Bill Kenwright and Michael Edwards & Carole Winter present

ON THE WATERFRONT

   by Budd Shulberg
and Stan Silverman

directed by Steven Berkoff

at the

Theatre Royal, Haymarket,

January 28, 2009 - April 25, 2009

It is amazing just how much can be achieved with stylish and clever stage lighting, and just a few chairs.  And for fans of Stephen Berkoff, this will come as no surprise.  Like so many of Berkoff's past productions, the actor/director cunningly communicates with his audience via a series of ;languages: the language of mime, which is at once omnipresent and at the same time almost invisible, and the physicality of the actors as they set the scenes of hardship, violence and aggression.

Transferring from screenplay to stage is not necessarily a successful format, but this 1954 Elia Kazan movie is imaginatively transcribed into a moving and powerful production through the simplicity of its direction - .

Simon Merrells plays a very effective Terry Malloy - the role taken on by Marlon Brando in the movie.  And for those familiar with Stephen Berkoff, they get what they expect with the usual menacing undercurrent of anger and rage typical of Berkoff's performances as he takes on the role of ganster boss, Johnny Friendly.

Like the production, the story shares its theme of simplicity: a drama made up by gangsters, New Jersey longshoremen, young love and religion, in the from of Father Barry.   It's purpose, in part, to highlight the ineffectual practices of the unions.

Bryony Afferson plays the Doyle love interest and she does this very well.  Crucial to play is the change in Doyle's behaviour as he falls in love with the young woman.  

Running parallel in the background are the activities of the House Un-American Activities Committee which 'encouraged' indiviiduals to admit that they were communists.  Elia Kazan, like so many of his peers was witness to the proceedings and the theme of good succeeding over evil in On The Waterfront mirrors the politics of the day.

Stephen Berkoff has the unique ability to 'reduce' a performance to its bare essentials, while at the same time achieving a tantalizing ambition: 'less is more'.  A must for any theatre lover.

The classic story of beleaguered boxer bum Terry Malloy's fight against the New York underworld has been transported from screen to stage. After throwing too many fights Terry is now working on the docks and in the pay of mobster Johnny Friendly. Unwittingly implicated in a murder, facing conflicting feelings of guilt and pragmatism, he is forced to make a decision when falling for the dead man's sister.

For those of you who do not know Berkoff's work, this classic story is adapted to the stage complete with the director's trademark visual language which emphasizes the physicality of the dynamic production.

The cast is completed by Simon Merrells (Terry Malloy), Vincenzo Nicoli (Father Barry) Coral Beed (Edie Doyle), Antony Byrne (Charley Malloy), Alexander Thomas, Ian Gofton, Sean Buckley, Alex McSweeny, Dominic Grant, Alex Giannini and Gavin Marshall.

when?
Previews: Wednesday January 28, 2009 - Wednesday February 11, 2009

where?
Theatre Royal, Haymarket, London SW1Y 4HT

how?
ticket office: +44(0)845 481 1870

time?
evening perftomance at7.45pm
Thursday matinee at 2.30pm
Saturday matinee at 3pm

how much?
Tickets: £14 (USD20) - £45 (US$66)
(Previews - 2 tickets for the price of 1)

a small number of £10 (US$14) tickets available in person from the box office each day

Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui

in conversation

at

Lilian Baylis Studio

on November 24, 2008

A rare opportunity to learn more about Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui - one of Europe's most successful and inventive choreographers. Well-known for blurring the division between dance and other forms of performance, his work has attracted a wealth of critical and popular acclaim.

Recent highlights include his hit collaboration with Akram Khan, zero degrees, and the more recent Sutra, a unique dancework in collaboration with Turner Prize-winning artist Antony Gormley, inspired by and performed alongside Buddhist Shaolin monks.

"The starting point for my talk with Larbi is the book 'Myth and the body', a dialogue between Joseph Campbell, eminent scholar in mythology and Stanley Keleman, specialist in somatic studies. Their main idea that all myths are about the body - its birth, its transformations and its death - is applied to Larbi's creative process and research." GUY COOLS

This special event is an opportunity to see Sidi Larbi is in discussion with Guy Cools, an international curator, writer, and dramaturg who has worked on several productions well known to Sadler's Wells audiences including zero degrees and Sacred Monsters. He is currently teaching, writing, lecturing and publishing in Europe and Canada.

when?
November 24, 2008

where?
Lilian Baylis Studio
Rosebery Avenue
London, EC1R 4TN

how?
Ticket office: +44844 412 4300

time
7.00pm

Running time
1hr 30mins

how much

£6 (US410)

The Times BFI 52nd London Film Festival

October 15-30, 2008

This year's programme for The Times BFI 52nd London Film Festival includes a record number of world and international premieres with a total of 189 features and 108 shorts screening alongside a stellar line-up of special events and expected guests.

Opening Night film, Ron Howard’s FROST/NIXON, is one of the Festival’s 15 world premieres and the Closing Night Gala is the European premiere of Danny Boyle’s SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE. An outstanding selection of new British films will world premiere at the Festival, including Nick Moran’s TELSTAR, Eran Creevy’s SHIFTY, and Gerald McMorrow’s FRANKLYN in addition to Shashank Ghosh’s QUICK GUN MURUGAN from India and Samir Habchi’s BEIRUT OPEN CITY from Lebanon.

