Kinky and Matilda lead Tony field

Kinky and Matilda lead Tony field

30 April 2013 Last updated at 15:19

Billy Porter (left) and Bertie Carvel (far right) are both nominated, for their work in Kinky Boots and Matilda respectively

Musical adaptations of 2005 British film Kinky Boots and Roald Dahl's children's book Matilda lead the nominations at the 2013 Tony awards.

Kinky Boots, about a shoe factory that finds a new outlet making fetish footwear, has received 13 nods, including one for Cyndi Lauper's original score.

Tim Minchin is also nominated, for his Matilda score - one of 12 nominations for the RSC production.

The Tonys will be presented on 9 June.

Tom Hanks receives his first Tony nomination, for his Broadway debut, in Nora Ephron's play Lucky Guy.

Hanks, who starred in Ephron's films Sleepless in Seattle and You've Got Mail, received praise for his performance when it opened last month.

Ephron receives a posthumous best new play nomination for Lucky Guy, which she was writing when she died last year aged 71.

British actor Tom Sturridge, recognised for his role in the revival of Lyle Kessler's 1983 play Orphans, is up against Hanks for the best actor award.

Kinky Boots stars Billy Porter, who plays drag queen Lola, and Stark Sands, who portrays factory manager Charlie Price, are up against each other in the leading actor in a musical category.

The production is also nominated in the musical director, scenic design, costume design and choreography categories.

Kinky Boots's haul did not match the record number of nominations for a musical - 15 - set by The Producers in 2001 and equalled by Billy Elliot in 2009.

Matilda the Musical, which received rave reviews from US critics when it opened in April, also sees a best musical actor nomination for Bertie Carvel.

Tom Hanks is nominated for his work in Lucky Guy, as is co-star Courtney B Vance

The British star previously won an Olivier for playing tyrannical headmistress Miss Trunchbull - one of seven Oliviers the show won last year.

Pippin, a revival of a 1972 musical that tells the story of a young prince who joins a performance troupe, is close behind with 10 nods.

The coming-of-age story, for which Ben Vereen won a Tony in 1973, sees Patina Miller nominated for playing the same role - that of the 'Leading Player'.

Pippin also sees nods for Terrance Mann, who plays the title role, director Diane Paulus, and choreographer Chet Walker.

Kenneth Posner is nominated three times in the musical lighting design category, for his work on Pippin, Kinky Boots and Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella respectively.

His triple shout-out prompted laughter at the New York nomination announcement, made by former Tony winner Sutton Foster and Modern Family star Jesse Tyler Ferguson.

Posner is up against British Olivier winner Hugh Vanstone, shortlisted for his work on Matilda the Musical.

Pierce stars with Sigourney Weaver in Christopher Durang's comedy

The Broadway revival of Clifford Odets's 1937 drama Golden Boy is the most shortlisted play, with nominations in eight categories.

They include two in the category for best performance by a play actor in a featured role, which sees Danny Burstein vie against co-star Tony Shalhoub.

Lucky Guy's six nominations put it on the same footing as Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, Christopher Durang's comic spin on the work of Anton Chekov.

Former Frasier actor David Hyde Pierce is nominated for his work in the play, as are no less than three of his co-stars.

The Tonys, regarded as the highest accolades for live Broadway theatre, will be presented in June at New York's Radio City Music Hall.

A full list of this year's nominations can be found on the Tony awards website.

Before Tuesday's announcement, it was revealed that playwright and activist Larry Kramer will receive the annual Isabelle Stevenson Award at this year's ceremony.

The prize is given to an individual who has made significant contributions to humanitarian or charitable causes.

Kinky and Matilda lead Tony field
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-22353175#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa

BBC book promo complaint not upheld

BBC book promo complaint not upheld

30 April 2013 Last updated at 15:02

Bacon regularly interviews authors about forthcoming titles

A complaint about books written by BBC employees being given undue prominence on Richard Bacon's 5 live show has not been upheld by the BBC Trust.

The complaint alleged a conflict of interest when presenter Simon Mayo and news correspondent Mark Easton were guests on consecutive shows in February last year to talk about their books.

It suggested a pattern of BBC personnel being given "promo" slots on the show.

But the trust said no guidelines were breached by either of the appearances.

In its ruling, the trust said Bacon's show was "a mix of news, sport, entertainment and interviews with guests," adding it "frequently features interviews with authors who have recently had books published".

Mayo, who presents a drive time show on Radio 2, is a former regular 5 live host and still reviews films on the network.

He was on the Bacon show to talk about his children's book, Itch, which was published on 1 March 2012.

Easton, currently the BBC's Home Editor, talked about his book, Britain etc, which was also published last March.

The complainant had said both interviewees were favoured because of their existing connections to the BBC and alleged there was a pattern of corporation staff being over-represented as guests on BBC shows.

But the trust report said there had been "no impropriety in the way the interviews had been arranged (either by the publishers, Mr Easton or Mr Mayo) and there was no evidence that either Mr Mayo or Mr Easton had lobbied to get on the show to promote their books or otherwise asked for favours".

It added the two BBC guests had "broadly been treated as other guests would have been and the books had not been given undue prominence".

However, it agreed the importance of editorial guidelines being adhered to in relation to such interviews.

Six Nations complaint

The Trust also answered a complaint from the trade body for commercial radio companies in the UK about the presence of an on-screen animated graphic for the 2012 Six Nations rugby championship's data supplier Accenture during live matches.

Wales beat England in Cardiff to win the Six Nations

The RadioCentre complaint said the graphic was unduly prominent and amounted to sponsorship.

In its ruling the trust said that to give Accenture on-screen credits as data-supplier was "appropriate and editorially justified" and that Accenture's contractual relationship was with the tournament organiser and not the BBC.

It added "no question of programme sponsorship arose".

However, the report took issue with an email sent by the an executive producer to staff, which might have given recipients the impression that BBC Sport had made a binding commitment over how often and for how long Accenture's logo was should be featured.

The trust said this meant that audiences "could not have a well-founded confidence" that the corporation's decisions on the sponsorship "were not influenced by commercial pressures".

As such the complaint was partially upheld.

The editorial standards committee recommended that in future, it should be made clear the BBC had not entered into any binding commitments on "supplier credits" and any specifications on the use of logos are "merely an indication of what BBC Sport considered likely to be appropriate".

BBC book promo complaint not upheld
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-22354268#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa

Anne Bronte's grave error corrected

Anne Bronte's grave error corrected

30 April 2013 Last updated at 11:35

A new plaque on the grave has been officially unveiled by the Bronte Society

Author Anne Bronte, the sister of Charlotte and Emily, has been given a new gravestone after 164 years to correct an error on the original.

Anne, who wrote Agnes Grey and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, died in Scarborough in 1849 after succumbing to tuberculosis at the age of 29.

But her headstone in St Mary's Churchyard gave her age as 28.

A new plaque on her grave has been officially unveiled during a service of dedication.

