Theatre
1 The Ferryman
Now extended into 2018, Jez Butterworth’s drama set in 1980s Northern Ireland is long but engaging. Paddy Considine is Quinn Carney, whose brother, Seamus, has been missing for 10 years. When his body is discovered, the family’s fragile peace is fractured. It hurtles along like a Greek tragedy, but the beauty of Butterworth’s writing and Sam Mendes’s production is in the way each character is given weight and detail.
Gielgud theatre, W1, to 6 January
2 Ink
There have been some great plays about the newspaper biz, from Charles MacArthur’s The Front Page to Brenton and Hare’s Pravda. Joining the ranks is James Graham’s latest, about Rupert Murdoch. Fact and gossipy anecdote make this a very enjoyable evening, and one that turns progressively darker as Sun editor Larry Lamb finds himself grappling with a monster of his own creation. It’s a show that cleverly makes a song and dance about press ethics, and Bertie Carvel puts in another excellent performance as Murdoch.
Almeida theatre, N1, to 5 August
3 Matilda
Dennis Kelly and Tim Minchin’s Roald Dahl adaptation is a subversive, joyous affair. Minchin’s songs are witty and intricate, and – best of all – the story becomes one of genuine empowerment as Matilda realises the transforming possibilities of the imagination. Matthew Warchus’s production is slick but full of heart, so it’s no surprise that this went straight to the top of the class in the West End.
Cambridge theatre, WC2, to 27 May
4 Nina: A Story About Me and Nina Simone
Josette Bushell-Mingo was the original Rafiki in The Lion King and founded the Push festival at the Young Vic long before diversity was on the theatre agenda. After a spell in Sweden, she’s back and on fine form with this one-woman show, which uses the life and songs of Nina Simone to ask why we’re still so far from racial equality. Challenging in all senses of the word, it’s touched by anger and passion.
Young Vic, SE1, to 29 July
5 Barber Shop Chronicles
Set in six barber shops across the globe, Inua Ellams’s simple but never unsophisticated show will make you grin from ear to ear. We eavesdrop on a multitude of conversations, the barber’s chair operating both as a confessional and a place where men can try on different styles of masculinity as easily as new haircuts. Bijan Sheibani’s vibrant production returns to the National Theatre from 29 November, but for now Leeds gets to revel in its many pleasures.
West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds, to 29 July
Dance
1 Don Quixote & Swan Lake
The great Mariinsky Ballet of St Petersburg opens its summer season with some predictable choices but the promise of luxury casting.
Royal Opera House, WC2; Don Quixote: 24 July to 5 August, Swan Lake: 27 July to 7 August
2 Tanguera
Love among the cafes and milongas of turn-of-the-century Argentina, as this tango show pins some serious dancing on to a formulaic but entertaining narrative.
Sadler’s Wells, EC1, to 6 August
3 Jungle Book
Kendra J Horsburgh works with a mix of street-dance and circus skills to update Kipling’s classic, with a female Mowgli, a graffiti-artist Bagheera and more.
Birmingham Hippodrome, 22 July; Bristol Old Vic, 27-29 July; touring to 24 August
