Summer 2023 Hot 100: Your Guide to Essential Films, Concerts, Exhibitions and Theaters

Hello Dolly! The long-awaited Barbie starring Margot Robbie will be released on July 21st. Photo: Jaap Buitendijk, 1 July

Exhibition | Eva Arnold
In the largest retrospective of the late American photographer in the UK in decades, Marilyn Monroe, Marlene Dietrich and Malcolm X sit shoulder to shoulder with her little-known images of 1950s Harlem.
Newlands House Gallery , Petworth ( newlandshouse.gallery) until January 7

A photograph of Marilyn Monroe taken by Eva Arnold in 1960 during the filming of Misfits is on display at Newlands House. Photo: Eve Arnold/MAGNUM PHOTOS

Pop | Dog Afternoon
Iggy Pop, one of rock's greatest artists, leads a fantastic old punk band that also includes Blondie and Generation Sex (a cross between the Sex Pistols and Generation X).
Crystal Palace Park , London, SE19 (ticketmaster.co.uk)

Exhibition | Birds of America
Impressive life-size illustrations by the French-American naturalist John James Audubon (1785–1851), who sought to depict every species of bird in the Americas.
Compton Verney, Warwickshire (comptonverney.org.uk), through 1 October

Pop | BST Festival
The annual Hyde Park extravaganza kicks off with Take That, followed by Billy Joel, Lana Del Rey, K-pop sensation Blackpink and Bruce Springsteen in the following days.
Hyde Park , London, W2 (bst-hydepark.com) until July 9

Bruce Springsteen among the BST lineup Photo: JAMES ARTHUR GEKJER/Belga/AFP via Getty Images

Opera | A Midsummer Night's Dream
Peter Hall's timeless production combines Britten's music with Shakespeare's comedy. Conducted by Dalia Stasevska with Tim Meade and Liv Redpath as Oberon and Titania.
Glyndebourne, near Lewes (glyndebourne.com), through August 22

Pop | Pulp
Britpop heroes Jarvis Cocker bring their anthems to the common people in what promises to be the biggest chant of the summer.
Finsbury Park, London N4 (ticketmaster.co.uk) and tour< /p>

Exhibition | Young V&A
After a £13 million makeover, the former Victoria and Albert Childhood Museum in east London reopens with a new name featuring 'sensory playscapes' and 2,000 items from the permanent collection.
London E2 (vam.ac.uk/young)

July 3

Theater | Mad About You
Charlie Stemp plays Bobby, a New York banker with a passion for the stage, in a musical packed full of Gershwin classics.
Jillian Lynn Theatre, London, WC2 (crazyforyoumusical.com), through January 20, 2024

news: Charlie Stemp leads the cast of Mad About You in the West End. Author: Johan Persson

Pop | Iron Maiden
The heaviest of British heavy metal bands returns home with their Future Past tour featuring cyberpunk design and a setlist inspired by 2021's Senjutsu and 1986's Somewhere in Time.
Motorpoint Arena, Nottingham ( ironmaiden.com) and tour

Opera | The Bartered Bride
Rosie Purdy's production of the Czech classics by Smetana is filled with energetic folk motifs performed by the Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Jak van Steen.
Wormsley Park (Garsingtonopera.org), through July 23

July 5

Theatre | Beneatha's Place
The British premiere of Kwame Kwei-Arma, a drama set between Lagos 1959 and today.
Young Vic, London SE1 (youngvic.org), through Aug 5

Cherrel Skeet stars in UK premiere of Beneatha's Place at the Young Vic Posted by Ian Hippolyte

Comedy | Brighton Comedy Garden
Alan Davies, Sarah Pascoe, Dylan Moran and Jack Dee are headlining this all-star outdoor festival with the support of Nina Conti, Rose Matafeo and Easy Sutty.
Preston Park, Brighton (brightoncomedygarden. co.uk), until 9 July

Pop | Tom Jones
At 83, one of the UK's most compelling performers brings incredible credibility to old smash hits.
Stanmer Park, Brighton (tomjones.com) and touring

< p>Dance | Flamenco Festival in London
¡Arriba! The annual Sadler's Wells celebration of foot stomping, hand clapping and guitar playing is here. The perfect addition to a hot summer or the antidote to a lousy one.
Sadler's Wells, London, EC1 (sadlerswells.com), through July 15

