12 h. ago Hollyoaks icon lands major role in epic Western worlds away from soap

Landman has returned for season two and has this time welcomed a very familiar face from Channel 4's Hollyoaks.

Politics

17 h. ago Want World Cup tickets? This new credit card offer can help you get them

Rare chance to purchase World Cup tickets without paying inflated resale prices

Politics

67 h. ago He’ll always have Brisbane: Michael Neser revels in sweet day of Ashes glory | Geoff Lemon

Stand-in bowler makes the most of rare chance on what could yet prove to be his final moments in Test cricket• Australia beat England by eight wickets at the GabbaIn the end, the only tension was whether Brisbane’s rain would descend before Australia could knock off the last 32 runs in the final session, and so whether going 2-0 up in the Ashes would be delayed until the fifth day. It turned out that England’s resistance through the light of the afternoon had only dished up some evening entertainment for home fans, with Travis Head able to put on a brief show in dispatching the pink ball over the fence before he headed back the same way.And still. Through the longest partnership of the series so far, 221 balls on the hottest day of the second Test, Ben Stokes and Will Jacks made Australia work in the field, something that was perhaps worth doing for the simple fact of proving that it can be done. With Mitchell Starc tiring after leading the line all series, the contest became a grin...

Politics

6 d. ago West Lothian company takes on iconic Scottish footballers in inaugural Team Jak Cup

The game took place at the Oriam, where Scotland Over 50s team (Scottish Vets FC), faced players from Valneva Scotland, the Scottish Patient Awareness Council and Bouygues Energies & Services.

Politics

6 d. ago Arne Slot 'doesn't care about Mo Salah's Liverpool career' and 'still has point to prove'

Mohamed Salah was dropped by Liverpool boss Arne Slot for their 2-0 over West Ham on Sunday afternoon - and a Premier League icon has claimed the Dutchman "doesn't care" about Salah's career

Politics

6 d. ago Iconic West End Street Sicilian Avenue Is Finally Reopening This Month

Iconic West End Street Sicilian Avenue Is Finally Reopening This Month  Time Out Worldwide

Politics

6 d. ago Iconic West End street Sicilian Avenue is finally reopening – and it’s revealed the first three shops

Iconic West End street Sicilian Avenue is finally reopening – and it’s revealed the first three shops  Time Out Worldwide

Politics

1 week ago 'Masterpiece' Western is 'stone cold classic' and on ITV tonight

An ‘intense’ spaghetti western starring an iconic American actor is a classic of the genre and the part of a famous trilogy that are still loved decades on

Politics

1 week ago How Cynthia Erivo's fiery defiance as the Wicked Witch in the new Oz sequel was shaped by the moment her father abandoned her at a London Tube station

She was 16 and standing on a London Underground platform, when he told her he never wanted to see her again.

Politics

2 w. ago Rose Lavelle’s magic gives Gotham an NWSL championship that once seemed inevitable

The NWSL’s would-be superteam gritted out another title, as the Spirit and Trinity Rodman face a bevy of questionsWhen Rose Lavelle won the World Cup with the US in 2019, she did so by scoring the decisive goal. Six years, three club transfers, and nearly 100 national team caps later, she secured her first NWSL title in similar style.The playmaker made the difference for Gotham FC in a tense final on Saturday, taking advantage of a rare scoring chance and placing her shot to the far corner in a 1-0 victory over the Washington Spirit. The strike was a rare moment of attacking incisiveness in a match between two of the league’s fiercest rivals, with Gotham capitalizing on a period of indecision by Spirit manager Adrián González. Continue reading...

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2 w. ago A Christmas miracle for Lady Mary? Downton Abbey's Michelle Dockery spotted heading out on a lunch date with her husband

Wearing a red and black oversized coat and red woollen hat, the star appeared relaxed as the couple had a midweek meal at The River Cafe in Hammersmith, west London.

