From long-awaited sequels to deep embarrassment

The Independent’s entertainment newsletter [View in browser]( [The Independent]( December 11, 2021 [The Independent]( Written by Louis Chilton The IndyArts Newsletter Hello! And welcome to another IndyArts newsletter. I’m Louis Chilton, filling in for Alex. It’s fair to say it’s been a somewhat turbulent week for the UK. The furore over the alleged Downing Street Christmas party that took place in breach of Covid restrictions has refused to abate, despite the resignation of Boris Johnson aide Allegra Stratton. Meanwhile, Covid guidelines have been updated to reflect the increasing proliferation of the omicron variant, with questions still remaining over a potential Christmas lockdown. But hey, at least Sex and the City’s back. Still wondering: Sarah Jessica Parker as Carrie Bradshaw in the ‘Sex and the City’ sequel series ‘And Just Like That...’ The long-awaited sequel to the hit HBO series, entitled And Just Like That… has not arrived without its fair share of drama, however. A reported behind-the-scenes feud between Sarah Jessica Parker and Kim Cattrall (the latter of whom did not return for the new series) has [continued to provoke comment among the cast](, while a huge early season twist has left fans thoroughly rattled. You can read Adam White’s piece about the relatable mess that was SATC’s Carrie [here](, or click [here]( for Olivia Petter’s take on how the series’ big twist betrayed everything that the original series was about. The Independent’s culture section has this week featured a number of great pieces, including Alexandra Pollard’s [compelling sit-down with the actor David Harewood](, and Annabel Nugent’s [interview with the comedian Jack Whitehall](, who talked about how he has “mined being posh for the best part of a decade”. Ed Cumming also [spoke to Italian filmmaker Paolo Sorrentino](, while Adam White chatted with [Scream creator Kevin Williamson](. On the comment side of things, we’ve also had an interesting argument from Kevin E G Perry, about why [Nic Cage was born to play Dracula](. [The Saturday Interview – Rita Ora]( [Oscars image]( Lucy Punch: ‘I’ve always liked people just verging on the grotesque. Not to be friends with, of course, but just to observe’ (Shutterstock) This week’s Saturday Interview is with Rita Ora, who spoke to Charlotte Cripps about IVF, her relationship with Taika Waititi, and why she is still “deeply embarrassed” to have broken lockdown last year. [Oscars image]( Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Lucy Punch, Keira Knightley, Annabelle Wallis and Matthew Goode in ‘Silent Night' Read an extract from our Saturday Interview below… “Last November, when households were banned from mixing indoors, she attended a “spur-of-the-moment” private party to celebrate her 30th birthday at restaurant Casa Cruz (which was not only paid £5,000 to reopen for the night, but also asked to turn off its CCTV cameras, according to police) in west London’s Notting Hill. It was branded by police “one of the most egregious and notorious” breaches of lockdown; Ora had returned from a work trip in Egypt and was supposed to be self-isolating for 14 days. On social media, she called it “a serious and inexcusable error of judgement”. Is it a big regret? “I am incredibly embarrassed,” she says. “I still feel embarrassed. And the regret...” Her eyes well up. “It’s really hard for me to talk about it. I just wish I had made a different choice. It makes me sad because it’s something I wish had never happened.” She understands the reaction. “People were making huge sacrifices at the time, and I let them down. And that hurts. It really hurts.” Ora’s mum, a psychiatrist for the NHS, suddenly appears in front of us with two plates of food. She’s clearly concerned about her daughter’s celebrity, and the scrutiny she comes under. “I don’t enjoy Rita’s fame,” she says. “I worry about what she’s eating. Is her tummy hurting? Does she have a temperature?” [Read the full interview here]( What to binge this week [Oscars image]( [Party Down]( If all this talk of Christmas parties has you hankering for a get-together, this cult sitcom might be the safest alternative. Starring Adam Scott, Ken Marino and Lizzie Caplan as members of a dysfunctional catering company working on the fringes of show business, Party Down treats each episode like an extended set piece, with each story set entirely within a different party. The series ran for two seasons from 2009 to 2010 before being savagely cancelled; with a revival having just been given the go-ahead by Starz, there’s never been a better time to acquaint yourself with this smart and hilarious series. Out and about [Trouble in Mind, National Theatre]( "A revival of Alice Childress’s powerful 1955 play Trouble in Mind transferred to the National after an acclaimed Broadway run earlier this year. Focusing on talented Black actor Wiletta (Tanya Moodie) who is confronted by stifling racial prejudice in the world of theatre, Trouble in Mind remains punchy and potent today, nearly seven decades after its conception. Running until 29 January. Buy tickets [here](. [A Chorus Line, Leicester Curve Theatre]( This bombastic musical opened in Leicester earlier this week, a revival of the hit 1975 musical by Marvin Hamlisch and Edward Kleban. It’s one of the most demanding shows out there, yet Ellen Kane’s choreography in the new production at the Leicester Curve is innovative in unexpected ways.” Premium subscribers can read the full review [here](. [Cabaret, Playhouse Theatre]( Jessie Buckley (Wild Rose; I’m Thinking of Ending Things) takes over the role made famous by Liza Minelli in this new staging of the seminal musical Cabaret. Buckley plays Sally Bowles, while Eddie Redmayne shares billing as the Kit Kat Club’s emcee, in what is one of the hottest theatre tickets of the year. Essential reading [Drake withdraws his 2022 Grammy nominations]( [Drake withdraws his 2022 Grammy nominations]( [25 brilliant films that bombed at the box office]( [25 brilliant films that bombed at the box office]( [25 brilliant films that bombed at the box office]( [25 brilliant films that bombed at the box office]( If you can spare a minute we’d love your [feedback]( on our newsletters. 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