“contradictory, confusing and oddly enjoyable” Since the ripe old age of (cough) 14, I have been as sodden as they come. Booze-soaked and loving every boggy, blurry minute of it—or so I thought. But as my twenties receded in the rear view of the Uber, and my thirties rolled relentlessly into my present, cracks began to appear. So that lands ...

‘more silly than spooky’ Is there room for magic in the modern world? Or have we cancelled out anything enchanting, anything out of the ordinary, anything remarkable? Ben Hart says no–but do we agree? I should preface this by saying that I am not a massive fan of “magic” in general, having been forced up against enough walls by socially ...

‘gothic gladiators’ Acrobatics, I would argue, are truly universal. Especially for families: dazzling feats for the kiddywinks, and enough risk and flesh to keep the adults awake. The heady mix of possible death or disfigurement and the twisted, lithe bodies keeps audiences of all ages coming back. Once trapped in the big top (easy, tiger), the circus folk have leapt ...

‘One for the die-hard pie fans’ What makes these boys ‘bad’? I wonder. Grand larceny? Familial neglect? Harbouring weapons of mass destruction? Whatever it is, these four friends created a society in antithesis of standard university life in Southampton, enthused by a local bar offering free pizza with every pint. Discounted student meals, international tours, pizza parties, pop-ups and local ...

‘Joyous Black culture’ Bank Holiday weekend is upon us, and Carnival is flicking its feathers triumphantly around Notting Hill. But I realise the cacophony isn’t for everyone. Where else will you get your dose of joyous Black culture under the sun and stars? Well, Barbican Outdoor Cinema has got you covered! After the dust has settled Tuesday night has all ...

‘Well-realised wine, disappointing food’ In every duo there is light and shade, yin and yang, a Blake Lively and a Ryan Reynolds. Oddly, in my relationship I am the more positive one, considering my job. This will all become clear as Adrian and I battle through a theoretically romantic evening at a three-month-old wine bar on Hackney Road. Rapidly becoming ...

‘gifted a glimpse into another human’s mind’ A double-hander about a gory break-up might seem a little unexpected for Soho Theatre’s intimate upstairs space. But ardent fringe theatre reinvents the seemingly overdone very much like the heart can flush into glorious vitality once more. At the risk of sounding either smug or pathetic, I have never had my heart broken. ...

‘fairly-priced drinks and passionate bar staff’ Something divine is happening on Paradise Row. Sounds like the start of a bad 1930s novel, doesn’t it? But between these five or six arches just around the corner from Bethnal Green station, there is a cohabitation of flavour and feeling being busily curated. Having reviewed Tasca at CAV earlier this year, they cover ...

‘A case of too many bartenders ruining the martini’ The slurring, bumbling franchise has been going for 15 years, taking the logical extreme of a drinking show to what must surely be its final, shrieking conclusion. Now, it’s very easy for us critics to be snotty about the more boisterous forms lurking in the corners of theatreland. I am normally ...

‘still magic’ I will be honest, as I always am with you, dear reader, West London is sadly not my usual stomping ground. A little better-washed, better-behaved, and silkily billowing than my Soho/East London bedfellows. But when you are invited to a bastion of Indian cuisine in London, one that predates your own existence by a decade, you dust off ...