July 6

Theatre | The Wizard of Oz
Nicholas Foster's acclaimed classic production with added numbers by Andrew Lloyd Webber.
Palladium, London W1 (wizardofozmusical.com), through September 3

Dynamic Image Creation: Aida Mulune's Star Shine Moon Glow (Water Life 2018) in The Movie World at Tate Contemporary Credit: AIDA MULUNEKH

Exhibition | A Shared World
Covering the work of 36 contemporary African photographers, this exhibition celebrates the dynamic creation of images across the continent today.
Tate Modern, London, SE1 (tate.org.uk), through 14 January 2024

Pop | The Who
The two remaining members of the band are joined by a 10-piece band and a full orchestra for the promisingly titled The Who Hits Back!
Craven Hill Park, Hull (thewho.com) and tour

TV | Parker's strength
Greedy businessman Conleta Hill is bewildered by his wife (Rosie Cavaliero), father-in-law (George Costigan), hairdresser (Sean Gibson) and friend (Sheila Reid).
BBC One, exact date to be confirmed

July 7 Issam Kurbaj, The Dark World Burning with Water (2016) at The Weight of Words Photo: Issam Kurbay

Exhibition | The Weight of Words
An enterprising exhibition of works by artists and writers who «pursue poetry through sculptural means.»
Henry Moore Institute, Leeds (henry-moore.org), until 26 November< /p >

Pop music | Siouxs
A series of rare public appearances by the Queen herself, punk original Sioux Sioux, begins at the Mouth of the Tyne festival.
Tynemouth Priory & Castle, Tynemouth (ticketmaster.co.uk)

Film | Elemental
Pixar returns to its roots with a romantic adventure where fire and water find love in a metropolis themed with classic matter.
Cinemas

Pixar returns to original principles with Elemental Credit: 2023 Disney/Pixar

Opera | Dawn Till Dusk: The Moon Listens
First Grange and then (July 28) Garsington gathers local students for a new youth opera set to music by Richard Taylor.
The Grange, Hampshire (thegrangefestival.co.uk)

July 8

Pop | Blur
The reunited Britpop stars are putting on the biggest show of their careers. Woo! The new album The Ballad of Darren will be released on July 21st.
Wembley Stadium, London, HA9 (blur.co.uk), until July 9th

Opera | Buxton International Festival
This wide-ranging festival features a musical about Vera Brittain with songs by Ivor Novello and a production of Bellini's Lucia di Lammermoor.
Buxton Opera House (buxtonfestival.co. UK) until 23 July

Jordan Ashman, winner of BBC Young Musician of the Year, will attend this year&#39 Cheltenham Music Festival Credit & Copyright: Dan Prince/BBC

Classical | Cheltenham Festival
This year's treats include the most original tribute to composer William Byrd's 400th birthday, as well as five new commissions.
Various venues, Cheltenham (cheltenhamfestivals.com), until 15 July< /p>

Opera | The Marriage of Figaro
Mozart's love comedy has serious undertones of class tension, which this fine production by David McVicar reveals. Mattia Olivieri plays Figaro and his fiancee Siobhan Stagg plays Susanna.
Royal Opera House, London, WC2 (roh.org.uk), until 22 July

9 July

Jazz | Jazz in the Lincoln Center Orchestra
Wynton Marsalis may be the figurehead of «the world's greatest big band,» but in this survey of the first century of jazz, he will sit modestly in the trumpet section.
Barbican, London, EC2 (barbican.org.uk)

Cornucopia: Wynton Marsalis heads to London with the world's greatest big band

Comedy | Bridget Christie
If you enjoyed Christie's menopause comedy series Change, her stand-up tour offers a hilarious interpretation of the same theme.
Outdoor Theatre, London NW1 (bridgetchristie.co.uk) tour

July 11

Theater | Dr. Semmelweis
Mark Rylance stars in this compelling tale of a 19th-century doctor's attempts to share his revelations about hand sanitizing.
Harold Pinter Theatre, London SW1 (atgtickets.com) until 7 October

TV | Heat
In his first role since leaving EastEnders, Danny Dyer is directing a four-part drama about two families who spend an ill-fated holiday together in Australia during wildfire season.
Channel 5

< p>Film | Mission: Impossible: Paying for Death, Part One
The seventh film, the eighth will be released next year. If the series ends here, it will mirror the two-episode finale of Harry Potter, though Tom Cruise meets his Voldemort in the crazed terrorist Esai Morales.
Cinemas

