CURTAIN CALLS

East is East

The unassailable Linda Bassett leads a terrific cast in Ayub Khan-Din's boisterous, smash-hit comedy about mothers and fathers, sons and daughters, arranged marriages and evenings spent escaping down the chip shop.

Royal Court at the Duke of Yorks, London WC2 (0171-565 5000)

Popcorn

Lean, mean, killing machine Patrick O'Kane and Dena Davis as his psychotic girlfriend take an Oliver Stone-style film director hostage in Ben Elton's satire on warped American values. Resolutely stimulating.

Apollo Theatre, London W1 (0171-494 5070)

The Servant of Two Masters

The ridiculous pleasures of Aladdin, a Night in Old Peking and other shows from Christmases past from director Martin Duncan and designer Ultz bode well for their production of Goldoni's craziest farce.

Anthony Hopkins Theatre, Mold, Clwyd (01352 755114)

Then Again...

Things get funnier and funnier in this evening of rampant wit and sublime silliness. Dawn French is marvellously precise, Neil Mullarkey exudes confidence, Desmond Barritt redefines outrage and Sheila Hancock should be given a sainthood at once.

Lyric Hammersmith, London W6 (0181-741 2311)

Cloud Nine

Tim "Blackadder" McInnerney plays a colonial husband whose upper lip could not be stiffer and then scrambles around as Cathy, a loud-mouthed five- year-old in Caryl Churchill's hilarious and profound comedy of sexual politics. The standout production in the strong Old Vic repertory season.

The Old Vic, London SE1 (0171-928 7616)

The Mysteries

Katie Mitchell's stirring, poignant staging of the Creation and the Passion has a lovely, elemental spareness. Performed with great dedication, the two productions move, engross and delight even diehard atheists.

In rep, RSC Stratford (01789 295623)

King Lear

Queue for day seats or returns for Ian Holm's towering and deeply moving performance in Richard Eyre's new studio production.

In rep, National Theatre, London SE1 (0171-928 2252)