The Guardian Culture

The Trial of Romeo Oscar review – Ayckbourn goes back to the future with android accused of murder

Stephen Joseph theatre, ScarboroughThe playwright explores our relationship with technology, asks if robots have souls and even questions the value of art in this sci-fi courtroom dramaFor play number 92, Alan Ayckbourn returns to his preoccupation of exploring where we as a species are heading through a science-fiction lens. He goes back to the future. In The Trial of Romeo Oscar, the playwright famed for his domestic comedies looks to the year 2194 when humans have spread about the galaxy and

entertainment  3d ago

The Guardian Culture

Drawn Together review – preposterous romance with all the erotic charge of leaf mulch

The latest adaptation of Culpable trilogy author Mercedes Ron, about a ballet dancer and her security guard, has more holes than plot and chemistry than barely generates a sparkHere is Prime Video’s latest Mercedes Ron adaptation, following the massive ratings success of her Culpable trilogy (My Fault, Your Fault, Our Fault). Drawn Together tells the story of a ballet dancer falling in love with her bodyguard. It’s meant to be darker and sexier than the Culpable movies (which were derived from Y

entertainment  3d ago

Variety

Venice Final Cut Winner Machérie Ekwa Bahango on ‘Madi Makambu’ and Why She Wants Congo to Be Seen: ‘We’re a Great Nation That Needs to Write Its Own History’

Machérie Ekwa Bahango wants Congo to be noticed by the industry.  “Through my films, I would like Congo to be seen as part of the world. Not for the labels people stick on it, but for what it really is,” she tells Variety.  “The subjects in my films are difficult, but they are issues that people […]

entertainment  3d ago

Variety

France, South Korea Take Center Stage as Global Film and TV Leaders Confront Industry Upheaval at Lumiere Summit: ‘Culture Itself Is Becoming a Driver of Growth’

From Hollywood heavyweights and festival chiefs to exhibitors, broadcasters, streamers, heads of state and industry figures from more than 60 countries converged at a historic site in the south of France, where pine trees, sculpture gardens and sun-drenched terraces offered a postcard-worthy backdrop to timely conversations about an industry in upheaval. The Lumiere Summit gathering […]

entertainment  3d ago

The Guardian Culture

Our Eyes Looking for God review – exploring the Black British experience in rap, reggae and arias

The Pit, Barbican, LondonRenell Shaw and TD Moyo’s new opera, with libretto by April Koyejo-Audiger, tells a tragic story of two cousins. Gamba Cole shines as Adjani‘There’s no ocean big enough to hold these black boys’ tears,” a young man sings. But what about a genre big enough? Our Eyes Looking for God – a show that aims to explore the “Black British experience” – finds a framework for the extravagant, baroque emotions, intensities and stories of its subject matter in opera. In many ways it’s

entertainment  3d ago

The Guardian Culture

Raiding the past: Lara Croft relives her first adventure in Legacy of Atlantis

We have a first play of the forthcoming Tomb Raider remake and speak with its developers. Can they improve on the gameplay without losing what made the 1996 original such a classic?We join Lara Croft in St Francis’ Folly – inspired by the Unesco-listed monasteries of Meteora in Greece – as the light shines through the cracked ceiling and a flock of bats glide across the vast ruins below. When Lara leaps down to the monastery’s crumbling pillared courtyard, it becomes clear that these screeching,

entertainment  3d ago

Variety

Oscars: Singapore Selects Anthony Chen’s ‘We Are All Strangers’ for International Feature Race

“We Are All Strangers,” written and directed by Anthony Chen, has been selected as Singapore’s official entry in the international feature category at the 99th Academy Awards, the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) said. The pick was made by a Selection Committee drawn from eligible members of the Singapore Film Commission Advisory Committee (SFCAC). Set […]

entertainment  3d ago

Hollywood Reporter

Female-Led Producer Candid Broads Is Proud to Stand for New Voices, Impact and Representation

CEO Oriane Pick and producer Anaïs Ferrato discuss the company's shorts that have left a mark, moving into feature films and series, and ensuring that "representation is not just a word."

entertainment  3d ago

The Guardian Culture

‘Danny Boyle, please make another film about drugs’: Venice film festival’s feedback wall delivers home truths

The written forum allows members of the public to vent their fury at the movies they’ve seen – and the festival organisersIn an industry that is reliant on the fickle vagaries of taste, film festivals exist to establish facts. The reason why film-makers still go through the rigmarole of ferrying their cast to the red carpets of Venice, Cannes or Sundance is the need for empirical evidence of unambiguous quality: a solid-gold prize, a top score on the critics’ grid, a record-timed standing ovatio

entertainment  3d ago

Variety

Charli xcx Announces U.K. and Europe ‘Music, Fashion, Film’ Tour Dates, With Audrey Hobert Opening

Charli xcx is bringing the “Music, Fashion, Film” tour overseas. The avant-garde pop star has announced six U.K. and Europe dates in February 2027, including in Dublin, Ireland; Glasgow, Scotland; Manchester, England; London, England; Amsterdam, The Netherlands; and Paris, France. “Sue Me” and “Bowling Alley” singer Audrey Hobert will open for all dates. Charli is […]

entertainment  3d ago

The Guardian Culture

Neil Young and the Chrome Hearts: Second Song review – shaky album occasionally strikes gold

