Music
Bestival
Rob and Josie da Bank’s bucolic fest bittersweetly signifies the end of festival season. This year’s theme – because any festival at which fancy dress is practically mandatory must have a theme, silly – is the future, something reflected in the relative scarcity of heritage acts. So while you’ll get to waggle glowsticks at the Cure and the Human League, it’s contemporary grime (Skepta, Novelist), pop (Diplo, Bastille), hip-hop (Wiz Khalifa) and indie (Wolf Alice) that fill out the bulk of the schedule.
Newport, Isle Of Wight, until Sun
Young Thug: Jeffery
Hip-hop’s most fashion conscious firebrand returns with another of his mixtapes. This one features a Harambe tribute and more of the genre-defying fare we’re used to. It’s out now.
Björk Digital
Björk has never been one for the treadmill of simply making an album then playing it live – this week’s Guide cover star rarely bothers with anything that doesn’t stretch form and format to breaking point. Her new venture at London’s Somerset House is an immersive extravaganza, featuring Björk as a digital moth giantess, one-to-one recitals and footage from inside the singer’s mouth. Beats three nights at the O2.
Somerset House, London, until 23 Oct
Theatre
A Streetcar Named Desire
Maxine Peake lands the plum role of Southern belle Blanche DuBois in this staging of the Tennessee Williams classic at Manchester’s Royal Exchange. It’s always a treat to see Peake on stage – and she looks a fine fit for this combustible material.
Royal Exchange, Manchester, until 15 Oct
Television
Poldark
BBC1’s 2015 revival of the blustery period drama that first proved irresistible back in 1975 was a similarly sized smash this time round, thanks to the glowering charisma of Aidan Turner. Inevitably, it’s back for seconds, this time appearing opposite ITV’s Victoria as the channels slug it out for Sunday night ratings supremacy. Expect scythes, scandal and shirtlessness as Turner’s Ross Poldark awaits trial for murder and plundering.
Paralympic Games 2016
The banning of the Russian team and the downsizing of venues due to budgetary concerns have cast a shadow over this year’s Games. But once they get underway, it’s a safe bet that they’ll be as thrilling and uplifting as usual. The action starts on Thursday on Channel 4 and straight away there’s a chance of a Team GB medal as cyclist Sarah Storey goes for her 12th gold.
Film
Sausage Party
It’s only a matter of time before some misinformed parent takes the kids to Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg’s animated comedy, assuming from
the cartoon breads and doughnuts on the poster that it’s some vibrant Pixar-esque romp. Which it really isn’t – it’s a gutter-minded, expletive-packed, R-rated grossout hoot that rams in more innuendo by its climax than you can shake a giant sausage at. It’s in cinemas now.
One More Time With Feeling
Circumstances surrounding Skeleton Tree, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds’ 16th album, could hardly be more tragic: Cave’s son Arthur died in an accident midway through the sessions, leaving doubts as to whether the album would be finished at all. One More Time With Feeling sees Chopper director Andrew Dominik intersperse live 3D performance footage of songs taken from the album with interviews, plus Cave’s own narration, charting a recording process fraught with emotion. It’s in selected cinemas for one day only on Thursday.
The Arts
Hull Freedom Festival
Yorkshire’s only waterfront city is crowned UK City of Culture next year, and this arts fest – which began as a tribute to Hull MP William Wilberforce’s efforts in ending the slave trade – is a timely reminder why. Dozens of venues host music, circus, theatre (including the hip-hop cabaret of Hot Brown Honey, pictured), comedy and art. Most of it’s free, too.
Exhibition
Lines Of Thought
A truly sketchy affair, this new exhibition, showing at Poole Museum until November. It showcases the role drawing has played in the gestation of great artists, from the Renaissance greats to the austere formations of modernist artist Mary Martin.
