Reviews

  • Candid Arts Portrait (Exhibition)
    Posted in: Galleries & Museums, Reviews, Shows & Exhibitions

    An open invitation for portrait artists from all fields drew work that varied from life-like oil depictions to sculptures of bog-rolls wearing judge’s wigs. Celebrity culture was well represented with paintings of Prince, Jay Zee and Rita Ora – the R&B singer fast becoming the preferred celebrity muse for contemporary artists and poets in place […]

  • Ian Treherne: Release (Exhibition)
    Posted in: Galleries & Museums, Photos, Reviews, Shows & Exhibitions

    Essex-born photographer Ian Treherne has a degenerative eye condition which vignettes out most of his peripheral vision. This perspective on the world echoes some of the creative choices in his work. You’ll notice pretty quickly which of his works best capture this unique perspective. Indeed, ‘Simi’ one of the first photos you see as you […]

  • The Importance of Being Earnest (Theatre)
    Posted in: Drama & Theatre, Reviews

    This Oscar Wilde play was originally titled The Importance of Being Earnest, A Trivial Comedy For Serious People. Wilde added the extra as if concerned we might miss the point. And it’s heartening how the comedy elements have passed the test of time, perhaps because of ‘serious’ people forever finding new meaning in the once […]

  • Fifty Shades Darker (Film)
    Posted in: Movies & TV Shows, Reviews

    In the second instalment of Fifty Shades billionaire Christian Grey (Jamie Dornan) wins back sexual soulmate Anastasia Steele (Dakota Johnson) by suggesting new and improved terms for their ‘arrangement’. It all sounds very contractual but there is nothing business-like about round 2 of their relationship, with both showing early signs of a desire for deeper […]

  • Icons of Hip Hop (Exhibition)
    Posted in: Reviews, Shows & Exhibitions

    BoxPark in Shoreditch is increasingly making a name as the place to be for buzz gigs, pop up art exhibitions and all manner of in-store creative cool. The Icons of Hip Hop exhibition by photographer Eddie Otchere is one such urban gem, documenting as it does, his experience snapping rap royalty throughout the decades. These […]

  • Doctor Faustus (Theatre)
    Posted in: Drama & Theatre, Reviews

    Most are familiar with Christopher Marlowe’s play and the seven deadly sins which haunt Doctor Faustus in this Elizabethan tragedy. Few may be aware that Faustus is described in the traditional Chorus as being from ‘base stock’ and later a physician and professor of divinity at Wittenberg University. Even then, his undeniable thirst for greater […]

  • Jackie (Film)
    Posted in: Movies & TV Shows, Reviews

    Yet another movie marking out the tragic yet golden term two year of the Kennedy presidency, but this time from the vantage point of his widow Jackie Kennedy – literally. This Pablo Larrain directed bio-pic actually includes a gruesome re-enactment of the assassination and the entire movie is about his wife relating every moment, every […]

  • Dzhangal exhibition
    Gideon Mendel: Dzhangal (Exhibition)
    Posted in: Galleries & Museums, Reviews, Shows & Exhibitions

    On October 26th 2016 the French authorities announced they had completed a clearance of thousands of migrants from the Calais ‘Jungle’ camp. The debris and remnants of this makeshift village for those desperate to get to Britain have been collected and photographed by Gideon Mendel acting as a documentary on their tragic circumstances. This modern-day […]

  • companions-of-clay-by-safeena-chaudhry
    Companions Of Clay (Book)
    Posted in: Books, People, Reviews

    What’s Hot London? readers will warm to a novel that has many a London landmark and postcode featured in its surreal depiction of coma dream states. The author Safeena Chaudhry, currently runs a monthly literary event called Novel London at Waterstones which she offers as a platform for promoting other writers’ work. You’ll notice both […]

  • the-birth-of-a-nation-film
    The Birth of a Nation (Film)
    Posted in: Movies & TV Shows, Reviews

    This period drama about the 1831 Nat Turner slave revolt is a five-star surefire bet to be amongst the Oscar nominees in January 2017. Directed, produced and co-written by Nate Parker, he also stars in this, his debut feature, as the brutalised slave and Baptist preacher who at first uses bible sermons to placate his […]