Michel Hazanavicius's The Artist is a charming and inventive homage to the silent film era and the transition to sound. While primarily focused on the film industry, it resonates with the theme of performance as it depicts the career of a silent movie star whose world is turned upside down by the advent of 'talkies'. The film itself is presented in the style of a silent movie, with black and white cinematography and a lack of dialogue (save for a few key moments), relying on expressive performances and a beautiful score. It won multiple Academy Awards, including Best Picture, celebrating the artistry of a bygone era of performance that shares roots with theatre.

A unique blend of horror and dark comedy, Theatre of Blood stars the incomparable Vincent Price as Edward Lionheart, a Shakespearean actor who was critically savaged and presumed dead. He returns to exact bloody revenge on the theatre critics who scorned him, orchestrating their deaths in gruesome ways inspired by scenes from Shakespeare's plays. The film is a delight for fans of Price and classic horror, offering a deliciously campy and inventive series of theatrical murders. It's a macabre love letter to Shakespeare and a satirical jab at the world of criticism, set against the backdrop of London's theatre scene.

Joel Schumacher's adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber's globally successful stage musical, The Phantom of the Opera, brings the gothic romance to the big screen with opulent production design and soaring melodies. The story follows a disfigured musical genius who haunts the Paris Opera House and becomes obsessed with a young soprano. While translating a grand theatrical spectacle to film can be challenging, this version captures the lavish scale and dramatic intensity of the stage show, featuring the famous songs and tragic love triangle that have captivated audiences worldwide for decades. It's a direct descendant of the stage, brought to cinematic life.

Powell and Pressburger's visually stunning masterpiece, The Red Shoes, is a technicolor feast that, while centered on ballet, captures the intense dedication and sacrifices demanded by a life in performance art. It tells the story of a young dancer torn between her passion for ballet and her love for a composer, all under the demanding eye of an impresario. The film features extended ballet sequences, including a breathtaking adaptation of the titular Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale. It's a powerful, almost mythical, exploration of the all-consuming nature of artistic ambition and its collision with personal life, deeply influential on subsequent films about the performing arts.

Stage Beauty delves into a fascinating, transitional period in the history of English theatre: the Restoration era, when King Charles II decreed that women could finally perform on stage, ending the tradition of men playing female roles. The film focuses on a famous male actor known for his portrayals of women and his relationship with a young actress who becomes the first woman to play Desdemona. It's a compelling historical drama that explores themes of gender, identity, performance, and the upheaval caused by changing social norms within the theatrical world, anchored by strong performances.

Christopher Guest's mockumentary Waiting for Guffman is a truly funny and affectionate portrayal of small-town amateur theatre. The film follows the quirky residents of Blaine, Missouri, as they prepare a musical production celebrating their town's history, hoping to impress a potential Broadway producer named Mr. Guffman. Featuring Guest's usual ensemble of improvisational comedic actors (including Eugene Levy, Catherine O'Hara, and Parker Posey), the movie finds humor in the earnestness, eccentricities, and misplaced artistic ambitions of its characters. It's a warm and hilarious look at the passion and pathos involved in community theatre.

A peak example of the classic Hollywood musical, The Band Wagon stars Fred Astaire as a washed-up film star attempting a comeback on Broadway. He teams up with a demanding theatrical director and a young ballerina, leading to comedic clashes and spectacular dance numbers. Directed by Vincente Minnelli, the film features songs by Arthur Schwartz and Howard Dietz, including the iconic 'That's Entertainment!'. It offers a charming, albeit idealized, look at the collaborative (and sometimes tumultuous) process of putting on a big Broadway show, filled with dazzling performances and delightful backstage antics.

Adapted from Michael Frayn's legendary stage farce, Noises Off... is a hilarious meta-comedy that follows a chaotic theatre troupe attempting to stage a dreadful play called 'Nothing On'. The film brilliantly captures the play's unique three-act structure: we see a disastrous final rehearsal, then the backstage pandemonium during a performance (with dialogue unheard, only frantic action), and finally, a performance late in the run where everything has completely fallen apart. Directed by Peter Bogdanovich, it's a masterclass in physical comedy and timing, showcasing the escalating madness that can occur when things go terribly wrong behind the curtain.

Based on Ronald Harwood's acclaimed play, The Dresser offers an intimate and often poignant look at the relationship between a tyrannical, aging Shakespearean actor (played with immense power by Albert Finney) and his devoted, long-suffering dresser (Tom Courtenay, equally brilliant) during a touring production in WWII Britain. The film is primarily set backstage, capturing the rituals, tensions, and sheer exhaustion of life on the road for a theatre company. It's a deep dive into the codependent dynamic between artist and assistant, showcasing two towering performances that earned both actors Oscar nominations.

Woody Allen's Bullets Over Broadway is a fast-paced, witty comedy set in the glamorous and dangerous world of 1920s New York theatre. It follows a naive young playwright who is forced to cast the talentless girlfriend of a mobster in his new play to secure funding. The film is filled with Allen's signature sharp dialogue, eccentric characters, and a fantastic ensemble cast, including Dianne Wiest in an Oscar-winning turn as a boozy, demanding stage diva. It captures the chaotic energy and peculiar compromises often found behind the curtains of Broadway productions, blending artistic aspirations with criminal underworld antics.

Mel Brooks' directorial debut, The Producers, is a masterclass in satirical comedy that takes aim squarely at the world of Broadway. Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder are a comedic dream team as Max Bialystock and Leo Bloom, a washed-up producer and his neurotic accountant who devise a scheme to get rich by staging a guaranteed flop musical, 'Springtime for Hitler'. The film's outrageous premise and fearless humor, particularly the infamous musical number, were initially controversial but quickly cemented its status as a cult classic. Its enduring popularity led to a massively successful stage musical adaptation, proving the power of its comedic genius.

Shakespeare in Love offers a delightful and witty fictional account of William Shakespeare's life as he struggles with writer's block while trying to write 'Romeo and Juliet'. The film is steeped in the atmosphere of Elizabethan London's bustling theatre scene, depicting the Globe Theatre, rival playwrights, and the challenges of putting on a play in that era – including the fact that all female roles were played by men. With a charming blend of romance, comedy, and historical speculation, the movie became a critical and commercial success, winning seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and remains a beloved portrayal of the creative process and the magic of the stage.

Alejandro G. Iñárritu's Birdman is a truly singular cinematic experience, famously shot to appear as a single, continuous take that mirrors the frantic energy of a live theatrical production. Michael Keaton stars as Riggan Thomson, a former blockbuster superhero actor attempting to regain artistic credibility by writing, directing, and starring in a Broadway play based on a Raymond Carver short story. The film is a dazzling mix of dark comedy, drama, and magical realism, exploring themes of ego, criticism, artistic integrity, and the struggle for relevance in the digital age. Its innovative style and powerful performances earned it the Academy Award for Best Picture.

A quintessential classic of Hollywood's Golden Age, All About Eve plunges headfirst into the cutthroat world of Broadway theatre. Bette Davis delivers one of her most celebrated performances as Margo Channing, a reigning stage star whose position is threatened by the seemingly innocent ingénue, Eve Harrington. The film is renowned for its razor-sharp dialogue, penned by writer-director Joseph L. Mankiewicz, offering a cynical yet captivating look at ambition, aging, and the masks people wear in the spotlight. It swept the Academy Awards, winning six Oscars, including Best Picture, and remains a definitive portrayal of backstage drama and the price of fame.