Director Raz Shaw’s fabulous production of Singin’ in the Rain has erupted in Manchester. In the round with next to no scenery, the performers themselves fill the space. The story of silent movies being replaced by the talkies unfolds and then comes THE SONG. Don Lockwood (a terrific Louis Gaunt) teases us gently into it and then goes full throttle (leaving everyone humming it in the queue for a drink at the interval). Both Carly Mercedes Dyer as Kathy Selden and Danny Collins as side-kick Cosmo Brown are outstanding (Collins’ performance of Make ‘Em Laugh has to be seen to be believed). People moan about Manchester’s weather but the rain that greeted me on my exit did nothing to remove the smile from my face. Warning: if you’re in the front rows you may get wet!

Susan Ferguson, Nerve events

You probably feel you’ve heard enough already of the lurid details which emerged from the trial of fallen music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs this summer (GHB-laced baby oil, anyone?) But watch this documentary anyway. Over four, jaw-dropping, persuasively evidenced episodes it tells a story of criminality which pertains not just to one man, but to the underlying predator psychology of Western capitalism. And you’ll find out who shot Tupac too.

Ellen E Jones, Nerve film critic

Chat podcasts today can be closer to eavesdropping on a therapists' room, with celebrities espousing life guidance like they've been watching Gabor Maté on a loop. But eco-documentarian Alice Aedy’s new series meets genuine visionaries who've challenged the creative field in some way and have unique insight into the art of storytelling, from photojournalist Lynsey Addario's tales of surviving kidnapping to the most recent episode with artist and stage designer Es Devlin, who mulls over the impact of her large-scale installations. Aedy is a compelling and generous interviewer and the set (you can of course watch it all on YouTube) is far from a mid-century sofa and some mics, but a custom-built, limewash world that gives Visionaries an impressive stylistic edge. Where's that nail polish emoji?

Kate Hutchinson, Nerve music critic

I was a bookworm as a child but somehow never read any Noel Streatfeild. Director Katy Rudd's firecracker of a show, a new adaptation of Streatfeild's 1936 classic Ballet Shoes, made me regret that. Feisty, feminist and funny this coming of age gem is centred upon the Fossil sisters: three orphans adopted by eccentric explorer and palaeontologist Great Uncle Matthew (Justin Salinger) in an amazing old house (with a magic box of a set by Frankie Bradshaw). While he's off on expeditions, the trio are mostly parented by his niece Sylvia (aka Garnie, played by Anoushka Lucas who dazzled in Daniel Fish’s Oklahoma!), along with Nana and various lodgers, as they discover their personalities and passions. A show to warm your cockles no matter your age.

Imogen Carter, Nerve co-founder

(145 mins, 15, in cinemas now)

Daniel Ratcliffe, so long associated with Harry Potter, is a revelation as Charley in this film of the New York production of Stephen Sondheim's sublime musical. The story of three friends told in reverse, it's a labour of love for director Maria Friedman - long time friend and interpreter of the late composer. When Sondheim debuted Merrily on Broadway in 1981 it famously flopped and closed after 16 performances; Friedman's vision was a hit when it opened in 2023 going on to win four Tonys. 

Jane Ferguson, co-founder

Finally an exhibition that marvellously and movingly merges new technology with true stories of profound social injustice. Mixed Reality conjures up the ghostly apparitions but the tears we shed are real.

Michael Morris, Nerve contributing editor

THEATRE
A Grain of Sand
(Tour of the UK starting at Arcola Theatre, London 21-31 January)

Good Chance, the creators of The Walk with Little Amal and more recently Kyoto, present a one woman show looking at war through a child’s eyes starring Sarah Agha. Inspired by Leila Boukarim and Asaf Luzon’s anthology A Million Kites: Testimonies and Poems from the Children of Gaza and written and directed by Elias Matar, it combines Palestinian folklore with real-life testimonies from children in contemporary Gaza.

THEATRE
The Silence of the Lambs
(Tour of the UK starting at Curve, Leicester from 1 August 2026)

Thomas Harris’ acclaimed thriller is adapted for the stage for the first time by writer Gina Gionfriddo and director Nikolai Foster for a huge UK tour starting next August.

MUSIC
Four Tet All Dayer
(Finsbury Park, London N4, 8 August 2026)

After a hiatus last year, Kieran Hebden brings his electronic music mini festival to a particularly bucolic, forested section of Finsbury Park for the fourth time. Early Bird tickets on sale now. £51 plus booking fee.

ART
The Story of Fixity
(Artangel, Borough Yards, London SE1, ends 21 December, free)

Water-themed installation presented in an old railway arch by the French artist Noémie Goudal.