Blog

The Screwtape Letters review a hell of a disappointment

published on
TheatreReviewPark theatre, London This adaptation of CS Lewis’s collection of sardonic letters from a senior to a junior devil is excessively and noisily theatrical The big question is whether CS Lewis’s 1940 collection of letters, written by a senior to a junior devil, is suited to the stage. You can create drama out of epistolary exchanges, but Lewis makes it difficult by providing only one side of the correspondence. As if to over-compensate, this imported American version, adapted by Max McLean and Jeffrey Fiske and performed and directed by McLean, is excessively and noisily theatrical. Read More...

Tim Dowling: which courgette is the evil poisoner, yellow or green?

published on
The Tim Dowling columnFamily‘I’ll never eat another courgette in my life,’ the oldest says Three days after I poisoned myself and my family with homegrown toxic courgettes, I still don’t feel right. I can’t face pulling up six plants and disposing of them, partly because my stomach still pitches and rolls at the sight of courgettes. The poison responsible, I have since learned, is naturally present in courgettes, but can rise to toxic levels if plants cross-pollinate with wild cucurbits or certain types of ornamental squash, causing a bitter taste, nausea, cramps, potential hospitalisation and occasionally death. Read More...

Fraudulent faith healer jailed for 10 years | UK news

published on
UK news This article is more than 9 years oldFraudulent faith healer jailed for 10 yearsThis article is more than 9 years oldJuliette D'Souza masqueraded as a shaman for more than 12 years, persuading people to hand over thousands of poundsA woman who posed as a faith healer to con vulnerable victims out of almost £1m has been jailed for 10 years. Juliette D'Souza masqueraded as a shaman for more than 12 years to convince 11 of her clients to hand over thousands of pounds to solve issues such as illness, redundancy, or problems conceiving a baby. Read More...