ik

Iw)

r M'Eg

P

ARTS ;17.: DV 010 A monthly selection of forthcoming events recommended by The Spectator's regular critics

OPERA

The Yeoman of the Guard. New Theatre, Cardiff (0222 394844), from 13 December (then touring Llandudno, Bristol, Birmingham, Liverpool, Southampton, Oxford, Swansea and Royal Opera House). G and S's pseudo-Tudor attempt at pathos, is given serious treatment by Welsh National Opera in a new production by Tim Hopkins. A strong cast of British talents includes Felicity Palmer, Neill Archer and Donald Maxwell.

Oberto, Grand Theatre, Leeds (0532 459351), from 15 December (then touring Sheffield, Nottingham and Manchester). Welcome Opera North production of one of Verdi's earliest pieces, rarely heard in this country. Ian Judge directs a superb cast, led by Rita Cullis, Jane Henschel, David Maxwell Anderson and John Tomlinson Rupert Christiansen

CRAFTS

Carol M McNicoll and Phil Rogers, Paul Rice Gallery, 60 Blenheim Crescent, W11 till 10 December (071 229 8241 for opening times). Gallery in a home with interesting stock of studio pottery and unusual exhibitions — McNicoll, all reckless brilliance and Rogers, soothing ash glazes.

Geoffrey Clarke: Sculpture and Graphic Work 1949-1994, Wolsey Art Gallery, Christchurch Mansion, Ipswich, 17 December till 29 January. This should cover the stained glass and ecclesiastical commissions by this versatile artist.

Tanya Harrod

DANCE

Royal Ballet, Covent Garden (071 304 4000), 9, 15, 17 December. Ashton Remembered, the second of two programmes celebrating the work of the Royal's founder choreographer, Frederick Ashton. Includes The Dream, La Chatte Metammphosee en Femme, Thais and Raymonda pas de deux and one of his earliest and wittiest ballets, Façade, created in 1931.

Adventures in Motion Pictures, Sadler's Wells (071 713 6000), 1-10 December. Final performances of Matthew Bourne's amusing, sticky sweat version of The Nutcracker, directed by Martin Duncan, designed by Anthony Ward.

Richard Alston Dance Company, The Place Theatre (071 387 0031) 1 – 3 December, and Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester (061 273 5534), 8 –10 December. Four finely crafted dances by Alston for his excellent new ensemble, using scores by Stravinsky, Britten, Simon Holt and minimalist collective Man

Jumping. Sophie Constanti

POP MUSIC

Squeeze (touring, December 8-21). Back in the medium-sized venues that serve them best, and still touring my favourite album of 1993, the sublime Some Fantastic Place (A&M).

Also recommended: the underrated Roachford (touring Decenher 7-14); Primal Scream, (touring until 14 December); Sheryl Crow (Wembley Arena, December 4); Gary Glitter plus Village People (touring 4-16 December); Elton John with Ray Cooper (Royal Albert Hall until 12 December); the prolific M People (touring December 5-16); and, for the frighteningly hip, Oasis (touring until 18 December).

Marcus Berkmann

GARDENS

Those who like botanical

watercolours will be interested in an exhibition at Spink and Son, entitled 'The Kitchen Garden', which features about 40 studies of fruit and vegetables by the accomplished Australian-born artist, Susannah Blaxill. The exhibition runs from 1st until 23rd December in the Picture Gallery, 5 King Street, St James's, London SW1. Opening hours, Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. – 5.30 p.m., Tuesday 9 a.m. – 7.30. p.m.

Ursula Buchan `Three Aubelgines', pencil and watercolour, by Susannah Blaxill

THEATRE

Flora the Red Menace, Orange Tree (081 940 3633), 5 December. A long-delayed but hugely welcome British professional premiere.

A Christmas Carol, RSC Barbican (638 8891) 6 December. John Mortimer's new flying Scrooge tries to give the RSC a seasonal treat to rival the National's annual Toad.

Oliver!, London Palladium (494 5020), 8 December. Cameron Mackintosh's favourite musical now has Jonathan Pryce as Fagin for the Dickens of a Bart.

Slays, Hampstead (722 9301), 14 December. Tony Kushner's first since Angels in America, is about long standing problems of virtue and happiness'. What isn't?

Whistle Down the Wind, Riverside Studios (081 741 2255), 20 December. The old Bryan Forbes/Hayley Mills movie given big-band treatment by the versatile National Youth Music Theatre:

subject also under consideration by Andrew Lloyd Webber for 1995. Sheridan Morley

MUSIC

St John's Smith Square plays host a Christmas season which will run 10 every night from 17th to 23rd. Among the artists are Wells Cathedral Choir (18th), Christ Church Cathedral Choir (20th), the Danish Radio Choir (22nd) and the Sixteen (performing Messiah on the 21st and 23rd). All will present choral Christmas music.

The London Sinfonietta welcomes its new Principal Conductor, Markus Stenz, with a series at the Barbican Centre. 'Twenty Something' on the 6th features Evelyn Glennie in a new vibraphone concerto by the young German Jan Muller-Wieland; 'European Masters' on the 9th celebrates the work of four of the greatest living composers: Boulez, Xenakis, Kurtag and Ligeti.

EXHIBITIONS

Edward Bursudskes Amazing PbilliP5 Theatre of Mechanical Sculpture: City Art Galleries, Manchester. Amazing is the apt word for work by this 55 year old Russian.

Tana-Bana (Warp and Weft): Tapestries and Drawings by Priya Ravish Mehra, Commonwealth Institute, W8. Fine, hand-woven tapestries in cotton, jute, silk.

Worlds in a Box, Whitechapel Art Gallery, El from 9th. The history of art in boxes from 1920s till now.

Sir James Gunn, Scottish National Portrait Gallery, Edinburgh from 2nd. Assured 20th-Century portraitist of the great and good.

Giles AMY

CINEMA

Miracle on 34th Street. 90s remake of a 40s favourite (with Edmund Gwenn and unknown moppet Natalie Wood). Sure you believein Santa Claus, but do you believe in „ Richard Attenborough as Santa Clams Vanya on 42nd Street. Heading north up Broadway, we reach the second stop on this month's celluloid street map: not only is Santa Claus coming to town, but so's Uncle Vanya. Louis Malle's film of Andre Gregory's production of Chekhov's play, staged in the once legendary fleapit, the New Amsterdam Theatre.

Princess Caraboo. Not Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer's girlfriend. John Wells's trueish story of a strange young woman who turns uP in an English village in 1817 speaking a mysterious language no one's ever heard before.

The Specialist. Postponed from las,ti month, Sylvester Stallone. an, Sharon Stone in the only Chnstmas Turkey with four breasts. Stallone speaks a mysterious langua8e n°

one's ever heard before (Yo!

Mark SteYn