Theatre, film & music

Amazing grace: St Petersburg Ballet Theatre’s Swan Lake at the London Coliseum

Annunciata Elwes is captivated by this quintessential production of a classic Russian ballet.

The Oxford of Inspector Morse: Dreaming spires, dead bodies... and lots and lots of pubs

The Oxford of Inspector Morse: Dreaming spires, dead bodies... and lots and lots of pubs.

In Focus: The hand-drawn maps from which JRR Tolkien launched Middle-earth

'I wisely started with a map and made the story fit,' JRR Tolkien once wrote. A new exhibition in Oxford – the writer's home for so many years – shows just how true that is, and offers a treasure trove for fans. Michael Murray-Fennell reports.

Inside Haworth: The humble parsonage where the Brontë sisters changed literature

Some of our most enduring stories were conceived at Haworth – Jeremy Musson enjoys a literary pilgrimage.

The Scyther: ‘We were up in arms about Poldark – his swing was all wrong’

Scything was almost forgotten until Aidan Turner’s turn in Poldark, but Nigel Adams says there’s still a place for it. He spoke to Tessa Waugh; portraits by Richard Cannon.

Kiss me, Kate at the London Coliseum: Not 'better' than Shakespeare – but certainly more enjoyable to watch

Life after Downton Abbey: How Highclere Castle is moving on

Highclere Castle was made famous across the world as Downton Abbey – and the money that it generated saved this beautiful country home for future generations. But they're still moving onwards in a post-Downton world, as Octavia Pollock explains.

Learning the ropes: The new breed of church bell ringers

Far from being the preserve of older devotees, church bell-ringing is increasingly popular with youngsters. Vicky Liddell meets the teenagers for whom the bell tolls.

Nursery rhymes: How murder, theft and fake news found their way into the tales we tell our children

Murder, animal cruelty and dishonesty aren’t generally considered child-friendly topics, yet they’re the basis of many much-loved nursery rhymes. Flora Watkins explains.

Jason Goodwin: The upside of life in a harem, and modern-day slavery on the King's Road

Our columnist Jason Goodwin considers the realities of everyday existence for the women kept in 18th century Ottoman harems.

15 fascinating things about animal actors, from dogs and cockroaches to the penguin who was fired out of a cannon

Animal ‘actors’ are often remembered long after their human co-stars. Flora Watkins meets people who’ve worked with ravens, stags, dogs, horses–and cockroaches.

The Billies: Country Life's 2017 theatre awards, from best play to Ayckbourn's 'crushing disappointment'

After watching new productions at a rate of about four a week, our theatre critic Michael Billington presents the brilliantly good, the excruciatingly bad and the movingly sad of this year.

The tale of a ‘real-life’ Billy Elliot: How cricketer Alexander Campbell swapped batting for ballet

Today, Alexander Campbell is a principal at the Royal Ballet. But for a long time it seemed that his destiny lay along a very different path. He spoke to Jeremy Taylor.

Why we still love pantomime ('Oh no we don't'...'Oh yes we do'...)

Corny, hammed-up, ritualistic – and yet Pantomime is still a hugely lovely theatrical format. Perennial pantomime villain Kit Hesketh-Harvey explains why.

The life of a modern magician: Razor blades, ballet shoes and bumping into the Obamas

What does it take to be a modern-day magician? Emma Hughes finds out. Main photograph by Richard Cannon.

Six audiobooks for Christmas, from Dickens to the latest Booker Prize winner

For book lovers who never get the time to read, audiobooks can make a great present. We've picked out five fine options.

Handel's Messiah: Nine of the greatest places to enjoy a wonderful Christmas tradition

Handel's Messiah is more than just a wonderful piece of music: it's a Christmas tradition in Britain. Ysenda Maxtone-Graham takes a look at the story behind it and picks some of her favourite places to hear it being sung.

Nigel Havers on meeting Mick Jagger, turning down Chariots of Fire and a poodle puppy

Nigel Havers boasts an acting career that spans six decades. He spoke to Jeremy Taylor about mastering the art of the dashingly handsome charmer – and the occasional cad.

Grange Park Opera's latest plans, plus a reader offer for the 2018 season

Grange Park Opera is now seeking support for phase two of the development at its new location – and you can help.