42 h. ago Magdalena, Woman of Joy review – sex, sin and saintliness with a tour de force host

Playhouse East, LondonLily Sinko rages, writhes, provokes and teases her way through the horrifying life story of her storyteller with cartoonish abandonMagdalena appears from the dark, perched on a bar stool, cigarettes and liquor by her side, an array of hanging lamps casting a sultry glow. Her first words set the tone – “You want to fuck me,” she says – and lead us into an uncompromising introduction, littered with sex, violence and sideways jokes.She is the creation of French-English actor and writer Lily Sinko, and as her character’s name suggests, we’re hurled through a life of saintliness and sin, despair and redemption, as Magdalena does the best with the hand she’s dealt. We travel to her childhood in Marseille with a hostile “Papa”, an airport abduction that sees her deposited at the Virgin Mary School for Bad Bad Girls (Cash Only), and a wild escape through the streets of France, finding fleeting refuge in a cathedral.At Playhouse East, London, until 28 June Continue read...

Politics

4 d. ago British soldier arrested in Kenya over alleged rape near training base

A British soldier has been accused of raping a woman in Kenya - the Ministry of Defence is cooperating with a Kenyan investigation into the incident.

Events

4 d. ago British soldier 'arrested in Kenya over alleged rape' near army barracks linked to murder of woman in 2012

Police have questioned the serviceman over the alleged incident, which is said to have taken place after a bar trip last month

Events

4 d. ago Soldier is 'stabbed while walking his dog in random attack' near British Army base

The 20-year-old soldier was off duty and dressed in plain clothing while walking his pet just two miles from the Swinton Barracks at Perham Down, Wiltshire.

Events

5 d. ago Tour de force! British soldiers don their finest uniforms for the Colonel's Review

The occasion transforms the Mall as crowds line up the streets waving flags as 1400 soldiers parade alongside 200 horses and 400 musicians from Horse Guard's Parade to Buckingham Palace .

Events

5 d. ago Intrepid Geoff Thomas geared up for another crack at Tour de France route

Former Crystal Palace captain aims to complete the entire course for seventh time to raise funds for Cure LeukaemiaWhen Geoff Thomas was forced to abandon his seventh attempt to complete Tour 21 at the age of 58 after an unforgiving day on the cobblestones, the former Crystal Palace captain thought his days in the saddle were over. “My bike sort of disintegrated underneath me,” remembers Thomas. “That’s when the issues with my knees started so I’d not really been on the bike since then.”But, two years on and having celebrated his 60th birthday earlier this year, he will join the group of amateur riders in tackling the entire Tour de France route a week before the pros, a ride of nearly 3,500km to raise money for Cure Leukaemia. Continue reading...

Politics

6 d. ago Police blunder put Colchester military base on alert over 'Lee Rigby

It is understood that due to an error logging the date the post was made, military officials were mistakenly informed it was a new threat

Events

6 d. ago Billy Joel says 'getting old sucks' as he battles brain disorder

The Piano Man was forced to cancel all of his tour dates for the rest of the year after he was diagnosed with a rare condition

Events

8 d. ago Dave Mason forced to cancel tour as rock legend battles 'challenging' health issue

British rock legend Dave Mason has announced he's cancelled all his upcoming tour dates after battling a recent period of ill health

Society

9 d. ago British soldier found dead in his barracks after lying there for three weeks was 'degraded' by superior officers, inquest hears

A friend of Lance Corporal Bernard Mongan, 33, said 'bullying would be an understatement'.

Events

1 week ago Defence Secretary announces £5 billion investment for military drones and lasers

The funding, announced by Defence Secretary John Healey, includes £4 billion for drones and autonomous systems, and an extra £1 billion for lasers to protect British ships and soldiers

Economics

1 week ago UK to become 'battle ready' with £5 billion investment for military drones and lasers

The funding, announced by Defence Secretary John Healey, includes £4 billion for drones and autonomous systems, and an extra £1 billion for lasers to protect British ships and soldiers

Events

2 w. ago 'Freak' accident forces Kings of Leon to cancel UK and Europe tour dates

Kings of Leon have been forced to cancel some of their upcoming UK and European shows after frontman Caleb Followill was involved in a "freak incident"

Politics

2 w. ago Olly Murs cancels more tour dates and explains why he left the stage mid

Olly Murs has been forced to cancel more tour dates after he recently walked off stage just 30 minutes into a show in Glasgow which left his fans completely baffled

Politics

2 w. ago SAS officer 'blocked bid by Afghan troops to come to UK because they may have witnessed war crimes'

A United Kingdom Special Forces officer rejected the asylum applications of 1,585 Afghan soldiers who may have witnessed war crimes committed by British troops.

Events

2 w. ago Olly Murs cancels more tour dates after walking off stage mid

Olly Murs has been forced to cancel more tour dates after walking off stage during a performance in Glasgow on Thursday night and cancelling his Manchester show on Friday night

Politics

3 w. ago Janette Manrara and Aljaz Skorjanec supported by Strictly Come Dancing co

It was earlier this month that the couple joined forces once again on the stage with their new 19-date tour, A Night To Remember

Politics

3 w. ago Rise of UK robot soldiers as British Military to be the 'cutting edge' in battlefield AI

Defence Secretary John Healey has announced plans to take Britain's military to the 'cutting edge' of Artificial Intelligence as he suggested it will have a 'massive impact' on battlefields

Events

3 w. ago ‘I’m from Glasgow – the swearing came naturally!’ The full uncensored history of The Thick of It

It was the political satire that gave us omnishambles, pet asbos and the terrifying Malcolm Tucker. Two decades on, creator Armando Iannucci and stars including Peter Capaldi and Rebecca Front lift the lid on its chaotic creationTwenty years ago this month we were plunged straight into the middle of an omnishambles. It was a moment in time when petrified politicians lurched from crisis to crisis, scrambling desperately to control the narrative as their endless gaffes derailed even the vaguest attempts to change this country for the better. But am I talking about the tail-end of the Blair years or the televisual tour-de-force that was Armando Iannucci’s The Thick of It?It could be either. It could even be right now – such was the show’s prescient genius. This was a satire that didn’t just mimic the government’s calamities but seemed somehow to foresee them. Over its seven-year run, The Thick of It came up with farcical policies that the government went on to adopt (pet asbos, anyone?...

Politics

3 w. ago 'Old school' British Army corporal pulled bed out of the floor and screamed 'sort out your admin' before having a KNIFE FIGHT with a junior soldier

Corporal Geraint Evans-Dymond (pictured), 35, flipped over a bunk bed which had been bolted to the floor, before telling Fusilier Hezron Harper to 'sort out your admin'.

Events