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Brian Eno’s seven-man orchestra of the future (Brian Eno, Karl Hyde, Leo Abrahams, Jon Hopkins, Chris Abrahams, Tony Buck, Lloyd Swanton) was truely fine tuned. With pieces improvised together, building themselves up like an abstract musical collage, the musicians moved as one delivering an organically grown concert that took us away from our surroundings and time. Pitched as a lecture with examples of music from the mid to late 21st century, with impromptu future historical facts thrown in by conductor Eno, picking a single musician that stood out would be like selecting a single drop of water from a wave in the ocean. The music slapped us, lulled us, enthralled us and tickled us. A brand new experience, listening to Brian Eno’s handpicked garage band jamming to take each other higher.
Concert Hall, Brighton Dome, 9 May
4/5
Victoria Nangle

In the current economic crisis, the government should concentrate on its responsibility to its own citizens – that was the motion of this Festival Debate. It’s a deeply complex but compelling topic: Does overseas aid even help? Would cutting aid amount to savings significant to the deficit? Doesn’t our humanity necessarily override the desire from strong markets? Do arguments for localisation get hijacked by special interest groups? And, in this increasingly culturally metastasising world, is there actually any difference between the local and global? These topics were all admirably handled by the panel although, perhaps rather tellingly, by the end both sides had criss-crossed arguments, contradicting themselves and agreeing with the other side, ultimately ending on the tangential but nevertheless hottest story of the moment – what should Nick Clegg do?
Corn Exchange, Brighton Dome, 8 May
Sarah Lewis
4/5

“It’s a bit like orienteering then?” asked an inquisitive dog walker we met tramping through the lesser-trodden pathways of Stamner Park. Well no – not really. As we tried to explain, it was more conceptual art with a rambler’s twist; a playful perambulation through wooded walkways with only photographic flick books as guidance. The joy of this site-specific piece was the alternate perspective viewing ordinary surroundings through somebody else’s eyes gives you. Obscure details and vistas ordinarily hidden from view – or simply overlooked in your quest to get from A to B – offered a quirky diversion to a conventional countryside stroll.
Stamner Park, until May 9
4/5
Karen Dugdale

Oh dear. Not, as the title suggested, an S&M wrestling match. What we had instead was a series of barely thought through and, at times, poorly executed, supposedly ‘outrageous’ sketches. The car sick, cuckolded driving instructor raised a smile, as did the two sock puppet routines but the Godot and nursery rhyme efforts should never have left the drawing board. They showed some promise with hints of necrophilia and other sexual peccadilloes but for the most part it was very much a sixth form review show. More Jerry Lewis than Jerry Sadowitz.
Three & Ten, 8 May
2/5
Steve Clements