LONDON — What do you suppose she’s really thinking beneath the mask of majesty? All that nonstop pomp and pageantry must feel like a straitjacket. And surely she has disturbing things on her mind at the moment — worries about her husband, for one — as her reveling subjects pay such ostentatious tribute to her. Wouldn’t you just love to know what’s going on inside that serene head of hers?
No, not her. Not Queen Elizabeth II, though she has inspired many such questions in recent days. I arrived in London a few days too late to be a firsthand witness to the parades and parties and river flotillas that commemorated her 60 years on the throne. But I did manage to catch, just before she left town, another, livelier woman who could be said to be the prisoner of her title.
Her name? The Duchess of Malfi. And should the current queen of England have chosen to spend time with this entrapped creature, embodied with genuine tragic grandeur by Eve Best in John Webster’s 1613 play at the Old Vic Theater, she might have found a soul sister of sorts in a doomed Italian noblewoman of another age.
Or perhaps Queen Elizabeth’s thoughts would have turned to women in her family who were unlucky in love and paid a price, like her sister, Margaret, or her daughter-in-law Diana. Jamie Lloyd’s thrilling production of “The Duchess of Malfi,” which ended its limited run on Saturday, makes it all too clear that if you’re stuck on a world stage in a royal role, you had better keep your passions to yourself.
Is it only a coincidence that the Old Vic scheduled this production to coincide with the nationwide Diamond Jubilee celebrations? Written by Webster when memories of the first Queen Elizabeth and her sacrifices to the state were still fresh, “The Duchess of Malfi” achieves a thrilling new immediacy in Mr. Lloyd’s interpretation. (Can’t it please be reincarnated soon, ideally in New York?)
Not that this rising young director resorts to weary postmodernist tricks of dragging a centuries-old classic into a present of cellphones, tabloid journalism and television screens. On the contrary, as designed by Soutra Gilmour, this “Duchess” is set firmly in its period. The deep stage at the Old Vic has been transformed into a three-tiered cathedral-like space; like a tomb, it echoes with intimations of both eternity and decay.
The inhabitants of this sepulchral, candle-lighted world step out of shadows amid clouds of incense. And whether they be rough soldiers, stately churchmen or genteel ladies, they are all wearing Venetian-style masks as they advance toward us in ceremonial procession. They scarcely seem mortal, these exotic creatures.
But observe that one woman stands taller than the others in her handsome, floor-brushing gown. The strong light behind her reveals the silhouette of a woman’s naked body beneath the form-concealing dress. The lady is definitely made of flesh and blood. More’s the pity, for that will be the undoing of the Duchess of Malfi, who presumes to fall in love with her own steward (Tom Bateman, a worthy lust object) and to marry him in secret.
With these opening images, beautifully underscored by James Farncombe’s lighting and Ben and Max Ringham’s music, Mr. Lloyd establishes a visual vocabulary that matches Webster’s stark poetry of paradoxes. T.S. Eliot memorably wrote that Webster was always conscious of “the skull beneath the skin.” This “Duchess” expertly insists that we never forget its existence or that of the bodies beneath the robes and the faces behind the masks.
Indeed, I have never seen a production of any Jacobean tragedy that is so fully imbued, on so many levels, with a sense of duplicity, of doubleness. I mean not only the hypocrisy of state and church, embodied by the Duchess’s conniving brothers, Ferdinand and the Cardinal (Harry Lloyd and Finbar Lynch, in juicy and credible performances), but also the more far-reaching dichotomies of appearance and reality, of shadow and substance, of the spiritual and the physical, that are also always in play.
It seems appropriate that the plot’s major agent of change, the hired assassin Bosola, should be such an ambivalent figure. Portrayed with rough magic by Mark Bonnar, he is utterly of his corrupt world and also contemptuous of it. He lives as he must in this moment, in this place, but it sickens him to do so.
As with all well-told stories, this one doesn’t let you linger too much on its conceptual aspect while you’re watching. It’s only afterward that you realize how seamlessly its presentation has matched its theme. The production moves with such involving momentum that even its notoriously grisly coups de théâtre (severed hand and waxwork corpses) and far-fetched instances of mistaken identity seem not only feasible but also natural in this world of perfumed pestilence and intrigue.
As for Ms. Best, a great London stage star who has been seen on Broadway in revivals of “A Moon for the Misbegotten” and “The Homecoming,” her Duchess is the most compelling contradiction of all. She is clearly accustomed to command, and there’s arrogance in her carriage. Having to bend to seduce Mr. Bateman’s character doesn’t come easily to her. And living with the privileges of her title has made her cocky and careless; she believes that her stature is an all-concealing veil.
But what ultimately makes this Duchess more than human is, strangely enough, her great humanity. Subjected to some of the nastiest forms of psychological torture in literature, Ms. Best’s Duchess seems to shed her courtly mannerisms and become a figure of centered, radiant naturalness. And she brings to the acceptance of her death the grand, inspiring resignation we associate with Shakespeare’s tragic heroes.
Nonetheless she doesn’t die easily, as is evidenced by the graphic, protracted scene of her murder. On the edge of extinction, she blazes. Had Queen Elizabeth II seen Ms. Best’s performance she might well have approved of this triumph of the true majestic mettle that was always beneath the glitter.
Source: artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com
Tesco fights to win back shoppers - ITV
Tesco continues to lose out to rivals
The rivalry between supermarket giants Tesco and Sainsbury's will be in focus this week when the pair issue trading updates.
Tesco is expected to suffer another bloody nose on Monday when it reveals it has continued to lose out to rivals despite heavy discounting and a £1 billion recovery plan.
