Virgin Atlantic Ruby / July 2015

July / August 2015

The sky’s the limit Sizzling, summer attractions in England, Scotland and our destinations across the Atlantic

Home and away Cirque du Soleil in Las Vegas, comedy at the Edinburgh Fringe, charity swims in London and New York, chilling Havana-style

CONTENTS

Editor in Chief Richard Rawlinson richard.rawlinson@ spafax.com

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CULTURE Edinburgh Fringe comic Daniel Sloss on performing in his home town

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FILM BUFF Guy Ritchie hopes The Man from U.N.C.L.E. is the new Bond

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MUSIC FAN Amy Winehouse is remembered by a new film, and her pal, Mark Ronson

Art Director Robin Castle Production Manager Henrietta Hurll Fashion editor Georgina Yates Sub Editor Jess Unwin Contributors Danny Brogan Jo Caird Nick de Semlyen Kat Halstead Tracey Petherick

Chief Executive Officer Niall McBain Chief Financial Officer Simon Ogden

10 ACTIVE LIFE Swimming events in London, New York and San Francisco

President, Content Marketing Raymond Girard Executive Vice President, Global Corporate Development Katrin Kopvillem

12 TRANSATLANTIC Cirque du Soleil acrobats fly high in Las Vegas

ruby is published bi-monthly by Spafax on behalf of Virgin Atlantic

14 FOOD SPY Why dining in total darkness is enlightening

© 2015 Spafax Publishing, The Pumphouse, 13-16 Jacobs Well Mews, London, W1U 3DY Tel: +44 20 7906 2001 spafax.com The opinions expressed in this magazine are the writers’ and are not necessarily endorsed by Virgin Atlantic.

Information is correct at the time of going to press.

On the cover © Cirque du Soleil / Veronique Vial Advertising Enquiries Merle Stein Account Manager merle.stein@spafax.com +44 (0) 207 906 1983 +44 (0) 782 456 1174 Printed by ESP Colour on paper comprising 75% recycled fibre

Paint the town red ith Virgin Atlantic Little Red domestic flights ending this autumn, we’re focussing all our attention on making our long-haul flights even more attractive to international passengers. The ruby team has had fun bringing you the latest travel and lifestyle news from the UK, US and further afield.

This issue’s summer highlights range from comedy at the Edinburgh Fringe to London’s most unusual restaurant, from the thrills of a Cirque du Soleil show in Las Vegas to charity swimming events in New York and San Francisco. Virgin Atlantic’s commitment to giving you a truly entertaining onboard experience continues as we expand our network on both sides of the Atlantic. Established flights, such as Orlando and Los Angeles, have recently been joined by direct flights to Detroit, with more destinations to follow. Enjoy this short flight, and many longer journeys ahead. Wherever you go, paint the town red. l

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16 BAR CRAWL The decadent allure of Mondrian’s hotel bars in the UK and US 18 FASHIONISTA Folk-inspired looks for festival-goers 20 TECHNOPHILE Hi-tech designs for the stylish home 22 DAY & NIGHT Why Cancun and Havana make the holiday wish list 24 VIRGIN TERRITORY Virgin Atlantic news and information 3

CULTURE

Scotland’s hottest young comedian talks to ruby as he returns to the Edinburgh Fringe with a new show Words Richard Rawlinson

ou’d think the fact that audiences everywhere love Daniel Sloss would be a reason for some comedians to resent him? As Gore Vidal once said: ‘Whenever a friend succeeds, a little something in me dies.’ In fact, Sloss is popular with new and established comics as well as the public.

Talented and charming, he’s just 25 this September, and he’s been making waves since his teens, when he got his first TV break writing material for comic Frankie Boyle on the BBC’s Mock the Week.

Sloss’s observational humour

Getting Slossed 4

has increasingly got laughs on both sides of the Atlantic, with appearances on everything from Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow and Sunday Night at the Palladium to the Conan O’Brien Show and The Late Late Show in the US. But for this Scot, it all began with stand-up at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and, in 2008, he became the youngest finalist in the UK’s So You Think You’re Funny? competition. Hit solo shows followed, whether in Edinburgh, London’s West End or internationally, and have included Teenage Kicks, My Generation and The Joker. At this August’s Fringe, Sloss performs his new show, and we catch up with him before the run starts.

© Gavin Evans

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What’s it like being an Edinburgh resident and Fringe performer?

Pros: my best friends from all over the world come to my city to perform and get drunk. Scottish people are incredibly supportive of their own, so my shows are packed. I get to stumble home to my own bed every night. My mum drops me off hangover food.

Cons: my house becomes a hotel to many friends passing through.

What does the Fringe mean for you?

It’s my New Year. It’s the beginning of a new show, a new tour and a new style in my stand-up. It’s also the most fun

Fringe comedy More Edinburgh highlights

Alex Edelman © Will Bremridge

© Gavin Evans

Why is your new show entitled Dark?

Sometimes I do TV spots, which have to be clean and friendly. And my stand-up is not clean and sometimes it’s not particularly friendly. So I don’t want people accidentally walking into my show thinking they’re going to get family-friendly comedy and then watch me suddenly go into routines about sex and drugs. I don’t really talk about those things either, but I don’t want to encourage people who are easily offended and this seemed a good way.

for me. I genuinely love it. Doing a show at the Fringe is the equivalent of doing two years on the comedy circuit. I start the Fringe as one comic, and emerge a better one. I couldn’t ask for a better training ground.

Will you be watching shows, too?

I see the same comedians every year: Mark Nelson is one of my favourites, and Kai Humphries is the only person I know who can regularly make me cry with laughter. We tour together and I hate him, so it pains me to say how much he makes me laugh. They’re both at the Gilded Balloon this year.

What are your favourite haunts in Edinburgh?

