The Plastic Bag Awards 2024

There might not have been any blog posts this year but that doesn't mean there haven't been any outings. It's that time of year again, the Baggies of 2024!

Theatre: Drama

The nominees this year include two old plays, two new plays and one old play that has been re-written:

Dear Octopus @ National Theatre
The Hills of California @ Harold Pinter Theatre
Here in America @ Orange Tree Theatre
A Tupperware of Ashes @ National Theatre
Ballet Shoes @ National Theatre

These are all strong contenders for the award and in a weaker year I would've included 'Nye' with Michael Sheen, again at the National Theatre. Considering I usually criticise what's put on at the National Theatre this was a good year for it with three nominations. It also has the winner of the Baggie with 'A Tupperware of Ashes', a play about dementia, with an astonishing performance from Meera Syal. 

Theatre: Musical

This hasn't been the strongest year for musical theatre and none of the new musicals I saw quite hit the mark. The nominees are:

Cable Street @ Southwark Playhouse
Just For One Day @ The Old Vic
Hello Dolly @ London Palladium
A Chorus Line @ Sadler's Wells
Oliver! @ Chichester Festival Theatre

'Cable Street' about the battle of Cable Street against the fascists and 'Just for One Day' that tells the story of Live Aid are included more for what they represent than the quality of the shows, but both have been brought back for second runs. The other nominees are revivals that I was looking forward to seeing but only one added the extra sparkle and that wins the award this year - 'A Chorus Line'. 

Theatre: Dance

Dance was a bit thin on the ground this year, with a few triple bills at the Royal Opera House and a few visits to Sadler's Wells. The nominees are:

Invocacion @ Sadler's Wells
MaddAddam @ Royal Opera House
Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake @ Sadler's Wells

Invocacion was the highlight of the flamenco festival and MaddAddam was the new work from Wayne McGreggor but what can surpass the story telling of Matthew Bourne? The Baggie goes to Swan Lake again!

Entertainment

An entertainment is a show that doesn't quite fit into any other category but deserves some attention and this year there are four nominees:

Bianca del Rio @ Hammersmith Appolo
Sondheim on Sondheim @ Alexandra Palace Theatre
Julian Ovenden in Concert @ Cadogan Hall
Avenue Q in Concert @ Sondheim Theatre

Bianca del Rio was, of course, disgusting and needlessly cruel and hilarious and this was her latest show that she's been touring the world with. The Sondheim show is a mix of songs and video pieces of Sondheim himself talking about his work led by Jenna Russell, with Julian giving a concert and the original cast of 'Avenue Q' reprising their roles from the original West End performances. The award goes to 'Avenue Q' for the happy memories and a reminder of what to do with a BA in English and what the internet is for. 

Film

I've seen more films this year - mainly old films - than I have for many years, so it's a mixed bunch of nominations:

Merchant Ivory @ British Film Institute
Tokyo Story @ British Film Institute
Twiggy @ Vue West End
The Room Next Door @ British Film Institute
Wicked @ The Barbican

Two new documentaries, two old films and one brand new film.  I loved the 'Merchant Ivory' documentary about the film-makers and the documentary about 'Twiggy' that served as a good reminder about how she's been involved in so much over the last 60 years. 'Tokyo Story' is a perfect tale of a changing Japan from Mr Ozu-san and the new one from Almodovar, but the Baggie goes to 'Wicked' and its high-flying witch, Cynthia Erivo. 

Exhibition

This was a good year for exhibitions with exhibitions ranging from Michelangelo's works on paper at the British Museum to Biba fashion and the Outlaws Fashion Renegades of the 1980s exhibitions at the Fashion and Textile Museum. Not everything can be nominated so here are the nominees:

Van Gogh: Poets and Lovers @ National Gallery

Monet and London @ Courtauld Gallery

Expressionists: Kandinsky, Munter and the Blue Rider @ Tate Modern

Vanessa Bell: A World of Form and Colour @ MK Gallery, Milton Keynes

Dora Carrington: Beyond Bloomsbury @ Pallant Gallery, Chichester

It's odd to think that all the nominees were working within a few decades of each other. The Van Gogh exhibition is beautiful and the Courtauld gave Monet the exhibition he always wanted but didn't achieve in his lifetime. The Expressionist exhibition was a great show of amazing works but the hanging could have been better and Vanessa Bell had her biggest ever solo exhibition. But the Baggie goes to Carrington for the marvellous exhibition and introducing me to so many of her delightful and thoughtful works that I'd never seen before. 

Congratulations to all the winners and here's looking forward to 2025!