It's musical chairs in key positions at British theatre, plus BBC Philharmonic cut short Japan tour, and Peter Lennon's rocky road
All change in theatreland
They're playing musical chairs at some of Britain's most creative playhouses ? and at quite an interesting time for all our subsidised theatres, as the funding landscape changes. Josie Rourke's departure for the Donmar Warehouse leaves a vacancy at London's the Bush; meanwhile, Dominic Hill, artistic director at the Traverse in Edinburgh, is hopping over to run the Citizens theatre in Glasgow, where his talent for punchy reinvention of the classics (think of his production of Peer Gynt for the National Theatre of Scotland) ought to prove an asset in his bid to make the Citz "the most exciting and provocative theatre in Scotland". That leaves an intriguing vacancy at the Traverse ? an extremely important theatre for its nurturing of the brilliant Scottish playwrighting scene, having supported such figures as David Greig, David Harrower and Rona Munro. Finally, after a decade at the West Yorkshire Playhouse, Ian Brown has announced his resignation. It will be interesting to see who is bold enough to take on a regional theatre in these tricky times.
BBC Philharmonic cut short Japan tour
Some of Britain's strongest cultural links with Japan are through classical music. The BBC Philharmonic was there during the earthquake, and had to cut short its tour; thankfully, all were safe. Meanwhile, Daniel Harding conducted the New Japan Philharmonic in Mahler's Symphony No 5, in Tokyo on the night of the earthquake ? after much agonising from the orchestra over whether to go on with the concert. "It is very subjective, but my impression was definitely that playing and listening to music was a great help to many of us there in focusing our thoughts," he said, noting that the symphony is "a great meditation and discourse on life and death". The wonderful pianist Noriko Ogawa, who divides her time between her native Japan and the UK, is giving a concert in aid of the Red Cross tsunami appeal, on 30 March at Kings Place in London. The programme includes works by Takemitsu, Chopin's Ballade in G, Op 23, and Beethoven's Sonata Op 109. "Please come and give your generous support to the people in north-east Japan," she says. Amen to that.
Peter Lennon's rocky road
Sad news indeed that Peter Lennon has died. When I joined the Guardian arts desk in 1999, Peter was its generous and gentle senior member. Seemingly incapable of grandeur, he was the writer of lyrical journalism on cinema that was, I remember, so elegantly sui generis it was almost impossible to edit ("Pull out one thread, and the whole thing unravels," I remember one arts editor warning). When I was invited, in 2004, to attend a screening of Peter's then forgotten 1967 film, Rocky Road to Dublin, in my ignorance I attended out of a feeling of duty rather than anticipation: then watched, rapt and chastened, as a masterpiece of a documentary unfolded. It is a politically urgent and impassioned work that also looks divine ? he had persuaded Raoul Coutard, a cinematographer who had worked with Truffaut and Godard, to shoot the film. The memory of Peter's personal modesty, and his extraordinary creative daring, will continue to humble those who worked with him.
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/charlottehigginsblog/2011/mar/22/arts-diary
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