Margaret Thatcher the Great

An old woman of 87 died today following a stroke. Millions of other old women also died today. Let's put the death of Margaret Thatcher into context.

Yes, she was the Prime Minister of Britain from 1979 to 1990. Yes, she was Britain's first, and to date, only female leader. Yes, she was the 'Iron Lady' and all that.

But did she really change Britain for the better? Was she really Britain's 'greatest peacetime leader' as current Prime Minister David Cameron said today?

Whilst the global media machine sucks all intelligent analysis out of this story and honorable members of the Establishment eulogize Thatcher to death, let's take off the rose-tinted spectacles.

The roots of today's financial crisis can be traced by to her deregulation of banking in the City of London.

Her draconian crack-down on the miners' strike of 1984 undermined the political power of ordinary people.

Privatisation is no great success story. Just travel by train in the UK and find out for yourself.

Would Britain today be so precariously perched on the edge of Europe without Thatcher?

Her record on human rights is tainted: she opposed sanctions against apartheid South Africa and was an admirer of Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet.

Finally, just like her successors Major, Blair, Brown and Cameron, she was certainly not a peacetime leader as the British military has been kept busy since Ireland and the Falklands, in the Gulf, Afghanistan and most recently Libya.

It is arguable that Prime Ministers David Lloyd George (1916-22) and Clement Attlee (1945-51) with their welfare policies, notably the National Health Service created under the latter, did far more for the basic needs of the British people than Thatcher. (Whilst Churchill was clearly in a class of his own!)

So when you watch the BBC tonight and witness the blind celebration of a 'national icon', with mere lip-service to what a charmingly controversial figure she was, spare a thought for what Thatcher really was about and what she really did for the people of Britain.

Paint It Black

Dark Romanticism - From Goya to Max Ernst

The Städel Museum, Frankfurt Main:  until 20 January 2013
Musée d’Orsay, Paris:  04 March until 09 June 2013

The exhibition 'Dark Romanticism' is a treasure trove of ghoulish art which is sure to leave even the most well-heeled gallery goer slightly unhinged.

If you are familiar with Gothic literature, such as Mary Shelley's ‘Frankenstein’ or the tales of Edgar Allen Poe, then you will be in a good position to appreciate the major themes of the exhibition: the supernatural, death and horror.

As scientific and social progress faltered with the descent of the French Revolution into unadulterated violence, artists began exploring irrational elements of human nature. Therefore the major part of the exhibition is rooted in 19th century European art.

It begins with Johann Heinrich Fuseli’s painting ‘The Nightmare’ (1802). A woman is hounded by a demon and a vacant-eyed horse in her sleep. This evolves into Franz Stuck’s ‘The Sin’ (1893). A dark-haired nude stares from the picture, as an evil green viper hisses at us from her shoulder.

Spanish artist Goya features strongly. Despite sketches of dismemberment and rape, there remains a dreamlike quality in all his work which renders it immediately accessible and intriguing. Another highlight is the set of little black pen-and-ink wash pieces by none other than French writer Victor Hugo. His impressionistic doodles are a delight to behold and it is amazing that he considered his artwork to be a mere hobby.

Clips from early black and white horror films embellish the overall gothic mood. Nosferatu, Frankenstein and Dracula are all there along with some more esoteric footage. Not to be missed.

Arguably the curators have tried too hard to extrapolate dark romanticism into the later 20th century. Instead of showing Dali and Hitchcock, a room exploring the massive influence of gothic literature would have added an important dimension to the otherwise comprehensive show.

'The Nightmare' (1802)

'Sweet Charity'

English Theatre, Frankfurt am Main

Running until 17 February 2013

Tickets from 29 Euros, various concessions

'Sweet Charity' is a real feel-good musical with laugh-out-loud scenes aplenty. This slick production recreates the swinging dance halls of sixties New York. We follow the fortunes of happy-go-lucky dance hostess Charity Hope Valentine.

Kate Millest dazzles in the role, like a little whirling fireball she sings, quips and flips through the piece. Cast amongst an ensemble of long-legged and somewhat jaded dance hall vixens, she stands out as a plucky little fighter who never gives up hope of finding a better life.

Mostly, this involves finding the man of her dreams to whisk her away into happily married life. Unfortunately, she often ends up with the wrong type of guy.

Ian Virgo plays each of Charity's consecutive boyfriends: hipster Charlie, pony-tailed movie star Vittorio Vidal and geeky Oscar Lindquist. As the stars of the show Virgo and Millest dominate the stage with their dynamic characters and delight with their numerous one-on-one scenes.

