Summer's 100 hottest tickets: the best TV, film, art, theatre and music
From Alan Bennett's Alleluja! to Yves Klein's blue, Bryn Terfel to Britney Spears – our critics pick the new season's must-sees
JULY 4
THEATRE: The Lehman Trilogy
Simon Russell Beale, Adam Godley and Ben Miles play the Lehman Brothers in Ben Power’s drama about the institution at the epicentre of the 2008 financial crash, directed by Sam Mendes. National Theatre, London SE1 (020 7452 3000), until Oct 20
JULY 5
BOOKS So Much Life Left Over by Louis de Bernières
Skipping between Ceylon, London and Germany, this novel by the author of Captain Corelli’s Mandolin follows a married couple on an increasingly thorny path through the interwar world. Harvill Secker, £16.99
OPERA The Skating Rink
David Sawer’s opera, conducted by Garry Walker, is based on a novel by Roberto Bolano – a murder story interlaced with social satire and romantic comedy. Garsington Opera at Wormsley, (01865 361636), until July 16
BOOKS There There by Tommy Orange
Among this year’s first-time novelists, look out for Tommy Orange, whose debut, dealing with American Indians in California, has gone down a storm in the US. Harvill Secker, £14.99
JULY 6
THEATRE As You Like It
London’s most enchanting outdoor theatre finally serves up a spot of Shakespeare, directed by Max Webster. Open Air Theatre, London NW1 (0844 826 4242), until July 28
POP British Summer Time
For fans of 76-year-old Paul Simon this year’s festival is a particularly poignant affair: this will be his final British show before retirement from the stage. Other headliners include the Cure, Eric Clapton and Bruno Mars. Hyde Park, London W1 (bst-hydepark.com), until July 15
FILM Mary Shelley
The love story of the Shelleys (Elle Fanning and Douglas Booth) is the backdrop to Frankenstein’s creation, in a film by Haifaa al-Mansour, Saudi Arabia’s first female director. Expect a lot of misty woodland walks.
THEATRE The Glenn Miller Story
Sixty years after his Coliseum debut, Tommy Steele, 81, salutes the wartime big band leader. Coliseum, London WC2 (020 7845 9300), until Aug 18
JULY 7
EXHIBITIONS Rembrandt: Britain’s Discovery of the Master
The 17th and 18th-century “mania” for collecting Rembrandt’s works, and its impact on British taste, is explored through 50 key pieces. Scottish National Gallery, Edinburgh (0131 624 6200), until Oct 14
OPERA Falstaff
Nicola Luisotti conducts Robert Carsen’s production of Verdi’s Shakespearean comedy; Bryn Terfel reprises his marvellous, rich characterisation of the Fat Knight. Royal Opera House, London WC2 (0207 304 4000), until July 21
COMEDY ARGComFest
See the best of the Edinburgh Fringe early in this two-day festival of previews. Highlights include Danish award-winner Sofie Hagen, The Mash Report’s Nish Kumar and Fringe stalwart Mark Watson. Shoreditch Town Hall, London EC1 (020 7739 6176), until July 8
THEATRE A Monster Calls
Patrick Ness’s 2011 novel about a boy whose fears for his terminally ill mother are assuaged by the visitations of a storytelling monster gets a stage adaptation by the redoubtable Sally Cookson. Old Vic, London SE1 (0844 871 7628), until Aug 25
JULY 9
TELEVISION Sharp Objects
HBO’s latest must-see is adapted from a novel by Gillian Flynn (Gone Girl) and directed by Jean-Marc Vallée (Big Little Lies). Amy Adams stars as a troubled journalist who returns to her Missouri hometown to investigate the murder of two young girls. Sky Atlantic
JULY 11
EXHIBITIONS William Kentridge: The Head and the Load
Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall makes a dramatic backdrop for the South African artist’s multimedia commemoration of the contribution of African servicemen to the First World War. Tate Modern, London SE1 (020 7887 8888), until July 15
CLASSICAL Cheltenham Music Festival
Cheltenham’s summer festival (which starts today) packs the familiar and the new into 16 days of first-class music-making. The July 11 programme stands out, with four world premieres from the Ligeti String Quartet. Various venues, Cheltenham (01242 850270), until July 15
TELEVISION Picnic at Hanging Rock
Joan Lindsay’s novel set at an Australian girls’ boarding school in 1900 (immortalised in Peter Weir’s 1975 film) comes to the small screen. Natalie Dormer is the headmistress under whose watch a group of girls vanish during a picnic. BBC Two
THEATRE Allelujah!
