StageMusicals for grown ups: Stephen Sondheim presents ‘life deconstructed and laid bare, in all its confusion and disarray’Queen’s University Belfast academic Richard Schoch says the American composer’s works are high art that explore the human condition with precision, and remain fresh for each new generationBy Derek ScallySun Jan 05 2025 - 06:00
BooksI loved Alice Munro but recent revelations have tainted her legacy foreverEverything written about Alice Munroe after revelations about her daughter’s sexual abuse will record the Nobel Prize-winning author’s failure as a parent and human beingBy Rosita BolandSun Jan 05 2025 - 06:00
Subscriber OnlyFiction in translation: Alejandro Zambra rescues fatherhood from the box-ticking dutifulness of parenting manualsReviews of works by Alejandro Zambra, Toon Tellegen, Gaëlle Bélem and the Marquis de Sade
ArtKillarney then and now: Aspects recognisable from when Harry Kernoff painted them in 1943Some of the views Irish artist Harry Aaron Kernoff painted of Killarney while on a cycling trip with Patrick Kavanagh haven’t changed much in more than 70 years
Subscriber Only2025 in art: 10 shows to look out for over the next 12 monthsCollective action and activism are themes in the year ahead, as artists also explore what gets lost and found in translation
Lessons in philosophy from Sally Rooney’s latest novel that can help us make sense of the worldUnthinkable: The ideas of Bertrand Russell and Ludwig Wittgenstein on language and reality surface in Intermezzo, and the relationship between the two philosophers mirrors that of Rooney’s two principal characters, brothers Peter and IvanBy Joe Humphreys
Subscriber OnlyThe Movie Quiz: Which film has the most nominations at this weekend’s Golden Globes 2025?
What U2 knew about the United States that some quintessentially English stars didn’tBetter Man, the new Robbie Williams biopic, has been baffling Americans. Hitting a wall in the US really can be to do with being just a little too foreignBy Donald Clarke
Statue of Rory Gallagher unveiled in Belfast to honour musician’s connection to the cityLife-sized statue of Gallagher is located outside Ulster Hall, a venue he played regularly
Skinner: New Wave Vaudeville – Spasmodic shot of art rock walks the tightrope between high culture and backstreet scuzz By Ed Power
One Leg One Eye review: Forget Fairytale of New York. This is a soundtrack of the real Irish ChristmasIan Lynch and George Brennan offer a wonderful ghost-train ride through droning electronica, warped uilleann pipes and spirals of unfiltered noiseBy Ed Power
The Pogues at 3Arena: Applause rang out into the night, the crowd singing their way out on to the quaysA stacked line-up including members of Fontaines DC, Lankum and The Mary Wallopers delivers a brilliantly infectious performanceBy Una Mullally
Four new films to see this week Nosferatu, Nickel Boys, We Live in Time, BeezelBy Donald Clarke and Tara Brady
Justin Baldoni to sue Blake Lively after accusations of sexual harassment, attorney saysBaldoni’s attorney says he is prepared to release trove of text messages to prove his client’s innocenceBy Abené Clayton in Los Angeles
Beezel review: This queasy horror set in an impressively creepy Massachusetts house is pulp as pulp should be By Donald Clarke
Nickel Boys review: You’ll never have seen anything like this daring, heartbreaking chronicle of abuse and inequality By Tara Brady
I loved Alice Munro but recent revelations have tainted her legacy foreverEverything written about Alice Munroe after revelations about her daughter’s sexual abuse will record the Nobel Prize-winning author’s failure as a parent and human beingBy Rosita Boland
Fiction in translation: Alejandro Zambra rescues fatherhood from the box-ticking dutifulness of parenting manualsReviews of works by Alejandro Zambra, Toon Tellegen, Gaëlle Bélem and the Marquis de SadeBy Michael Cronin
TV guide: the best new shows to watch, starting tonightJanuary 5th-10th – including Dancing with the Stars, Michael Lynn: The Fugitive and Neven’s Portuguese Food TrailsBy Kevin Courtney
‘It’s the first compliment I’ve got in 48 years.’ David O’Doherty and his dad’s familial jam isn’t overly sweetDavid O’Doherty and His Dad Do Jazz is joyful, offbeat radio that’s perfect for any seasonBy Mick Heaney
First look at Meghan Markle’s new lifestyle show on NetflixWith Love, Meghan is an eight-part series launching on January 15th
Missing You review: another hard-nosed lady cop with a scorched-earth personal life from Harlan CobenNetflix review: While the cliches are ticked off one by one, the UK-set whodunnit with a convoluted plot and soap opera-level acting is pleasing hokum from mystery writer Harlan CobenBy Ed Power
Musicals for grown ups: Stephen Sondheim presents ‘life deconstructed and laid bare, in all its confusion and disarray’Queen’s University Belfast academic Richard Schoch says the American composer’s works are high art that explore the human condition with precision, and remain fresh for each new generationBy Derek Scally
Brian Friel’s plays to be brought home to cross-Border communities that inspired themFive-year project will stage each play in a setting relevant to its theme and in the season it was setBy Caroline Davies
Killarney then and now: Aspects recognisable from when Harry Kernoff painted them in 1943Some of the views Irish artist Harry Aaron Kernoff painted of Killarney while on a cycling trip with Patrick Kavanagh haven’t changed much in more than 70 yearsBy Bryan O'Brien
2025 in art: 10 shows to look out for over the next 12 monthsCollective action and activism are themes in the year ahead, as artists also explore what gets lost and found in translationBy Gemma Tipton
