This week’s best culture at home, from Paul Weller to a new Rite of Spring

The Observer’s critics recommend the best art, theatre, music and more on TV and online this weekMusicPaul WellerDelayed by the pandemic, On Sunset finally comes out this week, offering both familiarity and experimentation from the restless, evergreen …

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Edinburgh international festival announces citywide Ghost Lights celebration

The festival will roll out a series of ‘artistic interventions’ across the Scottish capital in AugustA series of “artistic interventions” has been announced by the Edinburgh international festival (EIF) to take place across the Scottish capital in Augu…

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A Kind of Magic review – Magical Bones casts a spell during dazzling hour of Zoom tricks

Available onlineDeception is rife and amazement is constant in this uplifting night of gripping tricks, full of audience interactionMagical Bones has got me ripping up playing cards in my living room, which he promises will be worth it. After tearing f…

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Jigsy review – Les Dennis sheds tears of a clown for comedy’s lost era

Available onlineThe scuzzy end of show business and all its sozzled, sentimental excesses are captured by the ex-standup in a heartfelt monologueI last saw Les Dennis on stage two years ago, playing a washed-up, old-school comic in the Park theatre’s&n…

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Cancelled! Cancelled! Cancelled! Stars on the shows that couldn’t go on

How does it feel to see a show you’ve spent years working on being pulled? From Love Islanders to Foals, Laura Wade and Wayne McGregor, artists reveal their darkest days – and deepest worriesIain Stirling, voice of Love Island, standup comedianIf this …

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Sacha Dhawan to star as a standup in Nikesh Shukla’s lockdown drama

Yash Gill’s Power Half Hour, directed by Milli Bhatia, is among a new batch of Virtual Collaborators films released this weekWith comedy clubs closed by the coronavirus lockdown, many standups have been experimenting with streaming their performances o…

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Coronavirus poses huge threat to entertainment industry

The sector is wrestling with issues such as staging plays with social distancing, or running rollercoasters half fullThe row between cinema chains and Universal Studios over the digital-only release of Trolls World Tour is one of may crises racking the…

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‘I’ll miss the camaraderie’: readers on the Edinburgh festival cancellation

We asked you to share your thoughts and experiences about this summer’s festival being cancelled because of the coronavirus. Here’s what some of you saidCoronavirus and culture – a list of major cancellationsThe best theatre and dance to watch onlineWe…

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How have you been affected by the cancellation of the Edinburgh festivals?

If you were planning on performing or attending the festivals, we’d like to hear from youThe cancellation of this year’s Edinburgh festivals, including the world-famous fringe, will be felt far and wide. This year, the August festivals were due to welc…

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Now I’m Fine review – candid gem mixes standup and mesmerising music

Available onlineAhamefule J Oluo’s 2014 show about having an autoimmune disease is a moving hybrid of comedy, theatre and jazzSince venues closed their doors because of the coronavirus, a wealth of online theatre has emerged and the industry is finding…

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