You Dress up for Armageddon, I Dress up for Polar Winter
Chaotic yet chic: the HivesLet it never be said that I am not a person of diverse interests. And this week in particular seems to have been all about polar opposites, having finally managed to shake off my recently found Sky Plus addiction (why-oh-why, did it take me so long to discover TV that you can pause, rewind and fast forward?) and get out of the house!
WEDNESDAY: FRAM AT THE NATIONAL THEATRE
On Wednesday a quick stint through the north pole with Fram, a new play by Tony Harrison about the expeditions of 18th century Norwegian humanitarian and "hero" Fridtjof Nansen. The play, which has just premiered at the Olivier stage, feeds off various sources - such as Greek theatre, photography, video installations and even ballet (ex Royal Ballet principal Viviana Durante dances a small piece by Wayne McGregor called "Aurora", a reference to Nansen's beloved Northern Lights) - to show us Nansen's journeys from the north pole of the earth to the north pole of the soul, his life focus changing from deepest isolation to full involvement in humanitarian causes.
Having managed to break through thick ice and conquer Northern Norway with his ship, the so called "Fram" (forward in Norwegian), Nansen is then seen trying to break trough the ice of the human heart in campaigning various humanitarian causes (from the 1921 Russian famine to Greek refugees in 1922) but in the end, the pessimistic message of the play is clear: the ice age is here to stay.
I thought this was a well written and well staged production, with plenty of depth, shifting from funny to touching, from philosophical to disgusting. As I walked from the Olivier back to Embankment station the cold wintry night reminded me of the play's final image: a video screen projecting London' south bank entirely covered in ice. Nansen WAS right, at least in London there's definitely no sign of anything but everlasting winter...
THURSDAY: ROYAL OPERA HOUSE - PREVIEW TO NEXT SEASON
The next evening put me amongst an audience of mainly sexagenarians at the Royal Opera House, for an interactive talk about some of the Operas and Ballets coming to Covent Garden next season. It was presented by music writer Daniel Snowman, members of the Royal Ballet and the Royal Opera and interspersed with a few live arias (unfortunately not remarkably sung) and ballet extracts (these were beautifully performed by promising young dancer Yuhui Choe).
Not that I mind being one of the youngest in the audience (and I am not that young after all...), but this taster of "what's coming next" seemed like the perfect opportunity for the ROH to bring in a fresh crowd (which they seem so intent on doing, as seen in recent press articles) and yet, unless you are a regular Opera/Ballet goer you would not have seen this event advertised anywhere, not even on the ROH's trendy Youtube and Facebook pages. Shouldn't they be trying to preach beyond the converted?
FRIDAY: THE HIVES AT BRIXTON ACADEMY
From Norway to Sweden. And from sitting with a mature crowd to dodging flying beer bottles at Brixton Academy last Friday...
The Hives were back in town promoting "The Black and White Album", a title which seems to herald a band thriving on extremes. How can they sound so loud yet so crisp and clear? Even when Howlin' Pelle Almqvist (you gotta love the name!) is screaming at the top of his lungs you can still discern the lyrics perfectly. Their garage pop is irresistible and completely conducive to half-rebellious, half-joyous dancing.
They are hilarious as well: dressed in elegant suits and ties the whole band "freezes" on stage for exactly one minute halfway during the aptly named "You Dress Up for Armaggedon". And at one point a disheveled Pelle pleads to the roaring audience: just give me a second to adjust my hair, it is crucial that my hair looks very tidy as the next song is very fast (or something like that). He then slicked his hair back into shape and started howling again. To me that just seemed to summarize the way the Hives sound: ironic, chaotic and chic at the same time. And cool as Swedish ice...
WEDNESDAY: FRAM AT THE NATIONAL THEATRE
On Wednesday a quick stint through the north pole with Fram, a new play by Tony Harrison about the expeditions of 18th century Norwegian humanitarian and "hero" Fridtjof Nansen. The play, which has just premiered at the Olivier stage, feeds off various sources - such as Greek theatre, photography, video installations and even ballet (ex Royal Ballet principal Viviana Durante dances a small piece by Wayne McGregor called "Aurora", a reference to Nansen's beloved Northern Lights) - to show us Nansen's journeys from the north pole of the earth to the north pole of the soul, his life focus changing from deepest isolation to full involvement in humanitarian causes.
Having managed to break through thick ice and conquer Northern Norway with his ship, the so called "Fram" (forward in Norwegian), Nansen is then seen trying to break trough the ice of the human heart in campaigning various humanitarian causes (from the 1921 Russian famine to Greek refugees in 1922) but in the end, the pessimistic message of the play is clear: the ice age is here to stay.
I thought this was a well written and well staged production, with plenty of depth, shifting from funny to touching, from philosophical to disgusting. As I walked from the Olivier back to Embankment station the cold wintry night reminded me of the play's final image: a video screen projecting London' south bank entirely covered in ice. Nansen WAS right, at least in London there's definitely no sign of anything but everlasting winter...
THURSDAY: ROYAL OPERA HOUSE - PREVIEW TO NEXT SEASON
The next evening put me amongst an audience of mainly sexagenarians at the Royal Opera House, for an interactive talk about some of the Operas and Ballets coming to Covent Garden next season. It was presented by music writer Daniel Snowman, members of the Royal Ballet and the Royal Opera and interspersed with a few live arias (unfortunately not remarkably sung) and ballet extracts (these were beautifully performed by promising young dancer Yuhui Choe).
Not that I mind being one of the youngest in the audience (and I am not that young after all...), but this taster of "what's coming next" seemed like the perfect opportunity for the ROH to bring in a fresh crowd (which they seem so intent on doing, as seen in recent press articles) and yet, unless you are a regular Opera/Ballet goer you would not have seen this event advertised anywhere, not even on the ROH's trendy Youtube and Facebook pages. Shouldn't they be trying to preach beyond the converted?
FRIDAY: THE HIVES AT BRIXTON ACADEMY
From Norway to Sweden. And from sitting with a mature crowd to dodging flying beer bottles at Brixton Academy last Friday...
The Hives were back in town promoting "The Black and White Album", a title which seems to herald a band thriving on extremes. How can they sound so loud yet so crisp and clear? Even when Howlin' Pelle Almqvist (you gotta love the name!) is screaming at the top of his lungs you can still discern the lyrics perfectly. Their garage pop is irresistible and completely conducive to half-rebellious, half-joyous dancing.
They are hilarious as well: dressed in elegant suits and ties the whole band "freezes" on stage for exactly one minute halfway during the aptly named "You Dress Up for Armaggedon". And at one point a disheveled Pelle pleads to the roaring audience: just give me a second to adjust my hair, it is crucial that my hair looks very tidy as the next song is very fast (or something like that). He then slicked his hair back into shape and started howling again. To me that just seemed to summarize the way the Hives sound: ironic, chaotic and chic at the same time. And cool as Swedish ice...
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