Meet Daisy and Mia. One is working class, the other middle class. One is proud of that, the other embarrassed. Between them they like pints, artisan coffee, ballet and meal deals. A folk song about labour will be performed by one while the other will do a French-inspired mime. Which of them feels skint and … Read more
Sam Mendes has announced the cast for his colossal four-film Beatles extravaganza: Harris Dickinson as John, Paul Mescal as Paul, Barry Keoghan as Ringo and Joseph Quinn as George – and to tumultuous acclaim he brought his Fab Four on stage at the CinemaCon event in Las Vegas, a now well-established affair in the film … Read more
A carved stone pangolin clings to the top of the tower, its scaly tail curled into the crevice of a cornice, as if holding on for dear life. It crowns an arresting arrival to Oxford, the city of dreaming spires, the anteater taking its place on this skyline of slender steeples and gurning gargoyles, up … Read more
Marathon Dance Relief, the latest intriguing work by Nicole Wermers, focuses on the Depression-era craze for endurance dancing competitions, mainly in the US in the 1920s and 30s, where cavorting couples put themselves through brutal, sometimes week-long contests in the hope of winning prizes equivalent to a year’s salary, if they could be the last … Read more
In December 1978, Marie Pierre was at No 1 in the UK reggae chart with the lovers rock classic Walk Away, a beautiful tearstained lament on a troubled relationship. Her 1979 debut album Love Affair, powered by another enduring scene song in Choose Me, remained one of Trojan’s best-selling albums well into the 1980s; Pierre, … Read more
As part of The Guardian’s “what we’re reading” series, we would like to hear about the books you’ve particularly enjoyed this month. Have you read a book in recent weeks – fiction or non-fiction – that you’d recommend? Tell us all about it below. Share your recommendations You can get in touch by filling in … Read more
On a frosty bright-blue day in February 2024, Jeremy Deller was in Dundee, examining severed heads. “How can anyone not be fascinated by a head?” he said. Deller is an elfin figure, 5ft 5 on a good day, a low-key, unintimidating presence. The only giveaway to his identity as an artist was his slightly dandyish … Read more
On 11 June 1988, I was 12 and sitting with my family watching the Free Nelson Mandela Concert on TV. As a clan, we were old hands at trying to free Mandela, having done our fair share of marching and boycotting over the years, and this concert felt like the culmination of all that. There … Read more
The leaflets next to the gallery door offering support for carers and for bereavement are an indication of the shattering power of Sarah Roberts’ new work. Walking into Roberts’ latest installation, Sick (A Note from 40 Sandilands Road and Other Stories), viewers are hit with a disconcerting green, a colour that is supposed to be … Read more
The cast of Sam Mendes’ four upcoming Beatles biopics has been officially announced, with Harris Dickinson playing John Lennon, Paul Mescal playing Paul McCartney, Barry Keoghan playing Ringo Starr and Joseph Quinn playing George Harrison. Mendes, the Oscar-winning director of films including American Beauty, 1917 and Skyfall, made a surprise appearance on stage with his … Read more