MUSIC : FESTIVAL OF BRITAIN HIGHLIGHTS

The Festival of Britain, a combination arts festival and retail promotion, will offer a range of art exhibitions, theater and music events. Highlights include:

Today through Oct. 31, Jewel Court, South Coast Plaza, Costa Mesa: “British Design 1790-1990”: An exhibition of art and design objects from the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. Free admission.

Today through Nov. 3, Gem Theatre, Garden Grove: Oscar Wilde’s “The Importance of Being Earnest.”

Today through Jan. 13, Laguna Art Museum in Laguna Beach: “Pursuit of the Marvelous” exhibition: Works from the 1930s and ‘40s by Stanley William Hayter, Charles Howard and Onslow Ford.

Tuesday through next Sunday, D’Oyly Carte Opera Company of Great Britain, Orange County Performing Arts Center in Costa Mesa: “The Mikado,” Tuesday through Thursday; “The Pirates of Penzance,” Friday through next Sunday.

Tuesday through Dec. 30, Newport Harbor Art Museum in Newport Beach: “Tony Cragg: Sculpture 1975-1990” exhibition, a major retrospective including 37 works.

Wednesday through next Sunday, Irvine Barclay Theatre in Irvine: The Hull Truck Theatre company will give the U.S. premiere of Alan Plater’s “Sweet Sorrow,” directed by John Godber, artistic director of the company. Godber won seven Los Angeles Critics Circle Awards for “Bouncers” in 1987.

Saturday, Children’s Museum at La Habra: Irish folk dancing and storytelling in Gaelic and English.

Oct. 26-Nov. 29, South Coast Repertory theater in Costa Mesa: David Hare’s “The Secret Rapture,” directed by David Emmes, SCR co-founder/producing artistic director.

Nov. 3, 8 p.m., Orange County Performing Arts Center in Costa Mesa: Roger Norrington will conduct the London Classical Players in music by Beethoven, Schubert and Mendelssohn at the Orange County Performing Arts Center in Costa Mesa.

Nov. 17, Irvine Barclay Theatre in Irvine, 8 p.m.: Roger Hickok will conduct the Irvine Camerata in works by Britten and Purcell.

For general information: call 1-800-BRITN-90.