As morning broke on 16th August 2020, Luis Abinader, president-elect of the Dominican Republic, was sworn as the 54th president, ruling from the country’s capital city of Santo Domingo. A candidate who cultivated a political brand embedded in anti-corruption, his inauguration could herald tangible change, but his tenure will inevitably face comparison undemocratic leadership and corruption scandals which touched even immediate predecessor, Danilo Medina, who attempted to seek an unconstitutional

A very recognisable face, embarking on his new tour, ‘Bit Much’, Josh Widdicombe is a familiar figure for any fan of Channel 4 post-watershed panel shows. Veering away from interjecting quips and bouncing off the prompts of fellow comedians, this tour places Widdicombe decidedly in a solo spotlight. This Saturday night run was one teeming with ‘oh, so relatable’ scenarios and decidedly domestic gags that, devoid as they were political or social commentary, proved a nice distraction and made for

Online Editor Ellie Cook writes about the spiralling chaos and widespread political protests spreading through Chile.

Online Editor Ellie Cook delves into the deeply problematic issues surrounding the Valley of the Fallen and discusses what Franco’s exhumation means for Spain’s future.

I don’t know what I expected Bristol’s to be, but when I walked into a brightly lit pub, I nearly walked straight back outside to check the sign hanging above the door. I was lucky to catch No Hot Ashes’ support band, swaying to the upbeat tunes of Sad Boys Club (shout out to you guys, you got style). By way of sharp elbows and a small crowd, I found my way to the very front of the stage. No Hot Ashes have been around for a little while now – hovering around on all our favourite music streaming

Online Editor, Ellie Cook, analyses the data in the wake of the Spanish general elections, and how Spain’s resistance to far-right parties may be over. The 28th April 2019 saw Spain’s electorate swarm to the ballot box in what was set to be an intriguing test of campaigning success, and an indicator of how much Spanish politics had polarised as the alternate poles of the political spectrum stared one another down. Each section of Madrid, demarcated according to political allegiance, had been ta

Online Editor, Ellie Cook, contextualises the Spanish’s capital’s feminist demonstration and the reality of being swept up with the International Women’s Day events. International Women’s Day was certainly not overlooked in the Spanish capital when the 8th March rolled around. Over 350,000 people surged to be part of the ‘marea morada’, or the ‘purple wave’, as it crashed through the streets of Madrid, snaking from Atocha all the way to Plaza de España. I was one of them. Declared by the Unite

Online Arts and Lit Editor, Ellie Cook, gauges ‘The Glitter Room’ and whether the anecdotes and stories left a sparkle in the audience’s eye. The Glitter Room. Katherine Ryan’s tour certainly was aptly named. Striding onstage, shoes clicking to the rhythm of Barns Courtney’s Glitter and Gold, Ryan’s feverishly gold sequin dress flicked the spotlights back into the vast audience of Plymouth Pavilions. Against the twinkling dots of light fixed into the dark stage background, Ryan’s bold Canadian

Online Arts and Lit Editor, Ellie Cook, judges the 1960s-based musical classic in all it’s bright-outfitted glory. Hairspray has always been a musical drenched in intentional theatrics and profound socio-political meaning. It exhibits, underneath the glitter and vivid polyester suit-jackets, what it means to be anything but part of the white demographic splattered over The Corny Collins Show. Tracy’s idealism and naïveté are shown to be childishly innocent- the other characters repeatedly attem

Online Arts and Lit Editor, Ellie Cook, judges Jon Richardson’s stand-up performance, his comedic material and his fashion sense. Jon Richardson started his October 6th show at Plymouth Pavilions with the removal of his cardigan- which, if you are an 8 Out of 10 Cats fan, you will know is a wool-blend physical embodiment of his comedic style. When he took off one cardigan to reveal another god-awful second cardigan underneath, I realized that there could be no better symbol of his decidedly dom