Howard Beale, news anchorman, isn’t pulling in the viewers. In his final broadcast he unravels live on screen. But when the ratings soar, the network seize on their newfound populist prophet, and Howard becomes the biggest thing on TV. Network depicts a dystopian media landscape where opinion trumps fact. Hilarious and horrifying by turns, the iconic film by Paddy Chayefsky won four Academy Awards in 1976. Beginning 5 October to 14 November By David Eldridge Every story starts somewhere. It’s the early hours of the morning and Danny’s the last straggler at Laura’s party. The flat’s in a mess. And so are they. One more drink? CANADA WATER CULTURE SPACE 21 SURREY QUAYS ROAD SE16 7AR 020 7525 2931 Festival of the Spoken Nerd: You Can’t Polish a Nerd Warm Up 13 September to 15 September The Nerds are back with a brand new tour this Autumn - You Can’t Polish A Nerd. Since their last tour, experiments guy Steve Mould, geek songstress Helen Arney and stand-up mathematician Matt Parker have featured on BBC2’s QI, created a genuinely ‘experimental’comedy show for BBC Radio 4 and played the Hammersmith Apollo with Professor Brian Cox. SHAKESPEARE’S GLOBE 56 PARK STREET SE1 9AR 020 7261 9565 ENTERTAINMENTS Listings Kevin R McNally as Lear running until 14 October at Shakespeare’s Globe. P H O T O B Y M A R C B R E N N E R Theatre NATIONAL THEATRE SOUTHBANK SE1 9PX 020 7452 3000 Mosquitoes To 28 September By Lucy Kirkwood Alice is a scientist. She lives in Geneva. As the Large Hadron Collider starts up in 2008, she is on the brink of the most exciting work of her life, searching for the Higgs Boson. Jenny is her sister. She lives in Luton. She spends a lot of time Googling. When tragedy throws them together, the collision threatens them all with chaos. Follies To 3 January Book by James Goldman, music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim New York, 1971. There’s a party on the stage of the Weismann Theatre. Tomorrow the iconic building will be demolished. Thirty years after their final performance, the Follies girls gather to have a few drinks, sing a few songs and lie about themselves. Jane Eyre 26 September to 21 October By Charlotte Brontë A co-production with Bristol Old Vic. Following a critically acclaimed season at the National Theatre and a UK tour, Jane Eyre returns this September. Network 4 November to 24 March 2018 Adapted by Lee Hall, based on the Paddy Chayefsky film | C U L T U R E | 20 THE RIVER MAGAZINE | Autumn 2017 | C U L T U R E |