Londonist: Arts Ahead 26 November-3 December

With Christmas creeping up on us, London's arts and theatre scene begins to slide into festive mayhem. Don't worry; your Londonist Fairy Godmother enters in a cloud of glitter stage right, to sort the handsome princes from the ugly sisters.

If you can't stand panto, take the little ones to see The Gruffalo at the Duchess Theatre instead. It opens today. If you can't beg, borrow or steal a kid, head to the very adult, very black comedy, August: Osage County which also opens today at the National. Our friends loved it on Broadway; it has five Tony Awards and a Pulitzer to its name.

From tomorrow, you can check out the Young Vic's Christmas offering: Amazonia. Brazilian and British theatre artists bring a unique and, we're told, "sensory" festive show.

Tired of theatre? Film fans are in with a treat this week, as not one but three film festivals come to our fair city. There's the German Film Festival from Friday, the London African Film Festival from Saturday, and the tail-end of the Children's Film Festival until Sunday.

Artswise, check out Future Map 08 at David Roberts Art Foundation Fitzrovia on Friday. Future Map showcases 12 of the best new talents from University of the Arts London, and is sure to be funky.

Also on Friday, badge fans should pop into Museum of London from 3pm, to have a look at a range of badges relating to London's history. The badges on show include political, cultural, radical and comical ones. Take your own along too, to take part in the Wearing your heart on your sleeve event. Badges: not just for Boosh fans.

If you were in any doubt about the unstoppable slide towards sleigh bells, Cinderella opens at the Lyric on Friday; Mother Goose is at the Hackney Empire from Saturday, and Hansel and Gretel opens at the Barbican on Monday. We'll bring you a more comprehensive Panto round-up once December's properly started.

Last Chance to See

Only one show to rush for this week: Footsbarn's Midsummer Night's Dream in that tent in Victoria Park closes on Sunday. Great reviews, but we're glad they're done. We can't be writing about outdoor theatre and dreaming of midsummer while there's dames, glass slippers and mulled wine in the air.

Londonist: Arts Ahead 19-26 November

Londonist brings news of lots of lovely openings in London this week, filling us with a nice juicy sense of anticipation. Rather than that anxious stomach-achy guilt feeling when you know something fab is closing and you're never going to get to see it.

Today, confusingly, brings Yesterday to London. Award-winning choreographer (and Sadler's Wells Associate Artist) Jasmin Vardimon celebrates her company's 10th anniversary with a retrospective at the Peacock Theatre. There's multimedia, new pieces, old pieces, trademark physicality, social commentary and a lot of other stuff for dance fans to get excited about.

Imagine This finishes its preview run and opens its new Warsaw Ghetto-based, big-name-free doors up to the critics today at the New London Theatre. Good luck, everybody.

The Donmar's TS Eliot Festival kicks off on Thursday. It's on til 17 January, so check out the link for all the info. Our recommended highlight is The Family Reunion, starring the brilliant Samuel West and the lovely Penelope Wilton.

Saturday brings a whole host of new blood to London's theatres. A Little Night Music opens at the Menier Chocolate Factory, directed by Trevor Nunn. It stars Maureen Lipman, Jessie Buckley (who didn't win the part of Nancy) and Hannah Waddingham from Spamalot.

For the little Londonists out there, don't miss the magical puppet show with a story by Roald Dahl; The Giraffe, the Pelly and Me opens at the Little Angel Theatre also on Saturday.

Finally, everyone's favourite Doncaster soprano Lesley Garrett is back in the West End at the Savoy Theatre in Carousel which also opens on Saturday night. All together, now, "When you walk through the storm..."

Last Chance to See

Saturday is also your last chance to see Erwin Olaf's Grief at Hamilton's Gallery. An instalment in the trilogy, Rain, Hope and Grief, these remarkable photos focus on what Olaf describes as the "half-second after you receive bad news but before you react."

Saturday also sees the Shaolin Monks' residency at the Hackney Empire come to an end. We think they'll be back sometime soon.

Image from the Jasmin Vardimon Company by Ben Harries.

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