thelondonseason

new venues

 

 



museums at night 2010

may 14, 2010

- a night in the bunker


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Churchill's Bedroom

 




The annual celebration of after-hours culture in museums and galleries takes place on May 14,  2010 so why not stay overnight in Churchill War Rooms?

The sleepover will offer lucky visitors the chance to spend the night in Churchill's atmospheric Second World War shelter beneath the streets of Whitehall.
Visitors might even be able to see if the dummy of Winston does its fabled 'mysterious move' during the night!

The package includes for adults includes:

* A guidebook and personal facsimile pass
* After hours entry to the Churchill Museum & Cabinet War Rooms
* A welcome talk providing background to the site and Churchill's use of it 70 years ago
* Guided tour around the Cabinet War Rooms
* Films, objects, and replica documents relating to the site available to examine in detail
* A two course evening meal and hearty breakfast the next morning
* A cash bar

Tickets available on a first come first served basis for 50 adults (over 18s only) priced at a mere £45.00 (US$70 approx.) per head

Something special and unique to tell your friends back home!


editor, March 2010


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Maverik Showroom presents The Unknown collection of paintings produced in a Psychotropic Daze by Bernard Rangel. The first series of the Unknown collection was executed in Brazil and the succeeding series is a product of London.

Bernard Rangel has been experimenting with 'colour' since 1977. Progressing from solid black, white and red to a fluid myriad of colours where the positive and the negative on the canvas harmoniously neutralize each other.

It is idealistic to say colour is the core, the inspiration, the manipulator. Truthfully, stimulants, chemicals and the human brain's response to these external elements are the subject. Colour, the consequence.

Bernard calls himself 'father of contemporary tribal surrealism'. Obviously, a term coined during one of the many resultant "flashbacks" of his now youthful psychotropic days.

From the tropical sun of Brazil to the winter sun of London, where he is based now, Bernard has reflected on how 'colour' influenced his work. A carefully curated study is now on show at the Maverik Showroom, to be perceived in your own Psychotropic daze.

In pursuit of the unknown we explore, indulge and question.

 

***********************************************

 

a fun showcase
of Bernard's Rangel's
latest collection of work
exhibited in the Shoreditch artists quarter
in East London
is the product of more than 20 years
enjoying life in fabulous Brazil.
Perhaps somewhat reminiscent of the psychedelic era of the last century, Rengel bring colour and joy to the walls
of everyone who owns a piece of his art.
And whatever you may wish to see in his work, it is there for the eye of each beholder.

 

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editor, January 2010

 

 


Sadler's Wells
presents
The Birmingham Repertory Theatre Production
of

The Snowman

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at
The Peacock Theatre, WC2
through 10 January 2010

 


the review:  despite the many years that The Snowman has graced the seasonal Xmas London stages, this was my first visit.

I rose early on a Saturday morning to join parents and children at an 11.00am performance and I was delighted to see a dance/ballet show for the very young and very old alike.

The staging and choreography were delightful in the first act with larger than life furniture not dissimilar to a Matthew Borne productions.
The characters popped popped out from all corners of the stage and the children seemed mesmerized.

All boded well for the second act after what seemed to be a very long interval - no doubt due to a long line for the little boys and girls room. 

And so in time the curtain rose for the second act and hand in hand the Snowman and the boy flew across the skies into snowman land to encounter the very nasty Jack Frost.

But who was this baddie and what did he do wrong? and how did the kids know who he was? and why he might harm the snowmen?

Around me , informed intelligent kids - of not a very old age - fired questions at their parents: "how will they make Jack Frost behave better?  What has he done wrong? And why did the little boy end up in a bed which stood alone on an otherwise empty stage?"

Extending the story of The Snowman may have seemed like a good idea, but the second half effectively missed a plot and any clarity. 

I recommend a Best Snowman Competition with Father Christmas as the nice judge and Jack Frost as the nasty judge...... a sort of Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Snowman celebrity competition.

To the producers: for more details please email da@thelondonseason.com.

and a very merry Xmas!

 

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Now in it's twelfth year, the live version of Raymond Brigg's much-loved children's classic, The Snowman, returns to London's Peacock Theatre

In the past five years alone the heart warming tale has been performed at the Peacock Theatre 226 times to over 180,000 people and continues to enthral and capture its audiences year after year, at its annual visit to the West End. The Snowman tells the magical story of a young boy's adventures when his snowman comes miraculously to life on Christmas Eve. A glittering host of international snowmen and snowwomen are joined onstage by an array of colourful characters including dancing penguins, magical reindeer, a beautiful snow princess and her abominable beau Jack Frost and of course, Father Christmas himself. With its joyful combination of classic storytelling, music and dance, The Snowman is an enchanting Christmas treat for all the family.

***********

The Snowman first appeared as a beautifully illustrated picture book by Raymond Briggs in 1978. It has since inspired the classic Oscar Nominated, BAFTA Award winning animated film, first transmitted by Channel 4 on Christmas Eve, 1982. The magical stage production features Howard Blake's timeless musical score played by a live orchestra, and includes the signature song 'Walking in the Air' which reached number 3 in the UK charts when sung by choirboy Aled Jones in 1985.

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Suitable for children aged two and upwards, The Snowman is the perfect introduction to dance for the very young.

*****************

 

 

Schedule varies with shows at 11am, 2.30pm and 7pm


No performances on 8, 10, 16, 17, 25 December 2009 & 1, 6 January 2010

Tickets £12 - £30 (US$ 19/48)
Family Ticket: £90 (4 tickets inc at least 1 child)
Tickets: 0844 412 4322

editor, December   2009

 

 


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a new venue for the RCA through 31.01.10

Fashion, Room 40 at the V&A is showcasing highlights from the Royal College of Art (RCA) fashion MA graduates' final collections.
The display features over 50 outfits and accessories from an oversize handbag to a leopard print suit. As well as women's wear, knitwear, millinery and footwear design, the display will reveal aspects of the design process including preliminary sketches, illustrations, and models to explore the design stages the students go through to create their final collection, from their inspiration to the finished garment

 

editor, July 2009

 



English National Ballet

present

Kenneth MacMillan's
'The Sleeping Beauty'

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at

London Coliseum

December 03 -14, 2008


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Photographer Credit: Grant Smith

English National Ballet launch their Christmas season with an exclusiveinvite-only VIP celebrity party at St Martins Lane Hotel followed by a performance of Kenneth MacMillan's 'The Sleeping Beauty'.

Guest line-up may include the likes of  David & Samantha Cameron, Alexa Chung, >David & Samantha Cameron, Daisy de Villeneuve, Sadie Frost, Pixie Geldof, >Erin O'Connor, Arlene Phillips OBE, Bill Nighy, Boris Becker, Cherie Lunghi, >Chloe Madeley, Claire Goose, Daisy de Villeneuve, Dannii Minogue, Edith >Bowman , Emily Maitlis, Erin O'Connor, Fabio Capello, Geri Halliwell, Harry Enfield, Heidi Range, Henry Conway, Isaac Ferry, Jade Parfitt, Jane Asher,  Jemima French, Kate Nash, Keisha Buchanan, Laila Rouass, Lily Allen, Lily Cole, Matthew MacFadyen, Matthew Williamson, Nancy Dell'Olio, Natalie Dormer, Sadie Frost, Susie Amy, Tamara Ecclestone, Terri Seymour.

 

 

Tchaikovsky’s glorious music and MacMillan’s classical choreography reawaken the magic of the world’s favourite fairy tale in an enchanted world of castles and curses, forests and fairies. At Princess Aurora’s christening, fairies bestowed her with gifts of beauty, temperament, purity, joy, wit and generosity. The wicked Fairy Carabosse put a curse on Aurora; to prick her finger and die on her 16th birthday.

The beautiful and kind Lilac Fairy cast a spell to counter the curse so that instead of dying Aurora fell asleep for a hundred years. Only the touch of true love’s kiss could awaken her and undo the evil spell…

Join English National Ballet’s 67 dancers and full orchestra for this dazzling ballet.

 


London Coliseum
St. Martin's Lane
Trafalgar Square
London WC2N 4ES

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Photographer Credit: Grant Smith

Dec 03, 7:30pm
Dec 04, 7:30pm
Dec 05, 7:30pm
Dec 06, 2:30pm
Dec 06, 7:30pm
Dec 07, 2:30pm
Dec 09, 7:30pm
Dec 10, 7:30pm
Dec 11, 7:30pm
Dec 12, 7:30pm
Dec 13, 2:30pm
Dec 13, 7:30pm
Dec 14, 2:30pm

The production runs for approximately three hours, including two intervals of 20 minutes.

editor, December 2008

 

 

Company of Angels

present

Theatre Café Festival

at Southwark Playhouse



November 10 -15, 2008

 

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the review:

From a selection of different productions at the festival, we chose The Child by Jöel Pommerat.

This is not its first performance in the UK - in fact this award winning production has been performed in a number of countries - and it is easy to see why.

In the round, the play is a series of short 'conversations' between different family members.

In each case, it is the 'child' that appears to dictate the mood; and it is usually the child who is dominant : from the little boy who reverses the parent/child roles and reassures his mother; to the child who tells her father that seeing him irregularly is simply not enough and that she would prefer to never to see him again.

Many members of the audience will be able to identify with one or more the relationships.   There is no set, no staging - just a series of brief conversations - generally, but not always - between two family members .  And at the end of each dialogue there is dissatisfaction and resignation and recognition that the family relationship has broken down and is beyond repair.

Awkward moments generate uncomfortable laughs from an audience of all ages who without exception identified with the not-so-perfect families which form so much of today's modern and sophisticated society.

The under-the-arches theatre - very close to London Bridge Station - is the perfect setting for this 'stripped-down' play.

For those who missed it, keep an eye out for a TV version in the future - which would certainly have my vote!

 


Company of Angels present Theatre Café Festival - it is theatre for Young People (14+), a frequently neglected area, which is bridging the gap between children’s and adult theatre.
Theatre Café Europe is about giving a platform to new European plays, some of which are written expressly for young people, while some have simply caught the imagination of young people in their own countries.

The Theatre Café Festival International Symposium brings together writers, directors, translators, producers and programmers to see and discuss some of the most exciting work for young people currently being performed in Europe.

The Symposium is led by Chris Campbell, Deputy Literary Manager, National Theatre and feature two productions and five staged readings of the above new European plays, each followed by a panel discussion with the writer and director, and the presentation of the Young Angels Theatremakers Award 2008 - a competitive £20,000 award for a young theatremaker or creative team to develop, showcase and produce Jonas Hassen Khemiri’s Invasion! 
(The full-length production dates will be: The Junction, Cambridge, 5th March; Soho Theatre, 9th ­ 28th March 2009).

The productions at Southwark Playhouse, Mon 10th ­ Sat 15th November are open to public viewing, and the readings at the Unicorn Theatre are open to public viewing Tue 11th ­ Thu 13th November.

 

 

Southwark Playhouse operates a 'airline ticket' style pricing:

(the earlier you book, the cheaper the ticket) from £8 (US$14) to £13 (US$22).

located at:

Shipwright Yard Corner of Tooley St & Bermondsey Street, London SE1 2TF

Tel: +4420 7407 0234

 

 

editor, November 2008

 


the second Russian Film Festival at

the fabulous Apollo West End

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September 18 - 28, 2008

 

 

 

 

Between September 18 - 28, 2008, ten prize-winning films, produced in 2007-2008, will be premiered in London showcasing the very best of new Russian cinema.

The programme promises a variety of styles, genres and themes, depicting a multifaceted Russian culture from new, imaginative angles. The main programme presents the most recent works of young directors and well-established cinematic masters. 

Alongside the main program is a selection of documentary, short and animation films for children and adults including a special programme of experimental cinema created in partnership with the legendary Moscow film club Cine Fantom; and a premium selection of short films by young filmmakers presented by another prominent Moscow film club Art Kino.

Audiences have the opportunity to meet and share their thoughts with some of the most prominent figures of contemporary Russian cinema during numerous special events: talks, panel discussions and master classes.

The Russian Film Festival also features a special issue of ROSSICA N19 journal dedicated to ‘100 Years of Russian Cinema’, various topics from unknown Russian films of the early 20th century to reviews of the best contemporary creations, and interviews with Russia’s most prominent filmmakers.


 

the review:


It would not be unexpected to discover that the Russian film festival offers up a somewhat reflective view of today's society.

No-one should forget that St Petersburg was - not so long ago - the Paris of Eurasia; and modern day Russians are often seen to 'struggle' to reclaim their inheritance.

Two films encapsulate Russia's introspection about its country and inhabitants.

In 'Simple Things' the protagonist 'struggles' to survive in the tough world of St Petersburg.  An anesthetist working in one of  the city hospitals, his character wrestles with his life, his work, his wife and the interminable struggle to make ends meet.

The West may see rich Russia and the wealthy oligarchs; but it is difficult to imagine a doctor in London or New York 'struggling to make ends meet'.

The movie addresses the issues of work, marriage, relationships and much more through the eyes of one man; but his character fails to truly engage the movie-goer because he is neither 'good' nor 'bad'.  In fact, the audience finds any emotional involvement a challenge.  Yes, he is unfaithful and he does drink; but like the other characters portrayed in the movie, he does little more than illustrate his underlying insecurities.  The star of the show is the aging actor who plays the 'manipulation card' to perfection; and that characteristic dominates in the film  'Cruelty'.

In Cruelty we find a much more extreme character.  The lead is just a truly nasty girl who does everything she can to get her hands on a magic pot of gold.  And her 'revenge' on men - which becomes contagious - is so lacking in charm that this dangerous adventure is at once captivating and revolting.

Moscow appears a violent city as 'revenge piles upon revenge'.  And although there may be some truth in the picture painted by the director that greed - at the expense of others - rules, it is an  insight into a Russia full of inequalities and disillusionment that dominates and leaves a somewhat bitter taste in the minds of the London audience.

Manipulation may be a common thread in the selection of films in the festival, but on a positive note, there is a significant energized, emerging 21st century film industry in Russia and the honesty and integrity of the film makers should be applauded for its lack of commercialism.

