OPENING THIS WEEK

Rock

Supergrass (Manchester Apollo, 0161 242 2560, Fri; Glasgow Barrow- lands, 0141 552 4601, Sat; Aberdeen Music Hall, 01224 641122, Sun 4 May; Leeds T&C, 0113 280 0100, 6 May; Newcastle Mayfair, 0191 232 3109, 7 May; Wolverhampton Civic Hall, 01902 312030, 9 May; Newport Ctr, 01633 259676, 10 May; Portsmouth Guildhall, 01705 824355, Thurs; Leicester De Montfort Hall, 0115 934 2060, 12 May; Academy, SW9, 0171 924 9999, 14 May). The hirsute trio return with the massively acclaimed album In It For the Money (Parlophone).

The Charlatans (Dundee Caird Hall, 01382 434940, Mon; Newcastle Mayfair, 0191 232 3109, Tues; Liver- pool Royal Court, 0151 709 4322, Thurs; Gloucester Leisure Ctr, 01452 306788, Fri; Leicester De Montfort Hall, 0115 934 2060, Sat; Portsmouth Guildhall, 01705 824355, 5 May; Exeter Univ, 01392 263538, 6 May; Reading Rivermead, 01734 504343, 7 May; Manchester Apollo, 0161 242 2560, 9 & 10 May; Cambridge Corn Exchange, 01223 357851, 11 May; Wolverhampton Civic Hall, 01902 312030, 13 May; Doncaster Dome, 01302 370777, 14 May; Academy, SW9, 0171 924 9999, 15 & 17 May). An upbeat funk-rock sound that is all the more admirable when you bear in mind the troubles that have dogged their career.

Warren G (Forum, NW5, 0171 344 0044, Thurs; Wolverhampton Civic Hall, 01902 312030, Fri; Sheffield Univ, 0114 272 4076, Sat; Glasgow Barrowlands, 0141 552 4601, 5 May). Expect his two top-five singles, "What's Love Got To Do With It?" and "I Shot the Sheriff", but not a lot else. Nicholas Barber

CINEMA

Female Perversions (18; nationwide from Fri). The enigmatic Derek Jarman regular and Orlando star, Tilda Swinton, is a powerful lawyer in this rather serious drama about the erotic lives of 90s women.

Margaret's Museum (15; nationwide from Fri). Merchant-Ivory girl Helena Bonham Carter comes over all earthy in this social drama set in a Nova Scotian mining community. Also with Clive Russell.

Scream (18; nationwide from Fri). Cinema-obsessed serial killer terrorises high-school boys. Wes Craven directs Drew Barrymore and Courtney Cox of Friends.

It Takes Two (PG; nationwide from Fri). Kirstie Alley in - guess what? - a romantic comedy, looking for that oh-so-special person in her life.

Donnie Brasco (18; nationwide from Fri). Johnny Depp and Al Pacino get to wear those classy 1970s Starsky and Hutch-style shades in this FBI thriller from Mike Newell of Four Weddings fame.

The Boy from Mercury (PG; nationwide from Fri). More Eiresatz: a fatherless boy who's not bitter, just thinks he's an alien.

Liar Liar (12; nationwide from Fri). Jim Carrey shows off again, this time as a man suddenly unable to tell a lie, with unhilarious consequences. Maggie O'Farrell

COMEDY

Seaside Comedy Specials (Brighton Preston Park Big Top, 01273 709709, every Sat to 27 May). Demure Mark Thomas, demurer Gayle Tuesday and last year's Perrier best newcomer Milton Jones kick off a season of marquee- based comedy. Ben Thompson

THEATRE

Playing with Fire (Nottingham Playhouse, 0115 941 9419, Thurs-Sat). Swiss director Luc Bondy makes his theatre debut in Britain with this production of Strindberg, with Emmanuelle Beart (Manon des Sources, Mission Impossible) as the wife, Kerstin.

