Watch the Skies to Wet Leg: your complete entertainment guide to the week ahead
Watch the SkiesOut now With the return of all things Y2K in fashion and music, it makes sense that the turn of the millennium fascination with little green men would likewise be back in vogue,But this sci-fi about a teenager teaming up with an agency that investigates paranormal phenomena is notable for its futuristic qualities too: it uses AI dubbing technology to create an English-language film from the Swedish original,SupermanOut now Superman is dead, long live Superman: wave goodbye to handsome hunk Henry Cavill’s stint as the man of steel and say hello to the new era of equally handsome hunk David Corenswet, a veteran of two Ryan Murphy series on Netflix,At the helm of this reboot is James Gunn, the director behind diverse entertainments including Slither and Guardians of the Galaxy,Michael Haneke RetrospectiveVarious venues nationwide; to 30 July The Austrian director is known for making films that are often kind of a bummer, but also bona fide masterpieces.
Following a major season at BFI Southbank, Haneke films are being programmed in cinemas across the country this summer, so check out your local listings for the chance to see the likes of Funny Games and the Palme d’Or-winners The White Ribbon and Amour on the big screen.Nine QueensOut now The nine queens of the title refers to a sheet of rare stamps, which a pair of hustlers (Ricardo Darín, Gastón Pauls) attempt to palm off on a wealthy collector in this new 4K rerelease of the award-winning 2000 Argentinian classic crime drama, directed by Fabián Bielinsky.Catherine BrayEmma RawiczJazz at the Palace, Buxton, 12 July Buxton’s two-week arts festival features some generous jazz programming – covering the music’s variations all over the world, and including a centenary celebration for late great pianist Oscar Peterson.Powerful and lyrical young UK saxophonist Emma Rawicz is an early highlight, with her A-list quartet including pianist Elliot Galvin.John FordhamLeon Bridges18 to 24 July; tour starts London Armed with an extraordinary voice, the Texan singer-songwriter’s 70s-indebted soul music really comes to life on stage.
Playing some of his biggest venues in the UK, expect songs from last year’s Leon album, as well as breakthrough debut Coming Home, which just celebrated its 10th anniversary,Michael CraggLost Minds festivalExhibition Park, Newcastle, 12 July Headlined by Horny in Jericho hitmakers and happy hardcore legends Scooter, the electronic dance music festival returns to Newcastle for its fourth year,Joining the German quartet on the lineup are DJs from the veteran Cream label and Bristol trance DJ and producer Ben Nicky,MCFirst Night of the PromsRoyal Albert Hall, London, 18 July Although there are some real treats to come later in this year’s season, the opening concert is distinctly run-of-the-mill,Sakari Oramo’s programme with the BBC Symphony Orchestra and its Chorus has one relative rarity – Vaughan Williams’ Sancta Civitas – but despite the premiere of The Elements, a BBC commission from Errollyn Wallen, the highlight is likely to be Lisa Batiashvili’s performance of Sibelius’s Violin Concerto.
Andrew ClementsLubaina Himid with Magda StawarskaKettle’s Yard, Cambridge, to 2 November Jim Ede’s unique and poetic art collection in his house, Kettle’s Yard, includes works by the early 20th-century modernist Sophie Brzeska along with her lover Henri Gaudier-Brzeska.She is the focus of an installation by Himid and Stawarska in an exhibition that also includes Himid’s witty paintings.The Power of DrawingRoyal Drawing School, London, to 26 July You don’t often see Tracey Emin and King Charles III in the same exhibition but they both love drawing – and the king has done a lot to nurture it with the Drawing School he founded 25 years ago.Others in this celebratory show include Tim Burton, David Hockney and Es Devlin.Victoria MortonReid Gallery, Glasgow School of Art, to 9 August It’s 30 years since Morton graduated from Glasgow School of Art; this show marks the occasion with a tour of her achievements in painting, sculpture, photography and more.
