Entangled Pasts, 1768–now: Art, Colonialism and Change ★★★★ Royal Academy | Feb 3 - Apr 28, 2024


In the courtyard of Burlington House, Tavares Strachan's impressive sculpture, "The First Supper (Galaxy Black)" (2023) brilliantly announces this thought-provoking exhibition. It is an extraordinary work that provides the perfect introduction to what proves to be a moving meditation on imperial history. Entangled Pasts, 1768–now addresses some formidable and complex issues looking at race, colonialism, immigration and slavery. These subjects are viewed through a variety of lenses: chronology, a dialogue between works past and present, and the perspective of the Royal Academy's own history. Through ten galleries, the subjects are traced via three themes "Sites of Power," "Beauty & Difference" and "Crossing Waters." For the viewer the challenge is coping with the very scope of this show. The subject matter runs from the slave trade in the Caribbean through the colonial exploitation of India, and the timeline extends from the 18th century to the present day. It is almost too much to take in. Personally, we focussed on the fascinating contrasts set up between contemporary works and historical models. For us, the comparison of Kehinde Wiley's "Portrait of Kujuan Buggie" (2024) with Joshua Reynold's "Portrait of a Man" (c. 1770) set up a juxtaposition that reverberated throughout the show. Another challenge here is that so many works merit individual consideration. While they are enriched by the complicated contexts that are being set up, they can also seem overwhelmed by them. Our caveat for this exhibition is to give yourself lots of time and, perhaps, to consider making repeat visits as you seek to disentangle the subtly interwoven fabric of artistic reflections on British imperial history.

Rated: ★★★★

Reviewed by J.C.
Image: Installation view of the ‘Navigation Charts’ exhibition at Spike Island, Bristol, 2017, showing Lubaina Himid RA, Naming the Money, 2004. © Lubaina Himid. Image courtesy the artist, Hollybush Gardens, London and National Museums, Liverpool. © Spike Island, Bristol. Photo: Stuart Whipps

When, Where, Getting there:
Map & Location: Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BD, UK

Most Popular

Les Liaisons Dangereuses ★★★ National Theatre | Mar 21 - Jun 6, 2026

Image
Spoilt, rich people whose sole occupation is scheming to destroy the lives of the naïve and gullible. No, this is not a dramatised version of the Epstein files. Pierre Choderlos de Laclos’ eighteenth-century epistolary novel, depicting amoral aristocrats on the brink of the French Revolution, has inspired many incarnations, yet it continues to shock and, at times, to delight. Christopher Hampton’s stage adaptation, first presented in 1985, streamlines the narrative, focusing on the rivalry and tangled emotional connection between the two master manipulators: the Marquise de Merteuil, played by Lesley Manville, and the Vicomte de Valmont, portrayed by Aidan Turner. Together they engage in a vicious game, with Valmont attempting to seduce both the innocent Cécile de Volanges and the devout Madame de Tourvel. It is wickedly entertaining material, and it proves just as intriguing in this context as it does in the well-known teen film, Cruel Intentions . There are, however, some issues with...
Full Details »

St. Martin in-the-fields: Lunchtime Concerts ★★★★ FREE

Image
Maybe the best musical value in London. The lunchtime concerts at St. Martin's are always a wonderful way to escape the hustle and bustle that is London and the sensory overload that is Trafalgar Square. This is a beautiful setting with great acoustics, and a church pew hard enough to make sure you don't nod off. Reviewed by J.C.  Our score:    ☆☆☆☆  WHEN, WHERE, GETTING THERE: Mon & Fri: 1 pm - 1:45 pm ( occasionally Tues & Thurs)  St. Martin in-the-fields, Trafalgar Square Nearest tube: Charing Cross https://www.stmartin-in-the-fields.org/whats-on
Full Details »

Emmeline: The Suffragette Movement ★★★★★ The Cockpit | November 3 - 14, 2021

Image
Emmeline is Beatrice Hyde's confidently written debut play about the Suffragette movement and the family at its heart – the Pankhursts. The writing goes behind the usual well rehearsed stories and delves into the lives of a mother and her daughters. Georgie Rhys uses her superb voice to dominate proceedings as Emmeline. This is a tortured woman dedicated to her cause but also striving to be a caring parent. The large cast also features strong performances by Charlie Hansen as Sylvia and Lily-Fleur Bradbury as Christabel. However, it is the actual presentation of the play which is truly remarkable. Time and again, there are incredible visual moments as director, Anastasia Revi, creates breathtaking images, including a stunning depiction of a protest where the campaigners are brutally beaten by the police. The women are then imprisoned: the metaphor of placing their heads in bird cages struck us as a simple but inspired idea. The force feeding of one woman is terrifyingly realistic ...
Full Details »

Power of Sail – A Moral Thriller ★★★★ Menier Chocolate Factory | Mar 20 - May 12, 2024

Image
The bon mot that academic politics are so vicious precisely because the stakes are so small has various attributions, and its history of apparently being "borrowed" is not without some irony. Set in the context of a debate about free speech, Paul Grellong has written a piece that is less a moral thriller and more of a satire. It is really about the pettiness and lack of principle involved in navigating one's way through the choppy seas of academia. The play doesn't really do much to advance the debate about finding the line between hate speech and free speech, but it is a clinical dissection of the mendacity and petty ambition that infects the environment of those who are supposedly charged with exploring and refining that important distinction. Apparently under the rubric of free speech, Harvard professor Charles Nichols (Julian Ovenden) has invited a well-known white supremacist to participate in a panel at the university. The students are outraged and the dean is ...
Full Details »

