Movie theater

Casablanca Beats
out now
Community leader Anas (Moroccan actor and rapper Anas Basbousi) arrives at a cultural center in a difficult neighborhood, where his attitude alienates his colleagues but makes him dear to his students, who appreciate being able to express themselves in a conservative society. Acclaimed drama from director Nabil Ayouch.

We’re all going to the world’s fair
out now
A teenager’s bedroom might not be the most original setting for a horror, but the hook here is that much of the action takes place online, in a coming-of-age with a twist. Anna Cobb (above) stars as Casey, a teenager about to take on the World’s Fair Challenge, the “scariest role-playing game on the internet”.

The Velvet Queen: Snow Leopard
out now
In this documentary, novelist Sylvain Tesson joins wildlife photographer Vincent Munier on an adventure through the mountainous valleys of Tibet, in hopes of tracking down one of the world’s most elusive and beautiful animals: the eastern leopard. snows. With a new score by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis.

Downton Abbey: A New Era
out now
There’s more to be had from its cash cow, or so the producers of this second big-screen outing for the drama hope. In the grand tradition of filmed versions of British television properties, the Crawley family go abroad, to a villa in the south of France – and, in a sign of encroaching modernity, a film crew descends on the house. Catherine Bray

Denzel Curry
Olympia, Dublin, May 1; Manchester Academy, May 2; O2 Academy Brixton, London, May 4
Released in March, Curry’s fifth and greatest album, Melt My Eyez See Your Future, saw the South Florida rapper (above) revamp his sound, trading intensity for introspection. Perfect for emotional wallowing, but expect the live highlight to be gonzo Ricky, the culmination of 2019’s excellent ZUU.

Rebecca Black
6 to May 13; the tour starts in London
More than a decade since she became the laughingstock of the internet via the 2011 viral ‘hit’ Friday, Black has been re-evaluated via choice collaborations with hyperpop exponents such as 100 Gecs and Dorian Electra. The latter even appeared on last year’s wacky and utterly confusing Friday remix. Michael Cragg

Hermeto Pascoal
St. George’s, Bristol, May 2; Barbican Hall, London, May 5
Pascoal, the Brazilian composer and visionary, spins new music with his own ensemble as part of the UK’s National Youth Jazz Orchestra. Back home, they call the unique 85-year-old O Bruxo – “the wizard”. I found why. John Fordham

Claude Vivier
Southbank Centre, London, 6 to May 8
Claude Vivier was assassinated in 1983 at the age of 34. The importance of his works has steadily increased in the decades since his death, although they are still too rarely heard in the UK. A weekend of concerts at the Southbank Center includes eight, starting with perhaps Vivier’s greatest achievement, Lonely Child, sung by soprano Claire Booth under the direction of Ilan Volkov. Andrew Clements

Cropped: The woman at the window
Dulwich Photo GalleryLondon, May 4 at 4 September
The Girl at the Window by Rembrandt is a treasure of this gallery. Here, the Dutch theme of women framed or lit by windows (also a Vermeer favourite) is updated with artwork by Cindy Sherman, Rachel Whiteread and Ajarb Bernard Ategwa (artwork pictured above). As Tom Hunter’s photograph Woman Reading Possession Order shows, the motif has many modern resonances.

Barbara Hepworth: Art & Life
Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh, at 2 October
A retrospective of one of Britain’s most ambitious modern artists, a woman who carved her way into art history by tackling the heavy materials of sculpture. Hepworth’s sculpted and molded forms are like naturally weathered wonders, where the sea echoes through marble caves and abstract sirens sing.

Radical landscapes
Tate Liverpool, May 5 at 4 September
British art has had a love affair with landscape since the days of Turner and Constable. But forget that. This exhibition is not about pastoral escapism but about land rights, the climate crisis and protest, from the images of Turner-nominated Ingrid Pollard belonging to the neon green version of Jeremy Deller’s giant Cerne Abbas.

Jeff Wall
White Cube Mason’s Yard, London, at 25 June
Reality and fiction artfully merge in Wall’s photographic works. Few have done so much to make us realize that a camera can lie as well as a painting. Here, he mixes reports of mink hunting in his hometown of Vancouver with reconstructed memories from his childhood. jonathan jones

The white card
Northern Stage, Newcastle upon Tyne, until May 14, then on tour
The first piece (pictured above) by poet Claudia Rankine asks: can society progress when whiteness remains invisible? Directed by Natalie Ibu.

