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Underground
London the secrets beneath your feet
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Regulars
4 Scouted Secret Cash Machines, Last Chance London and much more 6 Talent Scout Kiss FM DJ Charlie Hedges takes us through her favourite London hotspots
Cover Story
8 Going Underground We take you on a tour of London’s hidden subterranean world
Sections 17 20 27 28 32 34 38 40 48 55
London Food & Drink Shopping Art & Culture Comedy Film Small Screen Music Theatre Competitions
The Big Picture 17 Ice skating at Somerset House
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How to win a soundclash
S
ome of the biggest names in bass are going head-tohead this week at the Red Bull Culture Clash. Major Lazer, Channel One, Boy Better Know and Annie Mac with Magnetic Man will host opposing stages at Wembley Arena on November 7, battling it out over four speaker-smashing rounds. Crowd reaction decides the winner each time, as well as the overall champion, who gets to play on to the end of the night. And fear not, there’s a decibel reader on hand to settle any disputes. But how exactly do you go about winning a soundclash? Is it just about the tunes, or do you need to put on a ‘show’? Artwork from dubstep supergroup Magnetic Man takes time out to offer Scout a few insider tips.
Keep your plans secret We can’t even tell our family what’s happening. We’re treating it like an SAS mission – it’s all about the element of surprise. Go for substance over style It’s not about the size of the production but the quality of what you play. You’ve only got between 10 and 20 minutes in each round, so you’ve got to make sure it’s massive from the start. Make sure your fans know the stakes – and behave accordingly Our fans are always amazing but we need them to bring something extra for this one. They have to bring the loudest airhorns, whistles and whatever noise-making instruments they can lay their hands on – and massive energy.
Our stage is going to be mental, but it’s the fans that’ll get it there. Know your enemy Channel One are our biggest nemesis as they’re from a soundsystem background. They’re dangerous as they always bring the crowd, but we’re up to the challenge. Go crazy with the bravado We’re ready for this and we’re going to bring the best show. We’ve had massive meetings and signed an official secrets act to keep it all a surprise. No matter what the other three have in store, we’re gonna take them down. Red Bull Culture Clash, November 7, Wembley Arena, cultureclash.redbull.co.uk
What went into scout this week. . . Air New Zealand video Emergency advice from hobbits and elves? Now that’s a safety video worth watching
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Always online facebook.com/scoutlondon
New Aerosmith album Joy and sheer bewilderment that the toxic twins are still alive, let alone still making music
Blood Brothers closing After 24 years in the West End, we’re sad to see the end of Willy Russell’s awardwinning musical
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Homeland After a lacklustre start, series two just got r-e-a-l-l-y good
Disney buys Lucasfilm That wasn’t the takeover we were looking for
Startraks Photo / Rex Features / edvvc
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last chance
LONDON Blood Brothers Phoenix Theatre Closes Sat Nov 10 Damned by Despair National Theatre: Olivier Closes Wed Nov 7 Doctor Brown: Befrdfgth Soho Theatre Closes Sat Nov 10 Hedda Gabler Old Vic Closes Sat Nov 10 The Mystery Of Charles Dickens Playhouse Theatre Closes Sat Nov 10
//Secret Cash////////////////////////////////////// Machines of London//////////////////////////// KING’S CROSS//////////////// While the new and improved King’s Cross railway station is a bastion of good taste, the ATM situation has not been greatly improved. Ditto for the area at large – sure, the seedier shops are gone, but it would have been nice if they were replaced by some cash machines. Once again, Scout urges the currency-challenged to head underground and avoid the oftenchaotic sprint across Euston Road to the Barclays. These beacons of hope are located in the Underground concourse between King’s Cross and St Pancras stations, close to the Circle line. Just head towards the WHSmith, turn around and discover three cashpoints. Do you know of a secret cash machine in London? Let us know on Twitter @ScoutLondon #secretcashmachines
Sean Lock: Work in Progress Leicester Square Theatre Closes Sun Nov 11 Tape Trafalgar Studios Closes Sat Nov 10 Uncle Vanya Noel Coward Theatre Closes Sat Nov 10
waiting in for a special delivery
dumb.me.uk
Let battle commence Soundclash warriors Magnetic Man, L-R: Benga, Skream and Artwork
Ronnie Wood: A Major Retrospective Symbolic London Pop-Up Showroom Closes Fri Nov 9
don’t underestimate my boredom scoutlondon.com Scout London
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Charlie Hedges DJ
Lee Pitman, 31 Art Director Shepherd’s Bush
Where do you go to get your shopping fix? Oxford Street. It’s a nightmare because I work there, so every day I have to walk past the likes of Topshop, River Island and Selfridges, and it’s hard to say no sometimes to another pair of shoes! At least if I desperately need something for a last minute DJ gig I can grab something quick, but it’s no good being located here if you want to save money. Where do you go to relax? If it’s a nice day I’ll find the nearest park, put my phone on silent, get a load of magazines and food and take some music with me and listen to some new tracks to prep my Sunday morning Kiss Mix Show. What’s your secret London tip? The restaurant Dans Le Noir in Clerkenwell...can you tell I enjoy my food yet? You eat and drink in a pitch black room. You experience what it would be like to have no sight and - with the help of blind guides - you have to rely only on sound and taste to judge your surroundings.
What in London inspires you?
Favourite part of London?
The way each street changes as you pass through it and the way the old and new meet in terms of architecture, graphics, art, music and people – constantly adding and taking away from the city.
I have a soft spot for Camden as it always has something to offer – art, socialising and music. I also have a great time around Spitalfields.
where you want to do new things and improve.
Any London secrets to share? For music, I’m a big fan of the Bush Hall in Shepherd’s Bush.
How important is London in your work? It’s vital for inspiration: it offers a platform to show your work for your peers to see it and an environment
What’s next for you? I’m just putting the finishing touches on a range of T-shirts I have designed, painting some portraits, keeping up with my photography and looking to write and direct a short film. See more at: leepitman.com
Hey there, are you a talented creative? Fancy decorating the Scout London logo that appears on our cover each week? We welcome London-based artists, designers, illustrators, photographers. Get in touch: talent@scoutlondon.com 6
Scout London scoutlondon.com
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Scout London Cover Stars 0015
As the Breakfast Show presenter on Kiss FM, 24-year-old Charlie Hedges is the soundtrack to many people’s mornings. The youngest female breakfast radio DJ also presents the Sunday morning Kiss Mix Show (2am-3am). She tells us of her favourite spots when the records stop. Let’s go for a drink – Scout’s buying. Where shall we go? The Narrow in Limehouse. The food is amazing and it is a lovely place to visit in the winter or summer. Winter is really cosy inside as there’s a fire, and in the summer you have the option of sitting outside overlooking the Thames. Sounds idyllic. If we can tempt you away from Gordon Ramsay’s fare, where shall we go to eat? Inamo in Soho. It is so quirky – the whole ordering process is done via your table, which is a virtual touch screen menu. Once you’ve ordered your food a waiter brings it over. You order as and when you want more. There’s also games you can play against the rest of your table – it’s really fun.
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GOING Underground
Next year will be the 150th anniversary of the London Underground. But it’s not just the Tube that rumbles beneath our feet. From abandoned stations to air raid shelters, catacombs to secret government bases, Scout takes you under the surface, to the city you never see
Have you ever peered through a vent on a London Underground platform and wondered what was one the other side? Or caught a glimpse of an abandoned Tube station as the train thundered by? Perhaps you never realised there’s a maze of crypts, catacombs, tunnels, government installations, sewers, air raid shelters and nuclear bunkers all buried beneath our feet. In fact, there’s so much subterranean London, a cross-section must
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look like a slice of Swiss cheese. As London Underground prepares to mark 150 years since its first train chuffed its way along the Metropolitan Railway between Paddington and Farringdon, Scout has spoken to experts about the fascinating extent of these hidden parts of the city. “My favourite places are the abandoned Tube stations,” says Andrew Smith of nonprofit organisation Subterranea Britannica (subbrit.org.uk), which “studies and investigates man-made and man-used underground places”.
“I’ve been to loads of them,” he tells Scout. “For example, Aldwych is used by London Underground for testing platform lighting and as a film set. It’s still in great condition. “There’s an incredible sense of occasion when you go down into old tube stations – a real sense of history and the people that went there before you. I find myself wondering what I’m going to find down there, wondering about the history of the place, the stories of what happened there. “You never know what you are going to find, where it’s going to lead, or if you’ll be the person who
finds something which has been lost and forgotten for a long time. “In some of the stations there are still old adverts from the war. It really reminds you of those old photographs of people sheltering in Tube stations during The Blitz.” There are between 40 and 50 abandoned stations on the Tube network, including the so-called ‘ghost stations’ that hide beneath London’s streets, looking just as they did when the gates closed for the final time. Among these are Brompton Road, British Museum and Down Street, between Hyde Park Corner and Green Park.
Liam Craik-Horan / getty
GOING UND
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Deep deep down The deep-level air raid shelter at Clapham North station
DERGROUND Kevan
These grubby time capsules of bygone eras have stimulated imaginations and creativity. They’ve been the settings for films, the wildest dreams of party organisers, obsessions
for historians, and an enduring source of romantic nostalgia. For the most of us, they’re out of bounds. But anyone itching to see what they look like may not have to wait much longer.
Tunnel vision The old Aldwych station is used as a location for films such as Atonement
Ajit Chambers, CEO of The Old London Underground Company (theoldlondonunderground company.com), has plans to convert 26 disused stations into museums, bars and restaurants. He is currently negotiating with the Ministry of Defence, which owns many of the sites. Though the red tape is onerous, he’s fighting through it and winning support from MPs and London Assembly members. Boris Johnson has said he will back the initiative “if it doesn’t cost a penny of public money”. The former JPMorgan Chase executive – who says he has
raised millions of pounds towards the project – is confident of being able to have ‘walk-though’ tours of either Brompton Road or the abandoned deep level air raid shelter at Clapham North (see page 14) by February. Transformation of the sites into useable venues will begin once three or more have been leased by the company. And within five years, Chambers insists we could be partying underground, dining with the rumble of our train home as a soundtrack, and exploring parts of our city which have lain hidden for decades.
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GOING Underground
MAIL RAIL Did you know there’s an old network of tunnels under central London that used to carry post swiftly underneath the congested roads? In the early part of the 20th century, London’s post was being held up so much by the road system that it was decided to build a subterranean rail network to get the letters and parcels across the city on time. Mail Rail was built to take post from the Paddington District Office, where it arrived from around the country, across the capital to Whitechapel’s Eastern District Office via eight stations. The mini railway was opened on December 5, 1927, and was made up of two driverless trains which ran side-by-side, one west
and one east. They would stop at stations along the way, where a team of staff would unload the relevant post. Although the trains are much smaller than on London’s passenger underground, the stations look much the same, and used to rattle with that familiar sound of approaching trains. However, through declining use and closure of the above
ground offices, the system eventually became uneconomical to run. In 2003 the system was suspended and today remains closed. The British Postal Museum and Archive (postalheritage.org. uk) is currently restoring one of the old 1927 trains, that will be ready for display next year. Seeing the underground railway itself is, sadly, a much taller order.
Beating the traffic Mail Rail train waiting at loop crossing, 1935
underground fact
The tunnels were completed in 1917 and used towards the end of the first world war to store and protect treasured pieces of art belonging to the National Portrait Gallery and the Tate Gallery. At their peak, they carried over 4m items of mail around the city every day. The trains ran along a 37km stretch of track.
The British Postal Museum & Archive
The last post Mail Rail train circa 1987
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What lies beneath The Camden Catacombs
underground fact
Nick Catford from his forthcoming book Secret Underground London
CATACOMBS Those Victorians were crazy about death. After thousands of years of pretty humble burial practices, the morbid, supernaturalobsessed, black-clothed Victorians totally pimped-up the death rituals, all the way from the funeral to the bodyinternment. As such, when seven new super-cemeteries were built in the 1830s and 40s – the grandly-titled ‘Magnificent Seven’ – to accommodate the increasing numbers of London’s dead, they all catered to the new trend for catacomb burial, then seen as the height of sepulchral style and exclusivity. “Most of the catacombs were built beneath chapels, so their residents could be buried nearer the altar,” explains Colin Fenn, who runs tours of the catacombs at West Norwood
Cemetery. “And it was also a prestige issue – catacomb burial was very exclusive. It’s much more private and costs considerably more than a standard burial. The only alternative which carried similar status was to build your own mausoleum.” The Magnificent Seven cemeteries are at West Norwood, Highgate, Kensal Green, West Brompton, Nunhead, Abney Park and Tower Hamlets. The catacombs at the latter two are no longer accessible, but the others can all still be visited in some capacity. The West Brompton and Highgate catacombs were built only half-submerged, so are visible from the cemeteries themselves. There are also periodic tours of the Kensal Green and West Norwood catacombs, with Kensal Green being the largest, and West Norwood the most creepy and atmospheric.
It wasn’t just prestige that inspired the Victorian taste for catacomb burial. This was also the time of ‘resurrection men’, or body-snatchers as they were more commonly known. Catacombs provided more security from their thieving hands.
Though not strictly catacombs (there’s no one buried there), the Camden Catacombs are one of the city’s most evocative underground spaces. Built in the 19th century as stables for the horses and pit ponies that were used to shunt railway wagons, the labyrinthine network of tunnels stretches all the way from the Roundhouse to Camden Lock, passing beneath the famous market.
Burial chamber The West Norwood Catacombs
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OF CHRISTMAS
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— A world of festive food and drink — 7-9 DECEMBER - ExCeL LONDON Discover all the inspiration you need this festive season at Taste of Christmas. Learn from the experts including world famous chefs Michel Roux Jr, Jamie Oliver, The Baker Brothers and Mary Berry to create a gastronomic delight for the entire family. The UK’s finest restaurants will be serving their seasonal specials and cooking up some culinary magic to get your tastebuds tingling. Tick off your Christmas wish list from hundreds of fine food and boutique market stalls or get hands on in a cheese and wine tasting or cookery class.
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Going with the flow The Tyburn river, at the point it passes beneath Buckingham Palace
RIVERS and SEWERS
underground fact
The River Fleet used to flow straight down the middle of Farringdon Road. The squalid surrounding area was a notorious slum, where Charles Dickens located Fagin’s den in Oliver Twist.
Steve duncan
A section of The Westbourne river runs through Sloane Square Tube station. It crosses the tracks in a large pipe just below the ceiling near the exits.
The names of countless London places, streets and pubs derive from their watery heritage. Fleet Street is an obvious one. But there’s also Bayswater, Westbourne Grove, Effra Road and potentially even Shoreditch, which is said to come from “Sewer Ditch”, in reference to the boggy area around the river Walbrook, which rose in Curtain Road.
Rivers used to flow all around the capital. And, to some extent, they still do – you just can’t see them anymore. Back in the 19th century, historic waterways such as The Fleet, The Westbourne, The Tyburn and The Effra were culverted (covered over) and channelled into tunnels below ground. This was partly to make way for building work in the city above, but also for health reasons. Hygiene wasn’t as high on the priority list then as it is now, especially in poorer areas, where all the human, household and industrial waste was just dumped into the nearest river and left to drift slowly towards the Thames.
That was until the hot summer of 1858, known as the ‘Great Stink’, when the stench of raw sewage got so bad that Parliament had to be relocated. Even more troubling was the threat of a cholera outbreak, spread by the rancid rivers. Engineer Joseph Bazalgette stepped in to save the day, designing a sewage system that kept most of the waste away from the Thames while also channeling the city’s rivers underground – into quite spectacular brickwork tunnels. “You have these marvellous brick temples underneath London that are almost sculpture-like in their craftsmanship,” says Andrew Smith from Subterranea Britannica. “And many of them are still going strong.” scoutlondon.com Scout London 13
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GOING Underground
Hideaway This photo, from David Moore’s book, The Last Things, shows a Level Two entry capsule at government nuclear bunker, Pindar
Secret sleep The principal’s – likely the Prime Minister’s – bedroom at Pindar
It shouldn’t come as much surprise to hear that there is a network of not-sosecret government tunnels running beneath the seats of power in Whitehall. Often referred to as Q Whitehall, much of the network dates from the days of The Blitz, when it was constructed to provide bomb-proof lines of communication, and to allow government staff to move safely between buildings during air raids. The exact routes are not publicly known, but documents published shortly after the war showed the
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tunnels stretching from south of Downing Street to Trafalgar Square and many of the major ministries. It’s likely that they connect to the Defence Crisis Management Centre (Pindar), the nuclear-proof bunker built beneath the Ministry of Defence in the 1980s and 90s which will be used during a time of military threat. Andrew Smith from Subterranea Britannica tells Scout that the system “links the Admiralty, 10 Downing Street, the QE2 Conference Centre and other places such as the Defence Crisis Management Centre and even Westminster Tube station”. It’s unlikely you’ll ever get to see the network itself, but you can visit the Churchill War Rooms – a nearby bunker from where Churchill and his military leaders conducted the second world war, and is now an absorbing museum.
Air raid shelters Londoners quite famously went running for shelter in the Tube network during The Blitz. Partly to ease crowding on the Underground platforms, the government built deep-level communal shelters that could hold around 8,000 people beneath eight Tube stations – Belsize Park, Camden Town, Goodge Street, Chancery Lane,
Stockwell, Clapham North, Clapham Common and Clapham South. The Blitz itself was over by the time the shelters were finished in 1942, but five of the eight were opened up to the public in 1944 when London was attacked by the V1 and V2 rocket bombs. Today, most of them serve as document and data storage facilities for companies and organisations, except the shelter at Clapham North, which remains empty.
underground fact
The shelters are all recognisable by their distinctive circular ‘pillbox’ entrances above ground. The Stockwell shelter, on the roundabout outside the Tube station, is decorated with a mural that includes an image of Violette Szabo, a local woman who fought and died with the French Resistance.
David Moore
DEFENCE AND SECURITY
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Entertainment
The easily accessible If you fancy an atmospheric subterranean stroll with minimal stress, simply head out to Greenwich or Woolwich, where you can wander under the Thames in two of the city’s most striking and often spooky foot tunnels. Opened in 1902, the Greenwich tunnel (pictured) is the more impressive of the two, taking walkers from an ornate entrance dome near the Cutty Sark across to the Isle of Dogs.