The highlight for this reviewer was when Charity and Vittorio banter and flirt in his penthouse bedroom as Vittorio's outrageous Italian accent only heightens the pathos when he repeats his famous movie line 'Without love, life has no meaning.' For her part, Charity has her own motto when people ask her why she is a dance hall hostess: 'fickle finger of fate' and the two of them fool around with this seductive little refrain. Her verbal armoury also includes 'Up Yours!' for any wiseguy punter who crosses her path. The scene reaches farcical proportions when Vittorio's angry mistress, Ursula, barges into the room and Charity is bundled into the closet.

The supporting cast are excellent and dance, rock and sing their way through numbers such as 'Hey, Big Spender' with aplomb.

Indeed, the musical lives up to the reputation of the theatre which has also put on hit productions of 'The Full Monty', 'Hair' and 'The Who's Tommy' (all by the same director as 'Sweet Charity' - Ryan McBryde). In some ways, such professional Broadway-like shows would be deserving of a bigger theatre. A packed house night after night, may suggest the need to expand above the 300-seat capacity. If the theatre's current success continues, this will become a necessity. Then the live band would not have to be hidden out of sight as is the norm.

But then again, who would want to miss an intimate evening of fun and games with Sweet Charity?

Marxist Historian: Eric Hobsbawm (1917-2012)

It was interesting to read the different reactions to the death of Marxist historian Eric Hobsbawm last week.

Reaching the grand old age of 95, he was quite a piece of history himself.

Although he reached world-renown for his Age Of... trilogy which chronicled 20th century Europe, he drew vehement criticism from many for remaining a supporter of communism long after the atrocities of the Soviet system had been exposed.

Unlike many of the obits, economic historian Roderick Floud's piece takes an objective historical view, using evidence from Hobsbawm's autobiography 'Interesting Times' published in 2003.

Floud argues that Hobsbawm's commitment to communism was forged in the very age of extremes that he would later historicize. Born in Egypt to Jewish parents he later moved to Vienna and then Berlin with his family, before fleeing to London. He joined the Communists in Berlin in 1932.

Floud quotes Hobsbawm's autobiography: "We were not liberals. Liberalism was what had failed. In the total war we were engaged in, one did not ask oneself whether there should be a limit to the sacrifices imposed on others any more than on ourselves. Since we were not in power, or likely to be, what we expected was to be prisoners rather than jailers."

This die-hard commitment to a utopian ideal, brought with it comradeship and meaning to a world descending into Nazism and war. It was not an ideal Hobsbawm was ever willing to turn his back on. Although the quote seems to resonate with the oppositional activism of today's occupy activists and anti-austerity protesters, a unifying ideology of sacrifice is strikingly absent from this social movement. The 'age of ideology' may well and truly be over.

Most activists today just want a piece of the pie, and they want it now! In this climate of selfish griping, we would do well to re-read Hobsbawm's work on the hardworking lives of ordinary men and women who somehow rode the tide of industrialisation with their principles and pride intact.

'Breaking the Code' at The English Theatre in Frankfurt

You probably haven't heard of Alan Turing. His name has not made it into the bastion of scientific household names such as Newton or Einstein. Never mind the fact that his genius was of equal stature to these great men. Never mind the fact that he conceived modern computers and artificial intelligence in the 1930s. Never mind the fact that without him the Allies may very well have lost the Second World War. All these great feats were buried by the British Establishment for the fact that he was a homosexual.

The play 'Breaking the Code' (1986) by Hugh Whitemore is a stunningly poignant portrayal of the personal and professional life of Alan Turing. Based on the critically acclaimed biography (1983) by Andrew Hodges, the play seamlessly manages to combine historical accuracy with drama, humour and even lofty mathematical thinking.

In the centenary year of Turing's birth, the English Theatre in Frankfurt am Main is staging a magnificent production of the piece running until 27 October.

The panache and charisma with which Stephen Fewell plays Turing infuses the whole play with bittersweet emotion. Whether portraying the schoolboy who is embarrassed by his mollycoddling mother, the professor giving a talk at his old school, or the man pursuing relations with other men, Fewell performs the character with charm and loveability. Given that he never leaves the sparse stage-set, his acting energy and stamina are crucial to the overall success of the two-hour play.

The plot jumps back and forth in time and gives the pulsating drama only more interest and intensity. In the beginning we see Turing reporting a minor burglary to police inspector Ross. With no apparent irony, Turing says that he believes the burglar is a man called 'George'. During his account, his terrible nervous tic-like stammer startles the dependable policemen who smells something fishy and starts to dig a little deeper into the case.

