Pope-ally wired! Why Mark E Smith’s maligned Catholic play is getting a reboot
The Fall frontman’s play about a papal plot appalled critics when first staged in 1986, with Leigh Bowery starring as a cardinal. Now Hey! Luciani is back – but does…
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Tomorrow Will Be a Palestinian Day review – work that finds a way out of Gaza’s ruins
Theatre503, LondonHope still resides against horror in this collection of short plays from Palestinian playwrights, poets and artistsWhat are the basic requirements of theatre-making? Actors, writers, resource and rehearsal space,…
‘All the girls were in there for shit that is pretty normal’: the show reinventing Girl, Interrupted for a new generation
Susanna Kaysen’s cult memoir sparked a wave of 90s novels about young women in crisis. After 10 years in the making, stars Juliana Canfield and King Princess are bringing it…
Ananya: A play on a young woman’s unbroken spirit
Pratap Phad’s Marathi play, later adapted into film and Hindi theatre, comes to Sir Mutha Venkatasubba Rao Concert Hall in Chennai on June 7.
Rosamund Pike criticises audience member for texting during West End play
Actor tells theatregoers she hoped message was ‘very important’ after final bows of Inter Alia performanceRosamund Pike has criticised an audience member for texting during the climax of her West…
Young people
Young Britons feel disconnected and locked out of creative arts, charity says
Research for Roundhouse in London shows 87% of 18- to 30-year-olds believe they have fewer artistic opportunities Rising costs, the disappearance of third spaces and reduced access to artistic opportunities…
Theatre
The best theatre to stream this month: Rose Byrne breaks out the champagne in the fizzy Fallen Angels
There’s a rare chance to catch a Tony-nominated hit live from New York, plus blasts from the past including Rent, The Audience and Hugh Jackman as a singing cowboyLivestreams of…
‘I felt I could smash my past up through sex’: the ruthlessness and redemption of Rupert Everett
‘Brash, disingenuous, lethal’: that’s how the 67-year-old actor describes his younger self. He lied to his partners, disrespected his audiences, betrayed his friends. Has this indiscreet, unreliable heartbreaker finally grown…
Koothu-p-Pattarai’s Pataliputhram: A haunting allegory of exploitation and survival
Gnana Rajasekaran’s Pataliputhram, directed by K.R. Rajaravivarma, is a haunting exploration of labour, survival and systemic inequality. Through movement, music and powerful performances, the play examines alienation, caste discrimination and…
Tamil play Mental Manadhil, a witty take on imperfect marriages
Staged at Chennai’s Krishna Gana Sabha recently, the play explored the quirks, conflicts and quiet truths of married life.
Stage
Once review – slick romance skips showstoppers and defies razzmatazz
Pitlochry festival theatreThis stripped-down show with a maudlin set of songs makes for the most reluctant of musicals, but this is a production that has the confidence to be silent…
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats comes to India
Matt Krzan, the resident director, talks about his association with Cats in multiple capacities.
Theatre
Beetlejuice review – Tim Burton’s super creep reanimated as a shock jock in ghoulish musical
Prince Edward theatre, LondonThere are drop-dead gorgeous designs and the performances are full of life but this off-kilter escapade has scattershot gags and unmemorable songsHalloween has arrived early as yet…
Economy
Sir David Adjaye breaks silence on vision behind Ghana’s National Cathedral
For years, Ghana’s proposed National Cathedral has existed at the centre of political debate, public scrutiny and national controversy. Conversations around the project have often focused on its cost, delays…
Books
‘True trailblazer’: British author and activist Maureen Duffy dies aged 92
Duffy wrote novels, plays and poetry, campaigned for gay rights, and was a ‘tireless advocate’ for authors’ rightsMaureen Duffy, author of more than 60 works and a pioneering activist for…
Arts and Culture
It’s becoming difficult to stay private after viral Hitz FM dance video – Dr. Bright Ofosu
Dr. Terry Bright Ofosu, Head of the Dance Department at the School of Performing Arts, University of Ghana, says life has become increasingly difficult to keep private following his viral…
Stage
Black Comedy review – Peter Shaffer’s relentless farce provokes helpless laughter
Orange Tree theatre, RichmondA stealing sculptor struggles to keep his visitors in the dark, while they lope and grope with the lights out, in Shaffer’s escalating slapstick showA regular complaint…
Theatre
‘Impossible, exhausting, horrifying’: how a chilling supernatural play explains the terror of life in Iran
Hit Iranian horror Under the Shadow conjured scares from the aftermath of the 1979 revolution. With Tehran once again under siege, a new theatrical version makes that story feel more…
Theatre
Redcliffe review – beautiful musical gets straight to the heart of forbidden love
Southwark Playhouse Borough, London Writer-performer Jordan Luke Gage delivers a charming, funny and devastating story of two gay men in 18th-century BristolQueer history is made up of bad news. The…
Sting
Loss of manual jobs could be driving toxic masculinity, says Sting
Musician says ‘we’ve lost that direction for our energy’ as his musical The Last Ship returns to West EndThe fact many men no longer use their hands and physicality on…
Theatre
Dark of the Moon review – bluegrass girl meets emo witch boy and their songs soar
Charing Cross theatre, LondonThe power and personality of its singers and music lift this Twilight-esque story into the realms of enjoyably ridiculousThe origins of this supernatural musical are in ancient…
Theatre
The Tempest review – Kenneth Branagh returns to the RSC in this enchanting production
Royal Shakespeare theatre, Stratford-upon-AvonProspero is reimagined as a conductor in this superbly orchestrated version of Shakespeare’s tragicomedyKenneth Branagh is said to have played 35 Shakespearean parts, albeit back in the…
Entertainment
Arts Club’s Come From Away finds fresh resonance in divided times
Director believes the musical's message of unity has fresh resonance at a time when many Canadians are reflecting on their relationship with the U.S.
