Royal Court, LondonGary Owen continues his exploration of male dysfunction through the generations with this fierce three-handerTwo years ago Gary Owen's Violence and Son viscerally suggeste…
The playwright on creating a drama about birth and suicide, moving into film and TV, and portraying women behaving badlyAlice Birch's feminist play Revolt. She Said. Revolt Again, commission…
Regent's Park Open Air theatre, LondonBernstein's music, three strong women and Drew McOnie's choreography drive his inventively staged productionI was completely taken aback by On the Town.…
Moesgaard Museum, Aarhus, Denmark With its rooftop setting, clashing of swords and larger-than-life characters, this Viking epic is a fitting centrepiece to Aarhus's European capital of cult…
Crucible, SheffieldShakespeare is rooted in our era of fake news in artistic director Robert Hastie's outstanding first production for the CrucibleIf Robert Hastie's first production as arti…
Frauke Requardt's relentless examination of motherhood is at its best in an intricate trio shorn of metaphorMotherhood is a messy business, the German-born choreographer Frauke Requardt tell…
The Old Vic is saved from closureA generous donor has made through The Observer the gift that was necessary unless the Old Vic was to be forced to close its doors. It is an honourable exampl…
Ahead of this week's British Comedy Awards, the Observer has decided to find out who really makes us laugh. With the help of a panel of expert judges, we present the 50 funniest people in Br…
Home, Manchester Janet Suzman's dignified performance as a woman mourning a little girl becomes unbearably poignant in a Manchester still reeling from the loss of its own childrenIn a Manche…
Is Cotton Panic! a live concept album? An industrial drama? A theatrical gig? Just don't call it a musical, say its creators Jane Horrocks and Stephen Mallinder On the day that I meet Jane H…
The Comedian's Comedian host and comic on the things that make him laugh the most, from Arrested Development to the South Park movieI saw Brian Gittins a few weeks ago and don't think I've l…
The actor and comedian talks about his difficult relationship with his father and being outed by the London Evening StandardMy father was an engineer and very good at maths. I was not good a…
From disrupting dam-building to toppling dictators, comedy has shown itself to be a global force for good. Here's what 'laughtivism' could do for British politicsAt a protest to mark the ina…
Royal Exchange, ManchesterThis convincing modern-day staging strips away the 19th-century trappings to reveal a story as relevant as ever'Love is a dark and shifty creature. We cannot all li…
The dry-witted US essayist talks about how he went from working as an elf in Macy's to becoming 'the American Alan Bennett'David Sedaris's partner of 25 years, Hugh Hamrick, calls the f…
Gary Owen and Rachel O'Riordan tackle morality via a murderous game, while a double bill from Angelin Preljocaj and Crystal Pite comes to London1 KillologySometimes a playwright-and-director…
Aphex Twin brings skittish electro par excellence to the UK festival, while the artist unveils a new, cheekily titled exhibitionField Day and Mighty HooplaTwo festivals, one weekend, same lo…
Two scholars unearth 1901 work called The Shadow of a Doubt, written before author found fame with The Age of InnocenceLong before achieving literary fame with The Age of Innocence, the nove…
Zenaida Yanowsky has been too Russian, too intelligent and sometimes just too tall for the great classical roles. But after a decade with the Royal Ballet, that is finally about to change. S…
New Vic, Newcastle-under-LymeThe great Staffordshire writer's novel loses too much of its spirit in a plodding adaptationDespite his eagerness to escape the Staffordshire Potteries, Arnold B…
Theatre Royal Haymarket, London Hugh Whitemore's witty but dull homage to the quintessentially English poet lacks the cleverness and drama of his Stevie Smith play"Arbitrary and irrelevant" …
Actor best known for playing Alec Gilroy, the pompous landlord of the Rovers Return in Coronation StreetThe actor Roy Barraclough, who has died aged 81, forged a memorable television partner…
Rambert Orchestra/Hoskins/Fidelio Trio/Onyx Brass/Thom/Zaccardelli/Quinta(NMC)The days of new ballet scores transferring quickly to the concert hall are long gone, but Rambert has been so go…
Regent's Park Open Air theatre, LondonThis revival of Leonard Bernstein's frothy shore-leave romp is as delicious as ice-cream on a hot summer's dayFrom Strictly Ballroom to An American in P…
Soho theatre, LondonThe standup takes on relationships and parenthood with eloquence and wit, but he plays it too safeIn Edinburgh this August, Stuart Goldsmith will perform the world's firs…