Arabella Weir on her aggressively unhappy mother: 'In my memory, she got rid of me' by Emine Saner

The actor and comedian has been a fixture on British TV for more than two decades. Now, in her first one-woman show, she unpicks the difficult maternal relationship that shaped herEven close…

Camilla Cleese on her dad John: 'He's not my favourite Python!' by Emine Saner

The comedian is doing a show about her father in Edinburgh. She talks about the sexist LA standup scene, her reconciliation with her dad " and doing jokes about his ex-wivesWith just a hint …

Recipe for disaster: what's behind the rise of 50s-style domesticity? by Emine Saner

Fetishised nostalgia for a bygone era of cosy domesticity and bake-offs is dangerous, say the team behind new play Home, I'm DarlingJudy Martin is a proud, archetypal 1950s housewife. She wa…

Prasanna Puwanarajah: 'I thought Planet Acting didn't need someone like me' by Emine Saner

He used to get cast as either a doctor or a terrorist. Now Prasanna Puwanarajah is on stage at the National, starring opposite Benedict Cumberbatch in Patrick Melrose " and even writing his …

'I was scared after watching': new play tackles online porn's impact on children by Emine Saner

Drama created after Tackroom Theatre teamed up with Barnardo's to conduct the largest piece of research ever done into the subjectThere's no holding back in the rehearsal room, with talk of …

'It's very sweary!' What Labour MPs make of James Graham's political comedy Labour of Love by Interviews By Chris Wiegand and Emine Saner

The mountains of leaflets, the WhatsApp groups, the election night panic … Harriet Harman, Tracy Brabin and David Lammy on what the play gets right " and wrong Continue reading...

Mike Bartlett: Doctor Foster writer whose work 'attacks apathy' by Emine Saner

The TV show took the playwright's talents to a wider audience, highlighting his ability to create brilliantly complex womenNobody, observes one of his friends, gets out of a Mike Bartlett wo…

Paul Chowdhry: 'People write this abuse to me, and I've just got to take it?' by Emine Saner

He's not a TV favourite, but the actor and comedian has built one of the most diverse audiences of any current standup, partly through the subversive use of social media. Now he's written hi…

Larry Lamb: 'I lived in fear' by Emine Saner

Larry Lamb played Archie Mitchell in EastEnders for two years, basing him on his bullying father. What's he going to do next?The rehearsal room for Educating Rita sits high up on a corner of…

Phyllida Lloyd: a director who's determined to put women centre stage by Emine Saner

From all-female Shakespeare trilogys to hit musicals and films, she has a gift for works that focus on " and resonate with " womenWhen Phyllida Lloyd took on Shakespeare, it was never going …

The best alternative Christmas activities of 2016 " from medieval singing to theatrical adventures by Emine Saner

Sharpen up your low-light photography skills, recite poetry and sing along to Messiah " or the MuppetsWhen darkness falls at the 19th-century Waddesdon Manor, the grand house and gardens pro…

Jez Butterworth: playwright 'without equal' turns his gaze on the Troubles by Emine Saner

Excitement greets new play The Ferryman by a writer as at ease writing for theatre as writing Bond films It will come as no surprise to those who have followed Jez Butterworth's career that …

Katherine Parkinson: 'I'm scared of the brutality of Hollywood' by Emine Saner

The Humans and IT Crowd actor is about to star in a play about the world of humourless comedy fans. Good job she has experience in that field …It's break time at a rehearsal space in south…

Laura Wade: 'It's the last time they can let their hair down' by Emine Saner

Laura Wade's play Posh ushered in the Tory government in 2010. Is the film version, The Riot Club, here to bury the Bullingdon boys' era of inequality? She tells Emine Saner how she got into…

The Saturday interview: Vagina Monologues author Eve Ensler by Emine Saner

The Vagina Monologues shot writer Eve Ensler to stardom. Now she is a global campaigner who plans to call a billion women out on strike against rapeWho could have predicted what an effe…

