THE WEEK IN REVIEW

THE ALBUM

KD LANG

ooney "an under-valued national treasure". The Daily Express thought it "frantically funny" while the Financial Times observed, "It never arrives at that peak of helpless hysteria that is the main attraction of farce."

The Playhouse Theatre, London WC2 (0171-839 4401).

All true enough, but for really great farce, catch What the Butler Saw at the National before it closes tonight (0171-928 2252).

Unemployed Liverpool lad Ian Hart travels to Spain to support the Republicans in the Spanish Civil War in Ken Loach's biggest film to date.

Sheila Johnston praised

KD LANG

All You Can Eat is kd's first album since the soundtrack to the disastrous Even Cowgirls Get the Blues in 1993 and her first solo since her breakthrough best-seller, Ingenue.

Andy Gill was disappointed. "Inert, not erotic... immense natural talent is being squandered." Others disagreed: "The album's one failing is that she doesn't write pop tunes... but these are her most assured works to date," said Q. "A full on, snog me now, mellow-man meltdown of orchestral quavering and blissed out pondering on the nature of love [and] sex," raved NME.

Warner Bros 9362-46034-2. Alas, no tour for now.

Whatever the reserva

THE OPERA

RUSALKA

tions, All You Can Eat certainly beats Simply Red's Life as album of the week.

John Lloyd Davies's revival of David Pountney's visionary staging of Dvorak's little-known romantic opera designed by Stefanos Lazaridis.

Edward Seckerson enjoyed it immensely. "A great production with a smashing performance from Susan Chilcot, vigorously conducted by Richard Hickox." "Enchants the eye, exercises the mind and makes the heart beat faster... it seems there is no opera so brimful of melody," said the Financial Times. "Bewitching and overwhelming," claimed the Guardian.

THE PLAY

FUNNY MONEY

"Powerfully dramatic," thought the Times.

Further performance at the London Coliseum on 12, 17, 24, 27 Oct. Booking: 0171-632 8300.

One of the undoubted glories of the David Pountney / Mark Elder / Peter Jonas era at ENO. Go.

Master-farceur Ray Cooney strikes again with the wrong suitcase gag, Charlie Drake and Trevor Bannister, ex-Are You Being Served menswear salesman.

Paul Taylor admitted, "I enjoyed the script's heroically awful jokes released from the twilight home for retired double entendres." The Daily Telegraph declared

THE FILM

LAND AND FREEDOM

ooney "an under-valued national treasure". The Daily Express thought it "frantically funny" while the Financial Times observed, "It never arrives at that peak of helpless hysteria that is the main attraction of farce."

The Playhouse Theatre, London WC2 (0171-839 4401).

All true enough, but for really great farce, catch What the Butler Saw at the National before it closes tonight (0171-928 2252).

Unemployed Liverpool lad Ian Hart travels to Spain to support the Republicans in the Spanish Civil War in Ken Loach's biggest film to date.

Sheila Johnston praised