"An improbable premise and some dubious gender stereotyping are easily overcome by the British actress Sally Phillips and a buoyant sense of fun", writes kevin maher on How to Please a Woman ★★★☆☆ thetimes.co.uk/article/how-to…

"This fascinating behind-the-scenes documentary about the campaign to free Julian Assange is ultimately undone by the difficulty of its central subject", writes kevin maher on #ithaka ★★★☆☆ thetimes.co.uk/article/ithaka…

"It is 20 years since their debut album. Turn On the Bright Lights became a key influence on a future generation of gloomy indie rockers with an over reliance on dry ice and effects pedals," writes Will Hodgkinson on the return of Interpol thetimes.co.uk/article/interp…

"Like a moth returning to the flame, 52 years after the original film, she is again playing Roberta, now a grandmother in The Railway Children Return," writes Alex O'Connell on interviewing #JennyAgutter on her reprised role as Roberta Waterbury thetimes.co.uk/article/jenny-…

"We see him combine flair, nous and stroppiness to win three Wimbledon singles titles in 1981, 1983 and 1984, becoming the best player in the world", writes Ed Potton on interviewing tennis legend, John McEnroe about his new documentary #McEnroe thetimes.co.uk/article/john-m…

"No chance of singing along in Rossini’s La donna del lago, it requires four of the main characters to deliver something like 16 notes a second for long stretches", writes Richard Morrison on La donna del lago Buxton International Festival plus a review on Gypsy ★★★★☆ thetimes.co.uk/article/gypsy-…

"In a flawless cast, Stephen Kennedy’s Trinculo and Gary Sefton’s Stephano supply the hearty comic interludes. All in all, it’s a pleasure to hear verse delivered with such clarity", writes Clive Davis on The Tempest Theatre Royal Bath ★★★★☆ thetimes.co.uk/article/the-te…

"Paisley-born artist Paolo Nutini was as unpredictable as #TRNSMT gets. All day, other acts claimed that they were staying on site to see him", writes Lisa Verrico on the #TRNSMT2022 festival at #GlasgowGreen ★★★★☆ thetimes.co.uk/article/trnsmt…

Oscar-winner Dame #JudiDench shares stories behind some of her greatest performances in her sixty year long career by Jonathan Dean thetimes.co.uk/article/judi-d…

"Sedaris is often serious, although always undercut by humour that is unapologetically misanthropic, and always self-deprecating", writes @AllanRadcliffe on @davidsedaris live Usher Hall ★★★★☆ thetimes.co.uk/article/david-…

"Do I think Avery is a first-class artist? No, I don’t. Did I leave wide-eyed and dazzled, the way you do after a day of too much sun on the beach? I did, I did", writes Laura Freeman on the Milton Avery exhibition Royal Academy ★★★★☆ thetimes.co.uk/article/milton…

"To her core audience Jepsen is the underdog who combines pop innocence, a knowing retro sensibility and cutting edge subtlety on songs about misguided or unfulfilled love", writes Will Hodgkinson on Carly Rae Jepsen Somerset House ★★★★☆ thetimes.co.uk/article/carly-…

Mezzo-soprano @spconnolly shares her cultural life including her favourite music and her guilty pleasure thetimes.co.uk/article/my-cul…

"Otello is one of the toughest sings in the tenor repertory, not to mention dramatically demanding. Ultimately Russell Thomas does a fine job at drawing us into the antihero’s demise", writes Rebecca Franks on Otello at the Royal Opera House ★★★☆☆ thetimes.co.uk/article/otello…

A round-up of the best new music compiled by our critics Will Hodgkinson and Blanca Schofield, including beabadoobee black midi Mabel SORRY @francislung Saint Kochi The 1975 Cardi B ye THE VOICE thetimes.co.uk/article/the-be…

“Compared with some comedians, I’m pretty laid-back and pretty straightforward,”Ed Gamble talks to Alice Jones on his career and becoming the new host for @TVsPointless thetimes.co.uk/article/ed-gam…

"Nowadays, subtitles are no longer only for the hard of hearing; they are particularly beloved by younger hearing viewers too", writes Sharin Hussain on how #StrangerThings4's subtitles become viral on #Twitter thetimes.co.uk/article/strang…

"Throw yourself into the fray like a true devotee of fan fiction, and you may have a better time than a critic primly scribbling notes", writes Clive Davis on #PeakyBlinders: The Rise at #Camden Garrison ★★★☆☆ thetimes.co.uk/article/peaky-…

Can the Women of the World help make Rotherham a place that is kinder to women and girls? Ben Dowell talks to Jude Kelly about this weekend's festival thetimes.co.uk/article/jude-k…