From Succession to Obsession: a big week dramaturgically

The Independent’s entertainment newsletter [SUBSCRIBE]( [SUBSCRIBE]( April 15, 2023 [View in browser](   Where were you when you heard the news? Hopefully in front of your TV and not reading spoilers on Twitter. Yes, it was a very big week on Succession, which – hopefully you all know by now, but if not... stop reading – saw [Logan Roy finally meet his maker while on the toilet of a private jet](. The likelihood of octogenarian Logan passing on has been a shadow over the series since it first began, but the writers managed to make something inevitable feel surprising, messy, raw and actually very moving. Some people made fun of Jeremy Strong AKA Kendall for saying that the twist made sense “[dramaturgically](”. But it DID make sense dramaturgically. I tell you what did not make sense dramaturgically: [Richard Armitage humping a cushion]( in Netflix’s BDSM thriller Obsession. It really was a week of TV that went from the sublime to the ridiculous, with this disastrous four-part drama inspiring titters rather than titillation. Kate Solomon [spoke to Charlie Murphy](, who plays a woman who has an affair with her fiance’s dad, about working with an intimacy coordinator on the show's raunchy scenes. I’m afraid [I struggled to find good things to say about it]( – not least because I will never look at olives the same way again. Matthew McFadyen and Brian Cox in the 'Connor's Wedding' episode (HBO) I was also really disappointed by the[Donmar’s revival of Noel Coward’s Private Lives](. Michael Longhurst’s production has been staged to mark half a century since the playwright’s death, but it seems to strangely fight against the writing in a rush to condemn the behaviour of its characters. It might be a better bet to spend your weekend with the final series of [The Marvelous Mrs Maisel](, which Nick Hilton loved. Elsewhere this week, Mark Beaumont shaped up and [spoke to the composers of the Grease soundtrack]( to mark its 45th anniversary. Roisin O’Connor [talked to Avelino]( about his debut album and why “rap is the new punk”. And, if you missed it, Team Indy ranked the[50 best TV episodes of all time](. Did we miss anything? Let us know in the comments. Have a great weekend, Jessie [@jessiecath](   What to do this weekend Exhibition | [Portraits of Dogs: From Gainsborough to Hockney]( Our millennia-old love affair with our four-legged friends, [explored at the Wallace Collection]( through art from Ancient Roman sculpture and Leonardo drawings to David Hockney’s dachshunds and a major showing of Victorian dog portraits from Sir Edwin Landseer. For an extra helping of canine ooh-ing and ahh-ing there’s a free display on the Queen and her Corgis. Mark Hudson | Chief Art Critic   Theatre | [little scratch]( The New Diorama Theatre continues to carve out a space as a must-go venue by bringing back this exquisite adaptation of Rebecca Watson’s novel. First staged at Hampstead Theatre in 2021 to [an array of stellar reviews](, Katie Mitchell’s production pulls off the difficult feat of turning this experimental novel – which spans one day inside a young woman’s head – into a thrilling live theatrical event. The result is more akin to a symphony than a stage play. Jessie Thompson | Arts Editor [@jessiecath](   Film | [Loving Highsmith]( It’s no easy task to try and condense all of Patricia Highsmith’s cantankerous, acid-black and frequently vile views of the world into a 90-minute documentary.[Loving Highsmith](, an attempt to unravel the mysteries of the author behind The Price of Salt, Strangers on a Train and the Tom Ripley novels, doesn’t quite nail it all. But it’s a valiant gesture nonetheless, with Gwendoline Christie giving voice to Highsmith’s diaries, and a handful of the novelist’s former lovers recounting their affairs. In cinemas now Adam White | Film Editor [@__adamwhite](   TV | [Scared of the Dark]( Whether it’s Naked Attraction or Sex Box, Channel 4’s entertainment department is now well known for its bonkers commissions. Its latest offering is no different, and its basic premise is: Danny Dyer makes eight celebs live in total darkness for eight days. Gazza is there. So is Chris Eubank. How will they survive? It sounds deranged, so of course,[it must be watched](. Ellie Harrison | TV