Politics

2 w. ago ‘The ad libs had us shaking behind the camera’: Corbyn and McKellen cameos raise panto’s profile

Star turns are boosting ticket sales this season, including Islington show featuring MP’s Wizard of Oz and Olivier winner’s TotoWe’re a third of the way through the fabulously camp production of Wicked Witches, a mashup of Wicked and The Wizard of Oz, at the Pleasance theatre in Islington, north London. Dor (formerly known as Dorothy) and Tin 2.0 need guidance on how to take down the Wicked Witch and save the borough of Oz-lington from a great blizzard.But wait! Who’s that Facetiming? It’s only Jeremy Corbyn, the wise Wizard of Oz-lington! The 200-person audience cheers and applauds the Islington North MP, who looks as if he’s beaming in from the allotment. Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago The Guardian view on authentic casting in Wicked: finally a true celebration of difference | Editorial

The wider TV and film industries have a long way to go in including disabled actors and creators, and leaving stereotypes behindWhile the entertainment industry has been at pains to address issues of diversity in race, gender and sexuality, disability remains shockingly underrepresented. It’s not just that disabled actors are discounted for many roles. As actors and activists have pointed out, “blacking up” might have become taboo, but “cripping up” is still a shoo-in for awards. In almost 100 years, only three disabled actors have won an Oscar, compared to 25 able-bodied actors who have won for playing disabled characters.The arrival this weekend of Wicked: For Good, the second part of a prequel story to The Wizard of Oz, has put the importance of authentic casting in the spotlight once more. The story of green-skinned witch Elphaba, and the prejudice she faces, Wicked is a celebration of difference. Yet since the hit musical opened in 2003, only able-bodied actors had played the p...

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2 w. ago Wicked fans can watch 'darkest' version of Wizard of Oz streaming now

This sequel to The Wizard of Oz is a far cry from the original, with many viewers left disturbed by the much darker take.

Sport

3 w. ago Wicked: For Good review — Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande have changed cinema for the better

If this sequel to Wicked doesn’t get more Oscars, I’ll eat my witch’s hat

Politics

3 w. ago ‘I was born in a melting pot. Melting isn’t fun’: Jon M Chu on Wicked: For Good, Ariana Grande – and living the American dream

As his sequel to Wicked prepares to storm Christmas, the director talks about the dynamism of Grande and Cynthia Erivo – and why his Wizard of Oz riff is quite simply one of the greatest stories of our timeLet’s start with a quick recap on the first Wicked film. Its premise: what would the legend of Oz look like, told from the perspective of someone other than that cute but dozy blow-in, Dorothy? The wicked witch, Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo), is entirely green, and has therefore been ostracised since childhood. Glinda (Ariana Grande), the good witch, is everybody’s princess but, after a time, the two become best friends. I’ll skirt over how the Tin Man, the Lion and the Scarecrow come about, suffice to say that, in the film at least, their backstories make perfect and resonant sense (except for the Lion, but never mind). The Wizard (Jeff Goldblum) is not a good guy – but is he a bad guy? The morals swirl, in an expertly handled way.The first film left us at the point of discovery that O...

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3 w. ago Renée Zellweger reunites with Bridget Jones cast as statue unveiled in London’s Leicester Square

The figure becomes the latest addition to the West End’s popular Scenes in the Square trail, joining icons such as Harry Potter and Paddington

Politics

3 w. ago Beatles biopic suffers major blow as council bans filming at iconic landmark

Westminster Council has reportedly banned any filming at an iconic Beatles landmark, meaning that a famous shot of the fab four will not be recreated for the films

Politics

4 w. ago Bench impact, digging deep and ‘brilliant basics’: Inside England’s plan to beat the All Blacks

Another bench loaded with British and Irish Lions could be key to England’s chances of a rare win over New Zealand

Politics

4 w. ago Wizard of Oz fans given rare chance to own the Wicked Witch of the West’s iconic black hat

Fans of the iconic fantasy film have another opportunity to own more memorabilia

Politics