mmoa_writes (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
mmoa_writes) wrote2009-07-09 06:03 pm
mmoa_writes) wrote2009-07-09 06:03 pm
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On the National Theatre and the blessed BBC4
The NT is currently showing a theatrical adaptation of 'The Black Album' (non-Travelex) by Hanif Kureishi, 'Mother Courage and Her Children' by Brecht (Travelex, but from 9th September. Will definitely be going to see it), an adaptation of 'Nation' by Terry Pratchett and 'All's Well That Ends Well' by a mysterious new writer by the name of William Shakespeare. I am desperate to go to all four but, 'Nation' is non-Travelex (ie no cheap tickets) and starts from 11th November. 'The Black Album' will be expensive, but at least that starts on the 14th. Otoh, I am trying very hard not to spend the rest of my student loan before the start of term. Oh, first-world problems; they are so very tiresome.
Thinking of Brecht, it was interesting to see that there's a new play by David Hare (is he actually any good or are people just being mean to him as we always are to figures of cultural significance? Everything he's written always seems to get panned) called 'The Power of Yes', supposedly about the the 'crisis of capitalism', but I suspect is really an opportunity for the NT to show how off just how relevant it is. As far as I can tell, it's set in 2008, which doesn't seem at all appropriate, somehow (that's where Brehct comes in - I rather like his principles for political drama chief among them being that one shouldn't set the play in a contemprorary setting).
Still, it might be good. I'll be awaiting the opinions of the august Newsnight Review crew with baited breath.
Thank God for BBC4.
For the non-Brits who read this blog, BBC4 is what pretentious/grumpy old farts/opinionated young farts like me consider the true heir of British television, the stuff of which should really be on BBC1 as opposed to the drivel they insist on ramming down our throats.
I have of late been enjoying a series of very interesting and enlightening documentaries. The first was 'Crude Britannia' which told the story of the UK oil/gas industry (and also explained certain aspects of our 'special relationship' with the US. We have you guys to thank for kick-starting the whole thing in the first place and no, that wasn't sarcasm. Whilst we were busy licking our wounds from WWII, it seems the Americans were busy doing exploratory digging in the North Sea thus re-starting our energy industry), the second was 'Iran and Britain' (the sort of history lesson a few politicos need) and the third was 'Iran and the West', which left me gobsmacked, angry and - a complete, genuine miracle - happy for the future.
That may sound strange, but once you get the insight into what's going on (that is never reported by the newspapers/mainstream news, which are far too interested in cultivating the tribal instinct in order to sell more papers as opposed to, say, news. Save for the blessed Guardian of course, but that stuff is so boring and so pleased with itself for being so boring, I don't think anyone actually pays any attention to it, least of all it's readers), you realise how there is a very good chance of Iran becoming a future ally in the Middle East.
I never knew, for instance, that Iranian support made the downfall of the Taliban so much easier for the US/British troops and that there's a good possibility that the US refusal of assistance from the Iranians with Iraq has contributed to the difficulties currently experienced there. The Iranians themselves have been the target of the Taliban in the past and they were quite willing to lend a hand to the Western effort (though whether they are in any position to have a wholly positive effect in Afghanistan is another matter). Unfortunately, it made them think the US and European governments would forget the financial support of more fractious Islamists in the Middle East that comes from Iran (probably not [always] with official endorsement, however. That was a very interesting other that came from the documentary) and thus led to hindering any sort of working relationship. Not to mention the whole 'axis of evil' gaffe which understandably enraged the Iranians and again set the alliance back.
But that was only the last part of the documentary. The earlier episodes went through the modern history of Iran starting from the first Shah installed by Britain, his deposition, the installation of his son, the revolution and his deposition to the Islamic Republic of Iran and how the moderate wing left the ruling power. Absolutely enthralling. And everything makes so much more sense now, that's the beauty of it. You realise it actually is more than just culture or religion or oil. Once you appreciate the historical basis for certain attitudes arising (and falling), the evolution of society (much of the development of Iran as the 'Islamic Republic' was all too redolent of Robespierre and the Terror in post-revolutionary France), the 'oh-dear' feeling that is often the only response to the apparently random violence and crisis' of the world as portrayed by conventional media begins to fall and for once I began to think that maybe it's not all going to hell in a handbasket.
That's because one thing that's never portrayed in conventional news is how the governments are also learning how to deal with each other, learning how they see the other and how the other sees them. That was something very good to know and makes Obama's future plans for America's relationship with and his own attitudes towards the Middle East all the more important.
It also highlighted - yes, it's personal grievance time! - why Britain really should ally itself closer to the EU (*coughs* and why we should let Turkey in *coughs*). Europe needs to be strong enough to be able to move regardless of the US without feeling the bit around it's neck. So often it seemed the alliance between Iran and the Western powers was being sketched out and presented by the Europeans, but with an often schizophrenic foreign policy from a Bush-era administration, it kept on being dragged back (and on this I will say I never thought I'd ever be able to respect Rice, but, as much as I disagree with her on just about everything, on this issue, she at least was making movements in the right direction). I think for everyone's sake, including the US, it would be better if the various global powers learnt to walk alone every now and again.
This is the stuff that should be on BBC1, particularly as news these days is more about snowmen than actual news (thanks Charlie Brooker!) and particularly seeing how there is an alarming trend for strident - divisive - political and idealogical views and opinions being waved about these days. Ignorance is the root of all suffering, as they say, and no form of ignorance is excused.
