Week 15

After touring the UK, Brazilian dance legend Deborah Colker finally brought her cast to the Barbican in London to show the latest production Cruel.

The piece starts with eight stylish couples dancing in a romantic court to an eclectic mix of Baroque and modern music. Everything is perfect and synchronised, but like in life and love, things don't last too long and dancers fall out. We join in a journey of passion and grief, love and disappointment of 18 dancers playing various characters. Colker shows the cruelty everyone experiences at some point in the life – be it in family, relationship or friendship. This performance was rehearsed for two years, which is especially evident once a couple dances on the moving table with a set of knives. Colker requires ballet training from her dancers and her choreography has strong ties with classic tradition, which translates into the beautiful result on the stage. Her style is accessible and eye-catching, especially in the second part where four giant mirrors are wheeled in to reflect character emotions. Holes in the mirrors allow the dancers to hide and appear again, to slide in and out.

This was one of the most moving and awe inspiring performances I have seen this year.

Also this week: listened to the last LSO performance this season of Harding conducting Bruckner's 8^th Symphony, discussed Robert Harris' The Ghost in the Zone 1 Book Club, watched an excellent French thriller Tell No One and started reading David Mitchell's Cloud Atlas.

Week 14 - Whatever Works; Food Court; The Necks; Everything Must Go

Whatever Works – Woody Allen's 39^th feature movie premiered this weekend in the UK. Most critics dismiss it as mediocre, but no one raises the question why it comes to the UK so late. I saw this film in Lithuania on my Christmas holiday last year. It's over a year since its release in the US. I suppose it's because the feature isn't great and they saved the film roll.

It's been an average week in the Barbican and, unfortunately, my weekly culture dose came exclusively from there. The Australian theatre sensation Back to Back showed their play Food Court with a disabled cast. It started promising with two overweight ladies bullying a perfectly normal size colleague accusing her being fat. There was a lot of irony in the actual fatties discussing never eating chips and doughnuts and shaming a slim one over her 'massive' body. But as it went further it lost the plot.

The soundtrack was performed live by the Australian experimental band The Necks. A trio of drums, base and piano play mesmerising improvisations. They were the best part of the play, but on Saturday night in their own concert the music sounded slightly boring. In the 39 minutes long piece a monotonic rhythm develops and is continuously repeated. Their music sounds great as a soundtrack but doesn't have the depth to be enjoyed on its own.

Also this week I saw Everything Must Go, a sweet tribute to the performer's eccentric father. 

Week 13

Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra' International Residency at the Barbican lasted for a week and I was lucky to catch their concert on Saturday night. Big Band Britannia spanned through decades since 1930s playing the best British Big Band jazz. I haven't been to a jazz concert for ages and this was quite a delight. Particularly enjoyable was music from earlier decades, whereas modern pieces were too 'groovy' for my 100% liking. Legendary singer Cleo Laine performed a couple of numbers with the orchestra, which definitely was the highlight of the evening. Her charming personality and incredible voice made the show unforgettable.

Before the concert I managed to catch The Sovereign European Art Prize exhibition. This is the only pan-European contemporary art prize, with artists nominated by art experts from throughout the continent. A wide geography allowed the exhibition to have a variety rarely seen in contemporary art shows. Admittedly the art on display was quite conservative, but that probably is exactly the reason why it was accessible and mostly enjoyable. My favourite picture was by Uta Koegelsberger from Urban Myths series.

Lars von Trier is one of the most famous Danish film directors known for his unusual approaches to the film making and exploration of controversy. He started Dogme 95 collective, which promoted independent film without barriers. Lars von Trier contributed to the movement by creating The Idiots, a story about anti-bourgeois group who spend their time behaving like mentally disabled in the public. The aim of their 'spazzing' is to release inner idiot and challenge society. It makes an uncomfortable viewing and does provoke debate about presentation and perception of disable people in the public. 

Week 12

It was a quiet week, but a good one. Thanks to Seefilmfirst.com I received a complimentary ticket to see Enron at Noel Coward theatre. I was rather excited, as Enron is one of the biggest theatrical successes this season. After a sold out running at the Royal Court it swiftly transferred to the West End, as critics went wild about this play. After success amongst audiences on this side of Atlantic (not least amongst bankers), it premièred on the Broadway just to be pulled off after few performances. So you can imagine how much I wanted to experience it with my own eyes to see what all this fuss is about.

My verdict – a good play with interesting ideas but not a ground breaking show. It explained the story of Enron very clearly, and was very topical for these crisis-obsessed days. How the crowd laughed at Lehman Brothers parody! On the serious note, it is a perfect illustration of what is wrong with current financial model – people getting filthy rich selling nothing! Wouldn't the play be funny, it would make one very angry. The fun is in actors bursting into singing, futuristic choreography and smart allegories (dinosaurs eating debt, etc.).

