Arty New Year!



Well, it's 2015!  My Christmas decorations are coming down, which is very sad, but there are lots of things to look forward to in the new year.  Of course, no one can predict the future, but these are some of the arts and history things I'm looking forward to this year:

1. A glut of costume dramas exploding onto my TV as the new year kicks off.  The Musketeers, Grand Hotel, Foyle's War and Mr Selfridge, to name but four I know of.
2. Watching my two Christmas gift DVDs that I haven't yet seen: the new La Belle et la Bête and Jack and the Cuckoo-Clock Heart.
3. Going to the Sam Wannamaker Playhouse in London to see Farinelli and the King in February.  Not only is the play about my all-time 18th-century icon and the subject of one of my most popular blogs, but it's in a theatre I've been dying to see, and stars Iestyn Davies, one of my favourite countertenor singers.
4. The Manga Jiman Competition exhibition at the Embassy of Japan.  My daughter is involved in that one, so it will be particularly special.
5. The eagerly anticipated TV drama of Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell in spring.  This is my favourite book, so I'm kind of dreading it too, but hopefully it will be good and do the book justice.
6. The centenary of Waterloo on 18th of June. Waterloo features in Jonathan Strange. And Sharpe.  And Vanity Fair...
7. Fool's Quest, the next book in the Fitz and the Fool trilogy, following the cliffhanger at the end of Fool's Assassin.  What will happen to poor little Bee?

I'm sure there'll be lots of other things, but that's enough to get us started.  Hopefully, I will post reviews of most of these either here or on Silver Petticoat Review (see side panel for link).  Have an arty new year!
Location: Clayton Clayton

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