Nicholas Hytner continues his long and fruitful relationship with Alan Bennett with the premiere of Bennett’s latest, set in an old-fashioned cradle-to-grave hospital on the edge of the Pennines. Bridge Theatre, London SE1 (0333 320 0051), until Sep 29
EXHIBITIONS Memory Palace
Jay Jopling’s contemporary gallery celebrates 25 years in business with works exploring memory by 40 of its artists, including Mona Hatoum and Christian Marclay. White Cube Mason’s Yard and Bermondsey, London SW1 and SE1 (0207 930 5373), until Sept 15
THEATRE King Lear
The crowning glory of Ian McKellen’s late Shakespearean career – as seen in Chichester last year. Sinéad Cusack plays Kent. Duke of York’s, London WC2 (020 8544 7469), until Nov 3
JULY 12
BOOKS Clock Dance by Anne Tyler
Against the great American novelist’s familiar backdrop of Baltimore, Clock Dance traces the life of Willa in jerky narrative jumps from the moment in 1967 when she is 11 years old and her mother storms out. Chatto and Windus, £18.99
FILM Skyscraper
Think Die Hard but set in a Hong Kong tower, with Dwayne Johnson in the Bruce Willis role. Then up the ante: Johnson’s character has a prosthetic arm, the building is on fire after a terrorist attack, and his family are trapped at the top.
TELEVISION Keeping Faith
When shown on BBC Wales earlier this year, this thriller became the iPlayer’s most popular non-network show ever. Now’s your chance to catch it on BBC One. Eve Myles stars as the mother whose husband vanishes unexpectedly. BBC One, exact date TBC
BOOKS Night-Gaunts and Other Tales of Suspense by Joyce Carol Oates
The prolific Oates works her magic on a small canvas in this taut collection of short stories about ageing, jealous wives, lonely mistresses and a game of Russian roulette with poisoned teacups. Head of Zeus, £18.99
POP Latitude Festival
The Killers, Alt-J and Beyoncé’s afrofunk sister Solange are headline attractions but the food, comedians and psychedelically coloured sheep are as much of a draw at this easy going-festival. Henham Park, Southwold, Suffolk (latitudefestival.com), until July 15
BOOKS My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh
The American novelist follows her slick, cynical debut Eileen – a noir thriller shortlisted for the 2015 Booker Prize – with a novel about a young woman’s year of drug-stupefaction. Jonathan Cape, £12.99
THEATRE Spamilton
As seen, to high praise, in the United States, Gerard Alessandrini’s loving hammering of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton follows its inspiration to London. Miranda’s verdict? “I laughed my brains out.” Menier Chocolate Factory, SE1 (020 7378 1713), to Sept 8
JULY 13
FILM The Incredibles 2
If Pixar’s superhero family had been ageing in real time, baby Jack-Jack would now be old enough to watch Predator. As it is, their comeback begins exactly where the 2004 original ended, then forks into a tale of breadwinning women and the lower-key perils of stay-at-home fatherhood.
CLASSICAL BBC Proms
This year’s First Night strikes a serious note, with three musical responses to the end of the First World War, from Holst, Vaughan Williams, and a new piece by Anna Meredith inspired by telegrams sent home from the front. Royal Albert Hall, London SW7 (020 7070 4441), until Sept 8
FILM First Reformed
This scalding morality tale of a man of the cloth gone rogue (Ethan Hawke) is the best Paul Schrader project since his Scorsese-collaborating glory days. It’s the thinking cinemagoer’s thriller of the season.
