Books
Alan Partridge: Nomad
We find ourselves in an Alanaissance at the moment, with Alpha Papa reigniting Steve Coogan’s love for his finest creation, as well as Alan’s “autobiography” I, Partridge?, a gag-stuffed account of the presenter’s career. So how to follow it? “Nomad brings you the story of a one-man walk I undertook to try to learn about who I really am,” Partridge explains. “I was able to use transport when essential, but I set myself one caveat: no unlicensed minicabs.” Yep, sign us up.
Events
Illuminating York
Making the most of these autumnal evenings, this fest invites visual artists to light up some of York’s prominent landmarks. Among the highlights wil be Jason Bruges Studio’s choreographed installation for York Minster and multimedia artist David Ogle’s “forest of light” in the university campus’s quad. The festival takes place from Wed to 29 Oct and many of the events are free.
The Word
Not an ill-advised revival of the Channel 4 yoof show, but something more edifying: a new national centre for the written word, situated in the north-east town of South Shields. It opens today with an exhibition celebrating the films of local boy done good Ridley Scott, as well as interactive displays, an extensive library, plus an immersive storytelling hub for kids.
Classical
Wexford Festival Opera
This long-running Irish festival celebrates the more unloved works of opera. This year there are performances of Walton’s The Bear and Félicien David’s lavish Herculanum.
Five of the best… classical concerts
TV
Black Mirror
You read about Charlie Brooker’s grim vision of technological doom in last week’s Guide, now see how it plays out in another series of his sci-fi anthology Black Mirror. Six eps have just gone up on Netflix, including Nosedive, a creepy take on our rating-and-slating culture, as well as a Black Mirror take on Scandicrime titled Hated In The Nation.
Blackish
Part of a current wave of diverse, and very funny US comedies – see also Issa Rae’s Insecure and Aziz Ansari’s Master Of None – Blackish follows upper-middle class African-American family the Johnsons, whose patriarch Andre (Anthony Anderson) is concerned that his children have lost touch with their cultural roots. Blackish’s orthodox sitcom stylings and leisurely pace masks a show that has big statements to make about race in America. E4 is currently showing the series Monday to Friday, while the series so far is available on All 4.
Film
I, Daniel Blake
Rumours of Ken Loach’s imminent retirement have been swirling around for a few years now, but the director’s latest work suggests he hasn’t lost his appetite for making smart, socially conscious cinema. I, Daniel Blake follows the travails of a widowed joiner in the north-east who struggles to get sickness allowance after he is diagnosed with a heart problem. It’s both a potent critique of Tory austerity measures and an affecting tale in its own right.
Five of the best… films out now in the UK
Theatre
Lazarus
Apart from Skepta’s mum, the highlight of this year’s Mercury prize was the Bowie tribute by Michael C Hall, star of Lazarus, the musical co-written by Bowie as a sequel to The Man Who Fell To Earth. It opens in London on Tuesday after a successful New York run.
Five of the best… theatre shows this week
Exhibitions
Artes Mundi
The renowned contemporary arts prize that isn’t the Turner returns for its seventh staging. Held across multiple Cardiff venues, Artes Mundi is international in scope. Among those featured on its shortlist are US artist Amy Franceschini and British film-maker John Akomfrah, whose work has covered everything from the refugee crisis to the work of cultural theorist Stuart Hall.
Music
Rough Trade 40
The indie shop and label celebrates its 40th with a bumper bill of events, kicking off tonight with an evening of collabs at London’s Barbican, among them John Grant and Wrangler. Thurston Moore teams up with Charles Hayward on Mon; Severed Heads and Crash Course In Science return on 4 Nov.
Five of the best… rock and pop gigs this week
