Victoria Bastable, Author at The Orbital

Medea: a monster, a mother, or a murderer?

13Jun

By Victoria BastableNo Comments

Culture & Literature, Film & TV, Literature, Theatre & Performance

Medea: a monster, a mother, or a murderer?

‘A bride of hate to me and death / Tigress, not woman’ (Euripides, Medea) Medea: a monster, a mother, or a murderer? Victoria Bastable reviews her week with By Jove Theatre company and how their ‘Season of Violent Women’ has made her question the dehumanisation of violent women in culture from Ancient Greece to the 21st century. I Googled ‘violent women in art’ and the results were dominated by articles titled ‘Violence Against Women in Art’. To me, this demonstrates how in art we often attempt to distance women from being portrayed as the perpetrators of violence, perhaps because of cultural expectations of the ‘ideal woman’ as either the nurturing mother or passive victim. But what about the violent women who do appear in art and literature? By Jove Theatre Company have been a...

Carlos Acosta: from Poverty to Ballet Stardom

2Dec

By Victoria BastableNo Comments

Culture & Literature, Theatre & Performance

Carlos Acosta: from Poverty to Ballet Stardom

“Passion meets power and precision”: Victoria Bastable explores the career of Carlos Acosta In October I was honoured to see Carlos Acosta perform in ‘Carlos Acosta: A Classical Farewell’ at The Royal Albert Hall. His ovation lasted for at least 20 minutes, and the whole audience was on their feet, not just for the performance that evening, but for his career. Acosta has brought passion and charisma to dance in Britain and throughout the world. There is no adjective to describe watching Carlos dance, because the sensation is visceral. Passion meets power and precision. His incredible jumps and charismatic stage presence combined with technical skill and athleticism acquired over 17 years as a principal dancer at the Royal Ballet and as a Guest Principal Artist in all leading Ball...

20Nov

By Victoria BastableNo Comments

Culture & Literature, Theatre & Performance

‘Bluebird’: Brave, bold and beautiful.

Drama Society’s production of ‘Bluebird’ by Simon Stephens is filled with raw and visceral emotion. I have to commend director Emily Young for her bravery and experimentation in this very well executed production. Jimmy (Rafael Aptroot) is a taxi driver. He is sullen and monosyllabic. We, the audience, are voyeurs of Jimmy’s interactions with his ‘fares’ on what appears to be typical night’s work for him. From grieving fathers, to smooching couples, to a young sex worker; the customers in Jimmy’s taxi tell their story of living on the margins of society and their fragmented tales create a mirage of the bleak possibility of life in London. ‘Bluebird’ is not the sort of production you can passively enjoy: thought provoking and emotionally charged would be more apt descriptions, althoug...

‘Lady Be Good’ made this lady feel good!

19Nov

By Victoria BastableNo Comments

Culture & Literature, Music, Theatre & Performance

‘Lady Be Good’ made this lady feel good!

‘Lady Be Good’ made this lady feel good! Last night I was treated to the Savoy Opera Society’s main term show ‘Lady Be Good’, music and book by George and Ira Gershwin, directed by Monte Marché. It was the perfect start to my weekend. I was giggling and singing the songs all the way home! The plot follows the misadventures of brother and sister Dick Trevor (Tom Chippendale) and Susie Trevor (Jenny Collins) after becoming destitute on the streets of New York. Their struggle to turn their fortunes around leads to false marriage proposals to the rich and glamorous Josephine Vanderwater (Sarah Vanderplank), falling onto the wrong side of the law via the misguidance of the mischievous lawyer Watty Watkins (Will Davidson) and a run in with Mexican gangsters, lead by the serial murderess Ma...