Arts Ahead: What's On In London 23 February-1 March

By Zoe Craig Last edited 170 months ago

Last Updated 23 February 2010

Arts Ahead: What's On In London 23 February-1 March

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Paul Delaroche (1797-1856). The Execution of Lady Jane Grey, 1833. Oil on canvas © The National Gallery, London
Here's a few recommendations for this week's art, theatre, dance and opera openings in London. If there's anything else going on that we should know about, drop your suggestions into the comments below.

Be There First: London Shows Opening

It's a blockbuster week for art exhibitions. Both Henry Moore at Tate Britain, and Painting History: Delaroche and Lady Jane Grey at the National Gallery open tomorrow. Get your tickets now; these two are likely to be popular.

Then the much-watched Celeste Boursier-Mougenot commission opens at the Barbican Curve on Saturday. It's the zebra finches in an aviary, with guitars, drums, and so on. A short film about the show has had more than 450, 000 YouTube hits in just four weeks. (We all know the formula: Animals + Music =YouTube Win.) According to the website, the "soundscape" they create is "captivating".

Theatrewise, tonight is the opening night of a new production of Ibsen's Ghosts at the Duchess Theatre, starring Iain Glen and Lesley Sharp. Over in Greenwich, you can see a Neil LaBute trilogy The Furies / Land Of The Dead / Helter Skelter from tonight. East End violence comes to the London stage in Two Women, based on a Martina Cole novel, at the suitably located Theatre Royal Stratford East from tomorrow. And 1970s Irish drama The Dead School opens at the Tricycle Theatre tomorrow. Finally, if you're brave enough, the v. spooky-sounding Ghost Stories opens at the Lyric Hammersmith from Monday.

If you're looking for a dance-based fairytale with a difference, check out Cinderella on Ice opens at the Royal Albert Hall tomorrow: it's only on for five performances (and it's only the second time the RAH's floor has ever been frozen over!), so you'll have to be quick.

Opera fans should look out for what's sure to be a stunning show: Philip Glass's Satyagraha returns to the London Coliseum from Thursday this week. It's the story of Mahatma Gandhi's early years in South Africa, performed in Sanskrit with English surtitles.

Last Chance to See: London Shows Closing

Bizarrely, two of London's Twelfth Nights close on the same day this week: Saturday night is your last chance to catch both Richard Wilson's yellow stockings at the Duke of York's Theatre, and the National Theatre's version of the play for kids. Sadler's Wells' Flamenco Festival closes on Saturday. And Silence! The Musical closes at Above The Stag Theatre on Sunday.

And one last thing: Michael Jackson: The Official Exhibition closes at The O2 bubble on Sunday. Although we can't help thinking if you're a big fan, you've probably seen it already...