Entertainment

A narrow stage runs 3/4 round the outer edge of the Royal Court’s Theatre Upstairs. It serves as a walkway and platform for its love obsessed characters A, B, Man, Woman and Younger Woman. Merle Hensel’s back walls are painted green, reminiscent of old school blackboards. The characters in the eye-catchingly titled "a profoundly affectionate, passionate devotion to someone (noun)" draw complete or incomplete circles in chalk, or scratch up “F”s and “F”s back to front. Like school children or...

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times - pretty much any time you sit down and try to think of a memorable opening line to anything you write. Indeed there is no more important task than nailing a good opening line to a book. Great first lines from novels, such as Charles Dickens' "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times," from A Tale of Two Cities or Jane Austen's "It is...

PWR BTTM aren't pulling their punches with 'Answer My Text', the second single from their forthcoming LP Pageant (May 12, Big Scary Monsters / Polyvinyl). The track finds Liv Bruce singing in narrative-like fashion to a prospective lover through trials and tribulations; from asking for their phone number to formulating the perfect emoji combination, the song takes these seemingly miniscule acts of affection and puts them under the lens of anxiety, hopefulness, and comedy. Pageant is the Brooklyn-based duo's newest effort, and sees...

By EJ Stedman I’ve already run it up the flagpole that I don’t do any research before going to a show. In the illustrious world of writing theatre reviews, when a PR company asks me if I’d like to go to a show, all I do is check my diary. If I’m free, the answer is yes. Especially on Wednesdays because my partner is playing netball, and otherwise I have to go and watch and the weather isn’t that reliable...

Andrew Scott is a lean and yet crumpled waif of a Hamlet who looks like he buys his clothes from Zara. Appearances are deceptive and helpless innocence isn’t everything though. As he waits as Angus Wright’s Claudius ignores his nephew in favour of Luke Thompson’s more buoyant Laertes he becomes a dark cloud which slowly and surely makes its presence felt on everyone else even though Hamlet is silent. In fact, Scott’s first entrance is so unannounced and unassuming and...

When I was a kid growing up with a fascination for the storytelling and magic of the Cinema and also in particular television, I remember the impact, the entertainment and education some TV programmes had on me. Sesame Street, Star Trek, The Waltons, Sunday Night at the London Palladium, Top of the Popsand many more. Then one night our family sat down as we had many times before and watched a programme called 'Roots'. Our whole family sat in silence,...

In recent years, ArcTanGent has built a reputation for itself as THE emerging UK rock festival, both putting on exclusive performances from exceptional, worldwide artists and supporting new, exciting talent. This morning, 10 newly announced bands were exclusively revealed and discussed on the Thats Not Metal Podcast, with 28 further acts now also be revealed. The 10 bands announced through Thats Not Metal, are:God Is An Astronaut (playing their only UK show of 2017)BorisTTNGDefeaterFuture of the LeftsleepmakeswavesListenerThe Number Twelve Looks Like YouDevil Sold His Souland Tall Ships...

We're a big fan of Xenia Rubinos at TLE Music. Maybe it's her blend of soulful R n B and noisy avante garde weirdness that hooks us in, or her easy Brooklyn cool. Maybe it's because our hair is receeding. Regardless, we're excited that Xenia is heading back to UK shores. In the last year, The Guardian have tipped Xenia as One To Watch, Sunday Times as their Breaking Act, Pitchfork gave her LP 8.0, The Telegraph dedicated a full page to...

The safety curtains part the stage like an eyelid. A spotlight flicks on and a woman, barely recognisable from her face or from her tight bandage wrapped body, stands awkwardly and unevenly, gripping her support frame for all she is worth. A voice (Buffy Davis), like the computerised Siri, takes her through the Virtual Reality (VR) world she is about to enter and which may be able to ease the pain from her burns by at least 60%. This is...