The Latest Breaking News from Tim Crouch

Dressed casually in flipflops and a loose white shirt, British theatre director and actor Tim Crouch has a lot to smile about. He has two plays in the Avignon festival this year, the first time he’s ever performed in France. And the French adaptation of one of his plays happens…

Every July, for three weeks, the southern French city of Avignon plays host to theatre and performing arts shows from around the globe. There is a special kind of excitement in the air for the spectators, performers and directors who are discovering the festival for the very first time.

Actor, writer and director Tiago Rodrigues, from Portugal, is the first foreigner to head up the Avignon Festival, now in its 77th year. In addition to maintaining the tradition of presenting innovative performing arts projects from around the globe to the diverse public that attends the festival, he is also…

I’ve spent my whole professional life loving and writing about the fringe. But rocketing rents, a lack of diversity and its overwhelming scale are pushing this world-class cultural crucible to crisis point. No wonder artists are asking themselves: is it worth the candle?