The American June 2011 by Blue Edge Publishing Ltd.

June 2011

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The American ®

Issue 698 – June 2011 PUBLISHED BY SP MEDIA FOR

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Old Byre House, East Knoyle, Salisbury SP3 6AW, UK Publisher: Michael Burland +44 (0)1747 830328 editor@theamerican.co.uk Please contact us with your news or article ideas Advertising & Promotions: Sabrina Sully, Commercial Director +44 (0)1747 830520 advertising@theamerican.co.uk Subscriptions enquiries: Phone +44 (0)1747 830328, email theamerican@blueedge.co.uk Correspondents: Mary Bailey, Social mary@theamerican.co.uk Richard Gale, Sports Editor richard@theamerican.co.uk Alison Holmes, Politics alison@theamerican.co.uk Riki Evans Johnson, European riki@theamerican.co.uk Jeremy Lanaway, Hockey jeremy@theamerican.co.uk Estelle Lovatt, Arts estelle@theamerican.co.uk Dom Mills, Motorsports dom@theamerican.co.uk Jarlath O’Connell, Theater jarlath@theamerican.co.uk Virginia E. Schultz, Food & Drink virginia@theamerican.co.uk

©2011 Blue Edge Publishing Ltd. Printed by Advent Colour Ltd., 19 East Portway Industrial Estate, Andover, SP10 3LU www.advent-colour.co.uk ISSN 2045-5968 Main cover image: Fashion image courtesy of Marks & Spencer; Steve-O image by Eric Williams

Welcome I

t is remarkable how many things there are to see and do in Britain at this time of year, whether your tastes run to the arts, sports, classy entertainment or raunchy comedy. They’re all featured in this edition of The American. While we enjoy them, our thoughts will be with those Americans who are dealing with the Mississippi floods back home. Erratum: Last month we somehow confused the photograph and indeed the gender of Professor Iwan Morgan, the Director of the United States Presidency Centre in the The Institute for the Study of the Americas, who wrote the excellent article on how British experts rate United States presidents. Our apologies and thanks to him. Enjoy your magazine,

Michael Burland, Editor editor@theamerican.co.uk

SOME OF THIS MONTH’S CONTRIBUTORS

Charlie Wolf is a London-based American broadcaster, writer and political commentator. He has strong views about the death of Bin Laden and how it should be presented by the U.S. to the rest of the world.

Alison Holmes, The American’s political ‘Transatlantic Columnist’, is an Okie now based in California. She is an Associate Fellow at Oxford University and a Churchill Memorial Trust History Fellow.

Joshua Modaberi is a freelance sports journalist (catch his podcasts on American sports at worldsport.podbean.com) who this month interviews both Mixed Martial Arts legend Ken Shamrock and Jackass’s Steve-O

Don’t forget to check out The American online at www.theamerican.co.uk The entire contents of The American and www.theamerican.co.uk are protected by copyright and no part of it may be reproduced without written permission of the publishers. Whilst every effort is made to ensure that the information in The American is accurate, the editor and publishers cannot accept responsibility for any errors or omissions or any loss arising from reliance on it. The views and comments of contributors are not necessarily those of the publishers.

The American

In This Issue... ERIC WILLIAMS

The American • Issue 698 • June 2011

News Prince William’s wedding cake recipe, a Civil War battleﬁeld app and a B-17 being restored

Osama Bin Laden We have the full speech of President Obama’s speech, plus a commentary by American broadcaster and writer Charlie Wolf

10 Diary Dates Events and activities for June – and plan ahead for Goodwood Festival of Speed and Henley Festival

52 48

13 Competition Be quick – we have top price tickets for Trevor Nunn’s new production of Tom Stoppard’s Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, but you’ll have to enter by June 14th! 16 Fashion Casual elegance is the keynote of women’s fashion this summer. Could Kate Middleton be leading a trend that harks back to Jackie Kennedy?

20 Steve-O From Jackass to Stand-up, the man famous for his outrageous stunts tells The American about his most painful stunt, getting clean, and his stand-up comedy gigs in Britain this month 22 Profile: Leslie Metzler The American who came to Europe for a year and ended up staying – and ﬁnding the perfect job

The American

24 Art Choice Sculpture, photography and portraiture are the main themes at shows this month – and if it’s June it must be the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition 28 Wining and Dining Three very different restaurants reviewed, plus serve something different with fine food – British beer!

34 Coffee Break Exercise the grey cells with a quiz and a hamper of history

50 24 40

36 Music Ronnie Spector is starring at Ray Davies’ Meltdown, plus Nigel H Seymour – interesting life, interesting music 40 Reviews Two of our theater reviewers see the latest musical, and reach startlingly diﬀerent conclusions 48 Politics Or how real news is being smothered by media treacle 50 Drive Time Do you have a hot rod? The great British public wants to see it!

36 4

MICHAEL LE POER TRENCH

52 Sports MMA legend Ken Shamrock is interviewed bu Josh Modaberi, the tennis tour heads to the UK, and our ﬁnal grades are in on the 2011 NFL Draft. 58 American Organizations Useful and fun groups for you to join 3

The American

HUGO BURNAND

Confederate dead at Fredericksburg

New App Brings Battlefield To Life Modern technology is making it easier for today’s Americans to visit their past. The second instalment in a series of “Battle Apps” for the iPhone and iPod Touch provides visitors to the sites of the Battles of Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville with a cutting-edge way to find precise locations of the bloody events and give them rich, detailed, local, historical information. The previous app in the series is based on the Gettysburg battle site.. The new app has been developed by the Civil War Trust and the Virginia Department of Transportation in partnership with NeoTreks, Inc., a leading provider of mobile GPS-enabled touring products. It features four battlefield tours, the Fight for the Town, The Union Attack Begins, Marye’s Heights and Prospect Hill. “Whether your interest lies in the fabled assault on Marye’s Heights, the fierce fighting on Prospect Hill and the Slaughter Pen Farm or the experience of a town under siege from enemy bombardment, this unique battlefield touring guide will let you explore the every aspect of the Fredericksburg Battlefield’s rich landscape with confidence,” said Civil War Trust president Jim Lighthizer.

Important Wedding Update – That Recipe!

s we went to press it was still not certain where the newlyweds have chosen for their honeymoon, though royal watchers are betting on the Seychelles. We do, however, know the recipe for the chocolate biscuit cake served at the wedding feast, according to the Toronto Star newspaper. Wills’ Chocolate Biscuit Cake Ingredients to serve 8: 4 tbsp (60 ml) unsalted butter 1/2 cup (125 ml) granulated sugar 4 oz (11o g) dark chocolate, chopped 1 large egg, beaten 8 oz (225 g) McVitie’s Rich Tea Biscuits, about 28 biscuits broken into almond-sized pieces 8 oz (225 g) dark chocolate, chopped – for the icing

Method: 1. Line bottom of 7-inch (18 cm) springform pan with parchment paper and butter sides of the pan. 2. Cream butter and sugar until fluﬀy using electric mixer on medium setting. 3. In double boiler melt 4 oz chocolate. 4. Stir in butter mixture. 5. Stir in egg. 6. Remove from heat and add biscuits, stirring until well mixed. 7. Spoon mixture into springform pan filling all gaps and refrigerate for three hours until set. 8. Remove pan and turn cake upside-down on cooling rack set over a parchment lined baking sheet. 9. Melt 8 oz chocolate in double boiler. 10. Pour the melted chocolate over the cake, smoothing it on the top and sides. 11. Let stand for one hour until set. 12. Carefully remove cake from cooling racks.

Major B-17 Conservation Project

mperial War Museum Duxford’s Conservation Department is starting a largescale conservation project on the WWII B-17 Flying Fortress Mary Alice, currently on display in the RAF airfield’s American Air Museum. Mary Alice is being dismantled in the American Air Museum, so visitors can see the Conservation Team at work. She will then be taken to the base’s Hangar 5: Conservation in Action for the conservation work, scheduled to take no longer than 16 months. Hangar 5 will be open to the public, enabling visitors to see the conservation work in action and track the progress of the project. H

The American

Osama bin Laden: The President’s Full Speech “G

ood evening. Tonight, I can report to the American people and to the world that the United States has conducted an operation that killed Osama bin Laden, the leader of AlQaeda, and a terrorist who’s responsible for the murder of thousands of innocent men, women, and children. It was nearly 10 years ago that a bright September day was darkened by the worst attack on the American people in our history. The images of 9/11 are seared into our national memory - hijacked planes cutting through a cloudless September sky; the Twin Towers collapsing to the ground; black smoke billowing up from the Pentagon; the wreckage of Flight 93 in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where the President Barack Obama, making his historic speech on the death of the world’s most wanted terrorist WHITE HOUSEPETE SOUZA

We’ve all seen the soundbites on the news and online, but the full text of Presidents Obama’s speech has some subtleties you may be interested in actions of heroic citizens saved even more heartbreak and destruction. And yet we know that the worst images are those that were unseen to the world. The empty seat at the dinner table. Children who were forced to grow up without their mother or their father. Parents who would never know the feeling of their child’s embrace. Nearly 3,000 citizens taken from us, leaving a gaping hole in our hearts. On September 11, 2001, in our time of grief, the American people came together. We offered our neighbours a hand, and we offered the wounded our blood. We reaffirmed our ties to each other, and our love of community and country. On that day, no matter where we came from, what God we prayed to, or what race or ethnicity we were, we were united as one American family. We were also united in our resolve to protect our nation and to bring those who committed this vicious attack to justice. We quickly learned that the 9/11 attacks were carried out by Al-Qaeda

- an organisation headed by Osama bin Laden, which had openly declared war on the United States and was committed to killing innocents in our country and around the globe. And so we went to war against Al-Qaeda to protect our citizens, our friends, and our allies. “Over the last 10 years, thanks to the tireless and heroic work of our military and our counterterrorism professionals, we’ve made great strides in that effort. We’ve disrupted terrorist attacks and strengthened our homeland defence. In Afghanistan, we removed the Taliban government, which had given bin Laden and Al-Qaeda safe haven and support. And around the globe, we worked with our friends and allies to capture or kill scores of Al-Qaeda terrorists, including several who were a part of the 9/11 plot. Yet Osama bin Laden avoided capture and escaped across the Afghan border into Pakistan. Meanwhile, AlQaeda continued to operate from along that border and operate through its affiliates across the world. And so shortly after taking office, I directed Leon Panetta, the director of the CIA, to make the killing or capture of bin Laden the top priority of our war against Al-Qaeda, even as we continued our broader efforts to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat his network. Then, last August, after years of

The American

painstaking work by our intelligence community, I was briefed on a possible lead to bin Laden. It was far from certain, and it took many months to run this thread to ground. I met repeatedly with my national security team as we developed more information about the possibility that we had located bin Laden hiding within a compound deep inside of Pakistan. And finally, last week, I determined that we had enough intelligence to take action, and authorized an operation to get Osama bin Laden and bring him to justice. Today, at my direction, the United States launched a targeted operation against that compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. A small team of Americans carried out the operation with extraordinary courage and capability. No Americans were harmed. They took care to avoid civilian casualties. After a firefight, they killed Osama bin Laden and took custody of his body. For over two decades, bin Laden has been Al-Qaeda’s leader and symbol, and has continued to plot attacks against our country and our friends and allies. The death of bin Laden marks the most significant achievement to date in our nation’s effort to defeat Al-Qaeda. Yet his death does not mark the end of our effort. There’s no doubt that AlQaeda will continue to pursue attacks against us. We must - and we will remain vigilant at home and abroad. As we do, we must also reaffirm that the United States is not - and never will be - at war with Islam. I’ve made clear, just as President Bush did shortly after 9/11, that our war is not against Islam. Bin Laden was not a Muslim leader; he was a mass murderer of Muslims. Indeed, Al-Qaeda has slaughtered scores of Muslims in many countries, including our own. So his demise should be welcomed by all who believe in peace and human dignity. Over the years, I’ve repeatedly

made clear that we would take action within Pakistan if we knew where bin Laden was. That is what we’ve done. But it’s important to note that our counterterrorism cooperation with Pakistan helped lead us to bin Laden and the compound where he was hiding. Indeed, bin Laden had declared war against Pakistan as well, and ordered attacks against the Pakistani people. Tonight, I called President Zardari, and my team has also spoken with their Pakistani counterparts. They agree that this is a good and historic day for both of our nations. And going forward, it is essential that Pakistan continue to join us in the fight against Al-Qaeda and its affiliates. The American people did not choose this fight. It came to our shores, and started with the senseless slaughter of our citizens. After nearly 10 years of service, struggle, and sacrifice, we know well the costs of war. These efforts weigh on me every time I, as Commander-in-Chief, have to sign a letter to a family that has lost a loved one, or look into the eyes of a service member who’s been gravely wounded. So Americans understand the costs of war. Yet as a country, we will never tolerate our security being threatened, nor stand idly by when our people have been killed. We will be relentless in defence of our citizens and our friends and allies. We will be true to the values that make us who we are. And on nights like this one, we can say to those families who have lost loved ones to Al-Qaeda’s terror: Justice has been done. Tonight, we give thanks to the countless intelligence and counterterrorism professionals who’ve worked tirelessly to achieve this outcome. The

Osama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden, founder of al-Qaeda

American people do not see their work, nor know their names. But tonight, they feel the satisfaction of their work and the result of their pursuit of justice. We give thanks for the men who carried out this operation, for they exemplify the professionalism, patriotism, and unparalleled courage of those who serve our country. And they are part of a generation that has borne the heaviest share of the burden since that September day. Finally, let me say to the families who lost loved ones on 9/11 that we have never forgotten your loss, nor wavered in our commitment to see that we do whatever it takes to prevent another attack on our shores. And tonight, let us think back to the sense of unity that prevailed on 9/11. I know that it has, at times, frayed. Yet today’s achievement is a testament to the greatness of our country and the determination of the American people. The cause of securing our country is not complete. But tonight, we are once again reminded that America can do whatever we set our mind to. That is the story of our history, whether it’s the pursuit of prosperity for our people, or the struggle for equality for all our citizens; our commitment to stand up for our values abroad, and our sacrifices to make the world a safer place. Let us remember that we can do these things not just because of wealth or power, but because of who we are: one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Thank you. May God bless you. And may God bless the United States of America.” H

The American

On the Death of bin Laden T

he raid on bin Laden’s compound in Abbottabad in Pakistan was daring, brave and heroic; the news of his death stunning. I hope it brings some sense of closure and relief to the many victims of this evil tyrant’s terror campaign. The fact that Osama bin Laden was killed, by U.S. Navy SEALs on the ground, in what appears to be some degree of a fire fight was moral, correct and to be applauded. There was no reason that he should have been taken alive; though if he did surrender – he resisted apparently reaching for a weapon – he would have been taken into custody alive. Though, unbelievably, there have been some naysayers, and some are questioning the right of America to kill him, this action comports fully with international laws of warfare. No one should question the actions of the United States in killing him. Bin Laden was not a common criminal, he was an enemy of the United States and a clear and present

Celebrations in Times Square when New Yorkers heard the news about bin Laden’s death JOSH PESAVENTO

danger; his fate was determined by the laws of war, not the criminal justice system. He deserved to die; he did not deserve a court date and a platform to spout his hated. When Americans gathered spontaneously late on the Sunday night after the announcement outside the White House, at Ground Zero and across America, they celebrated the fact that justice was served and the success of a courageous mission – not revelling in the death of the man. This is a crucial difference that separates those of us in a civilised society from the types of Islamist thugs like bin Laden and his followers. There is a moral difference between the sobering American joys of justice compared with those in the Middle East – specifically the Gaza Strip – who handed out candy to children to celebrate the deaths of 3,000 innocents on September 11, 2001. Bin Laden wasn’t beheaded in a mock trial; in fact he was buried – at sea – with more than a modicum of dignity due the man. There has been some confusion around the facts of the incident. But this should not deter us, we know this: Whatever happened on the ground, the Navy SEALs are one of the most highly trained competent and moral forces on the planet. They exemplify the term Warrior; we can trust instinctively that they acted honourably and bravely. President Obama will not publish the picture of bin Laden’s corpse. I understand his reasons but I disagree.. The publication will not create any more threat than already exists, or more than the threat created by his actual killing. The fact that al Qaeda

By Charlie Wolf

have publicly admitted to bin Laden’s death also does not matter; we need to send out a message – not a confirmation. We need to release the picture for more important reasons. Not to gloat in victory, nor to placate conspiracy theorists but to fulfil a practice as old as medieval times. In those times, when an enemy king was killed, his head would be removed and placed on a pike for all to see. This had potent significance to the enemy’s followers: Your king is dead, he is not coming back, the battle is over and you have lost. It is actually the first step in a process of reconciliation and peace making. Bin Laden’s followers and others who follow the totalitarian creed of Islamism have to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that the head of the al Qaeda snake has been decapitated. He is no martyr, no prophet of god. He has deserted his followers and is not coming back. They also have to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that the United States of America will exact justice against any and all who attempt to bring harm to her or her citizens. President Obama deserves our respect and gratitude. He authorised a clearly dangerous mission, and gambled his very presidency. Announcing the death he acted with dignity, stature and commanded respect. I salute the man. I hope he moves forward from this victory to pummel and finish off al Qaeda. This also vindicates George W. Bush who started the hunt for bin Laden. It justifies the hard work carried out since 2003 by dedicated professionals

Vice President Biden, President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton watch in real time the mission that resulted in the death of Osama bin Laden WHITE HOUSE-PETE SOUZA

in the military and especially the CIA. The use of enhanced interrogation, black sites and mining information from the detainees at Guantanamo Bay led to the finding and killing of bin Laden. The USA did not use torture but they used much needed and useful tools, professionally, to keep the rest of us safe. Besides bin Laden’s demise, their work has foiled numerous plots against us. Many are asking what effect this will have. In the short term there may be a spike in terrorist action – but unlike ten years ago we are now better prepared to stop them before they kill. In the long-term bin Laden’s death will be a positive event in the fight against terrorism. Over the last ten years many have bandied about the phrase “recruiting sergeant for terrorism” and what they thought constituted it: The Palestinian ‘cause’, perceived insults against Islam and Muhammed, U.S. Foreign policy. In actual fact, research has shown it to be none of these things. In fact the recruiting sergeant for terror has been their success. People naturally want to

be part of a ‘winning team’. The 9/11 attacks themselves were the greatest recruiter to terror. It is the strong horse and the weak horse that bin Laden himself spoke of. Conversely, America is now the strong horse, she is on the front foot. This daring killing of bin Laden and the wealth of intel gained put her on the offensive against terror. No one wants to be part of a losing, disgruntled team; one on the back foot. Al Qaeda is now the weak horse, and their heroleader, bin Laden, is nothing more than a dead horse. It was more than serendipity – more like the blessings of God that bin Laden should be found at this point in time, just months before the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 tragedy as the new World Trade Center buildings start to climb skyward and the memorial on hallowed ground takes shape. To some this anniversary of the first decade since an event that stands out as only yesterday in people’s minds would have been dreary, empty, and mute. Now it has resolve and as the building work continues the feeling of

an ability to move on anew. It also seems to many Americans that God’s providence played a hand in the fact that bin Laden was killed on the ground by U.S. Navy SEALs. He didn’t die quietly and ignominiously in a cave unknown to the world. He wasn’t blasted to kingdom come in an airborne missile strike. He died in an act of war, justice exacted by American forces. The troops were able to spirit back his body – unlike the many victims of 9/11 who were incinerated or pulverised under tonnes of concrete and steel. The (unseen) body of bin Laden provided the catharsis... the closure to the families of many who had no body of a loved one to mourn. This summer as Americans the world over celebrate July Fourth, Independence Day, we have another reason to be thankful for the Blessings of Liberty – free of an evil and despicable coward. H Charlie Wolf is a London-based American broadcaster, writer and political commentator. Follow him on Twitter: @CharlieSeaWolf

The American

Diary Dates

Your Guide To The Month Ahead

Get your event listed free in The American – call the editor on +44 (0)1747 830520, or email details to editor@theamerican.co.uk Beaulieu Trucks & Troops

Forties Family Festival

Beaulieu, Brockenhurst, Hampshire, SO42 7ZN www.beaulieuevents.co.uk 01590 614614

Bletchley Park, Milton Keynes MK3 6EB www.bletchleypark.org.uk 01908 640404

MAY 28-30

The home of codebreaking during World War II hosts one of its largest

A celebration of the development of military transport, combat vehicles and soldiering through the ages. Over 200 military vehicles from push-bikes to armoured and tracked vehicles, Jeeps, Dodges, Champs and Land Rovers, from pre WWll to the Gulf War. Re-enactment groups, including Vietnam war group Rolling Thunder and the Dorset Regiment will talk to visitors about life as a soldier and re-create camps and combat situations. Field Gun display and live music, Commando Assault Course, Model Boat Pond and Model Tank Village.