I love most of the street food places that pop up during August. Well Hung and Tender burgers are the highlight of my year. Also, there’s a place called the Caffeine Drip that’s a bit out of the centre, but offers the best lunchtime food I’ve ever had.

How does audience reaction differ in various countries?

Not at all. Any comedian who says they

have to change their material based on what part of the world they are in doesn’t travel. There’s more difference between a crowd on a Tuesday and a Thursday than there is between different countries, unless you’re doing political stuff.

And even if you’re doing ‘taboo’ subjects like religion, you have to remember that people that go to see comedy shows want to laugh, and can take a joke. Most of the time, that is.

What led you towards comedy?

You’ve mentioned before that a tragedy in the family encouraged you to lighten the atmosphere with jokes…

I’d love for that to be the case. That I’m a damaged clown just trying to bring the joy to other people’s lives that was cruelly taken away from me – that’d be a great story. I’d be so deep. But realistically I’m just an attention-seeking, egocentric prick with a dark sense of humour, a love of stand-up, and few qualifications to do anything else. l Daniel Sloss: Dark runs from 6-30 August at Venue 150 at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre. Tickets: venue150.com edfringe.co.uk

Confessions of a Redheaded Coffeeshop Girl, at the Gilded Balloon, is a one-woman show from Toronto’s Rebecca Perry.

John Robins: Speakeasy, at the Assembly George Square, is the firebrand’s latest show. ‘Humane, interesting and consistently funny,’ says The Independent.

Alex Edelman: Everything Handed To You, at the Pleasance Courtyard, sees the New York upstart joking about the neuroses of youth.

‘Like, you would not believe what a stress figuring out the title has been,’ he says.

Aisling Bea: Plan Bea brings the British Comedy Award winner for Best Female TV Comic 2015 to the Gilded Balloon.

‘You’ll enjoy it, if she’s your thing,’ says Bea’s mum.

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FILM BUFF

Take 3 Outdoor cinemas

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Film4 Summer Screen From 6-19 August, the neoclassical courtyard of London’s Somerset House makes a glorious backdrop for screenings of new and classic movies, including the premiere of Gemma Bovery, starring Gemma Arterton.

The Luna Cinema Open-air venues across London, including Kensington Palace Gardens and the rooftop of One New Change in the City of London, will be screening mainly classic films all summer long.

Edinburgh gets in on the act from 4-6 September with screenings at the Royal Botanic Garden.

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Gemma Bovery ©Jérôme Prébois/Albertine Productions

Rooftop Film Club The Queen of Hoxton in Shoreditch is one of the venues hosting films in London as part of the Rooftop Film Club this summer. You’ll find wireless headphones, comfortable chairs and free blankets at all the venues, plus filmthemed cocktails at the Bussey Building in Peckham and Roof East in Stratford.

pop-culture phenomenon in its day, The Man From U.N.C.L.E. finally goes from 1960s TV show to a film released in cinemas mid-August. But although based on a concept by James Bond creator Ian Fleming, will it make it to blockbuster franchise status?

Its director Guy Ritchie and stars, Henry Cavill and Armie Hammer, certainly hope so.

The original show followed the adventures of two secret agents, suave American Napoleon Solo and rigid Russian Illya Kuryakin, who work for the shadowy United Network Command for Law and Enforcement. This odd couple battled their evil counterparts T.H.R.U.S.H. (the Technological Hierarchy for the Removal of Undesirables and the Subjugation of Humanity) on a weekly basis, escaping death traps and, in one memorably dodgy episode, stopping a stink bomb from exploding above Hollywood.

Although it spawned comicbooks and novels, the 21st-century resuscitation has taken a long time coming. Warner Brothers secured the film rights in 1993, and since then directors such as Matthew Vaughn and Steven Soderbergh have come close to making it. But no-one could quite get it off the ground, until Ritchie came along.

At first, the British director seems an unlikely choice. He’s most famous for his gritty gangster films like Snatch and Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels, and freely admits that he wasn’t a huge fan of the TV series. But Ritchie has had movie success with another crime-fighting duo — Sherlock Holmes and John Watson — and had a feeling he could do it again. ‘I liked the idea of a Russian teaming up with an American. And I liked all the ‘60s iconography. It feels like the best of Bond,’ he says.

While Tom Cruise and George Clooney were set to star at different

The Guy from

U.N.C.L.E. Will Guy Ritchie’s latest film be the start of a blockbuster franchise?

© 2013 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.

Words Nick de Semlyen

points, Ritchie’s The Man From U.N.C.L.E. has ended up featuring Cavill as the American and Hammer as the Russian. An origin story showing how the spies first meet, it sees them team up to track down the daughter (Alicia Vikander) of a vanished German scientist. Along the way they will be continually reprimanded by their boss (Hugh Grant), tussle in a public toilet and at one point end up in a swimming pool while fully clothed.

Most modern spies, including Jason Bourne and the current incarnation of James Bond, are grim-faced and haunted. The Man From U.N.C.L.E., on the other hand, is on a mission to restore fun to the genre. Cavill describes his character as a ‘loveable rogue’ who loves nothing more than to rile his rule-abiding KGB counterpart. And though set during the Cold War, the film is a sunshine-soaked adventure that trots the globe and was largely shot in Italy. ‘It’s got style and pace and music and comedy and sex,’ enthuses Hammer. ‘The movie is basically a long version of the trailer.

It’s just a really good time.’

Even so, there are limits to how silly the story can get. For this reason, the TV show’s villains have been shown the door. ‘We’re not using T.H.R.U.S.H. because I don’t think you can say that with a straight face these days!’ laughs producer/ co-writer Lionel Wigram. Instead, the baddies are a network of exNazis whose aim is to destabilise the world. They’re led by Alexander (Luca Calvani), whose evil plan remains shrouded in mystery.