From macabre museums to out-there performance spaces, entertainment in London is also in tune with what lies beneath. The London Bridge Experience (thelondonbridge experience.com) occupies creepy and reputedly haunted tunnels beneath the old eponymous bridge, where various human bones were discovered during renovation for the attraction. Some of these were thought to belong to plague victims, although the circular holes in many of the skulls suggest they could have been those of criminals whose heads were impaled at the entrance to the medieval
bridge as a grim warning to other potential lawbreakers. Many nightspots, theatres and clubs have made homes for themselves in the old railway arches around London Bridge and Waterloo. One of our favourites is the wonderfully atmospheric Old Vic Tunnels (oldvictunnels. com), beneath Waterloo Station, which has hosted everything from a major Banksy show to immersive theatre and punk gigs. Finally, a visit to the London Canal Museum (canalmuseum.org.uk) can offer the wonderful yet rare treat of a trip through the iconic 960yard Islington tunnel – only passable by boat.
underground fact
memespring / garryknight
The Clapham South shelter played a significant role in the ethnic make-up of modern London. Caribbean immigrants who came to the UK after the war were housed temporarily by the Colonial Office in the shelter. The nearest labour exchange – where they had to go to find work – was in Brixton. That’s why so many settled in the area, and why, to this day, Brixton has such a large Caribbean population.
Gimme shelter The decorated entrance to the Stockwell deep-level air raid shelter
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The Serco Prize for Illustration 2012
Secret London
An exhibition of the best entries 13 November –10 December 2012 London Transport Museum Covent Garden Piazza
Blackfriars Bridge by Mike Stones
Ice ice baby
London News Pictures/Rex Features
Ice rinks are once again opening across the capital. We round-up the best places to slip and slide your way past the landmarks, and pick up some beginners’ tips from former ice-skating Olympic Champion and Dancing On Ice judge Robin Cousins Natural History Museum Get into the winter spirit as you glide past the ornate facade of the home of dinosaurs, amid fairy lights and a generally very Christmasy vibe. There are lessons for the less confident, as well as a Christmas market. Until Jan 6, £13.50, children £9 SW7 5BD South Kensington nhm.ac.uk
Tower of London Set in the moat of one of the capital’s oldest and most iconic buildings, this rink is among the largest in the city. The ancient battlements make for a fairly spectacular backdrop as you give the Beefeaters the slip. Nov 17-Jan 6, £12-£13, under-16s £9 EC3N 4AB Tower Hill toweroflondonicerink.com
Somerset House As well as a stunning setting, one of the top rinks in the city offers the chance to boogie your way round the ice to cool club nights from the likes of Rob Da Bank and the Vintage Festival. Nov 16-Jan 6, £12.50-£15, children £7.50-£8.50 WC2R 1LA Charing Cross somersethouse.org.uk
Eyeskate - London Eye Sat in the shadow of the EDF Energy London Eye, this rink is slightly smaller than many of its competitors, but is certainly a picturesque option, and has the attractions of the surrounding South Bank in its favour. Nov 16-Jan 6, £12.50, children £9.50 SE1 7PB Waterloo londoneye.com
Winter Wonderland The ever-popular Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park is a onestop-shop for all your Christmas cheer. Its rink allows you to work up an appetite before refuelling on a variety of seasonal treats in the nearby market. Nov 23-Jan 6, £12.50-£13.50, children £9 Hyde Park London W2 4RU Hyde Park Corner hydeparkwinterwonderland.com
Canary Wharf The newest addition to the capital’s ice scene, the Canary Wharf rink features the city’s only skate path, which allows people to leave the confines of the main rink and glide out among the trees that line Canada Square Park. Until January 13, £12.50, under-13s £8.50 E14 5AH Canary Wharf skatecanarywharf.com
THE DOs Keep your knees bent a little with your body pitched slightly forward. To help with balance, have your arms out where you can still see them. Keep your eyes focused about 2-3m in front of you. It’s important not to look at your feet. Keep your feet close together and take baby steps until you feel secure enough to slowly take longer strides.
THE DON’Ts Don’t try to go too fast, too soon. Don’t let others on the ice intimidate you if they are racing past – take your time. Don’t be frightened of falling over. If it happens, just let it and get back up again. And finally, don’t forget to enjoy yourself!
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Country Living Christmas Fair at Business Design Centre, 52 Upper Street, N1 0QH Angel Nov 7 & 8, 10am-6pm, Nov 9 & 10, 9.30am-6pm, Nov 11, 10am-3pm, £16.50, OAP £13, ages 5-16 £8.50, under 5s free, adv £13, ages 5-16 adv £8. Stalls selling traditional decorations, unique gifts, home accessories, jewellery and fashion, toys and festive food and drink. Canary Wharf Ice Rink at Canary Wharf Ice Rink, Canada Square, E14 5AB Canary Wharf Mon-Sun 9.45am11pm (last session 10pm), closed Dec 25, £12.50, child £8.50, family £32, per onehour session inc skate hire. Skate beneath twinkling festive lights or head along the skate path through trees that line the perimeter of Canada Square Park. Until Jan 13. Hitchcock’s Britain at BFI Southbank, Belvedere Road, SE1 8XT Waterloo Mon-Thu, Sun 11am-11pm, Fri & Sat 11am11.30pm, ongoing, FREE. Posters, scripts, costumes and ephemera from the BFI archive. Until Dec 31. Undercover: Life In Churchill’s Bunker at Churchill War Rooms, Clive Steps, King Charles Street, SW1A 2AQ Westminster Mon-Sun 9.30am-6pm, last adm 5pm, closed Dec 24-26, ends Aug 27 2013, phone for prices. Photographs, documents and artefacts exploring the personal accounts of the people who worked at the Cabinet War Rooms during the Second World War. Until Aug 27.
Monday November 5
Wednesday November 7
Bonfire And Fireworks Display at Wimbledon Park, Wimbledon Park, SW19 7HX Wimbledon Park £8, child £5, family £20, under 4s FREE, 5.15pm, gates. Disney-themed display. Brent Fireworks Display at Roundwood Park, Harlesden Road, NW10 3RX Willesden Junction FREE, 7pm. Funfair and food and drink stalls, followed by fireworks and a laser show set to music at 8.30pm. Crystal Palace Park Fireworks at Crystal Palace Park, Anerley Hill, SE19 0EX Crystal Palace £5, ages 3-10 £3, under 3s FREE, parking £5, limited spaces available, 6pm. Funfair and food and drinks followed by a children’s display at 7pm and the main display at 8.30pm set to music. Ian Rankin: Standing In Another Man’s Grave: Author Event at Foyles, 113119 Charing Cross Road, WC2H 0EB Tottenham Court Road FREE, adv booking essential at www.foyles.co.uk, 6.30pm-7.30pm. The celebrated crime novelist introduces the first Inspector Rebus investigation in five years. Walthamstow Fireworks Display at Chestnut Field, Forest Road (behind Walthamstow Town Hall), E17 4JF Walhamstow Central FREE, 5pm. A night of breathtaking pyrotechnics.
Hackney Sports Awards at Hackney Empire, 291 Mare Street, E8 1EJ Hackney Central FREE, 7pm. A ceremony recognising the achievements of local sporting talent. Frank McGuinness: Author Event at National Theatre: Olivier, South Bank, SE1 9PX Waterloo £4, concs £3, 6pm. The playwright talks to PJ Matthews about his modern language version of Damned By Despair.
Tuesday November 6 Richard Hamilton: Talk at The National Gallery, Trafalgar Square, WC2N 5DN Leicester Square FREE, 4pm. A staff member discusses the Richard Hamilton: The Late Works exhibition. Managing Uncertainty: Lecture at London School Of Economics, Houghton Street, WC2A 2AE Temple FREE, 6.30pm-8pm. Professor Richard Bradley discusses techniques for decision-making. Stories Of Art: Module One: Course at The National Gallery, Trafalgar Square, WC2N 5DN Leicester Square £100, concs £80, 2pm-4pm, ends Dec 11. Gallery experts look at the history of art from 1250 to 1500.
Transport for London travel update
Thursday November 8
2.8 Hours Later at secret location, E14 £40, adv booking essential, adv tickets from www.2.8hourslater.com, 7pm, 7.30pm, 8pm. Cross-city zombie chase game. Until Nov 10. David Bedella’s After Show at The Alley Cat, 4 Denmark Street, WC2H 8LP Tottenham Court Rd phone for prices, 10pm-3am. Stars sing with Dave and his trio followed by an open mic session. Pride And Prejudice: Discussion at Bishopsgate Institute, 230 Bishopsgate, EC2M 4QH Liverpool Street £8, concs £6, 7.30pm. Speakers include Peter Tatchell, Lisa Power MBE and Michael Cashman MEP. Two Sculptors, Four Figures: Lecture at National Portrait Gallery, 2 St Martin’s Place, WC2H 0HE Embankment FREE, 1.15pm-2pm. The Society of Portrait Sculptures’s Sean Henry and Mark Richards discuss the production of public sculptures.
Friday November 9
Bakerloo line: No service Stonebridge Park to Harrow & Wealdstone on Sunday. Northern line: No service Hampstead to Edgware all weekend. Piccadilly line: No service Wood Green to Cockfosters and Rayners Lane to Uxbridge all weekend.
18 Scout London scoutlondon.com
London Overground: No service Sydenham to West Croydon on Saturday. No service Watford Junction to Queen's Park on Sunday. No service Highbury & Islington to New Cross Gate until 8am on Sunday. No service New Cross Gate to Crystal Palace and West Croydon on Sunday. For the latest information visit tfl.gov.uk
BBC Good Food Show at Olympia, Hammersmith Road, W14 8UX Earl’s Court £20, concs £18, child £10.50, under 5s FREE, 9.30am-5.30pm. Food and drink consumer show including a 600-seat theatre which brings to life popular BBC shows. Until Nov 11. Conversation Series: Seduced By Art: Talk at The National Gallery, Trafalgar Square, WC2N 5DN Leicester Square £6, concs £4, 6.30pm-7.30pm. Curators Christopher Riopelle and Hope Kingsley discuss painting’s history, early photography and the work of today’s photographers. Jessica Ennis: Book Signing at Waterstones, Jubilee Place, 45 Bank Street, E14 5NY Canary Wharf FREE, 1pm. The golden girl of Team GB’s athletic squad signs copies of Unbelievable - From My Childhood Dreams To Winning Olympic Gold.
The Way Of Tea at British Museum, Great Russell Street, WC1B 3DG Russell Square FREE, 2pm, 3pm.
Saturday November 10 Aquatics Live at Olympia, Hammersmith Road, W14 8UX Earl’s Court phone for prices, 9am-6pm. The UK’s largest show for fish and reptile keepers The London Golf Show at Earls Court, Warwick Road, SW5 9TA Earl’s Court £8-£12, 10am-5pm. Tee up for the annual interactive consumer showcase. Puppetry In Opera: Workshops at Central School Of Speech And Drama, The Embassy Theatre, Eton Avenue, NW3 3HY Swiss Cottage artists £40, NUS £30, 10am-6pm. Leading practioners lead a number of workshops on the art of puppet theatre. Tell It Like It Is: Workshop at Canal Cafe Theatre, Bridge House Pub, Delamere Terrace, W2 6ND Royal Oak £30, concs £25, 2pm. Share true stories before they are lost, forgotten or overlooked.
Discover Dogs at Earls Court, Warwick Road, SW5 9TA Earl’s Court £15, concs £12, adv £11, concs adv £8, 10am-5pm. The Kennel Club brings together more than 200 different breeds of dog, allowing visitors to meet the animals close up.
Sunday November 11 Fashion Photography: Workshop (Ages 13-18) at British Museum, Great Russell Street, WC1B 3DG Russell Square FREE, adv booking required, 11am, 2.30pm. Plan and shoot a story taking inspiration from museum objects. Historical Tours at Fulham Palace, Bishops Avenue, SW6 6EA Putney Bridge £5, accompanied children FREE, 2pm. Join a tour of all the public rooms to hear secrets and stories. London Jazz Festival: Way In To The Way Out Part Two at Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, SE1 8XX Waterloo FREE, 5.30pm. A history of jazz from musicians Alexander and Corey. Museum Explored at Museum Of London, 150 London Wall, EC2Y 5HN Barbican FREE, 11.30am-1.30pm, 2pm-4pm. Explore the galleries through fun, hands-on activities. Remembrance Sunday: Talk at National Portrait Gallery, 2 St Martin’s Place, WC2H 0HE Embankment FREE, 3pm-3.30pm. Art historian Julie Barlow discusses how British artists dealt with the subject of war. Sunday Social: Craft Club at Pump House Gallery, Battersea Park, SW11 4NJ Sloane Square: phone for prices, 1pm4pm, children must be accompanied.
rauladefez
ONGOING
Image: Wellcome Library, London
Open until 14 April 2013 Book tickets at www.museumoflondon.org.uk/dissection or on 020 7001 9844 An online booking fee and timed entry apply. Due to its subject matter, Doctors, Dissection and Resurrection Men is not recommended for children under 12. Media partner
Barbican, St Paul’s, Moorgate
Tea has never had a rival to the title of the quintessential English drink. Now, foodies are using the beloved leaf in increasingly novel ways. Ben Norum investigates
W
hen visitors come from abroad, an afternoon tea at a swanky hotel is one of the things to tick off their to-do list. Many of them actually believe that it’s something us Brits do every day, and even more imagine us at home with china teapots and teacups of the style even Granny has got bored of. But a meeting of mums in leafy Zone 3 is now more likely to revolve around decaf skinny lattes than a pot of char, and even builders are deserting their namesake style of tea in favour of a white Americano. As coffee consumption is all the rage, are Londoners eschewing the tea leaf for the bean? Not if the city’s restaurateurs and bar owners have anything to do with it. Recent dishes have seen tea used to marinate prunes at L’autre Pied, smoke fish at North Road, make soup at Hix, flavour cakes at Yauatcha and perk up a white chocolate parfait at Dinner. The latter follows tea’s prominence
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on the Fat Duck menu, and many more of the world’s top restaurants, including Noma and El Bulli, have been using tea as a drink to match with dishes on a tasting menu. Part of the appeal in using tea is explained by Desmond Payne, the master distiller of Beefeater Gin. His newest twist on the age-old Beefeater recipe, Beefeater 24, contains two different types of green tea along with more classic botanicals such as juniper and citrus. To get scientific, he says: “Tea contains tannins – a type of biomolecule which naturally binds with proteins. This means they help the flavours of anything they are mixed with to combine and blend.
scottfeldstein
Tea-ing up new tastes
“In the gin they blend with the other botanicals to give a smoother flavour, and help the gin mix smoothly with other components when used in cocktails”. The principle is the same when using tea as an ingredient in any kind of cooking. In the drinks department, Caravan serves up a rooibos white rum sour, in which the sweettasting tea adds depth of flavour; Bourne & Hollingsworth matches Earl Grey with dark rum, peach liqueur and orange zest in the refreshing Chimp’s Tea; Artesian serves a tea punch laced with cognac (and infused with scorpion) which harks back to colonial days; and Nick Strangeway uses breakfast tea along with whisky and marmalade in a take on the Breakfast Martini created for Hix Soho. Elsewhere, chocolatier Paul A Young is working with Rare Tea Company to produce a range of tea-infused chocolates; Nigella Lawson has used it in bread; and at Worship Street Whistling Shop, it’s a glass of own-blended Chinese Brick Tea which is given to guests as a palate-cleansing drink in lieu of water. The drink got even more centre stage as Rare Tea Company owner Henrietta Lovell took over Farringdon’s Redhook in September to lay on a special tea-matched menu with food prepared by ex-Roganic chef Ben Spalding. Even the classic afternoon tea has had some TLC. The Berkeley’s Fashionista Afternoon Tea has seen it branch out to a younger crowd thanks to seasonally-changing collections of cakes and pastries inspired by designs from the likes of Gucci and Dolce & Gabbana; at Sanctum Soho, afternoon tea is re-designed for men, featuring mini steak sandwiches, pasties and whisky alongside a selection of gutsy teas; and the OXO Tower has a Not Afternoon Tea menu, designed to challenge perceptions of what the meal involves by leaving out finger sandwiches and scones altogether. While there might be fewer teapots on tables these days, at least it hasn’t all gone to pot; restaurateurs and mixologists are ensuring we’re loving our leaves more than ever.
