Entertainment news — film, music, TV, and the cultural stories driving conversation.
The Body review – this sexy retro high school drama is like Cruel Intentions … with added Satanic rituals
Netflix's new YA drama "The Body" follows Catholic school girls at St Mark's in Halloween 2004. The story centers on Lisbeth, a homeschooled outsider …
‘You can’t train to be chucked in a box full of rats!’ Ade Adepitan on fear, facing down sharks and being I’m a Celeb’s first wheelchair user
Ade Adepitan, a 53-year-old Paralympic medallist and TV presenter, will become the first wheelchair user on "I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!" whe…
‘Goats are good. They listen’: the herder who defeated Montenegro’s military – and can identify her cows’ herby burps
Mileva "Gara" Jovanović, a herder in Montenegro, successfully blocked plans to turn her mountain pastures into a NATO training zone, according to a ne…
I wear a feline leotard and ears to see Cats – and meet all the other theatre superfans going crazy for costumes
Theatre fans across London's West End are arriving in elaborate costumes to match the shows they are seeing. On Halloween night, audiences for Beetlej…
‘We are dream-walking into a desperate situation’: the Booker prize winner on his sci-fi alien invasion wakeup call
M John Harrison, 81, became the oldest author to win the Booker Prize for Fiction last night, for his novel "The End of Everything." The book marks th…
How the story of ‘the girl of 100 portraits’ inspired two books
Louise Cansot, an artists' model killed in Paris in 1949, has become the subject of two books after decades of obscurity. Cansot, known as "the girl o…
A one-part wonder! The West End’s streamlined Harry Potter and the Cursed Child works like magic
The West End production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child has been condensed from five hours across two parts into a single three-hour show, retain…
‘It’s the final goodbye’: Monty Don bows out with a blissful last Gardeners’ World
Monty Don presented his final episode of Gardeners' World after nearly 25 years as the show's presenter. In the episode, Don walks through his garden …
Marilyn Monroe is a magnetic misfit in Speculations, a spicy conspiracy drama full of bombshells
Trevor Nunn directs Torben Betts's play "Speculations" at Marylebone Theatre in London, which centres on real-life American journalist Dorothy Kilgall…
‘Life is like a heartbeat. It’s up and down, up and down’: Michelle Yeoh on casting cliches, marriage at 60 and playing a robot in Blade Runner 2099
Michelle Yeoh plays a synthetic human named Olwen in the forthcoming sci-fi series Blade Runner 2099. Yeoh, 64, insisted on playing a replicant rather…
‘I’m never going to be bloody Robert De Niro!’: Rob Brydon, the most chipper man on TV
Rob Brydon returns to television in the new comedy "Bill's Included," playing a character so close to himself that it reflects his entire career. At 6…
‘He left the world in ruins’: the author who defied the Taliban and burning tyres to tell Alexander the Great’s epic story
Edmund Richardson won the £50,000 Baillie Gifford prize for nonfiction with a biography of Alexander the Great. Richardson, a classics professor, says…
This extraordinary new Hamlet turns Shakespeare inside out with infinite jest – and cuddly toys
Ben Duke's new production, "The Last Hamlet," reimagines Shakespeare's tragedy as absurdist comedy. The show, staged at Sadler's Wells East in London,…
What did the Romans ever give Scotland? Heated floors, flashy sandals, sun gods – and a lot of nails
A cricket pavilion renovation near Edinburgh uncovered two Roman altars buried in the 140s CE, both carved from local sandstone and dedicated to the g…
‘Turner prize for dance’ winner Christos Papadopoulos: failure, friction and my forgotten youthquake
Greek choreographer Christos Papadopoulos won the inaugural Rose international prize for choreography in 2025, worth £40,000. A judging panel includin…
Tomb Raider’s creators on how the game changed their lives: ‘Skint staff were suddenly pulling up in sports cars’
Core Design developer reflects on creating Tomb Raider, the 1996 action-adventure game that became a cultural phenomenon. The developer joined Core D…
‘May every data centre crumble to dust!’ How can we stop the tech bros, tyrants and tycoons? With quilts!
Artist CJ Reay has created 14 quilts bearing anarchist slogans and calling-to-arms messages, adapting the graphic poster work he produces through his …
My fiancee, my foreskin and me: the comic who turned adult circumcision into a jaw-dropping show
Max Olesker, a comedian, converted to Orthodox Judaism to marry his fiancee Eliana after meeting her at the Edinburgh Fringe. The conversion process r…
Juan Atkins, pioneer of Detroit techno sound, dies aged 64
Juan Atkins, a pioneer of Detroit techno who shaped dance music globally, died aged 64. His agency confirmed to Resident Advisor that Atkins was found…
To baldly go: Patrick Stewart was an icon for bald men everywhere
Patrick Stewart, the Star Trek and X-Men actor who died aged 86, was a pioneering figure for bald men in entertainment. During his time as Captain Jea…
Jump scares, leather gloves and squeaking moth noises: theatre horror masters on how they make their shows so scary
Sam Beech's car sensor triggered in the dark outside a wedding venue one night, creating an uncanny half-hour of invisible sound and motion that unner…
Romeo + Juliet at 30: how Baz Luhrmann made teens fall in love with Shakespeare
Baz Luhrmann's 1996 film adaptation of Romeo + Juliet reaches its 30th anniversary this week. The director reimagined Shakespeare's Verona feud as a t…
‘The sexy stuff has got to be coming to an end, right?’: Rivals star Aidan Turner on beards, ballroom dancing and putting Poldark to bed
Aidan Turner, star of Poldark and the recent series Rivals, says he has grown weary of being cast and interviewed primarily for his appearance. The 43…
‘I knead the audience, like a baker!’ House music legend Peven Everett on life after cancer and vanquishing the ‘Disco Sucks’ movement
Peven Everett, a Chicago house-music producer and multi-instrumentalist, performed at the We Out Here festival in Dorset in August, playing "Gabriel,"…
‘Patrick Stewart brought virile star power to the stage, from clowns to kings to wounded lions’
