John Nathan

Latest from John Nathan

The Penguin Lessons: ‘Steve Coogan p-p-picks one up’

Steve Coogan’s English teacher takes up a position at a boarding school in Buenos Aries in the 1970s, where a military coup and a penguin upend his life

1 min read

Birds of a feather: Steve Coogan and his co-star penguin

Alfred Hitchcock (left) and Sidney Bernstein

‘The Holocaust documentary my father made with Alfred Hitchcock’

7 min read

An Imperial War Museum archive still used in the film

What They Found review: Sam Mendes presents the proof of Bergen-Belsen

1 min read

Metaphor: Anoushka Lucas (left) and Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù Photo: Marc Brenner

Rhinoceros review: ‘don’t follow the herd’

1 min read

The Most Precious of Cargoes review: “fairytales and the Holocaust can coexist”

This animated feature is proof there are no rules when it comes to storytelling

2 min read

April 4, 2025 14:36

Horror and humanity: a scene from The Most Precious of Cargoes Photo: Ex Nihilo

Apex Predator review: ‘this supernatural psychodrama just about works’

John Donnelly’s hybrid play combines the occult with urban social realism

1 min read

April 1, 2025 15:48

Sophie Melville as Mia and Bryan Dick as Joe

Novacaine review: ‘sticks and stones won’t hurt him’

Lars Jacobson’s violent action-comedy is about an assistant bank manager who can’t feel pain

1 min read

March 27, 2025 13:19

No pain, no gain Cain: Jack Quaid Photo: Marcos Cruzmarcos Cruz

Dear England review: ‘permission to be patriotic’

How good to able to sit in a theatre and with some justification, rather than deluded hope, feel the unashamed urge to cry ‘Come on England’

2 min read

March 26, 2025 13:32

Defying expectations: the cast of Dear England, with Gwilym Lee as Gareth Southgate (light sleeves) on stage at the National Theatre Photo: Marc Brenner

A Comedy of Terrors review: ‘a hoot’

This athletic Dracula send-up certainly puts the vamp into vampire

1 min read

March 21, 2025 13:30

Out for blood: James Daly as Dracula Photo: Matt Crockett

Snow White review: ‘a Grimm remake’

Oh no, it’s off to woke they go in this new Disney adaptation, co-starring Gal Gadot, of its 1937 animated classic

2 min read

March 19, 2025 11:58

Thinly drawn: Gal Gadot as the queen Photo: Disney

The Seagull review: ‘Cate Blanchett gives it pitch–perfect pizzazz’

The star is ceaselessly flamboyant in Thomas Ostermeier’s staging of the Chekhov comedy

2 min read

March 15, 2025 20:27

Zachary Hart as Medvedenko ansd Cate Blanchett as the selfish Irina Arkadina in Chekhov's story about unrequited love Photo: Marc Brenner

Opus review: ‘glossy but lacks spine’

Films about journalism can make great thrillers but Mark Anthony Green’s debut requires the audience to suspend more belief than is reasonable

1 min read

March 14, 2025 17:37

Mixed media: Ayo Edebiri (centre) as magazine staffer Ariel

Clueless writer finally confirms that Cher is Jewish

As Clueless hits the West End in a new musical version of the hit film, Amy Heckerling answers the question she has preferred to avoid for the past 30 years

5 min read

March 11, 2025 17:47