e Cultural Fanatic’s Guide to

London Vol. 2

by LIV KESSLER & illustrated by CHARLIE TO

Once you’ve hit the National gallery, e Tate Modern and the British Museum, where do you go? What unites all cultural fanatics is the unquenchable thirst for new things to see and explore. In this recurring feature, e National Opera e National Opera gives out free seats for under 21 year olds on most of their shows. e sign-up process takes a couple of days but is de nitely worth it to get to witness some of the best opera in London. Don’t worry if you’re over 21, you get signi cant discounts on most shows if you’re under 35! e shows are funny and heartbreaking. With detailed costumes and sets, and glorious singing to top it all o . Finally, can you really refuse an opportunity to dress up to go to the opera, all for free? I think not.

I know this may seem like a highbrow and elitist recommendation, but hear me out.

e Royal Opera House

e Royal Opera House (ROH) may cost you a bit more - in the sense that it is, unfortunately, not free - but is de nitely also worth the detour. A mere 10 minutes away from LSE and in the heart of Covent Garden, the ROH is perhaps even more stunning than the National Opera. If the whole opera thing isn’t your cup of tea but you still want an opportunity to dress up and feel fancy, the ROH also houses the Royal Ballet. Keep your eyes peeled for tickets, as they go fast. I highly recommend e Nutcracker ballet if you want to make your inner four year old happy. Or if you need a place for a fancy date. e Young ROH scheme means most tickets go for £25 for under 25 year olds. You can also nd £6 tickets, though you may not see much of the stage. Don’t be fooled by low prices - sometimes, if it’s too good to be true, it’s a standing ticket.

JACK BEECHING

A er my debut recipe’s warm reception, I’ve been asked to share more pasta dishes.

is one’s incredibly simple: it takes around 15 minutes. It’s also pretty tasty; I make it weekly. Enjoy.

Garlic and prawn pasta

Ingredients (serves one): 125g pasta. 200g frozen prawns (preferably raw). Olive oil. A few cloves of garlic. One chili. Salt. Pepper. Basil. Lemon juice.

1. Finely chop the garlic and chili. Start cooking the pasta.

2. Sauté the garlic and chili in a large pan with lots of olive oil.

3. When the garlic starts to brown, add the prawns. ese should cook in around 7 minutes.

4. Once cooked, add the pasta to the pan and mix well to coat in oil.

5. Serve with salt, pepper, basil, and a squeeze of lemon juice.