Parthenope to Poker Face: a complete guide to this week's entertainment
Selected for Cannes last year, the latest from Paolo Sorrentino, director of The Great Beauty and Youth stars Gary Oldman. And per Sorrentino's Fellini-esque motifs of feminine elegance and the visual splendour of Italy, he casts Celeste Dalla Porta in a decade-spanning coming-of-age story about a young woman born in the sea near Naples in 1950.
ThunderboltsOut now
Florence Pugh plays trained spy Yelena Belova, adoptive sister of Natasha Romanoff, AKA Black Widow, from which you may gather that we are again engaging with the intricacies of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Yelena and her allies are up against Julia Louis-Dreyfus as a villain called Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. You'll believe a bolt can thunder.
Scotland's Folk Film GatheringTo 11 May, Edinburgh
Edinburgh's Folk Film Gathering returns to the Cameo and Scottish Storytelling Centre, with new and archive cinema, live music and stories. This year includes performances from Irish fiddler Benedict Morris, Welsh harpist Gwen Màiri Yorke and Edinburgh's Ukrainian choir.
Queer East FestivalTo 18 May, various London venues
The annual festival of cinema and performing arts is back with more than 100 titles showcasing queer culture across east and south-east Asia, including (as the closing gala) the UK premiere of the documentary Edhi Alice, an exploration of the trans experience in South Korea, from queer activist Ilrhan Kim. Catherine Bray
Twenty One Pilots5 to 14 May; tiur starts Glasgow
Released last year, US alt-rock duo Twenty One Pilots' seventh album, Clancy, marked the final part of a nearly decade-long conceptual series. While the more intricate details of it all mightmay get lost on this cavernous arena tour, it's is likely to be a fiery, cathartic spectacle. Michael Cragg
The Excursions of Mr BroučekBarbican Hall, London, 4 and 6 May
Simon Rattle may no longer be the LSO's music director, but his cycle of Janáček's operas continues. Composed in 1920, the rarely performed Excursions of Mr Brouček is a satire of capitalist greed as personified by the beer-swilling Brouček, who journeys to the moon and back to the 15th century. Andrew Clements
Patrick Wolf8 to 16 May; tour starts Manchester
Ahead of next month's seventh album, Crying the Neck, his first since 2012, the idiosyncratic Wolf heads out on tour. Having dabbled in pulverising electro experiments, string-drenched ballads and synthpop symphonies, Wolf is a jack of all trades who can weave the threads together live. MC
Jason MoranMilton Court Concert Hall, London, 9 May
The Texan virtuoso pianist/composer Jason Moran has been taking listeners on startling journeys across jazz-rooted contemporary musics since the 1990s, often in illuminating mixed-media performances. On this solo-piano show, Moran celebrates the enthralling paintings of African-American artist Noah Davis. John Fordham
Huma Bhabha and GiacomettiBarbican Centre: Level 2, London, 8 May to 10 August
The slender, elongated bronze statues of Alberto Giacometti depict people who seem to defy a general catastrophe. They keep going when all they have left is themselves. Karachi-born Bhabha draws on global mythology and art history. She kicks off a year-long programme of 'encounters' between contemporary sculptors and Giacometti's masterpieces.
Robert Thomas James MillsCCA, Glasgow, 3 to 24 May
Modestly enough, this exhibition claims to offer a chance to think about time, space, the cosmos and your innermost being. On the other hand isn't that what all art is ultimately for? Glasgow artist Mills uses drawings and sound to personify time itself as his lover, in a temporal breakup.
Lisa MilroyKate MacGarry Gallery, London, to 31 May
This painter known for still lifes of shoes and other everyday objects takes to the skies in her latest works. Her expansive new paintings of the open sky transport you away from material things. Pink tinged clouds hang in spaces of ultramarine blue. Memories of a Vancouver childhood glow bright.
