Saturday, October 19, 2024

Support The Independent

At The Independent, nobody tells us what to think; we make up our own mind and aren't afraid to do things differently. Like our readers, we value honesty and integrity above outside influences.

With your support, we challenge the status quo, uncover crucial stories, and amplify unheard voices. If you like what we do, do take out a subscription and help support the best quality online-only journalism.

Theatre | Oedipus

It's election night. Oedipus is a slick 21st-century politician who promises to clean things up: his supporters campaign for honesty and truth with neat Obama-style graphic posters. But still, it's clear he's going to be dragged back down into some filthy, ancient muck. On stage, a digital clock is counting down the minutes and seconds to... what, exactly? Writer and director Robert Icke's brilliant reimagining of Oedipus achieves the monumental feat of taking a Greek drama where (almost) everyone thinks they know what's going to happen, and turning it into an exercise in tension, one that etches its message with the painful efficiency of a tattoo gun.

Alice Saville | Chief theatre critic

TV | Sweet Bobby

In 2011, radio presenter Kirat Assi was enjoying a night out in Brighton. Across the dancefloor she saw someone she recognised: it was Bobby, a doctor who she'd been messaging on Facebook. They hadn't met in real life yet, and when Kirat went over to introduce herself, Bobby looked confused, as if he had no idea who she was. Watching Netflix's documentary Sweet Bobby, based on Tortoise Media's brilliant podcast, you will find yourself wishing that this strange incident prompted her to write off their friendship, delete the chats and move on so that she could have avoided what was to come. But this was only the start of Kirat and Bobby's story.

Katie Rosseinsky | Senior culture and lifestyle writer

Music | Kylie Minogue: Tension II

"Meet me at the disco-go-go-go…" beckons Kylie on her 17th album, Tension II. Although she has said these 13 tracks are mostly offcuts from last year's Tension, there's zero drop in quality as pop's flirtiest little glitter fairy keeps magicking up the dance floor delights. In fact, this is one of those times where the sequel occasionally outdoes the original: Tension II feels bolder, tougher and more inventive than its predecessor, while still flowing directly from the same fun and fizzy vibe. Kylie sounds like a woman a few shots into the party, totally owning her place in the middle of the dance floor, pulling a giddy guest list of producers and duet partners from their seats to whoop it up in her spotlight.

Helen Brown | Music critic

Film | The Wild Robot

DreamWorks Animation has put Shrek, Kung Fu Panda, and the rest of its merchandise fodder on the back-burner for a moment to chase after the verdant fantasies of Studio Ghibli legend Hayao Miyazaki. Their adaptation of Peter Brown's 2016 novel The Wild Robot is a beautiful little union between the Hollywood mainstream and the wider animation scene beyond. It preserves DreamWorks's broad, direct appeals to sentimentality while weaving in a little more of the thematic maturity and subtlety you might see over at Ghibli or Ireland's Cartoon Saloon.

Clarisse Loughrey | Chief film critic

The Oscar-nominated star of 'Up in the Air' and 'Pitch Perfect' has made her directorial debut with a terrifying story of a real-life serial killer. She speaks to Adam White about the traumatic relationship that led to her recent work, and why being seen as 'quirky and relatable' has its drawbacks

Read an extract from our Saturday Interview below…

Today, the 39-year-old sits in the stark white kitchen of her Los Angeles home. Her hair is sandy brown; she gnaws at her mouth. "Unfortunately, I do know that moment where you're in a room with someone and wondering: 'How is it that 10 seconds ago I thought everything was going fine, and now I'm not safe?'" Kendrick pulls the cuffs of her sweater over her fingertips, clutching them to her face. "And I think that's something a lot of people know really well. Especially women."

In 2022, Kendrick began to speak publicly about her relationship with a man whom she has described as "for all intents and purposes my husband". They were together for just over six years, during which – she has alleged – she experienced "emotional abuse and psychological abuse". Because of the themes of her directorial debut Woman of the Hour, which is streaming on Netflix, and those of her most recent movie, Alice, Darling – about a woman in an abusive relationship – it's hard to talk about Kendrick's work without talking about her personal life, too. She agrees, even if a part of her hates it. "For a second, I did think that interviews for this film would just involve me being asked about every member of the cast and the crew, and I'd just gush about them and..." She trails off, sing-songily. "But so far, no one's asked me about the sound team." She says this with a laugh, but I can't help but wince a little. It's that spark-plug energy. It's good at masking things.

Read the full interview here

INDYBEST / BEST BUYS

Suzanne Collins has announced a new Hunger Games book – here's how to pre-order.

Take a look at our subscriber-exclusive newsletters

As a subscriber, you'll also enjoy unlimited access to Premium analysis and opinion along with ad-free reading, the daily edition newspaper, and more exclusive newsletters.

The Independent proudly partners with Refuge and the National Domestic Abuse Helpline: 0808 2000 247

Join the conversation or follow us

Download the free Independent app

Please do not reply directly to this email

You are currently registered to receive The Independent's IndyArts newsletter.

To unsubscribe from The Independent's IndyArts newsletter, or to manage your email preferences please click here.

This e-mail was sent by Independent Digital News and Media Ltd, 14-18 Finsbury Square, London EC2A 1AH. Registered in England and Wales with company number 07320345

Read our privacy notice and cookie policy