Shakespeare comes to @shohplace with this all-singing, all-signing As You Like It December 16, 2022 For a new theatre like @sohoplace, the first handful of productions are foundational. They form an idea in the mind of audiences about what kind of place this is, and who it’s for. Last month’s Marvellous, a low-fi biopic of Staffordshire clown Neil “Nello” Baldwin, seemed a little leftfield but was a shrewd choice, having [...]
Avatar: The Way of Water is a dull sequel to the most forgettable success story in cinema history December 16, 2022 The sequel to the most successful film of all time comes out this week, but despite very little competition at the multiplex, the hype has been muted. For years, Avatar has gained a reputation as an anomaly: the most successful film no one remembers, it’s rarely in any best-of lists, or even talked about when [...]
Piazza at the Royal Opera House is perfect for festive fun December 15, 2022 London is beautiful at Christmas and one of the most festive corners of our city is Covent Garden. Opening to the general public for the first time, Piazza is the fifth floor restaurant in the iconic Royal Opera House, boasting a huge terrace with panoramic views over Covent Garden’s holiday wonderland. The dining room is [...]
Pinot Noir: Why this classy grape should be your christmas wine December 15, 2022 There is something special about Pinot Noir. Beloved the world over, it has been referred to as “the heart break grape” due to its exacting demands on those growing it. It was immortalised in the film Sideways by the lead character’s impassioned speech: “Pinot needs constant care and attention, you know? And in fact, it [...]
Kerry Jackson, National Theatre, review: This show would instil empathy in the most hardened sociopaths December 15, 2022 Amid the deafening noise of the culture wars, when everyone’s trying to shout the loudest to get their point across, we need shows like Kerry Jackson. A new piece by April De Angelis, it employs an almost perplexingly simple set up to show how easily we forget to look for the empathy in one another. [...]
The best films of 2022, from Tom Cruise to Paul Thomas Anderson – but who won the top spot? December 15, 2022 While not a classic vintage, this year still offered some cinema gems, with indie darlings taking their place at the top of our table alongside one of the best blockbusters ever made. Here’s the definitive list of the best films of 2022. 1. EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE This surreal comedy-drama stars Michelle Yeoh as [...]
Netflix banks on Harry and Meghan to bring the big bucks December 15, 2022 Netflix is counting on the final three episodes of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s docu-series to give their viewership an end of the year bump. The online streaming service lost over 1.2 m subscribers in the first quarter of 2022, and its share prices had declined by over 60 per cent by October. Netflix had [...]
The best London theatre of 2022, from Prima Facie to Jerusalem – but who got the top spot? December 15, 2022 After two years of Covid, London theatre returned this year with a vengeance, kicking off with some of the best new and returning plays of the decade. Here are a few of our favourites. 1. CRUISE (APOLLO) Jack Holden’s incredible one-man show explores the fallout of the AIDS crisis in a spectacularly contemporary way. Having [...]
Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato: first look at new off-road supercar December 15, 2022 Roads? Where we're going we don't need roads... We get hands-on with the new Huracan Sterrato – the last naturally aspirated Lamborghini.
Dolly Parton’s Christmas Carol, Southbank Centre review: Catchy new tunes in touching show December 15, 2022 As a title, Dolly Parton’s Smoky Mountain Christmas Carol doesn’t give away much. It inevitably conjures images of Parton herself: her widely permed hair and even wider smile, an image as familiar and iconic as the Coca-Cola sign. Eavesdropping on conversationsn in the foyer of the Southbank Centre, it was clear that audiences hadn’t got [...]