ODD TRUTHS: ROBBING THE SPIRITS OF WESTMINSTER ABBEY Not every magician was fortunate enough to get on the royal payroll in Stuart England. The unlucky ones often had to resort to subtle hustling to make a living; drifting from job to job, trading their magic for power and influence. A few of these spellcasters used the “Solomonic arts”…
It’s easy to get entranced by the masks of our September Fantast in Focus, Cyndy Salisbury, who in a way, sculpts the faces of gods and goddesses, using nothing but her imagination and a careful artistic technique. Her website, Art of The Mask is home to a pantheon of her creations. Cyndy is based in Bainbridge,…
Samuel Orange is an unique auteur and self-described alchemist with a deep and abiding interest in the unification and reciprocity of spirituality and art. His performance troupe, The Alchemic Order is behind The Picture of Dorian Gray, a theatrical reinterpretation of Oscar Wilde’s Victorian novel of the same name. The show, which takes place in a secret…
Last year, when I attended Punchdrunk Theatre’s The Drowned Man, I—like the other audience members—journeyed through the multi-level environs and voyeuristically watched the drama unfold with a mask reminiscent of Eyes Wide Shut. Victoria Snaith’s Father Dagon takes place in a much more intimate venue at the Rag Factory near Brick Lane and immediately drags…
FANTAST IN FOCUS: GAVIN-PRETOR PINNEY Gavin Pretor-Pinney’s Cloud Appreciation Society champions ephemerality and praises clouds as “nature’s poetry”. A sort of modern Henry David Thoreau, Pinney is the author of several bestsellers, including The Cloudspotter’s Guide, The Cloud Collector’s Handbook, and The Wavewatcher’s Companion. The Custodian: The Cloud Appreciation society offers great guidance on escaping the humdrum of society—so…
WHAT TO EXPECT: TALE OF TALES Matteo Garrone, the same director who made the graphic and telling Gomorrah crime film in 2008, is now hard at work on Tale of Tales, a fantasy film based on Giambattista Basile’s Pentamerone. Production is taking place in various locations around Italy, and the cast reportedly includes A-listers John…
FANTAST IN FOCUS: AL CUMMINS Eloquent, funny, and deeply wizard-like, Al Cummins is a historian of early modern magic and culture. Al’s research focuses on seventeenth-century English cultural approaches to the passions—thus his work falls within a relatively new academic field known as “emotion history”. When he’s not poring over dusty manuscripts, this University of Bristol doctor-elect moonlights…
Anthony Lewis is the multitalented adventurer extraordinaire behind The Lost Valley of London, a website which highlights London’s strange and fascinating history. He’s also an Exhibitions Assistant and tour guide with Shakespeare’s Globe and a voice over artist with over four years of experience. Recently I caught up with Anthony to talk about the Lost Valley…
The Age of the Baroque–one of the most creative periods in world history–began around 1600 and lasted until the mid 18th century. It was a passionate, transitional era which gave rise to mavericks like Vivaldi, Bach, Spinoza, and Descartes. Andrea Zuvich, also known as the 17th-century lady, is a historian, novelist, and former thespian who specialises…
I had a chat with Paul Green, a playright, poet, and bluesman. A former radio broadcaster, Paul has worked with the BBC and performed at venues such as Treadwell’s Bookshop, the Southbank Centre, and the Oxford Poetry Festival. Paul was also a lecturer in media at the Royal College for the Blind from 1995-2011. The…