Pause for the applause
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A moment of dignified silence for the former Radio 1 DJ, Mike Read, whose musical venture Oscar Wilde, has folded after just one performance and a clutch of reviews that would have had even Boris Johnson refusing to face the cameras.
A moment of dignified silence for the former Radio 1 DJ, Mike Read, whose musical venture Oscar Wilde, has folded after just one performance and a clutch of reviews that would have had even Boris Johnson refusing to face the cameras.
True, some tickets had been sold for the following night. But the total of five was considered inadequate, and the show closed midweek having claimed the record for the shortest London run in a generation.
Easy to laugh at the travails of a DJ who had once been a byword for the oleaginous among the poptastics. Fame today, failure tomorrow. While the musical The Producers opens to celebrate the story of an impresario who tried to produce a flop and instead provided a smash hit, Mike Read has done the opposite. But then so did Verdi, Mozart and even Shakespeare in their day. And Wilde himself had his moments when the best of his efforts fell flat, as in his trial.
So "nil desperandum"... "better to have tried and failed than never to have tried at all"... "look on the bright side", and all that. And please stop giggling in the back of the stalls.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments