Going Underground - London's 24-hour Tube service could see some West End shows abandon their traditional 7.30pm start times, the Society of London Theatre has claimed. SOLT chief executive Julian Bird said the introduction of a 24-hour Tube service in London, which begins this weekend, would present "significant opportunities" for the theatre sector. He hinted that the 24-hour service, operating on Fridays and Saturdays, could see shows abandoning the traditional 7.30pm start time in favour of a later curtain-up.
He told the BBC, "Lots of people need to get to work late in the night or home from work - doctors, nurses, porters, security guards - but also it will be a massive boost to the night-time economy. Think of the theatres, the live music venues, the restaurants. I'm really pleased and proud that finally the Night Tube is here." The Night Tube will initially be available on the Central and Victoria Lines. Further lines will be rolled out later this year.
Tragically Hip - A farewell show from Canadian band The Tragically Hip reached 11.7m people after CBC broadcast the gig on TV and live streamed it on the internet. The band had announced the show in the group's hometown of Kingston, Ontario, after lead singer Gord Downie revealed he had terminal brain cancer. CBC said it was "an honour and a privilege" to broadcast the "unprecedented event". Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who was at the live show, said the band had "been writing Canada's soundtrack for over 30 years".
Bowie Berlin Tribute - A special plaque has been unveiled in Berlin, commemorating the years David Bowie spent in the city. The British singer recorded three albums there, including Heroes. The plaque features a quote from the album's title track, "We can be heroes, just for one day".
The city's mayor unveiled the plaque in front of several hundred fans, on the wall of what was Bowie's apartment. As well as 1977's Heroes, Bowie created his albums Low (1977) and Lodger (1979) at the city's Hansa studios.
Goodbye Toots - Belgian jazz musician Toots Thielemans has died at the age of 94, his manager has said. He was widely regarded as one of the world's top harmonica players and was well known for appearing on the Sesame Street and Midnight Cowboy themes. The musician's real name was Jean-Baptiste Thielemans but he was known affectionately as Toots.
Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel tweeted, "We have lost a great musician, a heart-warming personality. All my thoughts are with the family and friends of Toots Thielemans,''
(Jim Evans)
