City Events August to October 2017

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AUTUMN IN THE CITY AUGUST TO OCTOBER 2017

www.visitthecity.co.uk ART AND EXHIBITIONS FAMILY MUSIC SPECIAL EVENTS THEATRE WALKS AND TALKS


ART AND EXHIBITIONS

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FAMILY 10

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MUSIC 12

SPECIAL EVENTS

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THEATRE 20

WALKS AND TALKS

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Blood Rite p.19

As autumn arrives and the leaves start to turn, the City will see red and gold sweep through its streets as the Romans of Londinium return to the Square Mile.

This season’s highlight, Londinium: The City’s Roman Story, is a celebration of the City’s Roman heritage. Unearthing long lost stories and deep buried secrets, a legion of Roman-themed events and activities will be present for all to enjoy. Bring a picnic and blanket and enjoy Roman-inspired films as part of Swords and Sandals Outdoor Cinema (p.16). Also not to be missed is the Art & Archaeology: Family Fun Days (p.10), and hip-hop dance spectacular Blood Rite (p.19) later in the season. Look out for the Roman icon and immerse yourself in Londinium.

It’s not all centurions and gladiators though. Public art installation Sculpture in the City (p.4) lights up the streets of the City, whilst contemporary art exhibition Nature Morte (p.6) reinvigorates the still life genre. September also sees the return of Open House (p.17) for those keen to gain access to City buildings normally closed to the public. As part of the weekend, House of Sound (p.17) will bring the sounds of old London to the present day at sites across the Square Mile.

For more events and information about the City go to www.visitthecity.co.uk or visit our City Information Centre by St Paul’s Cathedral, where our friendly, multilingual staff are ready to help you plan your days out: City of London Information Centre St Paul’s Churchyard London EC4M 8BX

Look for the Centurion helmet for events in the Londinium season. For full events programme, visit: visitlondon.com/romans The information in this leaflet has been researched and compiled in good faith and checked as thoroughly as possible with the relevant sources. It is correct to the best of the publisher’s knowledge at the time of printing (July 2017) and the publisher cannot accept any liability for errors and omissions howsoever caused. No payment was either solicited or received for inclusion of entries (with the exception of the back page advertisement) and it does not claim to be fully comprehensive.

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A Smarter City

#LondonTrending

The popular public art exhibition returns to the Square Mile’s insurance district. This year’s exhibition includes works from internationally-renowned artists including Damien Hirst, Paul McCarthy and Gavin Turk. FREE to view at any time Pick up a free map from the City Information Centre St Paul’s Churchyard EC4M 8BX Around St Botolph without Bishopsgate, Lime Street, St Mary Axe, Great St Helen’s and Undershaft EC3 www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/ sculptureinthecity

To create a City that is competitive, open, interconnected and intelligent, the Square Mile must embrace new technologies. The City Centre’s latest exhibition displays shortlisted entries to a series of ideas competitions, including Smart Buildings and Smart Infrastructure. Exhibited alongside the architectural model of the Square Mile will also be an overview of global smart city projects. Mon-Sat 10am-5pm (City Model exhibition Friday and Saturday only) FREE The City Centre 80 Basinghall Street EC2V 5AG www.thecitycentre.london T 020 7600 8362

F​ rom the mid-20th century through to the early 00s, London was at the heart of a cultural explosion. Collaborations between groups of artists based in the capital heralded era-defining work and propelled London to the centre of the art world. Exhibition #LondonTrending documents the rise of London’s artists through a display of limited edition prints on loan from British Land. Mon-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 12noon-4pm FREE Guildhall Art Gallery Guildhall Yard EC2V 5AE www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/ londontrending T 020 7332 3700

Sculpture in the City

Ongoing

Life on the London Stage Uncover the lives of performers on the London stage, from the days of Elizabethan theatre to the 20th century. Original records that document the successes of some of London’s most celebrated performers will appear alongside workhouse records, court registers and other sources. From Shakespeare’s forgotten brother to Charlie Chaplin and the stars of Music Hall, Life on the London Stage will delve into the past and show a fascinating record of the lives of London’s entertainers. Mon 9.30am-4.45pm; Tue-Thu 9.30am-7.30pm FREE London Metropolitan Archives 40 Northampton Road EC1R 0HB www.lifeonthelondonstage. eventbrite.co.uk T 020 7332 3851

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Ongoing

5 Art and Exhibitions

Until 28 August

Ongoing

Ongoing

The City Is Ours As the number of people living in cities continues to grow, explore the pleasures and challenges of urban living through a range of digital and physical interactives and films. When: 10am-6pm FREE Museum of London 150 London Wall EC2Y 5HN www.museumoflondon.org.uk T 020 7001 9844

Ongoing

Pulse

Get under London’s skin in this new digital installation by Tekja. Watch as live data of the happenings and evolving moods of London is visualised, all in real time. Part of the City Now City Future season. When: 10am-6pm FREE Museum of London 150 London Wall EC2Y 5HN www.museumoflondon.org.uk T 020 7001 9844

