‘It feels so taboo’: Natalie Palamides on playing both halves of a toxic couple and her shocking next show

From laying eggs on stage to coaching the Clintons in clowning, the LA performer is full of surprises. She talks about bringing back her rollercoaster solo romcom Weer and the new project that terrifies herShe’s the toast of Off-Broadway now but nothin…

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Woman in Mind review – play stands the test of time for its originality

Duke of York’s theatre, LondonSheridan Smith’s disconsolate housewife seeks refuge in a fantasy world, in Alan Ayckbourn’s critique of the emptiness of married lifeSusan is not the first woman battling inner demons in her middle years that Sheridan Smi…

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Cynthia Erivo is Dracula, Gentleman Jack does ballet and Phil Wang’s mega-tour: theatre, dance and comedy in 2026

Lesley Manville and Aidan Turner unite for Les Liaisons Dangereuses, Michael Sheen launches Welsh National Theatre and Bridget Christie revs up for a return to the stage Continue reading…

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The 20 best theatre, musicals, dance and opera shows in Australia in 2025

Guardian Australia critics pick the best live stage experiences of the year, including Beetlejuice, The Talented Mr Ripley and a nude ode to literatureGuardian Australia’s staff and reviewers spent many hours in the dark this year and have re-emerged w…

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‘The best thing I have ever witnessed on stage’: readers’ favourite theatre of 2025

A transcendent new take on King Lear, a thrilling Evita and a show at Glasgow’s revamped Citizens that reduced one viewer to a ‘blubbering wreck’ are among your highlights• More on the best culture of 2025Hull New theatre Continue reading…

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The best theatre, comedy and dance of 2025

A meet-cute between Humanity and Earth, a mod ballet and Nick Mohammed’s career-best standup set – our critics pick the best stage shows of the year10. The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold FryStaging a bestselling book that has already been adapted into a…

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Most Favoured review – David Ireland’s brief encounter asks big questions

Soho theatre, London Lauren Lyle and Alexander Arnold make a compelling pair in a surprising drama about a one night standIt is set on a summer morning in Edinburgh during the festival but David Ireland’s two-hander, first staged as a reading at the fr…

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Now that’s a callback! Could old jokes become the new trend for comedy?

Surprise is a key ingredient of standup but Jack Rooke and Joseph Morpurgo explore the potential of dusting down their hit 2015 shows for rare revivalsBands tour classic albums in their entirety. Movies are re-released to mark big anniversaries. Great …

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Christmas Carol Goes Wrong review – a Dickensian disaster to savour

Apollo theatre, LondonMischief Theatre return to the am-dram battlefield, turning the Victorian tale into a blizzard of bruised egos and expertly timed farceIn the interval, I hear a newcomer to Mischief Theatre’s enduring “goes wrong” concept ask if t…

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Cinderella review – you shall go to the beach with this breezy seaside panto

Norwich Theatre RoyalThere are eye-popping designs, playful puns and musical flourishes as Joe Tracini’s story unfolds on its own madcap shorelineHere is a sun-kissed panto to dispel any dreams of a white Christmas. Joe Tracini’s script is set in the s…

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