Superstar drops in to Manchester
	WHEN it comes to his latest stage role, it’s definitely a case of “no more mister nice guy” for Stephen Tompkinson.

	A grand night out
	The instantly recognisable voice of television’s Peter Sallis speaks to Rick Bowen PETER Sallis once saw Sir Laurence Olivier’s face turn green. Or so he thought.

	Anything but child's play
	Our man Rick Bowen meets Maxine Peake THERE was a period in the early 90s, when the Royal Exchange Theatre seemed obsessed with churning out period play after period play.

	Stand up and be counted
	INTERVIEW WITH RICH HALL by James Rampton So, I ask the splendid American comedian Rich Hall, what will your new show consist of? "It'll be forty-five minutes of stand-up in which I rail against the vagaries of the world," he explains. "Then after the interval, I bring out Otis Lee Crenshaw.

	Russell's big adventure
	It's been quite a year for Russell Howard The comedian's last stand-up show was nominated for an If.comedy Award at the Edinburgh Festival and a Barry Award in Melbourne.

	Mellow Melua looks forward to Manchester
	Pop princess Katie Melua bowls over Rick Bowen YOU can't put an old head on young shoulders, my mum used to say.

	Clare makes happy move to jazzier climes
	Interview with Clare Teal by Rick Bowen IT'S very appropriate that Clare Teal's new album is called Get Happy, because whenever she performs live the feel good factor is so strong it's impossible not to be infected by it.

	Black is back
	FOR Denise Black, her latest stage role is, she believes, tailor made for her.