"I don't want realism. I want magic!"

The Independent’s entertainment newsletter [SUBSCRIBE]( [SUBSCRIBE]( January 14, 2023 [View in browser](   Weird one, but I’m actually quite enjoying January this month. Normally I dread it, retreating under a blanket with whatever nice books I was given for Christmas, but this time it’s got off to quite a fun start. Maybe it’s because two delayed theatre press nights, originally meant for December, have started the year off so thrillingly. [A Streetcar Named Desire]( at the Almeida and Watch on the Rhine at the Donmar, reviewed in Sunday’s Week on Stage, are both must-sees. We also finally got our hands on Spare by Prince Harry, which was released (properly, not just accidentally in Spain) on Tuesday. After so many wild revelations, [our review from the brilliant Lucy Pavia was the thoughtful verdict I needed](, taking the book seriously as a piece of writing as well as taking the temperature on what the whole situation means for the royals. (I also loved Ben Bryant’s [deep dive into what compels people to overshare](. The frostbitten penis was just TMI, sorry Harry.) Jennifer Coolidge won the Golden Globes. As well as winning a Golden Globe (Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP) Meanwhile, awards season has well and truly kicked off. The Indy’s Culture team delivered some truly sterling [coverage of the Golden Globes](, in which Jennifer Coolidge won the night [simply by being Jennifer Coolidge](. And this year’s [Brit nominations were also announced](, not without controversy: the recently introduced gender-neutral Artist of the Year category [does not include any women](. Elsewhere, Annabel Nugent’s brilliant interview with [director Alejandro G Iñárritu]( is an excellent read. [The Traitors is back!]( (Well, the US version is now airing in iPlayer). Ed Power’s piece on how [pop stars are getting their revenge]( has me playing “Bad Blood” on repeat. And, following the shocking news that author Hanif Kureishi has been left unable to use his hands after a fall left him paralysed, [we spoke to some of those in the arts world who are wishing him well](. Until next time, Jessie [@jessiecath](   [The Saturday Interview – Micheal Ward]( [Oscars image]( Micheal Ward stars in Sam Mendes' latest film 'Empire of Light' (Getty) Micheal Ward, the star of Sam Mendes' new film Empire of Light, [spoke to Annabel Nugent]( about snogging Olivia Colman, not being afraid to cry, and the fate of his character on Top Boy. Ward once dreamed of becoming a professional footballer – luckily for us, it was acting he chose instead. It's a fab interview that gives a great insight into[one of our brightest young actors](. [Oscars image]( Ward and Olivia Colman in 'Empire of Light' (Searchlight Pictures) Read an extract from our Saturday Interview below… Born in Spanish Town, Jamaica, he grew up there until he was four, when his mother moved him and his sisters to east London. (His father died in a car crash when Ward was two.) They later settled in Romford, Essex. Growing up, he loved football and was good enough at it that his hopes of going pro weren’t entirely misguided. At the same time, he made room for drama – singing in the choir and starring in school productions of Macbeth. Reflecting on it now, Ward says it wasn’t Shakespeare who helped him realise his ambitions on stage but Akon and Snoop Dogg, whose song “I Wanna Love You” Ward very inappropriately performed at his Year Five talent show. He cracks up at the memory. “It showed me I’d been born to entertain people. I didn’t know what capacity it was going to be in but I’m glad it’s acting.” [Read the full interview here](   Weekend Shelf-Care Weekend Shelf-Care Hannah Sullivan A few years ago, I saw Hannah Sullivan give an electrifying reading from her debut collection Three Poems, shortly before she won the TS Eliot Prize for Poetry. I've been a devotee ever since, so I'm delighted her second collection, Was It for This, is released this month. It includes a powerful elegy for the residents of Grenfell, written from the perspective of a new mother living just streets away. A book I recently read and loved is… Jarvis Cocker's mesmerizing, modest recreation of a life through 'stuff', Good Pop, Bad Pop. A creative memoir from the outside-in, it sorts through an eerie catalogue of objects (lovingly accompanied by colour photographs) from an era that has just passed into historical memory: Wrigley's Extra Mint in stick form, the futuristic Hole in the Road in Sheffield, Rose's lime cordial in its original bottle. My three fantasy literary dinner party guests would be… Restricting myself to writers who were or could have been alive during my life-time, a girls' night in with Sylvia Plath, Joan Didion, and Sybille Bedford (who would sort out the food and wine). Not finishing books: my stance is… Ever less completist. (Unless I have to teach it.) My writing routine is… For poems, infrequent bursts of all-consuming activity, often in unexpected places. For academic work, mornings in the panopticon of an open-shelf library. Hannah Sullivan's second collection, 'Was It For This', is out now, published by Faber on 19 January   Enjoying this newsletter? Unlock unlimited, ad-free reading on the website and in The Independent app when you subscribe – plus, benefit from our [welcome offer when you join today](.   What to watch this weekend [A Streetcar Named Desire]( Paul Mescal burns up the Almeida stage as Stanley in Streetcar. The anticipated revival opened this week after a delay, [and it's a winner]( (if you can track down tickets). [Tár]( Cate Blanchett [plays a superstar conductor](who also behaves problematically. People are calling Todd Field's film the first great "cancel culture" movie and I can't wait to see it. [Watch on the Rhine]( Ellen McDougall's revival of this 1941 Lillian Hellman play at the Donmar Warehouse had me gripped. Read my review in tomorrow's Week on Stage column.   INDYBEST / [BEST BUYS]( Stranger Things and Quiksilver launch an Eighties-inspired collection that’s worn by the cast in season 4 As the second half of series four unfolds, inject some retro style into your wardrobe[Read more](       OTHER NEWSLETTERS YOU MIGHT LIKE [Competitions and Offers] Competitions and Offers Every Friday, 1.30pm (UK time) Our free weekly pick of great prizes, deals and discounts direct to your inbox [Join now]( [Health Check] Health Check Every Thursday, 7am (UK time) Written by Rebecca Thomas [Join now]( 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. 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