 

 

2nd Russian Film Festival Programme

Thursday 18 September
- Opening Night Live To Remember (100 min)
With introduction 6.45pm-8.10pm

Friday 19 September
Rock Monologue (69 min) & A Melody for German (26 min) (documentary)
With introduction 6pm-7.55pm

Nirvana (93 min) Q&A with cast and crew 8.30pm-9.33pm

Saturday 20 September
Flash Smash: Russian Digital Animation (45 min) With introduction by Dr. Vlad Strukov 4pm-4.45pm

Nirvana (93 min) 6pm-7.33pm

12 (153 min) Q&A with cast 8pm-10.33pm

Sunday 21st September
Art Kino: shorts programme (70 min) 4pm-5.10pm

Terra Nova (140 min) 6pm-8.20pm

Simple Things (110 min) 8pm-9.50pm Price: £12.50/ concessions £10/ AR members 2 for 1 (concession rate)

Monday 22 September
Simple Things (110 min) 6pm-7.50pm Screen 5

12 (153 min) 8pm-10.33pm

Tuesday 23 September
Blue Noses: video art (45min) 6pm-6.45pm

Terra Nova (140 min) 6pm-8.20pm

Cruelty (90 min) 8pm-9.30pm

Wednesday 24 September Cruelty (90 min) 6pm-7.30pm

Best of Times (93 min) Q&A with the director 8pm-9.33pm

Thursday 25 September
Cine Fantom: experimental shorts (61min) 2pm-3.01pm With introduction

Roundtable: Documentary Fiction vs. Fictional Documentary 4pm- 5.45pm

Virginity (89 min) 6pm-7.29pm With introduction by the director

All three events above can be purchased at a concessions rate - £24; or separately as priced.

Wild Field (104 min) 8pm-9.44pm  

Friday 26th September
Wild Field (104 min) 6pm-7.44pm Q&A with the director

Drunken Sailor (documentary) (90 min) 8.30pm-10.00pm

Saturday 27 September
Open Rehearsal event: Archives and Films: Witnesses of Time Regained Master class with Evgeny Tsymbal 4pm-5.45pm

20 Cigarettes (90 min) 6pm-7.30pm Q&A with crew Price: £12.50/ concessions £10/ AR members 2 for 1 (concession rate)

Live To Remember (100 min) 8.30pm-10.10pm Price: £12.50/ concessions £10/ AR members 2 for 1 (concession rate)

Sunday 28 September
Open Rehearsal event: Film Festival: Art or Business? Talk by Andrei Plakhov and BFI team 4pm-5.30 pm

Best of Times (93 min) 6pm-7.33pm

Closing Night Screening Yuri's Day (137 min) 7pm-9.17pm

Monday 29 September
Extra run dedicated to Film Symposium in BAFTA: Yuri's Day (137 min) 6pm-8.17pm

20 Cigarettes (90 min) 8.30pm-10.00pm

 

The Apollo West End, Regent Street is the perfect venue for a film festival with its 5 screens and ritzy bar.

 

editor,  September 2008

 


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Psycho Buildings: Artists and Architecture

through August 25, 2008

at the Hayward Gallery, Southbank

'The Hayward remains one of my most favourite art galleries and the exhibit Psycho Buildings: Artists and Architecture celebrates The Hayward's 40th anniversary.

As one of the world’s most architecturally unique exhibition venues, the exhibition effectively re-invents the venue and makes it a fun indoor/outdoor space with artists imaginatively taking on the world usually owned by the architect .

The exhibition brings alive the work of the artists who have created habitat-like structures and architectural environments with a twist.  They are perceptual and physical spaces as much as psychological ones.    Visitors of all ages can immerse themselves in these somewhat surreal and atmospheric installations that redefine the way that we relate to our surroundings.

Become an adventurous participant as you explore The Hayward's spaces inside and out, including a room frozen in a moment of explosive disaster, an eerie village of over 200 dollhouses, a floating plastic cloud and a skyline boating pond.

Artists included in the exhibition are Atelier Bow-Wow (Japan), Michael Beutler (Germany), Los Carpinteros (Cuba), Gelitin (Austria), Mike Nelson (UK), Ernesto Neto (Brazil), Tobias Putrih (Slovenia), Tomas Saraceno (Argentina), Do-Ho Suh (Korea), Rachel Whiteread (UK).

The exhibition also includes a cinema screening of architecturally inspired films including: Chris Burden Beam Drop (1984) Andrea Fraser Little Frank and his Carp (2001) Gordon Matta Clark, Conical Intersect (1975) and Jane Crawford and Robert Fiore, Sheds, (2004)

If you are interested in building, space and architecture don't miss this exhibit which allows you to explore your potential future environment

 

editor, June 2008


 


A Big Birthday Bash

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June 27, 2008

 


46664 Concert
Honouring Nelson Mandela
at 90

 

 

A Gathering of 46,664 Great Friends and Supporters will attend the London, Hyde Park Concert

Many of the world's most powerful and instantly recognisable figures and a concert audience of 46,664 will pay their tributes to one of the world's iconic figures: Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and icon of freedom, Nelson 'Madiba' Mandela, as he turns 90 later this year.

Among many guests attending you may spot President Bill Clinton, Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Will Smith, Ms. Oprah Winfrey, Robert de Niro and Forest Whitaker.

Artists confirmed as specially invited to perform for Mr. Mandela's birthday concert include Queen + Paul Rodgers, Annie Lennox, Simple Minds, Leona Lewis, the Sugababes, Dame Shirley Bassey, Razorlight, Andrea and Sharon Corr, Eddy Grant, and Jamelia, along with international 46664 Ambassadors Italy's Zucchero and Spain's Amaral.

The concert proceeds will go to the 46664 campaign which raises awareness about the impact of AIDS, especially in Africa, and promotes effective HIV prevention measures throughout the world.

 

editor, May 2008


 


A1GP on track in
Lower Regent Street

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Team GB - Jarvis and Kerr

April 27, 2008

 


 

Ahead of the season finale at Brands Hatch on 2 - 4 May, A1GP World Cup of Motorsport will make a pit stop in London's West End on Sunday 27 April. Lower Regent Street in London will be transformed into an A1GP grid with all 22 nations' single-seat race cars lining up. Visitors to one of London most iconic streets will have the opportunity to get up-close-and-personal with the 22 teams and drivers - as well as meeting Formula One legends Emerson Fittipaldi and Alan Jones - in an exciting family-friendly festival atmosphere. The event will boast a live stage with jumbo screens broadcasting A1GP's high-speed racing highlights and driver interviews from throughout the 2007/08 season. And to mark, A1GP's partnership with Ferrari, two 599 GTBs used as the series' safety car will also be on display. Display stands, interactive competitions along with food and crafts from competing nations will line the route and give a truly international feel to the day. With action for all the family the A1GP Regent Street Pit Stop will include tyre change challenges, activities for the kids and the ever-popular A1GP grid girls. There will also be the opportunity to witness the roar of an A1GP car engine to start the day.

 

editor, April 2008

 

 

 


The Ugly Duckling and Me

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at

a movie theatre near you

from

February 8, 2008

 


 

It is rare that an animation targeted at kids attracts the attention of the editorial team at thelondonseason but The Ugly Duckling and Me is a charming and funny Scandinavian production that will appeal to adults and children alike.   Based on the much loved fairytale The Ugly Duckling by Hans Christian Andersen, The Ugly Duckling and Me tells the story of Ratso, a wheeler dealer city rat, and Ugly, a baby duckling who goes through all the growing pains of the average child, teenager and through to adulthood.

Ratso scrapes by a living as a theatrical agent of a hapless, eternally ungrateful worm named Wesley. When Ratso ends up on a duck farm and becomes the caretaker of a large egg, he discover a potential new winning talent as the egg cracks and an unsightly hatchling emerges.  Ratso nicknames it "Ugly" and reluctantly finds himself assuming the role of the chick's de facto father.

Dollar signs flash before Ratso's eyes as he sees Ugly as a potential source of income and he schemes to exploit his ugliness as an attraction at his cousin Ernie's countryside carnival. Together, the unlikely pair escape the duck yard for the Big Time, embarking on an adventure-filled journey that sees Ugly discovering the truth about his own and Ratso's identity. Along the way, even the heartless rodent comes to realize that there is much more to life than making a quick buck.

Filmmakers Michael Hegner and Karsten Kiilerich deliver top-notch 3D animation in this rollicking, lightning-paced story full of visual humour, witticism, and snappy dialogue that will delight the whole family   It may be animation but it truly reflects some of the more painful aspects of growing up in today's relentless overwhelming 'celebrity look-good' culture.

Don't miss it at a movie theater near you from February 8, 2008.

 


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editor, January, 2008

 

 

 

JACQUES BREL - THE RAGE TO LIVE
Celebrating the talent and work of
Jacques Brel

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with Anthony Cable as Brel

at

New End Theatre, Hampstead
December 26, 2007 ­ January 13, 2008



see review below

 

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the review:  The intimate New End Theatre proved a good choice for a very unexpected Christmas show.  More like cabaret than theatre, Anthony Cable gave a fabulous insight into many aspects of the legend that is Jacques Brel.

This very upbeat show portrayed an international celebrity who loved life - and because of his somewhat addictive personality - lived it to the full!

Cable's dialogue between the songs was not as effective as his passionate singing performance.  The story was somewhat repetitive and on occasions failed to provide an insight into some essential aspects of Brel's life   It succeeded best when the stories were anecdotal - such as the brief but very descriptive story of  Brel's film career; but the audience was often left out in the cold without a real insight into the more obsessive aspects of Brel personlaity.

The staging, lighting and choreography were particularly effective and the accompaniment of a piano and accordion set the scene perfectly.

At times Cable slid into a rather strange variety of accents as he told Brel's story, but his ability to portray Brel's character through the brilliant lyrics was pure entertainment.

After the show, a group of ten Swiss French and Brits discussed the skills of Mr Cable: his ability to seamlessly switch back and forth singing in French and English, and as a performer, that he unquestionably sang from the heart.

We would have enjoyed the show more if we had been sitting at  small tables drinking champagne in a cabaret style venue, rather than the traditional theater seating on offer at the New End; but, whatever the minor shortcomings of this show, it is definitely worth a visit.


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Written and directed by Judith Paris, lyrics translated and performed by Anthony Cable accompanied by Franko Božac.

This new show, THE RAGE TO LIVE, is presented by Song Merchants.  Musical direction is by Stuart Barr.

The play, set in 1978, follows Brel’s thoughts as he waits to see his specialist. A heavy smoker, he had already undergone major surgery for lung cancer four years earlier. He recalls not only his career ­ early successes, his brief love affair with the musical theatre and his years in the film business ­ but also his personal life with his wife and daughters,
complicated by his passionate affairs with other women. His growing need for solitude caused him to take up solo flying and sailing and eventually led him to the remote Polynesian island where he found peace.

Jacques Brel’s songs ranged from light-hearted to dark and bitter, mocking nationalism, religion, love and death. In THE RAGE TO LIVE five songs are sung in English, five in French and five in a mixture of the two languages.  They include old favourites and two as yet unpublished songs. The text is spoken in English.


 

Judith Paris trained at the Royal Ballet School and danced with the company.
She was a member of the Royal National Theatre company for eleven years and
at the RSC for three seasons. She has performed extensively in the West End
in both musical and straight theatre and made her Broadway debut in MEDEA
with Diana Rigg, followed by HECUBA with Vanessa Redgrave. Last year she
played Mrs. Higgins in MY FAIR LADY on tour for the RNT/Cameron Mackintosh.
As a playwright her credits include WEILL AND LENYA and LA GOULUE OF THE
MOULIN ROUGE.

Anthony Cable is currently appearing in THE SOUND OF MUSIC at the Palladium.
His career includes popular music, music theatre and classical concerts and
opera, for which he trained at both the Newcastle School of Music and the
Guildhall School of Music and Drama. As an actor, he appeared in LOVE’S
LABOURS LOST and ANYTHING GOES at the Royal National Theatre, both directed by Trevor Nunn.

Stuart Barr has a dual career as musical director and singing coach for both
TV and the West End. He is also a conductor, is currently judging the BBC’s
Young Musician of the Year 2008 and runs a busy private teaching studio for
West End singers.

Franko Božac is the first Academic Accordion Professor in his native Croatia. A many times prize winner at international festivals, he has performed with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, recorded concerts for BBC Radio 3, formed his own quintet and has achieved international status as a soloist. He will be playing a 7-octave button Arco accordion.

 

2008 marks the 30th anniversary of Jacques Brel's death from lung cancer. He was 49. Brel had hurled himself quite literally against life, writing, performing, touring, drinking and smoking through countless sleepless nights and passionate love affairs. Then in 1966 his life changed.

Jacques Brel died of cancer, aged 49, in October 1978.

 


What do you do when you are faced with a wall?
Do you go round it or climb over it? Me, I go through it with a pickaxe.'


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when:  December 26, 2007 to January 13, 2008 at 9.30pm
No shows on Tuesday

where:  New End Theatre
27 New End
London NW3

what:   Running time 75 minutes

how:  Box Office +44870 033 2733

how much:  Tickets: £15 (US$32)

 

editor, December 27, 2007

 

 

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Phil Collins: The return of the real

through November 10, 2007

at

The Victoria Miro Gallery

 


In his new and timely exhibition - the return of the real - Phil Collins investigates the post-documentary culture which reality television has come to epitomise, and the accompanying issues of authenticity and illusion, intimacy and inaccuracy, expectation and betrayal.

Popular factual programming has been the central focus of Collins' multifaceted practice for the last four years. When the artist was nominated for the 2006 Turner Prize, he decided to use the world's highest profile art award to directly engage with the media, and in particular with the talk-show, makeover and reality-show formats which dominate 21st century television.