Patrick Stewart, the actor who died aged 86, built his reputation as a versatile stage performer before becoming known worldwide through Star Trek and…
On Star Trek, Patrick Stewart could make anyone feel hopeful for humanity
Patrick Stewart, who played Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation across seven seasons, four films and a sequel series, has died a…
Patrick Stewart brought gravitas and complexity to the screen, from Star Trek to X-Men
Patrick Stewart, the Royal Shakespeare Company-trained actor whose Shakespearean technique and distinctive voice made him a commanding presence in fil…
Stephen Kovacevich - a pianist who risked oblivion to know what it’s like out on the edge
Stephen Kovacevich, the pianist whose performances combined technical brilliance with willingness to take interpretive risks, has died aged 86. Tom Se…
Is It Too Late to Make a Run for It? by Judi Dench review – whatever you do, don’t call her a ‘national treasure’
Judi Dench's memoir "Is It Too Late to Make a Run for It?" reveals the actor's reflections on a long career shaped largely by theatre, despite her lat…
Jess Cartner-Morley on fashion: to nail this year’s British heritage look, just study Rivals
The success of the TV show Rivals has revived interest in British heritage fashion, according to fashion columnist Jess Cartner-Morley writing in the …
Their orchestra is not a sacred object but a tool for struggle – Paris’s musicians join the frontline
L'Orchestre du Nouveau Monde, a Paris-based orchestra co-founded by conductor Étienne Jarrier, performed during student protests in France last week a…
Castle Walls review – Prime’s first fully AI-generated show is here, and it’s a Vaseline-smeared mess
Prime Video has released Castle Walls, billed as the first end-to-end AI-generated series on a major streaming platform. The Turkish production studio…
‘It’s the gay Titanic!’ Inside La Bola Negra, the maximalist queer spectacular bound for Oscars glory
La Bola Negra, a Spanish war epic directed by Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo, has become an awards contender with best picture and best director Osc…
Carrick to stay in charge of Man Utd for Chelsea game
Michael Carrick will stay as Manchester United manager for this weekend's trip to Chelsea, BBC Sport has learned, despite the club exploring replaceme…
Netherlands pulls out of Eurovision again over Israel participation
The Netherlands will not compete in the 2027 Eurovision Song Contest, public broadcaster NPO announced on Tuesday, citing "sensitivities" over Israel'…
‘We did everything wrong!’ The tragedy of the hit-free band behind Blondie’s Hanging on the Telephone
The Nerves wrote one of new wave's most enduring earworm melodies. They never got the credit. Formed in 1974, the trio of Jack Lee, Peter Case and Pa…
Kane ends England’s 25-year wait to win men’s Ballon d’Or award
Harry Kane became the first English player to win the Ballon d'Or in 23 years after the award ceremony in London crowned him the world's best player. …
Kane ends England's 25-year Ballon d'Or wait - how he bucked the trend
Harry Kane became the first English player to win the Ballon d'Or since Michael Owen in 2001, breaking a 23-year wait for the prize at a ceremony in L…
Meghan to co-host Junior MasterChef Australia
Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, will co-host the 2027 season of Junior MasterChef Australia alongside fellow host Poh Ling Yeow, Channel 10 confirmed. …
Howe and Nagelsmann high on Man Utd's list if Carrick sacked
Manchester United is exploring multiple managerial candidates to replace Michael Carrick if he loses his job following the club's poor start to the se…
Chris Brown given suspended eight-month prison sentence over nightclub attack
Chris Brown has avoided immediate imprisonment after attacking a man with a glass tequila bottle at a London nightclub. The R&B singer received an ei…
Antonelli delivers 'the race of a champion who isn't the champion yet'
Kimi Antonelli moved to the brink of a record-breaking Formula 1 world championship with a dominant victory at the United States Grand Prix. The 20-ye…
Sharon Osbourne: 'I visit Ozzy's grave every day'
Sharon Osbourne visits her husband Ozzy's grave every day, she told BBC News as the family prepares to release a documentary about his final concert. …
‘I can’t believe I get to see that’: One Born Every Minute is back for a 12th series
One Born Every Minute returns for its twelfth series, bringing the long-running reality show back to screens with a focus on how childbirth stories an…
Amy Winehouse: Back to Black 20 review – trying an all-star Amy tribute show is a losing game
A 20th anniversary tribute to Amy Winehouse's "Back to Black" album took place at London's Roundhouse, featuring producers Mark Ronson and Salaam Remi…
A farewell to BioWare, maker of some of the best games of the 21st century | Lucy James
EA has closed BioWare, the 30-year-old game studio behind genre-defining role-playing games including Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and Drago…
Hokusai: Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji review – sublime wonders from the Great Wave to that heroic, eternal peak
Dulwich Picture Gallery in London opens the first British exhibition of Katsushika Hokusai's complete "Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji," the iconic ser…
‘Our third date was at Buckingham Palace’: Marlon James and Nicholas Boggs on life as a literary power couple
Novelist Marlon James and biographer Nicholas Boggs have each earned major literary recognition, with James shortlisted for the Booker Prize and Boggs…
Cyndi Lauper on fun, fashion and freedom of expression: ‘We have braces on our brains’
Cyndi Lauper is auctioning off decades of personal fashion and memorabilia this month at Bonhams in New York, calling the sale "A Suitcase of Memories…
Perle Noire: Meditations for Joséphine review – turgid tribute to pioneering star
Julia Bullock delivers a magnetic performance in "Perle Noire: Meditations for Joséphine," a 100-minute piece developed by the soprano, composer Tysha…
The Alonetimes review – frenetic, funny and exhilarating music theatre
The Alonetimes, a new music theatre work by composers Jennifer Walshe and Philip Venables, opened in its UK premiere at Oxford's Schwarzman Centre. Si…
The Mystery of What Befell in the Ditch by Thure Erik Lund review – is this the greatest living Norwegian writer?