The 12 international premieres at the Festival include:
SUGAR from Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, Ketan Mehta’s COLOURS OF PASSION and Nanette Burstein’s AMERICAN TEEN. Festival audiences will also have the chance to attend the first public screening of Marc Forster’s QUANTUM OF SOLACE, immediately following the film’s world premiere on 29 October.

Also hosting 20 European and 119 UK premieres, the Festival showcases new work from established and emerging filmmakers alongside feature film debuts by newly discovered directing talents. The programme includes the latest work from Laurent Cantet (Cannes Palme d’Or winner, THE CLASS), Oliver Stone (W.), Steven Soderbergh (CHE PART 1 & PART 2), Raymond Depardon (MODERN LIFE), Jonathan Demme (RACHEL GETTING MARRIED), Stephan Elliott (EASY VIRTUE), Agnes Varda (THE BEACHES OF AGNES), Shyam Benegal (WELCOME TO SAJJANPUR), Rian Johnson (THE BROTHERS BLOOM), Gabor Csupo (THE SECRET OF MOONACRE), Nuri Bilge Ceylan (THREE MONKEYS); Fernando Eimbcke (LAKE TAHOE), Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne (THE SILENCE OF LORNA), Woody Allen (VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA) and Terence Davies (OF TIME AND THE CITY). In addition to welcoming back previous Festival alumni - such as Kelly Reichardt (WENDY AND LUCY), Pablo Trapero (LION’S DEN) and Bouli Lanners (ELDORADO) - the programme introduces the work of debut directors including Lance Hammer (BALLAST), Juraj Lehotský (BLIND LOVES), Enrique Rivero (PARQUE VIA) and Ursula Meier (HOME).

Contributing to an especially strong line-up of British films are the latest features from distinguished UK directors including Michael Winterbottom (GENOVA) and Richard Eyre (THE OTHER MAN), in addition to new work from Justin Kerrigan (I KNOW YOU KNOW) and Pat Holden (AWAYDAYS). British directors making their feature film debuts at the Festival also include Steve McQueen (HUNGER) and Sallie Aprahamian (BROKEN LINES), whilst a special panel event, BRITISH FILM BOOM, will celebrate and examine the new generation of British film talent.

Amongst those films representing new French cinema are Arnaud Desplechin’s A CHRISTMAS TALE, Christophe Honoré’s LA BELLE PERSONNE and Philippe Grandrieux’s A LAKE. Contemporary European cinema is celebrated in the Cinema Europa strand which includes 29 films, such as Ole Christian Madsen’s FLAME & CITRON from Denmark, Hungary-Germany co-production DELTA, UPRISE by Sandro Aguilar from Portugal, and INVOLUNTARY by Ruben Östlund from Sweden. In addition, the Film on the Square strand includes Uli Edel’s THE BAADER MEINHOF COMPLEX from Germany and Antonello Grimaldi’s QUIET CHAOS from Italy.

The best of world cinema will transport Festival audiences around the globe with films from 43 countries including Iceland, Kazakhstan, Chile and Liberia. Mexico’s Rodrigo Plá directs THE DESERT WITHIN and Kim Jee-Woon’s THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE WEIRD hails from South Korea, whilst Francis X. Pasion’s JAY and Annemarie Jacir’s SALT OF THIS SEA represent new filmmaking from the Philippines and Palestine respectively. A diverse slate of new films from the US includes Gina Prince-Bythewood’s THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES and Peter Sollett’s NICK AND NORAH’S INFINITE PLAYLIST, which screen alongside a strong selection of films representing a new wave of American independent filmmaking, such as Antonio Campos’ AFTERSCHOOL and Courtney Hunt’s FROZEN RIVER. Highlighting this trend is a special panel event entitled INDIEWOOD IS DEAD … LONG LIVE THE NEW, TRUE INDIES which will discuss the future of the US Indie scene.

Documentary Gala, Alex Gibney’s GONZO: THE LIFE AND WORK OF DR. HUNTER S. THOMPSON, is one of 19 documentary features at the Festival which will compete for the annual Grierson Award for best feature-length documentary. Ari Folman’s animated documentary WALTZ WITH BASHIR and James Toback’s TYSON also screen, in addition to CITIZEN HAVEL by Pavel Koutecký and Miroslav Janek from the Czech Republic and Sacha Gervasi’s ANVIL! THE STORY OF ANVIL. With a total of nine short film programmes and six experimental shorts programmes, audiences enjoy a wealth of choice ranging from recent work by the capital’s most exciting new filmmakers in the LONDON CALLING selection, to SUFFER LITTLE CHILDREN - an assortment of films which focus on the perils of growing up.

The Festival’s cutting edge Experimenta strand includes surrealist biopic THE FEATURE by Michel Auder and Andrew Neel, in addition to new restorations of 35mm films by French writer and theorist Guy Debord, and RR - the latest film from American auteur James Benning. Treasures from the Archive celebrates the legacy of cinema with a new restoration of Sergio Leone’s ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST to mark the classic western’s 40th anniversary, alongside the first two major restorations from Martin Scorsese’s World Cinema Foundation – Metin Erksan’s DRY SUMMER from Turkey and Djibril Diop Mambéty’s TOUKI BOUKI from Senegal.

