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David Aaronovitch’s conversation with BBC journalist Peter Taylor turned out to be a fascinating account both of his work as an investigative journalist and the terrorists he has interviewed. Taylor gave particular insight into the Northern Ireland conflict and Martin McGuiness, whom he has known for nearly 40 years. He has clearly managed to walk the difficult line of trying to understand terrorists and their motivation without condoning their methods. They discussed what terrorism is, the differences between the IRA and al-Qaeda and the transition from terrorist to statesman. Taylor also highlighted the importance of building up trust over the long term and reporting conversations accurately. In this era of the celebrity kiss-and-tell, it was good to be reminded that real journalism still exists.

Corn Exchange, Brighton Dome 10 May
Rating:
Jenni Davidson

There is a clear uncluttered beauty to this energetic Australian troupe of performers. The athleticism and the skills are undeniable, but the deadpan delivery elevates the experience beyond the usual cliches of physical theatre and contemporary circus. Breathtaking feats are balanced with gentle humour, the lighting is effectively simplistic, the costumes plain and the lack of set, excepting for an occasional rope or hoop, allows their masterful use of their bodies within space and the extension of physical endurance to be the real core of this and as a consequence the star of the show. Ensembles don’t get much more thrilling than this.

The Theatre Royal, 10 May
Rating:
Andrew Kay

Five performances for an audience of five. It’s intimate, really intimate and it’s about intimacy too. Not for everyone perhaps but I loved this confrontational group of works that will no doubt court controversy in the weeks to come. To talk of the content would be to destroy the work on every level. What I will say is that the intellectual content far outweighs the visual. 5×5 is a cohesive group of ideas that works well enough, but I did crave some more visual poetry. Last year’s one-on-one Basement experience was visually more satisfying but only Adrian Howell’s Foot Washing back then had the depth of this years work. All that said, I enjoyed a great deal of this, the harmony singing, the humour and the brazen cheek and I left feeling charged and stimulated.

The Basement, 10 May
Rating:
Andrew Kay

Lucy Crowe soprano, Andrew Staples tenor accompanied by Malcolm Martineau at the piano gave a sparkling evening of song in the beautiful Music Room at the Royal Pavilion. Billed as a celebration of Schubert and Beethoven it soon became apparent that seven early songs by Alban Berg and a cycle by Richard Strauss would be the works that really won my attention, hauntingly beautiful. But the real star of the evening has to be the intense sense of musicality that bonds these three performers on the platform. They work so well together that one could almost believe they are governed by some psychic force. The singers of course are to the fore but without Martineau the evening would have been a far less exciting event, his playing is sensational.

The Music Room, Royal Pavilion, Brighton Dome, 9 May
Rating:
Andrew Kay