The Man From U.N.C.L.E. is competing against summer movies with more brand awareness, but Ritchie is hoping it will catch fire.

With the original series to inspire him, there’s plenty of potential for sequels. If he’s wise, he’ll ignore the one about the stink bomb. l The Man from U.N.C.L.E. opens in cinemas on 14 August

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MUSIC FAN

Amy Winehouse is remembered in a new film, as well as in Mark Ronson’s 2015 album that’s dedicated to the singer Words Sara Kennedy

Biters debut leaves its mark ipped for stardom by Green Day, Atlanta rockers Biters formed six years ago but are only now about to drop their debut album, Electric Blood, on an unsuspecting public.

They’ve spent those years polishing the radio-ready choruses and irresistible hooks of their tunes, but the album’s charm lies as much in their ragged rock ’n’ roll romance as their gift for perfectly unkempt pop.

‘I love anything that’s from the heart,’ says frontman Tuk Smith of Biters’ approach to rocking. ‘Corporate pop culture and fairweather fads are things I’m not interested in. I still believe in rock ’n’ roll.’

Tuk says he was raised on classic rock’n’roll by his mother. ‘The first tape she ever bought me was AC/DC,’ he reveals. ‘She was at an AC/DC concert when she was pregnant with me, and she touched [guitarist] Angus Young, and his sweat got all over her… She swears it seeped into her pores and into my blood!’

It’s a theory that probably wouldn’t stand up to close scientific scrutiny, but if hearing is believing, the Biters’ rocking anthems suggest Tuk’s mum is telling the truth.

Fusing classic songcraft with heavy rock passion and riffs that will awaken the air-guitarist in you, they’re an unabashedly old-school proposition. ‘I don’t really get a lot of modern bands,’ Tuk says. ‘Everybody is so afraid of doing something different.’ Biters, though, sound truly fearless, and Electric Blood is exactly the sort of music you’ll want to sink your teeth into. l

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Electric Blood is out on 10 July, but you can hear it first onboard long-haul Virgin Atlantic flights from 1 July

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ince her untimely death, aged 27, in 2011, Amy Winehouse’s memory has lived on in her music: that deep, melancholic voice that casts its spell across genres from jazz and blues to soul and reggae in awardwinning work such as her Back to Black album, and timeless hits such as Rehab and Love Is a Losing Game.

This July, we’re set to see more of the fragile, beehive-haired singer-songwriter with the UK and US cinema release of Amy, the new docu-film, revealing unseen archive footage to chart her story.

Although the project has been criticised

by Amy’s father, Mitch Winehouse, as being misleading, director Asif Kapadia, who made the BAFTA-winning Senna, claims the film ‘shines a light into the world in which we live’.

‘Amy was a once-in-a-generation talent who captured everyone’s attention; she Winehouse and wrote and Ronson chemistry sung from the heart and everyone fell under her spell,’ says Kapadia. ‘But tragically Amy seemed to fall apart under the relentless media attention, her troubled relationships, her global success and her precarious lifestyle. As a society we celebrated her huge success but then we were quick to judge her failings when it suited us.’

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© PA Images

Sound bites

Friends forever

© PA Images

Listen up Summer anthems for the airborne

DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince Summertime ‘Put your car on cruise and lay back, because it’s Summertime,’ advised a young Will Smith on this easygoing rap classic, sampling Kool & The Gang’s Summer Madness to make a new anthem of his own.

Isley Brothers Summer Breeze

Tribute has also been paid to Winehouse this year when her friend and collaborator Mark Ronson dedicated his latest album, Uptown Special, to her. Ronson, who produced Back to Black and Winehouse’s 2011 cover version of the Zutons’ Valerie, says: ‘I’d rather have her here and have sold five records of course, but I guess they’re two separate things. It’s kind of amazing. I met this girl and in the course of 10 days we made this record that we were really into.

At the same time all this stuff that came with it might have contributed to her not being here – I don’t really know, but they’re two different things in my head’.

Winehouse remains one of Ronson’s favourite collaborators, of which there have been many. This year’s Uptown Funk single features Bruno Mars, and Ronson has worked with artists from Paul McCartney and Rufus Wainwright to Lily Allen (the last on her debut album, Alright, Still).

‘No one’s ever going to compare to Amy because of the talent she had and the unique bond we had, that rapport, that energy in the studio,’ he says. ‘Valerie was done in two hours. Her thing was so effortless. It was just what came out.’ l

Scored throughout

by Ernie’s languid psychedelic guitar, Ronald’s soulful vocals and their brothers’ sweet harmonies, the Isley Brothers’ cover of the Seals & Croft hit is a lazy, hazy treat.

The Lovin’ Spoonful Summer in the City Evocative imagery abounds in this 1966 hit, where the pavement is ‘hotter than a matchhead’ and the back of your neck’s getting ‘dirty and gritty.’

Amy is released on 3 July

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ACTIVE LIFE

on a wetsuit and goggles and take the plunge into the choppy River Thames, the waters around Manhattan or the stretch of Pacific Ocean between Alcatraz island and San Francisco’s coastline.

Swimming may be a great way to get fit, but it’s often a solo workout.

However, group swimming events are increasingly making a splash. As well as exercise, they’re about camaraderie, competition and raising money for charity.

The London Triathlon takes place on 8 and 9 August and is the largest triathlon in the world, with more than 13,000 competitors and 30,000 people cheering them on. Swimmers plunge into the Thames by the ExCel Exhibition Centre in the Docklands, as well as taking on running and cycling challenges.

A major focus of the event is fundraising and the triathlon’s main charity is Macmillan Cancer Support, but athletes can compete on behalf of their own causes as well. About a third of those taking part are first-timers and the triathlon offers different distances to suit the different abilities of those taking part.

