Ana Tomskaya | London Cult.

Ana Tomskaya

Theatre historian, journalist, art reviewer, writer, teacher, director, cartoonist.

Judgement, Mercy and the Invisible Child in Natalia Rubtsova’s Happy Families

Two actors at a table. A black backdrop. A lamp between them. In the London rehearsed reading of Natalia Rubtsova’s Happy Families (originally titled MGUshniki in Russian), the lamp appeared…

Culture

Letters from the Theatre

Behind the scenes at LOLAFF: ten films and the stories behind them, told by their creators

The first London Latino Film Festival (LoLaFF) has come to an end. For four days, London became a vibrant hub of film screenings, conversations with directors, masterclasses, an exhibition and,…

Culture

Letters from the Theatre

What a twist: Musicals in October

Autumn, they say, is depressing — but not in London. First of all, it is beautiful. And secondly, after a very relative summer lull, theatre life is exceptionally interesting again.…

Culture

Letters from the Theatre

Steven Kavuma: «Open your doors. And you’ll be surprised!»

Four boys find themselves in school isolation — a place where they are supposed to sit quietly, feel ashamed and think about their bad behaviour. Instead, they laugh, argue, dream…

Culture

Letters from the Theatre

Anatoly Weissman: «I’m One of Those People Who Aren’t Very Good at Laughing»

In Nathan, a production based on a text by Artur Solomonov, Anatoly Weissman’s character finds himself inside a world where absurdity has long ceased to be an artistic device and…

Culture

Letters from the Theatre

Andrey Bartenev: «Behind Every Artist Lies a Word from Heaven»

Andrey Bartenev first came to London in 1995 to take part in Alternative Miss World, the legendary pageant created by artist Andrew Logan, where conventional beauty gives way to imagination,…

Lifestyle People

Learning to See: Paul Smith’s World at Selfridges

On 7 September, a Paul Smith corner opened at Selfridges, where it will remain until 19 September. Although “corner” is perhaps too dry a word for a space that feels…

Culture

Letters from the Theatre

From Writers to Financiers: London Theatre in September

Summer has flown by — blink and you missed it. Scorching and relentless, it has finally given way to autumn rain, which means it is time to go back to…

People Culture

Letters from the Theatre

Anna-Ester Volozh: “You Can Teach a Thought Some Manners”

At the British Animation Film Festival, we had already encountered the world of Anna-Ester Volozh — her The Wedding Veil of the Proud Princess was one of those works that…

Culture

Letters from the Theatre