(Reprise)The 80-year-old continues his tireless output, delving into the past for inspiration to variable results – though two lengthy brand-new songs are real showstoppersYou can’t fault Neil Young for his industry. Second Song is his second new album of 2026: the first, a double live set called As Time Explodes, was released just over three months ago. Indeed, at 80, his work schedule seems mind-boggling. Since 2020, he’s released nine new albums, a 30-minute EP, five self-directed films and t

entertainment  3d ago

The Guardian Culture

Gretchen Parlato: The Wise Ones review | John Fordham's jazz album of the month

(Edition)With guests including Robert Glasper, Parlato turns her immaculate phrasing to soft funk, dancefloor numbers and interpretations of Stevie Wonder and Tears for FearsHearing Gretchen Parlato’s spellbinding version of the Herbie Hancock song Butterfly was unforgettable when the eloquent LA-born singer’s star glimmered into view in the 2000s. The unique qualities she revealed soon brought her worldwide acclaim. Butterfly would open in an onstage silence only broken by Parlato’s soft handcl

entertainment  3d ago

The Guardian Culture

Haruomi Hosono: Yours Sincerely review

(Ghostly International)Unpredictable and utterly beguiling, the septuagenarian beloved by Harry Styles brings a hint of mischief to his innocently charming songsHaruomi Hosono is one of the most influential figures in Japanese music. In 1969, his psych-folk group Happy End were the first rock group to sing in Japanese; decades later, their song Kaze wo Atsumete was rediscovered for the Lost in Translation soundtrack. He was also an integral member of electronic pioneers Yellow Magic Orchestra, a

entertainment  3d ago

Variety

San Sebastian Competition Title ‘Border’ Boards Reel Suspects for Global Sales (EXCLUSIVE)

Paris-based international sales company Reel Suspects has boarded worldwide sales on Chinese filmmaker Ah Biao’s feature debut “Border” (“Bian Jing”), which will world premiere in the official selection of the San Sebastián Film Festival, where it competes for the Golden Shell. The cast includes Zheyan Li, Feng Qi, Sanming Han, Gang Zheng and Tao Guo, […]

entertainment  3d ago

The Guardian Culture

100 years after John Coltrane’s birth, secret tapes are emerging. What can they tell us about jazz’s great rulebreaker?

The sax star turned his back on fame to embrace free jazz. Caught on a tape machine hidden in an overcoat, newly revealed recordings show how he did itIn August 1965, at the height of his fame, saxophonist John Coltrane headlined the DownBeat jazz festival in Chicago. Taking to the stage with a new member of his band, young experimentalist Archie Shepp on tenor, Coltrane’s quartet blew through a series of jagged and free improvisations, straying from structured compositions and, instead, hurling

entertainment  3d ago

The Guardian Culture

Lucas Debargue: Gershwin Variations album review – freshness and flair

(Sony)Alongside supple and distinctive accounts of Rhapsody in Blue and the Piano Concerto and Preludes, the French pianist showcases his jazz chops in reinterpretations of Gershwin’s timeless songsEver since Lucas Debargue took fourth prize at the 2015 international Tchaikovsky competition, he’s refused to be pigeonholed. His distinctive journey brings him now to George Gershwin, complementing the piano concerto and preludes with beguiling original explorations of the composer’s songs in the fo

entertainment  3d ago

Variety

J. M. Stelly’s Anatomica Films Taps Black Mandala for Global Sales on Horror Trio (EXCLUSIVE)

New Zealand’s Black Mandala has acquired worldwide sales rights to three horror films from Anatomica Films: “Within Madness,” “Vessel” and “The Thirteenth Gate.” J. M. Stelly wrote and directed all three, producing alongside Johnny Stassi through the Anatomica Films label. Stelly and Black Mandala co-founder Michael Kraetzer negotiated the agreement on Anatomica Films’ behalf. “Within […]

entertainment  3d ago

Variety

Na Hong-Jin, Lav Diaz, Bertrand Mandico, Rintaro Headline Busan Master Class Lineup

The 31st Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) has unveiled the lineup for its Master Class, Cine Class and Special Talk programs. Master Class brings together four directors reflecting on their creative work. Na Hong-Jin, who drew global attention this year with “Hope,” will discuss the roots of his creative vision. Filipino auteur Lav Diaz and […]

entertainment  3d ago

Hollywood Reporter

‘Being Heumann’ Review: Siân Heder’s Drama About the Fight for Disability Rights Strikes Familiar Notes but Gets the Inspirational Uplift Job Done

Ruth Madeley plays the leader of a milestone 1977 anti-discrimination protest, Judy Heumann, in Apple’s crowd-pleaser from the ‘CODA’ director, which opened the Toronto Film Festival.

entertainment  3d ago

The Guardian Culture

BredaPhoto Festival – in pictures

The 12th edition of the BredaPhoto Festival opens on 11 September 2026. Under the title Our Songs Came Through, the festival in the Dutch city of Breda brings together stories of comfort and resilienceBredaPhoto Festival 2026: Our Songs Came Through 11 September – 25 October 2026 Continue reading...

entertainment  3d ago