‘The crowds and participants make the atmosphere fantastic,’ says 2014 winner Mark Buckingham. ‘Last year I was able to win the race, so this event is close to my heart. I’m really looking forward to racing again this year.’

Across the Atlantic, the Manhattan Island Marathon Swim on 1 August

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The UK’s best pools and lidos

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Making a splash This summer, swimming enthusiasts are diving into remarkable events in London, New York and San Francisco Words Kat Halstead

Portobello Swim Centre Edinburgh These Victorian baths are situated on the beach, along the main Portobello Promenade, with stunning views of the Firth and Forth. Retaining many of the building’s original 19th-century features, the centre includes two modern swimming pools, as well as the authentic Turkish Baths. edinburghleisure.co.uk

© The friends of Stonehaven Open air Pool; © Edward Parker; © AJ Bell; © Rocky Arroyo

Swimathons in London, New York and San Francisco

brings out the competitive spirit with a race along the New York rivers Hudson, Harlem and East – making it a full lap of the island. Starting and finishing at South Cove in Battery Park, swimmers travel in the shadows of iconic bridges, Brooklyn and George Washington. The current record is held by Australian Oliver Wilkinson, who completed the course in five hours, 44 minutes in 2011. That is somewhat faster than the first recorded lap of the island, in 1915, when teenager Robert Dowling Jr circumnavigated Manhattan in just under 14 hours.

Today, the 28.5-mile course is recognised as the longest annually held swim race in the world. It’s certainly not for the faint-hearted, but nothing brings people together more than a great challenge.

In San Francisco on the west coast of the US, TriCalifornia’s biannual Alcatraz Challenge Swim takes place on

The Serpentine Lido Lo ndo n Nestled in Hyde Park, the Serpentine Lido has been open for a century or more and offers more than 110 yards of swimming.

With space for sunbathing, a child-safe paddling pool and changing facilities, it’s the ideal retreat from the bustling city beyond. royalparks.org.uk

16 August as a 1.5-mile swim between the famous former island prison and the East Beach of Crissy Field in Presido Park. The challenge can either be undertaken alone or as part of the Aquathon & Swim, which also includes a seven-mile run. Around 400 people take part, raising thousands of dollars for charity. But, even though this is sunny California, water temperatures are chilly, so wetsuits are recommended.

Dating back to 1979, this swim was conceived when Ironman contestant John Oakes returned from Hawaii with the intention of combining a new

Alcatraz swim with the legendary seven-mile Dipsea Run and 15-mile bike ride over the Golden Gate Bridge. The first event took place in 1981 and has since morphed into a triathlon, before dropping the cycling to become the popular Aquathon & Swim it is today.

Actress Hilary Swank, a keen swimmer who competed in the junior Olympics, once said: ‘It’s hard to find somebody who wants to go for a twomile swim in the ocean!’ With events like these, it’s that little bit easier. l tricalifornia.com / nycswim.org / thelondontriathlon.com

Sto nehaven Po o l Aberdeenshire This art deco-style open-air pool and lido boasts clean seawater heated to a luxurious 29°C. At 50m long it’s Olympic-sized, making it ideal for training, while there’s also a midnight swim under the stars accompanied by disco music. stonehavenopenairpool.co.uk

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TRANSATLANTIC

O is a water-themed crowd-pleaser at the Bellagio Hotel

Vegas wizardry Magic shows are like Marmite, but these are ones to love

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Penn & Teller The Emmy Award-winning duo – one big and loud, the other little and silent – break all the rules in the book by explaining their tricks as they go. You’ll still be amazed, even when you know how things are done, by their riotously funny take on traditional hat-and-rabbit magic.

The Mac King Comedy Magic Show

Jan Rouven’s illusions German magician Jan Rouven specialises in the sort of tricks that make you wonder if he’ll make it to the end of the show in one piece. Illusions at The Tropicana sees Rouven putting his life into the audience’s hands with acts such as the ‘Bed of Death’ and the ‘Hand Stab’.

A family-friendly afternoon show is a rare occurrence on the Vegas strip, but affable Mac King pulls it off with panache at Harrah’s. An expert in sleight of hand – look out for the famous goldfish trick – he’s also known for his hilarious visual gags.

Fear and loving in Las Vegas Cirque du Soleil’s balletic, daredevil shows have been entrancing fans for three decades Words Jon Fox

hen Cirque du Soleil was born just over 30 years ago, the Canadian theatre troupe made circus-style entertainment hip for adults as well as children. The acrobats and clowns wowed with their athletic prowess and artistic grace, and the shows were refreshingly devoid of animals forced into performing tricks.

Since its inception, it’s attracted 150 million spectators, and 15 million in the last year alone. The art-house troupe, with its hints of everything from ballet and opera to burlesque, is now

© Tomasz Rossa

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an international cultural phenomenon, currently staging eight shows in Las Vegas. It also has shows this summer in other Virgin Atlantic destinations, including Chicago and Boston.

But has global stardom softened any of its edge? During a recent trip to Vegas, we booked tickets for two shows: O, Cirque’s water-themed musical extravaganza of dance, gymnastics and diving, and Zarkana, an adrenaline-fuelled and rather bizarre story about a magician plunged into a world of surreal creatures after he falls out of love with magic.

O (a play on ‘eau’, the French word for water) is staged at the Bellagio hotel and casino, which is famed for its lake and dancing fountains – an aquatic landmark in this desert city.

The Zarkana cast includes Brit twins Andrew and Kevin Atherton

O divides people into those who see Vegas as ‘Sin City’ and those who see it as the ‘Entertainment Capital of the World’. A hair-raising show that has people gasping on the edge of their seats, a minority have complained that the sexually ambiguous cabaret elements are not wholesome viewing, while the majority simply marvel at the theatrically styled, gravity-defying physicality, which is set in and around a 1.5-million-gallon-sized pool. There’s synchronised swimming, trapeze feats and high dives into the smallest areas of open water.

