‘This is not a sealed deal’: Bryony Kimmings on confronting climate catastrophe in a ‘great night out’

The revered performance artist returns with three arresting projects for stage and screen, each cultivating hope for the condition of the planetPerformance artist Bryony Kimmings doesn’t hold back. If something is troubling her then it invariably finds…

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‘Am I a bad person because you can see my nipples?’ Elouise Eftos on making standup sexy

In an age of self-deprecation, the former cabaret star is infuriating fellow standups by calling herself ‘Australia’s first attractive comedian’ – and flaunting her sex appeal on stageIs Elouise Eftos really Australia’s first attractive comedian? Her f…

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Louis CK defends decision to perform at Riyadh comedy festival as ‘a good opportunity’

Comedian admits to mixed feelings but says event is a ‘positive thing’ despite human rights abuses in Saudi ArabiaLouis CK has defended his decision to perform at the Riyadh comedy festival in Saudi Arabia after fellow comedians criticised the big name…

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The best theatre to stream this month: Chris O’Dowd rules the roost in Conor McPherson’s family saga

The Irish actor returns to the stage in farmhouse drama The Brightening Air, stars of The Jewel in the Crown reunite for Creditors and choreographer Mark Bruce reanimates FrankensteinAlmost 30 years after The Weir made him the toast of Theatreland, Con…

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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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‘What do you value more – kindness or intelligence?’ A trans couple’s hunt for the perfect sperm donor – one stranger at a time

When artist Krishna Istha and their partner went to sperm banks they were told ‘eye colour, height, PhD or no PhD’; wanting to know a donor’s values led to the creation of their live show First TrimesterGet our weekend culture and lifestyle emailFor th…

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Black Hole Sign review – NHS’s critical condition examined with dark humour

Tron theatre, Glasgow Uma Nada-Rajah writes with polemical force from firsthand experience of a health system on its knees A black hole sign is the dark area of a CT scan that suggests a haemorrhage on the brain. A black hole cou…

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Emma review – Austen’s comedy of manners gets an exaggerated Essex makeover

Rose theatre, Kingston upon ThamesAva Pickett’s modern-day adaptation of the novel adds pop music, farce and clowning but lacks gimlet-eyed observationsAn early blast of Lady Gaga’s Bad Romance sets the mood of this 21st-century take on Jane Austen’s c…

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Ania Magliano: ‘My favourite gig? I did some material about vibrators and a 92-year-old gave me tips on different settings’

The standup on Taskmaster, her time in the Cambridge Footlights and the geniuses behind Colin the CaterpillarWhat made you get into comedy?
In primary school I wasn’t very cool. I never got Hula Hoops in my packed lunches because my Polish mum would g…

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Eric Idle: Always Look on the Bright Side of Life, Live! review – mock’n’roll star’s night of nostalgia

Playhouse, EdinburghThe Monty Python man revisits his remarkable career, with songs dedicated to George Harrison and Robin Williams – and some ribbing of John CleeseA career retrospective fondly remembering a previous career retrospective: who said pop…

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