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the return of the real #2, 2007,
Lightjet print on Fuji Crystal Archive paper, framed, 42 x 28 cm unframed,
copyright the artist

 

Victoria Miro first opened her gallery in Cork St, London in 1985. In 2000 she moved to an 8,000 sq ft former furniture factory in the northeast. In October 2006 the gallery expanded further opening Victoria Miro 14, a 9,000 sq ft exhibition and viewing space adjacent to the original gallery. Today the gallery is one of the largest commercial spaces in London.

Combining established names with younger talent, Victoria Miro represents four Turner Prize nominees: Ian Hamilton Finlay, Peter Doig, Isaac Julien and Phil Collins and two winners Chris Ofili and Grayson Perry.

Victoria Miro Gallery
16 Wharf Road
London N1 7RW
t: +44 (0)20 7336 8109
Opening hours
Tuesday - Saturday 10.00am - 6.00pm
Monday by appointment

editor, October 10, 2007

 

through november 25, 2007

ZAHA HADID

aRCHITECTURE AND dESIGN

AT

tHE dESIGN mUSEUM, LONDON'S sOUTHBANK

Zaha Hadid Zaha Hadid Zaha Hadid is one of the most distinctive creative talents of her generation. She
won the Pritzker Prize in 2004, when she had only just completed her first substantial project, the Rosenthal Centre for Contemporary Art in Cincinnati. Now she is busy working on projects that range from masterplans in Singapore and Istanbul, to an opera house in China, a museum in Rome, and a skyscraper in Dubai. In the last year Hadid has opened two substantial buildings in Germany: a car factory for BMW and the Phaeno Science Centre, for which she was shortlisted for the 2006 RIBA Stirling Prize. Both have triumphantly demonstrated her ability to translate the essence of her virtuoso spatial invention in solid form.

The Design Museum exhibition will be the first full scale show of Zaha Hadid’s work in the UK. It will also be one of the largest projects undertaken by the Design Museum, spread over two floors of galleries, and will focus on this recent extraordinarily productive period in Hadid’s

born in baghdad in 1950, she first

came to London to study architecture in
1972, and this year celebrates 30 years
in practice. She runs an office of 250
people, working on projects that range
in scale from urban masterplans in
Singapore and Istanbul, to domestic
objects and furniture.
In the 1980s Hadid attracted
international attention for her unbuilt
projects that remained on paper, but
nevertheless transformed expectations
of what architecture could be. recently
completed designs, including the
Phaeno Science Center in Wolfsburg,
the bmW Central building in Leipzig and
the rosenthal Center for Contemporary
Art in Cincinnati, demonstrate Hadid’s
commitment to building. She is currently
working on a series of projects that will
serve as defining landmarks in such
disparate settings as Dubai, rome
and Guangzhou.

London was in the depths of recession
when Hadid arrived as a student in
the 1970s. Its architects were
experiencing both a shortage of work
and a loss of confidence. modernism,
as pioneered by Le Corbusier and mies
van der rohe in the 1930s, looked dead
as the utopias of the 1960s soured.
the Architectural Association, where
Hadid studied from 1972 to 1977,
provided a unique centre for debate
about new directions in design. under
Alvin boyarsky’s leadership it attracted
radical thinkers and practitioners of
every ideological persuasion. At one
time, bernard tschumi, rem Koolhaas,
Leon Krier and brian Anson were all
on the teaching staff. Classicists,
community activists, conservationists
and radical modernists all had a
platform. the experience clearly had
a profound effect on Hadid.
the school provided an environment
in which Hadid could explore one of
the twentieth century’s great art
movements, russian Constructivism.
this revolutionary period was the point
of departure for her breakthrough
project – the winning design for
the Peak – an apartment complex and
club overlooking the city of Hong Kong.
the design rejected the current
architectural style of Post-modernism
that applied decorative classical
columns and cosmetic stone façades to
every new project. Although never built,
the extraordinarily dynamic paintings
that she used to convey the essence
of the design commanded worldwide
attention and continue to shape Hadid’s
thinking today.

A series of architectural competitions
were the focus for a huge outpouring
of design energy in the early part of
Hadid’s career. these powerful visions
persuaded rolf Felhbaum, the owner
of the furniture manufacturer vitra,
to commission Hadid’s first realised
project, a fire station on the company’s
factory complex at Weil am rhein in
Germany. It was followed by a series of
unrealised designs, including the Cardiff
bay opera House (1994-96), one of the
great ‘might have beens’ of architecture
in britain. Hadid belonged to a
generation familiar with the idea of
architecture as a speculative, theoretical
activity in which design drawings were
as important as building. the delay
between conceiving the designs that
made her reputation, and building them,
made it inevitable that Hadid would be
represented as being more concerned
with theory than practice. these
schemes, however, gave her the
opportunity to develop ideas and
working methods that would form
the basis of new work.

After the vitra Fire Station was
completed in 1993, Hadid built very
little until the major projects of the last
three years. taken together, the Phaeno
Science Center, the bmW Central
building and the rosenthal Center for
Contemporary Art powerfully lay to
rest the myth that Hadid is primarily
a theorist rather than a builder. each
has a strong material quality, and
demonstrates her ability to translate the
dynamic warping and disruption of space
evident in her drawings into physical
reality. In these projects the jagged,
linear spaces of her earlier work have
melted into more voluptuous forms.

Work in progress
A wave of remarkable buildings, now
under construction across the world,
will define the next stage in Hadid’s
career. She is one of very few architects
operating on a global scale, building
outside the usual european and north
American circuit, with commissions
throughout the middle east, russia,
India as well as China. Hadid has a
visibility that has attracted projects
on an increasing scale. She continues
to explore fresh shapes and new
thinking, making the transition from
the world of theory and research,
to large-scale practice. and projects include
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‘the opus’ office tower, Dubai, uAe, 2007
and
London Aquatics Centre, London
in preparation for the 2012 Olympic Games

objects and furniture
Design and architecture are different
activities. their scale, material and
structure require a distinct tactical
approach. In the last decade, architects
have rediscovered an interest in
designing small-scale objects, often
seduced by working on a 1:1 scale
within a short timescale. A chair is not
a miniature building, but it can offer the
opportunity to explore an idea, or an
architectural form. Hadid’s designs
include both functional furniture and
limited edition pieces that occupy
territory somewhere between art
and design.


Design museum
Shad thames, London Se1 2YD
designmuseum.org
opening hours
Daily 10am – 5.45pm
Last admission 5.15pm
Admission
£7 (US$15) adults;
£4 (US$9) students + concessions;
free to members and the under 12s

events

Zaha Hadid will be in conversation
with Deyan Sudjic on 12 october.
Design overtime, the museum’s late
opening event, will return on october 5.
For tickets, call +4420 7940 8783

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saving the Cutty Sark

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Jools Holland (above) and guests
Lulu, Louise Marshall, and Ruby Turner

at indigO2

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at the O2

(nee The Dome)

on July 2, 2007

 

 

JOOLS HOLLAND

LOCAL BOY JOOLS HOLLAND HELPS THE   RESTORATION FUND FOR LONDON's  LANDMARK, THE CUTTY SARK WITH BENEFIT GIG ON 2ND JULY  at opening night of the indigO2 (part of the infamous Dome)

The sensational Jools Holland accompanied by his Rhythm & Blues Orchestra opens London’s most exciting new live entertainment venue, the indigO2.

The Cutty Sark Benefit Gig on 2nd July follows  the fire that swept through the famous 19th century ship Cutty Sark in May.

The vessel is now undergoing a £25m restoration project and local Greenwich boy Jools Holland will be making his contribution to a good cause.

Proceeds from the gig will be donated to the Cutty Sark Trust to rebuild the 150-year-old tea clipper.

Performing tracks from his vast catalogue of hits, Jools will be joined on stage by three of the world’s biggest stars, the iconic Lulu, Louise Marshall, and soul songstress Ruby Turner– an all star line up not to be missed!

A historical night for London, as Jools Holland open’s East London’s exciting new music venue, indigo2, whilst raising money for one of London’s oldest landmarks.

 

 


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State-of-the-art venue indigO2 opens on 2nd July 2007 as part of the multi-million pound redevelopment of the O2. Located in the heart of London with fantastic travel links via Thames Clippers on The O2 Express service or 7 stops on the Jubilee Line from Westminster. This new 2,350 capacity venue with superior facilities is set to be the jewel in the crown of London's already vibrant live music scene.

As a purpose-built music venue, indigO2 has been designed with perfect acoustics and has installed a top of the range JBL sound system, plus comprehensive, intelligent moving Vari-Lite lighting with follow spots. And for maximum audience enjoyment indigO2 features faultless sightlines; '7 second pint' fast pour technology at its two large bars, table service in the venue's 'Purple Lounge' with premium views of the stage, plus the luxury of more restrooms per audience member than any other venue of comparable size, ensuring a comfortable atmosphere, fantastic view and no long queues!


 

the editor, June 2007

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Antic Disposition presents

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at

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JERMYN STREET THEATRE

featuring

JAMES PELLOW
as
Lady Bracknell

April 16, 2007 through May 12, 2007

 


the review

A theatre journalist is often inundated with press releases from which they somewhat cynically select the shows that they plan to review.

So when a publicist forwarded the release on The Importance of Being Earnest at the Jermyn Street Theatre, I was intrigued.

First of all, I had not had a chance to visit the renovated venue. And secondly, the image on my desktop of a male actor playing Lady Bracknell gave me the opportunity to evaluate a new slant on a play that I had seen many times in the past.

I then - somewhat erroneously - made the next giant leap of faith and assumed as this publicist specialized in musical theatre, that this was an all-male cast performing a musical version of the Importance of Being Ernest in a tiny intimate, venue bang in the centre of London. A first in my career!

Enthusiastically, I accepted the invitation for press night and sitting in the front row I was determined to be open-minded about the originality and suitability of this unusual interpretation.

I struggled with the concept in the opening moments, as I was having difficulty working out how the 'male actor' playing Gwendolen Fairfax could possibly be a man; while at the same time concentrating equally hard on how to be sure that I did not trip up one of the very 'close-up and personal' actors.

I had little opportunity to discreetly check-out the programme; and then, seizing my moment, I took a quick glance, only to discover that the only member of the cast not playing a character of their own sex was James Pellow in the role of Lady Bracknell. All that mis-directed energy was then transferred to watching a very enjoyable and intimate production.

Pellow played his role entirely straight and the rest of the cast entertained the audience with a subtle raising of an eyebrow, pouting lips and haughty profiles.

The Jermyn Street Theatre added an additional and very welcome ingredient to the experience. The audience was drawn into the performance and became almost 'the confidante' of the characters, rather than spectators.

This very entertaining production of one of Oscar Wilde's best known plays is well worth a visit! And both the location and the venue are just great.

And the moral of the story. Read the reviews with more care than some journalists read the press releases!

********************

This is the story of the Jermyn Street Theatre.

The Jermyn Street Theatre was once the changing rooms for the staff of the Getti Restaurant (formerly the Spaghetti House Restaurant) upstairs.

In late 1991, Howard Jameson had a vision - to transform the space into a luxury studio theatre in the heart of the West End.  Materials, expertise and services were donated by 56 British companies and with major donation from Laings Builders, the challenge was complete. The doors in August 1994.

In 1997, a further National Lottery Grant from the Arts Council of England led to , even better facilities!

The aim is to provide talented new actors, directors and writers with the opportunity to be recognised and given a platform in the best West End Studio Theatre. In smart, comfortable surroundings and with other members of the profession, the goal is also to raise funds for other worthwhile charities.

The theatre is run by the Trustees, all of whom are volunteers.  They may well serve you in the bar, or sell you a ticket. The Treasurer sometimes doubles as the cleaner and the Chairman has been known to do the vacuuming - and allpart of the 'unshakeable' passion to help those in need.

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Frivolous man-about-town Algernon Moncrieff has invented a fictitious invalid friend named Bunbury, who regularly requires his presence in the country. His countrified friend Jack Worthing has created an imaginary brother named Ernest, who frequently requires his presence in town. Providing the perfect excuse to avoid all manner of social occasions, these seemingly harmless deceptions cause colossal confusion as the truth is unravelled when both men make proposals of marriage. But precisely who wants to marry whom?

Central to proceedings is the dominant figure of Lady Bracknell, whose disapproval of Jack as a potential fiancée for her daughter Gwendolen acts as a catalyst for the events that ensue. James Pellow undertakes the invigorating challenge of playing the patriarchal role of Lady Bracknell in a way that reinforces the absurdity of her character whilst conveying the sincerity of her convictions and social status. The cast of this exuberant production also includes Stephen Carlile who recent played Freddy in the UK tour of My Fair Lady as Algernon, Ian Hallard (Where the Heart Is) as Jack and Georgina Carey as Gwendolen.

Produced by burgeoning young theatre company Antic Disposition, The Importance of Being Earnest is directed by Ben Horslen and John Risebero with design by John Risebero, lighting design by Howard Hudson and music by James Burrows.




Jermyn Street Theatre, Jermyn Street, London SW1
Box Office: +44207 287 2875


Mon - Fri 7.30pm, Sat 3.00pm & 7.30pm  Tickets: £16.00 (US$31)
Preview performances on April: 16-18, 2007: £10.00 (US$19)

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The ICA

may not be a new venue but it has recently raised its game by showcasing a series of new documentary movies: the latest of which is My Name is Albert Ayler.

 

evening performances from February 9 -15, 2007

 

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My Name is Albert Ayler is a documentary movie about the prophetic free jazz saxophonist Albert Ayler, who is seen as one of the most important innovators of his time.  He was obsessed with the idea of radical music - which for the most part originated from the heart and the soul and the feelings of the moment - rather from a page of sheet music.  Largely disregarded in the USA, he spent much of his time in Sweden where in 1962 he recorded his first album. Eight years later he was found dead in New York's East River, aged 34.  His death remains a mystery.

The film follows the trail of Ayler from his native town of Cleveland by way of Sweden to New York.

For fans of jazz, this documentary is a must.   It incorporates  historic footage of performances of Ayler's band, interlaced with memories from friends and family. 

