Latest news with #Shakespearean
Elle
44 minutes ago
- Entertainment
- Elle
7 Questions We Still Have After The '1923' Season One Finale
If you're anything like us, the minute the credits rolled on 1923's debut season, you were left sitting there, hands in your lap, fighting the urge to immediately text everybody you know with nothing but 'Wait… what?' As the Dutton universe expands ever westward, the first outing of Taylor Sheridan's Yellowstone prequel delivered some serious drama, barn-sized betrayals, and a dust-storm of new mysteries. While we're still picking dust out of our hair, here are the questions we absolutely must have answered after that nail-biting season one finale. After that harrowing miscarriage, Elizabeth and Jack's heartbreak felt final — until later on in the season, when a hopeful pregnancy test spun the cycle again. But with Elizabeth left clutching her grief as Jack's fate spirals into uncertainty, are we truly to believe she carries the next Dutton in her womb, or will season two revisit this loss? Some fans remain unconvinced, desperate for a definitive answer. It's nearly Shakespearean: Teonna Rainwater's journey could run parallel with the Duttons', but after a season of suffering (and fighting back — go Teonna!), their worlds have yet to truly meet. Is a future Dutton-Rainwater alliance on the cards? It would be a powerful echo down the Yellowstone timeline. Let's be blunt: it's 1923, borders are literal, and Alex is two continents away, traumatised and alone. What's her plan: hop on another ocean liner, cross half a continent, ride a horse up a mountain? Will she and Spencer — whose romance is already mythic — ever share a Montana sunrise? The duel with Arthur — that overboard moment! — had us gasping. But while the fallout seemed to serve only as the logistical reason to strand Alex and Spencer, should we expect more consequences? Law, family scandals, or guilt may yet close in. 1923 finally revealed the origin of the infamous 'Train Station,' Yellowstone's most chilling euphemism for frontier justice. But as of season one's finale, the Duttons seem blissfully unaware. When — and which generation — will inherit this most toxic secret? The shadow of this knowledge haunts the future Duttons, and we're desperate for the dots to be joined. Fans are buzzing over Spencer's potential second child — a mystery alluded to but never confirmed. If true, who is the mother, and what fate awaits this lost branch of the family tree? Helen Mirren and Harrison Ford's chemistry very much anchors 1923, but power and pain fracture even the strongest of partnerships. How will their marriage, already tested by grief and war, weather new storms? Was Cara's final look defiant, or secretly broken? ELLE Collective is a new community of fashion, beauty and culture lovers. For access to exclusive content, events, inspiring advice from our Editors and industry experts, as well the opportunity to meet designers, thought-leaders and stylists, become a member today HERE. Naomi May is a seasoned culture journalist and editor with over ten years' worth of experience in shaping stories and building digital communities. After graduating with a First Class Honours from City University's prestigious Journalism course, Naomi joined the Evening Standard, where she worked across both the newspaper and website. She is now the Digital Editor at ELLE Magazine and has written features for the likes of The Guardian, Vogue, Vice and Refinery29, among many others. Naomi is also the host of the ELLE Collective book club.
West Australian
14 hours ago
- Entertainment
- West Australian
Actor hailing from regional WA reflects on journey from bush childhood to Shakespearean plays
Spending his childhood in regional Australia gave actor-turned-director Myles Pollard the confidence to succeed in the industry. It was the 'quiet confidence that you get from getting lost in the bush, falling down and dusting yourself off and having another crack,' he told the 2025 Leadership Conference, hosted by Bunbury-Geographe Chamber of Commerce and Industry. At the conference, Pollard shared his journey of how a kid from rural Australia got to be on stage for Shakespearean plays and then on the big screen, before taking to the director's chair. Growing up in Port Hedland, Karratha and Onslow honed that confidence, a value he said was 'more about presence and consistencies than about your title'. 'They are built not in theory, but they are forged in the fire of lived experience, of falling down, dusting yourself off and having another crack,' Pollard said. After finishing high school and then completing a bachelors degree in teaching, he worked as a teacher before working in the mines. Pollard soon realised his career was definitely not in drilling. 'My theory was, I did not want to be tied down to one predictable career path and I wanted to play everything, and an actor gets to do that,' Mr Pollard said. He then finished an acting degree at Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts, and soon got into theatre. If what he learnt from the bush was confidence that came with a lot of freedom, being in a Shakespearean play in theatre he found something different. 'The type of pressure and unpredictability, every single night and sometimes twice a day, you've got 800 people staring at you, and they are all scrutinising you, they are all judging you, and you have to stay sharp, you have got to recall a lot of content,' he said. 'There are so many words and so many ideas and so many discoveries, and you're having to do that all in flow, publicly with all that scrutiny and it takes a lot of rehearsal, and it takes a lot of self-management.' Despite his many successes, Pollard shared an audition mishap he said should be used as an example of what not to do when selected as one of the 10 people shortlisted for a franchise like Lord of the Rings. 'I was up against actors like Val Kilmer, Ethan Hawke, Ewan McGregor, Richard Roxburgh and David Wenham,' he said. 'I rocked up, I am in this casting room and there is Peter Jackson, who is the writer, director and producer of the franchise and another reader. Then he said, 'So Myles, what do you think about the books?'' Pollard's response was: 'I have not read it mate, but if I get the gig, I will give it a crack for sure.' Pollard said he knew right away he was not getting a call back.
