Latest news with #Shakespeare
The National
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The National
Dugald Bruce Lockhart: 10 things that changed my life
One: Strontian (Western Highlands) DESPITE spending the first four years of my life in Fiji, my earliest memory is sitting in the hull of a rowing boat, fitted with an outboard motor, as we set off from the village of Strontian across the wind-whipped waters of Loch Sunart, terrified the boat would sink. Having made it to an island, picnicked, and not sunk, I was charged with newfound confidence for our return journey. Peering over the gunwale, staring into the low-lying sun, I repeatedly sang the chorus of Kumbaya, My Lord, marvelling at how the tune fitted the scenic backdrop. Thus was born my desire to impose narratives on the world about me; which, in turn, led to playing guitar, acting, and eventually, writing my first novel. It was also where I first tasted a lime-flavoured popsicle; which to a four-year-old, fresh from the Pacific Islands, was almost as weighty a game changer! (Image: PA/Alamy) Two: My first fishing rod A FOUR-FOOT-LONG, fibreglass fishing rod, that had been given to me by 'Dear'', my formidable great-grandmother, (real name, Mona), wife of J H Bruce Lockhart, former Scottish international cricket and rugby player. In a Highland burn, I caught my first trout, a whopper, at least five inches! This triggered a passion for fishing that continues to afflict me; casting my line over rivers far and wide, as well as providing the subject for my first short story – Salar The Salmon – which I wrote at the age of nine; about a salmon who struggles to find her way back to the stream where she was born. Even now, I'm unable to cross a bridge without stopping to check if I can spot that elusive, wavering shadow lying in the current below. And wondering how much it weighs. Three: February 22nd 1991 THE day I received a phone call at our home in London, to say I'd got in to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art – despite the fact I'd been drunk at my recall (thanks to a four-pint liquid lunch, to quell the nerves); that I'd given my Shakespeare monologue as Sean Connery (they stopped me after my first line), and had lied about all the other drama schools to which I'd applied. With no one else around to celebrate the news, I drank a glass of orange juice and explained to our pet African Grey parrot, Coco, how I was going to be a famous actor. Coco remained predictably implacable, looked me in the eye, then shat on the newspaper bedding at the bottom of his cage. My first of many critics. Four: My Yamaha acoustic guitar I BOUGHT it in Tokyo, while touring with the Royal Shakespeare Company. After an all-nighter in the district of Roppongi, a combination of hangover and jetlag caused a five-day bout of insomnia, resulting in a breakdown – along with the realisation I had to call off my engagement to my fiancée back home. Unable to think straight, let alone utter a sentence of Shakespearean verse, I was taken off the show to recover, only venturing from my 17th-floor hotel room to stumble across the square to the music store opposite, where I parted with the equivalent of £200 to buy the instrument. I continued to write songs for the remainder of that 12-month tour, and on, for the next 20 years; including one titled Wedding Train – which I now realise was an ode to my guitar – about the comfort of strumming her dependable six strings, and how she had carried me through my hour of need. Five: My pet lizard I HAD caught it in the wastelands outside our house in Cyprus in 1978. Hoping the creature might join the family, I gave him first a name, then set up home in our open-roofed inner courtyard, where there was a hole in the tiles. Using a rock to provide cover, I brought him flies and worms, and he soon became accustomed to his new dwelling. Then one day, I introduced him to some school friends. After much oohing and ahh-ing, we left him to his own devices – me quickly dropping the rock back into place, as we hurried out. When I returned to the courtyard that evening, I found him to be unusually still. He was lying at an angle that didn't make sense – his jaw, squashed and out of line. But still alive. In a panic, I took him outside and dropped him over the garden fence into the scrub below – lying to myself that he'd be better off fending for himself. My first encounter with true guilt; which, 50 years on, continues to haunt me. I hope one day to be able recall the poor creature's name. (Image: PA/Alamy) Six: The Diorama building in London THE soulless building in central London was where, as an out-of-work actor, I had to trek from my flat in Harlesden in order to take part in