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King Lear, Llewyn Davis, Jonathan Lethem

King Lear at the National Theatre with Simon Russell Beal, the Coen Brothers look at the New York Village folk scene in Inside Llewyn Davis and Jonathan Lethem's Dissident gardens.

The role of King Lear is famously difficult - by the time an actor reaches an age where he has the gravitas, he may be too old to cope with the physical and emotional demands. Simon Russell Beale plays Shakespeare's monarch in the latest production at The National Theatre in London, but - at 52 years old - is he too young to be playing an old, deranged king?
Inside Llewyn Davis is The Coen Brothers look at the folk music scene in New York's Greenwich Village, just before Bob Dylan came along and the world took notice. Following the eponymous fictional singer songwriter (and a cat - or is it two cats?) as he tries unsuccessfully to work within the music scene of the time, the film has been much-praised, but is that good or just reviewers afraid to stand against the general opinion?
Jonathan Lethem's latest novel - Dissident Gardens - chronicles a similar period and location; three generations of a New York migrant family steeped in radical politics. How do the actions of each generation affect those that follow?
Programmes on television about food are an increasingly popular genre - there's even a whole network dedicated to it. Two new programmes; Restaurant Man and My Kitchen Rules - are hoping they can create a show with enough of a new twist to grab the attention of gastronomic couch potatoes. Will these two hit the spot?
And a new exhibition at London's Design Museum takes a look at work in progress. In The Making considers items that are on their way to completion - have you ever wondered what an unwound French Horn looks like? or an incomplete lightbulb, or a football boot? or even a brick? or a Β£2 coin? Will this exhibition fully satisfy our reviewers?

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45 minutes

King Lear

Sam Mendes directs Simon Russell Beale in the title role of Shakespeare's play , at the Olivier Theatre, National Theatre, South Bank in London from 27 January – 28 May 2014. 

Inside Llewyn Davis

, written and directed by Ethan Coen and Joel Coen, is released in UK cinemas on Friday 24 January, certificate 15.

Dissident Gardens

Dissident Gardens by Jonathan Lethem is published by Jonathan Cape, part of Vintage Publishing, on 16 January 2014.

In The Making

The exhibition, , curated by Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby, is at the Design Museum in London, 22 January 2014 – 04 May 2014.

Restaurant Man

begins Wednesday 29 January at 8pm, Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Two.

My Kitchen Rules

begins Thursday 23 January at 9pm on Sky Living.

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