Only the BBC does this. RIP #TomStoppard

Liverpool is looking like an audition for a Video Arts management training video.

My guess is that the neighbours will be moving to the west end very soon after the sojourn in Islington

Ada, Countess of Lovelace, daughter of Lord Byron, mathematician & a pioneer of computing; born 1815, died #OTD 1852. #WomeninStem Painted by Margaret Sarah Carpenter 1836 UK Government Art Collection

So the solution is… to join in? I'm afraid the “dark forces” are calling from inside the house at this point.

Peccavi! Revisiting the best film of the year with luxury Q&A Ryan Coogler, Michael B Jordan and Miles Caton at the BFI. #Sinners

Dead Man Walking — a devastating, five-star production of Jake Heggie’s opera on.ft.com/3LH1q2P

Dead Man Walking at ENO, a highlight of the London opera season. Exceptional cast and creatives deliver an extraordinary evening. Christine Rice and Michael Mayes stunning in lead roles with fabulous performances from Jacques Imbrailo, Madeleine Boreham and Sarah Connolly in supporting roles.

Compelling The Lady From The Sea @bridgetheatre.bsky.social in a new reworking of Ibsen by Simon Stone. Best revival of the season so far, for me. Billed as star casting of Andrew Lincoln and Alicia Vikander, although the whole ensemble are excellent. Broadway bound I would guess.

The Adrian Lester Cyrano has pace and pathos. Very enjoyable.

Linklater talk and Blue Moon movie. In which everyone wants to go to Andrew Scott's party and Oscar Hammerstein's youngster neighbour Stevie Sondheim gives direct answers to direct questions.

No Other Choice, directed by Park Chan-wook, is a comedy about laid off workers competing for a diminishing pool of jobs as their paper industry is automated. Dark, unpredictable and very funny.

Very warm welcome for Daniel Day Lewis joined later by his son, Ronan, at the BFI to talk about his amazing body of work

Enjoyed the ENO Albert Herring very much. Modest staging, good singing and a lot of humour.

Claire Foy dons the gauntlet to raise a Goshawk. Very good performance although predictably all eyes are on Mabel.

A lot of shuddering shoulders as William Shakespeare gifts immortality to his son in Chloe Zhao's wonderful Hamnet. Jessie Buckley is stunning. That final scene with Max Richter's score!

Starry, starry night at LFF screening of Jay Kelly. Stunning work from Clooney's wardrobe designer for the movie, Marco de Magalhaes,

Bravo to the Nobel Committee. Congratulations to Maria Corina Machado. Excellent speech by Jorgen Watne Frydnes announcing the award of the Nobel Peace Prize.

HUGE orchestra for Dead Man Walking. Rehearsal sounded amazing. Looking forward to first night at ENO on 1 November.

Ridley Scott bossing it at the BFI. Two takes, editing as he goes along, first edit done a week or so after filming ends. Because he storyboards meticulously and casts well. Legend

A House of Dynamite, Kathryn Bigelow's new film about a response to an incoming ICBM, is riveting and terrifying. Retired 3 & 4 star generals who advised are extras.

Macron remarks are notable- some quotes: "We have been incredibly naive in entrusting our democratic space to social networks that are controlled either by large American entrepreneurs or large Chinese companies, whose interests are not at all the survival or proper functioning of our democracies."

‘One Battle After Another’ was a complete blast. Definitely one to see on a big screen. Up there with Sinners for film of the year so far.

Jimmy Kimmel did a nicely judged monologue for his return. In tears at times and thanking people who had stood up for his right to be on air, whatever their political persuasion.

Whoa. ROMANS @almeida.co.uk is a wild ride through toxic masculinity. Alice Birch is skewering a lot of targets on a merry go round. Amazing!

One of the Good Guys. What a brilliant legacy for cinema, both on and off screen.

My column in tomorrow's paper:

Oooh! Jaja got great reviews on Broadway and Mike Longhurst directing Relics. Booked!

It's shocking how much consensus there is amongst tax policy wonks and economists of Left and Right on the tax reforms the UK needs to boost growth & make the tax system fairer More shocking: they're reforms that are never mentioned by any politicians buff.ly/rTfNmFC

Lunatics Take Over Asylum! The new Private Eye is out now.

In 1800, Mme. Récamier commissioned a portrait and got a masterpiece instead. By Jacques-Louis David, born on this day in 1748.

That Film Trailer that has 2 minutes of zingers and then the full length version doesn't quite work and would be so more enjoyable if they just did an hour of edited highlights.

When those with power and influence bargain with authoritarians, they accelerate the demise of their own democracy, argues ‪@dziblatt.bsky.social. “Democracy rarely dies in a single moment. It is chipped away via abdication.”

‘The Tardis is going nowhere’ is so not what a galaxy travelling Time Machine is aiming to do.

you rarely encounter a perfect intro..........but when you do

Sailing south through the Bering Strait with the Diomedes Islands ahead. Russia on the right, USA on the left. A couple of miles between them.

Eh?

This is so fucking funny...he's literally ordered Grok to be a nazi 24/7 and glaze me baby and Grok just keeps saying "Elon is a big loser, thank you for asking me about this tbh".

STUNNING evening @royalalberthall.bsky.social ! Downloaded the concert on BBC Sounds and listening back again. Lovely couple in front of me were making their first visit to the Proms.

Letter of the day (in the Times)

TfL consulted on shortening the 452 bus route. 75% responses oppose, but they are going ahead anyway. Especially cloth eared response to the second most popular concern. The bus is full southbound in the mornings so they are going to have an additional northbound service in the evening.

Was kicking myself that I hadn't bought Mark Wallinger's Labyrinth book and after a fruitless search of transport museums and second hand bookshops it suddenly cropped up on Amazon UK just in time for me to celebrate finishing the Jubilee line

Fantastic Four was great fun. Much better than the recent Avengers flabby fiascos and my favourite since Doctor Strange.

One of those 'we were there' moments

just set the alarm for 3.48am...

Shoreham Airport, with 1936 art deco terminal and Lancing College (alumni include Evelyn Waugh and David Hare) in the distance

Jon Stewart Reacts to Colbert's Cancellation & Trump's "Bawdy" Epstein Doodles youtu.be/TwOLo_U6bTw