George Takei’s Allegiance, review: Star Trek actor’s affecting tale of forgotten racism January 18, 2023 ★★★★☆ George Takei’s most famously known from the original cast of Star Trek, but in recent years has been celebrated as an LGBTQ role model following his decision to come out in 2005 aged 68. It’s curious that Allegiance, the play Takei calls his “legacy” play, omits queer themes. But nevertheless, it’s a hammerblow critique [...]
Fresh multi-million pound grant stumped-up by Arts Council for the National Opera January 17, 2023 The English National Opera (ENO) is set to receive more than £11 million from the National Lottery for the next financial year after Arts Council England (ACE) announced funding cuts. In plans announced in November, ACE said it was removing the opera company as a national portfolio organisation, resulting in a funding cut of £12.6 [...]
Brits switch to social media for music as concerts go meta, says Brit Awards sponsor Mastercard January 16, 2023 Younger Brits are more likely to get their music recommendations from social media with TikTok and Instagram the most popular platforms. According to a new report by Mastercard 56 per cent of those aged 16-24 found their favourite music online. The report by the Brits Awards sponsor claims social media is overtaking physical concerts and [...]
Rick and Morty creator Justin Roiland, charged with domestic violence, sent sexual, offensive Twitter messages to musician January 14, 2023 A day after Rick and Morty creator Justin Roiland was charged with domestic violence, American musician Allie Goertz tweeted a series of graphic, sexual and offensive private Twitter messages she received from the cartoon-maker. One undated message read: “Can you write a song about 9 dicks of different sizes and ethnic origins hanging over your [...]
The riddle of the Nursing Assistant: Twitter user solves viral case January 13, 2023 For the last year Twitter has been racking its collective brain to try to unravel what has become known as The Riddle of the Nursing Assistant. Last December a Tik Tok user called @thisis_bex cross-posted a rather thirsty picture of what we assume to be herself alongside the cryptic caption: “Imagine how good your life [...]
Watch on the Rhine, Donmar Warehouse, review: Not as desperately sad as it should be January 12, 2023 ★★★☆☆ In the opening moments of Watch on the Rhine, the word “misinformation” is pertinently thrown about. It feels thoroughly modern and in some ways, it is. The word has existed since the 1500s, which justifies its appearance in Lillian Hellman’s 1941 play about Kurt Muller, an anti-fascist protestor who flees possible incarceration in Germany [...]
The best upcoming film, art and theatre in London to book now in 2023 January 12, 2023 Thursday is the new Friday! In our new Thursday Going Out section we bring you a list of all the things we’re looking forward to this year from the worlds of art, theatre and film. 2023 already looks like a classic. Theatre A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE, 13 JANUARY – 4 FEBRUARY, ALMEIDA This Almeida production [...]
Tar review: Cate Blanchett shines as a predatory composer January 12, 2023 ★★★★★ Cate Blanchett is a maestro playing a maestro in Tar, putting in a devastating performance in which she conducts the audience just as her character conducts the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. From the first time we see her, Lydia Tar – a fictional character with some pointed similarities to real-life luminaries of the classical music [...]
M3gan review: A Black Mirror-esque take on the classic murder puppet January 11, 2023 ★★★★☆ There is a proud cinematic tradition of haunted doll movies. You can trace the lineage back from Annabelle (first appearing in The Conjuring in 2013), through to Chucky (Child’s Play, 1988), all the way back to Hugo the ventriloquist’s dummy from 1945 horror anthology Dead of Night. Glossy new sci-fi horror M3gan picks up [...]
Golden Globes audience shocked by Tom Cruise Scientology joke January 11, 2023 The Golden Globes took place last night in Los Angeles, the second biggest awards show night in Hollywood, and in many ways the annual pre-cursor to the Oscars. Ricky Gervais is no longer on hosting duties, but he may as well have been given how shocking things got. At one point, host Jerrod Carmichael did [...]