Going out: Cinema
The Boy and the Heron
Out Boxing Day
Studio Ghibli films truly speak to audiences of all ages. In the latest dose of wonder from the Japanese animation giant, a talking heron – voiced by Masaki Suda in the subtitled version, and by Robert Pattinson in the English-language dub – connects with a recently bereaved child.
Sweet Sue
Out now
Maggie O’Neill plays the eponymous Sue in this drama from Leo Leigh (son of Mike), about a fiftysomething woman tentatively venturing back out on to the dating scene in London. Conflict ensues when she encounters a prospective beau’s flamboyant influencer son, played by Harry Trevaldwyn, the genuinely funny Instagram comedian.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom
Out now
Is it a fish? Is it a submarine? No, it’s Aquaman (Jason Momoa), surfing back into cinemas to form an alliance with his half brother nemesis Orm (Patrick Wilson), in the hopes of defeating Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II). Exciting stuff. You’ll believe a man can … er, swim.
Anyone But You
Out Boxing Day
Sydney Sweeney and Glenn Powell star in this romcom from Will Gluck (Easy A, Friends With Benefits), as a couple whose initial attraction soon fizzles, only to find themselves repeatedly thrown together by chance. Will the spark be rekindled? We like those odds. Catherine Bray
* * *
Going out: Gigs
The Goa Express
Brighton, 28 December; London, 29 December
Bolshie and loud and loaded with attitude, Manchester-adjacent, east Lancashire five-piece the Goa Express have slowly built up a dedicated following, with support from 6 Music, which playlisted their chiming 2021 single, Second Time. Expect that to go down well alongside the 90s indie throwback of the more recent track, It’s Never Been Better. Michael Cragg
Skerryvore
28 December to 28 January; tour starts Stirling
Fusing traditional folk instruments such as fiddles, accordions and whistles with elements of modern rock, octet Skerryvore are three-time winners of Scotland’s llve act of the year. See what all the fuss is about as they tour in support of April’s UK Top 40 album, Tempus. MC
Samara and guests
606 Club, London, 23 December
The 606, one of London’s longest-running and most affectionately regarded jazz clubs, stages its seasonal bash hosted by flute-playing proprietor Steve Rubie’s sparky Latin-jazz quintet, with soulful Australian vocalist Lily Dior. It’s an annual occasion famous for drop-in performances from from jazz luminaries. John Fordham
Saw a Peacock
Wigmore Hall, London, 28 December
For anyone feeling deprived of live music between Christmas and New Year, there’s always something interesting on offer at the Wigmore Hall. This recital by the baritone James Newby with pianist Joseph Middleton includes the world premiere of Brian Elias’s song cycle, settings of six poems, Elias says, all concerned with visions and dreams. Andrew Clements
* * *
Going out: Art
John Craxton
Pallant House Gallery, Chichester, to 21 April
Take a sunkisssed midwinter break to the Greek islands as depicted by this cheerfully hedonist painter. Craxton was a significant British figurative artist in the postwar age of Bacon and Freud. But he preferred utopianism and the celebration of desire to grim, rainy realism – so he headed for the Aegean.
El Anatsui
Tate Modern, London, to 14 April
The shimmering beauty of El Anatsui’s vast hangings, filled with colour against the grey backdrop of Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall, makes for an uplifting, joyous – and free – Christmas outing. But there’s plenty of content here too, from the suggestions of a slave ship’s sails to El Anatsui’s reuse of waste.
Alberta Whittle
Modern (Modern One), Edinburgh, to 7 January
Whittle’s art is full of good cheer, her handpainted signs expressing love and generosity. There’s even a space here where you are invited to chill out and heal. It’s needed because her films, paintings, photoworks and installations tell the brutal history of transatlantic slavery. A modern Christmas Carol of sorts.
