Will Poulter, Wet Leg and Ed Sheeran's court verdict

The Independent’s entertainment newsletter [View in browser]( [The Independent]( April 09, 2022 [The Independent]( Written by Louis Chilton   The IndyArts Newsletter   Hello and welcome back to the IndyArts newsletter. I’m Louis Chilton, filling in for the next few weeks. How’s everybody doing? Glad to hear it. Compared to the post-Oscars drama of last week, the past seven days of news has all seemed rather tame. But that’s not to say that nothing has happened. Pink Floyd released their first new music since 1994, in aid of the people of Ukraine – you can read Kevin EG Perry’s review [here](. Ed Sheeran won a significant legal victory, after it was ruled that he had not in fact committed plagiarism while penning his 2017 track “Shape of You”. I’d highly recommend reading [Mark Beaumont’s take on the ruling](, in which he looks at what exactly the case has to say about the realities of modern pop songwriting. Wet Leg broke onto the scene with their hit debut single 'Chaise Longue' in 2021 (Hollie Fernando)   We’ve run a number of other great features this week, including Alexandra Pollard’s [interview with Wet Leg](. There are few new music acts in the world with as much buzz as the Isle of Wight indie-rockers right now; their debut album is out Friday and also features in the week’s [review roundup]( (alongside the latest from Camila Cabello). Isobel Lewis, meanwhile, [spoke to RuPaul’s Drag Race star Michelle Visage](about plastic surgery and the importance of defending queer history, and Tom Fordy took an [amusing look at the Nineties superhero camp-fest Batman & Robin](, asking how the Batman brand managed to survive one of the most infamous misfires in film history.   [The Saturday Interview – Will Poulter]( [Oscars image]( ‘I wouldn’t recommend anyone do what I did to get ready for Guardians of the Galaxy’ (AFP via Getty) The [Saturday Interview]( this week sees Ellie Harrison interview Will Poulter, the 29-year-old star of Midsommar, Dopesick, The Revenant and the forthcoming Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3. He speaks eloquently about the pitfalls of so-called Method acting, his fraught relationship with social media and the aftermath of the notorious three-way kiss in We’re the Millers. [Oscars image]( Emma Roberts, Will Poulter and Jennifer Aniston posing as family in ‘We’re the Millers’ (Benderspink/Kobal) Read an extract from our Saturday Interview below… An eclectic variety of parts, then, and none of which have required body transformation. Poulter says, cautiously and diplomatically, that preparing for Guardians of the Galaxy 3 has been “interesting”. “It’s difficult talking about it because with Marvel it’s all secret squirrel,” he says, “but the most important thing is that your mental and physical health has to be number one, and the aesthetic goals have to be secondary, otherwise you end up promoting something that is unhealthy and unrealistic if you don’t have the financial backing of a studio paying for your meals and training. I’m in a very privileged position in that respect and I wouldn’t recommend anyone do what I did to get ready for that job.” So what does the preparation entail exactly? “It’s been a lot of gym work and a very, very specific diet.” What does specific mean? “It means not particularly civilised at times,” he says, with a smile. “Quantities of food you wouldn’t necessarily want to ingest. And other times not enough food. I’ve gone through a series of different diets over the last few months. Now I’m in a maintenance phase, which is quite nice. I’m not eating copious amounts of food to bulk and I’m not cutting. I’m just maintaining my weight. I’ve gone through periods of looking at food and feeling like I can’t face it and then you blink and the next minute you’re ready to eat furniture because you’re so hungry.” [Read the full interview here]( What to binge this week [Oscars image]( Natasha Lyonne in 'Russian Doll' (Netflix) [Russian Doll]( It’s a little over a week until Netflix’s smart time loop comedy returns for a second season. With season one running for just eight moreish episodes, that leaves plenty of time to catch up. The series, co-created by Leslye Headland, Amy Poehler and Natasha Lyonne (who also stars), focuses on a self-destructive woman who finds herself trapped in a Groundhog Day-style loop of repeating events. It’s twisty, funny and one of the best originals the streaming service has put out. Whether or not it’s able to keep the momentum going for another season remains to be seen, but these first season episodes are well worth anyone’s time. 'Russian Doll' is streaming on Netflix now Out and about [Headwig and the Angry Inch – Leeds Playhouse/Home Manchester]( Many may know John Cameron Mitchell and Stephen Trask's bolshy stage musical through the 2001 film adaptation, which is a modern queer classic; this new production, playing in Leeds and Manchester across April and May, stars Divina de Campo and is, per [The Independent's review](, a riotous success. [Buy tickets here]( [Daddy – Almeida Theatre]( Hailed as a "masterpiece" in Isobel Lewis's [five-star review for The Independent](, this project by buzzy playwright Jeremy O Harris is a brilliant, bewildering depiction of a relationship between Franklin (Terique Jarrett), a young Black artist, and Andre (Claes Bang), an older white art collector. [Buy tickets here]( [The Fever Syndrome – Hampstead Theatre]( Robert Lindsay shines in this new play from Alexis Zegerman, running at London's Hampstead Theatre until 30 April. Directed by Roxana Silbert, The Fever Syndrome is a story of family dysfunction centring on esteemed IVF scientist Richard Myers and his squabbling progenies. [Buy tickets here]( [Subscribe today](   Essential reading [Will Smith responds to Oscars ban]( [Will Smith responds to Oscars ban]( [Ricky Gervais responds to Will Smith’s 10 year Oscars ban]( [Ricky Gervais responds to Will Smith’s 10 year Oscars ban]( [Will Smith banned from all Academy events for 10 years following Oscars slap]( [Will Smith banned from all Academy events for 10 years following Oscars slap](         If you can spare a minute we’d love your [feedback]( on our newsletters. [The Independent]( Join the conversation or follow us [Facebook]( [Twitter]( Please do not reply directly to this email You are currently registered to receive The Independent's entertainment newsletter. Add us to your safe list of senders. If you do not want to receive The Independent's entertainment newsletter, please [unsubscribe](list_name=IND_Culture_Newsletter_CDP). If you no longer wish to receive any newsletters or promotional emails from The Independent, you can unsubscribe [here](. This e-mail was sent by Independent Digital News and Media Ltd, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5HF. Registered in England and Wales with company number 07320345. Read our [privacy notice]( and [cookie policy](.