Blithe Spirit at Duke of York’s Theatre review: Jennifer Saunders shines in this playful ghost story March 16, 2020 Noël Coward’s Blithe Spirit is a merry supernatural farce, which the old boy hurriedly knocked off as a distraction from the beastly inconvenience of the Blitz. It seems appropriate that it should manifest again now, as the country stockpiles toilet paper and prepares to baton down the hatches, not against the menace of the Luftwaffe, [...]
Titian at the National Gallery review — Full-bodied masterpieces March 15, 2020 There are just seven paintings in National Gallery’s new exhibition Titian: Love, Desire and Death, but they pack a punch. This is the first time these great works have been exhibited in the same room in their 450-year history. Poesie, Titian calls them — “poetic pictures” inspired by Ovid’s Metamorphoses. Commissioned by a 21-year-old Prince [...]
Love, Love, Love at Lyric Hammersmith review: A witty, acerbic rumination on the generation gap March 13, 2020 There’s a theory that, no matter how leftie and woke we might be in our youth, we all become Tories in the end. But how do we get there? That’s the journey we’re taken on in Love, Love, Love, Mike Bartlett’s three-act drama which picks up with a couple, Kenneth and Sandra, in 1967, 1990 [...]
Modular housing: Four common buyers’ questions answered March 13, 2020 Modular housing; off-site construction; MMC. You might have seen these terms bandied about by the housing minister, or heard the news earlier this month that a 49-storey modular housing tower has been approved in Croydon, which will be one of the tallest in the world. But what does it all mean? Broadly, MMC – or [...]
Property of the Week: A Huguenot home in Spitalfields with a unique Rousseau rendition March 13, 2020 Wander a little beyond the balti houses and beigel shops of Brick Lane, and you’ll soon come across the Spitalfields Conservation Area. These narrow, relatively secluded residential streets offer a glimpse into the old East End, and are home to some of the best examples of early Georgian-era townhouses in central London. The rows of [...]
Property focus on Tunbridge Wells: Find pretty period homes and a rejuvenated restaurant scene in Queen Victoria’s favourite town March 13, 2020 Only three towns in England can call themselves ‘Royal’ – and Royal Tunbridge Wells, a town of 56,000 people which lies 30 miles south-east of London in Kent, is one of them. King Edward VII bestowed the title on it in 1909, partly to commemorate the fact that his mother, Queen Victoria, loved the town [...]
New builds: Homes on the market in London this week, from flats for West Ham fans to a Bromley mansion March 13, 2020 Hanworth Apartments, Hounslow From £339,000 for a one-bed Jet setters will want to take a look at Hanworth Apartments, the new phase of homes at Barratt London’s High Street Quarter in Hounslow. Its 38 one, two and three-bed apartments are just ten minutes from Heathrow Airport, with prices starting at £339,000 for a one-bed. A [...]
Top chef José Pizarro talks about his mother’s stew, and making food so good it makes his diners frisky March 11, 2020 Each week we ask a top chef about their life in food. This week: José Pizarro. Who are you? I am José Pizarro, a Spanish chef who calls London home after living here for 20 years. I have published cookbooks on Spanish food and have four restaurants. What’s new? I recently launched rooms at my [...]
The Thick of It’s Chris Addison talks about the limits of satire, the trials of being a parent and his new show, Breeders March 11, 2020 He rose to fame as a stand-up comedian and became a household name playing The Thick of It’s hapless SpAd Ollie Reeder. Now, after a spell in Hollywood, Chris Addison is returning to British screens with his new sitcom Breeders, directed alongside Simon Blackwell and starring Martin Freeman. It’s a biting comedy about the sleepless [...]
Roddy Doyle: The beloved author opens up on growing older, Irish politics and why he’s still angry March 11, 2020 Roddy Doyle is one of the most well known and beloved contemporary Irish authors. His work includes the Two Pints series and The Commitments, as well as numerous children’s books. We caught up with him on the eve of a new speaking tour. Hi Roddy. Your speaking tour, Conversations with Roddy Doyle, begins soon. Why [...]