PICK OF THE WEEK

Two Gentlemen of Verona

Abandon your prejudices, take an umbrella and head back to Shakespeare's day for this enjoyably iconoclastic, modern-dress production.

The Globe, Bankside, London (0171-409 9919)

The Architect and Shining Souls

A double whammy for the Traverse with Philip Howard's strongly etched production of David Greig's sharply written play about public ideals and private lives. Meantime, artistic director Ian Brown goes out on a high with Chris Hannan's acute and ridiculously funny city comedy.

Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh

John Gabriel Borkman

Thrilling performances by Paul Scofield, Vanessa Redgrave and Eileen Atkins irradiate Ibsen's chiller about the passion for power, directed with great clarity by Richard Eyre. National Theatre, London SE1 (0171- 928 2252)