ROH Turn of the Screw: Excellent musically but I got less and less convinced by the production - the water & the doubles were particular mistakes.

Greetings Friends! Welcome to the US Politics Thread for w/e 27th March 2026, or, The Search for the Administration’s War Strategy Continues Edition… (1/31)

ROH Siegfried: Wonderful to finally hear Schlager again. Hakala a v strong substitute Wanderer. Act 2 strongest stage-wise. Act 3 I thought had various probs - Erda/Wanderer scene suffers as I’d feared from Kosky’s earlier choices. Albery’s EIF prod handled breaking of spear and mountaintop better.

Hi there and hello! Welcome to the US Politics Thread for w/e 20th March 2026, or, The It Would Be “A Little Risk” to Reopen the Straight, No Really Edition… (1/46)

NT Summerfolk: Another underwhelming effort. Some good performers let down by a production that can’t decide whether to be realist or not and an updated translation that never really gels with the production.

Greetings Friends! Welcome to the US Politics Thread for w/e 13th March 2026, or The It’s Just a Little Excursion Edition… (1/43)

Fantastic news: www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

I said in advance after committing to a family outing during the EIF that there were very few things that would cause me to go back up to Edinburgh for the last week of the Festival, but a concert perf of Elektra is such a thing. Also excellent news to see the new Mazzoli opera is happening.

Hi there and hello! Welcome to the US Politics Thread for w/e 6th March 2026, or, The Of Course We Can’t Explain Why We’ve Gone to War Or How Long It Might Last Edition… (1/64)

If anyone sees anything that discusses the comparative turnout in the Dem/GOP senate primaries in Texas they might send it my way.

Donmar Evening All Afternoon: Points of interest but ultimately underwhelming & at times irritating. Found both protagonists tended to the unlikeable. Familiar problems of new work - too many issues, explaining title in text, trouble with the ending.

Greetings Friends! Welcome to the US Politics Thread for w/e 27th Feb 2026, or, The House and Gubernatorial Race Update (of World Cup funding, E15 at the pumps (or not) and nobody wants ICE in their backyard…) Edition (1/53)

V revealing that Farage’s first reaction is to claim “cheating”. Straight out of the Trumpian playbook.

“there are challenges across education…and we can’t fix everything at once“ claims the Education Sec. In the university sector you have fixed nothing & in a number of instances you have in fact made things worse: www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

NT Man and Boy: Some strong acting but undermined by an overblown production which I suspect didn’t trust the audience or the text. Tiresome in vogue directorial ticks of intrusive soundscape & throwing furniture to indicate strong emotion. Would have also been improved if ensemble weren’t miked.

Hi there and hello! Welcome to the US Politics Thread for w/e 20th February 2026, or, The Homeland Security Secretary’s "Aide", the Heated Blanket & the Pilot Edition… (1/32)

In a frankly thin London theatre landscape at present Oh, Mary! at the Trafalgar is a true breath of fresh air. Often uproariously funny, the finest farce & physical comedy work I’ve seen in ages, & gloriously playful about US history. Superb ensemble & production. Not to be missed.

Greetings Friends! Welcome to the US Politics Thread for w/e 13th Feb 2026, or, The Let’s Check In On the Senate Races Edition… (1/40)

The current epidemic of film & novel adaptations for the stage continues with the Chichester 2026 announcement. Given we’ve had My Fair Lady in London fairly recently it wouldn’t have been my pick for the only musical though the great Stephen Mear doing the choreography might tempt me.

“The PM is getting on with the job of delivering change across the country.” I really do think that the govt’s fundamental problems are that it doesn’t feel as if much has changed & the govt’s rhetoric does not give one much confidence that there will be meaningful change in the future.

Reading 2026: George Millar’s Oyster River. V fond memories of reading his Isabel and the Sea yrs ago. This is slighter - the most interesting aspect being the author’s odd near embroilment in Franco-Algerian tensions.

Donmar When We Are Married: Much to enjoy in this revival but production plays it for me too comedic & undervalues the sadness, the regret lurking in these marriages.

Hi there and hello! Welcome to the US Politics Thread for w/e 6th Feb 2026, or, The It’s Definitely “Not Likely” This Administration Would Destroy Crime Scene Evidence Edition… (1/38)

Mason Bates’s The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay makes a strong impression on a first hearing. Hopefully somebody will bring it to the UK (though given current state of our opera sector I’m not hopeful): www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...

