London events in January

Every hit romcom is destined to become a musical, the inevitable has now happened. Bryan Adams (yes, that Bryan Adams) and Jim Vallance’s take on Julia Roberts’s breakthrough hit received mixed reviews when it premiered on Broadway last years. Now, you can make up your mind. 

‘A Christmas Carol’ remains the most popular and malleable of seasonal tales. Now, that connoisseur of the ghost story Mark Gatiss has penned his own new version, in which he’ll star as Jacob Marley. 

Sure, it’s nice to order off the menu, but sometimes you just want to go for Dubuffet. And there'll be plenty to feast your eyes on in this ambitious retrospective of the radical French artist’s painting. 

Raise a wee dram to Scotland's national poet, Robert Burns! From foot-stomping ceilidhs to haggis-fuelled feasts, London's got Burns Night celebrations covered. Take a look at our pick of the best Burns bashes. 

The Bridge will be transformed into a 1930’s dancehall for Marianne Elliott and Steven Hoggett’s production of Horace McCoy’s 1935 classic novel that follows a Great Depression-era dance competition, as a series of couples gradually grind themselves down as they compete for $1,000 in a draining feat of endurance dancing.

This major exhibition at Tate Modern is emphasizing just how radical Rodin was. In a sort-of ‘behind the scenes’ approach, the show draws attention to the artist’s use of clay and plaster in producing his best-known marble and bronze creations. For fans of Rodin (and really, who isn’t one?) this is a great opportunity to see a lot of material from France’s Musee Rodin without getting on the Eurostar. 

Starring soul-singing legend Beverley Knight, this new musical about all-male singing group The Drifters centres on the woman behind the band, Faye Treadwell. She was the first African-American female manager and helped propel the group to stardom over three decades. It'll be packed with Drifters hits like 'Stand By Me', 'Down By the Boardwalk' and 'Save the Last Dance For Me’. 

Tracey Emin – perhaps unsurprisingly – is a long-term fan of the Norweigan Expressionist. Emin’s recent artworks have been pretty much brilliant across the board, and this exhibition will show how Munch has long been an inspiration to her. 

Director Dominic Cooke and Imelda Staunton are reuniting after their stellar revival of Sondheim's ‘Follies’ for a crack at another classic musical, ‘Hello, Dolly’, which hasn't had a London revival in over a decade. 

J.M.W. Turner is now one of the most famous and well-established painters to have ever come out of Britain. Which can make it hard to appreciate just what a radical Turner was during his lifetime. Turner was fascinated by the new inventions of the Industrial Revolution, as captured in the 100% glorious ‘Rail, Steam and Speed’. And - guess what? - you can see it irl in this show!

Maria Baruszová was a Slovakian artist who lived and worked in Košice. This major retrospective concentrates on her output from 1960s onwards, when she first started making plaster sculptures by pouring the liquid into rubber balloons. Summary: gorgeous, one-of-a-kind art by an artist deserving greater recognition.