The magnificent 10

1 Catch the National Theatre of Britain's The History Boys in its international premiere before it moves to Broadway. The National Theatre's most commercially successful play to date combines the witty writing of Alan Bennett, England's finest contemporary dramatist, with the skilful direction of the National Theatre's Nicholas Hytner. The play has won prestigious accolades, including the Olivier Awards for Best New Play, Best Director and Best Actor.

2 See choreographer Lin Hwai-min's entire Cursive trilogy for the first time. The exceptional Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan performs an extensive body of work by Lin, inspired by Chinese calligraphy, with five shows over four days.

3 Steep yourself in Mozart's music with Britain's leading period orchestra. Under the direction of Ivan Fischer, the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment plays a mostly Mozart programme that underscores the company's intelligent, adventurous talent.

4 Experience an amazing fusion of meditation, drumming and martial arts. In this unprecedented event, Taiwan's U-Theatre and the Shaolin Temple Wushu Training Centre collaborate to create A Touch of Zen, the first presentation of Shaolin kung-fu in a dramatic theatre production.

5 Get a taste of the region's singer-songwriting. 'Our Songs - Asian singer-songwriters' presents the sunny vocals of Hong Kong musician Gloria Tang, the folk-, blues- and jazz-inspired melodies fused with aboriginal sounds of Taiwanese Pau-dull and the bittersweet tunes of singer and guitarist Keiichi Sokabe from Japan.

6 Watch three works by revolutionary choreographer Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker performed with the Rosas dance company. The Brussels dance collective performs three different programmes on four evenings, among them De Keersmaeker's signature solo Once, set to the music of Joan Baez.