Our tips on what's hot and what's interesting on London's cultural calendar this week
Be There First: London Shows Opening
This week's opera highlights are Tosca at the Royal Opera House (from tonight) and Simon Boccanegra at the London Coliseum (from tomorrow).
Tonight, Samantha Spiro and Steve Furst star in an exciting revival of Chicken Soup with Barley at the Royal Court. Tomorrow, Tarell Alvin McCraney's play, American Trade opens at the Hampstead Theatre. From Thursday, you can see Dream Story at the Gate Theatre, The Roar of the Greasepaint – The Smell of the Crowd at the Finborough, or Government Inspector at the Young Vic (the latter featuring TV stars Julian Barratt and Doon Mackichan).
From Friday, you can see Derren Brown doing his Svengali mind-bending thing at the Shaftesbury Theatre. And from Saturday, there's a rather intriguing shadow puppetry show at Udderbelly called Sticks, Stones and Broken Bones.
Dance fans can check out the Strictly Gershwin at the Royal Albert Hall from Thursday, or Jasmin Vardimon Company's show Yesterday at Sadler's Wells on Thursday or Friday.
Interesting sounding art exhibitions opening this week include freebies Pablo Bronstein: Sketches for Regency Living at the ICA from Thursday, Julian Opie at the Alan Cristea also from Thursday and Alice Neel's Men Only portraits at the Victoria Miro from tomorrow.
We're also quite intrigued by Marcel Odenbach at the Freud Museum: film installations and large-scale collage work exploring the darker side of European history, with references to Freud's psychoanalytic couch.
London Shows Closing: Last Chance To See
Saturday is your last chance to see The Acid Test at the Royal Court, Belongings at the Hampstead Theatre, Cause Celebre at the Old Vic, Flare Path at the Theatre Royal Haymarket, Jeffrey Bernard Is Unwell at Richmond, Kafka's Monkey at the Young Vic, Scenes De Ballet / Voluntaries / The Rite of Spring at the Royal Opera House and Thrill Me at the Charing Cross Theatre.
If we've missed anything, let us know in the comments below.
