For his RSC debut, Omar Elerian has presented “As You Like It” conventionally, as a “good-natured comedic romp packed with laughter”, said Diane Parkes on What’s on Stage. There is a twist, however: all of the main parts are played by actors in their 60s, 70s and 80s – which guarantees exemplary verse-speaking.Continue Reading
This “consistently entertaining” BBC drama was written by Candice Carty-Williams, whose 2019 novel “Queenie” was a publishing sensation, said Ellen E. Jones in The Guardian. The plot revolves around two rival siblings: Bosco Champion (Malcolm Kamulete), a 25-year-old rapper who is fresh out of prison (“trumped-up charges, M’lud”), and his sisterContinue Reading
S am Smith made a triumphant return to the stage on Wednesday after taking several weeks of enforced vocal rest. The British singer headlined the sixth night of the Montreux Jazz Festival, which is taking place on the shores of Lake Geneva in Switzerland. Smith was forced to cancel severalContinue Reading
Critics have panned “The Idol” as “the worst TV show of the year” following its finale. Sam Levinson, the creator of the HBO drama about a troubled pop singer and her thorny relationship with a cult leader, had predicted that “The Idol” would be “the biggest show of the summer”.Continue Reading
When I arrived in New York I asked a local expert what a visitor should see and do on their first time in the city. “Grab a pretzel and wander,” was their quick response. This advice made me smile because instead of feeling overwhelmed by the enormous list of attractions and landmarks that thisContinue Reading
A collection of commemorative coin designs will be released by the Royal Mint to mark the 40th anniversary of Star Wars: Return Of The Jedi. It is the first time characters from the sci-fi series will feature on an official UK coin. The third film of the original trilogy, starringContinue Reading
J. Robert Oppenheimer, the subject of a soon-to-be-released blockbuster directed by Christopher Nolan and starring Cillian Murphy, could be one of the most misunderstood figures of the 20th century. He is remembered as “the father of the atomic bomb”, but his story “is more than how the world’s most destructiveContinue Reading
There have been Barbie TV shows since the 1980s, and animated feature films since the beginning of this century. However, the new film promises to be something of a step-change in the doll’s media profile. It is directed by the Oscar-nominated arthouse director Greta Gerwig, and the leads are playedContinue Reading
In 2020, the National Portrait Gallery closed for renovations. And they were much needed, said Laura Freeman in The Times: its entrance hall was “poky”, and its collection “dusty and undervisited” – overshadowed by the museum’s “shiny, shouty” temporary exhibitions. It has since undergone “a £41m makeover” helmed by JamieContinue Reading
Since 1966, the England men’s football team has had an unerring ability to dash a nation’s dreams, said Andrzej Lukowski in Time Out. So a play about the squad’s supposed “resurrection” under manager Gareth Southgate feels “potentially hubristic” – and at risk of “dangerously overhyping a gifted man who stillContinue Reading
