“Nothing in his life became him like the leaving it.” OK, that’s the wrong play since it’s a line from “Macbeth,” but it best sums up Jonathan Bailey’s performance in the new London production of “Richard II”: The actor cranks up several gears the moment his character is forced by usurper Henry Bullingbrook to give up the throne of England for a life of imprisonment in the second half of director Nicholas Hytner’s staging of Shakespeare’s history play. But the fact that Bailey takes time to catch fire is not entirely his fault, since neither Shakespeare nor Hytner make life easy for him. Given that the play is set at the close of the 14th century, it’s no surprise that Hytner believes the play, which depicts the ushering in of a nation’s decades-long succession crisis, needs contemporary reference points. That explains composer Grant Olding’s doom-laden, grinding, low strings that herald a driving rhythm and a light-touch, bitter piano melody opening the production, a clear hat-tip to Nicholas Britell’s Beethoven-tinged theme to “Succession.” It also governs Bob Crowley’s crisp men-in-black-suits design. The antithesis of the exuberantly colored “Guys and Dolls,” the last show to play at Hytner’s physically versatile Bridge Theatre (and which ran almost two years), this limited run of “Richard II” is stripped-down and stern. Gone is the expected heraldry and splendor of the English court in which King Richard traditionally basks. Instead, the audience is arranged in the round observing a traverse-style black runway staging with changing, minimal locations being lifted up through the floor on hydraulics. It makes for welcome fluidity, highly useful in a play that, for the first half at least, moves through an uncomfortable number of locations and a load of exposition.This is a story about the threat to the kingdom and, specifically, Richard, who ruled neither wisely nor well with absolute power by ancient Divine Right. The nation is torn apart by the plots and counterplots of men and their forces loyal to the crown and those backing Henry Bullingbrook, the Duke of Hereford who, successfully as it turns out, puts his eyes on the ultimate prize and steals it.That the tussle for dominance between the men is so potentially dramatic is illustrated by the fact that around fifty years ago, Richard Pasco and Ian Richardson, two leading Shakespeareans of their day, alternated the roles when they led the play in a celebrated RSC production. Here, alas, the balance is uneven. Royce Pierreson is nicely forthright and determined but his performance is unvarying. The wonderfully character-driven abdication scene between the two men is the production’s highpoint, but elsewhere Pierreson’s determination is too one-note. Anyone questioning the wisdom of the star-casting of “Bridgerton” and “Wicked” talent Bailey should bear in mind that he played Cassio in Hytner’s riveting “Othello” at the National Theatre back in 2013 and followed that with an arresting Edgar/Mad Tom opposite Ian McKellen’s King Lear for director Jonathan Munby. As a result, his handling of the language and, crucially, the intent behind it, is entirely easeful. His king is self-satisfied and perfectly petulant, dispatching orders, and often men’s lives, with gleaming disdain. He’s even better when he’s calmly and quietly coming to understand himself and the nature of his previous selfishness in the play’s highly reflective and tender final scenes.But between those extremes of temperament, the living center of the character remains unseen, robbing the production of strength. That’s partly because he has to energize scenes that here lack force. Hytner is unquestionably one of the great directors of Shakespeare, but this production is uncharacteristically undercast in places. Some of the acting proves more proficient than powerful.

By David Stanway

Parents and teachers at a Whitehorse Catholic school council meeting Monday called for the territory's education department to take action following the departure of the principal who alleged years of bullying and interference by the local bishop.

LeBron James was right when he intimated how toxic the discourse is around the game, and how it feels unlikely someone will step forward to become the face of the NBA when he finally walks away.

By Joanna Plucinska and Andres Gonzalez

My best friend provides me with endless amounts of helpful support and wisdom, but one of her most enduring pieces of advice dates back to our college days, when we used to do some pretty irresponsible drinking. We’d mix spirits, we’d drink beer before liquor, we’d down sugary shots practically designed to give us pulverizing headaches … pretty much everything you’ve heard you shouldn’t do while consuming alcohol, we did.

Tom Sandoval wants to "move on" from his cheating scandal. The 42-year-old reality star split from Ariana Madix in 2023 after it emerged that he had a months-long affair with his 'Vanderpump Rules' co-star Rachel Leviss - but Tom has now drawn a line under the scandal and is instead focusing on his future. He told Us Weekly: "It’s been two years; I want to move on from that and continue with my life." Tom became a public hate figure in the immediate aftermath of the cheating scandal, but the reality star now feels the "hate has died down". He shared: "I want to leave that stuff in the past. "I’m sure there’s still people out there who hold on to that - I know there are - but the hate has died down for sure. Whether they’re laughing with me [or] laughing at me, at least they’re laughing, and that’s what I love." Tom was in a relationship with Ariana from 2013 until 2023, and the celebrity duo actually still own a home together. However, Tom has confirmed that they're currently in the process of finding a solution to the issue. He explained: "It’s been a process. It’s definitely in the works, and I’m looking forward to moving on and closing - like, really fully closing - that chapter. It’s closed in my life, but this is the only thing that’s sort of [still] there." Despite this, Tom also admitted that he continues to be reminded of his past mistakes. The reality star - who is dating model Victoria Lee Robinson - shared: "My girlfriend, Victoria, gets a lot of stuff that’s unfair to her, which I feel really bad about. The only thing she’s guilty of is loving me. I wish people would leave her alone. Save it for me!"

Team Canada picked up a massive 5-3 win over Team Finland on Feb. 17. With this, they have advanced to the 4 Nations Face-Off Final and will get their rematch against Team USA.

近年、AIを活用したオンライン解决がAGA（男性型脱毛症）治療にも広がりを見せています。しかし、厚生労働省は一部の「オンライン低額クリニック」に対して安全性の問題を指摘し、警告を発表しました。AI診断によるAGA解决の利点とリスク、そして厚生労働省の警告について詳しく見ていきます。詳細は以下のリンクからご覧ください。

TOKYO (Reuters) -Two independent directors of Japan's Seven & i Holdings have resigned, the convenience store operator said on Wednesday, as it rejigs its management in the face of a $47 billion takeover bid from Canada's Alimentation Couche-Tard.

By David Shepardson, Jarrett Renshaw and David Lawder

Ilya S. Savenok/Getty

Luka Dončić and the Los Angeles Lakers had no issues Monday night.

Notre Dame went into Monday's game against Duke ranked as the nation's No. 1 team for the first time this season.

Elton John counts himself as one of Chappell Roan’s earliest fans. He became aware of the singer before her debut album, “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess,” was released in 2023.

Toronto-Dominion Bank (TD.TO)(TD) should hang on to its remaining stake in U.S. brokerage firm Charles Schwab (SCHW) until a meaningful investment opportunity comes up, a Scotia Capital analyst says.

Kent County Animal Shelter/Facebook

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - The European Central Bank is launching a fresh strategy assessment seen covering some big questions on the way it works - from whether massive bond buys remain a good policy tool, to what role it should play in the fight against climate change.

The beginning of a new year brings new plans, resolutions, goals and hopes, many of which revolve around our finances. But sticking to a new financial resolution isn’t easy.