Film
Free Guy
Some movies wear their references on their sleeves. Free Guy wears them on its sleeves, lapels and shoulders in one great big all-over bodysuit of homage that refers primarily to the 1998 Peter Weir classic The Truman Show. It is essentially a remake, and follows the liberating journey of an anonymous computer game character who suddenly springs to life and aims to escape from his ersatz prison. Ryan Reynolds (also producer) is perfect casting as the clean-cut automaton Guy. Jodie Comer, as the mysterious Molotov Girl and her human handler Millie, is impressive as his love interest and proves in what is her first proper Hollywood engagement, post-Killing Eve, that she’s an instinctive big-screen talent. In cinemas
Kevin Maher
Television
Annika
Nicola Walker reprises a role that will be familiar to listeners of Radio 4 — that of DI Annika Strandhed (the radio drama is called Annika Stranded), lead detective of the Marine Homicide Unit. For the TV adaptation, the writer Nick Walker has relocated his heroine from Oslo to Scotland. Like Sarah Lund and Saga Norén, Annika is riddled with neuroses, but her wisecracking, boisterous manner and a love of motorboats mark her out as better company. She’s also fond of using literary references to help to solve crimes and even breaks the fourth wall on occasion, making the viewer her confidant. It’s an unusual, distinctive new drama and Walker — as always — is terrific.
Alibi, Tue
Joe Clay
Untold
Those who have BT Sport might have enjoyed ESPN’s 30 for 30 films, an American sports documentary strand criminally underseen in the UK. Now here is Netflix’s response to that series: five self-contained sports stories (albeit American ones) that meticulously explore the psychologies of modern sports stars. The first, Malice at the Palace, concerns a notorious 2004 mêlée that occurred when, at a basketball game between the Indiana Pacers and the Detroit Pistons, a fan threw a beer cup onto the Pacers’ defender Ron Artest, causing the players and fans to erupt into a shocking mass brawl. Future weekly episodes include one on the rivalry between the tennis stars Andy Roddick and Mardy Fish.
Netflix
James Jackson
Theatre
Cinderella
Fingers crossed there won’t be any more Covid-induced delays. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s new musical has taken on the cliffhanging aura of a soap opera in the past couple of months: opening dates have been pencilled in and scrubbed, leaving the musical peer to rage against what he sees as the fecklessness of the government’s approach to the theatre industry. If all goes well, our heroine (played by Carrie Hope Fletcher) will make it to the ball on Wednesday. The lyrics are by David Zippel, Emerald Fennell has written the book.
Gillian Lynne Theatre, London WC2 (andrewlloydwebberscinderella.com), from Wed
Clive Davis
Classical
BBC Proms
An eagerly awaited debut by Vikingur Ólafsson pairs the compelling Icelandic pianist with the Philharmonia and conductor Paavo Järvi — new chief conductor Santtu-Matias Rouvali is unable to travel because of restrictions (tonight, and BBC4 on Sun): it’s likely to be a season highlight. On Monday (BBC4, Thu) it’s opera night with fine young British singers including Natalya Romaniw and Nicky Spence, albeit in odd repertoire, while the saxophonist Nubya Garcia has the floor to herself on Wednesday (also Aug 20 on BBC4).
Royal Albert Hall, London SW7 (bbc.co.uk/proms)
Neil Fisher
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Pop
Supergrass
Coming up with a signature tune called Alright that begins with the line “We are young, we run green” could cause a problem for a no-longer young quartet of 1990s Brit pop survivors. Since reuniting in 2019, however, Supergrass have reminded audiences what they loved about them in the first place: an irrepressible spirit aligned to great, Kinks-indebted, upbeat guitar pop songs. Reunion shows have found the band in better form than ever. They play at south London’s revitalised Crystal Palace Bowl at an all-dayer alongside fellow indie lot the Cribs.
Crystal Palace Bowl, London SE19 (southfacingfestival.com), Fri
Will Hodgkinson
Comedy
Leo Kearse: Cancel Culture
Yes, he’s that rarity in comedy, “right-wing”: although, as with the Londoner Geoff Norcott, this rambunctiously inspired Scottish stand-up is economically conservative yet socially liberal. And as he runs through all the ways he’s not transphobic, homophobic or racist like he’s been accused of being, he plies the jagged persona of a man who would rather be free-thinking than right-thinking. You won’t agree with him on every detail, but you should be hugely entertained by his Edinburgh Fringe show.
Laughing Horse @ The Free Sisters, Edinburgh EH1 (edfringe.com), to Aug 29
Dominic Maxwell
Visual art
Olivier Debré
He’s had big shows around the world, but the Estorick Collection in London is hosting the first big show of the artist’s work in the UK in 44 years. Olivier Debré, a postwar French painter who first rose to prominence alongside such peers as De Staël and Serge Poliakoff, came to maturity with paintings that he characterised as “fervent abstractions”. In them he sought to capture the emotions that natural phenomena stirred up in his soul. Storms and typhoons, swelling seas and sweeping rivers inspired him.
Estorick Collection, London N1 (estorickcollection.com), to Sept 26
Rachel Campbell-Johnston
