stage
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Playwright who is a step ahead of the zeitgeistIn James Fritz’s powerful new drama, Parliament Square, an activist stands up and leaves us wondering how to take action in a broken world
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Nathan Caton review – a cosy cruise down the middle of the roadThe charmingly self-mocking standup is not short of decent gags but appears almost devoid of strong opinions. He may not offend but he certainly exasperates -
Elinor Cook on sexism in British theatreHer sharp and funny plays have feted female friendship. As Elinor Cook takes Ibsen to the Caribbean with her version of The Lady from the Sea, she talks about fighting against the industry’s inequality -
The Judas Tree/Song of the Earth review – from torrid violence to delicate majestyA five-company tribute to Kenneth MacMillan continues with brave and brilliant stagings of two very different works
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Lesley Sharp webchat – your questions answered on football, female roles and her first novelCurrently starring in Simon Stephens’ version of The Seagull, Lesley Sharp talked about creating characters with Mike Leigh, teaming up with Suranne Jones – and the joy of animated caterpillars
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Witness for the Prosecution review – Christie thriller makes judicious use of County HallLucy Bailey’s production of Agatha Christie’s ingenious courtroom drama fits perfectly in this debating chamber
brexit shorts
talking points
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Flight of the Conchords announce UK tourMusical comedy duo Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement reunite for a string of live dates after solo roles in Hollywood and on TV
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British theatre bosses condemn sexual harassment in industryStatement by heads of 19 theatres comes after Harvey Weinstein allegations and complaint against Max Stafford-Clark
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Ben Duke's Rambert diaryHe has 22 dancers, five musicians and six weeks to create a work that answers Nina Simone’s call for artists to reflect the times. Choreographer Ben Duke on the battles and breakthroughs of his new show, Goat
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Sean Hughes tributesBy his mid-20s he had scooped the Perrier award and landed his own TV show. But Sean Hughes never wanted to be a stadium standup. Mark Steel and Rhona Cameron pay tribute to a troubled talent
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The problem with James Corden’s Weinstein jokes? He punched down, not upCorden could have made some sharp jabs at Weinstein and the culture of harassment, instead he was weak and unempathetic, writes comedy writer Jack Bernhardt
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Comedians share their best one-linersIn Steve Best’s new book Joker Face, standups pick some of the funniest gags they’ve told. Here are 10 of our favourites
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The skating comedy starring Trump, Stalin and polar bearsTony Law is going where no comic has gone before: staging a play about global warming – on ice. Our writer gets his skates on and crashes into a chaotic rehearsal
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Rockstar Beowulf and the Hartlepool monkeyFrom a junior Brexit parable to a stadium-gig version of the Anglo-Saxon epic, children’s theatre is tackling grownup themes in striking fashion
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The poets creeping up on the theatrical establishmentLike Kate Tempest and Inua Ellams, the Nigerian-born performer Yomi Sode is breaking new ground with Coat, his tale of two cultures, told while he cooks up a stew on stage
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1947 play Cockpit blazes backBridget Boland’s long-lost drama about a refugee centre was ahead of its time in the way it blurred the lines between actor and audience
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The standup’s scattershot production throws into relief how funny Elizabeth Bennet and co already were. Is her novel unadaptable?Austen gets lost in Sara Pascoe's Pride and Prejudice
pictures & video
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The poster art of the National TheatreAfter 54 years of enticing audiences into the stalls, the National Theatre’s posters are getting their own moment in the spotlight with an exhibition
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First look at Venus in FurDavid Ives’ dark comedy of desire tells of the power struggle between an actor and a director during an electrifying audition. Take a closer look at one of this autumn’s hottest West End shows
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National Youth Dance Company performs in Hull
Forty of the UK's top young dancers take sequences from their latest Sadler's Wells production to various locations around Hull, this year's UK city of culture
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Will Young and Louise Redknapp in CabaretIn Rufus Norris’s revival of Kander and Ebb’s classic musical, Will Young reprises his role as the Emcee and Louise Redknapp stars as Sally Bowles
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The world of Bunny ChristieFrom mapping the journey of The Curious Incident’s teen hero to putting Shakespeare in prison and erecting a towering newsroom for Ink, Bunny Christie talks through five of her creations
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Making Wonderland: the Australian Ballet's biggest showChristopher Wheeldon’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland involves puppetry, optical illusions, major setpieces and immersive projections, as well as costumes that some dancers have to actually climb into
you may have missed
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The shows pushing dancers out of their comfort zoneA trio of works staged in striking industrial settings blur the roles of dancer and audience – and raise compelling questions about the nature of performance
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‘As a black male you’re told you can’t do this. I’ve tried to go: yes we can’The new artistic director of the Young Vic will break the arts glass ceiling for African-Caribbeans
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How we made West Side Story‘I wanted to be the first guy to use a four-letter word in a musical – but the line ended up as “krup you” instead’
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I feel no shame about my mental breakdown: it helped make me who I amAs a young actor struggling with the pressures of identity and blackness, I was sectioned under the Mental Health Act – and came out stronger for it, says actor David Harewood
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Hull, 2097Blast Theory are giving the UK city of culture a glimpse of what it might look like in 80 years’ time – and it isn’t pretty. Andrew Dickson meets the team behind this hi-tech invasion
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The unmissable theatre, comedy and dance of autumn 2017Hamilton hits London, Bryan Cranston’s news anchor goes berserk, Wayne McGregor turns his DNA into dance, Mae Martin revisits her teen addictions and Toyah Willcox is a time-travelling queen
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Adrian Lester as Hamlet: ‘To be or not to be’Adrian Lester performs Hamlet’s soliloquy in which the prince considers taking his own life
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Joanna Vanderham as Juliet: ‘The mask of night is on my face’Joanna Vanderham performs Juliet’s speech from the balcony scene in Romeo and Juliet
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Paterson Joseph as Shylock: 'You call me misbeliever'Paterson Joseph speaks Shylock’s lines from The Merchant of Venice, in which the moneylender reminds Antonio of the times he has insulted him
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Ayesha Dharker as Titania: ‘The forgeries of jealousy’Ayesha Dharker plays Titania, the queen of the fairies, in a scene from A Midsummer Night’s Dream
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Camille O'Sullivan as Constance: 'Thou art not holy'Camille O’Sullivan plays Constance in King John, who laments the loss of her son, Arthur, but disputes the suggestion that she has gone mad
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Samuel West as Henry V: 'Upon the king'Samuel West speaks Henry V’s soliloquy on the night before battle, in which he reflects upon the public’s expectations of the king
Eun-Me Ahn review – eye-scorchingly colourful dance goes K-pop