IT'S been a big week for the visual arts in Liverpool with two exhibitions opening at Tate Liverpool and another at the Walker Art Gallery. You can read my features on Magritte: The Pleasure Principle, Art In Revolution: Liverpool 1911 and Robert Therrien: Smoke Signals by clicking on the links.

I spent yesterday between both galleries gorging myself on beautiful art works, including Paul Gauguin's Sister of Charity, Vincent Van Gogh's Hayricks and Paul Sérusier's Breton Women in the Rain. But it was in front of Liverpool artist James Hamilton Hay's Falling Star that I, for a moment or two, considered a Thomas Crowne Affair style heist. My favourite Magritte's included The Night Owl, which I later found out inspired the poster for film The Exorcist, and The Key To The Fields - a broken window where the shattered panes of glass have retained the image that would have been behind it when it was whole.

IF YOU have seen the Daily Post this morning you will already know the truth behind
the Everyman and Playhouse's cryptic press call. If you haven't then here it is: World premiere of The
Ladykillers by Graham Linehan (Father Ted, The IT Crowd) starring Peter Capaldi and
Ben Miller at the Playhouse.

Yes I know - very exciting! Unfortunately I'm on holiday this week so I had to do all the
interviews in advance rather than meeting the cast and production team at today's press
conference, which included disturbing Graham Linehan when he'd been filming until the
early hours on the day of the interview.

Click here to read the full story

THIS cryptic press notice arrived from the Everyman yesterday:

Intriguing but all will be revealed on Tuesday so watch this space.