Arts
Were the cast of the Old Vic’s Electra clothed by Oxfam?
First, a bit of background. Conquering Agamemnon slew his daughter, Iphigenia, in return for a fair wind to Troy. This…
Effie Gray can effie off
Effie Gray, which has been written by Emma Thompson and recounts the doomed marriage of Victorian art critic John Ruskin…
Why Yes are still the funniest rock band in the world (although Radiohead are catching up)
My favourite comment about the Scottish referendum came from the eminent comedian and novelist David Baddiel. ‘What if Yes wins,…
We're great and baboons are losers: this week's lesson from Brian Cox
Anybody feeling a bit depressed about the shortcomings of humanity could do worse than watch Brian Cox’s new series Human…
Mary Beard vs Jeremy Paxman
‘Did you find it a good read?’ asked Harrriett Gilbert. An incredibly long drawn-out sigh from Mr Paxman. ‘I think…
Culture Buff
I’ve never entirely understood why big cities have arts festivals. Melbourne and Sydney are both big cities by any international…
Unintelligent design
Now that the conference season is over, we can compare not just the party policies, but their logos too. Last…
Unintelligent design
Now that the conference season is over, we can compare not just the party policies, but their logos too. Last…
Yes men
My favourite comment about the Scottish referendum came from the eminent comedian and novelist David Baddiel. ‘What if Yes wins,…
Yes men
My favourite comment about the Scottish referendum came from the eminent comedian and novelist David Baddiel. ‘What if Yes wins,…
The images from the Apollo missions will reduce you to tears
Mark Mason on the images that make grown men cry
My Schubert marathon
Just how much fun is it listening to all 650 of Schubert’s songs, asks Damian Thompson
Curator-driven ambitions mar this Constable show at the V&A
The V&A has an unparalleled collection of hundreds of works by John Constable (1776–1837), but hardly anyone seems to know…
Royal Opera's Rigoletto: your disbelief may wobble but your excitement won't
One of the greatest tests of how an opera house is functioning is the quality of its revivals. Both the…
Will Marti Pellow attract enough tipsy hen parties to Evita to flog all 18,000 seats?
Tim and Andy are back. Their monster hit Evita opens the fully refurbed and re-primped Dominion Theatre, which is built…
David Fincher plays Gone Girl for laughs - at least I hope he is
Gone Girl is David Fincher’s adaptation of the bestselling thriller by Gillian Flynn, a relentless page-turner which I’ve heard people…
If the idea of disturbing kraut-punk sung by a troll appeals, you'll love The Fall
I had a fair idea of what I was in for when I went to see The Fall at Brixton’s…
Christopher Hogwood: the absolutist of early music
The death of Christopher Hogwood has deprived the world of the most successful exponent of early music there has ever…
Does a tart like Manon have a place in the Royal Ballet repertoire?
What can the Royal Opera House be insinuating about its target audience? No sooner had Anna Nicole closed than Manon…
Could the Kenyan mall atrocities happen here?
So you’ve just popped down to the supermarket for the weekly shop, toddlers in tow, when the grenades start to…
Culture Buff
He was born into Australian ballet aristocracy but now lives in Houston. Stanton Welch is the son of Marilyn Jones…
Tarts and Tchaikovsky
What can the Royal Opera House be insinuating about its target audience? No sooner had Anna Nicole closed than Manon…
Psycho thriller
I had a fair idea of what I was in for when I went to see The Fall at Brixton’s…
Psycho thriller
I had a fair idea of what I was in for when I went to see The Fall at Brixton’s…
Class of ’73
The death of Christopher Hogwood has deprived the world of the most successful exponent of early music there has ever…