His style of jazz was innovative - and although many of his colleagues did not necessarily understand it or even know where it came from - they all recognized his great musical talent.

What gives the film a broader interest and wider appeal is the fashion in which the director captures a moment in time in the USA when black Americans were often isolated. 

Ayler's music in many respects mirrors the soul of the political agenda at the time; and his 'escape' to a much more liberal Sweden makes further comment on how music was included or excluded in a society where equality was still something for the future.

A beautiful documentary encompassing music and the mood of the USA and Europe, My name is Albert Ayler is a sad and moving retrospective which can be appreciated by everyone.

On February 9, 2007 director Kasper Collin will introduce the film and take part in a post-screening Q&A session, hosted by The Wire's editor-in-chief Tony Herrington.

 

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The ICA
The Mall
London SW1
Box Office: +4420 7930 3647

 

 

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The Roundhouse

presents

FUERZABRUTA

From the creators of De La Guarda Directed by Diqui James

Previewing from
June 1, 2006

 

the review:
 

Fuerzabruta can best be described as the ultimate in dance installation; and it provides an ideal launchpad for the updated and upgraded Roundhouse (see below for more information).

The opening show makes perfect use of the 'in-the-round' space; as today's contemporary dance breaks new barriers in testing the strength of the dancers and the imagination of the choreographers.

The audience - who move around the open 'stage' along with the action - watch in awe as the dancers/actors crash through barriers, travel at speed around a a circular curtain and swim and glide with grace in a suspended pool of water.

The music follows the rhythm of the dancers and the choreography is enhanced by the sounds from the DJ.

Wear comfortable shoes because you will be standing for the duration of this hour-long sound and light, acrobatic dance and mime spectacular.

It's a one-of-a-kind show which successfully synthesizes modern choreography and special effects with contemporary music and visual tricks.

Don't miss out.  It's a perfect to start the night and can be followed by anything from serious clubbing to a romantic dinner. 

 
 

The Roundhouse, north London's landmark cultural venue reopens on June 1, 2006.

The opening show - Fuerzabruta - follows the enormous success of its predecessor De La Guarda which played to packed crowds for close to a year at the Roundhouse in 1999/2000.

The show combines the most physical theatre with the most stunning theatrical imagery the UK will have ever seen, and plunges its audience into a world that is at times hard, dark and aggressive, and at other times joyous and celebratory.

Twelve performers hurtle through this 65 minute show at breakneck speed, using every elemental force known to man. At times the performance treads the edge of real danger with alarming effect, the audience engages with what increasingly becomes an investigation into the mind of a crowd, where occasionally one person is left alone, struggling against the masses.

Like those of De La Guarda, the visuals and effects are stunning. Performers run and tumble across a vertical wall of technicolour cloth, a man runs headlong through a wall, two people try desperately to connect from opposite sides of a huge spinning and whirling sail and - most extraordinary of all - performers dance in watery world just above the audience's heads.

This all takes place to a soundtrack that traverses thumping club beats to the mellow sounds of new world music. The show is awash with colour and light, at times the bright strobed and head spinning lights of a nightclub, at other times soft, warming and beautiful colours fill the space.

 

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A legendary venue
The Roundhouse - a historic steam engine shed built in Camden, London in 1846 - became a legendary venue in the 1960s and 70s. This is where punk and glam rock started, where The Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix and Pink Floyd made their names and where The Doors played their only UK gig. It hosted the most spectacular and controversial theatrical performances of their day including works by Peter Brook and the Living Theater from New York.

Arts for everyone
The Roundhouse has always encouraged the idea of 'arts for everyone' and young people and others have participated in all forms of creative work here. Unfortunately the building closed in 1983 and remained empty for many years, waiting for the next stage in its extraordinary career. In 1996 the Roundhouse Trust was set up to lead its redevelopment.

The Roundhouse launches with a thrilling production! This sensational international show, presented by the Roundhouse and with the support of Arts Council London, will be the first production in a new programme of work that will reflect the excitement and diversity of 21st Century culture, including music, new and physical theatre, dance, circus and digital media.

For Diqui James, creative director, Fuerzabruta reinvents once again the concept of a unique and unrepeatable live experience. The barriers between performers and audience break down during the show, and when the audience takes part the event becomes a celebration.

Studio 42 opens on 1 June with Grassmarket Project's The Foolish Young Man which tells the story of a man who, disillusioned by the effects of success and money on his life, sets out to discover some truths, to find something real. It is a social experiment with unpredictable consequences but he discovers that to make a difference you have to take risks.

Part of GMP's Bus Stops Youth Programme, The Foolish Young Man is a collaboration with David Harewood, 15 non-professional young performers, Director Jeremy Weller's Grassmarket Project and the Roundhouse.


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Booking Information

Box Office +44 870 389 1846

June 1 - 30 July, 2006


Previews: 1 June 8pm, Friday 2 & Saturday 3 June 7pm & 10.15pm

Check with the Box Office for

Detailed performance schedule
Details of late shows with special guest DJs

Tickets: Standing only
Full Price £25 (US$45); Concessions £20 (US$38)

 

May 16, 2006/ reviewed June 12

 

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frost fair
transforms Bankside
into
a winter wonderland

Bankside is transformed into a winter wonderland when Southwark Council holds its annual Frost Fair from 16 to 18 December wpe79.jpg (18576 bytes)and launches a spectacular 40 metre real ice slide which will remain open until 4 January 2006.


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This year's Frost Fair is expected to attract more than 100,000 visitors and last minute shoppers.

The fair is open on December 16, 2005  4pm – 10pm, December 17, 2005 10am – 10pm and December 18, 2005 10am – 6pm, and located outside Tate Modern and Sheakespeares Globe, where the riverwalk will be filled with a festive atmosphere.

On the opening day of the Frost Fair there ise a dazzling lantern procession at 4pm.

Attractions include marquees, a beer tent, street entertainment, ice sculpting, 40 stalls selling festive food and high quality gifts, local and professional bands, childrens activities, street theatre and choirs singing favourite Christmas tunes.

The festivities continue into the evening with entertainment and a frozen ice bar serving mulled ale and wine.

The main feature of the Fair is an impressive 40metre real ice slide, which will run until January 4, 2006. The Ice Slide costs £3 for 2 slides and is open from Monday to Thursday from 10am to 6pm and Friday and Saturday from 10am to 10pm.

The Frost Fair dates back hundreds of years to when the Thames used to freeze and Londoners took to the ice for fun and games.

 

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The last Frost Fair was held in 1814, almost 200 years ago, until Southwark Council recreated the Fair in 2003.

 

December 15, 2005

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Stop press:  December 4, 2005

Paul Haarhuis from the Netherlands claimed the $100,000 (winner takes all) prize at the Royal Albert Hall after beating the defending champion Jim Courier in a closely fought - but easily won - singles match.  It was definitely Haarhuis' day,  as the doubles expert - with an admirable singles record to back it up - found the lines and corners with unparalleled consistency.

Courier from the USA fought hard but admitted that Paul Haarhuis played a better game.

The match unfolded with humor coming from both ends of the court. Playing with great style, Courier lost in two exciting sets full of long, skillful rallies.  A full house at the RAH appreciated that both players were 'there to win', and Courier, who had beaten Haarhuis on every one of the four times they met in the past, declared "I'll be back".... looking to claim the 2006 title.

While perhaps seniors tennis might have been considered entertainment by some, this year the Masters singles was as competitive as any other major tennis tournament around the world; and the stars of the past always remain a pleasure to watch!

 

Stop press:  December 3, 2005

Both semi-finals scheduled for Saturday had the potential to be close matches. By the end of the afternoon Courier came one step closer to defending his title when he beat McEnroe 6-4; 6-4.wpe79.jpg (11217 bytes)wpe79.jpg (11217 bytes)wpe79.jpg (11217 bytes)wpe79.jpg (11217 bytes)

McEnroe did everything he could to overcome a strategy from Courier that left very little to luck.   And despite the very entertaining rallies and skilful play, Courier held his service fairly easily and showed few cracks in preparation for the finals.

He meets surprise-package Paul Haarhuis in the final after the Dutchman came through as the dark horse, easily defeating two-time French Open champion Sergi Bruguera 6-1, 6-4 in the other semifinal.

Stop press:  December 2, 2005

ORDER OF PLAY
At 1:00pm

Jim Courier vs. Cedric Pioline Sergi Bruguera vs. Anders Jarryd

At 7.30pm

John McEnroe vs. Thomas Muster
Pat Cash vs. Paul Haarhuis

McEnroe, arrived in London on Wednesday morning just before his first match was scheduled to start.  Despite suffering from a bout of ill health, he showed plenty of evidence to suggest that he could make the quarters himself having been beaten by clay court specialist, Sergi Bruguera 7-6(5), 4-6, 10-2 (on a Champions’ Tie-Break).  On Thurday McEnroe overcame the tricky Swede Mikael Pernfors 7-6(5), 6-4 to make the quarters.  McEnroe’s win over Pernfors was a bad-tempered affair, with the American letting rip at officialdom on numerous occasions.

Thomas Muster and Cedric Pioline also  made their intentions clear with victories in their opening round-robin matches on Wednesday. Pioline, who won the title in Novi, Croatia in June, defeated countryman Henri Leconte 6-3, 6-4 in a polished display on his Royal Albert Hall debut.  For Muster, it was a reminder of how close he go last year to scooping the US$100,000 prize. He defeated Jeremy Bates, the man who had produced a sensational comeback against Paul Haarhuis the night before, 7-5, 7-5. Muster is now assured of a place in the quarterfinals, while Bates needs Muster to beat Haarhuis in their final round-robin match on Thursday in order to advance.

Jim Courier will have his work cut out to successfully defend his Masters Tennis title after the quarterfinal line-up paired him with Cedric Pioline. Courier squeezed past Anders Jarryd 6-4, 6-7(3), 10-7 (on a Champions’ Tie-Break) in his final group match and admitted that he would have to be at his best to overcome Pioline on Friday.Pat Cash also defeated Pioline 3-6, 6-3, 10-7 (on a Champions’ Tie-break) to win Group C. He will now face the runner-up in Group B, Paul Haarhuis.

Stop Press: November 30, 2005

John McEnroe has recovered from illness sufficiently to take an overnight flight to London and will play in his first round-robin match, as scheduled, against Sergi Bruguera on Wednesday evening. The American had been struck down by stomach flu over the weekend, and left his decision to play until the last possible minute.

He flew in from New York on Wednesday morning to compete in the Champions Masters for the ninth straight year.

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The Royal Festival Hall - better known for music than sports happily hosts this annual sporting special!

The Masters is the final event on the 2005 worldwide Champions Tour and features a larger field than at other event (12 players instead of 8), with two extra days of action (Tuesday to Sunday inclusive), and a winner-take-all prize of $100,000. Ten of the 12 players have qualified based on their performances throughout the Champions Tour. The remaining two players will receive wild card invitations.

 

The 10 qualifiers are John McEnroe,

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joined by wpe79.jpg (11217 bytes)Jim Courier wpe7E.jpg (1053 bytes)wpe7E.jpg (1053 bytes)

and Richard Krajicek, Paul Haarhuis and Mikael Pernfors

as well aswpe7B.jpg (12129 bytes)Thomas Muster wpe7E.jpg (1053 bytes)wpe7E.jpg (1053 bytes)wpe7E.jpg (1053 bytes)wpe7E.jpg (1053 bytes)

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wpe74.jpg (11043 bytes) and not fogetting Pat Cash wpe7E.jpg (1053 bytes)wpe7E.jpg (1053 bytes)wpe7E.jpg (1053 bytes)wpe7E.jpg (1053 bytes)

The two wild cards have yet to be decided.

 

Supporting doubles players include Mansour Bahrami, Ross Case, Peter McNamara, Ilie Nastase, Chris Wilkinson and Mark Woodforde. wpe7E.jpg (1053 bytes)wpe7E.jpg (1053 bytes)wpe7E.jpg (1053 bytes)wpe7E.jpg (1053 bytes)wpe7E.jpg (1053 bytes)wpe7E.jpg (1053 bytes)

 

ROUND ROBIN Final Results

GROUP A

Matches Won/Lost (Sets)

Sergi Bruguera 2-0 (4-1)

John McEnroe 1-1 (3-2)

Mikael Pernfors 0-2 (0-4)

GROUP B

Thomas Muster 1-1 (3-2)

Paul Haarhuis 1-1 (3-3)

Jeremy Bates 1-1 (2-3)

GROUP C

Pat Cash 2-0 (4-1)

Cedric Pioline 1-1 (3-2)

Henri Leconte 0-2 (0-4)

GROUP D

Jim Courier 2-0 (4-1)

Anders Jarryd 1-1 (3-2)

Mats Wilander 0-2 (0-4)

 

RESULTS FOR TUESDAY   NOVEMBER 29 2005

Sergi BRUGUERA d. Mikael PERNFORS 6-3, 6-1

Jim COURIER d. Mats WILANDER 6-2, 6-4

Pat CASH d. Henri LECONTE 7-6(4), 7-5

Jeremy BATES d. Paul Haarhuis 2-6, 7-6(17), 16-14 (on a Champions' Tie-Break)

ROUND ROBIN GROUPS

Matches Won/Lost (Sets)
GROUP A
Sergi Bruguera 1-0 (2-0)
John McEnroe 0-0 (0-0)
Mikael Pernfors 0-1 (0-2)
GROUP B
Jeremy Bates 1-0 (2-1)
Thomas Muster 0-0 (0-0)
Paul Haarhuis 0-1 (1-2)
GROUP C
Pat Cash 1-0 (2-0)
Cedric Pioline 0-0 (0-0)
Henri Leconte 0-1 (0-2)
GROUP D
Jim Courier 1-0 (2-0)
Anders Jarryd 0-0 (0-0)
Mats Wilander 0-1 (0-2)

ORDER OF PLAY
confirmed: Nov 30

At 1:00pm
- Henri LECONTE v Cedric PIOLINE
- NASTASE / WILKINSON v FLEMING / WOODFORDE
- Jeremy BATES v Thomas MUSTER

At 7:30pm
- Anders JARRYD v Mats WILANDER
- BAHRAMI / WOODFORDE V GULLIKSON / McNAMARA
- Sergi BRUGUERA v John McENROE

ROUND ROBIN GROUPS

GROUP A

John McEnroe
Sergi Bruguera
Mikael Pernfors

GROUP B

Thomas Muster
Paul Haarhuis
Jeremy Bates

GROUP C
Cedric Pioline
Pat Cash
Henri Leconte

GROUP D
Jim Courier
Anders Jarryd
Mats Wilander

***************

order of play

December 1, 1:00pm

Pat CASH v Cedric PIOLINE

BAHRAMI / FLEMING v NASTASE / WOODFORDE

Jim COURIER v Anders JARRYD

December 1, 7:30pm

John McENROE v Mikael PERNFORS

BAHRAMI / WILKINSON v McNAMARA / NASTASE

Paul HAARHUIS v Thomas MUSTER

Order of Play is subject to change

 

 

November 10, 2005  
   

 

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SOME GIRLS ARE BIGGER THAN OTHERSwpe69.jpg (8588 bytes)

with songs of Morrissey and Marr

conceived by Andrew Wale and Perrin Manzer Allen

Aka Anonymous Society

at

the Theatre Royal, Brighton

October 17 - 22, 2005

 
 

Anonymous Society continues its return to the UK with another beautifully visual piece of music theatre. This time they turn their attention to the songs of Morrissey and Marr, and have created a witty, ironic and emotional production   Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others takes the songs that were performed by The Smiths and turns them into a starkly visual and haunting story. The show is part musical, part play - stunningly choreographed with imaginative use of movement.  It can best be described as a theatrical installation.

