Hedda Gabler at the National Theatre review: Ruth Wilson is deliciously neurotic in this stylish retelling of Ibsen’s classic play December 14, 2016 It’s astonishing to think this painfully raw, searingly relevant play was first performed 125 years ago. There are moments in this symbolism-heavy production directed by Ivo van Hove that could have crawled from the mind of that enfant terrible of the 1990s Sarah Kane. The world gets older; Ibsen stays the same age. It’s one [...]
Le Col: Can this premium cycling brand designed by riders be the next Rapha? December 14, 2016 "I'm convinced that cycling isn't going to go away," says Yanto Barker, a retired British pro cyclist now whose ambitious apparel brand Le Col is currently looking to secure £1m worth of funding from investors via Crowdcube. Le Col is entering the home straight of its crowdfunding campaign with 23 days left for budding investors to join the 117 people who [...]
Wimbledon tops most-attended list as British fans continue to flock to live sport December 14, 2016 Britons snapped up tickets for live sporting events at a rate of more than one for every person in the country this year, according to research published today by Deloitte. Attendances reached 69.8m in 2016 and were only 700,000 down on last year’s figures, despite the lack of a major showpiece event such as the 2015 [...]
Everton 2, Arsenal 1: Lack of steel cost Gunners, admits Wenger as defeat paves way for Chelsea to open up six-point lead December 13, 2016 Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger admitted his side were guilty of wilting under Everton’s physicality after his side wasted the opportunity to return to the Premier League summit at Goodison Park. Centre-half Ashley Williams handed Everton only their second league win in 11 matches with a late header after Seamus Coleman nodded home to cancel out Alexis [...]
Yaya Toure accepts drink-driving charge but denies intentionally consuming alcohol December 13, 2016 Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure pleaded guilty to drink-driving and has apologised to the club’s supporters despite insisting he did not intentionally consume alcohol. The 33-year-old, a practising Muslim, was fined £54,000 and banned from driving for 18 months after admitting the charge at Barkingside Magistrates Court, having been arrested on 28 November while more than two [...]
Chelsea escape points deduction following Etihad Stadium brawl, while Blues defender signs new deal December 13, 2016 Chelsea have avoided a points deduction after being slapped with a £100,000 fine following the mass brawl which concluded their Premier League victory at Manchester City earlier this month. The ugly scenes prompted the Stamford Bridge club’s fifth charge of failing to control their players in 19 months, which brought with it the threat of [...]
RFU boss Ian Ritchie backs Dylan Hartley as England captain despite latest brush with the law December 13, 2016 Rugby chief Ian Ritchie has defended Dylan Hartley’s conduct since being England skipper and believes he has sufficient credit in the bank to remain as captain despite the threat of a Six Nations ban. Northampton hooker Hartley is set to face an independent disciplinary hearing on Wednesday after being shown the third red card of [...]
A Monster Calls is a moving tale of loss that doesn’t pretend to have any of the answers December 13, 2016 From Harry Potter to the Secret Garden, children’s literature is chock full of orphans. Yet theirs is a rare form of bereavement, usually the result of a tragic accident that happened without warning at an age they barely remember. In A Monster Calls, 12-year-old protagonist Conor O’Malley faces up to a more common, brutal reality; [...]
Manchester City’s problems are self-inflicted but Pep Guardiola can solve them by changing his tactics December 13, 2016 Pep Guardiola is insistent that Manchester City’s recent deterioration won’t make him abandon his philosophy, but there is no denying that things are not going to plan at the Etihad Stadium. Guardiola’s perfect start of 10 wins from 10 games is a distant memory, with City managing just four victories from 15 fixtures since. Defence has [...]
Constant speculation over Alastair Cook’s future as skipper is “pain in the backside”, says Trevor Bayliss December 13, 2016 England head coach Trevor Bayliss has labelled fervent speculation over the future of Alastair Cook as Test captain as a “pain in the backside”. Cook confirmed in the wake of his side’s thrashing by India in the fourth Test in Mumbai that the scale of defeat, which gave the hosts a 3-0 series lead, inevitably [...]