Charles Spencer

Alan Bennett: shy and spiky - but 'one of us'

The Telegraph (Free subscription) | 11/19/2009

Alan Bennett's new play has opened to rave reviews at the National Theatre. Charles Spencer applauds his remarkable career.

What Are The Rules For Being A Good Critic?

ArtsJournal (Free subscription) | 11/19/2009

"Bloggers are wondering just that this week as Charles Spencer, the Telegraph's chief theatre critic, kicked the discussion off … 'The critic's obligations can be summed up very briefly,' he writes. 'Arrive sober, stay awake, stay to the end and don't take a bribe unless it is big enough to allow you to retire in comfort for the rest of your life'." Is that really all'...

• Noises off: The rules of being a theatre critic - The Guardian - The blog Theatre

British cinema has rarely seemed in finer fettle

The Telegraph (Free subscription) | 11/13/2009

With the release of three intelligent British movies Charles Spencer asks if this is the start of a renaissance in our film industry.

Can you spot who did what in a play? | Andrew Haydon

The Guardian - The blog Theatre (Free subscription) | 11/13/2009

Recognising who is responsible for what in a production that amazes or appals can be a tricky business – a quandary theatre critics know only too well It might seem like a stupid question, but when you watch a piece of theatre, do you ever wonder who has done what? There's no real reason why you should. You liked so-and-so's performance, the set looked nice, theatre is a collaborative effort...

A Laymans Introduction to Flood Insurance Map Databases

Resource Shelf (Free subscription) | 11/09/2009

This article by Charles Spencer, the Science Editor at the Kansas City Star, provides a solid overview about online access to flood insurance maps. One source of information is the FEMA website, where you can view what are called Flood Insurance Rate Maps, or FIRMs. These maps are used as the basis for issuing federal flood [...]

Chaplin

Berto: Philosophy Monkey (Free subscription) | 11/09/2009

Born from humble beginnings rooted in deplorable poverty and a broken home, Charles Spencer Chaplin would one day rise to worldwide prominence through the artistry of his comedic genius and the newly invented ability to disseminate information, art and entertainment through film. Originally born in London, Chaplin emigrated to America when in his twenties, and soon became an icon of silent films,...

Female Force to be reckoned with: Princess Diana is immortalised in a 'glowing' comic book

Celebrity Gossip (Free subscription) | 11/06/2009

A comic book based on the life of Princess Diana and featuring illustrations of the Queen, Prince Charles and sons William and Harry, has been published in the U.S. The book, entitled Female Force: Princess Diana, even includes pictures of Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, and reports of the 'Camillagate' tapes that featured an X-rated chat between the heir and his then mistress. The comic presents...

Seize the Day at the Tricycle review

The Telegraph (Free subscription) | 11/03/2009

Charles Spencer warms to this new play about London having a black mayor but wishes it had had more finetuning. Rating:

Going against the critical grain....

The Stage - Newsblog (Free subscription) | 11/03/2009

Critics seldom speak with one mind: just look at the reviews last week for Katie Mitchell’s new production of Pains of Youth, which spanned the gamut from five stars (Paul Taylor in the Independent, in which he offers to take a lie detector test against those who think “that my recurrent four- and five-star ravings about Mitchell is the career-conscious gambit of a dead white male critic...

X - Rated

Punk Planning (Free subscription) | 11/02/2009

One of the defining moments of British cultural insight was the death of Princess Diana. I"ve never forgiven you for devouring every bit of grubby news about her love affairs via the tabloids, only to do an about face turn at her funeral when the crowds finished baying for one of our cultural gladiators' blood only to toss flowers in the way of her funeral train and weep openly before a sea of...

What Fatima Did at the Hampstead Theatre review

The Telegraph (Free subscription) | 10/28/2009

Charles Spencer applauds this new drama by 21yearold Atiha Sen Gupta. Rating

Stage to page: the best fiction about theatre | Andrew Haydon

The Guardian - The blog Theatre (Free subscription) | 10/27/2009

Fiction has long been a rich source for drama – but why aren't there more great books set in theatreland? OK, here's a question: can you think of any novels about theatre that are any good? As a theatre critic, I already spend an unhealthy amount of time watching, writing and chatting about theatre . I also do a fair bit of reading about theatre, albeit at the factual/theoretical end of things,...

Russell Crowe Says Tennyson May Follow In His Footsteps

Celebrity Baby Blog (Free subscription) | 10/18/2009

Scope Features/Pacific Coast News Expanding his list of professional accomplishments, Russell Crowe can now add producer to his repertoire — the actor is currently starring in and co-producing his latest film, Robin Hood. That said, despite his hectic shooting schedule, he tells Entertainment Tonight that his two children — sons Charles Spencer, 5 ½, and Tennyson [...]

• Russell Crowe: Son May Follow in Acting Footsteps - Baby Chums
• Russell Crowe's Tennyson Might Follow In Dad's Footsteps - Celebrity Baby Scoop
• See the 4 articles on the same subject

Social Circuit, Oct. 14, 2009

Philadelphia Inquirer (Free subscription) | 10/14/2009

Actor Tony Danza attended the 15th annual Barrymore Awards Oct. 5 at the Walnut Street Theatre. ... Charles Spencer, the brother of Princess Diana, was in town ... Women's Way held its seventh annual Fall Gala, "Imagine," Sept. 26 at the Please Touch Museum. ... Lankenau Hospital hosted a dinner Oct. 1 to honor Dorrance "Dodo" H. Hamilton, who donated $2 million.

The Power of Yes at the National Theatre review

The Telegraph (Free subscription) | 10/07/2009

David Hare's play about the financial crisis The Power of Yes offers lots of facts but little drama says Charles Spencer. Rating: