Opening this week

THEATRE

The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (Lyttleton, SE1, 0171 452 3000, Thurs to 3 Oct). The brilliant Fiona Shaw takes on the role of Muriel Spark's inimitable schoolmistress who tries to influence her pupils in her dubious political affiliations.

The Possessed (Barbican EC2, 0171 638 8891, Sat to 4 Jul). Part of Bite:98, the Barbican's international theatre event, the Maly Drama Theatre of St Petersburg present their seven-and-a-half-hour dramatisation of Dostoyevsky's epic novel. Performed in Russian with English surtitles. Not for the faint hearted, or the weak-bladdered.

Lifegame (Lyric Theatre Hammersmith, W6, 0181 741 2311, Tues-Sat). Improbable Theatre's three hugely talented and engaging artistic directors, Phelim McDermott, Julian Crouch and Lee Simpson, follow up the success of 70 Hill Lane as they use impro guru Keith Johnstone's format of turning a celebrity interview into improvised theatre. Chloe Walker

CINEMA

Barney's Great Adventure (U; nationwide from Fri). Entertainment for juniors that details the activities of a fluffy magenta dinosaur of indeterminate species. My guess is that he's a cross between a Velociraptor and a pyjama case.

Girls' Night (15; nationwide from Fri). Electronics-factory worker Brenda Blethyn wins the bingo jackpot and heads for Las Vegas with her mate Julie Walters in tow. And there they meet Malboro man Kris Kristofferson. With Phil- ip Jackson and George Costigan.

The Object of My Affection (15; nationwide from Fri). The unlikely names of Jennifer Aniston, Nigel Hawthorne and Alan Alda head the cast list of Nicholas Hytner's new film, a comedy about a pregnant social worker who sets up house with her gay best friend.

Journey to the Beginning of the World (U; nationwide from Fri). One of the world's oldest working directors - nonagenarian Manoel de Oliveira - directs a semi- autobiographical film about a young actor's Portuguese childhood. Stars the late Marcello Mastroianni in his final role.

Mimic (15; nationwide from Fri). Mira Sorvino and F Murray Abraham battle mutant monsters in the New York subway - creatures whose versatile DNA allows them to take on human form. Guillermo del Toro oversees the mutation cycle.

The War at Home (15; nationwide from Fri). Perhaps because nobody else will, Emilio Estevez directs himself and his dad Martin Sheen in this domestic drama, co-staring Kathy Bates and Kimberley Williams (from Father of the Bride).

Ponette (PG; nationwide from Fri). French director Jacques Doillon uses a cast of four- and five-year-olds - headed by the precocious young actress Victoire Thivisol - to explore themes of love and bereavement. Matthew Sweet

ROCK

Glastonbury (Worthy Farm, Pilton, 01179 767868, Fri to Sun 28 Jun). Get at the ready your tent, your sun-screen and your dog on a string. Blur, Pulp, Bob Dylan, Primal Scream, Spiritualized and several dozen others are in the field this year, but, please God, not as much mud as last year. Nicholas Barber

DANCE

Happy Feet (Spitalfields Opera House, E1, 0171 247 2558, Tues-Sat).A week of lighthearted footwork, including snazzy hoofer Tobias Tak (Mon), the Jiving Lindy Hoppers (Wed) and Clerkinworks' Centenary Knees-up, celebrating 100 years of Irish dancing in Britain (Thurs).

Diamond Dance (ICA, SW1, 0171 930 3647, Wed-Sat). Noted former Cunningham dancer Emma Diamond contrasts vibrant bodies with inert filmed matter in On the Bone, and explores touch in Closer.

Daghdha Dance Co (Haverhill Town Hall, Suffolk, 01440 714140, Thurs). The Irish company presents New Twist, contemporary dance-theatre to appeal to early teens.

Double Vision, Second Sight (Croydon Clocktower, 0181 253 1030, Thurs & Fri). Three choreographers - Sonia Rafferty, Amanda Gough and Fiona Edwards - provide the clues in a danced crime fiction.

