A team of scientists from the Swedish Museum of Natural History has described a new species of nightjar that lives in the tropical forests of Timor Island and Wetar in the Lesser Sunda Archipelago.
Male Caprimargus ritae in Wetar, October 13, 2014. Image courtesy of James Eaton.
These birds are found all over the world, except Antarctica and certain island groups such as the Seychelles.
Nightjars have long wings, short legs and a very short beak and usually catch flying insects at night. During the day they sleep on the ground or usually perched upright on a branch.
“Nightjars are one of the most difficult birds to study because of their discreet nocturnal behaviour and inconspicuous plumage,” said lead author Dr George Sangster and his colleagues.
This species complex is found from Pakistan to Australia and consists of six morphologically similar species with distinct calls.
“Field surveys on Timor Island and on Wetar Island in the Lesser Sunda Archipelago have revealed a seventh species in the complex, which we call a new species,” the researchers said.
“This species has Caprimargus maculus, Caprimargus selebensis and Caprimargus manilensis However, this species differs from these and all other species in this complex in at least 13 vocal traits.”
Named Caprimargus ritae Like the Timor nightjar or the Timor nightjar, this new species is not found in any other part of its range. Caprimargus maculus Complex.
This bird is a forest specialist and has been recorded in a wide range of tropical forests, from tall evergreen forests to dry deciduous forests, mainly at altitudes below 1,000 metres, with one record from 1,500 metres above sea level.
“Caprimargus ritae “This is the fourth bird species known to be endemic to both Timor and Wetar islands,” the scientists said.
“Other species include the Timorese giant pigeon (Ducula cineracea), Wetal ground pigeon (Pumps Sana Gallicorumba Howety) and Rainbow lorikeet (Saudareos Iris)
“Six species found on Timor and Wetar are only found on Atauro, Roti and Semau islands. Caprimargus ritae This is also true for several other bird species.”
“Wetar is closer to Timor (51km) than Alor (76km). The exclave of Atauro island is just 23km from Timor and 21km from Wetar.”
” Cyt b The Timor and Wetar sequence shows the colonization of Timor to Wetar, or vice versa probably quite recently.”
Ben F. King others A new species of nightjar (Capri Margos) from Timor and Wetar, the Lesser Sunda Islands, and Wallacea. Ibis Published online June 24, 2024, doi: 10.1111/ibi.13340
California is bracing for a dangerous combination of extreme heat and high fire risk this week as people across the state celebrate Independence Day outdoors. Temperatures in the Sacramento Valley could soar to 115 degrees Fahrenheit, according to meteorologist Kate Forrest from the National Weather Service in Sacramento. Heat warnings have been issued for the region starting Tuesday and are expected to last through Saturday.
Forecasters anticipate the heat wave to start in inland California on Tuesday before spreading to the Pacific Northwest and Southern California later in the week. Heat watches, warnings, and advisories will be in effect across the West on Tuesday from southern Oregon to southeastern California’s low desert according to the National Weather Service.
The increase in temperatures is due to a strong high-pressure system lingering in the region. Governor Gavin Newsom has instructed emergency officials to activate the state’s operations center in response to the upcoming heatwave.
The hot weather could see nighttime temperatures exceed 80 degrees Fahrenheit in some areas, with inland California facing “extreme” conditions by Friday, as indicated on the Heat Risk Map from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Weather Service.
Southern Oregon, including the Medford area, is also under a heat watch through Saturday. Meanwhile, Pacific Gas & Electric has warned of potential power outages in 10 California counties on Tuesday due to high winds and dry conditions.
Given the high temperatures and dry conditions, there is an increased risk of wildfires, prompting caution during Fourth of July celebrations involving fireworks. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection is monitoring 13 active fires in the state.
Climate change has been linked to the increased frequency and intensity of heat waves and wildfires. Analysis from Climate Central shows that regions like the Sacramento Valley are experiencing more fire-prone weather compared to previous decades.
With heat waves growing in frequency and duration, it is important for residents to take precautions to stay safe during extreme weather events.
