A darker play lurks under Coward's smart shenanigans, but Howard Davies' production seems content to bob along on the surface

As spectators speculated on her bridal gown at the Paris catwalks, Kate Middleton opted for a more homegrown and traditional look this week as she ventured out to meet her public on Shrove Tuesday.

Back to the Poor Law

Fringe theatre isn't known for its glamour (think grimy bathrooms and changing rooms the size of broom cupboards) – which is not to say it doesn't get its share of A-list sparkle every once in a while.

Nicky Haslam says Beth Ditto isn't beautiful, just fat. "Parties" wouldn't dream of wading into such a spat, but we can report that the Gossip girl was operating on Gas Mark 8 at the Royal Academy of Arts' summer exhibition party last week, first to shimmy up the blue carpet and last to leave, belting out her songs on a specially erected stage as the well-refreshed throng tripped into the night.

Some gastropubs have too much pub and not enough gastro, and you find yourself eating your lunch balanced on your knees. Some are all gastro and no trace of pub at all, as though the management decided one day that people who just stand around drinking beer and talking on their premises are horrid riff-raff. It takes a place like the Carpenter's Arms in Fulbrook to remind you how the joint concept is supposed to work.

Big shoulders are back. The fifth day of London Fashion Week yesterday confirmed a major trend of the week, and potentially the season. The only consolation for people who remember them with a shudder from last time around is the variety of shapes. There's more to the look than Alexis Colby or Melanie Griffith in Working Girl.