BBC News - Entertainment & Arts

• Sopranos actor James Gandolfini dies
(Thu, 20 Jun 2013 05:54:35 GMT)

James Gandolfini, the US actor best known for his role as a therapy-seeking mob boss in The Sopranos, dies at the age of 51. ... Read

• Miss Saigon returns to West End
(Thu, 20 Jun 2013 00:33:40 GMT)

Legendary musical Miss Saigon returns to London's West End in 2014, its 25th anniversary year. ... Read

• School librarian finds fake Blake
(Thu, 20 Jun 2013 00:44:36 GMT)

A school librarian has discovered that a poem widely attributed to William Blake, including in official reading lists, was not really written by him. ... Read

• Four vie to be UK City of Culture
(Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:08:32 GMT)

Dundee, Hull, Leicester and Swansea Bay make the shortlist to become the UK's second City of Culture in 2017. ... Read

• US country singer Slim Whitman dies
(Wed, 19 Jun 2013 15:30:20 GMT)

Slim Whitman, the American country singer known for his yodelling abilities has died at the age of 90. ... Read

• Dyslexic author wins book prize
(Wed, 19 Jun 2013 16:40:13 GMT)

Sally Gardner, a dyslexic author once branded "unteachable" at school, wins the prestigious Carnegie Medal for her book Maggot Moon. ... Read

• Radcliffe's Cripple enchants critics
(Wed, 19 Jun 2013 10:04:40 GMT)

Daniel Radcliffe impresses reviewers with his "understated" performance as a disabled teenage orphan in Martin McDonagh's play The Cripple of Inishmaan. ... Read

• Man of Steel tops UK box office
(Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:45:40 GMT)

Superman movie Man of Steel follows its success in the US by topping the UK box office. ... Read

• Ballet dancer David Wall dies at 67
(Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:20:21 GMT)

Ballet dancer David Wall, who became the youngest male principal in the history of the Royal Ballet, dies of cancer, aged 67. ... Read

• Family paintings win portrait award
(Wed, 19 Jun 2013 07:03:21 GMT)

The winner and runner-up of this year's BP Portrait Award are both artists who have painted portraits of their children. ... Read

• Franco turns to crowdfunding
(Wed, 19 Jun 2013 08:53:31 GMT)

Actor James Franco is the latest star to turn to a crowdfunding site in an attempt to fund a trilogy of movies based on his short story collection, Palo Alto. ... Read

• UK Family Arts Festival launches
(Tue, 18 Jun 2013 16:59:34 GMT)

A new Family Arts Festival launches with a programme of more than 1,000 events across the country. ... Read

• Book sales boosted by Father's Day
(Wed, 19 Jun 2013 10:45:31 GMT)

Sales of books jumped to a 2013 high last week, boosted by Father's Day, according to figures obtained by the book trade website, The Bookseller. ... Read

• Birds of a Feather returns - on ITV
(Tue, 18 Jun 2013 13:40:40 GMT)

Hit sitcom Birds Of A Feather is to return to TV after 15 years but will be broadcast on ITV, which has signed up the original BBC cast and writers. ... Read

• Assault caution for Charles Saatchi
(Wed, 19 Jun 2013 08:06:20 GMT)

Art collector Charles Saatchi is cautioned for assault after images of him grasping his wife, Nigella Lawson, by the neck appeared in a newspaper. ... Read

• Closure risk museums are 'safe'
(Tue, 18 Jun 2013 14:59:23 GMT)

Three threatened museums in York, Manchester and Bradford are "safe" from closure, Culture Minister Ed Vaizey says. ... Read

• Broadway buoyed by Tony success
(Tue, 18 Jun 2013 12:17:29 GMT)

Eleven Broadway shows enjoy their most profitable week to date, with some earning more then $1m (£640,000) following success at the Tony Awards. ... Read

• Mirren play breaks cinema record
(Tue, 18 Jun 2013 08:50:40 GMT)

A live cinema broadcast of Helen Mirren's play The Audience breaks a record for National Theatre Live. ... Read

• Indian star in 'baby sex test' probe
(Mon, 17 Jun 2013 17:22:43 GMT)

Health officials in India are investigating reports that top Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan knows he and his wife are expecting a baby boy. ... Read

• First youth film festival announced
(Tue, 18 Jun 2013 13:34:36 GMT)

A nationwide programme of free film screenings and activities is planned for the first National Youth Film Festival later this year. ... Read

• Lawrence concert line-up revealed
(Tue, 18 Jun 2013 14:59:48 GMT)

