Birmingham Rep A strong cast and a magical set make this more or less word-for-word stage transfer of the cult hit an entertaining tribute pieceIn 1988, I worked on a listings magazine’s competition page. One week, the prize was tickets to a new film called Withnail and I. There were also soundtrack albums and posters designed by Ralph Steadman. The...

Cutting the Tightrope: The Divorce of Politics from Art, at the Arcola in London, tackles freedom of expression – with particular focus on GazaArts Council England unleashed fury in February when an update to its policies warned arts companies, and those who work for them, against making “overtly political or activist” statements. Here was confirmation...

Ure played role in ITV children’s series of character who had superhuman strength and agilityGudrun Ure, the actor who played Super Gran in the popular 1980s ITV’s children’s series, has died at the age of 98.According to her niece, Kate McNeill, she died at her home in London. Continue reading...

Cool, calm and confidently ribbing guests, Barnett will clearly bring a youthful energy to the BBC Radio 4 morning show – even if she did sound like she was on a royal visit to the studio rather than actually working thereAlthough called Today, the 6-9am slot on Radio 4 this morning was really about the network of tomorrow. A few years ago, a senior...

In this exclusive recording, The Handmaid’s Tale author reads the eponymous short story from the late Munro’s first collection in 1968Alice Munro, Nobel winner and titan of the short story, dies aged 92Five of the best Alice Munro short stories Continue reading...

Gaia-24 explores human and environmental disaster caused by Russian attack on Kakhovka dam Taking a casual glance at the elegant Kyivans queueing outside the lemon-yellow neoclassical theatre perched above Independence Square, an onlooker would have few hints that there was a war on.But the opera that premiered at the International Centre of Culture...