That Marvellous AtmosphereStanley Spencer Gallery, Cookham, to 2 November
Like a ruined medieval fresco, Stanley Spencer's unfinished painting Christ Preaching at Cookham Regatta transports you to a world of rollicking, Chaucerian fun. This painting, which he worked on for his last decade, teems with roly-poly people and a sacralisation of joy, in a lovely day out on the water. Jonathan Jones
Ed NightThe Lowry, Salford, 7 May; touring to 31 May
The Plunge may sound like a checklist of zillennial tropes: OCD, body dysmorphia, emotional support animals. But don't expect worthiness from Night. He uses irreverence and a vaguely menacing delivery to give the classic comic misanthrope a modern twist. Rachel Aroesti
Gary Clarke Company: DetentionNottingham Playhouse, 8 & 9 May, touring to 15 October
Choreographer Clarke has ploughed a fruitful furrow of dance-theatre-documentary, exploring social issues close to home, from the miners' strike to the beginnings of rave culture. His latest work looks at the impact of Clause 28 as a young gay man growing up in a Yorkshire pit village. Lyndsey Winship
The Secret Lives of Baba Segi's WivesArcola theatre, London, to 31 May
Three wives. Seven children. A very big secret. Lola Shoneyin's story of Baba Segi stole hearts as a novel, with its upending of expectations and raucous reveal. Now Rotimi Babatunde's vivid stage adaptation returns, featuring live Yoruba music and dance. Kate Wyver
TakeawayLiverpool Everyman theatre, to 17 May
The Hyltons Caribbean takeaway was built with love and a mouth-watering menu. But with the rise of food delivery apps, the future of the family-owned restaurant is uncertain. Amanda Huxtable directs Nathan Powell's joyful story has big laughs and full bellies. KW
Sign up to Inside Saturday
The 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 promotion
Poker FaceNow & Sky Max, 8 May, 9pm
As a human lie detector, casino worker Charlie Cale (Natasha Lyonne) has been blessed with superpowers – but don't expect any turgid comic- book business from this quirky detective series created by Knives Out director Rian Johnson. Season two brings reams of great guests, including Cynthia Erivo and John Mulaney.
The Handmaid's TaleChannel 4, 3 May, 9pm
It's been eight years since June Osborne (Elisabeth Moss) began fighting the patriarchal regime that kept her enslaved as a baby-making machine; in the intervening period, this adaptation of Margaret Atwood's novel has only become more timely. This sixth and final season sees the handmaids unite in rebellion.
Marie AntoinetteiPlayer & BBC Two, 8 May, 9pm
In recent years, Lady Jane Grey, Emily Dickinson and Catherine the Great have all been reborn as bolshy yet vulnerable teen girls in a series of irreverent and largely anachronistic comedy dramas. This returning Anglo-French series is cut from the same cloth, as it traces the fortunes of France's last queen within a chaotic and oppressive Versailles.
Families Like Ours iPlayer & BBC F0ur, 3 May, 9pm
This ambitious Danish drama from Thomas Vinterberg – best known for co-founding the avant-garde Dogme 95 movement with Lars von Trier – imagines the entirety of Denmark being evacuated due to rising sea levels. Per its creator, this is no 'climate-warning' series, but a meditation on the human ability to cope in a crisis. RA
Sonic RumblePC, smartphones; out 8 May
The latest attempt to reinvent Sega's beloved mascot is an online party game where up to 32 players compete in mini-games until only one survivor remains. Yes, it sounds a lot like Fall Guys, but it's stuffed with classic Sega characters, and developer Rovio knows what it's doing.
Among Us 3DPC; out 6 May
The original Among Us was one of the surprise hits of the lockdown era – a multiplayer sci-fi strategy game in which two members of a spaceship crew are baddies out to kill other players and sabotage their tasks. The new 3D version provides a first-person perspective, pulling you much closer into the tense, nefarious action. Keith Stuart
Jenny Hval – Iris Silver MistOut now
Norwegian art-pop practitioner Hval's ninth album is a typically acquired taste. On the fidgety To Be a Rose, the song's structure continually shape-shifts, upending its pop leanings, while the 82-second long electronic curio The Artist is Absent gradually disintegrates.
Model/Actriz – PirouetteOut now
The Boston noise-rock quartet kicked off this second album era with one of the year's best songs. Cinderella – which tells the tale of frontman Cole Haden's dreams of having a princess-themed fifth birthday party – is a pulsating, live-wire modern rock tornado that would have also dominated an indie sleaze-era dancefloor.
Blondshell – If You Asked for a PictureOut now
After growing disillusioned with her early pop direction, in 2022 LA's Sabrina Teitelbaum became Blondshell, unveiling a new grunge-adjacent sound. On this second album, produced by Yves Rothman (Kim Gordon), Teitelbaum harnesses that melodic nous on songs such as the lilting 23's a Baby.
Yung Lean – JonatanOut now
Sweden's SoundCloud-rap originator continues his creative evolution – the 28-year-old also releases music as Jonatan Leandoer96 and Död Mark – on this follow-up to last year's Psykos. While Forever Yung bounces with a hip-hop elasticity, the indie-leaning Babyface Maniacs is a much more downcast affair. MC
OlogiesPodcast
Writer Alie Ward's longrunning series delves into niche scientific obsessions, inviting a cast of experts to discuss everything from reality TV sociology to domestic phytology – the art of keeping your houseplants alive.
An Artist's Manual Against ApartheidOnline
Poet Farah Chamma, producer LIEV and arts organisation Shubbak have put together this extensive, open-ended repository of resources for those looking to learn more about the history of Palestine and ways to enact positive change today.
