The Rehearsal to The Ballad of Wallis Island: the week in rave reviews
Sky Comedy & Now; episodes weekly
Summed up in a sentence A mind-boggling comedy-cum-documentary-cum-reality show that helps people prepare for big life events by staging hugely elaborate mockups – currently focusing on how to prevent aviation disasters by improving communication in the cockpit.
What our reviewer said 'As with season one, the producers have managed to find civilians who are so uniquely awkward that they feel like integral parts of the chaos. These are people who blur the line between committed normie and aspiring actor so well that many have, in fact, been accused of being fake. But they are all real.' Hannah J Davies
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Further reading The Rehearsal: Nathan Fielder makes genius appointment TV … that may spoil you for ever
BBC Two; full series on iPlayer now
Summed up in a sentence A loving, exhaustive docuseries celebrating the author on the 250th anniversary of her birth, narrated by Juliet Stevenson.
What our reviewer said 'The mood is impassioned and enthusiastic without being emetic – suffused with love of the work, and mapping the contours of the specific genius without anyone getting un-Janeishly carried away. You feel she would approve.' Lucy Mangan
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Further reading 'Much darker than Pride and Prejudice!': authors pick their favourite Jane Austen novel
Netflix; full series available now
Summed up in a sentence Arrogant detective ends up accidentally causing a death, and is sidelined to a dank basement investigating cold cases – only to assemble a crack team.
What our reviewer said 'It is all fantastically well, and rigorously, done. The pacing has a leisurely confidence that some may find a touch slow, but allows for a character-first approach, creating a richness that amply rewards initial patience.' Lucy Mangan
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Further reading Dept Q's Kelly Macdonald on her Trainspotting teen highs and hitting her stride in her 40s
BBC Two; full series on iPlayer now
Summed up in a sentence A deep dive into the life of the entrepreneur, from fly-on-the-wall footage of her starting a lingerie empire, through to an investigative thriller about the PPE political scandal.
What our reviewer said 'In some ways, this is a parable of fame. Mone courted it and won it, but eventually learned that once you turn on the faucet of public attention, trying to turn it off again is a sisyphean task.' Rebecca Nicholson
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Netflix; all episodes available
Summed up in a sentence A sensitive, sweet modern-day reimagining of Judy Blume's 1975 novel about teen desire which has been repeatedly banned by less tolerant schools and libraries.
What our reviewer said 'As a teen drama, it works because, Heartstopper-style, its teenagers actually look and behave like teenagers. The performances are excellent, especially Karen Pittman and Xosha Roquemore as the mothers, but it all rides on whether you can buy into what leads Michael Cooper Jr and Lovie Simone are selling, and they sell it perfectly.' Rebecca Nicholson
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Further reading Judy Blume forever: the writer who dares to tell girls the plain truth
In cinemas now
Summed up in a sentence Funny/melancholy story of a former folk duo (Carey Mulligan and Tom Basden) who are inveigled into a comeback performance on a remote island for a single superfan.
What our reviewer said 'You'll leave wanting your own island, your own gig and your own lock of Carey Mulligan's hair.' Catherine Bray
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Further reading 'There's no chance an American will laugh': Tim Key on his very British new film and the US Office sequel
In cinemas now
Summed up in a sentence Ralph Macchio and Jackie Chan team up in a charming throwback sequel to the 2010 remake, with Ben Wang as the latest kid to don the bandana and learn the age-old secret of kicking ass with a dose of moral philosophy.
What our reviewer said 'It's warm, it's breezy – it's a burst of summery family fun that is sure to inspire long looks back at the old movies and Cobra Kai episodes while sparking renewed interest in martial arts apprenticeship. Anyone would get a kick out of it.' Andrew Lawrence
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Further reading Ralph Macchio on kicking it as The Karate Kid for 41 years
In cinemas now
Summed up in a sentence Affecting drama based on Raynor Winn's memoir, in which Gillian Anderson and Jason Isaacs undertake a redemptive hike along the English south-west coast.
What our reviewer said 'Somehow, they all bring a real sense of meaning and truth to cheap-sounding messages about living in the moment, and the possibility of long-term relationships deepening and growing in ways impossible to predict.' Cath Clarke
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Further reading Walk on the wild side: Gillian Anderson and Jason Isaacs on their epic hiking movie The Salt Path
In cinemas now
Summed up in a sentence Complex relationship movie from French director Katell Quillévéré, focusing on the marriage of a single mother and closeted gay academic.
What our reviewer said 'The awful toxicity of love … is an underground stream that has become very much an overground stream in this new, heartfelt movie.' Peter Bradshaw
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Sky Cinema and Now; available now
Summed up in a sentence Jesse Armstrong's post-Succession uber-wealth satire about four plutocrats on a lodge weekend that goes awry when the planet descends into chaos.