Top Ten Afternoon teas
1
The Modern Pantry Anna Hansen’s signature clever quirk EC1V 4JJ Farringdon
Indulgent and a 2 Claridge’s classic W1K 4HR Bond Street
3
The Sanderson It’s mad as a Hatter here W1T 3NG Goodge Street
4
The Tea Rooms Inexpensive, unfussy and cool N16 0UH Stoke Newington
Pekoe Quaint and creative by the river 5 Orange Barnes SW13 0PX Soho Pasties and whisky for the men... 6 Sanctum W1B 5NF Piccadilly Circus
Berkeley ...and fashionista tea for 7 The the ladies SW1X 7RL
Hyde Park Corner
8
Grand Imperial Dim sum match the tea’s Chinese origin SW1W 0SJ Victoria
Tea of Highgate Brimming with old school 9 High charm N6 5HX Highgate
Secret Tea Room 40s jazz above The Coach 10 Soho’s & Horses W1D 5DH Tottenham Court Road
Perkin Reveller Tower Hill £££ Those foodies who read things other than cookery books will have both interests piqued at the prospect of a restaurant named after Chaucer’s character from The Cook’s Tale, the Perkin Reveller. But don’t worry if you’re not all about the literature. The character himself – a chef apprentice in the Canterbury Tales series who is described as loving nothing more than eating, drinking, merriment and mischief – would be right with you. Making its home next to the Tower of London, there could be few more impressive locations in London to set up shop, and it’s a cleverly-chosen space for this lighthearted hark back to hedonistic medieval banqueting. The lavish indulgence starts before even getting close to your table – if the regal roaring fireplace or bar sculpted from a church pulpit don’t lure you in for a pre-dinner drink, then a glance at the biblical tome of a cocktail list surely will. Not that a glance is nearly long enough: separated into varying spirits and classic drinks styles, the book features a fascinating potted history of drinking in London, told through cocktails both classic and creative. Plus, if your date isn’t as entertaining as hoped, at least you’ve got something to read instead of fiddling with your phone all night. Gin-based cocktails reign supreme, and there are plenty of punches presented in vintage bowls for sharing, but the largely London-brewed craft beer selection shouldn’t be overlooked. Served
in pint-sized pewter tankards, they’re well worth dropping in for alone. It may be a wrench, but you won’t regret the eventual move into the dining area, whether it’s to the main dining hall or the open terrace directly overlooking the river. Thanks to handilypositioned table-side chests containing cosy blankets, the latter is a very valid option even through the winter months. There are board games in them too, if you need entertainment. Though modern in its presentation, the food here is evocative of medieval nobility in its unashamed love of large slabs of meat. A dish of slow-cooked lamb includes a gravyrich shredded meat croquette alongside a piece of sumptuously soft, flakey neck and tender, rare-cooked rump. Braised fennel, artichoke hearts and a ratatouilleesque tomato and basil medley are vivid and uplifting accompaniments. Baked sea bream is the piscine equivalent, its delicate flavours and firm meaty texture accentuated by light cooking and a delicate vinaigrette-style dressing. Steaks and Sunday roasts are also par for the course on the menu that hovers somewhere close to that of a higher-end gastropub in both style and price. The Cooks Tale was left unfinished by Chaucer, for reasons unknown. Your meal at its character’s namesake is unlikely to have the same fate. Ben Norum Tower Wharf EC3N 4AB
Tower Hill
scoutlondon.com Scout London 21
The North Pole, Haggerston ££
As Greek As It Gets Earls Court ££
Offering a warm welcome fitting of the cosiest East End boozer, the name of this newish addition to London’s craft beer scene refers merely to the road it sits on, not the service within. One key attraction is the selection of over 22 draught beers, many of which hail from small London breweries. The offering changes as pumps run dry, but beers from the likes of Meantime, London Fields and Redemption are safe bets. The food menu is neither as extensive or as exciting, but the selection of burgers, hot dogs, pulled pork rolls, spare ribs and more are fairly fine beerfellows all the same. A number of smaller dishes replace the traditional bar snack, but with scotch eggs and pork scratchings among them, you can rest assured they’ve been upgraded rather than usurped. Ben Norum
There’s something about restaurants with superlative names that makes them an easy target. We can’t verify that this place really is as Greek as it is possible to get, but we can confirm that it has built up quite a following in the area over its 15 years. Following a refurbishment it now looks modern, but old family photographs and newspaper cuttings tell a longer story befitting the menu of traditional fare. Excellent taramasalata and a dish of squid stuffed with feta and herbs hit all the right notes in the build-up to a soft symphony of spices in the main of lamb in lemon sauce. The mustard sauce which accompanies sea bass in filo pastry feels out of tune with the dish, but good practice resumes in time for desert as homemade baklava strikes the perfect balance between sweet and sickly. BN
188-190 New North Road, N1 7BJ
Haggerston
233 Earl’s Court Road, SW5 9AH
Earl’s Court
JW Steakhouse Mayfair £££
No67 Peckham ££
From the bourbon-based bar menu to side dishes including baked sweet potatoes topped with melted marshmallows, there’s nothing subtle about JW’s homage to America. We’re impressed, then, that it now sees fit to serve British beef – bought from a Chiswick butcher – alongside its trademark Kansas Angus offering. We refuse to believe that any US meat could top our succulent, well-charred and deep-flavoured British 32oz Aberdeen Angus Rib Eye served proudly on the bone for sharing. At £44 it ain’t cheap, but given that it will happily feed four with a few sides, it may be one of the least extravagant things you’ll find to eat on Park Lane. Cheesecake is the recommended desert and another sharer. Go with it, as the menu’s claim that it’s “the best this side of the pond” isn’t far off. And as for those marshmallows, they just about work too. BN
Peckham once was more associated with Del Boy and Rodders goofing around than it was good food. But this enchanting café tagged on to the South London Gallery is now one of the growing number of reasons to give the area serious foodie respect. The cool and cosy atmosphere which attracts wifi hunters of a daytime is best enjoyed on a Wednesday evening, when the gallery is open late. Art is accompanied by dishes like braised feather blade served with beetroot, horseradish and toasted oats, and cuttlefish in ink with chickpeas, roast tomatoes and aioli. The menu changes daily, highquality ingredients are a priority, and mains start from around a tenner. Because it’s linked to the gallery, you could even consider eating out here as a charitable donation. If you’re anywhere nearby, you’d be a plonker not to try it out. Oliver Pickup
Grosvenor House Hotel, 86 Park Lane, W1K 7TN 22 Scout London scoutlondon.com
Marble Arch
67 Peckham Road, SE5 8UH
Peckham Rye
CENTRAL
Sacro Cuore Pizza 45 Chamberlayne Road, NW10 3NB Queen’s Park Pizza ££ Santa Maria Pizza in Ealing is widely regarded as being among the best pizzas in London, so it’s not surprising that this offering from the same team has proved popular with locals. The simple menu of pizza, focaccia and calzone is almost identical to the Ealing original. The Black Pig & White Pearls 61 Stoke Newington High Rectory Road Spanish ££ Following Street, N16 8EL in the footsteps of numerous pop-ups, Black Pig has gone permanent with this tapas bar in the heart of Stokey. While upstairs is as casual as it comes, there’s a slightly more formal vibe going on in the basement. Wherever you sit, the eponymous black pig Ibérico pork is a highlight.
EAST Heap’s Sausage Shop 8 Nevada Street, SE10 9JL Cutty Sark Cafe ££ A Greenwich institution run by Martin Heap, a specialist sausage maker who has travelled the world looking for recipes and inspiration. Aside from buying your bangers, you can call in for a sausage sandwich, a plate of sausage and mash or one of the regularly-changing specials.
Reverend JW Simpson 32 Goodge Street, W1T 2QJ Goodge Street Bar ££ This new cocktail bar from the team behind nearby and highly acclaimed Bourne & Hollingsworth offers a wide selection of creative cocktails with a vaguely prohibitionera feel. Oh, and there’s a communal piano, too. Hawksmoor 5a Air Street, W1J 0AD Piccadilly Circus Steakhouse £££ This fourth and latest branch of London’s coolest steakhouse brings Hawksmoor straight to Regent Street. In a change from its usual predominance of meat, the menu here will be split equally between flesh and seafood. The latter will be sourced in association with expert fisherman and sustainability spokesman Mitch Tonks. Bone Daddies 30-31 Peter Street, W1F 0AT Piccadilly Circus Noodle bar ££ This is the first UK outing for the Australian ex-Zuma chef Ross Shonhan. Serving 10 different ramen noodles dishes, along with a few other Japanese snacks, and decorated in the style of a Japanese izakaya, it’s far less scary than its name suggests. MASH 81 Brewer Street, W1F 0RH Piccadilly Circus Steakhouse ££ The name at this new opening refers not to the war TV series but rather is an acronym for Modern American Steak House. The Danish-owned restaurant proudly ships meat in from America, Australia and further afield. It will be interesting to see how London reacts to this first branch outside of Denmark, not to mention what Hawksmoor will think. Zoilo 9 Duke Street, W1U 3EG Bond Street Argentine £££ This second venue from the team which has already brought Marylebone Casa Malevo opens today (Monday). Dishes include mackerel escabeche, empanadas, and ox tongue. All the wines on offer will be Argentinian.
North
WEST
The Parlour Park Pavilion, 40 Canada Square, E14 5FW Canary Wharf International £££ There’s little rhyme or reason as to what dishes pop up on the menu here, but that seems quite appropriate given the decidedly random style which manages to merge eclectic with designer brands. Amid decent food and cocktails, a highlight is the wine list of which every single offering is available by the glass. Open Kitchen 40 Hoxton Street, N1 6LR Hoxton Modern British £ Dishing up brilliant food for a ridiculously cheap price – with one catch: this is where students from the London City Hospitality Centre (part of Hackney Community College) get to practice on real customers. Once you get over that, you’re in for a treat. Leila’s Shop 17 Calvert Avenue, E2 7JP Shoreditch High Street Cafe ££ Serving simple food and top notch coffee, the Polish owners also treat customers to a selection of cured meats and sausages. Eggs cooked and served in homely skillets is surely one of London’s breakfast highlights. Barcelona Tapas Bar y Restaurante 24 Lime Street, EC3M 7HS Bank Spanish ££ Finding a fair-priced meal in the Square Mile can be tricky. Enter this small group of restaurants which offer a wide selection of authentic home-cooked tapas dishes, with their set menus offering particularly good value. Service is speedy too, just in case you need to fit it into your lunch break.
SOUTH
Assiette Anglaise 489 Liverpool Road, N7 8NS Caledonian Road French £££ Brasserie classics are served with a fun and quirky edge at this all-day dining restaurant which opened in late summer. Chef Elton Inglis is heading up the kitchen, bringing experience from his previous roles at Petrus and Racine.
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Rosita 124 Northcote Road, SW11 6QU Clapham Junction Spanish ££ A new addition to Battersea’s dining scene comes from the husband and wife team behind Lola Rojo down the road, one of the restaurants which featured on Gordon Ramsay’s F Word show a few years ago. The focus is again on tapas, and there’s a particular prominence of sherry this time. The Goldsmith 96 Southwark Bridge Road, SE1 0EF Borough Gastropub ££ This ever-popular pub makes up what lacks in comfy drinking space with an interesting and well-priced food menu. Sunday brunch including 2 for 1 Bloody Marys is a high point.
Tonteria 7-12 Sloane Square, SW1W 8EG Sloane Square Bar ££ Tequila is the mainstay of this new bar from the acclaimed names behind Mahiki and Whisky Mist. Small plates of Mexican food will help soak up the booze, while a ‘shot train’ which delivers the shots direct to the table will no doubt make sure you really, really need it. Buddha Bar 145 Knightsbridge, SW1X 7PA Knightsbridge Asian ££££ Buddha Bar lasted just 18 months in its previous incarnation on Victoria Embankment, and managed to fit a fair few damning reviews into that period. The pan-Asian food offering is back, though, and among the new recruits is the former pastry chef at the Dorchester’s China Tang. He’ll knock up the likes of chocolate sesame bars, whilst savouries include venison tataki, smoked duck and foie gras gyoza.
Cabana Westfield, 3 Ariel Way, W12 7GF Shepherd’s Bush Brazilian ££ Continuing the drip-feed opening of South American restaurants in London, Cabana follows the success of restaurants in Westfield Stratford City and St Giles with this new venue at Westfield London in Shepherd’s Bush. Dishes include chicken croquettes, ceviche, an abundance of barbecue skewers and cheesy dough balls.
Scout London Price Guide ££££ Over £19 per main £££ £14-18 ££ £9-13 £ Under £9
TAKE OUT
DRINK IN
Due Sardi
SodaStream Night Spirit
Practice your M&S ad voice, because this tiny takeaway on Kingsland Road isn’t just any pizza shop. It’s an artisan Sardinian pizza shop. What does that mean? Well, it means you get a chewy, though still crisp, slightly sour dough base and that alongside more commonplace toppings you’ll find Sardinian sausages and cured meats. Whatever you do, just don’t ask for a Hawaiian.
It’s back to the 80s as SodaStream continues its comeback. No doubt in a bid to capitalise on the nostalgia factor, it has upped its age range this time round by coming out with a sleek new design and throwing a bit of booze into the mix. The Night Spirit does everything SodaStream ever did (carbonate water) but looks cooler on your counter and comes with a selection of mixes for DIY Cosmopolitans, Margaritas and Mojitos.
28-30 Kingsland Road, E2 8DA. Pizzas start at £6.45. Either call in or order online at duesardi.com
Widely available, £99. Cocktail mixes available separately. sodastream.co.uk
Two Year Acting Training Short Courses 0207 837 6030 www.thepoorschool.com
HOW TO BOOK You can pick up a real bargain at the TKTS booth. There is a wide variety of London shows to choose from, both for on the day performances and up to a week in advance. All you have to do is check out the shows available at tkts.co.uk or at the booth where our
TKTS.CO.UK
experienced and friendly sales team will be pleased to help with any queries you have. Tickets can only be bought in person at the booth. We accept credit and debit cards, cash and Theatre Tokens. There is a ÂŁ3 booking fee on discounted tickets but nothing if we can only offer full price.
OPEN EVERYDAY: Mon-Sat 09.00-19.00, Sun 10.30-16.30 TKTS is run by the Society of London Theatre. All profits support the theatre industry. TKTS is a registered trademark owned by and used under licence from Theatre Development Fund Inc. There is no other relationship or affiliation between the Society of London Theatre and Theatre Development Fund Inc, a New York not for profit corporation.
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Get retro with this icing set and instruction booklet with details on how to decorate the perfect cake. 1960’s Printed Icing Syringe Set, £28.95 from kitchenscookshop.co.uk
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This handy appliance offers both whisk and kneader attachments so you can sort your egg whites and dough in one sitting. Kenwood kMix Boutique Hand Mixer, £59.99 from House of Fraser
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Lens is more
Three major new photographic exhibitions open this week, covering jaw-dropping landscapes, arresting contemporary portraiture and work by one of the all-time masters It may be more famous for its paintings of monarchs and work by The Masters, but the National Portrait Gallery’s annual photographic exhibition is an increasingly important fixture in the diary of the Trafalgar Square institution. Since launching in
2005, the Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize has become one of the city’s most prestigious regular photographic exhibitions, at which previous entrants have highlighted emerging trends in photography, questioned the genre of portraiture and covered a wide
Top Maria Teichroeb by Jordi Ruiz Cirera, © Jordi Ruiz; Above The Ventriloquist by Alma Haser, © Alma Haser Right Actor Mark Rylance by Spencer Murphy, © Spencer Murphy
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range of themes, from beauty are on the shortlist for the to horror. £12,000 prize. This year, 2,350 Nov 8-Feb 17, National photographers from around the Portrait Gallery, npg.org.uk world entered, and 60 images were selected for the exhibition, including the ones Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize shown here, which
Cartier-Bresson: A Question of Colour Seminal photographer Henri CartierBresson was famously disparaging about colour. But his followers were more open minded about its possibilities. This exhibition will display 10 classic Cartier-Bresson photographs never before seen in the UK, alongside colour work by 15 celebrated photographers who cite the French master as a key influence. In spite of their embrace of colour, the exhibition aims to show how these later photographers employed CartierBresson’s teachings and techniques to a format he disliked. Nov 8-Jan 27, Somerset House, somersethouse.org.uk Top Harlem, New York, 1947, © Henri CartierBresson / Magnum Photos Right Untitled (Package Pile Up, New York), 1995, © Jeff Mermelstein
Ansel Adams: Photography from the Mountains to the Sea Work by one of the most famous and popular photographers in American history forms the basis of this new exhibition in Greenwich. Focussing on Ansel Adams’ fascination with water, the display will include more than 100 examples of awe-inspiring imagery – dramatic natural features such as waterfalls, rapids, geysers, placid ponds, raging rivers, and beautiful icescapes. Nov 9-Apr 28, National Maritime Museum, rmg.co.uk
Left The Tetons and the Snake River, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, 1942, © Courtesy Center for Creative Photography, ©2012 The Ansel Adams Publishing Rights Trust Ansel Adams
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Central
Abbas Akhavan: Study For A Garden at Delfina Foundation, 29 Catherine Place, SW1E 6DY Victoria FREE, Until Nov 20. Installations blurring the boundary between garden and domestic spa Breakthrough: Albert Adams at Imperial War Museum, Lambeth Road, SE1 6HZ Lambeth North FREE, Until Dec 31. Paintings, prints and drawings inspired by themes of the Holocaust and the pursuit of justice. John Bartlett: London Sublime at Guildhall Art Gallery, Guildhall Yard, EC2P 2EJ Bank £5, concs £3, under 16s/mems FREE, Until Jan 20. Contemporary paintings inspired by protests and city riots. Cartier-Bresson: A Question Of Colour at Somerset House, The Strand, WC2R 1LA Temple FREE, Starts Thu, Until Jan 27. An exhibition featuring 10 previously unseen Cartier-Bresson images, as well as works by 14 contemporary photographers. Elmgreen & Dragset: Harvest at Victoria Miro, 16 Wharf Road, N1 7RW Angel FREE, Until Nov 10. Mixed works exploring childhood memories, cultural heritage and institutions. Oskar Fischinger at Tate Modern, Bankside, Holland Street, SE1 9TG Southwark FREE, Until May 12. Restored film footage of the artist’s 1926 performances. Gerry Fox at Eleven, 11 Eccleston Street, SW1W 9LX Victoria FREE, Until Nov 10. Video installations inspired by 19thcentury paintings. Olivia Fraser: Miniatures at Grosvenor Gallery, 21 Ryder Street, SW1Y 6PX Green Park FREE, Until Nov 16. Works inspired by traditional Indian miniature paintings. Free: The Koestler Trust’s 50th Anniversary UK Exhibition at Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, SE1 8XX Waterloo FREE, Until Nov 25. Paintings, drawings, prints, sculpture, films, installations, writing and photography by offenders. Gertie Millar, Countess Of Dudley: From Stage To Society at National Portrait Gallery, 2 St Martin’s Place, WC2H 0HE Embankment FREE, Until Dec 16. Eighteen images of the actress displayed marking 60 years since her death.
