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

regular critics

THEATRE

Absence of War, Olivier (071 928 2252), 2 October. The Labour Party election drama that completes David Hare's 'State of the Nation' trilogy. It joins his Murmuring Judges and Racing Drown in the National repertoire, all three Playing in epic formation on some Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Tamburlaine the Great, Barbican (071 638 8891), 14 October. Antony Sher in the Marlowe, highly acclaimed at Stratford.

Machina!, Lyttelton (071 928 2252), 15 October. Hotshot director Stephen Daldry, new at the Royal Court, here directing rare 1928 Expressionist drama by Sophie Treadwell.

She Stoops to Conquer, Queen's (071 494 5040), 20 October. Donald Sinden and David Essex in the latest of the Peter Hall roadshow revivals. Sheridan Morley

OPERA

Tamburlaine, Grand Theatre, Leeds (0532 459351), 2 October. Opera North has assembled a superb cast led by Philip Langridge and Rosa Mannion for its revival of Philip Prowse's celebrated staging of this Handel opera of 1724.

Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg, Covent Garden (071 240 1066), 8 October. Bernard Haitink conducts Graham Vick's new production of Wagner's most lovable and humane Opera. A strong cast is Led by Nancy Gustafson, Gosta Winbergh, Thomas Allen, John Tomlinson and Cwynne Howell.

Katya Kabanova, Theatre Royal, Glasgow (041 332 9000), 14 October. Perhaps Janacek's tightest and most direct opera in a new Scottish Opera production by Mark Brickman. Richard Armstrong conducts, Helen Field sings the doomed heroine.

L'Elisir d'Amore, Theatre Royal, Bath (0225 448844), 20 October. English Touring Opera present Donizetti's delightfully idiotic comedy in a new production by Stephen Medcalf, conducted by Andrew Greenwood.

Rupert Christiansen

CINEMA

The Secret Garden. Umpteenth adaptation of much loved novel about a lonely orphan girl. Cast includes Maggie Smith as the housekeeper, but the director is a more surprising choice: Agnieszka Holland, who made Europa Europa and Olivier Olivier, but has resisted the temptation to rename this one The Secret Secret. Dirty Weekend (18). Another adaptation of a much loved novel, this time Helen Zhavi's, Producer/ director Michael Winner's idea of a dirty weekend may differ from hers.

Mr Wonderful. Truly, madly, sequelly, but this time British director Anthony Mingela has an American cast, including Matt Dillon.

Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story (15). Truly, madly, Bruce Lee re-enters. Jason Scott Lee (no relation) stars in bio-kick-pic as the Fred Astaire

of martial arts. Mark Steyn

GARDENS

Anyone who can still remember the taste of Wootton Pie should be interested in an exhibition called The Wartime Kitchen and Garden, at the Imperial War Museum, Lambeth Road, London SE1. This will coincide with a BBC 2 series of the same name, which features the great Harry Dodson of The Victorian Kitchen Garden fame. The exhibition runs from 28 October until 2 May 1994. Ursula Buchan The wartime kitchen: 'Coupons Required', 1941, by Leonora Green

DANCE

Dance Umbrella '93, from 12 October. Britain's biggest annual festival of contemporary dance plays host to American guests at Riverside Studios (081 748 3354): Dana Reitz and Sara Rudner's Necessary Weather, 15, 16 October; David Rousseve's Colored Children Fbtin'By, 19,20 October. For unrivalled English eccentricity in a bizarre setting, catch Matthew Hawkins and his troupe in Fresh Dances for the Late Tchaikovsky at the Hackney Empire (081 985 242), 21-23 October.

Royal Ballet, Covent Garden (071 240 1066), 23, 26,27 October. Apprentice in-house choreographers William Tuckett and Matthew Hart unveil new pieces in a mixed programme of contemporary works. MacMillan's Different Drummer is at last revived.

Sophie Constanti

EXHIBITIONS

Lotte Laserstein 1898-1993, Agnew's, Wl, till 20 October. Tribute to major but little-known figurative artist who died this year.

Catalonia Incognita, Winchester School of Art Gallery and John Hansard Gallery, Southampton.

Contemporary painting and sculpture from Girona.

Making & Meaning: The Wilton Diptych, National Gallery. The magnificent and mysterious work painted 600 years ago explained and analysed.

Stephen McKenna, Irish Museum of Modern Art, Dublin. Over 50 paintings by artistic oddball who works some of the year in Ireland.

Renaissance Florence: the Age of Lorenzo de Medici (1449-92), Accademia Italiana, SW7. Priceless paintings and objets acquired by the great collector. Giles Auty

POP MUSIC

Squeeze & Nick Heyward, Royal Albert Hall, 7, 8 October. It's probably a little late for a full-scale Squeeze revival, but anyone with an ear for the perfect pop tune will marvel over Some Fantastic Place (A&M), their best effort in a decade. What's more, Paul Carrack is back with the group: hear him sing 'Tempted' and feel your backbone turn to jelly.

Also recommended: the ever- touring Eric Clapton , Birmingham NEC, I October, Sheffield Arena, 3 October; Mary Chapin-Carpenter, touring, from 20 October; Karl Wallinger's splendid World Party, touring from 20 October; and, if you're feeling really cruel, poor Luke Goss from Bros, touring until 9 October. When will he, will he be famous? Marcus Berlunann

MUSIC

Models of Invention is a series featuring the London Sinfonietta at the Barbican in which they form a programme around three famous neo-classical scores by Stravinsky as a kind of antidote to too much authentic performance of genuinely old music. These are Pulcinella (15th), Dumbarton Oaks (18th) and Danses Concertantes (22nd), which also includes the British premiere of Gorecki's Requiem fiir eine Polka.

St John's Smith Square is holding five organ recitals to inaugurate their new organ: with Simon Preston (6th), Gillian Weir (14th and 15th), Daniel Chorzempa (28th and 29th). Also at St John's, the Tanis Scholars will hold a Gala Charity Concert in aid of Multiple Sclerosis Research on the 15th. The music will include TallPeteris's40-pphairitlips Spem in alium.

CRAFTS

Today's Jewels — from Paper to Platinum, Lesley Craze Gallery, 34 Clerkenwell Green, EC1, from 7 October. Major exhibition at a new gallery: the best of innovative contemporary jewellery.

Gates of Mystery: The Art of Holy Russia, V & A, from 20 October. Russian religious art and artefacts from the 11th to 18th century,

Tanya Harrod