Julie Verhoeven: Whiskers Between My Legs – art review December 12, 2014 ICA | ★★★★☆ Confrontational feminist art It’s Christmas! And that can only mean one thing at the ICA – bitingly confrontational feminist art from the brilliant Julie Verhoeven. Don’t be fooled by the title; Whiskers Between My Legs is at no pains to pussyfoot around the subject of women’s portrayal in the media. The [...]
Film review: Electricity December 12, 2014 Cert 15 | ★★☆☆☆ For a supermodel looking to venture into acting, there will always be a plum role as a hottie in a Hollywood blockbuster. But in her transition to the screen Agyness Deyn has taken the path of greatest resistance. The sometime model built her rep as an actress with brave performances in [...]
Theatre review: Treasure Island December 12, 2014 Olivier Theatre | ★★★☆☆ The National Theatre employed the services of a “comedy consultant” for its lavish new Treasure Island adaptation. Whatever he did, it didn’t work – the jokes let down an otherwise impressive production that kids will enjoy (if not love) and adults will tolerate. Too often laughs are grasped at clumsily, upsetting the [...]
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies – film review December 12, 2014 Cert 12a | ★★★★☆ When Peter Jackson approached Billy Connolly to play the fiercest of Tolkien’s dwarves, he asked, “Have you read The Hobbit?” and Connolly replied “No, and I don’t like people who have. His comments, said in jest, nevertheless encapsulate the franchise’s reputation for being somewhat nerdy and inaccessible for those who have [...]
Manchester City are the lowest prize money earners in the Champions League knockout stage December 12, 2014 With the Champions League group stage now wrapped up, the executives at Europe’s elite clubs will be counting up the cash their teams have earned. Real Madrid are this season’s biggest earners so far, having won a total of €14.6m in prize money from Uefa for their performances in Europe. No other Champions [...]
Film review: The Green Prince December 11, 2014 Cert 15 | ★★★☆☆ In August 2008, from the safety of exile in the States, Mosab Hassan Yousef (pictured) went public with his betrayal of Palestine. The son of a senior Hamas leader, he revealed that he had spent ten years spying on his father and others for Shin Bet (the Israeli secret service) under [...]
Something for the weekend December 11, 2014 STOCK UP: WINE SAMPLE SALE New Zealand produces some of the world’s most underrated wines and the NZ Cellar is flogging lots of them for peanuts at a wine Garage Sale in Brixton on Sunday morning. £5 per ticket, children free, 8.45-14.00, visit musicglue.com. CHEER: PANTO HORSERACE In Greenwich on Sunday over 40 panto horses [...]
2014 Christmas shows in London: From traditional pantomime to award-winning theatre December 11, 2014 Whether you’re a fan of cutting-edge theatre, a good old singalong or a traditional Christmas pantomime, London’s got you covered. Here are some of our favourites. MOTHER GOOSE Hackney Empire, from £10 Princess Priscilla has waddled into the life of Mother Goose and started laying priceless golden eggs. Now Mother can buy whatever [...]
Centurion Root powers England rescue mission December 11, 2014 ENGLAND skipper Alastair Cook lauded the performance of Joe Root after his imperious hundred in yesterday’s fifth one-day international (ODI) against Sri Lanka in Pallekele resurrected his side’s chances of claiming an unlikely series win. Root finished unbeaten on 104 as the tourists reached their victory target of 240 with five wickets and five balls [...]
Alexander giving short shrift to Khan chances in Vegas audition December 11, 2014 HE MIGHT boast boxing’s most expensive shorts but there is little else special about Amir Khan, according to the Briton’s opponent this weekend, American Devon Alexander. Khan and Alexander clash in Las Vegas late tomorrow night in a welterweight showdown that is effectively an audition to face five-weight world champion and pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather. [...]