MAY 29-30

events on May bank holiday weekend. Great fun for all ages, the event will include hundreds of 1940s re-enactors, flypasts by a Lancaster, Spitfire and Hurricane (subject to weather) and lots of wartime displays bringing the atmosphere of 1940's Britain back to life.

Art Antiques London incorporating The International Ceramics Fair Albert Memorial West Lawn, Kensington Gardens, Queen's Gate, Kensington Gore, London, SW7 JUNE 9-15

This collector’s fair, in the heart of London, has been very successful in recruiting overseas dealers from Europe

War: Correspondent: reporting under fire since 1914 Imperial War Museum North, The Quays, Trafford Wharf Road, Manchester M17 1TZ www.iwm.org.uk/north

Beaulieu Steam Revival

MAY 28 TO JANUARY 8

Beaulieu, Brockenhurst, Hampshire, SO42 7ZN www.beaulieuevents.co.uk 01590 614614

The UK's largest ever exhibition about reporting war, featuring some of the people whose words, images, voices and faces bring the story from the frontline to us at home, sometimes at considerable risk to themselves. Over the last 100 years their reports have shaped our understanding of war and conflict.

Free Fun Fair with old-tyme steam driven fairground rides including Gallopers, Bumper Cars and Speedway, musical organs and a superb collection of heavy haulage and running steam cars, live demonstrations of agricultural traction engines in a harvest threshing area and thatching and timber working, cider press and craft displays, boiler making and engine restoration, brick making and road laying. All the family can enjoy free trailer and miniature steam engine rides plus many more surprises around each corner!. Ticket prices are £30 for a family (2 adults and up to 3 children), including entry to all the Beaulieu attractions.

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American Museum American Museum in Britain Claverton Manor, Bath BA2 7BD www.americanmuseum.org info@americanmuseum.org 01225 460503 MAY 1-31

and America. Amongst those who will be taking part for the first time this year are Erik Thomsen Asian Art from New York, and Tai Gallery from Santa Fe, New Mexico. Preview June 8.

antiquarian maps from the 15th to the 20th centuries, ranging from political depictions of Europe, to the oldest town plan of London and Captain Cook's South Seas charts, from £10-£100,000.

London Map Fair

Bromley Pageant of Motoring

Royal Geographical Society, 1 Kensington Gore, London SW7 2AR www.londonmapfairs.com 020 7591 3000

Norman Park, Bromley, South East London http://livepromotions.co.uk

JUNE 11-12

Europe's largest Antique Map Fair, established in 1980. 40 international exhibitors will offer a vast selection of

Housed in Georgian splendor at Claverton Manor in Bath, the American Museum in Britain remains the only museum outside the US to showcase the nation’s decorative arts. There are permanent exhibitions, workshops, Quilting Bees every Tuesday, kids’ activities and special events: JUNE 2nd Hollywood Icon Puppets, Craft Activity for ages 5 and up. No reservation required but children must be accompanied by a parent/ guardian, 1pm to 4pm, included with museum admission. 5th Classic Car Show provided by the American Auto Club UK, 12 to 5pm, live rock and roll band at 2pm. 12th Allison Williams and Rachel Eddy, oldtime banjo, traditional fiddle, and modern balladry (in conjunction with the Bath Banjo Festival) 2pm. 19th From the Mountains to the Sea by Jeff Warner, a multi-media presentation of the Warner family’s work in collecting the folklore of New England, building a vivid picture of early American music. 19th Harley Davidson Rally, 12.30 to 2.30pm, a spectacular display of the quintessential American motorcycle.

JUNE 12

There can't be many events that attract the variety of Classic cars, as does the Bromley Pageant of Motoring. The annual one day event plays host to 4,500 classic cars, and whether they be individually entered or part of a club the dedication is the same.

Lawnfest The New School at West Heath (formerly Princess Diana’s School), Sevenoaks www.heritage-events.co.uk 0845 652 6263 JUNE 12

Salisbury Cathedral Flower Festival Salisbury Cathedral, Wiltshire www.salisburycathedral.org.uk JUNE 14-18

A team of Chelsea Flower Show Gold Medalists will fill this iconic building with thousands of flowers, colours and fragrance in a mix of amazing contemporary, traditional and interpretative displays, with help from 500 flower arrangers.

A charitable event in aid of The New School at West Heath for Traumatised Children with a fantastic line-up of musicians, well known and also new and exciting, children’s activities, food and drink, works of art, charity auction and more. Last year’s Lawnfest featured a performance from Lemar and a special guest appearance by, Madonna, so expect the unexpected. 3pm to 10pm.

Barenboim plays Liszt with Staatskapelle Berlin and Boulez Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, Upper Ground, London SE1 www.southbankcentre.co.uk 0844 847 9910 JUNE 13

Pianist, conductor, humanitarian and cultural icon Daniel Barenboim returns to the Royal Festival Hall to play both Liszt Piano Concertos with Staatskapelle

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WIN A PAIR OF TOP PRICE TICKETS Act now! Entries must be received by June 14

revor Nunn realizes a forty year old dream by at last directing Tom Stoppard’s first masterpiece Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead as the second production of his captivating season at the Theatre Royal Haymarket. A verbally scintillating and richly inventive play, Stoppard retells Hamlet through the eyes of two of its minor characters. Vaguely conscious that they are bit parts in a much bigger story of which they have no direct knowledge, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern hilariously and poignantly inhabit a world completely beyond their grasp. We have a pair of tickets for the winners of this month’s competition. Just answer the following question: In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, who are Rosencrantz and Guildenstern? ANSWER A Jesters B Gravediggers C Hamlet’s schoolfellows HOW TO ENTER: Email your answer and your contact details (name, address, email and daytime telephone number) to theamerican@blueedge. co.uk with ROSENCRANTZ COMPETITION in the subject line; or send a postcard to: ROSENCRANTZ COMPETITION, The American, Old Byre House, Millbrook Lane, East Knoyle, Salisbury SP3 6AW, UK; to arrive by mid-day June 14, 2011. You must be 18 years old or over to enter this competition. Only one entry per person per draw. The editor’s decision is final. No cash alternative. Tickets are valid for Monday – Thursday performances 16-30 June excluding 21 June, subject to availability. Promoter reserves the right to substitute prize for that of an equal or greater value if necessary.

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Berlin under Pierre Boulez, celebrating Liszt’s birth bicentenary. Barenboim will also return with the Staatskapelle Berlin for The Bruckner Project (April 16, 17, 20, 2012), three concerts featuring

Bruckner’s Symphonies Nos. 7, 8 and 9 and Barenboim directing two Mozart piano concertos from the keyboard.

John Malkovich in The Infernal Comedy: Confessions of a Serial Killer

memorabilia, merchandise and accessories, the latest magazines plus much more. Includes the world famous National Motor Museum, Palace House, and historic Beaulieu Abbey. Gates open 8am for show cars, 10am to the public.

Barbican Centre, London www.barbican.org.uk

Salon Privé

JUNE 17-18

Goodwood Festival of Speed Goodwood Estate, Chichester, West Sussex PO18 0PX www.goodwood.com ticket.oﬃce@goodwood.com 01243 755055 JULY 1 TO 3

The greatest motor event in the world, according to many. This year’s theme is ‘Racing Revolutions – Quantum leaps that shaped motor sport,’ Goodwood features nine of the current F1 teams including top drivers, WRC and IRC rally teams in action on the Forest Rally Stage, and World Superbike teams with leading riders. Jaguar celebrates 50 years of Britain’s most iconic sportscar, the E-type, as well as the 60th anniversary since Jaguar first won the Le Mans 24 Hours race. The Centenary of the Indy 500 is being marked with the biggest celebration of this great race outside of America: over 30 cars which played a significant role at the Brickyard in a mini Gasoline Alley, driven by Indy-winning drivers. There’s lots to do for young people too in the Goodwood Action Sports (GAS) live action sports arena.

Play based on the real-life story of Jack Unterweger, a convicted murderer who became acclaimed as an imprisoned poet, performed by Hollywood star John Malkovich. Leading Austrian period instrument ensemble Wiener Akademie performs music by Beethoven, Haydn, Weber and Mozart.

EAT! NewcastleGateshead Various, NewcastleGateshead www.eatnewcastlegateshead.com JUNE 17-26

Ten days of eclectic events that serve up food in a brand new way. Street food markets, themed festivals, cookery demonstrations, competitions, food adventures, Tasting Markets, Chocolate Festival, Chilli and Beer Festivals and fish straight from a local fishing boat.

South Coast Internationals at Beaulieu including Hot Rod & Custom Drive-In Day Beaulieu, Brockenhurst, Hampshire, SO42 7ZN www.beaulieuevents.co.uk 01590 614614 JUNE 16-19

The biggest and best Hot Rod and Custom Car Show in the south last year attracted over 600 custom cars and bikes. On Sunday 19th (Father's Day!) bring your Hot Rod, Custom, Classic American or Chops & Bobbers and be part of the event. Live Music, Trade Stands selling clothing, Americana

Syon Park, London Road, Brentford, London TW8 8JF www.salonprivelondon.com 0808 100 2205 JUNE 22-24

Supercars, classic cars and luxury brands meet at new venue Syon Park, with a Concours d’Elégance and centenary celebrations of the famous Rolls-Royce bonnet mascot Spirit of Ecstasy.

Chelsea Flower Show Royal Hospital, Chelsea, London SW3 www.rhs.org.uk/chelsea 0844 338 7506, +44 (0)121 767 4063 from outside the UK JUNE 24-28

The RHS Chelsea Flower Show is the ultimate event in the gardening year. It sets the latest gardening trends and features the newest products. There are hundreds of exhibitors and over 50 special gardens.

Henley Festival Henley-on-Thames www.henley-festival.co.uk JULY 6-10

An extraordinary and elegant mix of music, art, culture, dining and location – five nights of classical music, jazz, opera, comedy, dance, street theatre, rock and firework spectaculars. This year's stars include Tom Jones, Blake with Tasmin Little, Jools Holland and His Rhythm and Blues Orchestra with Sandie Shaw, ABBA Symphonic and a double bill with Rumer and Alexandra Burke. H

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Summer Fashion for 2011 By Thea Sharkriss

he difference between summer fashion this year and last can probably be summed up with two words... casual elegance. Kate Middleton, who could turn out to be the Jackie Kennedy Onassis of this century, probably has more to do with this than any other woman at the moment. As Jackie looked great in a T shirt and Capri trousers or attending a State dinner hosted by Charles De Gaulle in Paris with her husband President Jack Kennedy, Kate – now the Duchess of Cambridge – manages

to look wonderfully elegant whether she’s wearing jeans and jacket as she watches Prince William playing polo or standing on the balcony at Buckingham Palace in her beautiful wedding gown. One of the first things to buy this summer is a white jacket. The cropped jacket is best for petites even though it reaches the tummy line and seems to shorten the torso, but that high cut makes the legs appear longer, especially when worn with heels. For those with long legs or an oversize bum and hips, stick to the long line blazer. Further slimming advice is to roll up the sleeve to flatter the forearms. On my wish list at the moment is Stella McCartney’s leg-slimming, slightly wide slacks with a long tuxedo jacket that would be perfect for Glyndebourne, Per Se in New York or a wedding. With this outfit, I’d love to have the leather and metallic leather sandals by Alejandro Ingelmo at Dover Street Market, but at £445 theyr’re expensive and Ted Baker’s white leather sandals at £80 may be more practical choice for most budgets.

Far Left: The seventies are the theme for these jeans by Citizens of Humanity at Donna Ida Left: Marc Jacobs features fabulous kimonos, at a price

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Marks and Spencer have outfits fit for Cannes or London for a little over £100

Heels with McCartney’s outfit would also be appropriate. However, before one goes out in those shoes with their six inch heels and up, practice walking in them first. While having tea at the Dorchester a few days ago, I watched a woman wearing leather Mary-Janes by Kurt Geiger with six inch stilettos stagger past me as if she was a fourteen year old wearing her first pair of high heels. I adore Alexander Wang boots with their high thick heels, but walking in them can be difficult and it may be wiser to stick to a boot with a lower heel. Of course, that’s my age speaking as my youngest daughter loves high heels and wears them most of the time, usually with one of her twins holding onto each hand, and is perfectly comfortable.

Colour is in this summer with yellow, orange and cobalt blue dominating. Yellow, unfortunately, has a tendency to make one appear sallow unless you have the beautiful skin colouring of Queen Elizabeth as she proved in the yellow hat and outfit she wore at her grandson’s wedding. However, if you can’t wear yellow but love the colour, do as a friend did when she matched her 1970 vintage yellow jeans with a T shirt and a long blue silk shirt to the knees by Ralph Lauren. My eldest daughter’s favourite designer is Carolina Herrera and I must admit if I could afford her I’d have gone on a shopping spree while at her shop in London. I’m going to a fiftieth wedding anniversary at a beautiful house in Kent in Septem-

ber and she has an evening dress in a rich purple that would be perfect for this celebration. In her summer collection is a brown silk blouse I’m tempted to purchase to wear with a pair of brown suede trousers I’ve had for years. The blouse is a classic style I could pass down to one of my granddaughters that would smarten up even the most inexpensive skirt or trousers in my closet. Mixing designer with high street is a secret most of the best dressed people do. Skinny jeans are not as popular this summer as last year... thankfully. Wide trousers are now in, which I’m not certain is much of an improvement. For those with not quite perfect pins, tapered trousers slightly wide at the hips by Dorothy Perkins or high waisted seventies jeans by

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Citizens of Humanity at Donna Ida do a great job of hiding that rolled muffin at the waist as well as bulging thighs. Marc Jacobs features lovely kimonos that hide the bat wing arms that come with age, but if your budget isn’t up to his prices, check Matalan who have similar tops starting at £16. If you have skinny bird-like legs, the midi skirt is the answer, especially when wearing heels. Further, the maxi not only keeps unattractive thighs undercover, but if you add a belt at the waist makes one appear as if they’ve taken off pounds. Make sure, however, the skirt comes to a halt at the widest part of the leg. Beware of shorts, especially on long trips on a plane or in a car as they can pull where it’s very uncomfortable. I love the M&S ads and for women of a certain age, check the outfits Twiggy wears. In one ad she has on a white jacket, Capri type trousers, a T shirt and sandals that could be worn in Cannes or shopping in London and all for a little over £100. Diane Keaton’s wardrobe in the ’70s film Annie Hall is once more popular, but should only be worn by the age Keaton was when she made the film and not the age she is now. After watching the new movie Water for Elephants starring Reese Witherspoon with Jean Harlow blonde hair, I have the feeling this era’s dress style may be in for a revival. On a trip to Paris on the Eurostar recently, a woman wearing a straight Maxi skirt in black and a white blazer with a large jewelled brooch on the collar (see Victoria and Albert Museum Shop for similar

jewels) had all eyes turning as she boarded. The shrug jacket Kate wore at the wedding reception given by Prince Charles is very 1930’s and a further hint the style may be returning. Lastly, one needs a hat. My summer purchase was a seventies style wide brim straw at Peter Jones for £15, similar to the one pictured, which I wore to lunch at my favourite neighbourhood restaurant, on a holiday in St. Barth’s as well as to the second marriage of a friend in Sussex. At a street market not long before the wedding, I bought a worn out hat with artificial flowers for £5. At home, I undid the flowers from the hat before tossing it out and then carefully ironed each petal and wrapped green silk around the stems. Then I sewed the flowers to the green ribbon I tacked around the new hat just above the brim. Voila! I had a hat that cost me less than £20 and was perfect for that country wedding. H Right: Carolina Herrera’s beautiful purple evening dress Below: John Lewis Women Stripe Straw floppy hat in Natural/Pink at £22.50

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The American

Steve-O The American Interview:

