'She was Paris': RIP Zizi Jeanmaire (1924-2020)

ZIZI JEANMAIRE OBITUARY (1924-2020) 'She was Paris'

Ballet or cabaret, Zizi's passion was for performance - preferably with her husband

"You talk like Marlene Dietrich, you dance like Zizi Jeanmaire, your clothes are all made by Balmain, and there’s diamonds and pearls in your hair…" . Peter Sarstedt may have been a one-hit wonder, but his 1969 pop song, "Where do you go to (my lovely)?" passed into British popular culture in a flash, even if many of its chic references were lost on future generations. Zizi Jeanmaire, who died last Friday aged 96, personified the Paris of the 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, and beyond.

The Last Five Years, The Other Palace Digital review - socially distanced heartbreak

★★★ THE LAST FIVE YEARS, THE OTHER PALACE DIGITAL Socially distanced heartbreak

Jason Robert Brown's chamber musical has new lockdown resonance

A musical featuring two people who are physically separated? Jason Robert Brown’s work is a shutdown natural – as this new digital theatre version demonstrates.

Cats, The Shows Must Go On review - a purr-fectly theatrical experience

★★★★ CATS, THE SHOWS MUST GO ON Filmed version of Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical captures its eccentric charms

This filmed version of Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical captures its eccentric charms

Cats is, declares composer Andrew Lloyd Webber, a show that doesn’t really have a story, but was beloved on stage because it’s “the ultimate theatrical experience”.

Theatre Lockdown Special 5: A solo show for the ages, Ibsen refreshed, and yet more frolicsome cats

THEATRE LOCKDOWN SPECIAL 5: A solo show for the ages, Ibsen refreshed, and yet more frolicsome cats

From a much-traveled one-man play to a continent-spanning National Theatre premiere, the theatrical week offers plenty so savour

No one can accuse the gods of streaming of failing to cast a wide net. That's even more so with an array of streaming opportunities over the next week that ranges from Off West End Ibsen given a second chance to shine to an online encounter with, yes, The Encounter, and, should you wish, with its protean creator and leading man, as well.

Theatre Lockdown Special 1: Starry podcasts, late-career Shakespeare, a celebrity basement - and more

THEATRE LOCKDOWN SPECIAL 1: Theatre buffs have no shortage of scintillating options during our ongoing shut-in

Theatre buffs have no shortage of scintillating options during our ongoing shut-in

The lockdown has been extended, but here's the good news: each week whereby we are shut inside seems to bring with it ever-enticing arrays of theatre from across the spectrum, from online cabarets to freshly conceived podcasts and all manner of archival offerings of tites both familiar and not. Below is an unscientific sampling of items of interest to look out for either at the moment or during the week ahead.

Sondheim at 90 Songs: 1 - 'I'm Still Here'

SONDHEIM AT 90 SONGS: 1 - 'I'M STILL HERE' Tracie Bennett blazes a trail in 'Follies' showstopper

We're celebrating the great man's birthday with favourite numbers - mine's from 'Follies'

Surely there’s never been a more apt time for Sondheim’s great cry of defiance? “I’m Still Here” is sung by showgirl-turned-actress Carlotta in Follies (1971) – added during the Boston try-out in place of “Can That Boy Foxtrot”. Loosely inspired by Joan Crawford, it’s the ultimate anthem of showbiz survival.

On Blueberry Hill, Trafalgar Studios review - superb acting, specious plot

★★★ ON BLUEBERRY HILL, TRAFALGAR STUDIOS Superb acting, specious plot

Sebastian Barry two-hander offers rich acting opportunities for two of Ireland's finest

Some wondrous acting is sacrificed on the altar of an increasingly wonky plot in On Blueberry Hill, the first play in 10 years from Sebastian Barry, the Irish playwright and novelist whose onetime Royal Court entry The Steward of Christendom showcased a treasured theatrical memory in the leading performance of the late and truly great Donal McCann.

The Prince of Egypt, Dominion Theatre review - Moses musical goes big and broad

★★★ THE PRINCE OF EGYPT, DOMINION THEATRE Moses musical goes big and broad

This mammoth stage adaptation is more splashy than spiritual

The theatre gods rained down not fire and pestilence, but a 45-minute technical delay on opening night of this substantially revised musical – a stage adaptation of the 1998 DreamWorks animated movie. But nothing could entirely halt this juggernaut; fittingly, for a show that earnestly values persistence and the unstoppable power of the epic.

The Best Plays in London

THE BEST PLAYS IN LONDON The Arts Desk's stage tips

What to see where and until when: theartsdesk's stage tips

London is the theatre capital of the world, with more than 50 playhouses offering theatrical entertainment. From the mighty National Theatre to the West End, the small powerhouses of the Donmar Warehouse and the Almeida and out to the fringe theatres, it's hard to know which to turn. Our guide is here to help you sort the wheat from the chaff. Below is our selection of the best plays on in London right now, with links to our reviews for further elucidation.