The classic music season for me ended with the LSO Summer Nights concert. They played Shostakovich's Symphony No 6, which is dramatic in begging with quite cheery last part. Shostakovich is one of the favourites with LSO, his music is performed very often, but what slightly unsettles me is the programme notes accompanying concerts. Every piece is associated with his struggle against communist authorities and how he was 'nearly' punished for it. That sets the tone for the evening, but I like to image other things while listening to the music, not necessary composer's struggles. 

Week 11

I absolutely love BBC4. Take Opera season, currently on. When normal people are out on Saturday night, I am glued to the screen watching programmes about Verdi and what makes a great tenor. These programmes are inspirational, informative, fun and, most importantly, makes you book tickets to go and see some live performances. Just looked on ROH website and tickets there are over £100, so I was pleased to see the UK premiere of Gerald Barry's La Plus Forte at the Barbican for free on Sunday. In the LSO concert Thomas Adès among his own work conducted this mini opera with Barbara Hannigan in the sole role. The premise is simple – two actresses meet in a café on Christmas Eve and one of her chit chats about her family gradually recognising that the other is a mistress of her husband. The mistress is silent throughout performance, and so you hear only Barbara Hanningan performing – she is not only a brilliant soprano but also a vivid actress. This opera is based on the 1890 play The Stronger by Swedish August Strindberg. The text is funny and full of unusual idioms, so following surtitles was essential, which distracted from full concentration of music.

The preview of After The Dance at the National failed to touch my heart with its tragic drama, but I was charmed by its impressive 1940s set, beautiful dresses and posh English. I recognised most of the cast from other productions and it was difficult to see a character on the stage, not an actor, as some of them always play the same types.

Also this week: saw Love The Sinner at the National and started reading The Quickening Maze by Adam Foulds, which was shortlisted for the Man Booker prize last year.

Week 10

A mini jubilee today as this is my 10th post! Keep reading – I will keep writing.

As Europe was watching Eurovision, I attended Merchants of Bollywood, an Indian dance extravaganza at Peacock Theatre. Expecting traditional Indian love stories, colourful costumes and inspiring dances, I was left disappointed with sparkly dresses, cheap sets and cheesy tunes. It felt like sitting through the agony of Eurovision when only 2-3 numbers out of whole evening were worth watching. Call me a snob, but most West End 'shows' are for people going to toilets in the middle of the performance, loudly rustling through their overpriced sweet treats and laughing at the lamest jokes. Yes, they all were at the Merchants of Bollywood.

Sometimes you don't enjoy the book you read, but the pleasure of it lies in the discussions you have with friends about it. That's what happened with Helmet of Horror by Victor Pelevin written for Canongate's Myths series. I heard that Pelevin is one of the most successful authors in modern Russian literature, so was very excited when my monthly book club chose it for reading. It is written in the form of a chat in the forum where contributors get lost in the labyrinth of the internet. Like most internet chatting, Helmet of Horror was a waste of time. But Tuesday's discussion was so enjoyable, because we shared our thoughts, opinions and understood better what the author wanted to achieve. After the discussion the book didn't seem so bad.

Also this week I watched elegant and erotic Water Drops on Burning Rocks by my favourite French director F. Ozon. I think Tom Ford got lots of ideas for his début from this film. 

Week 9

Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to choose a park over an art gallery this weekend, as I'm writing this with my arms and legs sunburnt! But nevertheless, the weather during the week was much grimmer – perfect to have a drink at Hampstead Theatre bar  before seeing Canary. The play is telling the history of gay movement since 1960s through personal stories. It's a typical gay related evening – a bit of humour, a bit of campiness, a bit of seriousness. You've seen one, you've seen them all. However, there were few interesting quotes – "Women and gay people are the litmus test of whether a society is democratic in respecting human rights. We're the canaries in the mine," by Peter Tatchell.

I was left with a similar feeling of 'nothing new' after seeing A Thousand Stars Explode in the Sky written by three authors. It's about a dysfunctional family facing the end of the world. There were brilliant moments but it didn't hold my attention as through most of the play I was busy wondering how I would behave in the last weeks before the end. A rather more amusing experience was listening to the actors interpreting their roles and the play in the afterwards held Q&A at the Hammersmith Lyric. A little moan – why people feel the need to go to the Q&A and instead of asking questions talk about their life and give background of their families, etc. The rest of the audience is interested in the family just seen on the stage, not someone's from Northern England.