Ancient ritual sticks discovered in Australia's Clogs Cave
Gunaikurnai Land and Water Aboriginal Corporation
Wooden artefacts found in Australian caves suggest Aboriginal rituals recorded in the 19th century.Number The ritual is believed to have taken place 12,000 years ago, making it possibly the oldest cultural ceremony in the world.
Between 2019 and 2020, a team of archaeologists and members of the local Indigenous community of Gunaikurnai in southeastern Australia carried out excavations at Clogs Cave, near the Snowy River in Victoria.
The site had been partially excavated in the 1970s, but during new work the team discovered two preserved fireplaces, containing mostly unfired artefacts made from local wood. Casalina Chemical analysis of the wooden remains found showed they were smeared with animal or human fat and dated to between 11,000 and 12,000 years ago, making them some of the oldest wooden artefacts found in Australia.
This alone would have been a major puzzling discovery, but the researchers and local residents were also examining the ethnographic reports of 19 other people.NumberAlfred Howitt was a 20th century cultural anthropologist who studied the customs and traditions of tribes in south-eastern Australia in the 1880s.
In 1887, close to Clogs Cave, he recorded the rituals of the indigenous “wizards”, powerful medicine men of Gunaikurnai, now known as “Mula-Mlang”, who smeared wooden throwing sticks with animal or human fat. Casalina The wood is placed in small ritual fires and used as magical talismans and curses, a ritual he understood to be used against enemies or anyone the ritualist wishes to harm.
“During this time, the wizard would continue to chant the spell – as the saying goes, he would 'sing the man's name' – and when the stick fell, the spell was complete – a practice that continues to this day,” Howitt writes.
Bruno David Monash University in Melbourne Russell MalletThe Gunaikurnai elder said similarities between archaeological finds and ethnographic descriptions led him to believe the same rituals had been taking place for up to 12,000 years.
Mallet said he was convinced of the connection because Howitt's description matched so closely with what was found in the cave — the type of wood and the position of the fat on the sticks were exactly as Howitt described them.
“This will ensure the longevity of our oral traditions and knowledge and the passing of that knowledge from generation to generation,” Mallett says.
David says the conclusions slowly deepened with the discovery of these unusual wood artefacts.
“Archaeologists never see the rituals that were taking place behind these ancient ruins,” he says, “and to me it's really amazing that the physical evidence that matches the cultural knowledge so well has remained so largely intact and for so long. It's exactly what Howitt described.”
“The team's methodology is thorough and excellent.” Paul Tassone At Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia.
According to Tason, these communities have undergone many changes over time, but this ritual appears to have remained constant: “What strikes me about this is that for this same form of ritual to have continued for such a long period of time, it must have been considered important and effective.”
Have you ever looked up at Earth’s Moon and wondered where it came from? Most scientists agree that a small planet called Theia collided with the young Earth 4.5 billion years ago. Most of the debris from this giant impact coalesced to become the Moon we see today. But where did the rest of Theia go? Qian Yuan and his colleagues hypothesize that Earth absorbed parts of Theia during the impact, and that these remnants of Theia remain deep inside Earth to this day.
Scientists believe that waves called mechanical energy waves Seismic wavesAs it passes through certain zones inside the Earth, its speed slows down. Large slow states Previous researchers have suggested that these zones are graveyards of ancient ocean floors that sunk into the Earth’s interior during plate tectonics, but Yuan’s team proposes that these zones could be the remains of Theia.
The research team found that the LLVP contains gases such as hydrogen, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen. Volatile substancesVolatiles are most likely present during the formation of solar systems and planets, when material floating in space begins to accumulate. Because volatiles are light, they can escape into space if they get the chance. When Earth and Theia collided, volatiles from both planets were caught up in the collision. Scientists believe that most of the volatiles escaped into space, but Yuan and his colleagues suggested that some of Theia may have captured these volatiles and sunk deep inside the Earth, forming the LLVP.
To test whether the LLVP is a remnant of Theia, the researchers used a computer model designed to test how different types of solid matter interact with each other. Thermal evolution modelHe explained that other researchers have shown that Theia is made of a much denser material than Earth, so they wanted to test whether Theia’s denser material would mix completely with Earth’s or remain separate.
