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

regularcritics.

OPERA

hada, Glyndebourne (027 354 1111), 19 May. The Festival opens with a new production of Janacek's opera by the team that gave us last Year's Katya Kabanova. Roberta Alexander, Anja Silja and Philip Langridge head the cast.

Street Scene, Theatre Royal, Glasgow (331 1234), 23 May, later touring. Scottish Opera mounts the first UK repertory production of Weill's American opera based on Elmer Rice's play, with lyrics by Langston Hughes. John Mauceri conducts, David Pountney directs, and leading singers include Kristine Ctesinski, Janis Kelly and Mark Heudert.

The Plumber's Gift, Coliseum (836 3161), 25 May. Premiere by ENO of David (Toussaint) Blake's new Opera, to a libretto by John Birtwhistle, conducted by Lionel Friend and directed by Richard

Jones. Rodney Milnes

EXHIBITIONS

Skulpturen Republik, John

Hansard Gallery, University ot Southampton. An exhibition of Work by 30 international sculptors selected for Vienna Festival.

The Sycamore Collection, York City Art Gallery, till 14 May. Superb private collection of British Prints produced 1900-1950.

Tony Crag,g, Tate Gallery. See sculpture by last year's winner of Turner Prize and Venice Biennale representative.

Anthony Gormley: Sculpture, Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh. Work by renowned sculptor based on the human form — his own.

Watercolours by J. M. W. Turner, Ashmolcan, Oxford. Works collected by Ruskin, Turner's greatest advocate, show the master's incomparable range.

Giles Auty

POP MUSIC

Elvis Costello, touring, from 7 May. Performing solo these days, with old mucker Nick Lowe providing the support slot. The Spike album may have been hard work, but there are few better live performers and I for one shall be there for the first of his Month of Sundays at the London Palladium.

Stevie Wonder, Wembley Arena, 11-14 and 17-19 May. No longer Producing the goods on record, but again, what a back catalogue. With Costello, Wonder, Elton John and even Bananarama treading the boards in May, it's going to be a

cracking month for pop music.

Marcus Berkmann

DANCE

La Bayadere, Royal Opera House (240 1066), 18-31 May. The Royal Ballet premiere of Natalia Makarova's production, the full- length version of which has rarely been seen outside Russia. Kirov stars Assylmuratova and Ruzimatov make guest appearances on 25 and 27 May.

Deirdre McMahon

CRAFTS

Pewter — a Celebration of the Craft 1200-1700, Museum of London. Pewter made in London, a detailed look at this beautiful material.

Flat-lidded pewter tankard with acanthus-leaf decoration, c. 1695 Exhibitions at this year's Brighton Festival include: Picasso Ceramics, Barlow Gallery, University of Sussex, a fine collection assembled by Sir Richard and Lady Attenborough; Serendipity by Snowdon, Brighton Museum & Art Gallery, a survey of little-known designs, furniture, jewellery etc. and, at the Red Herrings Gallery, North Road, some fine anarchic work, especially furniture, by Red Herring studio artists on themes of chaos and order. Tanya Harrod

MUSIC

The Brighton Festival, 5-28 May. Visitors this year will be the LPO under Tennstedt playing Strauss on the 5th; the Brabant Orchestra, in residence; the City of Birmingham Orchestra under Rattle playing Berlioz on the 27th; the Polish Chamber Orchestra on the 12th and the Orchestre National dc Lille with Paul Tortellier on the 20th.

The Bath Festival starts 26 May. The opening concert will feature John Eliot Gardiner and the Monteverdi Choir in Monteverdi's Vespers in Wells Cathedral. The festival's chamber music concerts include the Nash Ensemble (30th), Takacs String Quartet (29th), Nigel Kennedy (31st) and Stephen I lough (31st). The Wigmorc Hall will host a Festival of Schumann and his Friends, 13-21 May. Every night and almost every lunchtime there will be a concert of Schumann's and his Contemporaries' music by a leading performer. Peter Philips

CINEMA

Da (PG). In this distinguished and poignant adaptation of Hugh Leonard's play, Martin Sheen is a playwright coming to terms with his past when he returns to Ireland for his adoptive father's funeral.

Mississippi Burning (18). Gene Hackman and Willem Dafoe star in Alan Parker's controversial account of the Civil Rights movement.

The Year my Voice Broke (15). John Duigan's portrait of first love in a small Australian town is original and doesn't condescend to its subject: it was one of the hits of the last London Film Festival.

Hilary Mantel

SALE-ROOMS

In London, science: Scientific instruments 1500-1900 at Sotheby's on 5th; Scientific and medical books, also at Sotheby's, on 19th. In Newmarket: Equestrian art at Tattersalls, Christie's, on 4th. In Dublin: Irish paintings and drawings at the Royal Hibernian Academy of Arts, Ely Place, Christie's, 26th. Peter Watson

THEATRE

Dr Faustus, Swan, Stratford (0789 295623), 10 May. Barry Kyle directs another Christopher Marlowe play; cast includes Gerard Murphy and David Bradley.

Much Ado About Nothing, Strand (836 2660), 11 May. Alan Bates and Felicity Kendal star in this West End revival, to run in repertoire with Chekhov's lvanov.

The Tempest, Barbican (638 8891), 25 May. London transfer of Stratford hit starring John Wood as Prospero. Directed by Nicholas Hytner. Christopher Edwards

GARDENS

One of the finest woodland and rhododendron gardens in the south-east, until now open to the public only rarely, is now a charitable trust and will be open every day, except Wednesdays and Sundays, until 17 June and again from 18 September until 29 October. Although very badly damaged in the Great Storm, the garden at The High Beeches, Handcross, West Sussex is 'almost straight' once more and the flowering of magnolias and rhododendrons promises to be excellent. Visiting times 1-5 pm, bank holidays 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Ursula Buchan