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

OPERA

Peter Grimes, Glyndeboume, (0273 813813), from 31 July. Revival of the superb Trevor Nunn production of Britten's first operatic masterpiece, conducted by Franz Welser-Most, with Anthony Rolfe Johnson in the title role. Seats still available for most performances.

The Proms, (071 5898212). Operatic highlights include a Wagner Night, with Anne Evans as soloist on 4 August, and concert performances from Glyndebourne of Eugene Onegin (18 August) and Don Giovanni (29 August).

Edinburgh Festival, Edinburgh Festival Theatre, (031 225 5756) Scottish Opera's new production of Fidelio, directed by Tim Albery (15 and 17 August); Australian Opera's production of Britten's A Midsummer Night's Dream, directed by Baz Luhrmann (25 and 27 August); Opera North's productions of Chabrier's L'Etoile, directed by Phyllida Lloyd (31 August and 2 September) and Le Roi Malgre Lui, directed by Jeremy Sams (1 and 3 September)

Rupert Christiansen

DANCE

This year's Edinburgh Festival (031 225 5756) is showcasing an impressive collection of mainly North American companies. At the Playhouse Theatre, Miami City Ballet will perform Balanchine's Jewels (15 to 17 August) and a mixed bill consisting of his Serenade, Four Temperaments, Tchaikovsky Pas de Deur and Western Symphony (19 and 20 August). The Lucinda Childs Dance Company follows with two programmes of Childs's feverishly minimal compositions to scores by Ligeti, Glass, Gorecki and Xenakis (23 to 25 August), and Merce Cunningham's superb troupe can be seen in Cargo X and Enter (27 to 28 August).

Sophie Constanti

CINEMA

Baby's Day Out (U). If you

followed the Babby Abbie case, you'll love this onel Baby Bink gets kidnapped and Mommy fears the worst. Instead, the adorable moppet escapes his captors, enjoys a wild day out and wreaks a hideous vengeance on the bad guys.

True Lies (15). A hundred million dollar movie that's almost as sadistic as the finale to Baby's Day Out. After bombing with Last Action Hero, Schwarzenegger returns to Terminator director. Jamie Lee Curtis plays the love interest.

Mark Step'

GARDENS

One of the biggest mail-order seed houses, Thompson and Morgan, will open their trial grounds to visitors at the height of the half- hardy annual flowering season (13 and 14 August, 10 — 4 p.m.) for the first time in its 140 year history. They will also be showing off their production facilities. The trial grounds are to be found at Poplar Lane, Ipswich, Suffolk, they are signposted from the Al2/A45

junction. Ursula Buchan

EXHIBITIONS

Marian Kratochwil: Exhibition of Drawings on Poland's Pre-War Eastern Borders, Polish Cultural Institute, 34, Portland Pike, W1 till 26th. Fine drawings created from memory by artist in exile.

Marian Kratochwg 'Studying in Jewish school; Podkamien

Monet to Matisse: Landscape Painting in France 1874-1914, National Gallery of Scotland, Edinburgh from 11th. Spectacular survey of the art of landscape in France from the start of the modern period.

William Blake: Art and Revolution, Tate Gallery, London. Special display of the great visionary's work inspired by the French Revolution British Landscape Watercolours 1750-1850, Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge. The golden age of watercolour painting in Britain demonstrated through the museum's outstanding colGlection.

iles Auty

THEATRE

Under Their Hats, King's Head (071 226 1916) 8 August. A reveu/review celebrating the 1950s songs of Michael Flanders and Donald Swann.

The Sisters Rosensweig, Greenwich (081 858 7755) 9 November. Maureen Lipman in British premiere of Broadway hit.

The Battle for the Throne, The Other Place, Stratford (0789 295623) 10 November

14 November Edinburgh Festival:

all else stops. Sheridan Morley

MUSIC

The Proms continue this month with the visits of three of the greatest foreign orchestras: the Berlin Philharmonic under Abbado (25th and 26th) playing Mahler's Ninth and a programme of Tchaikovsky, Stravinsky and Mussorgsky respectively; the Cleveland Orchestra under Dohnanyi (27th and 28th) playing Ives, Dvorak and Birtwistle, and Bach, Stravinsky and Mahler respectively; and the Los Angeles Philharmonic under Salonen (30th and 1st September) playing Lutoslawski, Mozart and Sibelius, and Hindemith and Bruckner respectively. There are two Glyndeboume evenings: on the 18th featuring Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin, and on the 29th with Mozart's Don Giovanni.

The Edinburgh Festival is launched with Beethoven's Fidelio (on 15th and 17th), followed by Britten'sA Midsummer Night's Dream (25th 27th) and Chabrier's L'Etoile (31st). The Beethoven will open the new Festval Theatre and both it and the Britten will be staged there.

Peter Phillips

CRAFTS

All Change: Russian Avant-Garde Books 1912-1934, British Library till 25 September. Major survey of radical book production with accompanying programme of rare early Soviet film.

True to Type: an introduction to the art of fine printing, Crafts Council, 44a Pentonville Road, Ni till 4 September. Letterpress printing, elipsed by the new technology, has become a craft. The work of 20 small presses surveyed.

Elizabeth Fritsch: vessels from another world. Women Designing: Redefining Design between the Wars, Luton Museum and Art Gallery till 21 August. There is no female equivalent of Raymond Loewy but this show uncovers some remarkably gifted women.

Tanya Harrod

POP MUSIC

Reading Festival (August 26-28)As ever, thousands of eager Spectator readers will be attending this prestigious event to cheer on such notable performers as the Lemonheads, Manic Street Preachers, Pulp and Red Hot Chili Peppers. Or perhaps not.

Also recommended: those droll Canadians Barenaked Ladies (Jazz Cafe, Aug 9; Shepherd Bush Empire, Aug 12); Madstock! featuring Madness and Ian Duty & the Blockheads (Finsbury Park, August 6); and for those in an advanced state of mental disturbance, the Second International Pink Floyd Fan Convention (High Wycombe, August 14). Sad, sad,sad.

Marcus Berkmann