As someone who knew Boris well, I can say Tom Hollander's portrayal of the oligarch who fled Putin is accurate and brilliant Russia's invasion of Ukraine has elevated Vladimir Putin from the…
Dramatic resignation of Boris Johnson and subsequent leadership race prove a challenge for standup comedians 'People are taking their comedians seriously, and their politicians as a joke," t…
Town Hall theatre, GalwaySteppenwolf's staging at Galway International Arts festival has a smart political and racial awareness as it unpicks the American myth Sam Shepard's story of two war…
Welsh comedian becomes patient at Velindre Cancer Centre in Cardiff, where he is a patron Rhod Gilbert, the comedian and television presenter, has announced he is being treated for cancer. T…
Scary movies can exorcise the audience's own demons but silliness can also help you process rage, says the comedian "Stop being hysterical!" "You are over-reacting!" "Put that watermelon dow…
Olivier theatre, LondonThe razor sharp social critique of the original is replaced by nostalgia and strained gags in this toothless transposition of The Rivals Jack Absolute is the comically…
Theatr ClwydBoth actors excel in Katherine Chandler's fictionalised account of the attempted murder of a Swansea woman in 2015 Carl walks into a cafe in Swansea where Hayley works as a waitr…
Pitlochry festival theatre, ScotlandA touch more peril might help an otherwise playful retelling of the Jules Verne voyage with a cast full of bounce and brio A big plus point in going outdo…
Camden Garrison, LondonFans of the TV series may enjoy the period detail and atmosphere, but this immersive show is frustratingly light on story and drama It is 1921 and the Shelby clan have…
Almeida theatre, LondonTom Hollander stars as Boris Berezovsky in The Crown creator's new drama, which has a show-stealing performance by Will Keen as Vladimir Putin While the urgent real-li…
Theatre Royal BathWith charismatic performances and playful effects, Sean Holmes' slick touring production is escapist fun Here is a chance to press pause on the difficult business of being …
Manual Cinema's stage version of Leonardo the Terrible Monster is heading for the Edinburgh fringe " and its adaptors hope it inspires audiences to create their own creatures Mo Willems' chi…
There are epic and uneven shows from Olivier Py and Simon Falguières but Kirill Serebrennikov and Miet Warlop prove to be essential theatre voices The 2022 Avignon festival begins with show…
The standup on who makes her laugh, what she misses most about home, and learning to tune out bad advice from drunk people What is your new comedy show about?Moving from Paris to Birmingham …
Tower Bridge Quay, LondonA teacher and his unruly student host a family tour of the capital's river with scatological gags and gory stories aplenty They've conquered cinema, telly and stages…
Sophisticated productions of Life of Pi and 101 Dalmatians are pushing the art of puppetry into new and sometimes surprisingly dark directions The Olivier-award-winning puppets in the new st…
Standups used to think they'd never make it if they didn't play the festival. But it's leaving many saddled with debt, stuck in squalid flats and even suicidal. Refuseniks tell us why they'r…
Jermyn Street theatre, LondonThe first winner of the Woven Voices prize for migrant playwrights is an open-hearted play that layers a Belarusian woman's past and present Leather jackets and …
The actor's breakup with comedian Seann Walsh went viral after he cheated on her with his dance partner and she responded with a tweet. Now she's written an unflinching, very funny memoir Re…
Harold Pinter; Bridge, London; RSC, Stratford-upon-AvonThe action's all in the detail in Jamie Lloyd's spellbound Chekhov; Alex Jennings excels as a vicar refusing to find the common touch; …
Soho theatre, LondonArmed with cherry tomatoes, paper boats and a leaf-blower, Julia Masli, Viggo Venn and Sami Abu Wardeh brought the London clown festival to an uproarious close 'I hate cl…
Theatre by the Lake, KeswickThe opening is great, but with characters as thin as the air at high altitude, Carmen Nasr's new mountaineering drama is downhill from there The location is perfe…
Churchill War Rooms, LondonPoor storytelling and a clunky app-based interface mean that this time-travel adventure may well be the audience's darkest hour Chaotic and disappointing, this app…
Arts Depot, London; and touringThe young dancers nurtured by Hofesh Shechter rise to the challenge of his teasing 2019 work with irresistible confidence In the history of British dance, the …
Southwark Playhouse, LondonIt can feel exasperating at times but this well-performed 1951 drama offers a smart balance of discomfort and laughs Eugène Ionesco's single-act play, about a les…