Skip to main contentSkip to navigationSkip to navigation
Print subscriptions
Sign in
Search jobs
Search
The Guardian - Back to homeThe Guardian
Christopher Walken
Christopher Walken, as we know him now. Photograph: Benedict Evans/The Guardian
Christopher Walken, as we know him now. Photograph: Benedict Evans/The Guardian

Culture quiz: from vagrant pianists to Christopher Walken's past life

This article is more than 4 years old

Test your arts knowledge with these questions from the Observer’s critics

  1. 1.Which of the following is true of Emma Thompson?
  2. 2.Before he became an actor, Christopher Walken had a job doing what?
  3. 3. Paul McGann played “I” in Bruce Robinson’s Withnail and I. But he was fired from the role during rehearsals. Why was he fired and how did he win back the role?Paul McGann (left) and Richard E Grant in Withnail and I
  4. 4.Who did not paint The Three Graces?
  5. 5.How many Black Paintings did Goya make?A detail from Saturn Devouring his Son by Francisco de Goya
  6. 6.Franz Schubert, though only 31 when he died, composed many songs for voice and piano. How many did he write (to the nearest round figure)?A detail from Schubert at the Piano by Gustav Klimt.
  7. 7.Which pianist was arrested for sitting on a park bench in midsummer, wearing an overcoat, hat and gloves, on suspicion of vagrancy?
  8. 8.Which of these UK sitcoms ran on British television until it was lured behind the barn and hit with an axe?
  9. 9.Peri Gilpin, born in Waco, Texas, in 1961, was a longstanding feature as which character in a US comedy?
  10. 10.All five of ITV’s (pre-lockdown) “Chasers” have appeared on Mastermind, choosing among their specialist subjects FA Cup finals, Ferdinand Magellan, The Simpsons, Lorenz Hart and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Who opted for Matt Groening’s cartoon?Bradley Walsh hosting The Chase on ITV
  11. 11.Which Booker prize-winning novelist has had two Racine translations put on stage?
  12. 12. In which Shakespeare play does a dog called Crab appear?
  13. 13.Which prime minister cited the Smiths as their favourite band?The Smiths
  14. 14. Who said: “We only ever had one argument. It’s been lasting for 25 years”?
  15. 15.Which UK rapper castigated the Tory government recently for their handling of the NHS?
  16. 16.Radiohead’s landmark album Kid A turns 20 this year. Which of these statements is not true?Thom Yorke of Radiohead performing in 2000.
  17. 17.Who was the first woman to win the Pritzker prize?
  18. 18.Who was the architect of Tower Bridge in London?
Explore more on these topics
Share
Reuse this content

Most viewed

Most viewed