Doctor Faustus at the Barbican review: a lively, relevant morality tale September 15, 2016 Shakespeare’s contemporary Christopher Marlowe certainly gave him a run for his money when it came to blood and gore. Even a modern audience can’t help but flinch when the titular doctor slices his arm open – three times no less – to make an unholy pact with the devil. In fact, it’s these darker forays [...]
Teenage Lancashire batsman Haseeb Hameed expected to get England call for tour of Bangladesh September 15, 2016 England are expected to pick teenage Lancashire star Haseeb Hameed for next month’s controversial tour of Bangladesh when they name their squad on Friday. Hameed has played his way into contention to become captain Alastair Cook’s opening partner after a stellar county season which has yielded more than 1,000 runs. The 19-year-old from Bolton is [...]
Dream Play at The Vault review: A profoundly odd exploration of human emotion September 15, 2016 Very roughly based on the story of an alien who visits Earth to experience the full gamut of human emotions, Dream Play presents a series of disjointed vignettes that teeter on the fuzzy precipice between real and abstract. That’s to say, it’s supremely odd. Actors repeatedly swap characters as the audience moves from room to [...]
The Infiltrator review: Brian Cranston makes for an underwhelming lead in this coke-fuelled true story September 15, 2016 In the years since Breaking Bad, Bryan Cranston has struggled as a movie lead, with the underwhelming Trumbo being followed by this true story of Bob Mazur, an undercover customs agent who goes deep into the operations of Pablo Escobar. Despite a confident performance from Cranston, who skates the line between good and evil as [...]
Bridget Jones lives next to a hospital, right, so why does it take her so long to get to a maternity ward when she goes into labour. It doesn’t make sense September 15, 2016 Here’s a thing. Bridget Jones lives on Bedale Street, close enough to Borough Market that she could swan dive from her bedroom window and land in a basket of organic, gluten-free sourdough, or one of those massive iron pans filled with Ethiopian curry. Directly across the road from her flat is Guy’s Hospital (the tallest [...]
Return of £34m maverick David Luiz can shore up Chelsea defence against Liverpool, says Antonio Conte September 15, 2016 Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has backed a retrained David Luiz to cope with Liverpool’s in-form strikeforce when the Brazil defender makes his second Blues debut on Friday night. The Reds visit Stamford Bridge six days after they hit four past Premier League champions Leicester and having done the same on their last visit to London [...]
Blair Witch: this 2016 sequel to the found-footage classic has plenty of scares but little new to offer September 15, 2016 The Blair Witch Project was the product of a more innocent time. Back in 1999, people believed the film might have been a genuine documentary about some kids being murdered by a witch. Actor Heather Donahue, who played a fictional version of herself, even complained that “being dead” had an adverse affect on her career. [...]
The Alchemist at the Barbican review: this brilliant 17th century morality play still feels searingly relevant September 15, 2016 Ben Jonson’s The Alchemist is an invigorating blend of clever script and silly performances, in which three con artists make an uneasy alliance to fleece the unsuspecting citizens of 17th century London. First performed in 1610, The RSC’s revival at the Barbican reveals a play that’s still funny, and not just in the way you [...]
Rugby union v rugby league on the trading floor: Players swap studs for suits in hour-long trade-off September 15, 2016 The debate over which rugby code is superior — league or union — was settled on the trading room floor at foreign currency specialists AFEX on Wednesday when current and former union players converted £8.4m worth of trades in an hour while representatives from league offloaded £5.6m. Harlequins legend and former British and Irish Lions star Ugo Monye were amongst the [...]
Davis Cup Great Britain v Argentina semi-final preview: Andy Murray and Co await Juan Del Potro’s await return on hottest streak for 80 years September 15, 2016 Great Britain take on Argentina in the Davis Cup semi-final this weekend with the momentum of their hottest winning streak for 80 years behind them. The reigning champions can book a second consecutive final in the competition and secure a seventh win on the bounce by seeing off Juan Martin Del Potro and the South [...]