The researchers used a thermal evolution model to randomly scatter chunks of Theia-like material throughout a mass of Earth-like material and calculate how well they would mix. They ran eight models with chunks of different sizes, densities, and temperatures. In almost all of these models, they found that Theia’s material sank deep into the Earth and coalesced into LLVP-like mountains without mixing with Earth’s material.
The researchers performed seven giant impact simulations to further explore how Theia interacted with the young Earth. They used these simulations to collide Theia with Earth and calculate how that impact would have affected the Earth’s interior. These simulations found that after the collision with Theia, denser, more solid material sank toward the center, while less dense material stayed toward the surface, resulting in a layered Earth’s interior. The researchers explain that these simulations also suggest that denser material from Theia sunk deep inside the Earth without mixing.
The researchers concluded that Theia’s remains may have sunk to Earth and coalesced into a region similar to the LLVP, where it remained for the next 4.5 billion years. They further proposed that if Theia’s material was preserved inside the Earth for billions of years, the composition of the Earth’s interior could have changed.
They suggested that future researchers test their hypothesis by comparing the composition of the LLVP with basalts found on the Moon to see if it matches up. They also suggested that researchers use newer, more accurate models of Earth’s thermal evolution to further explore how Theia’s impact with Earth may have affected the evolution of Earth’s interior and the formation of the LLVP.
Babies who are hand-fed solid foods appear to take in the same number of calories as those spoon-fed pureed foods, suggesting that this type of 'baby-led weaning' may not have any particular nutritional advantages or disadvantages.
Despite its growing popularity, there is little scientific understanding of baby-led weaning, according to Kinsey Matzeler To investigate further, researchers at the University of Colorado asked the parents of 100 healthy 5-month-old infants living in the Denver, Colorado, area to report their infants' food and milk intake over a three-day period and also to weigh the food on their plates before and after meals to determine how much their infants had eaten.
Parents returned reports of their babies' food intake when they were 9 and 12 months old, and Matzeler and his team measured the babies' weight and size at each time point.
Using food records, the researchers identified 35 infants who were following a baby-led feeding system. Pureed foods account for less than 10% of total caloriesTo compare the groups, the team selected 35 normally breastfed babies who were matched to the babies in the Baby Lead weaning group for race, sex, and whether they were breastfed or formula-fed. Matzeler presented her findings June 30 at the 10th International Infant Nutrition Congress in Chicago, Illinois. American Society for Nutrition Annual Meeting.
The researchers found that daily energy intake, defined as calories per kilogram of the baby's body weight, was not significantly different between the two groups at any time point. The baby-led weaning infants consumed about 22 percent more protein than the other infants at 9 months of age, but this amount had returned to normal by 12 months of age.
At 9 and 12 months, infants who were fed solid foods were gaining weight relative to their age and height, but the differences were relatively small.
“Our experience is that if you were to show us the growth curves of babies weaned on baby powder and babies weaned the traditional way, you probably wouldn't be able to tell which was which,” Matzeler says, “and when you look at the babies, they're pretty similar.”
One key difference was that baby-led feeding was more common among mothers who attended college and whose families had higher annual incomes, suggesting a slight bias toward the middle class, perhaps because these parents can afford the time and money that baby-led feeding often requires, Matzeler says.
“Further research into feeding is needed to understand whether it has positive health outcomes for babies who follow this feeding style and whether these outcomes are truly due to the babies being fed, or to the socio-economic status of the parents who are more likely to follow this feeding style,” the researchers said. Joe Pierce At Sheffield Hallam University, UK.
This month is packed with big names in science fiction, including the release of Keanu Reeves' debut novel, the latest from one of Britain's top science fiction writers, Adam Roberts, and a quantum novel from Pen Shepherd.
The one I'm most excited about is Mateo Askaripour This great hemisphereBut it's a mix of science fiction and political thriller, and highly recommended. Perfect holiday reading for late July. Zero stars, not recommendedmany vacationers go a little Lord of the Flies When the sun shines at a luxury resort, it's the perfect time to relax.
