Seven centuries ago a poet penned the most ecstatic art review ever written. Francesco Petrarca, known as Petrarch, had commissioned the Sienese artist Simone Martini to paint a portrait of his beloved, Laura. The result was so marvellous, he wrote, that if all the famous artists of ancient Greece “competed for a thousand years they … Read more
During the peak of the pandemic, when many musicians spent their time writing songs, Peter Wolf did nothing but read. During that prolonged period of isolation and uncertainty, he comforted himself by devouring shelves full of books, including memoirs penned by other musicians. “After a while all those memoirs started to seem the same,” he … Read more
On a cold evening in London, two German tourists survey the Theatre Royal Drury Lane. Lina, 19, outlines their master plan to meet Tom Hiddleston, starring in Much Ado About Nothing. Tonight: scrutinise the procedure at stage door, where only ticket holders are allowed to wait for a chance to meet the cast. Tomorrow: watch … Read more
Journalist and author Pandora Sykes writes a letter to her future self reflecting on how motherhood changed her – and how she hopes taking better care of herself and her skin will help her prepare for the next decade. Future proof your skin with the new Clarins Extra-Firming Day and Night Creams, now with new … Read more
Action legend Simon West (the director of Con Air, the first Lara Croft and The Mechanic) has put together a pretty moderate comedy-thriller with screenwriter Greg Johnson; the collective star power in its (undoubtedly) impressive cast isn’t quite strong enough to make it come alive. It is set in Belfast and Northern Ireland — perhaps … Read more
‘We’re serving a really nice dish called metal tikka masala,” jokes Bloodywood guitarist Jayant Bhadula. “It’s metal but with so many spices that it’ll overwhelm your senses. You will headbang and you will end up dancing with us.” This is the tongue-in-cheek mission statement of one of metal’s most original bands. Formed in 2016, Bloodywood … Read more
Over the last few months, the makers of a popular card game have been wrestling with the byzantine process that surrounds video game age classifications. Age ratings are intended to help parents determine whether or not a game is appropriate for their children. But in practice, an erroneous label doesn’t just mislead consumers – it … Read more
It’s so soon after this year’s Oscars ceremony that there may still be parties going on and with Anora, a film largely set in the sauced early hours, being the big winner, they might be going on until next weekend. But as foolish as it may seem, here we are making our annual too-soon predictions … Read more
There was a time, 20 or so years ago, when it seemed as if TV music supervisors were among the most important people when it came to shaping public tastes. There were, as yet, no video or music streaming services, so music featured in a hit show could blow up as a result. One music … Read more
On Monday, ABC said the Oscars audience declined by about 8 percent this year compared with last year, citing Nielsen data. Well, it turns out the awards show did not suffer from an audience decline after all, the network said on Tuesday. The Academy Awards attracted 19.7 million viewers, strong enough to eclipse last year’s … Read more