Ruling the theatre roost November 11, 2010 OF all the areas you might expect a canny private equity firm to invest serious bucks, the theatre business – with its reputation for volatile actors and directors, no less volatile audiences, and millions poured into shows that can fold almost immediately – might not be top of the list. However, London firm Exponent has [...]
A Wilde ride of political ups and downs November 11, 2010 An ideal husband Vaudeville Theatre NICK Clegg could feel a shiver of recognition in An Ideal Husband. In Oscar Wilde’s political comedy, Sir Robert Chiltern (Alexander Hanson) has fairly effortlessly risen through the ranks of Parliament to become Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs. Halfway through the first scene he is coerced into agreeing to recommend a [...]
ALSO OUT THIS WEEK November 11, 2010 FILM SKYLINE Sci fi gubbins of the alien-invasion kind. A lack of press screenings isn’t a good sign. YOU AGAIN Family drama with Sigourney Weaver and Jamie Lee Curtis. MY AFTERNOONS WITH MARGUERITE Sickly sweet French drama with Gerard Depardieu. DVD DOWNTON ABBEY SERIES 1 Swift turnaround on ITV’s just-finished period piece. A CHRISTMAS CAROL [...]
All you need is ART November 10, 2010 Selector for ING Discerning EYE 2010 ON Tuesday night this week the Dutch bank ING hosted a private view for the annual art event it sponsors, the ING Discerning Eye exhibition, which features the works on this page among hundreds of others. Focussing on small works – small enough for easy hanging in the home [...]
Lots of bark and plenty of bite November 9, 2010 YOU may not have heard of Amédée Gordini but his name is synonymous with sporty Renault cars from the 1960s onwards – he had the magical ability of being able to squeeze race car-like performance out of regular petrol engines. A Le Mans-winning racer, Gordini’s master tuning helped Renault develop classic hot hatches, including the [...]
CAR TALK November 9, 2010 BMW VISION EFFICIENTDYNAMICS FOUR-SEATER BMW has announced it is to put its stunning Vision EfficientDynamics four-seater sports car concept into production. Powered by a diesel/electric hybrid system, the 328bhp coupé will be capable of 0-62mph in 4.8 seconds and of reaching 155mph when it goes into production in 2013. Average fuel consumption should be just [...]
Luxe lotions for winter skin November 8, 2010 The gel Skinceutical’s trusted workhorse, the Hydrating B5 gel, is enriched with vitamin B5 to help tissue repair and contains hyaluronic acid, the body’s natural hydrator, to bind moisture to the skin. £56, www.skinceuticals.co.uk The scrub Spiezia’s organic rose and chamomile face scrub is gentle and great for cleansing every skin type. Jojoba, coconut and [...]
FIT IN THE CITY November 8, 2010 FITNESS & DIET EXPERT SPANX pants for men controversially launched a couple of weeks ago, but if you’re not a guy who’s content pouring his tum into body-shaping undies, we can help you get a good stomach for real: here are the five most effective abs exercises out there. SWISS BALL CRUNCHES: Sit atop the [...]
OUT OF OFFICE November 8, 2010 CANARY WHARF ICE RINK OPENS Opening on?Saturday, skaters will have 720 metres of rink at their disposal, and a bar for a rinkside dram. Those who want to stay firmly inside can watch the world skate by from a viewing gallery. Canada Square Park, E14; £12 per hour. www.canarywharficerink.com. EVOLVING ENGLISH AT BL The roots [...]
Eat beef, drink cocktails and be merry November 8, 2010 Hawksmoor Seven Dials 11 Langley St, WC2H 9JG Tel: 020 7856 2154 FOOD SERVICE ATMOSPHERE Cost per person without wine: £35 HAWKSMOOR Seven Dials could so easily be just another unmemorable new opening. It’s got the parquet flooring, the dark wooden tables, the exposed brick and the big industrial beams. Tick, tick, tick, tick. But [...]