New London theatre, gallery and museum exhibition openings: December 2012 - Telegraph.co.uk

Matthew Bourne's Sleeping Beauty; Sadler's Wells, Angel
Matthew Bourne's latest production is bound to be a popular Christmas outing for all ages. Revisiting the classic fairytale, this interpretation begins in 1890, the year, of Sleeping Beauty's Christening, before moving to the modern day and a world changed unimaginably. The show runs at Sadler's Wells from December 4 to January 26.

The Nutcracker; Royal Opera House, Covent Garden
Of course this month also demands that a showing of The Nutcracker take place, and the Royal Opera House fulfills that obligation with a reliably polished production. On from December 10 to January 16, it's likely to be a sell-out.

V&A Furniture Gallery; V&A, South Kensington
There's yet another reason to visit the V&A now, with the museum's Furniture Gallery having opened on December 1. The permanent site will house the V&A's comprehensive furniture collection and is the only gallery worldwide devoted to a comprehensive display of furniture, telling the story of its production across six centuries. More than 200 different pieces, drawn from across the globe, will be on show.

The Animals and Children took to the Streets; National Theatre, South Bank
This production may already be familiar to some - it had a sell-out run at the National Theatre last winter. This year the show returns for 15 performances, which combine live music, performance and storytelling with film and animation.

London Life; Getty Images, Stratford
With this being the final month of the year, it's a good time to reminisce on what a spectacular show 2012 provided. A highlight for many, of course, are the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games - it was an incredible time to be in London. Near the Olympic Park, the Getty Images gallery in Westfield Stratford City is now hosting its London Life exhibition, featuring specially chosen photos of London submitted by the public, as well as pictures from the Getty Images archives. The exhibition space is small so expect a tight edit of pictures rather than a sprawling retrospective, but there should be something there to elicit good memories from lovers of London. It runs from December 1-16.