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The Forsytes is a lavish, period drama that reimagines the classic three-novel drama. Set against the backdrop of late-Victorian London, the six-part series immerses us in the tangled lives of the affluent Forsyte dynasty, where duty, ambition, and forbidden desire collide across three generations.

The impressive cast includes Francesca Annis as the formidable matriarch, and two well-known heartthrobs, Stephen Moyer (True Blood) and Jack Davenport (Pirates of the Caribbean, Coupling) as rival brothers. Younger talents such as Millie Gibson and Danny Griffin bring fresh energy and romantic tension to the screen, particularly in storylines that explore love’s clash with societal expectations. There is a lot of melodrama in the storyline – wife-coveting, ambition, sons and daughters dis- and re-inherited and loves lost and found.

Visually, the production is sumptuous: meticulous period costumes, richly detailed sets, and evocative cinematography vividly evoke the tensions of an era on the brink of modernity. Yet the heart of the series lies in its exploration of human longing — whether it be the pursuit of true love, the struggle for personal identity, or the weight of familial obligation.

The last adaptation (2002) of the original saga featured Damien Lewis (Billions) as the possessive Soames and Gina McKee as his wife Irene. It was beautifully produced with an equally stellar cast. It’s time for a new generation to experience this story. 

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Ken Levine, the Emmy-winning writer behind Cheers, Frasier, and M*A*S*H, has done something remarkable with his play Guilty Pleasures: written Noël Coward meets Neil Simon comedy so universally human that it has been running for two years in Prague. In Czech. To sold-out houses. Levine, who speaks exactly zero words of Czech, burned his frequent flyer miles to fly over and watch an audience laugh at jokes he wrote in English about American marriage. They laughed in all the right places. Turns out, sex is funny in any language.

The setup is hilariously unhinged. Larry and Jinx Berman, smart and dangerously witty, board a luxury cruise and befriend a glamorous celebrity couple, one Peter Drake, a handsome CNN anchor with a dazzling smile, and Charlene Uranga, a gorgeous movie star and, let’s say, an uncluttered inner life. One Champagne-fueled, frivolous agreement later, and Larry and Jinx are having a fling to save their marriage. Therapists are baffled. Audiences are howling.

The road to Prague began when the play’s publisher brought it to the attention of a Czech translator, who loved it and sold it to a Prague theatre. Levine now cheerfully refers to himself as the Neil Simon of the Czech Republic, which is either the greatest thing that has ever happened to him or the second greatest, after the Emmys.

Here’s why Guilty Pleasures works everywhere. Ego, desire, and the desperate arithmetic of marriage are not American inventions. Larry and Jinx are every couple who ever loved each other just enough to do something spectacularly stupid.

Guilty Pleasures opens March 13th through April 4th weekends only, at the Westchester Playhouse, 8301 Hindry Avenue, Los Angeles.

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Step into a world of myth, magic, and shadow with Hamid Rahmanian’s Song of the North, coming to Pasadena Playhouse March 21–29, 2026. This stunning multimedia production reimagines the Persian epic Shahnameh, bringing its legendary tales to life through shadow puppetry, projected animation, and live performance. At the heart of the story is Manijeh, a fearless heroine navigating a world of mythical beasts, whose courage and cleverness are put to the ultimate test as she seeks to rescue her beloved, Bijan, from grave danger.

Rahmanian, who also created, designed, and directs the production, blends 483 handcrafted puppets with a talented ensemble of actors and puppeteers to craft a visually rich and emotionally resonant performance. His work, internationally recognized and previously featured at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, combines traditional storytelling with cutting-edge multimedia, creating an immersive theatrical experience that draws young audiences into the vibrant world of Persian myth.

Song of the North is an epic love story, full of daring feats, vivid imagery, and imaginative storytelling designed for families and children ages 6–12. The production captures both the heroism and the humanity of its characters, illuminating themes of bravery, loyalty, and love while celebrating the rich cultural heritage of its source material. With shadow, light, and movement perfectly intertwined, audiences are invited to explore a universe where myth meets modern theater, and every puppet, projection, and performance contributes to a mesmerizing journey into the legendary world of Shahnameh.

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To Hunger Games fans, Sam Claflin will always be the handsome and charming Finnick Odair, but Claflin is taking a darker turn in his newest endeavor on PBS’ Masterpiece in The Count of Monte Cristo. The story is a classic adventure novel by Alexandre Dumas, co-written with Auguste Maquet, about Edmond Dantès, a sailor who is falsely imprisoned, escapes, finds treasure, and returns as the wealthy Count to exact revenge on those who betrayed him. Set in France and Italy from 1815–1839, it explores themes of justice, betrayal, redemption, and vengeance, and is one of Dumas’s most popular works, alongside The Three Musketeers. 

Claflin (Pirates of the Caribbean, Daisy Jones and the Six) stars as Edmond Dantes, a nineteen-year-old sailor who, when falsely accused of treason, is imprisoned without trial in a grim island fortress off Marseille, France. After many years of captivity, Dantes finally escapes and discovers treasure, making him one of the richest men in the world. Under the identity of the Count of Monte Cristo, he plans to take revenge on those who wrongly accused him. Ana Girardot (The Returned) stars as Mercedes, Jeremy Irons (The Borgias) as Abbé Faria, and Blake Ritson (The Gilded Age, The Crown) as Danglars. The series is directed by two-time Palme d’Or and Oscar®-winner Bille August. Airing on PBS March 22, 2026

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