ALAN Bennett, now recognised as a National Treasure, regards himself as an unlikely candidate for the position. A shy but brilliant boy in his Leeds school, he went on to Oxford, graduating and teaching ancient history, before meeting up with Jonathan Miller, Peter Cook and Dudley Moore, and introducing a new brand of satire to…
Looking at the rain pouring down in torrents on our conservatory roof, we can only grit our teeth at this postcard from private chef Philippa Davis! IF one felt so inclined (or capable) the area surrounding St Remy de Provence is perfect for getting on a bike and busting up some crazily steep hills and…
ON the first stage of our home-bound flight from Alaska, from Anchorage to Seattle in Washington State, I got into one of those unpredictable, expansive conversations you sometimes have on a plane. The passenger next to me was a courtly old man who clearly wanted to chat. He was in his late 80s and a…
YEOVIL’s versatile and accomplished Swan Theatre Company has gone back to Shakespeare for the first time in 33 years – a long gap, but worth the wait, for this well-directed and often hilarious production of one of the Bard’s most accessible and popular comedies. Twelfth Night, directed by the experienced Ian White, brings some new…
“POSH feminists in drunken orgy” – doesn’t sound much like Noel Coward, does it? Obviously it’s a bit of a stretch to call Jane and Julia “feminists,” although they are undoubtedly posh – and drunk they definitely become in the hilarious second act of this early Coward comedy. In his portrayal of two still youngish…
If you were among the thousands of cheese lovers who headed to Sturminster Newton for this year’s record-breaking Cheese Festival, you probably bought a selection of the delights on offer, took them home and put them in the fridge. Wrong! Here’s how to do it … Dude, where’s my cheese? THE size of fridges has…
THE works of Terence Rattigan have been widely revived in the past few years, triggered by the 2011 centenary of his birth, and one such play, Flare Path has survived this spate and is currently touring the country, visiting Bath this week. It is a period piece, set firmly in the Second World War, in…
“Though this be madness, yet there is method in’t.” (‘Hamlet’ Act 2, sc 2) Late lamented, Sir Terry Pratchett’s ‘madness’- as expressed in his magnificently hilarious ‘Discworld’ novels, disguises his comprehensive knowledge of our serious, so-called reality. Terry’s method was to turn his wealth of learning to good account, by exposing the fun that lurks…
IBIZA hasn’t had the greatest press over the years. It’s not that the island isn’t lovely, with dramatic scenery and a glorious climate. It’s more to do with the notorious wild partying that tended to put off many who might otherwise enjoy this island in the sun. Philippa Davis says, forget your preconceptions: Let me…
UNTIL this evening, the name Waldorf meant a salad and a hotel to me, but now it is also the team name for seven of the girls playing Annie and her fellow orphans in this dynamic and thrilling production of this all-time favourite which spends this week at Bristol as part of a major tour…