Her best works are her seductive abstract paintings that flow and seem to melt before your eyes in wild and convulsive colours,Duane LinklaterCamden Art Centre, London, to 21 September This Omaskêko Ininiwak artist from North Bay, Ontario questions ownership of cultural treasures, explores memory and portrays identity in installations partly created with his son Tobias Linklater, while incorporating objects created by his grandmother Ethel (Trapper) Linklater that have been borrowed from a museum,It’s an exhibition haunted by colonialism,Jonathan JonesComedy at the CastlePowderham, Devon, Friday & 19 July Once the preserve of grotty clubs and rowdy pubs, nowadays it’s possible to see standup in the most bucolic and picturesque of settings,This event showcases big stars – Frank Skinner, Joel Dommett, Russell Kane, Jen Brister – in the magnificent surroundings of Powderham castle, which dates back to the 14th century.
Rachel AroestiLondon City BalletBlackpool Grand Theatre, 12 July; Grange Park Opera, Surrey, 13 July (excerpts only), then touring Last year, London City Ballet was triumphantly revived after an almost 30-year hiatus, with a remit to be a modern ballet company dancing new works and forgotten classics.This second season’s rep includes a revival of a lost George Balanchine work, and a piece by Alexei Ratmansky.Lyndsey WinshipSing StreetLyric Hammersmith, London, to 23 August Enda Walsh did a stunning job adapting John Carney’s film Once for the stage – and now he’s tackling the charming coming-of-age film Sing Street.Set in 80s Dublin, it’s about a 16-year-old lad who starts up a band to impress a girl.Miriam GillinsonGrace PervadesTheatre Royal Bath, to 19 July Ralph Fiennes’ season of work kicks off with a David Hare premiere.
Directed by Jeremy Herrin, the play tells the story of Victorian stage stars Henry Irving and Ellen Terry, and their troubled but talented children.Starring Ralph Fiennes and Miranda Raison.MGSign up to Inside SaturdayThe only way to get a look behind the scenes of the Saturday magazine.Sign up to get the inside story from our top writers as well as all the must-read articles and columns, delivered to your inbox every weekend.after newsletter promotionBookishU&Originals, Wednesday, 8pm Scratch that Sherlock itch with Mark Gatiss’s new cosy, brainteasery detective series.
He plays Gabriel Book, a bookshop owner (naturally) who assists police with “the fiddly bits” in 1940s London – and also happens to be a gay man married to his best pal (Polly Walker).Mix TapeBBC Two & iPlayer, Tuesday, 9pm Adaptations of books themed around thwarted young love are TV catnip (see: Normal People, One Day).This dramatisation of Jane Sanderson’s 2020 novel about Dan (Jim Sturgess) and Alison (Teresa Palmer), who reconnect after a teenage tryst in 1980s Sheffield, mines similar appeal with its blend of sweetness, mystery and nostalgia.The InstituteMGM+, 13 July Available within the Prime Video platform, MGM+ will be hoping this adaptation of Stephen King’s 2019 novel about genius kids who are forcibly institutionalised – apparently for the global good – gets eyeballs on its streaming service.Newcomer Joe Freeman plays the suspicious teen protagonist, and Weeds’ Mary-Louise Parker is the organisation’s creepy head.
UntamedNetflix, Thursday Eric Bana and Sam Neill join forces for this murder mystery with a truly awesome setting, created by father-daughter writing team Elle and Mark L Smith (The Revenant).When a body is found in Yosemite national park, Bana’s special agent investigates – but is soon confronted by the frightening contours of his own past.RADonkey Kong Bananza Out 17 July; Switch 2 The first Donkey Kong game for a decade sees our primate protagonist smashing his way through a sprawling underground lair while hunting for stolen treasure.A gorgeous 3D world and lots of side quests make this a Switch 2 must-have.Shadow Labyrinth Out 18 July; PC, Switch 1/2, Xbox, PS5 Namco has reimagined Pac-Man hundreds of times over the past 40 years, but this might be the most fascinating example: a dark 2D action platformer in which you navigate a maze-like world, consuming enemies and taking their powers.
