Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays the Rent review – Judi Dench’s seven-decade love affair
The veteran actor’s pragmatism, generosity and wit are to the fore in these reflections on her career – and there’s plenty of room for rude anecdotes
A Christmas Carol: this safe bet should still startle us – past, present or future
There may be comfort in the retelling of Dickens’ familiar tale, but the best adaptations show the imagination to still surprise
The Time Traveller’s Wife review – eternal romance is a bumpy ride
Joss Stone and Dave Stewart’s strangely forgettable score does little to lift this musical but there are some wonderful set pieces
Sputnik Sweetheart review – Haruki Murakami’s love triangle staged in style
The enigmatic 1999 novel about three entwined lives is sleekly adapted by Bryony Lavery and sharply directed by Melly Still
Nobel prize winner Jon Fosse: ‘It took years before I dared to write again’
In 2012, the Norwegian novelist and playwright collapsed. He gave up drinking, retreating from the public eye – then, earlier this month, he got a call from the Swedish academy. He discusses how it feels to win a Nobel prize
Doctor Jekyll review – Eddie Izzard in gender-flipped reboot of Hammer horror
Casting Izzard as billionaire scientist Nina, a new incarnation for the classic story’s tormented hero, proves less intriguing than it sounds
RSC to put on work by poet who wrote Stratford theatre’s first words
John Masefield wrote poem for 1932 opening of Shakespeare Memorial theatre, which is now staging The Box of Delights
On my radar: Es Devlin’s cultural highlights
The set designer and artist on the most extraordinary opera, a gut-wrenching Sudanese-American poet and a writer’s new angle on economics
Prima Facie by Suzie Miller review – what does the hit play gain from being novelised?
On stage this story has won Tony and Olivier awards. But as a book set in the UK, it suffers from the extra padding – and it feels more heavy-handed, too
On my radar: Orhan Pamuk’s cultural highlights
The Nobel prize-winning novelist on the wonders of the Louvre, a powerful film adaptation of Annie Ernaux’s memoir and being mesmerised by Tacita Dean
Where to start with: Jon Fosse
Having long been tipped as the next Nobel laureate, the Norwegian writer has this year been awarded the prize. For those new to the acclaimed playwright and novelist, here are some good ways in
Jon Fosse’s Nobel prize announces his overdue arrival on the global stage
The critically acclaimed author is the first ever laureate in the prize’s history to write in Nynorsk and his win marks a further step in the Nordic state’s rise as a cultural powerhouse
The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde review – menace on Edinburgh’s mean streets
Hope Dickson Leach’s atmospheric adaptation of the classic thriller looks good but in rewriting the story, adds an unnecessary element of distraction
Post your questions for Alan Partridge
From local radio to TV and cinema stardom, and back again, there are many mysteries to this entertainment giant. Here’s your chance to solve them
The Dictionary of Lost Words review – stage adaptation of bestseller finds power in the silences
Pip Williams’ 2020 novel was all about words – but on stage, it could do with a few less