Colin Farrell's great comeback

The Independent’s entertainment newsletter [SUBSCRIBE]( [SUBSCRIBE]( January 21, 2023 [View in browser](   One of the most cheering things from this week’s Bafta nominations was [the continued march of Colin Farrell](. The Irish star is being rightly garlanded with accolades for his poignant performance in Martin McDonagh’s [The Banshees of Inisherin](, and he’s now in the running for a Best Actor award at the Baftas. It's looking like a two-horse race between Farrell and Elvis star Austin Butler, after they both picked up a gong at the Golden Globes. But whoever wins, it feels as though Farrell’s renewed reputation as a subtle, deft character actor has now been truly cemented, something that [Geoffrey Macnab wrote about brilliantly this week](. (And if you’ve not seen Banshees yet, it recently arrived on Disney Plus.) Colin Farrell in ‘The Banshees of Inisherin’, ‘In Bruges’ and ‘The Batman’ (iStock/Searchlight/Warner Bros) It’s very hard to leave the sofa at the moment, not least because we’ve started 2023 with what must surely be some of the best TV of the year. Happy Valley on BBC One continues to show writer Sally Wainwright to be in a class of her own, and[can we talk about]([The Last of Us](? It’s top of TV Editor Ellie Harrison’s list of culture tips in [our brand new weekly Arts Agenda, full of culture recommendations for your weekend](. It’s absolutely terrifying (pandemic plus zombie apocalypse… no thanks) and I’m already counting down to the next episode. Oh, but I did manage to leave my sofa on one evening this week – I was lucky enough to catch the RSC’s adaptation of Studio Ghibli’s My Neighbour Totoro before it ends this weekend, and it’s as magical as everyone has said. Elsewhere this week, Ellie Harrison [spoke to telly national treasure Naga Munchetty]( about her precisely timed morning routine, as BBC Breakfast marks its 40th birthday. Amanda Whiting had some[incredibly powerful conversations]( about the pressures of working motherhood with the stars of Maternal. Adam White [spoke to Schitt’s Creek writer and debut author Monica Heisey]( about her novel Really Good, Actually. “It’s hard to break up now – the temptation to go a bit nuts on Instagram is very strong,” says Heisey. Enjoy your weekend! Jessie [@jessiecath](   [The Saturday Interview – Cheryl]( [Oscars image]( Cheryl has joined the new cast of West End play '2:22 A Ghost Story' Cheryl is back, without a surname and with a new string to her bow. The pop superstar and Girls Aloud legend is treading the boards in Danny Robins' very scary play 2:22 A Ghost Story, and [Nick Levine found out all about how she found her way to the West End](. She also spoke candidly about her intense experiences of mega fame, and what she thinks about a potential return for The X Factor, where she was a judge for several series. [Oscars image]( Cheryl in rehearsals for '2:22 A Ghost Story' Read an extract from our Saturday Interview below… Today, she gives a pretty unpleasant description of being super-famous at a time when no one really considered the wellbeing of celebrities. “I was already known with Girls Aloud,” she continues, “and it [grew] slowly for the first four or five years, just being at a certain level of fame. And then The X Factor hit, and I had a lot of personal stuff going on at that time.” In 2010, Cheryl released her second solo album, Messy Little Raindrops, filmed her third series of The X Factor, and divorced her first husband, the Chelsea England footballer Ashley Cole. “It was all just like a perfect storm,” she says. “I was caught up in it, I couldn’t get out of it. It was too much for me. There was too much pressure and that made it less enjoyable. And it was constant.” When I ask how she coped, she says bluntly: “I honestly didn’t.” [Read the full interview here](   Weekend Shelf-Care Weekend Shelf-Care Anthony Joseph The literary calendar kicks off each year with the prestigious TS Eliot Prize for Poetry, which has previously gone to writers including Ted Hughes, Seamus Heaney and Sharon Olds. This week, Trinidad-born poet [Anthony Joseph scooped the £25,000 award]( for his collection Sonnets for Albert, described as "luminous" by the judges. A book I recently read and loved is… Year of Plagues: A Memoir of 2020 by Fred D’Agair. It's a memoir in which Fred wrestles with prostrate cancer, the murder of George Floyd, Caribbean heritage, covid lockdown LA, in poetic, harrowing but infinitely moving prose. Amazing book. My three fantasy literary dinner party guests would be… Ted Joans, CLR James, Elizabeth Smart. (I would invite Earl Lovelace, but I’ve already had him over for dinner, and he’s still alive.) Not finishing books: my stance is… Depends on the book, I think. There are books I’ve abandoned, but more often they’re just put aside. It’s not a critique of the book, it says more about my concentration. Sometimes another book suggests itself and I turn to that one for a while. Books I think I’ve abandoned usually hang round until they get read. It may take a while but it gets read, eventually. My writing routine is… I’m a night writer. I’ve always done my most substantial writing between 12-4am. Most of the creative work gets done at this time, and the editing gets done during the day. It’s how I’ve written for many years. Anthony Joseph's 'Sonnets for Albert' is out now and published by Bloomsbury   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 [The Last of Us]( Video games haven't tend to translate to great TV shows in the past – that is, until The Last of Us. The first episode aired this week to rave reviews, and[our TV Editor Ellie Harrison highly recommends catching up with it.]( [Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?]( This week's hottest theatre opening happened in Bath: an extremely classy revival of Edward Albee's classic play, reviewed in our Week on Stage column tomorrow. (We loved it.) [Babylon]( Damien Chazelle's three-hour epic about[Hollywood's switch from silent films to talkies]( comes out this weekend. Worth checking out if, as our Film Editor Adam White says, [reports of its scenes of endless excess haven't put you off](.   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]( [Simon Calder's Travel Week] Simon Calder's Travel Week Every Friday, 7am (UK time) Written by Simon Calder [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. 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, 14-18 Finsbury Square, London EC2A 1AH. Registered in England and Wales with company number 07320345. Read our [privacy notice]( and [cookie policy](.