Theatre
Against
Part of the post-truth theatre season at the Almeida in London, Against – written by Pulitzer-nominated playwright Christopher Shinn – stars Ben Whishaw as an aerospace billionaire who believes he is being directed by God.
At the Almeida, N1, 12 August to 30 September
Festivals
Cotton Clouds festival
Another year, another new one-day boutique music festival promising blissful escapism. Oldham’s Cotton Clouds, which is nestled near the Peak District and takes place on 12 August, offers a varied lineup that includes local bands PINS and the Whip, DIY pop duo the Rhythm Method and hip-hop greats the Sugarhill Gang. Perpetual students the Coral headline.
At Saddleworth cricket club, Oldham, 12 August
Edinburgh international book festival
Celebrating its 70th anniversary, this year’s festival programme works under the broad umbrella of Brave New Words, investigating the global and personal experiences of living in our modern world. The eclectic programme ranges from Beyoncé collaborator Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and first minister Nicola Sturgeon debating the role of women in the world, to hygge exponent Meik Wiking launching his new book, likely swaddled cosily in an oversized cashmere rug.
At various venues, Edinburgh, 12-28 August
Caribbean carnival of Manchester
Manchester’s first Caribbean carnival started in 1972 and returns to celebrate the region’s rich music and arts history.
At Alexandra Park, Manchester, 12-13 August
Sunfall festival
Created by the people behind London clubs XOYO and The Nest, Sunfall offers day and night lineups featuring some of underground music’s most interesting exponents including Princess Nokia, Madlib and Jay Electronica. The day portion takes place on 12 August in Herne Hill’s Brockwell Park, while the night session runs that night across various London venues.
At Brockwell Park, SE24, 12 August
Exhibitions
Face to Face
Subtitled The Figurative Sculpture of Sean Henry, this exhibition showcases, well, the figurative sculpture of Sean Henry. While his subject matter is everyday (often anonymous men and women), tweaks in scale and colour draw your eye closer. It will also feature sculptures in outdoor locations around the town.
At The Lightbox, Woking, 12 August to 5 November
Alien Sex Capsule
No, not another addition to the Alien film franchise, Alien Sex Capsule is actually artist John Walter’s exploration into the relationship between visual culture and HIV. Walter has created a multimedia, multi-sensory and fully immersive exhibition that utilises a “cruise maze” to showcase painting, sculpture and video pieces that together aim to inspire conversations and research surrounding contemporary sexual health. The exhibition is free.
At Artlink Gallery, Hull, 18 August to 29 September
Joseph Buckley: Brotherhood Tapestry
This debut solo exhibition at the Tetley in Leeds finds artist Joseph Buckley exploring the space between blackness and Britishness via three large-scale sculptural pieces incorporating the historically familiar with the modern world, plus a dash of science fiction.
At the Tetley, Leeds, 12 August to 29 October
Film
The Dark Tower
This adaptation of Stephen King’s novel series has been in Hollywood limbo for years, with both JJ Abrams and Ron Howard trying and failing to make it work. Idris Elba plays a gunslinger fighting Matthew McConaughey’s The Man in Black in post-apocalyptic “Mid-World”, all while trying to get to a tower for reasons too complicated to get into here. Still, it looks shiny and expensive.
In cinemas from 18 August
Music
Grizzly Bear
As you can see from the picture above, 2017 is the year slow-burn US rockers Grizzly Bear go full on Klaxons nu-rave … Only joking, obviously, their new album, Painted Ruins, is more of a refinement of their sound than a major overhaul. Still, lead single Three Rings features all the attributes that make them interesting: lovely harmonies, mumbled lyrics and a general disregard for time signatures.
Painted Ruins is released on 18 August