JULY 14
OPERA Isabeau
Anne Sophie Duprels and David Butt Philip star in a forgotten melodrama by Mascagni (Cavalleria rusticana), loosely based on the hoary legend of naked Lady Godiva. Opera Holland Park, London W8 (0300 999 1000), until July 28
EXHIBITIONS Interior Worlds: Thomas Chippendale
The 300th anniversary of the birth of the Yorkshire furniture maker is celebrated with magnificent Chippendale rooms at Nostell Priory, and a contemporary response at Hepworth Wakefield. Nostell Priory and Hepworth Wakefield, West Yorks (01924 863892), until Nov 4
POP Eminem
The American’s last UK stadium tour was beset by low production values – and it’s far from reassuring that this time he’s promising augmented reality. Yet Marshall Mathers remains one of the most compelling hip-hop stars ever to stalk a stage. Twickenham Stadium, Greater London (eminem.com), until July 15
EXHIBITIONS Liverpool Biennial 2018: Beautiful World, Where Are You?
Britain’s largest contemporary art festival marks its 20th anniversary with works by 40 artists from 22 countries, led by 90-year-old French filmmaker Agnès Varda. Various venues, Liverpool (0151 709 7444), until Oct 28
JULY 15
JAZZ Fred Hersch Trio
American jazz pianist Fred Hersch’s style may be too complex and fastidious to win gongs (he’s been nominated for a Grammy 12 times but never actually won) but his only UK appearance with his trio this year is a major event. Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club, London W1 (020 7439 0747)
JULY 17
THEATRE Exit the King
Strong cast: including Rhys Ifans and Debra Gillett. Solid source material: Ionesco’s 1962 absurdist classic (Le Roi Se Meurt). Decent director: Patrick Marber. What could possibly go wrong? National’s Olivier Theatre, London SE1 (020 7452 3000), in rep
JULY 18
EXHIBITIONS Yves Klein
Famous for covering women in blue paint and dragging them over canvases, the French artist was also a judo expert. This is the most comprehensive British show to date for Klein, who died in 1962, aged just 34. Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire (01993 810530), until Oct 7
COMEDY Lost Voice Guy: Inspiration Porn
The 2018 Britain’s Got Talent winner, who has cerebral palsy and uses an iPad to deliver his gags, explains why he’s fed up with being used for internet “memes”. Quarry Theatre, Bedford (01234 362269), then touring
OPERA L’Ange de Nisida
Although much of its music was later incorporated into La Favorite, this is in effect the world premiere of an opera by Donizetti. Mark Elder conducts a cast led by the wonderful Lebanese-Canadian soprano Joyce El-Khoury. Royal Opera House, WC2 (0207 304 4000), until July 21
JULY 19
BOOKS Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival
Britain’s largest festival of crime fiction returns to Harrogate with Lee Child at the helm, and Val McDermid and Sophie Hannah among the speakers. harrogateinternationalfestivals.com, until July 22
OPERA Saul
The runaway hit production of Handel’s dramatic oratorio, flamboyantly directed by Barrie Kosky, returns with Allan Clayton and Iestyn Davies. Glyndebourne, near Lewes (01273 815000), until Aug 25
JULY 20
FILM Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again!
All back to Meryl’s Grecian B&B for a second go-around on the Abba songbook, this time with retro flashbacks. Lily James is the fancy-free Young Streep, while Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth and the rest return for more. There’s even a guest appearance by Cher, doing Fernando. My, my. How could we resist it?
THEATRE Othello
Mark Rylance returns to his alma mater to play Iago, his wife Claire van Kampen directs and noted American actor André Holland (Moonlight, Selma) plays Othello. Shakespeare’s Globe, London SE1 (020 7401 9919), until Oct 13
JULY 25
FILM Mission: Impossible – Fallout
Six movies deep, Tom Cruise’s franchise clings to the formula of showing him dangle off cliff-faces or mid-air helicopters: goodness knows what the plot is, but who cares? Christopher McQuarrie is back to direct for a second time.
