La Bohme review fine performances but Puccini is swamped by busy staging
OperaReviewOpera Holland Park, London
Although musically very strong and with Katie Bird a lovely Mimi, Natascha Metherell’s relocation of Puccini’s bohemians to a 1950s film studio brings as many distractions as it does insights
Nineteen-fifties Italian cinema seems to hold a certain fascination for opera directors at present. Hard on the heels of Rodula Gaitanou’s Opera North staging of Ariadne auf Naxos, which reimagined Strauss in terms of Fellini working on one of his more surreal phantasmagorias, this new production of La Bohème by Natascha Metherell for Opera Holland Park, also relocates Puccini to a 50s film studio, where a Visconti-style costume pic, set in Second Empire Paris and entitled La Vie Parisienne, is being shot.
Moritz Erhardt: the tragic death of a City intern | Banking
The ObserverBankingInterviewMoritz Erhardt: the tragic death of a City internElizabeth DayThe 21-year-old was found dead in his flat after working for three nights in a row. For the first time, Moritz Erhardt's parents talk about how they had feared for their son – and why the British government must prevent another such tragedyAs a baby, Moritz Erhardt was a bad sleeper. His father, Hans-Georg, remembers the day of his son's birth, 3 October 1991, as one of the happiest moments of his life, but when he and his wife, Ulrike, took their newborn home, they found it hard to get him to settle.
Nudity on the beach is normal: how Sardinia is tapping into the naturist revival | Italy
The ObserverItaly This article is more than 1 year old‘Nudity on the beach is normal’: how Sardinia is tapping into the naturist revivalThis article is more than 1 year oldThe island’s plans also include special hotels, hiking trails and a village resort, but not all the locals are in favour
Sergio Cossu’s nude awakening came in 1972, when, at the age of 16 and needing a getaway from his family, he ventured to Santa Teresa Gallura, whose stretch of wild, pristine coastline in northern Sardinia was a mecca for hippies from across Europe.
Raw power: why Iggy Pop posed naked for Jeremy Deller's Life Class | Jeremy Deller
‘His body deserves to be taken more seriously’ … Iggy by, from left, Taylor Schultek, Levan Songulashvili and Kallyiah Merilus on show at Brooklyn Museum. Composite: Sarah DeSantis, Brooklyn Museum‘His body deserves to be taken more seriously’ … Iggy by, from left, Taylor Schultek, Levan Songulashvili and Kallyiah Merilus on show at Brooklyn Museum. Composite: Sarah DeSantis, Brooklyn MuseumJeremy DellerInterviewRaw power: why Iggy Pop posed naked for Jeremy Deller's Life ClassJim FarberWhen Jeremy Deller first asked Iggy Pop to pose nude for a life-drawing session, the rock star said he was too young.
Tottenham 3 - 5 Man United | Match Reports
Every young boy may grow up wanting to be a Manchester United player but, trust me, you would not have wanted to be one at half-time here. United trailed 3-0, out-thought and outplayed by Tottenham Hotspur. Then Sir Alex Ferguson, known to dispense the odd word of wisdom in somewhat graphic terms to errant employees, had his say. Inspired by Juan Sebastian Veron, they came out to produce one of football's most remarkable comebacks thanks to a five-star second-half performance that was as astonishingly good as the first half's had been astonishingly poor.
When Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie met the Assads
Lost in showbizAngelina JolieLet us glance back at the fawning profile of the Syrian leader's wife in last year's America VogueAnd so to a couple of Syria-related questions. Firstly, will Details magazine now reconsider its 2007 decision to place Britney Spears's unemployed ex-husband at No 7 on its list of most powerful men on the planet under the age of 45 – a full 14 spots above President Bashar al-Assad?
Arizona Democrats No 1 message: Republicans want to destroy our democracy | Arizona
State of the swing statesArizonaInterviewArizona Democrats’ No 1 message: ‘Republicans want to destroy our democracy’Lauren GambinoState party chair Yolanda Bejarano says Biden’s agenda of job creation and lowering family’s costs is a winner and recent polling does not capture where voters will be come election day
Few states will have more influence over the country’s political future than Arizona. Once a ruby-red Republican stronghold, it is now a south-western battleground and the stakes couldn’t be higher for Arizonans – or Americans.
Cats vs dogs: in terms of evolution, are we barking up the wrong tree? | Science
Lost worlds revisitedScienceCats vs dogs: in terms of evolution, are we barking up the wrong tree?New research reveals humans have identified as either cat or dog lovers since the stone age, but in fact, our pets are more closely related than you might think
Are you a dog person, or a cat person? The question is often treated as dichotomous: if you appreciate the solidity of a steadfast pooch, you can’t also relish the coquettish companionship of a kitty.
Have Blake Livelys truffle-covered nipples trounced Gwyneth Paltrow?
Lost in showbizGwyneth PaltrowThe Goop curator tried to raise the world’s palate with macrobiotic kale. But has Gwynnie now finally met her nemesis?
The Guardian’s product and service reviews are independent and are in no way influenced by any advertiser or commercial initiative. We will earn a commission from the retailer if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more. There are weeks when nothing much seems to happen in the world of celebrity.
Linden Travers | Movies | The Guardian
MoviesObituaryLinden TraversGifted actress who moved comfortably from femme fatale roles to light comediesAmong the many questions film-goers ask themselves while watching Alfred Hitchcock's The Lady Vanishes (1939), the penultimate film of the director's British period, is what on earth the exquisite brunette Mrs Todhunter sees in the pompous and pusillanimous Mr Todhunter (portrayed by portly Cecil Parker).
So passionate and sympathetic is the lovely Linden Travers, who has died aged 88, that we can only be pleased for her when Todhunter is shot by the Nazis as he tries to make a run for it.