July 14

Classic | Ryedale Festival
Organist Anna Lapwood and Noël Coward's Nicky Spence and Mary Bevan make this a must see.
Various Venues, North Yorkshire (ryedalefestival.com) until 30 July< /p>

Classic | The BBC Proms
The Proms have it all this year: 71 shows at the Albert Hall; mini-festival in Gateshead; classic blockbusters, including Berlioz' Trojans; and 14 brand new works.
Royal Albert Hall, London SW7 and other locations (bbc.co.uk/proms), through September 9

Exhibition | Lucy Ree
Flawless pottery by an Austrian-British artist who called pottery an «adventure».
Holburn Museum, Bath (holburne.org), through 7 January

15 July

Exhibition | Michael Rakowitz
A dramatic installation by an Iraqi-American artist inspired by the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.
Baltic Center for Contemporary Art, Gateshead (baltic.art), through May 26

Timothy Spall and Sheila Hancock in the BBC film The Sixth Commandment. Posted by BBC

TV | The sixth commandment
Sarah Phelps fakes the case of Benjamin Field, who murdered teacher Peter Farquhar (Timothy Spall) and neighbor Anne Moore-Martin (Anne Reid) in 2015.
BBC One, date to be confirmed

July 17

< strong>Theatre | The Sound of Music
A Rodgers and Hammerstein classic featuring Gina Beck as Maria and Edward Harrison as Captain Von Trapp.
Chichester Festival Theater (cft.org.uk), through 3 September

July 19

Theatre | Crown Jewels
From The Bad Behavior of Men creator Simon Nye comes The Restoration romp about a real-life attempt to steal the Crown Jewels in 1671 starring Aidan McArdle, Al Murray, Mel Gidroyk and Carrie Hope Fletcher. .
Garrick, London WC2 (crownjewels play.com), through September 16th; then tours

TV | Bear
Better Call Saul Bob Odenkirk joins the culinary mayhem in Season 2 of Chicago's harrowing restaurant drama.
Disney+

July 20

< strong>Theatre | Grenfell: From Survivors' Words
Gillian Slovo's verbatim play covers the preparations for the Grenfell Tower tragedy and the search for answers.
Dorfman Theatre, London SE1 (nationaltheatre.org.uk), until 26 August

Exhibition | Paula Rego: Crivelli Garden
The National Gallery combines a fresco by the late artist with the 15th-century altarpiece that inspired it.
National Gallery, London, WC2 (nationalgallery.org.uk), until October 29

July 21

Film | Oppenheimer
Cillian Murphy stars in Christopher Nolan's biographical thriller set at the dawn of the atomic age. Expect at least one very large explosion.
Cinemas

Cinema | Tunnel into summer, out of goodbye
Veteran Digimon Tomohisa Taguchi returns with a time warp animation in which lovesick classmates discover a grotto that warps the flow of their teenage years.
Cinemas

Opera | La Fiera di Venice
Mozart's great rival Salieri's brilliant comedy of manners receives its first production in the UK.
The Deanery Garden, Bampton (bamptonopera.org), through July 22

Film | Barbie
Could this Mattel-approved blockbuster really be a satire of Barbie? We're about to find out: Margot Robbie is our living doll, Ryan Gosling is the conceited Ken, and Greta Gerwig is in charge.
Cinema

Grayson Perry ahead of his Smash academy Photo: Annar Bjargli 23 July

Opera | Semele
Glyndebourne's first production of Handel's «lewd oratorio» by the suggestive Adele Thomas.
Glyndebourne, Sussex (glyndebourne.com), until 26 August

TV | Special Ops: Lioness
Taylor Sheridan's takeover of television (Yellowstone, 1923, Tulsa King) continues in this action film inspired by a real-life undercover CIA team. Starring Zoe Saldanha, Nicole Kidman and Morgan Freeman.
Paramount+

July 25

Comedy | Lorna Rose Trine
Debut hour of sketches and characters from the brilliant 2022 Funny Women Award winner.
Pleasance, London N7 (pleasance.co.uk) and tour

July 26

Dance | Carlos at 50
Could the great Carlos Acosta really be on the cusp of 50? Here the mighty Cuban — still in top form — returns to the Royal Ballet to perform his favorite pieces.
Royal Opera House, London, WC2 (roh.org.uk), until 30 July

27 July. Ballet Under the Stars at Hatch House 2022 Photo: Alice Pennefather

Dance | Ballet under the stars
Ballet Muscles take part in a summer country act featuring stars including Francesca Hayward.
Hatch House, Wilts (hatch-house.co.uk), through 30 July.