Zarkana premiered at Radio City Music Hall in New York in 2011 before becoming a permanent show at Aria Resort and Casino in Vegas. Its Manhattan landmark roots are reflected

by the lavish set, which has art nouveau influences that include nods to Antoni Gaudi architecture and Gustav Klimt art.

The costumes of the characters – Zark, the Mutant Ladies, fire-eating snake woman Kundalini and spider woman Tarantula – continue the 1920s vibe.

But, however epic the production, it’s the highwire gymnasts, acrobats and jugglers who are the real stars of shows.

British identical twins Andrew and Kevin Atherton are among the cast of Zarkana, and their training programmes offer an insight into the work involved in performing two shows a night.

‘We train for an hour and a half, six mornings a week,’ they say, ‘and the workouts vary depending on which specific muscle group we’re working on that day.

‘In the afternoon before we head to work, we’ll normally do about an hour of swimming to warm our shoulders up before the shows. Work begins at 5pm.

After the application of our make-up, we’ll warm up with 30 to 45 minutes of specific stretching and muscle exercises.’

The brothers add the reward is daily exhilaration. ‘The thrill we get each time we fly 50 feet in the air over the heads of audience members below cannot be matched’. l cirquedesoleil.com

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FOOD SPY

The new black The enlightening experience of dining in total darkness Words Richard Rawlinson

had heard about Dans Le Noir? in London’s Clerkenwell Green but had never dined there or even read a review. One of the capital’s more unusual restaurants, guests are served in total darkness by blind waiters – a unique sensory experience that’s said to sharpen our perceptions of taste and smell. The menus are a surprise, too, as ‘blind tasting’ is supposed to encourage one to focus on the flavours, aromas and textures.

Having booked a table, I invite a friend to join me in this culinary adventure. We’re intrigued to check out the food and service, and wonder how pitch blackness will affect our table chat as well as our taste buds. Will we miss not being able to admire the interior décor, observe the staff and guests on neighbouring tables, or see each other’s facial expressions? A shared meal is, after all, as much a social encounter as anything else.

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From the street, Dans Le Noir? looks like any other bistro. In the sun-lit entrance, we’re greeted by manager Dominique Raclin, ready with a few introductory words. With no option to read a menu at the table, we’re given the choice of ‘white’ for the chef’s surprise, ‘red’ for meat dishes, ‘blue’ for fish, and ‘green’ for vegetarian. We’re also asked to put our light-giving mobiles in a locker before we’re introduced to our visually impaired waitress, Nadine, who will guide us to our table in the blacked-out dining room.

Nadine asks me to put my hand on her shoulder, and my friend to do the same to me, as we venture into the unknown. It’s a disorientating experience, a profound role reversal of the blind leading the sighted, the traditionally vulnerable now confident, and vice versa. We feel for the back of chairs, and the edge of the table, and use touch to familiarise ourselves with the position of glasses and cutlery.

The restaurant, normal on the outside, has surprises within

Different couples are invited to share one long table and the darkness somehow liberates you to talk to neighbours – an overheard comment leading to conversations among strangers.

At first, all we can talk about is our predicament, half expecting our eyes to become accustomed to the darkness, hoping silhouettes will emerge into view. It’s not to be.

Our starters arrive and we chase them around our plates with a fork, napkins tucked into collars in the event of spillage.

The guessing game begins. My friend’s starter is scabetch (pickled fried fish) and quail, and, just to confuse matters, his main is a mixed platter of chicken cannelloni, lamb and beef. These ingredients are only revealed after the meal and it’s embarrassing to make a guess that’s

IT’S A PROFOUND ROLE REVERSAL OF THE BLIND LEADING THE SIGHTED wide of the mark. My starter seemed to have the taste and texture of mackerel pâté but it turned out to be crab bisque. As for my main platter of pheasant, lobster and, er, crocodile, I scored one out of three.

Note to self: should you ever order crocodile again, it’s a bit like chicken.

Pudding offered more identifiable flavours: fresh mango and cardamom panna cotta with mixed berries and white chocolate sauce.

The three-course set menus were worth their £52 per head price but Dans Le Noir? is about the priceless experience. You form a picture in your mind of what dishes and diners look like but, without sight, taste of food and perceptions of people are taken to a new level. Your other senses work overtime, and are helped and hindered by your vivid imagination. l

Table talk Gary Cromie, head chef at new Edinburgh restaurant, The Riparian Rooms What’s the ethos behind your menus?

Sourcing quality, local seasonal produce creates the best flavour without adding too much to the dish.

How do you define modern Scottish cuisine?

Scotland has a great selection of products on offer. Simplicity is best.

Who are your customers?

As a local neighbourhood restaurant we rely on residents, business workers and people visiting our city.

What is your greatest culinary inspiration?

Using our great produce and creating dishes that I enjoy cooking as much as our diners enjoy eating them.

What would you order and why?

Six fresh oysters with lemon, followed by grilled whole lobster with garlic and parsley butter, a crisp salad and hand-cut chips.

To finish, a selection of fine Scottish cheese – we serve it with apple and cider chutney, homemade oatcakes, walnut bread, and a glass of port.

london.danslenoir.com

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BAR CRAWL

Bar talk Mateo Lima, bar manager at boutique hotel Tigerlily in Edinburgh What is it that sets Tigerlily apart?

Tigerlily offers incredible food and drink created by talented people.

Our ethos is to be as passionate about our produce as we are about service.

Tell us about the after-dinner cocktail trolley.

Our mixologists roll out the cocktail trolley to your table and show you how to shake up your favourite cocktails.

What is your most popular cocktail?

Imagine a French Martini topped with Prosecco: Monaco, a classic cocktail with a lift of bubbles.

What’s new?

