Time to play CATCH-UP* October 7, 2013 *THIS ARTICLE DOES NOT CONTAIN SPOILERS THE days of “event-TV” – when everyone in the office would crowd around the water-cooler to discuss what was on the night before – have been diluted by the advent of box-sets and on-demand viewing. Breaking Bad was an exception; it’s been difficult to find anyone who hasn’t been [...]
A rip-roaring adaptation of a Scandinavian classic October 6, 2013 THEATRE GHOSTS Almeida Theatre | By Alex Dymoke Four Stars THE PUBLICATION of Ibsen’s Ghosts in 1881 was met with total silence. The play was so at odds with the conventional morality that Norwegian critics dared not even raise their voices to condemn it. The British press were not so shy. A column in a [...]
Fringe production of Vietnam play is a moderate success October 6, 2013 THEATRE PVT WARS The Space | By Daniel O’Mahony Three Stars STAGED IN a cleverly converted church on the Isle of Dogs, this production from The Barebones Project is about Vietnam veterans; at least, you’re assured it is. Adorning the walls of the theatre are pictures from the conflict, and over the PA plays Hendrix’s [...]
Another striking play in The Shed at The National October 6, 2013 THEATRE THE WORLD OF EXTREME HAPPINESS The Shed | By Xenobe Purvis Three Stars A MAN describes the taste of pigeon excrement, his wife gives birth, praying with every eye-popping push that her child will be a son, and a newly-born daughter is thrown to the slop bucket, all within the space of ten minutes. [...]
You don’t need snow to have fun in Haute Savoie October 6, 2013 Savoie Mont Blanc in France is famous for its winter sports but it’s worth checking out all year FOR winter skiing in Haute Savoie, it always pays to put in a little training. Off-season trips, it turns out, require some preparation too: increase wine consumption in the weeks preceding; swap to elasticated trousers to allow [...]
Filthy, dirty and great fun October 3, 2013 FILM FILTH Cert 18 | By Steve Dinneen Three Stars Adaptations of Irvine Welsh novels, like Irvine Welsh novels, have gone downhill since Trainspotting. The Acid House (1998) had a flawed, lunatic charm but Ecstasy (2011) was little more than an anemic homage to Danny Boyle’s more famous Edinburgh romp. Filth – based on a [...]
Where to Drink: A new opening from the owners of Bodo’s and a slice of Indian chic in the middle of Mayfair October 3, 2013 SEPTEMBER witnessed a number of high-end clubs and bars launching across London and the Westbury Hotel has bragging rights to one such venue. No 41 is nestled underneath the newly Michelin-awarded Brasserie Chavot and accessed through a street-side entrance. The nightclub is a plush amalgam of self-aware opulence, with a design scheme replete with grand [...]
Feeling the cold? Get measured up October 2, 2013 The chillier months ahead demand a smart, warm suit. But where should you go for your bespoke creation THE DAYS are getting shorter, the temperatures are dropping and my inbox is heaving with emails about Christmas. Winter is around the corner, and that means it’s time to update your wardrobe. You may look dashing in [...]
Restaurant review: Berners Tavern October 1, 2013 BERNERS TAVERN The London Edition Hotel, 10 Berners St Tel: 020 7908 7979 FOOD Two Stars VALUE Two Stars ATMOSPHERE Two Stars Cost for two with drinks: £110 Berners Tavern sounds like a nice little place, doesn’t it? Like a Somerset country inn that’s been converted to a gastropub by an ex-Londoner with a moustache [...]
Mix it up: You don’t have to be a supertaster to enjoy a cognac cocktail October 1, 2013 MAN is a social animal; so is woman for that matter. And it is through our interactions with others that we acquire our tastes, values and prejudices. Even the way we perceive the world is influenced by when and where we live. Take our perception of colour: seeing my five-year-old niece dressed – of her [...]