The Autism CurveBBC Radio 4 & BBC Sounds, 5 to 9 May
With diagnoses for autism rising exponentially, this five-part series provides a fascinating insight into the numbers, examining how widening definitions and greater advocacy have shifted attitudes towards neurodiversity. Ammar Kalia
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Guardian
2 days ago
- The Guardian
Circa: Wolf review – snarling, sexy circus show is wildly entertaining
Some circus shows start with relatively simple tricks and work up to their big finish, saving the impressive stuff for last. Brisbane's Circa are so confident in the breadth of their skills and invention that right off the bat they bring out a guy who can hold the weight of six other people all balanced in a tower on top of him. It's quite an opening statement. Edinburgh fringe is awash with acrobatics and there are plenty of people trying to do what Circa do – stylish circus with choreographic sensibility; athletic and atmospheric – but this troupe has been at it for 20 years and director Yaron Lifschitz has really got it down. Wolf is a very entertaining hour that embraces animal instincts. It's down with politeness, up with prowling, snarling, shows of sheer strength and seriously sexy posturing (complete with red lipstick). Designer Libby McDonnell's sleek costumes in fawn and black stripes make their own optical effects, too. There might be a touch of the feral, but this show is also super-slick. Bodies fly, hurl, flip, swing, teeter, strain and splat (deliberately) flat on the floor. They toss each other across the stage, from one human tower to another, and test gravity's limits in shape-shifting balances of three, four, five, six people. The fluid interactions are well drilled but still utterly live in the moment. Some highlights: the woman who balances two men on her shoulders – take that, gender norms! A funny set piece with two men in a tight embrace thwarting other performers' increasingly desperate attempts to infiltrate their hug. And the edgy energy of an aerial straps routine where the performer is like a trapped insect, spiky limbs attacking or struggling to get free, rather than the usual silken grace you get from aerialists. There's no great message here, bar 'Look at how awesome these performers are'. They are enjoying every minute, and displaying human instincts as much as animal ones. The charged atmosphere plateaus a little way before the end – a more expansive soundtrack could have helped with the arc – but Circa show they are the masters at what they do. At Underbelly Circus Hub on the Meadows, Edinburgh, until 23 August All our Edinburgh festival reviews
BBC News
2 days ago
- BBC News
Diogo Jota: Remembering former Liverpool & Portugal forward
Teresa Barbosa was there from the very was the first face Diogo Jota saw when he arrived aged 16 at Pacos de Ferreira's dormitory from his hometown of cleaning to doing laundry and cooking meals, she did a bit of everything as she took care of players who came from other Portuguese cities and from abroad to join the side based in the town of the same name just outside Porto. They usually joined Pacos' youth teams and then left the dormitory after being promoted to the senior side. Jota was there for three years, one point, he was the only first-team footballer living in the dormitory, despite the club offering him an forward could have left way earlier, but he remained on his own in the room he used to share with right-back Fred Martins until the day he packed his things to join Atletico Madrid in just didn't feel the need to move all, he considered Barbosa to be his family away from home."A lot of other people in my situation would've made a different choice, but there you go, everyone has their own path, and I believe that says a bit about who I am," the former Liverpool player would say to anyone who asked him about who tragically died in a car accident in Spain alongside his brother Andre Silva in early July, embodied that simplicity throughout his CNN pundit Sergio Pires reflected: "He was an ordinary boy living in a world of superstars."And that's how he will be remembered when Liverpool face Crystal Palace in the Community Shield on Sunday in their first competitive match since his Reds fans have vowed to never forget their number same way he never forgot those who helped him along the Jota married his high school sweetheart Rute Cardoso in June, he made sure Barbosa was invited to the ceremony."He went to England and, after all these years, he could've forgotten everything he lived through at Pacos, but no, he never forgot me. He invited me to his big day and sat me with his family," Barbosa revealed to the Jornal de Noticias."There was one moment that really touched me. We were all at the table, and after one of the dances, he walked past me, held my head, kissed me, and went back to his seat." 'He had the biggest smile' Even from afar, the Portugal hero remained deeply connected to his his wedding, he wanted no presents. Instead, guests were encouraged to donate to groups such as the local fire brigade and animal welfare organisations."Jota had the biggest smile - whenever he smiled, everyone around him felt happier," Vasco Seabra, one of his earliest mentors at Pacos and currently in charge of Portuguese top-flight club Arouca, told BBC Sport."Talking about Jota is talking about someone who was always incredibly humble. He had a very close relationship with Dona Teresa, the lady who looked after the dormitory and was a great cook. He felt truly at home there. It shows the kind of person he was - how he looked at people. "He always saw people for who they really were, appreciated those who cared for him and had supported him over the years."The Portugal star left a mark on everyone he much so that Seabra went above and beyond to help him fulfil his dreams, emailing the national under-19 coach with a report detailing why the striker deserved a place. It worked as the head coach came to watch would go on to win a Premier League title and score 65 goals in 182 appearances for Liverpool, but he never lost sight of where he came would regularly send boxes of branded boots to Pacos and ask their kit man to give them to the kids in the youth teams who needed them even more meaningful considering that growing up in Gondomar, on the edge of Porto, his parents couldn't afford to buy boots for him."We were factory workers, earning not much more than the minimum wage, but we never hid our limitations from our children. He never asked us for anything. He never even said he wanted a pair of branded boots. He knew it wasn't possible - he had that kind of awareness," his father Joaquim Silva told Maisfutebol. 