Christopher Hampton RSS feed

Judgement Day is teasing the truth out of tragedy

2009-09-10T23:00:00Z

Although this is not a studiously political piece, Judgement Day is obliquely concerned with fascism

Dangerous liaison for Michelle Pfeiffer in Cheri

2009-05-06T23:00:00Z

At 50, Michelle Pfeiffer seems more beautiful than ever and an actress with a few more strings to her bow in Cheri.

Cheri needs more depth

2009-02-11T00:00:00Z

If looks could kill, Stephen Frears and Christopher Hampton's adaptation of Colette�s Cheri might cause casualties.

Drag race for the Olivier awards

2009-02-03T08:58:16Z

Drag-queen musical La Cage aux Folles leads the charge at this year's Olivier theatre awards

A glowing, stripped down Sunset Boulevard

2008-12-16T00:00:00Z

Small is better and sometimes beautiful when it comes to the scaled-down, intimate version of Sunset Boulevard.

Daldry's Billy Elliot opens in New York

2008-11-13T09:09:31Z

Three years after it conquered the West End, Sir Elton John's stage musical version of Billy Elliot is opening on Broadway

Film

2008-10-02T09:51:28Z

Given the financial hurricane that devasted the City last month, that 2008 is shaping up to be a good year for British film and our leading directors and actors

Funnier, sadder, braver... NY loves Kristin's Seagull

2008-10-03T07:52:41Z

Kristin Scott Thomas made her Broadway debut in Chekhov's The Seagull with an opening night performance that left American critics taking off on a flight of flattery

Worth waiting for the Barbarians

2008-06-12T23:00:00Z

Philip Glass's bewitching 2005 opera Waiting for the Barbarians was given its UK premiere last night in a sold-out performance at the Barbican.

ICA hosts The Booker at the Movies screenings

2008-06-05T23:00:00Z

The Booker at the Movies will screen four of the 39 films so far adapted from novels that won or were shortlisted for the Booker Prize.

Pictured: My Family star Kris Marshall face down on the pavement moments after being struck by car

2008-04-28T12:37:01Z

His face down on the pavement and his body prone, this is comedy actor Kris Marshall lying motionless moments after he was struck by a car. The My Family star was on his way home after a night out in Bristol when he was hit by the vehicle near the city's Hippodrome nightclub. Marshall, known to millions for his role in BT television commercials, suffered serious head injuries and at first there were fears he might not survive

Theatreland up in arms over Arts Council sexuality quiz

2008-04-02T08:32:25Z

The Arts Council has encountered ridicule and anger over attempts to force theatre and museum trustees to disclose their sexuality to obtain funding

Carnage in the dark does not dim the acting

2008-03-26T00:00:00Z

A refreshing take on the middle classes in Yasmina Reza's God of Carnage provokes laughter but does not stimulate much thought.

West End power cut blacks out first night

2008-03-26T10:27:49Z

The heart of the West End was plunged into darkness for more than two hours after a major power cut

God given chance of a new hit

2008-03-12T11:17:13Z

From the writer of Art and starring Ralph Fiennes, Tamsin Greig, Janet McTeer and Ken Stott, God of Carnage should be a polished comedy, says Nick Curtis in his preview.

Keira's in a class of her own

2007-09-05T23:00:00Z

A postmodern romance, Atonement works best as a riposte to all those films that put high-society women on a pedestal and is one of the finest British films of the year.

Epic yet intimate, a British triumph

2007-08-28T23:00:00Z

Ian McEwan's 'unfilmable' best-selling novel Atonement - starring Keira Knightley and James McAvoy - is already being talked of as a triumph.

Coming soon for autumn

2007-08-24T11:13:07Z

After the silliness of the summer blockbusters, autumn brings a crop of films for grown-ups. See our preview here.

Poetry but no passion

2007-03-28T23:00:00Z

Paul Miller's cumbersome, emotionally monotonous production of Total Eclipse is the latest inadequately acted example of mislaid daring at the Chocolate Factory.

If I started thinking too much I'd probably break

2007-03-12T10:58:16Z

She had a triumphant first night in the West End, but the days before were peppered with damaging speculation. In her first interview, Billie Piper hits back at the gossips.

Billie's genuine emotional power is a Treat

2007-03-09T00:00:00Z

Billie Piper's debut West End performance in chilling black comedy Treats had genuine emotional power, says Nicholas de Jongh.

Fit-again Billie back on stage

2007-03-08T08:27:18Z

Billie Piper has returned to the West End stage after missing two performances of her new show Treats.

Billie's West End debut back on

2007-03-07T16:00:07Z

Doctors have given Billie Piper the go-ahead to perform in Treats, her West End debut. The play is due to open on Thursday, a week later than originally planned.

And next year's winners will be ...

2007-02-15T16:15:39Z

The Brits threaten to clean up at the Oscars - but can our film industry sustain the good form? Charlotte O'Sullivan looks ahead to the movies that could take next year's prizes.

Chekhov stripped bare

2007-01-29T00:00:00Z

Hugh Fraser's Uncle Vanya lacks vital sound and lighting effects crucial to Chekhovian atmospherics. The result is flawed but seductive says Nicholas de Jongh.

Beautiful, soaring Seagull is a five-star swansong

2007-01-26T00:00:00Z

This enthralling version of The Seagull offers a series of shocks for traditional Chekhov lovers and Mackenzie Crook's transition from TV comedian to serious actor is amazing.

Billie makes stage debut with new man

2007-01-17T11:59:10Z

Billie Piper and Laurence Fox are playing lovers on stage - and they are both said to have ditched long-term partners to be together in real life.

Hollywood's new royalty

2007-01-16T11:56:12Z

After the Golden Globe successes and record growth in the British film industry, we name our top 50 major players.

Plays fight back against musicals

2006-12-06T14:32:57Z

A string of high-profile plays has been planned for next year to take on the likes of musicals such as The Sound Of Music and Spamalot.

Kristin will hand out coveted theatre award

2006-11-22T14:48:07Z

Kristin Scott Thomas will present the statuette for best actor at the 52nd Evening Standard Theatre Awards at the Savoy Hotel on Monday.