Anne is the only member of the famous literary family who is not buried at their home in Haworth, West Yorkshire.

She travelled to Scarborough because she loved the resort and hoped that the air may improve her condition. But she died just three days after arriving.

Anne Bronte's original gravestone has deteriorated over the years

Her death came during a bleak period for the Bronte family. Brother Branwell had died eight months earlier, followed by Emily, who had written Wuthering Heights.

Anne's original gravestone was refaced three years after her death, when Charlotte returned to discover five errors on it. The other mistakes were corrected but the age was not.

The Bronte Society has installed the new plaque alongside the original, which has deteriorated over the years.

"Anne was the quietest Bronte and can still sometimes be overlooked in favour of her sisters Charlotte and Emily," said the society's Sally McDonald.

"In some ways, though, she is now viewed as the most radical of the sisters, writing about tough subjects such as women's need to maintain independence, and how alcoholism can tear a family apart.

"It is a pleasure to honour her in this modest way... in the coastal town she loved so much."

Often left alone together in their isolated Haworth home, Charlotte, Emily and Anne began to write stories at an early age

Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights are now hailed as British classics, while The Tenant of Wildfell Hall was a huge bestseller.

Charlotte continued to write after her siblings' deaths and later married, only to die herself in March 1855.

Anne Bronte's grave error corrected
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-22351887#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa

Coronation gigs confirm line-up

Coronation gigs confirm line-up

30 April 2013 Last updated at 17:05

Tickets for the three three evening shows have now sold out

Katherine Jenkins, Russell Watson and The Feeling are among the artists who will play in the gardens of Buckingham Palace in July to mark the 60th anniversary of the Queen's coronation.

The three shows, which have already sold out, will be staged before an audience of 6,000 guests each evening.

Students from the Sylvia Young Theatre School and members of the National Youth Orchestra will also feature.

According to organisers, the shows will be broadcast on TV and radio.

Opera singer Watson said he felt "very lucky indeed" to be invited to participate.

""I'm pretty sure when I was growing up in Salford as a lad that if anyone had said to me I'd be singing at three shows for Her Majesty at Buckingham Palace, I'd have thought they were mad."

Dame Kiri said she was "honoured and thrilled"

The Fanfare Trumpeters from the Household Division will open the shows, while a series of scenes will celebrate the music of the Commonwealth and reflect the UK's role in pop music since the 1960s.

Matthew Bourne's New Adventures dance company and East London Dance will also appear.

Soprano Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, who will perform the national anthem, said she was "honoured and thrilled" to be opening the concerts.

Tickets are still available for the day events, where visitors will be able to explore the gardens and watch live cooking demonstrations.

The festival will be open to members of the public from 12 to 14 July.

It will be preceded by an invitation-only preview on 11 July for members of the Royal Family, charity representatives and guests from the Armed Forces.

Coronation gigs confirm line-up
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-22354271#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa

Jackson 'wrongful death' case opens

Jackson 'wrongful death' case opens

30 April 2013 Last updated at 01:17

Katherine Jackson is now the legal guardian of Jackson's three children

A lawyer for Michael Jackson's mother says the pop star's promoters failed properly to vet the doctor convicted of causing his death from a drug overdose, as a wrongful death lawsuit opens.

Katherine Jackson and his three children say AEG Live should be held liable for Jackson's death in 2009.

The promoters say they did no wrong and could not have foreseen Jackson's death on the eve of his comeback tour.

Millions of dollars are at stake in the trial, which could last up to 90 days.

Brian Panish, who represents Jackson's relatives, told a court in Los Angeles that AEG Live was the only party that maintained it was unaware of Jackson's addiction to prescription drugs.

'Ultimate price'

Continue reading the main story

Analysis

During the course of this trial, the tragic life of Michael Jackson is likely to be analysed in more depth than ever before.

In 2005, he was found not guilty of child abuse after a criminal trial which exposed aspects of the secretive star's inner world in embarrassing detail.

When Dr Conrad Murray went on trial - and was found guilty of the singer's manslaughter - Jackson's physical frailties and dependence on prescription drugs were laid bare.

The current case promises more legal fireworks, with the uncomfortable prospect of Jackson's children testifying about their father's final hours.

The closing - and perhaps defining - chapter in the story of pop music's most enduring star is about to be written.

"Over the years Michael's family and people who knew him believed he had a problem with prescription medication," Mr Panish told a jury of six men and six women.

"His stirring voice, his musical genius, his creativity and his generosity and his huge heart was extinguished forever," he said, adding that jurors would have to decide who was responsible for the star's death.

But AEG Live's lawyer Marvin Putnam said Jackson's closely guarded private life left the promoters in the dark about his drug dependence.

"The truth is, Michael Jackson fooled everyone," Mr Putnam said. "He made sure that no-one, nobody, knew his deepest darkest secrets."

The case, which is expected to focus on the last months of Jackson's life, his financial history and his overall health, could feature testimony from his children.

It is also reported that stars such as singer Diana Ross, director Spike Lee and music producer Quincy Jones may take the stand.

The trial is expected to focus on Conrad Murray, the former cardiologist who was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in 2011 for administering a combination of sedatives and the anaesthetic propofol that killed Jackson.

The Jackson family claims in its suit, filed in 2010, that AEG Live had not properly investigated Murray's background before he was hired to serve as Jackson's personal physician.

Murray was to be paid $150,000 a month during the This Is It concert series, but Jackson died before the tour began.

Murray is in prison, appealing against his conviction.

Fragile health

Jackson, shown in 1997, was said to be taking powerful anaesthetics as a sleeping aid

AEG Live is expected to argue that Jackson had selected Murray to be his personal doctor, and that Murray was not officially an AEG Live employee.

But his family are expected to argue the concert promoters put pressure on Murray to get Jackson ready for the gruelling tour schedule despite the pop icon's fragile health.

Famous members of Jackson's family, including his sister Janet, are also expected to attend the trial.

Jackson 'wrongful death' case opens
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-22341901#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa

Broadway box office surges pre-Tonys

Broadway box office surges pre-Tonys

30 April 2013 Last updated at 09:33

Clockwise from top left: Scenes from Motown the Musical, Kinky Boots, Matilda and Lucky Guy

Four recent Broadway debuts have broken the $1 million (£645,911) weekly box office sales mark since they opened this month.

Motown the Musical, which tells the story of record label founder Berry Gordy, took $1.2m (£775,093) last week.

British adaptations of Roald Dahl's Matilda and 2005 film Kinky Boots also broke the million dollar barrier.

Tom Hanks's performance in Lucky Guy, tipped to earn him a Tony nomination later, was the biggest seller.

The double Oscar winner, who is making his Broadway debut in the late Nora Ephron's play, received high praise from critics.

Kinky Boots, about a real-life shoe factory that found a new outlet in the fetish footwear market, had its highest gross sales since performances began in March.