Pesellino
National Gallery, London, to 10 March
This bright jewel case of a (free) show includes the perfect seasonal painting. Pesellino’s depiction of King Melchior, one of the three Magi, setting sail in search of the newborn Christ is a fairytale scene of the wise man and his retinue in a boat a child might dream of. Delightful. Jonathan Jones
* * *
Going out: Stage
The Nutcracker
London Coliseum, to 7 January; Royal Opera House, London, to 13 January
Two versions of the Nutcracker to choose from if you’re in London, or fancy a trip, and both have the same brilliantly twinkly Tchaikovsky score, played live. English National Ballet’s production is set in frosty Edwardian London, the Royal Ballet’s (which has the edge) features pre-Raphaelite angels and a shimmering spun-sugar palace. Lyndsey Winship
COBO: Kings of Comedy
Glee Club; Rosies, Birmingham, 27 December
You’ve heard of Mobo, but you may not be quite so familiar with its standup equivalent. This night celebrating comedy of Black origin delivers post-Christmas cheer with help from Nabil Abdulrashid, Richard Blackwood, the reliably delightful Guz Khan and The Real McCoy’s Curtis Walker. Rachel Aroesti
Hansel and Gretel
Globe theatre, London, to 7 January
The Globe’s festive shows are always warm and inviting. This year, poet laureate Simon Armitage adapts the Grimms’ entrancing fairytale, with director Nick Bagnall infusing it with songs, music and magic. Miriam Gillinson
Pinocchio
Hull Truck theatre, to New Year’s Eve
It’s your last chance to catch Hull Truck’s main Christmas show, with Carlo Collodi’s bold and transporting story reimagined for a modern audience by composer John Biddle, writer Mike Kenny and director Mark Babych. For ages 7+ and with integrated BSL throughout. MG
* * *
Staying in: Streaming
Murder Is Easy
BBC One, 27 December, 9pm
Mulled wine and Quality Street are all well and good but nothing radiates festive cosiness quite like a murderer on the loose. This year, the Beeb’s trademark Agatha Christie adaptation tells the story of a serial killer stalking a bucolic village, with David Jonsson, Morfydd Clark and Mark Bonnar among the cast.
Imagine … French and Saunders: Pointed, Bitchy, Bitter
iPlayer & BBC One, 27 December, 10.30pm
In the early 00s, festive TV meant one thing: a French and Saunders special with their signature stew of pop culture parodies and classic characters. So it feels like the perfect time of year to celebrate the duo’s trailblazing breakthrough and lasting influence, Yentob in tow.
Mog’s Christmas
Channel 4, Christmas Eve, 9.30pm
The Tiger Who Came to Tea might be Judith Kerr’s crowning achievement, but her Mog books – about the adventures of a confused cat – come a close second. This starry adaptation features turns from Benedict Cumberbatch, Claire Foy, Zawe Ashton and Kerr’s daughter, Tacy Kneale.
The Heist Before Christmas
Now & Sky Max, Christmas Eve, 8pm
A poverty-stricken 12-year-old stumbles across two Father Christmases stranded in the woods. One (James Nesbitt) is a bankrobber, but the other (Timothy Spall) claims to be the real deal. Will our hero opt to save Christmas with stolen money, or open his heart to something more magical? RA
* * *
Staying in: Games
Spider-Man: Miles Morales
PS4/5, PC
No new releases this week, so let’s play some superhero games set at Christmas instead! In this brilliantly bitesized web-slinging adventure, we’re introduced to Spidey’s understudy in snowy New York …
Batman: Arkham Origins
PS3, XBox One, Wii U, PC
… while here, Batman defeats a bunch of assassins in midwinter Gotham City. A perfect Boxing Day snack.
Keza MacDonald
* * *
Staying in: Albums
Zara Larsson – Honor the Light
Out now
There’s a new album next year, but before that Zara Larsson releases her first Christmas collection. As well as a couple of Scandinavian winter classics, this EP also includes the new single Memory Lane and a lovely cover of Sara Bareilles and Ingrid Michaelson’s Winter Song.
Trevor Horn – Echoes: Ancient & Modern
Out now
The revered producer of Relax, Slave to the Rhythm, All the Things She Said etc collects an impressive selection of vocalists for an album of reimagined covers. So you have Iggy Pop drawling through Depeche Mode’s Personal Jesus, Seal reworking Joe Jackson’s Steppin’ Out and nine more similarly unique offerings.
Health – Rat Wars
Out now
Billed as “The Downward Spiral for people with at least two monitors and a vitamin D deficiency”, the LA noise-rock merchants’ fifth album is a typically heavy enterprise. The singles Hateful and Demigods add pummelling electronic textures to the cacophony, while the Godflesh-assisted Sicko is basically terrifying.
Conway the Machine and Wun Two – Palermo
Out now
New York rapper Conway the Machine continues his penchant for collaborative albums – previous co-headliners have included producer the Alchemist and rapper Prodigy – with this record with lo-fi German beatmaker, Wun Two. Built around the theme of resistance and truth, iIt’s a slowly unfurling hip-hop odyssey. MC
* * *
Staying in: Brain food
Movement
Podcast
Ethiopian-American singer Meklit Hadero hosts this engaging series (above) tracing the impact of global migration through music. Interviewing cross-cultural artists such as singer Xenia Rubinos and rapper Oddisee, Hadero explores how their family histories have informed their creativity.
Letters Live
YouTube
Over the past decade, Letters Live has been pairing celebrities with dramatic readings of correspondences. Its YouTube channel features charming highlights including Olivia Colman on a novelist’s complaint and Taika Waititi recounting a bureaucratic dispute.
Country Music
Streaming on Now
Ken Burns’s comprehensive eight-part series on this distinctly American genre is typically engaging, charting its evolution from southern Appalachian songs of struggle to the stardom enjoyed by Dolly Parton and Johnny Cash. Ammar Kalia