According to the publisher, this is a collaboration between “two pioneers across genres,” with Keanu Reeves BRZRKR A comic book immortal soldier wants to die – “a tall, thin man who peers at them from beneath his long dark hair” – and is clearly a Reeves likeness – and a US covert operations group says they'll grant his wish to die if he helps the team first.
I’m a big China Miéville fan, so I’ve already read a few of them (if you haven’t already, Embassy Town Grab a copy as soon as you read it, it's a very clever, moving piece of sci-fi, and of course, I’m a huge Reeves fan, because… Keanu Reeves.
But I had to put the book aside because it was too glamorous for me to continue reading. I might start reading it again though, because if I can't believe in Neo, who can I trust? Maybe I need to get in the zone.
Okay, I'm definitely going to do this. Not only does it sound super interesting, but Roberts' acting is undoubtedly great. This time around, we have two spaceships orbiting a black hole. The crew of both ships are killed within the same afternoon by Captain Alpha Rayne, who is told to do so by a voice emanating from the black hole. This voice is the rather charmingly named “Mr. Modo.” Of course, no one believes Rayne, but something seems to be emanating from within the black hole.
Set in the future, this novel tells the story of a young woman who, after being relegated to second-class citizenship, sets out to find her brother, whom she believed to be dead but is now a suspect in a high-profile murder case. Publishers have compared it to works by N.K. Jemisin and Naomi Alderman, and an early review on book trade site Kirkus called it “an engrossing page-turner about a future made all too real by an unsettling present.” It sounds interesting, and I’m definitely interested to give it a read.
This sounds very interesting. It is set in a near-future world where cancer is on the verge of being eradicated thanks to a new technological cure in which all the cells in the body are replaced with “nanites” – robotic cells that cure the sick, in fact making the patient nearly immortal.
We follow Young-hoon, a literary scholar who has not only created a machine that can think, but is also undergoing a new form of nanotherapy and much more. The book promises to explore “the nature of intelligence and the unexpected consequences of progress, the meaning of humanity and life, and what we should really fear about technology and the future.” It's a lot for a novel, but I’m up for the challenge.
The Edge of Solitude is set on a ship heading to Antarctica.
Shutterstock/Vadim_N
The eco-thriller is set “in a time of severe climate crisis” on a ship heading to Antarctica to hopefully save the region. On board is Ivy Cunningham, a disgraced environmental activist trying to salvage her reputation but also beginning to question the motives of her fellow passengers and the project as a whole.
“Unprofessional underachiever” Dan Foster is vacationing at an island resort when the sun suddenly explodes. As temperatures drop and a revolution begins, he must choose between saving himself and the other guests. Paradise coming to an end? I'll be there!
Marsh, 45, wasn’t happy with where her life was headed, from her career to her marriage to her relationship with her teenage daughter. So when she got the chance to be the star of a TV game show, she was stunned. All this and moreIn “Happy Happiness”, a game that uses quantum technology to allow participants to travel back in time, she gets it. But as you can imagine, even though she gets everything she wants, it all starts to feel a little strange and Marsh begins to ask herself if it was worth it. This is another one for my holiday reading. I love a “live happily ever after” story and when you add time travel and quantum magic dust to the mix, it's amazing.
This new novella is The Red Scholar's Trail is a space opera with a twist of martial arts. Set in an outer space known as the Hollow, home to the mysterious and terrifying Tanglers. When the Tanglers escape, they must be captured before they destroy a civilian city. Two young men from rival clans tasked with stopping the Tanglers find themselves developing feelings for each other.
Featuring characters ranging from a boy trying to bring the natural world back into urban life to a ballet dancer trying to inhabit the consciousness of a mouse, the collection offers us a “kaleidoscopic view of the climate crisis,” the publishers promise (why, at the moment, it’s unclear, but I’d like to know).
Gravity Lost is the second book in the space-based Ambit's Run series.
Shutterstock/Corona Borealis Studios
This is the second installment in the Ambit's Run series of sagas. Cascading FailuresIt sees the crew of the Ambit, having just prevented the destruction of a planet, attempting to break out of prison a man they'd just handed over to one of Spiral's major forces.
