Theatre

If you don’t think that a comedy club is a place to find talented actors up on stage then sorry but you’re a snob

A new show in the west end examines the life of CS Lewis. But are most of the crowd simply there to see the Downton Abbey star in the flesh?

The Old Vic’s elegant new production of Arcadia understands the power of the late playwright’s words

The actor talks gangsters from New Jersey to Washington DC – and why he feels ‘sick’ about the state of his country

Oh, Mary!, the surprise West End hit about Mrs Abraham Lincoln, is a triumph of childish, profane pointlessness

ROTUS: Receptionist of the United States is a searingly smart and unexpectedly dark piece of political satire. It’s also uncomfortably plausible

A superb revival of When We Are Married gleefully demolishes 25 years of pious respectability

Our writers on their cultural highlights of the year

Eddy Payne is reminiscent of Ralph Richardson in a night full of fun and charm

Marianne Jean-Baptiste and Paapa Essiedu make for magnificent theatre - just ignore the tree

At the heart of Tom Morris’s brilliant production is Toby Jones’s astonishing performance of Iago. It is, by far, the best I've ever seen

There’s more humanity in this standout play about Thatcher’s Britain than in the decade itself

Despite the star power, it’s hard to feel engaged or uplifted by a self-indulgent snooze

This Hamlet is an unignorable feat of acting genius

The former professional wrestler has proved himself a screen performer to be taken very seriously indeed

Once shocking, Mr Sloane now feels quaint - but still fun

The actor excels as a pub philosopher in Conor McPherson’s The Weir

Indhu Rubasingham banishes the doldrums of her predecessor with a big, bold Bacchae

In Suzie Miller’s latest legal drama, the Hollywood favourite plays a judge and mother facing her worst nightmare

Culture is increasingly filtered through social media – do we need critics any more?

Rosamund Pike delivers a quite astonishing performance as a Crown Court Judge wrestling with the legal system's shoddy handling of sexual assault cases

A distinctly unappetising production has somehow made its way to the West End. Do not be fooled

An earnest adaptation of a novel about suicide, sex and capital punishment is an impressive looking production, but a barrel of laughs it is not

A mission to read the complete works in chronological order reveals unexpected joys and an antidote to theatrical woes

Directed by Jeremy Herrin, David Hare's compelling new play is not only admirably cerebral but profoundly moving

The Handmaid’s Tale star Samira Wiley offers a haunting portrait of dignified pain

A by-numbers musical lacks heart and humour - but tourists will love it

Jesse Armstrong’s return as writer and director of this feature-length drama has been giddily anticipated. And it does not disappoint

Two of our British theatre’s finest are outstanding in Mrs Warren's Profession and The Anastasia File

The Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre’s US hit is a sub-prime Oklahoma

Jack Lowden and Martin Freeman are whip-smart in this theatrical display of profundity, humour and compassion

The posthumously completed Here We Go has no songs, no story and no reason to be on stage