Pickled cows and unmade beds: the art award has always challenged convention. But in 2021 it is going further, by abolishing individual artists altogetherThe Turner prize has given us some great characters. Grayson Perry was a little-known alternative …
Starstruck review – an opulent and fizzy Gene Kelly revival
Glasgow Theatre RoyalScottish Ballet make a post-pandemic return with a rousing version of Kelly’s ballet about Greek gods in the south of FranceSixty years ago, American dancer and choreographer Gene Kelly created Pas de Dieux for the Paris Opera Ball…
Vigil finale review – an anxiety-inducing horror spectacular
A clock-ticking, claustrophobic finale had DCI Silva in a cat-and-mouse game with a shifty Russian asset. If only they’d given her a map• Read the Vigil finale recap and join the discussion hereVigil (BBC One) concluded in nightmarishly claustrophobic …
Should scientists run the country?
Covid has put academics like Chris Whitty and Patrick Vallance at the heart of policymaking, but electing better politicians could be the answerHow many lives would have been saved in the pandemic if the UK government had truly “followed the science”? …
‘They wanted to end masculinity’: the artist inspired by anti-sexist men’s groups
Albert Potrony’s exhibition turns Gatehead’s Baltic into a giant creche, inspired by a radical Dutch playground architect and the forgotten feminist men’s movement of the early 70sFor most parents, the ritual of pushing your child on a swing or kicking…
‘If I hate a song I’ll just change the station’: William Shatner’s honest playlist
The Star Trek star and occasional singer reveals how un-musical he is – and what he really listens toOne of thesongs I’ve performed on television was Fuck You by Cee-Lo Green. It went over well. I’d do that one. Continue reading…
Chronicles from the Land of the Happiest People on Earth by Wole Soyinka review – a vast danse macabre
The Nigerian writer’s first novel in nearly 50 years is a vivid, shocking story of political corruption in a country much like his homelandWole Soyinka’s new novel tells the multidimensional story of a secret society dealing in human parts for sacrific…
TV tonight: comic catastrophe in a country house caper
There’s a welcome return for the am-dram spoof in which everything goes wrong, plus one of football’s great rivalries is recalled. Here’s what to watch this evening Continue reading…
Francis Bacon estate implies artist’s friend created parts of Tate collection
New book says many pieces in Barry Joule Archive bear ‘scant resemblance’ to artist’s work, but donor insists they are realThe Estate of Francis Bacon has launched an astonishing personal attack on Barry Joule, one of the artist’s friends, and the vast…
‘You have to be a control freak’: Mike Leigh on 50 years of film-making
At 78, with three Baftas and a Palme d’Or under his belt, the director still sees himself as an outsider. He talks about Hollywood’s obsession with big names, his determination to portray ‘real people’ – and being accused of pretensionInterviewing Mike…