Euro 2020 draw: England should be pleased to play familiar foes Croatia and Czech Republic in Group D December 1, 2019 The start of Euro 2020 may still be 194 days away but there is already a degree of familiarity about the tournament for England. As one of the hosts, Gareth Southgate’s side have the advantage of playing all their of their group games at Wembley and Saturday’s draw confirmed that the venue won’t be the [...]
Charlie’s Angels review: A fun reboot, despite the ham-fisted subversion of gender roles November 29, 2019 Wasn’t there a remake of Charlie’s Angels a few years back, I hear you ask? Well, I regret to inform you that version – featuring Cameron Diaz, Lucy Liu and Drew Barrymore – was in fact made two whole decades ago. So here we are again, with another reboot of the hair-flicking, gun toting 1970s [...]
The Immersive Wolf Of Wall Street review: A trading tragedy November 29, 2019 The Immersive Wolf Of Wall Street, a theatrical event that promises to transport you into the hedonistic world of crooked stocks trader Jordan Belfort, has had a traumatic birth. The official opening was delayed owing to a “script in flux” and three separate flooding incidents at its venue near Liverpool Street. And boy does it [...]
My Brilliant Friend at the National Theatre review November 29, 2019 Taking place over two sittings, each more than two and a half hours long, My Brilliant Friend promises to be an epic production. And it is. Sort of. This adaptation of Elena Ferrante’s Neapolitan novels (now a hit HBO series) runs the full gamut of human emotion, spanning decades and shifting violently in both tone [...]
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe at Bridge Theatre review: Perfect family fun November 29, 2019 Christmas is not typically a high-point for theatre, but parents seeking something beyond this season’s repertoire of pantomimes should look to this loveable interpretation of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. CS Lewis’ 1950 novel is sometimes viewed a little suspiciously, given it’s a fairly transparent allegory for the Christian origin story. But it’s [...]
Dora Maar at the Tate Modern review: Forget what you think you know November 29, 2019 Like so many women throughout history, Dora Maar is best known for her connection to a more famous man. For many art historians, she’s a footnote in the biography of Pablo Picasso, one of many young women the creepy cubist collected throughout his life. But this is 2019: if Picasso were around today he’d be [...]
Measure for Measure review: A play given impetus by #metoo November 29, 2019 Measure for Measure has great contemporary resonance, with the tale of a man abusing a position of authority for his own sexual gratification echoing the complaints of the #MeToo movement. The Duke of Vienna fears that his lax enforcement of public morals risks becoming a crisis, and so rather than dealing with the matter himself [...]
Bristol Bears have the potential to become Premiership big-hitters under Pat Lam and Steve Lansdown November 28, 2019 Bristol Bears turned heads on Wednesday when they announced the signing of Fijian international Semi Radradra on a three-year contract from next season. It is a huge statement from Bristol – one which shows their growing reputation and position within the Premiership’s hierarchy. They may have to pay over the odds for him, but Radradra [...]
Knives Out review: A finely choreographed tribute to the murder mystery genre November 28, 2019 A wealthy author of best-selling murder mystery novels is found dead in his study on the morning after his 85th birthday, his throat cut in an apparent suicide. His family, a viper’s nest of self-serving narcissists played by an ensemble cast of Hollywood A-listers, all have their own motives, and so it’s up to the [...]
Valencia 2-2 Chelsea: Blues’ attacking mentality produces wide-open entertaining draw November 27, 2019 Their unique style may be ageing Blues supporters with every game, but Chelsea are quickly establishing themselves as the most watchable side in Europe. Four months into Frank Lampard’s reign as manager we have been given a crash course in wide-open, front-foot, relentlessly attack-minded football and yet, even knowing what we knew from previous matches, [...]