Thure Erik Lund's "The Mystery of What Befell in the Ditch" has been translated into English for the first time, nearly three decades after its origin…
Making Marie Antoinette review – sweet Coppola home movie reveals the family business
A behind-the-scenes documentary shot by Eleanor Coppola offers fans of her daughter Sofia's 2006 film "Marie Antoinette" an intimate look at the produ…
This mighty cry for a goddess to help Earth proves Dickson Mbi is a bold force in dance
Olivier-award-winning choreographer Dickson Mbi opens a new dance piece that weaves together his Cameroonian heritage with environmental storytelling …
Flo & Joan: With Feeling review – sisters turn an old rock setlist into hilariously neurotic songs
Flo & Joan turned a chance backstage discovery into their latest show. Four years ago, the comedy duo found a setlist left by indie-rock band the Feel…
Swoon! London City Ballet are positively glowing in a night of dreams – and ghosts from dance history
Alina Cojocaru delivers an astonishing performance in John Neumeier's ballet "Ghost Light" at Sadler's Wells in London, a meditation on time and theat…
Dónal Lunny, ‘colossus of Irish music’, dies aged 79
Dónal Lunny, an Irish traditional musician who shaped the sound of Irish music across five decades, died at 79 from cancer. Lunny rose to prominence …
Channel 4’s new social media drama has 90-second episodes – and it’s as enjoyable as watching adverts
Channel 4 has launched its first vertical drama for social media in Britain, a five-part series called The Guest List featuring 90-second to two-minut…
Ryu Murakami, cult Japanese author, dies aged 74
Ryu Murakami, the Japanese author known for subversive novels that explored violence, drug use and the dark edges of Japanese society, died on 17 Octo…
Blackpool, Sheffield, Milton Keynes and Wrexham shortlisted for UK city of culture 2029
Blackpool, Sheffield, Milton Keynes and Wrexham have advanced to the final round of the competition to become the UK city of culture 2029. The four c…
‘Fighting an impossible fight is the only way to reclaim dignity’: Lee Chang-dong on class warfare and his searing Oscar contender
Director Lee Chang-dong's new film "Possible Love" draws inspiration from a pivotal moment in South Korean labour history. The film, which won the gra…
The Snowman gets a hi-tech rebuild – with help from Raging Bull and a ‘Hot Santa’
Director Will Tuckett has reimagined Raymond Briggs' beloved Snowman for the stage, refreshing the story more than 30 years after it first became a th…
Murder on the dancefloor: are phones, drugs and chatter killing off dancing?
DJ Jane Fitz sparked a debate across clubland when she posted on Instagram ahead of the Houghton festival, asking attendees to stop chatting during DJ…
Ali G: Who Iz I? review – Sacha Baron Cohen’s high-stakes satire punches up and down with spectacular bad taste
Sacha Baron Cohen returns with "Ali G: Who Iz I?", a film that revives the prankster character 20 years after the 2002 original "Ali G in Da House". …
Raye wins 2026 Mercury prize for This Music May Contain Hope
Raye has won the 2026 Mercury Prize for her second studio album, This Music May Contain Hope, a 73-minute record that blends big band jazz, power ball…
‘Hot Santa’, Raging Bull and a Toy Story vibe help to rebuild The Snowman for a new generation
Will Tuckett and Tahra Zafar have reimagined The Snowman, Raymond Briggs' beloved 1978 picture book, for a new stage production. Tuckett directs the r…
Helen Fielding launches Bridget Jones prize for northern comedy writing
Helen Fielding, author of the Bridget Jones novels, has launched a new writing prize aimed at discovering comedy talent from northern England. The Br…
‘The tech bro fight club is real!’ The titans of AI get the Succession treatment in a wild new TV show
A new HBO Max satire titled "The Audacity" takes aim at Silicon Valley's tech elite with the same sharp wit that made "Succession" a critical hit. Sho…
Zach Braff: ‘You can be talented and good-looking, but acting success is still like winning the lottery’
Zach Braff says breaking into acting remains a lottery, even for talented people with conventional good looks. The Scrubs and Garden State star made …
‘He had this electrical charge’: the short life and long legacy of Jason Molina, master of Americana
A documentary about late US musician Jason Molina celebrates an artist who grew up in economically declining Lorain, Ohio and became a prolific Americ…
‘It’s important that Michael’s voice is heard’: Jaafar Jackson says second biopic of his uncle will cover sexual abuse allegations
Jaafar Jackson says a planned sequel to the Michael Jackson biopic will address sexual abuse allegations against his uncle, a topic the first film lar…
TV tonight: Leo Reich’s new London sitcom especially for gen z
Comedian Leo Reich's new Channel 4 sitcom launches tonight at 10.05pm, following three mid-20s friends navigating life in London after leaving their s…
On Another Planet They Can Save Me by Lieke Marsman review – an astonishing memoir of terminal illness
Lieke Marsman, a former Dutch poet laureate, published a memoir titled "On Another Planet They Can Save Me" that explores how terminal illness dismant…
Why has a crumbling bottle plant been rebuilt in Paris? The stunning show suggesting the future is Ghana-shaped
Artist Ibrahim Mahama has rebuilt a crumbling factory inside the Fondation Cartier in Paris as part of a major exhibition exploring Ghana's history be…
UK cinemas report ‘bonkers’ demand for documentary You Can See Everything
Nathan Fielder's documentary about Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes is generating unprecedented demand in UK cinemas, with tickets selling out ahead …
You Can See Everything mania lifts viewership for The Dropout by 186%
A documentary about Elizabeth Holmes and the Theranos fraud scandal has triggered a dramatic spike in viewership for related content. The Hulu series …
Standup Jon Richardson on turning his dark teenage diaries into a tearjerking memoir: ‘I couldn’t sugarcoat those years’
Comedian Jon Richardson has turned his teenage diaries into a memoir that charts his emotional spiral from childhood contentment into teenage despair.…
Vast Beatles museum, hailed as ‘extraordinary’ by Paul McCartney, to open in Liverpool in 2028
Liverpool will open a new 100,000 sq ft Beatles museum in 2028, marking a major expansion for the city's Beatles Story, which has operated since 1990.…
‘Oh God, I can’t bear it’: Judi Dench says Cats film was ‘a waste of goodwill and talent’
Dame Judi Dench has renewed her criticism of the 2019 Cats film adaptation in her forthcoming memoir, calling it "a waste of goodwill and talent." In…
‘We’ll keep doing this if people pay us!’ The cast of TV hit Ghosts on making a movie – and maybe a caveman spinoff
The cast and crew of the British sitcom Ghosts have confirmed they are making a film despite believing the show had ended for good when its final epis…
‘They pulled a guy’s face off. It’s my favourite bit!’ Linda Cardellini on Freaks and Geeks, Mad Men and slasher horror Crystal Lake
Linda Cardellini has stepped into horror as Pamela Voorhees in Crystal Lake, a prequel to the Friday the 13th franchise. Cardellini, known for roles i…
Listen for Lanny: can Max Porter’s mythic tale be heard in this woodland?
