The writer of a drama about the Grenfell inquiry – and the £800,000 cost-cutting that made the refurbishment lethal – explains how this story is a microcosm for what’s rotten in Britain todayAlthough Richard Norton-Taylor’s ninth play makes its debut l…
‘He drains my bad habits!’ Comedians on why they need an alter ego
For character comics such as Zach Zucker, Bilal Zafar and Jay Bennett, performing as other people is a way to both escape from – and confront – their personal livesAfter an eventful 18 months away, Zach Zucker is back on a London stage, and making a me…
Dave Grohl: The Storyteller review – rock’n’roll raconteur riffs with profanity and positivity
Savoy theatre, LondonNirvana and Foo Fighters man’s memoir inspires a sparkling monologue on success, suicide and scrambled-egg sarniesSpringsteen on Broadway aside, few musicians would step away from the cocoon of their band to deliver an exhaustive, …
‘You’re in a new world’: refugee actors share their journey on stage
A new play touring England uses beds to reflect on experiences of former unaccompanied minorsFor most people, bed is a place of comfort, somewhere to recline and switch off. For others, it is a scene of displacement, a symbol of the precariousness of l…
‘They changed my ending, I felt aghast’ – how we made Wicked
‘I once performed Defying Gravity at the White House within spitting distance of the Obamas,’ says Idina Menzel. ‘In fact, I might actually have spat on them’I’d played with the story of The Wizard of Oz since my childhood in the US when I would arrang…
Joe Penhall on Roger Michell: ‘His work blazed with a black wit and buoyant humanity’
The playwright pays tribute to the director’s complex mind, sophistication and clairvoyant sense of what would workMichael Billington: ‘Michell brought the unexpected out of actors’The colossal heart of Roger Michell stopped beating last week, long bef…
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…
Adjoa Andoh: ‘My greatest fear? Being locked in a sauna and boiled alive’
Bridgerton’s Lady Danbury on cleaning men’s toilets, worrying about windows and her secret nicknameBorn in Bristol, Adjoa Andoh, 58, appeared in lead roles at the RSC, as well as starring in Doctor Who and Casualty. In 2009, she appeared in Clint Eastw…
Going out, staying in: a complete guide to this week’s entertainment
Whether it is a live gig, a new film or a game to play at home, our critics have your plans for this week covered Continue reading…
Motionhouse: Nobody review – keep your eyes glued to this incredible ensemble
Peacock theatre, LondonForget about the plot and lose yourself in this dance-circus show whose dizzying performers cast gravity asideShe falls almost in slow motion, sideways, her body rigid. There’s a feeling like a sucker-punch as they catch her, mom…