Entertainment

A large, rectangular screen hangs from the top of the stage at the Theater Royal Haymarket in London. It is, rather appropriately, in portrait mode.Beneath it, the Australian actress Sarah Snook (“Succession,” “Run Rabbit Run”), sporting a Johnny Bravo-style blonde quiff, is encircled by a small team of black-clad camera operators who broadcast her every move onto the screen in real time as she simultaneously narrates and performs the title role of Oscar Wilde’s “The Picture of Dorian Gray.”Later, several more screens descend, playing prerecorded footage of Snook in no fewer than twenty-five other roles. Over the course of the next two hours, the onstage Snook interacts seamlessly with these digitalized selves. There are no other actors involved.Wilde’s 1890 novel, in which a handsome rake makes a Faustian bargain with the cosmos by trading his soul for eternal youth (and comes to regret it), lends itself to stage adaptation: It is dialogue-heavy, punctuated by witty, morally intelligent exposition; its allegory of human hubris is timeless.This adaptation, by the Sydney Theater Company, directed by Kip Williams and running through May 11, is a formally ambitious but playful multimedia production. The single-actor format and clever use of camerawork give visual expression to...

By Rob Hunter · Published on February 16th, 2024 Welcome to Commentary Commentary, where we sit and listen to filmmakers talk about their work, then share the most interesting parts. In this edition, Rob Hunter revisits the latest entry in one of the biggest ongoing action franchises for the Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning commentary. You’d be a fool to argue that the Mission: Impossible franchise isn’t among the best action film series of all time. From the characters to the set-pieces, these movies are always entertainment events. My favorite remains the third — yes, I mean it — but Christopher McQuarrie‘s run (Rogue Nation, Fallout, and Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning) raised the scale and expectations of the franchise as a whole in some fantastic ways. Dead Reckoning (originally labeled as Part One, but the second half will be dropping that identifier) had a rough production due to Covid-related issues, but the filmmakers deserve praise as the bloated budget was due to paying the crew throughout the shutdowns and pauses. The result is a film that succeeds more often than not — I have some quibbles — and it’s guaranteed to leave viewers salivating for May 2025 and the release of the...

Last week, Hailey Bieber launched a cheeky calendar for her beauty brand, Rhode Skin. Bieber showcased her tanned abs and skinny legs in fuzzy boots, giving off that beachy vibes. Fans shared negative reactions to the model’s spicy snaps, accusing her of overexposing her body. Hailey first revealed her brand, Rhode Skin, in June 2022. Her ad campaigns were always accompanied by swimsuit shots. After two years of existence, the brand’s ads have been pushing boundaries, featuring the model flaunting stringy looks and micro bikinis. However, the recent shots go far beyond the promotion of beauty products. Recently, Hailey Bieber released a limited edition calendar as a part of the PR package for the new Pineapple Refresh cleanser. She posed in a fuzzy mini bikini, a mix of a holiday sweater and a thong bikini. To fully channel that snow-miss vibe, Bieber paired the eye-popping white swimsuit with shaggy knee-high boots. This Y2K cheeky outfit stands out on a picture-perfect night beach. Though Bieber’s favorite fashion hook, the exposed thong, has always been rocking social media, fans shared their negative reaction to the new Rhode snaps. The model was accused of showing off her tanned body to sell her beauty...