Arts Ahead: What's On In London 22-28 February

By Londonist Last edited 157 months ago
Arts Ahead: What's On In London 22-28 February

It's a busy week on London's cultural calendar: here's our top picks:

Be There First: London Shows Opening

There are lots of short-running theatre shows opening in London this week. So, if you're interested in any of the following, look lively: they're not around for long. Opening tonight at the Arcola is the third in a run of theatre shows about climate change: this one's called Change, and "gives a voice to the real people who are already in the grip of climate change." It's on till Saturday. Alan Ayckbourne's Drowning on Dry Land comes to the Jermyn Street Theatre for 3 weeks from Thursday, starring Les Dennis. From next Monday, you can see Hamlet - The Comedy at the Jackson's Lane Theatre, with tricks from Paul Daniels adding to the hilarity.  And you can get a week of Wet Wet Wet star Marti Pellow in gothic musical Jekyll And Hyde at the New Wimbledon Theatre also from Monday.

We've got two longer-running shows in the highly recommended pile: Frankenstein opens tonight at the National Theatre, starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller alternating the roles of the doctor and the monster. And Million Dollar Quartet, the newest musical from the Buddy/Jersey Boys mould, comes to the Noel Coward Theatre from Monday.

Shows for little londonists this half-term week include The Three Little Pigs at the Lyric Hammersmith for a week from tonight; And The Rain Falls Down at the Young Vic (featuring LOTS of water); a puppet-based Cinderella at the Barbican from Thursday; and Dan Zanes And Friends are at the Queen Elizabeth Hall for four nights from Thursday.

Our pick for opera fans this week is the London Coliseum's 25th Anniversary revival of The Mikado from Saturday.

Dance choices are similarly thin on the ground: the week is dominated by The Forsythe Company's I Don't Believe In Outer Space at Sadler's Wells from tonight.

Jan Gossaert's Renaissance is the big art blockbuster of the week: 80 works by the Flemish renaissance artists Jan Gossaert, plus drawings and sculptures by his contemporaries are on show at the National Gallery from tomorrow.

Other exhibitions opening this week include a new display at the V&A celebrating the 15th anniversary of the Maggie's Cancer Caring Centres from Saturday; an exhibition of the 21 winners in the Wellcome Image Awards at the Wellcome Collection from Thursday; and Queen: Stormtroopers in Stilettos celebrates 40 years since the band was formed with an exhibition about the group at the Old Truman Brewery from Friday.

Last Chance To See: London Shows Closing

Saturday is your last chance to see Accolade at the Finborough Theatre, An Ideal Husband at the Vaudeville Theatre, Love Story at the Duchess Theatre, The Rivals at the Theatre Royal Haymarket, Roald Dahl's Twisted Tales at the Lyric Hammersmith, When We Are Married at the Garrick Theatre and Die Zauberflote at the Royal Opera House.

The ever-brilliant La Soiree closes at the South Bank Big Top on Sunday.

Exhibitions closing on Sunday include Imperial Chinese Robes at the V&A; Astronomy Photographer of the Year exhibition at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich; and High Society at the Wellcome Collection.

Arts Ahead is brought to you by Kelkoo Select who are offering Londonist readers top-priced tickets to Dreamboats and Petticoats for just £15 until midnight tonight!

Last Updated 22 February 2011