Our guide to the arty events opening in London this week, plus a nod to those that are closing...
London Shows Opening: Be There First
A cocktail of circus, cabaret and vaudeville comes to the Barbican from tonight, called Circa. Or you can see Ghost The Musical at the Piccadilly Theatre with music by Dave Stewart of the Eurythmics, and starring Richard Fleeshman and Sharon D Clarke among others. Finally, the National Theatre presents A Woman Killed With Kindness at the Lyttelton – one of the earliest tragedies about ordinary people – directed by Katie Mitchell.
From tomorrow, Eurepica. Challenge. opens at the Almeida, described as a genre-defying collection of 14 plays from 13 different European countries, performed by the Belarus Free Theatre.
Also opening tomorrow is Fela! at Sadler’s Wells, an Olivier award-nominated show that previously divided audiences at the National Theatre and Loyalty at the Hampstead Theatre starring Maxine Peake. On Friday, another biggie: Journey's End opens at the Duke of York's Theatre for 55 shows before heading off around the UK on tour.
If you're looking for outdoor theatre this week, head to Oxleas Wood in Eltham for the Greenwhich Theatre's show The Secret Market.
Dance fans will love the rare chance to see work by France's most famous choreographer in London this week: Roland Petit's Carmen is at the London Coliseum from Thursday. Our other dance pick for the week is the start of the Mariinsky Ballet’s season as Swan Lake swims into the Royal Opera House from Monday.
Art exhibition highlights include Kenneth Grange: Making Britain Modern at the Design Museum from tomorrow. It’s a retrospective of the British product designer responsible for things like the Kenwood Chef, your Wilkinson Sword razor, Morphy Richards iron and Parker pen, as well as the redesign of London's black cabs in 1998.
You can sample entries from two art prizes this week. The Fitzrovia Photography Prize opens on Thursday, showing photography taken within a one-mile radius of the Diemar/Noble gallery. At the V&A, opening on the same day is this year's £25,000 international Jameel Prize for artists and designers inspired by Islamic craft and design.
Two exciting-sounding shows at Camden Arts Centre are David Askevold - The Disorientation Scientists, a show by the late Canadian artist, and Mathilde Rosier: Necklace of Fake Teeth, which features paintings, sculptures and film by the French artist: both examine the occult and ancient rites and rituals through art.
London Shows Closing: Last Chance To See
Saturday is your last chance to see The Beggar’s Opera at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, Being Shakespeare at the Trafalgar Studios and In The Penal Colony at the Young Vic. Lullaby closes at the Barbican’s Pit Theatre on Sunday. Enjoy.
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