Agent Gregory Roark is tasked with finding a teleportation portal on a faraway colony planet, but the former bounty hunter finds himself facing off against better-equipped rivals and the killing begins… in the latest installment of the series.
According to the European Commission, Meta, led by Mark Zuckerberg, has breached the EU’s new digital law with its advertising strategy. This model involved charging users for access to ad-free versions of Facebook and Instagram.
Last year, Meta introduced a “pay or consent” system to comply with EU data privacy regulations. Under this model, users could pay a monthly fee to use Facebook and Instagram without ads and with their personal data not utilized for advertising. Non-paying users agree to have their data used for personalized ads during the signing-up process.
The European Commission, the executive body of the EU, stated that this model does not align with the Digital Markets Act (DMA) created to regulate big tech companies. The Commission’s initial findings of the “Pay or Consent” investigation revealed that this model coerces users into consenting to data collection across various platforms. Additionally, users are not given the option to choose services that use less data but are similar to the ad-supported versions of Facebook and Instagram.
The Commission expressed that this alternative does not offer users a comparable less personalized version of the Meta network, forcing them to agree to data integration. To comply with the DMA, Meta would need to launch a version of Facebook or Instagram using less user data.
In response, a Meta spokesperson mentioned that the new model was designed to adhere to regulatory requirements such as the DMA. They highlighted that subscriptions as an alternative to advertising are a common business model and were implemented to address various obligations.
The European Commission is required to complete its investigation by the end of March next year. Meta may face fines of up to 10% of its global turnover, amounting to $13.5 billion (£10.5 billion). The Commission recently found Apple guilty of violating the DMA by impeding competition in its app store.
This is a crucial election year for the world, with misinformation swirling on social media as countries including the UK, US and France go to the polls.
There are major concerns about whether deepfakes – images and audio of key politicians created using artificial intelligence to mislead voters – could influence election outcomes.
While it has not been a major talking point in the UK elections so far, examples are steadily emerging around the world, including in the US, where a presidential election is looming.
Notable visual elements include:
Discomfort around the mouth and jaw
In deepfake videos, the area around the mouth can be the biggest clue: There may be fewer wrinkles on the skin, less detail around the mouth, and a blurry or smudged chin. Poor syncing between a person’s voice and mouth is another telltale sign.
The deepfake video, posted on June 17, shows Nigel Farage simulating the destruction of Rishi Sunak’s house in Minecraft. Deepfake satire trend A video showing politicians playing online games.
A few days later, Another Simulation Video Keir Starmer was seen playing Minecraft and setting up traps in “Nigel’s Pub”.
Dr Mhairi Aitken, an ethics researcher at the Alan Turing Institute, the UK’s national AI lab, says the first feature of Minecraft deepfakes is, of course, the “absurdity of the situation”, but another sign of AI-generated media and manipulation is the imperfect synchronization of voice and mouth.
“This is particularly clear in the section where Farage is speaking,” Aitken said.
Another way to tell, Aitken says, is to see if shadows fall in the right places, or if lines and creases in the face move in the way you expect them to.
Ardi Djandzheva, a researcher at the institute, added that the low resolution of the overall video is another telltale sign people should look out for because it “looks like something that was quickly stitched together.” He said people have become accustomed to this amateurish technique due to the prevalence of “rudimentary, low-resolution scam email attempts.”
This lo-fi approach also shows up in prominent areas like the mouth and jawline, he says: “There’s an excessive blurring and smudge of facial features that are the focus of the viewer’s attention, like the mouth.”
Strange elements of the speech
Another deepfake video featured audio edited from Keir Starmer’s 2023 New Year’s speech pitching an investment scheme.
If you listen closely, you’ll notice some odd sentence structure: Starmer repeatedly says “pound” before a figure, for example “pound 35,000 per month”.
Aitken said the voice and mouth were again out of sync and the lower part of the face was blurred, adding that the use of “pounds” before the numbers suggested a text-to-speech tool had probably been used to recreate Starmer’s voice.