The chain, which is the UK's biggest supermarket with 2,800 stores, is fighting to win back shoppers after dire trading led to its first profits warning in 20 years, while its shares recently hit three-year lows.
Chief executive Philip Clarke, who recently declined his bonus because of the poor performance, has launched a recovery plan that has seen the grocer focus on revamping stores, hiring more staff and sharpening pricing.
Source: www.itv.com
Where can I buy 1940s clothes in London? - Daily Telegraph
Revival on Kingly Court, just off Carnaby Street, will testify to this. Owner Rowena Howie sells exact reproductions of 1940s clothing and new designs inspired by the fashions of the decade. So you can stock-up on 'wiggle skirts', nautical 'Sailorette' tops and classic tea dresses. They stock Starlet, Vecona Vintage and Aris Allen and you can even make a personal shopping appointment in store or by video call.
For the real retro deal, try Rokit, which has shops on Brick Lane, in Camden and in Covent Garden. Rifle through rails and rails of vintage items and you’ll find some lovely ladylike frocks. You can also search by era on their website.
Beyond Retro, off Brick Lane, is a cavernous warehouse with enough vintage gear to dress every art student in East London. They sell everything from silk scarves for £1 to frocks from around £50 and rails are organised by era.
Or if you'd prefer to rummage through charity shops, try Cruise Aid on Churton Street in Victoria. It has an eccentric selection of items and labels including Ralph Lauren, Givenchy and Nicole Farhi.
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
Zara finishes trails on a High with third-place finish to nudge selectors - Daily Mail
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Zara Phillips kept her Olympic dream alive after delivering an eye-catching display in the final trial for London 2012 on Sunday.
World and British number one William Fox-Pitt dominated the Equi-Trek Bramham International Horse Trials, winning both feature three-star classes to continue his brilliant run of form.
My Kingdom is a horse: Zara Phillips and High Kingdom finished third
But 2006 world champion Phillips ensured she remained in the thoughts of Great Britain selectors Ian Stark, Mandy Stibbe and Angela Tucker by thriving under pressure on High Kingdom.
With the selectors meeting today and set to announce their eventing team of five for London later this week, her nudge in their direction could not have been better timed as she secured a third-placed CIC finish behind Fox-Pitt and New Zealander Andrew Nicholson.
Phillips, whose 2004 and 2008 Olympic selection hopes were dashed by injuries to her former top horse Toytown, beat fellow London contenders Nicola Wilson, Tina Cook, Laura Collett and Lucy Wiegersma, although they also all performed impressively.
While Fox-Pitt, Wilson, Mary King and Piggy French are widely expected to be picked for London, the fifth spot appears a battle between at least five riders, including 31-year-old Phillips.
Making a splash: Phillips powered through the cross country event
'Everyone is fighting to get on the team, especially with the Olympics being on home ground,' said Phillips, the Queen's grand-daughter, who must now play a nervous waiting game.
'He (High Kingdom) has improved loads this year, and it has been great to have had the opportunity to really show to everyone what he can do.
'He's is constantly improving and we are fighting for our spot.
'Competition is so strong that it is probably tougher for the selectors than anyone else. Everybody wants to be at the Olympics, and I am no exception.
'He had a double clear inside the time and a personal best dressage. Hopefully, they will see that he has improved and might get even better.
Impressive form: William Fox-Pitt partnered Chilli Morning (left) and Neuf Des Coeurs (right) to overall victory
'It was probably good to have a bit of pressure on here and to see if we could come up with the goods.
'He is pretty different from Toytown. Toytown loved the crowds and being at big competitions, and this guy is pretty relaxed and just gets on with it.'
Great Britain team manager Yogi Breisner described himself as 'very pleased' with Phillips' performance, and he anticipated a long selection meeting as final deliberations took place at Bramham House in Yorkshire on prospective London combinations.
'I don't think it will be an easy decision because I think there are quite a few of them that both here and at Houghton International two weeks ago have put up some pretty smart performances,' Breisner said.
'Looking at the horses here now, they are just starting to come into gear, which I rather like.
'Experience from a riders' point of view is very much key, and there are riders that are in form, performing well.
Runner-up: Andrew Nicholson, aboard Tristar II, split the two Brits to claim second
'From a horse's point of view, traditionally in Olympic Games, inexperienced horses have often done well, but they still need to be horses of the right calibre in the right sort of form.
'You can't just select on one result and one competition, you have to look at the overall picture and look at what the horses have done in the past.'
Fox-Pitt wrapped up Bramham's CIC class by going clear inside the time on Neuf des Coeurs, which should put the horse in Olympics selection contention alongside Lionheart and his double four-star winner Parklane Hawk.
And Fox-Pitt's healthy overnight lead was never threatened in the CCI section as he landed his first title with new ride Chilli Morning - and sixth overall at Bramham - following a showjumping clear that left them well ahead of runner-up Pippa Funnell (Mirage D'Elle) with Izzy Taylor (Briarlands Matilda) third.
'Nick has done a superb job on him,' Fox-Pitt said, of Chilli Morning's previous rider Nick Gauntlett.
'All the donkey work has been done, and I am the lucky one who has got him at the age of 12 when he is grown-up and established.
'It is just a question of trying to form a partnership, but it is still very early days. I didn't know what to expect in the cross-country, but he ate up the course.
'Neuf des Coeurs was a totally different horse here (after a fall at Houghton). Sometimes you need a wake-up call to make you think about things a bit more.
'I just hope the three of my horses are in the mix for London.'
Source: www.dailymail.co.uk
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