News about William Shakespeare

While the Maria actress, 49, and the political activist and author, 40, have yet to confirm if they are dating, sources have claimed that they are 'seeing each other and hanging out regularly.' Akala has been educating Angelina on Britain's colonial past and the country's prominent Black figures, and has also introduced her to his family.

In opposition, Health Secretary Wes Streeting said the NHS was 'broken' and must be fixed without delay. Since coming into government, his sense of urgency seems to have diminished.He now says he wants to have a 'national conversation' before embarking on a programme of reform - which even then will take ten years to complete. With waiting lists still stratospherically high, face-to-face GP appointments as rare as unicorns in many areas and hospital A&E departments almost cracking under the strain of high demand, patients and medical staff want action today, not years from now. Do we really need another conversation? The problems are plain to see. NHS productivity and efficiency must be improved, everyone should be able to access primary care, waiting times must be brought down.

The premier has been accused of consigning the Bard 'to the dustbin' after the 18th century painting by Louis Francois Roubiliac was reportedly placed in storage. Sir Keir has already removed portraits of Elizabeth I, Sir Walter Raleigh, and William Ewart Gladstone since entering No 10. While in August he sparked a furious backlash when he took down a £100,000 portrait of Margaret Thatcher from her former study as he found it 'unsettling'. Sir Keir had to bow to public pressure to rehang the portrait with Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg blasting the original decision as 'spiteful' and 'petty'. The Shakespeare portrait is part of the Government Art Collection.

It may have been 408 years since the death of William Shakespeare (pictured top inset) - but arguments over whether the British bard wrote all of the plays attributed to him still rage on. Now, American author Jodi Picoult (pictured right), best known for her novel My Sister's Keeper, has claimed in her new book that, Emilia Bassano (pictured left), the first woman in England to publish a book of original poetry should actually be credited for the playwright's works. Born in 1569 to a family of Venetian Jews who were court musicians to Queen Elizabeth I, Emilia was mistress to the Lord Chamberlain, Henry Carey, First Baron Hunsdon, at the age of 13. He was in charge of the English theatre and patron of the company that staged Shakespeare's plays - therefore, London-based Emilia was well-placed to have produced the writing we attribute to Shakespeare. Speaking on the latest episode of BBC Radio 4's Saturday Live, Jodi explained how in her book, By Any Other Name (pictured bottom inset), which has been released in the UK today, she claims Shakespeare 'sold his name to people who wanted to hide themselves as writers'.

A major movie star looked nearly unrecognizable while on set of his new film in Los Angeles on Wednesday.  The actor's, 55, signature dark curly strands were transformed into a striking white mohawk.  The four-time Emmy winner's face was covered in dramatic villain makeup-up, consisting of white face paint, heavy black and red eyeshadow, and red lipstick. 

He was christened Prince Henry Charles Albert David by the Archbishop of Canterbury in December 1984. But Prince Charles and Princess Diana made it clear very early on that their newborn son would be known as Harry. He was only called Henry, Charles once revealed, when he had been 'very, very naughty'. And, as it turned out, that was quite often. Harry, who turns 40 today, stepped out of line on several occasions in his early life - and those antics that would be mirrored by his behaviour as a teenager and young adult. Former police bodyguard Ken Wharfe recalled how he would regularly hear Diana scolding Harry with the words: 'Henry, no!'

if I could find a way of campaigning for the courts to re-examine the case of Lucy Letby without in any way affecting or distressing the parents of the babies in the case, I would do so. As far as I am concerned, those parents have an absolute right to say what they wish about it, and we must listen to them. Even so, is it really the case that our society cannot and will not undertake any actions which may cause sorrow to the innocent and the bereaved?

Steven Wadlow, 58, (pictured) has spent years trying to prove the 16th-century painting that has been in his family for decades is a genuine portrait of Shakespeare (inset). He says he's had experts look over it and even been told it's worth the massive nine-figure sum. And while the 58-year-old is yet to be given a definite yes - or no - he's on a mission to get to the bottom of it. Steven says that's not because he wants to pocket £200m.

Steven Wadlow, 58, said his father bought a painting of William Shakespeare from the Great Tew Estate in Oxfordshire in the 1960s and hung it, largely unnoticed, in the living room for decades. But in 2012 his father, Peter, watched a documentary about the playwright in which he couldn't help but remark: 'He looks like our bloke above the telly.' After he said this to his son, Mr Wadlow began trying to validate the painting, with X-rays dating it to 1595 when the Bard would have been about 31. Experts have since determined it is from the right period, is not a copy and could be the only authenticated portrait of Shakespeare from his lifetime. But Mr Wadlow, from Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire, said many academics have not taken him seriously.

Paul Mescal was spotted passionately kissing co-star Jessie Buckley as they were seen on set for the first time filming their new drama Hamnet on Wednesday.  The Normal People actor, 28, stars as young William Shakespeare while Jessie, 34, will play his wife Agnes, in a big-screen version of Maggie O'Farrell's novel Hamnet. Paul was seen grabbing the actresses, 34, face as they kissed in the street on the set of the new Shakespearean drama.

A pantomime boss has been ordered to tear down a £1.7million theatre which was built in secret without planning permission. Kevin Fraser insisted the show must go on despite being served with an enforcement notice over the 'stealth' construction. Mr Fraser, 67, admitted the £1.7 million development in a Hampshire village with links to Shakespeare was carried out without planning permission, a move councillors said 'beggared belief'.The venue only had permission to be used for storage and Mr Fraser was refused permission to convert it, the local authority said. Despite claiming he was the victim of a 'vendetta' from the local authority and 'Scrooge' councillors, the council rejected his appeal to keep it as a theatre.