July 28

Film | Talk to Me
Australian brothers Danny and Michael Philippu have made an exciting low-budget breakthrough in this teen-oriented supernatural shocker.
Cinema

Television | Good Omens
Michael Sheen's fussy angel and David Tennant's swaggering devil are an odd couple in this romp from Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. Series 2: The Archangel Gabriel (Jon Hamm) is missing!
Amazon Prime Video

July 29

Opera | The Fairy Queen
Henry Purcell's 1692 Semi-Opera intersperses masquerades and dance music with lyrics from A Midsummer Night's Dream to delightful effect.
Longborough Opera Festival (lfo.org.uk), Moreton-in-Marsh, until 3 August

TV | Wolf
The creators of 'Sherlock' and 'Dracula' are adapting Mo Hader's novels about a detective (Akweli Roach) obsessed with a very personal cold case.
BBC One, TBD

July 30

Comedy | James Acaster
For his latest tour, Acaster abandoned a surreal whim to talk about his life: the result was his best set yet. Five years on, hopes for a sequel are skyrocketing.
Welsh Millennium Centre, Cardiff (jamesacaster.com), through 2 August and on tour

The King of Comedy: James Acaster is back on tour Photo: SILVIO NUTOU VEGAN JOY July 31

Film | Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem
Martial arts-trained, sexually mature reptiles are the latest cartoon stars to venture into a hybrid of CGI and hand-drawn reality as brilliantly first introduced in the Spider-Verse films.
Cinemas

August 1

dance | Romeo Matthew Borna & Juliet
Bourne's 2019 reimagining of Shakespeare's tragedy, without comment, still seems brilliantly new.
Sadler's Wells, London, EC1 (sadlerswells.com), through 2 September

August 2 < p>Theatre | Six women's films
Titanic, Legally Blonde, Pretty Woman and other «women's films» directed by two performers in 75 minutes in this Canadian comedy.
Underbelly, Edinburgh (edfringe.com), until 28 August

Kerry Ipema and Kay Kay Apple star in Six Chicks «. Photo: Lauren Silberman

Dance | Australian Ballet
The Best of Oz presents Balanchine's masterpiece Jewels (August 2-5) and the 60th Anniversary Gala (August 6).
Royal Opera House, London, WC2 (roh.org.uk), until August 6

August 3

Comedy | John Robins
While he's better known for his podcasts these days, Robins' self-flagellation is bullshit.
Just the Tonic's Nucleus, Edinburgh (johnrobins.com), through 27 August and touring

Dance | Tribute to the world
Still in exile, Kyiv City Ballet makes its first visit to Edinburgh with a gala concert of favorite works.
The Assembly, Edinburgh (edfringe.com), until 28 August

4 August

Dance | Duel Reality
Acrobatic physics theater The 7 Fingers presents a gladiatorial version of Romeo and Juliet.
Sigourney Weaver stars in this series based on Holly Ringland's best-selling book about an orphan who moves in with her grandmother on a flower farm in Australia.
Amazon Prime Video

August 5

Comedy | Luc Rollason
Recently seen as the werecat in Disney's Extraordinary, Rollason is a terrific physical comedian whose clowning has hints of Tommy Cooper and Spencer Jones.
Soho Theatre, London W1 (sohotheatre.com), through August 15

August 6

Theatre | Grand Old Opera House Hotel
After his hit «Pride and Prejudice»* (*sort of), playwright Isobel MacArthur takes us to an old hotel surrounded by singing ghosts.
Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh (traverse .co.uk), through August 27

Jazz | Brecon Jazz
The bill for this superb festival is bigger than ever, with local talent including saxophonist Emma Ravich and pianist Zoe Rahman.
Various venues, Brecon, Powys (breconjazz.org), through Aug 20

Goon Comedy Troupe: Crybabies Creators and rights: Rebecca Need-Mehner August 7

Comedy | Crybabies
Two great one-hour farces from a three-piece comedy troupe in Goon Show style. «Danger Brigade» — a spy thriller about the Second World War; Bagbeard is a sci-fi parody from the 1980s.
Soho Theatre, London, W1 (sohotheatre.com), through 12 August