JULY 26
BOOKS Port Eliot Festival
Perhaps the most picturesque setting of all Britain’s festivals, the Capability Brown parkland in a bend of the river Tiddy offers food, live music and literary speakers from Viv Albertine and Robert Webb to Susie Boyt and Hollie McNish. porteliotfestival.com, until July 29
TELEVISION Hang Ups
Stephen Mangan plays a therapist who conducts his sessions via webcam, with a dwindling list of patients (Richard E Grant, Jessica Hynes, David Tennant and Charles Dance) who present a catalogue of daft issues and concerns. Channel 4, exact date tbc
BOOKS CoDex 1962 by Sjón
The Icelandic novelist’s CoDex 1962, 25 years in the writing and simultaneously a love story, a crime thriller and a science fiction epic, is said to be his masterpiece. Its three parts, published in Sjón’s homeland in 1994, 2001 and 2016, come to anglophone readers in one volume, translated by Victoria Cribb. Sceptre, £18.99
DANCE Company Wayne McGregor – Autobiography
The Royal Ballet’s resident choreographer dusts off a 2017 piece inspired by both his childhood memories and an algorithm extrapolated from the sequencing of his entire genome. Too academic? Or the intellectual future of dance? You decide. Sadler’s Wells, London EC1 (020 7863 8000), until July 28
EXHIBITIONS Edinburgh Art Festival
New commissions range from a sound installation featuring the voices of 100 jailed poets to Marxist magic tricks. Exhibitions include a major show for the little-known Edwin G Lucas (1911-1990). Various venues, Edinburgh (0131 226 6558), until Aug 26
POP Womad
With a line-up drawn from 104 countries, Womad brings the world to Wiltshire. This year’s star attractions include Malian couple Amadou & Mariam, Syria’s Omar Souleyman and Britain’s own art dance rockers Django Django. Charlton Park, Malmesbury, (womad.co.uk), until July 29
COMEDY Bug: David Bowie Special
An all-Bowie edition of Adam Buxton’s popular roadshow, in which the radio DJ dissects both music videos and the dim-witted comments they attract online. Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury (01227 787787)
THEATRE Sweet Charity
The Neil Simon-Cy Coleman-Dorothy Fields Sixties classic about a love-seeking dancer in New York contains such gems as Big Spender. Watermill Theatre, Newbury (01635 46044), until Sept 15
JULY 27
FILM Hotel Transylvania 3: A Monster Vacation
In part three of the CG animated franchise, Adam Sandler’s Dracula takes a cruise, only to find the ship’s captain is a Van Helsing descendant who still practises the family trade.
EXHIBITIONS Lest We Forget
Works by Paul Nash, Stanley Spencer and John Singer Sargent provide the focus for a show on the ways we choose to remember war. IWM North, Manchester (0161 836 4000), until Feb 24, 2019
TELEVISION Age Before Beauty
A six-part drama from Poldark writer Debbie Horsfield set in a down-at-heel family-owned salon in Manchester, with Sue Johnston, Robson Green and Polly Walker. BBC One, exact date tbc
JULY 28
CLASSICAL Three Choirs Festival
Britain’s oldest music festival includes Elgar’s rarely heard Scenes from the Saga of King Olaf and a visionary choral work by John Ireland. Hereford Cathedral (01452 768928) until Aug 4
JULY 30
EXHIBITIONS Magic Realism: Art in Weimar Germany 1919-33
The catastrophic but heady world of the Weimar Republic is revisited through the searing satires of George Grosz and Otto Dix and other works from the Economou Collection, many showing in Britain for the first time. Tate Modern, London SE1 (020 7887 8888), until July 14, 2019
BOOKS Emily Brontë
On this day 200 years ago, Emily Brontë was born. Among the celebrations to mark the occasion, Kate Bush will write a piece about the author of Wuthering Heights, 40 years after her own single of the same name, to be engraved on an “Emily Stone” on the Yorkshire Moors and unveiled on July 7.
