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At its heart, Doctor Who is a serial, and the standalone episodes this season have been by far the highlight. ‘Rosa’, the first with the Doctor back at full strength, has much of the feel of a 50s period piece as well as a sci-fi, and isn’t afraid to tackle heavy issues of race, through […]
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In 2018, there was one album I’d been waiting for: Anderson .Paak’s Oxnard. Dre was producing, “Tints” had the funky verve I’d been praying for. His live performance on SNL exuded polished and restrained swagger. Clearly he was someone who knew they were about to serve a rare and bloody steak to a blindfolded lion. […]
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It’s not easy to produce a convincing Macbeth; what is simply breath-taking on the printed page may well come across on stage as simply breathless. Beginning with a semi-prologue that barely lasts a page and a half, I can’t help but always feel jolted into the play. The reading eye can pass over the suddenness […]
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This new London exhibition explores the artistic lives and works of couples throughout the last century. It’s well worth a trip to the Barbican to see Modern Couples: Art, Intimacy and the Avante-garde, an overarching exploration of different artistic couples and the work that they produced. Romantic passion is a powerful tool for artists, sometimes […]
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Image Credit: Warner Bros. To begin this review, I should firstly admit to being a big fan of the Harry Potter Universe, or as it is now more commercially known, the Wizarding World. This is why I am saddened to admit that unlike many fans that have raged against this movie’s low critical reception, I […]
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Image credit: Jockstrap. Of all the new releases this year, only one band has really stood out for me: Jockstrap. This London-based duo sit somewhere between Stereolab and SOPHIE in musical style, the songs a fusion of Bossa Nova, 1930s Disney-esque orchestra, and coarse electronica. This is what makes them so refreshing; finally we have […]
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Image Credit: Nickelodeon. Description: Spongebob Squarepants and Patrick Star. Just over 14 years ago, the golden age of a certain absorbent and yellow and porous sponge came to a tragic end. While it’s dangerous to use such a nostalgic term, Stephen Hillenburg’s departure following his directorial work on The Spongebob Movie (2004) undoubtedly led to […]
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Credit: Film4. Description: the poster for ‘Widows’. “Four armed robbers are killed in a failed heist attempt, only to have their widows step up to finish the job.” Initially, this Wikipedia summary of Widows says little to imply that it could be ground-breaking. Heist films have already reinvented themselves many times over (see: Ocean’s Eleven, […]
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Image credit: Connor Thirlwell. Description: Cirkus on George Street. Picture the scene… you’ve spent the whole day in the library, you’re sick of writing notes on spiders’ sexual behaviour, your eyelids are drooping, then somebody suggests to you: “Burning Down the House? Cirkus?” So, reluctantly, you are persuaded to down a double vodka cranberry and […]
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Image Credit: Fiona Lin. Description: Superorganism live in performance. Why is Oxford always the end of the road? The Magic Gang finished their tour here earlier this month. IDLES played their last UK date here last night before Superorganism concluded their own touring stint at this wondrous city of the dry-heaving spires. The boring answer […]
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Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra Mary Bevan – soprano David Stout – baritone Rowan Atkinson – narrator The Choir of The Queen’s College Owen Rees – conductor Image credit: PublicDomainPictures Attendees of the Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra’s Remembrance Day concert were treated to a thoughtfully crafted and magnificently performed programme to mark the centenary of the First World […]
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Image Credit: Matt Crockett. Description: the central cast of The Band. Jukebox musicals, the idea of incorporating the music of an artist or a band into a show, has had a lot of success, from Mamma Mia to The Jersey Boys. However, The Band, using the music of Take That, is unlike these others, offering […]
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Image Credit: Universal Pictures. Description: Mike Myers’ mask in Halloween. The recently released Halloween is the eleventh film in the much-maligned franchise and the second reboot, so when production was first announced back in 2017, it is safe to say that I kept my expectations in check. For once though, such cynicism proved unnecessary. General […]
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Image credit: Paul Hudson. Description: Public Service Broadcasting in performance. For those of us still reeling from Every Valley, getting news of Public Service Broadcasting’s new EP was like a punch in the face from the muse herself. White Star Liner is PSB’s second EP and tackles the Titanic, both semi-literally and metaphorically. It’s undeniable […]
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Image Credit: Netflix. Description: poster for Better Call Saul season 4. Major spoilers for Better Call Saul Season 3. Although the ordinary Netflix formula of releasing an entire series in one go remains pretty satisfying, the company has made a wise choice to continue releasing one episode of Better Call Saul each week. Much as […]
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Image Credits: Netflix. Description: the poster for BoJack Horseman season 5. “How do you make something right when you’ve made it so wrong you can never go back?” This is a recurring line in the new season five of BoJack Horseman, an animated adult comedy show about a washed-up actor who struggles with addiction, childhood […]
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Image courtesy of the Oxford Playhouse. Adapted from the Oscar-winning original film, Shakespeare in Love took to the Oxford Playhouse stage for a comedic take on how one of the world’s most famous plays came to be. Utilizing how little is known about this famous writer, the story imagines William Shakespeare as he struggles to […]
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Image credit: Black Peaks/Rise Records. Description: album cover of ‘All That Divides’. Black Peaks’ first album Statues, released in 2016, was one of the best debuts in rock music for at least a decade. Songs including Glass Built Castles and Saviour brought an explosive energy that, paired together with the band’s talented technical ability, made […]
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Image credit: Alexander Kellner. Description: Tom Grennan in performance. Finally. There’s some autumnal chill in the air, and that weird mildness has gone. I only fully appreciate this once my glasses steam up instantly upon entry to a packed O2 Academy that’s brewing in body heat. This show has been sold out for months. Tom […]
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