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„ra_ a,. ARTS DIARY ,_, A monthly selection of forthcoming events recommended by The Spectator's regular critics

DANCE

Rambert Dance Company, Sadlers Wells Theatre (278 8916), 6-24 March. New works by Richard Alston, Ashley Page and Gary Lambert, and the company premiere of another major work by Merce Cunningham, Doubles.

Adventures in Motion Pictures, The Place (387 6031), 15-17 March. One of the most talented dance groups in Britain today performs works by its in-house choreographers, Matthew Bourne and Jacob Marley.

Deirdre McMahon

CINEMA

Trop Belle Pour Toi (18). Murmurs of Gallic dismay as Gerard Depardieu insults elegant wife by taking dumpy mistress. Bertrand Blier directs.

Born on the Fourth of July (15). Oliver Stone's second Vietnam film, following Platoon, is based on the true story of a disabled veteran who became active in the protest movement against the war.

Glory (15). Uneven but interesting Civil War story: Matthew Broderick as the young white commander of a special regiment of black soldiers.

The Fabulous Baker Boys (15). Jeff and Beau Bridges are fading entertainers who decide to pep up their act by enlisting chanteuse Michelle Pfeiffer. Bookings suddenly pick up. Hilary Mantel

OPERA

Elektra, Covent Garden (240 1066), 3-23 March. Georg Solti conducts Gotz Friedrich's new Production for the Royal Opera, With Eva Marton in the title role and Marjana Lipovgek as Clytemnestra.

The Gambler, Coliseum (836 3161), 14 March. Sian Edwards conducts the ENO revival of Prokofiev's black comedy based on Dostoevsky, directed by David Pountney and with Graham Clark, Kimberly Barber and Ulrik Cold in the leading roles.

The Mastersingers, Covent Garden (240 1066), 29 March. Felicity Lott, Reiner Goldberg, Bernd Weikl, Hermann Prey and Robert Gambill sing the leading rola in John Cox's re-staging, conducted by Cristoph von Dohnanyi. Rodney Milnes

SALE-ROOMS

Mussolini's papers at Phillips on the 22nd; the contents of the Cockerell book bindery at Grantchester, at Phillips St Ives on the 27th; and the fifth International Contemporary Art Fair at Olympia, 29 March-1 April. Peter Watson

THEATRE

Sunday in the Park with George Lyttelion (928 2033), 15 March. British premiere of Stephen Sondheim's 1984 musical about the painter George Seurat. Strong cast directed by Steven Pimlott.

The Vanek Plays, Lyric Studio (741 0824), 5 March. Transfer of the three Vaclav Havel plays seen at the sold-out run at the Soho Poly. Loosely autobiographical, the plays feature a dissident writer as the catalyst for the revelation of the fears and self-deception in those around him.

Pack of Lies, Belgrade Coventry (0203 256431). Revival of Hugh Whitemore's excellent play about the Sixties' Kroger spies and their relations with English friends living opposite.

An Evening with Peter Ustinov, Theatre Royal Haymarket (930 9832), 20 March. One-man show by the great man mimicking, satirising and reminiscing about leading public figures, including Reagan and Gorbachev.

Christopher Edwards

CRAFTS

Richard Batterham: New Work, Crafts Council Shop, V & A, till 18 March. Imposing pots by Bernard Leach's greatest living pupil— sculpture for the home.

Twentieth-Century Tapestry, Crane Gallery, SW1, till 15 April. Tapestries after designs by Alexander Calder, Ben Nicholson and Joan Miro.

L'Etoile aux 3 couleurs', tapestry designed by Alexander Calder Inventions of Japan: Ways of Seeing Japanese Art and Design, Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester, till 28 April. Organised by the postgraduate course in museum studies at Manchester University — remarkably professional and thought-provoking.

Thai Manuscript Painting, King's Library, British Museum. Two cases of remarkable vivid records of the culture of Thailand — cosmology, elephant treatises, lives of the Buddha. Tanya Harrod

POP MUSIC

Chris Rea, touring, 1-9 March. The Road to Hell, it seems, begins at Shepton Mallet on 1 March, but Rea's most successful album yet will ensure a rapturous welcome along the way.

David Bowie, touring, 18-27 March. A real crowd-pleaser is promised here, crammed full of hits, although Bowie insists that the tour is a one-off. Afterwards, it seems, it's back to the horrors of Tin Machine . .

Marcus Berkmann

EXHIBITIONS

Camille Pissarro: Impressionism, Landscape and Rural Labour. Birmingham City Museum, till 22 April. Rare chance for Midlanders to see Impressionist master.

Landscapes from a High Latitude: Icelandic Art 1909-1989, Concourse Gallery, Barbican, EC2. Scenes from saga-land.

Mary Potter 1900-1981, Norwich Castle Museum. Lovely muted paintings by a latter-day Gwen John.

Expression and Engagement, Tate, Liverpool. Misguided try to link worthy pre-war works by Beckmann, Kirchner and co. with recent, inferior productions of Penck, Baselitz et al. Giks Auty

GARDENS

A Vision of Orchids: Treasures from the Kew Collections. Watercolours, prints and drawings, as well as live plants in a 'modernist terrarium', at the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts, University of East Anglia, Norwich. Open Tuesdays ' to Sundays, 12 0115, till 27 May.

Ursula Buchan

MUSIC

Some exceptional series of 20th- century music start or arc continued in London this month. Pre-eminent is the South Bank's Szymanowski: Poland's Last Romantic, which, although the composer died in 1937, includes some British premieres. The dates are 3rd (including his opera King Roger), 11th. 25th and 31st (given by the LPO under Rattle, to include his Third Symphony and Schubert's Ninth). The series runs until June.

Three Concerts of British Music will be conducted by Oliver Knussen and played by the London Sinfonietta at the Queen Elizabeth Hall on 9th, 16th and 22nd. Featured composers include Saxton, Ferncyhough, Muldowncy, Knussen, Benjamin, Goehr, Maxwell Davies and Birtwistle.

The Royal Academy of Music's annual festival this year features Elliott Carter, whose music will be played at the RAM on the 12th (Gala Day), 13th, 14th and