Clive Davis

As Small Island returns to the stage. I've written about how Andrea Levy's saga mirrors some of my own family history. thetimes.com/article/9b8856…

The release of "The Long Good Friday" (1980) was delayed due to political fears. Having been made in 1979 for £900,000 with backing from Black Lion, a subsidiary of Lew Grade’s ITC Entertainment behemoth, the film hit festivals in 1980, but was delayed when Grade and others balked. There were concerns that the IRA might blow up cinemas that screened it, and another version was prepared with the Irish references and violence heavily excised. Additionally, out of fear that Americans wouldn't understand Bob Hoskins' accent in "The Long Good Friday" (1980) & as they thought Brummie accent would be better, an actor from Wolverhampton had dubbed Bob Hoskins' lines in the movie. Hoskins was incandescent when he found out about it. Hoskins and others members of the crew threatened to sue. A great list of people including Richard Burton, Alec Guinness, and Warren Beatty were ready to stand as expert witnesses. According to John Mackenzie, Grade organisation feared the bad publicity and didn't want to annoy establishment figures like Guinness. So they agreed to sell it to Handmade Films. Because of this fiasco, the released of the film was delayed well over a year. ("Hanging around in the hood: the legacy of The Long Good Friday", The Guardian, 2000 & "The uncanny predictions of The Long Good Friday", Lou Thomas, BFI, 2015) P.S: On this day, 46 years ago, "The Long Good Friday" (1980) premiered in Cannes, France.

Regent's Canal #Sunday

Anyone who was working at a liberal media organisation between 2016 - 2022 and claims not to recognise everything in this is lying. Fantastic and important piece by @RobBurl with receipts and on the record interviews

The muscular tension of the boxers in George Bellows's 'Club Night,' gives it an unexpected modernity, painted as it was in 1907, six years before the famous Armory Show which brought cubism and post-impressionism to a bewildered New York public.

My cousin Kerry, pioneering Lioness, gets her well-deserved gong.

Why Luther’s lute may have determined the direction of Western music. Key Changes: @BBCRadio3's Essential History of Classical Music with @GillianMoore10 & @MichaelWoodMV Ep 7 Why should the devil have all the best tunes? 1pm Sat 16 or listen @BBCSounds bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00…

Ofcom has announced that it has secured commitments from X to begin to abide by its legal duties to remove unlawful content + hate on this platform

On Southwark Bridge.

Waiting for Mother Courage @The_Globe

Hard to get away from Elon. This is in the Mahama refugee camp on the Rwanda-Tanzania border

Bunhill Fields, EC1 #Friday

This looks promising... A tribute to the great Cesaria Evora at @BarbicanCentre on June 13. I hope this song is on the set list: youtu.be/ygnsqR0IKdU?si…

Waiting for Stage Kiss @Hamps_Theatre

Regent's Canal #Thursday

British politics.

@R8Erb Freezing!

Lovely setting @CliveDavisUK enjoy the show 👍👍

The only way to celebrate a day like this is with plenty of music. Happy birthday, Stevie Wonder!

Waiting for Sherlock Holmes @OpenAirTheatre (The rain has stopped...)

I wonder how many Americans know this. I wonder how many, if they knew, would care.

Gary Oldman is a fine actor, so it's no wonder that Krapp's Last Tape is the hottest ticket in town, but this Royal Court double-bill is for Beckett diehards only. thetimes.com/article/339b60…