The Real Charlie Chaplin is an honest take on a cinematic genius February 21, 2022 Over a century on from his most famous film The Kid, Charlie Chaplin remains a singular figure in the history of cinema. In the film hub of Leicester Square, his statue has been standing since 1981, a short distance from London’s BFI IMAX, located on Charlie Chaplin Walk. Like Marilyn Monroe or James Dean, his [...]
The Forest at Hampstead Theatre is a fascinating puzzle-box February 21, 2022 Were it not for the involvement of award-winning French playwright, novelist and film director Florian Zeller, The Forest might have flown under the radar as a stylish but straightforward psycho-drama. That would have been a shame, because this is a play more delicate and layered than its elevator pitch might otherwise suggest. It first presents [...]
Sam Torrance: Fearless Joaquin Niemann is part of a classy new guard February 21, 2022 Joaquin Niemann has long been tipped for the big time, the former world No1 amateur mentioned alongside Collin Morikawa and Viktor Hovland as stars of the next generation. Were it not for the extraordinary success enjoyed by two-time major winner Morikawa and world No4 Hovland, Niemann’s own very promising first few seasons as a professional [...]
Saudi-backed golf tour ‘dead in water’, says Rory McIlroy February 21, 2022 Former world No1 Rory McIlroy believes Saudi-backed plans for a breakaway golf tour are “dead in the water” after more leading players turned their back on the talks. McIlroy also issued a stinging rebuke of Phil Mickelson after the US PGA champion indicated he would overlook his humanitarian concerns about Saudi Arabia in the name [...]
Premiership key stories: Irish surge, tight margins and a Diamond touch February 21, 2022 It may have been a fallow week in the Six Nations but the Premiership offered up a tasty buffet of rugby in a week where the race for the top four dragged in even more teams. London Irish Granted, many called London Irish dark horses for the top six at the beginning of the season, [...]
Trap door opens for more clubs in Premier League relegation battle February 20, 2022 Harry Kane’s virtuoso display at the Etihad Stadium and its effect on the title race might have grabbed the headlines but this was also a hugely significant weekend in the Premier League relegation battle. Watford and Burnley both won for the first time in three months to reignite their chances of climbing out of the [...]
TV row comes back to bite Turkish football’s Super Lig rights sale February 20, 2022 Turkish football provided one of the most bizarre stories of last year when Fenerbahce president Ali Koc waged a public relations war with broadcaster BeIN Sports. Koc attempted to blame BeIN for bad results, cooking up an implausible conspiracy theory that it was manipulating replays shown to the video assistant referee to penalise his team. [...]
The Chairs at the Almeida review: Experimental comedy is a treat February 19, 2022 Comedy, as you might have heard, is in crisis. The backlash against Jimmy Carr for his bit about the ‘positives’ of Nazi genocide have thrown petrol on a debate that’s already been raging across the Atlantic, where comedians have increasingly found themselves defending their trade. This feels like an appropriate backdrop for The Chairs, the [...]
Antonio Conte grumbles cast shadow over huge week for Tottenham February 18, 2022 Antonio Conte often cuts an agitated figure on the touchline but the Tottenham Hotspur manager has sounded especially restless ahead of a big week for the club. In interviews that emerged on Wednesday, Conte aired his frustration at the quality and quantity of signings Spurs made in the January transfer window. The Italian also hinted [...]
Records could tumble as indoor athletics returns to Birmingham February 18, 2022 British athletics will aim to kick their summer Olympic hangover when the UK’s showpiece indoor event takes place on Saturday in Birmingham. The Indoor Grand Prix will see stars of Britain’s track and field team take on the world in the curtain-raiser for what is a huge year for the sport. This outdoor season will [...]