Rewriting classical theatre: 'Female characters are sad, have babies or talk about men' by Emine Saner

The Faction's writer and director are putting women centre stage in their new production of a Maxim Gorky play In one rehearsal of Vassa Zheleznova, the new adaptation of the Maxim Gorky pla…

Inside the Snowman's suit: how we brought Christmas characters to life by Emine Saner

Meet the actors and puppeteers behind the creatures from this year's top Christmas shows " including the BFG, the Lorax and the Cheshire CatIronically for a show set largely in the frozen no…

Claire Foy: an actor bringing a subtle talent to majestic roles by Emine Saner

Her steely, understated approach won praise when playing Anne Boleyn in Wolf Hall and now Foy is taking on the role of Queen Elizabeth II in a new dramaSome castings seem so obvious in retro…

The outrageous fortune of Benedict Cumberbatch by Emine Saner

Five years ago, Sherlock propelled him into the stratosphere. Now he's photobombing the Oscars and selling out Hamlet a year in advance. Friends and co-stars reveal why the world is wild for…

Tamsin Greig: 'I always think I'll never work again' by Emine Saner

Greg Davies: 'Rik Mayall was still a force of nature. His ambition was huge' by Emine Saner

The Man Down star and comedian has had a hard year, with both the death of his father and onscreen dad Rik Mayall and a breakup with Labour leadership candidate Liz Kendall Continue reading.…

Caroline Quentin: 'As the years go by, I enjoy my sexuality more' by Emine Saner

She may be playing a prostitute in a bawdy remake of Fanny Hill complete with love truncheon jokes, but Caroline Quentin wants to show the horrors of the trade too. She explains why sex is g…

Laura Wade: Its the last time they can let their hair down by Emine Saner

Laura Wades play Posh ushered in the Tory government in 2010. Is the film version, The Riot Club, here to bury the Bullingdon boys era of inequality? She explains why she feels sorry for Cam…

Playwright Abi Morgan: 'Mistresses can have great power' by Emine Saner

As The Mistress Contract opens at the Royal Court, Emine Saner talks to its writer Abi Morgan about our fascination with 'the other woman' " from Victorian victim to modern vampIf there's on…

One day to make a play: the Old Vic challenge by Emine Saner

Jaime Winstone is getting jumpy, Catherine Tate isn't bovvered " and Lesley Sharp is doing the crab. Emine Saner goes behind the scenes at the Old Vic's annual challengeIt's 10 o'clock on Sa…

How show tunes can bring back memories for those with Alzheimer's by Emine Saner

A US study has found that people with dementia not only react to music, but that it can help them improve their mental abilityKathryn Smith, director of operations at the Alzheimer's So…

Carlos Acosta on moving from ballet to books: 'The world of writing is still new' by Emine Saner

Carlos Acosta rose from humble beginnings in Cuba to become one of the greatest ballet dancers of his generation, and now he's written his first novelIt wasn't until he was well into hi…

Johnny Vegas: 'I had no fear of death' by Emine Saner

Channelling an 18-stone drunken loudmouth made him a national icon " but endangered his health, his reputation and his family. Michael Pennington tells Emine Saner how he escaped Johnny…

David Morrissey: 'Acting gave me a life' by Emine Saner

Theatre was David Morrissey's first love, making him a star at home, and now in the US, via a major role in hit zombie drama The Walking Dead. But is acting becoming a closed profession?When…

Tamara Rojo: 'It's better to jump off while you're at the peak' by Emine Saner

Tamara Rojo spent 12 years as the Royal Ballet's prima ballerina. She explains why she walked away, at her peak, to take a new job as artistic director of the English National BalletIt shoul…

Sandi Toksvig: 'I don't understand boredom' by Emine Saner

Comedian, playwright, novelist, TV personality: Sandi Toksvig is a one-woman cottage industry. She talks about coming out, panel shows and why she's turned her back on the Lib-DemsA few year…