Summer Arts Calendar 2012

The Observer’s critics pick the season’s highlights

july
1 3 4 6 7 13
pop film film art
Stone Roses the amazing Blackmail from paris:
The third resurrection of Spider-Man The BFI’s Hitchcock A Taste for
the Roses has already Marvel Comics’ flagship season has just started. Impressionism
swung from thrill to superhero, the red- One of the highlights is Boasting a stellar
farce. Fans gibbered and-blue clad “web- an outdoor screening line-up of artists,
with joy at their surprise slinger” Spider-Man, of this 1929 thriller at including Renoir, Manet,
Warrington gig in May, gets a Hollywood the British Museum, Monet, Pissarro,
but by Amsterdam Ian reboot not 10 years with a live score from Degas and Sisley,
Brown and Reni were at after the character was Neil Brand. The season this exploration of
loggerheads. This last of last blockbuster-ised. continues until October. 19th-century art will
three homecoming gigs Impressive Brit Andrew showcase 70 major
at Manchester’s Garfield plays Spidey pop works, some not
Heaton Park this time; Marc (500 dance Wireless seen in the UK before. Classical
will not be Days of Summer) Dance GB Festival Royal Academy, until the Proms
uneventful. Webb directs. English National Hyde Park plays host 23 September. Launching in Olympic
Ballet, Scottish Ballet to shows over three style with four
and National Dance nights, with deadmau5, conductors passing
Company Wales join Drake and Rihanna the baton in an all-
forces in a high-velocity (right) headlining. It’s an British first night. July
triple bill themed urban festival for urban highlights at the Royal
around the Olympian acts: look out for the Albert Hall include
ideals of faster, Roots, Canadian hip- Barenboim’s Beethoven
stronger, higher. Old hop outfit the Weeknd and the Wallace &
Royal Naval College, (sic), plus our own Gromit Prom.
Greenwich, until 7 July. Rizzle Kicks.

august
1 2 3 8 13 15
art theatre/comedy theatre classical
Dieter Roth Edinburgh Coriolan/us Carousel
The life of the prolific Fringe A modern-day retelling Opera North’s
German artist (1930- The sprawling four- of the downfall of dazzling staging of
1998), whose work weeker boasts a strong Shakespeare’s proud the classic American
flowed across music international Theatre soldier Caius Martius musical (directed by
and writing as well as strand in 2012, while set in the era of 24-hour Jo Davies) plays at
painting, sculpture and comedy names range news. National Theatre London’s Barbican.
video art, is explored from stalwarts (Stewart Wales, Cardiff, until Hear You’ll Never Walk
through his diaries at Lee, below) to unlikely 18 August. Alone as Rodgers &
the Fruitmarket Gallery, have-a-gos (Suggs). Hammerstein intended.
Edinburgh, until Until 15 September.
14 October.
pop film
Meltdown The Bourne
London’s Southbank Legacy
Centre’s annual festival Jeremy Renner (above)
curated this year by is installed front and
Antony Hegarty, whose centre in the Bourne
own new album is franchise after Matt
out on 6 August. He’s Damon’s departure.
persuaded Cocteau stewart lee Renner plays a
Twin Elizabeth Fraser to brainwashed superagent
do a solo set; Lou Reed (not Bourne), dealing
(above) also appears. with existential crises
Until 12 August. while stopping baddies.

