Political correctness. Freedom of speech. Extremists. Belief. Islam. Muslim. Multicultural. Racism. Britishness. These are all words that have become more prominent  in recent years, and not always for the best of reasons. Where freedom of speech is intertwined with racism and a remark about a differing culture is deemed to be politically incorrect, the lines [...]

Matthew Bourne’s The Nutcracker is not a traditional version of this classic Christmas ballet. A number of changes have been made to the original plot, many of which add a new perspective to the piece. It opens in Dr Dross’ Orphanage for Waifs and Strays, with Clara’s upbringing far closer to that of Oliver Twist [...]

Akram Khan is, as ever, utterly virtuosic in his movement, commanding the huge, empty stage of Sadler’s Wells with energy, humanity and beauty. However, his collaborators for DESH, with design by Tim Yip (who won an Oscar for the film Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon) and lighting by Michael Hulls, sometimes overshadow the dance. Khan’s fascination [...]

Opera can be a difficult affair to open your heart and mind to, however there are numerous organisations and companies which are bridging the gaps between conventional opera and wary new opera fans. Only last week, A Younger Theatre took a group of young theatregoers to their first opera, and whilst the opera might have [...]