Until 31 August

Stationers not Stationary Discover the 600-year history of the Worshipful Company of Stationers and Newspaper Makers and their presence at the forefront of printing and publishing. With 90% of its 900 members still directly involved in the content and communications industries, Stationers’ Hall remains a focal point. Mon-Fri 9.30am-5pm; Wed until 7.30pm; open alternative Sats FREE Guildhall Library Aldermanbury EC2V 7HH www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/ guildhalllibrary T 020 7332 1869/1871


Come face-to-face with a Roman skull uncovered during excavations close to the Walbrook. Dating to around AD150, the skull shows evidence of substantial head trauma around the time of death. This is the closest archaeologists have come to identifying a potential gladiator in Roman London. Curated by the Museum of London, this exhibition looks at representations of gladiators in Londinium and imagines what life may have been like for early visitors to the Amphitheatre. Mon-Sat 10am-5pm; Sun 12noon-4pm FREE London’s Roman Amphitheatre Guildhall Art Gallery, Guildhall Yard EC2V 5AE www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/ guildhallartgallery T 020 7332 3700

From 12 August

1199 Grant of Shrievalty Discover one of the City’s oldest documents, an 1199 grant from King John which gave Londoner’s the right to vote for their own Sheriff. The peacekeepers and taxcollectors of the City, the office of Sheriff dates back further than any other in the City, including the Lord Mayor. Mon-Sat 10am-5pm; Sun 12noon-4pm FREE Heritage Gallery Guildhall Art Gallery, Guildhall Yard EC2V 5AE www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/ heritagegallery T 020 7332 3700

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Trades of the Walbrook

Trauma

From 4 September

Till Time’s Last Sand - A history of the Bank of England To coincide with the publication of David Kynaston’s latest book, this display will delve into the history of the Bank of England from its foundation in 1694. The display will feature original archive documents and photographs illustrating some of the highlights from the Bank’s history. Mon-Fri 10am-4pm FREE Bank of England Museum Bartholomew Lane EC2R 8AH www.bankofengland.co.uk/ museum T 020 3461 5545

From 11 September

The Discovery of Roman London By linking objects, archives and stunning 19th-century illustrations this exhibition tells the remarkable story of the discovery of Roman London over the last three centuries. Mon-Fri 9.30am-5pm; Wed until 7.30pm; open alternative Sats FREE Guildhall Library Aldermanbury EC2V 7HH www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/ guildhalllibrary T 020 7332 1869/1871

Meet some of the original Roman Londoners (played by actors) whose stories were brought to life through the Bloomberg writing tablets, found during the archaeological excavations on the site of Bloomberg’s new European headquarters. Dating back to the 1st century AD, these 400 writing tablets give an extraordinary insight into early Londinium, and unearth Roman London’s first voices. When: 11am-3pm FREE Paternoster Square EC4M 7DX www.mola.org.uk/events

From 7 September

Nature Morte Discover a 16th-century art tradition transported into the modern era. Guildhall Art Gallery’s exhibition displays contemporary artworks which reinvigorate the themes of still life. Over a hundred works of art explore the transience of time and the problem of mortality, inviting us to pause and reconsider what it means to be human. Featuring acclaimed international and London artists, as well as a selection from the Gallery’s historic collection. Mon-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 12noon-4pm Admission: £8, concs £6 Guildhall Art Gallery Guildhall Yard EC2V 5AE www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/ naturemorte T 020 7332 3700

7 Art and Exhibitions

16 September

Until 29 October

16 – 24 September

London Design Festival at Broadgate Renowned designer Camille Walala brings a striking landmark project to Broadgate, named Villa Walala, as part of the upcoming London Design Festival. FREE to view at any time Exchange Square, Broadgate EC2A 2BQ www.broadgate.co.uk/camillewalala-broadgate-ldf T 020 7505 4043


An annual exhibition of works by artist members of the Worshipful Company of Painter-Stainers. Dating from the 13th century, the Painter-Stainers’ Company is the fifth oldest Guild operating in the City of London, today awarding art prizes and scholarships to young artists, as well as running the national Lynn-Painter-Stainers Prize. When: 10.30am-5.30pm; Wed until 8pm FREE Painters’ Hall 9 Little Trinity Lane EC4V 2AD www.painter-stainers.org/ arts-crafts T 020 7236 7070

British artist and filmmaker, and winner of the 2017 Artes Mundi prize, John Akomfrah has been commissioned to create a new work for the Curve. His most ambitious project to date, Purple is an immersive, six-channel video installation addressing climate change and its effects on human communities, biodiversity and the wilderness. Sat-Wed 11am-8pm, Thu & Fri 11am-9pm FREE Curve Gallery Silk Street, Barbican EC2Y 8DS www.barbican.org.uk/artgallery T 020 7638 4141

© The Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat. Licensed by Artestar, New York.

