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Leopoldstadt (and kimonos at the V&A)
Mar. 8th, 2020 03:36 pmGoing to London seems to be rather like London buses in general - wait for ages and then three come along at once.
I was back in London this weekend, for a friend's birthday. And since I was going up I decided to make good use of the time.
First of all I went to the Victoria & Albert Museum. I arrived in time to join the Introductory Tour. I've been to the museum many times, but it was interesting to be led round by a guide and see things I'd not seen before. After which I went to the Kimono: Kyoto to Catwalk exhibition which was absolutely stunning. The kimonos are gorgeous and the display is amazing. If you're in London and in any way interested I'd thoroughly recommend it.
In the evening I went to see Leopoldstadt, the new play by Tom Stoppard at the Wyndham's Theatre. It's almost a sell-out - I managed to get a seat right at the end of the top row in the balcony. It wasn't a problem - I could see and hear perfectly well.
The play is about two Jewish families in Vienna, beginning in 1899, and going through 1924 and 1938 to the finale in 1955. It's very interesting, seeing both the views of the different family members, together with the attitude of the few who are outsiders, initially one individual, but in 1938 members of the state apparatus.
I found it quite hard to work out who was who, married to who, and who their children were - a family tree is provided in the programme, but it doesn't make it that much easier. Watching with hindsight, the audience knows what is happening, but it doesn't lessen the sense of dread, nor the feeling on watching the aftermath in 1955, with the continued thought that anti-Jewish sentiment is still there, just hidden.
A chilling tale, but not moralising, the audience is left to draw its own conclusions. I would recommend seeing it if you can get a ticket.
I was back in London this weekend, for a friend's birthday. And since I was going up I decided to make good use of the time.
First of all I went to the Victoria & Albert Museum. I arrived in time to join the Introductory Tour. I've been to the museum many times, but it was interesting to be led round by a guide and see things I'd not seen before. After which I went to the Kimono: Kyoto to Catwalk exhibition which was absolutely stunning. The kimonos are gorgeous and the display is amazing. If you're in London and in any way interested I'd thoroughly recommend it.
In the evening I went to see Leopoldstadt, the new play by Tom Stoppard at the Wyndham's Theatre. It's almost a sell-out - I managed to get a seat right at the end of the top row in the balcony. It wasn't a problem - I could see and hear perfectly well.
The play is about two Jewish families in Vienna, beginning in 1899, and going through 1924 and 1938 to the finale in 1955. It's very interesting, seeing both the views of the different family members, together with the attitude of the few who are outsiders, initially one individual, but in 1938 members of the state apparatus.
I found it quite hard to work out who was who, married to who, and who their children were - a family tree is provided in the programme, but it doesn't make it that much easier. Watching with hindsight, the audience knows what is happening, but it doesn't lessen the sense of dread, nor the feeling on watching the aftermath in 1955, with the continued thought that anti-Jewish sentiment is still there, just hidden.
A chilling tale, but not moralising, the audience is left to draw its own conclusions. I would recommend seeing it if you can get a ticket.
