Going out: Cinema
The Mandalorian and Grogu
Out now
Back in the day, you’d have to be living under a rock not to be familiar with the main players in a new Star Wars movie. These days, you might need a little catchup: the Mandalorian is Pedro Pascal’s character Din Djarin from the TV series and Grogu is his adoptive son, a Force-sensitive child of the same species as Yoda.
Eagles of the Republic
Out now
Fares Fares stars as an A-list actor in Egypt who has grown accustomed to the good life, until one day, he is approached by the government with an offer he can’t refuse: play the lead in a propaganda film about the president or face sinister consequences. Tarik Saleh returns with a political satire that played in competition at Cannes last year.
Passenger
Out now
Stalkers are scary enough without being demonic in origin, but a demonic stalker is what a young couple on a minivan adventure are up against after witnessing a horrible car crash, in this horror from the director of Troll Hunter. Starring up-and-coming actors Jacob Scipio and Lou Llobell, alongside veteran performer Melissa Leo (The Fighter).
The Balloonists
Out now
Explorer Bertrand Piccard and British flying instructor Brian Jones take on billionaires including Richard Branson in a race round the world by balloon, in this documentary about the 1999 attempt to be the fastest team to circumnavigate the globe. Directed by John Dower (Lockerbie, My Scientology Movie). Catherine Bray
Going out: Gigs
Cobrah
London, 27 May; Manchester, 28 May; Brighton, 29 May
Bolstering the widely held belief that everyone in Sweden is a pop star, Gothenburg’s Clara Christensen, AKA Cobrah received rave reviews for March’s debut Torn. It will be intriguing to see how her atmospheric, deconstructed electropop comes to life on stage. Michael Cragg
Marina
27 May to 3 June; tour starts Bristol
Having ditched her “and the Diamonds” moniker a few albums ago, Welsh pop maximalist Marina returned last summer with Princess of Power, a synth-heavy self-exploration buffeted by disco and capital P pop. She takes it on the road alongside the rest of her characterful discography. MC
Wigmore Hall 125 Gala Concert
Wigmore Hall, London, 25 May
One of the UK’s most august recital venues launches its 125th anniversary (to 7 June) with a gala performance inspired by the first event ever held there. A unique opportunity to experience 1901-style programming with today’s stars: soprano Louise Alder, pianists Thomas Adès, Joseph Middleton and Cédric Tiberghien and violinist Alina Ibragimova. Flora Willson
Mark Lockheart
The Lescar, Sheffield, 27 May
The saxophonist-composer, a former member of both the famed Loose Tubes orchestra and prize-winning Polar Bear quintet, continues to show how sharp his contemporary musical originality is. Shapeshifter is his freewheeling new trio with creative Welsh double bassist Huw V Williams and powerful percussionist Jay Davis. John Fordham
Going out: Art
Hulda Guzmán
Turner Contemporary, Margate, 23 May to 13 September
Hulda Guzmán’s lush, mystical, tropical painting will bring some sunshine to the Kent coast this spring in her first major European exhibition. The Dominican artist paints hallucinatory, richly coloured visions of island landscapes in an exploration of mysticism, ecology and Caribbean identity.
Lewis Hammond
The Hepworth, Wakefield, 23 May to 1 November
This young English artist deals in dark, penumbral, cryptic portraiture. In this exhibition of new works, he’s taken inspiration from all the classics – Caravaggio, Velázquez, Goya – creating old master-inspired, mythological paintings of modern anxieties.
Joanna Piotrowska
The Common Guild, Glasgow, 23 May to 18 July
Piotrowska’s approach to photography is all about close-cropped intensity, ambiguous poses and harsh contrast, creating fraught, psychologically charged images she calls “social landscapes”. This exhibition will also feature collages, nudes and landscapes, all as fragmented and tortured as the rest of her work.