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From 6 October

Art in the City

9 Art and Exhibitions

2 – 4 October

John Akomfrah: Purple

From 21 September

Basquiat: Boom for Real

From end of October

Discover the work of Jean-Michel Basquiat, the pioneering prodigy of the 1980s downtown New York art scene. This unprecedented exhibition brings together an outstanding selection of more than 100 works from international museums and private collections. Featuring rare film, photography and archive material, the show captures the spirit of this self-taught artist, poet, DJ and musician whose influence, since his death at 27 in 1988, has been enormous. Sun-Wed 10am-6pm; Thu, Fri Sat 10am-10pm Admission: £16, concs available Barbican Art Gallery Silk Street EC2Y 8DS www.barbican.org.uk/basquiat T 020 7638 4141

The much anticipated Roman Temple of Mithras returns to the location of its discovery in the heart of the City. Situated beneath the site of Bloomberg’s new European headquarters, this new cultural space will showcase the ancient temple, a selection of the remarkable collection of Roman artefacts found during excavation, and a series of contemporary art commissions responding to one of the UK’s most significant archaeological sites. Check website for opening times FREE London Mithraeum Bloomberg SPACE (on Walbrook) www.londonmithraeum.com

London Mithraeum

3 – 29 October

The Lost City of London As World War II ended, work began on re-building the City. Many Roman remains were unearthed during the devastation of the Blitz, and the Roman and Medieval London Excavation Council was set up to undertake archaeological recording. In this outdoor exhibition, view rarely seen excavation photographs and discover the sites that were uncovered, including the Temple of Mithras, the remains of the Roman fort and City wall.

The exhibition goes on to tell the amazing story of the preservation and reconstruction of the Temple of Mithras, from initial efforts to preserve and display it in the 1960s, to the development of the London Mithraeum, the exciting new permanent home for this vital piece of London’s Roman history on the site of Bloomberg’s new European headquarters. FREE to view at any time Paternoster Square EC4M 7DX www.visitlondon.com/romans


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Big Draw at Tower Bridge

Until 1 September

Banknote Detectives

Calling all Banknote detectives, the Museum needs your help this summer! Could you tell a real banknote from a fake? Explore the Museum using your detective skills to solve the puzzles. Mon-Fri 10am-4pm FREE Bank of England Museum Bartholomew Lane EC2R 8AH www.bankofengland.co.uk/ museum T 020 3461 5545

Until 2 September

Roman London: storytelling and object handling The year is AD130 and Londinium is booming. Who lives in this great city, and what stories might they tell? Be transported back almost 2,000 years with daily storytelling sessions about ancient Roman London by a member of the Museum of London’s host team. Get hands-on with history at a Roman object handling table for families and hear Londinium brought to life by the storytellers. Storytelling: Mon-Sun 2pm; Sat-Sun 3.15pm Object handling: Tue, Thu & Sat 2pm-4pm FREE Museum of London 150 London Wall EC2Y 5HN www.museumoflondon.org.uk/ families T 020 7001 9844

2, 9, 16, 23 & 30 August

Ask the Techie

Want to know how the Bridge works and what goes on behind the scenes? Have your questions answered by one of the Bridge’s Technical Officers. Expert engineers will be on hand in the atmospheric Engine Rooms. When: 1.15pm-2pm Admission: £9.80, child £4.20 (event free with general admission) Tower Bridge Tower Bridge Road SE1 2UP www.towerbridge.org.uk T 020 7403 3761

8 – 9 August

Art & Archaeology: Family Fun Days Bring your little (and big) ones for free Romaninspired family activities in the majestic surrounds of Guildhall Yard and London’s Roman Amphitheatre where there’ll be plenty to keep young centurions, budding Ciceros or Lara Crofts entertained. Featuring the Big Dig, workshops from acclaimed children’s author Caroline Lawrence, arts and crafts, and more. When: 11am-4.45pm FREE Guildhall Art Gallery Guildhall Yard EC2V 5AE www.visitlondon.com/romans T 020 7332 3700

17 September

LSO Discovery Opera in a Day: The Faust Legend

11 Family

21 October

Join a mark-making workshop with artist, Grace Holliday, in the high level walkways. Taking inspiration from the vibrant life of the River Thames and London’s unique skyline, you’ll be encouraged to add to the Tower Bridge collage. When: 10.30am-4pm Admission: £9.80, child £4.20 (event free with general admission) Tower Bridge Tower Bridge Road SE1 2UP www.towerbridge.org.uk T 020 7403 3761

Spend the day making a brand new opera inspired by the Faust legend, and join in a final informal performance at LSO St Luke’s. This creative experience is the perfect way to get the whole family involved in music-making and storytelling. When: 10am-5pm Admission: £10 adults; child £7 (plus booking fee) LSO St Luke’s 161 Old Street EC1V 9NG www.lso.co.uk T 020 7638 8891

1 October

Animated Romans Gladiators, imposing armies, luxurious baths and straight roads. Discover what daily life was like in the city 2,000 years ago at this interactive animation workshop in the Roman London gallery. When: 12.30pm-1.30pm, 2pm3pm, 3.30pm-4.30pm FREE Museum of London 150 London Wall EC2Y 5HN www.museumoflondon.org.uk/ families T 020 7001 9844

21 – 29 October

October half term at the Museum of London Take part in a week of daily free family events. Enjoy plenty of arts and crafts, interactive storytelling and live performances sure to delight and entertain. Daily. Various times available, see website for details FREE Museum of London 150 London Wall EC2Y 5HN www.museumoflondon.org.uk/ families T 020 7001 9844


Enjoy a weekday concert celebrating the music of Johan Sebastian Bach. Mon-Fri 1pm FREE St Lawrence Jewry Guildhall Yard EC2V 5AA www.stlawrencejewry.org.uk T 0207 600 9478

