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An exploration into the secrets of the past and their unknown influence on the future, Other People’s Children by Ben Faccini is a mesmerising novel. Travelling to far flung countries to write reports is part of Tommaso’s day job. Back home in London, living with his partner Madeline and her two sons, he is increasingly worried about his grandmother Alma – in her nineties, living alone and becoming troubled by memories of the past.

When their rented flat becomes uninhabitable, moving into Alma’s home presents the ideal solution for the blended family. Here, the troubles of the past during the Italian resistance throughout World War II combine with present-day issues in London. In a parallel symmetry, Tom is trying to navigate the relationship between his partner’s two sons at the same time as he unravels his own unknown family history full of secrets.

Reminiscence from the past projects powerful imagery, and the impeccably drawn-out, complex characters provide the ideal scenes for a vivid, emotional story. Nearly 20 years sinceBen Faccini last published a novel, it feels as if this work of fiction has been marinading, getting beneath the skin, to bring to life the magnificent storytelling. 

Les Ballets Trockadero De Monte Carlo formed in the early 1970s, in part as a response to the Stonewall Uprising as a gay-centric counterculture group. They continued to perform throughout the AIDS pandemic despite losing members to the horrendous condition, raising money for those affected. More than 50 years later, the Trocks (as they’re commonly known) are now a beloved part of the global theatre scene, enjoyed not just by members of the LGBTQ+ community but people from all walks of life.

This tour shows off some of the finest parts of their ballet repertoire, and the comedy chops of their company. At heart, The Trocks are a drag show: each dancer has a ballet drag queen and king persona (with a backstory) which they use while performing, depending on if the character they’re playing is male or female. AJ David, for example, plays ballerina Vera Vidludik – who got given the key to the city of Chișinău, shortly before they changed the locks – and the ballet dancer Nichoas Khachafallenjar, who astounds the public (and police) with his remarkable displays of strength.

Not that this is a requirement for enjoying the show, but it’s a real joy to go on the website and read some of the bios. All of this work results in a repertoire that blends 1930s slapstick with modern drag and classical ballet, and the result is something people of all ages, and ballet familiarity, can enjoy.

The whole cast of dancers are fantastic. The movement style asks for a difficult blend – just messy enough to be accessible, just clean enough to be impressive – and all assembled deliver that beautifully. The show is not laugh-a-minute, in that much of the comedy is more blink-and-you’ll-miss-it: a fawn slapping a woman’s bum in the middle of a group dance, or someone tripping during a group number.

However, the fact that not all the jokes land is generally fine, because the dancing is beautiful. Peter Gwiazda, as Maya Thickenthighya, is a particular standout for his use of slapstick and comedic timing, and Robert Carter’s performance of White Swan is as campy and joyous as it is technically excellent. No one part of the group would work without the others, and the Trocks really work best when working as a chaotic and well-oiled ensemble.

They’re definitely an accessible entry point to the artform, too, for people who have never been and worry that they wouldn’t understand it. I overheard a number of people in the audience saying this was their first time at the ballet, and they seemed to be thoroughly enjoying themselves. Likewise, the friend I brought along had never been to a ballet before, and – while I didn’t clue him in and he thought Swan Lake was about a man falling in love with a swan (as did I first time round, I should add) – he didn’t mind not understanding the full narrative of some segments of the show, because he was just having a great time watching it. The people sat next to us brought their junior-school-age daughter, and she seemed to have an amazing time as well.

The Trocks are a showcase of the weird and wonderful; I highly recommend giving them a go.

Les Ballets Trockadero De Monte Carlo, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay, Wed 13 May

words HARI BERROW

Jesse Bernard inherited his mother’s collection of soul and r’n’b records, amassed during the 1980s and 90s and including Soul II Soul, D’Influence, Omar, Lynden David Hall and Mica Paris. These artists form the starting point for Bernard’s top-notch new book Escaping Babylon: An Intimate History of Black British Music.

Although Bernard – writer, DJ, music researcher and filmmaker – grew up on a diet much like this one, he later embraced grime, with Dizzee Rascal and Wiley just two of the pioneering mavericks lauded in Escaping Babylon. The author has an impressive knack of totally nailing scenes inside a few paragraphs: an overview of 90s UK rap is built around a rare, apparently undigitised 12” by Brit MC Tru, with London Posse and The Brotherhood both given their pioneering dues as crews who stood out at the time for avoiding US rap tropes.

Conversely, the fruits of transatlantic collaborations and crisscrossing influences are also relayed here, from Mica Paris working with Rakim to Brit r’n’b band Loose Ends’ influence on heavyweight US production team Jam & Lewis. There is much enlightening info to be gleamed from Escaping Babylon.From the church to the barbershop to nu-soul to neo-soul, jungle to grime and onwards, Bernard has more than enough bases covered – going culturally and sonically backwards and forwards too.

Neither does he mince his words regarding shocking examples of racism, social injustice or cultural appropriation, and – on a brighter note – mental health is something being discussed and reflected on a wider basis than before. Anyone who’s previously enjoyed Lloyd Bradley’s books Bass Culture or Sounds Like London should consider Escaping Babylon a must-read – one which digs deep, brings everything up to date, and even looks to the future.