Having trod the boards of the London Lyric Theatre earlier in the year, Anonymous Society find themselves in the seaside town of Brighton.

You have a second chance to see this fabulous production in just under an hour from Waterloo Station.  Take a train trip to Brighton  and enjoy the best of the fresh air followed by this challenging - but not too challenging - production.

A cast of 4 female and 2 male singers bring the songs to life with the aid of a string quartet and synthesized rhythmic loops. The performance is accurately described as an expressionist window on the lives of four women and two men, their relationships and their environment.  It is the words and music of the songs that determine the mood and sense of the performance. And the performances are universally excellent.

In 1999 Anonymous Society created an award winning piece of theatre based on the music of Jacques Brel first at the Edinburgh Festival and then at the Lyric Hammersmith. It threw out convention, with music and choreography, a cast of singers and dancers and a spare, almost chilling aesthetic. Yet through the raw emotion of the music by Jacques Brel, the carefully crafted and beautifully observed performances, they created a world in which audiences became totally involved.

So don't expect an easy night out. There is no simple message to take home and no single interpretation. 

And Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others demonstrates to its audience that in a world of Pop Idol and the X Factor, there are actors who can showcase a fistful of talents in a single performance!

 

 

WHERE

THEATRE ROYAL, BRIGHTON

New Road, Brighton, BN11 1SD

CONTACT DETAILS

Call Box Office  for ticket

+44
01273 328 488

 

 
 

followed by:

wpe69.jpg (8588 bytes)THE LOWRY

The Lowry, Pier 8, Salford Quays, M50 3AZ

October 24th – 29th 2005

Box Office +44870 787 5793

wpe69.jpg (8588 bytes)WARWICK ARTS CENTRE

The University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL

October 31st – November 5th 2005

Box Office +4424 7652 4524

editor, october 10, 2005

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400th Anniversary of Shakespeare's Rival:
Clerkenwell's Red Bull Playhouse

staged rehearsed reading, with original songs of The Rape of Lucrece by Thomas Heywood

October 6-8, 2005 at 7.30pm

at the
Priory Church of St Bartholomew the Great,Smithfield EC1.

 

 

 

the show

the Lions part is celebrating the 400th anniversary of the building of the Red Bull with a staged reading of Thomas Heywood¹s The Rape of Lucrece and an academic conference at the London Metropolitan Archive.

The Rape of Lucrece by Thomas Heywood was one of the Red Bull's greatest commercial and artistic successes. Its thrilling combination of politics, madness, sexual crime and war in both intimate and epic writing was repeatedly revived, while the play's unsettling repertoire of popular song grew with each revival.

Staged rehearsed reading at the Priory Church of St Bartholomew the Great, Smithfield, directed by Sonia Ritter

 

the review:

Nothing could be more impressive than watching a play in one of the most beautiful hidden secrets in London.   The Priory Church of St Bartholomew the Great was the perfect venue for rape, treachery, family feuds, Kings, Queens and intrigue.

The cast marched back and forth across the sacred flagstones of the church.  Deceit, treachery and blind ambition was the tone of a play, reminiscent of one of Shakespeare's best history/tragedies.

The cast lied and vied for contro.  And during the frequent 'lighter moments' the cast sang little 'ditties' as they wooed members of the audience.

A unique and fabulous night out and indeed a privilege to watch great performances in such a hallowed environment.

 

 

a Conference: Beyond Shakespeare's Globe at the London Metropolitan Archive, Saturday 15th October 2005

 

the Red Bull wpe12.jpg (8720 bytes)

The Red Bull Playhouse was an open-yard theatre which lay just off St John¹s Street in Clerkenwell. Built in 1605, it was a hugely successful rival to the Globe, and to Shakespeare¹s company The King¹s Men. The resident Red Bull company, the Queen¹s Servants, performed a remarkable repertoire citizen¹s dramas (including HeywoodŒs A Woman Killed With Kindness), Jacobean tragedy (such as Webster¹s The White Devil) and a range of popular music-based entertainment. Remarkably, and almost uniquely, the theatre survived the ravages of the Civil War and Cromwell¹s puritans, and remained open throughout the Interregnum. The site of the theatre can still be discerned as Heyward¹s Place in EC1.

 

The Playwpe12.jpg (8720 bytes)

In this extraordinary play, unlike Shakespeare in his long poem, Thomas Heywood shows the full political build-up to the violation of the young Roman matron Lucrece, and its warlike results. Heywood stages intimacy and battle, inner madness and outward pomp in a manner unequalled in the theatre of the age. An extraordinary counterpoint to the mayhem appears in the interweaving of popular satirical song, making this possibly England¹s first stage musical. The play remained popular for decades, and we perform it from a newly-prepared script transcribed from the British Library and edited by Dr Eva Griffith, a member of the Lions part and the foremost authority on the Red Bull.

The performance will be accompanied with live incidental music as well as the songs.

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the Company

 

the Lions part is a professional company specialising in verse drama and celebration. The company has performed at Shakespeare¹s Globe and its own seasonal festivals on the Bankside; at Hampton Court, the Painted Hall at Greenwich and on tour all over the country; while its members¹ work includes the RSC, National Theatre, Shakespeare¹s Globe, Original Shakespeare Company and the West End. They staged a similar event on the architectural remains of the Rose Theatre in Southwark, producing Marlowe¹s Dr Faustus (with Anton Lesser and David Bradley as Faust and Mephistopheles, also directed by Sonia Ritter). The company has charitable status with an educational remit, and aims to raise the profile of the Red Bull in the media, among theatre professionals and in academia, as well as with the theatre-going public.

wpe12.jpg (8720 bytes)the Venue

The 12th century Priory Church of St Bartholomew the Great is one of the treasures of the City of London. Built when Henry I, son of William the Conqueror, was King of England, it survived the Great Fire of 1666 and the bombs dropped in Zeppelin raids in World War I and the Blitz in World War II. It has an extraordinarily good acoustic for speech and a beautiful and atmospheric interior, recognisable from the films Four Weddings and a Funeral, Shakespeare in Love and The End of the Affair, and in BBC 2's Madame Bovary.

 

wpe12.jpg (8720 bytes)the Sponsors

The Garfield Weston Foundation The Worshipful Company of Mercers The Worshipful Company of Skinners (Lady Neville Charity) Private sponsors include Tom Stoppard and Sir Eddie Kulukundis.

 

tickets:
£15 (US$27) except

box office:
+4420 7483 4384

location:
Priory Church of St Bartholomew the Great Smithfield EC1

dates:
through October 6-8, 2005

performances:
7.30pm

+box office:
4420 7907 7060 + bkg fee.

tube:
Barbican, Farringdon, St Paul's

 

editor, September 28, 2005

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Michelangelo Pistoletto (b.1933)
Little Monument, 1968

bricks, rags and shoe, 100 x 40 x 40 cm

 
From Futurism to Arte Povera: Works from the Marcello Levi Collection

September 14, 2005 to December 18, 2005

 

 

at the charming Estorick Collection of Modern Italian Art 39a Canonbury Square, London N1

The Estorick Collection of Modern Italian Arte is a museum showing works from the remarkable collection of modern Italian art created by Eric and Salome Estorick.

Eric Estorick (1913-1993) was an American political scientist and writer who was also a passionate collector and art dealer. The Eric and Salome Estorick Foundation was set up in 1993 to manage not only the permanent collection but also to stage temporary loan exhibitions and educational events. Powerful images by the main protagonists of the early 20th-century Italian avant-garde Futurist movement, including Balla, Boccioni, Carrà, Severini and Russolo, are on permanent view. The collection includes works by such figurative artists as Modigliani, Sironi and Campigli and the Metaphysical painter de Chirico. Northampton Lodge also houses a library of over 2,000 books, primarily on early 20th-century Italian art.

In 1999 the museum was named Best Museum of Fine or Applied Art in the National Heritage/NPI Museum of the Year Awards. In 2003 it was awarded Highly Commended in the London Tourism Awards 2003 Small Attraction category (under 100,000 visitors).

 

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Rotella Untitled 1972
Mimmo Rotella (b.1918)

Untitled, 1972  mixed media on forex, 84 x 112 cm

 

FROM FUTURISM TO ARTE POVERA Works from the Marcello Levi Collection

The exhibition of over fifty works by major protagonists of modern and contemporary Italian art  co-curated by Francesco Manacorda and Robert Lumley.

The works have been chosen from the Turin-based collection of Marcello Levi (b.1922) who, over the last sixty years, has been one of the leading collectors of contemporary art in Italy. He began collecting drawings and paintings by members of the Futurist movement, such as Giacomo Balla, Nicolay Diulgheroff and Gerardo Dottori, before becoming one of the earliest collectors of Arte Povera. He played a significant role in promoting the Deposito D'Arte Presente, an innovative exhibition space for young artists where Giuseppe Penone held his first ever show and where Michelangelo Pistoletto's 'Zoo' theatre group was active. His friendship with the artists enabled him to acquire a remarkable series of works that have rarely been shown in public.

Levi was collecting at the same time that Eric Estorick was building his own collection but, unlike Estorick, he tended to collect abstract rather than figurative art. The exhibition's selection, installation and display of key works will bring out both parallels and differences in their approaches to collecting, as well as serving to illuminate a particular slice of cultural life in Italy in the second half of the 20th century.

The earliest work in the show is a drawing by Giacomo Balla (1871-1958), entitled Rhythm, Noise and Speed of an Automobile. Dating from around 1913, it is a striking example of the artist's exploration of abstract solutions to conveying motion at this time, following his earlier, more analytical, studies of moving figures based on photographic sources. Balla's curving and jagged forms vividly evoke the visual and auditory sensations produced by a speeding car, an icon of Futurist art.

The main focus of the exhibition, however, is the Arte Povera movement that was founded in the second half of the 1960s and promoted by the Italian art critic Germano Celant. Arte Povera (literally 'poor art') is not a household name, unlike other art movements of the 1960s such as Pop or Minimal Art. However, it has recently become better known following the success of the 2001 touring exhibition Zero to Infinity: Arte Povera 1962-1972. Like Futurism, Arte Povera emerged at a time of dramatic socio-economic change, against a backdrop of political upheaval and technological expansion. Unlike the earlier movement, however, Arte Povera was internationalist in outlook and sceptical about industrialisation.

Although a European phenomenon, it developed principally in Italy, centred around Turin in the north, which at that time was a burgeoning industrial city. The name 'Arte Povera' referred to the choice of humble materials - such as earth, iron, wood and rags - with which the artists aimed to challenge conventional means of creative expression, reduce the artificial gap between art and life and react against the commercialism of the art market.

The exhibition includes two works by Michelangelo Pistoletto (b.1933), one of the key figures of Arte Povera. Blue Daniela (1962/72), is an example of his signature series of 'mirror paintings' in which images of figures are superimposed onto reflective steel plates, thereby enabling the viewer to become an integral part of an ever-changing picture. Another work, entitled Little Monument (1968), is characteristic of Pistoletto's use of brightly-coloured rags, which for Germano Celant represented 'the confusion and multivalence of marginalised people', celebrating the diversity of human experience and the disenfranchised elements of society.

Many of the artists associated with Arte Povera explored natural processes and incorporated organic elements into their works, but none more so than Giovanni Anselmo (b. 1934). Whilst walking on Mount Stromboli at dawn on 16 August 1965, Anselmo became aware of the invisible elemental forces that determine the workings of the natural world. The consistent aim of his subsequent installations and structures was to engage with and make manifest these mysterious forces, harnessing energy, tension, the pull of gravity and the power of magnetic fields.

Mario Merz (1925-2003) is perhaps the most famous name associated with Arte Povera and the exhibition includes two of his works. Snail and Spiral (c.1970), expresses Merz's interest in the Fibonacci sequence and its association with ideas of organic growth, as well as exemplifying Arte Povera's experimental approach to materials. Double Murano Bottle with Neon (1967) is an example of the increasingly complex installations that Merz was creating around this time, in which commonplace objects are exhibited in such a way as to imbue them with an undefined metaphysical significance.

Alighiero Boetti (1940-1994) drew on a similarly wide range of media, including embroidery, printing, photography and construction - an approach reflected in the untitled work on display in this exhibition which incorporates franked postal envelopes. Boetti's work frequently investigated the role of chance in artistic creation and embraced non-Western artistic traditions and disciplines, as in his famous series of embroidered maps of the world, created in collaboration with craftsmen in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Boetti disassociated himself from Arte Povera in the early 1970s, but remains a highly influential figure.

