Puccini’s opera returns to Covent Garden in a vivid staging that, although 40 years old, still feels fresh and fun. David Levene had exclusive access to rehearsals to witness the severed heads, the sumptuous costumes – and the executioner going green...
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. Grea...
The former first lady paid tribute on Jimmy Kimmel Live to ‘some of the most decent, courageous people you ever want to know’ as Jerry Seinfeld also writes of debt to Reiner• Reiner changed Hollywood for everMichelle Obama said that she and her husba...
Companies such as Udio, Suno and Klay will let you use AI to make new music based on existing artists’ work. It could mean more royalties – but many are worriedThis was the year that AI-generated music went from jokey curiosity to mainstream force. V...
The Timothée Chalamet-starring comedy about a hustling table tennis ace has been voted one of the Guardian’s films of the year. Its writer/director talks ambition, American dreams and alien takeovers• Why Marty Supreme is the No 5 film in the UK and...
The precarious, cruel but dazzling world of a foundling hospital is brought wonderfully to life by the author of Botticelli’s SecretJoseph Luzzi, a professor at Bard College in New York, is a Dante scholar whose books argue for the relevance of the g...
Focus / Culture - 10 hours ago
In an industry not exactly known for it, Reiner was an exceptionally nice guy. But he was too much of a showman to make a straight shocker. The result was rich, terrifying – yet cherished• ‘Not a second of wasted time’: Rob Reiner’s golden run• Meeti...
Focus / Culture - 10 hours ago
Lucile Hadžihalilović’s kaleidoscopic fable, starring Marion Cotillard as a haughty, damaged diva, is a cautionary tale about the perils of fantasy• The best films of 2025 in the UK• More on the best culture of 2025Lucile Hadžihalilović is a good bet...
Focus / Culture - 11 hours ago
From tender coming of age stories to images that question the meaning of home, Ed Alcock’s photography blurs the personal with the political Continue reading...
Focus / Culture - 11 hours ago
A four-hour documentary observes life in a Paris squat and perilous Mediterranean crossings – but its non-narrative structure tests the limits of endurance and empathyEgyptian-American film-maker Sam Abbas’s experimental documentary was made over fou...
Focus / Culture - 12 hours ago
Colin the Caterpillar gets a tasty revamp. Plus: Romesh Ranganathan raps in New York City’s Union Square. Here’s what to watch this evening9pm, ITV1Marks & Spencer’s product development team are nothing short of miraculous, especially when it com...
Focus / Culture - 13 hours ago
It is hoped the institution can help foster new bonds in a fractured nation, but such optimism will be a stretch for someIt was a night at the museum like no other. As the staccato sound of firecrackers and explosions rang out across Martyr’s Square...
Focus / Culture - 13 hours ago
Liz Kendall faces pressure from campaigners as she tells parliament there is no clear consensus on issue A campaign fronted by popstars including Elton John and Dua Lipa to protect artists’ works from being mined to train AI models without consent ha...
Focus / Culture - 13 hours ago
Hampstead theatre, LondonThe actor gives a skilful performance in the late playwright’s 1995 meditation on love and literary posterity, directed by Jonathan KentA fortnight after West End playhouses dimmed their lights in tribute to Sir Tom Stoppard,...
Focus / Culture - 17 hours ago
The beloved Australian actor died on 7 December after a battle with chronic illnessGet our weekend culture and lifestyle emailMcLeod’s Daughters and Home and Away actor Rachael Carpani has died, aged 45, her family has announced.A statement from her...