Theatre Review: Medea July 24, 2014 A WOMAN driven by rage and jealousy to slaughter her children in a chillingly premeditated act of murderous revenge. In Greek tragedy, Medea is the ultimate portrayal of female wickedness – in Carrie Cracknell’s production at the National, it is not the wickedness but voicelessness which strikes us. “How could it end in any way [...]
The 2014 Commonwealth Games, and five other reasons Glasgow is still city of culture July 23, 2014 The Commonwealth Games opened in Glasgow last night and over the next two weeks tens of thousands of Londoners will make their way to the cultural heart of Scotland. They come as Scotland edges ever closer – according to the polls – to independence, giving the international showcase even more significance. But unlike other cities [...]
Battersea Power Station hosts London’s latest pop-up cinema July 17, 2014 The sun has definitely got his hat on, so it’s perfect weather for heading south of the river to watch a film outdoors in the shade of London’s most iconic derelict building. Boutique cinema franchise Everyman has set up a nine metre screen in front of an army of pastel beanbags for the city’s [...]
Review: Gilbert and George White Cube July 17, 2014 Famously, Gilbert and George have lived in the same house for 45 years. That house is on Fournier Street, the link between Old Spitalfields Market and Brick Lane, and a great vantage point from which to witness the changing face of London. Over the past two decades the area has turned from grungy, deprived backwater [...]
Review: The Events July 17, 2014 The Events tells the story of a mass killing in a rural British town. There are shades of Dunblane and the high-school shootings committed by American boys on the edge of sanity and society, but the biggest influence was Anders Beiring Breivik’s massacre of 69 young political party members on the island of Utoya in [...]
Review: Supermensch: The Legend of Shep Gordon July 17, 2014 Some documentaries are motivated by anger, some by curiosity and some by a burning truth that needs to be told. Supermensch: the Legend of Shep Gordon (Michael Myers’ directorial debut) was motivated by love. “Shep Gordon is hands down the nicest person I’ve ever met,” says Myers to the camera, his eyes glistening. Looking at [...]
Review: Dawn of the Planet of the Apes July 17, 2014 Dawn of the Planet of the Apes sees the latest franchise edge closer to the dystopian world envisioned in the 1968 original. Humanity is all but extinct after a pandemic of simian flu, which had the double-whammy effect of killing all but one in 500 people and making apes super-intelligent. Sometimes you just can’t catch [...]
The World Cup is over… here’s how to fill the gaping void July 15, 2014 The fat lady has finally sung, and the England squad has had plenty of time to settle back to reality. Here are some ways to keep yourself busy without Messi and co to entertain you: The Honourable WomanBBC2, Thursdays, 9pmThe Honourable Woman is the BBC’s big summer blockbuster, starring none other than Hollywood megastar Maggie [...]
Review: The Crucible at the Old Vic July 10, 2014 ★★★★★ South African director Yael Farber’s thrilling production of Arthur Miller’s The Crucible begins with a moment of hushed alchemy – a spell, a game, a dance. Or perhaps it’s just soup in that steaming bowl? In fact, it probably is just soup. But these deeply religious, isolated communities make fertile ground for superstition. Three [...]
Review: Richard III at Trafalgar Studios July 10, 2014 ★★★★☆ In Jamie Lloyd’s Richard III, now is, quite literally, the Winter of Discontent. It’s set directly after the political turmoil of 1978-9, in a world where the military seem to have taken charge. It’s a neat one liner, but somewhat confusing in terms of plotting. For instance, it isn’t immediately clear why a bolshie [...]