The Telegraph — Stamina, a minimalist set and being the right age are essential, says Jonathan Bate. more info

The Telegraph — Grandage's production of Lear is the finest and most searching Charles Spencer has ever seen. Rating: * * * * * more info

The Telegraph — Actors undertaking King Lear through history more info

The Telegraph — Derek Jacobi and director Michael Grandage talk to Dominic Cavendish about their new production. more info

Guardian Music — Coliseum; Guildhall School of Music and Drama: both LondonThese are dark and dangerous times for the publicly funded arts. "That was tripe. Thank God for government cuts," a clearly angry audience member announced to the chill night air as we streame... more info

Guardian Music — Royal Festival Hall, St Luke's, Linbury Studio, Coliseum; all LondonDancing, hugging, weeping, stamping, whistle-blowing and, of course, wriggling into those trademark tricoloured jackets then tossing them aside with abandon, the Venezuelan Teresa Ca... more info

The Telegraph — Alexander Goehr's attempt at setting King Lear to music has no more success than anyone else's. Rating: * * more info

Guardian Music — Linbury Studio, LondonVerdi and Britten both considered writing operas based on King Lear, but eventually abandoned their plans. Contemporary composers have been less cautious: Aribert Reimann's Lear was written in the 1970s for the great baritone Di... more info

The Telegraph — Alexander Goehr tells Ivan Hewett why his latest opera is based on the foolish old men in Shakespeare's tragedy . more info

Guardian Music — She sounds like a human. And who would watch a love story between a human and a garden ornament? Don't answer thatThere's nothing Hollywood enjoys more than updating old Shakespeare plays for new audiences. Forbidden Planet, for example, was a sci-fi... more info