Toy Story 5 and The Bear Lead This Week's Entertainment Highlights
Pixar's enduring animated favorites return for a fifth installment, with Woody and Buzz facing a new challenge: a rogue tablet named LilyPad, voiced by Greta Lee. Tom Hanks and Tim Allen reprise their roles as Woody and Buzz. Meanwhile, Disney's anxiety-inducing kitchen drama The Bear returns for its fifth and final season on June 26, streaming on Disney+.
Cinema: Toy Story 5 and Welsh Drama Effi o Blaenau
In Toy Story 5, the toys confront a new toy that isn't exactly a toy: LilyPad, a tablet targeted at kids. The film is out now. Welsh-language film Effi o Blaenau, adapted from Gary Owen's play Iphigenia in Splott, stars Leisa Gwenllian as a hard-living young woman whose life changes after a chance encounter with a soldier. Also out is Lesbian Space Princess, an Australian adult animated comedy featuring Shabana Azeez as Princess Saira, who must rescue her ex from Straight White Maliens.
The Barbican Cinema in London presents Queer 60s: LGBTQ+ Cinema in the Decade Before Stonewall until July 7, featuring films from Ingmar Bergman's Persona to Frank Simon's The Queen with drag star Crystal LaBeija.
Gigs: Parkline Festival and Robyn Tour
Parklife returns to Heaton Park, Manchester, on June 20-21 with headliners Calvin Harris, Skepta, and Zara Larsson, plus Nia Archives and Shy FX. Swedish pop star Robyn begins an arena tour on June 24 in Dublin, featuring songs from her album Sexistential and hits like Call Your Girlfriend and Dancing on My Own.
UK jazz-rock band Led Bib tours from June 24, with saxists Pete Grogan and Chris Williams, bassist Liran Donin, and drummer Mark Holub. On June 22, bass-baritone Davóne Tines joins the BBC Singers and GBSR Duo at St Giles' Cripplegate, London, for Monochromatic Light (Afterlife), a tribute to Morton Feldman's Rothko Chapel by composer Tyshawn Sorey.
Art: Jacques Henri Lartigue and Frida Kahlo Exhibitions
MK Gallery in Milton Keynes presents Jacques Henri Lartigue from June 20 to October 4, showcasing his pioneering color photography. Tate Modern in London opens Frida: The Making of an Icon on June 25, featuring over 30 works by Frida Kahlo. Southend-on-Sea's Focal Point Gallery hosts Rosie Ridgway's debut solo exhibition from June 24, transforming the gallery into a rehearsal space. The Sainsbury Centre in Norwich presents Joy Like Time from June 20, featuring Marina Abramović, Gillian Wearing, and Kalliopi Lemos.
Stage: The Misanthrope and Brassed Off
Sandra Oh makes her National Theatre debut in The Misanthrope, Martin Crimp's adaptation of Molière's comedy, running until August 1 at the Lyttelton Theatre. On June 26, dancer Lil Buck performs 1776 at the Schwarzman Centre in Oxford, a collaboration with ZooNation and young dancers. Matt Winning's show Solastalgia examines climate change distress at Soho Theatre, London, from June 22 to 24. Brassed Off runs at Leeds Playhouse until July 11, directed by Amy Leach on the film's 30th anniversary.
Streaming: Goolagong and Rik Mayall Documentary
BBC Four and iPlayer air Goolagong on June 20 at 9pm, a drama about Indigenous Australian tennis star Evonne Goolagong. The Bear returns for its final season on Disney+ on June 26. Sky Documentaries presents Rik Mayall: Magnificent B'stard on June 25 at 9pm, featuring tributes from Adrian Edmondson, Ben Elton, and others. Netflix releases Avatar: The Last Airbender on June 25, about a teenage boy with elemental powers.
Games: Deer & Boy and EA Sports UFC 6
Deer & Boy releases on PC, Switch, PS5, and Xbox on June 24, a poetic adventure with a lost boy and a magical faun. EA Sports UFC 6 arrives on PS5 and Xbox on June 25, offering detailed mixed martial arts simulation.
Albums: Graham Coxon, Tierra Whack, and More
Graham Coxon's Castle Park, recorded in 2011, finally releases, featuring singles Billy Says and Alright. Tierra Whack's Whack's Museum follows her 2024 album, with tracks like Wax Paper. Warning's Rituals of Shame marks their first album in two decades, with gothic single Night Comes Down. Swim Deep's Hum offers dream-pop with shoegaze elements.
Brain Food: Podcasts and Documentaries
Spencer Bailey's podcast Time Sensitive features interviews with George Saunders and Devon Turnbull. Leeds libraries' online collection Libraries in Leeds: Exploring Journeys includes Windrush stories and M62 films. Netflix's The American Experiment on June 24 explores US origins and social turmoil.
