Vicky Featherstone speaks out against Scottish 'bullies'; and Merry 'Zombie Christmas'

Alice Jones' Arts Diary

Thursday 20 December 2012 16:22 GMT

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As she packs her bags for Sloane Square and the artistic directorship of the Royal Court, Vicky Featherstone is speaking out.

As the first head of the National Theatre of Scotland, the Surrey–born director encountered anti-English “bullying”, she told The Herald.

“It really upset me, because, as with all kinds of bullying, you don't have a voice – so the hardest thing for me was that if people had criticised the programme, I could have defended it, but when people are criticising the programme because I am English, that is indefensible. I had a period – not long, because I am very strong – of a few weeks where I thought, ‘I cannot do this job – I don't know how to do it,’ that I wasn’t the right person for it, and I questioned myself because I didn't know how to make decisions anymore.”

I’m sure the critics will be far kinder in Chelsea.

Meanwhile...

“Christmas time is here. I hate this time of year”. It’s not your average festive single but “Zombie Christmas”, Emmy the Great’s duet with Ash frontman (and her boyfriend) Tim Wheeler is a joy.

Check out the Shaun of the Dead-style video in which Wheeler gores the undead hordes with his guitar. Happy Christmas!