Arts Ahead: What’s On In London 8-14 November

By Zoe Craig Last edited 148 months ago
Arts Ahead: What’s On In London 8-14 November

Here's our pick of the top exhibitions, theatre, dance, jazz, classical and opera on offer in London this week

Exhibitions: As previously mentioned, this week’s big blockbuster is Leonardo da Vinci: Painter at the Court of Milan at the National Gallery, which opens tomorrow.

Tomorrow is also the first day of Hidden Heroes: The Genius of Everyday Things at the Science Museum, which sounds completely brilliant. From Friday, you can choose between the World Press Photo Exhibition at the Royal Festival Hall and Royal Manuscripts: The Genius of Illumination at the British Library.

Jazz: The 10-day London Jazz Festival takes off this Friday. Highlights of this weekend's gigs that aren't sold out include hardcore saxophonist Steve Coleman at the Queen Elizabeth Hall on Friday, hard-bop legend McCoy Tyner celebrating 50 years of Impulse! Records at the Barbican on Saturday night and a new silent film with music by Wynton Marsalis at the Barbican on Sunday. There are also loads of free events all over town.

See here for Londonist's top 10 LJF gigs.

Classical: Sir John Eliot Gardiner and his band Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique perform Beethoven symphonies on period instruments, something shocking 20 years ago when they recorded this music, but much more acceptable today.

Theatre: The Westbridge opens at the Bussey Building in Peckham tonight, as the Royal Court goes on tour. Tonight is also the first night of Spanish classic Yerma at the Gate Theatre directed by the Gate's joint artistic director Natalie Abrahami. Tomorrow is the opening night of Hamlet at the Young Vic, starring Michael Sheen as the troubled Dane.

Dance: Tomorrow is the first night for the Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan's Sadler's Wells show, White.

Opera: From Saturday, you can see Eugene Onegin at the London Coliseum: Tchaikovsky’s depiction of unrequited love is directed by Deborah Warner.

If we've missed anything big or exciting, please let us know in the comments below!

Last Updated 08 November 2011