This adventurous approach to materials was shared by Mimmo Rotella (b.1918). After studying art in Naples, Rotella moved to Rome in 1945 and began experimenting with a number of different styles and techniques including photography, photomontage, assemblage and phonetic poetry. Rotella is best known for his works of 'decollage' - images created from layered posters torn from the walls of Rome that reveal the artist's Pop Art sensibilities in a similar way to the brash work in the current exhibition, dating from 1972.

Levi's collection of Italian art exists alongside works by such international giants of Modernism as Man Ray, Joseph Beuys and Andy Warhol, all of whom are represented in the exhibition. Also included is Paul Klee, whose beautiful Stained Glass Window of 1939-40 exemplifies his sensitivity to colour and intuitive approach to composition by 'taking a line for a walk'. Kurt Schwitters's White Carnival (1946) articulates his personal interpretation of the aesthetics of the Dada movement, which he baptised 'Merz'. His collages, constructed from discarded items such as bus tickets, magazine clippings, fragments of wood, fabric and other such 'debris', represent a highly innovative approach to materials which may be seen as anticipating that of Arte Povera itself.

From Futurism to Arte Povera: Works from the Marcello Levi Collection represents the Estorick Collection's most ambitious exhibition yet in terms of showcasing more contemporary Italian art, aiming to explore the legacy of the avant-garde pioneers whose works form the core of its own collection in these sophisticated and stimulating paintings, sculptures and installations.

______________________________________

 
 

Kurt Schwitters (1887-1948) White Carnival, 1946 collage and oil on card 28 x 23 cm

 

Location:

Estorick Collection of Modern Italian Art 39a Canonbury Square, London N1 2AN

Contact details:

Tel. +4420 7704 9522
Fax.  +4420 7704 9531

Curators:

Francesco Manacorda is a writer and freelance curator based in London. In 2004 he curated The Mythological Machine at the Mead Gallery, Warwick, and has contributed catalogue essays for such institutions as Milton Keynes Gallery, Museum of Modern Art, Vienna and Schirn Kunsthalle, Frankfurt, as well as writing for Flash Art, Metropolis M and Domus.

Robert Lumley is Professor of Italian Cultural History at University College London. He has a special interest in 20th century Italian art and his book Arte Povera was recently published by Tate Publishing. He contributed to the catalogue Zero to Infinity: Arte Povera 1962-1972, Tate Modern, London, and Walker Art Center, Minneapolis 2002, and has recently contributed an article on Mario Merz to Artforum.

Opening hours:

Wednesday to Saturday 11.00 - 18.00 hours
Sunday 12.00 - 17.00 hours

Shop: open gallery hours.

Library: by appointment only

Admission:

£3.50 (USD 6)

Events: There will be series of gallery talks, free with admission ticket on the day.

 
editor August 30, 2005

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credit: IWMwpe6D.jpg (3537 bytes)Gold-painted ceramic figure of a seated bulldog with Churchill's head. Soon after Churchill became Prime Minister production of Churchiliana, in the form of figurines, playing cards and posters, appeared in their thousands.

at The Churchill Museum

 

wpe6E.jpg (6897 bytes)Churchill giving the V sign outside No 10 Downing Street, having just arrived back in London from Washington where he held discussions with President Roosevelt.

Dedicated to the complete life and times of Winston Churchill, the museum forms the core of the Churchill Project, a major restoration and expansion programme at the once secret underground wartime headquarters of the Cabinet War Rooms. 

This is the first national museum dedicated to Winston Churchill. It creates an intimate and multifaceted portrait of him, one that reveals the private as well as the public man, his talents and flaws.

The exhibition examines Churchill’s many roles as a leader, statesman, politician, soldier, father, husband and son.  Visitors will gain a real insight into Churchill’s lesser-known qualities and traits as well as his celebrated role as one of the greatest leaders of his time.

The Churchill Museum offers a real opportunity for visitors to immerse themselves in Churchill’s life. A 50-foot long ‘Lifeline’ - an interactive chronicle of Churchill’s life - provides the visitor with a unique hands-on experience. This personally operated exhibit gives visitors the opportunity to access the details of Churchill’s daily life at their own pace and with as much depth as required.

The museum provides a wealth of material in a variety of media:

  • Over 150 original objects in the exhibition. These include Churchill’s: baby rattle, pistol used during his escape in the Boer War, trench periscope used on the Western Front, red velvet siren suit and painting materials.
  • Over 200 facsimiles of documents including Churchill’s school reports.
  • Over 1,500 scanned documents and 1,000 photographs in the Lifeline alone.
  • Over 70 audiovisual and interactive displays, each with their own film, photo and sound content

It is the interactively of this museum in conjunction with the diversity of content and visuals alongside the integrated seating which  makes this museum educational and fun for everyone.

 

The new Churchill Museum, featuring the original door to Number 10 Downing Street wpe61.jpg (3482 bytes)

credit: IWM / John Maclean

 

Churchill Lecture Series

Tuesday 14

June Professor John Ramsden - CHURCHILL AND THE UNITED STATES

This lecture will discuss Winston Churchill's firm and steady friendship with the American nation, including his American lineage and his honorary American citizenship.

John Ramsden, Professor of Modern History and Director of the Humanities Graduate School at Queen Mary, University of London

Tuesday 5 July

Michael Dobbs - CHURCHILL: THE WOUNDED WARRIOR

This lecture will discuss the chaotic and often deeply damaged private life that dogged Churchill from his earliest years and had a decisive influence upon his career.

Michael Dobbs is a novelist and broadcaster and was Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party. He has written numerous novels about Churchill including Churchill's Hour, Never Surrender and Winston's War.

Tuesday 2 August

Angus Calder - POPULAR CHURCHILL

Churchill became PM in 1940 with a popular reputation as a wholly unusual politician, the unique 'Winston' hated by some, mistrusted by many, but his own man. He inspired multitudes with old-fashioned eloquence, but also entered popular culture as all-smoking, all-drinking, mischievous 'Winnie'. This talk explores his unofficial presence in documents ranging from diaries to children's comics.

Angus Calder, a Reader in Cultural Studies at the Open University in Scotland until 1993. He is now based in Edinburgh working as a freelance writer.

Tuesday 13 September

Dr Geoffrey Best - CHURCHILL AND THE LAWS OF WAR

This lecture explores Churchill's ideas about the conduct of war and how they coexisted with his conviction that when wars had to be fought, they had to be fought all-out. His robust attitudes towards small neutrals, aerial bombardment and chemical warfare particularly invite comment.

Dr Geoffrey Best, Senior Associate Member of St Anthony's College, Oxford University and author of Churchill: A Study in Greatness.

Tuesday 25 October

Professor David Cannadine - CHURCHILL AS THE VOICE OF DESTINY

This lecture will discuss both the strengths and weaknesses of Churchill's speaking style, explain how he mastered the art and craft of oratory, and show how, in his 'finest hour', he 'mobilised the English language and sent it into battle'.

Professor David Cannadine, the Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Professor of British History at the Institute of Historical Research, University of London. He is the author and editor of numerous books including In Churchill's Shadow: Confronting the Past in Modern Britain.

Tuesday 15 November

Andrew Roberts - CHURCHILL'S REPUTATION: THE STATE OF THE DEBATE

Despite being popularly voted as the Greatest Briton, fresh assaults are constantly being made on the reputation of Sir Winston Churchill by revisionist historians, newspaper columnists, and lately Mr Thabo Mbeki of South Africa. Andrew Roberts considers these, and how Churchill himself would have rebutted them.

Andrew Roberts, historian and author of Hitler and Churchill: Secrets of Leadership and Eminent Churchillians.

Tuesday 13 December

Professor Richard Holmes - CHURCHILL: THE SOLDIER

Despite his success in several different careers, Churchill received his only professional training as a soldier. In this talk Richard Holmes explores Churchill's time as a soldier and the impact it had on the rest of his career.

Professor Richard Holmes is a military historian, and started teaching at the department of war studies at the Royal Military Academy in Sandhurst in 1969. He is the author of many books and documentary series.

The Churchill Lecture Series is sponsored by UKTV

 


Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms
Clive Steps
King Charles Street
London SW1A 2AQ

Open daily
except December 24-26

9:30am - 6.00pm (last admission 5.00 pm)

Special Free Admission To mark the 60th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in 2005 the Churchill Museum & Cabinet War Rooms will be free to those aged 60 and over on: VE Day (8 May) VJ Day (15 August) National Day of Commemoration (10 July) Armistice Day (11 November) Remembrance Sunday (13 November)

Admission prices:

Individuals Adult: £10.00 US$20

All visitors are provided with a free personal Acoustiguide sound guide, available in English (adult and children's version), French, German, Italian, Spanish, Hebrew and Dutch.

editor June 10, 2005

 

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Fully Committed

Written by Becky Mode

Based on characters created by Becky Mode and Mark Setlock

Starring Mark Setlock

at the

Menier Chocolate Factory

wpe43.jpg (16478 bytes)Due to sell out shows, Fully Committed has extended its run at the Chocolate Factory, Southwark Street until October 17,  2004wpe43.jpg (16478 bytes)

Fully Committed sounds like a play about relationships.  But don't be deceived.  The phrase 'fully committed' wpe43.jpg (16478 bytes)applies to a fully booked wpe43.jpg (16478 bytes)restaurant with no spare tables on offer.   And a restaurant which is fully committed to its VIP list.wpe43.jpg (16478 bytes)

The show gives you an insightwpe43.jpg (16478 bytes)into the 'shenanigans' of a 'hot' spot.  wpe43.jpg (16478 bytes)How do you get a table when you are just a 'nobody'?  Well, as demonstrated, as a rule you don't!

Struggling actor, Sam sits in a dingy room in the basement of the restaurant, fielding literally hundreds of calls every day from the most demanding, obnoxious, sniveling and frankly crazy would-be restaurant goers all after the same thing: a table for dinner....wpe43.jpg (16478 bytes) tonight if possible!  He is left to work the shift alone as his colleague's car has apparently broken down -wpe43.jpg (16478 bytes) although we later find out that this is just another little white lie which line the walls of the reservations department..wpe43.jpg (16478 bytes)

Sam is left on his own to handle all the calls just as Mark Setlock single-handedly plays every role.wpe43.jpg (16478 bytes)

Becky Mode’s play introduces the audience through Sam to the crazy world of chic restaurants,wpe43.jpg (16478 bytes) power-mad chefs, desperate resting actors, domineering Maitre-d’s. Setlock, who created the role in New York, produces a bewildering range of accents and mannerisms bringing life to a cast of over 40 characters. wpe43.jpg (16478 bytes)The show first opened in 1999 and is set to run and run.

Fully Committed has universal  appeal.  Even if  you have never claimed to try and get a table at a fancy restaurant and succeeded or failed or never visitedwpe43.jpg (16478 bytes)New York, you can't help enjoy this hilarious show.  Indulge yourself.  It's is fabulous and absolutely worth the trip to the recently opened wpe43.jpg (16478 bytes) Menier Chocolate Factory.

A beautifully restored building, the Menier Chocolate Factory houses a flexible 200-seat theatre; a restaurant (serving very large portions at reasonable prices); a  bar; a wpe43.jpg (16478 bytes) gallery and other multi-purpose spaces.

This latest addition to very trendy wpe43.jpg (16478 bytes)Borough is just another little jewel close to London's SouthBank.wpe43.jpg (16478 bytes)

 

 

tickets:
£18 (US$34) except
Saturday matinees £10(US$18).

The Chocolate Factory also offers a a pre-theatre £25(US$45) meal deal ticket.
(Two courses and the show).

location:
Menier Chocolate Factory, 51-53 Southwark Street, SE1 1TE.

dates:
through October 17, 2004.

performances:
Tues - Sat 8.00pm, Sat & Sun 4pm.

box office:
+4420 7907 7060 + bkg fee.

tube:
London Bridge (Borough High Street West Side exit)

parking;
Free  after 6.30pm.

 

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BBC Proms:
Out & About in Hackney

 

‘Dancing Around the World’

 

at

 

Hackney Empire

 

June 23, 2004 at 6pm

 

The recent renovation of the Hackney Empire - home in the past to every type of entertainment imaginable - brings back to London yet another theatrical inheritance.

The BBC Proms - recognizing the history and heritage of the venue - will bring a night of classical music to the Hackney Empire on Wednesday June 23, 2004 as part of its Proms series.  ‘Dancing Around the World’ is designed especially for families and offers the chance to experience and participate in the power of the 70+ musicians of the BBC Concert Orchestra.  Every ticket for the event is free and this is just another example of the variety of entertainment on offer at this beautiful and historic theatre. (box office details below.)

The BBC Concert Orchestra features some of the best musicians in the country and is famous for its work in film and television as well as its electrifying concert performances. Conducted by Robert Ziegler, the Orchestra performs a range of music from around the world including well-known favourites such as the Can-Can from France and Lord of the Dance from Ireland, alongside great musical scores from Austria, Spain and Brazil. Principal Percussionist of the BBC Concert Orchestra and children’s performer Alasdair Malloy features as a soloist and brings an extra touch of magic and humour to the evening.

Nicholas Kenyon, Director BBC Proms says: ‘We are delighted to be able to bring BBC Proms: Out & About at the Hackney Empire, taking the best of classical music into the heart of the community. It’s so important for us to take the Proms to wherever people are, and these projects are an important part of the BBC Performing Groups’ role. The evening will provide a fantastic opportunity for families to see live music at its most exciting, and we’ll be offering the chance for them to come to the Proms at the Royal Albert Hall.’

To obtain tickets for the event call
BBC Audience Lines on +448700 100 300

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other unmissable events

 

June 25 - July 4, 2004

Turkfest The UK's first festival of contemporary Turkish music. The festival offers ten days of remarkable performances featuring the work of young leading composers, instrumentalists, folk musicians, dancers and Turkey's celebrated pop star, Candan Ercetin.

