First Call, Last Call

First Call

IT'S HARD TO believe that The Beastie Boys (right) were once a source of hope for millions of nerdy American white boys. Ten years on, they are now the darlings of the serious music press. They have reinvented themselves musically on their own Grand Royal label and ditched the headline-grabbing antics. In May, they start their first full tour since 1995.

Glasgow SECC, 3 May; Manchester Evening News Arena, 4 May; Birmingham NEC, 5 May; London Wembley Arena, 7 May; National ticketline 0870 012 0001

Last Call

OSCAR WILDE'S An Ideal Husband is regularly revived in London's theatreland and in the past two years has been showing at four different West End venues. Its popularity is due to the still relevant topics of love and social mores coupled with Wilde's deft writing style and gentle humour. Not that the playwright would have taken any notice if it had become less well-received. He was inclined to blame the audience, as one comment after the opening night illustrates: "Oh, the play was a great success, but the audience was a total failure."

Lyric Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue, London W1 (0171-494 5045) to 30 Feb