Defending the Caveman opens in the West End tonight
Be There First: London Shows Opening
First up, Defending the Caveman opens at the Leicester Square Theatre tonight. Broadway's longest running solo play sees Mark Little take on contemporary feminism, masculine sensitivity and the erogenous zones. We haven't seen it, but people seem to love it.
Tomorrow sees the opening night of the thought-provoking comedy Really Old, Like Forty Five at the National. Expect much chattering about the problems posed by an ageing population in response.
You can choose from two updated classics in London theatres this week: Hedda opens at the Riverside Studios tomorrow, and is a new version of Ibsen's psychological thriller; Hamlet at the Greenwich Theatre on Thursday promises a version of Shakespeare's play set in the contemporary Glasgow underworld.
If you're looking for new art exhibitions to wow you, don't miss My London: Rob Ryan and Stephen Walter at the Exposure Gallery from Thursday: gorgeous cut-paper art by Rob, nutty hand-drawn maps from Stephen. There's also the Royal Academy Schools: Premiums at the RA from Friday, where the students show off their work. Finally, there's the free exhibition Botanists of the Asphalt (Part II) at the City Arts & Music Project from Friday too.
Our family-friendly recommendations include Shhh... it's a Secret at the Wallace Collection from Thursday (an exhibition created by pupils from St Vincent's Catholic School), Sit Down: Seating for Kids at the V&A Museum of Childhood, and a fantastic-sounding new film called Secrets of the Sun at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich from Saturday.
Dancewise the Moscow City Ballet's London season starts tomorrow with The Sleeping Beauty at Richmond Theatre. Their programme also includes The Nutcracker, Romeo and Juliet and Swan Lake, and takes in dates at the Churchill Theatre in Bromley. Cuba's Havana Rakatan comes to the Peacock Theatre from Thursday.
Last Chance to See: London Shows Closing
There are loads of theatre shows closing in London this Saturday: Barbershopera II at the Trafalgar Studios, I Am Yusuf And This Is My Brother at the Young Vic, Midsummer at the Soho Theatre, Red at the Donmar Warehouse, Rope at the Almeida, and The World's Wife at the Trafalgar Studios. The Pitmen Painters finish their run at the National on Sunday.
And this weekend, a couple of exhibitions come to a close: free design exhibition, Design Real closes at the Serpentine Gallery on Sunday. And Eco Home closes at the Geffrye Museum on Sunday. Enjoy!