AUGUST 1
CLASSICAL Snape Proms
Suffolk’s month-long concert series rivals its London namesake in variety: the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra rubs shoulders with Irish folk and township jazz from the great Abdullah Ibrahim. Snape Maltings (01728 687110), until Aug 31
AUGUST 2
THEATRE Aristocrats
Lyndsey Turner directs Brian Friel’s rarely performed 1979 play about a family coming to terms with its aristocratic past. Donmar Warehouse, London WC2 (020 3282 3808), until Sept 22
TELEVISION Succession
Peep Show writer Jesse Armstrong, actor Will Ferrell and producer/director Adam McKay are behind this HBO dramedy about a super-wealthy family headed by a ruthless media mogul (Brian Cox). Sky Atlantic, exact date TBC
THEATRE Horrible Histories – Barmy Britain – Part Four
The latest instalment of the gross and surprisingly engrossing “best of the worst” of British history. Apollo Theatre, London W1 (0330 333 4809), until Sept 1
AUGUST 3
FILM The Big Bad Fox and Other Tales…
This trio of hand-drawn sylvan fables, a box-office hit in France last summer, will please British animation aficionados and subtitle-savvy children.
COMEDY Edinburgh Fringe
The world’s largest comedy festival still draws big names (Dylan Moran, Paul Merton), but the real must-sees are the rising talents, such as absurdist clown Natalie Palamides. Various venues (edfringe.com), until Aug 27
FILM Ant-Man and The Wasp
Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) and his elevated sidekick The Wasp (Evangeline Lilly) return in Peyton Reed’s sequel to his widely liked 2015 hit.
THEATRE Midsummer
A fresh revival of David Greig and Gordon McIntyre’s 2008 romcom about a failing car salesman and a high-powered divorce lawyer. The Hub, Edinburgh (0131 473 2000), until Aug 26
FILM Teen Titans Go! To The Movies
This spin-off from the uproariously odd Cartoon Network series sends up Hollywood’s ongoing fixation with superheroes. Expect rapid-fire weirdness and dance-offs.
THEATRE Little Shop of Horrors
Alan Menken and Howard Ashman’s 1982 comedy horror musical about a florist who raises a plant that feeds on human flesh, in a suitably herbaceous setting. Open Air Theatre, London NW1 (0844 826 4242), until Sept 15
AUGUST 4
THEATRE The Merry Wives of Windsor
Fiona Laird directs David Troughton as Falstaff in Shakespeare’s proto-sitcom of suburban romantic ruses. RSC Stratford upon Avon (01789 403493), until Sept 22
AUGUST 5
JAZZ National Youth Jazz Youth Orchestra of the US
Led by trumpeter and composer Sean Jones, the orchestra will play big-band music from Basie to now, with singer Dianne Reeves. Usher Hall, Edinburgh (0131 473 2000)
OPERA Vanessa
Emma Bell sings the title role in Samuel Barber’s bittersweet gothic romance in which a woman and her niece love the same man. Glyndebourne, near Lewes (01273 815000), until Aug 26
AUGUST 6
COMEDY The League of Gentlemen Live Again!
