Bily Connolly begins a month-long residency at the Hammersmith Apollo tonight
Welcome back! If your New Year's resolution was to get out and about and see more in the capital in 2010, let us help you with some inspirational goings on in the coming seven days...
Be There First: London Shows Opening
Tonight, London welcomes one of the heroes of stand-up to its stage: Billy Connolly starts a month-long residency at the Hammersmith Apollo.
Arts-wise, we like the sound of Warriors of the Plains: 200 Years of Native North American Honour and Ritual at the British Museum from Thursday. Or check out Andy Holden's Pyramid Piece and Return of the Pyramid Piece at the Tate Britain from Friday.
Monday sees the opening of Cartooning in Conflict: an exploration of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in cartoons by 40 artists including Pulitzer Prize winner Pat Oliphant and The New Yorker's Liza Donnelly. It's at St Martin-in-the-Fields until the end of the month.
Film fans should check out the 10-day London Short Film Festival, which kicks off on Friday, at various London venues like the ICA, Rich Mix, the Curzon Cinema Soho and the Roxy Bar & Screen.
Generous is a throught-provoking piece of theatre opening at Finborough Theatre on Thursday. If you're looking for something more musical, Barbershopera II ("a comedy in four-part harmony") opens at the Trafalgar Studios on Friday. The most topical opening of the week surely goes to the English National Ballet bringing The Snow Queen to the London Coliseum from Friday....
Finally, Frank McGuinness' fabulous-sounding new play, Greta Garbo Came to Donegal opens at the Tricycle Theatre from Monday.
Last Chance to See: London Shows Closing
Saturday will be a busy day for those playing catch-up on London's art scene. John Baldessari: Pure Beauty closes at Tate Modern, as does Ed Ruscha: 50 Years of Painting at the Hayward Gallery. And it's your last chance to see Robert Kusmirowski's Bunker at the Barbican.
Christmas is officially over this weekend. If you don't believe us, look at all these pantos shouting "it's behind you" for the last time: Aladdin in Wimbledon and Hackney, and A Christmas Carol at the Arts and the Southwark Playhouse, Snow White at Richmond Theatre, and Treasure Island at the Rose Theatre in Kingston.
Saturday sees the end of 1984 at BAC, Breakfast at Tiffany's at the Theatre Royal Haymarket, Calendar Girls at the Noel Coward Theatre, A Daughter's A Daughter at the Trafalgar Studios, and the hilarious Pajama Men at the Soho Theatre.
Sunday is your last chance to see The Gruffalo at the Apollo Theatre, Into The Hoods at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, Peter Pan at The O2, and The Snowman at the Peacock Theatre. More next week!