EDIT: Oh happy days! Robin Hobb was in Forbidden Planet today signing her new book. A new book! It's set in the Farseer-verse unfortunately - I'm sure it will be awesome, but I was hoping to read some of her utterly fantasmagoric world-building skillz put to a different fantasy universe.
Thinking of Brecht, it was interesting to see that there's a new play by David Hare (is he actually any good or are people just being mean to him as we always are to figures of cultural significance? Everything he's written always seems to get panned) called 'The Power of Yes', supposedly about the the 'crisis of capitalism', but I suspect is really an opportunity for the NT to show how off just how relevant it is. As far as I can tell, it's set in 2008, which doesn't seem at all appropriate, somehow (that's where Brehct comes in - I rather like his principles for political drama chief among them being that one shouldn't set the play in a contemprorary setting).
Still, it might be good. I'll be awaiting the opinions of the august Newsnight Review crew with baited breath.
Thank God for BBC4.
For the non-Brits who read this blog, BBC4 is what pretentious/grumpy old farts/opinionated young farts like me consider the true heir of British television, the stuff of which should really be on BBC1 as opposed to the drivel they insist on ramming down our throats.
I have of late been enjoying a series of very interesting and enlightening documentaries. The first was 'Crude Britannia' which told the story of the UK oil/gas industry (and also explained certain aspects of our 'special relationship' with the US. We have you guys to thank for kick-starting the whole thing in the first place and no, that wasn't sarcasm. Whilst we were busy licking our wounds from WWII, it seems the Americans were busy doing exploratory digging in the North Sea thus re-starting our energy industry), the second was 'Iran and Britain' (the sort of history lesson a few politicos need) and the third was 'Iran and the West', which left me gobsmacked, angry and - a complete, genuine miracle - happy for the future.
That may sound strange, but once you get the insight into what's going on (that is never reported by the newspapers/mainstream news, which are far too interested in cultivating the tribal instinct in order to sell more papers as opposed to, say, news. Save for the blessed Guardian of course, but that stuff is so boring and so pleased with itself for being so boring, I don't think anyone actually pays any attention to it, least of all it's readers), you realise how there is a very good chance of Iran becoming a future ally in the Middle East.
I never knew, for instance, that Iranian support made the downfall of the Taliban so much easier for the US/British troops and that there's a good possibility that the US refusal of assistance from the Iranians with Iraq has contributed to the difficulties currently experienced there. The Iranians themselves have been the target of the Taliban in the past and they were quite willing to lend a hand to the Western effort (though whether they are in any position to have a wholly positive effect in Afghanistan is another matter). Unfortunately, it made them think the US and European governments would forget the financial support of more fractious Islamists in the Middle East that comes from Iran (probably not [always] with official endorsement, however. That was a very interesting other that came from the documentary) and thus led to hindering any sort of working relationship. Not to mention the whole 'axis of evil' gaffe which understandably enraged the Iranians and again set the alliance back.
But that was only the last part of the documentary. The earlier episodes went through the modern history of Iran starting from the first Shah installed by Britain, his deposition, the installation of his son, the revolution and his deposition to the Islamic Republic of Iran and how the moderate wing left the ruling power. Absolutely enthralling. And everything makes so much more sense now, that's the beauty of it. You realise it actually is more than just culture or religion or oil. Once you appreciate the historical basis for certain attitudes arising (and falling), the evolution of society (much of the development of Iran as the 'Islamic Republic' was all too redolent of Robespierre and the Terror in post-revolutionary France), the 'oh-dear' feeling that is often the only response to the apparently random violence and crisis' of the world as portrayed by conventional media begins to fall and for once I began to think that maybe it's not all going to hell in a handbasket.
That's because one thing that's never portrayed in conventional news is how the governments are also learning how to deal with each other, learning how they see the other and how the other sees them. That was something very good to know and makes Obama's future plans for America's relationship with and his own attitudes towards the Middle East all the more important.
It also highlighted - yes, it's personal grievance time! - why Britain really should ally itself closer to the EU (*coughs* and why we should let Turkey in *coughs*). Europe needs to be strong enough to be able to move regardless of the US without feeling the bit around it's neck. So often it seemed the alliance between Iran and the Western powers was being sketched out and presented by the Europeans, but with an often schizophrenic foreign policy from a Bush-era administration, it kept on being dragged back (and on this I will say I never thought I'd ever be able to respect Rice, but, as much as I disagree with her on just about everything, on this issue, she at least was making movements in the right direction). I think for everyone's sake, including the US, it would be better if the various global powers learnt to walk alone every now and again.
This is the stuff that should be on BBC1, particularly as news these days is more about snowmen than actual news (thanks Charlie Brooker!) and particularly seeing how there is an alarming trend for strident - divisive - political and idealogical views and opinions being waved about these days. Ignorance is the root of all suffering, as they say, and no form of ignorance is excused.
EDIT: Oh happy days! Robin Hobb was in Forbidden Planet today signing her new book. A new book! It's set in the Farseer-verse unfortunately - I'm sure it will be awesome, but I was hoping to read some of her utterly fantasmagoric world-building skillz put to a different fantasy universe.
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This has been very, very well-hidden by the Western media, especially Iranian support in Afghanistan. Iran actually has a fairly large illegal immigrant issue involving Shi'a refugees from Afghanistan, oddly enough.
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