The Midsummer Mechanicals is appropriate for ages 6-12 and 25+; at Shakespeare’s Globe, Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, till 26 August. Bestest funniest thing ever, go Go GO! This is a comedy-for-kids spin-off from A Midsummer Night’s Dream, focussing in on Bottom & Co., the band of am-dram labourers, who are still fancying themselves as actors one year later, and have secured another…

Glasto‘s Final Roar: Hippie Vibes, Music Legends, and Life-Defining Moments Under the Stars! Day 4 – Woken up by a bass drum practising before the perf, ‘d-df … d-df… d-df…’ sounding like a heartbeat. Omg, a call to all the sleepy heads that the dance floor awaits for one final push. It reminded me of elephants communicating by sending deep sounds reverberating across the…

My (54) first Glastonbury Festival with my son (27) – Day 3 starts off gently at 11am, to bring all the fragile ravers back from their slumbers. The exhaustion is being felt as bodies are pushed far beyond the limits. A small group of us went to Martin Richter who combines classical instruments and poetry in a modern way. It was dreamy and just what we needed. Call-out for Digico Sami…

Glasto Day 2, I woke up early with the heat and light for we were blessed with good weather. No mud-baths thank goodness. Nonetheless I felt sticky and, having heard of the legendary Greenpeace showers, thought I would attempt my own Mission Impossible. Shower permit Shower procedure Dear readers, behold one of THE most precious commodities in Glasto, barring the ticket obvs. It’s a…

Glasto – Day 1 – This is going to Glasto with kids with a twist! I’m 54 and my son is 27. He invited me to join his crew. See my first blog for the whole prep process.Glasto is insta for sound-lovers.A love-bubble for like-minded friends and friends-to-be, family and, I’m overjoyed to announce, family-to-be! More of that later… That original hippy vibe is still…

At first sight, it strikes one as another gold-encrusted piece of pointless extravagance, bordering on, I have to say, kitsch. And it cost an ‘undisclosed sum’, which means ahelluvalot. So my immediate response was disapproval, have to say. But but BUT, the Diamond Jubilee State Coach, known Down Under as the State Coach Britannia, is a treasure trove of surprises… and I…

Buckingham Palace is not somewhere I would have dared take my very young children, all those ropes to hurdle over or conga under, those priceless breakables to upend and the miles of corridors, just an open invitation for a cheeky sprint. But my recent visit to admire the Coronation display including the Coach and Coronation Robes in the State Rooms has turned my view of Buckingham Palace upside…

The Crucible by Arthur Miller is at the Gielgud Theatre till September 2023. A crucible is an ancient melting pot, let’s get that out of the way. Used for smelting metals, it must withstand very high temperatures, to make church bells, for example. The choice of title is an omen for the community trauma that awaits, as metallurgy involves melting down a solid substance, skimming off impurities…