Theatre | Facehunters
3/5 stars stage@leeds February 8 The Hungry Bitches’ performance of their musical Facehunters last night demonstrated their unmistakeable enthusiasm and passion for musical theatre, and exhibited an admirable level of commitment and hard-work from all involved. The singing and dancing were both executed with a commendable degree of talent, professionalism and creativity, although the [...]
Art | Liberty and Anarchy
4 stars Nike Savvas’ first major UK exhibition in ten years displays her fantastic focus on colour, creating artwork that is both eye-catching and intricate. The eight geometric sculptures that inhabit the space are made from wood and coloured string, creating a three-dimensional moiré effect from the overlapping colours and meticulous repetition of pattern. The [...]
Books: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
Nick and Amy are the new Martha and George from Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf; a toxic, ruthless couple who make up Gone Girl’s story of a missing wife and a marriage turned sour. The novel starts on the day of Amy’s disappearance. Nick, her husband, is the narrator, and although their relationship seems fine [...]
The Cookbook Review: Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi
It is safe to say that Yotam and Sami’s new creation is more than just your stereotypical cookbook. Alongside uniquely colourful, spice-infused recipes Jerusalem tells an enchanting tale of a culturally complex and diverse city. After delving into these wonderfully imaginative descriptions you will undoubtedly be eager to visit the birthplace of these elusive [...]
The Cookbook Review: Exploring China by Ken Hom and Ching-He Huang
I am not a proficient cook. It is with this thought that I discover that Ken Hom is not just some young upstart attempting to break into the British cookery scene with his Chinese recipes. He is in fact the famed culinary king of Chinese cuisine and has been known on these shores for [...]
What’s On: Peep Show
Peep Show‘s eighth series makes it the longest running sitcom on Channel Four, but is that a good thing, asks Jennie Pritchard? I am of the opinion that in the UK, the longer a TV show goes on the worse it gets. Most shows manage two decent series and then begin to wilt considerably. [...]
Books: New Review: NW by Zadie Smith
Zadie Smith’s first novel in eight years is both original and vogue. Whilst White Teeth, Smith’s accoladed debut, and Orange prize-winning On Beauty centred around the obscure lives of those living in the multi-racial suburbs of gritty North London, a slight shift of focus this time makes the city as important as the Dickensian [...]
Books: New Review: Sweet Tooth by Ian McEwan
We have come to a point in history where a novel far from the shores of modernism is a rare, but welcome relief. McEwan’s new story is a spy novel and love story set in the social and political turmoil of the early 70s. It tells the cultural story of the Cold War; intelligence agencies [...]
Books: New Review: Skagboys by Irvine Welsh
Mark Renton’s life gears into life with eight birthday cards from girly-wirlies that don’t even include his mum and sister, in Irvine Welsh’s monstrosity of a prequel to Trainspotting. ‘Sweet as you fucking well like.’ This is 80s Edinburgh and Thatcher’s government has destroyed working-class opportunities all over Britain. Mark Renton had youth, a pretty [...]