HOT TICKETS: What's on in London this weekend

From comedy to theatre via exhibitions and gigs, we've picked the hottest tickets in town
11 May 2012

WEEKEND GIGS

Ladyhawke

Known for her superb 2008 cult hit, My Delirium, New Zealander Pip Brown is finally back with new material. Her second album, Anxiety, is released at the end of the month, so expect plenty of unfamiliar tunes here.

Tonight, O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, W12 (0844 477 2000, o2shepherdsbushempire.co.uk)

JD McPherson

Oklahoma rockabilly rebel with a quiff and a howl that will do very nicely when Little Richard isn’t in town. With a debut album out this week, he’s saying nothing new in an incredibly entertaining way.

Tonight, The Borderline, W1 (020 7734 5547, theborderline.co.uk)

Ian McCulloch

The Echo & the Bunnymen singer is solo again and set to release a new album that was funded by fans on the Pledgemusic platform. They can find out if they’re getting their money’s worth here.

Tomorrow, Union Chapel, N1 (0870 264 3333, unionchapel.org.uk)

Lisa Hannigan

The Mercury nominee, and Damien Rice’s former muse, expanded her acoustic sound on last autumn’s second solo album, Passenger.

Sun, Queen Elizabeth Hall, SE1 (0844 875 0073, southbankcentre.co.uk)

Morten Harket

Now that his band a-ha have officially split with a farewell tour in 2010, the Norwegian singer is free to concentrate on his solo sound. A new album, Out of my Hands, was released last month.

Sun, IndigO2, SE10 (0844 844 0002, theindigO2.com

David Smyth

WEEKEND COMEDY

Russell Brand

A surprise one-off London gig from the controversial comic-turned-Hollywood star. Brand will be trying out new material and promises a night of “spontaneous” comedy. Hecklers beware, he recently vented his full spleen on someone who interrupted his stream of consciousness. Sold out but returns may be available.

Sunday, Lyric, W6 (0871 22 117 22, lyric.co.uk)

Knock2BagSoho

The Soho Theatre specialises in acts doing longer sets but here it muscles in on clubland with this gig featuring shorter turns. Edinburgh Comedy Award-winner Adam Riches headlines, supported by Humphrey Ker, Sarah Pascoe, sketch group Sheeps and US import Hannibal Buress, whose own recommended run here ends tomorrow.

Tonight, Soho Theatre, W1 (020 7478 0100, sohotheatre.com)

Channel 4 Comedy Gala

If you’ve seen them on Live at the Apollo, they are probably on this annual mega-bill topped by Lee Evans, Michael McIntyre, Micky Flanagan and Jack Dee. Disappointingly male-heavy — Jo Brand is the only woman apart from Jessie J — but laughs are guaranteed. If you miss it, highlights are on C4 on May 19.

Tonight, O2 Arena, SE10 (0844 856 0202, theo2.co.uk)

Robin Ince

The master of angry, geeky, scientifically rigorous humour, usually seen in conjunction with assorted boffins in his various Uncaged Monkeys projects, brings his solo show to the Bloomsbury. Alternatively, Jimeoin is at the same venue tonight. No arena-sized skipping or sweating for this expressive Irishman, just funny gags about how we walk, talk and think.

Tomorrow, Bloomsbury Theatre, WC1 (020 7388 8822, thebloomsbury.com)

Bruce Dessau

WEEKEND THEATRE

BRIMSTONE AND TREACLE

Arcola, E8. Until June 2 (020 7503 1646, arcolatheatre.com)

Rupert Friend is the Satan of suburbia in a wicked revival of Dennis Potter’s twisted tale of repression and religion in north London.

WILD SWANS

Young Vic, SE1. Until Sunday (020 7922 2924, youngvic.org)

Top marks for Miriam Buether’s spectacular staging in an ambitious adaptation of Jung Chang’s epic of the making of modern China.

COLLABORATORS

National’s Olivier, SE1. Until June 23 (020 7452 3000, nationaltheatre.org.uk)

Simon Russell Beale as Josef Stalin and Alex Jennings as Mikhail Bulgakov are back at the South Bank on the bigger stage, hard on the heels of the play’s recent Olivier Awards triumph.

LOVE LOVE LOVE

Royal Court Downstairs, SW1. Until June 9

(020 7565 5000, royalcourttheatre.com)

Mike Bartlett’s piercingly funny play takes a pop at baby-boomers, with Claire Foy, Victoria Hamilton and Ben Miles.

SOUTH DOWNS/THE BROWNING VERSION

Harold Pinter Theatre, WC2. Until July 21 (0844 871 7622, browningversion.com)

Full marks for the Chichester transfer of Terence Rattigan’s exquisite public-school drama and David Hare’s beautiful new response to it.

Critics' choice

WEEKEND EXHIBITIONS

BAUHAUS: ART AS LIFE

Barbican Art Gallery, EC2. Until August 12 (0845 120 7550, barbican.org.uk/artgallery)

A survey of the German school devoted to the synthesis of art and architecture is instructive and entertaining.

OUT OF FOCUS

Saatchi Gallery, SW3. Until July 22 (saatchigallery.com,

020 7811 3070)

A dizzyingly diverse snapshot of Charles Saatchi’s contemporary photography collection.

PICASSO PRINTS: THE VOLLARD SUITE

British Museum, WC1. Until September 2 (020 7323 8181, britishmuseum.org)

Picasso’s thrilling collection of prints prove he is up there with history’s greatest etchers.

ROYAL RIVER: POWER, PAGEANTRY AND THE THAMES

National Maritime Museum, SE10.

Until September 9 (020 8858 4422, rmg.co.uk)

A cleverly presented celebration of the Queen’s waterway provides all the fun and folly of the Antiques Roadshow.

LEONARDO DA VINCI: ANATOMIST

Queen’s Gallery, SW1. Until October 7 (020 7766 7300,

royalcollection.org.uk)

Stretch your mind and eyes to keep up with the pace of the Renaissance master’s extraordinary studies of the body.

Critics' choice

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