september
1 3 5 6 7 10 12
film classical theatre film pop
The Queen of Nixon in Love and Anna the xx
Versailles China Information Karenina Coexist is the new album
Hit Sundance As the Proms continue Thirty years after Top Director Joe Wright by south London’s the
documentary about at the Royal Albert Hall, Girls, Caryl Churchill casts Keira Knightley xx, a follow-up record
a mega-rich couple American composer returns promising “more (left) as Tolstoy’s that bends the term
building the largest John Adams conducts than 100 characters troubled Russian “highly-anticipated”
single-family home the BBC Symphony trying to make sense of adulterer in this into dimensions. Said to
in America – and the Orchestra and top what they know”. Royal ambitious adaptation be inspired by club music
fallout when the 2008 soloists in his landmark Court, London, until 13 scripted by Tom and packed with sad
financial meltdown opera about Richard October. Stoppard, co-starring love songs, it’s 2012’s
strikes. Nixon’s 1972 visit to Jude Law and Aaron unmissable release.
China. One night only. pop Johnson.
Photography Bestival art
Deutsche The Isle of Wight hosts Pre-
Börse the festival where Raphaelites
As the winner of the music notionally Millais, Rossetti and
prestigious prize is takes a back seat Holman Hunt are recast
named, catch the last to dressing up. The as radical trailblazers in
week of the show line-up does not this Tate Britain show,
featuring work by all slouch though: the first major survey
four shortlisted artists. Stevie Wonder, in 30 years to cover the
Photographers’ Gallery, Florence + the 19th-century aesthetic
London W1. Starts 13 Machine and the xx movement. Until 13
July, until 9 September. lead the pack. January.

24  The new review  |  01.07.12  |  The Observer

 design Pop film Theatre art classical dance

14 17 18 19 20 24 27 30
Dance classical art film theatre film
Metamorphosis: wagner at Superhuman The Dark the Curious Searching for
Titian Longborough From false teeth to Knight Rises Incident of Sugar Man
In this grand-scale Encounter the pill, this show at Third instalment in the dog in the Nearly 30 years after
collaboration between Götterdämmerung London’s Wellcome Christopher Nolan’s night-time he disappeared into
the Royal Ballet and deep in the Cotswolds Collection explores how Batman trilogy starring A Simon Stephens obscurity, 70s singer-
the National Gallery, as a tiny, family-run humans enhance their Christian Bale (below), adaptation of Mark songwriter Rodriguez
choreographers, artists festival reaches the capabilities and how introducing Tom Hardy Haddon’s hit novel. Una discovered he had
and musicians riff on the finale of its ambitious artists imagine future as muscly villain Bane Stubbs, among others, a huge fan base in
theme of transformation. Ring cycle over developments. Until 16 and Anne Hathaway stars in this production South Africa. This fine
Royal Opera House four nights until 24 October. as Catwoman. at the Cottesloe, until documentary tells the
until 20 July. July. Longborough, 27 October. extraordinary story.
Moreton-in-Marsh, theatre
art Gloucestershire. architecture Peace Camp ­ art photography pop
van Gogh Tate Tanks For one weekend, eight Tino Sehgal Another Blur in a box
to Kandinsky The former oil tanks coastal locations in the After his conversation London To mark their 21st
The Scottish National of Bankside power UK will be animated piece at the New York London through the birthday and a last live
Gallery in Edinburgh station – huge concrete by glowing Guggenheim two eyes of international hurrah – Hyde Park on
explores imaginative cylinders buried in encampments and a years ago, the divisive photographers who 12 August – Blur are
approaches to the ground – are soundscape of love British-German artist visited between 1930 releasing a 21-disc box
landscape painting opened in their new poetry produced by takes on another and 1980, including set. Expect everything
between 1880 and 1910, role as exhibition and Deborah Warner challenging Henri Cartier-Bresson, but their answerphone
with works by Gauguin performance spaces and Fiona Shaw in space – the Turbine Irving Penn, Bill Brandt messages on the
and Munch as well as the for Tate Modern. collaboration with Hall at Tate Modern. and Dora Maar. five-and-a-half
artists of the title. Until Artichoke. Until Tate Britain until hours of unreleased
14 October. 22 July. 16 September. material.

