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New Statesman
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New Statesman
Evita for the West End masses
Photo by Marc Brenner Every night Eva Perón appears on the balcony of the Casa Rosada, the Argentinian presidential mansion, serenading the congregated descamisados, or impoverished workers. Except it's not the balcony of the Casa Rosada – it's one outside the London Palladium. It's also Rachel Zegler performing 'Don't Cry for Me Argentina', not Eva Perón. And the spectators aren't descamisados – they're (mostly) Londoners, squeezed on to Argyll Street between a Pret a Manger and a Five Guys, many of whom hold their phones aloft, hoping to catch a good shot of Zegler. This is the climax of Jamie Lloyd's radical version of Evita, and in staging the famous scene outside the theatre, he has brought the sneering, populist magic of Perón to the masses. It's easy to understand the logic of Lloyd's decision to present the most famous number in Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's 1978 musical to a passing rabble of plebs. A major theme of Evita is its heroine's disdain for the bourgeoisie ('Screw the middle classes – I will never accept them' is a notable refrain). For in singing to the crowd outside, Zegler symbolically neglects the said classes, housed comfortably inside the Palladium – those who have paid to see the show watch a video of Zegler's performance, which is livestreamed back into the theatre. But, despite its potential for revolt – from those inside crying outrage at being denied a front-row seat for this iconic moment and asking for a refund – Lloyd's zeitgeisty ploy works. It accentuates the depth and authenticity of Zegler's performance. Zegler is a phenomenal Evita: insouciant and cutting in her command of the stage, and of the snobs and misogynists who surround her. Diego Andres Rodriguez is the perfect foil to her cunning, as the musical's revolutionary descamisado narrator, Che. The pair skilfully waltz their way through Evita's many musical numbers, mastering frenetic choreography and a demanding musical score. Lloyd took a gamble in the staging of this stripped-back, unconventional revival, and it has paid off. Evita The Palladium, London W1F [See also: Lana Del Rey's Deep South fantasia] Subscribe to The New Statesman today from only £8.99 per month Subscribe Related
STV News
09-06-2025
- Business
- STV News
Pret a Manger to trial new made-to-order cafe in Scotland
Pret a Manger is launching new-format stores with made-to-order food and more dining space as part of efforts to accelerate its regional expansion across the UK. The sandwich and coffee chain, which has been popular with London commuters, has said the new stores are designed to encourage customers to dine in and take their time, as it also adapts to increased remote working. Pret, which has now grown to an estate of 500 sites across the UK, is trialling the new format in Broughty Ferry near Dundee and Maidenhead, Berkshire. It said this would differentiate from the format of most of its London stores, where it primarily sells 'grab-and-go' products, with customers typically served in less than a minute. It has developed an exclusive menu for the shops, where much of its menu is made to order, there is more space for dine-in customers and it will operate a Little Stars Cafe play area for families with young children. The move is part of efforts by Pret to expand beyond London, with the vast majority of its recent coffee shop openings taking place outside the capital. Clare Clough, Pret's managing director for UK & Europe, said: 'Throughout the past five years, we've made it a priority to bring Pret to more people, whether you're a City worker commuting to the office, a parent juggling work and family life, or someone catching up with friends. 'Now, we're taking that further, making Pret a destination for customers in a bit less of a rush who want a comfortable space to enjoy delicious food and spend time with family and friends. 'Our teams have been hard at work making sure everything from the shop design to the unique menu items have been carefully thought through and we can't wait to see how our customers respond.' The business was founded in London in 1986 by Julian Metcalfe and Sinclair Beecham. It was bought by German investor JAB Holdings in 2018 for around £1.5bn. Last week, JAB said it could consider selling a stake in the sandwich chain ahead of a potential stock market flotation. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Powys County Times
09-06-2025
- Business
- Powys County Times
Pret a Manger to open new larger-format stores in expansion plan
Pret a Manger is launching new-format stores with made-to-order food and more dining space as part of efforts to accelerate its regional expansion across the UK. The sandwich and coffee chain, which has been popular with London commuters, has said the new stores are designed to encourage customers to dine in and take their time, as it also adapts to increased remote working. Pret, which has now grown to an estate of 500 sites across the UK, is trialling the new format in Broughty Ferry near Dundee and Maidenhead, Berkshire. It said this would differentiate from the format of most of its London stores, where it primarily sells 'grab-and-go' products, with customers typically served in less than a minute. It has developed an exclusive menu for the shops, where much of its menu is made to order, there is more space for dine-in customers and it will operate a Little Stars Cafe play area for families with young children. The move is part of efforts by Pret to expand beyond London, with the vast majority of its recent coffee shop openings taking place outside the capital. Clare Clough, Pret's managing director for UK & Europe, said: 'Throughout the past five years, we've made it a priority to bring Pret to more people, whether you're a City worker commuting to the office, a parent juggling work and family life, or someone catching up with friends. 'Now, we're taking that further, making Pret a destination for customers in a bit less of a rush who want a comfortable space to enjoy delicious food and spend time with family and friends. 'Our teams have been hard at work making sure everything from the shop design to the unique menu items have been carefully thought through and we can't wait to see how our customers respond.' The business was founded in London in 1986 by Julian Metcalfe and Sinclair Beecham. It was bought by German investor JAB Holdings in 2018 for around £1.5 billion.
