Television
Love
The big-screen romcom is little more than a slushy mess of gender stereotypes so leave it to the dinky laptop screen to shake up the script. The second season of Judd Apatow, Lesley Arfin and Paul Rust’s Love has just gone on Netflix and shows LA lovebirds Gus (Rust) and Mickey (Gillian Jacobs), and their flaws in equal measure. Refreshingly, there are no Manic Pixie Dream Girls or Knights In Shining Armour here.
Music
Schubert Ensemble
Charlotte Bray is the highlight of an evening of classical music at Wiltshire Music Centre tonight, with the world premiere of her new work Zustände, a piano quartet inspired by her visits to Greenland and the fragility of ice, whether melting or moving. Cool!
Wiltshire Music Centre, Bradford-on-Avon, 18 March
Events
On Being Archived
Will Self joins the ranks of Harold Pinter and JG Ballard as his life’s work is archived by the British Library. He discusses it with author Hanif Kureishi.
British Library, London, 24 March
Convergence
Often, newfangled festivals that attempt to combine music, technology and art can be convoluted and worthy but east London’s Convergence never feels forced. There are two days of talks, workshops, Q&As and performances, including Warren Ellis debating the relevance of subcultures in the tech age with intriguing post-genre artist Gaika, plus a Mixcloud-curated session on storytelling podcasting, while gigs and shows include Sunn 0))), Austra, the Radiophonic Workshop, Actress and electro chaabi troupe 47Soul.
Various venues, London, 21 to 25 March
Exhibitions
Ten Days Six Nights
Collaborative and interactive art takes over Tate Modern’s Tanks. Descend into a world of music and dance, tactile and immersive sculpture and real-time performance art courtesy of the likes of Phill Niblock, Isabel Lewis and Mumbai installation artists CAMP.
The Tanks at Tate Modern, 24 March to 2 April
Film
The Love Witch
Pentagrams! Spells! Vampish overacting! This labour of love comes courtesy of writer and director Anna Biller. It has its cake and eats it, working as both a homage to 70s sexploitation shlock and a wry interrogation of the era’s dubious sexual politics. In it, heroine Elaine disappears a succession of men when they fail to live up to her standards. And all in eye-wateringly over-saturated colour. Great fun.
In cinemas now
Chronic Youth film festival
This weekend the Barbican is showcasing young film-making talent. Swagger depicts underprivileged French teens; a programme of shorts, New Voices of Girlhood, explores gender; and Something Better to Come follows children growing up on a Moscow rubbish dump.
Performance
Hamlet
Before you say: please, no, not another Hamlet, this production at London’s Almeida Theatre, attempts to modernise it with references to Scandi-noir and a lead actor in Sherlock’s Andrew Scott. Visionary director Robert Icke has given the play new life, while the fabulous Juliet Stevenson and Angus Wright are among the supporting cast.
Almeida Theatre, London, to 15 April
After the Rain
Christopher Wheeldon’s abstract one-act ballet for three couples is performed as part of a mixed programme at the Royal Opera House, bookended by the sweeping Human Seasons and Crystal Pite’s timely work Flight Pattern about the refugee crisis.
Royal Opera House, London, until 24 March
MK Ultra
A new dance piece with a mischievous pop culture bent, Rosie Kay’s show investigates the world of conspiracies, cults and celebrities. Namely, the idea that there is a secret society, the Illuminati’s new world order, brainwashing stars such as Beyoncé and Bieber in a bid for global domination. Documentary-style material – a suggestion from cult documentarian Adam Curtis – helps to give this piece extra context but the brilliant costumes and dance moves should have enough bite all on their own.
At Birmingham Rep, then touring to 18 May
