THE WEEK IN REVIEW
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critical view
on view
our view
THE MUSICAL
PRISONER CELL BLOCK H
THE PLAY
THE BEATIFICATION OF AREA BOY
THE EXHIBITION
ART AND POWER
THE FILM
CRIMSON TIDE
Lily Savage is banged up in Cell Block H in the musical of the Australian soap best-known for the, er, quality of its acting, costumes, hairstyles and plotlines.
James Rampton applauded the show's ability "to send itself up". "Imagine a cross between The Rocky Horror Show and Acorn Antiques... connoisseurs of kitsch would be mad to miss it," cheered the Daily Telegraph. "An absolute hoot," declared the Guardian. "What's left to remember? Nothing," sneered the Times.
To 13 Jan. Queen's Theatre 0171-494 5040. Lily Savage's live video is released on Monday.
Lily Savage continues her brilliant career, but the show is for cult- worshippers only. Non-believers may well miss the joke.
The world premiere of a play by the Nobel prize-winner, Wole Soyinka, set on a street corner in downtown Lagos. Directed by Jude Kelly with an all-Nigerian cast.
Paul Taylor admired the play's "generous and resilient" spirit, but was worried by the "number of problems with the staging". "Behind his impish fun is an unmistakeable deep concern," commented the Times. "Witty, wise and uplifting, this is a beautiful play whose message steals up on you and lingers on," eulogised the Financial Times.
To 25 Nov. At the West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds (0113 244 2141) as part of the nationwide Africa '95 celebrations.
A satire made all the more telling by the recent death sentence passed on fellow playwright Ken Saro-Wiwa.
An exhibition examining European official and dissident art and architecture produced under Stalin, Mussolini and Hitler from 1930-1945.
Jonathan Glancey admired "a brave, if flawed exhibition... a bold attempt to introduce a big public to that minefield where art meets politics." "Dramatically unsettling," praised the Independent on Sunday. "A groundbreaking show," opined the Sunday Times. "The failure to provide any real sense of context makes this exhibition not just feeble, but pernicious," thundered Time Out.
To 21 Jan. Hayward Gallery, London SE1 0171-960 4242
A fascinating starting point for an understanding of the machinations and manipulations of 20th-century art.
Tony Scott's thriller set largely aboard a submarine helmed by Gene Hackman and Denzel Washington. Quentin Tarantino smartened up the script.
Sheila Johnston commented, "It doesn't just look good: it's sharp, intelligent and terrifically acted. Gripping stuff." "Hackman and Washington save the film from drowning... a Boys' Own story for grown-ups," said the Guardian. "Dull it isn't," said the Evening Standard. "It might seem fresh to filmgoers with little experience," sniffed the Times.
Odeon Leicester Square (0171-930 3232) and on release from 10 Nov.
Another strong performance from Washington, about the only black actor being cast in roles where colour is not central to the character.
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