The production, which features music from pop singer Cyndi Lauper, is expected to be nominated for best musical at this year's Tonys.

Matilda the Musical, written by Tim Minchin and Dennis Kelly, received rave reviews from US critics when it opened in April.

The production broke an Olivier awards record last year when it took home seven prizes and is expected to receive a number of Tony nominations.

Motown the Musical, which features songs by Diana Ross, Smokey Robinson and Marvin Gaye, was called a "mess" by Variety's reviewer when it opened in mid-April.

Larry Kramer is best known for his 1985 play The Normal Heart

But its box office success, which saw advance sales of more than $16m (£10.3m) according to Hollywood Reporter, does not guarantee Tony award acclaim.

Playwright and activist Larry Kramer will receive the annual Isabelle Stevenson Award for his "substantial contribution of volunteered time" at the Tony ceremony on 9 June.

The prize is given to an individual who has made significant contributions to humanitarian or charitable causes.

Kramer, best known for his landmark play The Normal Heart, will be honoured for his work as an advocate of gay rights and co-founder of the Gay Men's Health Crisis.

The Tony nominations will be announced by former winner Sutton Foster and Modern Family star Jesse Tyler Ferguson at 13:30 BST.

Broadway box office surges pre-Tonys
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-22349746#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa

Peston transcribed wife's final book

Peston transcribed wife's final book

30 April 2013 Last updated at 10:31

Peston has blogged on under-funding for lung cancer research

BBC business editor Robert Peston has described how transcribing his late wife's final book helped him cope following her death from lung cancer.

Sian Busby died aged 51 in September 2012, five years after her diagnosis.

In the preface to the book, which has been printed in the Radio Times, Peston said: "Foggy-brained, the transcription was spoilt by spelling mistakes and typographical errors. All mine."

A Commonplace Killing will be Radio 4's Book at Bedtime next month.

Peston said he picked up the novel's handwritten transcript 11 days after his wife's death.

"My motive was selfish: I wanted to keep talking to her. I still do," his preface reads.

"The tears could not be staunched as I read, deciphered and typed. Sian's prose was as pellucid and accurate as ever. And brave.

"Here she was, all hope lost of reprieve from the lethal cancer, reflecting on what it is like to know that death awaits on the morrow."

Cancer research

Writer and filmmaker Busby died a month after specialists said there was nothing more they could do for her. She had never been a smoker.

Writing in his BBC blog earlier this month, Peston bemoaned the underfunding of research into lung cancer.

"Breast cancer receives just over £3,500 of research funding per death from the disease." he wrote.

Busby was a film and performing arts lecturer

"Leukaemia receives over £7,000 of research funding per mortality. Lung cancer receives just over £400 per death.

"There has been a perception that lung cancer sufferers have only themselves to blame, because they've smoked all their lives, and they tend to be old."

Busby wrote five books, the first two non-fiction. She also lectured in film and performing arts at Royal Holloway, University of London.

She and Peston briefly dated in their early twenties and resumed their relationship 12 years later following the break up of Busby's first marriage.

By the time Busby was completing A Commonplace Killing, Peston writes in his preface, she was "being turned into an invalid, in almost unimaginable pain most of the time".

"Very occasionally she grumbled against the palpable unfairness, but she was courageous and stoical to an extent that tested my credulity."

A Commonplace Killing, described by its publisher as a "gripping psychological thriller... set in the bleakness and confusion of post-WWII London", will be published on 2 May.

It will be Radio 4's Book at Bedtime from 10 to 21 June.

Peston transcribed wife's final book
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-22350153#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa

Anne Bronte's grave error corrected

Anne Bronte's grave error corrected

30 April 2013 Last updated at 11:35

A new plaque on the grave has been officially unveiled by the Bronte Society

Author Anne Bronte, the sister of Charlotte and Emily, has been given a new gravestone after 164 years to correct an error on the original.

Anne, who wrote Agnes Grey and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, died in Scarborough in 1849 after succumbing to tuberculosis at the age of 29.

But her headstone in St Mary's Churchyard gave her age as 28.

A new plaque on her grave has been officially unveiled during a service of dedication.

Anne is the only member of the famous literary family who is not buried at their home in Haworth, West Yorkshire.

She travelled to Scarborough because she loved the resort and hoped that the air may improve her condition. But she died just three days after arriving.

Anne Bronte's original gravestone has deteriorated over the years

Her death came during a bleak period for the Bronte family. Brother Branwell had died eight months earlier, followed by Emily, who had written Wuthering Heights.

Anne's original gravestone was refaced three years after her death, when Charlotte returned to discover five errors on it. The other mistakes were corrected but the age was not.

The Bronte Society has installed the new plaque alongside the original, which has deteriorated over the years.

"Anne was the quietest Bronte and can still sometimes be overlooked in favour of her sisters Charlotte and Emily," said the society's Sally McDonald.

"In some ways, though, she is now viewed as the most radical of the sisters, writing about tough subjects such as women's need to maintain independence, and how alcoholism can tear a family apart.

"It is a pleasure to honour her in this modest way, almost 193 years after she died, in the coastal town she loved so much."

Often left alone together in their isolated Haworth home, Charlotte, Emily and Anne began to write stories at an early age

Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights are now hailed as British classics, while The Tenant of Wildfell Hall was a huge bestseller.

Charlotte continued to write after her siblings' deaths and later married, only to die of tuberculosis herself in March 1855.

Anne Bronte's grave error corrected
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-22351887#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa

Sale of Howson works raises £202,000

Sale of Howson works raises £202,000

29 April 2013 Last updated at 16:35

Terry and Peter Howson sold the works to raise money for the couple's daughter who has Asperger's Syndrome

The sale of Peter Howson works by the Scottish artist's ex-wife has taken £202,000 at auction.

Terry Howson sold 390 drawings and paintings to raise money for the couple's daughter Lucie, who has Asperger's syndrome.

The sale at McTear's Auctioneers in Glasgow on Sunday included 10 original drawings of David Bowie.

One of the Bowie drawings sold for £9,500 - almost five times the estimate. The 10 works raised £35,000.

Peter Howson produced the drawings in 1994 when Bowie posed for him at his London studio.

They became friends after Bowie bought two controversial paintings of the Bosnian war by the artist.

Peter Howson said: "There were only 10 Bowie drawings and I gave them all to Terry. None have ever been sold before."

'Charismatic character'

The sale will include 10 drawings of pop icon David Bowie

Remembering back to when he drew the musician, he said: "I had him sitting quite high, on a 5ft plinth, and at one point he seemed to doze off and fell to the floor. We had a laugh about it, he's a very charismatic character and we've kept in touch from time to time ever since."

Terry Howson said: "It was difficult to part with a lot of these paintings but the time had come to let others enjoy them."

She added: "Over the years I have built up quite a collection of Peter's art which demonstrates a real mix of his work but Lucie's welfare and future is the most important thing.

"I didn't sell my entire collection and I've held back quite a lot of Peter's work which I hope to hang on to."

