From Talking Heads to a painter with seven fingers: the Observer culture quiz

Test your arts knowledge with these questions from our critics The recent TV version of Alan Bennett’s Talking Heads featured a slew of 2020 actors reprising roles first taken in 1988 and 1998. Two monologues were newly written, and two, A Cream Cracker Under the Settee and Waiting for the Telegram, were not refilmed, being deemed unbetterable. Who was the original talking head in both cases? Thora Hird Alan Bennett Maggie Smith The daughter of an Irish musician is currently enthralling some of our Sunday evenings with lashings of laudanum and Maori magic. With which of these songs did her father once top the US Billboard chart? I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For Whisky in the jar Bright Side of the Road Which London location inspired Mendelssohn’s popular Spring Song? Hampstead Heath Kew Gardens Camberwell Green What do Charlize Theron, Zoe Saldana and Christian Bale have in common? They have all played cyborgs They all trained in ballet They all breed koi Which artist painted himself with seven fingers? Picasso Dalí Chagall Before he moved into the world of film, the late director Joel Schumacher worked as what? A department store window-dresser A firefighter A limbo dancer Which of the following is NOT true of Russell Crowe? He is a fan of Leeds United He is a trained wrestler He used to perform in a band under the name Russ Le Roq Which Victorian novelist was also a theatrical business manager? Wilkie Collins Bram Stoker Anthony Trollope Which artist painted herself playing a lute? Artemisia Gentileschi Lavinia Fontana Sofonisba Anguissola Which of these TV titles, as printed here, has a grammatical, syntactical or spelling error? Who Wants to Be a Millionaire Dad's Army Howards End Peter Dalton, Wayne Furniss and Jamie Pinchbeck were early, pre‑fame members of which Sheffield band? Arctic Monkeys The Human League Pulp Who said “in this house with its four walls of glass I feel like a prowling animal, always on the alert”? Ray Eames Edith Farnsworth Lina Bo Bardi Many Haydn symphonies have nicknames, including one of the following. Which? The duck The bear The budgerigar In which play is the word “critic” used as an expletive? Waiting for Godot Look Back in Anger The Front Page Who called what “that great heap of stones”? Sarah Churchill of Blenheim Palace King Khufu of the Great Pyramid Winston Churchill of the Palace of Westminster Who urged us to Give Ireland Back to the Irish and was banned for their trouble? Van Morrison Dexys Midnight Runners Wings Neil Jordan’s 1992 thriller The Crying Game borrowed its title from a song released by whom? Chuck Berry Dave Berry Tony Berry Who is Sasha Fierce? The actor Alexander Armstrong’s DJ alias Beyoncé’s braver alter ego A British dance music producer 15 and above. You really are the cultural upper crust. Bask in the glory! 9 and above. Solid work – you clearly know your cultural onions. 0 and above. Oh... well, the less said about this, the better, eh? 4 and above. Don't worry, with a little work you'll be one of the cultural elite in no time. See you next week... Continue reading...
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