Comedy
Bridget Christie
The queen of feminist comedy continues her two-week run in London, with a new show that faces up to our EU exasperation, before heading out on tour.
At Leicester Square Theatre, WC2, to Saturday 11 February; touring to Thursday 22 June
Exhibitions
David Hockney
You know the drill by now: another year, another Hockey retrospective, so popular is the octogenarian artist. Tate Britain’s new show promises to be the “most comprehensive yet”, spanning his 1960s Los Angeles swimming pools and manicured lawns to his more recent Yorkshire landscapes.
At Tate Britain, SW1, from Thursday 9 February to Monday 29 May
Robots
From Westworld to Humans, 2016 was a big year for our bionic friends as they slipped back into pop culture’s consciousness. London’s Science Museum knows that all too well: its new show reveals their 500-year history, from a 16th-century mechanised monk to state-of-the-art humanoids.
At Science Museum, SW7, from Wednesday 8 February to Sunday 3 September
Film
Toni Erdmann
This oddball work about a piano teacher trying to reconnect with his daughter is the first German comedy to come out in the UK in 14 years.
In cinemas now
Dance
Material Men Redux
This vivid piece by Shobana Jeyasingh Dance features two dancers of the Indian diaspora blending two very different styles: classical Indian movements and hip-hop street dance. Thematically, the show hinges on hybridity and migration, including the shared history of colonial migration and plantation labour. It got four stars when it premiered in London in 2014; now catch it on tour.
At Nottingham Lakeside Arts, Tuesday 7 February; touring to Saturday 29 April
Music
Syd
Forget the year-long hype that rollercoastered in 2016 until Frank Ocean finally released a music video of him doing some carpentry, followed by the album Blonde. Syd has just dropped her debut solo album, Fin, with very little notice and an impressively understated collection of cool, off-kilter R&B tracks. Formerly the frontwoman of un-Googleable soul squad the Internet, this album could be her Solange moment.
Fin is out now on Columbia
Drake
Week two of the Torontonian’s mammoth UK tour sees him wrap things up in London before spreading his Views to the north with two dates in Leeds. Having started from the bottom himself, expect appearances from hotly tipped rap and grime names, and maybe even a cameo from Drizzy at a smaller show or two.
At the O2, SE10, Saturday 4 February and Sunday 5 February; First Direct Arena, Leeds, Wednesday 8 February and Thursday 9 February; touring to Thursday 23 March
Festivals
Edinburgh Iranian film festival
Considering recent political events, there’s never been a more urgent time to visit this celebration of Iranian cinema (although the event itself self-describes as “non-political” and purely cultural). In any case, there are classical Iranian music shows with a Scottish twist; screenings of films such as The Salesman, Life And A Day and Beach Flags, including a Q&A with the latter’s director, Sarah Saidan; and plenty more talks, films, concerts and even food showcases.
At Filmhouse Cinema, Edinburgh, from Thursday 9 February to Friday 17 February
In-Between Time festival
Bristol’s annual city-wide festival of dance, theatre and art brings together 40 artists over 10 venues for five days, to challenge preconceptions around race, class and gender. Among them, anarchic drag performer Dickie Beau, Sheffield’s theatre veterans Forced Entertainment and playful performance artist Rachael Young.
At various venues from Wednesday 8 February to Sunday 12 February
Podcasts
The New Yorker Radio Hour
Do you love the unapologetically brainy reporting of the New Yorker, but don’t quite have the time to plough through its lengthy articles? This podcast from the US magazine might just be your saviour. Hosted by the New Yorker’s avuncular editor David Remnick, it offers up the similarly broad range of topics as its print namesake – from Trump to the legacy of David Bowie – in a brisk, commute-friendly format.
Available via WNYC Studios and podcast apps