Graphite at GV Art, 49 Chiltern Street, W1U 6LY Baker Street FREE, Until Dec 8. Drawings by artists including Lizzie Cannon, Christopher Cook and Charlie Franklin. Richard Hamilton: The Late Works at The National Gallery, Trafalgar Square, WC2N 5DN Leicester Square FREE, Until Jan 13. Major paintings and digital images by the artist, some of which were specially commissioned for the show and were not completed before the artist’s death in 2011. Emma Haworth: Secret Places In The City at Rebecca Hossack Art Gallery At Charlotte Street, 28 Charlotte Street, W1T 2NF Goodge Street FREE, Until Nov 30. Paintings focusing on the edgelands that interrupt London’s urban environment. Akihisa Hirata: Tangling at The Architecture Foundation, Ground Floor East, 136-148 Tooley Street, SE1 2TU London Bridge FREE, Until Nov 17. An immersive 1:1 scale installation, a contorted loop, to distill his architecture’s essence into a large-scale experiential structure. BP British Art Displays: Howard Hodgkin at Tate Britain, Millbank, SW1P 4RG Pimlico FREE, Until Dec 2. Paintings marking the artist’s 80th birthday. William Kentridge: I Am Not Me, The Horse Is Not Mine at Tate Modern, Bankside, Holland Street, SE1 9TG Southwark FREE, Starts Sun, Until Jan 20. The South African artist ‘s eightchannel video installation. Federico Beltran-Masses: Fantasy, Nocturnes And Portraits In The Jazz Age at Stair Sainty Gallery, 38 Dover Street, W1S 4NL Green Park FREE, Until Nov 9. Paintings and photographs offering imaginings of 1920s escapist cinema and studies of Hollywood and European cultural figures of the 1920s and 30s. Jill Mason at Art First, 21 Eastcastle Street, W1W 8DD Oxford Circus FREE, Until Nov 10. Paintings by the artist. The Natural Eye: Society Of Wildlife Artists Annual Exhibition at Mall Galleries, The Mall, SW1Y 5BD Charing Cross £2.50, concs £1.50, mems/under 16s FREE, Until Nov 11. Paintings, drawings, sculpture and prints inspired by the natural world. The Old Operating Theatre Museum Painting From Life: Carracci Freud at Ordovas, 25 Savile Row, W1S 2ER Green Park FREE, Until Dec 15. Head studies by Annibale Carracci and Lucian Freud. Rob Pruitt: Autograph Collection at Luxembourg & Dayan, 2 Savile Row, W1S 3PA Piccadilly Circus FREE, Until Dec 15. An installation featuring autographs collected by the American artist over a period of over 30 years. Ronnie Wood: A Major Retrospective Of 50 Years Of Rock And Roll at Symbolic London Pop-Up Showroom, 34 Bruton Street, W1J 6QX Green Park FREE, Until Nov 9. A selection of paintings, sketches, and other artefacts, offering an insight into the musician and artist’s life and career.
North Matthew Darbyshire: T Rooms at Zabludowicz Collection, 176 Prince Of Wales Road, NW5 3PT Chalk Farm FREE, Until Dec 2. An installation exploring
the relationship between design and social change. Paola McClure: Sparkle And Spin at Artsdepot, 5 Nether Street, Tally Ho Corner, N12 0GA Finchley Central FREE, Until Nov 10. Grandly-upholstered female figures and alien-like characters created from secondhand fabrics. Take Six at Artisan80, 80 Harlesden Road, NW10 2BE Dollis Hill FREE, Until Nov 24. Contemporary works from the East Finchley Open.
Revolver Part 3: William Cobbing, Benedict Drew, Tina Keane, Rachel Lowe at Matt’s Gallery, 42-44 Copperfield Road, E3 4RR Mile End FREE, Until Nov 18. Installations, video and multimedia works. Mark Peter Wright: 30 Minutes Of Listening at IMT, Unit 2, 210 Cambridge Heath Road, E2 9NQ Bethnal Green FREE, Until Dec 2. Mixed works exploring themes of listening, location and time.
East
Ansel Adams: Photography From The Mountains To The Sea at National Maritime Museum, Romney Road, SE10 9NF Greenwich £7, concs £5, mems FREE, Starts Fri, Until Apr 28. Photographs of the natural landscapes of America. Kristof Galas: The Gilded Age at Foss Fine Art, 113b Northcote Road, Clapham Junction SW11 6PW FREE, Until Nov 7. New paintings encompassing re-cycled house paint, enamels and gold leaf. Young London 2012 at V22 Workspace, Block F, 100 Clements Road, SE16 4DG Bermondsey FREE, Until Nov 11. A group show featuring works across a range of disciplines, by 25 young London-based artists.
Dale Grimshaw: Moreish at Signal Gallery, 32 Paul Street, Zetland House, EC2A 4LB Old Street FREE, Until Nov 23. Nightmarish paintings and prints. Collection Sandretto Re Rebaudengo: Maurizio Cattelan at Whitechapel Gallery, 80-82 Whitechapel High Street, E1 7QX Aldgate East FREE, Until Dec 2. Rarelyseen works by the Italian artist, direct from the Collection. Everyday Encounters at William Morris Gallery, William Morris Gallery Forest Road, E17 4PP Walthamstow Central FREE, Until Feb 3. Crafts in a variety of media by 28 shortlisted members of the Society Of Designer Craftsmen, whose work explores Morris’s passion for merging functionality with beauty in design Dr Lakra at Kate MacGarry, 27 Old Nichol Street, E2 7HR Liverpool Street FREE, Starts Fri, Until Dec 15. Sculpture, drawings and paintings by the Mexican artist.
Ed Atkins: Us Dead Talk Love at Chisenhale Gallery, 64 Chisenhale Road, E3 5QZ Bethnal Green FREE, Until Nov 11. Videos and writing exploring corporeality and materiality.
South
West Codebreaker: Alan Turing’s Life And Legacy at Science Museum, Exhibition Road, SW7 2DD South Kensington FREE, Until Jul 31. Photographs and objects celebrating the centenary of the British computing pioneer. Hollywood Costume at Victoria & Albert Museum, Cromwell Road, SW7 2RL South Kensington £14, OAP £11, NUS/ages 12-17/unwaged/disabled £9, family of 3 £23, family of 4 £37, under 12s/ mems/disabled carer FREE, Until Jan 27. Over 100 costumes covering 100 years of Hollywood films. William Klein: Paintings, Etc at Hackelbury Fine Art, 4 Launceston Place, W8 5RL Gloucester Road FREE, Until Dec 20. Rarely seen paintings from the 1940s and 50s. Museum Of Brands, Packaging And Adverstising at Museum Of Brands, Packaging And Advertising, 1 Colville Mews, W11 2AR Westbourne Park £6.50, child £2.25, concs £4, family £15, Until Dec 31. Collections include toys, newspapers, comics and fashion. James Ostrer: The Romance Of Perfection at Merchant Archive, 19 Kensington Park Road, W11 2EU Ladbroke Grove FREE, Until Jan 2. Photographs of San Francisco Ballet principal dancer Maria Kochetkova. Anne Penman Sweet: Ocean Avatars at Stephanie Hoppen, 17 Walton Street, SW3 2HX South Kensington FREE, Until Nov 10. Canvas work of great oil tankers and rigs. Victoria Revealed at Kensington Palace State Apartments, Kensington Gardens, W8 4PX High Street Kensington £14.50, child FREE, concs £12, Until Feb 28. Mixed works and historical artefacts exploring the life of Queen Victoria, inspired by extracts from her journals and correspondence.
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Make ’em laugh Can comedy schools teach people to be funny, or does it have to be in the blood? Comics give us the low-down on being a stand-up
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o you want to be a stand-up comedian? Well, surprise surprise, it’s not as simple as just writing a joke and then hoping on stage. So how do you go about it? Capital FM drive-time show host Greg Burns held a secret desire to be a stand-up after seeing his first comedy show aged 18. “For five years I never told anyone – except my then-girlfriend. It’s really difficult to admit you want to be a stand-up – it’s not like saying you want to be a singer or an actor. People think ‘what makes you think you’re so funny?’ “So I kept it a secret until one day, aged 23, I just decided to go for it. I was living in Newcastle at the time and a comedy club called Hyena had just opened. Unlike in London where there are loads of open mic nights, there weren’t many there at the time and I had to go on between established comedians on a Friday night. “It was really scary, but it went pretty well.” He pauses, then laughs: “It’s just the 200 or so gigs after that didn’t.” Although Burns honed his skills the traditional way, through constant gigging, trial and error, there is more than one way to crack an egg – or a joke. Many hopefuls take their first steps towards lucrative DVD deals at one of London’s highly-rated comedy classes. “We give people the chance to develop in a
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safe environment,” says Keith Palmer, founder of not-for-profit organisation The Comedy School in Camden, which counts the likes of Jeff Innocent, Kojo, Quincy and hotly-tipped Ahir Shah among its alumni. “It’s a common misconception that standups are just naturally funny people who get up and tell jokes,” he says. “There’s much more to it than that – it’s a real art form. We teach the techniques, such as generating material, developing persona, joke structure and so on.” But can you polish a turd? “I don’t think you can teach absolutely anyone to be funny,” Palmer says. “But what you can do is show them the techniques comedians use to evoke laughter. Most people have the capacity to make others laugh, if they take the time to analyse what it is that they find funny. “We sometimes get people who just aren’t funny. But not everyone comes to us with the ambition to be a comedian. Some come to improve their confidence, for others it’s about improving their presentation skills and for others it’s something on their ‘bucket list’.
“Out of a class of 12 to 15 people, one or two will go on to be regularly-gigging comics.” Although he hasn’t had lessons, Burns says he can see why they are useful. “I know quite a lot of people who have done them – when I first met Jimmy Carr he had just done a comedy course,” he says. “But I don’t think anyone has made it as a stand-up solely from doing a course. They teach skills, but nothing helps as much as gigging.” The Comedy School courses consist of 30 hours of tutorials, workshops, lessons and so on, often with guest lectures from renowned comedians who support the school. One such, Phill Jupitus, says: “I think there’s a lot of unnecessary mystery surrounding comedy, often quite conflicting things. Many people think it’s easier than it is, and just as many think it’s a lot more difficult. The school carries out sorts out both of these misconceptions.” It seems like the toughest thing about becoming a comic is overcoming the fear of getting started. Greg Burns, Bloomsbury Theatre, November 8
ONGOING
Josie Long: Romance And Adventure at Soho Theatre, 21 Dean Street, W1D 3NE Tottenham Court Road Nov 6-10, 8pm, Tue-Thu £15, concs £12.50, Fri & Sat £17.50. Whimsical and intelligent storytelling. Frankie Boyle: The Last Days Of Sodom at HMV Apollo, Queen Caroline Street, W6 9QH Hammersmith Nov 8-11, 7pm, £25. Controversial stand-up. Roisin Conaty: Lifehunter at Soho Theatre, 21 Dean Street, W1D 3NE Tottenham Court Road Nov 6-10, 9.30pm, Tue-Thu £12.50, Fri & Sat £15, concs £12.50. Intelligent wit from the brazen blonde bombshell. Doctor Brown: Befrdfgth at Soho Theatre, 21 Dean Street, W1D 3NE Tottenham Court Road Mon-Sat 9.30pm, ends Nov 10, Mon-Wed £15, concs £12.50, Thu-Sat £20, concs £17.50, phone for availability. Absurd visual humour from Phil Burgers’s impish alter ego, who collected the 2012 Foster’s Edinburgh Comedy Award. Micky Flanagan: Work In Progress at Leicester Square Theatre, 6 Leicester Place, WC2H 7BX Leicester Square Nov 6-8, 13-27, 7pm, Nov 9 & 10, 9.30pm, £12, phone for availability. Sharp wit and storytelling. Sean Lock: Work In Progress at Leicester Square Theatre, 6 Leicester Place, WC2H 7BX Leicester Square Oct 12-15, Nov 9-11, 7.30pm, £14, phone for availability. Cynical humour. Until Nov 11. Newsrevue at Canal Cafe Theatre, Bridge House Pub, Delamere Terrace, W2 6ND Royal Oak Thu-Sat 9.30pm, Sun 9pm, £10, concs £8.50. Topical sketches and songs. Until Dec 23.
Tony Law at The Wilmington Arms, 69 Rosebery Avenue, EC1R 4RL Angel 8pm, £5. Surreal and energetic humour from the inventive Canadian stand-up. WitTank at The Courtyard, Bowling Green Walk, 40 Pitfield Street, N1 6EU Old Street 8pm, £5. Sketch comedy.
Comedy Cares In Aid Of ADCAF at Comedy Store, 1a Oxendon Street, SW1Y 4EE Piccadilly Circus 8pm, £17.50, NUS/ concs £15. With Ian Stone, Adam Bloom, Hardeep Singh Kohli, Eddy Brimson and MC John Moloney.
Thursday November 8 Tuesday November 6 Angela Barnes: You Can’t Take It With You: Work In Progress at Leicester Square Theatre, 6 Leicester Place, WC2H 7BX Leicester Square 9pm, £5. Autobiographical stories and gags from the award-winning stand-up. Gits And Shiggles Comedy Night at Half Moon, Putney, 93 Lower Richmond Road, SW15 1EU Putney Bridge 8pm, £5. Monthly comedy night featuring some of the best names in the business. Matt Richardson And Romesh Ranganathan at Leicester Square Theatre, 6 Leicester Place, WC2H 7BX Leicester Square 7pm, £8, concs £7. Fast-paced wit and acerbic observations. Lewis Schaffer Is Free Until Famous at The Source Below, 11 Lower John Street, W1F 9TY Piccadilly Circus 8pm, FREE. Self-deprecating stand-up.
Monday November 5 Casual Violence: Om Nom Nominous at Leicester Square Theatre, 6 Leicester Place, WC2H 7BX Leicester Square 9pm, £10, phone for availability. Dark and sinister sketch and character comedy. Hal Cruttenden: Tough Luvvie at Pleasance Theatre, Carpenter’s Mews, North Road, N7 9EF Caledonian Road 7.45pm, £6. Observational humour. Rich Fulcher: Special US Election Show at Soho Theatre, 21 Dean Street, W1D 3NE Tottenham Court Road 7.30pm, £10. A satirical look at current American politics. Tony Law & Edward Aczel at Leicester Square Theatre, 6 Leicester Place, WC2H 7BX Leicester Square 7pm, £7, concs £6. The stand-ups try new material.
Wednesday November 7 Comedy Store Players at Comedy Store, 1a Oxendon Street, SW1Y 4EE Piccadilly Circus 8pm, £17, concs £12. With Josie Lawrence, Neil Mullarkey, Andy Smart, Lee Simpson, Niall Ashdown and Kirsty Newton. Chris Martin: Spot The Difference at Leicester Square Theatre, 6 Leicester Place, WC2H 7BX Leicester Square 9pm, £8, concs £7. Intelligent anecdotes. Patrick Monahan: Shooting From The Lip at Royal Albert Hall, Kensington Gore, SW7 2AP South Kensington 8.45pm, £13.50. New material from the rising standup star. Andrew Ryan: Ryanopoly at Leicester Square Theatre, 6 Leicester Place, WC2H 7BX Leicester Square 7pm, £8, concs £7. Incisive stand-up. Lewis Schaffer Is Free Until Famous at The Source Below, 11 Lower John Street, W1F 9TY Piccadilly Circus 8pm, FREE. Self-deprecating stand-up. Top Secret Comedy Club at The Africa Centre, 38 King Street, WC2E 8JT Covent Garden 8.15pm-10.45pm, £4, NUS £3. With Bobby Mair.
So Comedy Live at Soho Theatre, 21 Dean Street, W1D 3NE Tottenham Court Road 7.30pm, £10. With Joe Lycett, Late Night Gimp Fight and Shirley & Shirley.
The Thinking Drinkers Guide To Alcohol at Soho Theatre, 21 Dean Street, W1D 3NE Tottenham Court Road 7.30pm, £15, concs £12.50. Interactive stand-up from Tom Sandham and Ben McFarland.
Friday November 9 The Boat Show at Tattershall Castle, Victoria Embankment, SW1A 2HR Charing Cross 8pm, £10 & £13.50, concs £11. With Neil Delamere, Dan Nightingale, Kerry Godliman, Michael Legge and MC Craig Murray. Greg Burns at The Bloomsbury Theatre, 15 Gordon Street, WC1H 0AH Euston 8pm, £14, concs £12. Sharp observations from the radio presenter. The Covent Garden Comedy Club @ Heaven at The Covent Garden Comedy Club @ Heaven, Under The Arches Villiers Street, WC2N 6NG Charing Cross 8pm-10pm, £13. With Paul Myrehaug, Stuart Black, Pat Cahill, Matt Rees and MC Windsor. Foster’s Comedy Live at Highlight, Camden Lock, Middle Yard Chalk Farm Road, NW1 8AB Camden Town 8.15pm-10.15pm, £17 & £18. With Roger Monkhouse, Karen Bayley, Nathan Caton, Joe Lycett and Colum McDonnell. Mrs Barbara Nice - Housewife Superstar: Mrs Nice at Canada Water Culture Space, 21 Montreal House Surrey Quays Road, SE16 7AN Surrey Quays 7.30pm, £10, concs £8. Character comedy from Janice Connolly as the Stockport housewife. Up The Creek at Up The Creek, 302 Greenwich Creek Road, SE10 9SW 8.45pm, £11, concs £8. With Adam Bloom, Joe Bor and MC Elis James.
Saturday November 10
Joel Dommett: Nunchuck Silver Medallist 2002 at Leicester Square Theatre, 6 Leicester Place, WC2H 7BX Leicester Square 7pm, £8, concs £7. Quick wit, stories and banter from the Skins actor. Not suitable for under 14s. 99 Club Leicester Square at Storm, 28a Leicester Square, WC2H 7LE Leicester Square 8.30pm-10.30pm, £9 unreserved seating, £20 & £25 inc meal. With Joe Lycett and Brett Goldstein. Crack Comedy Club at The Slug And Lettuce, 1 Islington Green, N1 2XH Angel 8.30pm, £7, adv £6, NUS £4. With Stefano Paolini and Erich McElroy. Hal Cruttenden: Tough Luvvie at St James Theatre, 12 Palace Street, SW1E 5JA Victoria 8pm, £6-£12.50. Observational humour. The Legendary Comedy Try Out Night at Downstairs At The King’s Head, 2 Crouch End Hill, N8 8AA Finsbury Park 8pm, £4, concs £3. With Bobby Freeman, Kirsty Marsh, Karen White, Steve Bird, Fabian Franciscus, James Lacy, David Guinea and MC Jim Grant.
