A monthly selection of forthcoming events recommended by The Spectator's

regular critics

OPERA

The Devil and Kate. The 1988 Wexford Festival opens on 20 October with DvOrak's pastoral comedy; Anne-Marie Owens sings Kate and Albert Rosen conducts. Repertory also includes a double bill of Turandot and Don Giovanni, by (relax) Busoni and Gazzaniga respectively.

Madame Butterfly. Nuria Espert's production, on loan from Scottish Opera, opens at Covent Garden on 31 October. Catherine Malfitano sings the title role, with Arthur Davies as Pinkerton and Jonathan Summers as Sharpless; the conductor is Michael Schonwandt.

Rodney Milnes

MUSIC

The South Bank's four-month long Schoenberg festival, The Reluctant Revolutionary: Arnold Schoenberg, his work and his world, opens on 5 October, when Sir John Pritchard conducts the BBC Symphony Orchestra at the Festival Hall in a performance of Moses and Aron. Peter Phillips

CINEMA

'Closer than Cork, cooler than Cannes. and not as wet as Venice', the Birmingham Film and Television Festival runs from 30 September to 7 October (box office 021-441) 3838: Festival hotline 021- 440 2543).

Distant Voices, Still Lives. Terence Davies directs this personal account of Liverpool family life during the last war and the 19505: bleak but humane, finely shot and constructed, said critics who gave it the press prize at Cannes.

Bagdad Cafe (PG). Bagdad is a town in the Nevada desert, with a motel and not much else; one day arrives a Bavarian tourist with a bizarre wardrobe and big ideas. Eccentric and unpredictable comedy directed by Percy Adlon.

The Leeds International Film Festival runs from to 13 to 29 October (information 0532-462486, box office (1532-462453).

Hilary Mantel

CRAFTS

The Tiger Rugs of Tibet, Hayward Gallery. Abstract and representational — their provenance and purpose mysterious.

Chelsea Crafts Fair 1988. Chelsea Old Town Hall, Kings Road. 10-15 and 17-22 October. Lady Powell's superior bazaar now organised by the Crafts Council; 220 makers exhibiting. Owen Jones: architect and designer, William Morris Gallery, Lloyd Park, Forest Road, E17, till 29 October. Important Victorian designer, fine beleaguered gallery.

Tanya Harrod

EXHIBITIONS

Chinese Bronzes: Art & Ritual, Sainsbury Centre, Norwich. Technical and artistic brilliance in bronze casting, dating from about 1700 BC.

James Pryde 1866-1941, Redfern Gallery, Cork Street, Wl. The Scottish half of the Beggarstaff Brothers: only the second show of this important artist since 1941.

Stormstruck: Paintings & Drawings of the Great Storm of 1987, Petworth House, Petworth, W. Sussex: 14 artists respond to the hurricane and prompting by the National Trust.

Paula Rego, Serpentine, London, from 15 October. New work from the Portuguese-born artist. Stylish, sinister, superb.

Paula Rego's 'The Cadet and his Sister', at the Serpentine

The First People, New South Wales House, WC2. Chris Simpson's photographic record of the Australian outback. Giles Auty

DANCE

Dance Umbrella. The month-long festival of contemporary dance begins on 17 October with Second Stride at The Place (387 0031). Other interesting events include Randy Warshaw (also at The Place) and Charles Cre-Angc and Jean Gaudin at the ICA (930 3647).

Rhapsody. Royal Opera House (240 1066), from 20 October. One of Frederick Ashton's last major ballets, not seen for some years.

Deirdre McMahon

THEATRE

`Late Shakespeare', Olivier (928 2252). Peter Hall's farewell productions of Cymbeline, The Tempest and The Winter's Tale return from their world tour. Cymbeline is the most accomplished.

Dry Rot, Lyric Shaftesbury Avenue (437 3686). Brian Rix, farceur extraordinaire, returns to lose his trousers once more.

The Secret Rapture, Lyttelton (928 2252). David Hare's new play stars Penelope Wilton and Gill Baker as two sisters coming to terms with the death of their father. Howard Davies directs.

Mountain Language, Lyttelton (928 2252). Harold Pintcr's new 25- minute piece, to be performed early evenings (6.15). Cast includes Michael Gambon and Eileen Atkins; the playwright directs. dpens 20 October.

Christopher Edwards

SALE-ROOMS

Some good house sales this month: 3 October, Harewood House, Leeds — furniture, ceramics, pictures belonging to the Earl of Harewood (auctioneers Christie's); 10-12 October, the contents of Old Henham Hall, Beccles, Suffolk, property of the Earl and Countess of Stradbrokc (auctioneers Prudential).

An interesting one-off at Christie's, Scotland: the entire sculpture collection of the Glasgow Garden Festival, on behalf of the Scottish Development Agency. Works by Atherton, Hamilton Finlay, Gourlay and 26 others. Tenders in by 14 October. Peter Watson

POP MUSIC

Tanita Tikaram (touring). This month's exciting new female singer/ songwriter threatens to be the best of the crop, and it'll be interesting to see whether she can translate the subtleties and complexities of her album to the live arena.

Cliff Richard (touring).

Celebrating 100 years in showbiz, the old trouper will be wheeled on at Hammersmith for five nights, showing that even dotage has not lessened his appeal. The only question is: why?

Marcus Berkman

GARDENS

For those lucky enough to be in the Highlands of Scotland in autumn, the garden at Broompark, Jamestown, Strathpeffer is open on Saturday, 1 October, 2 till 6, when the shrubs and trees should be colouring. There will be a plant stall and home-made teas.

Seven miles north of Wells in Avon can be found the garden at Pear Tree House, Litton. This runs to three acres, with good collections of hollies, acers and birches. Open 8 and 9 October, 10 until dusk.

Ursula Buchan