14 – 24 September

London Symphony Orchestra: This is Rattle To mark Sir Simon Rattle’s inaugural season as Music Director of the LSO, the orchestra is holding ten days of celebratory events. Five evening concerts will be conducted by Sir Simon himself, along with concerts curated by specially selected British composers. The celebrations extend beyond the concert hall with films and documentaries, an exhibition about Sir Simon’s career and interactive workshops for the whole family. Various times available, see website for details Admission: £5-£55 (plus booking fee) Barbican Centre, Milton Court Concert Hall & LSO St Luke’s Silk Street EC2Y 8DS (Barbican) / Silk Street EC2Y 9BH (Milton Court) / 161 Old Street EC1V 9NG (LSO St Luke’s) www.lso.co.uk T 020 7638 8891

18 September – 20 October

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August Festival

13 Music

Until 25 August

Free LSO Discovery Friday Lunchtime Concerts Discover more about music and the instruments of the orchestra in these concerts, with performances by LSO musicians and students from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. When: 12.30pm-1.15pm FREE LSO St Luke’s 161 Old Street EC1V 9NG www.lso.co.uk T 020 7638 8891

20 – 21 September

22 September

28 September – 1 October

David Coulter curates a multi-artist homage to the music which runs through the veins of Jim Jarmusch’s films, from whiskey-soaked Tom Waits to John Lurie’s No Wave sax. Featuring Mulatu Astatke, Camille O’Sullivan, Alex Kapranos and more. When: 7.30pm Admission: £15-£30 Barbican Theatre Silk Street EC2Y 8DS www.barbican.org.uk T 020 7638 8891

The Guildhall Symphony Orchestra opens the new academic year with two celestial choral works, Nicolai’s Mondchor (Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor) and Vaughan Williams’ Serenade to Music, with Elgar’s famous musical sketches, Enigma Variations. When: 7pm Admission: £10-£15, concs £5 Milton Court Concert Hall Silk Street EC2Y 9BH www.gsmd.ac.uk T 020 7638 8891

Transcender reaches its ninth edition in 2017. This critically acclaimed series explores the different music from East to West and ancient to modern that share a common impulse towards an altered state of consciousness, using pulse, repetition, hypnotic patterns and ecstatic peaks. When: 7.30pm Admission: £15-£27.50 Barbican Centre Silk Street EC2Y 8DS www.barbican.org.uk T 020 7638 8891

Jim Jarmusch Revisited

Guildhall Symphony Orchestra

Transcender 2017

1, 8, 15, 22 & 29 October

Song in the City

Join in this series of free Monday lunchtime concerts on inventive and often challenging themes, dedicated to taking classical music and young musicians to new audiences. When: 1.10pm-1.55pm FREE The Hall, St Botolph without Bishopsgate EC2M 3TL www.songinthecity.org T 020 7588 3388


Academy of Ancient Music: Purcell’s King Arthur Spectacular battles rage whilst enchantment and magic glisten beneath the surface in Purcell’s extraordinary Restoration opera, King Arthur, here dramatically reimagined for contemporary times by director Daisy Evans. When: 7pm Admission: £10-£50 (plus booking fee) Barbican Centre Silk Street EC2Y 8DS www.barbican.org.uk T 020 7638 8891

From 6 October

BBC Radio 3 Lunchtime Concerts: Shostakovich Plus Featuring the finest chamber music performances from established musicians and up-and-coming artists alike, these concerts delve into Shostakovich’s chamber works, expressions of passion, pain and defiance, with performances by ensembles including the Carducci Quartet and Meta4 String Quartet. When: 1pm–2pm Admission: £14, concs £12 (plus booking fee) LSO St Luke’s 161 Old Street EC1V 9NG www.lso.co.uk/lunchtimeconcerts T 020 7638 8891

Camille

12 & 15 October

Jeremy Denk Jeremy Denk is a pianist ‘you want to hear no matter what he performs’ (New York Times). Coupling spectacular musical gymnastics with the most eloquent of insights, this brilliant pianist takes control of the keys to ‘London’s most acoustically perfect auditorium’ (Independent) to explore the wonder of Mozart’s late sonatas and the vast possibilities of the variation form. Various times available, see website for details Admission: prices vary. Check website for full listings. Milton Court Concert Hall Milton Street EC2Y 9BH www.barbican.org.uk T 020 7638 8891

26 October

22 October

has the great German symphonic tradition in every fibre of its collective being. Few ensembles understand Beethoven and Bruckner more instinctively, and Blomstedt’s command in this music is beyond compare. When: 7.30pm Admission: £15-£55 (plus booking fee) Barbican Centre Silk Street EC2Y 8DS www.barbican.org.uk T 020 7638 8891

Gewandhausorchester Leipzig The Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Herbert Blomstedt and three star soloists play Beethoven’s Triple Concerto and Bruckner’s rapturous Seventh Symphony. With 274 years of exceptional music-making behind it, the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig

The Flautadors This recorder quartet performs a repertoire of minimalist, folk and global music and is part of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama’s Alumni Recital Series. Their concerts include an impressive range of instruments, from sub contra bass to garklein flötlein, and have received critical acclaim across Europe. When: 7.30pm Admission: £15, concs £10 Milton Court Concert Hall Silk Street EC2Y 9BH www.gsmd.ac.uk T 020 7638 8891