What our reviewer said 'More than any comedy or even film I've seen recently, this is movie driven by the line-by-line need for fierce, nasty, funny punched-up stuff in the dialogue, and narrative arcs and character development aren't the point. But as with Succession, this does a really good job of persuading you that, yes, this is what our overlords are really like.' Peter Bradshaw
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Review by James Smart
Summed up in a sentence Her latest autofictional work finds the great graphic novelist exploring midlife contentment.
Our reviewer said 'Writing about herself from a greater fictional distance seems to have given Bechdel more room to have fun: dramas and mishaps unspool with a lightly comic charm that belies the darkness in the world outside.'
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Further reading Alison Bechdel: 'The Bechdel test was a joke… I didn't intend for it to become a real gauge'
Review by Blake Morrison
Summed up in a sentence Coming of age in 70s England.
Our reviewer said 'Toy soldiers, conker fights, fizzy drinks, Wall's ice-creams, chicken-in-a-basket pub lunches, swimming lessons (plus verrucas): Dyer's recall of period detail and brand names is exceptional.'
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Further reading Best seat in the house: writer Geoff Dyer on why sitting in a corner is so satisfying
Review by Arin Keeble
Summed up in a sentence Migration and heritage are explored through one woman's life, in 60s Italy and present-day Ireland.
Our reviewer said 'A powerful and beautifully written story of family, friendship and identity.'
Read the full review
Further reading Novelist Sarah Moss: 'Hunger numbed my shame and humiliation'
Review by Stuart Jeffries
Summed up in a sentence A peek inside the seaborne world of the super-rich.
Our reviewer said 'It's not just how big your superyacht is, but what you put inside it. The latest fashions include Imax theatres, ski rooms where guests can suit up for a helicopter trip to a mountaintop, and hospital equipment.'
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Review by Kitty Drake
Summed up in a sentence A cultural history of female friendship.
Our reviewer said 'In this book, Watt Smith trawls through the archives to trace the history of imperfect, ordinary friends – who hurt and disappoint each other, but keep striving for connection regardless.'
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Further reading The big idea: should you dump your toxic friend?
Out 13 June
Summed up in a sentence Jazz artist Halvorson is one of the most exciting guitarists in North America. Her new album features one of her largest backing bands to date.
What our reviewer said 'Recently discussing Robert Wyatt in Jazzwise magazine, Halvorson said she loved his ability to blend 'the weird with the beautiful'. She wouldn't dream of it, but she could have been saying much the same of herself.'. John Fordham
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Further reading Jazz guitar 'genius' Mary Halvorson on cocktails, tarot and making music that combusts
Out now
Summed up in a sentence After the blockbuster success of Flowers, Cyrus clearly has carte blanche to do what she wants – and has billed her new album as psychedelic and healing.
What our reviewer said 'It's all about as psychedelic as a baked potato. But it's still all very well written and well made.' Alexis Petridis
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Out now
Summed up in a sentence This Scottish indie-folk artist has been creating some sizeable buzz around their spellbindingly beautiful voice and arrangements.
What our reviewer said 'These story songs – about youthful infatuation, reckless hedonism and one-sided obsession – are brittle and wounded, each zeroing in on a different strain of disappointment or heartache.' Shaad D'Souza
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Further reading One to watch: Jacob Alon
Out now
Summed up in a sentence Marking the 400th anniversary of the death of English pre-baroque composer Gibbons, this is a set of his works with a new piece by American composer Muhly at its centre.
What our reviewer said 'Muhly's composition, with its urgent string figures, contrasts beautifully with the flowing imitations of Gibbons' fantasias around it.' Andrew Clements
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O2 Academy, Glasgow; touring to 7 June
Summed up in a sentence On her first tour since 2018, the Walsall soul-R&B-garage singer shows off how adventurous her songcraft has become.
