A century ago, one of the bloodiest battles in human history was being waged on the Somme. British and French troops advanced slowly to push the German forces back. More than a million peopl…
Britain's 2016 referendum on the European Union was bound to make it onto the stage sooner rather than later. Now we have a hasty and intriguing first draft, modestly called "My Country, a W…
Kate Fleetwood has to spend an hour or so in makeup for Lindsey Ferrentino's "Ugly Lies the Bone." She comes out almost unrecognizable.Fleetwood is best known for her acclaimed theater work …
Mark your diaries for July 12 to 14 in 2019. Yes, it's a long way off, but something extraordinary is promised for music fans. We are talking about the reincarnation of a festival once brand…
Pink Floyd has confirmed details of a blockbuster show to mark the band's 50th anniversary. "The Pink Floyd Exhibition: Their Mortal Remains," the group's first major international retrospec…
Ed Sheeran's race back to the top of the charts on both sides of the pond signals just one of a host of musical events to watch over the next few months.In summary:Among the albums on their …
There is a lot of unanimity among listeners and critics this year on the best music of 2016 " Beyoncé, Nick Cave, Leonard Cohen and David Bowie among them.Let's look at a few neglected gems…
If you want a run-up-to-Christmas play that entertains with feel-good humor, bright music and a heavenly, happy ending with loved-up families, look away now. "Love" by Alexander Zeldin, new …
The new Rolling Stones album "Blue & Lonesome" is something of a time machine.Its 12-bar blues is a party like it's 1999 or even earlier. The first of a dozen songs kicks off with a litt…
Mark Rylance is one of the hottest actors in the world, period. The prospect of his first co-authored stage work, with him starring in it, is therefore one of the hottest tickets on the stag…
It's the onset of doomsday and there is still a funny side.The backdrop of London's latest hot ticket - Lucy Kirkwood's new play "The Children" - gets pretty rapidly sketched in. There are c…
Leonard Cohen was an active poet and writer throughout his 50-year career, but for many he can be best judged by his albums.There are 14 studio releases and about eight other official live r…
Leonard Cohen, who has died at the age of 82, will be remembered for his gravelly voiced, poetic songs that mix spirituality and sex as he spent a lifetime seeking love and enlightenment.Tho…
David Bowie's final gift to the world, "Lazarus," comes bearing many questions. Is it a bird or is it a plane? Is it a rocket or is it a metaphor? Is it a play, or is it a musical? Is it any…
Rock's inspiration on visual art is being examined with a unique collection of the best concert posters of the last decade.Acts as varied as the Arctic Monkeys, the Grateful Dead and Jack Wh…
Terry Allen is one of music's biggest secrets. His 1970s albums won rave reviews on release. For years they were on critics' top lists and referenced as influences by in-the-know artists.All…
The National Theatre pulls out all the stops with "Amadeus," which returns to the Olivier after 37 years.The production is a something of a memorial to playwright Peter Shaffer, who died in …
Leonard Cohen's 14th studio album, "You Want It Darker," seems like another way to say goodbye.The old stager, now 82, has been bidding us adieu for some time. On "Popular Problems" in 2014 …
Castration fears have never seemed so much fun. Shostakovich's surreal opera "The Nose" tells the story of a high-spirited snout which runs around St Petersburg being chased by its owner. In…
The playwright is acclaimed. The acting is impressive. The staging is spectacular. The plot is tricky.David Hare's "The Red Barn," premiering at London's National Theatre, starts with a powe…
Phil Collins, one of the biggest stars of the 1980s, has announced a comeback " with a tour in 2017 to follow re-released albums, a new hits collection, "Singles," and an autobiography "Not …
Bob Dylan has won the 2016 Nobel Prize for Literature over the likes of Japanese writer Haruki Murakami and US novelist Philip Roth. The decision, the first time a singer-songwriter has been…
Jon Bon Jovi pauses, close to the end of his concert to unveil his new album. He tells us that he still has "something to say." Pause. "And nothing to prove."His band's 14th studio album, ou…
It's an obviously promising recipe for an evening out. First, take Sir Ian McKellen, at 77 still treading the boards in style. Then, add another distinguished theatrical knight, Patrick Stew…
Edward Snowden. La La Land. Isabelle Huppert in her best role. Wolf Alice on tour.These are just some of the headline names from the 2016 BFI London Film Festival, opening on October 5. The …