Going out: Cinema
Return to Seoul
Out now
Freddie (Park Ji-min) knows that she has been adopted from South Korea by her French family, and has conflicting feelings about attempting to connect with her biological parents, but decides to go for it anyway. It’s hard to do justice here to quite how brilliant director Davy Chou’s suspenseful drama actually is, but it really is a must-see.
Dario Argento: Doors Into Darkness
BFI Southbank, London, to 31 May
This month-long season includes a live conversation with the maestro himself: Italian director Dario Argento will be appearing in conversation on 12 May, as part of this celebration of his work, which also features 17 new restorations of his films, including the giallo classics Suspiria and Tenebrae.
The Blue Caftan
Out now
In one of Morocco’s oldest medinas, Halim (Saleh Bakri) and Mina (Lubna Azabal) run a caftan store, whose increasingly demanding customers lead them to employing a young apprentice (Ayoub Missioui). Maryam Touzani’s sensitive film explores the gradual changes the new hire’s presence causes in their relationship.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3
Out now
And here, if you’re that way inclined, is another wodge of Marvel mayhem, starring Chris Pratt as Star-Lord, Zoe Saldana as Gamora, Vin Diesel as Groot, and Bradley Cooper as Rocket the racoon – whose past actions come back to haunt both him and the gang. Catherine Bray
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Going out: Gigs
Birmingham jazz festival
1000 Trades, Birmingham, 12 to 14 May
Brum’s weekender opens with two powerful jazz women whose talents were honed in these islands: young saxophonist/composer Emma Rawicz, and award-winning Irish singer-songwriter Christine Tobin, a subtle artist eloquent in diverse styles, accompanied here by the classy duo of pianist Liam Noble and guitarist Phil Robson. John Fordham
Tom Aspaul
touring to 24 May
Wolverhampton’s finest takes his recent second album of gold-plated bops, the 90s pop extravaganza Life in Plastic, on the road. Exploring a life-changing breakup via the prism of hi-NRG dance-pop, keep an ear out for Listen 2 Nicole, which expounds the virtues of a certain Miss Scherzinger. Michael Cragg
The Singing Tree
Town Hall, Birmingham, 12 May
Preceded by a performance of Helmut Lachenmann’s Concertini, Birmingham Contemporary Music Group introduce Christian Mason’s “environmental cantata”. Involving five solo voices, children’s choir and 25 instrumentalists, The Singing Tree has a text by Paul Griffiths that compares the timescale of the lives of trees to that of humans, highlighting the threat we pose to them. Andrew Clements
Pub in the Park
Wimbledon Park, London, Fri12day to 14 May; touring to 10 September
Food festivals have become big business in recent years, and Pub in the Park is leading the way with 10 locations around southern England this summer. It also throws some music into the mix: as well as chefs Ainsley Harriott and Hannah Young, this south-west London iteration features Clean Bandit, Gabrielle and the Feeling. MC
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Going out: Art
Hew Locke
The Lowry, Salford, to 25 June
Four Black figures on horseback, their clothes and attributes rich in historical meaning from the Benin bronzes to colonial medals, make up Locke’s installation The Ambassadors. He evokes the history of the equestrian statue, a symbol of power from ancient Rome onwards, magically transforming it into subversion.
Saint Francis of Assisi
National Gallery, London, 6 May to 30 July
The Italian Renaissance arguably started with Saint Francis, the preacher of poverty whose vernacular praise for nature included giving a sermon to a flock of birds – which Giotto painted. This exhibition goes way beyond that to embrace Stanley Spencer, Antony Gormley, Andrea Büttner and more.
Titanosaur
Natural History Museum, London, to 7 January 2024
Few artworks are as sublime as the giant reptiles displayed at the Natural History Museum since it opened in Victorian times. Now, alongside its plesiosaur and ichthyosaur fossils discovered by Mary Anning, this exhibition brings a much more recent find to South Kensington – Patagotitan mayorum, one of the biggest animals ever.