For the fifth year running, the Festival will host free outdoor screenings on Trafalgar Square. In celebration of archive cinema, LONDON LOVES is two nights of archive film screenings with Neal Brand providing live piano accompaniment to HIGH TREASON on 23 October and screenings of 15 shorts celebrating the capital on 24 October.

Complementing the screenings is an impressive slate of unique Special Events, with an outstanding line-up of film talent due to attend the Festival. THE ETHICAL PROBLEM OF VIOLENCE ON FILM and CINEMA UNDER GEORGE W BUSH promise to be provocative free events for audiences, whilst THE JOURNEY FROM WRITING INTO DIRECTING IN HOLLYWOOD will examine the popular transition from writer to writer-director which several directors in this year’s programme have made. FROST/NIXON screenwriter Peter Morgan and SYNECDOCHE NEW YORK’s writer-director Charlie Kaufman will participate in Masterclasses and Robert Carlyle will be one of four special guests in the Screen Talks series of career interviews.

Other guests expected to attend the Festival in October include: Michael Sheen; Eva Green; Atom Egoyan; Gwyneth Paltrow; Sam Riley; Nanni Moretti; Rian Johnson; Omar Sharif; Laurent Cantet; Jessica Biel; Michael Winterbottom; Arnaud Desplechin; Colin Firth; Laura Linney; Michel Houellebecq; Liam Neeson; Alex Gibney; Antonio Campos; Penelope Cruz; Ben Barnes; Danny Boyle; Christophe Honoré; Nathaniel Dorsky and Steven Soderbergh.

family education and entertainment

Catering to film fans of all ages, this year The Times BFI 52nd London Film Festival includes a rich selection of 9 international Family-friendly films, alongside an expanded Education programme.

Recommended for ages 8+ are MAX MINSKY AND ME from Germany, a smart and funny story about basketball, bat mitzvahs and the pains of growing up, and SOS – SUMMER OF SUSPENSE from Norway - a thrilling adventure about a young girl’s quest to save a seal pup. The international theme is continued with WHERE IS WINKY’S HORSE? from the Netherlands – a sequel to the heart-warming film Winky’s Horse, which screened at the LFF in 2005, and is recommended for an audience aged 5+.

Introducing family audiences to the delights of animation are the Danish features SUNSHINE BARRY AND THE DISCO WORMS, the colourful story of one worm’s musical transformation, and A TALE OF TWO MOZZIES, an anarchic tale of independence, music and honey. In addition, the ANIMATED SHORTS FOR YOUNGER AUDIENCES is a series of short child-friendly gems that complement the Education strand’s hands-on approach to animation.

Fun-filled half-term events for children include a FILM FUNDAY WORKSHOP, which will host a free drop-in animation session for families. In addition, a family-friendly screening of MIA AND THE MIGOU from France will be followed by an interactive event encouraging children to find creative ways to combat global warming, and NO NETWORK from Iceland will be followed by a lesson in survival skills by a real arctic explorer!

The half-term screenings are part of a diverse programme of 9 films from around the world carefully selected for a family audience, including the European Premiere of THE SECRET OF MOONACRE, this year's Family Gala title. Based on Elizabeth Goudge’s popular children’s book The Little White Horse, the film is directed by Gabor Csupo (BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA) and stars Ioan Gruffudd, Dakota Blue-Richards and Juliet Stevenson.

An exclusive ANIMATION WORKSHOP in association with Nexus Productions is open to Key Stage 2 pupils, and will introduce children to the increasingly popular world of computer animation under the guidance of professional animators. Meanwhile, the FILM-SCORING WORKSHOP will give Key Stage 4 music students a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to create their own film scores with help from renowned composer Michael Price (Harry Potter, Hot Fuzz). For undergraduates, a 16MM FILMMAKING WORKSHOP, shooting on location by the River Thames, will accompany special screenings of Nathaniel Dorsky’s experimental shorts.

Further special events for older students include a SCRIPTWRITING MASTERCLASS for undergraduates, focusing on the themes of Female Identity and Characterisation raised by Christine Molloy and Joe Lawler’s mesmerising film HELEN. Meanwhile, director Aaron Rose will lead a Masterclass discussing art and artistic integrity to accompany his documentary BEAUTIFUL LOSERS. As part of the Festival’s commitment to lifelong learning, senior citizens are invited to a screening of Terence Davies’ wonderfully reminiscent OF TIME AND THE CITY, followed by a Q&A with the director.

debate and discussion

Opening the Festival programme up for debate and discussion will be an illuminating series of post-screening talks in association with key organisations. As part of the Black History Month celebrations, debates surrounding image, identity and representation will follow screenings of MEDICINE FOR MELANCHOLY and BALLAST, whilst a screening of HEART OF FIRE, open to Key Stages 3 and upwards, will be followed by a Q&A in association with human rights charity War Child. Film and Media Undergraduates will be invited to investigate the impact of the media on political legacy through screenings of historical films including FROST/NIXON, CHE (PART 1) and THE BAADER MEINHOFF COMPLEX. In addition, live chatshow, STEREOTALK: TEENS ON SCREEN, gives undergraduates and youth groups the chance to discuss the portrayal of teenagers on screen, and is one of two special Festival events programmed by young people as part of the BFI’s ‘Street Geniuses’ initiative in association with Lambeth and Southwark local authorities. The Education programme will also work with the National Schools Film Week for the first time in order to reach an even greater number of primary and secondary school children.

when

October 15 - 30, 2008

how

Tickets are available by calling +4420 7928 3232 from 27 September.