England goalkeeper Mary Earps has become the first professional female footballer to have a wax figure at Madame Tussauds London and hopes it will 'break barriers and push boundaries'. Members of the public, who took part in a national competition held by the attraction, voted for the goalkeeper to be 'immortalised' following the Lionesses' success in reaching the final of the 2023 Fifa Women's World Cup. Earps, 31, who was vice-captain at the World Cup and received the Golden Glove award for best goalkeeper of the tournament, said it was 'a great feeling' to be recognised.

The performance of William Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra was halted at around 10pm as the play neared its finale, when red-coloured fireworks lit up the night's sky.

The performance of William Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra was halted at around 10pm as the play neared its finale, when red-coloured fireworks lit up the night's sky and shouting could be heard. A spent firework plummeted into the standing section of the theatre, missing audience members by fractions and causing a smell of smoke. Tooting resident Mark Johnson, who was attending the play on his 30th birthday, claimed it was a 'miracle' nobody was hurt.

The two plays will be part of a season of Shakespeare by The Jamie Lloyd Company at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane. They will be the first plays by the Bard to be staged at the theatre since Peter Brook's production of The Tempest starring John Gielgud in 1957.

Prince Andrew's eldest daughter, 35, married the property developer in 2020 and yesterday the couple celebrated four years since tying the knot. Posting on Instagram for their anniversary, Edo, 40, shared a never-seen-before photograph from behind the scenes of their wedding (left). He also posted a picture of their wedding venue - the Royal Chapel of All Saints at Royal Lodge, Beatrice's childhood family home in Windsor Great Park.

A Nashville woman was left stunned at the value of her rare copy of William Shakespeare's sonnets on PBS's Antiques Roadshow. The guest, who inherited the book from her father, initially thought it might be worth a modest $300 to $400. But expert Martin Gammon had a jaw-dropping revelation in store. The rare copy of William Shakespeare's sonnets - was valued at a whopping estimate of $5,000 to $7,000, with a recommended insurance value of a whopping $10,000.

In Austen's writings, she referenced an 'amusing' ball she attended at the Dolphin and a plaque outside the building shows she celebrated her 18th birthday there on December 16, 1793. The historic hotel had other famous guests including Queen Victoria , Admiral Lord Nelson and William Shakespeare's theatre company. Last month, the owner of the Southampton hotel lodged a change of use application which if successful, would see the Dolphin transformed into student accommodation.

Locals living next to the historic Shakespeare property in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, say they live in terror of anti-social yobs. One mother said: 'It's sad really but the criminals have won.'. Neighbour's of Anne Hathaway's idyllic cottage say county lines drug dealers have turned their village into 'hell' and police can't keep them safe. The leafy street - where houses can sell for almost £500,000 - is close to Anne Hathaway's Cottage, the wife of William Shakespeare. Residents living on South Green Drive were too scared to be named fearing reprisals, but say their lives have become 'miserable'.

Netflix's Baby Reindeer has led to a police investigation after fans wrongly accused a theatre director of being the inspiration behind an abuser depicted in the show.  The seven-part thriller series follows the real-life story of comedian Gadd, who plays himself in the form of struggling Scottish comedian Donny Dunn as he deals with relentless stalker 'Martha'.  

Lady Gabriella Windsor's friends are said to be rallying around her after the death of her husband in February. War hero and financier Thomas Kingston (left, with Lady Gabriella) was found dead aged 45 at his parents' home in the Cotswolds. Yesterday, his wife Lady Gabriella Windsor (inset) turned 43. She has moved out of the Notting Hill home she shared with her husband and moved back into Kensington Palace with her parents Prince and Princess Michael of Kent (right), the Mail's Richard Eden revealed. One of her friends said: 'They wanted Ella to be with them, and she didn't want to be alone in the home she shared with Tom. All of us are rallying round and she's going to be OK.' Kingston died from a 'traumatic head wound', an inquest heard in March. A gun was found near his body in an outbuilding at his parents' home in the Cotswolds.

Prince and Princess Michael of Kent enjoyed a night out at a private members' club yesterday - as they were spotted in public for the first time since the funeral of their son-in-law. The royals , who are the parents of Thomas Kingston's widow Lady Gabriella Windsor, appeared in chipper moods as they left Oswald's in central London late on Friday. The prince and princess were seen smiling as they hopped in their car to head back home from the exclusive club, which they left with a friend, just weeks after Mr Kingston's funeral.

William Shakespeare's mastery of the English language has remained unchallenged for centuries. But a renowned literary institution has provoked anger by hosting a debate on whether some of the Bard's works could have been written by a woman. Oliver Kamm, a journalist and author, has written to the Chairman of the London Library to complain about the 'wildly inappropriate' event and its 'promotion of a baseless and anti-intellectual conspiracy theory.' The 19th century library, which contains one million books, is holding a panel discussion in June with Elizabeth Winkler, the author of the controversial book 'Shakespeare Was a Woman and Other Heresies', which explores 'who the Bard might really be.' The book looks at 'how the forces of nationalism and empire, religion and mythmaking, gender and class have shaped our admiration of Shakespeare across the centuries.'

Scientists often warn about the wild weather caused by climate change. In fact, history shows that entire settlements can be engulfed by intense storms and heaving waves that intensify coastal erosion. Now, MailOnline's incredible new interactive map pinpoints these 'lost lands' dotted around Britain, from 'Yorkshire's Atlantis' to the lush plains of Doggerland (bottom right) and the former capital of kingdom of East Anglia (possible 3D remains shown top right),