After last year’s return for their macabre BBC Two sitcom, the League go back to their live roots and take the grotesque characters of Royston Vasey on the road. Queen’s Theatre, Barnstaple (01271 316063), then touring
AUGUST 8
THEATRE The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
Free to watch – only an hour long – and a stone’s throw from Tower Bridge and the Bridge theatre. Directed by a doyen of this outdoor amphitheatre Phil Willmott. The Scoop, Queen’s Walk, London SE1; Wed-Sat 6pm; until Sept 2
AUGUST 9
FILM Film4 Summer Screen
The annual outdoor film festival, hosted beneath the stars in Somerset House, kicks off with Glenn Close introducing The Wife, the film that might finally win her that elusive Oscar. somersethouse.org.uk, until Aug 22
POP Boomtown Fair
The sci-fi-themed festival celebrates its 10th year with an enticing bill including Gorillaz, Jimmy Cliff, Goldie and Soul II Soul. Matterley Estate, Winchester (boomtownfair.co.uk), until Aug 12
THEATRE Sense and Sensibility
Forced to relocate to Devonshire, Elinor and Marianne Dashwood learn to sound the depths (or otherwise) of their suitors in this fresh adaptation by Jessica Swale, staged at England’s most picturesque theatre. Theatre by the Lake, Keswick (01768 774411), until Oct 26
AUGUST 10
POP Nicki Minaj
The highly skilled, cheekily controversial leading lady of US hip hop releases her long-awaited fourth album, Queen. Released by Island Records
AUGUST 14
THEATRE Gangsta Granny
Buoyant adaptation of David Walliams’ bestselling book about a boy whose boredom at spending time with his gran turns to excitement after he discovers her secret life as a master criminal. Harold Pinter, London WC2 (0844 871 7627), until Aug 26
AUGUST 16
DANCE Akram Khan – Xenos
Xenos (“foreigner” or “stranger”) promises to be the dancer-choreographer’s last solo show. Marking the end of the First World War, this astonishing piece is a tribute to the 4.5 million non-British soldiers who died fighting for Britain in the conflict. Festival Theatre, Edinburgh (0131 473 2000), until Aug 18
BOOKS Big Week by James Holland
After Burma ’44 and The War in the West, the latest in Holland’s sensationally successful Second World War histories is the account of a week in February 1944, when the combined Allied air forces in Britain and Italy launched their first-ever round-the-clock bomber offensive against Germany. Bantam, £20
OPERA The Beggar’s Opera
Robert Carsen directs John Gay’s masterly satire of opera’s pretensions. William Christie conducts a charming score of folk tunes and street music. King’s Theatre, Edinburgh (0131 473 2000), until Aug 19
AUGUST 17
POP Britney Spears
Spears’s live career has been dogged by controversy about miming, yet the American pop superstar remains a huge attraction. She enhances her kitsch appeal with a flamboyantly styled show and a set-list of monster hits. Scarborough Open Air Theatre (britneyspears.com), then touring
TELEVISION Disenchantment
Matt Groening, creator of The Simpsons and Futurama, brings us his first new show in 20 years. Drawn in a similar style to his earlier animations, this is a decidedly adult comedy series that follows an alcoholic medieval princess and her fairy-tale friends. Netflix
CLASSICAL Chetham’s International Piano Series
Chetham’s in Manchester is one of the world’s great specialist music schools, and promotes an annual piano festival, now housed in its own superb new concert hall. Stoller Hall, Manchester (stollerhall.com), until Aug 28
FILM Christopher Robin
Where Paddington led, other British children’s literary fauna now apparently must follow. So let’s press on past Peter Rabbit (ugh!) and look ahead to this Winnie-the-Pooh redo, in which the adult Christopher Robin (Ewan McGregor) reconnects with stuffed childhood chums. Directed by Marc “Finding Neverland” Forster.
AUGUST 18
CLASSICAL Scottish Chamber Orchestra
Robin Ticciati, tousle-haired visionary young conductor, bids farewell to the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, the band he’s led since 2009, with performances of all four symphonies by Brahms. Usher Hall, Edinburgh (0131 473 2000), until Aug 19
AUGUST 20
THEATRE Me and My Girl
The most beautiful outdoor theatre in the UK, on the Cornish coast, plays host to this much-loved 1937 musical. The Minack’s summer season also includes Candide, Sweeney Todd and Wolf Hall. The Minack, Porthcurno, Cornwall (01736 810181), until Aug 24
AUGUST 21
CLASSICAL Arundel Festival
This year’s bill features an enticing concert series at the beautiful St Leonard’s Church. Masterpieces including Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater and Schubert’s Octet can be heard alongside music by Vivaldi, Beethoven and Weber. St Leonard’s Church, South Stoke, W Sussex (0333 666 3366), until Aug 27
AUGUST 24
FILM BlacKkKlansman
Spike Lee blazes back to form with this rollicking true-life account of a black cop in Seventies Colorado (John David Washington), who infiltrated the KKK. Attacking the spectre of white supremacism in America, Lee thrusts his grievances through the letterbox of the current White House.