Lost Origin, Hoxton Docks ★★★★★ | Nov 21 - Dec 4, 2021

Image
So, there's this evil distributor of forbidden goods on the dark web and we've got to stop him! Lost Origin is a novel experience for a group of friends or a family outing. Working together, teams of six sneak into a warehouse and take on what appears to be the daunting challenge of catching the bad guy, but it turns out there may be darker forces at work – perhaps, a supernatural element to this quest. It's all a fun-filled change from the usual movie night or pub get-together. Lost Origin offers a great mixture of interactive role playing and an enhanced virtual reality experience known as mixed and augmented reality that is utterly captivating. The Magic Leap One device completely lived up to its billing and provided an unforgettable opportunity to savour the wonders of this new technology. For us, it was also nice that this aspect of the experience was allowed to delight and enthral, without being lessened by any attempts to shock or horrify participants with jumpscar...
Full Details »

Sweetmeats ★★★ Bush Theatre | Feb 7 - Mar 21, 2026

Image
When two South Asian elders meet at a diabetes management course, romance is the last thing on the agenda. Yet in Karim Khan’s charming romantic comedy, love proves to be the sweetest item on offer. Diabetes becomes more than a medical condition. It serves as a metaphor for grief, while food stands in for the affection missing from the lives of Hema and Liaquat, both widowed and unsure whether love can return. Hema has created a combative persona, fortifying herself against further hurt. Liaquat, by contrast, is burdened by regret, haunted by feelings he never voiced. They bond over their shared weakness for sweets and the resultant diabetes, but their differences are pronounced. She is Indian and he is Pakistani. Even so, what unites them gradually outweighs what divides them. The political message is clear without being laboured. Performed by Shobu Kapoor and Rehan Sheikh, Hema and Liaquat are instantly recognisable and deeply sympathetic. We root for them to take the risk and find h...
Full Details »

ABBA Voyage ★★★★★ ABBA Arena, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park | Extended Run

Image
When great music from the past meets mind boggling technology from the future, the result is ABBA Voyage . This is a concert like no other. In a purpose built arena designed specifically for the show, massive high resolution LED screens, advanced lighting, and surround sound are used to create a fully immersive ABBA concert experience. Although the group’s last appearance in London was at Wembley Arena in 1979, they return technologically in this extraordinary production. These are not holograms or AI generated performances. This is a meticulously animated concert based on real performances by the band themselves. To achieve this effect, the group came together and re-performed their music using motion capture technology. They partnered with top visual effects experts to digitally recreate their younger selves. While the show includes a live band and backup singers, the Agnetha, Björn, Benny, and Anni-Frid seen on stage appear every bit as real as their original counterparts. One quick...
Full Details »

The Rivals ★★★ Orange Tree Theatre | Until January 24, 2026

Image
This latest version of The Rivals is one part Richard Brinsley Sheridan and his eighteenth-century social satire, one part P. G. Wodehouse and the Roaring Twenties, plus a dash of topical humour such as references to the television series Survivor . It is not a mocktail that will be to everyone's taste, but it is clearly a labour of love for director Tom Littler. This attempt to reimagine Sheridan’s comedy of manners and modernise its references frequently succeeds, yet it also produces some awkward moments. Elements such as the anachronism of a duel set in the 1920s or the unnecessary aside about nudity in a bathroom scene are jarring and forced. Indeed, too often, the drive to provoke laughter at any cost appears to dominate the production, resulting in moments that feel strained and tonally uneven. This approach undermines the original and intelligent concept of relocating Sheridan’s play to a period whose literature was often similarly dismissed as superficial but which was al...
Full Details »

White Christmas ★★★★ The Mill at Sonning | Nov 27, 2024 - Jan 25, 2025

Image
It's official! Christmas is here. With a traditional buffet meal and their always enjoyable holiday show, The Mill at Sonning has kicked off the season! White Christmas with its satisfyingly predictable story is all about the music and the dancing, and Director Jonathan O'Boyle does a brilliant job of taking a small stage and capturing the essence of a big film musical. The tale of two GIs who, following the war, become a famous double act, and who then team up with a pair of singing sisters to put on a show which will save the Vermont inn owned by their former commander, is as sweet as maple syrup. It certainly takes us back to a simpler, more optimistic time in America, and there's not a hint of irony anywhere. In this iteration of the classic, the cast dance up a storm with some terrific choreography from Gary Lloyd, and celebrate Irving Berlin's great song classics such as "White Christmas," "Blue Skies" and "Count Your Blessings." The...
Full Details »

Hawaiʻi: a kingdom crossing oceans ★★★★ The British Museum | Jan 15 - May 25, 2026

Image
This small yet thoughtful exhibition explores the long-standing connections between two island nations. The relationship between Britain and Hawaiʻi dates back to Captain James Cook’s third voyage in 1778. He became the first European to document contact with the Pacific archipelago and that connection still resonates today, most visibly in the Hawaiian state flag (Ka Hae Hawaiʻi), which continues to display the Union Jack in its top-left corner. This display at the British Museum draws primarily on the museum’s own extensive collections, complemented by judicious loans from other institutions, including the Bishop Museum in Hawaiʻi. It is organised into three main sections: Laying a foundation, Allying kingdoms , and Reshaping relationships . The first section introduces visitors to Hawaiʻi's distinctive art, history, and cultural traditions. The second focuses on the 1824 visit of King Kamehameha II (also known as Liholiho) and Queen Kamāmalu to London, and on their tragic deaths...
Full Details »

The City Life Magazine | Reviews & Ratings