From Jackass to Stand-up Interviewed by Josh Modaberi

tephen Gilchrist Glover is a name you might not think you have heard, but say ‘Steve-O’ and most people will instantly recognise one of the nutters from Jackass, the television and blockbuster film franchise. Steve-O was actually born in London to a Canadian mother and an American father. He spent most of his younger years in the English capital. Coming to the world’s attention through his mad Jackass stunts, Steve-O has gone on to film three series of the show as well as three movies, starred in four series of Wildboyz and had his own DVDs Don’t Try This At Home. During most of that time the 36-year-old doesn’t hide the fact he was heavily under the influence of drugs and alcohol, but he has now been clean and sober for over three years and turned his attentions to stand-up comedy. First things first, you are coming over to the UK in July for some stand-up shows. How did you get into the stand-up comedy scene? My first taste of stand-up was almost five years ago, when somebody invited me to do a crazy stunt in a comedy club. When I showed up it occurred to me I couldn’t do anything crazier than try stand-up and that is what I did. It was absolutely terrifying but I really went for it. I was winging it but I must have had beginner’s luck because I got some laughs and I thought, wow, there is something that I can do that doesn’t involve breaking bones and shoving things up my butt. That first time I did it five years ago I knew it was something that I wanted to pursue more. I have been doing it

on and off but I have stuck with it and ultimately it has turned into a whole thing, and now I have my own tour. You were born in London and are going to be performing at the O2 Indigo. Are you looking forward to coming back to the city where you were born? Of course, not only was I born in London, I lived there for many years growing up and I used to go to The American School in St. Johns Wood. What can Jackass fans expect from the stand-up comedy shows? As soon as it turned into me headlining a comedy club tour I wouldn’t know how to sell tickets to a Steve-O show if I wasn’t going to do any crazy

shit. The last time I was over in the UK on a tour, I was doing the Don’t Try This At Home tour, which involved lots of drinking alcohol, drunken rambling and crazy stunts. Now that I have gotten clean and sober for a little while, I have replaced that with stand-up comedy and kept the crazy stunts element of it. I would describe it as a variety show, stand-up comedy for a while then I do stuff which is more what I am known for. You have lived the ‘rock star’ lifestyle with the drugs and alcohol, but you have been clean and sober for three years. Do you still get inspired in the same way as when you were indulging? Yeah sure. I don’t know if it is that different, I would hate to give drugs and alcohol a credit for all the work that I have done in my career. If there is any credit due I suppose there are certain things that I wouldn’t have done if it weren’t for being under the influence of drugs and alcohol. Those are the crazier things that I was doing for my Too Hot For TV Steve-O video series. A lot of wild shit went down for that. The fact is I reached a point where it became such a hindrance. I guess over the

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course of my career I started out being really interested in being somehow impressive – even if it was painful or idiotic, there is some kind of cleverness to it. It then digressed into a display of how wasted I could get. I was like, what am I going to pee on next and how drunk and high could I be? Ultimately it just became really depressing and tragic and there wasn’t really a lot of merit left to it. I really feel being clean and sober and the stand-up tour has made everything about my life an improved version of the Steve-O of the past. Which stand-up comedians do you like and have you taken any inspiration from any? Dane Cook has been really helpful with me and my stand-up. He has kind of taken me under his wing and has helped really encourage me and give me feedback on my performances and I have done quite a bit of work with him. A comic that I can relate to, and our comedy is a little bit similar, is Joe Rogan. We both have fairly raunchy sense of humour. What have been some of the toughest and craziest stunts you have performed? Everything is so different, but the one that certainly the toughest to get through was the back tattoo. That is probably the boring answer but that shit f****** hurt. There has been a lot of difficult shit, I almost have a tough time prioritising what has been the most difficult. It has all been f****** hellish to be honest. Have there been any stunts that have been deemed too dangerous to perform? I remember pretty early on there was an idea to strap me or duck tape me to a mechanical bull, and I just

thought that was a horrible idea. At some point you really need to fall off that thing. If you’re strapped to it you’re going to get paralysed, so I decided to skip out on that one. But in most cases there’s a way to make just about anything happen. You must have had a few broken bones over the years? Yeah, big time, the worst accident I had was when I threw myself off a second floor balcony and I did a face-plant on the ground below. I broke my cheekbone, 10 stitches in my chin, a broken wrist, seven broken teeth and a concussion, which is quite impressive for just one fall. I kept the CAT scans as mementos. You have an autobiography coming out. What can fans expect from that offering? It’s really something, it’s called Professional Idiot: A Memoir. It’s not a flattering story at all. I thought an equally suitable title would be Confessions Of A Douchebag. It is a truly compelling story if not flattering, but I have no interest sugar coating everything and pretending that I’m this really cool guy. It’s just about everything that has happened. For better or worse I have led a very interesting life. Finally, Jackass 3D was a huge success when it came out last year, do you think we will see the Jackass crew back together in the years to come?

Photos: Eric Williams Wardrobe Stylist: Melinda Tarbell Groomer: Krystal X Kaos

It is tough to say. I would not be surprised if I were to get a call about shooting a fourth movie but it’s not something I have expectations of. I think there is a strong argument for quitting while you are ahead especially when we’re taking as serious risks as we do. Then again, we genuinely enjoy doing it and it is certainly very popular and portable. I’m sure that there is going to be pressure from some people for us to continue. Which argument wins out remains to be seen. In the meantime I’m pretty happy doing this comedy and really enjoying doing the stand-up live shows. H See Steve-O on July 7th at London, Indigo2, and 9th at Sonisphere Festival, Knebworth

SIMON BANKS

Profile: LESLIE METZLER In an occasional series of articles, we introduce another American who has chosen to make Britain her home.

ame? Leslie Metzler (even though it’s the man’s way, I’m a woman)

Occupation? Marketing Manager, Henley Festival. I started only six months after I’d moved to the UK. During my first Festival back in 1998, I sat listening to outstanding music from the floating stage built out on the river, looking at the backdrop of the lovely Henley skyline and boats on the river with candelabras and champagne buckets, surrounded by people looking gorgeous in black tie and evening gowns, and my jaws ached with emotion because I was thinking, “this is the most magical, quintessentially English

event in the world and I am the luckiest person in the world to be part of it.” Married, Single or Significant Other? Married to Steve since 1974, you do the math. Children? Four daughters. Jenny, Katie, Lauren and Molly, named alphabetically to make it easier for everyone else to remember their birth order and for them to each feel part of a unit. Where were you born, and when? Schenectady, NY, in the afternoon. (Now you’re thinking, did she misunderstand the question? No she didn’t) Schooling? American public schools, until my senior year in high school when I went to boarding school in

Switzerland, before University of New Hampshire. In my family all you had to do was date a boy that grandmother didn’t like and she offered to send you to boarding school in Switzerland. My older sister dated a bad boy before I did, but wouldn’t leave the boyfriend so she ended up at boarding school in Connecticut. When I was in 11th grade and dating the town hood, my grandmother said, “Wouldn’t you like to go to school in Switzerland?”“You bet I would!” What inspired you to come to Britain? My husband’s job in IT took us to Munich, Germany on a one year contract. Three weeks before we were supposed to move back to Chicago he was offered a job in the UK. We discussed it with the kids and they all agreed to give it a try. Here we still are.

The American

What are you most proud of? On a personal level, my four daughters. That sounds like something you’re supposed to say, but it’s true. Making a live person in the first place is pretty amazing, but helping these totally dependent creatures become independent, socially acceptable people who can go on without you is remarkable. On a professional level, I am most proud of getting and keeping a job at the Festival that others would kill for. Your favourite restaurant in the UK, and in the USA? When we were in the US with four kids we had no money for restaurants and here we tend to entertain at home more than eat out. What five people, living or dead, would you invite to dine with you there? Any five who would be interesting conversationalists, choose good wine and pick up the tab. What do you think is your best trait? Saying what I think and being funny. What’s your most irritating habit? Saying what I think and trying to be funny. What are the best, worst and funniest things about Britain and the British people? Best – wonderful theatre, and so many different reasons for men to own a dinner jacket instead of renting one. Worst – dancing around what they really want to say in case they might cause offence. Totally unrelated, the level of teen pregnancy. Funniest – many of them are very funny people. Also I find it very funny, as in odd, that at the same time they fight so hard for their right to walk on other people’s private land, they have their own privacy hedges that keep them so isolated.

How have your perceptions about Britain changed since coming here? There is a whole lot more to Britain than Masterpiece Theatre and Monty Python. They are not really that different from Americans, although they’d like to think they are. They’re even catching up on the obesity charts! How has British culture influenced or affected you? It’s given me far more of a taste for champagne, since it is served more here than in the U.S. Really good theatre seems to be more affordable and accessible in outlying theatres. I think I have probably toned down a bit in my general manner, although close friends here would probably argue that. What could the British learn from the Americans – and vice versa? The British could definitely learn from Americans how to do sales. Here they mark things down 10% and call that a sale! No wonder no one here has bunny decorations at Easter and Santa Clauses at Christmas if you can’t buy them after the season at 90% off! What Americans could learn from the British is to be more conscious of sounding arrogant. I don’t think Americans are more arrogant, but I think that the confidence that is encouraged in America can be seen as arrogance by the British. British comedian Boothby Graffoe performed at the Festival several years ago and he nailed perfectly this difference in confidence: the positive Ameri-CAN vs the seemingly undecided Brit-ISH. What are your top three records of all time? 1. Janis Joplin’s Take Another Little Piece of My Heart, playing loudly in the car with the windows down on a hot, summer day; 2. Bette Midler’s Hello in There (From The Divine Miss M); 3. anything by Dolly Parton.

If you were a politician, what would you do today? Bin Laden’s taken care of, so that just leaves the rest of the world to sort out. There is so much I don’t know about politics that everyone should be glad I am not a politician. Who has been the guiding force in your life? My mother, for good and bad guidance. She has never considered anything out of her reach. As a child she always wanted a monkey so as an adult she bought one and had it for years until it had the good sense to bite one of her husbands; she always wanted a house in Greece so while on a trip she signed a lease on a house on Mykonos; when forced to retire as editor of AAA’s magazine at age 78, she started her own magazine and made a success of it. At 83, having outlived three husbands and a long term partner, she went on Match. com and fell in love with an 83 year old man from New York, even though she lived in Florida. They got married and now spend half the year in NY and half the year in Florida. And we all agree he’s the best man she’s ever married! Philosophy or motto in life? 1. People will forget what you say, they will forget what you do, but they will never forget how you made them feel (Maya Angelou); 2. You can get by on charm for about 15 minutes and after that you better know something. (I forget who said that.) What are your ambitions? To enrich and make enough of a difference in the lives of people I know that a space is left when I’m gone. That and to convince everyone that the Henley Festival (July 6th to 10th) is the most magical summer event in the UK and that they should come along to it, because it is and they should. H

The American

Arts Choice

By Michael Burland and Estelle Lovatt Antony Gormley at Salisbury Cathedral Salisbury Cathedral, Wiltshire UNTIL APRIL 2, 2012

Gormley’s FLARE II installation is in the Chapter of historic Salisbury Cathedral, suspended from the ceiling in the South Transept where it is bathed in the light from the surrounding medieval windows. It’s a stunning juxtaposition of the ancient and the contemporary. The creation is made of 2 mm square section stainless steel wire and is roughly 10 feet wide. Turner Prize winner Gormley says of FLARE II: “In order to express the human state of embodiment less as a thing or a narrative than a state I have tried to make the space of the body open to light, to

the gaze and to space at large. The act of sustained and materialised imagination of Salisbury Cathedral and the volume and transparency of the South Transept is a wonderful context for this work.” – MB

Fresh Air 2011

JUNE 19 TO JULY 10

This is the tenth outing for this biennial exhibition. One of the UK’s leading outdoor contemporary sculpture shows, it is set in the lovely 5-acre garden of an old rectory, with bronzes, glass, stainless steel, stone, ceramic, marble, wood, fabric, plastic, resin and multi-media installations all on view. Many have been designed specifically for outdoor

Antony Gormley, Flare II installation, at Salisbury Cathedral

Jilly Sutton, exhibiting at Fresh Air

Quenington Old Rectory, Cirencester, Gloucestershire GL7 5BN

ASH MILLS

display, for example huge, beautiful pots that can withstand the climate, textiles invented not to fade or shred, a banner for a birthday, surprising metal work and worked glass placed in a border that constantly changes according to the time, light and weather. – MB

Wild Planet

Kingston Parade (the square in front of the Abbey) and Union Street, Bath UNTIL SEPTEMBER 23

An outdoor touring exhibition, developed by the Natural History Museum, London, features 80 of the most spectacular images from Wildlife Photographer of the Year. A bison, katydid, tiger, shark, and king penguins are just a few animals featured in these stunning photographs, displayed outside in large scale, to view by day or by night, when they are illuminated. One picture of gulls, by Australian photographer Raoul Slaters, was taken in Bath itself. Slaters says, “The famous Pulteney Bridge in Bath had caught the late autumn sunshine and reflected golden light onto the elegant weir below. These black-

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Wild Planet: Mervin D Coleman, American bison de-frosting MERVIN D COLEMAN/WILD PLANET

headed gulls braved cold feet and stood on top of the water creating a wonderful pattern.” You can even buy merchandise featuring the photographs from the dedicated Wild Planet store in the city centre – how about a Meerkat Moment Fridge Magnet? – MB

Kerry Tribe: Dead Star Light

Camden Arts Centre, Arkwright Road, London NW3 6DG TO JULY 10

American artist and filmmaker Kerry Tribe’s large-scale projects in video, film and sound form an on-going investigation into memory, subjectivity and doubt. For this exhibition, Tribe will show her new body of work Dead Star Light, commissioned as part of the 3 Series – a collaboration between Camden Arts Centre, London, Arnolfini, Bristol and Modern Art Oxford, alongside other existing works. Dead Star Light is comprised of three works which continue Tribe’s study of memory and its opposite, forgetting. Each work structurally engages with a different technology in innovative ways: 16mm film

(Parnassius Mnemosyne); reel-to-reel audio (Milton Torres Sees a Ghost); and video (The Last Soviet), all 2010. The works relate to questions of personal and historic memory and share common themes of erasure, flight, portraiture and the role of the viewer. Dead Star Light will be shown together with H.M. (2009), a work which also explores memory but from an individual, neurological perspective. This film installation, an experimental documentary about an anonymous amnesiac known within the scientific community simply as Patient H.M., sets up a structure whereby the viewer’s own power of memory is challenged. – EL

Kerry Tribe, Parnassius mnemosyne, detail, 2010, Installation view: Arnolfini, 16mm mobius film loop PHOTO: JAMIE WOODLEY, © THE ARTIST, COURTESY THE ARTIST AND CAMDEN ARTS CENTRE

Mick Jagger, 1967. Photograph by Colin Jones © COLIN JONES

Mick Jagger: Young in the 60s Until November 27 Bookshop Gallery, National Portrait Gallery, St Martin’s Place, London, WC2H 0HE ADMISSION FREE

Lots of NPG news this month. While you’re there, take in this display. Forming the centerpiece are portraits of Mick Jagger taken in the 1960s, documenting the singer’s early rise to fame. They include Cecil Beaton’s portrait of Jagger taken in Morocco in 1967, photos by Gered Mankowitz of the singer with his Aston Martin DB6 and in full psychedelic regalia, an image from the Rolling Stones’s first official photo shoot, a previously unexhibited colour photograph by Colin Jones (1967), and original shots taken for the covers of Their Satanic Majesties Request and Beggar’s Banquet. The display coincides with the publication of Mick Jagger: The Photobook, Thames & Hudson, £14.95. – MB

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Royal Exhibition Summer Exhibition last year

Royal Academy Summer Exhibition Horace Nicholls, the first photographer to be oﬃcially appointed by the Ministry of Information to cover the home front in Britain, has his photographic permit checked on a beach by a Sea Scout © IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM

War Correspondent: reporting under fire since 1914 Imperial War, Museum North, The WaterWay, Manchester MAY 28 TO JANUARY 2, 2012

The largest ever exhibition about British war correspondents reveals the people who do one of the most dangerous – yet to many exciting and glamorous – jobs in the world:. Between them they have covered the two World Wars, the Spanish Civil War, Vietnam, the Falklands, the Gulf Wars, the Balkans, Iraq and Afghanistan. It is said of BBC reporter Kate Adie that when troops in a war zone see her arriving they know their situation is really serious. See the bullet that deflected into her leg in the Gulf War, the burka worn by John Simpson to secretly enter Afghanistan, the typewriter Michael Nicholson used in Vietnam and one of Martin Bell’s trademark white suits, worn during the Bosnian war. – MB

Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BD JUNE 7 TO AUGUST 15

The RA’s Summer Exhibition is a vital part of the London art scene. Held each year since the Royal Academy’ was founded in 1768, it’s the largest open contemporary art exhibition in the world. Anyone can submit their work, and those selected – whether unknown, emerging, established or famous – can see their artwork hanging on the venerable walls, following in the footsteps of Turner, Constable and countless luminaries. – MB

JOHN BODKIN

BP Portrait Award

National Portrait Gallery, St Martin’s Place, London, WC2H 0HE JUNE 16 TO SEPTEMBER 18

After a record 2,372 entries, four artists have been short-listed for the BP Portrait Award at the National Portrait Gallery, one of the world’s most prestigious art prizes. 55 of them have been selected for the exhibition. Turkish-born Sertan Saltan now lives and works in Avon, Connecticut, after gaining a BFA in Product Design at New York State U. His portrait of Mrs Cerna (left) is of the younger sister of a friend in New York City. Saltan says, “The contrast of knife, gloves and rollers brought both humour and horror to mind. I wanted to capture on canvas that moment which allows the viewer to meet this extraordinary woman and experience the richness and complexity of her preparation for this Thanksgiving dinner.”’ – MB

Xu Bing at the British Museum

Great Russell Street, London, WC1B 3DG 12 MAY – 10 JULY

Sertan Saltan, Mrs Cerna, Oil on canvas, 410mm x 510mm

Xu Bing, the internationally renowned Chinese artist, is creating a new site-specific art installation for the British Museum. Background

The American

Story 7 is part of an ongoing series of installations he has created in museums around the world since 2004. It consists of a dramatic 16 feet high shadow and light box in which found materials such as hemp fibres, dry plants, corn husks, crumpled paper and debris sourced from sites across London will be placed on the back of the glass, giving the impression of the brush strokes of a traditional Chinese landscape painting. The installations play with the relationship between art and illusion. Unlike the traditional Chinese painter who creates an illusion by committing a landscape scene to paper in a realistic manner, Xu creates works that looks like landscape paintings, but are neither landscape nor painting, with

Arts News

three-dimensional materials imitating two-dimensional brushstrokes. The six previous Background Story installations have been in a horizontal format as they have been made in response to traditional Chinese handscrolls. At the British Museum he will work for the first time in a vertical format as its design echoes a Chinese mountain landscape hanging scroll by Wang Shimin from 1654 which is in the British Museum’s collection. Xu Bing’s and Wang Shimin’s contemporary and antique works will hang together in Room 3 of the Museum, following a time-honoured Chinese practice of entering into “dialogue” with a past artwork by creating a new piece. For the first time, Xu is allowing

COURTESY XU BING STUDIO

the building of the installation to be filmed, so that viewers can follow the story of this artistic creation on the British Museum’s website.

