Tag Archives: downton abbey

Obituary: Violet Crawley, the Dowager Countess of Grantham

Posted on April 26, 2022 by mkmswain

A champion of great British morals and aristocratic hauteur who presided over Downton Abbey – both TV drama and stately home. Read my full Telegraph article here

Posted in Film, Journalism, TV | Tagged cousin violet, dead, dies, dowager countess, downton, downton abbey, downton abbey a new era, film, illness, lady grantham, maggie smith, movie, obituary, tv, violet crawley | Leave a comment

Strictly Speaking: Week 3

Posted on October 7, 2019 by mkmswain

Sigh. A theme week. The triumph of the dressing-up box and the selling of Strictly’s soul to Disney. This Movie Week had its particularly trying moments (Pokémon, I ask you), although a few couples transcended, or even utilised, their themes … Continue reading →

Posted in Dance, Journalism, TV | Tagged american smooth, anneka rice, anton du beke, austin powers, ballroom, batman, bbc, blog, cabaret, celebrity, charleston, cinema, craig revel-horwood, dance, dance off, dancing, dancing times, david james, disney, downton abbey, film, harry connick jr, kelvin fletcher, kill bill, latin, magic mike, mary poppins, michelle visage, movie, movie week, quickstep, recap, review, strictly, strictly come dancing, strictly speaking, teeth, the hunger games, tv, week 3 | Leave a comment

Strictly Come Dancing, week three: who had the best technical chops?

Posted on October 6, 2019 by mkmswain

My Oscar winners for Movie Week were Kelvin Fletcher, Michelle Visage and Catherine Tyldesley. Though Fletcher didn’t land the clean routine suggested by nabbing this year’s first 10s, with some lift hiccups, he excelled in both the Charleston basics (strong “swivel” foot action) and … Continue reading →

Posted in Dance, Journalism, TV | Tagged 10, a star is born, aladdin, american smooth, austin powers, ballroom, batman, bbc, blog, cabaret, catherine tyldesley, celebrity, charleston, chris ramsey, dance, dancing, dev griffin, downton abbey, emma weymouth, film, foxtrot, fred astaire, judges, karim zeroual, kelvin fletcher, kung fu panda, latin, magic mike, mary poppins, michelle visage, movie week, movies, paso doble, pokemon, quickstep, recap, review, rumba, saffron barker, samba, score, street dance, strictly, strictly come dancing, swing and sway, technical, technique, telegraph, the hunger games, top hat, tv, week 3, will bayley | Leave a comment

Where to see celebrities onstage in London

Posted on April 30, 2019 by mkmswain

The best starry shows, from Fleabag‘s sexy priest Andrew Scott in Present Laughter to Gwendoline Christie AKA Brienne of Tarth in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Read my full TodayTix article here

Posted in Journalism, Theatre | Tagged 9 to 5, A Midsummer Night's Dream, andrew scott, best, betrayal, bridge theatre, brienne of tarth, celeb, celebrity, coliseum, dolly parton, downton abbey, famous, fleabag, game of thrones, gwendoline christie, hayley atwell, jack mcbrayer, katharine mcphee, kelsey grammer, london, louise redknapp, man of la mancha, matthew broderick, musical, noel coward, old vic, play, present laughter, rosmersholm, star, the starry messenger, theatre, todaytix, tom burke, tom hiddleston, visit london, waitress, west end | Leave a comment

Alys, Always, Bridge Theatre

Posted on March 7, 2019 by mkmswain

Harriet Lane’s memorably unsettling 2012 novel, about an overlooked sub-editor who infiltrates the literary elite, has been adapted for stage by Lucinda Coxon. Its combination of psychological thriller and industry satire is decently translated, but a conservative production from Bridge … Continue reading →

Posted in Journalism, Theatre | Tagged alys always, bridge theatre, broadwayworld, downton abbey, harriet lane, joanna david, joanne froggatt, journalist, newspaper, nicholas hytner, novelist, play, review, robert glenister, theatre, writer | Leave a comment

