From Spinal Tap II to Ed Sheeran : your complete entertainment guide to the week ahead
Spinal Tap II: The End ContinuesOut nowFollowing up one of the greatest comedies ever made is a tough act, but here come Rob Reiner et al to have a bash at rekindling the magic.Luckily the subject matter of an ageing band still determined to take it to 11 has plenty of real-world touchstones to keep this particular parody relevant.From Ground Zero: Stories from GazaOut nowTwenty-two directors come together via producer Rashid Masharawi and exec producer Michael Moore to create this documentary about Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza, which – as reported by a UN special committee, Amnesty International and Médecins Sans Frontières – has created the largest group of child amputees per capita in history and created a deliberate man-made famine, among other violations of international law.The Long WalkOut nowIn a version of the United States ruled by a fascist regime, a group of young men take part in a contest where they must always walk a speed of at least three miles per hour or be shot by their military chaperones.So it’s got a Squid Game meets Hunger Games vibe, based on the 1979 novel by Stephen King.
IslandsOut nowSam Riley plays a jaded tennis coach at a bougie island resort, whose days are filled with drinking and sex.When Anne (Stacy Martin) and her husband, Dave (Jack Farthing), ask for lessons for their young son Anton, the stage is set for an extramarital affair with a twist.Catherine BrayBusted v McFly16 September to 8 November; tour starts BirminghamA decade after the two titans of UK pop-punk conjoined as McBusted (sans Charlie Simpson), they are back together for this co-headlining tour (plus Simpson).Expect middle-aged rock star jumps, plenty of pyro and some stone-cold crowdpleasers such as Year 3000, Obviously and Air Hostess.Michael CraggThe Beths17 to 27 September; tour starts DublinThis New Zealand indie quartet juxtapose their joyful music with vocalist Liz Stokes’s knotty lyrics touching on anxiety and depression.
Their janglesome fourth album, Straight Line Was a Lie, will be showcased during this two-week tour.Michael CraggLed BibLancaster jazz festival, 14 September; Halifax, 15 September; Bristol, 16 September; Nottingham, 17 September; Birmingham, 18 September; London, 19 September; touring to 20 SeptemberThe urgently exciting two-sax, bass and drums lineup of these 2009 Mercury nominees has had a consistently singular sound since its invention by expat US drummer-composer Mark Holub, inspired by the quirks of Frank Zappa, Captain Beefheart and punk, and latterly embracing hip-hop and electronics.John FordhamThe Dream of GerontiusSymphony Hall, Birmingham, 17 SeptemberThe CBSO and its magnificent Chorus open their new season with a work first performed in Birmingham 125 years ago.Kazuki Yamada conducts Elgar’s masterpiece, with Toby Spence as the expiring Gerontius.Andrew ClementsLesley Barnes and Ross McAuleyYorkshire Sculpture Park, nr Wakefield, to 2 November There are echoes of Kazimir Malevich and also of the Bauhaus school in this exhibition of bright and colourful wooden figures that are designed to display the fun of fashion.
These abstract puppet-like people are defined by the colours they “wear”, which fashion their ever-changing identities.Radical HarmonyNational Gallery, London, 13 September to 8 FebruaryArt collector Helene Kröller-Müller had dots in her eyes: she assembled a great collection of pointillist paintings by Seurat, Signac and more who broke up the image into specks of colour.They saw themselves not just as optical painters but political ones, as these masterpieces from the Kröller-Müller Museum reveal.Theatre PicassoTate Modern, London, 17 September to 12 AprilThe Tate collection of Picasso, from his early cubist assaults on the European artistic tradition to his great surrealist paintings The Three Dancers and Weeping Woman, is the backbone of this show.It explores his performance as a celebrity artist, with films and photos, and sees his art as theatrical.
Matthew DeanSalisbury Museum, to 4 JanuaryThis Wiltshire artist walks the wide chalk landscapes, making quick sketches of trees or hills that catch his eye, working on them in his studio to create abstracted but evocative contemporary takes on the traditional landscape view.He’s keeping alive the spirit of Constable, who also painted Salisbury and Stonehenge.Jonathan JonesJosh WiddicombeTouring to 16 May First he was a crowd-pleasing observational comic, then he was the amiable star of his own underrated sitcom.But it was during lockdown that the 42-year-old really won hearts as a beleaguered parenting podcaster.He parlays that parasocial appeal into his first post-pandemic tour, Not My Cup of Tea.
