Playing Thatcher? Dab on Bluebell. Got a part in Hairspray? Reach for the Madame Rochas. We lift the lid on how actors use smells " from the finest fragrances to cheap tinned mackerel " to n…
Sadler's Wells, LondonInspired by his Philadelphia childhood and the film Boyz N the Hood, Abraham's vivid choreography evokes daily violence but also camaraderie and tendernessThe basketbal…
TV writer Brian Lowry in hot water, Reginald Hunter says being called misogynist is 'rude' and Omid Djalili tries to crack America " againAn august organ makes a fool of itself this week, as…
For 35 years, Anna Scher put everything into running Britain's least conventional theatre school. Then she fell ill, and was replaced. Now she's teaching again, she tells Simon Hattenstone -…
Sarah Silverman's comedy has always aimed a laser into the dark corners of sexism, racism and religion. But now she's using her wit to make sense of the huge issues facing America. Sophie He…
The writer, actor and comedian on the joys of cheap restaurants, Otto Dix and that single seat under the stairs on London busesBorn in Anfield, Liverpool, Alexei Sayle studied art before tra…
The award-winning Irish actress talks about taking her performance in People, Places and Things to the States, being bullied in the theatre, and who writes the best roles for womenThree year…
Wales Millennium Centre, CardiffCardiff's fabled docks are given the Les Mis treatment in a hulking, lacklustre new musical graced by some exceptional voicesIt is my favourite place name. Ti…
Minerva, ChichesterThis acute take on the Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? cheating case looks set to be another West End transfer for the playwrightJames Graham's Quiz is an oblique look at t…
Sadler's Wells, LondonSix dancers strip and grapple with abandon in this Bauschian take on intimacy. Then it's time for audience participation…Meg Stuart is an American choreographer based…
This immersive story of the art-punk group sent to a Russian labour camp has too many laughs to hit homeYou will remember Pussy Riot as the art-punk group who, thanks to a 40-second guerrill…
Lyttelton, LondonCranston is compelling as the TV anchorman-gone-rogue in Ivo Van Hove and Lee Hall's dazzling stage version of the 1976 filmFlesh and gizmo. Substance and reflections. Watch…
The story of Jayaben Desai, heroine of the notorious Grunwick strike in the 70s makes you laugh, feel and thinkAcross the walls of the simple office set runs stencilled lettering: "Grunwick …
The real story of Hull's year as City of Culture is how it's transformed the lives of local people. Here they discuss 2017's highlights " and what its legacy might beIn July 2016, Sheila Ann…
Abba is everywhere in PJ Hogan's musical adaptation, which pulsates with high-spirited fun but eschews the film's feminist endingWhen PJ Hogan first approached Abba in the 1990s to ask if he…
Rare revival of the author's play Dear Brutus will drop adults into a Neverland-like worldNeverland, the magical place made famous by JM Barrie's Peter Pan, will be closer than you think thi…
One of America's most politically outspoken standups is finally bringing her savage brand of comedy to BritainIf you have never heard of Margaret Cho, think the caustic, crude comedy of Joan…
Actors reproduce lost world of 'Indian noir' in former art deco department store, which will afterwards become part of the Dishoom restaurant chainAmid clouds of cigarette smoke and the pung…
From wartime race drama Mudbound to Phil Collins's UK tour, here is our pick of the best films, concerts, exhibitions, theatre and dance in the next seven days Continue reading...
He defined the modern comedy industry and broke records with his huge audiences. I suspect rumours of his retirement will prove greatly exaggeratedEvans to retire from comedy to spend more t…
Gary Meikle has forged a career in standup after finding inspiration from his life as a single dad. He also tried material about being a grandad, but audiences didn't believe he was old enou…
Spider-Man star and Oscar-winning former politician are up for top theatre awards, while The Ferryman leads the pack with four nominations The Sherlock star Andrew Scott and the Oscar-nomina…
In their new Australian musical, Simon Phillips, Kate Miller-Heidke and PJ Hogan have brought Porpoise Spit to the stage " with a modern twistFor 20 years people had been telling PJ Hogan th…
For Kathryn Hunter, physical theatre summons a collective energy that can open the minds of both audience and performersIt's wrong to put a divide between text-based theatre and physical the…
Bloomsbury Theatre, LondonA man being teased about his small penis. Jokes about the disabled. A song asking what it's like to be a Jew. And this is just the first scene of last night's gig b…