Being the Ricardos review: Aaron Sorkin’s I Love Lucy biopic is too tame December 10, 2021 Most people reading this won’t have been born when US sitcom I Love Lucy went off air in 1957. How- ever, it’s an evergreen institution to Americans, entertaining generations (as recently as 2011, 40m people worldwide watched re-runs). A movie about the show, or a biopic of star Lucille Ball, has been rumoured for some [...]
McLaren boss Zak Brown: ‘I can’t remember a F1 season more exciting than this one’ December 10, 2021 Sunday’s showpiece final Formula 1 race of the season will see either Max Verstappen or Lewis Hamilton crowned world champion and Red Bull or Mercedes win the constructors’ title. But a few spots behind the two current big hitters are McLaren Racing. A team with a longstanding F1 history is now in the hands of [...]
Champions Cup kick-off has been tainted by Covid complications December 10, 2021 Cardiff and Munster’s youngsters and fringe players may be dreaming of famous upsets this weekend in the Champions Cup but, for me, the situation has tainted European club rugby’s big kick-off slightly. It’s nobody’s fault that the two teams have dozens of players unavailable after being caught up in the omicron breakout while playing in [...]
Ashes talking points: Head shines as England tail off December 9, 2021 It was day two despair for England as a rampant Australia started piling on the runs at the Gabba in the first Ashes Test. The touring side may have started their innings in the field well but it soon unravelled. Here are the talking points from the second day. Heading the tail Travis Head’s 85-ball [...]
The Book of Dust at Bridge Theatre: Philip Pullman prequel is enchanting December 9, 2021 Set twelve years before the epic His Dark Materials, Philip Pullman’s The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage is the origin story, if you like, of the trilogy’s much-loved heroine, Lyra. A crisp adaptation by Bryony Lavery and wondrous direction by Nicholas Hytner make for a truly magical reimagining for stage. The Bridge’s metaphorical curtains [...]
Channel 4 to show decisive Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix December 9, 2021 Channel 4 will show live coverage of the decisive final race of the Formula 1 season, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, after striking a deal with rights-holder Sky. Britain’s Lewis Hamilton is bidding to win a record eighth drivers’ championship and see off the challenge of rival Max Verstappen, with whom he is level on [...]
Australia heap more pain on England in first Ashes Test December 9, 2021 England’s chances of salvaging anything from the first Ashes Test receded further as Travis Head’s quick century helped Australia build a 196-run lead on day two in Brisbane. Head hit the third quickest ton in Ashes history, off just 85 balls, while David Warner made 94 and Marnus Labuschagne 74 as the hosts reached 343-7. [...]
Ed Warner: Soft power and sport – why do they do that? December 9, 2021 To the Guildhall for the launch of EY’s study of soft power and major sporting events, commissioned by the City of London and UK Sport. The publication was timely, coinciding with the findings of the inquiry into the chaos at the Euro 2020 final at Wembley which tarnished Britain’s hosting credentials, as well as the [...]
Ashes talking points: England weren’t good enough, but Aussies shone December 8, 2021 There was a deep feeling of dread when Haseeb Hameed and Rory Burns walked out onto the Gabba’s moderately green crease to open the batting in the first Test of this winter’s Ashes. But no one would have predicted the collapse that followed. Here are the talking points from England’s batting on day one of [...]
Measure For Measure at Sam Wanamaker Playhouse review December 8, 2021 Government sleaze is on display again, but at least in the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse’s latest Shakespeare production, it’s entertaining. In Measure for Measure, the Duke of Vienna delegates power to an outwardly righteous advisor, with the hope he will restore moral order in an increasingly licentious society, but remains in the city in the guise [...]