Your Complete Entertainment Guide to the Week Ahead
From the cinematic homage of Nouvelle Vague to the satirical revival of Mock the Week, this week offers a rich tapestry of entertainment options. Whether you're planning a night out or a cosy evening in, our guide covers the must-see events and releases across various categories.
Going Out: Cinema
Nouvelle Vague – Out now. Veteran director Richard Linklater, known for Dazed and Confused and Boyhood, turns his attention to French film history. This mellow dramatisation explores the era when critics like Jean-Luc Godard, François Truffaut, and Claude Chabrol became legendary filmmakers.
Is This Thing On? – Out now. Inspired by the life of UK comedian John Bishop, this Hollywood comedy stars Will Arnett as a man in a troubled marriage who finds unexpected success in open mic standup. Laura Dern plays his wife, with Bradley Cooper directing.
Primate – Out now. A quirky horror movie where a family's tropical holiday goes awry when their pet chimpanzee, Ben, contracts rabies, turning him into an antagonist in this suspenseful tale.
Shelter – Out now. Jason Statham leads this action-survival thriller as a former assassin protecting a young girl during a storm. With his past catching up, the role becomes more challenging. Co-starring Bill Nighy, Naomi Ackie, and Daniel Mays.
Going Out: Gigs
Anna of the North – Islington Assembly Hall, London, 5 February. The Scandi-pop star, a favourite of Tyler, the Creator, brings her emotionally charged soft-pop to London. Expect new songs from her upcoming EP.
Manchester Collective: Sky With the Four Suns – Tour starts Bristol Beacon, 3 to 12 February. This cool classical outfit presents an immersive performance featuring John Luther Adams's Canticles of the Sky, works by Purcell, Britten, and Arvo Pärt, plus a new commission by Jasmine Morris.
Dana Masters/Viva Cuba Late Show – Ronnie's Scott's, London, 6 February. Celebrating the refurbishment of its Upstairs venue, this event features soul-jazz artist Dana Masters and a Cuban-jazz Late Late Show, highlighting the club's jazz history and rising stars.
Xiu Xiu – Tour starts Falmer, 31 January to 7 February. The US experimental rock trio tours with their collection of cover versions, including an unsettling take on Robyn's Dancing on My Own.
Going Out: Art
Samurai – British Museum, London, 3 February to 4 May. Explore the reality behind the myth of Japan's warrior elite, with displays of masks, armour, and swords that have fascinated Westerners for centuries.
Jenny Holzer – 20-21 Visual Arts Centre, Scunthorpe, 31 January to 13 June. This radical American artist's provocative text pieces, from prints to neon signs, challenge perceptions and remain resonant today.
People Watching – Dorset Museum and Art Gallery, Dorchester, to 10 May. A survey of British portraiture in modern times, featuring works by Dod Procter, Elisabeth Frink, and Barbara Hepworth, exploring how artists depicted people amidst 20th-century artistic challenges.
New Contemporaries – South London Gallery, to 12 April. Fresh artists from college or still studying present their takes on contemporary issues, from AI to politics, offering surprising perspectives on the modern world.
Going Out: Stage
Tom Rosenthal – Exeter Phoenix, 1 February; touring to 25 September. In his show Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I Am, Rosenthal explores his identity, celebrity status, Jewish heritage, and autism, drawing parallels with indie band Arctic Monkeys.
The Tempest – Shakespeare's Globe: Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, London, to 12 April. Directed by Tim Crouch, this production stars Crouch and Naomi Wirthner in a reflective and surprising take on Shakespeare's classic.
Macbeth – Hull Truck theatre, 5 to 28 February; touring to 18 April. A modern war zone setting aligns this co-production with the GCSE curriculum, featuring Oliver Alvin-Wilson as Macbeth and Jo Mousley as Lady Macbeth.
The Monocle – Arc, Stockton, 31 January; Westlands, Yeovil, 3 February; Ocean theatre, Bournemouth, 6 February. Choreographer Mathieu Geffré recreates 1930s Paris nightlife in this story of a lesbian cabaret club, with jazz singer Imogen Banks providing the soundtrack.
Staying In: Streaming
Secret Genius – Channel 4, 1 February, 9pm. Alan Carr teams up with Susie Dent to hunt down the nation's most extraordinary and underappreciated brainboxes in this new gameshow.
Mock the Week – TLC, 1 February, 9pm. Revived by the free-to-air channel TLC, this topical panel show returns with familiar faces like Hugh Dennis and Katherine Ryan, now in a 60-minute format.
Long Story Short – iPlayer & BBC Three, 1 February, 9pm. This BBC initiative pairs new talent with established actors for mini-dramas on topics from influencers to paranormal festivals.
The Pushover – Channel 4, 2 February, 12.15am. A Nordic noir series follows journalist Nora Sand as she investigates a mysterious death, with a fraudster boyfriend as a potential suspect.
Staying In: Games
I Hate This Place – PS5, PC, Xbox, Nintendo Switch; out now. A survival-horror game with 1980s camp aesthetics, based on a graphic novel, where players prep by day and survive demonic horrors by night.
Cairn – PS5, PC; out now. In this visually stunning mountain-climbing game, players help Aava scale a forbidding summit by carefully moving her limbs and solving route puzzles.
Staying In: Albums
Sébastien Tellier – Kiss the Beast – Out now. The French electro pioneer's eighth album features guest spots from Nile Rodgers and Kid Cudi, with slinky dancefloor tracks like Copycat and Refresh.
AG Cook – The Moment (The Score) – Out now. A soundtrack for Charli xcx's mockumentary, this album includes a horror-inspired version of her hit I Love It.
The Soft Pink Truth – Can Such Delightful Times Go on Forever? – Out now. Drew Daniel's side project evolves into beautiful chamber pieces, showcasing a departure from its house music origins.
Labrinth – Cosmic Opera Act I – Out now. The composer for Euphoria returns with a moody, cinematic album blending expansive strings with hip-hop beats.
Staying In: Brain Food
The Working Songwriter – Podcast. Host Joe Pug interviews songwriters on creative life, with highlights including Dave Stewart on collaborating with Bob Dylan and Jerry Douglas on dobro mastery.
WikiFlix – Online. Stream over 4,000 public-domain films for free, including classics like Metropolis, Battleship Potemkin, and Nosferatu.
Queen of Chess – Netflix, Friday, 6 February. Rory Kennedy's film explores Hungarian chess prodigy Judit Polgár's rise to world No. 1 at age 12 and her efforts to encourage women in chess.
