Have yourself a very modern Christmas: How to keep things woke on the big day, from vegan-friendly to zero-carbon December 13, 2019 The cards may read “peace to all men” but Christmas is a time for bitter fights, tantrums and physical conflict, especially when it comes to lunch (or should that be “dinner”?). Most of all, it’s a day when people come together to vehemently disagree about food. Siblings will fly thousands of miles, cross land and [...]
The Ocean at the End of the Lane at the National Theatre review December 13, 2019 Neil Gaiman’s The Ocean at the End of the Lane is one of those novels that seems impossible to stage. It’s a tangled tale that takes place across dimensions, flitting between the real and the imagined, the domestic and the cosmic. It features civilised family diners and epic battles with giant, many-legged monstrosities. And you’d [...]
A Taste of Honey at Trafalgar Studios review: A kitchen sink drama with real heart December 13, 2019 I first heard about A Taste of Honey through Morrissey, who had a penchant for nicking its best lines. I’m clearly not the only one: the delivery of “I dreamt about you last night. Fell out of bed twice” and “The dream has gone but the baby is real” were met with a ripple of [...]
The Duchess of Malfi at the Almeida review: A shocking, brilliant drama December 13, 2019 Since the explosion of the #MeToo movement, theatre directors have been bringing to the fore the themes of patriarchal violence in everything from Shakespeare to Ibsen. Director Rebecca Frecknall’s production of The Duchess of Malfi takes this close to its logical conclusion with this unflinching, often outright horrific portrait of the terrible consequences of men [...]
Fairview at the Young Vic review: A strange and thrilling masterpiece December 13, 2019 When talking about her Pulitzer Prize-winning play, Fairview, writer Jackie Sibblies Drury explains that she cannot reveal what it is about without spoiling it. And she has a point – this really is a see-it-to-believe-it surprise of a show, and is thoroughly deserving of such anticipation. In simple terms, the story concerns a black middle-class [...]
2020s interiors trends: Goodbye millennial pink and hygge, hello art deco and classic blue December 13, 2019 Some decades manifest their very selves in the form of interiors. It’s hard to conjure up an image of the 1970s that doesn’t involve shag pile carpets and brown swirly wallpaper, for example. What of the teenies, then? We round up what might one day be considered the classic styles of the decade, and predict [...]
Property of the week: An Italian villa for the price of a terrace in Streatham December 13, 2019 There are some types of home that people own, in part, because they sound impressive when dropped into conversation. Villas in the Italian countryside definitely fall into this category. If you too want to show off to your friends, this home which has just come on the market with Casaitalia International can be snapped up [...]
Mini bar, pepper spray pump, sound system: What the super-rich want in a panic room December 13, 2019 Most of us will never have the need for a panic room. The sum of our valuables and the size of our homes means dropping in a huge, heavy steel structure at a cost of (at least) hundreds of thousands of pounds doesn’t even cross our minds. Those who do find themselves in need of [...]
Four reasons why selling your house at Christmas might actually work December 13, 2019 Christmas is a time for many things. Family. Bad music. Overeating. One thing it’s not the time for is putting your home on the market. Or is it? According to some London agents, selling your house during the holidays might not be the complete no-no that you think. Here are some reasons why you might [...]
Inside ‘co-living’: the flats where millennials trade living space for free craft workshops and yoga December 12, 2019 My alarm goes off at 6.30am, which means it’s time for yoga. As I wipe the sleep from my eyes, I glance around the unfamiliar apartment I’ve just spent the night in, which doesn’t take long because it’s barely bigger than a walk-in wardrobe. I get dressed and stumble out the door, traipsing down the [...]