Jo Caulfield: Better The Devil You Know at Blackheath Halls, 23 Lee Road, Blackheath 8pm, £16, SE3 9RQ concs £14. Biting wit. Martin Dockery: The Holy Land Experience at Leicester Square Theatre, 6 Leicester Place, WC2H 7BX Leicester Square 7pm, £10, concs £8. Storytelling and one-liners exploring religion. Jongleurs Comedy Show at Sway, 61-65 Great Queen Street, WC2B 5BZ Holborn 7pm, 8.45pm, 7pm £17, 8.45pm £40. With Janey Godley, James Dowdeswell and Junior Simpson. Piccadilly Comedy Club at The Comedy Pub, 7 Oxendon Street, SW1Y 4EE Leicester Square 8.30pm, £15, adv £10. With Nick Helm, Nik Coppin and Barnaby Slater.
Sunday November 11 Comedy Variety Cabaret at Downstairs At The King’s Head, 2 Crouch End Hill, N8 8AA Finsbury Park 8pm, £7, concs £5. With Howard Read, Elena Procopiou, Luke Capasso and Lloyd Griffith. Joanna Neary: Youth Club at Leicester Square Theatre, 6 Leicester Place, WC2H 7BX Leicester Square 7pm, £10, concs £8. Character comedy about a group of children and their families. Asher Treleaven: Troubadour at Leicester Square Theatre, 6 Leicester Place, WC2H 7BX Leicester Square 9pm, £10, concs £8. An autobiographical show that asks the question, ‘is my life interesting enough to talk about for an hour?’
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Salma Hayek and Kevin James go back to school for their latest comedy, about a biology teacher who takes up cage fighting to combat budget cuts. Kate Whiting meets the pair, and witnesses some jovial verbal sparring 34 Scout London scoutlondon.com
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ands up if your school teachers were ever as hot as Salma Hayek, or looked uncannily like The Fonz. Extra marks for those whose biology teacher did a spot of cage fighting on the side. This is the reality for the pupils of Wilkinson High, the fictional school in Kevin James’s new comedy, Here Comes The Boom. It’s a perfect tale for these penny-pinching times. When the failing school faces a budget cut of $48,000, which would see music teacher Marty (Happy Days’ Henry
Winckler) laid off, biology teacher Scott (James) turns to Mixed Martial Arts to raise money. With encouragement from his colleague Bella (Hayek), he puts up with the bruises and battles to save the school’s music programme. In real life, James’ only experience of fighting was a little wrestling in high school, so he had to learn to fight – and go on a strict diet to lose weight. “It was horrible, horrible,” says the usually ‘cuddly’ actor. “He was eating just green lettuce and stuff,” adds Hayek, who looks tiny sitting next to James,
Boxing clever Kevin James (right) plays a teacher who takes up fighting
violence, but it was really warm,” says the Mexican-born actress. “I remember when we were shooting, I was like, ‘I don’t understand... Are we doing an action film? Is this a comedy? Or is this just a nice drama about a school?’ And then I realised it has a style of its own. “Usually all these movies about men fighting are very violent. In this movie, it’s a lot more than that.” As for playing teachers, the duo had their fair share of school experiences to draw on. “I had one teacher in fifth grade who said something about ‘pereza mental’, which is mental laziness, and how it was a disease and you have to understand it and push
comedy was always present in some form. “Even during the bad times, you try to find something funny. It’s always been a great release of tension for my family and me, and it’s something I always want to be a part of my life. Without comedy, I don’t know if this life’s worth living.” Firmly friends off-screen, there was a slightly awkward moment in Here Comes The Boom when the pair had to kiss. “She wanted a double,” says James, laughing. “I did, because I’m really good friends with his wife and children,” Hayek butts in with mock horror. “I mean, I’ve been kissing people
The worst thing is you train for so long and you’re still fat 99
Sony Pics/Everett / Rex Features
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and effortlessly glamorous, all glossy dark locks tumbling over her slim shoulders. “And you know what the most horrific thing about it is?” moans James. “You train for so long and you’re still fat. “I just ate raw for eight months of my life and I’m still jiggling,” he quips, bursting into laughter. The 47-year-old spent a lot of time with fighters on the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) circuit, including Dutch former heavyweight champion Bas Rutten, who appears in the film. “It’s an incredible discipline,”
says James. “That’s why I was interested in the movie in the first place – these guys are doing what could be conceived as the most barbaric thing in the world, where it’s just two men in a cage. It was exciting for me, in a crazy way. “I got to meet a lot of these people and you realise they’re just husbands and fathers and friends – they’re real guys that just love doing this for the sport of it.” Hayek admits she was surprised by how “sweet” all the fighters on set were. “You think it’s gonna be a set just full of testosterone and
yourself to learn,” recalls Hayek. “This stuck in my head and it has come in handy many times when I’ve become lazy – especially as I’ve got older – about learning more and making yourself better.” “I didn’t listen to the advice from my teachers,” grins James, “especially the ‘eat well’ part! I had some great teachers too, but I didn’t love school. I was a smart kid, but I wouldn’t apply myself.” Luckily for James, who was born in Mineola, New York, he discovered a love of comedy, which took him on to great success. “I grew up in a household where
on screen all the time, but we’re good friends and the kids are good friends. It was the strangest thing... He’s actually a very good kisser,” she adds, giggling. “I don’t want to take this the wrong way ’cos I will leave my family right now,” jokes James. “I’ll run away with you now Salma, we’ll never look back!” Thankfully, Hayek insists she was joking. “It was through a fence, nobody opened their mouth,” she says. “But he does have good lips.” Here Comes The Boom is in cinemas from November 9 scoutlondon.com Scout London 35
new releases
The Sapphires (PG) Based on Tony Briggs’ 2004 stage play, The Sapphires is a feel-good comedy about Aboriginal sisters who discovered their voices while entertaining troops in Vietnam. Booze-sodden talent scout Dave (Chris O’Dowd) discovers Gail McCrae (Deborah Mailman) and her sisters Cynthia (Miranda Tapsell) and Julie (Jessica Mauboy) singing in a pub talent contest. Ambitious 17-year-old Julie persuades Dave to put them forward for auditions to entertain American soldiers fighting in ’Nam. He in turn recruits their estranged cousin Kay (Shari Sebbens) to bolster the ranks, rechristening his fractious four-piece The Sapphires. O’Dowd gleefully pickpockets many of the best lines and he shares wonderful screen chemistry with Mailman. The soundtrack swings soulfully to the likes of What A Man, I Heard It Through The Grapevine and I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch). Glorious. Damon Smith
Argo (15) Fiction couldn’t be any stranger than the truth in Ben Affleck’s gripping thriller based on real-life events following the 1979 storming of the US Embassy in Tehran. His film centres on the covert CIA operation to extract six terrified members of embassy staff from the Iranian capital, by creating a bogus sci-fi blockbuster film called Argo as a cover for the rescue mission. Alan Arkin and John Goodman are terrific as the bona fide Hollywood producer and veteran makeup artist, whose involvement gives credence to the deranged plan, but it’s the taut pacing, slick editing and escalating tension which really grab you by the throat, underpinned by emotionally-wrought performances from a sensational ensemble cast. The nail-biting climax succumbs somewhat to dramatic licence, but by that point we are prepared to forgive Affleck everything. DS
My Brother The Devil (15)
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Writer-director Sally El Hosaini makes an assured debut with this sensitively handled coming of age story, shot on location in Hackney during the riots, which transformed areas of the capital into a flame-scorched battlezone. Fady Elsayed plays wayward teenager Mo, who idolises his older brother Rashid (James Floyd) and seems destined to stumble down the same path of lowlevel criminality. A shocking discovery drives a wedge between the siblings, igniting a powder keg of raw emotion that drives El Hosaini’s film to its grim if somewhat predictable resolution. The intelligent script complements committed performances from the leads, while David Raedecker’s cinematography captures both the beauty and squalor of London’s concrete jungle of crime-riddled streets and rundown housing estates. DS
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Also showing
Nights of Noir
Donnie Darko (15)
This weekend, gangsters and molls kick up their heels in the atmospheric setting of a specially recreated 1950s speakeasy, before double-bill screenings of Hollywood’s most stylish and influential crime dramas from the past 60 years. Friday night pairs Robert Aldrich’s 1955 classic Kiss Me Deadly, torn from the pages of Mickey Spillane, with David Lynch’s deeply disturbing Blue Velvet, starring a maniacal Dennis Hopper in an oxygen mask. On Saturday, Robert Mitchum sends chills down the spine in Night Of The Hunter followed by the Coen brothers’ deliciously dark Fargo, blessed with an Oscar-winning lead performance from Frances McDormand. The series comes to a close on Sunday, when Stanley Kubrick’s The Killing trades blows with Robert Altman’s The Long Goodbye, based on the 1953 Raymond Chandler novel of the same name. Prepare to embrace the darkness. DS
Richard Kelly’s directorial debut was one of the quirkiest and most original American independent films of the last decade, shot with brio and an offbeat eye for detail. Jake Gyllenhaal’s hypnotic lead performance as a deeply troubled teenager plagued by visions of a giant rabbit called Frank anchors the picture, and provides us with an endearing guide to a world of extra-terrestrial visitors and invisible life forces that may just be a product of the lead character’s feverish imagination. The resolution to the film’s many intrigues is perplexing and delightfully quixotic, and guarantees Donnie Darko a place in the pantheon of cult movies. The rabbit-themed double-bill begins at 6.45pm with Henry Koster’s classic 1950 comedy Harvey, starring James Stewart as a lovable everyman with a very special invisible friend. DS Nov 5, 8.45pm, £12, mems £7 or £6.50, concs £4 per film. The Prince Charles Cinema, WC2H 7BY Leicester Square
Russian Film Festival
Magnolia (18)
Haunting, poetic fables and fascinating documentaries abound in the sixth annual celebration of Russian filmmaking, which brings together established directors and a new generation of artists determined to open a window on modern Russia. Vitaliy Mansky distils the history of television into 100 minutes in his documentary Iconoscope (Nov 6) and Boris Khlebnikov’s satirical comedy Till Night Do Us Part draws inspiration from overheard conversations (Nov 7). A single mother comes to terms with terminal illness in Pavel Ruminov’s moving drama I’ll Be Around (Nov 9), while Renata Litvinova channels the spirit and macabre humour of the Brothers Grimm in Rita’s Last Tale (Nov 10 & 11). All films are screened in Russian with English subtitles, and many are followed by Q&As with cast and crew. DS
When Oscar Wilde wrote that “moderation is a fatal thing... nothing succeeds like excess”, Paul Thomas Anderson took him at his word, allowing this “small and intimate” 1999 drama to run to a buttock-numbing 188 minutes. Recalling Robert Altman’s Short Cuts with its rich tapestry of human life, warts and all, Magnolia is a tour-de-force of directorial virtuosity and flawless acting. Every member of the ensemble cast delivers. Tom Cruise turns in a career-best performance as an egotistical stud, playing villain for the first half with his misogynist diatribes, then winning us back with a subtle transformation into distraught son. Anderson juggles plot strands with unnerving ease. His assertion that life is full of chance encounters which defy logic sets up the dazzling finale. DS
Until Nov 11, £12, concs £9.50, Apollo Piccadilly Circus and various venues, SW1Y 4LR Piccadilly Circus
Nov 10, 11.30pm, £8, Rio Cinema E8 2PB Dalston Kingsland
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Nov 9 & 10, 7pm & 10pm, Nov 11, 3pm & 6pm, £26, concs £21. Old Vic Tunnels, SE1 8SW Waterloo
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Extras Small Screen Politics
Charles Dance lends his gravitas to a dark new political drama. But, as the Game of Thrones star tells Lisa Williams, he’ll soon be showing off his naughty side too With ‘Plebgate’ still ringing in our ears like a bicycle bell, now’s not a good time to be Chief Whip. That is, unless you’re Charles Dance, who stars as a fictional Chief Whip in new Channel 4 drama Secret State. But Dance says his character is not cut from the same cloth as the recently shamed Andrew Mitchell. “I certainly don’t think he’s the kind of man to abuse policemen,” he says in the booming voice of a classically-trained actor. The 66-year-old plays a shady character who helps manoeuvre his colleague (played by Gabriel Byrne) into the top job when the Prime Minister’s plane crashes in mysterious circumstances. Adapted from the book A Very British Coup by former MP Chris Mullin, the tense conspiracy drama opens with a nuclear explosion that destroys a Teesside school – and many of its pupils. It doesn’t pull any punches, and explores pressing issues such as state surveillance and terrorism. Dance hopes it’ll make viewers ask questions about what is going on in government. “I’m always intrigued,” he says, by way of example, “whether there’s much we do that ‘Big Brother’ doesn’t know about.” Dance makes no bones about his own political views, which he describes as “very left-of-centre”. And, though Byrne’s character in Secret State is a politician with principles, Dance believes there are few similar people in the real Palace of Westminster. Are there really no politicians he admires? 38 Scout London scoutlondon.com
“Not really, darling, no. They don’t inspire one very much – any of them. I think it’s a great shame.” Outside of politics, the usually-reserved actor was recently put in the hot seat on bawdy chat show Ronna & Beverly and subjected to the comedy duo’s characteristically intimate line of questioning. “They’re mad as snakes those two,” recalls Dance with a hearty “har, har, har” laugh. Perhaps because he has a voice made to be projected to the back of the National Theatre, and enough gravitas to make you quake in your boots, Dance isn’t often asked to do comedy. Which is a shame, as one suspects he has a mischievous side. “Oh God yes, darling,” he confirms. “Christ yes! I’m at the age where I don’t care much any more.” So luckily for him, off the back of his appearance on Ronna & Beverly, he was cast in a forthcoming short comedy film for Sky called Bad Grandad. “He’s a retired rock’n’roll tour manager,” explains Dance. “It was so far removed from what I’m normally asked to do, I couldn’t say no, and I had a hoot doing it.” Dance will be filming the next series of Game Of Thrones in 2013, and has no plans to slow down. “I used to share an agent with the late John Gielgud, and in his 90s he was phoning our agent and saying, ‘Hello, Johnny Gielgud here, any work?’ Now that’s fantastic,” says Dance, “Har, har, har.” Secret State starts on Channel 4 on Wednesday, November 7
State Of Play (2003) This star-studded conspiracy drama concerned a journalist’s investigation into the death of a young political researcher, and the unearthing of unsavoury information about high-ranking ministers and business leaders. Black Mirror: The National Anthem (2011) The shocking opening episode of Charlie Brooker’s Black Mirror explored the relationship between politics and public opinion, by imagining the Prime Minister being blackmailed by a performance artist into having sex with a pig on live television in order to secure the release of the nation’s beloved princess.
The Thick Of It (2005 - 2012) Armando Ianucci’s fly-on-thewall political comedy, which coined the term ‘omnishambles’ and unleashed the foulmouthed force of nature that is spin doctor Malcolm Tucker, came to an end last week.
Ian West / Matt Crossick / PA Images / BBC
A political Dance
Yes, Minister (1986 – 1988) Paul Eddington played pompous MP Jim Hacker in this sitcom that later became Yes Prime Minister when Hacker was unexpectedly promoted. A new version (pictured), based on the successful stage adaptation, is planned for GOLD in 2013.
Men in Black 3 (15) Available on iTunes, Blu-ray and DVD now A Boglodite assassin escapes from a high security prison and travels back in time to kill the man who put him behind bars: Agent K (Tommy Lee Jones). The ripple effect causes Agent K to disappear from the future, heralding a full-scale Boglodite invasion of Earth. So Agent J (Will Smith) travels back to 1969 to save his best friend. Third time’s a charm for the sharp-suited Men In Black, who rediscover their swagger 10 years after the lacklustre second instalment. Smith’s one-liners are sparkling and visual gags include the video wall at MIB headquarters, which monitors alien activity on Earth, exposing some unusual celebs as extra-terrestrial visitors. DS
Loyalli iTunes App store and Android Market, FREE
Shop loyalty and reward cards are fantastic if you’re watching the pennies. But having them clog up your wallet isn’t so great. This bugbear drove one group of friends to develop an app which stores all your loyalty points for you. Currently available on iPhone and Android (with a Blackberry version coming soon), Loyalli enables shops to virtually ‘stamp’ customers’ cards. It’s free to download and use, with around 600 retailers currently in on the scheme, including salons, shops and coffee bars. A search function enables users to search for Loyalli offers nearby. Find out more at loyalli.com. DS
White Collar Series One Available on Netflix now
Best known to Brits for his star turn as stripper Ken in this summer’s hit Magic Mike, Matt Bomer has charmed American audiences for five series as Neal Caffrey, the loveable rogue at the centre of White Collar. Caffrey is a con man, forger and theif who is ultimately captured by the FBI. Following a not very successful prison break, Caffrey makes a deal with Peter Burke (Tim DeKay), the agent who caught him: if Caffrey helps him catch white collar criminals, then he can stay out of jail as part of a work release program. While completely implausable, the show is a cut above your standard US cable network procedural, with Bomer serving as a likeable protagonist and an impressive turn by Tiffani Thiessen - of Saved by the Bell fame - as Peter’s wife. Ray Lamothe
Downton Abbey - Series Three (12) Boxset out now
Death stalks the corridors of Downton Abbey in eight episodes of the award-winning ITV1 drama that continues to be the glossiest and most gloriously entertaining soap opera on the small screen. The fate of the grand house hangs in the balance but everyone comes together for the wedding of Matthew Crawley (Dan Stevens) and Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery), including Cora’s mother Martha Levinson (Shirley MacLaine), who locks horns with the imperious Dowager Countess (Maggie Smith). Acidic one-liners fly hither and thither but tragedy strikes and a certain valet is finally released from prison. DS
Don’t miss your chance to win with This week, Scout London has teamed with Netflix, the worlds leading Internet subscription service for enjoying films and TV shows, to give one lucky reader the chance to win a one year subscription and a Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 so you can
instantly watch hours of great entertainment. Simply answer the following question: What year did Netflix launch in the UK & Ireland? A) 2012 B) 2001 C) 1973
To enter text SCOUT FLIX to 88010 Texts cost £1*, also enter at scoutlondon.com/netflix scoutlondon.com Scout London 39
40 Scout London scoutlondon.com
She Wares it well
Singer Jessie Ware has defeated crippling nervousness to enjoy a year of incredible success – capped off with a Mercury Music Prize nomination. She tells Andy Welch how she almost never became a singer
Oldham / Rex Features
J
essie Ware is knackered. “I’ve packed a lot in this year, but I don’t even think I’ve started the hard work yet,” she sighs. “Plus I’ve been sat outside most of the day,” she adds, recounting the story of her morning, when she locked herself out of her flat and had to sit on the steps and wait for her boyfriend to turn up and let her in. “That aside, things are great right now,” the 28-year-old singer continues. “Really great in fact.” She’s not wrong. Everything seems to have come together for her this year, culminating in a nomination for the Mercury Music Prize. Although she was pipped to the prize by indie math-rock outfit Alt-J, she was delighted to have made the shortlist. And earlier this year she achieved a long-held personal ambition – to appear on the Later... With Jools Holland show. Despite it being the realisation of a dream, she barely relaxed enough to enjoy it. “I said to myself, ‘What are you doing?’ I was there, in front of all my family, doing something I’d always dreamt of, and I wasn’t having fun. I was a bit overwhelmed by it all, really. Thankfully I managed to talk myself into calming down and I loved it, even if I was nervous.” Nerves are something that Ware, who comes from Clapham, has had to overcome before. She’s always been able to sing,
but never believed she’d be able to do it for a living, partly because she wasn’t sure she had the right temperament. “I just didn’t think I had the confidence to do it,” she says. “I’d see other singers and even if they weren’t great singers they still had more confidence to believe in themselves and carry it off. “I always wanted to be a singer, but I was practical and I really wanted to go to university, so I went to Sussex and studied English literature.”
