Sitting In The Cheap Seats

It’s been a long wait for the return of forces rugby, with inter services games suspended for the last two years due to Covid we’ve missed out on some great matchups, so it was somehow fitting for the return of military women’s rugby to come in the form of a UK Armed Forces match up against Equipe de France Militaire Féminine.

This weekend sees the return of the Allianz Premier 15s and for the first round every game is available to stream! Champions Harlequins will find out that heavy hangs the head that wears the crown. Saracens Women will be looking to get the trophy back in their own cabinet and plenty of other teams will want to push both clubs out of the final game for once! We have a look at all the teams, their round 1 team selections and point out a few players to keep an eye on over the season ahead.

When London Irish announced in May that they intended to put together an elite women’s team it was possibly the best news I’d heard from the club in my time following them. I’ve been keeping a close eye on proceedings and with the club holding their first talent ID day a couple of weeks back I caught up with Director of Women’s Rugby Mary Fyfe who looks after both the elite set up and the existing London Irish Emeralds, and former England Women coach Graham Smith who is leading on-field development to find out how the day went and what comes next for the team.

Oleanna is a small play with a big reputation. Running at a little under 90 minutes it nonetheless carries a lot of weight. It’s been called “a me too play before me too even existed”, which isn’t far from the mark, so it speaks to current audiences and, from the snatches of conversation I overheard leaving the Mast Mayflower Studios it’s a piece that provokes a lot of thoughts.

The Donmar Warehouse are back with another season full of interesting new pieces, classics and some star casting to boot. Read all about it here:

Who doesn’t want to be in the room where it happens? Anyone who has seen Hamilton, whether onstage or via the recording of the Broadway production on Disney Plus, can’t fail to have wondered what it was like to be part of a show that is as much a movement as a mere musical. A production promoting conversation about race, about immigration and about one’s place in the wider world. Heady subjects given the political turmoil of recent years!

To be back in a theatre, for the first time this year, is a wonderful feeling. To be visiting a space you haven’t before is even better and to see an excellent cast perform an acclaimed play (that you are seeing for the first time) makes for a pretty much perfect Monday!