The mercurial Parisian songstress displays the range and power of her unmistakeable voice as she performs songs from her new album Ouï. When: 7.30pm Admission: £20-£35 Barbican Hall Silk Street EC2Y 8DS www.barbican.org.uk T 020 7638 8891

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30 October

15 Music

3 October

From 30 October

Menotti: The Consul The Guildhall School of Music and Drama’s award-winning opera department presents Menotti’s tragic and topical 1950 opera, which follows a political dissident on the run from the secret police. When: 7pm Admission: £25, concs £15 Silk Street Theatre Silk Street EC2Y 8DT www.gsmd.ac.uk T 020 7638 8891


17 Special Events

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7 – 15 August

Swords and Sandals Cinema Season Guildhall Yard embraces the epic with a series of Roman-inspired films. Classic or cult, it’s time to enjoy some of your all-time favourites and indulge in guilty pleasures including, Monty Python’s Life of Brian, Gladiator and Roman Holiday. Doors open 6.30pm Admission: £10, concs £8 Guildhall Yard Aldermanbury EC2V 7HH www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/ londiniumfilms

16 – 17 September 1 – 30 September

Totally Thames

25 – 27 August

Barbican Outdoor Cinema

25 – 28 August

This summer, the Barbican is hosting its first ever on-site outdoor cinema, screening three sci-fi classics: 2001: A Space Odyssey, Tron and Gravity 2D + A Trip to the Moon. Come along with friends and family to see these great films, in the surroundings of the Barbican’s brutalist architecture. When: 8.30pm Admission: £15 Sculpture Court, Level 3, Barbican Centre Silk Street EC2Y 8DS www.barbican.org.uk/film T 020 7638 8891

Swords, shields, spears and cheers – see battle commence on the site of London’s only Roman Amphitheatre. In an epic clash of titans, you’ll be transported back to Roman London for a display of strength and skill as real life gladiators take to the stage and fight to win ultimate glory. Pick your side and decide which fighter walks free, will it be your choice or the emperor’s? When: various times available, check website for details Admission: £20-£22, child £13-£15 Guildhall Yard Aldermanbury EC2V 7HH www.museumoflondon.com/ gladiators

Gladiator Games

Celebrate one of the world’s most famous rivers with a month long festival packed with exciting arts, culture and river events. Throughout the month of September, Totally Thames will take over the 42-mile stretch and bring to life the iconic waterway celebrated as the lifeblood of the city. Join in some foreshore fun with a wide range of intriguing tours, informative talks and interesting workshops taking place across the Square Mile. FREE to view at any time. Locations across the City www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/ totallythames

14 September, 12 October

Guildhall Yard Lunch Market

Ditch the packed lunch and feast on some proper Greek wraps, Jamaican jerk chicken, cracking Korean dumplings and more, all in the glorious surroundings of Guildhall Yard. Market stalls sell tasty foodstuffs from around the world. When: 12noon-2.30pm FREE Guildhall Yard EC2V 5AE www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/ yardevents

Open House London Weekend London’s largest annual festival of architecture and design. Now in its 25th year, this is a city-wide celebration of the capital’s buildings, places, and neighbourhoods. This year features prominent buildings and hidden gems across the City, including the Gherkin, Dr Johnson’s House and the ancient Billingsgate Roman Bathhouse, hidden underneath a city office block. FREE Across the City and London www.openhouselondon.org

16 – 17 September

House of Sound Time-travel from medieval to present day London through an immersive sound experience that captures the changing sounds of the City. Composed by Iain Chambers, live performances from musicians through loudspeakers will tell the story of the Square Mile, revealing the impact of its changing built and social environment. Hear noises now lost to the City, from animal grunts to street vendors’ cries. Sat 12noon-5pm, Sun 11am-4pm FREE Guildhall Yard EC2V 5AE www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/ yardevents


The Worshipful Company of Woolmen will be exercising their rights as Freemen of the City of London to drive their sheep across London Bridge. Witness sheep cross the bridge as well as representatives of many of the livery companies in their regalia and people dressed in sheeprelated costumes, from Little Bo-Peep to nativity shepherds. This year’s Sheep Drive will be led by Mary Berry CBE, well-known cook, food writer and television presenter. When: 9am-4pm FREE to view London Bridge SE1 9BG www.sheepdrive.london

26 September – 8 October

Goldsmiths’ Fair 2017: Precious Mysteries

Buy original pieces of precious metal jewellery including contemporary silver direct from the makers at one of Europe’s largest jewellery fairs. When: from 11am, see website for details Admission: Advance tickets from £12 Goldsmiths’ Hall Foster Lane EC2V 6BN www.goldsmithsfair.co.uk T 020 7606 7010

In 1136, a book appeared that changed how history was understood. Geoffrey of Monmouth’s History of the Kings of Britain outlined a fraudulent British history, accepted as genuine for over 400 years. There was no place in it for the Roman conquest of Britain. London was never Londinium, but instead ‘New Troy’, founded by Trojan exile Brutus and ruled by independent British kings. Join John Clark to hear how medieval Londoners and London’s historians responded to Geoffrey’s version of history. When: 2pm-3pm FREE Guildhall Library Aldermanbury EC2V 7HH www.ghlevents.eventbrite.co.uk T 020 7832 1871

