Royal Court, London SE1Ambitious and compelling, this sign-language tale follows two avatars as they get lost in the world of weird online videos Playwright Eve Leigh and director Rachel Bag…
Catherine Tate, Mark Gatiss and Nina Sosanya star in James Graham and Josie Rourke's theatrical experiment The play The Vote, a theatrical experiment broadcast live on television on election…
Northern Stage, NewcastleSpectacle trumps subtlety as Hans Christian Andersen's tale of lost innocence is stifled by a topical plot and noisy percussion You can see the temptation. You've g…
World poetry slam champion Harry Baker and jazz musician Chris Read on the things that make them laugh the most Harry: This National Poetry Day I performed alongside [poet] Paul Cookson, who…
Royal Exchange, ManchesterThe classic musical about performance, in all its chaotic glory, gets a warm-hearted production from Jo Davies Gypsy has been described as the King Lear of musical …
Hampstead theatre, LondonBoris Spassky and Bobby Fischer's 1972 match is a proxy war in this intriguing but overcomplicated chess drama There has already been a musical, Chess, inspired by t…
Broadhurst Theatre, New York Oscar-winning screenwriter Diablo Cody has brought Alanis Morissette's music to the stage with a contrived yet hugely entertaining show When Alanis Morissette re…
Young Vic, London Directed by Nadia Latif, this Pulitzer prize-winning play by Jackie Sibblies Drury is definitely one to see " and argue over This play by Jackie Sibblies Drury is tricky to…
Hull TruckMaking Wendy younger gives a different dynamic to Deborah McAndrew's engaging adaptation, with Baker Mukasa's spontaneous Peter She's a theatrical sort, is Vanessa Schofield's Wen…
Derby theatreHiccup theatre's clever take on the fairytale is full of music, puppetry, surprising twists, witty dialogue and madcap energy Hiccup Theatre's family shows always take you to u…
Patrick Stewart, Peter Brook, Sonia Friedman are among those who give their verdict on a critic with 'razor-like intelligence and a tender heart' Tom Stoppard: In the theatre, Michael is sim…
Traverse, EdinburghFrom a man sneezing out frog-like creatures to a husband restored to life with the phlegm of a beggar, these supernatural fables are uncanny Being human is a risk. You nev…
Jackie Sibblies Drury thinks her acclaimed play, and the stereotypes it presents, will soon go out of date. As it comes to the Young Vic, she and director Nadia Latif explain why Playwright …
There were big musicals, thoughtful political statements and big star disappointments in a disordered year of theater Broadway went to Paris this year. And to New Haven, north London, the Gu…
During the festive season, comedy clubs can be hijacked by drunk, obnoxious audiences. Dave Johns, Maff Brown and Jessica Fostekew recount their worst experiences 'We would sometimes bet to …
Menier Chocolate Factory, LondonThis pitch-perfect revival of Sandy Wilson's 1953 musical is a positive invitation to dance Time has been good to Sandy Wilson's 1953 musical. Although set in…
Coliseum, LondonA stylish riff on Coco Chanel's place in ballet history and a regal mocking of Handel make a double bill where style outshines insight The indomitable Boshoi ballerina Svetla…
Royal Court, LondonSaturating the senses with sound, light and sign language, this imaginative experience explores whether the web can free us from our 'glitching' bodies In Midnight Movie, …
As Michael Billington, the Guardian's chief theatre critic, prepares to step down, he discusses what has changed " and what hasn't " in his 48 years as a nightly aisle-squatter Ten of my fav…
O2 Arena, LondonGlimpses of wit float to the surface in this sex-and-excrement bonanza … but are quickly flushed away by tedious misogyny Two trips to the O2 in 10 days: two shows wallowin…
Comedian's jokes about Rees Mogg and Brexit draw boos at Christmas lunch in London The comedian Nish Kumar has spoken out after he was heckled and forced to cut his set short at a charity Ch…
Tell us about your standout stage show of the year " we'll feature a selection of your favourites later this month What was your favourite theatre, comedy or dance show of the year? Please b…
Philippe Quesne, mastermind behind France's biggest dramatics art centre, has quit his post " as central government appears to lose interest in the country's much-vaunted cultural sector Phi…
What if Shakespeare's evil king was a scheming, disabled high school student? The creator and star of a new play talk sexuality, shame and why being teenage sucks Like its title character, …
She needed police protection after her play about a rape in a Sikh temple was axed mid-run. The playwright talks about the extraordinary upbringing that drives her Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti was a…