Very lucky to have seen him in the wonderful 1983 premiere of Glengarry Glen Ross. Groundbreaking stuff, played with absolute conviction.

Someone will need to translate the ‘honourable member for’ code into names to use in local media…..

Wolf Hall is such an an exquisite description of how deeply religion was felt in the bones of its characters, whilst recognising that it was not the only motivator for their actions.

The real question is”ok, the first onset of COVID was unprecedented. But why then was the response to the second wave just as late and complacent?”

The US has an electoral college to choose the President. The EU has two electoral colleges to choose the President of the Commission: one of the democratically-elected leaders of the Member States, one of the democratically-elected MEPs.

Depressing to hear the Prime Minister reject the death penalty on the grounds that it “doesn’t work”, rather than that it is an unacceptable use of state power in a civilised democracy.

Excellent production, beautifully directed and expertly performed, led by the peerless Nicola Walker. Best new play for me since the Hills of California.

The Robert Harris and Gore Vidal cycles are great, as is “I Claudius”. But the best are often those written just a couple of decades ahead of the period covered, and the best of these is Middlemarch…..