Opening this week in London
Ben Hur!
The O2, SE10
Thursday
THE OPERA
Le Grand Macabre
Coliseum, WC2
Thursday
English National Opera's season curtain-raiser under Edward Gardner is a bit of a departure: an "anti-anti-opera" by avant-garde Hungarian composer György Ligeti. The stage set makes use of a giant 40ft skeleton.
Coldplay, Jay-Z and Girls Aloud
Wembley Stadium
Friday
Chris Martin and his triumphant quartet conclude their Vida la Vida tour with two massive Wembley dates, notable for the eccentric choice of support act. Imagine the fun backstage!
THE FIRST NIGHTS
Mother Courage and Her Children National's Olivier, SE1
Wednesday
The redoutable Fiona Shaw takes the pugnacious title role in Berthold Brecht's notoriously demanding drama.
Kurt & Sid
Trafalgar Studios, SW1
Tonight
Kurt Cobain, about to put the shotgun in his mouth, encounters the visiting ghost of Sid Vicious in Roy Smiles's theatrical fantasy — starring Danny Dyer as the former Sex Pistol.
