thelondonseason

new venues

 

 

 


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.


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

 

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.

wpe7C.jpg (7380 bytes)

wpe7E.jpg (1053 bytes)wpe7E.jpg (1053 bytes)wpe7E.jpg (1053 bytes)wpe7E.jpg (1053 bytes)wpe7E.jpg (1053 bytes)wpe7E.jpg (1053 bytes) 'Diehard' John McEnroe (above) has been abandoned by one of his main competitors as Goran Ivanisevic bowed out of The Champions Masters at the Royal Albert Hall in London (November 29 to December 4) when his country called upon his services. Goran will now be the fourth Croatian competing in in the Davis Cup Final against Slovakia in Bratislava in December.  The emergence and success of Central European countries in sport is relentless..........

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,

Cedric Pioline, Sergi Bruguera, Anders Jarryd, wpe7E.jpg (1053 bytes)wpe7E.jpg (1053 bytes)wpe7E.jpg (1053 bytes)wpe7E.jpg (1053 bytes)wpe7E.jpg (1053 bytes)wpe7E.jpg (1053 bytes)

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 Heywoodıs 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

 

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The Red Bull Playhouse was an open-yard theatre which lay just off St Johnıs Street in Clerkenwell. Built in 1605, it was a hugely successful rival to the Globe, and to Shakespeareıs company The Kingıs Men. The resident Red Bull company, the Queenıs Servants, performed a remarkable repertoire citizenıs dramas (including HeywoodŒs A Woman Killed With Kindness), Jacobean tragedy (such as Websterıs 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 Cromwellıs puritans, and remained open throughout the Interregnum. The site of the theatre can still be discerned as Heywardıs 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 Englandıs 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 Shakespeareıs 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 membersı work includes the RSC, National Theatre, Shakespeareıs Globe, Original Shakespeare Company and the West End. They staged a similar event on the architectural remains of the Rose Theatre in Southwark, producing Marloweıs 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)