From Eleanor the Great to Emily in Paris: Your complete entertainment guide for the week ahead | culture

Exit: cinema

Eleanor the Great
Out now
June Squibb stars in Scarlett Johansson’s directorial debut, which premiered at Cannes, and tells the story of Eleanor, a senior citizen recently moved to New York, who befriends a 19-year-old — and then stumbles her way into pretending to be a Holocaust survivor.

Lurking
Out now
A hit at Sundance, the story of an unassuming retail employee who happens to befriend a rising pop star becomes a Boswell for Johnson, if Boswell were part of the pop star’s entourage. But the path to friendship with a famous person is never smooth, and the unequal power dynamic soon leads to some desperate maneuvers in this psychological thriller.

Ella McKay
Out now
Emma Mackey stars in James L. Brooks’ latest film (his first since 2010), a political comedy about an idealistic 30-something working in government who prepares to replace her mentor, Governor Bill (Albert Brooks). Jamie Lee Curtis co-stars as Aunt Ella.

Prepare for the next life
Out now
An illegal Uyghur immigrant searches for a fresh start in New York when she meets an American soldier in Chinatown, in this drama based on the Atticus Leech novel, starring newcomer Sebi Bahtiyar and Fred Hechinger (Nickel Boyz). Directed by Academy Award nominee Bing Liu (Minding the Gap). Catherine Bray

Checkout: Gigs

My country
London, 13 and 16 December; Dublin, 14 December; Manchester, December 17
Dubbed the “Mystic Oracle of Internet Rap” by Pitchfork earlier this year, the Swedish hero continues his busy year — which already includes a collaborative EP with Yung Lean, featuring songs by PinkPantheress and Oklou — with this tour. Michael Cragg

Macmillan Christmas Oration
Barbican Hall, London, 19 December
It’s the time of year when amateur and professional choirs across the country dust off scores of Handel’s Messiah for their annual performance. For a change, the more ambitious may opt for Bach’s Christmas piece instead, and this year the BBC Symphony Choir will perform the Christmas piece James MacMillan composed for the LPO six years ago. The composer conducts a mixture of biblical narration and liturgical choirs, with Ryan Lewis and Roderick Williams as soloists.Andrew Clements

Alan Barnes
Fleece Jazz, Colchester, December 16; Chichester Jazz Club, 19 December
This holiday season, one of the most entertaining swing sax players regularly takes to bebop on the UK jazz scene, this year with long-time trumpet partner Bruce Adams on Tuesday, and with his UK top-notch eight piece on Friday. John Fordham

Duckworth
Manchester, December 14; Bristol, December 15; London, December 16
Shape-shifting Los Angeles musician Jared Lee, whose latest album, All American F*ckBoy, fused hip-hop, alternative rock and the narrative of LaKeith Stanfield, brings his frenetic, manic energy to these shores on this three-date tour. MC

Checkout: art

Peter Doig
Serpentine Gallery, London, until 8 February
Enjoy one of the best shows of 2025, plus an indoor club, concert and festival as this mesmerizing artist blends his art with sounds from his vinyl collection. Giant antique cinema speakers pump out soundtracks of paintings that transport you into Doig’s whimsical worlds.

Case in the museum
Harris, Preston, until January 4
The world of Wallace and Gromit comes to life in this exhibit perfect for the Christmas season. The relaunched Harris Art Gallery in Preston gives the beloved plasticine characters their own retrospective while also exploring the life and art of their creator Nick Park. Pass the mince pies, Gromit.

Lasting impressions
Victoria and Albert, London, to 27 September
In Käthe Kollwitz’s print Death and Woman (Tod und Frau), a child tries to save his mother from a skeleton trying to drag her away, transforming the old German theme of “Death and the Maiden.” This display of women’s prints also includes Faith Ringgold and Laura Knight.

Humphrey Ocean
Gainsborough House, Suffolk, until 22 March
The pop-coloured painter, and former bassist with Kilburn and the Highwaymen, displays his striking, precise but sometimes very poetic architectural views. The flat views of tower blocks and houses against an empty sky reflect the way we live now. It contrasts with Gainsborough’s Georgian house. Jonathan Jones

Checkout: platform

Women in the mind
The Duke of York’s Theatre, London, until 28 February
One of Alan Ayckbourn’s most unusual plays is about a housewife who hits her head and begins living a double life, one real and one imaginary. Sheridan Smith stars in the title role (always a bundle of contradictions) alongside comedian Romesh Ranganathan in his West End debut.

Christmas fair
Chadderton Town Hall, from 17 December to 2 January
This co-production between Oldham Coliseum Theater and Not Too Tame theater company – which creates work that celebrates regional identity and supports the hero community – sounds like a treat. It’s an immersive experience of Jim Cartwright’s festive play, which explores the lives of locals preparing for their annual fair. Miriam Gillinson

He lives At Christmas
Tour until December 21
Everyone loves a festive bargain, and this series of mixed-bill stand-ups spread across the country are sure to save you a lot of money. Featuring the likes of Tim Key, Phil Wang and Simon Amstell, each issue offers a selection of at least five cartoons – all of which would make great standalone tickets. Rachel Aroesti

Shaun the Sheep Circus show
Aviva Studios, Manchester, until 4 January
Australian circus troupe Circa are masters of their craft – typically sophisticated, well-choreographed acrobats that perform in theaters and festivals around the world. So, this feels like a veer into new territory, a family show based on a beloved cartoon character, promising slapstick comedy alongside rolling, juggling and aerial feats. Lindsey Winship