logo
My Master Builder review — Ewan McGregor can't save a dodgy Ibsen revamp

My Master Builder review — Ewan McGregor can't save a dodgy Ibsen revamp

Times30-04-2025

This is going to be a test of faith for Ewan McGregor's admirers. How much are they willing to endure to see him in the flesh in a painfully windy psychodrama, modelled on Ibsen's The Master Builder, which grinds its way to a wildly implausible conclusion?
The audience at the preview I attended at Wyndham's couldn't resist cheering and applauding, Broadway-style, when the A-lister made his first entrance. Kudos to him, I say, for appearing on a London stage for the first time in nearly 20 years. McGregor doesn't come unstuck anywhere near as badly as Sigourney Weaver did in The Tempest. Yet the truth is that he simply doesn't have the gravitas needed for the role of a superstar architect whose personal

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Major shake-up of how people pay BBC licence fee proposed
Major shake-up of how people pay BBC licence fee proposed

Wales Online

timean hour ago

  • Wales Online

Major shake-up of how people pay BBC licence fee proposed

Major shake-up of how people pay BBC licence fee proposed BBC chairman Samir Shah suggested the current flat fee could be replaced in future The BBC licence fee would be means tested if the proposals were introduced (Image: Getty ) A BBC boss has proposed TV licence fees could be based on the value of one's home in future. Chairman Samir Shah suggested that the current £174.50 fee could be replaced with a progressive payment structure tied to property values. In an interview earlier this year, he proposed that the fee could be linked to council tax bands and collected concurrently, marking his first significant change since succeeding Richard Sharp. He also dismissed the notion of replacing the TV licence with a Netflix-style subscription service, arguing it wouldn't fulfil the BBC's mission to provide something for everyone in the country. ‌ Under this proposal, households in higher council tax bands would pay more for BBC services, while those in lower bands might pay less than the current rate. The option to opt out of paying a TV licence would be removed. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here ‌ Shah believes this approach would lessen the need to prosecute non-payers, telling The Sunday Times: "It gets rid of the enforcement issue, which is a problem. The idea that not paying the licence fee is a criminal offence seems too harsh." For regions like Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islands, where Council Tax doesn't apply, an alternative method would need to be established, reports the Express. Article continues below Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy may be receptive to the idea, having previously described the current model as "harder for poorer households to pay". During the interview, he tackled queries about altering the BBC's funding model and dismissed the idea of a hybrid structure that would offer basic services like news for free while charging for drama or comedy content. He also mentioned that introducing advertising to the BBC would "kill off ITV" and rejected the notion that the BBC should be funded entirely through general taxation, arguing it would "leave the BBC open to influence from the government of the day". Article continues below At the moment, although there are concessions or free licences for certain groups, such as those over 75 who receive Pension Credit, the licence fee does not take personal assets into account. The standard licence fee is set at £174.50 per annum, with a reduced rate of £58.50 for black and white TV subscriptions. For individuals who are blind or severely sight-impaired, there is a 50% concession, bringing the cost down to £87.25.

Harris Yulin, character actor and Broadway star, dies at 88
Harris Yulin, character actor and Broadway star, dies at 88

The Guardian

timean hour ago

  • The Guardian

Harris Yulin, character actor and Broadway star, dies at 88

Harris Yulin, a character actor with more than 100 film and TV credits, has died at the age of 88. According to Deadline, his death was announced by family and his manager. He died on 10 June of a cardiac arrest in New York City. The Los Angeles-born actor appeared in films including Scarface, Ghostbusters II, Training Day, Rush Hour 2, Night Moves, Doc, Final Analysis, Multiplicity, The Hurricane, Bean and Clear and Present Danger. He was also known as a stage actor appearing on Broadway in productions of Hedda Gabler, The Price and The Diary of Anne Frank. He also directed a number of shows including The Glass Menagerie and won a Lucille Lortel award for his work behind the scenes on The Trip to Bountiful. On the small screen, Yulin's credits included Cagney and Lacey, Little House on the Prairie, an Emmy-nominated turn on Frasier, Entourage, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, The X-Files, Billions, And Just Like That and 12 episodes of Ozark. Before his death, Yulin was preparing for a role in TV series American Classic with Kevin Kline and Laura Linney. The series is focused on a Broadway actor who suffers a public meltdown. 'Harris Yulin was very simply one of the greatest artists I have ever encountered,' said the show's director Michael Hoffman who had previously worked with Yulin on Michael Keaton comedy drama Game 6. 'His marriage of immense technique with an always fresh sense of discovery, gave his work an immediacy and vitality and purity I've experienced no where else. And what he was as an actor, he was as a man, the grace, the humility, the generosity. All of us at American Classic have been blessed by our experience with him. He will always remain the beating heart of our show.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store