2,878 stories by "Lyn Gardner"
Bush, LondonLewis and Morgan are married and appear settled. True, the tiny studio flat they bought at the height of the property boom is now in negative equity, though lack of space won't s…
Kean, Siddons, Evans, Ashcroft, Gielgud, McKellen and Dench are all names to conjure. But there are plenty of rising thespians with the talent to join the list of the British stage's previou…
It's a great week for kids " with Punchdrunk's winter wonderland in Stratford, pantos aplenty and Carol Ann Duffy weaving folksy magic in ManchesterSouth and WalesThe touring production of C…
Theatre 503, LondonCare worker Mike says he wants the best for 12-year-old Shaun, who is living in a children's home. But he has a funny way of showing it. True, it appears he is attempting …
Newcastle is the latest council to propose a 100% cut to its arts and theatre budget " a move which would deepen the divide between London and the rest of the countryIf there is one city in …
Soho theatre, LondonPlenty have come a cropper trying to transpose Anthony Burgess's 1962 novella to the stage. But director Alexandra Spencer-Jones and her all-male cast get the closest I'v…
Are the arts only for those who are rich, privileged and living in London? BBC Radio 4's Today programme seems to think so, but the arts are reaching out to communities all over the countryI…
Ian McKellen has voiced concern that the disappearance of repertory theatre means that the UK will never produce another Sir Ian or Dame Judi Dench. But is he right to be worried?Over the la…
Print Room, LondonWhy did Lot's wife look back as she and her family hurried out of Sodom, and thus become transformed " so the Bible tells us " into a pillar of salt? Was it an act of rebel…
Duke of York's, LondonThe stars shine brightly in Nick Payne's metaphysical love story, and I'm not just talking about the bewitching performances of Sally Hawkins and Rafe Spall. Hawkins pl…
Hen and Chickens, LondonHow do we remake the world? What if we think we are doing one thing when we are really doing another? It's a question at the heart of Sarah Robertson's striking if so…
Bring your mobile (or borrow one) for You With Me, a playful adventure in Exeter, recharge in Glasgow at Fuelfest, or scurry to Stratford, where the RSC previews The Mouse and his ChildSout…
Arcola, LondonJJ Hunsecker is the closest thing New York has to God. He's the man with the poisoned pen. His daily gossip column delivers venom and rightwing propaganda to millions in early …
Young Vic, LondonTheatre Uncut isn't just a performance, it's an idea: that theatre can be immediately responsive to world events, engender discussion and effect change. Founded in response …
The musical will be closing after Christmas after failing to attract audiences " but it's absurd to suggest that critics have the power to kill showsThe new British musical Loserville is clo…
Southwark Playhouse, LondonChekhov's tragicomedy transposed to the Isle of Man in the 21st century? It sounds like a Seagull that should get stuffed " but in fact it soars in this spritely n…
Sometimes a production can give you exactly what you need " whether it's to mourn a loved one or help make important decisionsA couple of weeks ago I went to see Ellie Harrison's The Reserva…
The Hunchback of Notre Dame prowls Selby Abbey in Yorkshire, Action Hero stage new work in Warwick, and the curtain rises on The Magistrate in LondonLondonNew shows this week include Arthur …
Daniel Day Lewis may not have seen his father's ghost during Hamlet, but Hamlet himself has experienced more than his fair share of ghosts over the years. Here are some of the bestLast week,…
London PalladiumThere is probably only one way to stop Tommy Steele from playing Scrooge " a role he has been reprising on and off for seven years " and that would be to cancel Christmas ent…
Young Vic, LondonA "blackta" is a black actor, often cast as the token non-white character in a TV drama. When there is only one role, the competition is fierce, so the group of black male a…
Young Vic, LondonA "blackta" is a black actor, often cast as the token non-white character in a TV drama. When there is only one role, the competition is fierce, so the group of black male a…
Peter Hall has apologised for interrupting a West End performance. But talking back used to be commonplace in the theatre " and perhaps we should have more of itPeter Hall's much-publicised …
Seen a dull or bad show recently? If you are a regular theatregoer you almost certainly will have done. Artists need to embrace criticism if they're going to fail betterThere's a story about…
Wrens Hotel, LeedsThe theatre is a good place to nurse a broken heart. Sitting in the dark and hearing stories can help heal the wound. Ellie Harrison takes that idea much further in The Res…
