This week’s cultural highlights: Red Light Winter and Me, Myself and Miss Gibbs

Our critics' picks of this week's openings, plus your last chance to see and what to book now. Which cultural events are in your diary this week?
  
  

red light winter
Amsterdamned … Red Light Winter. Photograph: Simon Annand Photograph: Simon Annand/PR

Opening this week

Theatre

Red Light Winter

The UK premiere of Adam Rapp's Obie Award-winning play about two successful New Yorkers, once college room mates, whose trip to the Red Light district of Amsterdam comes back to haunt them. Part of an ambitious season of contemporary American work.

Ustinov, Bath (01225 448844), to 31 March.

Me, Myself and Miss Gibbs

In 2003, Francesca Millican Slater bought an old postcard of Lincoln Cathedral that had been posted to a Miss Gibbs at a London address in 1910. The message said: Be careful tomorrow. What did Miss Gibbs have to fear? Brilliant solo show about identity and obsession.

Drill Hall, Lincoln (01522 873894), Thursday to 9 March.

Sprint

Brilliant festival of emerging and experimental work. Highlights this year include the Other Way Works with Avon Calling, a cosmetics party in your own home, Curious Directive's assured Edinburgh hit, Your Last Breath, and Brian Lobel's autobiographical Ball and Other Funny Stories About Cancer.

Camden People's Theatre, London NW1 (020 7419 4841), Friday to 31 March.

Film

Michael (dir. Markus Schleinzer)

Here is pure evil, pure banality. A disturbing study of a paedophile who keeps a 10-year-old child locked in a basement.

Dance

Nederlands Dans Theater 2: Mixed Bill

The youthful wing of the celebrated Dutch company have cornered the market in energy: but their repertory dovetails closely with their parent company. Jiri Kylian's surreally imagistic Gods and Dogs heads the programme along with works by Alexander Ekman and Paul Lightfoot & Sol Leon.

Sadler's Wells , London EC1 (0844-412 4300) Tuesday to 9 March then touring.

Classical

Jonas Kaufmann

A rare British appearance outside London for the great tenor, singing Mahler and Richard Strauss with Andris Nelsons and the CBSO.

Symphony Hall, Birmingham (0121 345 0600), Wednesday.

Paul Lewis

The latest instalment of the pianist's Schubert odyssey, intriguingly juxtaposing the two sonatas in A minor.

Concert Hall, Perth (01738 621031), Tuesday, Turner Sims Concert Hall, Southampton (023 8059 5151), Thursday, St George's Bristol (0845 402 4001), Friday.

Jazz

Eric Alexander/ Dave O'Higgins/ Christian Leth

Exciting UK saxist O'Higgins spans light-stepping bebop and wailing soul and funk, but his jazziest side is invoked in this sharp band featuring American sax heavyweight Eric Alexander and Danish drummer Christian Leth. St James Social Club, Swansea (01792 380615), Wednesday; Seven Artspace, Leeds (0113 2626 777), Thursday; Millennium Hall, Sheffield (0114 266 5425), Friday.

Pop

The Pains of Being Pure At Heart

One-off London date for noisy, C86-inspired NYC indiepop band.

O2 Academy Islington, London (0844 477 2000), Thursday.

Art

All about Eve: The Photography of Eve Arnold

Powerful retrospective of the Magnum photographer Eve Arnold, to coincide with what would've been her 100th birthday. Features many of her most intimate Marilyn Monroe portraits.

Art Sensus, London (020 7630 9585), until 27 April.

Last chance to see

Theatre

A Few Man Fridays

The shocking story of the forced removal of the people of Diego Garcia, to make way for a US naval base, is told in the latest show from Cardboard Citizens, a company that makes theatre with the homeless.

Riverside Studios, London W6 (020-8237 1111), ends Saturday.

Film

Coriolanus (dir. Ralph Fiennes)

Ralph Fiennes boldly revives Shakespeare's neglected tragedy about the life of the Roman leader, with Vanessa Redgrave providing brilliant support.

Classical

Norma

Christopher Alden's fierce, industrialised staging of Bellini's bel canto masterpiece for Opera North, with Annemarie Kremer as the vengeful druid priestess. Theatre Royal, Newcastle (0844 811 2121), Wednesday and Saturday.

Jazz

Dave Stapleton

Wales-based pianist and composer Stapleton has been a performer to watch since the firework display of his 2007 debut album The House Always Wins. His regular band, including earthy and expressive trumpeter Jonny Bruce and saxist Ben Waghorn, play every gig as if it were their last. Pizza Express Jazz Club, Dean Street, London (0845 6027017), Tuesday.

Pop

The Maccabees

Brightonian indie band riding high on success of impressively sophisticated new album Given to the Wild. Tour ends Saturday, O2 Academy Leeds (0844 477 2000).

Labrinth

The producer behind Tinie Tempah's Pass Out continues his charge into solo stardom.

Tour ends Thursday, Concorde 2 Brighton, (01273 673311).

Book now

Theatre

Whatever Gets You Through the Night

Playwrights and songwriters join forces for unique multi-media show that will exist as an album, a collection of writing and a film but also as a live performance that charts the stories of people up all night all over Scotland.

The Arches, Glasgow (0141 565 1000), 26 June to 29 June.

Heartbreak House

Derek Jacobi plays the eccentric Captain Shotover in revival of Bernard Shaw's play set during a house party on the brink of World War One. A Shaw play with heart as well as intellect.

Chichester Festival Theatre, (01243 781312), 6 July to 25 August.

A History of Everything

They caused a big stir and outrage with the mischievous Audience, and now take on evolutionary theory and infinity. Ghent-based enfant terribles, Ontroerend Goed, offer a history of everything from today back to Big Bang.

Drum, Plymouth (01752 267222), 12 April to 28 April.

Film

Trishna (dir. Michael Winterbottom)

Winterbottom, Britain's most prolific director, is back. Here, he's put a South Asian spin on Hardy's Tess.

Dance

Royal Ballet of Flanders Artifact

This 1984 masterwork from William Forsythe has only been seen once before in Britain. The admirable Flanders company brings this revival: a treat of witty perceptual game-playing, thrilling choreographic invention and postmodern madness.

Sadler's Wells London EC1 (0844-412 4300), 19 to 21 April.

Classical

Jakob Lenz

Sam Brown directs Wolfgang Rihm's early expressionist one-acter for ENO, with Andrew Shore in the title role of the schizophrenic 18th-century poet.

Hampstead Theatre, London NW3 (020 7722 9301), 17 to 27 April.

Jazz

Tim Berne's Snakeoil

New York saxist/composer Berne has overseen plenty of abrasive contemporary electric music over the years, but this Snakeoil quartet is an unusual combination of rugged lyricism and chamber-group acoustic subtleties, significantly influenced by the innovative Oscar Noriega on clarinets. Vortex Jazz Club, London (0207-254 4097), 14-15 March.

Pop

The Horrors

Exploratory psychedelia now tethered to big tunes, as heard on last year's acclaimed album Skying. Tour begins 15 May, O2 Academy Glasgow (0844 477 2000).

Art

AV Festival 12: As Slow As Possible

With shows and screenings throughout the north east, in Middlesborough, Newcastle/Gateshead and Sunderland, the International Festival of Art, Technology, Music and Film features a sprawling roster of creatives, all encouraging visitors to slow to a crawl. Various venues, 1-31 March.

 

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