When it comes to booking theatre tickets, the world is split into two kinds of people. There are those who are on every advance mailing list and plan their assaults on the box office with military precision. And then there are those - like myself - who dither and can't make up our minds whether to commit. Fortunately chez Gardner we have one of the former in residence, so the Othello tickets are already in the bag. If you haven't got yours, all is not lost - you can queue for one of the day seats that are released at 10am.
When I checked this morning, tickets for the extended run of The Masque of the Red Death were still available, so get in quick. I'd also advise booking for the brilliant upcoming season at Sadler's Wells which includes performances from Jerome Bel (an entire week of blissful retrospective performances), Pina Bausch (with a double bill of early seminal works: Café Muller and Rite of Spring) and La La La Human Steps.
I assume that you've already got your tickets for God in Ruins, the new anti-festive play from Anthony Neilson which is an RSC commission that opens at Soho this week. Regular readers of this blog will already know how much I love Katie Mitchell's production Women of Troy which plays the Lyttelton on Friday only, but then continues in rep. Shakespeare lovers will enjoy Michael Pennington's one-man show Sweet William at the Arcola - Michael Billington admired it very much when he reviewed it earlier this year. The dYsFUnCKshOnalZ!, Mike Packer's play about a punk band reunion, may be predictable but it is hellishly funny. Sam West's production of Dealer's Choice transfers to Trafalgar Studios with young Stephen Wight having an Evening Standard Award tucked under his arm.
Beyond London, there is a lot of panto and Christmas show activity - I don't want to recommend anything until I get a chance to see it. Alfred Hickling and I will be on full panto patrol from next week. But you don't want to miss Geraldine Pilgrim's Enchanted Parks which takes place in Newcastle and Gateshead this week and next.
