The fact is, I cannot tear myself away from Blandings Castle. Picture the idyllic setting that is Leamington Waterstones: the draft of air conditioning as you enter through the doors (for it was May – Waterstones served as both satisfying the book-buying habit and handing an opportunity to escape from...
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In recent years, there has been a rise in discussion on book censorship in school libraries in Britain and the US. New Republican-lead censorship laws in US public schools have especially led to the trebling of banned books since last year, adding up to over 10,000 books between 2023 and...
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On 5 January 2025, Marineland d’Antibes, a sea park in France housing over 4,000 show animals, was closed down following new animal welfare legislation banning the use of dolphins and whales in marine zoo shows. While the ban raises questions concerning the fate of thousands of animals — including sea...
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I have been following Donmar Warehouse’s new production of Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812 ever since it was announced, and I have to admit that I had some doubts along the way. Being a huge fan of War and Peace, when the first-look images came out at...
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As the current season of plays at Stratford’s RSC – the Royal Shakespeare Company – gradually approaches its end, it seems only fitting to put on a comedic tale of unrequited love and mix-ups for Christmas time in between the dramatic productions of Othello and Hamlet. Twelfth Night, although not...
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The end of 2024 and beginning of 2025 is already sure to be bringing some exciting new shows to West End theatre. Some already announced, and very highly anticipated, shows include Disney’s Hercules, The Seagull starring Cate Blanchett, Richard II with Jonathan Bailey, and the theatre production of Sam Selvon’s...
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The 2024 theatre world has showcased remarkable creativity and serious talent, blending revivals of much-loved classics and adaptations of our favourite stories. From Sigourney Weaver’s powerful portrayal of Prospero in The Tempest to Nicole Scherzinger’s captivating performance in Sunset Boulevard, this year has been flooded with rich theatrical talent. This...
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Uncle Vanya: a claustrophobic and melancholic play in which bottled-up resentment of a Russian family of the 1890s threatens to tear them apart from one another. A play which, if not done correctly, risks the audience having to endure tedious silences and confusing family relationships, not to mention the complex...
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With The Lion King being one of the West End’s longest running musicals, behind Les Misérables and The Phantom of the Opera, any announcements concerning the theatrical future of Disney’s much beloved classics are sure to spark excitement for Disney and theatre fans alike. With the D23 Ultimate Disney Fan...
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Opening in November 1981 at Broadway’s Alvin Theatre, Stephen Sondheim and George Furth’s musical Merrily We Roll Along closed after just 16 performances. Perhaps, at the point of the show’s closure, this outcome was not completely unexpected. Its stretch of 44 previews had resulted in the scrapping and editing of...
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I read War and Peace for the first time back in 2022 when I was eighteen and not as engrossed in the wonders of Book Twitter as my current self (once you’re in, you’re in for good). As I feel most would, I picked up my 2007 Penguin Classics edition,...
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