Compartment No 6 continues a fine lineage of train-based romance movies April 10, 2022 If TikTok celeb Francis Bourgeois has taught us anything, it’s that trains can be exciting. Cinema shares that sentiment, with memorable classics including Brief Encounter and Strangers On A Train giving the everyday form of transport a sense of romance. Juho Kuosmanen’s drama Compartment No 6 may not have the same sweeping sentiment, but it [...]
Fever Syndrome at Hampstead Theatre: A family drama with lofty ambitions April 9, 2022 Fever Syndrome has lofty ambitions. It wants to exist in the same space as the great family dramas of Sam Shepard but feels more apiece with the middlebrow family dramas of Sunday evening on the BBC. It is neither a great play nor a terrible one, comfortably carrying its 2 hour 40 minute running time [...]
To Kill A Mockingbird review: Aaron Sorkin breathes new life into Harper Lee’s novel April 9, 2022 Following its critically acclaimed run on Broadway, Hollywood screenwriter Aaron Sorkin’s retelling of this classic of modern American literature hits the West End, and it is not to be missed. Sorkin takes a fresh look at the illustrious tale of defence lawyer Atticus Finch, his children, the mysterious Boo Radley and the falsely accused black [...]
The magical world of Blencathra: A unique melting pot in the heart of Cape Town April 9, 2022 While South Africa went through a drastic transformation in the early ’90s, with the end of apartheid and Mandela coming to power, something less noticeable but equally magical happened in Africa’s most developed nation. In Cape Town to be precise, the beating heart of the country’s travellers scene. In the leafy neighbourhood of Tamboerskloof, just [...]
Daddy review: Queer ecstasy and vulnerability in ambitious play with uneven script  April 8, 2022 Wearing Versace as he greets ticket holders outside the Almeida theatre, Jeremy O’Harris looks and acts like the star playwright he’s fast becoming. He has the cultural cache to boot: He’s the burgeoning writer who consulted on the script for Euphoria and broke onto Broadway with the controversial Slave Play, nominated for Best Play at [...]
George the Poet interview: George Mpanga on how to change the world April 7, 2022 It seems almost unbelievable that Harry and Megan’s wedding – global audience: 1.9 billion – was opened by… a podcaster. But George Mpanga, better known as George the Poet, is no ordinary podcaster; he’s a musician and a thinker, pushing the boundaries of the medium so far he’s created a genre all of his own. [...]
Corbin & King has fallen: What does it mean for The Wolseley, Zedel et al? April 7, 2022 You can be forgiven for not following the corporate intricacies of the hospitality sector, but last week was significant. On Friday, it was announced that Corbin & King, the restaurant group founded in 1981 by the eponymous Chris and Jeremy, had been bought out of administration by Minor International, the vehicle of American-born Thai billionaire [...]
The Bad Guys review: Better than average animated fun April 7, 2022 Once the home of giants including Shrek, Kung Fu Panda, and How To Train Your Dragon, Dreamworks has played it safe over the last few years, with competitor Pixar disappearing into the distance. Films like Boss Baby, Trolls, and The Croods are enjoyable, but they are glossy distractions for children rather than something worth remembering. [...]
The drinks diaries: An experimental new whisky and ready mixed cocktails April 7, 2022 Whiskymakers Compass Box are well known for their mischievous approach to the rules governing the production of Scotch whisky. While some might regard these as necessary impediments to creativity, Compass Box takes apparent delight in tweaking the nose of the establishment, sometimes making whiskies that seem to be a calculated riposte to figures in authority [...]
Why your next meal out should be in Sheffield thanks to Jöro April 6, 2022 Taking a two hour train ride to Sheffield to dine inside a shipping container next to a bypass may sound like a hard sell, but having done exactly that last week, allow me to try… Jöro is a labour of love from husband and wife duo Luke French (chef director) and Stacey Sherwood-French (managing director). [...]