Later we see Turing being interviewed by the head of Bletchley Park's codebreaking unit. Dillwyn Knox is unable to follow all of Turing's avant garde thinking - he is obsessed by the question of whether a mind can exist without a body - but Knox recognizes his brilliance and hires him to help break the Nazi's impenetrable Enigma Code.

However, most of the play's action takes place around 1952 long after Turing's monumental wartime achievement. He is working at Manchester University and picking up men in the local pub on the side. When he reports the burglary to the police, he unleashes a tragic chain of events which expose the immense cruelty and hypocrisy of a society which punishes homosexuality as a crime.

As a man of great principle, Turing could no more live a lie than accept a mathematical theory he had proved to be false. When necessary, he would stammeringly admit to being a homosexual - first to a brilliant female scientist at Bletchley who declares her love for him and later, before the trial, even to his mother. Unlike other homosexuals at the time who married and had children to keep up appearances, Turing was true to himself and defied social convention.

Whilst some will see Turing as naive, this performance renders him courageous in his pursuit of truth at all costs. One thing is sure: after seeing 'Breaking the Code' the name of Alan Turing will stay with you for a very long time indeed.

(More links to be added later)

World Population Day 2012

Like many of the United Nation's annual special 'days' with names such as Earth, Water, Youth and Cancer, on World Population Day what is the average Joe supposed to do?

Certain environmental doomsday extremists probably advocate mass suicides or at the very least mass castrations, in order to ease the burden of 7 billion humans on our exhausted planet.

But if you don't feel like taking part in that, what should you do? Well, the UN wants us to reflect on 'Population' and raise our awareness of it. OK, we know there are a lot of other human beings around us, all consuming to a greater or lesser extent than ourselves, and most of them we find down right annoying, but can we really limit their right to exist?

Why is it that UN initiatives, say environmental goals, always sound so good, but inevitably run into trouble when one pauses to consider their implications for universal human rights?

Well, this year's population theme, does seem to make a lot of sense: Universal Access to Reproductive Health Services.

According to the UN: "Some 222 million women who would like to avoid or delay pregnancy lack access to effective family planning. Nearly 800 women die every day in the process of giving life."

So providing the education and equipment necessary for effective family planning aims to support women's rights and reduce the burden of unwanted pregnancies.

So whilst a one-child policy may appear to have the world's best interests at heart, there are other ways to limit population growth, which support human rights at the same time.

Little Mole's Legacy

In November last year, Zdeněk Miler the creator of Czech cartoon character Krtek (Little Mole) passed away at the age of 90. His little red-nosed creation with the easy smile charmed television audiences across much of Europe and Asia. Now Miler's 21-year-old granddaughter plans to market the mole for tablets and smartphones. Why bother?

Little Mole is hardly in the same vein as the crazily popular Angry Birds game. In fact in over 40 episodes Little Mole never loses his temper or has a bad word for anyone. (True, he doesn't speak, but instead makes do with shrill bursts of laughter and friendly mutterings.)

Little Mole on an Ipad may introduce him to a new generation, but won't some of his original innocence be lost? After all, he never caught on in the USA where the show's unashamed celebration of nature was totally lost on an audience more used to Disney's cheap gags and slapstick set ups like in Donald Duck and Tom and Jerry (merely a milder version of Itchy and Scratchy).

Any traveller who has passed through Vaclav Havel Airport will know that there is already an amazing amount of Krtek merchandise from stuffed toys of various sizes, bags, stationary and even books (do people still read on paper?!). So launching various mole apps and ebooks merely continues the trend. But very soon the original artistic idea is totally buried under a pile of digital detritus.

From the very first episode 'How the Mole Got His Trousers' (1957) creativity and flights of fancy offered viewers relief from a life governed by perpetual bureaucracy. Little Mole gets help from his friends: a frog soaks the material, spiders spin the yarn, ants weave the cloth and a crayfish cuts the fabric to measure.

Miler said he got the idea for the character when he stumbled over a mole hill whilst walking in the woods. The most likely thing a young man of today will stumble into, as he is reading his Ipad, is a lamp post. Sadly, the Little Lamp Post is an unlikely candidate for a world famous cartoon character. But considering the state of pop culture these days, you never know...

Links:

The Wall Street Journal, 'Czech Cartoon Goes Digital Through iPad Apps, E-Books'

The New York Times, 'Zdenek Miler, Creator of Krtek the Mole, Dies at 90'

Krtek ve Městě (The Mole in the City) 1982 on youtube - a heartrending tale of deforestation