Cindy Sherman Honored

American artist Cindy Sherman (left, in character) has been elected an Honorary Member of the Royal Academy of Arts. Sherman was born in New Jersey, 1954. Her photographs are portraits of herself in various scenarios that parody stereotypes of woman. Characters and settings are drawn from sources of popular culture, old movies, television soaps and pulp magazines. She has also worked as a film director. – EL

Enter Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize

Cindy Sherman in character

Xu Bing, Background Story 3, 2006, various materials and natural debris attached to frosted glass panel, 170 x 900 cm. Installation view from ‘Xu Bing’, Suzhou Museum, 2006.

More NPG! Here’s your chance to be exhibited at the editor’s favorite gallery. The National Portrait Gallery is requesting entries for the Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize 2011, a major international photographic award. The winner gets a cash prize of £12,000 and a commission to shoot a feature story for

Jeffrey Stockbridge, Tic Tac and Tootsie (twin sisters Carrol and Shelly McKean), won 3rd Prize in the Taylor Wessing, 2010 JEFFREY STOCKBRIDGE

ELLE magazine. It’s open to anyone over the age of 18, whether gifted amateur, student or professional of all ages. Around 60 will be exhibited at the NPG (November 10, 2011 to February 12, 2012). – MB H

The American

Reviews by Virginia E. Schultz

like sherry. Not the kind my grandmother kept for months in a crystal bottle on the buffet in her dining room, but the sherry I’ve enjoyed in Tapas bars in Spain. Dinner is served late late late in Spain, as well as Spanish speaking countries in the Americas, and not having anything to eat before ten at night is difficult for those of us coming from the States or northern European countries, but there is nothing more delightful than having a glass of sherry and some tidbits of Tapas to tide one over before that late meal. The reason I stopped at Capote y Toros the second time was not because of any royal order, but because a friend and I were attending a concert at Royal Albert Hall at seven thirty and needed something to eat which was not so heavy it would put us to sleep halfway through the musical program. The first time I was there, I sat at the bar with my friend Jennifer, but this time Stella

Capote y Toros and I were seated at a small table near the window. Capote y Toros has an extensive list of sherries chosen by Peter Dauthieu, a long time associate of Abel Luisa’s Cambio de Tercio group. Peter has a reputation with fine wines, especially Spanish, but his passion is sherry. Having thoroughly enjoyed Osborne Fino Quinta the first time I tasted it, I ordered it once more. Stella, however, preferred the sweeter but equally delicious Pedro Ximenez. There is a long list of sherries to choose from and if we weren’t attending a concert that evening, we would have been tempted to try one or two others. I might add, anyone who believes they don’t like sherry should visit Capote. They might change their mind. Spanish chef Alberto Criado, who oversees all four restaurants in the Cambio de Tercio group, has created a menu of tapas using fresh, seasonal produce from Spain. Previously, Criado worked under Sergi Arola, a disciple of Ferran Adria of El Bulli, at the two Michelin star La Brioche in Madrid. Tapas, it is said, began to be offered after a Spanish king, during his illness, was ordered by his doctors to take small bites of food between meals. After recovery he decreed no

wine could be served in Castile unless accompanied by food. There is another story about tapas appearing because farmers had to have small amounts of food in order to continue working until it was time for their main meal. Stella and I drank our sherry and nibbled on olives (£2.00) as we studied the menu. Acorn fed Jamon Iberco (£14.00/22.00), which is exclusive to Spain, was our first choice and was as good as either of us had in Spain. At our waiter’s suggestion, we shared garlic prawns (£6.00) as well as the spicy Andalucian chorizo cooked with fino sherry (£4.25) but after discussing tapas and sherry with our knowledgeable and helpful waiter, we turned down the meat balls (£4.75) I enjoyed the first time I was there as we were running late. We did, however, have dessert: Stella, a wonderful selection of Spanish cheeses with quince on the side (£6.00) and I, the mousse of sweet Oloroso sherry with caramelized figs (£4.75) before rushing off to our waiting taxi. I might add, we made the concert on time and enjoyed it thoroughly.

157 Old Brompton Road, London SW5 OLJ www.cambiodetercio.co.uk 0207 373 0567

The American

Charlotte’s Bistro T

he entrance was nondescript, but as soon as Nelly Pateras and I entered we had the feeling this was the kind of neighbourhood restaurant everyone wants. The interior is charming and simple. Owners and husband and wife team Alex and Karen Wrethman are not out to impress, but want their customers to feel relaxed and comfortable. There is a cocktail bar on the entrance level which prides itself on their original concoctions and even invented one for Nelly that evening which was so delicious she enjoyed a second one. The conservatory style restaurant is up some steps to a second level and has wooden tables lining each side of the long room. The colours in brown, beige and cream would possibly be dull if it wasn’t for the skylight overhead which shows off the sky at night and adds light during the day. The perfect place for Sunday lunch, Nelly and I decided. The menu, designed by Head Chef Wesley Smalley and the Wrethmans, is not long and the prices are reasonable. This is Chiswick, and one doesn’t expect Mayfair and Belgravia prices, but although the neighbourhood may not be “posh”, Chef Wesley has previously acted as executive chef for Jean-Christophe

Novelli and worked with Mark Hix. The service was slow. We were handed our menu when seated, ordered our drinks after a delightful conversation with the sommelier about inventing the cocktail for Nelly but then waited and waited and waited until I was almost ready to get up and grab a waitress if there had

been one in sight. When she finally came, she couldn’t have been more delightful or helpful, but I’m not certain customers after a hard day’s work are willing to wait as long as we did. I may complain about our waiting, but I can’t fault the food. This is the place to indulge in delights such as Scottish langoustine bisque with smoked eel, green apple and avocado mousse (£8.00) or violet artichokes ‘a la Greque’ with truffle dressing (£8.00) that were as delicious as they were inventive. It was, however, oyster season. At £2 each they were very reasonable, and Nelly and I couldn’t resist having three each of the Colchester Rock with a Cabernet Sauvignon Vinegar or lemon. As for the bisque, move over Heston! The bisque was so delicious had I not been reviewing the bistro I would have settled on it and nothing else. However, after debating between the Barberry duck breast with cabbage

Nelly Pateras’s Cocktail

Made specially for my friend Nelly at Charlotte’s Bistro Lemongrass 2 tablespoons of Raspberries 2 tablespoons of Blackberries 2 teaspoons lemon juice 1 measure of Vodka 1 teaspoon Acacia Honey Champagne 1 lemon rind Muddle lemongrass with a raspberries and blackberries and then add lemon juice, vodka, and honey. Shake well, then double strain, and layer with Champagne in a Champagne glass. Add lemon grass stirrer as garnish to serve, but remove garnish before drinking to protect your eyes!

The American

Amaranto Dining Out at

and pickled trompettes (£17.00) and the organic spelt risotto with seasonal wild mushrooms, black truffle and pecorino (£15.00), I decided on the vegetarian. It was another dish I’d order again. Lovely! The fillet of pollack with puy lentils was also excellent and Nelly so enjoyed the food she plans to bring the gourmet luncheon and dinner group she heads, possibly for Christmas lunch. Desserts for me were disappointing. The carrot and olive cake (£6.00) could be forgotten. However, Nelly thoroughly enjoyed her parfait with brandy soaked madeleines (£6.00). The wines we drank with our courses were well chosen by our sommelier and not overpriced. The Cline Viognier 2009 at £6 a glass, £14 a carafe or £28 a bottle wasn’t cheap, but half the price of a Belgravia restaurant I dined in not long ago. If one’s budget is tight, the Hazy View South African Chenin Blanc is lovely and, at £3 a glass or £18 a bottle, a bargain. Or if one prefers red, there’s a Semillon from Australia at the same price which I can highly recommend.

6 Turnham Green Terrace, London W4, 1QP 020 8742 3590, www.charlottes.co.uk

t seemed almost an Alice in Wonderland experience for actress Maxine Howe and myself as we entered Amaranto, located in the Four Seasons Hotel which recently reopened after a two and a half year closure and a £125 million makeover. The glass doors of the restaurant lead into the bar and click click went my heels across the black marble floor as we were led to an alcove where we were seated on plush and comfortable red leather chairs. There are at least 70 cocktails to choose from, or you can have one designed especially for you if you desire. Maxine decided to have champagne while I chose a Raspberry Bellini which brought back memories of Venice and Harry’s Bar. The entire hotel has been designed by Pierre-Yves Rochon, whose projects have included other Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts as well as restaurants for Joel Robuchon, Alain Ducasse, Paul Bocuse and more recently The Savoy in London. Amaranto is elegance in a kind of old fashioned sense if one compares it to the luxurious restaurants of the Art Deco period in the 1920’s. Sadly, there were no Bugsy Siegel or Al Capone types in the bar, only well dressed men and women who were conducting business or just enjoying the fantastical atmosphere. Separating the bar and restaurant is a floor to ceiling wall of wine which undoubtedly holds the most expensive and rarest Italian wines outside of Italy. It is an Italian wine connoisseur’s dream, providing they could afford it. The restaurant is divided into two different parts. One is elegant and comfortable in rich burgundy, the other is a conservatory design leading to an

outdoor terrace that seats diners when the weather is warm. After being dragged from a display of beautiful plates from Florence (and anyone who loves porcelain as I do must stop to view this) we were seated at a leather top table and given the menu which offered a fascinating selection of antipasti, pasta, risotto, zuppe, pesce, carni and contorni. The executive Chef, who might best be described as the restaurant’s overseer, is Adriano Cavagnini. He was there that evening along with Chef David Degiovanni, formerly at Semplice and Locanda Locatelli, who handles the day to day tasks and makes everything run to perfection. As we sipped the first of several different Italian wines we enjoyed that evening, we nibbled on a delightful amuse bouche of scallops in a pesto sauce and lovely bread. To start, I had the warm buffalo mozzarella wrapped in Parma ham with roasted vegetables and anchovy while Maxine enjoyed carpaccio with spicy new potatoes. Next I decided on the braised octopus in a hot spicy sauce on a bed of creamy delicious polenta, but Maxine couldn’t resist the gnocchi with langoustines. Pastas can be selected as a main course and Maxine and I agreed either dish would be perfect for lunch with a lovely glass of Italian wine. I adore crab and for the main course, I selected the fresh Cornish crab tagliolini, braised artichokes with lemon zest. Absolutely delicious! Maxine decided the slow cooked leg of deboned rabbit stuffed with spinach, feta and black olives couldn’t be ignored. Our side dishes were creamy spinach and really and truly browned potatoes.

Dolici, or dessert, was almost too much, but the Sei Piccoli Peccati (Six Little Sins) which consisted of six different kinds of chocolate desserts including chocolate fondant, cocoa crumble and chocolate ice cream Maxine found irresistible. I then relented, admittedly easy to do, and indulged on warm coconut cake, marinated pineapple, spiced crumble with milk ice cream and honey. If I had to do it again, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d have plain vanilla ice cream instead, but the cake and pineapple were delicious. I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t plan on having formaggi, but after asking about the different Italian cheeses, a board of traditional Italian cheese including 24 month old Parmesan, Provolone, Testu Al Barolo and Gorgonzola suddenly appeared along with tiny glasses of two different grappas. Mellowed by the delicious Italian wines we enjoyed that evening, and talking almost too much to our delightful waiter and sommelier, we ended up with an invitation to tour the kitchen and had the pleasure of meeting Chefs Cavagnini and Degiovanni and their crew. Maxine, who asks more questions than I can think of, soon had them offering us tastes of various dishes served that evening and by the time we left past closing time we were calling each other by first names. I might add, we tasted a number of Italian wines selected for our various courses that proved, once again, the French have strong competition from their next door neighbour. Oh, yes, before I forget, there is a private dining room for up to eight people where I plan to have a birthday party some day... well, I can dream, canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t I? And last, but equally important, service was impeccable from beginning to end.

Four Seasons Hotel, Park Lane, Hamilton Place, London W1J 7DR, 020 7319 5206

The American

Cellar Talk By Virginia E. Schultz

British Beer Brightens Banquets

lthough I grew up in a small city in Pennsylvania which had been known for their beer making before prohibition, I’m a typical American in that I’m less knowledgeable about beer than I am wine which is a pity because England has a long tradition in beer and some of the best beers in the world can be found here. At one time many pubs and ale-houses made their own beer, but over time, especially during the 20th century, they were bought out by large breweries and ceased brewing on most premises. Recently, I had dinner at a friend’s house who loves his beer and even makes his own from time to time. The food was prepared by a chef friend and was exceptional, but instead of matching each dish with wine, he served beer. One bit of advice he gave was that as with wine, lighter beers should be served colder,

heavier beers at room temperature or about 55 degrees. Our first course of steamed white fish and mussels, he served with a pale ale, a British invention, which, to my surprise, matched almost as well as the Sauvignon Blanc I would have ordinarily offered. To test us further, we were each given an asparagus to taste, first with the Sauvignon and then with wheat beer which he said is a kind of beer equivalent and the beer was preferred by four out of seven of us. In the States, where we are less tied to tradition, beer breweries add various flavourings from peaches to spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg and these can be found nowadays even in supermarkets. Flavoured beers in England can be found, but not as easily. We may say a certain wine has a hint of ginger, but with beer in the States it can actually be an ingredient. Beer varies widely according to the maker and it is the wise cook who tastes the food and beer together before serving. Scottish ale is usually less hoppy than the English equivalent British beers can make just as good an accompaniment to fine food as good wines THEBEERCAST.COM

and the Scottish ale my friend served with the broiled spicy marinade lamb medallions, which was low in alcohol, cut through the fattiness and acidity and frankly, I thought a better match than the Rhone. With the dessert of strawberry tart, however, I didn’t think beer was as good a combination as the dessert wine. A flavoured beer that goes through a second fermentation when the fruit is added would possibly have been better, but the stout wasn’t sweet enough to match. Nor did I appreciate beer with the homemade chocolate candy with a touch of sea salt and I thought the slight sweetness of the aromatic Riesling a far better combination. As two of the guests could not have gluten, my friend served eggplant sticks alongside the bread rolls. It is my recipe, I might add, and was given to me by an Italian friend years ago and very easy to make.

RECIPE Fried Eggplant Sticks

2 large eggplants cut into finger-size sticks. 2 eggs ½ cup of milk Sprinkle the cut eggplant with salt on both sides and let stand for an hour. Then, drain and pat dry with absorbent towels. Beat the eggs and milk in a bowl large enough to hold several sticks at a time. Pour cornmeal onto a sheet of wax paper. Put about one inch of oil, not olive, in a large pan and heat. When oil is very hot, dip eggplant into egg mixture and then cornmeal to coat. Fry on both sides until golden brown, being careful not to burn as the sticks are thin). Makes about 3 dozen. H

La Capanna For the finest Italian dining experience in the most picturesque of settings, perfect for that romantic dinner for two, a family celebration or business entertainment.

Lunch Menu from £12.95 A la Carte Main Courses from £11.50 3 Course Sunday Lunch £27.95 Children’s Menu £15.00

By popular request the lovely soprano Miss Kirsty Michele Anderson returns on Friday 10th June.

FOR FULL DETAILS LOOK AT OUR WEBSITE

www.lacapanna.co.uk

We specialize in Wedding Feasts with a difference 48 High Street, Cobham, Surrey

With riverside Italian Garden for al fresco dining

Book your table online on our website: www.lacapanna.co.uk Business account customers and party bookings are welcome. All major credit cards accepted.

“La Capanna must boast the prettiest interior of any restaurant I have ever dined in”

01932 862121

– David Billington, Hello Magazine

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The American

Coffee Break COFFEE BREAK QUIZ 1 W here on the body are the most sweat glands (per sq. inch) found? 2 W hat is the only flag allowed to fly above the Stars and Stripes in America? 3 W hat is the most populated city north of the Arctic Circle? a) Barrow, Alaska, b) Tromsø, Norway c) Murmansk, Russia 4 P ractising what popular art form was banned in New York State for most of the 1960s?

The largest lake in South America is…? BCASTERLINE

5 W hat do Daryl Hannah, Dustin Hoffman, Terry Savalas, Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd and Galileo have in common? 6 W hat is the American nickname for the presidents limo? 7 W hich fortified dessert wine is one of the oldest, if not the oldest wines from California? 8 J ames Madison (1751–1836) was the first U.S. President to wear which clothing fashion?

