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 [...]
Blackberry the movie: A gripping real-life corporate tragedy October 6, 2023 Another week, another product biopic. Films about Air Jordan shoes, Flamin’ Hot Cheetos crisps, Beanie Babies, and Tetris have all been released this year to varying success. While the merit of some of those stories may be questionable, BlackBerry has arguably the most intriguing subject. Before everyone stared at their own black mirrors, BlackBerry phones [...]
Picture A Day Like This at ROH review: Beautiful ad memorable October 6, 2023 What does it mean to look for a miracle? Hope, as a uniquely human impulse, is the focus of composer George Benjamin and writer Martin Crimp’s latest operatic endeavour, Picture a day like this. This eagerly anticipated fourth collaboration between Benjamin and Crimp marks a departure from their grander operatic triumphs. Picture a day like [...]
We love the vampish dial of Jaeger-LeCoultre’s new chronograph October 6, 2023 There’s an intense richness to both concentric dial sectors of the Polaris Chronograph, laboriously lacquered in almost 40 opposing fades of grey. From black to snow white, this ‘graduated’ or ‘fumé’ (smoked) pattern is notoriously hard to apply – by hand – so consistently. Given the Swiss say the art of dial-making is already the [...]
What’s ticking? All the latest watch news, from Arcanaut to Zodiac October 6, 2023 Clerkenwell may not be the highly sprung horological hub it once was, but a visit to Kensington is all it takes to wind back the clocks, both sides of the Channel; while a visit to Leicester Square come November will strap you into all that’s ticking fast today, from Arcanaut to Zodiac. THE ENGLISH CONNECTION [...]
Just Stop Oil protesters disrupt West End performance of Les Miserables October 5, 2023 Just Stop Oil protesters disrupted a performance of Les Miserables at the Sondheim Theatre in London’s West End on Wednesday night. The protesters entered the stage during a performance of Do You Hear The People Sing? Just Stop Oil said that four protesters then locked themselves to the stage using flexible bicycle locks at around [...]
Trompe L’Oeil review: Trump is the butt of the joke again October 5, 2023 How many fringe theatre and cabaret shows have made Donald Trump the butt of their jokes? Surely it’s in the thousands. It must hard to offer fresh material, so kudos to Trompe L’Oeil for finding new life in him yet. In this musical cabaret the former president is played by Emer Dineen, who portrays a [...]
Old Friends review: Sondheim honoured in show bursting with love October 4, 2023 Old Friends review and star rating: ★★★★★ What drew Bernadette Peters, living legend of Broadway, aged 75, after a half-century-long career in New York, to finally make her West End debut? Especially given she’ll make a considerably worse salary here compared to financially flush Broadway? A knees-up to celebrate musical impresario, Stephen Sondheim. Sondheim passed [...]
A wine-lover’s guide to Sober October October 3, 2023 I fully support those doing Sober October, though I’ll be cheering from the side-lines with a glass of champagne in hand. It can be a worthwhile if rather grim undertaking, so here are my top tips for dealing with tee-totalism with style, flair and, most of all, flavour. Gone are the days of lacklustre lemonade [...]
Why Aruba lives up to its nickname of ‘One Happy Island’ October 3, 2023 There are many places across the world where Brits aren’t truly welcome. Sure, our incessant politeness and love of queuing endears us to strangers, but we also like to drink, and we speak loudly and exclusively in our mother tongue. Amsterdam recently launched a “stay away” campaign specifically targeted at young British tourists in an [...]