“This mirrors typical spoken language patterns, as it is likely a written-to-speech tool was used, which has not been confirmed,” she says. “There are clues in the intonation as well, which maintains a fairly monotonous rhythm and pattern throughout. A good way to check the authenticity of a video is to compare the voice, mannerisms and expressions to a recording of a real person to see if there is consistency.”
Face and body consistency
This deepfake video of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky calling on civilians to lay down their arms to Russian forces was circulated in March 2022. The head is disproportionately large compared to the rest of the body, and the skin on the neck and face is a different color.
Hany Farid, a professor at the University of California, Berkeley and an expert on deepfake detection, said this is “a classic deepfake.” The immobile body is the telltale sign, he said. “The defining feature of this so-called Puppet Master deepfake is that the body is immobile from the neck down.”
Discontinuities throughout the video clip
The video, which went viral in May 2024, falsely shows U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller telling a reporter that “there are virtually no civilians left in Belgorod,” justifying the Ukrainian military’s attack on the Russian city of Belgorod. The video was tweeted by the Russian embassy in South Africa and has since been removed, according to Russian media. BBC journalist.
In this new image, the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope captures the glow of spiral galaxy NGC 4951.
This Hubble image shows NGC 4951, a spiral galaxy about 49 million light-years away in the constellation Virgo. Image courtesy of NASA / ESA / Hubble / D. Thilker / M. Zamani, ESA and Hubble.
NGC 4951 is located about 49 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Virgo.
Also known as AGC 530015, IRAS 13025-0613, or LEDA 45246, the galaxy has a diameter of about 65,000 light-years.
It was discovered on April 17, 1784 by German-born British astronomer William Herschel.
The new image of NGC 4951 is Hubble’s Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) is in the ultraviolet, infrared, and optical parts of the spectrum.
It is based on data acquired through six filters: color is generated by assigning a different hue to each monochrome image associated with an individual filter.
“The data used to create this image was taken by Hubble as part of a program to study how matter and energy move in nearby galaxies,” Hubble astronomers said. statement.
“Galaxy undergoes continuous cycles of star formation: gas within galaxies forms molecular clouds, which collapse to form new stars, and then the formed clouds are dispersed by powerful radiation and stellar winds in a process called feedback.”
“The remaining gas will form new clouds elsewhere,” the researchers added.
“This cycle of matter and energy transfer determines how quickly a galaxy forms stars and how quickly it exhausts its supply of gas — in other words, how the galaxy evolves throughout its life.”
“To understand this evolution, we need to know the nebulae, stars and star clusters in our galaxy, when they formed and what their past behavior is.”
“The Hubble Telescope has always excelled at measuring stellar populations, and its work tracking gas and star formation in galaxies including NGC 4951 is no exception,” the astronomers noted.
NGC 4951 is also classified as a Seyfert galaxy, a type of galaxy that has a so-called active galactic nucleus.
“The image gives a good glimpse into how energetic the galaxy is and some of the dynamic galactic activity that transports matter and energy throughout the galaxy: a glowing core surrounded by swirling arms, pink-hued star-forming regions, and thick dust,” the researchers said.
Enjoy circle as you step through the door of This exhibition. The first sight that greets you is the PDP-10, a giant mainframe computer that programmed SpaceWar, the groundbreaking video game. Adjacent to it sits a vibrant yellow Pong arcade cabinet from 1972. Moving on, you’ll encounter the classic cabinets for Puck Man (later Pac-Man) and Space Invaders, evoking a sense of nostalgia for gaming enthusiasts. While seasoned players may not discover new insights at Game On, they are sure to revel in the experience.
Game On, an exhibition that debuted at the Barbican in London in 2002, offers a captivating journey through the evolution of video games. Despite being closed briefly due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it has been touring internationally since its inception, finally opening in Edinburgh. As someone who attended the exhibition with my father 22 years ago, I am excited to now take my children and introduce them to the classic games I loved in my youth. The exhibition allows visitors to play a wide range of games, from Donkey Kong to Guitar Hero, offering a nostalgic trip through the ’80s, ’90s, and ’00s.