9 ‘ Storage’ is the translation of the name of which drink? 10 G rannies, sailors, millers and lovers all have what in common? 11 I n inches, how much height does a woman lose (on average) between her 40th and 70th birthday? 12 W hich national dance can apparently cure a spiders bite? 13 W hat requests weren’t allowed during most of WWII in the US? 14 W hat is the American nickname for the briefcase with the nuclear codes? 15 W hat ‘part of the body’ is the currency in Costa Rica ? 16 P hiladelphia is the old name for which largest city in which country? 17 W hat was the bloodiest day in the history of the British Army? (19,240 dead, 57,470 casualties) 18 W hat kind of familiar leaves were often used as currency in 18th century Siberia? 19 W hat is the largest inland lake in South America? 20 I n which five U.S. states has the U.S.A. tested atom bombs? (a point for each) 21 W hat percentage of world marriages are arranged? a) 15% b) 30% c) 60% Answers below

Competition Winners Todd Bachinski of London won tickets to the Emirates Airline London Sevens weekend in last month’s edition. Coffee Break Quiz Answers: 1. Palm of the hand; 2. The United Nations flag; 3. c) Murmansk (325,100). a) Barrow (4,000) is the largest North American community in the Arctic; 4. Tattooing; 5. They are all missing one or more finger; 6. The Beast; 7. Angelica, usually from the Mission grape; 8. Long pants (trousers); 9. Lager (German); 10. Knots named after them; 11. 2 inches (1.2” for men); 12. Tarantella (from the region of Taranto in Italy); 13. Radio requests (they feared spies would use them to pass messages); 14. The Football; 15. Colon; 16. Amman, in Jordan; 17. July 1, 1916. First day of the battle of the Somme; 18. Tea; 19. Titicaca (Peru/Bolivia border); 20. Alaska, Colorado, Mississippi, Nevada and New Mexico; 21. c) 60%.

The American

It happened one... June 1st: 1940 – The City of New York gains full control of the subway system when the Brooklyn-Manhattan Transit Corp. goes out of business. 2nd: 1896 – Guglielmo Marconi applies for a patent for the radio. 3rd: 1888 – The poem Casey at the Bat, by Ernest Lawrence Thayer, is published anonymously in the San Francisco Examiner. 4th: 1917 – The first ever Pulitzer Prizes are awarded. 5th: 1947 – U.S. Secretary of State George Marshall calls for economic aid to war-torn Europe, in a speech at Harvard University. Leads to the Marshall Plan. 6th: 1892 – The Chicago El begins operation. 7th: 1982 – Priscilla Presley opens Graceland to the public. 8th: 1912 – Carl Laemmle incorporates Universal Pictures. 9th: 1650 – The Harvard Corporation is established - the first legal corporation in the Americas. 10th: 1909 - The SOS distress signal is first used by the Cunard liner SS Slavonia when it is wrecked off the Azores. 11th: 1935 – FM broadcasting is publicly demonstrated at Alpine, New Jersey by its inventor, Edwin Armstrong. 12th: 1997 – Queen Elizabeth II opens Sam Wanamaker’s Globe Theatre in London. 13th: 1920 – US Post Office bans children being sent by parcel post after at least two such cases are discovered. 14th: 1839 – Henley-on-Thames, on the

The Route 66 Inn, Amarillo, TX – the road was ‘delisted’ this month in 1985 BILLY HATHORN

River Thames in Oxfordshire, stages its first Regatta. 15th: 1844 – Charles Goodyear receives a patent for vulcanization, a rubber strengthening process. 16th: 1967 – The Monterey Pop Festival begins. 17th: 1775 – The Battle of Bunker Hill takes place. 18th: 1928 – Aviator Amelia Earhart becomes the first woman to fly in an aircraft across the Atlantic Ocean (as a passenger!). 19th: 1978 – Garfield, by Jim Davis of Muncie, Indiana, appears in his first comic strip. 20th: 1782 – The U.S. Congress adopts the Great Seal of the United States. 21st: 2004 – SpaceShipOne becomes the first privately funded spaceplane to achieve spaceflight. 22nd: 1984 – Virgin Atlantic Airways launches with its first flight from Heathrow Airport.

23rd: 1860 – The United States Congress establishes the Government Printing Office. 24th: 2010 – John Isner of the United States defeats Nicolas Mahut of France at Wimbledon, in the longest match in professional tennis history. 25th: 1876 – Lt. Col. George A. Custer and all his men are killed by Sioux and Cheyenne Indians at the Battle of Little Bighorn, Montana. 26th: 1867 – Barbed wire is patented by its inventor Lucien B Smith of Ohio. 27th: 1985 – Route 66 (Chicago to Santa Monica) is officially removed from the US Highway System. 28th: 1969 – The Stonewall Riots begin in New York City marking the start of the Gay Rights Movement. 29th: 2007 – Two car bombs are found at Piccadilly Circus, London. 30th: 1934 – The Night of the Long Knives takes place, Hitler’s violent purge of his political rivals in Germany. H

The American Ray Davies IAN BRODIE

MUSIC

LIVE AND KICKING Ke$ha Gets $leazy Meltdown

Doyen of British songwriters Ray Davies curates the alwaysinteresting music and arts festival at London’s South Bank. 2011 highlights include performances by Davies himself; a re-creation of iconic 1960s TV music show Ready Steady Go!; The Fugs’ first London show since 1968; Monty Python’s Terry Jones and Michael Palin; Eric Burdon; Paloma Faith; Nona Hendryx and Ronnie Spector.

Blue’s Festival In Camden

The Blues Kitchen, 111-113 Camden High Street, London, adds old-school rhythm and blues to its usual menu of soul food and a massive collection of American whiskies, bourbons and ryes. Featured artists include Mud Morganfield (son – and uncanny soundalike – of the legendary Muddy Waters), Mark Flanegan ( Jools Holland’s guitarist), bluesman Ian Siegal and rockabilly outfit Jack Rabbit Slim. You can learn harmonica with a free lesson on the May Bank Holiday, or join a Swing Dance session. May 29 to June 5.

Global pop sensation Ke$ha (above) is after your cash when her Get $leazy World Tour comes to the UK and Europe this month. Says Ke$ha, “Europe!!!!!! UK!!!!!! Are you ready for the sleaziest summer ever? I am so excited to bring my Get $leazy tour to you. It has been a longtime dream of mine to play these epic festivals. I can’t wait to be there and party with the English and European members of my cult of rabid misfits, The Family. Join us!!! myfansruleharderthananyoneselsesfansinthewholeworld!!!” Ahem. The European dates are: June 23rd & 24th Glastonbury Festival (2 performances); July 1st Rock Werchter Festival, Belgium; 3rd Birmingham Academy; 6th PIP Festival, Sweden; 9th T in the Park, Balado, Scotland; 11th Manchester Apollo; 13th London Hammersmith Apollo.

Barbican Blazes Into Summer

Blaze is a series of events run by the Barbican Centre in June and July 2011 in the Barbican itself and at the Hackney Empire, Gillett Square, Wilton’s Music Hall and Rich Mix. For full details of the line-up go to www.barbican.org. uk/blaze, but highlights include:

Ludovico Einaudi; Gregg Allman’s Low Country Blues Tour; Canadian Blast (Woodpigeon, Chilly Gonzales, The Hidden Cameras and Devon Sproule); Sing the Truth featuring Dianne Reeves, Angelique Kidjo and Lizz Wright; Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings; Band of Gypsies; Celebrate Mama Afrika (celebrating Miriam Makeba, curated by Hugh Masekela); jazz singer/ bassist Esperanza Spalding; electro-traditional Congolese music; and Rain Dogs, revisiting Tom Waits’ classic 1985 album. May 29th to June 5th.

Death Cab for Cutie

Multi Grammy-nominated Death Cab for Cutie play their first live concerts in the UK since 2008. Dates are July 1st Hop Farm Festival; 2nd Milton Keynes Bowl (supporting Foo Fighters); 4th Manchester Academy; 5th Nottingham Rock City; 7th London Brixton Academy.

New Guernsey festival

More than 80 acts are scheduled for the first major pop music festival on Guernsey, Channel Islands over the July 2-3 weekend, among them Ocean Colour Scene, The Gaslight Anthem, Example, Hayseed Dixie

and The Go! Team. They will play in the countryside setting of The Rabbit Warren, Saint Sampson. The festival also has a specialised arts area, a spine ramp for skateboarders and BMXers, market stalls and the obligatory plethora of concessionaires to feed and water the happy masses.

Kew the Music

Kew’s Summer Swing picnic concerts have been re-launched as Kew the Music, allowing a broader variety of musical styles. This year’s shows are: July 6th The Feeling and The Noisettes; 7th Jools Holland with special guest Sandie Shaw; 8th Jamie Cullum (his only London show) with Natalie Williams; 9th Bryan Ferry with Sophie Ellis-Bextor; 10th Orquesta Buena Vista Social Club, Omara Portuondo and Chucho Valdes; 11th Blondie, supported by The Magnets.

Arcade Fire

RAMA

The Arcade Fire play a one-off headline set in Hyde Park on June 30th. In a short time Arcade Fire have rocketed to indie-stardom, due largely to their platinum-selling album The Suburbs. They are joined by special guests Mumford & Sons, Beirut and The Vaccines.

Interview:

Nigel H Seymour T

he most interesting singer songwriter you haven’t heard of - yet - talks to The American about growing up on a remote Scottish island, sailing round Cape Horn in his own invention, being arrested by the Chilean secret police… oh, and music. Nigel, your life is one big story, isn’t it? I guess it is, but I’ve never seen it like that. I’m just waking up to it. I was just hell-bent getting on with all the things I was doing. Like my new album, Europe. It was such a hardwon thing, but at the same time I was doing a film project on Forgiveness, and writing 14 chapters of my book, writing through the night. I spent a lot of my formative years on the island of Iona [an island in the Inner Hebrides oﬀ the western coast of Scotland, home to an ecumenical Christian community - ed]. I’m not a born Scot, although I have a Scottish heritage. I was born in Rochdale, Lancashire, but I view Scotland as my ‘home town’. I had a big affair with the Iona Community. I was a friend of its founder, George MacLeod and his sons. I started playing guitar, and learned some chords from the people staying there and started evolving my music there, playing at ceilidhs. Were you religious then? I believe Iona is a place that is wafer thin between the power, God if you call it that, and the Earth spirit. I

wouldn’t call myself a religious freak, but I have a soul that connects with the spirit of things. I could do that very easily at Iona. There’s a lot of energy there, positive and negative. Music, for me, is connected to spirituality. I started at seven when my mum heard me sing. I became a top-notch boy soprano and was sent to a well known contralto, Olive Valentine, who trained my voice. My parents thought that classical music was ‘proper’ music, and pop was crap. By the age of ten I was singing professionally. My sister Carol was a professional accompanist and she played piano for me. When my voice broke I came back as a baritone. I went to the Royal Academy of Music in London, and the State Academy of Music, Munich for a brief patch. I studied with Gerhard Hüsch who had been Hitler’s lieder singer. But my grandma bought me a £15 guitar and I decided to move away from this very correct, classical form, toward writing my own songs. I found that easier because it was words from inside my head, and music from my heart. I still write classical songs as well, though.

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Outdoor pursuits and music seem to play off each other. Do you feel that? In some strange way they do. I don’t know where the outdoor thing came from but music always went hand in hand with it. It’s always been somewhere I went, someone I met, some sunset I saw that inspired my songs.

I had lived on Iona permanently, then went on to another island, Mull, where I and my then girlfriend bought a croft, which we literally had to dig out of the earth – it was about three feet deep in cow dung. But I had an unrested sprit. I dreamed of seeing the world. I loved Mull – the mountains and the water – but there was a whole world out there I wanted to taste. I flew off into the world. And you started adventuring – what was the Kaymaran? I believed that I could take two sea-going kayaks, link them up with crossbeams and put masts and sails on them. Everyone thought I was crazy. We made a prototype, which sunk, but downwind it went like a rocket, so I persevered. I met a marine architect and between us, after years of trial of error, we made it work. We called it the Kaymaran – a kayak catamaran. We successfully sailed it through Sweden to the Baltic so the sponsors sent us to South America and said, sail it round Cape Horn. There was no skill in it – we just blew round Cape Horn! It sits in history – I put sails on kayaks! And that trip led you back to music, in Chile. I’d done some work with Martin Barre from Jethro Tull. He recorded a song with me, Sail Away, for a film about the expedition. He gave me some studio time to record some songs. When I went back to Chile I met a guy on the plane and gave him the tape. He rang me and said come and play on Video Top, their pop music program. Before I knew it I was a success in Chile. I had two No. 1 slots, with Arabic Woman and I Can’t Believe. I’d like to add, whatever we were paid, I’d like to know where the money went! It was a strange, corrupt experience at that time, the last stages of the

Pinochet regime. When I was making the film about the expedition I wanted to include the faces, culture, lifestyle, and people, not just landscapes. The Chileans supported me making the film and made sure I could do more or less what I wanted to. But three members of the Chilean secret police were with us at all times. They kept track of where we went, looked after our money, and we had to keep all our equipment at the central police station. Every night they viewed the film we’d taken. They befriended me, and took me to some very strange, dark places in Santiago. I was arrested once, though, while singing for Chilean TV in Central Park, Santiago, with a band called Queneral – a beautiful band from Arica, in the Andes in northern Chile, who had been playing my songs on their Chilean instruments. My secret police friends said it was a joke, but it didn’t feel like one. I had been treading a fine line, which I didn’t realise at the time. I was let out. Queneral were too, but we had to pay to get their instruments back – they depended on them for their daily income.

Now you’ve gone full circle – doing music full time again? Yes, I’ve launched Watermark Music, the label, and recorded the new album Europe. It’s another huge journey. I think we’re different people at different times, on different pathways. Some people sit in one place, building their world, their family, their life. Others are free spirits, we take different paths and see where it comes to. But it becomes more difficult to do things without any security as we get older. You must have a big backlog of songs – are you going to revisit them or release new songs? I’ve written about a thousand songs. I will look back at the older material and some of it will creep into the new. I’ve also written classical songs and music for a documentary film, The Bells of Nuremberg, in which we followed an ex-prisoner of Auschwitz, Maria, who was operated on by Dr Joseph Mengele. It’s a story about forgiveness. The new album is called Europe. What does the title represent? I think Britain needs to look at the way Europeans are, the way they live. Britain is an island, it’s in its own little world. The album is about me opening my eyes and seeing the way Europeans do things. And of course, the cooking, the wine, the culture and the space of it. I touched it and I didn’t want to let it go. H

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BOOK REVIEWS

Reviewed by Virginia E Schultz and Michael Burland

Shades Of Green By Jeremy Lewis JONATHAN CAPE, HARDCOVER, 320 PAGES £25

Every once in a while a family seems to appear out of nowhere and for one generation intrigue us with their talent and exploits. No better example of this are the Greens, the sons and daughters of two upper middle class brothers whose family fortune had been made in brewing. These children, six each, made a unique indent on English society. One became one of Britain’s finest writers, another became close to one of the first people to

scale Mount Everest, another helped democratize the Labour Party, another served in the upper echelons of MI6 during World War II and one reached the top of BBC. Although a few managed to lead fairly normal lives, it was the feats of the others that made the headlines. For example Graham Green based his dilapidated character Herbert in his novel England Made Me on his eldest brother who made continual financial demands on his parents. Raymond may not have reached Mount Everest because of bad weather, but his design for lightweight oxygen breathing equipment was used twenty years later by Sir Edmund

Hillary and Tenzing Norgay on their successful attempt. From so much material on the various Greens, Lewis, a former director of the publisher Chatto and Windus, has chosen the more memorable anecdotes of this mesmerizing family. Graham may be the leading light, but so fascinating are the other Greens that this book doesn’t become just another biography on the author. Lewis is without a doubt the perfect ‘Johnson’ to chronicle this extraordinary family. – VS

Discovering the Civil War National Archive Experience

Whack Around the Head: Purpose Passion and Power at Work Right Now! By Sharon Eden ECADEMY PRESS, SOFTCOVER, 258 PAGES, £12.99

Most of us, from time to time, become stressed, bored and feel there is more to life than hating the thought of going to work on Monday morning. The author, Sharon Eden, a psychotherapist and leadership coach, feels we must take a more authoritative and metaphorical (whack around the head) approach to life if we want to succeed in whatever we’re attempting whether it’s in our personal life or at work. It is an easy book to read with step by step exercises which help control you and your needs rather than following other people’s ideas. Eden’s own ‘whack around the head’ didn’t arrive until she was in her early thirties. Stressed out because of a failing marriage, serious financial problems and reading for a degree at the same time she was trying to support and care for two children, she finally came to her senses when she began to understand she was part of the problem. Whack may not take away all the pressures most of us are under in our daily lives, but it does open up one’s eyes to the possibility of taking control of your life through choice rather than chance. – VS

GILES, HARDCOVER, 208 PAGES, £29.95

It won’t have passed your notice that 2011 is the 150th anniversary of that saddest and most violent of conflicts, the American Civil War, or War Between The States. To honor those who took part, and inform today’s Americans, the exhibition team from the National Archive Experience in Washington has put together an illustrated history of the war. Where many such publications consist of padded text with occasional images – often ghettoed together in one or two sections – this large format book uses the National Archive’s resources to the full, being mostly photos and reproductions of documents from the period with explanatory words. While it won’t appeal to experts, it is a beautifully presented, thorough grounding in the history of the war. – MB

H O L I D AY L E T

The Bell House This grade two listed, 17th century cottage nestles in the centre of the conservation area of East Knoyle, Wiltshire, a quintessentially English, picturesque village. Replete with old world charm, it is only a two hour drive from central London. The Bell House has a wealth of traditional features: a magnificent inglenook fireplace with log burner, an antique brass bed in the main bedroom, beamed ceilings in most rooms including the bathroom, which also has a beautiful Victorian roll top bath. French doors from the kitchen open onto a delightful patio garden. Pets welcome. Email Maureen at accounts@interiorscene.co.uk for more information and images or call 01747 830923.

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THEATER REVIEWS

Betty Blue Eyes wins over the audience with a fluttering of eyelashes – and green gas MICHAEL LE POER TRENCH

Betty Blue Eyes Novello Theatre • Aldwych, London WC2B 4LD • Tel: 0844 482 5170 Reviewed by Virginia L Schultz

ith a book by Americans Ron Cowen and Daniel Lipman, adapted from the film A Private Function by Alan Bennett and Malcolm Mowbray, a musical score by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe and produced by Cameron Mackintosh, Betty Blue Eyes shouldn’t go wrong and definitely doesn’t. It’s toe tapping, fun, laughable, ridiculous and at the end I was brought to tears at the thought of Betty, the blue eyed mechanical pig, ending up as a feast on the banquet table. No, it isn’t a Cats or Billy Elliot, but there wasn’t a member of the audience in the beautiful Novello Theatre who wasn’t stamping their feet or clapping to Goodbye Austerity Britain and Betty Blue Eyes when the curtain finally went down.