A stage adaptation of Max Porter's novel "Lanny" is being brought to life with an unconventional approach to sound design. Composer Dom Coyote, alongs…
Royal Exchange boss unveils new plays two years after damaging censorship row
Selina Cartmell, artistic director of Manchester's Royal Exchange theatre, has announced a new season of productions two years after the venue faced a…
Elizabeth Holmes documentary You Can See Everything debuts with huge $15m opening weekend
Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim's Elizabeth Holmes documentary "You Can See Everything" opened to $15 million domestically, marking the largest ope…
Game, set and tache: Carlos Alcaraz joins growing trend for a stylish top lip
Carlos Alcaraz grew a moustache after winning the Japan Open for the second consecutive year, fulfilling a bet with his team to sport facial hair on c…
‘A vigorous apologist for a cruel emperor’: Is Caryl Churchill’s explosive new play about Trump and his press officers?
Caryl Churchill's new play "Triumph" opened this week at London's Almeida theatre. The 20-minute work uses historical analogy to critique contemporary…
Dance Is Not for Us review – desire and defiance as one revolutionary mover sweats it all out
Omar Rajeh performs a solo work titled "Dance Is Not for Us" at the Barbican in London as part of the Dance Umbrella festival. The piece emerges from …
7 Miles Out review – Carol Morley’s funny-poignant self-portrait of teenage kicks in Stockport
Carol Morley's film "7 Miles Out" adapts her autobiographical novel into a portrait of teenage life in 1970s Stockport, tracking a young woman named A…
‘How do we welcome the stranger, with humanity or anger?’ The forgotten Germans who found refuge in Ireland
A new theatrical production examines the largely forgotten history of 18th-century German refugees who settled in rural Ireland, drawing parallels to …
Scholars conclude ‘beyond doubt’ that Shakespeare was main author of Edward III
Scholars have concluded "beyond any reasonable doubt" that William Shakespeare was the main author of Edward III, a play published anonymously in 1596…
4.48 Psychosis review – a dazzling, harrowing opera worthy of Sarah Kane’s furious writing
Opera brings Sarah Kane's harrowing final play to brutal musical life. Philip Venables has adapted 4.48 Psychosis, Sarah Kane's most personal work, i…
Twelfth Night review – Mathew Horne oozes arrogance as a brilliantly buttoned-up Malvolio
Mathew Horne plays Malvolio in this Crucible Sheffield production of Twelfth Night with buttoned-up precision and self-satisfied swagger. Dressed in a…
Judi Dench joins calls by The Archers cast to keep show in Birmingham
Actor Judi Dench has joined the cast and crew of Radio 4's The Archers in urging the BBC to keep the show's recording in Birmingham. Dench, who made …
Look Back review – Kore-eda’s ode to friendship, manga and artistic success
Hirokazu Kore-eda's "Look Back" follows two teenage manga artists whose shared dreams bind them in what the filmmaker describes as a "platonic but pas…
The Cherry Orchard review – Kristin Scott Thomas makes a modern matriarch in trad, earthy Chekhov
Kristin Scott Thomas plays Madame Ranevskaya, a Russian landowner returning to her estate, in a new production of Chekhov's "The Cherry Orchard" at th…
Weird Baile: Collected Rips 2004-2024 review – a hallucinatory trip to baile funk’s outer limits
Four Brazilian producers have compiled two decades of experimental baile funk edits on "Collected Rips 2004-2024", blending the genre's bass-heavy roo…
‘I know I can do anything’: new archive of AS Byatt’s papers looks inside the writer’s extraordinary mind
The British Library has acquired 68 boxes of papers belonging to AS Byatt, the Booker Prize-winning author of Possession, offering insight into how sh…
The Penelopiad review – move over, Odysseus! Margaret Atwood lets Penelope’s maids run riot
Margaret Atwood's stage adaptation of "The Penelopiad" has returned to York Theatre Royal with a fresh take on Homer's Odyssey, centering voices tradi…
Isabel Allende wins €1m Spanish literary prize under pseudonym
Isabel Allende has won the Premio Planeta, Spain's €1 million literary prize, for a sequel to her 1982 debut novel The House of the Spirits. The Chil…
‘The world is falling apart’: Dominic Cooke plans boldly political first season at Almeida
Dominic Cooke, the Almeida theatre's newly appointed artistic director, plans a boldly political opening season for the north London venue, featuring …
South Park takes on looksmaxxing, aura-farming and influencer nonsense with grotesque glee
South Park's third episode of its 29th season tackles looksmaxxing and aura-farming, two internet trends centered on self-optimization and personal br…
Vermeer by Andrew Graham-Dixon audiobook review – a sharp and authoritative guide
Art historian Andrew Graham-Dixon has released an audiobook biography of Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer that offers fresh perspectives on one of art h…
‘I didn’t know I was a screamer. Turns out I am’ – the spooky secrets of Last One Laughing: Halloween
Last One Laughing returns with a Halloween twist that adds a new challenge to its already demanding format. Contestants must now refrain not only from…
Some Woman review – Anne-Marie Duff is wholly believable but this twisty drama is not
Anne-Marie Duff delivers a powerful performance in Helen Edmundson's new play "Some Woman" at London's Dorfman theatre, but implausible plotting under…
