London – Page 2 of 4

28Mar

By Michele TheilNo Comments

Culture & Literature, Theatre & Performance

Dreamgirls: A Dream Come True

Dreamgirls, a brilliant musical that opened in October 2016 at The Savoy Theatre on the West End stars Glee’s Amber Riley and tells the story of a group of African American singers in the 1960s trying to make a name for themselves. I had the opportunity to see Dreamgirls last month at the Savoy theatre and, not having seen the original movie that the show is based on, I wasn’t sure what to expect. What I found was an amazing spectacle of bright lights, beautiful costumes and spectacular music, used to tell the story of these young women who struggled to make a name for themselves while having to deal with the societal pressures of beauty and race in the male-dominated world of music. Amber Riley, with her powerful voice, played the role of Effie White, the lead singer of ‘The Dreamet...

Pret-a-Veggie meets Ready-to-Eat-Anything-Liz

7Nov

By Elizabeth RosenbergNo Comments

Lifestyle

Pret-a-Veggie meets Ready-to-Eat-Anything-Liz

Unfortunately Pret-a-Manger's pop-up Veggie cafe in Soho is not called 'Pret-a-Veggie' but is instead simply entitled 'Veggie Pret'. Personally I think "ready to Veggie" sounds pretty quirky and but oh well,life goes on. Veggie Pret opened in June as a one month idea that probably wouldn't last and three months later it is 1. Still open and 2. Looking to open more Veggie's Prets across London and ~beyond.~ During Freshers I decided to check it out as I think that Pret can do no wrong... I was right. Not only is the cafe gloriously spacious with light flooding in from two walls that are made from glass but the soft wood that the tables, checkout and stools are made from means you enter cooing "ooooh this is nice." Main event - the food. THE FOOD. Crazy amounts of sandwich...

University operating as usual after Russell Square attack

4Aug

By Beth CarrNo Comments

News

University operating as usual after Russell Square attack

One woman has died and a further five injured in a knife attack in Russell Square last night, close to Senate House Library and 11 Bedford Square. Now seen as a random attack by the Metropolitan Police, a 19 year old man was arrested at the scene and investigations are continuing into the man's background and motivations for the attack. Despite initial fears of terrorism, the police have deemed that there is enough evidence to suggest that the incident was spontaneous and motivated by mental health issues of the suspect. The attack comes as more armed police have been announced to patrol the capital's streets after European events have increased the terrorist threat. In London the number of armed officers will increase to 2,800 from the current 600 and 900 more officers will be deplo...

25Jul

By Beth CarrNo Comments

Culture & Literature, Film & TV

New Blood: A new concept for BBC One?

I was introduced to New Blood by the Metro, promising a fantastic foray from Anthony Horowitz into the gritty side of London's policing and fraud investigation. Once a friend from the capital mentioned the show and its greatness, I knew I had to 'tune in' and find out for myself. I use 'tune in' in the figurative sense because the first I heard of the show was as a box set on BBC iPlayer, not realising it had a prime time slot on BBC One. The way this works is that the series is made up of three cases, each consisting of two episodes (except the first which has three instalments), and released on a case by case basis. The episodes are also aired weekly over seven weeks on BBC One on Thursday evenings. A strange idea, some might think, considering that the episodes are already available ...

24Feb

By No Comments

Lifestyle

London’s most Instagrammable Dinners

Bored of Monkeys? Fed up of Curly Fries? Just generally tired of trying to think of where to go for dinner? If you want somewhere quirky with delicious food and exquisite surroundings that will have your whole social media following drooling over their phones, then look no further. Here is a list of four radical restaurants that will have you jumping on the next train. Bubbledogs. Charlotte Street, just off Tottenham Court Road. This unique take on the classic burger and beer has given the humble go to meal a Tiffany ring of approval. Swapping the basic burger for an insanely tasteful hot dog. With a range of toppings from mac and cheese to the Fernando: chorizo and caper aioli, it kicks Five Guys out of the park. Oh, and all washed down with glass a Champagne. (The Champa...

20Feb

By Thomas VaughanNo Comments

Opinion

A Super-cycle Highway to Hell?