The musical is set in Shepardsford at the height of post war austerity in 1947, with the elite of this Yorkshire town preparing to celebrate the impending marriage of Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip by serving roast pork at an exclusive banquet. Class very much matters to the members of the Town Council and chiropodist Gilbert Chilvers (Reece Shearsmith) and his ambitious wife, Joyce (Sarah Lancashire), are not considered socially acceptable enough to be included in the invitation list. Although Joyce is upset, Gilbert isn’t, until the town council informs him he is not in the right profession to rent offices in the area known as the Parade. But then the couple learn the pig being fattened to serve at the banquet is kept illegally by

the Council on a farm outside of town and Gilbert decides to get even by stealing the animal. Like everyone in the audience, I fell in love with pig who greets the audience with a fluttering of eyelashes and an elaborate repertoire of squeals and grunts, not to mention farts that fills the stage with supposedly obnoxious green fumes. At the curtain call Betty sings like Kylie Minogue – unsurprisingly, for it is the actual voice of the diminutive diva. It’s difficult at times to believe Betty Blue Eyes is a man-made mechanical contraption of animatronics and like Gilbert and Henry Allardyce (Jack Edwards) I was completely enchanted by her. Despite the competition from Betty, the human actors hold their own. Sarah Lancashire as Joyce is very much the star, dancing and singing with the vivaciousness and spirit one use to see in the 1940s musicals that once dominated Broadway. But then, without being critical to either style, Betty Blue Eyes is more of a throwback to those pre-Andrew LloydWebber musicals that my parents use to see than the musicals we enjoy today. The villain, Meat Inspector Wormwood (Adrian Scarborough) singing Painting by Heart with the Company in his Gestapo-type leather coat, and Henry, one of the leading Council Members who, although hiding the pig, has fallen in love with her, are delightful and straight out of a Christmas Panto. As the henpecked and sweet natured husband, Shearsmith seems somewhat unsure of his role until his

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rendition of The Kind of Man I Am finally shows the talented actor he is. In fact, there wasn’t a person in the company who wasn’t spectacular, from Mother Dear (Ann Emery) joining in with Joyce, Gilbert, Wormmold and Veronica singing Pig No Pig to Barraclough/Prince Philip (Dan Burton). The ensemble under Stephen Mears’ choreography, whether jitterbugging to A Private Function or the townswomen’s stylized movements in An Ill Wind had the audience swinging and swaying in their seats. From Magic Fingers and the Finale Ultimo Confessions, it is a five star triumph for every member of the cast as well as the orchestra accompanying them.

Betty Blue Eyes – an alternative view from Jarlath O’Connell It’s not often we run two reviews of a production, but then it’s not often two of our reviewers react so diversely

he title change should have warned me. Alan Bennett’s film, a comic classic to rival the great Ealing Comedies, was called A Private Function, which perfectly encapsulated the calibrations of English petit bourgeois snobbery. Betty Blue Eyes on the other hand, throws the spotlight on the pig and it reeks of misplaced anthropo-

morphism. It manages to turn an ordinary tale of folk desperate for pork chops into a special plea about the cuteness of pigs. Not the point! The lively score by Stiles and Drewe encompasses everything from swing to English pastoral but each song is either superfluous and stops the action dead or sends us off on an unnecessary tangent. The book is the culprit however. Who could forget Liz Smith in the film, unbearably poignant as the gentle old dear who fears she is losing her marbles. It won her a BAFTA and rightly transformed her career. Here, for no discernible reason, she is transformed into the mother-in-law from hell of every second rate Northern comedian. Likewise, Maggie Smith’s supreme high comedy is reduced to a blowzy floor show act by Sarah Lancashire. Adrian Scarborough, in a Stormtrooper trench coat, is also left to ramble the foothills of high pantomime as the evil Meat Inspector and, sadly, vocally is not up to the part. By opting for TV stars over musical theatre names they presumably ensured some box office and they’ve also neatly milked the Royal Wedding connection but perhaps the show does, after all, capture the zeitgeist of London in April 2011 – deluded sentimentality. Sarah Lancashire: a star with the spirit of 1940s musicals. or a blowzy floor show act, depending on your point of view MICHAEL LE POER TRENCH

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Pina – a film by Wim Wenders Reviewed by Jarlath O’Connell

ou might think 3D is only fit for movies that breathless critics call “high octane” and which are only aimed at teenagers in malls. Up to now 3D has been mostly about chucking stuff in your face, a novelty that soon wears off if you are over 14. But times have changed and this great gimmick, which started in the 1950s, has come back with a vengeance. James Cameron’s Avatar proved that audiences were more than happy to fork out even more money to wear the silly glasses and have that full immersive experience. Now however, two greats of the European art house cinema of the 70s have also jumped on the 3D bandwagon. Werner Herzog with a documentary Cave of Forgotten Dreams and Wim Wenders with a dance film Pina. Wenders is no stranger to the cutting edge, having also been at the vanguard of HD with his great Cuban music documentary Buena Vista Social Club. Pina is Wenders’ homage to the great German choreographer Pina Bausch, who at her Tanztheater in Wuppertal, Germany effectively perfected a new art form – dance theatre. Having always rejected previous attempts to film her work, and quite rightly too as they are so totally theatrical, she finally

gave in to his pleas and they were just starting to rehearse in June 2009 when she was diagnosed with cancer. She was dead in just 5 days. The shock of this ended the project and threw the company into grief but Wenders, inspired by the devotion of her dancers, vowed to plough on. He filmed a number of the dancers and recorded audio interviews with them talking about their experiences of working with her. Most had been with her for decades as Pina, never one in thrall to youth, had drawn around her a motley collection of characters who brought a fantastic range of ages, cultures and life experiences to the work. What lifts this film above the mundane documentary biography is Wenders’ decision to not just film some excerpts of her work but to take the camera out of doors and have members of the company each create a new piece (usually a solo or duo) for the film. These are shot in an impressive array of settings: in a carriage on the vertigo-inducing suspension monorail in Wuppertal, in a park, in a glorious glasshouse and most strikingly of all, on the rim of a huge abandoned quarry. Wenders has found here a visual language to match Pina’s intentions and he marries location and movement

Above left: Wim Wenders worked with Bausch’s dancers to create new pieces for his remarkable 3D film Above: A still from Wenders’ homage to the great choreographer, Pina Bausch

with the skill of a choreographer. They are riveting to watch. One does wonder though if she would have approved of the filmed excerpts. The power of her pieces came from repetition and from the physicality of the performers and being able to share a space with them – pure theatre in other words. With Pina there was always too much going-on on the stage for the eye to take in and so you made your personal selection. In film, the director makes this selection for you, thus diminishing the effect. The four pieces Wenders films here represent a wonderful cross section of her hits. The Rite of Spring is her shockingly visceral response to Stravinsky’s radical music. Performed on a peat floor, here Wenders literally puts you in the dirt. Kontakthof, set in a dance hall, is a heart breakingly poignant masterpiece performed either by a cast of teenagers or a cast of seniors in the same roles. Café Muller, inspired by her growing up in her parents’ café, features a famous empty restaurant with

The American Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch: World Cities 2012 Programme Viktor (1986), Rome, Italy June 6 & 7, Sadler’s Wells Nur Du (Only You) (1996), California, USA June 9 & 10, Barbican – UK première …como el musguito en la piedra, ay si si si… (2009), Santiago, Chile June 12 & 13, Sadler’s Wells – UK première Bamboo Blues (2007), India June 15 & 16 , Barbican – UK première

the customers’ own inner turmoil being made manifest to the ghostly strains of Purcell and the arranging and rearranging of the chairs and tables. Vollmond is an exuberant piece where her troupe splash around on a waterlogged stage dominated by a huge rock. Set design, lighting and costume were always integral to Bausch’s work and this visual focus of course lends itself perfectly to the 3D camera. The only slight drawback of 3D is its inability to deal with rapid movement but this is more than compensated for by its ability to put you in there or more precisely to put the dancer ‘out there’. For Pina fans the film is a wallow and for those new to her work it’s an intriguing introduction.

Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch: World Cities 2012 preview The film Pina provided a useful opportunity recently to launch what is likely to be one of the cultural highlights of London 2012. Sadler’s Wells and the Barbican Centre in London have convinced the inheritors of Tanztheater Wuppertal, co-artistic directors Robert Strum and Dominque Mercy

Água, (l-r) Regina Advento, Jorge Puerta Armenta, Anna Wehsarg, June 28 & 29, Barbican © ULLI WEISS

(one of her famous dancers) to bring an unprecedented ten of her pieces to London for a pre-Olympics festival of her work. Seven of these will be UK premières and they will be staged at the Barbican and Sadler’s Wells This represents a real coup for London. Bausch famously kept her repertoire in almost permanent tour but sadly didn’t come to London very often. In 1986 she began a series of very fruitful collaborations with art institutions in cities around the world. These ten productions were created at the invitation of specific global cities. Living in each city for a period of time, her multinational company of dancers would then return to Wuppertal to create a new work inspired by their visit; a choreographic travelogue deeply informed by its host location. This series makes a perfect fit therefore for London’s cultural Olympiad with its theme of ‘the world comes to London’. Pina Bausch’s influence on theatre, dance, film and video has been profound and this provides a fantastic opportunity for those new to her to see what all the fuss is about.

Der Fensterputzer (The Window Washer) (1997), Hong Kong, China June 18 & 19, Sadler’s Wells – UK première Ten Chi (2004), Japan June 21 & 22, Barbican – UK première Néfés (2003), Istanbul, Turkey June 24 & 25, Sadler’s Wells – UK première Água (2001), Brazil June 28 & 29, Barbican Palermo Palermo (1989), Palermo, Sicily July 1 & 2, Sadler’s Wells Wiesenland (2000), Budapest, Hungary July 8 & 9, Sadler’s Wells – UK première Tickets and further information can be obtained from www.london2012.com/culture Ten Chi, Nazareth Pandero, June 15 & 16, Barbican © URSULA KAUFMANN

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THEATER PREVIEWS The company’s formidable British/ American cast includes Maureen Anderman, Haydn Gwynne, Chuk Iwuji, Gemma Jones, and Chandler Williams.

ROBERT WILSON

Joyce DiDonato Is Cendrillon

Spacey Stars in Bridge Project’s Richard III The Bridge Project is a unique coproduction venture between The Old Vic, BAM (Brooklyn Academy of Music) and Sam Mendes’ company Neal Street which takes top-level classical theatre on tour to international audiences. This year it stars Kevin Spacey, the Artistic Director of The Old Vic, in the title role of Richard III. The Bridge Project opens at The Old Vic on June 29 then travels to the Athens & Epidaurus Festival, Spain’s Centro Niemeyer, Hong Kong Arts Festival and Singapore Repertory Theatre, arriving at BAM’s Harvey Theater in New York in January 2012. Further dates will be announced later. It will again be directed by Sam Mendes, who Kevin Spacey worked with on the film American Beauty, for which they both won BAFTA and Academy Awards. Kevin Spacey says about Mendes, “I love Sam’s perspective on a role, carving and shaping the actor. With such a remarkable character before me I have a feeling this one is going to be a memorable experience.”

American mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato is starring in the title role of Cendrillon (Cindarella), directed by Laurent Pelly, whose previous productions for The Royal Opera include La Fille du Régiment, L’elisir d’amore, and last Season’s Manon. Pelly’s production was first performed at Santa Fe Opera in 2006 in which DiDonato also played Cendrillon. Joyce DiDonato debuted with The Royal Opera in 2003 as Fox in The Cunning Little Vixen, and she has also played Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni and Rosina in Il barbiere di Siviglia at Covent Garden. She famously sang Rosina from a wheelchair after breaking her ankle in 2009. On July 13, you can see Cendrillon on giant outdoor screens at various locations as part of the BP Summer Big Screens series, live relays from the Royal Opera House’s auditorium to

Joyce DiDonato

giant screens across the UK, enabling anyone to enjoy world class opera and ballet for free. They are at Trafalgar Square and Canada Square, Canary Wharf in London; High House Production Park, Purfleet; Millennium Square, Bristol; Market Place, Derby; Market Square, Dover; Festival Square, Edinburgh; Centre Square, Middlesbrough; Chapelfield Plain, Norwich; The Piazza, Plymouth and Castle Square, Swansea.

European Premier of Sondheim’s Road Show Stephen Sondheim’s latest musical, Road Show, is on at the Menier Chocolate Factory from June 24 to September 18. It follows the acclaimed productions of the theatre’s productions of Sondheim’s Sunday in the Park with George and A Little Night Music. Road Show (originally entitled Wise Guys, then Bounce) is the true boomand-bust story of the architect Addison Mizner and his fast-talking brother Wilson, two of the most colourful and outrageous fortune-seekers in American history. From panning for gold in Alaska to building the city of Boca Raton in Florida, they were driven by the need to succeed at whatever cost. Unfortunately, they left a trail of debts, disastrous relationships (including their own as brothers) and unfulfilled dreams. Sondheim and book writer John Weidman took the tone of Road Show from the ‘Road’ movies, which starred Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, and Dorothy Lamour and blended comedy with adventure, romance, and music. The new production is directed and designed by Tony Award-winning John Doyle who returns to the UK after taking Broadway by storm with his scaled-down, emotional productions of Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd and Company, and features American actor David Bedella. H

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All or Nothing News Alison Holmes wonders why ‘treacle’ is smothering real news while Britain votes on its voting system and the U.S. gets flaky facts on the bin Laden story

t’s official. We live in a world of all-or-nothing news. Perhaps, as news consumers, we can only take one tragedy like Japan at a time. Or maybe our media guardians have concluded we can’t understand stories like the skirmishes and stand-offs in the Middle East if we have to concentrate on other things. Or, more plausibly, the business model for today’s media means that the maw of 24-hour coverage has to be fed and the resources used to fly name brand presenters around the world have to ‘justified’ leaving the news consumer with one story at a time. This rush to publish and over-saturation explains both sensationalism and news fatigue on the ‘big stories’ as well as the tendency to ignore stories that have long term impact but a slower burn rate. The recent news atmosphere is a case in point. We went from a period in which real news was replaced with ‘treacle’ only to rush headlong into a chorus of ‘ding dong the witch is dead’ – while covering constitutional news as a mere personality spat. Leaving aside the coverage of Japan and the Middle East, let’s start with the treacle – the recent spate of

monarchy mania. This phenomenon produced, on both sides of the Atlantic, a period in which all perspective, and cost consciousness, was thrown to the wind as the purveyors of confection - journalists - sold a royal sweetness so intense it could induce sugar comas just by watching. This could be passed off as an occasional blip, but two observations suggest it may be the consequence of something else. First, ‘news lite’ is the business of the infotainment and news-o-mercial world. As the public increasingly turns to movie stars and comics to shape their opinions it is hardly surprising that the ‘evening news’ has lost the line between real stuff and fluff. Second, while the happy royal couple is certainly not the cause, the coverage should force questions of: does this trend reflect demand – or supply? Do we get what we ask for, or do the media give us what they think we need to know? More confusing, do they give us the ‘facts’ or just echo cyberspace and recycle their blog? In the worst of all worlds, it may be that our leaders now assume we will tune out of the story soon enough and give us the

version they like best – corrections optional. The royal nuptials story has happily (ever after?) come to its natural conclusion, but even as it was chuntering through the media gristmill, another issue was being badly affected. Unfortunately for the health of democracy, politics lends itself to a reality television approach. Who is ‘up’ or ‘down’ is a minute-byminute assessment made possible by the constant live mic. In the absence of a real goal or purpose, ‘community’ interaction becomes petty predictions of who will get ‘voted off ’. ‘Regular’ elections have increasingly suffered from this approach, but its corrosive capacity has been accentuated during the course of the British referendum on the voting system.

AV or not AV...

God did not hand down ‘First Past the Post’ (FPTP) in the Ten Commandments. Nor, more relevant to the UK, did it appear in 1066, the Magna Carta, the Acts of Union or even the various Representation of the People Acts. FPTP evolved, like every voting system in the world, as the imperfect product of ideas and practice. Lofty notions of politics, human nature and the role of government were thrown against nasty, brutish electoral reality and party political machines. There is no system wrought by humans that does not result from such a combination. That is why the UK currently has no less

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than six electoral systems. Different ideas, concerns and objectives prevailed at different times and places, thus different solutions were found. Some assert that proportional systems encourage extremists. If so, why was Northern Ireland given Proportional Representation. All the main parties at the time agreed that a system of Single Transferable Vote would not only provide better representation, but soften the edges of extremism. It is always fascinating to see politicians raise spectres they assume no one will remember. The only problem is that particular ghost is alive and well and living in Belfast. Also, this debate did not begin with the coalition, hatching in the mind of Nick Clegg last May. Given the fact FPTP has not always been the electoral system of the UK, it stands to reason there has also been a long debate and an equally long history of different systems. The fact that the Liberals supported a version of AV recommended by a Royal Commission in 1909 – when they were in sole power leading one of the most progressive governments in British history – should have been a clue. History also shows the Labour Party’s divisions when offered the chance to give real power to individuals, and the Conservatives’ arrogant tendency to believe they know best. History repeated itself as the (Conservative) Prime Minister pandered to those who feel he went too far to accommodate the LibDems, and the (Labour) Leader of the Opposition mouthed support for reform but attempted to tie failure to the tail of the (LibDem) Deputy PM. The sadness and irony of the defeat of AV is that the outcome may be the more accurate reflection of the world. Proportional systems are designed to allow for diversity.

