Rosie O’Donnell: ‘Meat Loaf’s mother wrote me and said, “You can’t be mean to my son”’

The beloved host and comedian on blubbering fans, scary kangaroos, her favourite Irish person and the strangest job she has ever hadGet our weekend culture and lifestyle emailYour show is called Common Knowledge. What do you think should be common know…

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50 First Dates: The Musical review – sunny ensemble serve up breezy romcom

The Other Palace, LondonGeorgina Castle and Josh St Clair make a likable couple who endlessly replay their first meeting but this adaptation needs more emotional punchPerhaps it’s unfair to compare this new musical with the incomparable Curious Case of…

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The best theatre to stream this month: Basil’s back as Fawlty Towers reopens for business

John Cleese’s stage version of his beloved sitcom, a cast recording of Cornish musical The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Robert Wilson’s production of Handel’s Messiah are among September’s highlightsFifty years ago this month, Torquay’s most fam…

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Dirty Work review – a jolly holiday with Mary Floppins

Underbelly Cowgate, EdinburghJessica Barton sets about cleaning up the domestic acts of the men in her audience with comically strict disciplineWe’ve all felt the urge to impose order on the mess of our lives, whether that mess is literal or emotional….

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From Van Gogh to Superman: Keep cool with our guide to the summer’s best arts and entertainment

From a very hungry crocodile to some equally famished zombies, a superstar Compton rapper to a Smallville superhero: our critics choose the eye-opening arts events that will dazzle you over the next few monthsA Midsummer Night’s DreamBridge theatre, Lo…

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From Van Gogh to Superman: Keep cool with our guide to the summer’s best arts and entertainment

From a very hungry crocodile to some equally famished zombies, a superstar Compton rapper to a Smallville superhero: our critics choose the eye-opening arts events that will dazzle you over the next few monthsA Midsummer Night’s DreamBridge theatre, Lo…

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The Empire Strips Back review – Chewie gets jiggy in galactic burlesque parody

Riverside Studios, LondonHumour abounds in this Star Wars-themed cabaret, as Boba Fett bumps and grinds while Han Solo and Chewbacca share a Backstreet Boys numberMight there be an overlap between sci-fi fans – I speak as one myself – and audiences who…

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Standing Up review – autism gets sappy treatment in didactic family road movie

Familiar worries about how to raise a neurodiverse child are played out with empathy but little subtletyWhile normally I’m a soft touch for any film about autistic children, one just can’t let something as sappy and annoyingly didactic as this road mov…

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Hold on to Your Butts review – Jurassic Park redone with DIY dinos

Arcola theatre, LondonThis recreation of Steven Spielberg’s 1993 classic is frenetic fun, with the dinosaurs brought to life using physical comedy – and traffic conesHold on to your … what? Your enjoyment of this show may well depend on whether you rec…

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Chris Thorburn: Cineman review – heard the one about Sex Times at Spring Break High?

The Stand, EdinburghThis movie-mad comic lampoons Hollywood through sketch and song but some of his material could have been left in the cutting roomFilms are the best art form, declares Chris Thorburn, so he’s created a comedy show to evoke a trip to …

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