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

DANCE

Royal Ballet, Covent Garden (240 1066). Chabukiani's virtuoso Laurentia pas de six, first performed in Leningrad in 1939, is on the same programme as Ashton's evergreen La Fille Mal Garde, making a welcome return to the repertory.

Deirdre McMahon

CINEMA

Last Exit to Brooklyn (18). Start as we mean to go on . . . why not see it in 1990 with a cavalcade of prostitutes, pimps, thieves and thugs? Famous banned book brought to the screen by German director Uli Edel.

An Enemy of the People (U). Satyajit Ray's first film since 1984 is a version of Ibsen's story updated and set in Bengal.

Jesus of Montreal (18). With bizarre and tragic consequences, a theatre group in Montreal stages a version of a Passion Play which displeases the Church. Jury Grand Prix in Cannes.

Shining Through. Britain's first Israeli Film Festival is at the Everyman, Hampstead on Sundays 21 and 28 January and Thursday 25 January. Information and tickets from the Spiro Institute (431 0345).

Hilary Mantel

OPERA

()fella, Covent Garden (240 1066). Placido Domingo, Katia Ricciarelli and Justine Diaz return to Covent Garden to sing the leading roles in Elijah Moshinsky's production, conducted by Carlos Kleiber. Four performances only, from 6 January. Sell the family silver, your body, anything, to get a ticket.

Duke Bluebeard's Castle, Theatre Royal, Glasgow, 24 January. Stefanos Lazaridis directs (for the first time) and designs his new production of Bartok's one-acter, with Kathryn Harries and Monte Jaffe; in a double bill with Stravinsky's Oedipus Rex.

Beatrice and Benedict, Coliseum (836 3161), 25 January. Ann Murray and Philip Langridge sing the title roles in Tim Albery's new production for the ENO of Berlioz's opera, designed by Tom Cairns and Antony McDonald, with lighting by Wolfgang GObbel. Mark Elder is the conductor.

Rodney Mllnes

POP MUSIC

Chris Rea, touring. Deservedly flourishing (after years of trying) with his Dire Straitsish adult pop, the relentlessly unglamorous Rea should be on top form for these latest shows. Just don't expect him to smile an awful lot.

Paul McCartney, touring. As should the ex-Beatle, on his first tour for 13 years. He's a superb performer — slick and professional — and 15 out of the 29 songs in the set are from Fab Four days. What more could one ask?

Marcus Berkman

CRAFTS

Aleksandr Rodchenko and Varvara Stepanova, Serpentine Gallery, till 28 January. Paintings, sculpture and futurist designs for Soviet man and woman by the pioneers of Constructivism.

Rodchenko's 'Teapot', 1922, at the Serpentine Gallery

The Folk Art of Novia Scotia, Canada House Cultural Centre, Trafalgar Square, till 19 Janutfry. Remarkable collection of objects made by settlers in this remote region — from 1780 till present day.

Tanya Harrod

EXHIBITIONS

The Graphic Artist Max Klinger 1857-1920), Goethe-Institut, 50 Princes Gate, SW7, from 19 January. Prolific maker of memorable images.

The Art of the Print I, Hunterian Art Gallery, University of Glasgow, from 13 January. First selection of prints from 15th to 18th centuries with masterpieces by Darer, Rembrandt, Goya etc.

Warsaw in Pre-war Photography, Polish Cultural Institute, 34 Portland Place WI, from 12 January. Nostalgic scenes of the 'Paris of the north'.

Arshile Gorky, Whitechapel Art Gallery, from 19 January. First major show for 25 years of co- founder of Abstract Expressionist movement.

Sutherland and Wales, Oriel Mostyn, Llandudno, from 19 January. Paintings, drawings and prints of West Wales by Graham Sutherland.

Giles Auty

SALE-ROOMS

Sales give way to exhibitions this month at the auction houses: Christie's has The Glory of the Goldsmith (Mohammed Mandi Al- Tajir's collection).

Sotheby's is selling the British Rail Pension Fund's collection of drawings by the Zuccaro brothers in New York, on the 11th.

Peter Watson

THEATRE

Scenes from an Execution, Almeida (359 4404). New play by Howard Barker about the relationship between an artist and her society. The main character is a painter from Renaissance Venice. Originally written for radio in 1984, this production stars Glenda Jackson and is directed by Ian McDiarmid.

A View from the Bridge, Everyman, Cheltenham (0242 572573), 25 January. Revival of Arthur Miller play recently staged with great success at the Aldwych. The play is about a colony of Italian-American longshoremen on the Brooklyn waterfront. An ambitious and interesting venture for the Everyman Theatre.

Hedda Gabler, King's Head, Islington (226 1916). Another revival of Ibsen's classic, starring • Elizabeth Quinn. This small-scale theatre could produce just the sort of claustrophobic atmosphere required. Dinner available before the performance.

Bent, Lyttelton (928 2252), 19 January. A revival of Martin Sherman's successful play about homosexual inmates of a concentration camp. Ian McKellen again takes the lead.

Christopher Edwards

MUSIC

The main event of the month will be the four concerts entitled Berio at the Barbican on the 14, 15, 16 and 17. The music is entirely by Berio and includes a number of important UK premieres. In order of appearance the festival features the following orchestras and conductors: BBC Symphony/ Berio; London Sinfoniettal Harrap; BBC Philharmonic/ Downes (preceded by a talk by Berio); BBC Symphony/ Berio. All the concerts will take place in the Barbican Hall,

Also at the Barbican are the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain, conducted by Edward Downes playing Prokoviev and Dvorak on the 6th; the Monteverdi Choir under John Eliot Gardiner singing Haydn's Seasons on the 18th; the LSO with Barbara Hendriks singing Strauss and Mozart on the 25th. On the 27th the LSO honours the 75th birthday of the clarinettist Jack Brymer, who plays Mozart's leading compositions for his instrument.

The popular and easy-going London Festival Orchestra under Ross Pople appear at the Queen Elizabeth Hall on the 30th with a programme of Schubert favourites.

Peter Phillips