Iphigenia in Splott at the National Theatre review: A pitch perfect performance from Sophie Melville February 4, 2016 Temporary Theatre, National Theatre | ★★★★★ In Ancient Greece, Iphigenia was sacrificed by her father, King Agamemnon, to conjure up a wind so his ships could sail to Troy. Despite the passing of millennia, she’s still a lamb to the slaughter in this new play set on the streets of modern day Splott in Cardiff. Hooded [...]
Goosebumps review: A mediocre attempt to cash in on the 90s horror series February 4, 2016 Dir. Rob Letterman | ★★☆☆☆ If you grew up in the 90s, the pseudonym RL Stine will conjure images of creepy critters including the egg monsters from Mars and Grool, a toothy sponge who lives under the sink. Goosebumps books sold over 350m copies in their heyday, but that was way back in 1997. Which begs [...]
Billy Zane talks Zoolander 2, the future of Hollywood and having the ghosts of Picasso and Hemingway hanging over him February 4, 2016 Billy Zane is drawing me a diagram of his Theory of Everything. He’s on his fourth draft and a little pile of crumpled sheets of paper are piling up beside his Bloody Mary. It’s a kind of business model for the creative industries, a way to bring together media, advertising, luxury goods and philanthropy, dotted [...]
Zanzibar for adventurers: Stay in Dr Livingstone’s palace off the East African coast February 4, 2016 I wandered into Dr Livingstone’s old quarters in Zanzibar, overlooking the indigo Indian Ocean, where he planned his journey into the dangerous heart of Africa in search of the source of the Nile. It was an ill-fated trip, and within weeks his assistants had begun to desert him; some even returned to Zanzibar and reported [...]
Top interiors tips for turning your dreary rental property into a cosy home sweet home February 3, 2016 Whether you’re renting in the city for work or you’re not quite ready to climb on to the property ladder, your rental property still needs to feel like home. Most, however, look pretty, well, beige so here are some tips from interior design and property experts on how to put your stamp on a property [...]
Oscar Wilde’s grandson Merlin Holland on Dorian Gray, censorship and posthumous pardons February 3, 2016 After years in the back room, Oscar has finally found his way onto the Oxford English syllabus,” says Merlin Holland, with both pride and indignation. Most of us in this noisy cafe off Carnaby Street wouldn’t be on first name terms with Oscar Wilde, but as his only living grandson and the sole executor of [...]
How the Jaguar F-Type bagged us an invite to party with Kendall Jenner February 3, 2016 There are four bungalows situated behind the high walls of the notorious Chateau Marmont, each one the location of countless rock n’ roll parties. Mine has a particularly macabre claim to fame; the master bedroom was where comedy icon John Belushi checked out permanently. It’s a modernist LA pad, with floor-to-ceiling windows, whitewashed brick walls, [...]
The best restaurants in Reykjavik, Iceland reviewed February 3, 2016 Egill Skallagrímsson, one of Iceland’s most beloved folk heroes, wrote his first poem aged three, was an alcoholic by six and a murderer at seven. He’s famed for his acerbic wit, vicious temper and handiness with an axe, which he was more than willing to drive through the skull of friend or foe alike. His [...]
Brace yourselves, City folk, pick-up artist Daryush “Roosh” Valizadeh is coming to town February 2, 2016 Jilted lovers and misogynists often find February’s romantic festivities hard to swallow, so to keep solidarity up they’re meeting at the Royal Exchange this weekend. Daryush “Roosh” Valizadeh, a self-proclaimed “pick-up artist” who was famously interviewed by the BBC over the Men’s Rights Movement and his attempts to teach blokes to chat to womenfolk, is organising [...]
Three Little Birds in Brixton Jamaican restaurant review and the Shuang Shuang Chinese hot pot conveyor belt disaster February 2, 2016 Last time I didn’t like a restaurant, someone got so cross they threatened to report me to the Independent Press Standards Organisation for the sheer gall of having an opinion, which, in this case, happened to be that their restaurant was rubbish. So in the interests of not making someone else cross, I shouldn’t write [...]