Lee Child backs launch of reading scheme to send prisons half a million books
Thriller writer Lee Child is backing a scheme to send nearly half a million books to prisons across Britain this autumn. Child, the UK's first prison…
Wallace & Gromit maker Aardman falls short of return to profit
Aardman, the British animation studio behind Wallace and Gromit, narrowed its annual loss to £1.1m but missed its target to return to profit in 2025. …
‘I need to prove my family’s sacrifice was worth it’: how pop auteur Shygirl slogged her way to the top
Shygirl, the London pop artist born Blane Muise, has climbed from underground club culture to mainstream recognition through methodical career buildin…
‘A guy held a knife to my throat and said: play something normal!’ Richard Thompson on crazy crowds, his beloved beret and Sandy Denny’s driving skills
Richard Thompson, the 77-year-old British folk legend, recalls the vibrant musical scene of late-1960s London as he releases his new album Hippies, Th…
‘Stranger than stranger-than-fiction’: how Lance Oppenheim made the year’s two buzziest films
Lance Oppenheim, 30, has two films competing for awards attention this season, a feat the Guardian describes as "sorcery" for a single filmmaker. You…
From a VR gay sauna to the gothic pile that inspired Cluedo – Fierce festival storms back
Fierce, Britain's longest-running live art festival, returns this week to venues across Birmingham after launching in 1998. The festival takes over co…
Cult venue Prince Charles cinema ‘saved’ after lease renewal signed
The Prince Charles cinema in London's Leicester Square has secured its future after signing a 25-year lease with its landlords, ending 21 months of cl…
‘To succeed meant to leave’: inside the jolting film about Brummie estate kids knocked flying by demolition
Director Clio Barnard adapted Keiran Goddard's novel "I See Buildings Fall Like Lightning" into a film despite the source material containing no hero,…
Baby review – Pearl Mackie is meticulous as an abuse survivor
Pearl Mackie stars in "Baby," a solo play by Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti that opened at Brixton House in London. The production follows a young mother attemp…
Jessie Buckley suggests film industry gives too much weight to Oscar campaigns
Jessie Buckley, who won the Academy Award for best actress this year, has questioned whether the film industry invests too heavily in Oscar campaigns …
Joni Mitchell becomes US citizen: ‘A journey that began 62 years ago’
Joni Mitchell, the Canadian singer-songwriter, has become a US citizen at age 82. She posted footage of her citizenship ceremony on Instagram alongsid…
Girls is back: why it’s the perfect time for more of Lena Dunham’s millennial Sex and the City
HBO's "Girls" is returning for a five-episode revival series, the network announced via a mock video call featuring original cast members Allison Will…
Stevie Wonder review – playing his greatest album in full, he knocks everyone sideways
Stevie Wonder opened his 50th anniversary tour celebrating Songs in the Key of Life at Utilita Arena in Birmingham on what the Guardian describes as a…
Tinie Tempah says he will finally visit Scunthorpe after campaign by fans
Rapper Tinie Tempah has committed to visiting Scunthorpe after 16 years of notoriety tied to his 2010 hit "Pass Out," in which he rapped that he had n…
‘It put me in a fever dream’: Philip Venables on turning Sarah Kane’s 4.48 Psychosis into a shocking opera
Composer Philip Venables adapts Sarah Kane's play "4.48 Psychosis" into opera, with the work returning to the Royal Opera House a decade after its pre…
Beth Orton review – battered optimism from an artist making the best music of her career
Beth Orton performed almost exclusively material from her two most recent albums at Brighton's Concorde 2, largely bypassing the 1996 debut "Trailer P…
Ian McKellen to star in UK premiere of ‘mixed reality’ play – but not in person
Ian McKellen will star in a British premiere of "An Ark," a mixed reality play coming to Manchester next spring. The veteran actor will not appear on …
RJ Mitte, actor best known for Breaking Bad, dies aged 34
RJ Mitte, the actor best known for playing Walter White Jr in Breaking Bad, has died aged 34 in Brownsville, Texas. Mitte lived with cerebral palsy, …
Gabrielle Goliath: Elegy review – devastating lament is a furious, single-note call to action
Gabrielle Goliath's "Elegy" fills the basement of Ibraaz in London's Fitzrovia with an unbroken wail of grief. The video and audio installation featur…
Selma Blair charged with assault of police officer and nurse after allegedly attacking flight attendants
Actor Selma Blair was arrested at John F Kennedy airport on Sunday after she allegedly attacked two Delta Air Lines flight attendants during a flight …
BBC to stop recording The Archers in Birmingham for first time in its 75-year history
The BBC has scrapped plans to build a dedicated theatre for The Archers in Birmingham, ending the world's longest-running soap opera's 75-year recordi…
Alex Gibney says Universal ‘wavered’ over releasing Elon Musk documentary
Alex Gibney, the director of a four-hour documentary about Elon Musk, says Universal "wavered" over releasing the film outside North America, accordin…
Tarek Atoui’s Turbine Hall review – hallelujah, it’s raining musical instruments!