 

July 27 -31, 2004

Vodou Nation Created and designed by Brett Bailey. Performed by an all-Haitian cast of musicians and dancers, Vodou Nation is where African, American and European cultures fuse and collide in a spectacular multi-media montage of dance, video, carnival and ceremony - accompanied by the pulsing rhythms and harmonies of RAM, Haiti's foremost Vodou rock band.

 

September 23, 2004

Jule Styne Gala starring singers Kim Creswell, Anna-Jane Casey and Rob Raines and the full BBC Concert orchestra celebrating the centenary of the birth of songwriting great Jule Styne.

 

December 3, 2004 - January 8, 20 05

After an absence of three years, Pantomime  - that very British tradition - returns to the Empire, with an extra special production of the magical extravaganza, Aladdin.  At last it's back!

 

 

 

history


The Muse Euterpe, the central pediment
figure on the building front in Mare Street

 

The Architect: Frank Matcham (1854-1920)

Frank Matcham was, beyond argument, one of the world's most accomplished and inventive theatre architects. The architect and theatre historian, Victor Glasstone, suggests that he was the most prolific of all time and adds: 'He was the supreme example of the unacademic architect who could become master of his craft and who could always be relied upon to deliver a lively, sensuous interior, inexpensively constructed, but acutely aware of the technical difficulties of sightlines, acoustics and construction’

Matcham and two architects he helped to train, Bertie Crewe and W.G.R. Sprague, were together responsible for the majority - certainly more than 200 - of the theatres and variety palaces of the great building boom which took place in Britain between about 1890 and 1915, peaking at the turn of the century.

The thirty years following World War II saw a scything down of such buildings, then an unstudied, certainly undervalued and largely unprotected building type. By 1975 the number of significant Matcham works remaining in more or less complete condition had been reduced to fewer than 25, even after taking into account the modern recreation of the Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith and such non-theatrical prodigies as Blackpool Tower Ballroom and Leeds County Arcade.

Frank Matcham's skill was well recognised by those who commissioned his buildings, but he did not begin to achieve fuller recognition until 50 years after his death - and it took a further 25 years to achieve the accolade of inclusion in the Dictionary of National Biography. He was certainly not admired by the leaders of the profession in his day, who saw his office (if they gave it so much as a moments thought) as nothing more than a commercial theatre factory. He was nevertheless, a master of design, creating the building type which, for most people today, is pictured instantly when the word 'theatre' is uttered. He coped triumphantly with powerful commercial pressures (all theatres in his lifetime were commercial) to squeeze the biggest possible auditoria on to the smallest possible sites, while complying with all safety and escape regulations and providing excellent sighting and sound for every seat in the house. His theatres were functionally perfect by the standards of their time and they are still, with judicious updating, fully capable of serving modem demands.

The man was endlessly inventive. No two of his theatres were alike. They employed nearly every known - and some totally invented - styles with seeming abandon but, in fact, with total control, producing magical effects which work on performers and audiences today as they did when they were first built.

 

 
 
graphic Hackney Empire Ltd
291 Mare Street, London E8 1EJ
graphic graphic graphic graphic graphic
graphic Box Office Tel: +4420 8985 2424

 

 

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NEW WIMBLEDON THEATRE

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newwimbledontheatre.jpg (23871 bytes)Now in its 95th year, the now 'New Wimbledon Theatre' remains a short skip, hop and a jump from Central London.  Just grab one of those frequent trains out of Waterloo Station on the SouthBank and within 15 minutes you will find yourself in the suburbs of London and just two minutes walk from a glorious Victorian Theatre.

newwimbledontheatre.jpg (23871 bytes)Created by JB Mulholland, an Edwardian entrepreneur who believed that no community was complete without it's own theatre (and already the owner of the Metropole in Camberwell and the King’s in Hammersmith),  Mulholland saw the late Victorian expansion of the Wimbledon area as an opportunity to back his beliefs.

newwimbledontheatre.jpg (23871 bytes)The Theatre was built in 1910 on the site of a large house with spacious grounds, and was designed by Cecil Masey and Roy Young. The imposing Georgian Renaissance frontage was topped by the Goddess of Gaiety, a winged angel fixed high on the dome above the buildings. Inside, the walls and ceilings were covered with painted and sculpted figures in the style of the Italian Renaissance. To this day, the Theatre contains many of its original features; with one exception- it has a new angel. During the period of the Second World War it became clear that the angel was being used as a directional beacon by the enemy aircraft flying back to the south coast ports to inflict more damage after raids on London. The figure was taken down and of course was subsequently lost. During the refurbishment period in 1991 a public appeal was launched to provide a new angel to symbolize the rebirth of the "Grand Old Lady" on the Broadway.

newwimbledontheatre.jpg (23871 bytes)On Boxing Day 1910, with Mr Mulholland as sole owner and General Manager, the beautiful new Theatre opened its doors with the pantomime Jack and Jill. For the people of Wimbledon and the surrounding area it was a glittering social occasion, the first of many throughout the Theatre’s history. Reviewed favorably by the Times, the critic added: "For beauty and size Wimbledon Theatre would not disgrace Shaftesbury Avenue". Wimbledon built a fine reputation, with star names and famous companies appearing week by week. In those early days, the programme was priced at one penny, with seats in the stalls a shilling, and sixpence in the gallery – and a glass of whiskey in the interval cost fourpence!

newwimbledontheatre.jpg (23871 bytes)All the great actor-managers and producers of the day brought their productions to Wimbledon, and the Theatre played host to names like Matheson Lang, Julia Neilson, Fred Terry, Ellaline Terris and Laurence Irving-it was he who gave a party on stage after what was to be his last performance, prior to his trip to America on the tragic maiden voyage of the Titanic.

newwimbledontheatre.jpg (23871 bytes)The Mulholland years were highly successful, with big shows and popular entertainers playing to packed houses. Names as famous and diverse as Gracie Fields and Sybil Thorndike, Ivor Novello, Markova and Nöel Coward. By the time of his death in 1925, "JB" had established Wimbledon as one of the best touring dates in the country. The Theatre continued under the control of the Mulholland family, operating as a touring house with the King’s Theatre, Hammersmith. In the early 30’s a repertory policy was introduced with success, but the competition from the new "picture houses" was growing, and nationally the live theatre struggled to maintain its share of the market.

newwimbledontheatre.jpg (23871 bytes)Wimbledon fought back with a vengeance.  Although it was a period of "ups and downs", the great theatrical occasions were still staged there including the last appearance on February 21, 1934 of the distinguished actor, Sir Henry Lytton.  During the Second World War years, the Theatre kept its doors open whenever possible, and narrowly survived several near misses in the London Blitz.  Again, there were nights to remember, with the Theatre presenting a succession of fund-raining gala shows - one of which was a star-studded bill, organized by Mrs Churchill in aid of war refugees, with the famous Flanagan and Allen leading the chorus singing from the Wimbledon stage.

newwimbledontheatre.jpg (23871 bytes)More recently and after a chequered history, the Theatre re-opened in November 1968 and over the next five years the presented a wide variety of productions with some successes including the final London appearances of the legendary Marlene Dietrich.

And a few weeks ago,  with a new make-over,  the New Wimbledon Theatre under the management of the Ambassador Theatre Group, (the second largest theatre group both in the West End and in the regions) opened its doors with a Gala performance of Matthew Bourne's wonderful interpretation of the Nutcracker!.

 

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After a sell-out success at Sadler’s Wells and prior to a world tour, Bourne's trademark wit, pathos and magical theatricality, took the Wimbledon audience on a breath-taking journey from a hilariously bleak Christmas Eve at Dr. Dross’ Orphanage, through a shimmering ice-skating wonderland, to the spectacular candy folk of Sweetieland. Set to Tchaikovsky's much loved score, Matthew Bourne’s Nutcracker! was designed by Olivier Award winning, Anthony Ward whose recent credits include Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at the London Palladium.

 

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The renovated theatre provides the perfect stage for large scale shows.  The steep theatre (not for those who do not like heights) is reminiscent of days gone by.  And Matthew Bourne having achieved worldwide artistic and critical success for his innovative new versions of classic ballets that include Swan Lake and Cinderella, chose to kick-off his world wide tour of this sensational production at the New Wimbledon Theatre.

This was followed by one of the West End’s biggest hits, the very British 'The Play What I Wrote'

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With special celebrity (mystery) guest stars making a surprise nightly,  (including the like of   Roger Moore, Ewan McGregor, Kylie Minogue,  Nigel Havers, Sting)  on our night at Wimbledon the stage was graced by a very funny and 'over the top' performance by Richard Wilson.

The theatre's season also includes a series of musicals hot off the press from the West End and kicking - off (literally) with Crazy for You.  The all-singing, all-dancing, hit Broadway musical featuring a cast of over 40 talented performers, tap-dances its way though those old favorites including classic Gershwin songs such as Slap That Bass, I Got Rhythm, They Can’t Take That Away From Me, Embraceable You and Someone To Watch Over Me.

No doubt future shows will include the same Breath-taking dancing and classic songs and for the cost of a short train ride you get a great show for far less than the price of a West End ticket.   So consider the New Wimbledon option a worthwhile choice of new venue for the best of London entertainment!

 

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Box Office: +44870 060 6646

 

 

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Venue: Trafalgar Square
London SW1

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Ken Livingstone, Mayor of London has great plans for Trafalgar Square. 

One of the great assets of a major city is a central square where pedestrians and tourists alike can stop to chat and linger.  The square must also be surrounded by great buildings to admire....and Trafalgar Square excels in this arena! 

Ken has taken an often maligned home for pigeon feeders and made it into a venue for all kinds of entertainment and a focal point for events which inform the public.

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During last summer, tourists and Londoners alike found themselves in the heart of central London surrounded by live, free shows.  The recently expanded space was home to a summer season of dance, mime, rock concerts and much more,  performed by international artists

More recently, Nelson's Column was the backdrop as London welcomed the Olympic Torch to the United Kingdom.  Ken and a crowd of prominent athletes together with a group of local school kids raised the flag of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games over Trafalgar Square. 

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In June 2004 - no doubt one great Olympian, such as Sir Steve Redgrave (the five time Olympic Gold medallist), may be seen streaking across the Square as part of a leg on the long journey to Athens.  London takes its role as one of the 33 cities across the world taking part in the torch relay for the 2004 Athens Olympic Games very seriously!

 
 

But you will not have to wait until next year for some Trafalgar Square action.

The annual lighting ceremony on Thursday, December 4 of the Christmas Tree is a tradition.  A gift from Norway, it is the official start of Christmas and an excuse to kick-off the Christmas Carol singing extravaganza.

Right through to the holidays, the fabulous Trafalgar Square, complete with the traditional Norwegian Christmas Tree, will provide the backdrop to a free programme of carol singing, which begins on Saturday, December 6 and runs until Christmas Eve.

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Highlights from many of the fund-raising free concerts include - and these are just a brief selection:


Saturday, December 6:
5pm-6pm Holy Cross Church (The Children's Society)
6pm-8pm Amnesty International (two hours)

Thursday, December 11:
6pm-7pm Help the Aged

Friday, December 12:
5pm-9pm Gospel Festival

Thursday, December 18:
5pm-7pm RNIB
7pm-8pm St Mary's Singers (South Africa)
8pm-9pm Bushey & Oxhey District Scouts

Saturday, December 20:
5pm-6pm Anglican Society for Welfare of Animals
6pm-7pm London City Mission
7pm-8pm Cancer Research UK

Wednesday, December 24:
7pm-9pm Walworth Methodist Church (National Children's Homes)

The Mayor says: 'The reopening of Trafalgar Square has been one of this year's highlights, providing a wonderful backdrop to some great free entertainment throughout the year........ What better way to spend an hour or two before a night on the town, or on your way home.'

Please note that the Christmas programme is subject to change.  If you can't get there 'til after Christmas the tree stays until January 6, 2004 - the 12th Night of Christmas....but no Christmas Carols!

 

 

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The Royal Academy's fabulous new space at Burlington Gardens opens with a major exhibition dedicated to the career of the internationally renowned fashion designer, Giorgio Armani.  The building, acquired by the Royal Academy in January 2001, has been brought to life as a new art space in the centre of London.  Located at 6 Burlington Gardens, it lies directly behind the Royal Academy.

With minimal intervention to the building itself, a temporary new and exciting exhibition space has been created on the first floor.   Within the transformed exhibition space - including the white-painted stairwell, acclaimed artist and theatre director Robert Wilson has created a specially conceived installation for Giorgio Armani: A Retrospective.   He  combines architectural elements, dramatic lighting, music, and customized mannequins, to provide a spectacular setting for Armani’s designs.  The location for this exhibit is perfect and the venue makes for a sensational home for the 500 mannequins who fill the rooms, as if at a series of parties

Burlington Gardens - with its restricted use for 'public service' - originally formed part of the Burlington Estate, and was bought by the Government of the day from the Cavendish family in 1854.  The listed Grade 2* building - which was always seen as a centre for intellectual life, for the arts, and for education - was designed by Sir James Pennethorne, a distinguished Victorian architect, between 1867 and 1870. It's original purpose: for the University of London to house its administrative and examination functions. It is

From 1970 the building was occupied by the British Museum, housing the ethnography collection and known as the Museum of Mankind. It closed to the public in December 1997.  Today, the original galleries now form a continuous circuit of exhibition space with the addition of a bridge over the mezzanine gallery. The entrance hall and stairwell have been painted white throughout, revealing the decorative plasterwork. 

The beautifully preserved building now enjoys enhanced facilities on the ground floor including a ticket office, cloakroom, a large entertaining room, a redecorated café and a refitted shop full of fab Armani goodies.

So if you want a good cup of coffee and expensive museum gifts this sensational  space - its interiors reminiscent of the best of New York loft buildings (but with a central staircase) - is a 'must checkout'  addition to your London 'best list'

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A View into the Almeida Theatre, Almeida Street, Islington, London, N1 1TA

September 8 update:

I.D. by Anthony Sher runs through October 18, 2003.  It's the first opportunity that I have had to see a production at the Almeida since its renovation, and the theatre achieved everything that it set out to do -  the acting space and the auditorium are almost all inclusive.

