It's an art-heavy week in London town. The Turner Prize nominees have been announced today: Enrico David, Roger Hiorns, Lucy Skaer, and Richard Wright have all bagged themselves at least £5,000 for getting into the final four; the winner, when they're announced, will get a cool £25,000.
Go see the exhibition at Tate Britain from today, and make up your own mind as to who should win.
Be There First: London Shows Opening
Other art worth a look this week include: Shake It: An Instant History of the Polaroid at the Pump House Gallery from tomorrow. If this tickles your fancy, you might also like Polaroid: Exp.09.10.09, marking the medium's decline at the Atlas Gallery from Thursday.
Thursday also sees the start of Grayson Perry's latest show at the Victoria Miro Gallery: a chance to see his new ceramics, and The Walthamstow Tapestry. Or check out Ms Understood, celebrating 40 years of the Women's Liberation Movement at The Women's Library from Thursday. Finally for the new exhibitions this week, Maharaja opens at the V&A on Saturday.
Opera fans can choose between Francesca Zambello's 2006 production of Bizet's Carmen at the Royal Opera House from tonight and Rupert Goold's operatic directorial debut: Turandot at the London Coliseum from Friday.
Over at the National Theatre, David Hare's response to the financial crisis, The Power of Yes also opens tonight. As does Doctor Faustus at the Greenwich Theatre. The latter is part of a double bill with School for Scandal, opening on Thursday. Finally for theatre this week, Lulu opens at the soon-to-go-dark Hackney Empire on Thursday, featuring a live cabaret band, a rollerball countess and a polar bear... Go while you can, it's a beautiful theatre, and their shows are fab.
For dance aficionados out there, we'll remind you that Dance Umbrella opens today. And for mini dance aficionado-wannabes, it's family weekend at Sadler's Wells this weekend.
Last Chance to See: London Shows Closing
Hanif Kureishi's The Black Album closes at the National Theatre tomorrow; Le Grand Macabre closes at the London Coliseum on Friday.
And Shakespeare's Globe's season is all over for another year this weekend. So, Friday is your last chance to see The Life of Thomas Paine, and Saturday is your last chance to see As You Like It and Love's Labour's Lost. We're afraid this means summer in London is officially over. Get out your winter coats; and enjoy.
Image shows Enrico David, Bulbous Marauder 2008, Gouache on paper, 116 x 83 cm, Courtesy Galerie Daniel Buchholz, Köln/Berlin