Brian Clements, from the auctioneers McTear's, said the sale attracted international attention with bids received from all over the world and the auction house was packed with hundreds of people.

He said: "Peter Howson is one of Britain's most talented and celebrated artists and Terry's collection includes an incredible variety of his work over the last 40 years.

"I am delighted that so many people have been able to purchase a work by this fantastic artist and in the process raise funds to help look after Terry and Peter's daughter Lucie."

Sale of Howson works raises £202,000
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-22340324#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa

Jackson 'wrongful death' case opens

Jackson 'wrongful death' case opens

30 April 2013 Last updated at 01:17

Katherine Jackson is now the legal guardian of Jackson's three children

A lawyer for Michael Jackson's mother says the pop star's promoters failed properly to vet the doctor convicted of causing his death from a drug overdose, as a wrongful death lawsuit opens.

Katherine Jackson and his three children say AEG Live should be held liable for Jackson's death in 2009.

The promoters say they did no wrong and could not have foreseen Jackson's death on the eve of his comeback tour.

Millions of dollars are at stake in the trial, which could last up to 90 days.

Brian Panish, who represents Jackson's relatives, told a court in Los Angeles that AEG Live was the only party that maintained it was unaware of Jackson's addiction to prescription drugs.

'Ultimate price'

Continue reading the main story

Analysis

During the course of this trial, the tragic life of Michael Jackson is likely to be analysed in more depth than ever before.

In 2005, he was found not guilty of child abuse after a criminal trial which exposed aspects of the secretive star's inner world in embarrassing detail.

When Dr Conrad Murray went on trial - and was found guilty of the singer's manslaughter - Jackson's physical frailties and dependence on prescription drugs were laid bare.

The current case promises more legal fireworks, with the uncomfortable prospect of Jackson's children testifying about their father's final hours.

The closing - and perhaps defining - chapter in the story of pop music's most enduring star is about to be written.

"Over the years Michael's family and people who knew him believed he had a problem with prescription medication," Mr Panish told a jury of six men and six women.

"His stirring voice, his musical genius, his creativity and his generosity and his huge heart was extinguished forever," he said, adding that jurors would have to decide who was responsible for the star's death.

But AEG Live's lawyer Marvin Putnam said Jackson's closely guarded private life left the promoters in the dark about his drug dependence.

"The truth is, Michael Jackson fooled everyone," Mr Putnam said. "He made sure that no-one, nobody, knew his deepest darkest secrets."

The case, which is expected to focus on the last months of Jackson's life, his financial history and his overall health, could feature testimony from his children.

It is also reported that stars such as singer Diana Ross, director Spike Lee and music producer Quincy Jones may take the stand.

The trial is expected to focus on Conrad Murray, the former cardiologist who was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in 2011 for administering a combination of sedatives and the anaesthetic propofol that killed Jackson.

The Jackson family claims in its suit, filed in 2010, that AEG Live had not properly investigated Murray's background before he was hired to serve as Jackson's personal physician.

Murray was to be paid $150,000 a month during the This Is It concert series, but Jackson died before the tour began.

Murray is in prison, appealing against his conviction.

Fragile health

Jackson, shown in 1997, was said to be taking powerful anaesthetics as a sleeping aid

AEG Live is expected to argue that Jackson had selected Murray to be his personal doctor, and that Murray was not officially an AEG Live employee.

But his family are expected to argue the concert promoters put pressure on Murray to get Jackson ready for the gruelling tour schedule despite the pop icon's fragile health.

Famous members of Jackson's family, including his sister Janet, are also expected to attend the trial.

Jackson 'wrongful death' case opens
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-22341901#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa

Gatsby author's accounts go online

Gatsby author's accounts go online

29 April 2013 Last updated at 15:24

Fitzgerald kept a record of his accounts and key events in the 200-page book

Author F Scott Fitzgerald's handwritten records of his life and career have been made available to fans and scholars after being put online.

The Great Gatsby author kept records of his publications, income and key events in a ledger, which has been put online by the University of South Carolina.

They show he made $2,000 from The Great Gatsby when it was published in 1925.

But income from the book increased, with a payment of $16,666 for film rights made the following year.

The records have been made available to coincide with the latest big-screen version of the book - a film directed by Baz Luhrmann and starring Leonardo DiCaprio is released in May and is opening Cannes Film Festival.

Park Bucker, an associate English professor at the university, told the Associated Press news agency that the ledger "may be a unique artefact among American authors".

"This is going to be an amazing thing for students to pore over and dip into," he said. "He created his own database. We do it on computers now, but he did it for himself."

'Terrible failures'

The ledger begins in 1919 and covers the period until 1938. He died in 1940.

The document is divided into five sections - a record of published fiction, money earned by writing, published miscellany (including movies), the earnings of wife Zelda and a year-by-year account of his life.

The autobiographical section begins with his birth in 1896. Of February 1900, he wrote, referring to himself: "He celebrated the new century by swallowing a penny and catching the measles. He got rid of both of them."

By his 20s, his yearly round-ups lamented how his life was "full of terrible failures and acute miseries" (in 1923). When he was 36, in 1932, it was "a strange year of work & drink. Increasingly unhappy".

"This is a record of everything Fitzgerald wrote, and what he did with it, in his own hand," said Elizabeth Sudduth, director of the Ernest F Hollings Library at the University of South Carolina.

"We know he didn't spell very well," she said. "And his arithmetic wasn't much better."

Gatsby author's accounts go online
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-22340106#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa

Jackson concert promoter case opens

Jackson concert promoter case opens

29 April 2013 Last updated at 17:37

Katherine Jackson is now the legal guardian of Jackson's three children

A wrongful death lawsuit brought by the relatives of singer Michael Jackson against his concert promoter is set to open in a small court in Los Angeles.

Jackson's mother Katherine Jackson and his three children say the firm did not properly investigate the doctor found guilty over Jackson's death in 2009.

AEG Live say they did nothing wrong and could not have foreseen Jackson's death on the eve of his comeback tour.

Millions of dollars could be at stake in the case, which may last 90 days.

Jurors, who are to be paid $15 (£10) each day, are due to hear from lawyers on both sides before testimony in the civil trial begins.

The case, which is expected to focus on the last months of Jackson's life, his financial history and his overall health, could feature testimony from his children.

It is also reported that stars such as singer Diana Ross, director Spike Lee and music producer Quincy Jones may take the stand.

Michael Jackson was said to be taking powerful anaesthetics as a sleeping aid

The trial is expected to focus on Conrad Murray, the former cardiologist who was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in 2011 for administering a combination of sedatives and the anaesthetic propofol that allegedly killed Jackson.

Murray is in prison, appealing his conviction.

He agreed to work as Jackson's personal physician for $150,000 a month during the This Is It concert series, but Jackson died before the tour began.

AEG Live is expected to argue that Jackson had selected Murray to be his personal doctor, and that Murray was not officially an AEG employee.