8 August

Theatre | La Cage Aux Folles
Revisiting the 1983 classic about gay St. Tropez nightclub owners Georges and Albin, who are pressured to change their tune when Georges' son invites his future wife's parents.
Open Air Theatre, London, NW1 (openairtheatre.com) until 16 September

9 August

Pop | Boardmasters Festival
Liam Gallagher performs his only show in the UK at the Beach Surf Festival, which also features pop queens Lord and Florence + The Machine, plus Little Simz, Raye and Ben Howard.
Newquay, Cornwall (boardmasters.com), through August 13

Praise: Lord performs at the Boardmasters Festival in August. Photo: Dave J Hogan/Getty Images

Theatre | Effect
Paapa Essiedu and Taylor Russell star in Jamie Lloyd's revival of Lucy Prebble's dark romance set during a drug clinical trial in which two volunteers fall in love but cannot tell if their emotions are real.
Lyttelton National Theatre, London, SE1 (nationaltheatre.org.uk), through 7 October

11 August

Exhibition | Edinburgh Arts Festival
The UK's largest visual arts festival returns with a vibrant citywide programme.
Various venues, Edinburgh, until 27 August (edinburghartfestival.com)

Film | Gran Turismo
This bizarre twist on the video game adaptation trend tells the true story of a young Gran Turismo champion who takes his gaming skills to real racetracks.
Cinemas

Movie | Haunted Mansion
Twenty years after Eddie Murphy became a resident, Disney dusted off the theme park ride for even more fun, with Lakeith Stanfield as paranormal tour guide, psychic Tiffany Haddish and exorcist Owen Wilson.
Movie theaters< /p>

Cinema | Incredible
Penélope Cruz stars in this delightfully chic 1970s Italian melodrama about a housewife and her flamboyant 12-year-old daughter who question her sexuality, identity and common place in the universe.
Movie

August 12< p>Comedy | An Evening of Mayhem with Megan Stalter
After stealing her scenes from the HBO series Hacks, American stand-up star Stalter brought her racy comedy to the UK.
Gilded Balloon Teviot, Edinburgh (goldedballoon. co. UK) until August 27

Powerful comedy: Megan Stalter, stand-up from the USA, August 13

Dance | Chapter 3: The Cruel Journey of the Heart
Sharon Eyal and Guy Behar's L-E-V Troupe return with their latest exploration of the human heart.
Festival Theatre, Edinburgh (eif.co.uk), until 14 August

August 15

< strong>Theatre | Falkland Strait
Brad Burch spent several months in the Falkland Islands figuring out how the Falklands War still affects the inhabitants of the islands; his theatrical epic revisits the events of 1982.
Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon (rsc.org.uk), through September 16

August 17

Pop | DEVO
Influential American post-punk synth-rock deconstructionists embark on their farewell tour. Last chance to rush to the refrain: «Are we not men?» “We are DEVO!”
O2 Academy, Edinburgh (clubdevo.com); Eventim Apollo, London W6, August 19

Dance | Rite of Spring/Common Ground[S]
This double billboard from Ecole des Sables in Senegal combines a goosebump-inducing interpretation of Pina Bausch's «The Rite» with a new work by lead dancer Bausch Malu Airodo and the «mother of modern African dance» Germaine Akonyi. Theatre, Edinburgh (eif.co.uk), until 19 August

The Rite of Spring at the Edinburgh International Festival. Martin Vanden Abil

Opera | Final
The most difficult British premiere of the summer is an opera by the Hungarian master György Kurtág based on the absurdist play by Beckett. Ryan Wigglesworth, himself an accomplished opera composer, conducts the BBCSSO for the Proms.
Royal Albert Hall, London SW7 (bbc.co.uk/proms)

August 18

Film | Dracula: Voyage on the Demeter
André Øvredal's gothic horror was inspired by the seventh chapter of Bram Stoker's novel Dracula, which details the fateful journey of a Russian ship from Varna to Whitby with a vampire count lurking aboard.
Movie theaters

Pop | All Points East
Superstar Grime Stormzy's only show in the UK this summer is a hometown standalone one-day festival, one in a series presented by All Points East. Strokes and Haim will headline other APE shows next weekend.
Victoria Park, London E3 (allpointseastfestival.com), through August 28

Movie | Stray
Rated R-rated comedy, which is sharply risqué, about unwanted dogs (voiced by Will Ferrell and Jamie Foxx) taking revenge on an addicted owner.
Movies

