The portraits are based on photographs taken by Close which are then blown up in size

The portraits are based on photographs taken by Close which are then blown up in size. The show traces the evolution of Close's technique, from detailed, monochrome airbrushing, through a finger painting method, to the current more abstract and very colourful brushwork. This first UK retrospective arrives following a hugely successful tour of the States. Hayward Gallery, London SE1 (0171-928 3144) from Thursday to 19 SepSharon Gethings. The trouble with being poleaxingly beautiful is that male directors are usually so busy ogling that they forget to help an actor build a performance.

This explains the mixed career of Greta Scacchi who turns in good performances in films as diverse as Good Morning Babylon and The Player and is left completely stranded in the recent The Red Violin. There have been few opportunities to see her on stage - although she was smartly cast as Yelena in Uncle Vanya opposite Michael Gambon and Jonathan Pryce, but now she is joining the Coward centenary celebrations by heading the cast of his play Easy Virtue. And, what's more, she's joined by another screen legend: Wendy Craig. Chichester Festival Theatre (01243 781312) from Wed to 2 Oct. The World of Music Arts and Dance festival celebrates its 10th year at the Reading site with yet another strong line-up over the three days. Headliners for Friday's opening day include the Afro Celt Sound System and Angola's Waldemar Bastos.

Saturday's big hitters include Asian Dub Foundation, Ernest Ranglin and Johnny Clegg & Juluka. Sunday also boasts a pedigree line-up with festival stalwart Billy Bragg (right) together with the Blokes. There's also Femi Kuti, the son of legendary Nigerian entertainer Fela Kuti. Reputed for his live shows of saxophone-swinging Afrobeats spliced with a definite air of James Brown, Kuti is sure to make a name for himself in festival season. The Whirl-Y-Gig dance tent is also open all weekend for some global trance, should you feel the need.Rivermead, Reading (0118 939 0930) 23-25 July. Weekend tickets pounds 65, one- day tickets are pounds 17 (Fri) & pounds 30 (Sat or Sun).Tim Perry.

IT IS a mildly irritating fact of life that many of our favourite plants, upon which we depend to make up attractive planting schemes, flower for too short a time; so much so, that a planting to which we have given much thought turns out to look its best for only a week or two. Although it is tempting to kick the furniture when this happens, it may be more helpful to put your energy into a programme of mimicry - using a plant that, at least in flower colour and shape, closely resembles one that has already flowered; its job is to help anchor a planting scheme, and give it coherence long enough for us to enjoy it properly. There are a number of families that produce genera with similar-looking flowers, but different flowering seasons. The daisy family, for example, can field a team from late winter until late autumn, and in a number of colours, too. For example, a spring-flowering yellow daisy such as Euryops acraeus could be followed by Ursinia calenduliflora in summer, or a white Shasta daisy (Leucanthemum x superbum) in early summer could precede a white Michaelmas daisy such as Aster `Kristina' in autumn. The idea is less to replace like with like - the garden might become dull and samey if you did - than to perpetuate the atmosphere that each plant grouping engenders. Some of the best plants to use for this kind of mimicry are the yellow- flowered ornamental peas. They are to be found placed in a number of genera - Colutea, Piptanthus, Genista, Cytisus, Lupinus and Thermopsis - but all have family members with the same clean, golden-yellow pea flowers, which go so well with both scarlet and caerulean-blue flowers, not to mention glaucous green foliage.