The renaissance in home-grown films is down to daring directors, says Ben Walsh

The renaissance in British film-making is down to daring directors

After joining a rambling tour of New York, Johann Hari sees the city in a new light

Brenda Blethyn, everybody's favourite on-screen mother, hits the TV detective beat next month. But first, she's got one or two surprising confessions of her own.

First steps for a skilful satirist

Celebrity casting doesn't suit Trevor Nunn's Rattigan period piece, but Mike Leigh's superb 'self-revival' is Chekov in a bedsit

Mike Leigh has broken the habit of a lifetime and returned to direct one of his stage plays for the second time. You can see why he has been reluctant hitherto. Given the improvisatory techniques and the exhaustive research into character that goes into the creation of a Mike Leigh piece, the original actors might be said to "own" the material in a deeper sense than is normally meant by the term. How could you hope to re-create in rehearsal that intimate sense of mutual discovery with actors coming to the finished product cold?

On the surface, nothing much happens in Mike Leigh's latest comedy-drama except that a husband and wife (Jim Broadbent, Ruth Sheen) host four meals, one for each season of the year.

She specialises in suburban social climbers, but feels closest to a character from the 1970s. Just as well, as her new role involves channelling ghosts. Andrew Johnson meets Alison Steadman

Mike Leigh is to return to the National Theatre with a collaborative, improvised play, his first stage work in six years.

Royal drama The King's Speech and Mike Leigh film Another Year have clinched yet more nominations at the latest movie awards.

Part of Jane Austen’s greatness is something that Mike Leigh also demonstrates in his magnificent new film

Mike Leigh protegée Sinéad Matthews tells Elisa Bray why she is ideally suited to her new role in The Glass Menagerie