Film | Grab 'em!
In this women's comedy set in the dark ages, Aimee Lou Wood plays a medieval queen who is overthrown by a revolutionary rebel (Bridgerton's Nicola Coughlan) and put on the run. Expect lots of fun and grime in the style of the Holy Grail.
Cinema

August 20

Pop | Boygenius
American songwriters Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus team up as supergroup; it's indie Crosby, Stills & Nash for Generation Z.
Gunnersbury Park, London, W3 (ticketmaster.co.uk); Piece Hall, Halifax, August 22-23

August 22

Theatre | Close to normal
The 2009 Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning musical about a suburban mother living with bipolar disorder and deep grief has received a highly anticipated UK premiere from Donmar director Michael Longhurst.
Donmar Warehouse. , London WC2 (donmarwarehouse.com), through October 7

August 23

Theatre | The Mirror
Jonny Lee Miller («Trainspotting»), Tanya Reynolds («Sex Education») and Michael Ward («Best Boy») star in Sam Holcroft's «elusive» new play about censorship and freedom of speech.
Almeida Theatre, London N1 (almeida.co.uk) through 23 September

Dance | Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre
A stunning contemporary company from New York is bringing Edinburgh to life with two programs, including Kyle Abrahams' now-popular Are You Feeling Your Feelings? and their exciting signature piece Revelations.
Festival Theatre, Edinburgh (eif.co.uk), until 25 August

High fliers: Halia Campbell of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Photo: Dario Calmese

Theater | Life is a dream
Cheek by Jowl continues without regular funding, but with great enthusiasm to present European classics — here is Calderón de la Barca's masterpiece of the princely imprisonment of 1635, performed in Spanish (with subtitles) by a Spanish ensemble .
Lyceum, Edinburgh (eif.co.uk), until 27 August

24 August

Classical | Presteigne Festival
Defiantly conservative yet quirky, this gem of a festival in a beautiful border country is dedicated to Leos Janáček and independent composers such as David Matthews and Roxana Panufnik.
Various Venues, Presteigne ( presteignefestival.com), until August 28

August 25

Opera | Tannhäuser
Renowned Scottish conductor Donald Runnicles with his Deutsche Oper company from Berlin during a concert performance of one of Wagner's most outstanding scores.
Usher Hall, Edinburgh (eif.co.uk)

Bobby Gillespie and his band Primal Scream will perform at the Connect festival in Edinburgh. Photo: Don Fletcher-Park/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Pop | Connect Festival
Two of Scotland's top rock bands, Primal Scream and Franz Ferdinand, open this daytime ticket festival. Saturday hits the beat with Fred Again… and Róisín Murphy; Sunday is an eclectic with Boygenius, Loyle Karner and Ray.
Royal Highlands Showground, Edinburgh (connectmusicfestival.com) until 27 August

Film | The Dismantler
A British debut to be cherished, written and directed by 30-year-old Charlotte Regan, in which a plucky 12-year-old girl comes to terms with her sweet, albeit hopelessly absent, father. «Triangle of Sorrow» actor Harris Dickinson in the title role.
Cinema

Pop music | Reading & Amplifier; Festivals in Leeds
Long-running twin festivals boast American stars Billie Eilish, the only UK summer performances by Killers and Imagine Dragons, and local heroes Sam Fender, Foals and Wet Leg.
Richfield Avenue , Reading and Braham Park, Leeds (readingandleedsfestival.com), until August 27

August 26Robbie Williams will perform at Sandringham in August. Photo: TIM KILDEBORG JENSEN/Ritzau Scanpix/AFP via Getty Images

Pop | Robbie Williams
Take That dropout turned solo superstar brings a hit set (31 top 10 singles from 14 number one albums) for a giant karaoke session. Let him entertain you.
Sandringham Estate, Norfolk (robbiewilliams.com), until August 27

August 29

Opera | Céphale et Procris
The adventurous little festival Grimeborn is known for looking for good abandoned works. This summer they will bring a production of an opera by the French Baroque composer Elisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre, better known for her chamber music. The energetic Marcio da Silva both directs and conducts here with his OrQuesta Ensemble.
Arcola Theatre, London E8 (arcolatheatre.com)

Contributors: Dominic Cavendish, Robbie Collin, Ivan Hewitt, Nicholas Kenyon, Neil McCormick, Mark Monahan, Tim Robey, Alastair Sook, Rachel Ward< /p>