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Pret a Manger to open new larger-format stores in expansion plan
Pret a Manger is launching new-format stores with made-to-order food and more dining space as part of efforts to accelerate its regional expansion across the UK. The sandwich and coffee chain, which has been popular with London commuters, has said the new stores are designed to encourage customers to dine in and take their time, as it also adapts to increased remote working. Pret, which has now grown to an estate of 500 sites across the UK, is trialling the new format in Broughty Ferry near Dundee and Maidenhead, Berkshire. It said this would differentiate from the format of most of its London stores, where it primarily sells 'grab-and-go' products, with customers typically served in less than a minute. It has developed an exclusive menu for the shops, where much of its menu is made to order, there is more space for dine-in customers and it will operate a Little Stars Cafe play area for families with young children. The move is part of efforts by Pret to expand beyond London, with the vast majority of its recent coffee shop openings taking place outside the capital. Clare Clough, Pret's managing director for UK & Europe, said: 'Throughout the past five years, we've made it a priority to bring Pret to more people, whether you're a City worker commuting to the office, a parent juggling work and family life, or someone catching up with friends. 'Now, we're taking that further, making Pret a destination for customers in a bit less of a rush who want a comfortable space to enjoy delicious food and spend time with family and friends. 'Our teams have been hard at work making sure everything from the shop design to the unique menu items have been carefully thought through and we can't wait to see how our customers respond.' The business was founded in London in 1986 by Julian Metcalfe and Sinclair Beecham. It was bought by German investor JAB Holdings in 2018 for around £1.5 billion. Last week, JAB said it could consider selling a stake in the sandwich chain ahead of a potential stock market flotation.
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Private equity giant prepares Pret a Manger for stock market listing
Pret a Manger is heading for a potential stock market listing as the coffee chain's private equity owners seek to offload the business. Luxembourg-based JAB Holding has appointed advisers to explore options for Pret, with a proposed flotation deemed the most likely option. This could include bringing in another investor to shore up Pret's finances, as the business has struggled to restore its profits post-Covid. A spokesman for JAB Holding told the Financial Times: 'As we move closer to a potential IPO [initial public offer], we may evaluate bringing on a pre-IPO investor.' A staple of commuter lunches, Pret runs more than 690 shops across the world including over 470 in the UK. However, it has steadily been expanding in the US and other markets, with New York now accounting for its highest sales outside of London. This raises questions over where JAB will look to list Pret, with a destination not yet decided. Any move to float Pret in New York would deal a further blow to the London Stock Exchange, which is already battling an exodus of companies and a dearth of new listings. JAB is majority owned by the Reimann family, a wealthy dynasty that also presides over the Krispy Kreme and Dr Pepper brands. It bought Pret for £1.5bn from US investment giant Bridgepoint in 2018, which had also explored listing the business in the US. The move towards a potential flotation comes after Pret's revenues soared in the last few years. System sales topped the £1bn mark in 2023 as it opened dozens of new stores and grew internationally. As well as a strong performance in New York and the US, it now operates in Greece, Canada, India, and Spain. However, its expansion has fuelled criticism of high prices and sparked questions over its debt pile. The company had borrowings of almost £750m at the end of 2023, accounts show, with investors being tapped for a £250m cash injection last September to shore up its balance sheet. The move to axe its subscription service, which offered customers five barista-made drinks per day for a monthly fee, also proved controversial. Introduced during the pandemic, the subscription was immensely popular and helped keep the company afloat. However, bosses were forced to raise the price of the subscription numerous times before eventually scrapping it altogether last year, sparking anger among its customers. It now offers a cheaper 'Club Pret' subscription, which offers 50pc off five drinks per day. Despite rising revenues, Pret has battled to stay in the black. After the closure of its shops during the pandemic pushed it to a pre-tax loss of £255m in 2021, it managed to turn a profit of £27m the following year. However, the latest available accounts for 2023 show it fell back into the red with a £60m loss. Pret a Manger declined to comment. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Sign in to access your portfolio