BFI members booking opens on Thursday 18 September
and Wednesday 24 September for online bookings.

MICHAEL BRENNER FOR BB GROUP GMBH AND
HOWARD PANTER FOR THE AMBASSADOR THEATRE GROUP LIMITED

PRESENT

WEST SIDE STORY

Based on a Conception of JEROME ROBBINS
Book by Music by Lyrics by
ARTHUR LAURENTS LEONARD BERNSTEIN STEPHEN SONDHEIM

Entire Original Production Directed
And Choreographed by JEROME ROBBINS

Originally Produced on Broadway by Robert E. Griffith and Harold S. Prince
By Arrangement with Roger L. Stevens

The 50th Anniversary

July 22, 2008 - August 31, 2008 at Sadlers Wells

review

If you are a fan of West Side Story.... and I am a big fan....  the production at Sadlers Wells is fantastic and completely unmissable.  The international cast 're-live' the movie and bring the original stage show back to live with such energy that the cast was repaid with a 10 minute ovation.

When Bernstein wrote West Side Story in the '50's for the Broadway stage, it took musical theatre to a completely new level.  More like a fix of opera and modern dance, the production highlighted the fact that the only real American 'cultural' invention - the musical - could be more than just sweet songs and happy endings.

Bernstein's modern Romeo and Juliet (for the stage) was, and still is, a tragedy.   Today it accurately maintains its original purpose: to highlight tensions between families and different races.

Unlike in the film (if you are familiar with the film and too young to have see the original stage production) in this stage version the roles of the two lovers - Tony and Maria - are perfectly credible.  The Sadler's Well's audience could actually feel the sizzle of the protagonists as they declared their 'short-lived' love for each other.

The revival of the original has lost little of its freshness.  It maintains its momentum because the characters and the brilliant choreography gives the show its relentless appeal, despite the fact that some of the songs and lyrics are not very hip.

West Side Story is musical theatre at its best.  Every high school should be 'putting on the show' to illustrate how the story of Romeo and Juliet has a generic message which defies time, location or culture.  The plot mirrors life today on the streets of London and many other towns and cities around the world .  The tragic and inevitable outcome - death by stabbing - is the  harsh conclusion and a stark reminder of tis timeless musical. 

And if you miss the Sadlers Wells production you can see the UK cast at Wimbledon theatre.

West Side Story changed the course of musical theatre when it opened on Broadway in 1957. It remains one of the most successful stage shows of all time.

Having sold out recently in Paris, Tokyo and Beijing, fifty years later, as part of its fiftieth anniversary world tour, the original Broadway classic is re-staged at Sadler's Wells for a limited season, directed and choreographed afresh by Joey McKneely - former assistant to Jerome Robbins. This production of the greatest dance musical of all time will open on 22 July 2008 and run until 31 August.

Directly following the Sadler's Wells run the production will tour to venues throughout the UK.

Alongside the stage musical, and the 1961 film version, which won ten Academy Awards, the original creative team of West Side Story have gained legendary status. The groundbreaking choreography by the legendary Jerome Robbins, book by Arthur Laurents, and the unforgettable score by Leonard Bernstein with lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, dealt with dark themes and marked a turning point in American musical theatre. Based on Romeo and Juliet and focusing on social issues, the extended dance scenes, and the unforgettable songs, including 'Maria', 'Tonight', 'Somewhere', 'America', and 'I Feel Pretty', have become part of public consciousness the world over.

Set on Manhattan's Upper West Side, West Side Story explores the rivalry between two teenage gangs; one white the other Puerto Rican. When Tony falls in love with Maria, the sister of the rival gang's leader, the feud takes on a new dimension, and as their love blossoms so begins a fatal journey overshadowed by violence and hatred.

Joey McKneely has choreographed and directed extensively on Broadway and his credits include Smokey Joe's Cafe, Hal Prince's production of Whistle Down The Wind and Nicholas Hytner's production of Twelfth Night. He staged and choreographed West Side Story at La Scala in Milan and has worked on many Hollywood movies. He choreographed The Boy From Oz, with Hugh Jackman in the leading role, before embarking on the direction and choreography for this production of West Side Story.

This new version is the only modern day production which may call itself 'The Original' and is the only production currently licensed to tour internationally.

when

22 July 2008 - Sunday 31 August 2008

where

Sadlers Wells

time
Tue - Sat at 7.30pm
Sat & Wed Mat at 2.30pm
Sun at 5pm

ticket prices

£10(US$21) - £60(US$125)
(* restricted view)
STALLS: £40, £50, £60
FIRST CIRCLE: £35*, £40, £50, £60
SECOND CIRCLE: £15, £25, £40

WEDNESDAY MATINEE:
STALLS: £30, £40, £50
FIRST CIRCLE: £25*, £30, £40, £50
SECOND CIRCLE: £10, £15, £30

There is a transaction charge of £2.20 for telephone and postal bookings (£1.50 for online and concessionary bookings. No charge in person)

how

Box Office: tel: +44844 412 4300

© 2002 Danjaq, LLC and United Artsts Corporation.
All rights reserved. Copyright Owner: CASINO ROYALE © 2006 Danjaq, LLC and United Artists Corporation.
All rights reserved. Credit: CASINO ROYALE © 2006 Danjaq, LLC and United Artists Corporation

April 17, 2008 - March 1, 2009

at
The Imperial War Museum London

To celebrate the centenary of Ian Fleming's birth, Imperial War Museum London is producing the first major exhibition devoted to the life and work of the man who created the world's most famous secret agent, James Bond.