she says, “or I’d be working all day then go to do a gig in the evening. “I’d have late nights and then have to be up early for work, it was exhausting. Then Jack asked me to go on tour with him in America for a month. I’d used all my holiday from work, so I had to decide. “I thought I might be able to make it as a session singer or backing vocalist, so took the risk and went full-time.” Ware performed her last gig as a guest vocalist in January 2011 and then went about writing what
I feel on a real high so I’m waiting for the bad stuff to happen 99
66
After graduating, Ware worked in TV production for a short time. She also followed in the footsteps of her father John (a reporter on Panorama) and pursued a career in journalism, writing for The Jewish Chronicle among other publications. Then old schoolfriend and signed singer-songwriter Jack Peñate stepped in and offered Ware the chance to sing with him, first at a BBC session and later on various tours. “I was having to take a lot of time off to go on tour with Jack,”
would become her stunning debut album, Devotion. Blending the smooth, latenight feel of Sade with the luscious melancholy of Whitney Houston’s earliest recordings, Devotion somehow still sounds contemporary, thanks in part to the production and co-writing skills of Dave Okumu of The Invisible. Once Ware has toured the UK, visited her many fans in Poland and performed in the US for the first time, she says she’d like to get on with album number two, although she also realises she should
start living too – in order to have something to write about. “I feel on a real high at the moment, so I’m waiting for the bad stuff to happen,” she says, reflecting on a remarkable year. “I’m a pessimist so I can’t help it. I don’t think there’s going to be some Jessie Ware backlash – at least I hope I don’t put a bad enough foot wrong for that to happen – but I know that people can love you one day and not feel like that the next.” Now she is turning her attention to her forthcoming tour, her first run of headline shows. Has she finally got the confidence she always felt she lacked? “There’s a huge sense of relief that the album is out and people like it, and that brings confidence and belief,” she says. “Then I think if the record has sold, hopefully some of the people at the gigs will have it and know the songs. That makes it easier each time, so I’m not trying to win people over each time I perform. They’re already on board.” November 13, Electric Brixton, returns only scoutlondon.com Scout London 41
London Jazz Festival November 9-18, Various venues & prices
Jazz often gets a bad name. To many, it’s either gratingly pretentious, hopelessly erratic and hard to listen to, or simply cheesier than Michael Bolton at the dairy counter. But what an injustice this is. Like pop, rock, dance or any other genre of music, the full jazz spectrum is enormous – so much so that there’s almost certainly a jazz record out there for everyone. If you’re keen to explore further, there’s no better place to start than the excellent London Jazz Festival.
As well as catering to the die-hards, a huge proportion of the gigs are totally beginner-friendly. From superlative veterans such as Herbie Hancock (Nov 12, Southbank Centre) and Chick Corea (Nov 17, Barbican) to young contemporary jazzers such as saxophonist Soweto Kinch (Nov 16&17, The Albany) and singer Gwyneth Herbert (Nov 15, Arts Depot), the spread is as broad and accessible as ever. londonjazzfestival.org.uk
Also this week:
November 8, O2 Academy Brixton, £22.50
France’s electro-shoegazers have a nice line in dreamy, upbeat epicness that has won them impressive, albeit gradual, success over the past 10 years. Now, with a slew of soundtrack credits and global recognition under their belts, they’re pretty much at the top of their game, and playing it with more panache than the competition. Want to go to this one? Mais oui! Stockwell Road, SW9 9SL Brixton 42 Scout London scoutlondon.com
Seal Nov 6, HMV Apollo, £35-£55 Soundgarden Nov 9, O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, £39.50 Spector, Splashh, Swim Deep, Luls Nov 10, O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, £12.50 Spiritualized Nov 5, Roundhouse, £23.50 Spit Like This, Starscream Nov 10, Nambucca, £6 The Chapman Family Nov 5, The Old Blue Last, FREE The Civil Wars, The Lumineers Nov 6, Roundhouse, £19.50 The Divine Comedy Nov 7, Southbank Centre, £15-£25, concs £7.50-£12.50 Zappa Plays Zappa Nov 10, Roundhouse, £31.50-£36.50
Melanie C, Molly McQueen, 5 4 3 2 1 Nov 6, O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, £17.50
Bellowhead November 7, Roundhouse £22.50
The rip-roaring figureheads of the UK’s traditional folk revival, Bellowhead offer many things, namely intelligent yet irresistibly danceable and gloriously melodic music, plus pretty much the most fun it’s possible to have at a gig. Their new album, Broadside, seems to be selling well, so there should be plenty to celebrate. Prepare for your feet to ache the day afterwards. Chalk Farm Road, NW1 8EH Chalk Farm
Timothy SaccentI
M83
Amy MacDonald Nov 6, Southbank Centre, £22.50-£35 And So I Watch You From Afar Nov 8, The Garage, £11 Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti Nov 9, York Hall, adv £16 Athlete Nov 10, The Albany, £21 Ben Kweller, Tom Williams And The Boat Nov 8, Electric Ballroom, £13.50 Billy Talent Nov 11, Roundhouse, £18.50 Blindsided Nov 8, The Monarch, £4, concs £3 Brainiac 5, Bow & Bellows Nov 11, Bull And Gate, £5 Charley Pride Nov 9, IndigO2, £35-£45 Coheed And Cambria Nov 7 & Nov 8, KOKO, £20 Hopsin, Dizzy Wright, SwizZz Nov 8, XOYO, £12.50 How To Dress Well Nov 5, XOYO, adv £11.50 Huey Morgan & The New Yorkers Nov 7, Bush Hall, £16.50 Jack Savoretti Nov 6, The Scala, adv £12 Juanes Nov 5, O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, phone for prices Julian Cope Nov 8, Rough Trade East, £8 Lambchop Nov 9, Cadogan Hall, £23.50 London Afrobeat Collective Nov 7, The Barfly, Camden, adv £8 Maximo Park Nov 7, O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, adv £17.50
Alt-J
November 5, Electric Ballroom, returns only
Scout Stereo
Proving that good ‘ol guitar music is far from dead, these lads from Cambridge are probably the hottest thing in new music right now. Their debut album An Awesome Wave has been turning heads on both sides of the Atlantic, and even managed to scoop the Mercury Prize last week. Perhaps all the ‘new Radiohead’ labels are a bit ridiculous, but their inventive brand of indie certainly points to a bold and boundary-pushing future. Not surprisingly, getting into this gig will be like trying to break into Fort Knox. Camden High Street, NW1 8QP
Camden Town
Emeli Sande November 11, Royal Albert Hall, £22.50-£37.50
A no1. album, a string of charttopping singles, Critics Choice at the Brit Awards, Best Solo Artist at the Q Awards, and let’s not forget her Olympic ceremony double. However you look at it, this has definitely been Emeli Sande’s year. The stylish Scot is capping it with a performance at one of the most prestigious venues in the country. It seems like a pretty climatic moment, but we get the feeling this girl has barely even started. Kensington Gore, SW7 2AP South Kensington
1
Pepe Deluxé My flaming thirst
2
Cheatahs The Swan
3 4 5
Would have made an amazing Bond theme. Maybe next time round.
Fuzzy guitars and lo-fi production – it’s Dinosaur Jr for a new generation.
Friends Mind Control
So hip it hurts. In a good way.
DJ Crazy J Rodriguez Voodoo Sabotage Beasties vs Prodigy mashup. Bonkers, brilliant and totally pulse-racing.
The Sea and Cake Inn Keeping Slow-burning but satisfying, this gently absorbing track is as comforting as a pub fire.
Listen to our playlist: j.mp/scout0015
Kindness
November 7, Heaven, £10 Few artists have stirred both the critics and the cool kids into as much of a frenzy in 2012 as Peterborough’s Adam Bainbridge, aka Kindness. Funky, fresh and seductively fragile, his marvellous World, You Need A Change Of Mind is one of the albums of the year, and quite possibly a dance music game-changer. He’s taken the baton from the likes of Hot Chip and is now sprinting towards a future he seems determined to define. Villiers Street, WC2N 6NG Charing Cross
Rita Ora November 7, IndigO2, £5
Rita Ora for a fiver? That’s right. The hottest woman in pop is performing for cheap at this special gig, which is being staged entirely by young volunteers – everything from the sets to the make-up. It’s all in aid of the O2 Think Big scheme, which helps young people realise their creative ambitions. The O2, SE10 0DX North Greenwich scoutlondon.com Scout London 43
2Chainz Nov 14, Electric Brixton, adv £14.50 Adam Ant & The Good, The Mad And The Lovely Posse, Georgie Girl & Her Poussez Posse Nov 30, O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, adv £28.50 Alabama 3 Dec 8, HMV Forum, £20 Alabama Shakes Nov 17, HMV Forum, £18.50 Alabama Shakes Nov 16, The Coronet, adv £18.50 Alanis Morissette, Athlete Nov 28, The O2 Arena, £35 & £45 Alexisonfire Dec 2 & Dec 3, O2 Academy Brixton, £25, phone for availabilty Archive Dec 4, Heaven, £15 Band Of Horses Nov 20, The Apollo, £22.50 Band Of Skulls Dec 7, O2 Academy Brixton, £17.50 Bell X1 Jan 25, Bush Hall, £18.50 Ben Howard, Willy Mason Nov 28-Nov 30, O2 Academy Brixton, £17.50 Beth Hart Nov 16, HMV Forum, £22.50 Biffy Clyro Apr 3, The O2 Arena, £26.50 & £29.50 Big Sean Nov 26, O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, £22.50 Bloc Party Feb 22, Earls Court, adv £29.50 Blood Red Shoes Jan 22, O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, £13.50 Bobby Womack Nov 25, HMV Forum, £27.50 & £32.50 Born Electric Christmas Special Dec 22, Electric Brixton, adv £15 Brand New Heavies Dec 3-Dec 5, The Jazz Cafe, £25 Breabach Dec 1, Cecil Sharp House, £15 Cat Power Dec 12, Roundhouse, £22.50 Cerys Matthews Nov 21-Nov 24, The Hippodrome Casino, £27.50-£35 Charli XCX Nov 15, XOYO, £10 Christmas With Steps Dec 2, London Palladium, £22.50-£50 Converge, Touche Amore, A Storm Of Light, The Secret Nov 25, KOKO, adv £15 Cradle Of Filth Dec 19, HMV Forum, £15 Crystal Castles Nov 24, O2 Academy Brixton, £17.50 Dan Mangan Nov 27, The Scala, adv £12.50 Dappy Dec 20, HMV Apollo, £18.50 Darwin Deez Nov 28, XOYO, £14 Deaf Havana, Canterbury, There For Tomorrow Nov 16, O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, £14 Death In June Dec 15, Electrowerkz, adv £15 Deerhoof, Buke & Gase Dec 4, The Garage, £14 Deftones Feb 20, O2 Academy Brixton, £28.50 Django Django Dec 21, O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, £15 Dodgy, Mark Morriss Dec 14, O2 Academy Islington, £17.50 Dog Is Dead Mar 1, O2 Academy Islington, adv £11.50 Dreadzone Dec 13, The Garage, £15 Dropkick Murphys Jan 18 & Jan 19, HMV Forum, £21 Dub Pistols Nov 14, The Jazz Cafe, £12
44 Scout London scoutlondon.com
Duke Special Dec 20, O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, £15 Easy Star All Stars Nov 15, The Garage, £18 Editors, The Courteeners, The Temper Trap, Lucy Rose, Theme Park Dec 17, O2 Academy Brixton, adv £25 Elbow, Here We Go Magic Dec 2, The O2 Arena, £29.50 & £32.50 Electric Six Dec 15, O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, phone for prices Ellie Goulding Dec 12, O2 Academy Brixton, £25 Elvis Costello & The Imposters Jun 4 & Jun 5, Royal Albert Hall, £45 Emeli Sande Apr 8, HMV Apollo, £25£29.50
AlunaGeorge Nov 22, Hoxton Square Bar And Kitchen, £8 Emily Barker & The Red Clay Halo Nov 21, Union Chapel, adv £12 Enter Shikari, Cancer Bats, Engine-Earz Experiment Dec 16 & Dec 17, Roundhouse, adv £20 Epica, Stream of Passion Dec 19, Electric Ballroom, £17.50 Europe Dec 1, O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, £20 Example Feb 23, Earls Court, £28.50 Fairport Convention May 10, The Borderline, £24 Family Feb 2, O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, £35 & £38.50 Fanfarlo Nov 22, Union Chapel, adv £12.50 Fatoumata Diawara Nov 15, Village Underground, £14 Fear Factory Dec 18, KOKO, £16 Feeder Nov 23, O2 Academy Brixton, £23 Fink Nov 27, O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, £17.50 Finley Quaye, Akim Nov 16, The Jazz Cafe, £17.50 First And Forever Festival: Tribes, Splashh, Temples Nov 15, The Barfly, Camden, FREE, ticketed, apply online at store.drmartens.co.uk/t-festival Florence + The Machine Dec 5 & Dec 6, The O2 Arena, £29.50 Frank Hamilton Dec 20, The Barfly, Camden, £6 Funeral For A Friend Feb 18, The Garage, adv £16 Gabby Young And Other Animals Nov 15, Bush Hall, £17.50, adv £14.50 Gary Barlow Nov 27, Royal Albert Hall, £45-£95, phone for availability. Gary Barlow Dec 27, HMV Apollo, £35 & £65
Gary Numan Dec 7, HMV Forum, £28 Gentleman’s Dub Club Nov 20, Hoxton Square Bar And Kitchen, adv £12 Georgie Fame Nov 14, Millfield Arts Centre, £21, adv £20, concs £19, adv concs £18 Get The Blessing Nov 17, The Jazz Cafe, £13.50 Girls Aloud Mar 1 & Mar 2, The O2 Arena, £42.50-£49.50 Glasvegas Dec 1, The Garage, £18 Gotye Nov 12 & Nov 13, HMV Apollo, £26.50 Green Day, Kaiser Chiefs, All Time Low Jun 1, Emirates Stadium, £45-£65 Greg Lake Nov 25, O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, £27.50 Guillaume Perret, TrioVD, Puma Nov 17, Bishopsgate Institute, £12.50 Hamid Motebassem, Ensemble Mezrab Nov 28, Southbank Centre, £15-£30, concs £7.50-£15 Happy Mondays Dec 19 & Dec 20, Roundhouse, adv £32.50 Helloween Apr 16, HMV Forum, adv £25 Her Name Is Calla, Midas Fall, The Microdance Dec 11, 93 Feet East, £8, concs £6 Hit Factory Live Christmas Cracker Dec 21, The O2 Arena, £49.50 Hollie Cook Nov 27, Cargo, adv £12.50 Hot Since 82, Michael L Penman, DubGraffiti, Yiannis Balkizas Nov 24, Cargo, £15 Hundred Reasons, Hell Is For Heroes, Cable Nov 24, HMV Forum, adv £17.50 Hundred Reasons, Hell Is For Heroes, Cable Nov 22, The Coronet, adv £17.50 I Am Kloot Nov 20, Islington Town Hall, £20 I Nomadi Nov 28, O2 Academy Islington, £25 IQ Dec 8, O2 Academy Islington, £18