What our reviewer said 'Her searing, smoky voice is used sparingly to start, sometimes even drowned out by the power of the band's two drummers. But by Feelings, Smith drops the wall. She beams megawatt charisma through the track's lyrically chilly push-and-pull, and slinks between risers, glamorously at ease.'. Katie Hawthorne
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BBC News
8 minutes ago
- BBC News
Mobility scooter rider dies after crash with Range Rover in Northamptonshire
A mobility scooter rider has died following a crash with a car. The collision occurred in Flore Hill, Flore, at about 17:05 BST on Saturday, Northamptonshire Police involved a grey Range Rover Evoque, which was travelling north east, and the mobility scooter, which was travelling in the opposite investigation into the accident has been launched after the woman in her 60s died at the scene. Officers from the force's serious collision investigation unit have appealed for anyone who saw the incident, or has dash-cam footage, to contact them. Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Telegraph
10 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Fast, fun and reassuringly expensive: the posh motorcycles produced by car brands
'The neatest-looking and most luxurious sporting machine offered to the public. The Rolls-Royce of motorcycles.' When journalist HD Teague penned his observations on a new machine for The Motor Cycle, in 1923, he unwittingly created a brand collaboration that has endured for more than a century. Teague was referring to the Brough Superior SS80, which was hand-built in Nottingham by George Brough and designed to be the ultimate motorcycle. Brough's Super Sports model was guaranteed to achieve 80mph (hence the name) thanks to a lightweight frame and a 988cc V-twin engine – and each machine was vigorously road-tested to prove it. Brough was determined his 'superior' luxury bike would appeal to wealthy gentlemen at a time when the class system still dominated British life. Teague's comparison with Rolls-Royce was manna from heaven; naturally, Brough didn't think twice about using the quote in his marketing campaign. When news of the unofficial association with a motorcycle brand reached Rolls-Royce HQ in Derby, its top brass was not impressed. Letters were exchanged but Brough, unperturbed, seized the opportunity and invited Rolls staff to inspect the meticulous work of his engineers for themselves. Rolls-Royce approval Remarkable as it might seem today, when any unauthorised association ends in a 'cease and desist' notice, the delegation from Derby concluded that Brough could indeed call his exceptional bikes 'the Rolls-Royce of motorcycles'. Spurred on, Brough set about building a new, faster machine, with improved handling and brakes, that could compete with the very best of the era. The SS100 was capable of doing 'the ton' but was also beautifully styled around a teardrop-shaped fuel tank. Breathtaking to behold, the new superbike was revealed in the 1925 Brough Superior catalogue. Only a lucky few could afford the £170 price tag (for comparison, a Ford Model T car cost approximately £200 at the time). Each SS100 was crafted to individual customer specification – even the handlebars were bespoke – and every Brough bike was hand-made twice: first to ensure that all the parts fitted perfectly, then dismantled for paint or plating before the final build. Brough's desire to appeal to the aristocracy worked. Playwright George Bernard Shaw and, later, actor-director Orson Welles chose a Brough Superior. The motorbike also achieved a spate of speed records, including a Brooklands lap best of 124mph in 1939. Famous fans Brough's most ardent supporter was Colonel Thomas Edward Lawrence. British officer, diplomat and hero of the Arab revolt against the Ottoman Empire, Lawrence of Arabia bought one of the first SS100s in 1925. A dedicated biker, Lawrence was waiting for his eighth model to be delivered when he died while riding a SS100 in Dorset, on May 19 in 1935. He wasn't wearing a helmet and suffered serious head injuries. The accident encouraged Lawrence's neurosurgeon, Hugh Cairns, to begin a long study that ultimately resulted in more riders using crash helmets. Brough Superior continued manufacturing motorcycles until 1940, when the Nottingham factory shifted to wartime production. The company had built 3,025 motorcycles since the first machine was crafted in 1919. Today, original Brough Superiors are among the world's most exclusive and expensive classic motorbikes. The business was revived in 2008 and is now based in France. The latest Brough model, the Lawrence Dagger, is a modern sports bike costing £60,000. Brough Superior, as the firm is now known, like many other motorcycle marques, has collaborated with car brands. Here are some of the best. AMB 001 by Aston Martin and Brough Superior Quite what Lawrence might have thought of the track-only AMB 001 is anyone's guess. Limited to 100 examples, the hand-built racer weighs just 180kg yet produces a mind-boggling 180hp. The 997cc machine is the first Brough to feature a turbocharger, with engine covers machined from a solid billet of metal. For extra thrills, the £130,000 Pro version increases the power to 225hp and is said to be inspired by Aston Martin 's Valkyrie AMR Pro – a car that will mark the company's return to the top class of the Le Mans 24 Hours endurance race next month in a bid to win the race outright for the first time since 1959. Brabus 1300 R The German car tuning specialist is best known for creating high-performance versions of Mercedes-Benz sports cars, such as the SL and SLK. The brand has also worked with Maybach and Porsche – not forgetting the Brabus Smart ForTwo of 2006, as driven by a young Lewis Hamilton when he signed to race for McLaren in F1. Collaborating with KTM, Brabus has more recently created a series of high-end machines based on the Austrian firm's Super Duke R model. The 2024 R Masterpiece Edition costs about £37,000 – roughly double that of a standard Duke. With only 50 examples built, exclusivity is guaranteed. Ducati Diavel for Bentley Possibly the most unlikely collaboration between two- and four-wheeled brands, the £58,000 Ducati Diavel for Bentley is said to have taken its design cues from the ultra-rare, £2 million Bentley Batur, based on the Crewe marque's Continental GT Speed. Only 18 Baturs were produced. The Italian-built Diavel is restricted to 500 examples, with an extra 50 offering more customisation for customers of Bentley Mulliner, the firm's bespoke division. Luxury touches include carbon-fibre bodywork and an Alcantara seat. A standard Diavel V4 costs £24,000. Ducati Panigale V4 Lamborghini A more obvious Ducati collaboration given that Lamborghini is part of the Audi group, plus the brands neighbour each other in Italy's 'Motor Valley' in Emilia-Romagna. Based on the £30,000 Panigale V4 S, some of the parts reference Lamborghini's latest Revuelto supercar, including a lot of carbon-fibre. A matching helmet and jacket set cost extra. Launched at Milan Design Week earlier this year, the superbike is still the cheapest way into Lamborghini ownership. 'If you own our Revuelto it's highly desirable to add a bike, potentially in the same livery as your car,' said spokesman Federico Foschini. MV Agusta Dragster 800 RR Lewis Hamilton Mercedes-AMG announced a 25 per cent ownership stake in high-end Italian bike brand MV Agusta 11 years ago – then opted out three years later. The most memorable result of that partnership was a hand-built version of the three-cylinder Agusta Brutale Dragster, with special input from bike nut Hamilton himself. Only 244 were made, selling at £18,000 – a bargain price for such an exclusive machine.