By creating a space open to other opinions, they can be better reflected in policy. These features work against the flood of modern and media life. The trend of technology to fracture any sense of the common good by isolating people from groups that do not agree with them means they are increasingly unprepared to compromise. The propensity of the media to parrot (mis)information and cannibalise the debate by trivialising and personalising the issues leaves little room for mature discussion. The possibility of a sorely needed long-term perspective and a political system based on consensus and cooperation may have been lost for a generation. If these British examples were not enough to make the point the coverage of the death of Osama bin Laden should provide proof positive. There is something disturbing about both the cynicism of the White House in offering information that was so completely at odds with the truth and the alacrity of the press to repeat them. Of course it is possible to have differing versions of a tense event. There were two, no three people. They

Above: Japan, Libya, Syria, bin Laden... we forgot them all and wallowed in the sugar-sweetness of the Royal Wedding HUGO BURNAND

Opposite page: Nick Clegg (photographed at the 2011 World Economic Forum) © WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM SWISS-IMAGE.CH PHOTO BY MORITZ HAGE

were all upstairs, no, one was on the stairs... on it goes. However, there is one simple fact that stands out cold: he was only shot twice – both classic ‘kill shots’. Does such precision really sound like a ‘fierce fire fight’? Shouldn’t that have made journalists ask more questions? Shouldn’t it have given the President pause? But, having primed the press corps for a ‘big story’ he decided he couldn’t wait for accuracy lest, God forbid, it leak. He chose instead to trump Trump (himself a media concoction) on a Sunday night. The crowds danced and journalists told the story of where they were when they heard the story and we all thought we knew what had happened. Silly us. It would appear that in media as in politics, it remains first past the post. We are all the lesser for it. H

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Tougher Bug

car that was strictly utilitarian in Europe but became a huge cult success in the United States is being reinvented – again. This time it’s a case of back to the future, but no, Volkswagen have not given the Beetle a stainless steel body and gull-wing doors, or fitted a flux capacitor. The latest generation Beetle moves away from the rounded 1998 design, drawing on design cues from the original Beetle with elements from the Ragster concept shown in Detroit in 2005. It’s longer, wider and lower. The roof extends back further, the windscreen is shifted back and the rear section is more like the original’s. Boot space rises to 310 litres from the ’98 New Beetle’s stingy 209 litres. Somehow it manages to look tougher, while having a more ‘Herbie-esque’ face. The new car goes on sale in the U.S. in the fall, then Europe and the UK early in 2012. Here, a choice of four engines will be offered: three petrol –1.2litre TSI 105 PS (euro-horses), 1.4-litre TSI 160 PS and 2.0-litre TSI 200 PS. There’s just one diesel – a 1.6-litre 105 PS with BlueMotion Technology which, with Stop/Start and battery regeneration, should give a combined fuel consumption of 65.7 mpg and carbon dioxide emissions of 112 g/km.

Caterham Becomes Lotus Again

portscar maker Caterham Cars was born when Lotus supremo Colin Chapman stopped production of the Lotus 7 to move onto more modern designs. Since 1973, Caterham have kept the faith for fans of the two-seater, regarded by many as the ultimate sportscar for its blend of simplicity, lightness, affordability and performance. Now it has been purchased by Tony Fernandes, Kamarudin Meranun and SM Nasarudin, the men behind Team Lotus Formula 1, who aim to expand the company’s profile and product range. Caterham will still be led by the existing management team, headed up by MD, Ansar Ali. Under Ali, Caterham have expanded exports and created the iconic Superlight R500 – the mega-fast version of the ‘Seven’ that was Top Gear’s Car of the Year for 2008 – and the stunning SP/300.R sports prototype racer. Ali said, “We will remain entirely true to the philosophy that we, as custodians of one man’s motoring concept, have protected for nearly 40 years. However, the acquisition of the company by Team Lotus Enterprise will allow our existing management team to take Caterham’s core spirit of pure driving enjoyment to a hitherto un-served audience.”

Chevy Wins Against Odds

hevrolet, last year’s winners of the British Touring Car Championship drivers’ and manufacturers’ titles, have suffered under new rules which allow unrestricted turbocharged cars a significant power advantage over Chevy’s normally aspirated S2000 class cars. However they had reason to celebrate at Thruxton, Hampshire. In the first of three races reigning champion Jason Plato picked up a puncture and crashed heavily into

the tire wall. Race 2 saw him take 7th place and his young team-mate Alex McDowell a creditable 8th despite illness. But in Race 3 Plato drove a perfect race from second on the grid to take victory, McDowell finishing 8th. Plato said, “I had to drive each lap like it was a qualifying lap. I think the series organisers have to look long and hard at the disparity between turbo and S2000 cars before the next round.”

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Jaguar’s C-X75 Hybrid a Reality

Motor Mayhem Hits Sunny Sussex

he Goodwood Festival of Speed is a must-go-to event for anyone with petrol in their veins. This year ( July 1 to 3) there are two extra reasons for Americans to visit the gorgeous stately home in West Sussex that just happens to run the world’s best classic event in its garden, with a mental flint wall-lined hillclimb up its drive. For 2011 Goodwood salutes the centenary of the Indianapolis 500, with over 30 significant Indy cars, making it the largest celebration of Indy outside the U.S. Drivers will include Emerson Fittipaldi, Bobby Unser and Bobby Rahal in their Indy-winning cars. On April 1st, Goodwood’s owner and motor-racing fan par excellence Lord March announced, “As well as having a line-up of 33 significant Indy cars (the number which traditionally start the 500) on the Goodwood Hill, plus many winning drivers and famous Indy 500 pageantry, we will be covering the Goodwood hillclimb with over a million bricks to accurately replicate the very first Indianapolis 500 mile race in 1911.” That date again, April 1st… Another century will be scored at Goodwood by Chevrolet, who

celebrate 100 years of the brand with iconic historic models alongside their new Volt, Corvette, Camaro, Orlando, New Captiva and Cruze 5-dr against a backdrop showing Chevrolet’s history in the form of an American road trip. Chevy’s British Touring Car Driver’s Championship winning team will also appear, so expect to see at least one of the BTCC Cruzes attacking the hill in anger. Goodwood boasts important cars and bikes, ancient and modern, plus F1 teams, Le Mans cars and drivers, rally stars and World Superbike and TT legends.

A Good Cause at Goodwood

If you’re staying in the Goodwood area after the Festival of Speed, here’s a way to have some extra fun while supporting a worthwhile cause. On July 4 and 5 Goodwood Motor Circuit hosts an event in support of Winston’s Wish, a charity that helps bereaved children and their families. Enjoy a Cocktail Party, and a day of on and off track activities, auction, car displays, driving instruction, air display, celebrity drivers and hot laps on track. All for just £275 plus a prize for the raﬄe, valued at £25. info@bakercarr.com.

aguar has confirmed that its show-stopping C-X75 hybrid concept car will be made. The hybrid supercar will deliver incredibly low CO2 emissions of less than 99g/km, a top speed topping of 200mph and have an electric-only range of more than 35 miles. Perfect for the transcontinental commute, then. Some of this remarkable performance is down to the link up between Jaguar and Williams F1 who are providing engineering help in aerodynamics, carbon composite manufacture – the chassis will be made of carbon-fibre – and hybrid technologies. Jaguar are not defining the motor size yet, but C-X75 will use a state-of-the-art, small-capacity, highly-boosted internal combustion engine with a powerful electric motor at each axle. It’s a looker too. “We were always determined that the Jaguar C-X75 would be as striking on the road as it was in concept form,” said Ian Callum, Director of Design, Jaguar Cars. “This will be the finest looking and most innovative Jaguar ever produced. Even in the world of supercars, we can still produce the most beautiful.” Some claim! Only 250 examples will be built, each costing between £700,000 and £900,000 depending on market and local taxes. H

The American

Hunters and Prey

The 2011 NFL Draft was headlined by a clutch of new quarterbacks, and by those seeking to bury them in the turf. Richard L Gale hands out some grades.

ommissioner Roger Goodell stepped up to the mic, was loudly booed, and announced quarterback Cam Newton as the first of four QBs taken in the opening 12 picks of the 2011 NFL Draft. By consensus, it wasn’t a great year for QBs, yet it was good enough for six of them to go in the first 36 selections. It certainly wasn’t a great year for QB safety: beyond the headline signal-callers, draft coverage resembled a three-day long highlight reel of college passers getting sacked, with a record 12 defensive linemen taken in the first round alone. Counterbalancing that, six offensive tackles were also chosen in round one. However, with no free agency between the end of last season and the start of the draft, and no opportunity to sign undrafted free agents immediately after the draft, grades remain strangely detached from the rest of the offseason process. We won’t really know how well the teams did in terms of satisfying positional needs until after the mad scramble once the NFL gets back to regular business. Arizona Cardinals

Grade B-

R1(5) Patrick Peterson, CB, LSU / R2 Ryan Williams, RB, VT / R3 Robert Housler, TE, FAU / R4 Sam Acho, OLB; Texas / R5 Anthony Sherman, FB, UConn / R6 Quan Sturdivant, ILB, UNC / David Carter, DT, UCLA / R7 Demarco Sampson, WR, San Diego St.

Peterson will be a force opposite Dominique RodgersCromartie. Williams is a first round talent at second round cost, with vision and quick, hole-hitting, cutback running that suits the NFL if the line is half-way decent. However, the Cardinals took no OLs or a QB. Baltimore Ravens

Grade B

R1(27) Jimmy Smith, CB, Colorado / R2 Torrey Smith, WR, Maryland / R3 Jah Reid, OT, Central Florida / R4 Tandon Doss, WR, Indiana / R5 Chykie Brown, CB, Texas / Pernell McPhee, DE, Miss St. / R6 Tyrod Taylor, QB, Virginia Tech / R7 Anthony Allen, RB, Georgia Tech.

The Ravens tried to deal out of pick 26, but will be more than happy with CB Jimmy Smith. Torrey Smith brings a good character/speed combination that should see him mix in early, but don’t overlook fellow WR Tandon Doss, a drive-making 6’2” target with great hands. Buffalo Bills

Grade B

R1(3) Marcell Dareus, DT, Ala. / R2 Aaron Williams, DB, Texas / R3 Kelvin Sheppard, LB, LSU / R4 Da’Norris Searcy, SS, UNC / Chris Hairston, OT, Clemson / R5 Johnny White, RB, UNC / R6 Chris White, ILB, Miss St. / R7 Justin Rogers, CB, Richmond / Michael Jasper, DT, Bethel.

Coach Gailey passed on a star passer at pick 3, and avoided the QB frenzy thereafter. The Bills took four defenders in the top 100 picks, taken with an eye for improving the league-worst rush defense. It’s likely their first three selections will be starters by midseason. Carolina Panthers

Grade B-

R1(1) Cam Newton, QB, Auburn / R3 Terrell McClain, DT, USF / R3 Sione Fua, NT, Stanford / R4 Brandon Hogan, CB, West Virginia / R5 Kealoha Pilares, WR, Hawaii / R6 Lawrence Wilson, OLB, UConn / Zachary Williams, C, Washington St. / R7 Lee Ziemba, OT, Auburn.

Cam Newton’s massive athletic talent is no guarantee of success as a ‘franchise’ pro passer, but he’ll sell plenty of tickets in the Carolinas. The Panthers matched needs yet there’s a risk that much of this draft could flame out. That’s not so good for a first-overall class.

Cincinnati Bengals

Grade B

R1(4) A.J. Green, WR, Georgia / R2 Andy Dalton, QB, TCU / R3 Dontay Moch, DE-OLB, Nevada / R4 Clint Boling, OG, Georgia / R5 Robert Sands, FS, West Virginia / R6 Ryan Whalen, WR, Stanford / R7 Korey Lindsey, CB, Southern Illinois / Jay Finley, RB, Baylor.

The Bengals aren’t going to let their passing game slide. After last year’s receiving recruits, they added the biggest-name WR in the draft, then unbeatable TCU QB Andy Dalton as a marketable young passer to succeed Carson Palmer. And they avoided higher-risk players. Cleveland Browns

Grade B-

R1(21) Phil Taylor, DT, Baylor / R2 Jabaal Sheard, DE, Pittsburgh / Greg Little, WR, UNC / R4 Jordan Cameron, TE, USC / Owen Marecic, FB, Stanford / R5 Buster Skrine, CB, Tenn-Chattanooga / Jason Pinkston, OT, Pittsburgh / R7 Eric Hagg, FS, Nebraska

The Browns traded out of pick 6, gaining a slew of Atlanta picks, but didn’t deliver a marquee player. However, assuming NT Phil Taylor can play DT in a 4-3 and Greg Little’s inactive 2010 isn’t a problem, this draft delivers deep sustained talent to a team that needs it. Dallas Cowboys

Grade B+

R1(9) Tyron Smith, OT, USC / R2 Bruce Carter, OLB, UNC / R3 DeMarco Murray, RB, Oklahoma / R4 David Arkin, OL, Missouri St. / R5 Josh Thomas, CB, Buffalo / R6 Dwayne Harris, WR, East Carolina / R7 Shaun Chapas, FB, Georgia / Bill Nagy, C, Wisconsin.

Two 6’5” 300lb OLs, including the first OT taken in the draft, and Nagy is a nice R7. Murray could thrive here, and Carter was a steal if (big if) his ACL injury clears up – worth the R2 gamble. Harris could be an ace slot receiver, but these are work-in rather than impact picks. Denver Broncos

Grade C+

R1(29) Gabe Carimi, OT, Wisconsin / R2 Stephen Paea, DT, Oregon St. / R3 Chris Conte, SS, California / R5 Nathan Enderle, QB, Idaho / R6 James Thomas, LB, West Virginia.

R1(2) Von Miller, OLB, Texas A&M / R2 Rahim Moore, FS, UCLA / Orlando Franklin, OT/OG, Miami / R3 Nate Irving, ILB, N.C. State / R4 Quinton Carter, CB/SS, Oklahoma / Julius Thomas, TE, Portland St. / R6 Mike Mohamed, LB, California / R7 Virgil Green, TE, Nevada / Jeremy Beal, DE-OLB, Oklahoma.

A bungled trade attempt wasn’t a good start, but coldweather OT Carimi matched need. Tongan tackler Paea was a solid R2 pick, but Chris Conte was a flat-footed R3 choice. WR was ignored, and more OL picks would have been nice. A sometimes inept draft, but not terrible.

Von Miller was the best LB in the draft by some margin and is a no-risk producer. They added two more LBs, two DBs and two TEs, but didn’t address a D-line that has been screaming for attention until Round 7 – can Miller do that much for their horrible sack on his own?

Chicago Bears

Grade C-

The American

Grade A-

R1(6) Julio Jones, WR, Alabama / R3 Akeem Dent, ILB, Georgia / R5 Jacquizz Rodgers, RB. Oregon St. / R6 Matt Bosher, P, Miami / R7 Andrew Jackson, OG, Fresno St. / Cliff Matthews, DE-OLB, S Carolina.

The Falcons paid 2 firsts, a second and 2 fourths to get into position to take Julio Jones (pictured right). That’s expensive, but a franchise desperate for back-to-back plaayoff appearances believes the formula reads: Roddy White + Julio Jones + Tony Gonzalez = uncoverable. The Falcons traded up again for Rodgers, a durable 5’6” RB. These may sound like expensive toys, but from Dent’s tackling to Bosher’s punts, to the depth provided by Jackson, and the work ethic of Matthews, the Falcons landed keepers. Aside from TE, they matched need. Detroit Lions

Grade B+

R1(13) Nick Fairley, DT, Auburn / R2 Titus Young, WR, Boise St. / Mikel Leshoure, RB, Illinois / R5 Douglas Hogue, OLB, Syracuse / R7 Johnny Culbreath, OT, South Carolina St.

Ndamukong Suh’s arrival raised the Lions’ sack tally, and now they add the disruptive Fairley – scary! Offensively, Young adds a deep target to enhance the threat of Calvin Johnson and Nate Burleson, while Mikel Leshoure brings a big back mentality to pair with Jahvid Best. All three improve the situation around them. Green Bay Packers

Grade B+

R1(32) Derek Sherrod, OT, Mississippi St. / R2 Randall Cobb, WR, Kentucky / R3 Alex Green, RB, Hawaii / R4 Davon House, CB, New Mexico St. / R5 D.J. Williams, TE, Arkansas / R6 Caleb Schlauderaff, OG, Utah / D.J. Smith, OLB, Appalachian St. / Ricky Elmore, DE, Arizona / R7 Ryan Taylor, TE, UNC / Lawrence Guy, DT, Arizona St.

Sherrod is a sure thing for a future spot at one of the tackle positions; Cobb blossomed into a 1000-yard receiver his senior year; Green is a powerful inside runner and proven receiver, though with some fumble issues. Every major need was addressed in some form. Houston Texans

Grade B-

R1(11) J.J. Watt, DE, Wisconsin / R2 Brooks Reed, DE-OLB, Arizona / Brandon Harris, CB, Miami / R4 Rashad Carmichael, CB, VT / R5 Shiloh Keo, SS, Idaho / T.J. Yates. QB, UNC / R7 Derek Newton, OT, Arkansas State / Cheta Ozougwu, DE-OLB, Rice.

Is this defense ever going to reach its potential? The Texans front seven is hardly short of talent, but the switch to a 3-4 required another investment of draft picks (apparently). Finally, mid-draft they loaded up on DBs, and took cover man Harris under-price. Indianapolis Colts

Grade B+

R1(22) Anthony Castonzo, OT, Boston College / R2 Ben Ijalana, OL, Villanova / R3 Drake Nevis, DT, LSU / R4 Delone Carter, RB, Syracuse / R6 Chris Rucker, CB, Michigan St.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE ATLANTA FALCONS

Atlanta Falcons

OL was the big concern, and the Colts threw their top two (of only five) picks there. Castonzo is smart, sound, proven and ready. Ijalana needs more work, but looks like another future starter. Nevis is a hard worker who, even with a locked-out offseason, could figure soon. Jacksonville Jaguars

Grade D

R1(10) Blaine Gabbert, QB, Missouri / R3 William Rackley, OG, Lehigh / R4 Cecil Shorts, WR, Mount Union / Chris Prosinski, S, Wyoming / R5 Rod Issac, CB, Middle Tennessee St.

Gabbert is not an immediate upgrade to David Garrard, so why trade up to take someone who’s going to stand on the sidelines for a year or more? The other picks all come from lower-level programs, and a small draft netted little that will make a big difference to an 8-8 team. Kansas City Chiefs

Grade A-

R1(26) Jonathan Baldwin, WR, Pitt. / R2 Rodney Hudson, C, FSU / R3 Justin Houston, OLB, Georgia / Allen Bailey, DE, Miami / R4 Jalil Brown, CB, Colorado / R5 Ricky Stanzi, QB, Iowa / Gabe Miller, OLB, Oregon St. / R6 Jerrell Powe, DT, Mississippi / R7 Shane Bannon, FB, Yale.

The Chiefs traded down in R1 to take Baldwin, big deep target who could make a tidy passing game dangerous, while Hudson adds to an already good running game. From Houston to Miller, KC addressed needs on defense too, consolidating their new role as AFC contenders. Miami Dolphins

Grade: B-

R1(15) Mike Pouncey, OG, Florida / R2 Daniel Thomas, RB, Kansas St. / R4 Edmond Gates, WR, Abilene Christian / R6 Charles Clay, TE, Tulsa / R7 Frank Kearse, DT, Alabama A&M / Jimmy Wilson, CB, Montana.