To Be Held
Carl Freedman Gallery, Margate, to 25 June
An exhibition that celebrates intimacy and feeling loved. What does it mean to be held? Curated by photographer Ronan Mckenzie, this show brings together both comfy furniture (one way of being held) and works of art by Mabintou Badjie, Toby Cato, Rayvenn D’Clark, Shaye Gregan, Julianknxx, Mckenzie herself and others. Jonathan Jones
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Going out: Stage
August in England
Bush theatre, London, to 10 June
Candidly telling the story of a fruit-and-veg seller whose life has been defined by the Windrush scandal, Lenny Henry stars in his playwriting debut at the Bush theatre. Co-directed by Lynette Linton and Daniel Bailey(artistic director and associate artistic director of the Bush), this intimate story of . Kate Wyver
GöteborgsOperans Danskompani
Sadler’s Wells, London, 11 to 13 May
An impressive Swedish contemporary dance company with its fingers (and all other artfully arranged body parts) on the pulse. This double bill features Skid by Damien Jalet, danced on a stage tilted at 34 degrees so the dancers must challenge gravity, or give way to it. Plus the club-influenced choreography of Sharon Eyal. Lyndsey Winship
Galatea
Adur Recreation Ground, Shoreham-by-Sea, Brighton, to 21 May
A brazenly queer story of lovers lost in the woods, this early modern play by John Lyly inspired some of Shakespeare’s greatest comedies. Now a major feature of this year’s Brighton festival fringe, Lyly’s extraordinary story is revived in a hugely ambitious outdoor production, led by the blazing talent of director Emma Frankland. KW
Simon Brodkin
The Alban Arena, St Albans, 6 May; tour continues to 24 November
The artist formerly known as Lee Nelson ditches the alter ego and the eye-catching pranks (Brodkin is perhaps best known for presenting Theresa May with her P45 at Tory party conference) for this revealing hour of standup, which sees him grapple with his newly discovered Russian heritage and a recent ADHD diagnosis. Rachel Aroesti
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Staying in: Streaming
City on Fire
12 May, AppleTV+
Based on the hugely hyped 2015 novel by Garth Risk Hallberg, this twisty New York thriller revolves round the apparently random shooting of a young woman (Chase Sui Wonders) in Central Park in the lawless 1970s – a crime that turns out to be the common thread between myriad worlds, from uptown banking to the punk scene.
Documentary Now!
9 May, Netflix
Now on its fourth outing, this clever comedy from SNL alumni Seth Meyers, Bill Hader and Fred Armisen parodies real docs with the help of a starry cast. Witness Cate Blanchett return to 90s Blackpool in a Three Salons at the Seaside spoof, while Jamie Demetriou gets too involved with a monkey in a send-up of My Octopus Teacher.
Mulligan
12 May, Netflix
Aliens invade the Earth. Otherwise dim-witted man defeats them. Dim-witted man becomes president, is tasked with rebuilding the planet. That’s the promisingly ridiculous premise behind this new animation from the team behind Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, featuring the vocal talents of Tina Fey, Daniel Radcliffe and Chrissy Teigen.
Mad Women
9 May, 10pm, Channel 4
Not an insensitively titled exploration of female mental illness, but a long overdue tribute to the women who masterminded some of the most celebrated ad campaigns of the past 50 years, including the Cadbury’s Flake advert, the Lynx effect and the Shake n’ Vac song. RA
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Staying in: Games
Ravenlok
Out now, Xbox, PC
A nostalgic Alice in Wonderland-esque fairytale adventure about a girl thrust through a mirror into a world full of surreal, toylike voxel monsters.
Darkest Dungeon II
Out Monday, PC
Guide four adventurers in a wagon through unimaginable trials in the sequel to one of the grimmest, most darkly fascinating strategy games of its time. Keza MacDonald
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Staying in: Albums
Ed Sheeran – – (Subtract)
Out now
Chiefly produced by the National’s Aaron Dessner, the muted Subtract – the final instalment in Sheeran’s maths album series – finds the ubiquitous chart-slayer (above) musing on loss, addiction and depression. Lead single Eyes Closed honours the late Jamal Edwards, one of Sheeran’s closest friends, while the acoustic Boat hints at well-earned resilience.
Olivia Jean –Raving Ghost
Out now
The former frontwoman of garage goth stompers the Black Belles returns with her third solo album. Released via her husband Jack White’s Third Man label, Raving Ghost continues Jean’s penchant for heaving riffs, pitch-black lyrics and a keen ear for melody, highlighted best by lead single Trouble’s elegant swagger.
Westerman – An Inbuilt Fault
Out now
Co-produced with Big Thief’s James Krivchenia, the delicately devastating second album by the London-born, Athens-based Will Westerman sees him add heavier textures to his lo-fi vignettes. While the swaying Take has an intoxicating jazz sensibility, CSI: Petralona is interrupted by flashes of cathartic electronic disruption.
SBTRKT – The Rat Road
Out now
After taking a six-year hiatus, producer Aaron Jerome (below) announced new music was incoming last June. Nearly a year later, his fourth album arrives, featuring the likes of Sampha, Toro y Moi and George Riley. Inspired by the “juxtaposition between determination and hopelessness”, it’s an electronic suite of tactile dance music. MC
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Staying in: Brain food
Call Me Disabled
Podcast
Drawing on her own experiences of living with chronic illness and neurodivergence, Poppy Field hosts this illuminating series discussing what it means to identify as disabled. Her guests include artist and Instagram activist Jameisha Prescod.
MoMA
YouTube
New York’s Museum of Modern Art’s YouTube channel boasts a delightful collection of artist-led tours, online tutorials and video lectures. A personal favourite is the In the Studio series, teaching everything from collage to abstract painting.
Salinger
9 May, 9pm, Sky Arts
A star-studded tribute to the author JD Salinger, this film features the late Philip Seymour Hoffman, Danny DeVito and more talking about the writer’s influence, as well as examining his career beyond The Catcher in the Rye. RA