29 September – 5 October

The Grime and the Glamour: NYC 1976 -1990

Get a taste of the scuzzy and blisteringly creative streets of late 1970s and 1980s New York City, full of energy, danger and the coolest people of the moment, with films by Susan Seidelman, Chantal Akerman, Jim Jarmusch and Bette Gordon. Showing in complement to the major exhibition Basquiat:

Blood Rite

Geoffrey of Monmouth’s Roman London

Boom for Real, (page. 8). Various times available, see website for details Admission: £8.50-£9.50 Cinemas 2 & 3, Barbican, Beech Street EC2Y 8AE www.barbican.org.uk/film T 020 7638 8891

19 – 24 October

Hallucinatio See Leadenhall in a new light in an interactive five minute virtual reality experience that transforms the market into a 3D digital landscape of Roman London and gaze on a virtually resurrected Basilica. Watch as the world distorts and transforms in front of your eyes, and reveals the ancient Basilica that once stood on this very site – the largest of its type north of the Alps. Combining motion graphics and 3D digital artworks, this new VR experience is created by the Technical Theatre students of the Guildhall School of Music & Drama. When: 12noon-3pm FREE Leadenhall Market Gracechurch Street and Lime Street EC3V 1LT

www.visitlondon.com/ romans

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Annual Sheep Drive

20 – 21 October

5 October

19 Special Events

24 September

From Boy Blue Entertainment and Guildhall School of Music & Drama comes a spectacular, digitally-animated new outdoor dance show. Set on the site of London’s Roman Amphitheatre, an explosive fusion of urban dance, music and video projection transforms the facades of Guildhall Yard. Using the latest technology in motion tracking, combined with live dance and cutting edge hip-hop music, Blood Rite shows an unforgettable series of provocative scenes that both reveal the horror of the arena and celebrate the perseverance of the gladiatorial spirit. Commissioned by the City of London Corporation. When: 6.30pm-10pm FREE Guildhall Yard EC2V 5AE www.visitlondon.com/romans

22 – 29 October

Dark Earth

Below the pavements and around the foundations of the City’s offices lies a layer of Dark Earth: the debris from the burning, collapse and decay of Roman buildings. This is the sound of a civilisation teetering on the edge of its downfall. Powered by wiretapper, Dark Earth is an audio curiosity delving into the City’s ancient secrets. Commissioned from wiretapper by the City of London Corporation. The mystery will slowly be revealed, email darkearth@cityoflondon.gov.uk to be kept up to date with details or check the website for announcements. www.visitlondon.com/romans


Presenting rarely performed masterpieces as well as new and experimental work, the festival focuses on theatrical pieces with a strong narrative. Opera in the City will appeal to both regular opera audiences, as well as those new to the genre. When: 7.30pm Admission: £16.50 Bridewell Theatre Bride Lane EC4Y 8EQ www.sbf.org.uk T 020 7353 3331

Two Bergman screenplays are reimagined for the stage in a double bill about the chaotic lives of theatre people, exposing the fine line between art and reality, illness and normality. Ivo van Hove directs four actors from the Toneelgroep Dutch ensemble, led by the extraordinary Marieke Heebink, on a set that transforms from the sparse to the scenically breathtaking. When: 7.45pm Admission: £16-£40 Barbican Theatre Silk Street EC2Y 8DS www.barbican.org.uk/theatre T 020 7638 8891

Opera In The City Festival

After the Rehearsal/Persona

9 – 14 October

Crimp 1, 2, 3 & 4 Crimp’s trilogy of short plays make up a disturbing fairy tale world where an affluent middle class family is drawn into a nightmare. The fourth play depicts the story of a volatile relationship between a young couple learning to live in their new home where sex, money, dancing and emotional fragility test the boundaries of their love. When: 7.30pm (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 Oct); 2pm (10, 12, 14 Oct) Admission: £10, concs £5 Milton Court Studio Theatre Silk Street EC2Y 9BH www.gsmd.ac.uk T 020 7638 8891

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27 – 30 September

21 Theatre

1 – 12 August

16 – 20 October

The Cherry Orchard 13 – 16 September

Woyzeck in Winter Büchner’s dramatic masterpiece Woyzeck is interwoven with songs from Schubert’s Winterreise to form a distinctive music theatre production. With the central roles played by mesmerising Irish performers Patrick O’Kane and Camille O’Sullivan, this startling story is set amid a terrain of broken pianos, as a poor soldier earns extra money for his

family through menial jobs and participation in bizarre medical experiments. Brutalised by society and consumed with jealousy, he is driven to the far side of alienation and despair. When: 7.45pm, Sat matinee 2.30pm Admission: £16-£35 Barbican Theatre Silk Street EC2Y 8DS www.barbican.org.uk/theatre T 020 7638 8891

Anton Chekhov’s final masterpiece, a comedy about a family facing ruin, is a poignant snapshot of the sweeping change that came to a head with the Russian Revolution in 1917. When: 7.30pm (16, 17, 18, 19, 20 Oct), 2.30pm (17, 19) Admission: £10, concs £5 Milton Court Theatre Silk Street EC2Y 9BH www.gsmd.ac.uk T 020 7638 8891


