First Call, Last Call

First Call

ONLY A few weeks after the sudden break-up of The Seahorses, guitarist Chris Helme has announced a live solo date. Considered to be one of the most talented members of the band, alongside frontman and ex-Stone Roses member John Squire, it is less well-known that Helme wrote three Seahorses tracks, including the hit single "Blinded by the Sun". His acoustic shows should see more folk influences let loose along with his new material.

The Improv Club, Tottenham Court Road, London W1 (0171-287 0932) 23 Mar

Last Call

THIS IS your last chance to wave the red flag before Vassa, directed by Howard Davies, ends its run. An inspired cast supports Sheila Hancock (right) as Gorky's steely matriarch, the backbone of an early 20th-century Russian family, whose subordinate relatives hang off her like dislocated limbs. This is a domestic drama with a wider Bolshevik agenda. The simultaneous deconstruction of capitalist values and the guilty admiration of Vassa's ruthlessness proves to have broader implications for the family echoing the future of Soviet politics.

Albery Theatre, London WC2 (0171-369 1730) to 27 Mar