The Essentials: February

In the first of a regular series, we present our pick of this month’s upcoming highlights across all imaginable areas of living, connecting more than 3,000 years of human history and even venturing beyond our little blue planet.

THE MESSAGE: Amanda Gorman

The inaugural Youth Poet Laureate of the United States met the moment as she addressed America and the world with her poem, The Hill We Climb, at January’s inauguration of President Joe Biden. We think her universal message of hope should be carried into February and beyond: “The new dawn blooms as we free it. For there was always light. If only we’re brave enough to see it. If only we’re brave enough to be it.”

PERFECT IF: You still know that the glass is always half full.

THE BOOK: A Thousand Ships

Released at the end of January, broadcaster and classicist Natalie Haynes’s stroke of genius is to retell the history of the Trojan Wars from an entirely female perspective. This is a beautifully written imagining of a tale more than 3,000 years in the making.

PERFECT IF: You loved Circe, Madeleine Miller’s brilliant (and deliciously subversive) retake on the Odyssey.

THE MOVIE: Malcolm & Marie

After the success of instant classics like ROMA, The Irishman and Da 5 Bloods, film fans will be hoping that Netflix’s Malcolm & Marie can generate similar cinematic magic. Starring Zendaya and John David Washington, this is billed as the first film to be written, financed and produced during the Covid-19 pandemic – all with only 12 people on set, and Zendaya and Washington selecting their own costumes and doing their own make-up! On Netflix from 5 February.

PERFECT IF: You like dialogue-heavy relationship movies.

THE GAME: Super Bowl LV

Amazingly, this year’s championship game on 7 February will be the first in the home stadium of one of the competing teams – the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They face the Kansas City Chiefs in a game that should be no less thrilling for being limited to just 22,000 fans due to Covid-19.

PERFECT IF: In a changing world, you’re soothed by the reassuring certainty of Tom Brady, naturally enough, appearing in his 10^th Superbowl.

THE SOUND: The Weeknd

If the sporting spectacle alone doesn’t complete your weekend, then how about adding The Weeknd to your, ahem, weekend? Abel Makkonen Tesfay, the multi-talented Canadian singer, songwriter and producer, better-known as The Weeknd is performing in this year’s halftime show, cementing his status in popular music.

PERFECT IF: You obsess over classic halftime shows on Youtube from Prince, Beyoncé and many more.

THE SHOW: The Muppet Show

If you missed it the first time around, check out all five original series of The Muppet Show on Disney+ from 19 February. Available to stream for the very first time, the legendary show originally aired on ITV in the UK and on CBS in the US from 1976 to 1981, and changed the approach of family-friendly television forever with its zany humour.

PERFECT IF: You fancy spotting the cream of 1970s stars among the special guests.

THE EXHIBITION: Anno’s Journey

With the ongoing pandemic preventing people from visiting London’s Japan House, why not enjoy an immersive online experience as you take a 3D virtual tour of their latest exhibition showcasing the works of visionary Japanese illustrator Anno Mitsumasa, who sadly passed away last December.

PERFECT IF: You love classic children’s book illustrations, but with an extra imaginative twist.

THE STAGE: The Sorcerer’s Apprentice

For most people, the concept of watching a play, musical, opera or ballet online wasn’t much of a substitute for the real thing until the ongoing pandemic struck. Since then, the concept of digital theatre has become increasingly popular – and compelling!

PERFECT IF: You appreciate that a streamed theatre production still offers something distinct from television or film. Check out streams of the new production The Sorcerer’s Apprentice from 26 February and see for yourself.

THE RUNWAY: NY/LON

The big fashion shows continue to be impacted by the ongoing pandemic, with many designers rescheduling or moving to other shows. However New York Women’s Fashion Week Fall/Winter is still slated for 13-18 February, while London Fashion Week runs from 19-23 and defiantly promises a digital-first, gender-neutral event.

PERFECT IF: You still value the creative impulse, innocent escapism and reinvention that fashion offers.

THE TRIP: Perseverance

After more than six months cruising through space at just under 50,000mph, Perseverance – or Percy as he’s known to ‘friends’ in the stargazing community – is set to land on Mars at 3pm EST on 18 February. Approximately the size of a car, this latest Mars rover is accompanied by a helicopter drone, Ingenuity, which will select the most suitable locations for Percy to explore.

PERFECT IF: David Bowie’s transcendent Life on Mars is a fixture on your turntable and you’re hoping that NASA can provide a definitive answer to that precise question.