Sam Thompson: ‘I really don’t think there is a distinction to be made between writing for adults and writing for children’
Thompson’s new book, The Forest Yet to Come, is part of the Wolfstongue saga, which began as a direct response to his son’s difficulty with speech
Children’s fiction: Ghost stories for Samhain and tales of female fearlessness
Spookiness stalks the landcape of young people’s literature in the run-up to Halloween, while Irish myths inform several new works including the stunning debut Fia and the Last Snow Deer
Hamilton in Dublin: The action barely pauses long enough to let an ecstatic audience applaud
Theatre: Lin-Manuel Miranda’s artful history of the establishment of the United States is also a showcase for some exceptional performers’ talents
Tim Minchin: ‘I don’t think I am a very edgy guy. I’m a married dude with kids and no addictions’
Matilda composer and lyricist has already achieved musical-theatre hero status, and his poetic graduation addresses have now become a book
Best new children’s fiction, from a crime-fighting duck to an inspiring introduction to art
The Tall Man by Mary Cathleen Brown; Evil Duck and the Feather of Fortune by Chris Judge; Cath Howe’s Muffin and the Shipwreck; Olivia Hope’s Little Lion Girl; This Book Will Make You An Artist by Ruth Millington; and First Term at Fernside by Sheena Wilkinson
Wicked review: The brilliant Laura Pick and Sarah O’Connor shine in this top-quality production
Theatre: Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman’s musical features evenly matched leads who reach impossible notes with vigour and expression
Children’s reads: From superbly conceived non-fiction to a fitting capstone for a wonderful career
Timely offerings from Jen Breach, Sarah Webb, the late Kate Saunders, Sarah Bowie, Erika McGann and Atinuke
Wild Atlantic writers: the vibrant aesthetic of the Whole Wild World bus was ‘shaped with the input of children’
The Whole Wild World bus will ferry our finest children’s authors and illustrators along the west coast
Best new children’s fiction, from a fairy disguised as a rabbit to a boy who turns into a dinosaur
Valuable offerings from Edwina Guckian, Sinéad O’Hart, Shane Hegarty, Jen Wallace and more
Aladdin review: A show-stopping Genie finally brings Disney’s stage musical fully to life
Theatre: Yeukayi Ushe’s commanding turn earns a fourth star for what is otherwise a merely serviceable adaptation of the animated film
Julian Gough: ‘Low rent is key to maintaining a vibrant artistic community’
Author says living in Berlin for almost two decades has allowed him to continue taking creative risks
A whole new world: How Disney turned Aladdin into the stage musical that’s coming to Ireland
Disney ushered in a new era on Broadway when it began to put its animated classics on stage. Creative head Thomas Schumacher takes us behind the scenes
Life of Pi review: A lush visual spectacle delivered with wondrous cinematic fluidity
Theatre: The dialogue may feel leaden, but Max Webster’s production more than compensates
Sister Act review: Conviction for the devoted, but unlikely to convert apostates to musicals
Theatre: Glenn Slater’s lyrics and the book by Cheri and Bill Steinkiller provide a solid skeleton on which to hang characters’ conflicts
Life of Pi in Ireland: ‘There was a script, but then the question was, how do we do the tiger?’
Lolita Chakrabarti, an actor and playwright, had written a script about the unbelievable adventures of Pi