Wednesday 4th March 2026

Culture

Red soles, red flags: Jaden Smith and the celebrity takeover of high fashion

Smith’s appointment has raised some serious questions about the extent to which nepotism and celebrity is superseding artistic talent in the fashion industry at present.

Remembrance, resilience, and reflection: Lubomyr Melnyk, the ‘continuous music’ pioneer

On the 23rd and 24th February, the Ukrainian composer and pianist, Lubomyr Melnyk, returns to Oxford for a performance at New College.

Techno, tragedy, and medieval monologuing: ‘Brew Hill’ in conversation

Pecadillo Productions’ ‘Brew Hill’ watches the deterioration of the romance between Nat (Trixie Smith) and Gordon (Jem Hunter).

Will 2026 finally kill the clean girl?

The clean girl has become ubiquitous throughout celebrity culture, magazines, and social media in recent years. Her brand prescribes a lifestyle, a kind of idealised minimalism.

Bare derrieres for bums on seats? Shock value on stage

By the time Iqbal Khan’s Anthony and Cleopatra reached its dénouement at the RSC, we were almost three hours in and, despite the production...

Stage Adaptions: Midnight’s Children

Iconic, encyclopaedic, and kaleidoscopic, Salman Rushdie’s Midnight’s Children has garnered a healthy sense of both wariness and respect from critics and readers alike over...

A ‘Clean Break’ from crime?

After mastering the downward facing dog-chaturanga-upward facing dog transition, my isolation development peaked and it was time to do some work. I watched the Donmar Trilogy’s...

The best podcasts to banish boredom

So, you’ve baked the perfect banana bread, binged Tiger King, considered giving yourself a fringe à la Normal People’s Marianne, or buying a chain...

Why we should view the #foxeyes trend with narrowed eyes

Bella Hadid. Kendall Jenner. Two of the most renowned names, and faces, in the fashion world. Despite their natural beauty, both supermodels are alleged...

Do LGBT+ creatives have a responsibility to produce queer art?

Being "protected" from anything that resembled queerness did not manage to make me straight

The scope for creativity in quarantine

One thing I am glad of, in returning home, is that there is no need to feel trapped. My father’s house looks from one hill to...

Springtime Screentime

Whilst in quarantine utilising friendship, haphazard planning and true style an essence of spring was created from my friend’s bathroom. Flip to page 21...

Cherpse! Cai and Charlie

Cai, 2nd year, Chemistry, St. Hugh’s  First impressions? He seemed kind, friendly and relaxed, and had a nice voice. Did it meet up to your expectations? Yeah, we...

The Last Five Years: Review

00 Production’s performance of The Last Five Years pulls off the ambitious project with surprising grace. I say surprising because bringing a musical to the small screen,...

The Last Five Years- Preview

Having watched the preview, I am excited to see and listen to the full-length production of the musical. Both Maggie Moriarty as Cathy and...

‘All the world’s a stage’: Culture in translation

With Shakespeare’s birth and death date happening on the 23rd of April, I’ve been thinking about what a great man he was. So many...

Ralph Fiennes: from Hamlet… to Lear?

With his aquiline nose, translucent skin and deep pale eyes, Ralph Fiennes certainly makes an impression. And that is even before he speaks or emotes -...

Friday Favourite: Amantes de cartón

Amid the national and global chaos, Hugo Ortega’s new book of poetry Amantes de cartón (Cardboard Lovers) is a quiet yet powerful exploration of...

The Art of the Perfect Playlist

Cecilia Wilkins Dulanto on stepping up your Spotify game.

Happiness is a cigar called Hamlet

While the machine of commerce rumbles on, cynicism towards the smoke and mirrors of modern brand manoeuvrings is never too far from the media,...

Queer in disguise: where sexual identity intersects costume

While a male star may once have been able to wear an old wedding suit to the Oscar’s without anyone batting an eyelid, the...

Face to Face // Screen to Screen

If there’s one thing a national lockdown has given me, it’s time. Weekly screen-time reports never fail to astound me – minding my business,...

Review: Jerskin Fendrix’s ‘Winterreise’

Weird things are happening in the world of pop music. Charli XCX and Carly Rae Jepsen have bounced back from ‘Boom Clap’ and ‘Call Me Maybe’...

NT Live’s Twelfth Night: Review

The French philosopher and moralist Jean de la Bruyère once remarked “life is a tragedy for those who feel, and a comedy for those...

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