We’ve just opened our outside terrace – where customers can enjoy cocktails from our Summer Collection menu.

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Tell us a story…

We had the Welsh rugby team in after a Six Nations victory against Scotland. They ordered a French Martini each. It was a fantastic sight, 30 rugby internationals sipping on a pink French Martini. tigerlilyedinburgh.co.uk

Designer drinking dens What makes Mondrian hotel bars in the UK and US so desirably decadent?

Words Tracey Petherick

ate last year, the first Mondrian hotel outside America opened on London’s South Bank in Sea Containers House between Blackfriars and Waterloo bridges.

Once an ugly duckling of this stretch of the Thames, the brutalist 1970s office block was given a top-to-toe interior makeover by leading UK designer Tom Dixon, establishing its Rumpus Room bar as one of the capital’s hippest, waterside watering holes – a 12th-floor fantasy take on a cruise-ship ballroom.

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Rumpus Room at Mondrian London attracts today’s Bright Young Things

In common with the Sunset Lounge of Miami’s Mondrian South Beach, and the Skybar of Mondrian Los Angeles, the Rumpus Room attracts style-savvy punters with its heady mix of décor, stunning views and tasty cocktails.

Dixon, a former creative director of Habitat, cites the terrace view across the river to the dome of St Paul’s Cathedral as one of the best aspects of Rumpus Room. ‘Such a monumental and historic sight, constantly changing with the tides,’ he says.

Visitors are equally likely to enjoy the attention to design and service: how the cityscape forms the backdrop for a decadent drama inspired by the hedonistic 1920s London socialites known as the Bright Young Things (BYT). It’s Dixon’s sparkling chandeliers, marble tables and blood-red leather sofas that evoke this mood. He also salvaged an original brass banister from the building before the gutting of the interior.

The stage is set, making it easier for the actors, both guests and waiting staff, to play their parts. Celebrities spotted there have ranged from Kate Moss and Tinie Tempah to Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Graham Norton.

The drinks menu helps the atmosphere, too! The Rumpus Rumble (Chambord, lemon, white grape and lemongrass wine) is enough to transform anyone into a BYT, as is the Classic Champagne cocktail (Martell, angostura, sugar and Perrier-Jouet).

‘Mondrians are hotels for creators,’ says hotel spokesman Alan Philips.

‘They’re focused around creativity and being a refuge for creators.’ The Rumpus Room’s older siblings in Miami and LA follow a similar formula, although their clientele might be a bit more bronzed, brash and Botoxed.

The Sunset Lounge on South Beach is conceived by Dutch designer Marcel Wanders as a magical world plucked from a fairytale, and aided and abetted by the legendary views of the sun going down over Biscayne Bay. Models, playboys and muscle men form the cast of characters enjoying the opulent décor, or exploring the lush,

Drink in the view: Mondrian hotel bars in Miami and Los Angeles

labyrinthine gardens. There are even secret pathways to ‘kissing corners’.

Even the mixologists pride themselves on sexy cocktails, emphasising infused cachaças and house-made syrups, and juices made from exotic and local ingredients.

The Skybar at Mondrian Los Angeles is the rooftop bar that started it all, and combines stunning views over Sunset Strip with a glamorous night-time playground centred around a pool.

Revellers have been known to leap into the pool after a few cocktails, although most of the well-groomed clientele prefer to chat, flirt and pose, mojito in hand, in this airy, Mexican-style oasis of foliage-covered walls, plush banquettes and discreet nooks.

Some say the in-crowd has now moved on from Skybar, but it still attracts a mix of models, businessmen and hotel guests. They come for the style and views, plus the Mondrian X-factor of creating a bar environment that makes you feel like you’re escaping the real world in favour of something almost cinematic, or perhaps surreal. l morganshotelgroup.com

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FASHIONISTA

Hide tired eyes under a pair of classic aviator-style sunglasses.

Sunglasses from Superdry, £24.99 / superdry.com

James Long mixes the past and future in his vibrant festival-inspired collection

Keep fresh while on the dance floor with this handy Oil Eliminator spray.

Mismatch your top and bottoms for a nonchalant, carefree look.

Striped shorts by Zara, £29.99 / zara.com

Didn’t you know bum bags are back?

Bum bag by Mii at Topman £17 / topman.com

Tonic by Kiehl’s, £18 / Kiehls.com

That’s all folk High street fashion goes on a field trip this festival season Words Georgina Yates

rom The Secret Garden Party and Lovebox to Reading and Leeds, this summer’s festivals are places to see and be seen. Fashion has also fallen for festival fever with many brands imbuing their collections with the carefree vibe of the swinging 60s. Flowing dresses, mismatched patterns and ripped denim all find their way into this celebration of our festival heritage. l

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Stand out from the crowd with this quirky statement top.

Tank top by Craig green, £250 / MATCHESFASHION.COM

These lightweight slip-ons will help you to dance the night away.

Tribal print slip-ons by Toms from Topman, £40 / topman.com

A floral maxi dress serves as the centrepiece for a festivalinspired look.

Nothing screams swinging 60s like a pair of heart-shaped sunnies.

Sunglasses from Accessorize, £12 / uk.accessorize.com

Dress by Reformation, £168.04 / thereformation. com

Replenish dehydrated skin with Clinique’s revitalising treatment oil.

Embrace your inner hippy with a floral garland.

Treatment Oil

by Clinique £30 / Clinique.com

Cambridge floral headband from Rock n’ Rose £48 / rocknrose.co.uk

These floral wedges add height without the discomfort.

Printed wedges by Topshop £52 / topshop.com

Matthew Williamson’s maxi dress is top of the bill

Keep your valuables safe in this statement bucket bag.