But his family are expected to argue the concert promoters put pressure on Murray to get Jackson ready for the gruelling tour schedule despite the pop icon's fragile health.

Famous members of Jackson's family, including his sister Janet, are also expected to attend the trial.

Jackson concert promoter case opens
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-22341901#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa

Gatsby author's accounts go online

Gatsby author's accounts go online

29 April 2013 Last updated at 15:24

Fitzgerald kept a record of his accounts and key events in the 200-page book

Author F Scott Fitzgerald's handwritten records of his life and career have been made available to fans and scholars after being put online.

The Great Gatsby author kept records of his publications, income and key events in a ledger, which has been put online by the University of South Carolina.

They show he made $2,000 from The Great Gatsby when it was published in 1925.

But income from the book increased, with a payment of $16,666 for film rights made the following year.

The records have been made available to coincide with the latest big-screen version of the book - a film directed by Baz Luhrmann and starring Leonardo DiCaprio is released in May and is opening Cannes Film Festival.

Park Bucker, an associate English professor at the university, told the Associated Press news agency that the ledger "may be a unique artefact among American authors".

"This is going to be an amazing thing for students to pore over and dip into," he said. "He created his own database. We do it on computers now, but he did it for himself."

'Terrible failures'

The ledger begins in 1919 and covers the period until 1938. He died in 1940.

The document is divided into five sections - a record of published fiction, money earned by writing, published miscellany (including movies), the earnings of wife Zelda and a year-by-year account of his life.

The autobiographical section begins with his birth in 1896. Of February 1900, he wrote, referring to himself: "He celebrated the new century by swallowing a penny and catching the measles. He got rid of both of them."

By his 20s, his yearly round-ups lamented how his life was "full of terrible failures and acute miseries" (in 1923). When he was 36, in 1932, it was "a strange year of work & drink. Increasingly unhappy".

"This is a record of everything Fitzgerald wrote, and what he did with it, in his own hand," said Elizabeth Sudduth, director of the Ernest F Hollings Library at the University of South Carolina.

"We know he didn't spell very well," she said. "And his arithmetic wasn't much better."

Gatsby author's accounts go online
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-22340106#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa

Colman and Smith to play love rivals

Colman and Smith to play love rivals

29 April 2013 Last updated at 12:36

Colman, Morrissey and Smith play Maggie, Carl and Sally in The 7.39

Sheridan Smith and Olivia Colman are to play rivals for the affections of David Morrissey in a new BBC One drama.

Broadchurch star Colman will play the wife of Morrissey's character in The 7.39, a two-part romantic drama written by One Day author David Nicholls.

Olivier awards co-host Smith will play a commuter with whom Morrissey, of The Walking Dead fame, begins an affair.

BBC One has also confirmed a second series of its Sunday night rural drama The Village will air next year.

Writer Peter Moffat said he was "thrilled" to have the opportunity to continue telling the story of one English village across the whole of the 20th Century.

His sentiments were echoed by Starter For Ten author Nicholls, who said he was "delighted to be writing for the BBC again".

Nicholls previously adapted Much Ado About Nothing for the BBC's 2005 ShakespeaRe-Told season and, in 2008, adapted Thomas Hardy's Tess of the D'Urbervilles.

The 7.39, he went on, was "a love story for grown-ups" and "the sort of drama that has not been seen on television for a while".

Colman was recently named best actress for her work on the BBC courtroom drama Accused at the Royal Television Society awards, and is Bafta-nominated for the same role for best supporting actress.

Smith is also in the running at the Baftas for leading actress for Mrs Biggs.

The 7.39 - described as "brilliantly British" by BBC drama controller Ben Stephenson - is one of a raft of new commissions announced by the corporation's flagship channel.

Last week, BBC One revealed it was working on an adaptation of David Walliams' children's book Gangsta Granny, to air later this year.

The comedy drama, which the Little Britain star will co-write, tells of a schoolboy who discovers his grandmother was once an international jewel thief.

Walliams, whose novel Mr Stink was dramatised by the BBC last year, said the 60-minute film "should make for exciting family viewing at Christmas".

Colman and Smith to play love rivals
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-22339091#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa

Mirren and Incident bag Oliviers

Mirren and Incident bag Oliviers

29 April 2013 Last updated at 08:27

Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play.

Dame Helen Mirren and Luke Treadaway were named best actress and actor respectively

Dame Helen Mirren has been crowned best actress for playing the Queen - again - at the 2013 Laurence Olivier Awards.

Accepting her prize for The Audience, Oscar-winner Dame Helen joked it was the Queen herself who deserved a prize.

The monarch, she said, had delivered "the most consistent and committed performance of the 20th Century, and probably the 21st Century".

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time won seven awards, equalling musical Matilda's record win in 2012.

The National Theatre adaptation of Mark Haddon's 2003 murder mystery was named best play and also saw its star Luke Treadaway named best actor.

His co-star Nicola Walker was crowned best supporting actress, while Richard McCabe was named best supporting actor for his role as Harold Wilson opposite Dame Helen in The Audience.

Sheridan Smith and Hugh Bonneville co-hosted the Royal Opera House ceremony

McCabe said Dame Helen was a joy to work with in the Peter Morgan play. "It's important as an actor to be absolutely fearless and she is," he said.

Sheridan Smith and Downton Abbey star Hugh Bonneville hosted the awards, held at the Royal Opera House at Covent Garden.

Treadaway's award came for his role as 15-year-old Christopher Boone, a maths genius with Asperger syndrome who sets out to solve the mystery of who killed his neighbour's dog.

"This is for everyone who worked on the show," said the 28-year-old, who accepted his award from Sex and the City star Kim Cattrall.

"I can't believe it," he added. "This is absolutely amazing."

Other award recipients included Michael Ball and Imelda Staunton, named best actor and actress in a musical for their respective roles as the demonic barber and the pie-making Mrs Lovett in Sweeney Todd.

The classic tale of terror and revenge, which ran at London's Adelphi Theatre last year, also picked up best musical revival, beating A Chorus Line, Cabaret and Kiss Me Kate.

"I'm delighted to accept this on behalf of all of us," said the show's director Jonathan Kent. "This was one of those lucky productions that was so enjoyable to rehearse and entirely satisfying to do."

Best new musical went to Hollywood feel-good show Top Hat, currently running at the Aldwych. The musical, a celebration of 1930s song and dance, was also honoured for its choreography and costume design.

Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play.

Treadaway: "People seem to have really liked it and that's an amazing thing"

Broadway actress Leigh Zimmerman received the award for best supporting role in a musical for her role in the London revival of A Chorus Line at the Palladium.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time - adapted from Haddon's novel by Simon Stephens - premiered at the National Theatre last year and has now transferred to the Apollo.

Walker was recognised for playing the lead character's guilt-ridden mother, while Marianne Elliott took home best director.