a group selection process for a corporate roleplay company based in Bristol. My spirits lightened when an extremely attractive brunette in a slim-fit suit passed me in the doorway, asking if she was in the right place. The building took on a greater shine, when it transpired she and I were both familiar with Southwold and that we both knew a certain actor – with whom she had read to stroke patients, and with whom I had toured the world for 10 years. A month later, I emailed him to ask about the status of a certain Penny, whom I'd met at Diorama. He replied that she was 'unattached', and would I like her number? Staring at a family photograph of myself, Penny, Mackenzie and Cassidy, posing in the grounds of a hotel in Gran Canaria, this spring, I recall that it had been raining the day of the interview, and that I'd hesitated in the hallway of my flat, wondering if I could really be bothered to schlepp across town in the pissing rain, for a job I was unlikely to get, and which I didn't really want in the first place. Seven: My children TO splash with them, one on each arm, in a tiny paddling pool in the garden, lost in their joy and wonder, and gap-toothed grins. Watching them grow, hearing them laugh. Sharing their daily tragedies. To know you are not only perpetuating the circle of life, but that your navel-gazing days are over. And that you are finally at one with unconditional love. Eight: Propeller Theatre Company WHEN in the autumn of 1998, I joined Edward Hall's all-male Shakespeare company, I had no idea that this would begin 15 years of international touring with a group of actors that would become tantamount to a second family. True, each 10-to-12-month tour was as akin to a 12-month stag do, as it was to spreading the joy of Shakespeare's plays; and yet, it was with Propeller that I truly learnt the craft of storytelling, and how performing is really more of a sport than any kind of mysterious art form. From climbing the pyramids in Mexico City at dawn, to performing The Comedy Of Errors in Sri Lanka, watched by a group of wild monkeys that had climbed in through the windows, it was also my own Homeric journey of self-discovery, and the birth of lifelong friendships. Halcyon days, I shall never forget. Nine: Across The Universe WHENEVER I hear John Lennon's masterpiece, I am transported back to my parent's house in Greenwich, where I sat on the drawing room floor, in diffused sunlight, listening to the song unfold for the first time. I smell chocolates, pipe smoke, old books, coffee and toast; the musty aroma of our dog, Poggy, curled up in his basket, tucked away in the corner by the piano; the muffled chatter of the BBC's World Service from the kitchen, and the cloying scent of linseed oil from my newly acquired Gray-Nicolls cricket bat leaning against the wall behind the front door. Everlasting peace, frozen in three minutes and 47 seconds. (Image:) 10: Passing my driving test MY first attempt (in Dundee, while a student at St Andrews University) went rather well, I thought. Having pulled up by the side of the road, the examiner asked me how many lessons I'd taken. Understanding him to be thoroughly impressed, I proudly confessed I'd only had five. He smiled and informed me I'd be taking a few more. My second attempt ended up with the same result. (What you don't do, if a suitcase comes off your roof rack, is wait for a pause in the traffic then run out and grab it). The day I finally passed, I'd wrenched my back and had sat stiffly in the driver's seat with a brace on my neck, stinking of Deep Heat, barely able to look left or right, let alone turn to face my nonplussed examiner. How she let me sit next to her, let alone pass me, I have no idea. But I'm eternally grateful. How my life would have unfolded without the freedom of wheels, I can't imagine. Second Skin, a thriller set in the Greek Islands by Dugald Bruce Lockhart is published by Muswell Press
RNZ News
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- RNZ News
Staging one of the greatest love stories in a 60s thriller
culture arts 44 minutes ago It's one of the greatest and most famous love stories and we already know how it ends before it begins. Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet is now on stage with ATC - reenvisioned in a 60s thriller, high fashion style. Experienced theatre director, Benjamin Kilby-Henson has had a diverse career; taking theatre groups to the Edinburgh Fringe, directed shows for the Pop Up Globe, musicals for Court Theatre - and yet his shows often have a film or cinematic element and feel to them. Benjamin Kilby-Henson speaks to Culture 101 about how he first felt about the idea of bringing Romeo Juliet; such a well-known story to the stage.
