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aleks.sierz |

Backstories of famous writers are fascinating: where did they come from? What were their inspirations? What obstacles did they overcome? Alexi Kaye Campbell’s new historical family drama, Bird Grove, looks at the early years of Mary Ann Evans, long before she became a novelist who published under the name of George Eliot.

Boyd Tonkin
Last week I saw Tom Stoppard’s Arcadia, a play which behind its pyrotechnic wit affirms that sorrow and calamity can strike chaotically at the heart…
Kieron Tyler
“I don’t remember yesterday, but I remember when I was eight years old.” The opening lyrics of “Sure & Steady,” Gained / Lost’s second track,…
Veronica Lee
Simon Amstell says this show is a departure from his previous ones, which were full of angsty introspection. And true, in I Love It Here he appears…

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Thomas H. Green
The widest ranging record reviews in the cosmos
David Nice
First-rate singing, playing and conducting, and the portable production has some impact
Robert Beale
A haunting encounter with Cassandra Miller’s Viola Concerto
Gary Naylor
No sex please, we're British (and Irish)
Graham Fuller
The military dictatorship unleashed a carnival of killing and corruption, but Kleber Mendonça Filho's sprawling genre-buster shows there was hope, too
Kieron Tyler
Stunning, originally shelved, American version of Pil’s first album resurfaces
Adam Sweeting
Phony Tony or saviour of the world?
Rachel Halliburton
Chadwick Boseman's play is a feast of visual and sonic invention
Miranda Heggie
Biopic opera of the great Japanese artist Hokusai slightly misses its mark
Bernard Hughes
Long-time collaborators offer great singing but some wobbly playing
Hugh Barnes
Cooper turns a fine ear to music for an exploration of creative life
Guy Oddy
Playful West Country duo revel in fun and silliness
David Nice
Kåre Konradi distils Ibsen's great epic in a very personal mix of English and Norwegian
Jonathan Geddes
The band have embraced a slick, poppier sound
Justine Elias
Mary Bronstein's second feature closes the gap between motherhood and madness
Claudia Bull
Booker-winner returns with a fable full of warnings, petrochemicals, ghosts – but is it too little too late?
Boyd Tonkin
Handel's Biblical tragedy strikes hard without stage trickery
Rachel Halliburton
This one-woman show is a testament to the star's commanding versatility
Helen Hawkins
The writing and directing in this drama series is another quiet piece of genius
Sarah Kent
A painter’s journey in the wrong direction
Veronica Lee
Comic delves into observational material
Kieron Tyler
Never mind the snow, this Danish city festival celebrates unfettered internationalism
David Nice
The production sags, but boasts a tireless protagonist in heroic tenor Simon O'Neill
aleks.sierz
New South-Asian play about old age tenderly explores love and health

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We are bowled over! We knew that theartsdesk.com had plenty of supporters out there – we’ve always had a loyal readership of arts…
Backstories of famous writers are fascinating: where did they come from? What were their inspirations? What obstacles did they overcome?…
Last week I saw Tom Stoppard’s Arcadia, a play which behind its pyrotechnic wit affirms that sorrow and calamity can strike chaotically at…
“I don’t remember yesterday, but I remember when I was eight years old.” The opening lyrics of “Sure & Steady,” Gained / Lost’s second…
Simon Amstell says this show is a departure from his previous ones, which were full of angsty introspection. And true, in I Love It Here he…
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