Learn something new about London, history and literature – and enjoy a complimentary glass of wine – at one of Guildhall Library’s regular evening events. Highlights include: The Stationers’ Company – From Genesis to Google (3 Aug); The History of Roman London to the End of the 2nd Century AD (21 Sep); Later Roman London and the End of Roman Britain (12 Oct); Question Time: A Quizzical Journey around Britain (19 Oct). When: 6pm-8pm Admission: £5 (plus booking fee), please book in advance via our Eventbrite site www.ghlevents.eventbrite.co.uk Guildhall Library Aldermanbury EC2V 7HH www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/ guildhalllibrary T 020 7332 1869/1871

Explore this fascinating insight into ancient city life and discover the remains of the Roman Bathhouse which lie hidden beneath office buildings. Sat-Sun 10.30am, 12noon (please book in advance) Admission: £8, concs £6 Billingsgate Roman House & Baths 101 Lower Thames St EC3R 6DL www.museumoflondon.org.uk/ bathhousetours T 020 7030 3300

Ongoing

Ongoing

Find out something fascinating about London at one of Guildhall Library’s free talks. Highlights include: Another Singular Street: Oxford Street (8 Aug); Lloyd’s Register Surveyor Charles Jordan’s Map of the Thames (24 Aug); Messing about on the River (13 Sep); Geoffrey of Monmouth’s Roman London (5 Oct). When: 2pm-3pm FREE, please book in advance via our Eventbrite site www.ghlevents.eventbrite.co.uk Guildhall Library Aldermanbury EC2V 7HH www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/ guildhalllibrary T 020 7332 1869/1871

Each week you can pop into free public lectures on a huge variety of subjects at Gresham College. This season’s highlights include: Jagjit Dahdha on The Producitivty Puzzle (21 Sep), Gustav Milne on Discovering the Port of Roman London (27 Sep), Roger Tomlin on Roman London’s First Voices (10 Oct) and Malcolm Andrews on the English Landscape: The Picturesque (25 Oct). Dates and times vary; check website for full listings FREE (first come, first served) Gresham College Holborn Viaduct EC1N 2HH www.gresham.ac.uk T 020 7831 0575

Guildhall Library Afternoon Talks

Ongoing

Billingsgate Roman House & Baths Weekend Tours

Gresham College Lectures

Open-City Architecture Tours Explore some of the best architecture in the City with specialist guides on foot and through the lens with a weekly programme of photography and walking tours. Various times available Admission: £25.50-£35.50 www.open-city.org.uk/tours

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Guildhall Library Evening Events

Ongoing

23 Walks and Talks

Ongoing

Until 31 August Ongoing

Roman London Walks & Talks As part of the Londinium season, join a number of walks and talks on the ancient Roman city that once was. Follow in the footsteps of a Roman citizen in a Day in the Life Of walk, join a renowned archaeologist on a tour of the Roman Bridge and Harbour, or walk the City walls and fort. Dates, times and prices vary; check website for full listings Across the City www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/ londinium

Lunchtime Model talks Get a 20 minute introductory talk around the City’s official architectural model of the Square Mile. The talk will introduce the 1:500 scale interactive model, revealing what it teaches about the past, present and future of the City. Detailing every existing building and planned new development in the City, the model is a fascinating record of its built environment. Fri 12.30pm FREE The City Centre 80 Basinghall Street EC2V 5AG www.thecitycentre.london T 0207 6008 362


Led by an accredited Welcome Host and a qualified British Sign Language interpreter from the Royal Association for Deaf People, experience all Tower Bridge has to offer. Learn interesting facts and anecdotes as you are guided through the Bridge’s Towers, high-level walkways, and the Victorian Engine Rooms, leaving the tour enriched by the history of one of the most famous bridges in the world. When: 11am–12.30pm Admission: £9.80, Child £4.20 Tower Bridge Tower Bridge Road SE1 2UP www.towerbridge.org.uk T 020 7403 3761

The First Playhouse in Drury Lane: a Symposium on the Cockpit-Phoenix

Bullsh!tium Londinium

Meet Maximus Deceivius Mischievian, commander of the armies of mirth, and join his ranks if you dare. Armed only with wit, the troop may be small match for the forces of history, truth and common sense, but fortune favours the strange. Come and learn once and for all exactly what the Romans have done for us on one of Time Out London’s ‘Top 101 things to do in London’. Sat, Sun 12noon, Tues 4pm, Wed 6pm; tour lasts 75mins and is step free FREE (booking essential)

Leadenhall Market Gracechurch Street and Lime Street EC3V 1LT www.bullshitlondon.com/ roman-tour

8, 28 September & 19 October

‘Zeppelin!’ WW1 guided walk

2 September

Trowels at Dawn: Protecting the Past in Post-war London Join renowned archaeologists Peter Marsden and Max Hebditch for a discussion on what it was what like to excavate in the post-war period and how iconic sites such as Billingsgate Roman House were discovered and preserved. When: 2pm-3pm Admission: £8, £6 concs, £5 students Weston Theatre Museum of London 150 London Wall EC2Y 5HN www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/londinium

