King Lear review: Ian McKellen is a master at work in Shakespeare’s greatest tragedy at the Duke of York’s theatre July 27, 2018 Sir Ian McKellen, titan of the thesps, returns to where it all started, the tiny but elegant Duke of York’s theatre where he made his West End debut in 1964. And that isn’t the only detail that makes this performance of King Lear feel like a victory lap of sorts. For many, McKellen is the [...]
Mission Impossible: Fallout review: The stupidly fun sequel takes the franchise to brilliant new heights July 26, 2018 Whatever Scientology-grade embalming fluid they’re submerging Tom Cruise in every evening, it’s doing the trick. In the sixth and best entry in the Mission Impossible franchise, Hollywood’s most successful stuntman once again defies his advancing years, charging headlong into some of the series’ most beautifully constructed and brilliant set pieces yet. Cruise hurls himself [...]
Unrestricted funding for charities? It can be done and we are doing it July 25, 2018 So far £382 million has been raised through support from players of People’s Postcode Lottery for thousands of charities across Great Britain and internationally. Much of the funding from People’s Postcode Lottery is… Unrestricted. Flexible. Long term. It is this unique recipe which has been at the core of the funding relationship between People’s [...]
Why loneliness is something that we need to tackle together July 25, 2018 For those of us lucky enough to have busy, stimulating social lives – it’s hard to imagine that feeling isolated or lonely will affect many of us at some stage. But what do we mean by loneliness? The textbook definition of loneliness is a hollow despair that damages our confidence, mental and physical health. Due [...]
Charity Lottery reform a win-win whatever sport you support! July 25, 2018 This summer the world has been glued to football but back in May I joined the then Culture Secretary Matt Hancock MP, for the launch of Street League Rugby at Coram’s Fields in North London. The event took me back to my days as a not particularly good second row in my school team. Although [...]
Do you want to breathe in cleaner air? London has the worst air quality of any city in the UK July 25, 2018 Socially-minded community bond offer set to raise over £16 million to green Londoners’ commutes and tackle air quality. Over the past few years, Transport for London’s Overground network has been subject to a city-wide greening mission. All thanks to the Energy Garden project. The partnership initiative with Repowering London, The London Overground and Transport for [...]
Mamma Mia!: Here We Go Again review: A joyous summer fling that you’ll either love or hate July 20, 2018 I’ve never met a mum who didn’t like the film version of ABBA musical Mamma Mia. You can see why; it blasted them back to a past when you could leave the house in a spangly jumpsuit and dance to Waterloo in a club even if it wasn’t Cheese Night. And at heart, it was [...]
Pity at the Royal Court review: A shambolic take on modern society that has big ideas but abject execution July 20, 2018 Last year was a difficult time for the National’s Olivier theatre, with a run of less-than-brilliant productions that was enough for some to speculate it had lost its touch. A case in point was lacklustre modern fairytale Saint George and the Dragon written by Rory Mullarkey, a kind of Brexit pantomime for adults that [...]
The Lehman Trilogy at the national Theatre review: An astonishing play about the banking dynasty by a red-hot Sam Mendes July 19, 2018 To a generation, Sam Mendes is synonymous with Oscar-winning Hollywood films, from the introspective dramas of American Beauty and Revolutionary Road to big budget blockbusters like Skyfall and Spectre. But his relationship with the stage is far more enduring, beginning a decade before his cinematic debut, and encompassing a stint as artistic director of [...]
Hotel Artemis film review: A stylish but ultimately disappointing homage to John Wick July 19, 2018 Hotel Artemis is a film of almosts. It almost belies its meagre $14m budget. It almost has something to say about contemporary America. It almost puts an interesting sci-fi spin on a classic crime caper. It’s almost good. It begins with a paint-by-numbers bank heist gone awry, although this is soon revealed to be [...]