Ben Folds Five Dec 4 & Dec 5, O2 Academy Brixton, £37.50 Ibrahim Maalouf Dec 8, Rich Mix, adv £17.50 InMe Dec 9, The Garage, £13 Incognito Jan 25 & Jan 26, The Jazz Cafe, £30.25 Inspiral Carpets Mar 22, KOKO, adv £19.50 Jake Bugg Nov 14, KOKO, phone for availability James Last: One More Time Apr 26 & Apr 27, Royal Albert Hall, £35-£60 James Taylor Quartet Dec 22, Islington Town Hall, £30 James Yorkston, Geese Dec 19, Shacklewell Arms, adv £12.50 Jason Mraz Dec 1, The O2 Arena, £32
Imelda May, Patti Austin, Juliet Roberts Nov 9, Barbican Centre, £15-£35 Jaya The Cat, Anti Vigilante, Tyrannosaurus Alan, Clay Pigeon, Mike TV, Faintest Idea, Tallowah Dec 9, The Underworld, adv £11 Jessie J Mar 9 & Mar 10, The O2 Arena, £25 & £33.50 Jessie Ware Mar 13, O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, £16.50 Jessie Ware Nov 13, Electric Brixton, £12.50 Joan Armatrading, Chris Wood Nov 23 & Nov 24, IndigO2, £20-£45 Jon Spencer Blues Explosion Dec 3, Electric Ballroom, £18.50 Justin Bieber Mar 4, Mar 5, Mar 7, The O2 Arena, £50 & £60 Kairos 4Tet, Omar, Emilia Martensson & Eric Legnini Nov 17, Kings Place, £12.50, adv £9.50 Kaiser Chiefs Mar 1, O2 Academy Brixton, adv £27.50 Keane Nov 30, The O2 Arena, £27.50 & £45 Kool & The Gang Nov 29, Electric Brixton, £35 Kris Kristofferson Dec 7, Southbank Centre, £35 & £40, concs £17.50 & £20 Kurt Vile & The Violators, Lower Dens, Dark Dark Dark Dec 6, HMV Forum, adv £15 Kwes Nov 20, The Sebright Arms, adv £6 Ladyhawke Nov 14, HMV Forum, £16 Lawnmower Deth, Beholder Dec 15, The Garage, £15 Leona Lewis May 8 & May 9, Royal Albert Hall, £35-£65 Lianne La Havas Mar 11 & Mar 12, O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, £15 Lisa Stansfield Dec 4, The Scala, £29.50 Little Mix Feb 13, HMV Apollo, £19.50£32.50 London Jazz Festival: Asian Jazz All Stars Nov 18, Pizza Express Jazz Club, £20 London Jazz Festival: Ayanna, Gwyneth Herbert Nov 13, Royal Albert Hall, £15 London Jazz Festival: Chick Corea, Christian McBride & Brian Blade Nov 17, Barbican Centre, £10-£50 London Jazz Festival: Damo Suzuki Meets 23 Skidoo, Three Trapped Tigers Nov 11, Village Underground, £11.50 London Remixed Festival Nov 24, Various Venues Shoreditch, wristband £10 Lucero, Danny And The Champions Of The World Nov 30 & Dec 1, The Windmill, adv £15 Lucy Rose Nov 22, Electric Brixton, £11 Madness Dec 14 & Dec 22, The O2 Arena, £29.50-£47.50
Classical
Francesco Piemontesi Nov 7, Southbank Centre, £10-£28 Aled Jones May 12, Union Chapel, adv £35 Alfie Boe: Storyteller Apr 8 & Apr 9, Royal Albert Hall, £25-£45 Andre Rieu, Johann Strauss Orchestra Dec 16, The O2 Arena, £40-£90 Andrea Bocelli Nov 14 & Nov 15, The O2 Arena, £45-£120 Belmont Ensemble Of London/ English Chamber Choir Nov 10, St
Evgeny Kissin Nov 20, Barbican Centre, £25-£85 Martin-In-The-Fields, £8-£28 Carols By Candlelight Dec 2, Bush Hall, £7, adv £6 Dirty Pretty Strings Nov 23, Union Chapel, adv £25 Fretwork Nov 13, Royal College Of Music, £8 & £10 Jerusalem Quartet Nov 21, Southbank Centre, £10-£35, concs £5-£17.50 Katherine Jenkins, National Symphony Orchestra Dec 10, Royal Albert Hall, £29-£70 Orchestra Of The Age Of Enlightenment Nov 8, Southbank Centre, £9-£38 Royal Academy Of Music/Chamber Music Ensembles Nov 15, St Peter’s Church, £10, concs £5
London Symphony Orchestra Nov 8, Barbican Centre, £10£36 (Pictured: conductor Frank Strobel)
Joey Bada$$ Nov 14, XOYO, adv £12 Mark Lanegan Band Dec 4, HMV Forum, £18.50 Maroon 5 Jun 23 & Jun 24, The O2 Arena, £40 & £45 Martha Wainwright, AroarA Dec 2, O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, £28.50 & £30 Matt Goss Nov 21, Bush Hall, £100 Matt Schofield Nov 20, 100 Club, adv £15 Matthew Dear Dec 5, Fabric, phone for prices Michael Kiwanuka Dec 5, Southbank Centre, £17.50 & £20, concs £8.75 & £10 Mika Dec 13, Roundhouse, £25 Monster Magnet, Spine Of God Nov 23, Electric Ballroom, £20 Motorhead, Anthrax, Diaries Of A Hero Nov 17, O2 Academy Brixton, phone for availability Mumford And Sons Dec 11 & Dec 18, The O2 Arena, £29.50-£32.50 Mystery Jets Nov 29, Southbank Centre, £15 & £17.50, concs £7.50 & £8.75 Mz Bratt Nov 7, The Borderline, £9 Natives Dec 12, The Barfly, Camden, £5 Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds Nov 13, O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, phone for prices Noisettes Nov 13, KOKO, adv £16 Olly Murs Mar 29, The O2 Arena, £34 Omar Feb 23, Millfield Arts Centre, £20, adv £19, concs £18, adv concs £17 One Direction Apr 1, Apr 2, Apr 4, Apr 5, Apr 2, The O2 Arena, £25 & £33.50 One Direction Feb 22 & Feb 23, Feb 23 & Feb 24, The O2 Arena, £25 & £33.50 Orbital Dec 14 & Dec 15, O2 Academy Brixton, £30 P!nk Apr 24, Apr 25, Apr 27, Apr 28, The O2 Arena, £42.50-£55 Passion Pit, Chad Valley, Churches Nov 20, HMV Forum, £16 Plan B Feb 9, The O2 Arena, £30 Richard Hawley Nov 21, St John At Hackney Church, £25 Rizzle Kicks Nov 15, Roundhouse, £17.50 Rizzle Kicks Nov 16, O2 Academy Brixton, £17.50 Rob Zombie/Marilyn Manson: Twins Of Evil Tour Nov 26, The O2 Arena, £30£37.50 Robbie Williams Nov 22-Nov 24, The O2 Arena, £50-£90 Rodrigo Y Gabriela Nov 29, HMV Forum, £25 Ron Sexsmith Mar 7, Royal Albert Hall, £22.50-£32.50 Ronan Keating: Fires Tour Jan 26, The O2 Arena, £35
Rufus Wainwright Nov 18, HMV Apollo, £37.50-£50 Saint Etienne Dec 14, O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, £22.50. Sam And The Womp Dec 6, XOYO, £9 Scroobius Pip, Kate Tempest, Brian Gittins Dec 10, The Garage, £12 Sebastien Tellier, Kyla La Grange Dec 5, O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, £17.50 Sigur Ros Mar 7-Mar 9, O2 Academy Brixton, £30 Space, Dollface Nov 17, O2 Academy Islington, £17.50 Spear Of Destiny Dec 2, O2 Academy Islington, adv £15 Speech Debelle Nov 14, Village Underground, £12 Steve Vai Dec 2, HMV Apollo, £28.50 The Black Keys Dec 12 & Dec 13, The O2 Arena, £30 The End Festival 2012 Nov 16, Various Venues, Crouch End, London, £20 The Hives Dec 14, Roundhouse, £18.50 The Killers, Tegan And Sara Nov 16 & Nov 17, The O2 Arena, £35 & £45 The Maccabees Nov 23, St John At Hackney Church, £35 The Prodigy Dec 18 & Dec 19, O2 Academy Brixton, £45 The Rasmus, The Dirty Youth Dec 14, Electric Ballroom, £14 The Raveonettes Dec 3, Village Underground, £14.50 The Rolling Stones Nov 25 & Nov 29, The O2 Arena, £95-£375
Pepe Deluxe, Husky Rescue Nov 12, The Scala, adv £17.50 & £19.50 The Script Mar 22 & Mar 23, The O2 Arena, £29.50 The Vaccines Nov 17, Alexandra Palace, £20, disabled £10, phone for availability The Wedding Present Nov 23, KOKO, £16 The Wildhearts Dec 17, HMV Forum, £20 The X Factor Live Tour 2013 Feb 7, The O2 Arena, £32.50 The XX Dec 16, O2 Academy Brixton, adv £25, phone for availability Trey Songz Jan 30 & Jan 31, HMV Apollo, £30 & £35 Tyler James Nov 21, O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, £12 Yeasayer Dec 4, O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, £17
Win an epic adventure on America’s iconic West Coast Visit our Key To The City app on Facebook to find out how facebook.com/ o2academyislington
Monday November 5 Funday Monday at Cargo, 83 Rivington Street, EC2A 3AY Old Street FREE, 7pm-1am. DJ Jimbo Jangles plays house, dance, indie, pop, R&B and electro. Trinity Fireworks at Heaven, Charing Cross Arches, Villiers Street, WC2N 6NG Charing Cross £8, £5 before 2am, £4 before 1am, 11pm-5.30am. Fabio Luigi, Jamie Hammond, Alan K, David Robson and Zach Burns spin house and electro trance.
Tuesday November 6 Desire at Covert, 65 Albert Embankment, SE1 7TP Vauxhall £8, w/flyer £6, 3am11am. DJs Steven Geller, Bruno Nouer and Sven Jon spin house and electro records. On It at The Barfly, Camden, 49 Chalk Farm Road, NW1 8AN Chalk Farm FREE, 7.30pm-late. Old skool, hip hop, R&B, garage and bass music courtesy of Ryan Paul. Paradox Tuesdays at Egg, 200 York Way, N7 9AX King’s Cross St Pancras £15, £12 before 1am, adv/NUS/mems £8, 11pm6am. Resident DJs spin house and techno. White Heat at Madame Jojo’s, 8-10 Brewer Street, W1F 0SE Piccadilly Circus £5, concs/flyer £4, 10.30pm-3am. DJs Matty, Olly and Marcus supply electro, techno and indie.
Love Present at Orleans, 259-261 Seven Sisters Road, N4 2HZ Finsbury Park £5, FREE before 12midnight, 10pm-late. DJs Rob Bailey and Chris Dale spin 1960s club soul, ska, Motown, R&B and boogaloo. Ma Dukes Presents at The Jazz Cafe, 5 Parkway, NW1 7PG Camden Town £15, 7pm-late. DJs Guilty Simpson, Frank Nitt and Phat Kat spin deep R&B, Detroit inspired hip hop and neo-soul for the launch of J Dalla’s posthumous album ‘Rebirth of Detroit.’ Radio at The Roxy, 3-5 Rathbone Place, W1T 1HJ Tottenham Court Road £5, NUS/w/flyer £3, FREE before 9pm, 10pm3am. The Radio DJs play 1980s pop, indie and disco. Underdog at Pacha, Terminus Place, SW1V 1JR Victoria £7, adv £5, 10pmlate. Kris Harris and DJ Valente spin house in the main room, while Hidden.Outside.The. Box play indie, electronic, dance, and nudisco in the Global Room. Vinyl at Eagle, 349 Kennington Lane, SE11 5QY Vauxhall £3, FREE before 10pm, mems £2, 6pm-2am. DJ Screwpulous spins pop hits from the last three decades.
Friday November 9
Wednesday November 7 The Double Gone Chapel at The House Of St Barnabas In Soho, 1 Greek Street, W1D 4NQ Tottenham Court Road £20, 7.30pm. Andrew Weatherall spins electro, post punk, post rock, techno and Balearic, plus live performances from Beth Orton, Pete Molinari and Johnny Trunk. Eruption 2 at Jamm, 261 Brixton Road, SW9 6LH Brixton £7, adv £5, 7pm-2am. Resident DJs play hip hop and rap, with live performances from Dannie Cize, Macximos Imperial, Mikel Ameen, Naomi Keysha, Shevvy, Short Empire and Chineseburn, plus comedy and poetry. Shinky Shonky at Ku Bar, 25 Frith Street, W1D 5LB Tottenham Court Road FREE, 10pm-3am. Boogaloo Stu spins pop and dance. White Leather Viper Club at Dalston Superstore, 117 Kingsland High Street, E8 2PB Dalston Kingsland FREE, 9pm-3am. Italo disco and obscure classics courtesy of PoP Campaign and White Leather Viper.
Thursday November 8 Bad Sex at Proud Camden, The Horse Hospital, Chalk Farm Road, NW1 8AH Camden Town £7, £5 before 10pm, guestlist NUS £5, NUS FREE before 10pm, 7.30pm-2.15am. Mayton DJs and Fin Munro spin lo-fi, chillwave and house, plus live performances from Mr Fogg and Black Gold Buffalo. Chick Habit at Candy Bar, 4 Carlisle Street, W1D 3BJ Tottenham Court Road FREE, 9.30pm-late. DJs Amy B and CeCe spin pop and classics from the 1990s, plus music by girls in the basement. Livenation Presents at The Lexington, 96-98 Pentonville Road, N1 9JB Angel adv £8.50, FREE after 11pm, 8pm-4am. Hooded Fang, Eliza And The Bear and Must spin garage and rock.
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Spin Off at XOYO, 32-37 Cowper Street, EC2A 4AP Old Street £12.50, 9pm-late. DJs Frankie Knuckles, Behling And Simpson, Casino Times, CSY and Stripes spin house music. Back To Back at Dalston Superstore, 117 Kingsland High Street, E8 2PB Dalston Kingsland £5, FREE before 11pm, 9pm-3am. DJs Remain, Meech, Kezokichi, Pressplay, Middleditch And Mook, Alex Carle and Le Colonel spin electro and techno. Bad Taste at Relay, 33 Bermondsey Street Tunnel, SE1 3JW London Bridge £10, adv £6 & £8, mems £6, 10pm-6am. DJs Blokhe4d, Crissy Criss, Optical, Prolix, Aeph, Billain and Cabbie spin drum’n’bass, with hosts 2Shy, Ryme Tyme and Flux. Club NME at KOKO, 1a Camden High Street, NW1 7JE Mornington Crescent £8, 9.30pmlate. Indie, electro and rock courtesy of Brodinski, Gesaffelstein, Club Cheval and Monsieur Monsieur. C Panel at Plan B, 418 Brixton Road, SW9 7AY Brixton £5 before 11pm, 10pm-6am. Residents DJs Balofo, Nomic, LeoB and Foundry spin drum’n’bass, grime and techno, plus special guests Baobinga, Daffadam, Medlam, The Manor and Polkam Medika.
Fabulous Fridays at Escape Bar, 10A Brewer Street, W1F 0SU Piccadilly Circus £5, FREE before 10pm, 9pm-3am. DJs Robby D and Matt Boland spin disco, retro and pop. Fabriclive at Fabric, 77A Charterhouse Street, EC1M 6HJ Farringdon £20, £10 after 3am, NUS £14 before 12midnight, adv £18, adv £23 inc CD, 10pm-6am. Tiga, Duke Dumont, Gingy & Bordello, Sei A and Matt Walsh spin house, techno and electro in Room 1 while Daniel Avery holds court in Room 2 with support from Optimo, Jon Convex and Filthy Dukes, plus KiNK live. Feeling Gloomy at The Phoenix, 37 Cavendish Square, W1G 0PP Oxford Circus £6, adv £4.50, NUS £5, 9.30pm-2.30am. DJs Leonard and Cliff spin melancholy pop, rock and indie. Frat Party at The Macbeth, 70 Hoxton Street, N1 6LP Old Street FREE, 7pm-late. Skate punk, punk rock, nu-metal, rock, hip hop and R&B tracks courtesy of DJs Frat Party, Break Fast Club, Harley and UPRAWR. Friday at The Big Chill House, 257-259 Pentonville Road, N1 9NL King’s Cross St Pancras phone for prices, 9.30pm-3am. DJ Friendly spins house and party classics. Fridays at The Blagclub at The Blagclub, Kensal Town, 222 Kensal Road, W10 5BN Westbourne Park FREE before 11pm, 9pm-3am. Resident DJs play an eclectic mix of party anthems, club classics, house and commercial hits. Friday Night Pick N Mix at South London Pacific, 340 Kennington Road, SE11 4LD Oval £5, £3 before 10pm, FREE before 9pm, 6pm-3am. Disco Dave Daggers, Magnus Dr Hoover Box and Marshmellow Mike spin an eclectic mix of requests. Horsepower at Proud Camden, The Horse Hospital, Chalk Farm Road, NW1 8AH Camden Town phone for prices, 7.30pm-2.30am. Mr Eddy Osborne and Dixon Brothers spin house, indie, electro, techno and drum’n’bass. I Love Pacha at Pacha, Terminus Place, SW1V 1JR Victoria £12, 11pm-late. Bam Bam and James McLaughlin spin electro, house and dance in the main room, while Abstract Sounds play experimental and progressive pop in the Global room. Itchy Feet at Concrete, The Tea Building, 56 Shoreditch High Street, E1 6JJ Shoreditch High Street £6, 10pm2am. Leo Bedford, Count Skylarkin and friends spin rock’n’roll, funk, soul, swing and blues with a touch of reggae and ska.
Rude Photo at Egg, 200 York Way, N7 9AX King’s Cross St Pancras £20, NUS £10 w/ loyalty card, adv £15, mems £13, 10pm7am. Chicago-born producer and DJ Felix Da Housecat and D Ramirez supply electro and electrohouse to an energetic Friday night crowd.