News18
18 hours ago
- Entertainment
- News18
Shashi Tharoor's Nephew Tries To Find Out ‘Weird Stuff In His Mind' — FOMO Hits Indians
Shashi Tharoor's witty video with his nephew leads to fans asking about entering the Tharoor family, while others said that the laughter was like 'Shakespearan English!!' Shashi Tharoor is known for his sharp answers and rarely makes mistakes on the global stage. But recently, his nephew Avinash caught him in an awkward moment. Tharoor shared a video where Avinash asked him quick questions. At first, the politician answered easily and confidently. But things changed when his nephew asked why he didn't give him a gift on his 10th birthday, while his brother got an expensive present. This question made Tharoor pause and find it hard to answer. In the clip shared by Tharoor on Instagram, his nephew asked, 'I'm in a pretty fancy hotel room here with my uncle. I feel like the public doesn't know enough about all the weird stuff going on in his mind." Avinash starts the session by asking, 'If you had to be an animal, which one would you be?" Shashi Tharoor replied, 'A lion because of its strength, its majesty, its sense of command and power, but that's almost a typical political answer." Avinash then asked Tharoor, 'Which city do you think has the best food?" Tharoor replied, 'Tough one, Thiruvananthapuram, I think is the answer." Avinash smiled and said he expected that, then added, 'Which city has the second-best food?" Tharoor said, 'No 2 in many ways is Delhi. My years in New York gave me a variety of cuisine you can't see anywhere else on the planet." For the next question, Shashi Tharoor was not prepared at all. His nephew Avinash asked, 'For my 10th birthday, you didn't give me anything, but you gave my brother a Game Boy. Why?" Tharoor was seen laughing. While trying to handle the awkward moment, he replied, 'I guess he must have been with me on his birthday and you weren't. I certainly got you so many years, young man, and I'll make up for it next time." In the caption, the politician wrote, 'My regular London morning of tea and the newspaper came with an unexpected addition: a quiz from my nephew Avinash." Reacting to the post, a user wrote, 'The man is a masterclass of grace: 'I'll make up for it the next time.' Only Shashi Tharoor knows how to win hearts in response to the pettiest questions." Another shared, 'Guy laughs in Shakespeare." 'What is the procedure to come into the Tharoor family?" a comment read. An individual stated, 'First time I hear stammer a little when grilled by his nephew on having missed his gift on the 10th Birthday." Another mentioned, 'Mr Tharoor again enchanting us by his eloquence, exuberantly flabbergasted." Shashi Tharoor's nephew also asked about hangover cures, but the politician smoothly dodged it, saying he doesn't know such things. tags : shashi tharoor viral news view comments First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
New York Times
18 hours ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Listen to ‘Hamlet.' Feel Better.
'It is we who are Hamlet,' wrote the essayist and critic William Hazlitt. Though that observation is more than 200 years old, the similarities between Shakespeare's bewildered, semi-deranged prince and his audience — all of us — have rarely been clearer than they are today. His circumstances may not match yours in every particular (your newly widowed mother might not have married your uncle, who maneuvered you out of your claim to the throne) but, after the traumas of the past few years, Hamlet's sorrow is likely to feel familiar, as is his sense of powerlessness. Amid political unrest, military deployments in the streets, an unfolding climate crisis and the unforeseeable, possibly apocalyptic disruptions of A.I., who among us hasn't felt, as Hamlet does, that 'the time is out of joint'? A boomlet in productions of 'Hamlet' offers further evidence for the perennial relevance of this bloody tragedy — the story of a young man cracking up as he discovers that his life, his family, the kingdom and very possibly the divine order are not what he thought they were. Eddie Izzard has been touring a solo version of the play; the Royal Shakespeare Company has produced not one but two high-profile revivals, including 'Hamlet Hail to the Thief,' which fuses Shakespeare's text and a Radiohead album; and this year saw the American release of 'Grand Theft Hamlet,' a documentary about the play being staged inside a video game. This surge in popularity for the Dane need not be seen as an ill portent. Hamlet can, these days, seem like the distant forebear of a heavily scrutinized modern type — the lonely, paranoid boy prone to violent speechifying — but there's more than darkness in 'Hamlet,' and more than despair in its title character. You just need to see the story from the right angle — specifically, his. Hamlet's despair is so pervasive, and rendered so vividly by Shakespeare, that even people who have never seen the play or only dimly remember reading it in high school are familiar with the persona of the melancholy Dane: clad in black, moping around, unable to take action. Laurence Olivier gave the definitive description of Hamlet's paralysis when he opened his 1948 film adaptation by