Suede bag by Zara, £49.99 / zara.com

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TECHNOPHILE

Sitting Room Luminara Artificial Candle There’s nothing like the ambience created by flickering candlelight, but an open flame certainly isn’t ideal when there are young children or pets in the house. Achieve a similar atmosphere with Luminara’s real-wax, remote control candles – a safer way to enjoy mood-lighting.

Kitchen Large Magnetic Spice Rack This clever storage system will free up your spice cupboard and act as an eye-catching kitchen feature. Not only are the stainless steel spice shakers visually appealing, they also help to protect and preserve the flavour of the contents. £68 / aplaceforeverything.co.uk

From £29.94 / luminara.co.uk

Breville VKJ595 Jug Kettle Gone are the days when a piercing whistle announces the kettle has boiled.

Instead, this stylish number indicates that’s its contents are piping hot by the use of light: glowing red when it’s hit the boil. While on standby the cordless kettle flashes through a spectrum of colours, providing a charming light display. £46 / currys.co.uk

2020 vision There’s room for improvement as technology and design combine in the stylish homes of the future Words Danny Brogan

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Office Beatnik Sound Station Chair A combination of comfort and convenience, the Beatnik Sound Station Chair (main image, far left) provides the perfect conference call environment.

The built-in Bose 2.1 sound system – with speakers below and at the upper front of the chair – coupled with the enclosed design makes for crystal-clear calls. With Bluetooth and Apple Airplay you can also pair up your mobile devices, while there’s even a built-in iPad mount.

From £1,620 / donar.si/eng/trgovina/beatnik

Katedra Office Desk

Bathroom Teuco Light Shower

Bedroom Bookrest Lamp

With its mood lighting, trio of body massaging water jets and the ability to play and control your music via Bluetooth connectivity, it’ll prove difficult having a quick wash with Teuco’s Light Shower. Created by designer Fabio Lenci, the shower is engineered in such a way that you can even turn it into a steam room.

Enjoy your bedtime story by the light of the Bookrest Lamp. The simple and utterly charming lamp is made from frosted glass and emits a dimmed light that’s perfect for reading. When you’re ready to retire, pop your book open atop the lamp and it keeps your place.

The stylish Katedra desk enables you to charge up your mobile by simply placing it down on the work surface.

The embedded AirCharge technology is even connected to an LED indicator that glows red while charging, and green when fully charged.

The wooden stand also hides drawers, while a pocket under the desk stores a keyboard or laptop.

£60 / suck.uk.com

£2,063 / donar.si/eng/trgovina/katedra

From £10,200 / teuco.com/showers_light

Withings Smart Body Analyzer A set of scales that measures weight, body fat, BMI, heart rate and even air quality, the Withings Smart Body Analyzer syncs all your data to the web or the free Health Mate app. You can even share this data via social media, should you be so inclined. The scales automatically distinguish between up to eight different users, all of whom can create their own profiles. £129.95 / withings.com/eu/ smart-body-analyzer.html

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CANCUN Day

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Day & Night Words Tracey Petherick

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Night

From Mexican monuments to Cuban salsa clubs, Cancun and Havana offer 24/7 stimulation

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One of Mexico’s top tourist hotspots, Cancun offers white-sand beaches, stylish hotels, natural and historic beauty. Go deep-sea fishing for blue marlin and sailfish during the summer months, explore a reef made of 450 statues 1 in the underwater museum, or take a jetpack flight.

Sample island life, and a cute turtle hatchery 2 , on laid-back Isla Mujeres, or head to Isla Holbox to dive with whale sharks.

For an ancient culture fix, wonder at the remains of the Mayan civilisation at the iconic Chichen Itza or the clifftop Tulum.

Watch the sun set as you tuck into lobster dishes 4 at Lorenzillo’s, Cancun’s best seafood restaurant, or opt for more affordable Mexican joint Pik Nik. Then it’s party time at the city’s infamous club scene.

Make like a VIP at upscale Mandala, focus on fun at Coco Bongo with its acrobatics show and celebrity impersonators, or keep it real by heading to the artsy Parque de las Palapas, the heart of Cancun’s downtown district, for live music ranging from jazz to salsa every weekend evening.

For an evening stroll, it has to be Playa del Carmen 3 with its chic Riviera vibe.

HAVANA Day

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Packed with unique Cuban culture, Havana offers vintage American cars 1 , impromptu rumba jams and public art 2 , such as Gaudiesque street mosaics at Fusterlandia. Piscolabis Bazar-Café in Old Havana serves up Cuban coffee, artisanal homewares and jewellery. Get your cigars at La Casa del Habano in the Hotel Conde de Villanueva, where an in-house cigar roller gives demonstrations.

Then cool off with a daiquiri in El Floridita or leave your mark (graffiti is encouraged) at La Bodeguita del Medio bar 3 .

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© travel2cuba.co.uk; VisitMexico ©CPTM / Ricardo Espinosa-reo; © Kamira / Shutterstock.com

Night Take a sunset stroll along the Malecon, the seafront boulevard that’s lined with neo-classical, art deco and art nouveau buildings, and you will end up in Vedado. Try Fábrica de Arte Cubano, the city’s coolest venue with quirky art installations, live music and a trendy crowd.

Prefer to swivel those hips? Check out 1830, an open-air salsa club. Or to see the professionals in action, try the worldfamous Tropicana 4 , an open-air cabaret of salsadancing showgirls that has barely changed since its 1950s heyday. And during August, you’ll be caught up in fiesta fever as the Havana Carnival takes over the town.

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Virgin territory

Making connections at NY-LON Virgin Atlantic and Delta Air Lines celebrate partnership with O2 lounge bar

o celebrate the partnership between Virgin Atlantic and Delta Air Lines®, the two airlines have opened a unique lounge bar together at the O2, London.

Called NY-LON, the bar is named after the New YorkLondon connection that’s a great way to travel transatlantic, offering 10 flights a day between London Heathrow and New York.