Accepting the supporting actress award, Walker said: "My agent told me to breathe if I won, and my husband told me not to swear.

"Every single day of rehearsals and every single performance was a prize, so this is completely overwhelming," added the former Spooks actress.

The show was also honoured for its lighting, set and sound design.

Long-running musical Billy Elliot was presented with the Radio 2 Audience Award, voted for by the public, having been nominated in the category for the previous two years.

Walker plays Boone's guilt-ridden mother in Curious Incident

Special awards were presented to Gillian Lynne, whose choreography credits include more than 50 shows, among them Cats and The Phantom of The Opera.

Playwright and novelist Michael Frayn also received a special accolade, saying it was a "great honour" to be recognised.

The Barbican's Einstein on the Beach by Philip Glass and Robert Wilson came top in the best new opera production, beating the English National Opera's Billy Budd, Caligula and La Traviata.

Best new dance production went to the Royal Ballet's Aeternum, with principal dancer Marienela Nunez recognised for her outstanding achievement in dance for her performances with the Royal Ballet.

Smith, a two-time Olivier winner, opened the show at the Royal Opera House with a performance of Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend, choreographed by Arlene Philips.

The prestigious awards, named after theatrical giant Lord Olivier and first held in 1976, are presented annually by the Society of London Theatre.

A full list of 2013 winners can be found on the Olivier Awards website.

Mirren and Incident bag Oliviers
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-22331302#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa

Daft Punk comeback song tops chart

Daft Punk comeback song tops chart

28 April 2013 Last updated at 19:01

Get Lucky featuring Pharrell Williams is Daft Punk's first track in eight years

Electronic music veterans Daft Punk have secured their first UK number one with their comeback single Get Lucky.

Their first track in eight years knocked Rudimental's Waiting All Night featuring Ella Eyre off the top spot.

The French duo's previous best charting was 2000's One More Time at number two.

Emeli Sande scored a chart record with her debut album Our Version of Events, which hit its 63rd consecutive week in the top 10, beating a record held for nearly 50 years by The Beatles.

Please Please Me previously held the record for debut album spending the most consecutive weeks in the top 10 when it featured for 62 weeks in 1963 and 1964.

"It feels quite surreal to even have your name mentioned in the same sentence as The Beatles," said the 26-year-old Scottish singer who took the fifth spot in the UK official album chart.

Continue reading the main story

• See the UK Top 40 singles chart
• See the UK Top 40 albums chart
• BBC Radio 1's Official Chart Show

"For a record to stay there for so long it means that people have connected with it so that's how I'm enjoying celebrating this record."

Elsewhere in the album chart, Michael Buble held off competition from Frank Turner and Will.i.am to stay top with To Be Loved.

In the singles chart, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis continued their success with Can't Hold Us, jumping seven places to number five.

The rapper and producer have already achieved the biggest-selling single of 2013 to date with Thrift Shop.

Will.i.am's collaboration with Justin Bieber, ThatPower, fell one place to number three while Calvin Harris' I Need Your Love featuring Ellie Goulding climbed three places to number four.

Just one new entry featured in the top ten. What A Night by Britain's Got Talent's 2012 finalists Loveable Rogues debuted at number nine.

The acoustic hip-hop trio from London are currently supporting Olly Murs on his UK tour.

Daft Punk comeback song tops chart
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-22331311#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa

Bafta honour for Olympic programmes

Bafta honour for Olympic programmes

29 April 2013 Last updated at 08:58

Victims of the 7/7 bombings were represented by dancers at the opening ceremony

The London 2012 Olympic Games have taken three awards at this year's British Academy of Film and Television Arts Craft Awards.

The Olympics opening ceremony picked up a best director award while Super Saturday - when team GB scooped six gold medals - won for best sound.

The Paralympics, broadcast on Channel Four, took best digital creativity.

BBC One period drama Call the Midwife won two awards while double honours also went to The Hollow Crown series.

The Shakespearean adaptations were produced by Sam Mendes for BBC Two.

The man who directed the TV broadcasts of the London 2012 opening and closing ceremonies, Hamish Hamilton was also honoured on the night with a special award in recognition of his "outstanding creative contribution to the industry and his extensive work and accomplishments in his field".

U2's Bono, Beyonce, Usher and Robbie Williams, were among those who shared stories and offered their congratulations to Hamish during a tribute package shown at the event in the City of London on Sunday night.

Hamilton said he felt "surprised and a little emotional" to be recognised

Another BBC One period drama, Parade's End, which received a total of five nominations walked away with one award for best costume design.

Despite receiving two nominations each, Doctor Who, Top Gear and The Thick of It were denied any awards.

The Girl

Other award winners included Amish: A Secret Life, a portrait of the lives of Old Order Amish couple Miriam and David and their family, broadcast on BBC Two.

It won two prizes in the factual photography and editing categories.

This year's breakthrough talent award went to Tim Whitnall, writer of Best Possible Taste: The Kenny Everett Story.

Darryl Hammer's contribution to the BBC Hitchcock biopic The Girl, starring Sienna Miller, earned her the best production design award.

There was also recognition for the epic historical drama, Titanic, with Tom Turnbull honoured in the special effects category.

For this first time, an award was given to best writer in comedy. It was won by Julia Davis for the period comedy Hunderby, in which she also starred.

The best writer in the drama category was picked up by previous BAFTA-nominee Sally Wainwright for Last Tango in Halifax.

Bafta honour for Olympic programmes
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-22333785#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa

Iron Man 3 bests Avengers outside US

Iron Man 3 bests Avengers outside US

29 April 2013 Last updated at 10:23

Gwyneth Paltrow plays PA turned CEO Pepper Potts in the latest Iron Man film

Audiences around the world flocked to see Iron Man 3 over the weekend, enabling the latest title from Marvel to beat the debut of Avengers Assemble.

The film, starring Robert Downey Jr as a metal-clad crime-fighter, made $195.3 million (£125.7m) in 42 markets ahead of its US release on Friday.

That tally exceeded the $185.1m (£119m) made by the Avengers blockbuster when it opened in 39 markets 12 months ago.

Crime yarn Pain and Gain was the top film in the US and Canada this weekend.

Starring Mark Wahlberg, Michael Bay's tale of bodybuilders who become kidnappers made $20m (£12.8m) between Friday and Sunday.

The mid-budget thriller, which also stars former wrestler Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, marks a change of pace for the director of Pearl Harbour and the Transformers films.

In his generally favourable review, the New York Times' A O Scott describes the film as "a stripped-down, modest enterprise in which no major American city is reduced to rubble".

Pain and Gain's success came at the expense of Tom Cruise sci-fi film Oblivion, which slipped down to second place after one week at the top of the US and Canada chart.

Continue reading the main story

NORTH AMERICAN TOP FIVE

• 1. Pain and Gain (above) - $20m
• 2. Oblivion - $17.4m
• 3. 42 - $10.7m
• 4. The Big Wedding - $7.5m
• 5. The Croods - $6.6m

Yet its second weekend tally of $17.4m (£11.2m) was still way ahead of new release The Big Wedding, which could only manage a fourth place berth with its $7.5m (£4.8m) haul.