Rachel AroestiCreditorsOrange Tree theatre, London, to 11 OctoberArtistic director Tom Littler’s autumn season kicks off with Howard Brenton’s adaptation of Strindberg’s brutal comic thriller about marriage and manipulation.There’s a cracking cast: Charles Dance, Nicholas Farrell, Geraldine James.Miriam GillinsonRomeo and JulietLiverpool Everyman, 13 September to 4 October Director Ellie Hurt’s contemporary production will focus on the gulf between the old and young generations – and the role this plays in the lovers’ downfall.It’ll be stripped back and infused with live song and music, starring Zoe West and Alicia Forde.MGJoss Arnott Dance: Meet the HatterStanley & Audrey Burton theatre, Leeds, 19 September; touring to 21 February This brand new production to celebrate the company’s 15th anniversary takes Lewis Carroll’s Mad Hatter on a journey of self-discovery.
The solo performer interacts with digital projections, music and animation.Suitable for ages 5+.Lindsey WinshipSign 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 promotionThe Morning Show Apple TV+, 17 September Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon’s breakfast TV presenters continue to butt heads while walking purposefully down corridors in this star-studded drama, known for grappling with hot-potato topics in reliably ridiculous style.
Marion Cotillard, Jeremy Irons and William Jackson Harper join the cast for season four.Black Rabbit Netflix, 18 SeptemberThe Bear meets an irreverent gangster thriller in this new series starring Jude Law as the owner of a swish New York restaurant who gets dragged into the city’s criminal underworld by his renegade brother (an extremely hairy Jason Bateman).Laura Linney is part of the big-name directing lineup.Gen V Prime Video, 17 SeptemberReturning for season two, this eyewateringly violent, drily comic and visually wild spin-off of superhero satire The Boys follows a group of teens with special powers at a university for crimefighting.Campus capers, however, are few and far between – especially once a sinister new dean intent on turning young supes into deadly soldiers takes charge.
Haunted Hotel Netflix, 19 September Between #1 Happy Family USA and Long Story Short, it’s already been a great year for smart and funny adult animation.Now those shose are joined by Rick and Morty writer Matt Roller’s madcap comedy about a woman who recruits her dead brother (the inimitable Will Forte) to help run a ghost-riddled hotel.RADying Light: The BeastOut 19 September, PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/SA follow-up to gruesome survival adventure Dying Light 2, The Beast has antihero Kyle Crane using every weapon available to survive the undead-infested confines of Castor Woods.If 28 Years Later has reignited your hunger for zombified slaughter, here’s your next meal.Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred TreeOut 19 September, PCBeautiful anime-style visuals and intricate combat mechanics combine in this magical rogue-lite adventure.
Lead character Towa sets out with a group of friends to save her world from a malign god – but sacrifice will be inevitable … Keith StuartSophie Ellis-Bextor – PerimenopopOut nowFollowing Murder on the Dancefloor’s Saltburn-assisted revival in 2023, Sophie Ellis-Bextor channels its sparkly dance-pop essence onFor this her eighth album, Ellis-Bextor is assisted by a coterie of banger merchants including MNEK, Hannah Robinson and Biff Stannard.It’s anchored by the sugary swirl of Freedom of the Night.Ed Sheeran – PlayOut now After 2023’s pair of acoustic albums, the When Will I Be Alright hitmaker ups the tempo for what he warns is the first of his planned symbol-themed albums (Pause, Fast Forward, Rewind, and Stop are due to follow).Singles Azizam and Sapphire feature musical influences from Persia and India, respectively.Jade – That’s Showbiz BabyOut nowAlready home to six top-tier singles, the debut solo album from the erstwhile Little Mixer is unleashed.
While the chaotic Angel of My Dreams skewers the music industry over glorious kitchen sink production, tracks such as the pensive Plastic Box and the lithe disco of Fantasy showcase Jade’s pop range.Jens Lekman – Songs for Other People’s WeddingsOut nowInspired by the Swedish indie pop practitioner’s sideline as a wedding singer, Lekman’s typically lush seventh album arrives with a book of the same name.Centred on a fictional character called J, the album’s baroque lead single, Candy From a Stranger, marks the moment the couple meet for the first time.MCBehind the PassPodcastThere are a glut of podcasts promising to uncover the secrets of the restaurant industry but Marcus O’Laoire’s series is a genuinely intriguing insight into Irish hospitality: he speaks to chefs about the country’s exciting new ventures.Jared HendersonYouTubeJared Henderson’s video essays provide accessible insights into philosophy, from reading list recommendations to analyses of ancient movements such as stoicism and more current terms including techno feudalism.