17 20 22 23 24 29 30 31
film pop CLASSICAL theatre film film theatre
Brave Yeasayer the rape of Happy Days Shadow Venice Film king Lear
Understandably billed as Odd Blood was one lucrece Beckett Dancer Festival Celebrating 10 years
the prettiest Pixar film of the left-field pop Singer Camille Festival After success with Terrence Malick and Paul as artistic director of
to date, this sumptuous releases of 2010. O’Sullivan takes Antony Gormley, documentaries Man on Thomas Anderson are the Almeida theatre,
animation tells of a The Brooklyn trio on Shakespeare’s Edna O’Brien and John Wire and Project Nim, among the directors Michael Attenborough
tomboy-ish Scottish (below) return with tragic poem over five Banville are among director James Marsh rumoured to have films takes on King Lear
princess’s efforts to the avowedly “funky” evenings at the Royal those celebrating returns to features at this year’s festival with Jonathan Pryce
become a warrior (left). follow-up, Fragrant Lyceum theatre. Part Beckett at a new with this tense thriller which, according to (below) in the title role.
Kelly Macdonald heads World, which, among of the Edinburgh festival in Enniskillen, about an IRA informant artistic director Alberto Almeida, London, until
a host of British names other themes, muses on international festival. where the writer pitted against family Barbera, will be “less 3 November.
on vocals. cells taken for medical received his schooling. members as the glitzy” than recently.
research without Until 27 August. end of the Troubles Until 8 September.
pop permission. approaches. With dance
Green Man Andrea Riseborough, classical Cinderella
Folk, rock and points Aiden Gillen and Scottish The fairytale
west meet in Wales Clive Owen. Opera re-envisioned for
for one of the festival World premieres by St Petersburg’s
calendar’s most civilised Craig Armstrong, Mariinsky Ballet by
camping trips. Van Huw Watkins, Stuart Alexei Ratmansky.
Morrison, Dexys and MacRae, plus James Valery Gergiev
Feist are the biggest MacMillan’s Clemency. conducts Prokoviev’s
names on the bill; the At the King’s and sublime score.
bonhomie often makes Traverse theatres, Edinburgh
up for the weather. Edinburgh until festival theatre until
Until 19 August. 1 September. 1 September.

14 15 19 20 22 25 27 28
theatre classical theatre theatre art classical
Steptoe & son CBSO and Mademoiselle Twelfth Night maurizio tristan &
Oil Drum Lane’s most Andris Julie After his Jerusalem cattelan isolde
infamous rag-and-bone Nelsons Following Cate triumph, Mark Rylance The Italian arch- Donald Runnicles
men visit the West City of Birmingham Blanchett’s recent (below) returns to the prankster will be conducts the BBC
Yorkshire Playhouse Symphony Orchestra turn at the Barbican, Globe to reprise his winding up some and Scottish SO and an
for a new production and conductor Andris Juliette Binoche steps role as Olivia in Twelfth delighting others at this international cast in
devised by Kneehigh. Nelsons open the in to perform the Night, with Stephen Whitechapel Gallery Wagner’s great love
Until 13 October. new season with title role in a French- Fry as Malvolio, until 14 show, drawn from epic at Glasgow’s City
a performance of language version of October. (He also stars an important private Halls. Also at Usher
design Mahler’s cataclysmic Strindberg’s play about in Richard III from 14 July collection. Until 2 Hall, Edinburgh, on 30
London “Resurrection” love, class and the to 13 October.) December. September.
Design Symphony No balance of power. Until
festival 2 and Strauss’s dance 29 September. film
The annual celebration wartime masterpiece Swan Lake Holy Motors
of interesting- Metamorphosen. Peter Wright’s Alongside “brilliant”,
looking stuff brings Symphony Hall, traditional, exquisitely “bonkers” was the
over 200 events, Birmingham. detailed version of the adjective most used
including “spectacular, Petipa-Ivanov classic when Leos Carax’s film
intelligent, large- for Birmingham Royal premiered at Cannes.
scale installations”, to Ballet. Love, heartbreak Denis Lavant plays the
Trafalgar Square and and Tchaikovsky’s mysterious shape-
other well-known haunting score. Lowry, shifter in the limo and –
locations. Until 23 Salford Quays until 22 even weirder – there’s a
September. September and on tour. cameo from Kylie.

The Observer  |  01.07.12  |  The new review   25