Consistent with a completely integrated experience, images from the play appear throughout the venue.  The bar and foyer - which are also almost of a single space - act to prompt the audience that they are always part of a theatrical experience.

Some plays succeed in entertaining and others take on a different role.  In Sher's first attempt at writing about his country South Africa you feel that he chose the Almeida as the venue for his world premiere because the stark rounded stage feels as if it could be the center of apartheid. 

Certainly the audience share the experience of almost choking claustrophobia as Sher performs the role of a character engaged in the ultimate apartheid dilemma: appearing to be 'white', but according to apartheid law, a black man.  Demetrios Tsafendas fails to change his I.D. status and therefore is rejected by his only love.  Disenfranchised as a result of his inability to finds his place in society- even within the unbearably, desocialized South Africa, he assassinates the founder of Apartheid who is the very core representation of his lost love, Prime Minister Minister Hendrick Verwoerd.  The chilling repetition of Verwoerd's words - that either the assassins are mad or we (the government) are mad - makes the statement on behalf of any modern leader. 

I.D. acts as a lesson for the audience where knowledge of South African politics may not extend beyond Nelson Mandela. 

With his mission to explain, we are drawn into the history by the intimacy of the production; and from which the audience may take away a new awareness of the dangers of any extreme ideologist.

 

Darryll Adler, theatre editor~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The dramatic new look to one of London's favorite theatres raised a tantalising question.  Would the recently renovated Almeida - famous for the intermission crowd spilling out onto the street with nowhere else to go (and often getting rained on) - still draw the crowds?

For those who remember fondly those moments of bonding with fellow members of the audience, would the new millennium venue dislodge the very down to earth spirit of the place and performance which made the Almeida unique?

Curiosity was compounded when it was announced that Michael Attenborough was taking over as Artistic Director upon the company's return to North London.  A fascinating debate: new management, a fabulous new foyer, slightly expanded seating...  would the 'up-dated' Almeida live up to its past reputation?

'The Lady from the Sea' was the first production to 'treads the boards' of the refurbished Islington theatre.  Seating  just over 300,  the unique qualities of the theatre remained untouched and the distinctive auditorium retained its curved brick wall.  From the May 8 -  June 28, 2003  Henrik Ibsen's play, directed by Trevor Nunn, designed by Rob Howell and starring Natasha Richardson played to sold-out houses.  

And did the design by architect, Mark Foley - who is an expert in theatre restoration (and quietly aspires to get his hands on a visual arts venue) meet expectations and universal approval? 

For those of you who did not share in past ground-breaking productions and ever-temporary restrooms, the new Almeida looks like a theatre-goers dream.  But did the critics give the new look a unanimous thumbs up:

  • '...beautifully restored' said The New York Times
  • "Good news ... the Almeida has reopened and the refurbishment is a success ... The stage and auditorium have retained their distinctive character." Sunday Telegraph
  • "The brick-walled intimacy loyally preserved." Guardian
  • "The auspicious return of the Almeida Theatre." Sunday Express
  • "The building is brighter and more spacious ... the relationship between stage and auditorium loyally preserved." Sunday Times
  • "Vastly improved foyer ... the auditorium with its uncanny ability to combine the intimate and the epic." Daily Telegraph
  • "Splendidly refurbished." Independent

According to Foley, whose partnership had worked closely with the Almeida from its inception as a theatre, the intention of the redevelopment was to retain the integrity of the space, whilst improving the quality of the experience - both for the audience and employees of the company - including actors and the often forgotten technicians.  "It's almost like a workshop, or in my opinion a living space.....you get performance of an epic scale.....it's back to basics - tough warehouse spontaneity - not super-slick, but efficient.......  and the audience become effectively inclusive of the stage....".

I did not go see The Lady from the Sea but shows on the production line for the next season all promise to be huge hits.  Attenborough defines the heart of his policy as "the ability to be completely eclectic, surprising and different - because that is the nature of the Almeida" And I will be in line to report on the first full season and its unique ability to deliver intimacy, whilst now offering the comfort of a beautifully designed bar and foyer. 

Foley's 'living space' promotes the inside of the auditorium from the outset, from the outside.  A huge hanging poster of the show in production acts as a back drop to the foyer and the first thing you see as you look through the glass frontage of the building. 

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"While the wine bar provides a warm, friendly space intended for daytime as well as night use, the foyer is treated as a much tougher semi-outside space with an expansive glass roof. The durable concrete finishes of the foyer are designed to take the wear and tear of a space that is used as much for the get-in and assembly of sets as a gathering space for the audiences entering the theatre", explains Foley.

So here is the line-up for the upcoming season:

But first a short backgrounder: The North London based Almeida Street Theatre is a listed building, originally built in 1837 as reading rooms and a lecture theatre for Islington's newly formed Literary and Scientific Institution. The Almeida Theatre Company - originally founded in 1980 by Pierre Audi - became an internationally recognised producing house under the Artistic Directorship of Jonathan Kent and Ian McDiarmid (1990-2002).  Through a combination of age, temporary repair measures since its rescue in 1980, and pressing licensing and legislative issues, the building required urgent work in order to be kept open. In November 2000, under the Artistic Directorship of Kent and McDiarmid, the Almeida Theatre Company was awarded £1.9 million by the Arts Council of England as a result of an application to the National Lottery to undertake essential repairs to the theatre, rehearsal rooms and offices.  The final performances at the 'old' Almeida Islington took place in February 2001 and the Company's work continued from March 2001 until July 2002, at a  newly created theatre space in King's Cross on the site of a former coach station.  During the Almeida at King's Cross residency the theatre presented two world premieres of LaBute's plays - The Distance From Here directed by David Leveaux and The Shape of Things, directed by the author. The Shape of Things transferred to New York with the original Almeida cast and was subsequently made into a feature film.   (LaBute's other film work includes In the Company of Men, Your Friends and Neighbors, Nurse Betty and Possession.) During 2001/2, an additional £1.8 million was received from the Lottery and a further £3.9m million was raised by the Almeida itself, which included funds raised for its temporary home in Kings Cross. Michael Attenborough, the Almeida's new Artistic Director, re-opened the theatre in May 2003. 

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WORLD PREMIERE OF ANTONY SHER'S FIRST PLAY DIRECTED BY NANCY MECKLER

I.D.

August 28 - October 18, 2003

On 6th September 1966 South African Prime Minister Hendrick Verwoerd was stabbed to death in Parliament by messenger Demetrios Tsafendas. I.D. is an epic portrait of the mad Old South Africa and of two individuals, the Prime Minister and his killer, both searching for the same thing - identity.

Antony Sher has written four novels - Middlepost, The Indoor Boy, Cheap Lives, and The Feast - as well as two theatre journals - Woza Shakespeare: Titus Andronicus in South Africa (written with Greg Doran) and Year of the King. His autobiography, Beside Myself, has recently been published in paperback. This month Sher revives his Royal Shakespeare Company roles in The Roman Actor and The Malcontent as part of a season at the Gielgud.

Nancy Meckler has been Artistic Director of Shared Experience since 1988 where her many productions for the company have included Anna Karenina and The Mill on The Floss. Previously she was Associate Director at Hampstead Theatre and the Leicester Haymarket. She has directed two feature films - Sister My Sister and Alive and Kicking (with Antony Sher). Her production of Martin Sherman's Rose played at the National Theatre and on Broadway. Nancy Meckler's recent tour for Shared Experience, A Passage to India, will play at the Riverside Studios in January 2003.

(Saturday,  September 20 (matinee) - Audio Described performance
Tuesday,  September 23 - Captioned performance
Wednesday, October 8 - Sign Language Interpreted performance)

 

MICHAEL ATTENBOROUGH DIRECTS BRITISH PREMIERE OF NEIL LABUTE'S

T H E  M E R C Y  S E A T

October 23 - December 6, 2003

The Almeida continues its creative association with Neil LaBute by presenting the British premiere of his latest play, The Mercy Seat. Directed by Michael Attenborough and designed by Robert Jones.   LaBute directed the world premiere of The Mercy Seat at the MCC Theater, New York.

12 September 2001. While the dust is still settling, Ben and Abby can choose to see what has happened as a tragedy, a catastrophe … or an opportunity. With New York City choked with xeroxes of missing persons, this is their chance to disappear - to be dead to the world or to start a new life.

Michael Attenborough was educated at Westminster School and Sussex University. In 2002 Michael was appointed Artistic Director of the Almeida Theatre. On leaving the RSC he was invited to become an Honorary Associate Artist of the company.

(Saturday, November 22 - (matinee) - Audio Described performance
Tuesday, November 25 - Captioned performance
Wednesday, December 3 - Sign Language Interpreted performance)

 

MICHAEL ATTENBOROUGH   DIRECTS WORLD PREMIERE OF JOANNA LAURENS'

F I V E  G O L D  R I N G S

December 11, 2003 - January 17, 2004

Michael Attenborough directs 24 year-old, award-winning writer Joanna Laurens' second play, Five Gold Rings.

Henry has invited his two sons and their wives to his home for Christmas. One son is sexually fertile, one is not. Five Gold Rings sees the conflicting needs of the two couples clash, intertwine and explode.

Joanna Laurens' first play The Three Birds - which opened at The Gate Theatre in 2000 - was awarded The Critics' Circle Most Promising Playwright Award and the Time Out Award for Most Outstanding New Talent. In November this year The Three Birds received its US premiere in New York.

After leaving Hampstead Theatre in 1989, where he was Artistic Director, Michael Attenborough became Executive Producer and Resident Director at the Royal Shakespeare Company. His more recent productions for the RSC - where in 1996 he became Principal Associate Director - include David Edgar's Pentecost and The Prisoner's Dilemma, Peter Whelan's The Herbal Bed and Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, Othello, Henry IV Part 1 and Henry IV Part 2 and Antony and Cleopatra. Michael Attenborough was appointed as Artistic Director of the Almeida Theatre earlier this year.

 

LISTINGS INFORMATION

ACCESS

The refurbished theatre includes an Infra-Red Assisted Hearing System in the Auditorium, an Induction Loop in the Box Office, an increased number of spaces for wheelchair users, a ramped entrance to the auditorium and low level counters in all Front of House areas. Throughout the season there will be a full programme of Signed and Audio Described performances, Captioned performances and Touch Tours.

ADDRESS

Almeida Theatre, Almeida Street, Islington, London, N1 1TA

BOX OFFICE

Phone (24hr) +4420 7359 4404 (no booking fee)
In person 10.00am - 8.00pm 
Email ticketrequests@almeida.co.uk
Tickets £6.00 (us$10) to £27.50 (us$44), concessions available

CAFÉ-BAR

The rebuilt Almeida Café-Bar will open from 11.30am - 11.00pm, Monday to Saturday, serving food, drinks and snacks.

PERFORMANCES

Monday - Saturday at 7.30pm, Saturday matinees at 3.00pm

TRANSPORT

Tube: Highbury and Islington (Victoria Line, North London Line) Angel (Northern Line) Bus: 4, 19, 30, 43 (Upper Street) 38, 73, 171 (Islington Green) 271, 277 (Highbury Corner) Car Parking: Limited on-street parking on Almeida Street after 6.30pm, Monday to Friday, after 1.30pm Saturday. Nearest Car Park 5 minutes walk at the Business Design Centre.

(Acknowledgement should be given to the whole of the team under the Architects Burrell Foley Fisher, including Arup Acoustics, Alan Conisbee Associates (Structural Engineers), Max Fordham and Partners (Building Services Engineers), Purcell Miller Tritton (Access Consultants), Merriman and Partners (Property Consultants), Roger Rawlinson Associates (Quantity Surveyors), JGP Associates (Planning Supervisor), Theatre Plan (Theatre Consultant) and Tony Hudson (Project Manager).

 

 

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BA Millennium Eye with County Hall , BA London Eye, Around the City of Westminster - click to enlarge      BA Millennium Eye , BA London Eye, Around the City of Westminster - click to enlarge     BA Millennium Eye with County Hall , BA London Eye, Around the City of Westminster - click to enlarge

THE SAATCHI GALLERY

COUNTY HALL, SOUTH BANK

LONDON SE1 7PB

Featuring

DAMIEN HIRST RETROSPECTIVE

Opens 17th April 2003

 

THE SAATCHI GALLERY LAUNCHES AT COUNTY HALL

The doors to the Saatchi Gallery's new home at County Hall open this Thursday April 17.  Be dazzled by a retrospective of Damien Hirst, together with many other iconic works of contemporary art.   On display: the best of Tracey Emin, the Chapman Brothers, Jenny Saville, Sarah Lucas, Ron Mueck, Chris Ofili and Marcus Harvey.   (for a full list see below)

But this is not all that's happening on April 17.   There's also a chance to explore a space within the gallery called the Boiler Room which will be devoted to showing emerging new artists. These exhibitions will change every five to six weeks.

The Main Gallery will concentrate on exhibiting art from its own collection showcasing young British art, but in the future you may also catch the best of modern art originating from museums and galleries from around the world.

Located close to attractions such as the London Eye and the Aquarium and within striking distance of the Eurostar, The Saatchi Gallery plans to introduce new art to a wider and more diverse audience.

The review of the Gallery, its artwork and everything else will come hot off the press very soon!

 

OPENING TIMES:
Sunday – Thursday 10.00 – 6.00pm
Friday – Saturday 10.00 – 10.00pm

ADMISSION:

Adults: £8.50 US$14
Concessions: £6.50 US$11

Advanced Tickets: +44870 1160 278
Information Line: +4420 7823 2363

UNDERGROUND:

Westminster on District, Circle & Jubilee Lines

Waterloo on Northern, Jubilee, Waterloo & City

& Bakerloo Southbank exit 6 right along Thames Path

BUSES:

Westminster Bridge 12, 53, 159, 211

York Road 211 77 381

       

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