Casino Royale © 2006 Danjaq LLC and United Artists Corporation. Casino Royale is a trademark of Danjaq, LLC. Copyright Owner: CASINO ROYALE © 2006 Danjaq, LLC and United Artists Corporation. All rights reserved. Credit: CASINO ROYALE © 2006 Danjaq, LLC and United Artists Corporation

Featuring fascinating material, much on public display for the first time, For Your Eyes Only will look at the author and his fictional character in their historical context and examine how much of the Bond novels were imaginary and how far they were based on real people and events. This exhibition will explore the early life of Ian Fleming, his wartime career and work as a journalist and travel writer and how, as an author, he drew upon his own experiences to create the iconic character of James Bond that continues to have global appeal.

On display will be rare material including Fleming's desk and chair from his Jamaican home Goldeneye, where he wrote all of the Bond novels; a map of the Mercury News Network established by Ian Fleming in the 1950s showing where all Sunday Times foreign correspondents were based; the jacket worn by Fleming on the Dieppe Raid of 1942; a selection of annotated Bond manuscripts; the Colt Python .357 Magnum revolver presented to Fleming by the Colt company in 1964; the manuscript for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and a working model of an Aston Martin DB5 made for HRH Prince Andrew in 1966, complete with gadgets from the films Thunderball and Goldfinger.

The 'blood-splattered' shirt worn by Daniel Craig in Casino Royale will be displayed for the first time along with prototypes for Rosa Klebb's flick knife shoes in From Russia with Love; Halle Berry's bikini from Die Another Day and Goldfinger's golf shoes which have been lent by the EON Productions' archive.

For Your Eyes Only will show how Fleming's wartime experiences informed the Bond plots and inspired many of the iconic heroes and villains, such as M and Goldfinger, and how the Cold War, a war of spies and technology, provided the stage in which Bond could operate. The exhibition will examine to what extent the books and films reflect the reality of the Cold War and life in post-war Britain and how far they were a product of Fleming's prodigious imagination.

It will conclude with Fleming's legacy, exploring how one man's idea generated an entire industry, not only books and films, but also parodies, toys, games and clothes. Over fifty years after his first appearance in print, James Bond continues to exert a grip on the global imagination and Fleming remains a classic writer of his generation.

The official book to accompany the Imperial War Museum exhibition For Your Eyes Only: Ian Fleming and James Bond will be published by Bloomsbury in April 2008. Written by the bestselling author of Costa shortlisted Agent Zigzag, Ben Macintyre, and full of lavish photography, this book is the perfect celebration of Ian Fleming and his remarkable creation, James Bond. 

Caption: Ian Fleming with co-producers Harry Salzman and Albert R. 'Cubby' Broccoli on the set of Goldfinger (1964) (Photo by Pictorial Parade / Hilton Archive / Getty Images) Copyright Owner: Getty Images Credit: Getty Images

when

April 17, 2008 - March 1, 2009

where

Imperial War Museum

time

ticket prices

Adults £8(US$16) -
£7(US$14) for concessions
Children £4(US$8)
Family £19(US$40)

how

info.

MARTIAN MUSEUM OF TERRESTRIAL ART

Dr. Lakra Untitled (Cupido Lupita) 2006 Courtesy Kate MacGarry,
London Collection Juliette and Jason Spaceman

at the Barbican Art Gallery  

through May 18, 2008

The exhibit is accompanied by David Woods and Jon Haynes, the award-winning duo Ridiculusmus. 

They return to the Barbican to present a special anniversary programme celebrating 15 years of unconventional, innovative performance, comprising of their newest piece, Tough time, nice time and another chance to see Say Nothing (bite02), How to be Funny (2004) and Yes, Yes, Yes (bite02) as well as a screening of their short film Dig followed by a panel discussion chaired by Professor Paul Allain, University of Kent, exploring the company's work and impact on UK theatre.

This is all part of the Do Something Different Weekend at the Barbican on from Saturday 8 March, 10.00am - midnight to Sunday 9 March, 12noon - 6.00pm

Brian Jungen Prototype for New Understanding #1 1998 Collection of the artist. Photo Trevor Mills, Vancouver Art Gallery

Martian Museum of Terrestrial Art presents contemporary art as if shown in a fictional museum conceived by and designed for extraterrestrials. This ambitious, playful and irreverent exhibition transforms the Barbican Art Gallery into an imaginary museum, with a mission to interpret and understand contemporary art. It features around 200 works - primarily sculpture as well as mixed media, video, photography and works on paper - by over 100 established and emerging artists, from the 1960s until now. They include Joseph Beuys, John Bock, Marcel Broodthaers, James Lee Byars, Maurizio Cattelan, Richard Hamilton, Isa Genzken, Barbara Hepworth, Susan Hiller, Thomas Hirschhorn, Damien Hirst, Mike Kelley, Yves Klein, Sherrie Levine, Piero Manzoni, John McCracken, Annette Messager, Bruce Nauman, Sigmar Polke, Simon Starling, Haim Steinbach, Francis Upritchard, Andy Warhol and Cerith Wyn Evans.