Relive the 20 minutes of terror on the night of 8 September 1915 when Navy Zeppelin L13 blasted and burned its way from Holborn to Bishopsgate, mounting the first effective air raid on London. Total war had arrived over the heads of Londoners. This fascinating Blue Badge Guide-led World War One tour slices diagonally across the City revealing how London, the largest city on earth at the time, had to invent a whole new war strategy – air raid defence. When: 6.30pm Admission: £12, £10 concs (please book in advance) Meet at Chancery Lane Underground station. Outside Exit 2, High Holborn WC1V 6DR www.worldwaronewalks.com T 079 3176 5666

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British Sign Language Tours

9 September

5 September – 1 October

25 Walks and Talks

26 August, 30 September & 28 October

This symposium will mark the 400th anniversary year of a famous riot, at the first playhouse in Drury Lane. The history of the ‘West End’ is variously told but rarely begins with the Cockpit, an indoor theatre built for The Queen Anne’s Men by their actor-manager Christopher Beeston in 1616. A performance element will be included for the day. Confirmed speakers include Professor Elspeth Graham, a director of the Shakespeare North Trust and Patrick Spottiswoode, Director of Globe Education. When: 10am-4pm Admission: £30 London Metropolitan Archives 40 Northampton Road EC1R 0HB www.cockpit-phoenix.eventbrite. co.uk T 0207 332 3851

14 September – 12 October

Guildhall Tours

Take a tour of the iconic Guildhall complex, including the Great Hall and its crypt. When: 11am-12noon Admission: £7 (please book in advance) Meet guide at Guildhall Art Gallery Guildhall Yard EC2V 5AE www.cityoflondonguides.com T 020 8398 4715


14 – 15 September

Free lunchtime tours of London’s Roman Amphitheatre and Roman Object Handling Join a 40-minute tour of the Amphitheatre and handle some genuine Roman antiquities with resident archaeologist Andrew Lane. Find out more about the capital’s oldest sports arena and one of the most important buildings in Roman London. No booking necessary. Lunch-time tours: 1.15pm, 2.15pm (14 Sep) Roman object handling: 1.15pm3.15pm (15 Sep) Admission: FREE London’s Roman Amphitheatre Guildhall Art Gallery, Guildhall Yard EC2V 5AE www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/ romanamphitheatre

16 September

Hack it: Urban foraging John Renston of Forage London leads a surprising urban foraging walk in the City of London’s green spaces. When: 1.30pm-4pm FREE Museum of London 150 London Wall EC2Y 5HN www.museumoflondon.org.uk T 020 7001 9844

Join eminent classicist Mary Beard, Professor of Classics at the University of Cambridge, for a fascinating lecture on identifying images of Roman Emperors. When: 6pm FREE (first come, first served) Museum of London 150 London Wall EC2Y 5HN www.gresham.ac.uk T 020 7831 0575

A short hop along the River, discover the delights of Greenwich Ongoing

Franklin: Death In The Ice In 1845, Captain Sir John Franklin and his two ships sailed with hopes of uncovering the final stretch of the Northwest Passage in the Canadian Arctic. Few could have predicted that the voyage would see both his crews - 129 men - perish after a bitter fight for survival. When: 10am-5pm Admission: £12, concs £11, £6 child The National Maritime Museum Park Row SE10 9NF www.rmg.co.uk T 020 8858 4422

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How to Spot a Roman Emperor: Identification, Hairstyles and Wishful Thinking

27 Partner Partnerpromotion promotion

26 October

13 – 17 September

Greenwich Comedy Festival This magnificent festival returns to the National Maritime Museum for a sensational series of shows in the Big Top. Wed-Fri 6pm-11pm, Sat 1pm– 11pm, Sun 2.45pm–11.00pm National Maritime Museum, Greenwich Park Row SE10 9NF www. greenwichcomedyfestival. co.uk

9 – 10 September 1 August – 10 September / From 17 October 31 October

Jane Austen: Patriotism and Prejudice Professor Janet Todd will be discussing patriotism in Austen’s time and her particular attitude to it; her sense of what Englishness is, materially and politically, and how it manifests itself in daily life. Todd will also explore how Austen’s views change as war gives way to peace. When: 6pm FREE (first come, first served) Museum of London 150 London Wall EC2Y 5HN www.gresham.ac.uk T 020 7831 0575

Painted Hall Ceiling Tours Discover the secrets of Britain’s largest painted ceiling. Painted in 1707 -1726, visitors have a once in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience the drama of this vast masterpiece up close. Ascend 60 feet for an hour long ceiling tour via special observation deck, and discover the painting’s mysteries. When: 10am -5pm Admission: £11, £6 child The Painted Hall at The Old Royal Naval College King William Walk SE10 9NN www.ornc.org T 020 8269 4799

OnBlackheath Celebrating this stunning part of London, OnBlackheath was created as the perfect music festival for unwinding and putting a smile on your face; showcasing the best in local and international artists, serving up delicious food, and offering a world of fun for younger visitors. When: from 12noon Admission: various prices available, see website. Blackheath SE3 0RF www.onblackheath.com


28 July - 29 October 2017

THE CITY'S ROMAN STORY


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