The King of Hell’s Palace, Hampstead Theatre review - Chinese scandal freezes the blood

★★★ THE KING OF HELL'S PALACE, HAMPSTEAD THEATRE Chinese scandal freezes the blood

New docu-drama about a distressing case of 1990s corruption and cover-up

New artistic directors are popping up all over British theatre. Every week seems to usher in a refreshingly versatile talent taking the reins of a major theatre.

DVD/Blu-ray: Ash Is Purest White

★★★★ ASH IS PUREST WHITE Love in a gangster milieu, set against the changes of the Chinese century

Love in a gangster milieu, set against the changes of the Chinese century

Chinese director Jia Zhangke has made a masterful career from following the changes that his native land has undergone in the 21st century, catching the speed of its transition from old ideological order to the relentless dynamism of subsequent economic development – and, most importantly, the human consequences of the process.

Pah-La, Royal Court review - complex ideas, wild storytelling

★★★ PAH-LA, ROYAL COURT Complex ideas, wild storytelling

New play about the freedom struggle in Tibet is a bit too unclear for its own good

Theatre can give a voice to the voiceless – but at what cost? Abhishek Majumdar, who debuted at the Royal Court in 2013 with The Djinns of Eidgah – about the situation in Kashmir – returns with his latest play, Pah-La.

The Sound of Movie Musicals with Neil Brand, BBC Four review - genius of song and dance

★★★★★ THE SOUND OF MOVIE MUSICALS WITH NEIL BRAND, BBC FOUR The 'Second Golden Age' of the film musical explored

From the Forties to the Sixties, the 'Second Golden Age' of the film musical explored

The movie musical: money making or true art – or both? This was a programme to sing along to, in the company of Judy Garland and Gene Kelly, Elvis Presley and Cliff Richard.

Strangers, Series Finale, ITV review - Eastern promise goes unfulfilled

★★★ STRANGERS, SERIES FINALE, ITV Eastern promises go unfulfilled

Hong Kong mystery gets across the finishing line at last

After seeming to spend an interminable amount of time wandering around in a daze and blundering up blind alleys, Strangers finally gathered its wits and cantered towards the finishing tape with a renewed sense of purpose in the final two episodes.

LFF 2018: The Ballad of Buster Scruggs review - Wild West tales, and Redford and Jackman

★★★★ LFF 2018: THE BALLAD OF BUSTER SCRUGGS Wild West tales, and Redford and Jackman

The Coen brothers go west, old man Redford gets his gun, plus The Front Runner and Shadow

The “portmanteau” form of film-making is almost guaranteed to deliver patchy results, and The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, the Coen brothers’ six-pack of tall tales from the Old West (screened at London Film Festival), can’t quite avoid this age-old trap. But it gives it a helluva good try, and even its less successful portions offer much to enjoy.