The project is in part inspired by the first chapter of Kant after Duchamp by Belgian art historian Thierry de Duve, in which an imaginary anthropologist from outer space sets out to inventory 'all that is called art by humans'. Since Martians do not have art as a defined category in their culture, they classify and interpret their chosen objects without the 'knowledge' we know as art history. Instead, they treat works of art as artefacts: objects which serve a function, whether real or symbolic.

The Martian perspective opens up contemporary art to fresh interpretations. It allows for its reassessment from an alien standpoint, thus mimicking the way that Western anthropologists historically interpreted non-Western cultures through foreign eyes. Looking at contemporary art as though from outer space offers the potential to make the familiar strange and to the turn the dominant Euro-American art tradition into the 'other'. It also raises pertinent questions about the use and value of contemporary art in human culture.

Adopting a pseudo-anthropological approach, Martian Museum of Terrestrial Art employs eccentric taxonomies and surprising juxtapositions. Arranged according to how they function or are used by humans, objects are classified within a framework of four broad categories: Kinship and Descent; Magic and Belief; Ritual; and Communication. Within these larger themes, objects are grouped in subcategories such as Ancestor Worship, Relics and Spirits, Ceremonial Objects, and Cultural Contact and arranged on plinths, in vitrines and on the wall. While interpretive labels and an audio guide enhance accessibility, and serve further to explicate the Martian's understanding of the role and purpose of contemporary art, they also reveal humorous misunderstandings about the objects on view.

The Martian Museum opens with a spectacular gallery conceived as the Great Hall of Ancestors. Presented within the category Kinship and Descent, works include totems, kinship diagrams and various forms of ancestor worship. Thomas Hirschhorn 's Musée Précaire Albinet (Lighter), 2004, is a four foot tall sculpture, in the shape of a cigarette lighter, featuring some of his artistic heroes such as Andy Warhol and Piet Mondrian. In Jay Heikes', Family Tree, 2003, brightly coloured sport jackets hang from a suspended tree trunk, suggesting connections between social groups. Sherrie Levine pays homage to Marcel Duchamp by casting a urinal in bronze, a precious metal and traditional material for sculpture, and thereby amplifying the gesture of transforming a common object into a work of art. Magic and Belief includes works that involve the literal or metaphorical transformation of materials from one form to another. Joseph Beuys' Capri Battery,1985, suggests that energy captured by the lemon from the Capri sun is magically transferred to a yellow bulb. Icons, relics and shrines are also featured in this section. Andy Warhol's appropriation of the endlessly reproduced photograph of Mao Zedong reinforces the Chinese political leader's iconic status. Dr Lakra's decorative box contains a small wax hand covered in tattoos, conjuring up the preciousness of holy power. Haim Steinbach's work consists of seven small black alarm clocks and a gold bust of C-3PO from Star Wars carefully arranged on shelves, and is reminiscent of a shrine. Ritual features masks, costumes, props or other objects used in the observance of rites and ceremonial functions. Damien Hirst's wall sculpture of fish in glass containers, all aligned in the same direction, can be likened to a cave painting as an auspicious ritual designed to produce a successful hunt. Rituals and ceremonies are also presented through photographic and video documentation. In the video The Colleague In a Kitchen Garden by Rosemarie Trockel and Thea Djordjadze we see the sculpture they had made together being burnt to a cinder, with the ashes then placed in an urn. Communication gathers works together that reveal attempts to communicate with extraterrestrials by transmission of messages, information or ideas. Július Koller's Universal Futurological Question Mark, 1978, is a black and white photograph of a large group of people sitting in formation on a hillside; if viewed from a distance or above their positions appear as a question mark. Other works involve interplanetary journeys and missions. Like the Apollo astronauts, Bruce Nauman seeks to leave his trace on the moon with his neon sculpture, My Name As Though It Were Written on the Surface of the Moon, 1968 and suggests that the moon can be a readymade work of art. The Martian Museum also includes a room devoted to Unclassified Objects. These are recent acquisitions which have not yet been understood, interpreted and categorised.