'This was someone who knew his origins' No matter the distance, Jota was always within reach."He never changed his phone number after leaving Pacos. He didn't need to. He always answered when people called," said former club president Paulo Meneses."Sometimes, tragic circumstances like his can make us overly generous in the way we speak about those who've passed. But that wasn't the case with him. He truly had two qualities that are essential in a person - humility and gratitude - and in him, they were undeniable."The last time we were promoted to the top flight in 2018-19, he sent me a message, humbly asking if he could come and watch. Then, on the day we won the league title, he sent me a message five seconds after the game had finished, saying, 'we've done it again'. This was someone who knew his origins."None of this will come as a surprise to those who shared a dressing room with Liverpool and now Brentford goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher recalled how they would get together to follow Portuguese lower tiers."You became one of my closest friends in football. We bonded over everything sports-related, watching any football match we could find - often your brother Andre's games on your iPad," Kelleher wrote on social seems almost contradictory that someone so deeply connected to his upbringing could still adapt so seamlessly to wherever he went - whether it was Gondomar, Pacos, Porto, Wolverhampton or Liverpool."He was the most British foreign player I've ever met," said Liverpool's left-back Andy Robertson. "We used to joke he was really Irish... I'd try to claim him as Scottish, obviously. I even called him Diogo MacJota."We'd watch the darts together, enjoy the horse racing. Going to Cheltenham this season was a highlight - one of the best times we had."It didn't matter to Jota that he had an academy named after him back home. Nor that a stand was built thanks to his transfer. Or even that he was scoring goals in the Champions was still the same guy who had overcome the odds to become a footballer."He was an incredible young man - strong personality, great character, and hugely competitive, always with a burning desire to win. But more than anything, he valued honesty, respected people who were straight with him, and had little time for those who beat around the bush," said was a football superstar who knew that he would not have made it to the heights he achieved were it not for the help of the Teresas along the way.
BBC News
5 days ago
- BBC News
Dwayne Fields: UK's chief scout aims to get young people outside
The UK's chief scout went from "spending every waking moment" outdoors in his native Jamaica as a child to feeling like his "independence was taken" when he moved to London. Dwayne Fields says he wants to help ensure all young people are able to enjoy the outdoors through the Scouts, particularly those in urban areas like the explorer and presenter took on the role as the ceremonial head of the UK's largest youth organisation from Bear Grylls last told BBC London he aims to champion the importance of outdoor skills and make the Scout movement "a family for absolutely anyone". Having moved to the UK at the age of six, Fields grew up in east and north said he faced difficulties adapting to life in his early years, particularly at school."I struggled in every aspect of school. I couldn't make friends. I struggled to read," he recalled. Fields attended his first Scouts meeting in Palmers Green, north London, when taken there by chance by his friend's mother. He said he was initially "terrified" but the promise to "make some friends" was the key for him going inside."I never thought I belonged anywhere until the moment I walked into that hut," he said. After moving from the area, Fields said he spent years "searching for what I had found in that Scout group, which was friendship, which was the chance to be myself".He said his youth in London was challenging having experienced street violence and homelessness. According to reports, he was stabbed twice when he was 19 after an altercation outside a 21, he says he had a gun pointed at him and only survived because the weapon jammed. In 2010, Fields went on an expedition to the North Pole - becoming the first black Briton to do so - and has since presented programmes for Channel 5, Disney+ and National was later invited by the Scouts to become an ambassador for the organisation and held the role for seven years before becoming chief scout. "If I can do something to say thank you, if I can do something to encourage more people to get involved, if I could do something to encourage more people to volunteer... then absolutely I will," he explorer said his main goal in the role was to "further the movement to get scouting in areas where it wasn't before". 'Told to stay inside' "I had lots of access to outdoor spaces," Fields said, reflecting on his early childhood in Jamaica. "If I wanted to swing, I'd climb that tree or throw a rope up over the tree, tie it, and you know, I was very hands on."I remember when I first came to the UK, it wasn't the same." The adventurer said he was "told to stay inside" and the natural world was "no longer accessible". As well as improving health, Fields said the outdoors could foster confidence and teamwork among young people."Many young people now don't necessarily see themselves as belonging in spaces like this," he added."This field, this forest, this woodland, this green space, this tree, these logs. They belong to you just as much as they belong to anyone else."
