Europa League: Bilic bullish as Hammers eliminated August 7, 2015 ASTRA GIURGIU 2 WEST HAM UNITED 1 ASTRA WIN 4-3 ON AGGREGATE WEST Ham manager Slaven Bilic insists he remains confident of a strong Premier League campaign despite crashing out of Europe last night to unheralded Romanian side Astra Giurgiu. A second-string Hammers team paid the price for letting another lead slip as two goals [...]
Theatre review: Bakkhai August 6, 2015 Almeida Theatre Three Stars The Almeida’s stirring new production of Euripides’ Bakkhai begins with a promise. “I will thrill you,” says Ben Wishaw as Dionysus, clearly enjoying the rapt attention commanded by his shamanic appearance. His look: Jesus in drag, or a beardy Ophelia. Movement-wise he’s like Madonna, sporadically voguing throughout his opening monologue. He’s [...]
Film review: The diary of a teenage girl August 6, 2015 Cert 18 Four Stars Fifteen-year-old Minnie starts her diary with a confession; “I had sex today. Holy shit”. When her lover is revealed to be her mother’s 34-year-old boyfriend, Monroe, it begs the question: is she doing something bad or is something bad being done to her? It’s a dilemma the film revels in, depicting [...]
Theatre review: Utopia August 6, 2015 Roundhouse Two Stars If sleep deprivation, breakfast lager and Rolf Harris prove anything, it’s that things that are good at Glastonbury aren’t necessarily good in real life. The same goes for Penny Woolcock’s Utopia, the immersive sound installation that enjoyed a highly praised run at the festival last month. What was trippy fun in a [...]
Film review: Manglehorn August 6, 2015 Cert 12a Three Stars After years of scenery chewing, Al Pacino has entered an exciting phase in his career. We had this year’s surprisingly adept Danny Collins and now comes another thoughtful role for Hollywood’s favourite elder statesman. Manglehorn sees the Oscar winner play an elderly locksmith wrestling with the mistakes of his past. And [...]
Theatre review: Splendour August 6, 2015 Donmar Warehouse Four Stars With The Iron Lady, Shame and this autumn’s forthcoming Suffragette, it seems playwright Abi Morgan is on a mission to compensate for the dearth of meaty acting roles for women. True to form, this revival of her critically acclaimed four-woman play Splendour is as challenging and gripping as it was 15 [...]
Perfect Sunday August 6, 2015 TASTY BRUNCH KOPAPA CAFE Have something different for breakfast this weekend at Kopapa in Covent Garden. The restaurant is famed for its Turkish Eggs, a brunch dish originating from Istanbul that includes two poached eggs, whipped yoghurt and chilli butter. Sure to cleanse the palette after a night of indulgence. 32-34 Monmouth Street, visit kopapa.co.uk [...]
Peerless Peaty leads Britain’s pool gold rush August 6, 2015 BRITAIN’S Adam Peaty claimed a succession of notable milestones as he took his tally of gold medals to three at an extraordinary Aquatics World Championships yesterday in Russia. The 20-year-old from Staffordshire added 50m breaststroke gold to his success over 100m on Monday, becoming the first man to hold both world titles simultaneously. Peaty then [...]
Cook calls on players to be Ashes heroes August 6, 2015 CAPTAIN Alastair Cook has urged one of his England colleagues to write their name into Ashes folklore with a series-clinching contribution in the fourth Investec Test, which starts today at Trent Bridge. Seamer Stuart Broad and batsmen Jonathan Trott and Kevin Pietersen have all ensured their places in national cricket history by starring in decisive [...]
Chris Tremlett’s Cricket Comment: Time for Broad to take the lead and give England vital early edge August 6, 2015 England's main concern, as they prepare for today’s fourth Ashes Test, will probably be ending their unhappy habit of following a victory with an immediate defeat. They fell into that trap at Lord’s, having won the first Test in Cardiff, so hopefully they can change that pattern and continue the momentum they built up [...]