Peter Grimes at ENO Review: A showcase of extraordinary talent October 10, 2023 It has been almost eighty years since Benjamin Britten’s opera Peter Grimes was first staged in London. Musically enthralling and dramatically astounding, it is no wonder that Grimes has stood the test of time, nonetheless this English National Opera revival of director David Alden’s 2009 production feels particularly pertinent in an increasingly polarised Britain. Based [...]
This Lake District hotel has three incredible UK chefs and one Michelin star October 9, 2023 Three culinary hotshots are building the Lake District’s most exciting gastrotourism destination at the Gilpin Hotel, says Sophie Ibbotson It is often said that “too many cooks spoil the broth” but Gilpin Hotel & Lake House is counting on healthy rivalry to drive innovation in its kitchens. The Cumbrian hotel, which occupies a magnificent 100 [...]
Philip Guston at Tate Modern: A savage dissection of the banality of evil October 9, 2023 The furore surrounding the delay of this major Philip Guston retrospective precedes it. Originally due to tour in 2020 through London, Boston, Houston and Washington, the death of George Floyd, and the Black Lives Matter movement prompted its curators to balk at showing Guston’s highly controversial images of Ku Klux Klan figures, deeming it too [...]
Thailand holidays: be the only guests at this private Thai island resort October 9, 2023 Thailand is rethinking luxury with a new breed of private resort, finds Liz Connor The words ‘Thailand’ and ‘luxury’ aren’t always an obvious pairing. The hedonistic southern end of the country is famous for boozy full moon parties, well-trodden backpacker trails and hordes of tourists who flood to its shores to make the most of [...]
Das Rheingold at the Royal Opera House is enthralling October 9, 2023 As the first opera in Richard Wagner’s Ring Cycle, new productions of Das Rheingold attract intense scrutiny. Establishing the visual language for one production is hard enough, but setting the tone for three more operas is no mean feat. Director Barrie Kosky knows this, because this production marks his second stab at directing the epic [...]
Wear your art on your sleeve: New watches with graphic dials October 8, 2023 Perhaps Instagram is to blame but whatever the reason, even the more dyed-in-the-wool watch nerds aren’t above an exuberant graphic dial these days. Here are three of our favourites. ROLEX OYSTER PERPETUAL CELEBRATION Just when you thought Rolex’s 2020 spectrum of five Perpetual models in five respective ‘pops!’ was jazzy enough for the premiere practitioner [...]
Frans Hals at the National Gallery: A jolly man in a grim time October 7, 2023 Frans Hals was a relatively unfashionable 17th century Dutch master who specialised in portraiture – not a summary that necessarily leaps out to audiences. And yet it is a testament to Hals that an exhibition that almost exclusively contains men and women decked out in black can be so jolly. Religious conflict convulsed Europe during [...]
Cartier’s Tank is the watch that keeps on giving October 7, 2023 Luxury watchmaking’s newly, seasonally uncoupled ‘drop’ culture means, like buses, you wait months after the industry’s formal fixture in spring, then two showstoppers arrive within a week. To wit: a Cartier celebrating a full 170 years of the Parisian grande dame making watches in all their wild and whimsical shapes. Joining fellow Richemont watchmaker, Jaeger-LeCoultre [...]
The Great Escaper review: Michael Caine prepares to bow out October 7, 2023 Sir Michael Caine recently hinted that his new film may well be his last. Having turned 90, and suffering ill health, he revealed in an interview that he is more or less retired, making The Great Escaper the last hurrah of a nearly 70 year career. The comedy-drama is based on the true story of [...]
Derren Brown interview: ‘Magic is childish, you’re just trying to impress people’ October 6, 2023 “There are people who can naturally command a room. I’m not one of them…” These are surprising words from the magician who once shot himself in the head live on TV in a game of Russian roulette. Backstage at the Criterion Theatre ahead of his new show, Unbelievable, the magician Derren Brown is telling me [...]