No cute ghosts and sparkly cherries this time round … Keith StuartWet Leg – Moisturizer Out now Now expanded to a five-piece, The Isle of Wight’s finest return with this follow-up to 2022’s self-titled breakthrough.More muscular than its predecessor, but no less playful, Moisturizer features the pogoing post-punk of Catch These Fists and the skewed indie shuffle of recent single Davina McCall.Burna Boy – No Sign of Weakness Out now The Grammy-winning Nigerian superstar, fresh from collaborations with the likes of Coldplay and 21 Savage, offers up more of his musical eclecticism on this eighth album.While the heartfelt Sweet Love rides a sun-kissed reggae lilt, TaTaTa, which features Travis Scott, is a heaving fusion of Afrobeats and rap.Gwenno – Utopia Out now On this fourth album from Gwenno Saunders, the follow-up to 2022’s Mercury-nominated album, the Cornish-language Tresor, the Welsh singer-songwriter sings mostly in English for the first time.
As cinematic and sonically rich as ever, songs such as Dancing On Volcanoes showcase Saunders’ melodic sensibilities.Clipse – Let God Sort Em Out Out now Sixteen years after their last album, the Virginia rap duo, AKA Pusha T and Malice, return as if no time has passed.As with their 2006 classic Hell Hath No Fury, Let God Sort Em Out features Pharrell in the producer’s chair, with single Ace Trumpets built around a skeletal, head-knocking beat.MCBaumgartner Restoration YouTube The Chicago-based fine art restorers produce in-depth videos that are part art history explainer and part ASMR accounts of soothing brushwork.Learn how decades of damage is miraculously removed, as well as how previous restorations went wrong.
There’s a Lot I Haven’t AskedPodcast This moving new series by actor Hannah Donelan tells the story of Irish migrants to Manchester throughout the 20th century,First-hand testimony explores diaspora identity in the north and the legacy of the Troubles,Apocalypse in the Tropics14 July, Netflix A fascinating film looking at the increasing influence of Christian televangelist leaders in Brazil,Speaking to both President Lula and former president Bolsonaro, it shows how rightwing politics are being manipulated by powerful church leaders,Ammar Kalia
Watch the Skies to Wet Leg: your complete entertainment guide to the week ahead
Watch the SkiesOut now With the return of all things Y2K in fashion and music, it makes sense that the turn of the millennium fascination with little green men would likewise be back in vogue. But this sci-fi about a teenager teaming up with an agency that investigates paranormal phenomena is notable for its futuristic qualities too: it uses AI dubbing technology to create an English-language film from the Swedish original.SupermanOut now Superman is dead, long live Superman: wave goodbye to handsome hunk Henry Cavill’s stint as the man of steel and say hello to the new era of equally handsome hunk David Corenswet, a veteran of two Ryan Murphy series on Netflix. At the helm of this reboot is James Gunn, the director behind diverse entertainments including Slither and Guardians of the Galaxy.Michael Haneke RetrospectiveVarious venues nationwide; to 30 July The Austrian director is known for making films that are often kind of a bummer, but also bona fide masterpieces
The Guide #198: Such Brave Girls shows that grown-up gross-out comedy is thriving
The best binge-watches should make you feel a little bit sick while you gorge on them, and Kat Sadler’s sitcom Such Brave Girls, which just returned for a second season on BBC Three and iPlayer, certainly fits that description. I found myself burning through episodes, the enjoyment of them tempered with the slightest top note of nausea.That isn’t a criticism of the series, which follows the chaotically bleak existence of adult sisters Josie (Sadler) and Billie (Lizzie Davidson), still living at home with their wild-eyed mother, Deb (Louise Brealey). In fact it’s the intended reaction. From its logo (the title of the show made out in strands of wet hair slithering across bathroom tiles) onwards, Such Brave Girls is built to shock, unsettle and gross out, but above all be laughed at
