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As You Like It: Royal Shakespeare Theatre’s ‘good-natured comedic romp’
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
Champion review: Candice Carty-Williams’s entertaining BBC rap drama
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
Government loses legal challenge over handing Boris Johnson’s WhatsApp messages to Covid Inquiry
The department brought legal action over inquiry chairwoman Baroness Heather Hallett’s order to release the documents, arguing it should not have to hand over material that is “unambiguously irrelevant”. But in a High Court ruling on Thursday, Lord Justice Dingemans and Mr Justice Garnham dismissed the claim for judicial review.Continue Reading
COVID in kids: younger children and those from deprived areas are at higher risk of being hospitalised – new research
Rido/Shutterstock At the heights of the pandemic, particularly since 2021, many children and teenagers admitted to hospital had COVID. However, it was never clear what proportion of them were in hospital because of COVID, indicating quite severe illness, or for a different reason (such as an injury), but just happenedContinue Reading
Poverty is linked to poorer brain development – but reading can help counteract it
Jeanette Virginia Goh/Shutterstock Early childhood is a critical period for brain development, which is important for boosting cognition and mental wellbeing. Good brain health at this age is directly linked to better mental heath, cognition and educational attainment in adolescence and adulthood. It can also provide resilience in times ofContinue Reading
A Journey Beyond the Ordinary: An Interview with Yuliya Pogasiy
In a world that often feels like a relentless race, it’s rare to find individuals who have paused, reflected, and embarked on a journey of self-discovery. Today, we have the privilege of introducing one such individual, Yuliya Pogasiy, who has spent years exploring the depths of her being, transcending theContinue Reading
Memorial service for SNP stalwart Winnie Ewing to be livestreamed
A memorial service for the late SNP politician Winnie Ewing, the party’s first female parliamentarian, is to be livestreamed on social media. The service at Inverness Cathedral for the former MP, MEP and MSP, who died last month aged 93, will be conducted by the Most Reverend Mark Strange andContinue Reading
Sam Smith returns to the stage following several weeks of enforced vocal rest
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
Alastair Campbell says destructive campaigns are putting people off politics
S pin doctor-turned-podcaster Alastair Campbell said campaigns where rivals “try to destroy each other” are putting people off politics. The former Downing Street press secretary in Sir Tony Blair’s New Labour government said MPs need to better look after their own mental wellbeing as he described Parliament as being aContinue Reading
Met Police boss grilled over ‘jingle and mingle’ Partygate probe – as Shaun Bailey sits in silence nearby
The Met announced on Tuesday it was reopening its investigation into potential Covid lockdown breaches at the 2020 event, after video footage emerged showing Tory staffers – reportedly part of Mr Bailey’s mayoral campaign team – dancing and joking about “bending the rules”. Questions about the Met’s probe into theContinue Reading