Monthly Archives: January 2008

THEATRE REVIEW: Eileen Atkins, David Haig in ‘The Sea’

  By Ray Bennett A curious blend of Charlotte Bronte, Oscar Wilde and M. Night Shyamalan, Edward Bond’s eccentric play “The Sea” brings together drawing-room comedy and alien conspiracies in a storm-laden English setting in 1907. In the second production … Continue reading

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Suzy Bogguss on the road in the UK

By Ray Bennett LONDON – Country music radio in the United States has never known what to do with its mavericks, as Emmylou Harris and Steve Earle can attest, and among the brightest talents to suffer from its blinkered ways … Continue reading

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Suzanne Pleshette dies

By Ray Bennett Suzanne Pleshette, who made her movie debut in “The Geisha Boy” with Jerry Lewis in 1958 and achieved lasting fame as the missus on “The Bob Newhart Show (1972-79, pictured), died Saturday night at home in Los … Continue reading

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THEATRE REVIEW: Ben Woolf’s ‘Angry Young Man’

By Ray Bennett Four clean-cut young men in suits on a small stage — bare apart from two stools and two chairs — become many characters, men and women, including a doctor from Eastern Europe who is lost in London … Continue reading

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Stars turn out for new National Theatre season

By Ray Bennett Oscar winners Jeremy Irons, Vanessa Redgrave and Juliette Binoche plus Ralph Fiennes, Claire Higgins and Simon Russell Beale are among the stars to perform and the fabulous “War Horse” will return in the new season at London’s … Continue reading

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Oscar clues among the Golden Globes winners

By Ray Bennett No acting prizes for “Atonement” (pictured) in the Golden Globes but its richly deserved win as best film drama makes an Oscar nomination appear certain although last year’s Globes winner, “Babel,” lost to “The Departed” at the … Continue reading

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TV REVIEW: ‘Moving Wallpaper’ / ‘Echo Beach’

By Ray Bennett LONDON — Comedies set behind the scenes at television shows have met with varying success in the past, but Tony Jordan’s “Moving Wallpaper”/”Echo Beach” goes one step further by combining backstage antics with the finished product. “Moving … Continue reading

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THEATRE REVIEW: Catherine Storr’s ‘Marianne Dreams’

By Ray Bennett LONDON – Known for provocative productions, the Almeida Theatre has taken a typically adventurous approach to its first seasonal show for youngsters, “Marianne Dreams,” based on the 1958 novel by English writer Catherine Storr. A fable about … Continue reading

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Cannes hit ‘El Violin’ bows at the Renoir

By Ray Bennett The brilliant Mexican film “El Violin”, directed by Francisco Vargas, will have a brief release in London starting today at the Renoir Cinema, one of the Curzon group, near Russell Square. It’s really worth the effort to … Continue reading

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