand as designed by Max Johns, on an unfortunate man apparently buried up to his neck. The figure standing over him explains that he has been…

The Last Cyclist ★★★★

The Last Cyclist ★★★★

Conditions in the concentration camp Terezin (German Theresienstadt), near Prague, designed by the Nazis to hold Jews en route to the death camps, were harsh enough to ensure many died right there. Yet its name also evokes the extraordinary flowering of artistic life the prisoners…

Little Wars ★★★★

Little Wars ★★★★

As we wake to a war of words transatlantic style at a possibly pivotal moment in history, Steven Carl McCasland’s war of witty women provides a timely, telling antidote. It’s June 1940, the eve of the fall of France to the Nazis. Hunkered down in the French Alps, devoted couple Alice B Toklas…

The Mock Appeal with Ruth Bader Ginsburg

The Mock Appeal with Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Four years ago I was privileged to be a spectator in a very unique courtroom. The setting? Venice Ghetto. The case? Shylock v Antonio. The Mock Appeal – held as part of the ghetto's 500th anniversary celebrations, during which…

Sir Ronald Harwood 1934-2020

Sir Ronald Harwood 1934-2020

Born Ronald Horwitz in Cape Town, 1934, Harwood is best known for the stage shows and the screenplays of The Dresser (for which he was nominated for an Oscar) and Roman Polanski’s The Pianist, for which he won the 2003 Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. He was…