Scotsman critic's choice: Four must-see shows on this week

The Scotsman's arts critics round up their must-see theatre, art and concerts for the next week

Cast of The Glass Menagerie. Picture: Johan Persson

THEATRE: The Glass Menagerie

Amid all the glories of this year’s Edinburgh Festival, don’t miss American Repertory Theatre’s acclaimed version of this great Tennessee Williams classic, set in St Louis in the years before the Second World War. Multi-award-winning US actress Cherry Jones, above centre, plays lone mother Amanda Wingfield, fighting for a future for her fragile daughter while yearning for her gilded youth as a Southern Belle; and John Tiffany directs one of the greatest and most prescient plays of the 20th century, in an exquisite and dream-like production hailed as a revelation in New York in 2013, and now receiving its European premiere. Joyce Mcmillan

• King’s Theatre, Edinburgh, 7-21 August; previews 5-6 August, 0131-473 2000

ART: Simon and Tom Bloor: Structure for the City Observatory

This month Collective has launched its buy a brick scheme to support the final stage of it’s plans to develop the extraordinary site of the City Observatory at Calton Hill as a meeting place for research, science, heritage and contemporary art. If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like on the other side of the neoclassical walled compound, artists Simon and Tom Bloor have created a viewing platform. On one side you can see inside the secret garden, on the other a beautiful Edinburgh panorama. Moira Jeffrey

• Collective Gallery, Edinburgh, until 4 September, www.collectivegallery.net

CLASSICAL: Opera: Dido and Aeneas

Away from Edinburgh, there’s an operatic gem taking place in Cromarty, where Edward Caswell’s Cromarty Youth Opera is staging Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas. It’s an enterprising project, in its fourth year, that brings together school children and guest professionals. Caswell conducts and Will Kerley directs. Ken Walton

• Cromarty West Church, 10-12 Aug, tickets free from Cromarty Stores

POP: Summer Nights at the Bandstand

Summer weather cannot be guaranteed at this year’s bumper bill of Bandstand gigs but the line-up is the most impressive and stellar to date, encompassing the peerless Super Furry Animals tonight, followed by a double header of Lloyd Cole and Justin Currie tomorrow (see feature, opposite), the mighty Waterboys on 8 August, Sir Tom Jones, above, on the 9th, expat Glaswegians Primal Scream on the 11th, Eddi Reader and pals on the 13th and polite popster Will Young on the 14th. Something worth standing in the drizzle for for everyone. Fiona Shepherd

• Kelvingrove Bandstand, Glasgow, 0844 844 0444