An Israeli performer triumphed in an international storytelling contest in the Edinburgh Fringe Festival — despite having no experience in the genre.

The composer who brought the world the tunes of A Chorus Line has died at the age of 68.

Marvin Hamlisch, who was 68, wrote the scores for a string of musical hits including The Sting and The Goodbye Girl.

Saturday September 8 1962
“Today is my 10th birthday and Daddy and I drove to Coney Island together. It was just him and me and we went on all the scary rides. We rode the horses on the Steeplechase, did the parachute jump, went up on the Wonder Wheel and the rollercoaster, and we had Nathan’s hot dogs. We just had the greatest time ever.”

English playwright Howard Brenton has called on those who supported Habima's right to perform at the Globe last month to turn their attention to the Freedom Theatre in the West Bank.

Shakespeare's Globe has stepped up security in anticipation of next week's two performances by Israel's Habima Theatre Company in order to avoid a repeat of the scenes at the Proms last year.

The Hebrew-language production of The Merchant of Venice has been beset by controversy, with a group of high-profile stage names calling on the Globe to boycott the Israeli company.

The Israeli theatre company targeted by boycotters for its forthcoming performance at the Globe Theatre next month is £10,000 short on funding for the visit.

But, after an intervention by the JC, the Israeli Foreign Ministry this week agreed to cover the shortfall.

GCSE revision and preparations for Israel tour would be enough to keep most Jewish teenagers busy over the next few months, but Yolanda Shamash will also be starring in an opera in Germany.

The 15-year-old from Palmers Green is to share the part of Flora in the opera version of Henry James's ghost story The Turn of the Screw.

The opera, written by Benjamin Britten, is being staged in the 1,3