The toasty aroma of popcorn, squeaky seats, first-date gazes, dimming lights, curtains opening, laughter, tears, hearts racing, connections, togetherness, empathy, getting lost in the story....the cinema atmosphere is hard to beat. A communal experience (unless you've hit the jackpot and landed an entire screen to yourself) - there's just so much satisfaction in watching a film on the big screen. Something that will never get old amongst film-goers. 

Photo credit: Wix

For me, a night at the flicks beats a night on the town. Slurping (in a quiet and respectful way, of course!) overpriced sodas and munching on toasted kernels with the latest blockbuster or a re-run of a classic is, in my view, perfection. 

London does film well all year round but during the summer evenings, it's particularly...

Well...let's begin with how great a title this book is – Single, Carefree, Mellow. That's a winning title in my opinion. Katherine Heiny's collection of short stories drew me in straight away, I couldn't wait to settle down on my lunch break or squeeze my book into my hands on a busy Central Line, just as long as I had the chance to read a few pages of this brilliant book. S,C,F is about men and women, relationships, heartache, adultery (lots of it) and loss.

It's a smart book and although a lot of the characters are frustrating, it's hard not to be sucked into their somewhat selfish and cynical lives. The writing is wonderful. The different perspectives and styles throughout the stories is a breath of fresh air - so unique, smart and completely charming. Although this book won't appeal t...

Good morning, all. It's time to take a break - get yourself a cuppa and settle down for a read of our first feature where Ensemble writer, Kara, shares a few of her favourite things - from critically acclaimed film, Obvious Child, to a book of love letters that will warm your heart...  

F I L M 

Obvious Child

I fell in love with this film and I fell fast.  Browsing at Fopp in Covent Garden, I picked up Obvious Child and instantly knew that I would like it - “This looks like my kind of film” I thought to myself, nodding. The main character Donna Stern (Jenny Slate) is navigating through a twenty-something life, stuck and trying to re-build some of it. Stern, an aspiring stand-up comedian and bookseller (who works at a bookshop called Unoppressive Non-Imperialist Bargain...