NY-LON offers a taste of the innovation, style and hospitality you enjoy when you fly Virgin Atlantic or Delta. It’s open daily, noon to midnight, and there’s no entry fee. Near Cineworld in the O2 and just one stop from Canary Wharf on the underground, pop by soon for coffee or cocktails with colleagues or to share a bite to eat with friends. l

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ny-lon.co.uk

Raise your glass to Funkin To get you in the holiday mood, Virgin Atlantic and Funkin Cocktails have teamed up to create recipes for delicious cocktails. On long-haul journeys, your flight attendant can whip you up a cocktail or mocktail in seconds,

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by simply adding the Funkin mixer to your chosen spirit, or to sparkling water and ice.

the perfect balance of mouth-watering ingredients from fresh mint to zesty lime.

Whether your tipple is rum, vodka or champagne, the Funkin Mojito Cocktail Mixers offer

The company uses the freshest fruit from around the world, so all mixers are 100% natural, with no artificial

colours, flavours or preservatives.

We recommend the classic Blighty Mojito, with gin and a hint of cucumber, and Mile High Mojito, topped with champagne and lifted with citrus.

A summer of secret service If you’re taking a longhaul flight with Virgin Atlantic in the coming months, Kingsman: The Secret Service is one of the highlights of our award-winning inflight entertainment across movies, TV shows and albums.

Director Matthew Vaughn makes spies more bad-ass than ever in this stylish, action-packed comedy thriller about a street kid recruited into the training programme of secret organisation, Kingsman.

V.I.R.G.I.N. beauty tips How to keep your skin hydrated and healthy VOLATILE

REPAIR

ILLUMINATE

Wear a moisturiser on your face and body, preferably with an SPF, to create a protective barrier on your skin against wind, sun, air conditioning and heat

To soothe, repair and strengthen an irritated skin apply Dr Hauschkas Rose Day Face Cream. Hydrate a dry, itchy body by firstly exfoliating off dead skin cells, then applying a nourishing body cream.

Mascara accentuates your eyes and makes them sparkle. If your eyes are sensitive, opt for a mascara that is dermatologically and opthamalogically tested.

IMMUNE Colin Firth stars as smooth agent Galahad, with Taron Egerton as trainee Eggsy. Michael Caine is Kingsman’s boss, with Samuel L Jackson playing a billionaire philanthropist.

Kingsman: The Secret Service, available now on Digital HD™, Blu-ray™ and DVD. © 2015 FOX

BareMinerals has a powder based SPF that gives great on-the-go cover without the greasy finish.

Sunglasses are a must to protect your eyes but if they do get irritated Dr Hauschkas Eye Revive containing chamomile will provide instant relief.

GLAMOROUS Enhance your natural beauty and cover any blemishes by applying a foundation or tinted moisturiser. Mix some of Dr Hauschka’s Translucent Bronze Concentrate to your face or body moisturiser for a healthy glow.

Add volume to hair by applying hair powder, then add a red lip.

NATURAL Avoid soaps that will strip your skin of natural oils.

Cleansing with a milk-based cleanser will keep your skin healthy, nourished and moisturised. Eat a healthy, balanced diet including fruit and vegetables to provide your body with many of the nutrients that help towards naturally glowing skin, and strong healthy hair. B&B Surf Spray gives hair a natural sun-dried and windswept style.

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Virgin territory

Transfers As easy as ABC, Virgin Atlantic Little Red connections link London to the rest of the UK and the world Departures Shopping Food & drink

Flight connections Food & drink

Shopping

Terminal 2

Elevator

Escalator

Level 5: Aer Lingus Gold Circle Lounge

Food & drink

Level 4

Gates 21-26

Domestic to international connections London Heathrow Terminal 2 to Terminal 3

International to domestic connections London Heathrow Terminal 3 to Terminal 2

Here’s how we’ll connect you: ARRIVE: Simply step off the aircraft and our dedicated bus will be waiting for you.

BUS: Board our bus and whizz over to Terminal 3. Then follow the Virgin Atlantic connection signs to your next flight.

CHECK: You don’t have to do a thing. We’ll get all your checked baggage to the other side of the airport. The map above provides directions to the departure lounge.

Here’s how we’ll connect you: ARRIVE: At Terminal 3, follow the purple signs for Flight Connections.

BUS: Then hop on the connections bus, which departs every six to ten minutes. Easy.

CHECK: Just let security check your hand luggage before you go through passport control. Then just relax and enjoy the terminal facilities until your flight is ready to board.

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BE RENEGADE

THE ALL-NEW JEEP RENEGADE.

With its unmistakable styling and road presence, the Jeep Renegade is unlike any compact SUV you’ve ever driven. There’s a wide choice of fuel efficient engines delivering up to 61.4mpg and CO2 emissions from only 120g/km.

With luxurious interiors and legendary off-road ability, it’s as versatile as it is thrilling.

To book a test drive visit jeep.co.uk/fleet or contact our Business Centre on 01753 519442 or via email at fleet@jeep-comms.co.uk jeep.co.uk/fleet Jeep with ®

OFFICIAL FUEL CONSUMPTION FIGURES FOR JEEP RENEGADE RANGE MPG (L/100KM): EXTRA URBAN 47.9 (5.9) – 70.6 (4.0), URBAN 32.5 (8.7) – 51.4 (5.5), COMBINED 40.9 (6.9) – 61.4 (4.6), CO2 EMISSIONS: 160 – 120 G/KM. Fuel consumption and CO figures are obtained 2

for comparative purposes in accordance with EC directives/regulations and may not be representative of real-life driving conditions. Factors such as driving style, weather and road conditions may also have a significant effect on fuel consumption. Chrysler and CNH Industrial are Official Global Partners of the Expo Milano 2015. Jeep® is a registered trademark of FCA US LLC.

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05/06/2015 11:49