Telegraph
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
‘It tasted like someone had stubbed their fag out in my Mr Whippy': William Sitwell reviews Kokin, London
To Stratford to dine at a new Japanese restaurant. That's International, not upon-Avon, although dinner was somewhat Shakespearean – a tragi-comedy – and also an expensive mistake. And don't say I went there looking for trouble, keen to posture about east London tower blocks and expansive views of disused car parks. As comfortable as the next person in a rural idyll of thatched roofs and lush green pastures, I get more than my fair share of them and am perfectly willing to acknowledge the ambition and striking modernity of vast glass-and-steel edifices strutting skywards between train track and urban shopping centre. If there's a gleaming, stylish Japanese restaurant there for brandishing sake, so much the better. Kokin, on the seventh floor of the Stratford hotel, begins positively with its comfortable design – pastel shades, banquettes, the sight of a long bar and a fabulous garden terrace of pebbles, water and trees. The seven o'clock sunshine beat down on us out there and it augured well. The amateurish barman was just charming; it seemed authentic that the young Japanese chap apparently didn't understand what a wine grape was, or that I might wish to try a wine, offering me a taste in a shot glass. Similarly, once we had moved inside, our lovely waitress, who responded to my frantic waving (necessary even though other punters were scarce) by approaching our table and asking, 'Did you have a question about the nigiri?' 'No,' I replied, 'we'd just like to order.' Thankfully, there was no choice involved (though the restaurant does offer à la carte options). Omakase, where the chef selects your food for you, is one of the great treats in life. The 'leave it up to you' approach does come with an element of risk though, normally relating to cost. The bill at Kokin, however, proved to be the least of our worries. For as dinner unfolded, I questioned what I had hitherto understood to be Japanese cuisine. The likes of gently melting sashimi and soft, tender sushi – were these but naive dips into that ocean-deep culture? Was Kokin's version – Japanese food in all its gritty glory: challenging raw fish, bold, wood-fired tuna, farmyard beef and barbecued ice cream – the real thing? Well, I seriously hope not, because the only service this dinner provides to the uninitiated is a message to steer well clear of Japanese food (it would at least be a money-saving solution, a bit like persuading your kids that polo is a terrible sport…). The misfortune began with a tray of edibles, including oysters wrecked by a quicksand of cloying sweet jelly and a purée of 'apple-smoked celeriac'. I'd rather eat the oyster shells than have to suffer that hell again. There were a couple of things sheltering in pots to contain smoke, one of which – chawanmushi – was a savoury egg custard that smelt like someone had tripped over and spilt a pot of stock on a bonfire. A colourful plate of sushi came next, its bright colours of orange and green camouflaging the raw fish in the centre. These were remarkably unpleasant, tough cuts of fish along with some of those large carabinero prawns – miraculously huge and rich shellfish, destroyed here by a tangy sauce and chopped chives. Then came a cut of tuna, the bit a chef might usually chuck, or use for stock, we're told; the word 'sustainable' was duly brandished. It was cooked at a low temperature over fire. Oh my, was this frightful. It stank like the bottom of a boat unsweetened by diesel, tasted as bad, and its hue was worse, reminding me of the loo on a boat I once took from Bombay to Goa. Wagyu beef followed, its barbecue flavour being more house-on-fire than cheffy grill. And then, at least, a decent DIY temae sushi dish, before dinner came to a suitable, calamitous conclusion: a sickly sweet pud with 'wood-fired ice cream'. It tasted like someone had stubbed out their fag in my Mr Whippy.
Daily Mirror
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Netflix viewers demand second season of series that 'blew me away'
Netflix viewers have described the series as an "unexpected find" that they "highly recommend" The Brothers Sun is an American comedy drama which landed on Netflix in January 2024 and stars Michelle Yeoh. The series follows the life of Bruce Sun, who lives in California, and has his life turned upside down when his older brother Charles visits from Taiwan. Bruce has no recollection of his family's profession as Taipei's most renowned gangsters. But after their criminal mastermind father was almost killed, Charles moved to LA to protect his family. In a further twist, Bruce learns his mother moved to California to start a new life away from her estranged family and to protect her sun. But her attempts were futile and Bruce has to adapt to his family's gangster lifestyle. Fans of the series have heaped praise on Brothers Sun with one reviewing it: "This show was an unexpected find and complete tour de force. "If you enjoy intense family drama with Shakespearean overtones and all the feels, laugh-aloud comedic moments, amazing martial arts fighting sequences, a highly talented and diverse cast who inhabits all the characters, be it main or secondary, and a feel-good ending, I highly recommend this series!" Another added: "It completely took me by surprise. Brother's Sun is an amazing web series that I thoroughly enjoyed. I want to share my appreciation without giving away any spoilers for those who haven't seen it yet. "The unpredictable twists and turns were fantastic, and Mama being the information bank and mastermind added a great dimension. Both sons being brave and smart showcased a refreshing sibling bond, which I haven't seen in a drama for a while. "The casting was brilliant, and kudos to all the actors for playing their roles so well." A third continued: "Best show in a long time …. With comedy and action it's amazing. The fighting is one of the best I have watched in a couple years. "This show has a little bit of everything crime, action, romance, with a twist of comedy which makes it all around the best show in a long time. They covered everything we need this show to come back for another season." Unfortunately for fans, it was revealed there wouldn't be another series as it was cancelled by Netflix.
