The life and love of the Soviet Union’s last leader
As a play and a film show, Mikhail Gorbachev loved Raisa more than he loved power
A DRESSING ROOM, two makeup stations and two mirrors. A selection of wigs and dresses. A pair of actors—a man and a woman—enter and sit on stools, facing the audience. They speak in their normal voices, without accents or costumes. All that will come later.
This article appeared in the Culture section of the print edition under the headline “Conversations with a weirdo”
From the January 16th 2021 edition
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Meghan Markle’s new Netflix show is out of touch with the times
In it she positions herself as an elite Martha Stewart
This year’s Oscars were notably apolitical
Hollywood has ditched resistance in favour of toeing the line
AI unleashes a weird new genre of political communication
Donald Trump’s Gaza video offers a taste of what is to come
Why are live albums back in fashion?
Hitmakers including Niall Horan, Dua Lipa and Ed Sheeran have released them
Caviar is the internet’s favourite indulgence
Russian tsars loved it. Now TikTok does, too
Finding meaning in people’s first words—and their last
Why there is less significance than society would have you believe