Critical list

Camilla Long and Edward Porter

Theatre

THEATRE PICK — HAMLET
Here it is, then: a rather shaky production overall, but still worth seeing for Benedict Cumberbatch's lively, sarcastic, fiercely intelligent prince. See review, in this section. CH
Barbican, London EC2, until Oct 31

1984
Headlong turn Orwell’s dystopian head games into a powerful, visually audacious multimedia production. Final week. DJ
Playhouse Theatre, London WC2, until Sat

TALKING HEADS
Alan Bennett's monologues reveal a quasi-Beckettian bleakness of vision in this new production. Stephanie Cole and Siobhan Redmond star. MS
Theatre Royal, Nottingham, Tue-Sat

ORESTEIA
Robert Icke's revelatory adaptation of Aeschylus's Oresteia manages nuance as well as dramatic heft. A worthy transfer from the Almeida. See feature, in this section. Day tickets only. MS
Trafalgar Studios, London SW1, until Nov 7

Christopher Hart, David Jays and Maxie Szalwinska

Art

ART PICK — CARSTEN HOLLER
Plenty of conceptual fun from the Belgian artist as he asks you to make a series of playful decisions. There are slides, too. Final week.
Hayward Gallery, London SE1, until next Sun

DUSSELDORF PHOTOGRAPHY
Subtitled Bernd & Hilla Becher and Beyond, this show surveys the Bechers and their pupils from the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf: Thomas Struth, Candida Höfer, Andreas Gursky and more.
Ben Brown Fine Arts, London W1, from Fri until Oct 3

DISMALAND
Since last week, Banksy's sinister take on Disneyland — "The UK's most disappointing new visitor attraction!" — has graced the Somerset seafront. It's full of work by Damien Hirst, Polly Morgan — and Banksy, too.
Tropicana, Weston-super-Mare, until Sept 27

BRIDGET RILEY
A seaside show looking at how the queen of op art used the curve motif in her paintings (short answer: a lot). Last week.
De La Warr Pavilion, Bexhill, until next Sun

SOUNDSCAPES
The National Gallery has asked musicians and sound artists to create pieces that complement particular works. Susan Philipsz tackled Holbein's Ambassadors, Nico Muhly the Wilton Diptych.
National Gallery, London WC2, until next Sun

LOVE IS ENOUGH
Jeremy Deller's juxtaposition of Warhol and William Morris presents an intriguing argument and some lovely images.
Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, until next Sun

Louis Wise

Comedy

COMEDY PICK — CARL DONNELLY
Donnelly’s take on sex, dating, anxiety, divorce and mild genetic disorders blends strong gags with touching emotional honesty. An intimate show in every sense.
Ramsgate Music Hall, Thu

STEWART LEE
Lee offers elegant riffs on Islamophobia, nationalism and his own existential despair in a lavishly extended 2½-hour set. Big and clever.
Ropetackle Arts Centre, Shoreham-by-Sea, Fri

ROB ROUSE
Rouse heads a strong bill of experienced circuit names, including Toby Foster and Tom Wrigglesworth — all with a touch more nous and better stories than the usual touring gag merchants.
City Hall, Sheffield, Fri, Sat

THRONES! THE MUSICAL
The first and best non-Coldplay Game of Thrones parody musical dips into London after its Edinburgh run. Loosely based on a guy trying to work out whether GoT is for him, it does contain huge spoilers. In fact, every plot point from the past five seasons is given away in the opening number...
Leicester Square Theatre, London WC2, Fri, Sat

Stephen Armstrong

Dance

DANCE PICK — 1984
Northern Ballet's latest addition to its stock of pieces inspired by literary works is the world premiere of 1984, by the choreographer Jonathan Watkins. Based on George Orwell's classic novel, it's set to an original score by Alex Baranowski.
West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds, from Sat until Sept 12, then touring until Oct 24

APEX RISING
This new annual youth dance festival offers two programmes. The first one sees the National Youth Dance Company perform pieces by Jasmin Vardimon, Akram Khan and Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui. The second features youth companies hailing from England, Scotland and Wales, along with international guests.
Sadler's Wells, London EC1, Fri, Sat

