Theatre - The Merchant of Venice - Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford

Star rating – 9/10

When I heard that the RSC were doing a modern day version of this Shakespeare classic, that I had loved so much as a school girl, set in Las Vegas and featuring Elvis Presley hits – well my heart sank. I ruefully thought that even the presence of the esteemed Patrick Stewart might not be able to save it. But I could not have been more wrong. This production is thrilling, majestic, mesmerising, and a whole bundle of fun (at least in the first half anyway). I was even contemplating giving my first perfect 10 of the year, until a couple of imperfections crept in towards the end, but more of my nitpicking later.

The parallels between the money grabbing, material wealth worshipping societies that are modem Las Vegas and medieval Venice are totally, blindingly obvious when you think about it. But it has taken this brilliant and brave interpretation by director Rupert Goold to point them out. You can’t take your eyes off this action for a single moment, from the very first scene when Elvis, aka Shylock’s servant Launcelot Gobbo, announces himself to the audience in his white rhinestoned Vegas number. Jamie Beamish takes this rare opportunity by the scruff of the neck and shines throughout.

The setting of Portia’s predicament in terms of finding a suitor to meet the terms of her late father’s will as a TV game show called Destiny is just pure genius. Susannah Fielding is truly outstanding as Portia, with her high heels, Dolly Parton hair, and accent to match.

The staging is outstanding and complex. But little touches like the sensation of being in a lift via a little light and movement trickery is spellbinding. And yes, of course, Patrick Stewart is outstanding as the Jewish moneylender. But he is definitely not, as some uncouth critics have suggested, in another play to his fellow thespians. He mingles with the mayhem with consummate ease. And yes, the theme of the play is a little unsettling, anti Semitic as it could be, but this ‘Merchant’ is making a clear and serious point against prejudice of any kind.

The second half of the play, with its court room drama and trademark Shakespearian cross dressing and disguise, is a different animal altogether. Nonetheless it is compelling and gruesome as the pound of flesh debacle is enacted.

And the nitpicks? Well Portia did fluff her lines rather obviously towards the end. And the end scene felt a bit awkward after the grace and beauty of the rest of the play. But enough of this. If you doubt whether the Bard and the King make good bedfellows – then let me assure you that they absolutely do – in this riotous, intelligent, genius of a play in the beautiful new RSC surroundings in sunny Stratford. Go check it out.

Film - The Tree of Life - directed by Terrence Malick

Star rating – 9/10

Terrence Malick has created a Marmite movie in ‘The Tree of Life’. You will absolutely love it or hate it, and it has divided audiences who have apparently been either moved to tears or moved to scorning laughter, ever since it won the Palme d’Or at Cannes this May.

For me it is magnificent, moving, and a deeply spiritual experience. The wonderful musical core soars above and drives the action. There is little dialogue, but it tells a moving tale of a family struggling with life, love, and death.

Brad Pitt, who is also the co-producer of the film, is phenomenal as the father who is cruel and harsh because of his own shortcomings and disappointments, but deep down loves his sons beyond words. It includes some fantastic performances by the child actors, especially Hunter McCracken as Jack. Sean Penn plays the relatively minor but central role of the grown up, executive Jack – who is obviously struggling with his childhood demons still. There are some very touching moments, like his younger brother forgiving Jack for being cruel to him; and the impromptu piano/guitar accompaniment between Pitt and one of his young boys. Jessica Chastain is their gentle, beautiful mother who lovingly tries to protect her sons against their father's rages, although she is so young and beautiful that the ageing process for her is not entirely convincing.

The cinematography is to die for, and must surely win prizes galore. This is a sumptuous film to watch. It is infuriating in parts, and unlike anything I have ever seen before, but deeply compelling and beautiful. It would probably stand two or three viewings to drink in all the gorgeous detail.

My only problem was with the CGI dinosaurs, which looked out of place and cheap. Otherwise I had no problem at all with the 20 minute creation section, which was spellbinding in its majesty, and a cosmic experience. I don’t think you have to be religious to get this film at all, but if you are it may just touch you on a deep and spiritual level. After seeing this film, it is almost reasonable to want to worship at the feet of the genius Malick.

Theatre - The Life And Death Of Marina Abramovic - The Lowry

Star rating – 5/10

I know I will be deeply unpopular and probably totally out of kilter with the mountains of praise that will get heaped onto this show piece of the Manchester International Festival, but for me it was just too bonkers for words. But I will endeavour to justify that view, indeed in the written form, as this is after all a blog!

The ingredients seems like a sure fire recipe for success. Top Hollywood star Willem Dafoe is the narrator – and although I couldn’t really follow what he was narrating, his power of recall for long monologues seemed very impressive, (less so when I discovered that he had an auto cue however!) and he is obviously a very expressive and talented performer. Anthony Hegarty (Anthony and the Johnsons) wrote and directed the beautiful soundtrack. When he sang his voice was a revelation to me, and he really does possess angelic qualities.