OPERA La Cenerentola
Stefan Herheim directs a spectacular production of Rossini’s pumpkin-free Cinderella, with Michèle Losier in the title role. (Festival Theatre, Edinburgh, until Aug 26; 0131 473 2000)
FILM The Children Act
Emma Thompson plays a High Court judge tormented by a case involving a leukaemia patient, in Richard Eyre’s rendition of Ian McEwan’s 2014 novel. Ben Chaplin and Stanley Tucci co-star.
AUGUST 30
BOOKS 21 Lessons for the 21st Century by Yuval Noah Harari
Would anyone have predicted, in 2011, that Harari’s Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind would go on to sell a million copies, and retain a foothold in the bestseller chart seven years later, alongside its sequel, Homo Deus? His publishers will be hoping for a hat-trick with these essays on the big issues of the day: Brexit, big data and God. Jonathan Cape, £16.99
TELEVISION Unforgotten
The ever-marvellous Nicola Walker and Sanjeev Bhaskar return for a third series of this perpetually underrated cold case crime drama. Neil Morrissey and Alex Jennings join the cast as part of a close-knit group of pals who fall under scrutiny when the body of a long missing girl is found. ITV, exact date TBC
BOOKS The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker
Instead of her usual subject of 20th-century Britain, the author of the Regeneration trilogy turns to Greek mythology, to retell Homer’s Iliad from the point of view of Briseis, the slave girl given to Achilles as a prize of war. Hamish Hamilton, £18.99
TELEVISION Vanity Fair
The BBC has aired adaptations of Thackeray’s 1848 novel four times in the past, latterly in 1998. Now it’s ITV’s turn, with Olivia Cooke as Becky Sharp. Suranne Jones, Michael Palin, Frances de la Tour and Simon Russell Beale fill out the glittering supporting cast. ITV, exact date TBC
BOOKS The End: My Struggle VI by Karl Ove Knausgaard, tr Don Bartlett and Martin Aitken
Good news for anyone hooked on the Norwegian epic autobiography-cum-novel: the agonising two-year wait between the penultimate volume, Some Rain Must Fall, and this, the final instalment, is over. Harvill Secker, £25
AUGUST 31
TELEVISION Jack Ryan
The CIA agent created by Tom Clancy, and portrayed on screen by Harrison Ford, Alec Baldwin, Ben Affleck and Chris Pine, is reborn for a new Amazon series. John Krasinski will test his action star mettle in the role. Amazon Prime
POP Anna Calvi
The startlingly inventive, Mercury-nominated British singer and guitarist returns with her third album, Hunter, tackling issues of gender identity. Calvi is a bold artist ready to take on the world. Released by Domino
EXHIBITIONS Spellbound
From exquisitely engraved rings designed to bind a lover to the wearer, to mummified cats hidden in walls, this exhibition examines our deep-seated and ongoing need to resort to magic, and its often disastrous consequences for women. Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, until Jan 6; 01865 278112
FILM Cold War
Pawel Pawlikowski brings us a jazzily romantic companion piece to his Oscar-winning Ida, set in the Forties and Fifties. It uses folk music to map the shifting ambitions and amorous destinies of a Polish pianist and a young singer from peasant stock, whose careers send them bounding restlessly across Europe.
POP End of the Road Festival
The ever-charming conclusion of the festival season, End of the Road can be relied upon for a lovely setting and great music. This year’s eclectic line-up features cerebral American ensemble Vampire Weekend, sonic wonderwoman St Vincent and The Velvet Underground’s John Cale. Larmer Tree Gardens, Salisbury (endoftheroadfestival.com), until Sept 2
