The Immersive Wolf Of Wall Street review: A trading tragedy November 29, 2019 The Immersive Wolf Of Wall Street, a theatrical event that promises to transport you into the hedonistic world of crooked stocks trader Jordan Belfort, has had a traumatic birth. The official opening was delayed owing to a “script in flux” and three separate flooding incidents at its venue near Liverpool Street. And boy does it [...]
My Brilliant Friend at the National Theatre review November 29, 2019 Taking place over two sittings, each more than two and a half hours long, My Brilliant Friend promises to be an epic production. And it is. Sort of. This adaptation of Elena Ferrante’s Neapolitan novels (now a hit HBO series) runs the full gamut of human emotion, spanning decades and shifting violently in both tone [...]
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe at Bridge Theatre review: Perfect family fun November 29, 2019 Christmas is not typically a high-point for theatre, but parents seeking something beyond this season’s repertoire of pantomimes should look to this loveable interpretation of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. CS Lewis’ 1950 novel is sometimes viewed a little suspiciously, given it’s a fairly transparent allegory for the Christian origin story. But it’s [...]
Dora Maar at the Tate Modern review: Forget what you think you know November 29, 2019 Like so many women throughout history, Dora Maar is best known for her connection to a more famous man. For many art historians, she’s a footnote in the biography of Pablo Picasso, one of many young women the creepy cubist collected throughout his life. But this is 2019: if Picasso were around today he’d be [...]
Measure for Measure review: A play given impetus by #metoo November 29, 2019 Measure for Measure has great contemporary resonance, with the tale of a man abusing a position of authority for his own sexual gratification echoing the complaints of the #MeToo movement. The Duke of Vienna fears that his lax enforcement of public morals risks becoming a crisis, and so rather than dealing with the matter himself [...]
Knives Out review: A finely choreographed tribute to the murder mystery genre November 28, 2019 A wealthy author of best-selling murder mystery novels is found dead in his study on the morning after his 85th birthday, his throat cut in an apparent suicide. His family, a viper’s nest of self-serving narcissists played by an ensemble cast of Hollywood A-listers, all have their own motives, and so it’s up to the [...]
Harriet film review: Cynthia Erivo gives Tubman the biopic she deserves – no Julia Roberts required November 22, 2019 The story of Harriet Tubman has been waiting to be told for a long time. Shamefully the film has been in the works since the ‘90s, but, as its screenwriter and producer Gregory Allen Howard revealed in interviews this week, it didn’t get off the ground because executives thought the story of the 19th-century American [...]
Judy & Punch review: A traditional seaside puppet show turned #metoo revenge caper November 21, 2019 Punch & Judy, the Victorian puppet show about a child murderer turned serial domestic abuser who loves sausages, is an unlikely candidate for a gritty, live action remake. But this is 2019, all bets are off, and here we are. Set in the town of Seaside, which is nowhere near the sea, we find travelling [...]
Pokémon Sword and Shield review: A spectacular upgrade for Nintendo’s chart-topping series November 21, 2019 Pokémon’s creator GameFreak was uncharacteristically secretive during the development of Sword and Shield, the latest pair of monster collecting games in the world-dominating, 23-year-old franchise. Now it’s clear to see why the studio played its cards so close to its chest: the new games shake up the rulebook in a way that might have given [...]
Death Stranding review: Hideo Kojima’s game about delivering parcels hits dizzying highs and terrible lows November 20, 2019 There’s an entire genre of games disparagingly referred to as “walking simulators”. In most of them, walking is simulated in only the most rudimentary of ways – you tend to glide about the place, looking at sunsets and picking up fruit. Japanese auteur Hideo Kojima has created a true walking simulator, a game in which [...]