The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui by Bertolt Brecht, at the Swan, Stratford upon Avon

 "If we could learn to look instead of gawking

We'd see the horror in the heart of farce 

If only we could act instead of talking

We wouldn't always end up on our arse..." 

The perfect first play for my lovely partner and I to see together, no...? 

This play, currently running at Stratford, is a triumph. Using Stephen Sharkey's translation, it really brings to us the power of Brecht's play, genuinely funny until it really, really isn't, which is, if course, the point- farce that turns to horror. Hitler, like a certain orange man with tiny hands, was considered a joke by most of us, an act of complacency. Farage, too, is an absurd little man. So is "Tommy Robinson". And, of course, as the great Anthony Burgess said, the jackboot is intrinsically absurd, as though it's daring you to laugh... and that's the point. For you don't dare.

Neither Hitler nor Trump had a sense of humour, always a sigh... 

Gatiss is, of course, superb in terms of both the line delivery and the physicality of his performance. He oozes a terrible charisma and, to his credit, plays his interpretation of the character of Ui as written by Brecht, resisting the temptation to do an impression of Hitler, Trump, or anyone else.

The staging, too, is a triumph. Above the stage is a movable area occupied by Placebo, who provide a truly amazing soundtrack, and this is used effectively in order to allow for fast and creative scenery changes. The use of space here is truly inspired.

Beyond Gatiss, the cast impresses deeply, Mawaan Rizwan in particular. This is a fun yet horrifying production that speaks to our own times more than, perhaps, the play ever has. I implore anyone who is able to do so to see this while you still can. 

Doctor Who: The Interstellar Star Contest

 "You came back from the dead!"

"Sums up my career."

SPOILERS, obviously.

I'm not much of a one for light entertainment, so I wasn't sure I'd like this episode as much. I don't mean that as a criticism, mind: there hasn't been a dud this season so far, and Doctor Who bloody well should try and appeal well beyond middle aged geeky blokes like myself. Yet I thought it was brilliant, and not only because of that ending. But that we shall come to.

Despite this being an episode based on Eurovision (complete with not only Rylan Clark and Graham Norton, at last appearing in Doctor Who by actual design) and set in a space station, which is the most RTD thing ever, we have another new writer this week, which is brilliant.

Anyway, the opening is fun, with Belinda rather amusingly insisting that, yes, this time she actually wants to stay for a bit. Of course, given what we later learn, it's unclear how an Earth cultural institution could have become a spiral arm-wide phenomenon nine centuries later, but such things are easily handwaved. After all, there are nice little nuggets for the fans, such as star singer Cora ostensibly being from Trion, home planet of one Vizlor Turlough.

The threat, with the Hellions, is allowed to cleverly unfold, with a brilliant central performance from Freddie Fox as Kid. It's should make us uncomfortable that there will undoubtedly be parallels in our own world to the atrocities perpetrated by the Corporation upon the poor people of Hellia. Yet, while kid turns to mass murder, Cora instead turns to something both more positive and more effective- and there's a message for us all there in our oh so imperfect world. Blind, angry revenge is not the answer.

Mike and Gary are great as down-to-Earth audience identification characters- and I recognised Charlie Condou as Jonathan Yeah? from excellent sitcom Nathan Barley, in a minor little actor spotting triumph. But there's lots of good character stuff for the Doctor and Belinda, each separated and thinking the other dead, Belinda panicking about her situation and and realising she never got to tell the Doctor he was wonderful. This is an absolute acting triumph from Verada Sethu.

And then we have the Doctor going way too far in his attack on Kid, not so much the Time Lord Victorious but the Time Lord Damaged by Trauma. Ncuti Gatwa, too, is incredible here.

But... yeah. Let's talk about the big reveals, shall we? Susan- actually Carole Ann Ford- was a huge shock. She's only in the Doctor's head, but, with the little seeds planted last season, I'm sure she's out there... a Season 42 thing?

And then the Vindicator is finished, the Doctor can finally take Belinda home, but we get some exposition (from Graham Norton, who else?) telling us that Earth ceased to exist on 24th May 2024... and, as the TARDIS heads towards that date, the door blows off.

And that's all. Mrs Flood is indeed the Rani, which was unfortunately spoiled for me by the thumbnails of videos from inconsiderate YouTubers. But... a bi-generation? Archie Penjabi's Rani and Mrs Flood? Yeah, still processing that.

I definitely enjoyed this a lot. It may be a first viewing thing- watching this a second time without the big reveals may possibly be a different experience. But the episode works on its own terms, I think, with a nice subtext.