‘What should be taught in schools?’: the infamous ‘Scopes monkey trial’ turns 100
Her great-grandfather was a doctor called to attend to the lawyer who put the case for creationism. Her great-grandmother was related to Charles Darwin. And now she works in the courthouse where the “trial of the century” – in which a high school teacher was accused of illegally teaching evolution – began exactly a century ago on Thursday.No one has a perspective on the “Scopes monkey trial” quite like Pat Guffey, a former high school biology teacher in Dayton, Tennessee. As the city prepares to mark the centenary with a week-long festival including a dramatic re-enactment of the court battle, she is aware how its legacy proved both a blessing and a curse
Comedian Paul Smith: ‘People get disappointed when they meet me in real life. I’m really quiet’
The scouse standup’s cheeky takedowns of his audiences have earned him viral fame, 1.2 million Instagram followers and a string of sold-out arena shows. But is that the real him? Far from it, he saysAt the Hot Water Comedy Club in Liverpool, Paul Smith’s standup double-header feels like a pop star’s homecoming. Women are wearing his tour T-shirts as dresses and the bar is half a dozen deep with fans hoping to get roasted by the local comic famous for his audience takedowns. There are first-daters, girls’ night outs, lads’ night outs, tourists, locals, couples, mothers and their grownup sons clamouring for a spot on the front row
Clash of cultures: exhibition tells story of when Vikings ruled the north of England
Viking North at Yorkshire Museum features UK’s largest exhibition of Viking-age artefacts, including era’s ‘cheap’ jewellery and evidence of slave-owningWhen Anglo-Saxons buried their jewellery in an attempt to keep it safe from marauding Vikings, it is unlikely they envisaged their treasures would be dug up a millennium later and studied by their descendants.Nor would they have expected the items to sit alongside everyday objects owned by their Scandinavian oppressors as part of the largest exhibition of Viking-age artefacts in the UK, aiming to tell the story for the first time of the invaders’ power base in the north of England.“This is the finest collection of objects from Viking-age England that you can see on display in a museum in this country,” says Dr Adam Parker, curator of archaeology at York Museums Trust.Viking North, which opens on Friday, focuses on the settlement of the Viking Great Army, as it is known, which arrived in the north of England from Scandinavia in AD866 and spent two centuries controlling the territory.Among the exhibits are examples of the Vikings’ great wealth, some of which appeared to be raided from holy sites, such as an Anglo-Saxon silver-gilt bowl with Christian symbolism on it found buried with a Viking warrior
Notting Hill carnival to go ahead this year after £1m funding boost
Cash will pay for extra measures to address ‘critical public safety concerns’ identified in independent review of festival Notting Hill carnival will go ahead this year after almost £1m of funding was raised to provide extra safety and infrastructure measures.City Hall, Kensington and Chelsea council and Westminster city council together provided £958,000 for the event following pleas from organisers for support, after a review recommended several changes to make the event safe.The chair of Notting Hill Carnival Ltd, Ian Comfort, who had appealed to the culture secretary, Lisa Nandy, for additional support, said the event’s future was secured just in time.The event always takes place over the August bank holiday weekend – which this year runs from Saturday 23 August to Monday 25 August.“Although this support comes just weeks before the event, it is a much-needed and welcome commitment,” Comfort said
Elisa Longo Borghini retains Giro d’Italia Women title as Lippert wins final stage
Coach reset helped Swiatek turn ban nightmare into a Wimbledon dream
How the rightwing sports bro conquered America
Andy Farrell is warned not to count Australia out as Lions focus on first Test
When women fight: Taylor v Serrano and the meaning of choice in the ring
Britain’s Hamzah Sheeraz crushes Edgar Berlanga to announce 168lb arrival