Sydney Morning Herald
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
Why exploring this Sydney home is like finding an unplayed Mozart
Turning 89 on Friday, the Pritzker Prize-winning Australian architect Glenn Murcutt is still surprising fans who thought they knew all or most of his work. Another home in Sydney's St Ives by one of the world's most internationally recognised and important architects, but the least 'starchitecty' in style, has come to light. Discovering an unseen Murcutt was like hearing an unplayed Mozart, said one Sydney devotee. Architect Nick Sissons said it was like finding an unknown Shakespearean sonnet. Once found, the family home seems to disappear back into the steep bush block. That was Murcutt's intention, he said, visiting the home he designed 30 years ago for Dr Judith Preston and her husband, Brian Preston, the chief judge of the NSW Land and Environment Court. 'It's always been my view that you design buildings that you go past, and every now and again, one might say, 'Oh, better go back and have another look at that'. And I like that idea that there's that privacy to the street, and then you bite the apple and you have all the fruit inside.' Sissons, who worked with Murcutt on a book about his Unbuilt Works, estimates the architect has designed about 400 projects across 55 years. Murcutt has won gold medals from Australia and the US, and the Alvar Aalto Medal. As well as the Pritzker, he was the first Australian named a Praemium Imperiale laureate of architecture by the Japan Art Association. No two Murcutt homes are the same; Sissons said the Preston home was 'wonderfully subtle'. 'It blends seamlessly into the bushland context, responding to the steep topography, sliding, bending and dropping through the gully.' He said the slender terracotta-coloured blade walls – requested by Brian Preston to match the pink angophora he loves – allowed glimpses into the surrounding bushland. Sissons said it felt as if the house had always been there. 'It isn't a spectacular architectural statement, rather it feels like a logical and inevitable response to its unique context.' To mark Murcutt's 90th year, the foundation set up in his honour will launch the Murcutt Symposium from September 11 to 13 at the State Library of NSW. It includes Murcutt in conversation with his friend Francis Kéré, another Pritzker winner, visiting Australia for the first time. It will include visits with Murcutt to homes he has designed, and a panel of top architects discussing ideas such as healthy buildings and designing for climate that drove Murcutt's practice. One speaker, Carol Marra, an architect and Churchill Fellow, said Kéré and Murcutt seemed very different – Kéré has a mid-size practice, where Murcutt works solo. Yet both took time to understand what's unique about a place, including its cultural and social history, the landscape and people. 'It is not trophy architecture but has a dignified presence of its own,' Marra said. She said it was difficult to date Murcutt's work. 'They could be 40 years old or could have been built yesterday. 'It's deeply human work, you can sense … a love of people, care for place and nature. It is incredibly hard to achieve this in our market-driven commercial world, but it is a reflection of who Glenn is, a beautiful human being, brilliant and humble in equal measure.' Compared with nearby McMansions, the Preston home is modest and was unusual for its time because it incorporated a range of salvaged wood. 'I like that idea that there's that privacy to the street, and then you bite the apple and you have all the fruits inside.' Glenn Murcutt on Preston House Preston, a devoted gardener who also received the TAFE State Medal for Urban horticulture (1999), said it was a very therapeutic place. 'You think about the Japanese concept of forest bathing. You have that in your own house. We get all the birds, and we open the windows.' Murcutt said it was important to have a client who understood beautiful landscaping. 'And [Preston] has made a paradise. It is just paradise.' Murcutt is not looking for new work but trying to complete projects. That includes working with architect Angelo Candalepas on the new beachfront headquarters for Royal Far West at Manly. Asked if he thought about his legacy, he said he left it to those managing the Murcutt Foundation. 'I am having a few difficulties, health-wise, falling over. It is knocking me about a bit. I say to myself if I get to 90 or 95 I will be very lucky,' Murcutt said. 'I am very philosophical. I would like to be active until I have finished, and I don't like the idea of slowing down, that's been the curse of my life. I'm pretending I'm still 40. 'I don't want clients to be waiting, and I die in the middle of it. So I've said basically no to every new project.'
