Some children’s books – simple stories from familiar worlds – come to the stage without much creative effort. Philip Pullman’s fairy tale about climbing a volcano, talking elephants and “The Greatest Fireworks in the Galaxy” is not one of them. But with plenty of imagination and a top-notch cast, Lee Lyford’s new production for ages … Read more
We’re not even in December yet, but apparently Christmas has begun in London, and now we’re expected to get into the back of the Mariah-roaring rickshaw to launch the big assault on our wallets, ready to be harassed in the hope that, amidst all the smugness disguised as generosity, we’ll slip into a moment of … Read more
My friend Barbara Cavanagh, who has died aged 86, was an antiquarian theatrical bookseller who dealt in manuscripts, ballet ephemera and opera materials. Self-taught, immersed in the arts, pre-cinema optics and 19th-century theater, she researched, classified and cataloged many collections, from costume designs by Russian ballet impresario Sergei Diaghilev to a 25,000-strong archive of theater … Read more