Q3 2024

Hi folks.

If you’re receiving this – the first edition of Noah’s Culture Quarterly – it’s either because you: 1) Attended or donated to a performance of Lev of Leningrad in the past couple years, or 2) are a friend or colleague whom I believe will enjoy what I’m doing here.

What am I doing here?

Once a quarter I will make a cultural recommendation – film, television, occasionally theatre, maybe comedy, rarely books – and include a brief blurb about my choice.

I will also use this “newsletter” to keep you updated on any upcoming performances of my original work, and other (G-d willing) developments I have creatively.

For this first edition, a double feature of recommendations. One streaming, one local. 

Photo via Google images

An exceptional mini-series. It’s a spy thriller based on a 1993 novel by John le Carré.

I didn’t read the book, but I have watched this series twice. So I basically read it.

The show stars Tom Hiddleston at his most charming and an implacable Olivia Colman. It also showcases Hugh Laurie like you’ve never seen him, and features a delightfully devilish performance from Tom Hollander.

Some miniseries, even very good ones, can feel one or two episodes too long.

Not The Night Manager. Six tight episodes ensure your time watching is well spent. 

Not for the kids.

I attended this exhibit recently with my family and enjoyed it thoroughly.

I was particularly drawn to On a Balcony (pictured below), painted in 1878-79. The description (also below) describes the subject as “engrossed in the front page of the newspaper, this woman begins her day by reading the latest political and business news. Her intellectual engagement with these topics is mirrored in the hands that firmly grasp the paper”.

This seems, a stretch.

I admit on first inspection I missed the firm grasp.

Still, the firmity eludes me. Though perhaps I have not been gripping my reading materials firmly enough these many years.

And I don't see how we know it’s the front page she's reading. Or that the content is business and political news.

She's probably scanning the obituaries.

Description aside, a beautiful piece.

On view until September 8^th.

Branding and the creation of a website are works in progress.

If you’d like to send me comments or your own recommendations, you can do so using the link below.

I encourage you to please forward this to anyone you think may be interested, so they can sign up by contacting me via the link below.

Thank you very much for reading this first installment of NCQ.