South West Londoner • 15th May 2023

Review: Dancing at Lughnasa, The National Theatre

Over thirty years on from where it was first played in 1991, Josie Rourke’s revival of Brian Friel’s Olivier award-winning play is back at London’s National Theatre, with a truly remarkable cast.

It’s early August 1936 in Ballybeg, County Donegal, a fictional town created by playwright Brian Friel. In a fatherless, motherless and husbandless cottage, the narrator, Michael (Tom Vaughan-Lawlor), opens the production by revealing that what we are about to see is a distant summer memory from his ch

South West Londoner • 10th January 2023

Moving on from ‘new year, new me’ diet culture in 2023

The ‘new year, new me’ discourse dominates the media every January, but are more people starting to ditch diet culture?

Whether we’re encouraged to join a gym, lose weight or ‘glow up’ in January, the ‘new year, new me’ discourse can be overwhelming, even on top of the usual “January blues”.

Recent NHS figures have emphasised the catastrophic mental health crisis in the UK: more than a million children needed treatment for serious mental health problems (eating disorders, anxiety, depression a

North East Londoner • 5th January 2023

Hafza Yusuf: the East-London based artist celebrating Somali culture through textiles

Hafza Yusuf is shining a light on Somali culture and bringing communities together through her East London studio.

Yusuf, an artist and textile designer, arrived in East London with her family as a five-year-old refugee from Somalia.

Growing up in the UK, Yusuf felt distant from her culture and wanted to see art around her that she could feel connected to. Quickly she found her passion for textiles at school and went on to study a Bachelor of Arts in Textile Design at university.

Yusuf’s love

Haste Magazine • 5th January 2023

Jacob Banks delivers a flawless performance at London’s o2 Shepherds Bush Empire

I’ve been a fan of the singer-songwriter for a while now, notably around the release of his second album ‘Village‘ in 2018. ‘Love Ain’t Enough’ came up on my Spotify Discover Weekly playlist and the rest is history.

His 2022 album ‘Lies About the War‘ only intensified my feelings about his music. With a more soulful, grounded feel to it than the slightly heavier produced Village, I’ve had it on repeat so much that it appeared in my Spotify Wrapped this year. The album marked Banks’ first indepe

Haste Magazine • 28th November 2022

Nonô: Made in Brazil, shipped to London

‘I think I just love attention’, Brazilian-born, London-based singer Nonô Lellis jokes as we discuss the incredible year she’s had. I met with the newly-turned 25-year-old pop star via Zoom to chat about her anticipated new single, Lovesick. She’s glowing, having celebrated her birthday just the day before.

Lovesick is an infectiously fun dance track. It’s accompanied by bright visuals which encapsulate Nonô’s playful image and personality; she’s a young woman having fun and dreaming big. Inspi

Haste Magazine • 11th October 2022

James Vickery: bringing us along for the ride

I had the pleasure of speaking with singer-songwriter James Vickery on the day his new single, ‘With U’ featuring Kojey Radical, was released. ‘It was really a dream come true to work with Kojey,’ he says. James wanted someone British on the track and Kojey was his first choice, ‘he did it so perfectly and so quickly – I was jealous of how quickly he did it!’ The blend of James’ emotive, unique vocal tone with Kojey’s earthy rasp is the perfect combination for a sensual, sultry r’n’b hit.

James

Haste Magazine • 29th September 2022

Real girls with Eliza Legzdina

Latvian native Eliza Legzdina is soon to take over the world with her genre experimentalism. Eliza and the music she creates, is a fresh burst of beauty and brightness, radiating an exuberant feminine energy.

Having independently released music since the age of 19, Eliza’s second EP ‘Silver Linings’, sees her firmly establish her identity and show off her aptitude as a musician and writer. It comes two years after her 2020 release, ‘Iron Curtain, Golden Pussy’, with Eliza noting that Silver Lin

Haste Magazine • 8th September 2022

Reneé Rapp on openness, new music and mental health

I’ve had the chorus to Reneé Rapp’s new single ‘In The Kitchen’ stuck in my head all week, although when I scream the chorus I definitely don’t sound like her. Her voice is a powerhouse. She can effortlessly execute a belt alongside a sincerely soft and innocent vocal performance all in one song. There’s something special about Reneé, too – not only is the 22-year-old Broadway star, actress, musician and songwriter incredibly talented, but she’s very down-to-earth and infectiously bright. I find

MISSION STATEMENT • 4th July 2022

MSM Meets: Safia Jama MBE, CEO of Women’s Inclusive Team

“Gosh, we can change. Communities can change services, we can change and create a better world for all. There are so many ways that people can support, whether physically in person or online.”

Molly Gorman interviews Safia Jama MBE, the Chief Executive and Founder of (WIT), a Tower-Hamlets based organisation which serves Black and ethnic minority communities. Their expertise lies particularly with supporting Black, Muslim Somali women and their families, which they’ve been doing since 2003.

Ha

The Culture Sift • 4th July 2021

Should young women Keep Up with the Kardashians?

Keeping Up With The Kardashians has just ended forever, after blessing our screens for FOURTEEN years. GASP. My mum never actually let me watch their show when I was growing up and yet, I seem to know quite a lot about the Kardashians. They were catapulted into the spotlight in 2007 and have since grown into America’s most famous reality stars, multi-business owners and, let’s face it, the embodiment of social media as we know it. They have played a massive part in shaping modern celebrity cultu