Greetings Friends! Welcome to the US Politics Thread for w/e 30th Jan 2026, or, The Trump Change of Direction That Really Wasn’t Edition… (1/46)

There is still time to sign-up for tonight's free "Trump 2.0" event. Please see the poster below for more details 🇺🇸🗃️

Not wild about the NT’s new season. Jungle Book looks the pick of the large space shows. Little Voice & new Edmundson look the pick of the Dorfman. Haven‘t got on with Crimp or Andrews on previous occasions.

Looking forward to being part of the panel for this. If you're within striking distance of Lincoln, do come and join us as we try and make sense of Trump 2.0:

Some reflections on ongoing reaction to ICE killing of Pretti; 1) It‘s already suggestive that despite months of hint dropping about it Trump has yet to invoke Insurrection Act; 2) Building vocal reaction of Dems (esp some Senators who compromised to end shutdown shows shift in public opinion)

Hello @eastmidsrailway.bsky.social am on delayed LNER LKX-NNG train now due to arrive NNG 1702 (scheduled 1655). That means 3mins at best to get over the bridge & make the 1705 NNG-Lincoln service. Could the latter be held?

One of the Tories problems in the late period of the last govt was their appearance of being preoccupied with their own internal rows rather than actually running the country. Lab now seem to be repeating this nonsense.

Is there any site maintaining a track of GOP/Dem statements on the DHS funding bill & on any other oversight points like hearings for easy reference & tracking?

Hi there and hello! Welcome to the US Politics Thread for w/e 23rd Jan 2026, or, The We Must Not Lose Sight of What Is Happening In Minneapolis Edition… (1/55)

Revealing to watch Farage trying to serve two masters in his remarks today on Greenland.

It seems to me that many Dems in US & politicians in general in UK are sufficiently scarred by primarily two past events - Trump's '24 victory for the former & Brexit for the latter (both signifiers for broader phenomena) that they may be struggling to perceive significant change & opportunity.

It’s revealing that Farage backed out of going on BBC’s Sun am show this wk. Trump’s increasing extremism is a problem for him. It also offers Labour/Starmer a route to reset terms of U.K./EU debate & their challenge to Reform. Whether Starmer/Lab can see this is another question.

When someone like Hunt says he can’t believe Trump would actually seize Greenland I really wonder if he’s been paying attention to the first year of the Administration.

Give him Rockall and tell him it is Greenland.

Greetings Friends! Welcome to the US Politics Thread for w/e 16th Jan 2026, or, The ICE Remains Unchecked Edition… (1/57)

A Tory spokesperson goes in two-footed: "Reform is fast becoming the party of has-been politicians looking for their next gravy train. Their latest recruit used to say he'd be 'frightened to live in a country' run by Nigel Farage, which shows the level of loyalty for sale."

Farage and Reform ought to get a much harder time from the media over the fact that they are becoming ever more a home for disgraced former ministers of the last disastrous government. It ought to present something of a challenge to their claim to be different/fresh etc.

I’d love to know why the BBC have got rid of the Counterpoint studio audience for the new series - just a complete lack of atmosphere now.

Bridge Into the Woods is excellent. A very strong ensemble and well conceived and directed production. Had tears in my eyes in the second half as usual. Highly recommended.

Hi there and hello and Happy New Year! Welcome to the US Politics Thread for w/e 9th Jan 2026, or, The Trump Administration Unrestrained Edition… (1/67)

NT Playboy of the Western World: Another underwhelming show from the new regime. Baffled as to why this was revived - struck me as a muddled, dull interpretation. Yet another intrusive overdone soundscape. The Pagan-like interludes were just bizarre.

It’s bizarrely presented here (& annoyingly broken into 2 parts since BBC radio appears to think nobody can cope with long form drama) but amazingly it seems R4 are doing a version of 1776 as part of their 250 Declaration series: www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...

Greeting Friends! Welcome to the US Politics Thread for w/e 19th Dec 2025, or The Flirting with War Edition… (1/34)

My thoughts (a considerable number of them) on the Royal Opera's new Ariodante: www.wheresrunnicles.com/2025/12/ario...

I expected the ENO English translation to echo in my ears at Ariodante. I didn’t expect so many images from it to come back to my mind. To the detriment I’m afraid of Mijnssen’s new ROH production.

Hi there and hello! Welcome to the US Politics Thread for w/e 12th Dec 2025, or The Just Because I Narrated this Anti Vaccine Documentary Doesn’t Mean I Agree With It… (1/41)