David Benedict

@eggsbened.bsky.social

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Cultural talk and typing. And singing.
Biographer of Stephen Sondheim
Tristram Hawkshaw in The Archers.
Somewhat gay.

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David Benedict

Sliced bread first went on sale 96 years ago today and — here’s the fun bit — was promoted as being the greatest thing since WRAPPED bread.

Can you have too much of a good thing? A glowing Justine Mitchell leads a strong cast in Kendall Feaver's fourth-wave feminism and #MeToo campus drama at The Almeida. But has it found its right form? variety.com/2024/legit/r...

‘Alma Mater’ Review: A Timely if Overplotted Drama About Feminism and Academiavariety.com Justine Mitchell gives a fine performance in the Almeida Theatre production of Kendall Feaver's issue-driven play.

Now available for panto* as Baron Hardup, Wicked Queen etc Thérèse Coffey Michele Donnellan Michael Fabricant Liam Fox Lucy Frazer Jonathan Gullis Mark Harper Gillian Keegan Johnny Mercer Penny Mordaunt Jacob Rees-Mogg Grant Shapps Anne-Marie Trevelyan Liz Truss etc *Not that I’ll pay to see them

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David Benedict

Conservatives have the worst vote share since 1832 #UKGE2024

Back to the Future? As 1984’s Starlight Express and 1999’s Mnemonic re-open, I ponder the wisdom of theatreland’s obsession with reviving its greatest hits. Is It more than marketing? www.thestage.co.uk/opinion/thea...

David Benedict: Theatrical revivals need to speak to us todaywww.thestage.co.uk As Simon McBurney brings back Mnemonic, widely regarded as one of Complicité’s finest productions, questions hover over the notion of revivals and whether they will still feel fresh in a new era

Using MOVIE as an acronym, recommend 5 films M - The Manchurian Candidate (Angela Lansbury in excelsis) O - Overboard (wildly underrated Goldie Hawn comedy) V - Victim (Dirk Bogarde, amazing) I - It’s Always Fair Weather (from the Singin’ in the Rain team) E - Edward Scissorhands (Dianne Wiest)

Using MOVIE as an acronym, recommend 5 films. My picks: M - Margaret (Kenneth Lonergan) O - Out of the Past (Jacques Tourneur) V - Victoria (Sebastian Schipper) I - in the Mood for Love (Wong Kar-wai) E - Elevator to the Gallows (Louis Malle)

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David Benedict

Seriously, fellow British peeps, go and vote on the 4th. Don't take it for granted that the Labour landslide victory is a done deal and your vote doesn't matter. Brexit was such a catastrofuck because half the people who had a right to vote on it couldn't be arsed because OBVIOUSLY it was done deal.

I honestly didn’t go expecting A Little Night Music. What I imagined I’d get in Starlight Express was exhilarating fun… variety.com/2024/legit/r...

’Starlight Express’ Review: Wobbly Revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Roller-Skating Musical Never Hits Stridevariety.com Andrew Lloyd Webber's roller-skating epic ’Starlight Express’ gets revived by '& Juliet' director Luke Sheppard in a production short on excitement

The man in the moon turns out to be made of custard. With blackberry and apple crumble. #nostalgia #childhoodfood

Voters are finally angry because the Tories have arrogantly refused to recognise or reward anyone but themselves for 14 long years. Tim Adams forensically contrasts Cameron’s 2009 vision with the grim present to explain exactly What The Tories Did To Britain. www.theguardian.com/politics/art...

The 14 long and wasted years of Tory Britainwww.theguardian.com Before the Conservatives were elected in 2010, David Cameron set out his vision of a prosperous, secure country that would care for all. On every metric, by every yardstick, his party has failed

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David Benedict

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Benjamin Dreyer

Apparently the real Maria Von Trapp, on first being apprised of The Sound of Music's strolling-across-the-Alps finale, commented, "Has no one associated with this show ever looked at a map?"

