Into the Woods goes virtually site-specific with this sharp, spirited revival of Sondheim's 1987 musical. Offering a Freudian take on fairy tales as psychological rites-of-passage, the piece is inventively directed by Timothy Sheader and Liam Steel in the sylvan setting of Regent Park's Open Air Theatre.

A Thirties musical raises the spirits, but Shakespeare transposed to the Forties veers into panto

"Ephesus welcomes you" blares the huge poster on the stage in Regent's Park, suggesting we are tourists on a summer outing, not a bad way of defining the merry mayhem in Shakespeare's farcical comedy of mistaken identity in a town full of cozenage and odd behaviour.

Simon Gray's study of a gay piano teacher and his pupil features a virtuoso performance by the child

They might have kicked off the summer season in the park with something jollier: Seven Against Thebes, perhaps, or Long Day's Journey into Night. The way things are going in Regent's Park, it's only a matter of time.

From Glyndebourne to Gorillaz and Picasso to Pygmalion, there's something to suit every cultural taste in the coming months. Alice Jones presents an essential guide to the hottest tickets

Time to take on the CBI, British Tourism Week

Britons failed to take an average of seven days of their holiday entitlement over the last year, according to British Tourism Week.

Congratulations to 'Blue Peter' presenter Helen Skelton on becoming the first woman to paddle the 2,010-mile trip down the Amazon in a kayak – having never been in one before. She also broke records for the longest solo journey in a kayak, and the furthest distance paddled by a woman in 24 hours (75 miles) – all in aid of Sport Relief. Meanwhile good luck to Medwyn Williams of Anglesey, 67, who will try to sail to the Isle of Man in a 1,600lb pumpkin, complete with outboard motor, to raise money for Help the Heroes. But he seems utterly sane next to Miles Daisher of Idaho, who has pioneered "skyaking", sky-diving in a kayak on to water at 50mph from 13,000ft. He's really up chute creek.

Proposal for World Cup jamboree in Regent's Park scrapped after zoo staff raise animal welfare concerns

Plans to show World Cup games to thousands of fans in a central London park have been dropped, a spokesman for the mayor said today.

Ever since Arlene Phillips was unceremoniously dumped from Strictly Come Dancing in favour of that renowned dancing authority, Alesha Dixon, she hasn't put a dainty jazz slipper wrong.

Like many people in the legal, City and financial industries, Lauren Kaye, 33, was made redundant last year. In her case, the news came in August and she has spent the time since working in a very different environment

Lynn Harris, professional perfumer, 41

'My father was on Hitler's blacklist'