Category Archives: Reviews

MUSIC REVIEW: David Arnold’s ‘Concert for Care’

Posted on November 2, 2010 by admin

By Ray Bennett LONDON – The richness and range of modern film scores were on display Monday at London’s Royal Albert Hall as James Bond composer David Arnold’s Concert for Care International showcased some of the best of today’s movie … Continue reading →

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THEATRE REVIEW: ‘Flashdance the Musical’

Posted on November 2, 2010 by admin

By Ray Bennett LONDON – There is so much exciting singing and dancing talent onstage in the West End debut of “Flashdance the Musical” that it makes you wonder how all the other musicals in town are making out. Fans … Continue reading →

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THEATRE REVIEW: Sarah Kane’s ‘Blasted’

Posted on October 22, 2010 by admin

By Ray Bennett LONDON – In the course of Sarah Kane’s pitiless apocalyptic drama “Blasted” it becomes apparent that the title is short for “blasted to hell” as the fate of a couple in a war torn city becomes increasingly … Continue reading →

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THEATRE REVIEW: Rory Kinnear in ‘Hamlet’ at the National

Posted on October 14, 2010 by admin

By Ray Bennett LONDON – “Now I am alone,” Hamlet says, and a key light immediately pins him down as a reminder that he never is alone. No one is ever alone in Nicholas Hytner’s riveting production of the William … Continue reading →

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THEATRE REVIEW: Richard Bean’s ‘House of Games’

Posted on October 7, 2010 by admin

By Ray Bennett LONDON – The great thing about confidence trickery is that you don’t see it coming, and when you’re not the target that’s what makes Richard Bean’s stage version of David Mamet’s “House of Games” — having its … Continue reading →

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THEATRE REVIEW: Richard Bean’s ‘The Big Fellah’

Posted on October 5, 2010 by admin

By Ray Bennett LONDON – One man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter, the old saying goes, and Richard Bean attempts to come to grips with the paradox in his alternately funny and savage drama “The Big Fellah,” about Irish … Continue reading →

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THEATRE REVIEW: Noel Coward’s ‘Design for Living’

Posted on October 5, 2010 by admin

By Ray Bennett LONDON – Noel Coward’s provocative play “Design for Living” caused more than a few corks to pop when it debuted in 1933 on Broadway with a recipe for happiness defined by a hedonistic menage-a-trois. The new Old … Continue reading →

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THEATRE REVIEW: Rachel Wagstaff’s ‘Birdsong’

Posted on September 29, 2010 by admin

By Ray Bennett LONDON – A vibrant love story and the searing experience of World War I in the trenches are combined successfully in British novelist Sebastian Faulks’ bestseller “Birdsong.” It has thwarted filmmakers so far but young playwright Rachel … Continue reading →

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THEATRE REVIEW: Elena Roger in Sondheim’s ‘Passion’

Posted on September 24, 2010 by admin

By Ray Bennett LONDON – That love never fails is a simple concept made rich and complex in Stephen Sondheim’s ardent 1994 Tony Award-winning musical “Passion” in a memorable new production at the Donmar Warehouse. From the sizzling opening bedroom … Continue reading →

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TIFF FILM REVIEW: John Gray’s ‘White Irish Drinkers’

Posted on September 22, 2010 by admin

By Ray Bennett TORONTO – A movie with the unprepossessing title “White Irish Drinkers’ about two brothers living in the Brooklyn docklands in 1975 could easily be filled with clichés but in the hands of filmmaker John Gray it’s a … Continue reading →

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