I don't know how fast you do your work but John Singer Sargent painted this "sketch" of a dear friend, Vernon Lee, in an hour. Sargent and Fashion, awash with examples of his audaciously brilliant painting, closes next Sunday at London’s Tate Britain. On no account miss.

Tate Britain @tate.bsky.social #reasonstolovelondon #withstanding #makinganexhibitionofmyself

Mackerel sky meets Shardenfreude.

The Constituent – at The Old Vic. James Corden and Anna Maxwell Martin are on top form. Wish I could I say the same about the play. variety.com/2024/legit/n...

‘The Constituent’ Review: James Corden Impresses in Timely but Contrived Political Playvariety.com James Corden returns to the British stage in 'The Constituent,' a contrived look at between a member of parliament and an angry voter

One of the great things about Hamilton is that it taught us for the first time that musicals can be political. WRONG. Political musicals go way back. Hell, even George Gershwin wrote some. www.thestage.co.uk/opinion/play...

David Benedict: Playing politics – the musicals that get my votewww.thestage.co.uk Read thought-provoking commentary, analysis and discussion on the theatre industry from renowned arts journalists including Lyn Gardner, Natasha Tripney, West End Producer and more.

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David Benedict

I'm just a simple country political scientist but I'm pretty sure if any other major presidential candidate said this it'd be covered none stop for weeks and everyone would agree that their campaign was over

In a word, transfixing. A quite dazzling cast re-ignite David McVicar’s rightly legendary production of Handel’s extravagantky lush yet dark take on Julius Caesar’s shenanigans in Egypt. Loks and sounds ravishing. www.thestage.co.uk/reviews/giul...

Giulio Cesare review at Glyndebourne, Lewes, by George Frideric Handel and David McVicarwww.thestage.co.uk David McVicar’s production of Handel's original is an unmissable revival that shimmers and dazzles

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David Benedict

The Conservatives’ chief data officer is now being investigated by the Gambling Commission. Gove says the betting scandal is as bad as Partygate for the Tories.

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David Benedict

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Mark Chadbourn

Thrilled to announce that I have been invited to connect with Bill Gates… by Linked-In. Am convinced Bill has received a message inviting him to connect with me.

Fascinating.

REVIEW: Cats: The Jellicle Ball is a Jellicle blast. For real. Run don’t walk. www.timeout.com/newyork/thea...

Theater review: 'Cats: A Jellicle Ball" is absolutely fabulouswww.timeout.com The fur flies in a revelatory new staging of Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical

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David Benedict

Tony Lee, the Conservatives’ Campaign Director, has taken a leave of absence from the party, the BBC reports. Everything is fine.

Without chemistry, what have you got? Bartlett Sher’s miscast, passionless Kiss Me, Kate. www.thestage.co.uk/reviews/kiss...

Kiss Me, Kate review at the Barbican Theatre, London, by Bartlett Sher and Cole Porter, starring Stephanie J Block and Adrian Dunbarwww.thestage.co.uk From director Bartlett Sher, Adrian Dunbar and Stephanie J Block star in a miscast, misfiring revival of the Cole Porter classic, also starring Charlie Stemp, Georgina Onuorah, Nigel Lindsay, Hammed A...

I never met Lewis, my paternal grandfather. He died while my parents were engaged. But many of his damn fine photographs remain. Here is one of his son, Robert, my late dad.

It was filmed partly near me around Tower Bridge (ok, in 1954); directed by Wendy Toye when female directors barely existed in Britain; and it stars Margaret Leighton. What more could I want? Am going in.

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David Benedict

To be frank, there’s some bloody luscious music on my latest album with The Elysian Singers. Premiere recordings of music written for (mostly) unaccompanied voices in multi-layered harmony by Sarah MacDonald, Alison Weir, Owain Park, Bob Chilcott and more. Dip in! open.spotify.com/album/2ETqP0...

Beauty for Ashesopen.spotify.com Mark Brafield · Album · 2024 · 13 songs.

Love a little early 60s styling. Cavendish Hotel. #reasonstolovelondon