Carrie's War opens at the Apollo Theatre tonight
Be There First: London Shows Opening
Opening tonight is the adaptation of Nina Bawden's classic children's novel, Carrie's War, at the Apollo Theatre. It stars EastEnder Kacy Ainsworth, and the delectable Prunella Scales (Sybil from Fawlty Towers).
Tomorrow, bargain basement theatre comes to Soho in the form of Everything Must Go!, a two-week season of plays in response to the economic crisis.
From Monday, you can check out new 1950s/60s musical Dreamboats and Petticoats before it hits the West End in July, at the Richmond Theatre. Buddy's been closed for a while of course, and this is sure to be a real mum-pleaser of a rock'n'roll replacement.
If you're looking for something to take the little ones to (you're bound to be dodging rain showers, it's Glasto weekend), try the stage adaptation of Michael Rosen's We're Going on a Bear Hunt at the Hackney Empire tonight. It moves to the Duchess Theatre next month. With swishy swashy grass, a splishy splashy river and an oozy, squelchy mud-fight, you might think you have rocked up at the crusty festival of choice after all.
In the art world, JW Waterhouse: The Modern Pre-Raphaelite at the Royal Academy of Arts opens on Saturday. More than 40 gorgeous paintings, including The Lady of Shalott, 1888 (Tate), Hylas and the Nymphs, 1896 (Manchester Art Gallery).
Also on Saturday, two interesting dance events over in the east of our fair city. At Stratford Circus, you can enjoy Dance+ Circus (dancing and, er circus, if you weren't sure) while in Canary Wharf, Dancing City brings you free dance performances as part of the fab Greenwich+Docklands International Festival we told you about.
Most excitingly this weekend, the Science Museum celebrates its 100th birthday with a suitably cool-sounding programme of events.
Finally, if you like opera, but don't like the ticket prices or the stuffy theatres, then check out La Traviata on big screens in Trafalgar Square and Canary Wharf on Tuesday at 6.30.
Last Chance to See: London Shows Closing
A fascinating free exhibition, Madness and Modernity: Mental Illness and the Visual Arts in Vienna 1900 closes at the Wellcome Collection on Sunday. The brilliantly located Great Bridges of the World exhibition (its in the high-level West Walkway!) closes at Tower Bridge on Tuesday.
Latin Fever limps home at the Peacock Theatre on Sunday. We weren't all that impressed to be honest. On the other hand, you've only got a few day's left to catch some lovely Shakespeare in the sunshine as Much Ado About Nothing closes at the Open Air Theatre on Saturday. We loved it. And La Clique closes its sword-swallowing chops at the Hippodrome on Saturday. Fans of the show will be pleased to learn they're back in all their weird finery for Christmas at the Roundhouse.
That's your lot! Who needs Glastonbury tickets?