The 18 mile segregated cycle route costing £160 million and set to become the longest of its kind in Europe, will take cyclists via segregated bike lane past some of the capital’s busiest and most iconic monuments and sites including Somerset House and Hyde Park, leading all the way up to the Parliament building. The majority of the path which will run parallel to the roads of London, will include pedestrianised crossings and conversions of existing roads to cyclist one-way paths. The measure will allow commuters and students alike to travel safely to and fro their destinations, as it provides separation from Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs), which caused nine of 14 deaths to cyclists in 2013. With it comes the hope that more people of London will begin cycling, moving away from use of priva...

BBC Broadcasting House Tour a hit for Media Society

5Feb

By Beth CarrNo Comments

Sports & Socs

BBC Broadcasting House Tour a hit for Media Society

A gloomy January day was no obstacle for Media Society as members and non-members enjoyed their first event of 2016: a trip to BBC Broadcasting House. Our group was eclectic, with students studying a wide range of subjects from all across Europe, and included people who hoped to work in the broadcasting industry and those who simply wanted to gain an inside look at a British institution. The intimate tour provided both of these things and more, looking at news, radio and television across the BBC network. We started with a peek at the behind the scenes cameras for the news studios and radio areas which we couldn’t visit in person, with our knowledgeable tour guides providing a commentary on what is happening outside of the studio areas we see on TV. One set we did get the opportunity...

Review: Matthew Bourne’s Sleeping Beauty

26Jan

By Louise JonesNo Comments

Culture & Literature, Theatre & Performance

Review: Matthew Bourne’s Sleeping Beauty

Matthew Bourne (or so I should say), Sir Matthew Bourne (New Year’s Knighthood and the likes), famed for his successful take on two of the great Tchaikovsky ballets, reinventing a dark, Dickensian Nutcracker and a wild Swan Lake, has taken to the stage to complete the Tchaikovsky trilogy with Sleeping Beauty. Yet, in tackling Sleeping Beauty, one would consider it to be a much harder challenge. A simple story with much loved, well-known characters, and the Disney retelling cemented in the public consciousness, in theory and on paper, Sleeping Beauty seemed a much harder ballet to reinvent. But Bourne delivers with style and excellence. (more…)

Something Wicked This Way Comes: ‘Faustaff’ Premieres at The Cockpit

25Nov

By George SomersNo Comments

Culture & Literature, Theatre & Performance

Something Wicked This Way Comes: ‘Faustaff’ Premieres at The Cockpit

“Say it like you did in the asylum” – “You’re going to kill your wife, and then you’re going to kill yourself”. Written by Holloway alumni Diego Sosa, ‘Faustaff: or the Mockery of the Soul’ commenced its limited three-week run on the London stage on the 18th, bringing its demonic, experimental vibe to the theatre of the capital. Merging the raw physicality of brutal murder scenes with the psychological mind-meddling trickery of a playful demon - played by ‘Doctors’ Eddie Chamberlin - ‘Faustaff’ will leave you pondering on the story long after you’ve left The Cockpit. The stage, much like the cluttered laboratory of a crazed scientist, is a place to experiment, crashing ideas together, ramming thoughts into test tubes and observing what happens. ‘Faustaff’ poses some brain-bogglin...

Holloway Alumni Collaborate to Create London Stage Show

14Nov

By George SomersNo Comments

Culture & Literature, Theatre & Performance

Holloway Alumni Collaborate to Create London Stage Show

‘Virginia Woolf once said that the world of her times was not ready for a female Faustus. Now, according to the author, the modern world is…’ Playing at The Cockpit Theatre, Marylebone from November 18th, the artistic lovechild of former Royal Holloway students Diego Sosa and Frank Kaye ‘Faustaff: or the Mockery of the Soul’ is making its London theatre debut. Following a successful run on the Mexican stage with English director Kaye at the helm, the demonic psychological spectacle is trying its hand at wowing the audience of the capital, ‘Faustaff’ commencing its three-week run later this month with Rodrigo Johnson instructing the cast on this side of the Atlantic. A tale of hubristic pride, a fame-hungry protagonist and the dangers of not being careful what you wish for, ‘Faustaff’...