Arts Ahead: What's On In London 3-9 November

By Zoe Craig Last edited 172 months ago
Arts Ahead: What's On In London 3-9 November

1103_carlos.jpg
Carlos Acosta in Agon. Photo by Bill Cooper

If you're not heading out to a fireworks display in London this week, there are still plenty of whizzes and bangs coming from other forms of entertainment in the capital. Here's some recommendations. Let us know if we've missed anything too...

Be There First: London Shows Opening

The Royal Ballet is staging Agon / Spinx / Limen at the Royal Opera House from tomorrow. There's music by Stravinsky, a meditation on the Oedipus myth, and new stuff from Wayne McGregor making an all-round fascinating evening for dance lovers. Over at the Coliseum, opera meets ballet from Friday in a double bill of Duke of Bluebeard's Castle / The Rite of Spring.

In brilliant contrast, 30 Years of Viz is showing original artwork at the Cartoon Museum from tomorrow.

Other art show highlights include the Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize at the National Portrait Gallery from Thursday; The Singer not the Song at Rough Trade East (pics from photo editor of music mag Plan B) again from Thursday; and Bob and Roberta Smith at Beaconsfield from Saturday.

Architecture fans will love First Works: sketches and drawings by people like Richard Rogers, Herzog and de Meuron and Zaha Hadid at the Architectural Association from Saturday.

Theatre-goers can watch America change at the Barbican Pit in Architecting from Thursday: the story of the US from Gone with the Wind to post-Katrina New Orleans... If you're after something really new in theatre, try Perfect Pitch at the Trafalgar Studios, a showcase of four brand new musicals from today. Be quick, though, they're only on til Friday.

London's Black Filmmaker International Film Festival starts on Friday, with a festival hub at the BFI Southbank, and with other screenings happening across the capital.

Looking for something less polished? Head to the Young Vic where you can see a workshop production of Chekov's Uncle Vanya from Wednesday.

Last Chance to See: London Shows Closing

Satruday is your last chance to see A Small Town Anywhere at the BAC - we rather liked it. Wendy Houstoun's solo dance show Keep Dancing comes to a close on Saturday at the BAC too. The Michael Clark Company's new work on Bowie, Iggy Pop and Lou Reed closes at the Barbican on Saturday.

Gustav Metzger closes at the Serpentine Gallery on Sunday. As does Timing, Alistair McGowan's comic play about relationships and the like at the King's Head Theatre. And the Little Angel Theatre's fantastic Suspense comes to a close on Sunday. Enjoy!

Last Updated 03 November 2009