Oklahoma!
Young Vic Theatre, London, to June 25
Daniel Fish’s revival makes its UK premiere. Naked and sexy, immersive and politically charged, it stars Arthur Darvill and Anoushka Lucas. Miriam Gillinson

Matsena Productions/House of the Absolute
Sadler’s Well, EC1, 6 & May 7
Anthony and Kel Matsena’s political dance in Shades of Blue, examining attitudes towards the police in light of BLM; and stories of matriarchal power in Julia Cheng’s Warrior Queens. Lyndsey Winship

Stand Up Under the Stars
Brighton Open Air Theatre, May 6 & June 17
Outdoor concerts are not reserved for confinements. May hosts Reginald D Hunter, Suzi Ruffell and brassy newcomer Esther Manito, while Kerry Godliman and Felicity Ward perform in June. Rachel Aroesti

Diffusion

The staircase
April 289 p.m., Sky Atlantic and Now TV
Some true-crime cases attract only fleeting interest, while others survive years of exposure: Kathleen Peterson’s bizarre death falls firmly into the latter category. After an extensive docuseries, the story is now getting the prestige dramatic treatment, with Colin Firth and Toni Collette (above) in the lead roles.

The Pentaverate
May 5netflix
Mike Myers’ Netflix passion project is here: This new series tells the full story of the Illuminati-style conspiracy first mentioned in his 1993 film So I Married an Ax Murderer. Inevitably, the comedy stays true to most leads, but the supporting cast – Jennifer Saunders, Ken Jeong, Lydia West – is a draw in itself.

The other
May 69:30 p.m., BBC One and iPlayer
Ellie White and Lauren Socha play the chalk-and-cheese long-lost sisters in this bizarre sitcom from Holly Walsh. Series two sees the couple discover that their womanizing father has also blessed them with a brother: a more soothing cue and brilliantly pitched performances.

Tehran
May 6AppleTV+
Do you find the news a little too relaxing? This Emmy-winning Israeli drama — about a Mossad agent who goes underground in Iran to disable a nuclear reactor — should get your heart pumping. He returns with Glenn Close, who joins the cast as a fellow agent. AR

Nintendo Switch Sports
Nintendo Switch, now available
Do you remember bowling and tennis on Nintendo Wii? This sporty medley (above) brings the joy of waving the controller back to the living room.

Hike to Yomi
PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Release May 5
A black and white action game with an aesthetic pulled straight from Akira Kurosawa’s classic samurai films. Keza MacDonald

Kelly Lee Owens – LP.8
out now
Although this is only her third album, the Welsh electronic artist and producer (above) said she titled it LP.8 because of its conceptual links to completion and infinity. Created in Norway alongside noise artist Lasse Marhaug, it features a more abrasive electronic sound.

Bloc Party – Alpha Games
out now
Six years after their last transitional album, Hymns, the enduring indie underdogs – who swapped members in 2015 – settle into their groove on this follow-up produced by Nick Launay (Idles, Yeah Yeah Yeahs). Traps, the frenetic first single from last November, is a good example.

Kehlani – Blue Water Route
out now
The Californian R&B practitioner returns with her Justin Bieber-assisted third studio album, the sequel to 2020’s excellent It Was Good Until It Wasn’t. That album’s occasional producer, Pop Wansel, takes the reins as executive producer here. , giving it a cohesive and soulful sound that anchors tracks such as lead single Altar.

Toro and Me – Mahal
out now
Chaz Bear flips between characters at lightning speed. After releasing an EP under his more danceable Les Sins guise in 2020, the South Carolina native is back to channel psych, hip-hop and funk via his latest album as Toro y Moi. His musicality is on full display on the recent undulating, bass-heavy single Postman. CM

Oprahdemics
Podcast
Historians Kellie Carter Jackson and Leah Wright Rigueur host this incisive podcast examining the enduring cultural phenomenon that is Oprah Winfrey. Each week, they analyze how Oprah’s talk show episodes artfully reflect the zeitgeist of the times.

@samseats
ICT Tac & instagram
Cooking tutorials are everywhere, but chef Sam Way has turned them into a social media art form over the past couple of years. Combining hypnotic editing with intricate recipes, her articles cover everything from duck to deep-dish pizza.

Our Lives: Born Deaf, Raised Hearing
May 67:30 p.m., BBC One
Our Lives, a uniquely informative series of documentaries exploring the extraordinary lives of everyday Britons, returns for a new series. The first installment follows deaf actor Jonny Cotsen as he examines his identity in a majority world. Ammar Kalia