Friday, August 7, 2026

Target Audience review – zingy satire puts media types in an apocalyptic pickle by Mark Fisher

Pleasance Courtyard, EdinburghWith characteristic wit, Dan Bishop’s comedy develops from a jolly send-up of the vacuous TV industry into a politically astute play about power‘I’ve neve…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 06:50AM[SHARE]

The Silence of the Lambs review – Hannibal Lecter’s daring stage outing is a shock to the system by Mark Lawson

Curve, LeicesterThere are electrifying – and also queasy – moments in this version of the classic 90s horror about the interrogation of a psychotic psychiatrist by an FBI rookieSoon afte…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 12:30AM[SHARE]
Thursday, August 6, 2026

Restaurants, pubs and theatres ban Meta’s ‘spy glasses’ over privacy fears by Helena Horton

Meta says safeguards are in place to prevent surreptitious filming, but some UK venues now prohibit them from being worn at allWhen Meta used superstar Kylie Jenner to promote its sleek new …

SOURCE: The Guardian at 11:30AM[SHARE]

Carlos Acosta: Myths and Modern Masters review – superstar returns with style, the Stones and his daughter by Sanjoy Roy

Royal Opera House, LondonMixing contemporary, Cuban and classical works, Acosta has charisma to burn and is accompanied by an impressive cohortIt’s a bit of a stretch to call this undoubte…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 08:15AM[SHARE]

Ronnie Le Drew obituary by Duncan Barrett

Puppeteer best known for manipulating Zippy on the hit ITV series Rainbow and a stalwart of the Little Angel puppet theatre in LondonThe puppeteer Ronnie Le Drew, who has died aged 78, will …

SOURCE: The Guardian at 04:15AM[SHARE]

‘People say I’m pouring Coca-Cola into fine malt whisky’: why is the National Theatre shaking up Sophocles? by Mark Lawson

In a bold new production starring Cate Blanchett and Nina Hoss, the NT is fusing Sophocles and Ingmar Bergman. So what can two stories written 23 centuries apart tell us about how we live to…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 04:15AM[SHARE]

Fame the Musical review – stardom seekers light up the stage like a flame by Holly O'Mahony

Theatre Royal Plymouth This exuberant revival fizzes like a shaken can of soda, capturing the round-the-clock toil of aspiring performersAs a real-life cohort of performers head to Edinburgh…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 12:45AM[SHARE]
Wednesday, August 5, 2026

Peter Gill showed theatre audiences that anywhere could be the centre of the world by Barney Norris

The playwright and director, who has died aged 86, completed DH Lawrence’s revolution in spotlighting stories of working peoplePeter Gill: a theatrical visionary with an unsparing honestyI…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 12:50PM[SHARE]

Dog Man: The Musical review – Dav Pilkey’s megastar mutt sniffs out the spotlight in a barking show by Tim Jonze

Southbank Centre, LondonA part-canine cop, a villainous cat and a psychokinetic butterflyfish burst into song as the wildly popular children’s books are adapted for the stagePerhaps, if yo…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 09:45AM[SHARE]

I’m Every Woman: The Chaka Khan Musical review – Queen of Funk’s jukebox epic lacks the X factor by Ammar Kalia

Troubadour Wembley Park theatre, LondonAlexandra Burke is valiant in the leading role but the superstar’s story is squandered in this sprawling and uneven showIn the pantheon of soul divas…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 08:35AM[SHARE]
Tuesday, August 4, 2026

Peter Gill: a theatrical visionary with an unsparing honesty by Michael Billington

Gill’s dramas of divided class loyalties such as The York Realist had a clear-eyed precision matched by his rigorous work as a directorPeter Gill, playwright who turned ordinary lives into…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 04:40PM[SHARE]

No smut, no swearing, wrong-feet wellies and a silly hat: the gentle comedy world of Jimmy Cricket by Mark Lawson

Having cut his teeth in the holiday camps of the north, the comic bestrode 80s TV with his unthreatening brand of fun, being knighted by the pope in 2015• Jimmy Cricket, comedian known for…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 11:20AM[SHARE]

Peter Gill, playwright who turned ordinary lives into extraordinary drama, dies aged 86 by Mark Fisher

Beginning his career as an actor, Gill went on to write plays including The York Realist as well as directing for the Royal Court and National TheatreTributes have been paid to the director …

SOURCE: The Guardian at 10:20AM[SHARE]

Reader Q&A: ask our comedy critic anything ahead of the Edinburgh fringe by Guardian Moderators (now); Brian Logan (from 1pm)

The world’s largest performing arts festival returns to the Scottish capital for three weeks – and over 4,000 shows – from this weekend. Brian Logan will be answering your questions ab…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 01:40AM[SHARE]

What, no sequinned crooners? How cruises became the home for world class theatre by Brian Logan

Forget cheesy acts, these days cruise ships boast the cutting edge tech to stage hip West End productions and Olivier award-winning musicals – and young people are loving itThe phrase “c…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 12:35AM[SHARE]
Monday, August 3, 2026

Jimmy Cricket, comedian known for his ‘And there’s more!’ catchphrase, dies aged 80 by Tim Jonze

