STEPHANIE DENNISON and ALFREDO LUIZ DE OLIVEIRA SUPPIA explain the political context of The Secret Agent, a gripping thriller that reminds us why academic freedom needs protecting
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Two Ladies, Bridge Theatre, London
Perceptive insights on first ladies' subservient relationships with powerful presidents
Striking similarity: Zoe Wanamaker as Helen in Two Ladies
[Helen Maybanks]
TONY BURKE speaks to producer and broadcaster LUCY DURAN about her new project — Guitari Baro
JONATHAN TAYLOR is intrigued how good storytelling can make a hobby as obsessional as metal detecting seem fascinating
ROB HARGREAVES is moved by the way that memories of the Spanish civil war still stir our passions
RON JACOBS sees similarities between the personality of the the Spanish Dictator Francisco Franco, and Donald Trump
RUTH AYLETT recommends this book if you want to learn how AI’s large language models work
LOCKED down in a conference room overlooking the Cote d’Azur, the wives of the US and French presidents await the outcome of a summit conference debating joint military retaliation for terrorist acts in the US.
Zoe Wanamaker’s Helen, the previously married, considerably older wife and former teacher of her husband, bears striking similarities to Brigitte Macron while Zrinka Cvitesic as Sophia, the Yugoslavian born ex-model, is not a million miles from Melania Trump.
And their relationships with their husbands also mirror the current first ladies’ apparent roles — the first plays an active part in presidential political life, the latter is a trophy wife to be flaunted in public.
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