Number Seventy News

A standing ovation magnificently deserved. Jan Gabarek, Rainer Bruninghaus, Yuri Dniel and Trilok Gurtu in a stunning single  2   1/4 hour set of enormous variety with Bruninghaus and Gurtu in particular getting a very fair share of solos.  As well as the trademark ethereal nordic mysteries there were some really upbeat numbers, also some with what seemed like very unusual time signatures plus some rare glimpses of a Gabarek sense of humour in a duel with Gurtu, Garbarek on flute and Gurtu on voice percussion.

Whereas the York Theatre Royal Pantomime is the highest quality load of old rubbish you could ever hope to see in your lifetime.  It just  gets more outrageous every year – more costume changes, more elaborate sets, more ad libbing, less plot, and, in this case, Humpty Dumpty humpty dumptied after the first scene.  Berwick Kaler has made this his gift to the people of York for over thirty years, aided and abetted by Martin Barrass, Suzy Cooper, and David Leonard  and it is just wonderful – I hope to keep going as long as Berwick does.

Actually, it’s not, it’s rubbish.  Enjoyable rubbish, true, but it’s not Meryl Streep at her best and it’s all about rich people in Californication.  I was actually rooting for the creep ex-husband but we should have been hoping she got off with the utterly boring architect.  Add to “Films I should Never Have Bothered Going to See>”