November 2022's must-sees

Widely admired for its intensely emotional portrayal of a tragic love affair, Mayerling is one of the great narrative ballets of modern times. It tells the true story of Crown Prince Rudolf and his mistress Mary Vetsera, whose deaths in 1889 marked the beginning of the end for the Austro-Hungarian Empire. This new revival of Kenneth Macmillan's Royal Ballet classic includes some of the most striking and emotionally demanding pas de deux in the repertory. To 30 November.

One of the most powerful political plays in British theatre, Good tells the story of John Halder, a decent and intelligent man who ends up being morally destroyed by forces beyond his control. This re-imagining of CP Taylor's 1981 drama is directed by Olivier Award-winning director Dominic Cooke, and marks David Tennant's return to the West End stage, alongside Elliot Levey and Sharon Small; it runs for 11 weeks only at the Harold Pinter Theatre. To 24 December.

Lucian Freud's fame as an artist and celebrity sometimes overshadowed his work, but this major new show at the National Gallery - the first in over a decade - puts his painting back at centre stage, and analyses the development of his long and sometimes controversial career. Covering 70 years of his life, it includes pictures of public figures, friends and family, and demonstrates his unwavering commitment to figurative painting, as well as the pursuit of unconventional beauty. To 22 January 2023.

This year marks the 30th birthday of the London Jazz Festival, which is now the largest of its kind in Europe. Running between 11 and 20 November, it boasts more than 300 live and digital performances at over 70 different venues, and includes old hands as well as fresh discoveries and new commissions. With ten different themes to choose from, ranging from Homegrown to Global Roots and from Beyond Margins to Jazz Visionaries, there's something for everyone to enjoy.