Marianka Swain was UK Editor-in-chief of BroadwayWorld. A London-based theatre critic and arts journalist, she also contributes to other outlets such as the Telegraph, The i Paper, Ham & High, Islington Gazette, Dancing Times and theartsdesk, and she is a member of the Critics' Circle. You can find more of her work at www.mkmswain.com or follow her on Twitter @mkmswain
As part of Hull UK City of Culture, the Back to Ours festival transforms local venues - including schools, shopping centres and social clubs - into performance spaces for everything from theatre, music and comedy to dance and cabaret.
American actor Brian J Smith's diverse credits include independent film Hate Crime, TV series Sense8, and, on stage, John Tiffany's acclaimed production of Tennessee Williams's The Glass Menagerie.
To celebrate the festive season, the Royal Albert Hall has recreated the world's first ever commercial Christmas card - designed by Sir Henry Cole, instrumental in creating the iconic venue - using 14 stars from its glittering past.
One of the big theatre stories of 2016 is women reclaiming Shakespeare, from Gillian Bevan's Cymbeline and Michelle Terry's Henry V to Glenda Jackson's Lear and Phyllida Lloyd's landmark all-female trilogy starring Harriet Walter.
This revival of Sam Shepard's apocalyptic 1978 play has gained resonance since 2016's most apocalyptic political development - namely, Donald Trump cynically harnessing Midwestern anger and disillusionment.
Actress Lisa Dillon's numerous stage credits include King John at Rose Theatre, Kingston, Hapgood at Hampstead Theatre, Design for Living at the Old Vic, The Knot of the Heart at the Almeida, and The Taming of the Shrew for the RSC.
Following rave reviews for both the show and its leading man Charlie Stemp, Cameron Mackintosh announced today that booking for the Cameron Mackintosh and Chichester Festival Theatre production of HALF A SIXPENCE at the Noel Coward Theatre has been extended to 22 April 2017.