The Thousand Voices of Cathy BerberianBBC Radio 3 & iPlayer, 14 September, 7.15pmThis charming and creative audio documentary immerses listeners in the world of opera singer, mimic, multilinguist and comic Cathy Berberian.We follow her influential career through a collage of interviews, musical recordings and expert analysis.Ammar Kalia
Get tough on tobacco and alcohol firms to improve public health | Letters
The “timid” approach by the government when it comes to regulating businesses is a shift from the promises of just a year ago to face down the nanny-state jibes to secure the long-term future of the NHS (Editorial, 9 September). This approach is also at odds with public sentiment. Recent polling showed 74% of people want the government to prioritise people’s health over business growth.With millions of people affected by preventable diseases caused by tobacco, alcohol and unhealthy food, we need stronger action from the government to match the rhetoric – including minimum unit pricing to prevent strong alcohol being sold cheaply, a levy on the profits of the tobacco industry and the implementation of mandatory policies to improve food and drink.This will not just benefit the NHS but support the government’s growth ambition, given the heavy toll of poor health on productivity and the wider economy
Reasons for rise in caesarean births | Letter
The rise in the rate of medically assisted births in the UK, particularly caesareans, is laid firmly at the feet of women for being older, larger and having more complex medical problems (Report, 11 September). This ignores a range of clinical and societal factors that contribute. Maternal factors play a part, but so does the rise in defensive clinical practice, the loss of midwives’ and obstetricians’ skills and confidence in supporting physiological birth, and the proliferation of misinformation and scare stories on social media that increase parental anxiety.All these factors have led us to the current crisis, where more than 50% of babies are born with surgical intervention, with no concomitant improvement in maternal or perinatal mortality and with unknown consequences for the health and wellbeing of future generations. Dr Debbie GarrodMidwife and antenatal educator, Abingdon, Oxfordshire Have an opinion on anything you’ve read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it will be considered for publication in our letters section
Prisons in England and Wales to cut spending on education courses by up to 50%
Prisons across England and Wales are set to slash frontline spending on education courses by up to 50%, despite promises from Keir Starmer to improve “access to learning” in last year’s general election manifesto.The budget for classroom courses at HMP Leicester will be cut by 46.5%, another men’s prison is cutting spending by 25%, while a women’s prison is cutting its provision in education by 26%, sources have confirmed.In one prison, there will be a reduction in the number of basic English and maths courses, including cuts to the hours of a specialist teacher who helps illiterate prisoners to read.Labour promised in 2024 to “work with prisons to improve offenders’ access to purposeful activity, such as learning”, acknowledging that “prison leavers are more likely to reoffend if they do not have the tools to move away from crime
Government considering compensation for victims of carer’s allowance scandal
The government is considering compensation payouts for unpaid carers who have been unfairly hit with huge financial repayments in recent years after inadvertently falling foul of harsh carer’s allowance benefit rules.Ministers vowed to fix problems with the benefit after a Guardian investigation revealed how draconian penalties coupled with Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) administrative failures had plunged hundreds of thousands of carers into debt.More than 144,000 carers are now repaying £251m in benefit overpayments that typically amount to £5,000 but can be as high as £20,000. Some face life-changing bills after accidentally breaching earnings rules by a few pence a week.The Guardian’s reporting of the DWP’s often brutal treatment of carers who were accidentally caught out by carer’s allowance earnings rules caused public outrage and led to comparisons with the Post Office scandal
‘I kept asking: “Why? What did I do?”’ How come so many young, fit, non-smoking women are getting lung cancer?
For decades, lung cancer has been viewed as a disease of older men who smoked. Now, cases among young women are on the rise and doctors are baffled. Could air pollution be behind it?Towards the end of 2019, Becca Smith’s life was full and hectic. At 28, she had taken on a unit in Chester to convert into a yoga studio, poured in all her savings and hired teachers, while at the same time working as a personal trainer. Her days started at 5am; she was driven, stressed, excited, and had no time for the back pain that just would not subside
NHS access to promising sleeping pill daridorexant is patchy, say doctors
Tens of thousands of prescriptions have been issued in England for a promising and non-addictive new sleeping pill, but doctors say NHS uptake is being held back by cost and patchy awareness.Daridorexant, approved last year, has been prescribed 67,000 times since November 2023, at an estimated cost of £2.6m to the NHS. The drug has been hailed for helping people fall asleep faster, stay asleep longer and wake up clear-headed – without the dependency risks of traditional pills.But access is uneven
From Spinal Tap II to Ed Sheeran : your complete entertainment guide to the week ahead
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