The ObserverRoyal Shakespeare CompanyReviewRoyal Shakespeare theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon
Antonio and Bassanio are the revelation in Polly Findlay’s RSC productionThe Globe is currently staging The Merchant of Venice with Jonathan Pryce. Now the RSC have put it on. You might think this suggested a quest by directors for what makes a scapegoat. Yet Shakespeare’s meanings are more slippery than that. Rupert Goold’s galvanic casino version, revived at the end of last year, made this – one of Shakespeare’s most troublesome plays – look like an explosion of capitalism, a forerunner of Enron. Read More...
ShortcutsPsychologyResearch shows that when women get a whiff of their partner, it reduces stress hormones
The smell – and clothes – of a loved one could have a powerfully calming effect. So claims a study, published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, which tested 96 women, who were asked to randomly smell one of three scents – a male partner’s, a stranger’s or a neutral scent. Those who caught a whiff of their partner tended to experience a reduction in stress hormones, while those forced to sniff a stranger experienced the opposite. Read More...
Japan This article is more than 5 years old'Sick to my stomach': dolphin and penguins locked in derelict Japan aquariumThis article is more than 5 years oldAnger after hundreds of fish and reptiles have been left in tiny pools amid crumbling concrete since January
Anger is mounting in Japan after a dolphin, 46 penguins and hundreds of fish were found to have been abandoned for months in a derelict aquarium. Read More...