London
The Infernal Comedy
What do Beethoven, Haydn, Vivaldi and Mozart have to do with the Austrian serial killer Jack Unterweger (1950-94), a man who was jailed, seemingly rehabilitated and even offered a slot on television before returning to a life of appalling crime? All will be revealed in Michael Sturminger's new play, in which John Malkovich takes the audience into the mind of the notorious murderer. Written for an unusual team of actor, two sopranos and baroque orchestra - the Wiener Akademie under their founder Martin Haselböck - The Infernal Comedy tells a brutal and savagely comic story through monologues accompanied by music embodying the emotions they explore. Directed by Sturminger, it can be seen at London's Barbican Theatre on 17 and 18 June.
London
Breakfast in Tehran: Contemporary Iranian Women
Since the Islamic Revolution, Westerners have become all too familiar with images of turbaned mullahs and ayatollahs that present Iran as a deeply patriarchal society dominated by religious men. Yet the lives of Iranian women remain largely unknown. This exhibition at the Frameless Gallery (until 26 June) brings together a selection of drawings, collages, photographs and prints by a group of Iranian artists, both male and female, who have addressed the predicament of women in their country. Despite a tradition of strictly defined gender roles, women are active throughout society and a strong feminist movement has been able to subvert many stock forms of femininity.
London
World Literature Weekend
The third London Review Bookshop's World Literature Weekend (17-19 June) has a special focus on Spanish writers working in Galician, Catalan and Castilian. It takes place in the bookshop and the Stevenson Lecture Theatre at the nearby British Museum, with a "literary Kaffeeklatsch" in the London Review Cake Shop and concerts at the Horse Hospital by Kitty Garden and Romanian singer-songwriter Monooka. There will be discussions of Catalonia, crime fiction and literature's ability to address history as well as a live translation event and workshops on literary translation. Featured novelists include Cees Nooteboom from the Netherlands in conversation with A.S. Byatt, Javier Cercas from Spain and German wunderkind Daniel Kehlmann.
Oxford
Teacher of Dance
Modern Art Oxford presents the first major UK exhibition (until 4 September) of the acclaimed Seoul- and Berlin-based artist Haegue Yang. Her distinctive works consist of colourful and sensory installations and sculptures, made largely of familiar domestic materials, which occupy the spaces where public and private meet. Earlier examples include the continuing series Light House, intricately folded sculptures fashioned from light bulb boxes, and Non-Indépliables (Non-Unfoldables), drying racks wrapped in vibrant fabrics and knitting. The new show includes a specially commissioned piece made of venetian blinds that visitors can move underneath and within. It will also coincide with the release of a fully illustrated catalogue in collaboration with the Aspen Art Museum, Colorado, focusing on Yang's exhibitions at the two institutions.
London
In Good Company
Maeva Berthelot, Chien Ming Chang, Philip Hulford, Jason Jacobs and Sita Ostheimer are all exceptional young dancers - from France, Taiwan, the UK, the US and Germany, respectively - who have been touring the world with the celebrated Hofesh Shechter Company. In Good Company is a bold programme of short works choreographed and largely performed by them, incorporating live music, text and visuals. Commissioned by the Brighton Dome, where Hofesh Shechter is now the resident company, it can be seen at The Place in London on 18 June. The company will also appear at Sadler's Wells in London (12-16 July) and the DanceXchange in Birmingham (22-24 September).