The Importance of Being Earnest, Vaudeville Theatre

Posted on August 3, 2018 by mkmswain

Classic Spring’s year-long season ends with Wilde gone wild: a free love riot that yanks the queer subtext into text, with everyone from masters and servants to, er, the long-lost brothers sharing snogs and cigarettes. The famous passive aggressive tea … Continue reading →

Posted in Journalism, Theatre | Tagged august, book tickets, broadwayworld, cheap tickets, comedy, discount, downton abbey, jeremy swift, london, oscar wilde, play, review, sale, save, sophie thompson, summer, the importance of being earnest, theatre, ticket deal, vaudeville theatre, visit london, west end | Leave a comment

BWW Interview: Jeremy Swift talks The Importance of Being Earnest

Posted on August 2, 2018 by mkmswain

The actor discusses appearing in the Wilde classic, plus Downton Abbey and the upcoming Mary Poppins Returns. Read my full BroadwayWorld interview here

Posted in Film, Journalism, Theatre | Tagged actor, august, book tickets, broadwayworld, chasuble, cheap tickets, comedy, discount, downton abbey, interview, jeremy swift, london, maggie smith, mary poppins returns, oscar wilde, play, sale, save, septimus spratt, sophie thompson, summer, the importance of being earnest, theatre, ticket deal, vaudeville theatre, visit london, west end | Leave a comment

Half a Sixpence, Noel Coward Theatre

Posted on November 18, 2016 by mkmswain

This Sixties Tommy Steele vehicle is joyfully reborn in another Chichester Festival Theatre musical triumph, now comfortably ensconced in the West End. The unstoppable George Stiles and Anthony Drewe have seamlessly renewed and added to David Heneker’s original score, and Julian … Continue reading →

Posted in Dance, Journalism, Theatre | Tagged andrew wright, broadwayworld, charlie stemp, downton abbey, flash bang wallop, half a sixpence, hg wells, julian fellowes, noel coward theatre, review, stiles and drewe, west end | Leave a comment

BWW Interview: Phyllis Logan

Posted on July 18, 2016 by mkmswain

The actress talks Secrets & Lies, Downton and her current role in Noel Coward’s Present Laughter. Read my full BroadwayWorld interview here

Posted in Journalism, Theatre | Tagged actor, actress, broadwayworld, downton, downton abbey, interview, london, lovejoy, mike leigh, mrs hughes, noel coward, phyllis logan, present laughter, richmond theatre, samuel west, theatre, tour | Leave a comment

Ralph Fiennes’s Richard III Leads June’s Top 10 New London Shows

Posted on May 30, 2016 by mkmswain

From starry Shakespeare and Rattigan productions to big musicals and resonant new plays. Read my full BroadwayWorld article here

Posted in Journalism, Theatre | Tagged aladdin, alexi kaye campbell, alfie allen, almeida, apollo theatre, best, book tickets, broadwayworld, disney, downton abbey, drama, edward snowden, elizabeth mcgovern, film, game of thrones, globe, greece, hampstead theatre, helen mccrory, henry v, hobsons choice, hollywood, iqbal khan, jesse eisenberg, june, london, macbeth, martin shaw, michael crawford, Mike Bartlett, movie, musical, national theatre, new, open air theatre, play, prince edward theatre, ralph fiennes, regents park, richard iii, rupert goold, shakespeare, star, sunset at the villa thalia, the deep blue sea, the go between, the spoils, theatre, top 10, trafalgar studios, vaudeville theatre, west end, wild | Leave a comment

Tag Archives: downton abbey

Obituary: Violet Crawley, the Dowager Countess of Grantham

Strictly Speaking: Week 3

Strictly Come Dancing, week three: who had the best technical chops?

Where to see celebrities onstage in London

Alys, Always, Bridge Theatre

The Importance of Being Earnest, Vaudeville Theatre

BWW Interview: Jeremy Swift talks The Importance of Being Earnest

Half a Sixpence, Noel Coward Theatre

BWW Interview: Phyllis Logan

Ralph Fiennes’s Richard III Leads June’s Top 10 New London Shows

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