Unicorns and multiple Madonnas

Unicorn at the Garrick Theatre 

This new play by Mike Bartlett , has a fabulous cast with Nicola Walker (Polly) Stephen Mangan (Nick) and Erin Doherty (Kate) and all three actors are excellent.  I really enjoyed the first half which sets the scene of a tired marriage potentially being enlivened by becoming a throuple when Polly finds the ‘unicorn’, that person who might become the third leg to stabilise this relationship.  This is a wordy play, lots of graphic language, getting lots of laughs out of middle class awkwardness about sex, generation gaps, aging, midlife, and masculinity.  I found the relationships that develop between the three characters believable, and the ethical debates and implications of the situation, trying to find a way to live differently from social norms and without shame, really engaging.  I was really  invested in finding out how things would go.

In the second half I was looking forward to teasing out more about how this relationship would (or wouldn't) work.  Things got a bit messier though as we got a few big plot points to hit us and move the story along.and the play dug much more into the idea that couples or the nuclear family are not enough to survive in today and tomorrow's difficult world, and that there is value in finding new ways of living rather than stick to old patterns.  But it felt to me that Bartlett was trying to do a bit too much in the end, particularly with the speeches about the existential crapness of the world today, however true that may be. This was really strong when it focused on the relationships, but wandered off in too many directions and got too bitty to be really satisfying in the end.  Having said that, the ideas sitting behind this were really worth airing, and this is definitely worth seeing.  It’s funny for one thing, but in particular the performances which are great - I will never turn down an opportunity to see Nicola Walker or Stephen Mangan on stage, and Erin Doherty was a surprising treat too. 

Siena exhibition at the National Gallery

Earlier in the day we went to see the new exhibition at the National Gallery, focusing on works from Siena in the early 1300's.  It was very crowded, and there were far too many 'Madonna with Child' works for my liking, but apart from that it was really interesting to look at the various art being created in this formative time and place.  

Although I have all sorts of ethical objections to ivory, this tiny piece (left) was one of my favourites. No more than 20 x 30cm in total, delicate, intricate and truly gorgeous.  

In close up (below) just look at the smile Mary is giving to the baby, carved beautifully, even though it is no bigger than 1mm across!

But the thing I liked best was this painting by Simone Martini of a stroppy teenage Jesus being told off by his parents after sneaking off to talk to the elders in the temple.  Some things never change.