Interviews with leading figures from the arts
Laurent Cantet: 'Young people have different preoccupations nowadays' – interview
Thursday, 15 November 2018
Like Ken Loach and the Dardennes brothers, Laurent Cantet is a filmmaker with a keen interest in social issues and themes, often using non-professional actors and a naturalistic approach, but perfectly willing to inject a littl
Robert Hastie: 'a seam of love runs through the play' - interview
Monday, 12 November 2018
Robert Hastie is a little late for our meeting. Directing Shakespeare's darkest tragedy in London while also running Sheffield Theatres must sometimes cause a logjam of simultaneous demands, but whatever the morning's problem in the north of England, he remains smiling, relaxed, thoughtful and gracious during a break from rehearsals.
theartsdesk Q&A: Theatre Producer Elyse...
Friday, 26 October 2018
The Royal Court Theatre has long been a leader in new British drama writing. Thanks to Elyse Dodgson, who has died aged 73, it has built up an...
Erik Poppe and Andrea Berntzen: 'When white...
Friday, 26 October 2018
On 22nd July 2011, on a tiny island off the Norwegian coast, 69 young people were killed, with another 109 injured in a terrorist attack. It was the...
Matthew Holness: 'I wanted to make a modern...
Friday, 19 October 2018
Watching Matthew Holness’ debut feature Possum, you’d be forgiven in thinking he was a tortured soul. Lead character Phillip (played by Sean Harris,...
theartsdesk Q&A: guitarist Sean Shibe
A wise head on young shoulders questions the nature of expression and programming |
theartsdesk Q&A: Soft Cell
Prior to their O2 show the Eighties synth-pop icons talk new music, old music, 'Top of the Pops', 'Sex Dwarf', drugs, and Dennis Waterman |
theartsdesk Q&A: Chas and Dave
A memorial interview with the lovable rockney duo following the death of Chas Hodges |
Agnès Varda: 'You think I'm finished?!' - interview
Oscar-nominated at 89, the French filmmaking legend talks about her new film |
'It’s more fun to dance in a tutu': Tory Dobrin of Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo
The artistic director of the Trocks explains how he keeps his ballet parodists on their toes |
Ryuichi Sakamoto: 'Ideally I'm recording all the time, 24 hours a day' - interview
From Xenakis to Oneohtrix Point Never via Bowie and Bootsy, Sakamoto recalls an extraordinary life in music |
Ian Rickson: 'I'm an introvert, I want to stop talking about myself' - interview
The director staging Brian Friel's Translations at the National talks about Ireland, England and the changing face of theatre |
Michel Hazanavicius: 'Losing himself is how he found himself'
The Oscar-winning director's new film, 'Redoubtable', charts the turning point in the life and career of the legendary Jean-Luc Godard |
10 Questions for Artist David Shrigley
The provocative artist talks festivals, moshpits, Google and much more |
Andrew Haigh: 'In the end you have to be able to make the decisions' - interview
The Yorkshire-born director on his new film 'Lean on Pete' |
Violinist Eldbjørg Hemsing: 'in the moments when magic happens, you think, that's why we do this'
On a Norwegian rediscovery, communication and twentysomething enterprise |
10 Questions for Sharon Smith of Arts Collective Gob Squad
Sharon Smith of the Berlin-based Gob Squad talks age, Oscar Wilde and Nicki Minaj |
10 Questions for Courtney Pine: 'How do you express rage?'
Pioneering solo jazz artist hails the community of jazz |
Juliette Binoche: ‘Repetition feels like near death’
The star of Let the Sunshine In talks about love, psychics, her first collaboration with Claire Denis and calling Depardieu on his bad manners |
Milos Forman: 'The less you know about yourself, the happier you are'
An encounter with the Czech director who went into exile in 1968 but kept challenging authority |
10 Questions for Musician Jeremy Cunningham of The Levellers
The dreadlocked Levellers bassist talks of film, books, fans, the new album and touring the US |
Joan As Police Woman: 'I was going to die if I didn't have some way to express myself' - interview
The cult singer discusses loss, #MeToo, Trump and much more besides |
Robin Ticciati on conducting Brahms: 'trying to understand the man through his music'
A masterclass in the preparation and performance of a great symphony |
10 Questions for Artist Brett Goodroad
The rising Califiornian painter discusses art, literature and truckin' |
10 Questions for Performer Seth Kriebel
Rising star of the interactive theatrical experience explains where he's coming from and what he's up to |
10 Questions for Musician Malcolm Middleton
The Scottish songwriter talks music, books, musicals, Brighton and much else |
Anna von Hausswolff: 'Forget about space and time, it's eternal and mysterious' - interview
The Swedish singer-songwriter on her new album 'Dead Magic' |
Tony Banks: ‘You either do it by diplomacy or you do it by violence’ - interview
From Genesis to regeneration, the keyboard player's tale |
John Tusa: 'the arts must make a noise' - interview
He started Newsnight, ran the World Service and the Barbican, and his new memoir is called Making a Noise |
Subscribe to theartsdesk.com
Thank you for continuing to read our work on theartsdesk.com. For unlimited access to every article in its entirety, including our archive of more than 10,000 pieces, we're asking for £3.95 per month or £30 per year. We feel it's a very good deal, and hope you do too.
To take an annual subscription now simply click here.
And if you're looking for that extra gift for a friend or family member, why not treat them to a theartsdesk.com gift subscription?
latest in today
Louis Theroux's Altered States: Choosing Death, BBC Two...
The toughest subject you can imagine: when, and how, would you choose death over life? This riveting...
EFG London Jazz Festival, first weekend review - Jeff Goldbl...
The choice of what to go and hear in the...
Trpčeski, RLPO, Petrenko, Liverpool Philharmonic Hall review...
It probably goes without saying that there will be "dream teams" in a football-mad city like Liverpool. What might be a little unusual is that...
Florence + The Machine, Genting Arena, Birmingham review - f...
Many established artists, when out on tour, can get all a bit bashful about their...
Siberia review - Keanu Reeves's duff Russian mission
It is appropriate that Keanu Reeves sounds especially croaky and muffled throughout...
CD: Josephine Foster - Faithful Fairy Harmony
Faithful Fairy Harmony is in the tradition of The Beatles’ White Album, Todd Rundgren’s A Wizard, a True Star and The...
Daša Drndić: Belladonna review - a tragicomic journey into E...
Daša Drndić, the Croatian author who died in June aged 71, has posthumously won the second Warwick Prize for Women in Translation for her...
Reissue CDs Weekly: Marianne Faithfull
Marianne Faithfull’s recent album Negative Capability featured a new version of “As Tears go by”, the Jagger-Richard song which had been...
CD: David Attenborough - My Field Recordings from Across the...
David Attenborough must be among the most universally liked Englishmen. There are those who’ve recently criticized him for sweetening the pill...
War Requiem, English National Opera review - a striking spec...
We’re not good at lack these days. Just look at the concert hall, where increasingly you turn up to find not just an orchestra and soloists but a...