Curiousity took me to the Gate Theatre to see how Hedda Gabler  would  stand up to modern day up-dating.

Hidden right behind Notting Hill tube next to the Prince Albert pub, The Gate is a tiny theatre, which manages to present some very interesting work and there is no doubt that taking Ibsen’s 19th century masterpiece and relocating it to contemporary Notting Hill  was a brave move.  But was it a successful one? 

Skin’s writer, Lucy Kirkwood’s modern adaptation certainly touches on topical issues and successfully alters the language into a colloquial form but she never quite manages to side step the problem that this modern Hedda, unlike her 19th-century counterpart, doesn’t have to be trapped by social and marital conventions.  Still the world she creates is persuasive and under Carrie Cracknell’s direction the ensemble of young actors manage to intensify the tension as the action progresses.  Cara Horgan is an impulsive, icy  Hedda who may be difficult to like but is none the less convincing in all her magnetic destructiveness. And of particular note is Tom Mison as earnest, genial George Tesman, whose scintillating masterpiece on robotic ants is doomed to fail to impress.

In addition to a convincing cast, Cracknell’s production is a stylish one, and Kirkwood’s adapation is thoughtfully constructed. The set design of Tesman’s crumbling basement flat (by Holly Waddington) hits just the right claustrophobic note.

This production may have its faults, but it proved to be a riveting two hours. With a further extension due to its current success I urge you to take a look for yourself.

HEDDA
Gate Theatre
28 August – 27 September
0207 229 0706 

Cachaça, Brazil’s favourite spirit, is rapidly growing in popularity in the UK.  Made famous by the cocktail Caipirinha, it has won a new group of devotees among cocktail drinkers and Sagatiba is aiming to catch itself a slice of the growing market with the launch of its multi-distilled premium Sagatiba Pura.

Although Cachaça is made from sugar cane like rum, it differs in taste and production as it is made up from fresh sugarcane juice that’s fermented and distilled whereas rum is usually made from molasses. Touted as having a fresher, livelier character, Cachaça dates back some 550 years and now is the third most consumed spirit in the world.

Sagatiba claims a unique ten step multi distillations process to give Pura a greater purity.  However, with competitors such as Beija-Flor and Leblon already established in the UK drinks market, only time will tell to see if it can make a big enough impression to gain a foothold here.

If you want to decide for yourself Sagatiba Pura is now available nationwide.

They say you can’t put a price on love but Ralph Lauren has proved that wrong, with the launch of his perfume Love, at £2000 a bottle.  “Aimed at women over 25 with high spending powers,” Love comes in a gold-plated bottle and is undoubtedly Lauren’s most exclusive perfume.

The super-premium Love joins the UK launch of Lauren’s Notorious, which hit the US market in the summer and has been hugely popular.

Notorious derives its inspiration from the film noir actresses and the French model Laetitia Casta will head up its marketing campaign.  Love certainly carries on this attempt to revive old Hollywood glamour but with such a high price on its head it remains to be seen whether it merits such extravagance. 

While Notorious will go on general sale this autumn, Love see its launch at Harrods in October.

Giving a quirky twist to tradition, the avant-garde artist Sylvie Fleury has teamed up with Dom Pérignon to create a limited edition of a pair of  crystal wine glasses to accompany their 1998 Rosé  champagne.

Fleury is known for her sensational designs and collaborations with luxury fashion brands such as Louis Vuitton and Chanel, and her design aims for light-heartedness rather than elegance, with each oversized wine glass featuring its very own hand printed lipstick motif.

Each glass has been signed and numbered and forms part of the new Rosé Vintage 1998 gift set.   So if you feel like bringing a touch of romance to your life with the dark nights closing in, then maybe this could be just the thing. Available now exclusively at Selfridges.  

With the credit crunch looming over our heads, this Christmas may not see us whisking off to our preferred exotic holiday destinations.  However, Space NK seems to have found the solution with a new range of four fragrances designed to take us on a global voyage. 

The new perfumes are Tuberoli, Champaca, Jasamber, Santalrosa and are inspired by travel memories, from Lapland to Tuscany, of Space NK’s founder Nicky Kinnaird.  The collection joins the relaunch of Space NK’s signature fragrance Laughter, which was originally created in 1999.

The five scents are part of the brand’s new focus on “clean” products, according to Kinnaird, who has concentrated on naturally derived formulations.  The range will include a body and bath collection and will be offered as gift sets for Christmas.

So if that holiday in the sun is fading fast over the horizon, maybe a trip to Space NK is the answer.