From Russia with laughs June 11, 2009 TheatreTHE CHERRY ORCHARDThe Old VicTHIS new production by Sam Mendes is one half of a double bill under the title of The Bridge Project, conceived by Mendes and Old Vic artistic director Kevin Spacey to bring together an Anglo-American company touring two productions at once. The other show is Shakespeare’s A Winter’s Tale. It might [...]
King Cantona plays it for laughs in Ken Loach charmer June 11, 2009 FilmLOOKING FOR ERIC AS everyone knows, this film stars Eric Cantona, but the Eric of the title is not the famous French footballer. It is Eric Bishop, a Mancunian postie in his forties whose life is falling apart as he loses control of the two stepsons he is bringing up after his second wife left [...]
OUT THIS WEEKEND PREVIEWS June 11, 2009 FILMTHE HANGOVER Screwball – and very funny – buddy comedy set in Las Vegas. RED CLIFF Action director John Woo moves into spectacular war epic territory. THE END OF THE LINE Documentary about the fishing industry that’s got everyone worrying about tuna. DVDANVIL! Hilarious documentary following Canada’s real life Spinal Tap. BOLT Enjoyable canine animation that [...]
NOW SHOWING SIX OF THE BEST June 11, 2009 PERFORMANCE: Tom Tom Crew A smash hit on Broadway, the Aussie group combining acrobatics, beat-boxing, drumming and scratch DJing are headlining the Southbank’s Udderbelly performance tent. ART: The Royal Academy Summer Exhibition The RA’s annual display and sale of thousands of works by artists from Britain and around the world. THEATRE: Kursk The Young Vic’s [...]
When weather is a matter of life and death June 10, 2009 TURBULENCEBy Giles FodenFABER & FABER, £16.99 GILES FODEN’S The Last King of Scotland was a masterful book and became a masterful film because of its compelling combination of historical fact, fiction and painstakingly realised detail in an unusual context. It is reason enough for Turbulence, his latest piece of historical fiction, to be read with [...]
Green & shoots more June 10, 2009 THE British salad is the last part of our home-grown cuisine to reach the level of the rest. We’ve got pies, roasts, pork bellies and mash down pat. Our heritage puddings have come back new and improved (sticky toffee pudding and creme brulee are the best they’ve been in London’s top restaurants now) and our [...]
Defender of the realm June 9, 2009 THE FACTS: Land RoverDefender 90 XSStation Wagon6-speed manual PRICE (MODELTESTED): £26,8150-62MPH: Figuresnot availableTOP SPEED: Figuresnot availableMPG COMBINED/CO2: 28.3/266g/km A FEW years ago I was in mid-Wales for a weekend of tyre-testing, speed and lessons in the laws of physics with Welsh rally driver Mark Higgins and his team at the Forest Experience School. Having been [...]
Impeccably sourced City sarnies June 8, 2009 FARM91 COWCROSS STREETEC1M 6BHTEL: 020 7253 2142 Cost per person without wine: £3-£8 IT’S hard to imagine a lunch enterprise that is more on message, on trend, on the pulse and on just about anything else you can think of. The Farm (not to be confused with the good restaurant and bar in Fulham, a [...]
Dynamic businesses are travelling smarter, faster and cheaper, too June 7, 2009 BUSINESSES are spending 20-25 per cent less on travel than they were this time last year. The average cost of a business hotel room is down 18 per cent. There are 15 per cent fewer business trips being made than 12 months ago. So says Egencia, the corporate travel management company. The recession has had [...]
Q&A: TRENDS June 7, 2009 Paul RobinFOUNDER & EVENT DIRECTOR, BUSINESS TRAVEL MARKET Q. What are the most important things for businesses in terms of travel this year. Is it all about cutting costs?A. For some, but more important is that they are getting their people to where they need to be efficiently and in good shape. People are under [...]