Winston Churchill: The Painter
The Wallace Collection, London, 23 May to 29 November
When he wasn’t leading Britain through wars, drinking vast amounts of booze or single-handedly attempting to keep the Cuban cigar industry alive, Winston Churchill liked to pass the time by painting. And he wasn’t half bad at it, as this first major exhibition of his artwork since his death in 1965 aims to prove. Eddy Frankel
Going out: Stage
Cambridge fringe festival
Various venues, 23 & 24 May
The price of the Edinburgh fringe has ballooned recently. In response, a slew of small, carefully curated festivals have emerged. Highlights of this Cambridge two-dayer include Jordan Brookes, Bella Hull, Dee Allum and Freya Parker. Rachel Aroesti
Shechter II: In the Brain
Home, Manchester, 27 to 30 May
Hofesh Shechter’s junior company has some of the most impressive young dancers around. New work In the Brain features Shechter’s trademark intensity, with rhythm leading the way and bodies melting into the beat. The score, by Shechter himself, incorporates music from German house/techno duo Âme. Lyndsey Winship
Once
Pitlochry festival theatre, 23 May to 27 June
Artistic director Alan Cumming opens his inaugural season with the award-winning musical Once, adapted so beautifully by Enda Walsh. Directed by John Tiffany, it’s about a street musician on the verge of giving it all up – before he falls in love (“Falling sloooowly”). Starring Dylan Wood and Lydia White. MG
Staying in: Streaming
Dear England
BBC One & iPlayer, 24 May, 9pm
Whet your World Cup appetite with this TV transfer of James Graham’s hit play, which relives the near-triumphs of Gareth Southgate’s squad in order to shine a light on England’s psyche. Joseph Fiennes is the compassionate manager whose leadership reignited a nation’s hopes. Jodie Whittaker and Jason Watkins co-star.
Two Weeks in August
BBC One & iPlayer, 23 May, 9pm
Escapism plus schadenfreude equals great TV. This latest addition to the disastrous holidays subgenre – see also: The White Lotus, The Four Seasons – joins a group of pals (Jessica Raine, Hugh Skinner, Leila Farzad) at an idyllic Greek resort, which quickly descends into a psychological hellscape.
Star City
Apple TV, 29 May
If it seems odd that Anna Maxwell Martin hasn’t before starred in a big shiny streamer series then it’s an oversight that’s now been rectified. She plays a merciless KGB chief in this For All Mankind spin-off, which covers an alternative-history space race from the USSR’s perspective.
Spider-Noir
Prime Video, 27 May
Not much can combat superhero fatigue, but Nicolas Cage playing an alternate universe Spider-Man in 1930s New York – a role he describes as “70% Bogart and 30% Bugs Bunny” – will surely draw a crowd. Brendan Gleeson joins as villain Silvermane. RA
Staying in: Games
007 First Light
PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch 2, PC, out 27 May
The creator of the Hitman series, IO Interactive, takes on James Bond, giving players license to eliminate supervillains such as Bawma, played by Lenny Kravitz, using a familiar mix of stealth, gadgets and weapons-grade charisma. Fans are likely to be shaken and stirred.
868-Back
PC, out 28 May
The sequel to cult computer-hacking roguelike 868-Hack has you illegally infiltrating corporate servers for fun, profit and the downfall of techno capitalism. Keith Stuart
Staying in: Albums
Maisie Peters – Florescence
Out now
On this follow-up to 2023’s UK chart-topping The Good Witch, the English singer-songwriter dials down the peppy pop in favour of playful country (My Regards), delicate folk (Audrey Hepburn) and, on the Marcus Mumford-assisted Say My Name in Your Sleep, something in between.
Ed O’Brien – Blue Morpho
Out now
Created amid a period of depression, Radiohead guitarist O’Brien’s second solo album unfurls slowly, with its first two tracks – the disquieting Incantations and the string-drenched title track – stretching out to nearly 15 minutes. As with his band’s oeuvre, it favours patience as opposed to quick thrills.
A – Prang
Out now
After scoring their commercial breakthrough with 2002’s Hi-Fi Serious, the NME-anointed “Britrock sluggers” failed to capitalise and went on hiatus. Despite touring sporadically since 2007, this is their first album in 21 years. Songs such as the clattering Hello Sunshine and the bouncy Walkover show their energy levels haven’t dipped.
Alela Diane – Who’s Keeping Time?
Out now
Inspired to start creating again after the death of local Portland folk legend Michael Hurley, The seventh solo album of aching Americana by Diane – her first in four years – feels lovingly well-worn. Highlight California mixes steel guitar with a whistled chorus, while the lovely Dusty Roses showcases her mellifluous voice. MC
Staying in: Brain food
Legend: The Miles Davis Story
Radio 4, today23 May, 10.30am
Marking the centenary of the pioneering jazz trumpeter’s birth, this five-part documentary sees actor and enthusiast Clarke Peters chart the rise and rise of Miles Davis. Episode one follows 18-year-old Davis’s arrival in New York.
(Un)Common Ground
Podcast
London theatre the Battersea Arts Centre presents this new series co-hosted by former Guardian critic Lyn Gardner. Incisive episodes analyse issues across the arts, from the current state of Arts Council England to the ethics of fundraising.
AskOkey
@askokeyig on Instagram
Menswear tailor Okey tackles fashion conundrums in his engaging and opinionated Instagram videos. Scroll through to find out how many ties a man should own, as well as the correct trouser lengths for different body heights.
Ammar Kalia