Editor [@Ellie_Harrison](   Books | [Games and Rituals by Katherine Heiny]( I always think Katherine Heiny writes a bit like Elizabeth Strout after a few shots of tequila, and that’s a very good thing indeed. Her [second short story collection](proves her to be one of the finest architects of the form, stuffed with the human foibles and wise cracks that Heiny is known for. Witty though she may be, some of the stories in Games and Rituals take a melancholy turn, reflective of the difficult lockdown period through which Heiny was writing – and some of the personal losses she suffered herself in that time. You can read my interview with her in tomorrow's books section. Jessie Thompson | Arts Editor [@jessiecath](     [The Saturday Interview – Lewis Capaldi]( [Oscars image]( Lewis Capaldi's second album is released in May (Alexandra Gavillet) This is such a [fantastic conversation with Lewis Capaldi](by Helen Brown. The very funny singer-songwriter talks about the perils of fame, staying grounded, reading reviews of his work and his friend Ed Sheeran. Don't miss. Capaldi in Netflix's 'How I'm Feeling Now' (Netflix) Read an extract from our Saturday Interview below… “I exist as I am,” he says. “People feel an affinity with the way I look. Don’t get me wrong I am a bit heavier than I would like to be right now. But I have no desire to be chiselled. To have a six pack. That sounds boring and time consuming to me. And I think it’s important that there are people like me and Lizzo – who’s great – to show people you don’t have to be stick thin or built like a f***ing brick s***house to be successful.” He tips his head to one side. “But it is weird when you walk around some of these [A-list] parties and you do think: “I’m a bit of an odd one out here. I've had some criticism on Twitter recently for the clothes I wear to things. I just stick with trainers, jeans, T-shirt. It’s an enduring look! But also: who gives a f*** what I’m wearing?!” [Read the full interview here](   Weekend Shelf-Care Weekend Shelf-Care Michael Cragg This is the most enjoyable book you will read this year, pure and simple. It would be a tragedy not to read it. It will really bring it all back. Do I need to use anymore Nineties/early-Noughties pop songs to convince you? I think not. Just read music journalist Michael Cragg's oral history of the pop scene that brought us bands like Spice Girls, Five, Steps, S Club 7 and the Sugababes - it's a nostalgic delight. A book I recently read and loved is… I inhaled Nick Grimshaw's memoir Soft Lad. It's very funny, very easy to read and also incredibly insightful when it comes to ideas around masculinity, identity and sexualty. Plus: loads of juicy stories and celebrity gossip. My three fantasy literary dinner party guests would be… I'll go with Lizzy Goodman, so we can compare notes on writing oral histories about music; Samantha Irby for the dry humour and memes, and Donna Tartt so I can get the insider knowledge on when novel four is dropping. Not finishing books: my stance is… Life is too short to read boring books. My writing routine is… Open a new document. Watch some YouTube videos. Make a playlist on Spotify. Have lunch. Make a cup of tea. Start writing. Cry. Re-read it later and think 'quite good'. Repeat. 'Reach for the Stars' by Michael Cragg is out now £99 £20 for 1 year ✓ Full access to Premium news analysis ✓ Advert-free reading across web and app ✓ The Independent Daily Edition newspaper ✓ Puzzles, virtual event tickets and more [SUBSCRIBE NOW](   [INDYBEST]( / [BEST BUYS]( [12 best beauty buys under £20, according to a beauty writer]( A look inside what the beauty business experts [really buy,]( from [Elf lipstick]( to [Byoma serum]( and [M&S perfume](. [Grab a beauty bargain]( Trending: [Best baby shower gifts](       OTHER NEWSLETTERS YOU MIGHT LIKE [Climate News]( Climate News Weekly Written by Louise Boyle [Join now]( [Simon Calder's Travel Week]( Simon Calder’s Travel Week Twice a week Written by Simon Calder [Join now]( [Climate News] Climate News Weekly Written by Louise Boyle [Join now]( [Simon Calder's Travel Week] Simon Calder's Travel Week Twice a week Written by Simon Calder [Join now]( If you can spare a minute we’d love your [feedback]( on our newsletters. 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