The Week’s guide to what’s worth seeing and reading

Showing now

Girl from the North Country at the Old Vic, London SE1 (www.oldvictheatre.com). Conor Mcpherson weaves Bob Dylan songs into his “piercingly beautiful” Depression-era play, set in a Minnesota guest house (Independent). With Ciarán Hinds. Ends 7 October.

Book now

Breaking Bad’s Bryan Cranston stars as a news anchorman gone rogue in a stage version of the 1976 film Network. From 4 November, National Theatre, London SE1 (www. nationaltheatre.org.uk).

Craig Brown, Will Self and Kamila Shamsie are speaking at the Marlborough Litfest. There are also children’s events, writing workshops and a Jane Austen celebration. 28 September1 October at various venues in Marlborough, Wiltshire (www.marlboroughlitfest.org).

There’s a fine crop of comedians currently on tour. Katherine Ryan is on the road with a new show, Glitter Room, until 24 March 2018 (www.katherineryan.co.uk); the acutely observant Tom Allen is touring his sell-out Edinburgh show (www.tomindeed.com) until 9 December; and there are guaranteed laughs with Ed Byrne: his tour starts on 25 September in Tewkesbury (edbyrne.com).

Just out in paperback

The Gustav Sonata by Rose Tremain (Vintage £8.99). A captivating examination of antiSemitism and Swiss neutrality during the War, this is a “pitch-perfect” novel (Daily Telegraph).