Lebanese artist Tarek Atoui has filled Tate Modern's Turbine Hall with suspended brass trumpets, glowing drums and translucent cones that generate an …
Mort à la révolution! Why UK film loves a failed rebellion
Paul Greengrass's new film The Uprising, starring Andrew Garfield, marks a rare moment in British cinema. The movie depicts the 1381 Peasants' Revolt,…
Wildwood review – Laika’s pleasingly old fashioned stop-motion magic-forest odyssey
Laika studio returns with "Wildwood," a stop-motion animated film that blends old-fashioned fantasy adventure with the Portland-based studio's distinc…
The Queerest of Folk by Russell T Davies review – the groundbreaking screenwriter tells it like it is
Russell T Davies' new memoir, "The Queerest of Folk," traces the screenwriter's five-decade career in television through a series of his most acclaime…
Ray Gunn review – Brad Bird’s animated film-noir sci-fi caper is an old-school family classic
Brad Bird's animated film "Ray Gunn" combines film-noir storytelling with retro-futuristic design in a family-friendly adventure, according to the Gua…
Animals review – Ben Affleck’s dull Netflix thriller is lacking in bark and bite
Ben Affleck's new Netflix thriller "Animals" arrives as a disappointing entry in his directing catalogue, according to a Guardian review. The film, se…
‘I didn’t expect to be portrayed as a cannibal’: Rachael Stirling on eating her mother Diana Rigg’s ashes
Rachael Stirling has pushed back against media coverage of her admission that she ingests small amounts of her late mother Diana Rigg's ashes before p…
The Haunting of Hill House review – a slick and spooky fright night
A stage adaptation of Shirley Jackson's 1959 horror novel "The Haunting of Hill House" opened at Richmond Theatre in London with jump scares that land…
‘What could be discovered? What is new there?’: blockbuster exhibition celebrates Roy Lichtenstein
A recreation of Roy Lichtenstein's monumental Greene Street Mural will span the entire entryway to a new retrospective opening this week at New York's…
There’s more to our music than Oasis, says Manchester mayor
Manchester mayor Bev Craig pledged £2 million in funding to support local musicians beyond the city's famous guitar-band heritage, announcing the inve…
Carrie review – the teenage hell-raiser’s glorious return couldn’t come at a better time
A TV remake of "Carrie" arrived with a straightforward question at its centre: why revisit Brian De Palma's 1976 horror film, itself adapted from Step…
Mao’s Last Dancer Li Cunxin on his long-awaited follow-up: ‘I don’t think my publisher expected it to take 14 years!’
Li Cunxin, the Chinese Australian ballet dancer whose 2003 memoir "Mao's Last Dancer" became an international bestseller, has completed a long-delayed…
‘Jelliness is my life motto’: jackpot theatre prize winner Jaha Koo on kimchi, K-pop and his robotic eel
Jaha Koo, a theatre artist based in Berlin, has won the prestigious International Ibsen award for his productions that blend food, performance and cul…
‘People forgot I existed’: Audrey Niffenegger on taking 14 years to write a sequel to The Time Traveler’s Wife
Audrey Niffenegger has completed a sequel to "The Time Traveler's Wife" 14 years after beginning the project in 2012. The new novel incorporates polit…
Edge Control: the art exhibition using hidden camera images to explore race and beauty
Artist Deana Lawson opens Edge Control at the Gagosian gallery in New York, an exhibition built from surveillance camera images captured in beauty sup…
Gromit finally gets a voice … and it’s Martin Freeman
After 37 years of silence, Gromit will speak for the first time in an audiobook version of his autobiography, voiced by actor Martin Freeman. The cla…
Lightsaber Darth Vader used in ‘I am your father’ Star Wars duel up for auction
The lightsaber Darth Vader wielded in "The Empire Strikes Back" when he reveals his identity to Luke Skywalker is heading to auction at Heritage Aucti…
Please, sir, can I have a walk? Dickens biographer finds likely inspiration for Oliver Twist
Historian Theresa Musgrove has discovered newspaper records from 1836 showing that a young workhouse inmate named Alice Shepherd was severely punished…
Scottish film could steal The Jazz Singer’s crown as ‘world’s first talkie’
A Scottish film made in Glasgow could claim the title of world's first feature-length talkie, potentially displacing Hollywood's The Jazz Singer from …
‘My dog’s built her own fashion community’: how canine companions stole the fashion week spotlight
Dogs dominated the front row and catwalks at recent fashion week shows, competing with celebrities for photographers' attention and marking a shift in…
End of the World and Hard-Boiled Wonderland review – Murakami’s marvel brilliantly brought to life
Philippe Decouflé's stage adaptation of Haruki Murakami's "End of the World and Hard-Boiled Wonderland" opened at London's Barbican theatre with a pro…
‘I’m lovingly making fun of everyone I’ve ever met’: on the set of Leo Reich’s gen Z sitcom
Leo Reich, the 28-year-old comedian behind the cult hit "Literally, Who Cares?!", has created a new Channel 4 sitcom called "It Gets Worse" that follo…
Franz & Marie review – Woyzeck folk musical finds heart amid the horror
A folk musical adaptation of Georg Büchner's "Woyzeck" opens at Charing Cross Theatre in London, reshaping the 19th-century tragedy through 27 folk so…
Freddie Jackson, romantic US singer with 10 R&B chart-toppers, dies aged 70
Freddie Jackson, the R&B singer whose romantic, smooth voice dominated charts in the 1980s, has died at age 70. No cause of death was given. Jackson …
Eva Marie Saint, star of North by Northwest and On the Waterfront, dies aged 102
Eva Marie Saint, a towering figure of Hollywood's golden age who starred opposite Marlon Brando in "On the Waterfront" and Alfred Hitchcock in "North …
Anne Carson wins Nobel prize in literature 2026
The Swedish Academy awarded the 2026 Nobel prize in literature to Canadian poet and essayist Anne Carson, recognizing her genre-crossing works includi…
Dafydd Owain’s second album wins the 2026 Welsh music prize