Telegraph
11 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Dive-bombing buzzard terrorises primary school
A dive-bombing buzzard has forced a primary school to ban pupils from going outside during breaktime following a spate of attacks. Children at Dame Tipping Primary School in Havering-atte-Bower, north-east London, have had to stay inside since Easter for fear of the bird of prey. The bird has been terrorising villagers for months, but because buzzards are a protected species, the school says there is 'nothing which can be done' beyond the outdoor ban. The case strikes a startling resemblance to another bird of prey, a Harris Hawk nicknamed 'Bomber Harris' that attacked more than 50 people in Flamstead, Hertfordshire, in March. Bomber Harris was eventually caught and later adopted by Wayne Housden, a falconer. Stella McCarthy, the headteacher of the school, said the 'difficult decision' to ban outdoor play was made after the buzzard became 'highly present' in the playground. She said: 'As a school, safeguarding and protecting children is of paramount importance.' 'Dead shocked' The school rule comes after several incidents in the Greater London village, located north of Romford, with one woman claiming she was 'dive-bombed' by the buzzard while walking in the park in March. Nikki Dix, 37, said she was 'dead shocked' when the bird attacked her from behind and left scratches on her head. She said: 'I was scared, I was taken aback by it. He was giving me an evil eye so then I carried on my journey for quite a while just swinging my bag above my head because I was just like, 'hopefully this will deter him from coming to get me, because if he does try again to get me maybe he won't be so nice'. 'Nothing like that normally gets me so I'm a little bit on high alert at the moment, that's why I've stayed away from that area as well.' The school has decided to use the situation as a learning experience for pupils, who have created posters promoting the protection of birds – and have even named the buzzard 'Brenda'. Louise Whittle, a parents of one of the school's pupils, also narrowly missed being injured by the buzzard. She said Dame Tipping has handled the issue 'brilliantly'. Footage shows the moment the buzzard flies down from the roof of a nearby house, appearing to aim for the mother's head. Ms Whittle said: 'It's absolutely bonkers that there is a buzzard attacking people. But the school have been absolutely fantastic in prioritising the children's safety and finding other alternatives for getting out. 'If anything, it's been a great learning experience for the children – they have learnt all about buzzards that they otherwise wouldn't have done.' However, Ms Whittle added that she is still concerned that 'the birds are being prioritised over the children' and said she is 'hopeful that they fly away so everyone can get back to normal'. Ms McCarthy said: 'Luckily, as part of LIFE Education Trust, we have had excellent support enabling us to use the trust minibus to regularly visit The Frances Bardsley Academy for Girls where our children have engaged in outdoor learning activities, PE lessons and visited the school's farm. 'We have also introduced additional indoor breaks with lots of engaging activities including traditional boardgames, cup stacking competitions and puzzles.' Dame Tipping has been liaising with Havering council and various bird organisations to find solutions to the issue. The council said its health and safety team has provided the school's trust with 'detailed advice' on legal deterrents and hiring a falconry expert. A Havering council spokesman said: 'The RSPCA has advised that the buzzard may be protecting its nest or chicks, which lines up with the information we have received. ' Buzzards are protected under UK law, therefore our intervention options are very limited, and we have advised that warning signs would be the easiest solution at this time. 'We completely understand how difficult and worrying this situation is for the school and local residents and we regret that there is not a quick or straightforward solution.'
