Delicious News

"Life in Squares," a three part BBC television drama about Virginia Woolf and the Bloomsbury Group 

With fall right around the corner, the cultural calendar is heating up and there are so many things to look forward to. Next week I will post some of the events and happenings I am most excited about. But for now, here are some tantalizing pieces of news that have caught my attention. They are all making me smile!

BBC is producing a three-part television drama about Virginia Woolf and her circle called Life in Squares. (See photo above) It will trace the growth of this influential group of artists and writers and their impact on the cultural life of twentieth-century England. Featuring several rising young stars, it is being filmed in London and at Charleston Farmhouse in Sussex. The two actresses Phoebe Fox and Lydia Leonard (pictured above) play sisters Vanessa Bell and Virginia Woolf. The physical resemblance is remarkable! After doing a little research, I learned that the action kicks off in 1901 with the death of Queen Victoria and shows the young writers and artists feeling creative and sexual freedom for the first time. This really seems to be the year for Bloomsbury, with the fashion house Burberry creating an entire collection based on the art at Charleston, as well as the exhibition on Virginia Woolf at the National Portrait Gallery in London. I really hope this BBC drama makes it to American television. Masterpiece Theatre, are you listening?

Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock Holmes in "Sherlock" on Masterpiece Theatre

The next piece of news that caught my eye was about Benedict Cumberbatch who will be starring in a London production of Hamlet one year from now in August 2015. The entire 12-week run sold out in ten minutes. Apparently this is the fastest selling theatrical event in history. Looks like everyone is dying to see this great actor play the most challenging of Shakespeare's leading roles. Fortunately there is some good news for those who couldn't get a ticket: the production is holding back 100 tickets each night that will sell for 10 pounds each. By the way, did you watch the Emmy's last night and see that Benedict and Martin Freeman both won Emmys for their roles on "Sherlock"?!! So happy about that. It's one of the best shows on television and their performances are brilliant.

Rob Brydon and Steve Coogan in "The Trip to Italy"

And speaking of talented Brits, the new film The Trip to Italy has just opened. I saw it the other night and loved it. I thought it was just as funny as the first film,"The Trip,"which was set in England. Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon basically play themselves taking a road trip, this time in Italy, to do research for a food column they are writing for The Observer. They travel through some gorgeous Italian scenery in a little Mini-Cooper, eventually arriving at the Amalfi Coast. They eat some incredible meals (you will want Italian food afterwards!), drink some great wines, and stay in some glorious hotels. But mostly they talk endlessly and riff on celebrity voices, especially that of Michael Caine. These movies are very funny. If you haven't seen the original, be sure to rent it before seeing this one. You are in for a treat.

And finally, have you seen any of the "Ice Bucket Challenges"? These involve people getting doused with buckets of ice water on video, posting the video on social media, and then nominating others to do the same. It is all in the cause of raising awareness of ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease. People can either accept the challenge or make a donation to an ALS charity. Many do both. This campaign has been hugely successful. The ALS Association has received $88.5 million in donations compared to $2.6 million during the same time period last year (July 29 - August 26). Benedict Cumberbatch took the ice bucket challenge. But he does it in his own inimitable style, quite fitting for the actor who plays Sherlock Holmes. Just watch this.

Go here to find out how you can get involved in this worthwhile cause

What has been catching your eye lately? 

I would love to know what books you are reading and which movies you have seen.

Next up:  Fall Preview!

The Bloomsbury Girls

Duncan Grant's studio at Charleston Farmhouse

Photo via here

Be still my heart. As most of you know, I am a big fan of the Bloomsbury Group. Last week as I was looking through the Style section of the New York Times I was stopped in my tracks by an article that almost leapt off the page. You don't often hear the names Duncan Grant, Vanessa Bell and Virginia Woolf mentioned in a piece about high fashion. It was a review of Fashion Week in London where the biggest star was the Burberry Autumn/Winter collection inspired by the art of the Bloomsbury Group. This article was a review of the collection which is called "The Bloomsbury Girls." Fashion and Bloomsbury have come together at last. 

A door painted by Duncan Grant at Charleston

Image source unknown

The garden room at Charleston

Photo via here

I have often thought that the imagery and style of the Bloomsbury Group, a collection of friends made up of some very famous English writers and artists working in the early 20th century, would be a great muse for fashion. After all, the country retreat where some of them lived and most of them hung out -- Charleston Farmhouse in Sussex -- is literally bursting with sunny and garden-inspired art which happens to be very pretty. Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant moved there in 1916 and lived together for fifty years; during that time they covered the walls, furniture, bookcases, doors, and ceramics with their own decorations. Their friends (who spent a lot of time there) included Clive Bell, Roger Fry, Lytton Strachey, Maynard Keynes, E.M. Forster, and Vanessa's sister Virginia Woolf and her husband Leonard. It was a happy, bohemian, and messy kind of place, a hive of creativity and friendship, and one that so obviously contained artistic and unconventional souls. Their style has inspired interior decorators for years and I am so happy that the fashion world has taken notice. 

A painting by Duncan Grant

Image source unknown

The Burberry fashions from this collection capture the exuberant feeling and the loose and fluid brushstrokes of Bloomsbury art, its recognizable shapes and patterns, and the delightful decorations that fill Charleston. They hark back to an era when very exciting things were happening in art and literature. I learned that all of the items in the collection -- shoes, handbags, dresses, shawls, etc. -- were in some way hand-painted. Christopher Bailey, the designer for Burberry, decided to go back to a time when things were being done by hand. He was inspired by the romantic vision of nature and flowers that he found at Charleston. Take a look at these beautiful clothes. They will remind you of an English country garden with a distinctly Bloomsbury twist. Go here to see the entire collection.

These clothes are eccentric and beautiful with a quirkiness that feels very British. All of the items  capture the bohemian, handmade and crafty feeling of Charleston. The designer has done an amazing job. Rarely has high fashion felt so cozy, domestic and romantic.

After doing a little research I learned that this isn't the first time that Christopher Bailey of Burberry has been inspired by Bloomsbury. His Autumn 2009 collection was inspired by Virginia Woolf. (How did I not know this!) But this time the connection will be made official. In the fall Burberry will become a  patron of The Charleston Trust to help protect its creative and cultural heritage for the public. What a boon for Charleston! If you ever find yourself in this beautiful part of England where the house is located, be sure to visit. You will be amazed to see a place in which the inhabitants painted everything -- bookcases, doors, fireplaces, you name it. As Christopher Bailey said, "It has this beautiful effect, as if all these objects have a little bit of soul." And there is also a lovely garden and pond. I have never been to an historic home that reflected its owners more vividly than this joyous and magical place in the Sussex countryside of England.