Singer-songwriter Dafydd Owain has won the 2026 Welsh music prize with his second album, Ymarfer Byw. The album claimed the £10,000 award after beatin…
‘I call them erotic landscapes’: fashion photographer Tim Walker on his powerful tapestry of queer Britain
Fashion photographer Tim Walker has created a new body of work documenting queer British life, inspired by a personal discovery in North London. Six …
The Hungry Ghost review – this sexy, juicily spooky romcom is a scream
Mei Leng Yew's debut play "The Hungry Ghost" opens at Bush Theatre in London as a romantic comedy that weaves humour with horror. The production follo…
Only connect: two composers who put humans at the heart of their music, and the conductor who didn’t
Steve Reich turned 90 this week, and his early tape pieces reveal how deeply human voices and political witness shape what seems like pure musical tec…
Nicolas Ghesquière takes us into the future for Louis Vuitton show in Paris
Nicolas Ghesquière sent models down the Louvre runway in lightweight silks, chiffons and vented tunics for Louis Vuitton's Paris show, imagining how c…
‘In the wake of death, Courtney Love was giving it her all’: Hole’s Melissa auf der Maur on her best photograph
Melissa auf der Maur, bassist for Hole, has selected a photograph of Courtney Love applying makeup during the 1995 Lollapalooza tour as her best image…
Bel review – a tearful, heartbreaking tribute to a spellbinding singer
Kenyan-Scottish singer Beldina Odenyo died by suicide in October 2021, two weeks after delivering what those present described as an extraordinary per…
‘I’m bringing together women who nourish me’: French film-maker Alice Diop on her debut installation
French film-maker Alice Diop is launching her debut installation, titled Geste de Consolation (Gesture of Consolation), in the 60-meter central hall o…
Chanel is all about joy as Blazy celebrates year at helm of world’s hottest brand
Matthieu Blazy marked his first year as artistic director of Chanel with a Paris show that shifted the brand toward bold colours and patterns, departi…
‘My poetry won me asylum’: Cecilia Vicuña on exile life in ‘sad’ Britain after Pinochet’s coup
Cecilia Vicuña was 24 when she arrived in London on a British Council scholarship to study at the Slade School of Art in 1973. She had planned a brief…
‘We got that bad guy and took him down!’ Jaclyn Smith on the fun, friendship and frustration of Charlie’s Angels
Jaclyn Smith, 80, remains the only original cast member of Charlie's Angels still standing 50 years after the show's 1976 debut. The five-year series,…
George Fenton, Oscar-nominated British composer for more than 100 films, dies aged 76
George Fenton, the British composer behind the scores for Gandhi, Dangerous Liaisons and Groundhog Day, has died aged 76. His family said his death wa…
Alessandro Michele designs for the dancefloor at Valentino’s Paris show
Alessandro Michele presented his fifth catwalk show as Valentino's creative director at Paris Fashion Week on Sunday, channelling nightclub aesthetics…
Metallica review – metal titans on fine form in spectacular rarities-focused show
Metallica opened a new 24-show residency at Las Vegas's Sphere venue on Wednesday, performing deep cuts and rarely played tracks instead of relying on…
Mary Beard suggests ‘tweaks’ to British Museum’s handling of queues to see Bayeux tapestry
Mary Beard, a classicist and trustee of the British Museum, has visited the queue for the Bayeux tapestry and submitted a list of improvements to muse…
‘If it’s too slick, it looks like a fashion mag’: Peter Zumthor on his £110m rammed concrete gallery
Peter Zumthor, the 83-year-old Swiss architect, has completed a new gallery extension for the Beyeler Foundation in Basel. The £110 million project is…
The Reluctant Vampire review – Lenny Rush’s absolute joy of a comedy is perfectly cast
Neil and Rob Gibbons, the writers behind recent Alan Partridge projects, have adapted Eric Morecambe's 1982 and 1983 children's books into a six-part …
Rowan Atkinson to bring Mr Bean, Blackadder and more to West End in new show
Rowan Atkinson is returning to the West End stage for the first time in 40 years to perform a mix of his most famous comedy characters and new materia…
Miu Miu turns ‘real clothes’ into high fashion with sportswear style
Miuccia Prada brought sportswear mixing to Paris fashion week on Sunday, saying she wanted to transform the "real clothes" people wear daily into high…
Jackie Jackson obituary
Jackie Jackson, the bass player who anchored Toots and the Maytals for more than 50 years and helped define reggae and rock steady music in Jamaica, h…
TV tonight: an essential film about the story of Damilola Taylor
A BBC Two documentary airing at 9pm tonight marks 26 years since 10-year-old Damilola Taylor was killed by teenagers in North Peckham, London. The pro…
Dèy by Edwidge Danticat review – motherhood and trauma in Miami
Edwidge Danticat's first novel in over a decade opens with violence in a Miami mall, where the protagonist Magnolia hears gunfire while shopping for h…
Star Wars actor John Boyega on the day his 10-year-old school friend Damilola Taylor was killed: ‘It kept me up at night because I was just with the guy’
John Boyega reflects on the killing of his childhood friend Damilola Taylor in a new BBC Two documentary, revisiting a trauma he witnessed as an eight…
Mike Nelson review – a waking nightmare of derelict dunes and desert island despair
Mike Nelson's exhibition at Modern Art Oxford recreates the English artist's studio, shacks and sand dunes in deliberately deteriorated form, presenti…
Antigone Exits review – emotions run high in experimental reworking of Greek tragedy
Nina Segal's reworking of Sophocles' "Antigone Exits" experiments boldly with the ancient tragedy but lands unevenly in its execution. Director Jeff J…
The Undertones review – silver-haired fans get Teenage Kicks once more
The Undertones brought their anniversary tour to Edinburgh's Corn Exchange with a 90-minute set that proved their 1978 debut "Teenage Kicks" has endur…
Rick Ross arrested on domestic battery and strangulation charges
Rick Ross was arrested in Miami Beach on Thursday on domestic violence charges, Miami police confirmed. The rapper was booked at Turner Guilford Knig…