Artists in the exhibition are: Marina Abramovic Jennifer Allora and Guillermo Calzadilla Eleanor Antin Ibon Aranberri Art & Language Ay-O Joseph Beuys Alexandra Bircken John Bock Martin Boyce George Brecht Marcel Broodthaers Angela Bulloch Chris Burden James Lee Byars André Cadere Cai Guo-Qiang Maurizio Cattelan Spartacus Chetwynd Adam Chodzko Christo and Jeanne-Claude Marcus Coates Peter Coffin Michael Craig-Martin Björn Dahlem Walter Dahn Tacita Dean Jeremy Deller Wim Delvoye Jimmie Durham Eric Duyckaerts Simon Dybbroe Møller Tatiana Echeverri Fernandez Brian Eno Robert Filliou Ian Hamilton Finlay Anya Gallaccio Ryan Gander Mario Garcia Torres Isa Genzken John Giorno Douglas Gordon Loris Gréaud Victor Grippo Nancy Grossman Aneta Grzeszykowska Subodh Gupta David Hammons Anthea Hamilton Richard Hamilton Anne Hardy Mona Hatoum Jay Heikes Lothar Hempel Geoffrey Hendricks Barbara Hepworth Susan Hiller Thomas Hirschhorn Damien Hirst Jenny Holzer Matthew Day Jackson Luis Jacob Gareth Jones Brian Jungen Mike Kelley Scott King Yves Klein Milan Knížák Július Koller Dr. Lakra Jim Lambie Louise Lawler Guillaume Leblon Sherrie Levine Mark Lombardi Goshka Macuga Piero Manzoni Paul McCarthy John McCracken Cildo Meireles Annette Messager Matthew Monahan Bruce Nauman Mike Nelson Cornelia Parker Ben Patterson Manfred Pernice Sigmar Polke Richard Prince Arturas Raila Jason Rhoades David Robbins Dario Robleto Ugo Rondinone Dieter Roth Jim Shaw Andreas Slominski Daniel Spoerri Simon Starling Haim Steinbach John Stezaker Rosemarie Trockel and Thea Djordjadze Keith Tyson Francis Upritchard Jeffrey Vallance Erika Verzutti Francesco Vezzoli Andy Warhol Rebecca Warren Gillian Wearing Richard Wentworth Pae White Cerith Wyn Evans

Martian Museum of Terrestrial Art is curated by Francesco Manacorda and Lydia Yee and made possible in part by the American Center Foundation and The Henry Moore Foundation.

The exhibition is accompanied by a fully-illustrated publication with contributions by the curators and celebrated novelist Tom McCarthy and is available from Barbican Art Gallery Shop

where

Barbican Art Gallery

time

Daily 11am - 8pm
& Wednesday 11am - 6pm
Time Out First Thursdays until 10pm

ticket prices

£8(US$16) - £6(US$12) for concessions

how

info. 44(0)845 120 7550

at Sadlers Wells from March 3, 2008

The annual Flamenco Festival London features some of the finest artists from across Spain.

Opening the festival is Compañía María Pagés, whose outstanding dancers are renowned for their vibrant, colourful performances - the perfect introduction to flamenco, as well as as a treat for aficionados.

Los Farruco, the royals of the flamenco world, present a truly authentic display of gypsy flamenco - mixing song with acrobatic turns and fast, furious footwork.

Other highlights include modern flamenco dance from Rafaela Carrasco and the avant-guarde Israel Galván; a show dedicated to great women of flamenco Mujeres; concerts by new star Concha Buika and traditional singers Carmen Linares and Miguel Poveda; and a celebration of gypsy flamenco from Andalucía, Viva Jerez!

Directed and Produced by Miguel Marin productions

Isreal Galvan
Xavier Sanfulgencio

Shows in this season

Monday 03 March 2008 - Thursday 06 March 2008
Compañía María Pagés

Friday 07 March 2008 - Sunday 09 March 2008
Los Farruco

Saturday 08 March 2008
Marina Heredia

Sunday 09 March 2008
Juan Carlos Romero Trio

Monday 10 March 2008
Carmen Linares, Miguel Poveda, Juan Carlos Romero and Pastora Galván

Tuesday 11 March 2008 - Wednesday 12 March 2008
Mujeres: Merche Esmeralda, Belén Maya, Rocío Molina

Thursday 13 March 2008
Israel Galván

Friday 14 March 2008
Concha Buika

Saturday 15 March 2008
Rafaela Carrasco

Sunday 16 March 2008
Viva Jerez!

where

Sadler's Wells Theatre
Rosebery Avenue, London EC1R

time

evenings

ticket prices

£10(US$2o) - £38(US$75)

how

BOX OFFICE 44844 412 4300

Richmond Theatre

presents

In The Club

starring JAMES FLEET

february 12 -16, 2008

review to follow

IN THE CLUB

Fresh from its 2007 successful summer premiere at Hampstead Theatre, the riotous and hilarious new comedy In The Club is bringing its "running gags, slapstick and witty one liners" (Financial Times) to audiences at Richmond Theatre for one week only! (And on tour around the country in a theatre new you after Richmond!)

A cheeky, non-stop and riotous laugh-out-loud romp, In The Club unites much-loved actor James Fleet (Vicar of Dibley, Four Weddings and a Funeral), Tony Award-winning director David Grindley (Journey's End, What The Butler Saw), and writer Richard Bean (Harvest).

Hapless MEP Philip Wardrobe (James Fleet) has a busy day ahead of him, balancing his less-than-irreproachable political career with his attempts to start a family. As he prepares for his girlfriend to fly in from Kettering for an afternoon of fertile frolics, his plan to be voted President of the European Parliament is foiled at every turn by his unpredictable colleagues: uncouth Yorkshiremen, irate Turks and amorous Frenchwomen… to say nothing of the mysterious man in the linen cupboard.

A Strasbourg hotel suite provides the setting for the door-slamming shenanigans in which Philip's personal and political life collide with hilarious results.

James Fleet is joined by a hugely talented cast of actors, including Huw Higginson
(George Garfield in The Bill) and Carla Mendoca (My Parents Are Aliens).                                         



Richard Bean's Harvest opened at the Royal Court Theatre in September 2005 and was nominated for the 2005 Evening Standard Award for Best Play as well as Best Play in the 2006 Olivier Awards. It won the 2006 Critics' Circle Award for Best Play.

