Frances Barber

The Unfriend review

The Unfriend is a killer show made up of an expertly talented cast and crew, well worth cruising over to the Criterion Theatre for a visit.

The Unfriend review

An uproarious comedy of English embarrassment.

The Unfriend to transfer to the West End

Steven Moffat's play opens in January.

The Unfriend review

Review of Steven Moffat's new comedy play with Reece Shearsmith, Amanda Abbington and Frances Barber.

Dodger: the Oliver Twist prequel that's scary, starry and totally irresistible TV

This Dickens spin-off claps along like The Goonies and is so ace it's been promoted from CBBC to BBC One. No wonder Christopher Eccleston and Julian Barratt were lining up to star.

Armstrong & Miller 'stand in solidarity' with Rowling

Alexander Armstrong and Ben Miller, previously a comedy double-act, were among more than 50 public figures and anti-trans campaigners who signed the letter published in The Sunday Times, which condemns the "insidious, authoritarian and misogynistic" opposition to JK Rowling on social media. Other people in the world of comedy who signed the letter include Graham Linehan, Arthur Mathews, Griff Rhys Jones, Craig Brown, Francis Wheen, Jimmy Mulville, Frances Barber and James Dreyfus.

Review: Sky Summer Shorts - Morgana Robinson's Summer

Sky has attracted some big talent for its latest series of shorts and none bigger than serial genius Sharon Horgan, who sadly doesn't appear in Morgana Robinson's Summer but has written this pocket-sized seaside comedy drama. Imagine Benidorm set in Thanet with a Mike Leigh sub-plot.

Preview - Vicious: A Year

ITV doesn't produce many sitcoms, but when they do they tend to pull in the viewers. Most TV critics may not be fans of Vicious, Benidorm or the revived Birds of a Feather, but the public like them.

Radio Times review

Radio 1 DJ Greg James is the poor rube dropped into the entertaining, immersive murder mystery. He's got to work out why Reese Witherspoon, owner of Successville's biggest chain of bars (see what they did there?), has been murdered. Playing junior to the gruff, unorthodox-verging-on-insane DI Sleet (deadpanned brilliantly by Tom Davis), he's criticised for being "a bit camp and weird".

But then he's got to contend with Prof Brian Cox as an awe-filled forensic scientist and Frances Barber giving a delicious turn as a rapacious Mary Berry, owner of strip club Soggy Bottoms. He can't help laughing incredulously at it all and neither will you.