From Hamnet to Bridget Christie: your complete entertainment guide for the week ahead | culture

Checkout: cinema

Hamnet
Out now
Bring the tissues for this emotional Oscar nominee that sees Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley play William Shakespeare and his wife Agnes, whose son Hamnet dies at the age of 11. It is based on the book by Maggie O’Farrell, and directed by Chloe Zhao (Nomadland).

David Lynch: The Dreamer
BFI Southbank and BFI Imax, London, until 31 January
Marking what would have been the director’s 80th birthday, this new season includes screenings of major films like The Elephant Man, Blue Velvet, and Mulholland Drive, as well as lesser-seen works, like six of his short films and all eight episodes of his animated web series Dumbland. There’s also a David Lynch VJ night and a quiz night.

giant
Out now
Rising star Amir El Masry headlines this sports drama that charts the rise of British boxer, Prince Naseem Hamed, from untested mark all the way to world champion – with a little help from trainer Brendan Ingle (Pierce Brosnan). Directed by Rowan Athale.

A maze
Out now
The late, great David Bowie’s turn as the skinny-trousered Jareth the Goblin King is rather 40 years old, providing as good an excuse as any to revisit his magic, which in addition to the aforementioned Goblin King includes disturbing work from Jim Henson’s Creature Workshop and a great performance from a young Jennifer Connelly. Catherine Bray

Checkout: Gigs

Soul wax
manchester, January 14; london, January 15
Belgian brothers and remix greats David and Stephen Dewailly bring their raucous rock band to the UK in support of last October’s fifth studio album, All Systems Are Lying, which has been described as “a rock album made without any electric guitar”. The heavy New Earth Time highlight can lead to some unusually isolated head shots. Michael Cragg

Artemez
O2 Forum Kentish Townlondon, January 13
Formed in 2023 from the ashes of the 11-member girl group Loona, the quintet Artms is still settling into the competitive world of K-Pop. Their brilliant first single, 2024’s Virtual Angel, was recently joined by 00s-indebted Icarus. Both are scheduled to appear in this unique exhibition in London. MC

Makropoulos case
Barbican Hall, London, January 13 and 15
Just two months after the Royal Opera unveiled the first staging of The Makropulos Affair, Simon Rattle has conducted two concert performances as the latest addition to the Janacek opera series in concert with the London Symphony Orchestra. The cast is headed by Marlisse Petersen as 300-year-old Emilia Marty, with Alice Brissen as Albert Gregor. Andrew Clements

Trish Close
606 Club, London, January 15
British saxophonist and composer Trish Close has worked with the London Sinfonietta and the BBC Concert Orchestra, among many prestigious ensembles, but small jazz groups suit her best. She mixes original songs with classics by the likes of Wayne Shorter and Thelonious Monk in her brilliant band featuring keyboardist Ross Stanley and guitarist Mike Outram. John Fordham

Checkout: art

Marshmello Laser Day
Yorkshire Sculpture Garden: The Chapel, near Wakefield, until 15 March
Art, science, meditation and campaigning merge in this high-tech installation that explores the inner life of an ancient oak tree at Kew Gardens. The Marshmallow Laser Feast collective even used ground-penetrating radar to record the subterranean secrets of oak roots. Immerse yourself in a digitally recreated natural world.

Georgia O’Keeffe
Gerald Moore Gallery, London, January 15 Until February 14
Sensuality is not always associated with landscape or abstract art, but in Georgia O’Keeffe’s world you cannot escape sensuality even when she is painting a vision of pure color or a desert landscape. This great American artist had a keen eye for both skyscrapers and cacti: here her graphic imagination soared freely.

Richard Avedon
Gagosian Grosvenor Hill, London, January 15 Until March 14
Here the charismatic photographer, often remembered for his portraits of New Yorkers, turns his lens on the very different faces of the American West. A miner stands covered in dirt, the difficulty of his job highlighted against a blank, abstract background. All the Avedon style is here, plus real grit.

Modern masterpieces
Compton Vernie, Warwickshire, until 6 September
In Vincent van Gogh’s 1885 painting Peasant Woman Digging, a country woman dressed in black is shown bent over her shovel. We can’t see her face, only her huge clogs. This attractive example of Van Gogh’s early works appears with other paintings from the Barber Institute by artists including Bonnard and Renoir. Jonathan Jones

Checkout: platform

Bridget Christie
January 14 to April 5; The tour begins in Stamford
From playing Charles II to creating a menopause and folklore-themed drama for Channel 4, Christie likes to take the comedic road less traveled. Now she’s back with a new live show, “Jack Potato Pizza,” which promises to cover kidney stones, cats, and eye crumbs in signature left-field style. Rachel Aroesti

Oh Mary!
Trafalgar Theatre, London, until 25 April
Cole Escola’s Tony Award-winning comedy comes to the West End. It is a wildly perverse look at the hapless and extremely drunk Mary Todd Lincoln, in the weeks leading up to the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Miriam Gillinson

Snow mice!
Theater Royal Bath, L January 11
Three children arrive at a strange house at the beginning of the holiday and embark on an adventure with a mysterious snow mouse. Features enchanting puppet shows and live music. mg

Varna International Ballet
Liverpool, January 10; nottingham, From January 12 to 14; Buxton, 16 Until January 18; Tour until March 14th
Varna may not be among the best in the world, but it tours the classics to places the leading names never reach, with a live orchestra too. Swan Lake, Cinderella and The Nutcracker take turns on an extensive round-trip tour across the country until March. Lindsey Winship