ow ARTS DIARY 161. ‘111F War

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

CINEMA

Monsieur Hire (15). A distinguished psychological thriller, adapted from a Simenon novel and directed by Patrice Leconte. Michel Blanc plays a lonely middle- aged tailor who is accused of a brutal murder.

The Krays (18). The rise and fall of Ronnie and Reggie, impersonated here by Gary and Martin Kemp. Billie Whitelaw, Susan Fleetwood. Tom Bell and Jimmy Jewel arc among their elders and abettors.

Sweetie (15). The mad, bad `Sweetie' takes her family's life apart in this tragi-comic Australian oddity, directed by Jane Campion.

Hilary Mantel

EXHIBITIONS

20th-Century Scottish Printmakers, Hunterian Art Gallery, University of Glasgow. Worthy show of those following mighty footsteps of Muirhead Bone.

Patrick Hayman: A Voyage of Discovery, Camden Arts Centre, NW3. The late Patrick Hayman travelled far; here we deal with Inner voyages inspired by myth and legend.

Christian Boltanski, Whitechapel Art Gallery, El. Rare visit from the living French avant-garde: Installation, documentation, self- obsession.

20th-Century Modern Masters: the Jacques & Natasha Gelman Collection, Royal Academy. Priceless private collection of work from movements which shook our century to the core. Giles Auty

GARDENS

The first ever exhibition on the history and evolution of London's gardens, parks, squares and green spaces is to be held at the Museum of London, EC2 from 1 May till 12 August. Entitled London's Pride, it also covers the work of market gardeners, botanists and plant hunters. Ursula Buchan

POP MUSIC

Billy Joel, Wembley Arena, 21-29 May. His recent albums may not be a patch on the early stuff, but he is still one of the few grown-up PoPsters who can generate excitement in a barn like Wembley Arena. Loads of splendid songs, played with much gusto.

The Notting Hillbillies, touring. Still on the rounds of the small-to- medium venues, after which it's no doubt back to the football stadia for Mark Knopfler. Meanwhile,

enjoy the tunes and musicianship in perfect surroundings.

Marcus Berkman

OPERA

Clarissa, Coliseum (836 3161), 18 May. World premiere by the ENO of Robin Holloway's operatic adaptation of Richardson's novel, conducted by Oliver Knussen, produced by David Pountney, designed by David Fielding and choreographed by Ian Spink. Vivian Tierney and Grame Matheson-Bruce head the cast.

Vivian Tierney sings the title role in Robin Holloway's Clarissa

Tornrak, New Theatre, Cardiff, 19 May, then touring. World premiere of John Metcalf's WNO commission, inspired by the clash between Inuit (aka Eskimo) culture and Victorian society.

The Magic Flute, Glyndebourne, 21 May. Peter Sellars's new production opens this summer's Festival, conducted by Lothar Zagrosek and designed by Adrianne Lobell and Dunya

Ramicova. Rodney Milnes

THEATRE

The Duchess of Malfl, The Pit (638 8891), 1 May. RSC small-scale production of Webster's play arrives in London with a strong cast headed by Harriet Walter.

Corlolanus, Barbican (638 8891), 2 May. Charles Dance plays the lead role in this transfer from Stratford, an interesting production of a difficult play. Directed by Terry Hands and John Barton.

The Wild Duck, Phoenix (836 2284), 17 May. Peter Hall's company bring their production of Ibsen's play to London with a very strong cast, including Alex Jennings and David Threlfall. Also playing in Cardiff, 30 April-5 May (0222 394844).

The Man Who Had MI the Luck, Bristol Old Vie (0272 250250), 17 May. A production of Arthur Miller's first play (revised), starring Rudi Davies and directed by Paul

Unwin. Christopher Edwards

MUSIC

The Brighton Festival runs 4-27 May. The Polish State Opera of Poznan are making their British debut with The Black Mask of Penderecki (15th and 18th) and Eugene Onegin by Tchaikovsky (17th and 19th). Also taking part arc the Leipzig Gewandhaus Chamber Orchestra (5th, 6th, 7th); the Moscow Radio Orchestra (9th); and the Royal Philharmonic (11th and 27th).

Other festivals include the Beverley Early Music Festival, 3-6 May; Harrogate Spring Music, featuring Nigel Kennedy (9-11 May); the Sheffield Czech Festival, featuring the Lindsay Quartet (12-26 May); the Nottingham Festival (25 May- 10 June) with the Halle Orchestra (26 May and 1 June) and the BBC Welsh under Tadaaki Otaka on 7 June; and the Scottish National Orchestra's Proms, 23-26 May.

Peter Phillips

CRAFTS

Stella Benjamin: Woven Rugs, Contemporary Applied Art, WC2, 4 May-2 June. Beautiful modern rugs—large areas of brilliant colour, exquisite detail.

At the Brighton International Festival, 4-27 May: Artists and Sculptors of Rambert, Gardner Centre Gallery, Sussex University. Designs by Howard Hodgkin, Bruce McLean and other leading artists in collaboration with Ballet Rambert. Also, Crossing Over. Artists from Zagreb, Brno and Posnam in collaboration with Brighton's Red Herring Studios (ring 0273-683517 for details of venues). Tanya Harrod

SALE-ROOMS

The big Impressionist, modern and contemporary sales are in New York. But in Britain: Modern British and Irish paintings, drawings and watercolours, Sotheby's, 2nd May; Applied Arts from 1880, same day, same house.

Christie's hold their sale of Sporting pictures at Tattersalls, Newmarket on 4 May, and The Nineteenth Century: European Ceramics, Furniture and Sculpture on 10 May, in London.

Peter Watson

DANCE

Royal Ballet, Covent Garden (240 1066), 17 May. A revival of Kenneth MacMillan's Song of the Earth, first created for the Stuttgart Ballet in 1965 (after the Royal Opera House rejected MacMillan's choice of the Mahler score).

Rambert Dance Company, Theatre Royal, Brighton (0273 28488), 21- 26 May. The world premiere of Chevron, Siobhan Davies's new work, to a specially commissioned score by Kevin Volans.

Deirdre McMahon