His family friendly style made the comedian a household name in the 80s and he was awarded a papal knighthood in 2015 for services to charityJimmy Cricket, the northern Irish comic who becam…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 12:50PM[SHARE]

Now You See Me Live review – magic so bombastic it may be visible from space by Brian Logan

London ColiseumA quartet of conjurors, calling themselves the Horsemen, perform fine feats of escapology and mentalism that are undermined by smoke, lasers and pomposityIs there an opposite …

SOURCE: The Guardian at 08:25AM[SHARE]

Mary Beth Barone on provocative jokes, Palestine and manosphere misogyny: ‘It’s hard to stomach that those are my co-workers’ by Owen Myers

The comedian and actor’s new Netflix special is a gleefully absurd take on politics and potty-mouthed humorMary Beth Barone knows exactly who will be offended by her new Netflix special. …

SOURCE: The Guardian at 06:15AM[SHARE]

‘Topless modelling never aligned with me’: inside Everyone’s Seen My Tits, the play by a former page 3 model by Anya Ryan

As she brings her memoir to the Edinburgh festival, Keeley Hazell talks about trauma, exploitation, the hollowness of the high life – and her new career as a writer on Ted LassoThere was a…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 06:15AM[SHARE]

‘They played noughts and crosses on the PM’s huge forehead!’ An Indian standup picks his favourite gen Z protest memes by Anuvab Pal

They turned the news into a Funny or Die video. They cooked up a romcom between PM Modi and Giorgia Meloni. And they fought the police with Lana del Rey memes. Our writer observes the Cockro…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 06:15AM[SHARE]

Boy George pulls out of Jesus Christ Superstar after releasing pro-Israel song by Ben Beaumont-Thomas

The 80s star will no longer appear in role of Herod in London Palladium run, with manager saying decision is ‘in the best interests of my artist’Boy George has pulled out of a forthcomin…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 06:15AM[SHARE]

The best theatre to stream this month: Self Esteem dazzles with Teeth ’n’ Smiles by Chris Wiegand

Rebecca Lucy Taylor leads David Hare’s rock’n’roll drama, Michaela Coel tells us Chewing Gum Dreams and Stranger Things’ Gaten Matarazzo stars in a murder mysteryLike a time capsule …

SOURCE: The Guardian at 06:15AM[SHARE]

Ariana Grande to take ‘a step back’ from public life due to ‘endless, ongoing scrutiny’ by Sian Cain and Agencies

Singer was due to reunite with Wicked co-star Jonathan Bailey in London production of Sunday in the Park With GeorgeAriana Grande has announced plans to take a break from public-facing work …

SOURCE: The Guardian at 06:15AM[SHARE]

‘Never felt so scared’: the Cats obsessive who’s created a feral dance version of the purr-fect musical by Lyndsey Winship

Drew McOnie skipped school to audition for the original. It launched his astonishing career. Now he’s getting his claws into a no-pussyfooting version of the classic hitAt the age of 17, D…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 06:15AM[SHARE]
Sunday, August 2, 2026

Disruption review – anti-AI thriller boasts knockout cast but tech commentary needs an update by Juan A Ramírez

Pershing Square Signature Center, New YorkJohn David Washington leads an exceptionally talented cast in a sleek off-Broadway thriller that feels a little datedMaking its US debut three years…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 08:00PM[SHARE]
Friday, July 31, 2026

Tao of Glass review – stage magic as McDermott meditates on the minimalist master by Alexandra Coghlan

Soho Place theatre, LondonThis multifaceted and personal homage to – and collaboration with – composer Philip Glass is a transcendent tapestry suffused with joy and wonder. A show that d…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 11:50AM[SHARE]

A World Elsewhere review – chaotic thrills as kids sail, fight and fall through trap doors by Miriam Gillinson

Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, London Family show brings gleeful playfulness to the story of a 12-year-old whose escape into extravagant daydreams has begun to alarm himThe mo…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 07:30AM[SHARE]
Thursday, July 30, 2026

Cleansed review – Sarah Kane’s visions of brutal torture resonate more intensely than ever by Arifa Akbar

Almeida theatre, LondonRebecca Frecknall pulls off this notoriously difficult 1998 play, in which appalling cruelty and violence is balanced against human yearning for love and beautySarah K…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 11:00AM[SHARE]

Marianela: Timeless review – perfect ballerina shows off a leg-whipping, frictionless mastery by Lyndsey Winship

Royal Opera House, London In what is officially her first solo show, the star principal marshals technically peerless performances from a tremendous company in finely chosen repertoireIs the…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 08:10AM[SHARE]

Love’s Labour’s Lost review – paella, bullfighting and flamenco make Shakespeare’s farce a fiesta by Mark Lawson

Shakespeare’s Globe, LondonChoreographers Carmen Igarza and Vanessa Guevara deserve to take a bow as spectacular dance and movement add passion to the seemingly unfinished playThe fact tha…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 08:10AM[SHARE]
Tuesday, July 28, 2026

‘The Messi of ballet’: Marianela Núñez, the Buenos Aires bombshell shaking up British dance by Lyndsey Winship

The superlative Royal Ballet star finally has her own show. She talks about fabulous footwork, her Argentina-inspired leotard – and why she named her cat after a certain footballerMarianel…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 12:30PM[SHARE]

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