David Grindley's Journey's End won the 2007 Tony Award for Best Revival and his revival of Abigail's Party in 2002 was Olivier-nominated.

where

Richmond Green
Richmond

time

Tue-Sat eves 7.45pm
Wed & Sat mats 2.30pm

ticket pricess

£14(US$29) - £28(US$58)

how

BOX OFFICE 0870 060 6651 (bkg fee)

Cinderella

THE MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH

A Punchdrunk and BAC Co-production

ends April 12, 2008

BAC's Playground Projects are Supported by Bloomberg

This haunting version of Edgar Allan Poe’s The Masque of the Red Death follows Punchdrunk's smash-hit success, Faust, which won a Critics' Circle Award in 2006.

Journey into a macabre world, explore the four corners of Battersea Arts Centre and relive its Victorian origins as Punchdrunk immerses the building in Poe's imagination.

‘The most extraordinarily dramatic event you will find in any theatre’(Sunday Telegraph) ‘One of the best things to happen to the theatre in the last ten years’ (the Observer)

The Masque of the Red Death is an indoor promenade performance lasting up to 3 hours, with two timed entries at 7.15pm and 7.45pm.

The production takes place at BAC, Lavender Hill, London SW11 5TN. Evening dress is optional.

Box Office +4420 7223 2223

Box Office +44870 737 7737

Tickets: £40 (US$85) - £20 (US$42)with concessions

Richmond Theatre

presents

Nigel Havers stars in

Cinderella

ends January 20,2008

Dust off your ball gowns and prepare to laugh until your cry because this year’s pantomime looks set to be a feast of festive fun and promises to be a magical experience for the whole family.

In keeping with Richmond’s sumptuous Victorian setting the sophisticated, suave, charming, debonair, delightful, dashing Nigel Havers is playing The Baron. Nigel is instantly recognizable from a succession of popular television roles.    Paul Zerdin is appearing as Buttons, alongside his comedy partner Sam (yes that’s right, the puppet – but don’t say that to his face). Paul brings the art of ventriloquism storming back into the 21st Century. Not only will you be impressed by his ‘jaw-dropping ventriloquism’ (The Times 2006), you’ll also laugh your socks off at his comedy routine.  And finally, in the lead role Miss Lucy Newton, whose theatre credits include Eponine in Les Miserables and the Narrator in the national tour of Joseph.

So if you want to giggle the night away with family and friends and have something to remember for ever more then get yourselves along to Richmond Theatre to see Cinderella.   Complete with Fairy Godmother, Wicked Stepmother and the magical coach and horses, come and find out whether Cinderella makes it to the ball, meets her handsome prince and if the Ugly Sisters get their just desserts!

BOX OFFICE 0870 060 6651 (bkg fee)

co-produced by BITE:05, Barbican 

Hergé’s adventures of Tintin. at the Playhouse theatre

ends January 12, 2008

Between the laughter, the venue was full of whispering voices of children excitedly asking their parents exactly what was going on, on stage, as Tintin, Snowy and Captain Haddock return to the UK to entertain and delight adults and kids of all ages.

The storyline is simple.   Tintin hears in his dreams the cries of his best friend lost in the mountains of Nepal.  Convinced he is alive, the courageous threesome set about on a dangerous 'operation rescue' and take on the challenges of snow storms and a very friendly Yeti.

The production is crammed full all the best ingredients for a family show.  While the adults smile to themselves at some of the more grown-up references, everyone cannot help but take joy in the fact that an actor playing the part of Snowy the dog is really giving us a true insight into the thinking and behaviour of our four-legged friends.

Snowy displays a number of human characteristics which include a shared interest in whisky alongside Captain Haddock, and a real sense of man's best friend behaviour as he frequently declares 'I love you, I love you, I love you" to his owner, Tintin.  Despite his almost human frailties -   odd moments when his loyalty to Tintin waver particularly during the most dangerous 'mission manoeuvers', it is Snowy that brings all the characters together in this two-hour production.

As sets dissolve into one another with spectacular simplicity, the story with a happy-ever-after ending succeeds where most family entertainment fails.  It engages the audience with colorful characters, an exciting but never too scary plot, loads of jokes and a strong message that persistence will be rewarded.

A must for all the family!

The cast includes Russell Tovey (Tintin), Sam Cox (Captain Haddock), Simon Trinder (Snowy), Tom Wu (Tharkey) and Kenon Mann (Chang).

Box Office: +44870 060 6631

DICK WHITTINGTON & HIS CAT

at

The Hackney Empire

ends January 12, 2008

The cast is headed by the ever popular and much loved Clive Rowe, who in the past has received rave reviews for his role as Widow Twanky in Jack and the Beanstalk.  Tameka Empson returns in yet another staring role which means that this pantomime is a guaranteed hit and pure entertainment for all the family

The Hackney Empire pantomime has established itself as leader of the pack in Pantoland - receiving universal acclaim from audience and critics alike. Whilst others fight over the latest Big Brother winners, the Empire's Panto goes from strength to strength, focusing on the core elements of traditional performance, spectacular sets and costumes, magical spectacle, exciting music and dance, slapstick comedy and great fun.

Tickets are from £9:50 (US$20) through to £19.50 (US$42)with concessions
Show Time: Varies - Please check with Box Office

Box Office - +44 (0)20 8985 2424