calling it the story of a man 'who could not make up his mind.' But there's a different way of interpreting the play. When you keep the focus on Hamlet — that is, when you omit all of the scenes when he's offstage, many of which are spent speculating on what he intends to do — you see that in the ways that matter most, he's not paralyzed at all. Contrary to what Olivier said, making up his mind is precisely the story of 'Hamlet.' Would you like to submit a Letter to the Editor? Use the form below to share your thoughts on this or any other piece published in The New York Times in the past seven days. If your submission is selected, an editor will contact you to review any necessary edits before publication. Most published letters will appear in both the online and print editions. Your submission must be exclusive to The New York Times. We do not publish open letters or third-party letters. Click here for more information about the selection process. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Metro
2 days ago
- Metro
PS6 and next gen Xbox could cost over £1,000 based on AMD chip leak
Details have leaked concerning a powerful new AMD chip, which an insider believes is connected to Microsoft's new Xbox console. The idea of another console generation might seem premature at this point, considering both the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S have barely hit their full potential, but the next wave of consoles might only be a couple of years away at this point. Sony's PlayStation 6 is expected to arrive in 2027, while Microsoft's next console could launch even sooner. Both companies have already started talking about their next gen plans, with the latter promising the 'largest technical leap' ever seen in a hardware generation. Those comments will likely end up being classic Microsoft posturing (most people think it's related to AI) but a leak of a new AMD chip has hinted at what might be under the hood of the next Xbox. This leak originates from YouTuber Moore's Law Is Dead, who previously outed specs around the Switch 2. In a new video, he claims to have details about a custom Zen 6 APU (accelerated processing unit) from AMD, codenamed Magnus. During the video, the YouTuber highlights how the APU has an 384-bit bus, which is used to transfer memory efficiently. As he points out, this is significantly larger than the Xbox Series X's 320-bit bus, which is the largest on the console market right now – although one was previously used in the Xbox One X. He also highlights various other powerful components, including an unusual total of 11 CPU cores (split between three Zen6 cores and eight Zen6c cores), while the system on a chip is a large 144mm², which is connected via a bridge die to a 'massive' 264mm² graphics die. Sign up to the GameCentral newsletter for a unique take on the week in gaming, alongside the latest reviews and more. Delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning. According to Moore's Law Is Dead, this APU is described as a 'semi-custom business unit', which is apparently what you would list if you were making an APU for a console. Based on this information, he speculates it could be connected to Sony's PlayStation 6. However, fellow tech insider, Kepler, chimed in on this theory on X. In a post, Kepler claimed it is 'probably' tied to the next gen Xbox instead, as AMD codenames for PlayStation consoles are often derived from Shakespeare characters (a recent example is Jupiter, which is supposedly connected to a new PlayStation handheld). 'Yeah, the design in general looks too expensive to be the PlayStation 6,' Kepler added. '[Mark] Cerny is a lot more conservative with die area.' That is probably the next-gen Xbox, the codenames that AMD uses for Playstation SoCs are from Shakespeare characters. — Kepler (@Kepler_L2) July 18, 2025 If the next gen Xbox is using this Magnus APU, Kepler claims the console is 'not gonna be cheap' and could be upwards of $1,500 (£1,116). More Trending 'If they go ahead with third party store support which means selling hardware at a profit this could easily be > $1,500,' they added. Neither Sony or Microsoft have ever released a console above £1,000 before, but based on the current trajectory of prices, it doesn't feel entirely unbelievable. The PS5 Pro is already £699.99, so any next gen console will, in theory, cost even more. The big question is what Sony and Microsoft can offer to justify the inevitably ludicrous price of its next consoles, especially as advancements in graphics have already become a case of splitting frame rate hairs. Last month, Microsoft confirmed it had signed a multi-year deal with AMD to create chips for a 'portfolio of devices', including 'the next generation of Xbox consoles in your living room and in your hands'. Email gamecentral@ leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter. To submit Inbox letters and Reader's Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here. For more stories like this, check our Gaming page. MORE: Here's how you can play Nintendo's secret online Switch game this month MORE: Elden Ring creators FromSoftware will have two new games next year claims report MORE: Call Of Duty 2027 will launch new franchise with martial arts theme says leaker
