AROUND TOWN
■ Theatrewise, the Barbican is on fire. Currently running is a hugely acclaimed production of Mikhael Bulgakov’s classic Soviet satire, The Master and Margarita, staged by Simon McBurney’s award-winning company Complicite. By turns violent, poetic and surreal, this is a corker of a show. Be sure to book, too, for the Sydney Theatre’s production of Big and Small (Gross und Klein) by Otto Strauss, starring Cate Blanchett. The play transports us to a hotel dining room where Lotte (Blanchett) sits alone, always optimistic and perpetually disappointed, Lotte is in constant search for human connection.
The Master and Margarita shows until 7 April; Big and small from 3-29 April.barbican.org.uk
■ Tickets for Filumena at the Almeida are scarce, but it’s worth a try, because this is one of the top shouts in London theatre just now. Written by Eduardo de Fillippo, the renowned 20th century Italian playwrite, this love story set in 1940s Naples stars Olivier Award-winning actress Samantha Spiro as Filumena, who lies on her deathbed waiting to marry the man who has kept her as his mistress for 25 years. Thought to be done for, she makes a miraculous recovery. This is a joyous, humorous treat. Until 12 May. www.almeida.co.uk
■ If you haven’t seen the Picasso show at Tate Britain, it’s worth a visit. The exhibition explores the artist’s extensive legacy and influence on British art, and how this played a role in the acceptance of modern art in Britain, alongside the story of Picasso’s lifelong connections to and affection for this country. Until 15 July. www.tate.org.uk