Stage
Dada Masilo’s Hamlet review – dance remix gives the tragedy some potent tweaks
Sadler’s Wells, LondonThe late choreographer heightens Ophelia and Gertrude’s stories yet squanders some speeches in an intense hourWords, words, words. Can Hamlet retain its tragic force without using most of…
Theatre
Writer Sivasankari’s stories find a theatrical voice
Drawing from Sivasankari’s oeuvre, director Dharini Komal recently presented six stories at the Vani Mahal theatre festival in Chennai.
Entertainment
Nearly 900 shows in, Jalynn Steele still believes in the joy of Mamma Mia!
To date, an estimated 65-70 million people have seen the hit musical, which comes to Vancouver May 26-31
Theatre
Thespians review – world’s first actor gets comic kudos from Mischief’s merrymakers
Mercury theatre, ColchesterThis musical from the company behind The Play That Goes Wrong unearths the invention of acting in ancient Greece – and finds little has changedThe Mischief theatre company…
Theatre
‘It’s showtime!’ Beetlejuice musical is a rave from the grave – in pictures
Tim Burton’s hit 1988 comedy horror is enjoying an all-singing, all-dancing afterlife on stage. After recent productions in the US and Australia, the musical opens in London this month. We…
Theatre
Tamil play thanimAI portrays the paradox of the digital age
The play, staged recently at Krishna Gana Sabha’s Summer Drama Festival, reveals how digital connection coexists with loneliness.
Kim Noble
‘I want to bury it under a roundabout!’ Kim Noble on his unusual approach to promoting his graphic novel
The unsettling performance artist, who has made some electrifying stage shows in his time, is taking a leap into literature with an eye-opening book, In Pursuit of a Wonderful Nothing.…
Stage
Our Public House review – a heartfelt portrait of divided Britain set behind the bar
Leeds PlayhouseDash Arts’ community-inspired production finds warmth and urgency in the local pub – even if its theatrical elements don’t always cohereThe English pub is the perfect crucible for Dash…
Stage
Isabelle review – a sprawling debut driven by big ideas and family conflict
69 Humber Street, HullMarc Graham’s debut stretches from festival short to full-length play, tackling inheritance, class and familial resentment with plenty of theatrical confidenceThere are many reasons to admire Hull’s…
Theatre
From farm gate to stage door, theatre is a release from life on the land
Putting their livestock, tractors and drought feeding aside for a night, these farmers are taking to the stage.
Theatre
Swaroop Sampat returns to the stage, starring opposite Anupam Kher in a new play
Swaroop Sampat returns to the stage alongside Anupam Kher in the play Jaane Pehchaane Anjane, which explores themes of loneliness and companionship.
Theatre
Quartet in Autumn review – Samantha Harvey gives new life to Barbara Pym tale of imminent retirement
Arcola theatre, LondonThe 70s novel about the everyday grumbles of four office workers remains just as relevant, playfully staged by director Dominic DromgooleIt’s no wonder why Barbara Pym’s bittersweet and…
Theatre
Care review – this searing portrayal of dementia raises urgent questions for us all
Young Vic, LondonAlexander Zeldin’s devastating play depicts the gruelling loneliness and confusion of life in a care homeAlexander Zeldin’s characters often inhabit the margins, from zero-hours workers to apparently unremarkable…