1 hour ago ‘A gift of a role for a mother’: Game of Thrones star Natalie Dormer on playing Tolstoy’s tortured Anna Karenina

From Anne Boleyn to Lady W to Game of Thrones, she has played tough women who kick against society’s constraints. What will the actor bring to the great Russian character who leaves her husband and son?It was back in 2019 that the role of Anna Karenina was first mentioned to Natalie Dormer. Six years, many screen roles, one pandemic and two children later, Dormer is finally set to take on the titular role of Leo Tolstoy’s epic as Phillip Breen’s adaptation comes to Chichester Festival theatre. The delay has ended up working out well, says Dormer, since Tolstoy’s characters are at the “cutting edge of technology”. The new railways were transforming Russia, and that wasn’t all. “Electric light!” exclaims Dormer. “We talk about it in the play, how that’s going to revolutionise their lifestyles. That trepidation about new technology is so adaptable to today: the terror of the AI train that’s coming our way. That generation of adults in the story – they’re on the precipice of a futuristi...

Politics

1 hour ago I've been forced to sell my beloved caravan at a holiday park after Haven Holidays increased our rent by £5,000

A grandfather has been left £36,000 out of pocket and forced to sell his holiday home in Somerset after the ground rent was increased by £5,000.

Economics

2 h. ago ‘I watched Bob Dylan play tennis with three of the Beatles’: how we made the Isle of Wight festival

‘It’s a myth that Jimi Hendrix played while the stage was on fire. It was a firework’In 1968, when I was 22, my older brother Ronnie got a job as a fundraiser for a swimming pool on the island. I’d done a concert for CND [the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament], so we started talking about doing some sort of festival to raise the money. My younger brother Bill suggested it had to be pop. An agency in London gave Ronnie a list of acts including the Pretty Things, the Move, Fairport Convention, Tyrannosaurus Rex and an American act, Jefferson Airplane. We only had a £750 investment from the Isle of Wight Indoor Swimming Pool Association, but after a friend lent us his £1,000 army pay-off, we managed to book all those bands, sell 10,000 tickets and break even. In the interim, the pool association pulled out because it didn’t like the publicity about hippies, drugs and sex, but they allowed us to use their investment and we were able to pay them back. Continue reading...

Politics

2 h. ago Motherwell star who downed Rangers turns down new contract at Fir Park

The Steelmen have said farewell to Irish defender Dan Casey

Politics

2 h. ago Johnstone Burgh given green light for stadium renovation after Junior Cup joy

Keanie Park will be undergoing a revamp after Renfrewshire Council planning department gave the club the go-ahead to transform the pitch from grass to astroturf

Politics

2 h. ago 9 best earplugs for concerts and festivals to protect your hearing

Reduce the amount of noise at your next event with these protective accessories

Culture

2 h. ago Kim Novak to receive Venice Film Festival’s lifetime achievement honor

Kim Novak, the glamorous and fiercely independent star of Alfred Hitchcock’s “Vertigo,” will be honored with a lifetime achievement award at the Venice Film Festival this fall

Culture

3 h. ago All the UK attractions offering 33% off this summer including Legoland and Thorpe Park

Alton Towers Resort, Chessington World of Adventures Resort, Thorpe Park, Legoland Windsor Resort, Warwick Castle, Cadbury World and The London Eye are among those offering money off

Politics

3 h. ago Appleby horse fair aftermath sees fields covered in rubbish and van burnt

New photos show the aftermath of Appleby horse fair as rubbish and a burnt van can be seen on the fields where the festival took place

Events

3 h. ago Emily Eavis reveals Glastonbury capacity cut to avoid overcrowding

Festival organiser also shared that staff did not believe the festival suffered from overcrowding last year, despite complaints from some fans

Politics

3 h. ago Hamilton Accies Women confirm New Douglas Park stay next season

The club are remaining in the South Lanarkshire town as the men's team look to Broadwood

Politics

3 h. ago Saul review – probing, dark and engrossing staging of Handel’s oratorio

Glyndebourne, SussexBarrie Kosky’s remarkable 2015 production returns to the summer festival with Christopher Purves and Iestyn Davies superb in the lead rolesThe Glyndebourne season continues with a revival by Donna Stirrup of Barrie Kosky’s 2015 staging of Handel’s Saul, widely regarded as one of the festival’s finest achievements and the production that cemented Kosky’s reputation in the UK as a director of remarkable originality. This is the first time I’ve seen it, having missed both its opening run and the 2018 revival, and it strikes me as an example of Kosky’s work at its finest: probing, insightful, sometimes witty, sometimes dark, always utterly engrossing.Premiered in 1739, Saul has often been compared to King Lear. There is much of Shakespeare in this portrait by Handel and his librettist, Charles Jennens, of the Old Testament king whose mind slowly disintegrates under the challenges presented to him politically and privately by David after the death of Goliath. Continue...

Politics

4 h. ago Manchester hotel announces Oasis room package featuring beer and transport to Heaton Park for big concerts

Anyone for a Treehouse Supernova?

Sport

4 h. ago SAULT added to All Points East lineup: everything you need to know about London festival

SAULT will perform at the opening night of All Points East 2025 in a world-exclusive performance, marking their second-ever live appearance

Politics

4 h. ago UK's 'most walkable' seaside resort is perfect for exploring on foot

Experts looked at various factors such as the number of beaches and average hours of sunshine to determine which place in the UK is the best for a leisurely stroll

Politics

4 h. ago The festival beauty essentials you need for Glastonbury, Download and more

From dry shampoo to SPF and cordless hair tools, don’t forget these little luxuries

Politics

5 h. ago The secret seaside escape where Italians have been holidaying for years

Lesser known to British travellers, Rimini and it’s Adriatic coastline are now much more accessible for a short break. By Jordan Reynolds.

Politics

5 h. ago The surprise UK destination rapidly becoming a golf holiday hotspot

Beautiful beaches, swanky new hotels and a World Heritage Site - what’s not to like about this seaside destination?

Politics

5 h. ago TikTok blocks use of popular hashtag amid concerns it promotes eating disorders

On June 1, TikTok blocked search results for 'Skinnytok' following a rising trend of dangerous content promoting eating disorders on the platform and concerns raised by European regulators

Politics

5 h. ago Christmas at the Botanics returns, promising new lights, enchanting sounds and a touch of romance

Festive fans can get a head start on the season as tickets go on sale for one of Scotland’s most popular winter attractions – Christmas at the Botanics.

Politics