The Week UK 17.08.2019

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17 August 2019 THE WEEK

The List

Showing now

Romeo and Julietat Sadler’s Wells, London

EC1 (sadlerswells.com). Matthew Bourne’s

contemporary take on Shakespeare’s tragic tale

“puts the emphasis on youth”, using young

dancers andanew orchestration of Prokofiev’s

“mighty score” (Times). Ends 31 August.

Dóra Maurerat the Tate Modern, London SE1

(tate.org.uk). This display of the 82-year-old

Hungarian artist’s pioneering work includes

film, sculpture and bright geometric paintings

–much of it made at her kitchen table during

the Communist era. Until5July 2020.

Following its successful 2018 season, the pop-up

Shakespeare’s Rose Theatrelands in York

for asecond year–and debuts at Blenheim

Palace–with open-air performances of eight of

the Bard’s best-loved plays. Shakespeare’s Rose

Theatre, Tower Street, York; Blenheim Palace,

Oxfordshire (shakespearesrosetheatre.com).

Ends7September.

Book now

Cliveden Literary Festivalreturns with a

lively line-up of authors and historians including

Robert Harris, Leïla Slimani and Ian McEwan.

28-29 September, Cliveden House, Taplow,

Berkshire (clivedenliteraryfestival.org).

Just out in paperback

Nine Pintsby Rose George (Granta £9.99).

An “absorbing” book about that most valuable

substance–blood. Travelling widely, George

reports on the HIV/Aids crisis and the work of

trauma teams, proving herself “one of the best

non-fiction writers working today” (Guardian).

Qby Luther Blissett, 1999

(Arrow £9.99). You wouldn’t

think that four mischievous

Italians writing underaname

borrowed froma1980s

footballer could produce a

great historical novel; but

reader, they did. As an insight

into mid-16th century Europe,

this is an extraordinary success.

Andamystery, too.

The Blanket of the Darkby

John Buchan, 1931 (Birlinn

£8.99). Buchan had a

wonderfully spare narrative

style, and this isamost

unusual part of his oeuvre:

aTudor historical novel for

young adults, counter-factual

and deeply atmospheric,

though frightfully unfair to

poor Thomas Cromwell.

Bring Up the Bodiesby

Hilary Mantel, 2012 (4th

Estate £9.99). In the second of

Mantel’s Thomas Cromwell

novels, we begin to see the

artful architecture in her

trilogy, moving her Tudor

hero fromaslightly Guardian-

reading figure to something

darker. Rule One at Henry

VIII’s Court: don’t get in

Cromwell’s way.

Suffolk and Norfolkby

M.R. James, 1930 (Cambridge

University Press £21.99). I’m

the nerdiest of church-crawlers,

andIcut my teeth on this

glorious guide. Still eminently

useable after nearlyacentury,

it explains why Monty James’s

ghost stories are so enjoyably

chilling: they are based on

profound scholarship and an

unrivalled feel for place.

The Lost Stradivariusby

J. Meade Falkner, 1895 (out

of print). Like M.R. James,

Falkner had the ability to

frighten through sideways

glances combined with precise

antiquarian knowledge, and

this is his most haunting story.

Handsome, wealthy Oxford

undergrad finds antique violin

in acupboard. It doesn’t end

well for either of them.

The Jeeves Omnibus, Vols.

1-5by P.G. Wodehouse, 1931

(Penguin, £19.99 each).

Wodehouse’s wit is unrivalled.

His novels are hilarious, but

the collected short stories are

atray of delicious canapés.

Best books... Diarmaid MacCulloch

The historian and Oxford academic chooses six of his favourite books.

His critically acclaimed biography,Thomas Cromwell:ALifeis now out

in paperback (Penguin £12.99).

The Week’s guide to what’s worth seeing and reading

Dóra Maurer at the Tate Modern

Television

Programmes

Comedy Shorts: Lazy

SusanComedy double-act

and Edinburgh favourites Lazy

Susan bring their playful brand

of humour to the screen in a

bite-size sketch show. Sun

18 Aug, BBC2 22:00 (15mins).

The Day Mountbatten Died

Documentary telling the story

of 27 August 1979, when Lord

Mountbatten was killed by an

IRA bomb aboard his boat.

Forty years on, those directly

affected by the events share

their memories. Mon 19 Aug,

BBC2 21:00 (60mins).

Call the CopsNew series

going inside the nerve centre

of policing: the communi-

cations centre. Episode one

is set over the Easter weekend

in Devon and Cornwall. Mon

19 Aug, C4 21:00 (60mins).

Jamie Oliver: The Naked

Chef Bares AllCharting 20

years since Jamie Oliver first

appeared on our screens,

Davina McCall talks to the chef

about highs and lows, from his

campaigning to the closure of

his restaurant group. Wed

21 Aug, C4 20:00 (60mins).

Bauhaus 100Documentary

about the influential art school

that shaped the modern world,

and the people behind it.Wed

21 Aug, BBC4 21:00 (60mins).

Films

True Grit(2010) The Coen

brothers’ Western remake

follows the unlikely

partnership ofafeisty

teenage girl andawashed-up

US Marshal, played by Jeff

Bridges. Wed 21 Aug,

Film4 22:50 (110mins).

Quadrophenia(1979) The

mods-and-rockers cult classic,

withasoundtrack by The Who,

turns 40. Starring Phil Daniels

and Sting. Fri 23 Aug, Film4

23:20 (104mins).

Titles in print are available from The Week Bookshop on 020-3176 3835. For out-of-print books visit biblio.co.uk

Podcasts of the week

The Tip OffThe award-

winning investigative

journalism podcast is back for

afifth series. The first episode

describes the tracking down of

the Isis jihadist “John the

Beatle” (Observer).

Anything But Silentfrom

the British Library celebrates

libraries as places of creativity,

freedom and sanctuary, with

interviews with the writers,

archivists and academics

who frequent them.

The Archers:what happened last week
Susan is fretful over Emma’s situation but Neil advises her to be patient. Alastair tells Shula that
Jim seemsabit more like his old self. Will announces flooding at No.1The Green, meaning Eddie
and Clarrie won’t be able to move in forawhile. Susan wants to get Ed and Emma together for
lunch for Emma’s birthday, but Clarrie thinks it’s too soon. Ed confesses the pesticide scam to his
parents, to their shock, and admits there is still some left in the barn; Eddie agrees to help him get
rid of it. Susan is disconcerted that Emma is confiding in Tracy instead of her, and is frustrated that
Tracy won’t share the information. She gets more upset when she hears that neither Emma nor Ed
turned up for the lunch she arranged. Eddie is shocked to discover that the van has disappeared,
and when he and Ed go to remove the remaining pesticide containers at the barn, they have too.
Susan clashes with Tracy after overhearing her talk about Ed, and Tracy spills the beans about the
scam. Susan races to Grange Farm to have it out with Ed, but ends up arguing bitterly with Clarrie.
©B

ARRY JONES; TATE/MATT GREENWOOD