Emily Watson’s raw performances have made her one of Britain’s most spellbinding actors. Now she’s playing a woman running for prime minister – against her husband. She talks to Carole Cadwalladr about marriage, sexuality and the joy of viscose blouses
Photograph: Suki Dhanda
Even as Carly Bawden is showered with praise for her Eliza Doolittle onstage, cheerful chaos reigns behind the scenes at My Fair Lady in Sheffield. Photographer Gary Calton captures the action backstage
Shakespeare really understood women. The emotions, twists and turns that Cleopatra goes through are phenomenal.
I remember the first time I saw Shakespeare as if it were the week before last. I was seven and I was taken to see Macbeth at my brother’s school; he played Duncan. He said: “What bloody man is that?” I thought it was a very, very racy line because he said “bloody”.
I missed my graduation ceremony so I could go and see Sir Laurence in Titus Andronicus three days running.
Dame Judi Dench, who played Ophelia in Hamlet in 1957, on what Shakespeare means to her. Photograph: Jimmy Sime/Getty Images
Photograph: Idil Sukan
Official photographer for the Pleasance, Idil Sukan, has been chronicling the Edinburgh fringe. As part of our Edinburgh festivals Tumblr takeover, here are a selection of her intimate portraits taken backstage with some of the veterans, comedy stars and newcomers of this year’s festival …
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