David Dougill

Pop

POP PICK — SUFJAN STEVENS
A draining week in store for the indie heart-throb as he tours his lovely but sad paean to his parents, Carrie & Lowell. He starts at the Edinburgh festival before ending up at End of the Road (see below) next weekend.
Edinburgh Playhouse Theatre, tonight; O2 Apollo, Manchester, Mon; RFH, London SE1, Wed, Thu; Dome, Brighton, Fri; End of the Road, Sat

FESTIVAL NO 6
The quirky Welsh seaside village made famous by The Prisoner gets added dashes of colour, with Grace Jones and a newly disco Belle and Sebastian heading the pop bill at this mixed-arts festival.
Portmeirion, Thu-Sun

END OF THE ROAD
Dorset welcomes a host of indie luminaries, including Sufjan Stevens (see Pop Pick, below), Tame Impala, the War on Drugs, Frazey Ford and Laura Marling — who's also playing the Forum, London NW5, on Saturday.
Larmer Tree Gardens, near Blandford, Fri-Sun

MAC DEMARCO
The singer-songwriter of the moment (barring Sufjan Stevens) visits for a short UK stay; one date this week, a mini tour next.
Roundhouse, London NW1, Tue, then touring Sept 7-12

Louis Wise

Classical

CLASSICAL PICK — BBC PROMS
The San Francisco Symphony is conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas in two concerts with two piano soloists. The first programme sets Schoenberg’s rare Theme and Variations, Op 43b, and Henry Cowell’s even rarer Piano Concerto (with Jeremy Denk) beside Mahler’s Symphony No 1. The second, tomorrow, puts Bartok’s Piano Concerto No 2 (with Yuja Wang) between symphonies by Charles Ives and Beethoven (No 3, the Eroica). PD
Royal Albert Hall, London SW7, tonight, Mon

EDINBURGH INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL
Valery Gergiev conducts the London Symphony Orchestra in the festival’s closing concert: Bartok’s ballet The Miraculous Mandarin and Piano Concerto No 3 (soloist Yefim Bronfman) are followed by Stravinsky’s ballet The Rite of Spring. PD
Usher Hall, Edinburgh, tonight

PRESTEIGNE FESTIVAL
George Vass conducts the Presteigne Festival Orchestra and the Choir of Royal Holloway in a programme including works by Gabriel Jackson, Peteris Vasks and Tarik O’Regan, as well as the premiere of a string-orchestral version of David Matthews’s Three Housman Songs, with the soprano Gillian Keith. PD
St Andrew’s Church, Presteigne, tonight

THE CUNNING LITTLE VIXEN
British Youth Opera's rising generation of young UK-based singers tackle Janacek’s woodland adventures of Vixen Sharp-Ears. Lionel Friend conducts a new production by Stuart Barker and Mandy Demetriou. HC
Peacock Theatre, London WC2, Sat

Hugh Canning and Paul Driver

Book it now

SHORELINES: ARTISTS ON THE SOUTH COAST
The British coast has inspired painters for centuries. This show assembles works by those who worked on our southern shores, including Constable, Turner, Eric Ravilious and Paul Nash.
St Barbe Museum and Gallery, Lymington, Sept 19-Jan 9

INTO THE HOODS: REMIXED
ZooNation's hip-hop dance extravaganza, created by its artistic director, Kate Prince, reboots for autumn, with a UK tour due next year. Expect fresh chart-toppers and even fresher moves.
Peacock Theatre, London WC2, Oct 23-Nov 14, then touring

BY THE SEA
Foals, who have just released yet another critically adored album, headline this new event taking place at Margate's most shabby-chic outpost: the seaside amusement park Dreamland. Further acts to be announced.
Dreamland, Margate, Nov 14

PETER BLAKE: PORTRAITS AND PEOPLE
Pop art's lovable uncle gets a small retrospective focusing on his portraiture. Subjects include Helen Mirren, Paul Smith, Ian Dury and a generous gallery of tattooed characters.
Waddington Custot Galleries, London W1, Nov 24-Jan 30

LINDA
Kim Cattrall returns to the British boards in a new play by Penelope Skinner (The Village Bike). She takes the title role, a successful career woman who seems to have it all — but she wants more.
Royal Court Theatre, London SW1, Nov 25-Jan 9