Dodge City by Patrick deWitt review – a wild draft-dodging road trip
Patrick deWitt's new novel "Dodge City" follows a UCLA dropout fleeing the Vietnam War draft across America in the 1960s, armed with amphetamines and …
Greg Freeman: All Set the Bone review – ambitious alt-country double album spreads its talents a touch thin
Greg Freeman's third album, All Set the Bone, arrives as an ambitious double-album that expands the Maryland singer-songwriter's sonic palette but sac…
‘One person turned up at my house’: Russell T Davies on fierce fandom, finding love after grief - and the fear that drives him to keep a knife by the door
Russell T Davies says he now keeps a kitchen knife by his front door because online harassment about his support for trans rights has spilled into the…
Tourette syndrome campaigner John Davidson to watch Bafta Scotland awards in separate ‘relaxed’ space
John Davidson, a Tourette syndrome campaigner, will attend the Bafta Scotland awards in November from a separate "relaxed" space rather than the main …
‘I look at the footage to convince myself that you were alive’: how Ross McElwee made a film about unimaginable loss, grief and guilt
Filmmaker Ross McElwee has made a documentary about the death of his son Adrian, who died at age 27. The film, called Remake, draws on decades of home…
Trá Pháidín: Cloch’s Claí review – giddy Galway gang burst the boundaries of folk music
Trá Pháidín, a six-musician collective from Galway, has released their second album "Cloch's Claí" (Stone and Dry Stone Wall) on World of Echo. Accord…
Pam Tanowitz: Pastoral review – Beethoven explodes into bright bursts of gorgeous dance
Pam Tanowitz's "Pastoral" opened at the Barbican in London as a UK premiere collaboration between the New York choreographer, Pulitzer Prize-winning c…
‘It’s radical to release a film called Girls Like Girls in this climate’: hitmaker turned director Hayley Kiyoko on sexuality, safety and becoming ‘Lesbian Jesus’
Hayley Kiyoko has directed a feature film based on her 2015 breakthrough single "Girls Like Girls," expanding the story first told in the song's music…
How Bassam Tariq pivoted from stalled Blade reboot to new Mahershala Ali thriller: ‘I’m happier I made this movie’
Director Bassam Tariq moved on from Marvel's stalled Blade reboot to helm a new thriller starring Mahershala Ali as Latif, a devout Muslim contract ki…
‘You could have an amazing time for £30,000’: UK castles cash in on Traitors-style events
UK castles are cashing in on the popularity of the hit show The Traitors by hosting events for fans eager to recreate the drama for themselves. Ardro…
Daniel Roseberry adds ‘aerodynamic‘ edge to Schiaparelli’s surrealist glamour at Paris show
Daniel Roseberry, creative director of Schiaparelli, presented a collection at Paris Fashion Week that blends aerodynamic simplicity with the house's …
Brimful of personality: the rise of fashion’s ‘silly little hats’
Hats are having a moment on the runway, with designers sending models down catwalks in pillboxes, boaters, bicornes and buckets alongside more experim…
Fangs a million: Lenny Rush on turning an Eric Morecambe classic into a hilarious vampire comedy
Lenny Rush stars in "The Reluctant Vampire," a new BBC comedy adapted from Eric Morecambe's classic books. The show was written specifically for Rush …
Pierpaolo Piccioli presents ‘most personal show’ at Balenciaga
Pierpaolo Piccioli presented what he called "the most personal show I have done here" at Balenciaga during Paris fashion week on Thursday. The Italia…
Terrible idea or major coup? Galliano’s Zara collection launches after Met controversy
John Galliano's debut collection for Zara launched this week, one month after the Metropolitan Museum of Art cancelled a planned exhibition dedicated …
Hay Fever review – Richard E Grant and Christine Baranski host Coward’s country house shenanigans
Richard E. Grant stars as a vain novelist in the West End revival of Noël Coward's "Hay Fever" at the Wyndham's theatre in London. Grant brings energy…
Conrad ‘Cronos’ Lant, frontman of UK heavy metal band Venom, dies aged 63
Conrad Lant, the British heavy metal musician who fronted Venom under the stage name Cronos, has died aged 63. No cause of death was given. Lant serv…
Stella McCartney makes waves with ‘sea life, not sea food’ theme in zero-wool Paris show
Designer Stella McCartney showcased a collection without any wool at Paris Fashion Week, using the platform to renew her decades-long push for animal …
Meshell Ndegeocello: Synonym review – vivid all-star reinventions of everyone from Bob Dylan to J-Lo
Meshell Ndegeocello has released "Synonym," a covers album featuring duets with an expansive roster of artists. The collection reimagines songs by Bob…
Jonathan Anderson mixes Austen romance with chic streetware in Dior’s Paris show
Jonathan Anderson staged his latest Dior show in Paris as a deliberate spectacle. Trees emerged overnight from the Tuileries Garden pond, shrouded in …
Sex, drugs and floral fabrics: Celia Birtwell relives her wild times – and wilder outfits – with Ossie Clark
Celia Birtwell and Ossie Clark shaped London fashion during the 1960s and early 1970s with a partnership that blended fabric design and tailoring into…
Van Gogh goes on display before sale of ‘almost mythical’ private collection
A Van Gogh painting created in the final weeks of the artist's life goes on display Wednesday ahead of auction, valued at $180 million. "Châtaigniers …
Missouri Williams and China Miéville among writers on ‘adventurous’ Goldsmiths shortlist
Six writers have been shortlisted for the 2026 Goldsmiths Prize, a £10,000 award that recognises fiction breaking new ground in the novel form. Misso…
How Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil stands out from all other game adaptations
Zach Cregger's Resident Evil film ditches the series' iconic characters but reconstructs what it actually feels like to play the games, according to G…
TV tonight: a new mismatched detective duo for crime drama fans
A new crime drama pairs Richard Armitage's smug forensic pathologist with Annabel Scholey's frosty detective to solve a murder on ITV1 at 9pm tonight.…