By Dan O’Farrell. A play-within-a-play is always good value, especially if it goes disastrously wrong. Shakespeare knew this well: he saved the whole last act of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ for the workmen’s hilariously inept production of ‘Pyramus and Thisbe’. In more recent times people have queued in...
Books & film: Risen from the dead – the modern horror revival
By Laura McCarthy. The recent success of media in the horror genre is undeniable. During the very first opening weekend at the cinema this year, we have seen Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu become the top grossing film at the box office in the UK, grossing £5.2million and becoming Focus’ seventh...
Review: New Years Day with Conquer Divide – The Engine Rooms
By Spring Wise. Saturday night at The Engine Rooms was packed full of energy for New Years Day, supported by Conquer Divide. I was excited when this gig exceeded capacity from The Joiners, to fill one of Southampton’s more wheelchair-accessible venues, and it was packed. Conquer Divide are a...
Ocean Colour Scene to join the lineup for TK Maxx Presents Southampton Summer Sessions
Britpop legends Ocean Colour Scene will join the lineup for TK Maxx Presents Southampton Summer Sessions. Taking to the stage in Guildhall Square on Friday 27 June, Ocean Colour Scene will be supported by fellow ’90s icons Cast and Echobelly. They join a stellar roster of previously announced artists including McFly, Train,...
Holocaust Memorial Day: Blue Apple Theatre short film with University of Winchester
While the Holocaust is remembered rightly as an act of genocide against Europe’s Jewish population, the Nazis also sent close to 250,000 people with disabilities to their deaths. This grim fact is highlighted by Winchester’s Blue Apple Theatre, whose performers have learning disabilities and have been making a short...
Hundreds of anti-racist demonstrators gather for Southampton counter-protest
Hundreds of local anti-racist protesters gathered in Southampton city centre to tell UKIP supporters they were not welcome in the city. UKIP leader Nick Tenconi announced his intention to march through the city, calling for mass deportations, in December, after a Southampton pub cancelled a booking he had made...
Southampton’s Welly to play homecoming gig at Heartbreakers
Welly have announced that their debut album Big In The Suburbs will be released on 21 March 2025. The record was launched alongside the latest single and title track Big In The Suburbs. In addition, they headline Dork Hype List tour, which kicks off next month, coming to Heartbreakers...
Reader’s letter: Southampton rebranding “feels like a slap in the face to every creative in the city”
By Mark James (Allerton), director of Southampton’s Inkjet Media, local dj and owner of Overdraft Records Store, in response to: “Southampton council criticised for handing city rebrand to London firm” Eighty grand gone! This, honestly, feels like a slap in the face to every creative trying to make a...
What’s Coming Up In February At October Books?
By Laura McCarthy. Southampton’s beloved independent bookshop October Books will be hosting a variety of exciting events for lovers of reading, writing, and even cooking this February. Things get underway half way through the month, when they will be holding a poetry fundraiser on Saturday 15th February from 2.30pm...
Community bakery celebrates 3rd official birthday by offering free cake
A Southampton community bakery that is the commercial venture for a charity in the city is celebrating its third official anniversary this month by offering visitors free birthday cake. CommuniBakes in Shirley was taken over in 2021 to solely support the charity Communicare, which is dedicated to eradicating loneliness...