Puck Man and Pac-Man at Game On at the National Museum of Scotland. Photo: National Museum of Scotland
The exhibition has evolved over the years, not just reflecting technological advancements in gaming but also highlighting overlooked figures like Carol Shaw and Jerry Lawson. It also pays homage to Scotland’s gaming legacy, showcasing not just mainstream hits like Grand Theft Auto but also lesser-known Scottish indie games.
While the initial decades of video game history were marked by technological advancements, the recent years have seen a shift towards human-driven innovation in game development. Game On provides a comprehensive overview of gaming consoles and their associated games, offering visitors a nostalgic trip down memory lane.
A screenshot from the Scottish indie game “Viewfinder,” which reflects the countries the team is touring. Photography: Sad Owl Studios
Game On presents a conventional yet engaging history of interactive gaming, with a strong emphasis on gameplay. Although it may not delve deeply into the development processes or creators behind the games, visitors will delight in playing over 100 games in a lively, family-friendly setting.
Michael Mac Liamoir’s 1960 solo show intertwined the private and public life of Oscar Wilde with excerpts from the great Irish wit’s work. Alastair Whatley, who directed The Importance of Being Earnest a few years ago, recently performed Mac Liamoir’s monologues in reading repertory. A recording of the production, directed by Michael Fentiman, is available from the original online. From July 1st.
How did we get here?
Melanie C, of the Spice Girls, has always shied away from contemporary dance: “I found it scary,” she said last year on the eve of a show at Sadler’s Wells with Jules Cunningham and Harry Alexander. But of the contemplative work the trio have devised, she urged, “Look at it with an open mind, it will make you think.” Free to watch until July 25th.
Shakes Against the Machine
In the run up to the July 4th general election, Rob Miles and the Chronic Insanity troupe Web Series combined news headlines from the last 14 years of Conservative governments with Shakespeare’s speeches to show that “the challenges we face are on the same tragic scale as some of his darkest plays”.
Bonnie and Clyde: The Musical
In a sign of continuing tough times for the theatre world, a tour of the Depression-era musical about a robbery was recently cancelled due to poor ticket sales, but a version filmed at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane starring Jeremy Jordan and Frances Maeli McCann is currently running. on demand.
Schwartz’s Song
This album is a collection of 16 carefully selected tracks from the band’s back catalogue spanning half a century, all newly recorded. Introduction to Stephen Schwartz There are three numbers from Godspell, Pippin’s Empty Horn, and The Baker’s Wife’s Meadowlark (due for a revival in 2008). Menier Chocolate Factory) and Defying Gravity will be sung by the four Elphabas from Wicked: Kerry Ellis, Rachel Tucker, Lucie Jones and Alice Fearn.
Hamlet at Elsinore
How about a location-specific play? In 1964, the BBC broadcast a film of Hamlet, shot entirely on location. Kronborg Castle It was produced in Denmark and starred Christopher Plummer as the Tragic Prince, Michael Caine as Horatio, Steven Berkoff as Fortinbras, Lindsay Kemp, and the late Donald Sutherland. On iPlayer.
Starlight Express
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Starlight Express in London Bard – is the perfect introduction to musicals for children. Yotois an audio platform where you play “cards” using a cheerfully designed cube machine. Starlight Song card released from 1984 (each of which displays colorful graphics on the machine’s screen), with story explanations interspersed between them.
Dub
French-Senegalese choreographer and former hip-hop dancer Amara Dianore’s show is an explosive hour that explores urban dance styles from around the world. Competitive, collaborative and engaging, the free-flowing show will tour Europe this summer but has already Arte and YoutubeThe photo was taken at the Maison de la Culture in Grenoble.
Until the stars come down
Nottingham playwright Beth Steele is going from strength to strength. Following the huge success of House of Shade at the Almeida, this wedding play delighted audiences at the National’s Dorfman Theatre earlier this year. Directed by Bijan Shaybani, NT Home.
Through the cracks
Created by the Office of Everyone and English Touring Theatre, the app uses augmented reality to peel back the floorboards and see the drama unfold beneath your feet, with each story revolving around a character who, in some way, has disappeared through the cracks. In timeis a queer romance written by Sonali Bhattacharya, narrated by Ian McKellan, and starring the always-stellar Sophie Melville. Available Now.
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