The marriage-based romantic comedy, which stars Robert De Niro, Diane Keaton and Susan Sarandon, had received a critical drubbing ahead of its release on Friday.

Baseball biopic 42 also managed to better The Big Wedding's lacklustre tally, earning $10.7m (£6.9m) from its third weekend in North American cinemas.

Animated comedy The Croods slips two places to five in this week's countdown, according to studio estimates released on Sunday.

Iron Man 3 is the third 'stand-alone' vehicle for Downey Jr's wise-cracking superhero, a billionaire inventor and philanthropist who uses a hi-tech flying suit to foil dastardly schemes.

The character appeared in last year's The Avengers - released as Avengers Assemble in the UK - alongside fellow Marvel superheroes Captain America, Thor and the Incredible Hulk.

Iron Man 3 bests Avengers outside US
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-22335650#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa

Seven Oliviers for Curious Incident

Seven Oliviers for Curious Incident

28 April 2013 Last updated at 21:35

Simon Stephens' murder mystery premiered at the National Theatre's Cottesloe Theatre last year

Murder mystery The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time has taken seven prizes at this year's Laurence Olivier Awards, equalling musical hit Matilda's record win in 2012.

They included best play and best actor for Luke Treadaway.

Helen Mirren won best actress for her role as the Queen in Peter Morgan's play, The Audience, while Richard McCabe received best supporting actor.

Sheridan Smith and Hugh Bonneville hosted the awards at Covent Garden.

Accepting the best actress honour, Mirren joked that it was the Queen who deserved an award, "for the most consistent and committed performance of the 20th century, and probably the 21st century".

She also thanked the play's director Stephen Daldry and Morgan "for the most elegant witty play" and paid tribute to her fellow cast members who "give me energy as I sit there and enjoy their brilliance every night".

Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play.

Best actress Helen Mirren with her Laurence Olivier Award alongside Luke Treadaway, who won the male equivalent

'Absolutely amazing!'

The Audience co-star Richard McCabe, who won the supporting actor honour for his role as Prime Minister Harold Wilson, said Mirren was a joy to work with.

"It's important as an actor to be absolutely fearless, and she is," he said.

Curious Incident's Luke Treadaway took best actor for his role as 15-year-old Christopher Boone, a maths genius with Asperger syndrome, who sets out to solve the mystery of who killed his neighbour's dog.

"This is for everyone who worked on the show," said the 28-year-old, who accepted his award from Kim Cattrall. "I can't believe it. This is absolutely amazing!" he added.

Other award recipients included Michael Ball and Imelda Staunton who were crowned best actor and actress in a musical, for their respective roles as the demonic barber, and the pie-making Mrs Lovett, in Sweeney Todd.

The classic tale of terror and revenge, which closed at the Adelphi Theatre in September last year also picked up best musical revival, beating A Chorus Line, Cabaret and Kiss Me, Kate.

Hollywood glamour

"I'm delighted to accept this on behalf of all of us," said director Jonathan Kent. "This was one of those lucky productions that was so enjoyable to rehearse and entirely satisfying to do."

Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play.

Luke Treadaway: "People seem to have really liked it and that's an amazing thing"

Best new musical went to Hollywood feel-good show Top Hat, currently running at the Aldwych Theatre. The musical, a celebration of 1930s song and dance was also honoured for its choreography and costume design.

Broadway actress Leigh Zimmerman received the award for best supporting role in a musical for her role as Sheila in the London revival of A Chorus Line at the Palladium.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time - adapted from Mark Haddon's novel, by Simon Stephens - premiered at the National Theatre's Cottesloe Theatre last year and has now transferred to London's Apollo Theatre.

Nicola Walker, who plays the lead character Boone's guilt-ridden mother won best supporting actress while Marianne Elliott took home best director.

The show was also recognised for its lighting, set and sound design.

Accepting the supporting actress award, Walker said: "My agent told me to breathe if I won, and my husband told me not to swear!"

Walker plays Boone's guilt-ridden mother in Curious Incident

Third time lucky

Thanking Elliott, Stephens and her fellow cast members, the former Spooks actress added: "The thing about Curious Incident [is] - every single day of rehearsals and every single performance was a prize, so this is completely overwhelming."

Billy Elliot The Musical, showing at Victoria Palace Theatre was presented with the Radio 2 Audience Award, voted for by the public, having been nominated in the category for the previous two years.

Special awards were presented to actress Gillian Lynne whose choreography credits include more than 50 shows including Cats and The Phantom of The Opera.

She was joined by playwright and novelist Michael Frayn who described the "great honour" at being recognised.

The Barbican Theatre's Einstein on the Beach by Philip Glass and Robert Wilson came top in the best new opera production, beating the English National Opera's Billy Budd, Caligula and La Traviata.

Best new dance production went to the Royal Ballet's Aeternum with principal dancer Marienela Nunez recognised for her outstanding achievement in dance for performances with the Royal Ballet.

Smith, a two-time Olivier award winner opened the show at the Royal Opera House with a performance of Diamond's are a Girl's Best Friend, choreographed by Arlene Philips.

The prestigious awards, named after theatrical giant Lord Olivier and first held in 1976, are presented annually by the Society of London Theatre.

The full list of 2013 winners can be found on the Olivier Awards website.

Seven Oliviers for Curious Incident
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-22331302#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa

Stars gather for Olivier Awards

Stars gather for Olivier Awards

28 April 2013 Last updated at 18:39

Will they be crowned at the Oliviers? Helen Mirren as The Queen and James McAvoy as Macbeth

Stars of the stage have gathered in London for the annual Olivier Awards - the biggest night in the theatre awards calendar.

Dame Helen Mirren is up against Billie Piper in the best actress category, while James McAvoy and Rupert Everett are in the running for best actor.

Murder mystery The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time leads the pack with eight nominations.

Hugh Bonneville and Sheridan Smith are hosting the ceremony at Covent Garden.

Dame Helen is nominated for her role as The Queen in The Audience, which has five nominations in total.

Peter Morgan's play is inspired by the Queen's weekly meetings with her prime ministers.

Will Young is nominated for his role as the Emcee in Cabaret

Billie Piper is nominated for her role in clinical drugs trial drama The Effect, while the best actress category is completed by Hattie Morahan for A Doll's House and Kristin Scott Thomas for Old Times.

The best actor race sees Curious Incident's Luke Treadaway up against Rupert Everett's Oscar Wilde in The Judas Kiss, Mark Rylance for Twelfth Night, Macbeth's James McAvoy and Rafe Spall for Constellations.

Both Macbeth and Twelfth Night are up for best revival, along with with Long Day's Journey Into Night and Old Times.

