It is often said that underground theatre thrives where there is state oppression. And, by all accounts, Russia is currently a country where oppression is rampant. Censorship, freedoms curtailed by draconian laws, a harsh penal system, widespread corruption, centralised power - altogether not a pretty picture. So when Russian performing arts came to London last…
Beyond words
Humankind has the luxury of language. But despite all the sophistication that words can offer, it is often images rather than language that touch our emotions. So, while the most eloquent description of a painting can leave a reader cold; standing staring at that selfsame picture can have the person in tears. And the effect…
Sole contender
Every Friday morning at 9.00am there is a race through the aisles of our Breton supermarket. Some hundred or so customers - young and old, alone or as couples - do the sixty metres dash from the shop entrance to the fish counter at the back of the store. There are a myriad routes, some contestants wriggle through…
From each according to his means…
Our house guest Dave was probably not expecting to have to make his own bed, quite literally by helping to assemble it himself, but the process and the end result was a fine example of collectivism and the division of labour to the benefit of all. A friend to whom I told the story, preferred…
All’s well that ends well
Near misses seem to be part of my life. Around six years ago it was cycling accident. It was raining and I drove into what looked like a shallow puddle. Minutes later, I found myself on my back with a passer-by asking questions, blood coming from my forehead, my crash helmet broken, the bike frame…
Tongue untied
It is said that the language we use influences the way we think and feel, and possibly even how our minds develop and decline. For those who are bilingual or more, it introduces all sorts of interesting dimensions. So when conversing, for example, there are choices to be made consciously or otherwise as to the language…
Snail mail
It was probably in the late 1980s that I became aware of the word 'openness'. That is, openness as it relates to governments and large organisations. It seems to me that it arrived from Russia in the form of Gorbachev's glasnost. Whatever its origins it was a concept, particularly as it related to drug companies,…
A view from abroad
Eventually, and perhaps begrudgingly, the media and the public here in France became aware of the Scottish referendum. Then, all of a sudden, their interest came with a rush. There is a tendency in France to ignore or negate issues that they see as of 'Anglo-Saxon' origin, but by early September the idea that the Scottish…
Signs of humour
Like most people, I love a good laugh. Indeed, when it comes to escaping the humdrum and lifting the spirits, laughter is probably as good a remedy as any. The butt of jokes is often a politician or a political event, or perhaps a social injustice. Whatever the target, for most of today's laughs we…
A novel experience
Throughout my adult life I have rarely read books - fiction or non-fiction - and since reading is standard fare amongst my friends, I have been very much an outsider. Then, suddenly last week, I found myself reading a book that I couldn't put down. There were times when I continued reading for hours.…
The Joe Collier Blog 