Downton: A New Era is nostalgic, predictable fun May 6, 2022 Familiarity is king when it comes to cinema at the moment. Superheroes, video games, and even the Jackass crew have all found success prodding at our nostalgia over the last few months. It’s the perfect time for the return of Downton Abbey, the cosy TV drama which led to an even cosier 2019 film. The [...]
Age of Rage review: Ivo van Hove sprawling Greek epic is a hot mess May 6, 2022 You wait a lifetime for a play retelling the fall of Troy through the medium of interpretive dance and then two come along at once. Following hot on the heels of Punchdrunk’s immersive The Burnt City comes Age of Rage, the first post-pandemic work by Dutch auteur Ivo van Hove (The Network, Hedda Gabler). From [...]
House of Ife review: Effective balance of grief with levity May 5, 2022 You can choose your friends but you can’t choose your family, goes the old saying. House of Ife is a damning case for why we feel this way. We’re presented with a split of explosively divisive personalities in the Ife family, showing how far removed we can be from the people we’re birthed by, or [...]
UK’s first queer museum founder: ‘It’s not just another bar, you know?’ May 5, 2022 Queer Britain, the UK’s first ever queer museum opens its doors today, taking over the grand old industrial building in King’s Cross’s Granary Square that was once home to the House of Illustration. The intimate space is the first iteration of Queer Britain, with director and co-founder Joseph Galliano hoping to gain funding for a [...]
Jerusalem review: Mark Rylance proves he is the leading actor of a generation in juggernaut play April 30, 2022 After Jerusalem premiered at the Royal Court in 2009 it began to generate a reputation as the greatest play of the 21st century. It’s hard to do justice to the level of prestige which has surrounded the show since; within theatre circles it is untouchable and nothing since – at least, no plays – have [...]
Prima Facie review: from Villanelle to victim, Jodie Comer is a ferocious force on stage alone April 28, 2022 Jodie Comer became one of the world’s most popular British acting exports as psychopathic predator Villanelle in Killing Eve, dispensing of victims with garden hoses, piano tuners, and dressed as a clown. In her West End debut in Prima Facie, a new play by Suzie Miller, Comer has done what all self-respecting A-Listers do when [...]
Koko founder on £70m relaunch: ‘Camden’s always gonna have edge’ April 28, 2022 Camden’s iconic Koko venue – closed for three years and the victim of a devastating fire in 2020 – finally reopens tomorrow following a £70m renovation. To put that into context, that’s one fifth of the cost the original contractor quoted for building The Shard. It’s a staggering renovation for the historical venue, which has [...]
Ed Sheeran set to headline Jubilee concert as organisers unveil £15m celebrations April 26, 2022 Ed Sheeran is set to be the centrepiece for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee as preparations are made for the “people’s pageant”.
Happening film review: An indie gem worthy of its accolades and hype April 26, 2022 The winner of the prestigious Golden Lion at last year’s Venice Film Festival finally hits UK cinemas, with Happening, the second film from journalist-turned-director Audrey Diwan, arriving with a hive’s worth of buzz. Set in France in 1963, Happening is the story of Anne (Anamaria Vartolomei), a promising student with a bright future ahead of [...]
Scandaltown review: Satire on cancel culture falls flat April 25, 2022 Imagine having three plays opening in London at once. Mike Bartlett, writer of the huge TV hit Doctor Foster, is that guy right now. Cock, starring Bridgerton’s Jonathan Bailey, is on in the West End, and he’s also commanding two of the biggest off-West End theatres with The 47th at the Old Vic and Scandaltown [...]