Culture

Sheridan Harbridge in a scene from playwright Suzie Miller's Prima Facie.

Arts

No, you can’t remove politics from the theatre - that’s what makes it good

A critic maps the intersection between theatre and politics by looking back over some of the biggest shows that ran in 2023.

by Cameron Woodhead

It has been an eventful year for celebrities, with some gaining cultural clout and others shedding fans.

Pop culture

The celebrity stock market: winners and losers of the past year

by Nell Geraets

New Year

Welcome to the New Year’s Eve we all missed: NYE TV wrap

by Neil McMahon

Review

Eight books: A romantic thriller and a Zen way to face climate change

by Cameron Woodhead and Fiona Capp

Lisa McCune stars in Planet Lulin on ABC ME.

Australian TV

How Lisa McCune’s childhood dream is on the verge of coming true

by Bridget McManus

Movies

British actor Tom Wilkinson died suddenly at his home on Saturday.

Vale

British actor Tom Wilkinson, known for ‘The Full Monty’ and ‘Michael Clayton’, dies at 75

Tom Wilkinson, the Oscar-nominated British actor known for his roles in The Full Monty, Michael Clayton and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, has died, his family said.

Kaimana (left) plays Jaiyah Saelua, a faʻafafine (third gender) player, in Next Goal Wins.

★★

Review

Could Next Goal Wins be Taika Waititi’s first own goal?

This feel-good sports film shows the Kiwi director may finally have bitten off more than he can chew in Hollywood.

by Jake Wilson

Armed for battle: fandom vs The Lord of the Rings.

Pop culture

A ‘pitch-perfect sequel’? The fine line between fan fiction and an ugly lawsuit

by Michael Idato

Margot Robbie and Cillian Murphy starred in Barbie and Oppenheimer.

Cinema

The best films of 2023, a critic’s choice

by Garry Maddox

Actor Lee Sun-kyun gets out of a car upon his arrival at the Incheon Metropolitan Police in South Korea on Saturday.

Updated

Vale

Parasite actor Lee Sun-kyun found dead amid drug allegations

by Reuters

TV & radio

TV Guide

Review

Streaming

It’s highly offensive, but that’s not the problem with Ricky Gervais’ Armageddon

The comic’s latest stand-up special is the most popular show on Netflix in Australia this week, as he continues to court controversy.

by Ben Pobjie

New Year

Welcome to the New Year’s Eve we all missed: NYE TV wrap

The ABC asked its New Year’s Eve viewers to put on their party shoes, leave their grumpy hats in the cupboard, keep their minds open – and let the music take over.