But I can’t say I am much wiser about the life of performance artist Marina Abramovic as a result of seeing this production. She herself starred as her mother in the piece. There was an impressive bit towards the end of the first half about the war in Serbia. And a disturbing masturbation scene, which I was assured by my friends was artificially created, rather than the real thing.

There were three lovely Dobermans wandering the stage as the audience entered looking for the food scattered all over the stage for them, and a man with a live snake wrapped around his neck in an impressive although slightly alarming fashion half way through.

But as to what all this added up to – well I haven’t a clue and couldn’t begin to explain it. The audience reaction was rapturous, so other people obviously got it, and loved it. There’s no accounting for taste. I’ll stick with Damon Albarn this year as my hot festival hit.

Opera - Doctor Dee - Palace Theatre

Star rating 8/10

I readily admit that I was definitely on the side of Oasis in the 1990’s battle for the crown of Britpop, but it is hard not to wonder in awe at the seemingly never ending eclectic talents of Damon Albarn, which are now so far removed from his early offerings. His new English opera ‘Doctor Dee’ is part of the fabulous bi-annual Manchester International Festival, and is also a far cry from anything he has done before.

John Dee was a 16^th century alchemist and astrologer, who was an advisor to Queen Elizabeth I, whose life was allegedly the basis of Christopher Marlowe’s cautionary tale of dabbling with the devil, ‘Dr Faustus’. He also happened to found the world’s first public library in Manchester. This opera begins in dramatic style with a raven flying out of the audience onto the stage and cawing its way to the wings. Then a series of characters depicting time moving backwards to the time of Dee move across the stage and dramatically fall off onto what is, I sincerely hope, a nice soft mattress below offstage.

It is a complex story, which I cannot possibly claim to follow in any great detail. But this opera is such a feast for the eyes and ears that as long as you get the general gist of the story, then that hardly matters. Albarn is suspended above the stage for most of the time, conducting and leading proceedings with an impressive collection of musicians playing a combination of world and early music. Mixed with an orchestra in the pits below and it is truly a cacophony of wonderful sounds.

There is a lot of very impressive and original scene changing, and wonderful singing and dancing. Dee’s tale is a tragic one, and this story is not for those wanting either easy viewing or a happy ending. But it is a triumph for Damon Albarn, who much to my relief, managed to balance perfectly on his precarious platform above the stage, and in this production achieved a wonderful spectacle balanced with beautiful music, and a very interesting tale. This is a great evening’s entertainment, and a great start to what will hopefully again be a wonderful celebration in, and of, Manchester.

Theatre - As You Like It - Royal Exchange

Star rating – 9/10

The Royal Exchange goes for a stripped down, bare stage look for its latest Shakespearean venture for the comedy ‘As You Like It’. But this production is a rich one, with beautiful music and singing, and the sounds of the forest of Arden being cleverly conveyed without the need for elaborate scenery or props.

This play has some of the Bard’s favourite elements of brotherly hatred, a bit of cross dressing, mistaken identity, and comic musings of a philosophical bent. And of course a healthy dose of romance – this time it is principally between Rosalind, an ill treated duke’s daughter forced to flee her uncle’s palace with her true friend Celia for the forest; and Orlando, an ill treated duke’s son who is forced by his wicked brother to flee his home for the forest with his trusty old servant Adam – you get the picture.

Cush Jumbo is impressive as Rosalind, which is quite a demanding role as she plays both female and male versions of the character. She seems to have grown as an actor since playing Eliza Doolittle here in 2010’s Pygmalion. Then she was good, but in this production she is great. Orlando, her love at first sight beau is played by Ben Batt, who with his beautiful cheekbones and gruff Northern charm, is perfect.

It is one of those Shakespeare plays that is bursting with magical prose and famous lines that cannot fail to delight. And it is very, very funny, with the principal hilarity provided by the jester Touchstone, with Ian Bartholomew showing the Exchange audience again what a great comic actor he is. He last shone here as Alfred Doolittle in Pygmalion and is if anything even more sparkling here. One of the army of forest dwellers, the sentimental and philosophical Jaques is the other stand out comic role in the play, and it is played for every laugh going by James Clyde. He is an absolute star and plays the role in a humorous, washed up, rock and roll kind of way before flouncing off to his cave.

It’s not a short play, but it fizzes by in this great production by Greg Hersov. There are some very nice original touches, such as the playboy asses’ ears and bunny girls to convey the debauchery of the Duke’s palace, if slightly controversial for Shakespeare purists like my mother. I’m not a purist though – just after a great night at the theatre – and this is absolutely it.