NBT's Giselle (Aberdeen Her Majesty's, 01224 641122, Tues-Sat).Update of the 1840s ghoulish romance production for Northern Ballet Theatre. Jenny Gilbert

JAZZ

Billy Jenkins and Orquestra Mahatma (TJ's Club, SEI8, 0181 855 7960, tonight). Improvised accompaniment to the live USA v Iran World Cup match by madcap guitarist Jenkins and trio (the USA) and the strings and percussion trio of the Mahatmas (Iran).

Mike Westbrook & Company (Colchester Arts Ctr, 01206 577301, tonight). The second performance of the new work Platterback.

Jose Feliciano (Jazz Cafe, NW1, 0171 344 0044, Mon-Sat). Puerto-Rican Latin-soul legend.

Perico Sambeat and Bruce Bath Band (Bristol Albert, 0117 966 1968, tonight; Pizza Express, W1, 0171 439 8722, Wed-Sat). The terrific Spanish alto player teams up with classy New York pianist.

Mingus Big Band (Ronnie Scott's, W1, 0171 439 0747, Mon to 4 Jul). Stupendous, hard-blowing New York big band dedicated to the music of the late Chazza (and blessed by his widow), with a big-name line-up.

Ed Jones (Manchester Band on the Wall, 0161 834 1786, Thurs). A tough tenor. Phil Johnson

OPERA

Falstaff (Coliseum, WC2, 0171 632 8300, from Thurs). Revival of the good-to-look-at Matthew Warchus show, with Donald Maxwell as the fat knight and the fast-rising Richard Coxon floating vocal kisses as Fenton. Paul Daniel conducts.

Das Rheingold (Longborough, Glos, 01451 830292, Fri, & 4 Jul). Ambitious country-garden opera venture, fully staged with OK singers and a former head of music at the Royal Opera to conduct. MW

CONCERTS

Spitalfields Festival (Christ Church, E1, 0171 377 1362, to Wed). Last few days, with the premiere of a 40-part choral piece by Giles Swayne (performed by the choir of Clare College, Cambridge, with cellist Raphael Wallfisch) as Monday's highlight. Also Nicholas Daniel (Tues) and Rossini's po-faced Petite Messe Solennelle (Wed).

City of London Festival (0171 638 8891, Tues to 16 Jul). Music in places where you don't usually find it - livery halls and Mansion House. Starts, though, in St Paul's Cathedral, with a candlelit performance of Rachmaninov Vespers. Other opening-week events include an evening with the cello world's new CBE, Steven Isserlis, (Thurs), plus the complete Bach Brandenburg Concerts from Trevor Pinnock's English Concert (Fri).

Wardour Festival (Wardour Castle, Wilts, 01747 820872, Fri to Sun 28 Jun). A young and elegant affair based in the 18th-century chapel of a country seat. Distinctly Eastern-European flavour this year with the Chilingirian Quartet (Fri), pianist Nicolai Demidenko (Sat), and cellist David Geringas (Sun). MW

ART

Henri Matisse (Lumley Cazalet, W1, 0171 491 4767, Tues to 31 Jul). Lovely little show of 20 paintings and drawings, all of the highest class, some of great rarity and significance, like the studies for the 1910 Dance. And at the Alan Cristea Gallery, W1 (0171 439 1866, Wed to 1 Aug) there's a retrospective of the master's prints from 1900-52, also including some of his "Livres illustres", such as the famous Jazz of 1947.

Effigies and Ecstasies (National Gallery of Scotland, 0131 624 6200, Fri to 20 Sept). Roman baroque sculpture in the age of Bernini. Not extensive, but Bernini is always exciting. See Good Venue, Guide, left.

Patrick Heron (Tate Gallery, SW1, 0171 887 8732, Thurs to 6 Sept). Stately account of the career of the Cornish painter, a significant figure in British art since the Forties. The Tate's Lucian Freud show will look murky by comparison. Tim Hilton

MISCELLANEOUS

Artsparkle (Mile End Park, E1, 0171 247 0539, today to 19 Jul). It was once a bombsite, then Rachel Whiteread built her "House" here, and now the regenerated Mile End Park is playing host to this inspired mini arts festival, which includes Maurice Agis's mesmeric Dreamscape, below.

Hypervisual 1.1 (Slaughter House Gallery, EC1, 0171 240 6767, Tues to 16 Jul). Another dreamscape: created by holographic artist Chris Levine, who uses lasers "to strip back light energy to its purest signal". Cindy Lyall