‘Sure thing’ Pouncey helps build a solid line, defensetenderizing RB Thomas was a wise selection considering the age of Miami’s backfield, and Gates brings Ted Ginnlike speed to stretch the field at a Brian Hartline-like cost. Not picking a QB shocked some, but a veteran free agent would be a wiser challenge to Chad Henne.

New England Patriots

Grade B

R1(17) Nate Solder, OT, Colorado / R2 Ras-I Dowling, CB, Virginia / Shane Vereen, RB, Cal. / R3 Stevan Ridley, RB, LSU / Ryan Mallett, QB, Arkansas / R5 Marcus Cannon, OL, TCU / Lee Smith, TE, Marshall / R6 Markell Carter, OLB, Central Arkansas / R7 Malcolm Williams, CB, TCU.

Bill Belichick takes players who fit his system, and because they fit, we grade the selections higher. However, did the Pats really need back-to-back RBs in R2-3? As usual the Pats dealings also netted future picks. New Orleans Saints

Grade A-

R1(24) Cameron Jordan, DE, California / R1(28) Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama / R3 Martez Wilson, OLB, Illinois / Johnny Patrick, CB, Louisville / R7 Greg Romeus, DE, Pitts. / Nate Bussey, OLB, Illinois.

Ingram lacks great speed or shifty moves, but he’s a workhorse. Slashing pass rusher Cameron Jordan has the versatility to play anywhere from DT to OLB in his first season. The Saints balanced their draft between two players for now and some good raw talent. New York Giants

Grade B+

R1(19) Prince Amukamara, CB, Nebraska / R2 Marvin Austin, DT, UNC MICHAEL LE POER TRENCH / R3 Jerrel Jernigan, WR, Troy / R4 James Brewer, OT, Indiana / R6 Greg Jones, ILB, Michigan St. / Tyler Sash, SS, Iowa / Jacquian Williams, OLB, USF / R7 Da’Rel Scott, RB, Maryland.

Amukamara is a solid cover corner; Austin is less finished. The Giants rarely go far from BCS schools when drafting, so note Jernigan, a small, slot guy who has the moves and burst to turn short passes into massive gains. New York Jets

Grade C+

R1(30) Muhammad Wilkerson, DT, Temple / R3 Kenrick Ellis, DT, Hampton / R4 Bilal Powell, RB, Louisville / R5 Jeremy Kerley, WR, TCU / R7 Greg McElroy, QB, Alabama / Scotty McKnight, WR, Colorado.

Rex Ryan’s defense adds two big DLs: 315lb Wilkerson outside and 346lb Ellis inside. McElroy will be a career backup (in the most positive way) for years. However, OT was ignored as was LB. Just half a draft, really.

The American

PHOTO: MINNESOTA VIKINGS-STEVE SMITH PHOTOGRAPHY

Minnesota Vikings

Grade C

R1(12) Christian Ponder, QB, FSU / R2 Kyle Rudolph, TE, Notre Dame / R4 Christian Ballard, DT, Iowa / R5 Brandon Burton, CB, Utah / R6 Demarcus Love, OG, Ark. / Mistral Raymond, FS, USF / Brandon Fusco, C, Slippery Rock / Ross Homan, OLB, Ohio St. / R7 D’Aundre Reed, DE, Arizona / Stephen Burton, WR, West Texas A&M.

Ponder isn’t a bad QB, but he’s an R2-3 talent. The Vikings failed to trade down. Ponder has intangibles and smarts, but the price defies draft sense, and they’re bringing a warm-weather QB into a cold weather division. However, the Vikes took top TE Rudolph in R2 (though a severe hamstring injury means a risk factor), and actually got plus value with DT Ballard, a quick mover who fits the 4-3. By the time the Vikings reached the mid-rounds, they were consistently on-value and ended the day with ten selections to address needs. Oakland Raiders

Grade B-

R2 Stefen Wisniewski, OG-C, Penn St. / R3 Demarcus Van Dyke, CB, Miami / Joseph Barksdale, OT, LSU / R4 Chimdi Chekwa, CB, Ohio St. / R5 Denarius Moore, WR, Tennessee / R6 Richard Gordon, TE, Miami / R7 David Ausberry, WR, USC.

You have to smile at a new Wisniewski in Oakland, as well as the Raiders’ desire to draft speed at corner (twice). They all matched urgent needs, and though others were missed, there’s a lot here that will stick. Philadelphia Eagles

Grade B

R1(23) Danny Watkins, OG, Baylor / R2 Jaiquawn Jarret, SS, Temple / R3 Curtis Marsh, CB, Utah St. / R4 Casey Matthews, LB, Oregon / Alex Henery, K, Nebraska / R5 Dion Lewis, RB, Pitt. / Julian Vandervelde, OG, Iowa / R6 Jason Kelce, C, Cincinnati / Brian Rolle, OLB, Ohio St. / R7 Greg Lloyd, ILB, UConn / Stanley Havili, RB, USC.

Watkins is a 26-year old former fire fighter who grew up playing rugby and hockey. Jarret is a hard-nosed tackler of a safety. Matthews belongs to a three-generation football clan. A blue-collar draft throughout. Pittsburgh Steelers

Grade B-

R1(31) Cameron Heyward, DL, Ohio St. / R2 Marcus Gilbert, OT, Florida / R3 Curtis Brown, CB, Texas / R4 Cortez Allen, CB, Citadel / R5 Chris Carter, DE-OLB, Fresno St. / R6 Keith Williams, OT, Nebraska / R7 Baron Batch, RB, Texas Tech.

More football family connections: Heyward is the son of ‘Ironhead’ Heyward. Gilbert was essential for the line and for keeping Ben Roethlisberger’s nose vaguely noseshaped. A more impactful CB would have been nice, but this year’s vintage meant mid-draft investments. San Diego Chargers

Grade B+

R1(18) Corey Liuget, DT, Illinois / R2 Marcus Gilchrist, FS, Clemson / Jonas Mouton, OLB, Michigan / R3 Vincent Brown, WR, San Diego St. / Shareece Wright, CB, USC / R6 Jordan Todman, RB, UConn / Steve Schilling, OG, Michigan / R7 Andrew Gachkar, OLB, Missouri.

The Chargers have been leaking players recently, so multi-positional players help; Liuget and Gilchrist both fit the bill. Brown, Wright and Todman could all overachieve vs. draft positions. A fine draft without fanfare.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

San Francisco 49ers

The Bucs paired the sure selection of pass rusher Clayborn with the riskier choice of Bowers. If Bowers’ knee injury clears up, they’ve drafted a top 5 talent with the 51st pick. If last year’s two high-round DTs find health, Tampa’s D-line could get good in a hurry.

Grade B-

R1(7) Aldon Smith, DE-OLB, Missouri / R2 Colin Kaepernick, QB, Nevada / R3 Chris Culliver, CB, S. Carolina / R4 Kendall Hunter, RB, Oklahoma St. / R5 Daniel Kilgore, OG, Appalachian St. / R6 Ronald Johnson, WR, USC / Colin Jones, CB, TCU / R7 Bruce Miller, DE-OLB, UCF / Michael Person, OG, Montana St. / Curtis Holcomb, DB, Florida A&M.

The first DE off the board, a QB some felt could sneak into R1, and multiple depth at DB and guard. However, RB Kendall Hunter will probably factor in quicker than most of these. It’s a ho-hum class hidden beneath the relief that notice has been served on the Alex Smith era. Seattle Seahawks

Grade C+

R1(25) James Carpenter, OL, Ala. / R3 John Moffitt, G, Wisconsin / R4 K.J. Wright, LB, Miss St. / Kris Durham, WR, Georgia / R5 Richard Sherman, DB, Stanford / Mark Legree, FS, App. St. / R6 Byron Maxwell, DB, Clemson / R7 ‘Pep’ Levingston, DL, LSU / Malcolm Smith, OLB, USC.

Some expected Seattle to join the stampede for QBs, but they addressed the line early and the secondary late. The OLs are solid selections, but the Seahawks went overvalue too often to warrant a good grade. St Louis Rams

Grade B-

R1 Robert Quinn, DE-OLB, UNC / R2 Lance Kendricks, TE, Wisconsin / R3 Austin Pettis, WR, Boise St. / R4 Greg Salas, WR, Hawaii / R5 Jermale Hines, SS, Ohio St. / R7 Mikail Baker, CB, Baylor / Jabara Williams, OLB, Stephen F. Austin / Jonathan Nelson, FS, Oklahoma.

The two WRs have great hands and productivity, but neither is especially fast; double selection seems wasteful. The Rams also upgraded TE. Top pick Quinn has big potential, but is raw. This looks more ‘work-in-progress’ than ‘breakthrough’ ...though this is the NFC West.

Grade A

R1(20) Adrian Clayborn, DE, Iowa / R2 Da’Quan Bowers, DE-OLB, Clemson / R3 Mason Foster, LB, Washington / R4 Luke Stocker, TE, Tennessee / R5 Ahmad Black, SS, Florida / R6 Allen Bradford, RB USC / R7 Anthony Gaitor, DB, FIU / Daniel Hardy, TE, Idaho.

Tennessee Titans

Grade B

R1(8) Jake Locker, QB, Washington / R2 Akeem Ayers, OLB, UCLA / R3 Jurrell Casey, DT, USC / R4 Colin McCarthy, OLB, Miami / Jamie Harper, RB, Clemson / R5 Karl Klug, DL, Iowa / R6 Byron Stingily, OT, Louisville / R7 Zach Clayton, DT, Auburn / Tommie Campbell, DB, California (PA).

Locker’s high selection that started the ‘madness’ at QB, taken before Gabbert, but his leadership skills are considerable. Accuracy problems may be down to his supporting cast in college. The defensive players amongst this haul are very useable, and all needs were matched. Washington Redskins

Grade C+

R1(16) Ryan Kerrigan, DE, Purdue / R2 Jarvis Jenkins, DT, Clemson / R3 Leonard Hankerson, WR, Miami / R4 Roy Helu, RB, Neb. / R5 Dejon Gomes, SS, Neb. / Niles Paul, WR, Neb. / R6 Evan Royster, RB, Penn St. / Aldrick Robinson, WR, SMU / R7 Brandyn Thompson, CB, Boise St. / Maurice Hurt, OG, Fla. / Markus White, DE, FSU. / Chris Neild, NT, WVU.

Given 12 picks, it’s fair to expect Washington would exit with a QB, some OL help, a noteworthy WR and a starting OLB. Kerrigan is some pass rush, Hankerson is the receiver, but much as Helu is a runner in the old Broncos mould, Mike Shanahan didn’t tick all the boxes here. H

Catch our more detailed draft review online at www.theamerican.co.uk

The American

he tennis tour returns to its spiritual home of the All England Lawn Tennis Club this coming month, but don’t overlook the three Aegon tournaments preceding the Grand Slam. All four events off exceptional value for money – even roaming the outer courts of Wimbledon costs less than £20. While most of the big names in the Men’s tour can be found at the Aegon Championships (Queen’s Club in London) rather than the combined Aegon International, Eastbourne is still the destination for much of the Women’s top ten in the run up to Wimbledon. June is a great opportunity to witness lawn tennis on its traditional surface.

Aegon Classic, Birmingham

Ladies’ tournament, June 6-12 Location: Edgbaston Priory Club, Birmingham B15 2UZ Reigning Singles Champ: Na Li Confirmed to attend: Maria Sharapova, Marion Bartoli, Kaia Kanepi, Ekaterina Makarova, Yaroslava Shvedova, Vania King, Christina McHale, Alison Riske, Coco Vandeweghe, Jill Craybas Getting there: From M6, J6 for A38(M), then use the center lane through three tunnels and set of traffic lights; at the next lights turn right into Priory Road, then right after 50 meters. Tickets: £10 (Mon) to £28 per day

Born for the Lawn Aegon Championships, London

Men’s tournament, June 6-12 Location: Queen’s Club, London W14 9EQ Reigning Champ: Sam Querrey Confirmed to attend: Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, Mardy Fish, Andy Roddick, Sam Querrey, Richard Gasquet, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga Getting there: Public transport advisable: Baron’s Court Underground or bus routes 9, 10, 27, 28, 74, 190, 295, or 391. Tickets: £17 (Mon-Fri) to £98 per day

Aegon International, Eastbourne

Combined tournament, June 12-18 Location: Devonshire Park, Eastbourne, Sussex BN21 4JJ Reigning Singles Champs: Michael Llodra, Ekaterina Makarova Confirmed to attend: Vera Zvonareva, Francesca Schiavone, Venus Williams. Getting there: By car via A22 (London), A259 (Hastings) and A27 (Brighton); By train to Eastbourne Railway Station from London Victoria (80 mins). Tickets: £4 (Mon) to £41 per day

The Championships (Wimbledon)

Grand Slam Event Dates: June 20 to July 3 Location: London SW19 5AE Reigning Singles Champs: Rafael Nadal, Serena Williams Expected to attend: Everybody! Getting there: Parking costs in the region of £25, so public transport a must. District line (underground) to Wimbledon Station; then use London General shuttle bus service to The Championships. Tickets: Center, No.1 and No.2 courts (£35 to £110 depending on the day) extremely limited at the turnstiles. However, access to the grounds (and other courts) still costs downward of £20.

Websites: www.lta.org.uk and www.wimbledon.org

The American

Dream Trip

Olympic gold medal winner and WNBA star Dawn Staley in conversation with Josh Modaberi

awn Staley is one of the most famous American sports women of all time, a WNBA legend who helped the USA women’s basketball team win three Olympic gold medals. With the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream taking on the Great British women’s team at the MEN Arena in Manchester May 29, Staley believes it is a great opportunity for fans to watch top quality basketball. “It will be a fast paced game and these women are incredible athletes. Some of the players will be able to play above the rim, but for the most

part it will be a game of great execution.” When the NBA has come across the pond to England, every game, pre-season and regular season have seen sell out crowds, and the former Houston Comets Guard feels the WNBA can achieve a similar success. “I think the WNBA has done a tremendous job trying to promote the game. You can see the affect the WNBA has had in the States and we will be hoping we can get that same fan support in the UK. “We have piggy backed on the Olympic games coming over to the UK next year and it is a win-win situation. We are capitalising on the great timing and it will give the kids an opportunity to see basketball being played by some incredible women.” As well being successful for WNBA teams Houston and Charlotte, Staley also helped lead her country to three Olympic gold medals, the first coming on home soil at the 1996 Atlanta games, and the star from Philadelphia believes it was a massive boost for the Great British men and women’s basketball teams to be allowed to participate at London 2012. “At each Games the host country get to play and I think it does wonders for little girls’ dreams.”

Catch all of this interview on The American’s website: www.theamerican.co.uk

en Shamrock began his legendary Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) career back in 1993 and has since headlined over 15 main events and co-main events for the Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC) and Pride Fighting Championships. Shamrock is known as the ‘The Worlds Most Dangerous Man’ and he is considered a legend within the sport of MMA. The fighter from Macon, Georgia at first didn’t think the UFC would ever become as big as it has after competing at the first ever UFC event back in 1993 in front of 2,800 people in Denver. “When you are actually in the mix and you are fighting and training and trying to be the best at it you don’t quite think that far in advance,” Shamrock said. “You just think about what your next fight is and about winning, so I never really got the chance to really think about where it was going to go. “I think the point at which I found out how important it really was, was when it came back after it had been shut down and then it started to become more televised. “That’s when I realised it was going to stick around and it was going to be something that would never go away.” In a career that has been going for 18 years, Shamrock has won a number of accolades during that time and the MMA star has a number of career highlights. “There are a couple of them,” the 47-year-old said. “The first one was in Japan when I won the first ever heavyweight title in Pancrase, defeating my former trainer Masakatsu Funaki and in doing so became the first foreigner to win that title. “The second one will have to be

The American

Welcome to the Lion’s Den

MMA legend and former WWE star Ken Shamrock talks to Josh Modaberi

in the UFC, where I was the first superfight heavyweight champion.” As well as competing in the Octagon Shamrock has also entered the four sided ring, and during his time in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) won the Intercontinental championship as well as the 1998 King of the Ring tournament. Over the past couple of years a number of wrestlers including, Brock Lesnar, Bobby Lashley and Dave Batista have made the move into MMA, but Shamrock feels they have gone into the deep end to quickly. “I think all of them have the ability to do well but I think they have started out to fast,” Shamrock continued. “They needed to get a couple of fights under their belts but instead they got thrown in right at the top. “It is hard to do, even though you may be good enough to win some of the fights, but you really have to get experience in the ring before you try jumping into the top mix.” Having helped to make the UFC what it is today and with lots of stand-out matches under his belt the last time Shamrock stepped inside the UFC Octagon was for the conclusion of the Shamrock v Tito Ortiz trilogy in 2006 and he would like to make a return to the eight sided ring. “I helped create the UFC along with Royce Gracie and Dan Severn,” said Shamrock. “And when I was

fighting those guys and the likes of Tito we were creating big numbers. “It would be a shame if I couldn’t be a part of that again, because we were the ones that helped make it to where it is at these days for those guys to be making the money they are making.” With that being said Shamrock is not scheduled to appear in the UFC in the near future but that isn’t stopping him as he has a lot of things going on including his famous Lion’s Den schools. Shamrock explains what aspiring MMA fighters have to endure when they enter the Lion’s Den and it isn’t for the faint hearted. “The try outs for the Lion’s Den include, running three miles, 300 squats, 500 sit ups, 200 push ups,” he continued. “After that you have to bear-crawl up steep hills carrying barrels of water and sand bags. “If you make it that far you have to fight for 30 minutes straight of boxing then another 30 minutes of grappling. It usually takes between four and six hours to complete one of these try outs.” It may sound pretty gruelling but Shamrock has reaped the rewards of all the hard work he

put having won titles in a number of different promotions. However one of the proudest moments was when he was the first MMA fighter to be inducted in the UFC Hall of Fame. “It was a real honour being the first fighter to be inducted into the Hall of Fame,” Shamrock said. “I really appreciated it is something that will go down in history and that will never change.” H

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