The Seagull (Old Vic, SE1, 0171 928 7616, previews from Mon, opens 9 May, to 7 Jun). Tom Stoppard provides the new translation for Sir Peter Hall's production of this everyday story of theatre, literature and life: with Felicity Kendal as Madame Arkadina, the actress who's afraid she's losing her popularity. Robert Butler

DANCE

Royal Ballet Mixed Bill (Royal Opera House, WC2, 0171 340 6000, Thurs & Sat). World premiere of Amores by grand old American choreographer Glen Tetley, set to music by Michael Torke, is along- side the Balanchine classic Symp- hony in C, and MacMillan's stark and discomfitting The Judas Tree.

Ballet Madrid (Peacock, WC2, 0171 314 8800, Mon-Sat). Victor Ullate's stylish and beautifully schooled company, reminiscent of Bejart's, presents a triple bill.

La Sylphide (Wycombe Swan, 01494 512000, Tues-Sat). A rare chance for southerners to catch Scottish Ballet's superb production, which captures perfectly the limpid grace of the early Romantic ballet style. Shown with Robert North's entertainingly macho Troy Game.

Romeo and Juliet (Eastbourne Congress Theatre, 01323 412000, Tues-Sat). Northern Ballet Theatre's compellingly dramatic telling of the tale, set to everyone's favourite Prokofiev score.

Russell Maliphant (The Place, WC1, 0171 387 0031, Wed). A new work from one of the most brilliant independent artists on the New British Dance scene. Jenny Gilbert

JAZZ

Steve Williamson Presents 21st Century Tenor (QEH, SE1, 0171 960 4242, tonight). New jazz and jungle fusion from the excellent saxophonist, with a band of musicians, DJs and vocalists, as well as appearances from "underground" artists.

Monty Alexander Trio (Ronnie Scott's, W1, 0171 439 0747, Mon to 10 May). Entertaining Jamaican pianist with a strong grounding in both the works of Nat King Cole and the rhythms of reggae and R&B. Ian Shaw supports.

Brian Auger's Oblivion Express (Jazz Cafe, NW1, 0171 916 6060, Fri & Sat). Heavy Hammond organ grooves from one of the instrument's most radical stylists.

Tony Coe Trio (Wigmore Hall, W1, 0171 935 2141, tonight). Astonish- ingly fluent and intelligent saxophonist who was the first British musician to win the jazz version of the Nobel Prize (the Danish Jazzpar), in 1995. Phil Johnson

OPERA

Alcina (Cambridge West Road Concert Hall, 01223 335866, from Wed). The greatest of Handel's heavily enchanted Ariosto settings, in a student/professional production by the Cambridge Handel Opera Group.

Tannhauser (Leeds Grand Theatre, 0113 246 5906, from Sat). Paul Daniel's farewell as music director at Opera North, in what should be a high-profile show staged and designed by David Fielding.

The Ring of Polykrates (QEH, SE1, 0171 960 4242, Fri). An engaging one- acter written at an indecently early age (16) by Erich Korngold and done here with piano as part of the continuing celebrations for his centenary. Michael White

CONCERTS

Philharmonia/Kurt Sanderling (RFH, SE1, 0171 960 4242, tonight). The veteran German conducts Brahms and Bruckner.

The Soldier's Tale (St John's, Smiths Sq, SW1, 0171 222 1061, Mon 1pm). Lunchtime performance of Stravinsky's diabolical music-theatre piece, with the Nash Ensemble conducted by Thomas Ades.

Andreas Schmidt (Wigmore Hall, W1, 0171 935 2141, Thurs). Mell- ifluous German baritone sings songs by Brahms.

Brighton Festival (01273 709709, from Sat). A stronger music programme this year, starting with the CBSO in Schumann and Mahler under Simon Rattle at the Dome . MW

ART

Euan Uglow (Browse & Darby, W1, 0171 734 7984, Wed to 31 May). Fifteen paintings of people, fruit and flowers by the veteran realist. As usual, his passion for observation turns into something else after many long hours at the easel and the pictures become ghostly, not real at all.

David Hockney (Annely Juda, W1, 0171 629 7578, Thurs to 19 Jul). Flower paintings and portraits, jaunty and ingratiating. But if you forget the artist's reputation they look rather ordinary when set beside Uglow's similar subjects.

Billy Name: Factoryfotos 1963-68 (ICA, SW1, 0171 930 3647, today to 15 Jun). He was Warhol's friend and official-unofficial photographer. This is the fullest record of goings-on at the legendary Factory. Tim Hilton