57 h. ago Ruth Wilson on her return to the West End stage, the threat from AI, and why London tops New York

“The sexuality of women is always weaponised or used against them,” says Ruth Wilson. “Whether you’ve slept with men or not, it’s sort of dangerous either way.” The 43-year-old star of His Dark Materials, Luther and The Affair is talking about her role as Josie in Eugene O’Neill’s A Moon for the Misbegotten at the Almeida — her first play since the astonishing 24-hour performance of The Second Woman at the Young Vic in 2023, which won her a special Evening Standard Theatre Award.

Events

3 d. ago John Swinney carries out mini reshuffle of his top ministerial team

The First Minister made the new appointments less than a week after the SNP suffered a by-election defeat

Politics

4 d. ago From Hadestown to Hercules: ancient myths are the gods’ gift to musicals

Newly arrived in the West End, Disney’s demigod is the latest mythological A-lister to knock out showtunes. Why are deities such as Hermes and the ‘half-blood’ Percy Jackson having a moment in musical theatre?Ancient Greek dramas have long thrived on the West End stage. In recent times: Sophie Okonedo’s electrifying Medea, Brie Larson’s high-wire Elektra and Mark Strong’s smoothly political Oedipus. But the likes of Hades and Eurydice are less often found belting out big numbers alongside a dancing ensemble. Until now, it would seem. Mythological musicals are on the rise: Disney’s Hercules opens this month and Anaïs Mitchell’s Hadestown is in its second year at the Lyric while The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical is going on tour this summer.“Greek theatre has influenced every facet of our lives, from athletics to religion,” says Cedric Neal, who plays Hermes in Hadestown. “What better than for it to be translated to the stage with music, choreography and dance?” Neal has...

Politics

9 d. ago Rapid snowmelt and Trump cuts compound wildfire fears in US west

Region is experiencing an unusually warm spring, raising concerns of fierce wildfire season amid limited resourcesUnusually warm springtime temperatures have contributed to rapid reductions in snowpacks across the western US that rival the fastest rates on record, increasing concerns around wildfire season.The rapid snowmelt, in addition to reduced staffing and budget constraints initiated by the Trump administration, has set the stage for a particularly dangerous season across the west, according to an analysis of publicly available data by the Guardian and interviews with experts in the region. Continue reading...

Politics

1 week ago Look who it isnae as Still Game star Boabby heads for West Lothian theatre stage

Gavin Mitchell who's best known as Boabby the Barman is heading to Bathgate

Politics

1 week ago Stirling runner claims top step in gruelling 400km Highlands ultra marathon

Marcus Scotney - who turned 50 earlier this year - was first over the finish line after the eight-day Cape Wrath Ultra, which sees super-fit competitors trek across ten rugged stages of the West Highlands.

Politics

2 w. ago Around 130 Dumfries and Galloway jobs under threat at Stagecoach West Scotland

The firm is considering its future in the region as it believes contracts will not be renewed following concerns about a new liability clause.

Events

2 w. ago Dangerous paedophile, 45, who arranged with mother to rape her 12

WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT. John Davies, 45, discussed in 'graphic detail' how he would carry out the abuse, with the parent even arranging for him to stay at her home to carry out the sordid act.

Events

2 w. ago West Lothian swim coach who thought stage 4 cancer diagnosis meant curtains for him is feeling great

Richard Bennett receives immunotherapy and decided to take on a 38-mile cycle challenge

Science

2 w. ago New George Smiley novel will not be glamorous like Bond, says Nick Harkaway

The author’s father, John le Carre, wrote the original book series, which included Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and The Night Manager.

Politics

2 w. ago ‘A steamy wrestle’: Guardian article inspires play on Shakespeare and Marlowe collaboration

Exclusive: Born With Teeth by Liz Duffy Adams, coming to West End, imagines rival dramatists working togetherA Guardian report on William Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe being literary rivals and collaborators has inspired a play that will be staged by the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) in London’s West End this summer.The RSC’s co-artistic director Daniel Evans will direct Born With Teeth by Liz Duffy Adams, an Irish-American playwright, who has imagined two of the greatest dramatists of all time working together, wrestling creatively, both envious and admiring of each other. Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago Will Smith slammed over shocking treatment of crew on new music video

The 56-year-old entertainer is facing a protest by the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees at Quixote Studios in West Hollywood on Friday according to THR.

Events

3 w. ago SNP told to take 'tougher approach' to tackle youth knife crime after 'sickening rise'

Carrying a knife is “dangerous” and “damaging”, John Swinney has warned young Scots as he condemned recent violence.

Events

3 w. ago Ukraine war has reignited ‘cold war strategies’, says John le Carré’s son

Nick Harkaway sees parallels with postwar period as The Spy Who Came in from the Cold comes to the West End Russia’s war in Ukraine has reignited “cold war strategies”, according to the son of John le Carré, who announced that an adaptation of his father’s classic novel The Spy Who Came in from the Cold is coming to the West End for the first time.Nick Harkaway, who published Karla’s Choice last year, a sequel to the 1963 thriller, said the current geopolitical situation had echoes of the charged postwar period. Continue reading...

Events

3 w. ago John Le Carre’s ‘The Spy Who Came In From the Cold’ Sets London West End Bow

John Le Carre’s ‘The Spy Who Came In From the Cold’ Sets London West End Bow  Variety

Politics

3 w. ago John le Carre’s The Spy Who Came In From The Cold to be staged in West End

After a sold-out production at Chichester Festival Theatre, the stage adaptation will run for 14 weeks in London from November.

Politics

4 w. ago 'I was terrified of one opponent and John Terry feared this silent assassin too'

Jamie Carragher and John Terry opened up on the fear they had of a legendary forward who could give any Premier League defender a sleepless night

Events

4 w. ago Where you've seen UK Eurovision entry Remember Monday bandmates before

Country-pop trio Remember Monday are repping the UK at Eurovision 2025 but fans may recognise them from The Voice UK, West End stages before their big Basel debut

Politics

4 w. ago 'I was terrified of only one player in my career – and John Terry was also scared of him'

John Terry and Jamie Carragher enjoyed lengthy and successful careers in the Premier League but there was one player in particular that left them frightened to come up against

Sport

last month Karla’s Choice by Nick Harkaway audiobook review – a new Smiley from le Carré’s son

Perfectly emulating the tone of his father’s spy novels, this cold war tale also benefits from Simon Russell Beale’s impeccable readingIt is 1963 and, having retired from “the Circus”, spymaster George Smiley is looking forward to a trip abroad with his wife, Anne. But when a Soviet assassin has a sudden change of heart before murdering László Bánáti, a spy masquerading as a literary agent in London, Smiley finds himself back at work. He must find Bánáti and persuade him to become a British asset, a pursuit that leads him to an old foe.Dreamed up as the unflashy antithesis of James Bond, Smiley is, of course, the creation of the late John le Carré. But in Karla’s Choice, he is brought to life by Nick Harkaway, Le Carré’s youngest son. Harkaway, who also completed 2021’s unfinished Silverview, writes in a style barely distinguishable from his father, save for some necessary tweaks – a faster pace and more believable female characters. Continue reading...

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