Speaking on the red carpet ahead of the ceremony, the director of Macbeth, Jamie Lloyd, described British theatre as "one of the most exciting things in town," and credited the play's lead actor McAvoy, who began his career in theatre, as "the real deal".

"It's great for audiences to be able to come and see a film actor in stage," added Lloyd.

McAvoy told the BBC last week: "The last time I got nominated for an Olivier I was up against Mark Rylance and I didn't win it because you can't beat him. He's the best actor in the world."

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, adapted by Simon Stephens, premiered at the National's Cottesloe Theatre last year and has now transferred to London's Apollo Theatre.

Treadaway plays 15-year-old Christopher Boone, a maths genius with Asperger's syndrome, who sets out to solve the mystery of who killed his neighbour's dog.

On playing the role, Treadway said: "He's an amazing, complicated, rich character to play."

Curious Incident and The Audience are joined in the best new play category by Nick Payne's multi-verse drama Constellations and This House, James Graham's political drama at the National Theatre.

Continue reading the main story

MOST NOMINATED SHOWS

• The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time - 8
• Top Hat (pictured) - 7
• Sweeney Todd - 6
• The Audience - 5
• Kiss Me, Kate - 5
• Constellations - 4

Other shows with multiple nominations include new musical Top Hat, with seven, and the revival of Sweeney Todd, with six. Kiss Me, Kate has five nominations and Constellations has four.

Sweeney Todd's Michael Ball and Imelda Staunton are up for best actor and best actress in a musical, for their respective roles as the demonic barber and the pie-making Mrs Lovett.

Ball competes against Alex Bourne for Kiss Me, Kate; Chambers for Top Hat; and Will Young for his role as the Emcee in Cabaret. Staunton's competition is Heather Headley for The Bodyguard, Hannah Waddingham for Kiss Me, Kate and Top Hat's Summer Strallen.

Speaking on the red carpet, Young said: "I've got a one in four chance. You can do anything with the Emcee. He's the definition of a psychotic man."

The actor, who is performing at the ceremony added: "I've got to get out of this suit and into a lot of leather."

Cabaret is also up for best musical revival with A Chorus Line, Kiss Me, Kate and Sweeney Todd.

Double Olivier winner Sheridan Smith is co-hosting this year's ceremony with Hugh Bonneville

Billy Elliot the Musical, Matilda the Musical, The Phantom of the Opera and Wicked are shortlisted for the BBC Radio 2 Audience Award - the only Olivier Award voted for by the public.

English National Opera gets three out of four nominations for best new opera production - Billy Budd, Caligula and La Traviata are up against the Barbican Theatre's Einstein on the Beach.

Nominations for best new dance production and outstanding achievement in dance are all split between The Royal Ballet and Sadler's Wells.

Gillian Lynne, whose choreography credits include more than 50 shows including Cats and The Phantom of the Opera, and playwright and novelist Michael Frayn are to be honoured with awards for outstanding contributions to theatre.

The full list of nominations is available on the Olivier Awards website.

The ceremony will be covered live on BBC Radio 2 from 18:00 and television highlights package will be shown on ITV later in the evening.

At last year's awards, Matilda the Musical set a new record by winning a total of seven trophies.

Stars gather for Olivier Awards
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-22272744#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa

Daft Punk comeback song tops charts

Daft Punk comeback song tops charts

28 April 2013 Last updated at 19:01

Get Lucky featuring Pharrell Williams is Daft Punk's first track in eight years

Electronic music veterans Daft Punk have secured their first UK number one with their comeback single Get Lucky.

The French duo's first track in eight years knocked Rudimental's Waiting All Night featuring Ella Eyre off the top spot after just one week.

Daft Punk's previous best position was in 2000 when they reached number two with the disco-house hit One More Time.

In the album chart, Michael Buble held off competition from Frank Turner and Will.i.am to stay top with To Be Loved.

Emeli Sande scored a new chart record with her debut album Our Version of Events, which hit its 63rd week in the top 10, beating a record held for nearly 50 years by the Beatles.

Please Please Me previously held the record for debut album spending the most consecutive weeks in the top 10 when it featured for 62 weeks in 1963 and 1964.

"It feels quite surreal to even have your name mentioned in the same sentence as The Beatles," said the 26-year-old Scottish singer who took the fifth spot in the UK official album chart.

Continue reading the main story

• See the UK Top 40 singles chart
• See the UK Top 40 albums chart
• BBC Radio 1's Official Chart Show

"For a record to stay there for so long it means that people have connected with it so that's how I'm enjoying celebrating this record."

Elsewhere in the singles chart, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis continued their success with Can't Hold Us, jumping seven places to number five.

The rapper and producer have already achieved the biggest-selling single of 2013 to date with Thrift Shop.

Will.i.am's collaboration with Justin Bieber, ThatPower, fell one place to number three while Calvin Harris' I Need Your Love featuring Ellie Goulding climbed three places to number four.

Just one new entry featured in the top ten. What A Night by Britain's Got Talent's 2012 finalists Loveable Rogues debuted at number nine.

The acoustic hip-hop trio from London are currently supporting Olly Murs on his UK tour.

Daft Punk comeback song tops charts
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-22331311#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa

Balding to receive special Bafta

Balding to receive special Bafta

28 April 2013 Last updated at 15:00

Previous recipients of the award include Jamie Oliver and Jeremy Paxman

Clare Balding will receive a special award for outstanding achievement in factual presenting at this year's TV Baftas, organisers have announced.

TV committee chairman Andrew Newman said her work covering London 2012 - on the BBC for the Olympics and on Channel 4 for the Paralympics - had made her "a national treasure".

A "delighted" Balding said she "may not stop smiling until the night".

Graham Norton will present the 12 May awards at London's Royal Festival Hall.

Bafta said the award - last presented in 2006, to Jamie Oliver - was being given "in appreciation of her incredible dedication to presenting across entertainment and sporting events".

Previous recipients of the factual presenting special award include Jon Snow, Andrew Marr, Jeremy Paxman and Kate Adie.

Mr Newman said Balding's body of work "over the last 13 years speaks for itself".

He said that, last summer, her "warmth and charisma helped bring the country together as we celebrated in Team GB and Paralympic GB's success".

"She is a trusted and intelligent live presenter with an ability to transcend genre and we're delighted to honour her contribution to television," he added.

'Unusual household'

Balding is also known for presenting horse racing coverage on Channel 4 as well as series including BBC One's Britain's Brightest and Radio 4 walking programme Ramblings.

Her first book, My Animals and Other Family - based on her experiences growing up "in a rather unusual household" - was a bestseller that won biography of the year at the National Book Awards.

Meanwhile, the Bafta craft awards will take place at the London City Brewery on Sunday night.

BBC Two period drama Parade's End leads the way with five nominations.

Hamish Hamilton, the director of the TV broadcasts of the London 2012 Olympic Games opening and closing ceremonies, will be honoured with a special award on the night.

Balding to receive special Bafta
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-22331111#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa