Seven days on stage – in pictures

It’s not often that the gossip columns show an interest in minor Ibsen plays, but – following the announcement that she and husband Trevor Nunn are to split – all eyes were on Imogen Stubbs as she took to the stage in Little Eyolf at London's Jermyn Street Theatre. The columnists had been near-universal in their praise of Stubbs’s dignified performance in the face of Nunn's reported relationship with Sven-Göran Eriksson’s ex, Nancy Dell’Olio. Unfortunately, critics were a little more uncertain about her acting – even though she's portraying a woman whose marriage is facing meltdown
Photograph: Tristram Kenton

It also wasn’t the best of weeks for Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg. Not only has he lost the AV referendum by a humiliating margin, and mislaid many of his party’s seats on local councils – even theatremakers are having a go. At the centrepiece of Suffolk's annual HighTide festival of new writing is Nicked, a new show telling the story of the rise and fall of the Deputy PM, through the medium of musical theatre, rap and urban dance. One thing's for sure – the reviews were a darn sight better than any Clegg has been receiving lately Photograph: Bill Knight

One muscular liberal who has been faring rather better is Johnny ‘Rooster’ Byron, the central character in Jez Butterworth’s Olivier award-winning play, Jerusalem. The show, which has transferred to New York, is flying the flag for UK productions in Broadway’s theatre awards season, and this week picked up a Best Foreign Play gong from the New York Drama Critics' Circle. The National Theatre’s War Horse was also recognised with a special citation, and all eyes – not just British – will now be on these two shows when they go head-to-head at the Tonys next month. Time to dust off that royal bunting once more? (Though the frontrunner is The Book of Mormon, a new musical from the creators of South Park) Photograph: Geraint Lewis / Rex Features

Back in the West End, though, there's been bad news for musical theatre fans, with the revelation that Dress Circle – billed as 'the longest-running showbusiness and musical theatre shop in the world' and the best place in London to pick up a replica Phantom of the Opera mask or Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat teddy bear – is facing imminent closure. According to its owner, the shop is struggling owing to a dearth of cast recordings and merchandise being produced by the current crop of West End shows. So you might have to hurry if you want to pick up that Umbrellas of Cherbourg-branded – yes, you’ve guessed it – umbrella Photograph: PR

One show that you wouldn’t expect to support a broad range of branded memorabilia is Edward Bond's Saved. Despite this obvious setback, London's Lyric Hammersmith has taken the bold decision to give the play its first revival in more than 25 years. When it was first staged at the Royal Court back in 1965, it divided critics and angered censors – largely thanks to a scene in which a baby in a pram is stoned to death. The new production will be directed by the Lyric’s artistic director Sean Holmes, whose recent production of the similarly controversial Blasted by Sarah Kane was recognised with an Olivier award earlier this year
Photograph: Christopher Thomond

After narrowly missing out on a plum role in the Edward Bond revival – so my sources say – Dame Edna Everage has instead decided to turn her attentions to a marginally less harrowing form of theatrical entertainment – pantomime. There's news that she will be making her panto debut at London's New Wimbledon Theatre in December, following in the footsteps of Henry Winkler, David Hasselhoff and (who could forget?) Pamela Anderson. Let’s just hope she won’t be trying to squeeze herself into Pammy’s costumes, possums Photograph: Getty

While the week might have begun with all eyes on Lady Nunn, it ended with a Lady Macbeth conspicuous by her absence. Jemma Redgrave had been due to take on one of Shakespeare’s most demanding roles at the Liverpool Everyman, but pulled out a few weeks into rehearsals, citing “personal reasons”. Instead, Julia Ford took to the stage alongside David Morrissey when the show opened to the press. Has the curse of the Scottish play struck again? (Or maybe Friday 13 is to blame) Photograph: Peter Byrne/PA Wire