Emeli Sande and Ed Sheeran are among the artists taking part in a concert to mark the 20th anniversary of the murder of Stephen Lawrence. ... Read

• Jackson promoters 'inappropriate'
(Tue, 18 Jun 2013 11:08:55 GMT)

AEG's dealings with Michael Jackson's doctor Conrad Murray were 'highly inappropriate', a music industry experts tells a US court. ... Read

• Black Sabbath win two Metal awards
(Tue, 18 Jun 2013 08:28:04 GMT)

Chart-topping heavy metal band Black Sabbath celebrate winning best band and best album at the Metal Hammer Golden Gods awards. ... Read

• Murray Walker diagnosed with cancer
(Mon, 17 Jun 2013 19:14:24 GMT)

Legendary Formula 1 commentator Murray Walker is diagnosed with lymphatic system cancer. ... Read

• Call centres in BBC programme fined
(Tue, 18 Jun 2013 06:13:16 GMT)

Two companies which appear in BBC Three documentary The Call Centre are fined by the regulators in connection with nuisance calls. ... Read

• Greek court orders TV back on air
(Tue, 18 Jun 2013 02:10:10 GMT)

A Greek court suspends a government order to close state broadcaster ERT - a move that triggered mass protests - meaning transmission can resume. ... Read

• VIDEO: Amour director Haneke in spotlight
(Thu, 20 Jun 2013 00:24:21 GMT)

Austrian director Michael Haneke is well known for his reluctance to interpret his own work but now a documentary provides a close study of his work. ... Read

• AUDIO: How Coldplay saved Stone Roses film
(Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:41:21 GMT)

Colin Paterson reports on Spike Island - a new coming of age comedy drama set against the backdrop of The Stone Roses' legendary 1990 Spike Island gig. ... Read

• VIDEO: Sopranos actor James Gandolfini dies
(Thu, 20 Jun 2013 02:55:08 GMT)

James Gandolfini, the US actor best known for his role as a therapy-seeking mob boss in The Sopranos, has died at the age of 51. ... Read

• VIDEO: The 13-year-old fashion blogger
(Tue, 18 Jun 2013 23:18:05 GMT)

Ophelia Horton is a fashion blogger with a difference - she is just 13 years old. ... Read

• VIDEO: Surreal Versailles tree sculptures
(Wed, 19 Jun 2013 18:30:17 GMT)

The gardens of the Palace of Versailles are decked out with the surreal organic sculptures of Italian artist Giuseppe Penone, a new exhibition in Mexico City explores India's cultural history - and other stories from the world of arts. ... Read

• VIDEO: How do you watch a play in the dark?
(Tue, 18 Jun 2013 23:45:45 GMT)

A play performed in total darkness premieres in the UK this week. Tutto Bene, Mama? is a one act drama translated from Italian. The cast describe what it is like performing in darkness. ... Read

• VIDEO: Sande to perform in Lawrence's memory
(Tue, 18 Jun 2013 15:33:36 GMT)

Award-winning pop stars Emeli Sande and Ed Sheeran will perform at a concert to mark the 20th anniversary of the murder of Stephen Lawrence ... Read

• VIDEO: Daniel Radcliffe on his Irish brogue
(Mon, 17 Jun 2013 23:06:56 GMT)

Daniel Radcliffe returns to the West End in the title role of Martin McDonagh's The Cripple of Inishmaan ... Read

• Sally Gardner on Maggot Moon
(Thu, 20 Jun 2013 06:53:27 GMT)

What inspired Sally Gardner's latest award-winning novel? ... Read

• The play that keeps its audience in the dark
(Tue, 18 Jun 2013 23:47:12 GMT)

The new play that keeps its audience in the dark ... Read

• Tim Firth unveils musical This Is My Family
(Tue, 18 Jun 2013 05:41:05 GMT)

The musical singing the praises of the modern British family ... Read

• Kinky Boots inspiration comes out of the shadows
(Tue, 18 Jun 2013 01:19:17 GMT)

Kinky Boots inspiration comes out of the shadows ... Read

• In pictures: Salvador Dali fruit watercolours
(Tue, 18 Jun 2013 11:26:54 GMT)

Original Dali watercolour fruit studies up for sale ... Read

• Documentary charts MND sufferer's battle
(Mon, 17 Jun 2013 02:35:47 GMT)

Documenting the struggle with Motor Neurone Disease ... Read

• 'We're not the new Beatles'
(Sat, 15 Jun 2013 10:53:14 GMT)

Why The Strypes aren't the Fab Four ... Read