The Independent | Arts and Entertainment | Film | Music | Art and Architecture

Direct and to the point: Richard Eyre believes that the 'theatreness' of theatre marks it apart from the other media

Art of the matter

Director Richard Eyre says it's time to rethink our ideas about what makes great art

Navigator / Reveal Records Mixtape giveaway

Available exclusively to readers of The Independent online, Navigator and Reveal records present a compilation of 30 tracks of the finest new music around, all free to download.

Inside Arts & Entertainment

The 50 best winter reads

From fantastic fiction to brilliant biographies, this is the season to stock up yourhome library. Sophie Morris selects the hottest books for the colder months

Chinese actress Zhou Xun to be honored as 'Star of the year'

Thirty-three-year-old Zhou Xun -- the most popular actress in mainland China -- will be honored with the Star of the Year award at CineAsia exhibition and distribution convention in Hong Kong on December 10.

Indy Choice: Best of the new films
The White Ribbon (15) (Rated 4/ 5 )
Michael Sheen: 'I am officially the king of Hollywood'

Soundtrack album debuts make music on the charts

Michael Jackson's This Is It, the no. 1 record on the Billboard 200 charts for the week of November 14, dislodged The Twilight Saga: New Moon-- which reached the top the week of November 7. But unexpectedly this week (for November 21), another soundtrack, this time for the new Fox television hit show Glee, debuted at no.4, showing the ability of film and TV programs to help create music fans.

Don't miss...

Pear-fect comedy
Win comedy tickets in London and Birmingham
Premiere
Pictures from the latest film openings, including 'Nowhere Boy'

Capital pictures
The best of 'London Independent Photographers'
MixTape
Indy bloggers muse on all things musical.

Pandora
A daily fix of showbiz gossip from the parties you couldn't get to.
Picture Perfect!
Ten top tips to taking the perfect family photo

Ricky Gervais returns with new workplace comedy

The comedian has helped create a new television sitcom that finds its laughs in the drudgery and absurdities of another unglamorous workplace.

Hard-hitting take on military life draws blood

Actor retires hurt from Royal Shakespeare Company drama after stage fight gets out of hand

The Kreutzer Sonata, Gate Theatre, London (Rated 4/ 5 )
Architecting, The Pit, Barbican, London (Rated 4/ 5 )
First Night: Staff Benda Bilili, Barbican, London (Rated 4/ 5 )

Album: Alberto Veronesi, Placido Domingo, Violeta Urmana, Puccini Ritrovato, (Deutsche Grammophon) (Rated 3/ 5 )

Echoing the recent trend for classical music played with authentic period instrumentation, Alberto Veronesi here presents a series of Puccini arias and orchestral pieces according to the original versions premiered by the composer.