Also this week: experienced women singing men's parts in the first Vivaldi's opera Ottone in Villa and just couldn't get enough of Goldfrapp new album Head First

week 8

''I hate poor people!'' shouts one of the diners at the Riot Club, a privileged dining society at Oxford University for rich kids. They dress up, get drunk, trash a dining room, abuse a waitress and beat up the landlord – because in the end they can get away with all that by leaving some cash. Or do they? This is a synopsis of the new superb play Posh by Laura Wade, based on the infamous Bullingdon Club of which Cameron, Johnson and Osborne all were members. For me, two hours spent at the Royal Court watching this brilliantly acted show were the best theatre experience this month.

Nearly as impressive was The White Guard at the National based on Bulgakov's work. This is a story of a pro-tsarist family trapped in Kiev just before the Bolsheviks take the city. Bulgakov shows the essence of the Russian people – humour, family values, forced chameleonism and, of course, treating vodka as water. It is my third encounter with Bulgakov and I must say he charmed me with his satire and insight into the human nature.

Thankfully I managed to see Van Doesburg and the International Avant-Garde at the Tate before it closed today. I absolutely loved the paintings constructed from primary colours and clear shapes, bursting with joy.

As the Cannes film festival is in full swing, I treated myself with the winner of last year's Palm d'Or – M.Haneke's The White Ribbon. It is an illustration of life in a small German village before WWI, tainted by cruel crimes happening without reason. The White Ribbon, filmed in black and white, is definitely one of the best movies from the last decade.

Also this week: really wanted to enjoy Peter Pan in the dark Scottish National Theatre production, but felt bored and, again, the same with Gergiev conducting Turangalila for LSO – wanted to like it, but spooky ondes martenot sounds made it a sci-fi soundtrack.

Week 7

It is not easy to find a classic comedy on London's stage today, but London Assurance greatly fulfils all the absences. Sir Harcourt, a Belgravia's dandy in his late fifties, goes to the country to marry a much younger relative he never met. By accident his son turns up there as well and a farce follows with super camp Hartcourt falling for cigar smoking Lady Gay Spanker. The play is set in 19th century with all character stereotypes broken and doesn't leave a single viewer not laughing out loud in the full Olivier hall. Apparently the original play is much duller, but the director improved the text and it is performed so vibrantly by the cast including Fiona Shaw and Richard Briers. Lines like ''My wife left me with my best friend – oh, how much I miss him!'' do bring the house down and I can't remember when was the last time I left theatre with such a broad smile lasting the rest of the night.

I was left in a totally different mood after watching Fish Tank on DVD – one of the best British movies from the last year, which won Prix du Jury at Cannes. It's a grim story of a teenager living in a derelict Essex estate with a single mother, deep poverty and nearly no prospects. Swearing, drinking, anger outbursts, etc is everyday life here. It's striking how realistic this film is and you are left wondering what little the future holds for the real kids growing up on Woolwich and Poplar estates. And a prospect of the Conservative government with its cuts on social services would make life even worse for them (if it could be any worse) (sorry to go all political yet topical here).

Also this week: started reading Ordinary Thunderstorms by William Boyd (one of the best living writers, but, I fear, this book will be his worst!), admired Italian Renaissance drawing at the British Museum.

Week 6

In my book club we talked about My Name Is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok. It's a book about a genius artist growing up in the ultra-orthodox Jewish community in 1950s New York. I loved the book because it portraits what happens inside the artist's mind so well – every artist-to-be should read it to test himself if he is a real artist. Another theme – a fight between art and religious world. I was happy that the main character perused his career despite many obstacles from his religious community.

The Artist And His Mother by Arshile Gorky was printed on my edition of My Name Is Aher Lev and what a coincidence that Tate Modern had a retrospective of the artist. So I rushed to admire Cubism and Abstract Expressionism inspired works by the Armenian-born American painter. Many of his pictures have thick layers of paint because Gorky didn't believe in the endings in art and would rework the paintings over the years. His works are very emotional with lots of deep meaning.

Latin music festival was taking place in London this week and we managed to go to the Viva El Mariachi! - a night devoted to the saddest music in the world (that's what the programme said). Actually it was one of the most lively and entertaining gigs I ever been to! All female Mariachi Femenil Nuevo Tecalitlán in full Mexican gear with guitars and trumpets charged the evening with music heard so many times in the Latin soap operas from my childhood. The senoritas worked the crowd with a mariachi version of My Way among others and left everyone in a brilliant mood and many tunes to hum on the train home.


Also this week: saw a preview of Holding The Man – a gay play from Australia and sat through  one of the most boring plays recently – I Went to the House but Did Not Enter.