From the archive, 24 December 1853: Little Red Riding Hood is the new Christmas panto by Guardian Staff

The Theatre Royal, Manchester, since its opening in September 1845, has given us eight annual pantomimes Continue reading...

SOURCE: The Guardian at 12:30am on December 24, 2014☆⚑[SHARE]

Billie Whitelaw " a screen and stage career in pictures by Guardian Staff

The actor Billie Whitelaw, who was best known for her work with Samuel Beckett and film roles such as Violet in The Krays, has died aged 82. She was awarded a CBE by the Queen in the 1991 bi…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 7:10pm on December 21, 2014☆⚑[SHARE]

Kevin Spacey, Debbie Harry, Slavoj Zižek: the best answers to your webchat questions by Guardian Staff

Does John Lydon fear death? How does Flying Lotus see himself in 20 years' time? How does Tracey Emin deal with the haters? What we've learned from a year in webchats … Continue reading...

SOURCE: The Guardian at 1:00pm on December 21, 2014☆⚑[SHARE]

Derek Jacobi: 'Hamlet? You can never get a handle on him' " video by Guardian Staff

Any actor playing Hamlet can "only get some of it right some of the time" says Derek Jacobi, who talks about his first stab at the role ("what I lacked in technique … I made up in volume")…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 4:30am on December 20, 2014☆⚑[SHARE]

Donmar noir: City of Angels " in pictures by Guardian Staff

Femmes fatales and gumshoes tread the mean streets of Covent Garden in City of Angels, a witty pastiche of detective movies, revived at the Donmar Warehouse in London by director Josie Rourk…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 10:50am on December 19, 2014☆⚑[SHARE]

Must-see festive TV: The Winter's Tale by the Royal Ballet - video by Guardian Staff

Bursting with colour, Christopher Wheeldon's new ballet " based on Shakespeare's play " will leap off the screen this Christmas when it comes to BBC4. Take a look at Steven McRae and Sarah L…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 2:00am on December 19, 2014☆⚑[SHARE]

'Neither a borrower nor a lender be' " Shakespeare money quiz by Guardian Staff

Merchant of Venice " a play about money lent, borrowed, stolen and invested " is at the Almeida this winter. Can you match these quotes about cash to the right Shakespeare play? Continue rea…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 3:00am on December 18, 2014☆⚑[SHARE]

Pope Francis celebrates 78th birthday with mass tango " in pictures by Guardian Staff

Thousands of people sang Happy Birthday and performed a mass tango in St Peter's Square to celebrate the pope's birthday. The Argentinian pontiff was born in the birthplace of the tango and …

SOURCE: The Guardian at 2:52pm on December 17, 2014☆⚑[SHARE]

Deck the halls: UK arts venue Christmas decorations " in pictures by Guardian Staff

From festive office giraffes to what Will Shakespeare is wearing for the office party, here's how the UK arts sector is spreading the Christmas cheer Continue reading...

SOURCE: The Guardian at 6:40am on December 17, 2014☆⚑[SHARE]

The best culture gifts for Christmas by Guardian Staff

Joy Division oven gloves " just what I always wanted … If you're stuck for presents, the arts can help! From Beano ukuleles to Play-Doh photographs and Yeezmas cards, here's the best of wh…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 2:30pm on December 16, 2014☆⚑[SHARE]

Can you identify these playwrights? " quiz by Guardian Staff

You might know their lines but can you recognise their faces? See if you can name these eight great playwrightsQuiz: which Shakespeare character is dying?Can you identify the first lines of …

SOURCE: The Guardian at 4:16am on December 16, 2014☆⚑[SHARE]

Who goes to the theatre " and who doesn't by Guardian Staff

Continue reading...

SOURCE: The Guardian at 1:36pm on December 12, 2014☆⚑[SHARE]

Curiouser and curiouser: Alice's adventures at the Royal Ballet " in pictures by Guardian Staff

Christopher Wheeldon's acclaimed ballet is getting the Royal Opera House in a Christmas mood this year. Here are some onstage and backstage pictures of the Royal Ballet's production. It's in…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 2:00am on December 11, 2014☆⚑[SHARE]

Listen to the song Madrid from Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown - audio by Guardian Staff

Listen to Ricardo Afonso perform the song Madrid from David Yazbek and Jeffrey Lane's stage adaptation of Pedro Almodóvar's film Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, directed by Bar…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 6:00am on December 10, 2014☆⚑[SHARE]

Theatre managements must invest in Asian and black writers by Guardian Staff

Continue reading...

SOURCE: The Guardian at 1:55pm on December 9, 2014☆⚑[SHARE]

The Bolt: Shostakovich's banned ballet " in pictures by Guardian Staff

The Bolt, a controversial 1931 ballet by Dmitri Shostakovich, is the focus of a new exhibition at GRAD: Gallery for Russian Arts and Design that runs until 28 February 2015 Continue reading…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 6:44am on December 9, 2014☆⚑[SHARE]

No audience diversity at play on partition of India by Guardian Staff

Continue reading...

SOURCE: The Guardian at 3:31pm on December 8, 2014☆⚑[SHARE]

by Guardian Staff

Continue reading...

SOURCE: The Guardian at 7:43am on December 8, 2014☆⚑[SHARE]

Antony Sher webchat " post your questions now by Guardian Staff

The actor and knight will be joining us to answer your questions in a live webchat from 12.30pm GMT onwards on Tuesday 9 December " post yours in the comments below 10.54am GMT Richard III, …

SOURCE: The Guardian at 5:54am on December 8, 2014☆⚑[SHARE]

Declare your genius: complete Oscar Wilde's epigrams " quiz by Guardian Staff

Wilde's words were full of wit and wisdom but have you paid attention to the importance of being Oscar? See if you can finish off these observations Continue reading...

SOURCE: The Guardian at 4:48am on December 8, 2014☆⚑[SHARE]

Story time with Terry Jones: the Python reads from Nicobobinus " video by Guardian Staff

Are you sitting comfortably? Then he'll begin… Terry Jones reads from Nicobobinus, 'the story of the most extraordinary child who ever stuck his tongue out at the prime minister'. Red Ladd…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 3:00am on December 8, 2014☆⚑[SHARE]

Do It Yourself culture: from music and art to theatre and film by Guardian Staff

How technological and economic change has brought on a new wave of lo-fi creativity " a special report Continue reading...

SOURCE: The Guardian at 3:00am on December 6, 2014☆⚑[SHARE]

Maxine Peake to take lead in new Royal Court play How to Hold Your Breath by Guardian Staff

Star returns to the theatre in the wake of her acclaimed Hamlet, while the climate-change play 2071 will also be back for three performancesFollowing her acclaimed performance in Manchester …

SOURCE: The Guardian at 9:52am on December 5, 2014☆⚑[SHARE]

House style: designing the Guardian and the Royal Court's microplays by Guardian Staff

All six of the works in our Off the Page series used the same set: see how it was turned into a TV studio, a bedroom, a changing room and a school playgroundWatch all six microplays Continue…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 9:30am on December 5, 2014☆⚑[SHARE]

Lumberjack acrobats: Timber! by Cirque Alfonse " in pictures by Guardian Staff

Look out for flying axes and death-defying leaps with razor-sharp saws as Cirque Alfonse, the three-generation circus company from Québec, return to London's Southbank Centre for a Christma…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 2:30am on December 5, 2014☆⚑[SHARE]