A number of comedy classics are being reinterpreted for the stage as 'joke-box' musicals. Can they avoid the pitfalls of previous sitcom adaptations?Over the weekend, it has been revealed th…
Star Audrey Fleurot and playwright Christopher Hampton talk about his reboot of the hard-hitting moral comedy set in post-Weinstein America"One of the marks of great plays," says Christopher…
Harry Hill and Steve Brown's show was staged too late " and felt conflicted. We were asked to laugh at the vacuousness of it all yet also care about the charactersWhereas the diaries of musi…
This clever PG Wodehouse tribute reproduces the manners of the Edwardian English upper classes, while cunningly sending them up' Bertie Wooster or Jez from Peep Show? Take our quiz' Mark Hea…
The Greek former finance minister talks about the lessons politicians could learn from Shakespeare, ahead of a lecture in LondonIs Theresa May Macbeth? Might King Lear agree with Jeremy Corb…
In Francis Turnly's trilogy one schoolgirl becomes a cat and another goes missing. The sheep farmer turned dramatist discusses The Great Wave, about North Koreans forced into prostitution'I …
Rourke, who will leave the London theatre in 2019, staged perky experiments, rapid-fire responses and invigorating revivals. Who will take her place?When Josie Rourke leaves London's Donmar …
He rides a racehorse, plays Arctic cricket and has already seen Hamilton. How will the new boss do at the DCMS " and will Ed Sheeran be invited to its Xmas party?In the BBC's self-satire W1A…
If Mr Burns, a provocative vision of post-apocalyptic America, has been slammed, it's because theatre critics know more about Homer than Homer Simpson. More fool them.One of the most tantali…
Gate theatre, London Caoilfhionn Dunne portrays the physical and psychological decline of a reluctant mother of three in Magali Mougel's chilling, visceral playIt looks as if a bomb has gone…
The great director, who has died aged 86, was a founding father of both the National Theatre and the RSC and masterminded landmark stagings of Shakespeare, Beckett and Pinter The roles of di…
Performance artists Louise Mothersole and Rebecca Biscuit are known for their political shows but their latest was designed to be 'pure fun'The theatrical double-act Sh!t Theatre got their n…
From Trumpageddon to Brexit: The Musical, many would-be topical crowdpleasers at this year's fringe can't match the manic pace of real-life news eventsThis would be a bad time to try to hire…
Old Red Lion theatre, LondonThis powerfully acted story of George Orwell's death-bed marriage to Sonia Brownell makes for an entertaining night of literary intrigue and anecdoteGeorge Orwell…
The Pulitzer-winning playwright and Oscar-nominated actor leaves behind a vast career that took him from stage to screen and back againSam Shepard, who has died aged 73, was perhaps the only…
From directing Phoebe Waller-Bridge in Fleabag to her new play Touch, Vicky Jones isn't afraid to tell the truth about young women's messy sexual exploitsThe theatrical career of Vicky Jones…
The actor's former creations include a psychopathic teacher and an adulterous husband. Now the son of a former Guardian journalist is to play Rupert Murdoch in a new play, InkAs the son, gra…
Coliseum, LondonJim Steinman's perky lyrics are often overpowered in this musical juggernaut, but his roaring choruses and fairytale plot are built for the ENO's stageSeveral of the songs on…
From the terraces to the post-match showers, two new theatre shows let Cobblers, Blues and Villains supporters tackle their teams' histories and rivalriesFootball and theatre can both range …
How do you turn a grinding peace deal into a sellout show that's up for seven Tony awards? Easy, says JT Rogers. Just violate your heroes " and stir in some Noël Coward"If you had told me…
The idea of white actors making themselves up as black is shocking to most of us " and yet a theatre in Germany has seen fit to continue the tradition. Why?Most news stories " government in …
Mike Bartlett's mock-Shakespearean take on constitutional crisis over Prince Charles proves an attraction' 'Royally entertaining' ... Michael Billington's review of the Almeida productionAlt…
Leicester Square theatre, LondonThis tipsy performance of giggly, off-script improvisation is pointless if it's put-on, cruel if it's real, and staggeringly bad if you're soberThe most shock…
The actor's imposing vocal and physical presence equipped him to play Lear and a future Charles III as well as a series of police and army officersCombining height with a voice of unusual br…
Feisty, quick-witted actor and singer acclaimed as the 'first lady of Broadway'' From Sondheim to 30 Rock: Stritch's career in clips' Stritch interview: 'I'm a do-it-myself kind of broad'' I…