The Loft: Makin Moves at The Bedroom Bar, 62 Rivington Street, EC2A 3AY Old Street £10, adv £8, 10pm-3am. Residents Jamesey and Matt L-S spin house and soul, plus a live performance from Shea Soul. Loud Noise at Cable, 33A Bermondsey Street, SE1 2EG London Bridge £15, adv £12, earlybird £8, 10pm-6am. DMZ record label founder Loefah is flanked by Lil Silva, Mickey Pearce, Eliphino, Guy Andrews, Tessela, Jack Swift and a special guest for dubstep, house and grime. Mellophonik at The Whitehouse, 65 Clapham Park Road, SW4 7EH Clapham Common £7, £5 before 12midnight, 9pm-late. Vocal and progressive house courtesy of DJ Santos, Julian Amour, Filipe Neves, Balistrari, Steve Murrell, Miley and Sylus D. Micachu, Last Japan at The Nest, 36 Stoke Newington Road, N16 7XJ Dalston Kingsland £7, 9pm-4am. Micachu, Last Japan and Bradley Zero Philip spin pop and punk, plus live performances from Tropics, Born Blonde and Hunting Party. The Nextmen at On The Real at East Village, 89 Great Eastern Street, EC2A 3HX Old Street £10, adv £7, 10pm-3.30am. The Nextmen spin hip hop, house, disco and jungle in the basement, while residents Spin Doctor, Mr Thing and Chris P Cust spin hip hop, plus MC Prankster. Off-Ramp at The Player, 8 Broadwick Street, W1F 8HN Oxford Circus £5 after 9pm, 8pm-2am. DJ Michael C spins house, disco, funk and Afrobeat. Oonst at The Basing House, 25 Kingsland Road, E2 8AA Liverpool Street £10, adv £7, early bird £5, 10pm-4am. Adam Port, Atts, Oli D.A.B, Ollie Rigg and Robin spin house, techno and drum’n’bass. Pick N Mix at Arch, 15-16 Lendal Terrace, SW4 7UX Clapham North FREE, 10pm-3am. Resident DJ Jerry spins funky house, soulful electro, indie, rock, pop and soul from the past six decades. Pinup Peepshow at Proud Cabaret, 1 Mark Lane, EC3R 7AH Fenchurch Street £5, 8.30pmlate. Resident DJs spin swing, jazz and electro, plus live burlesque and cabaret performances including Miss Betsey Rose, Beau Rocks, Slinky Sparkles, Velma Celli and Teddy Boy. Play>Time at Lo-Profile, 84-86 Wardour Street, W1F 0TQ Leicester Square £10, £8 before 12midnight, 10pm-4am. Weekly gay dance party hosted by porn star Jay Roberts with special appearances. Popular Presents at Hoxton Square Bar And Kitchen, 2-4 Hoxton Square, N1 6NU Old Street £5, phone for times. Resident and guest DJs spin a mix of dubstep, indie, hip hop and dance tracks. Acts TBA. Propaganda at O2 Academy Islington, N1 Centre, 16 Parkfield Street, N1 0PS Angel £5, 10.30pm-3.30am. DJ Dan and guests spin an eclectic mix of indie, electro, pop, dance and drum’n’bass. Rude Photo at Egg, 200 York Way, N7 9AX King’s Cross St Pancras £20, NUS £10 w/loyalty card, adv £15, mems £13, 10pm-7am. Chicago-born producer and DJ Felix Da Housecat and D Ramirez supply electro and electrohouse to an energetic Friday night crowd.
Sin City at Electric Ballroom, 184 Camden High Street, NW1 8QP Camden Town £7, NUS/mems £5 before 11.30pm, w/flyer £5 before 12midnight, 10.30pm-3.30am. DJs Adam Lightspeed and Sleazy H play alternative rock and metal in the main room, with classic rock and old skool metal in room two. Stereo Sleaze Presents at Horse And Groom, 28 Curtain Road, EC2A 3NZ Shoreditch High Street £3, 10pm4am. DJs Chamboche, Al Bradley and Ben Clifford play deep house and disco. Stop Showin’ Off at The Waiting Room, 175 Stoke Newington High Street, Stoke Newington £3, N16 0LH 10pm-4am. Hip hop and soul sounds courtesy of Lucy Pink and guest DJs. Strum Presents at The Bedroom Bar, 62 Rivington Street, EC2A 3AY Old Street £6, 9pm-3am. DJs Gentleman George, Digital Farm Animals, Will Mace and Blak Lamb spin electro, reggae, punk, garage, house, techno, drum’n’bass and dubstep. Time Tunnel Presents Breakaway at Market House, 443 Coldharbour Lane, SW9 8LN Brixton £4, 9pm-late. Ska, soul and 1960s floorshakers from resident DJs Boy About Town, Liam_Ska and Sean. Tonker at Eagle, 349 Kennington Lane, SE11 5QY Vauxhall £6, FREE before 10pm, mems £5 after 10pm, 9pm-3am. Resident DJ Tim Jones and guest play house, chart and dance. White Jail Warehouse Night 1st Anniversary at Secret Location, EC2 adv £12, 10pm-6am. House and minimal techno courtesy of Audio Werner, ThanksMate, Roberto Amo and Lock Eyes.
Saturday November 10 Audio Sushi at The Dogstar, 389 Coldharbour Lane, SW9 8LQ Brixton £5, FREE before 10pm, 9pm-4am. Jeffrey Disastronaut plays reggae, electro, funk jungle, pop, indie and dubstep. Beach Party at Walkabout, Temple Station, WC2R 2PH Temple £5, 9pm1am. DJs Mr T, Wedgee and Krystal Rox spin house, dance, pop and R&B. Carter USM: Official Aftershow Party at Jamm, 261 Brixton Road, SW9 6LH Brixton £10, 11pm-4am. Resident DJs play indie, plus live performances from Clinton USM and Whitestar.
Electric Minds at Secret Location, N1 Old Street adv £15, earlybird £8-£12.50, 10pm-6am. Jackmaster and Ben UFO play electronic b2b for eight hours, with occasional forays into dubstep and soul.
Benny Benassi at Electric Brixton, 1 Town Hall Parade, Brixton Hill, SW2 1RJ Brixton phone for prices, 10pm-6am. The Italian DJ plays electro and house. Christmas Club at The Borderline, Orange Yard, Manette Street, W1D 4JB Tottenham Court Road £7, w/flyer £6, 11pm-4am. Indie and retro pop disco with DJ Tom Smith. Club De Fromage at O2 Academy Islington, N1 Centre, 16 Parkfield Street, N1 0PS Angel £6.50, 10.30pm3.30am. Resident DJs play cheese and pop from the 1980s and 1990s. Club Aloha at South London Pacific, 340 Kennington Road, SE11 4LD Oval £5, £3 before 10pm, FREE before 9pm, 7pm-3am. DJs Les and Ian from Music Inc play jazz, soul, Motown, Latin, funky house and pop classics. Deep Saturdays at Bar 366, 366 Garratt Earlsfield FREE, Lane, SW18 4ES phone for times. Tech, funky, progressive and soulful house courtesy of DJ Tom-ash and DJ KosemetiQ. Defected In The House at The Ministry Of Sound, 103 Gaunt Street, SE1 6DP Elephant & Castle £18, 11pm-7am. Sandy Rivera, Copyright, Simon Dunmore, Pirupa, Sam Divine, Soho Gyms, Joy Oke and Sam Bylett spin house, dance and electro. Don’t You Want Me Baby at The Roxy, 3-5 Rathbone Place, W1T 1HJ Tottenham Court Road £9, £7 before 10.30pm, NUS £5, 9.30pm-3.30am. Resident DJs spin indie, rock, pop and electro. Duckie at Royal Vauxhall Tavern, 372 Kennington Lane, SE11 5HY Vauxhall £6, 9pm-2am. Resident DJs spin pop and indie hosted by the inimitable Amy Lame, plus cabaret performances. Entice’s 5th Birthday at The Whitehouse, 65 Clapham Park Road, SW4 7EH Clapham Common £12.50 & £15, FREE before 11pm, 9pm-5am. Across two rooms, Fonti And Bushkin, Mike ‘Ruff Cut’ Lloyd, Pied Piper, Martin Jackson, PaulMichael and Bertie Morse spin old skool garage, while DJ Pioneer, Steve Feelgood, Move The House and Replae mix house, plus MCs PSG and DT. Fabulous at Ku Bar, 30 Lisle Street, WC2H 7BA Leicester Square £5, mems £3, 9pm-3am. DJP spins pop, chart and R&B.
Faze Action Records Presents at Bar Music Hall, 134-146 Curtain Road, EC2A 3AR Old Street £3, 9pm-3am. DJs Faze Action take a guest spot spinning electro, underground house, 1990s dance and techno tracks live. Heroes at Egg, 200 York Way, N7 9AX King’s Cross St Pancras £15, W/w/ loyalty card NUS £13, mems £15-£20, 10pm-11am. Holyroller at Plastic People, 147-149 Curtain Road, EC2A 3QE Liverpool Street £6, ladies FREE before 10.30pm, 10pm-3am. IG Culture mixes hip hop, jazz-fusion, funk and soul, plus guests. Inferno at The Shadow Lounge, 5-7 Brewer Street, W1F 0RF Leicester Square FREE before 11pm, 10pm-3am. Dress to impress as Andrew Elmore spins funk, house and dance, occasionally bowing down at the altars of Kylie and Madonna. Lemonade: Voyeur Takeover at The Nest, 36 Stoke Newington Road, N16 7XJ Dalston Kingsland £5, FREE before 10.30pm, 9.30pm-4am. Electro and disco classics courtesy of resident DJs and guests, plus live performances. Monster at Candy Bar, 4 Carlisle Street, W1D 3BJ Tottenham Court Road £5, mems £3, FREE before 10pm, 9pm3am. Chart hits, dance and pop classics hosted by DJ Lady Bex or Sandra D on alternate weeks. The Playground Turns Five at KOKO, 1a Camden High Street, NW1 7JE Mornington Crescent adv £12-£15, 9pm-4am. House, electro and garage courtesy of Sebastian, Surkin, Girlunit, Hackman, Haezer, Trumpdisco, The C90s, Figures, Punx Soundcheck, Lost Boys and Synthetics, plus a live performance from Unicorn Kid. Reggae Roast at Plan B, 418 Brixton Road, SW9 7AY Brixton £12, adv £10, early bird £8, 9pm-5am. David Rodigan, Reggae Roast, Shepdog, Adam Prescott, Alpha Steppa, Ramon Judah, Daddy Nature and Clapper Priest play reggae, dub and bass music across two rooms. Shake at Electric Ballroom, 184 Camden High Street, NW1 8QP Camden Town £10, NUS/mems £8 before 11.30pm, 10pm3am. Disco and pop from DJ John Osbourne and Paul C in the main room, while DJ Milo plays party anthems in room two.
Bugged Out at Fire, Arch, 39-43 Parry Street, corner South Lambeth Road, SW8 1RT Vauxhall £15, adv £10 & £12.50, 11pm-6am. Heidi, Miguel Campbell, Richey Ahmed, T Williams, Krankbrothers and Real Nice DJs spin house, electro and funk.
Streets Of Biege at The Old Blue Last, 38 Great Eastern Street, EC2A 3ES Shoreditch High Street FREE, 8pm2am. Deep house and disco courtesy of DJ Conditioner, Palms Trax and Lady Beige. Void at Corsica Studios, 4-5 Elephant Road, SE17 1LB Elephant & Castle adv £8-£13.50, 10pm-6am. DJs DVS1, Forward Strategy Group, MPIA3, Kontrol Room, Jay Clarke, Billy Allen, Maker + Meyer, Ashley Borg, Simon Brandreth and Randolph spin house and techno. Wormfood’s Ethnobling at The Big Chill House, 257-259 Pentonville Road, N1 9NL King’s Cross St Pancras phone for prices, 8pm-2am. Altered Natives, Bbrave and Bobby Gandolf spin garage, house, dancehall, dub, jungle, dubstep and Afrobeat, plus a live performance from Illbilly Hitec and Longfingah.
Sunday November 11 Horse Meat Disco at Eagle, 349 Kennington Lane, SE11 5QY Vauxhall £6, 8pm-3am. Residents Jim Stanton, Luke Howard, James Hillard and Severino spin disco and house on rotation. I Love Mondays at Moonlighting, 16-17 Greek Street, W1D 4DR Tottenham Court Road £5, w/flyer £3, NUS £2, NHS staff FREE, 10pm-3.30am. DJ Victor and guests provide disco, dance, funky house, R&B and reggae. Missing at 333, 333 Old Street, EC1V 9LL Old Street £8, £5 before 10pm, ladies FREE, 8pm-2am. Deep techno and house courtesy of Jordan Rutter, Daniel Mitchell and Kemi Oshi. Soulvolution at Zen Sai, 16 Inverness Street, NW1 7HJ Camden Town FREE, 9pm-2am. Terry T-Rex, Jeffrey Hinton, DJ QBee, David Rosen and Johnny Rogue play soul. Star Life!! at Rumba, 36 Shaftesbury Avenue, W1D 7EP Piccadilly Circus gents guestlist £7, ladies guestlist £5, gents £5 before 10.30pm, ladies FREE before 10.30pm, 10pm-3am. Resident DJs spin chart, R&B and hip hop. Sunday Night Live at Aquum Bar, 68 Clapham High Street, SW4 7UL Clapham North phone for prices, 9pm2.30am. Ace & Vis, Roo Savill and DJ Nico Lupo play hip hop. Sunday at The Big Chill Bar, Drury Walk, E1 6QL Liverpool Street FREE, 2pm12midnight. Earl Gateshead spins reggae and soul. Sunday Sessions at LVPO, 50 Dean Street, W1D 5BQ Leicester Square phone for prices, 4pm-11.30pm. Resident DJs spin pop and funky house. Sunday Salsa In The City at Nomad, 58 Old Street, EC1V 9AJ Barbican £5, 2 classes £3 before 11pm, 9pm-1am. DJ Maurice and residents spin salsa and Latin music, plus dance lessons. Sunday at Salsa!, 96 Charing Cross Road, WC2H 0JG Tottenham Court Road FREE, 8.30pm-1am. The Latin Brotherz spin salsa and Latin, plus live percussion. Sunbeats & Soul Cafe at Veranda Bar, 30 Acre Lane, SW2 5SG Brixton FREE, 3pm-late. DJs Danny Tammuz, Damion Silk, Rashaan K and CLK spin soul, R&B, funk and Latin. Tutti Frutti at Dalston Superstore, 117 Kingsland High Street, E8 2PB Dalston Kingsland FREE, 9pm2.30am. Soul, disco and house courtesy of resident DJ Squeaky.
scoutlondon.com Scout London 47
His life is in your hands
L
ike many children of his generation, Nathan Penlington grew up an avid fan of the Choose Your Own Adventure book series. For those not versed in teen literature of the 1980s, these were ‘game books’ that put their (mainly male) readers in the driving seat. Upon reaching a cliffhanger moment, the reader is given a variety of choices what to do next: choose to kill the
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pirate? Turn to page 50; Want to run away? Turn to page 63; Ask for his help in return for some gold? Turn to page 72. As such, there were hundreds of possible routes that you could take through each book, and a variety of endings – including death. More than two decades after he read his first Choose Your Own Adventure novel, 36-year-old Penlington has created a live theatre-come-
film-come-comedy-come-spoken word show which uses the same format. Audiences watch a documentary that he has made, and vote via remote control at key points to determine what he does next. It sounds fun, but potentially a bit gimmicky – until you hear the story behind it. “I was really into the books when I was a kid, and I’ve carried on collecting them,” explains Penlington. “A few years ago I bought
NATHAN PENLINGTON
What happens next? you decide. Nathan Penlington has made a documentary where the path is controlled by a live audience. Dan Frost meets the man inspired – nay obsessed – by the choose your own adventure books
a collection of 106 of them on eBay. I started flicking through them and realised that they had all belonged to one kid who’d written his name across the top of each book: Terrence Prendergast. Inside one of the books, I found four pages of a diary, and it’s absolutely heartbreaking. I was hooked from then on.” The pages dated from 1990, when Prendergast was either 14 or 15 (one entry reveals that he was born in 1975). Among the entries was what appeared to be a list of insecurities and perceived personal shortcomings that he wanted to overcome: “Stutter – practise speaking”, “Posture – walk properly when slim”, “No friends”, and, “Laugh – practise laugh”. The name Elaine also appears, but on its own and without explanation. It doesn’t seem to fit with anything else, until you get to the next section of the diary – a gripping chronicle of events that goes some way to explaining why Penlington became so intrigued. What begins rather sadly, with Prendergast being bullied in the early-to-mid 80s, gradually takes a turn for the rebellious. There’s talk of skiving and being caught smoking, and an entry that tells us, “Elaine ran away”. Then, quite suddenly, comes: “Two days before summer holiday stole money from parents, bought airline ticket, ran away to Scotland, came back next day”, followed soon after by: “Left school with intention to kill myself. Stole, suspended and expelled”. The entry then finishes with a kick-tothe-stomach cliffhanger: “Elaine – drugs, guns.” “I was instantly hooked,” grins Penlington with boyish excitement. “I’ve read it in so many different ways. You might read it as an explicit cry for help. And you might read it another time and think ‘maybe it’s just a complete fantasy’. Either way, it was kicking around in my head for a long time. Eventually I decided that I had to find out what happened – if he was OK.” Rather than just hunting down Prendergast for the hell of it, the comedian and spoken word artist decided to make a documentary of his quest. And not just any documentary, but one that employed the format of the Choose Your Own Adventure books that both he and Prendergast had so cherished, and which brought their lives together. He teamed up with some filmmakers, and Choose Your Own Documentary was born. “I always wanted to do it in that format,” says Penlington. “But the idea is stupidly complex. A Choose Your Own Adventure novel is difficult enough to write as fiction, so forcing it not only
Booked up Nathan Penlington collects CYOA books
into a live show but into a live documentary show was a big job. The biggest challenge we faced was how to make everything compelling – regardless of which route the audience chooses.” This was no mean feat – there are more than 1,500 combinations of the journey, all of which needed to hold an audience’s attention for 90 minutes on their way to one of six possible endings. Among the people that audiences might meet along the way are a self-help guru, a swordswallower, a seaside arcade owner and the originator of the Choose Your Own Adventure series, Edward Packard. I ask Penlington if they had to engineer certain meetings or events in order to keep the different narratives entertaining. “No, it’s completely real,” he insists. “It really was an adventure, exactly as it appears in the documentary. Though we are faithful to the books, in that if you choose badly you can kill me. That’s the only fictional thing that could happen in the show.”
Quest A still from the documentary
Penlington reveals that it was an emotional journey, which was “more revealing about me than I thought it was going to be”. But the emotional response of another person was of greater concern. “Part of my anxiousness was how to raise the issue and explain it all to Terrence if we ever found him. It’s a really difficult thing – how would I feel if someone contacted me about a diary I had written when I was 15, to say they were making a show about it?” And did he ever find Prendergast? Penlington flashes a sly smile: “That very much depends on the audience.” Choose Your Own Documentary, Southbank Centre, November 6-10, southbankcentre.co.uk
The Effect Cottesloe, National Theatre November 6-January 23, £12-£32 Lucy Prebble’s last play Enron was a fantastically clever, funny and captivating vaudeville-style account of the titular US company’s corruption and eventual collapse. It enjoyed huge success in the West End, and is widely considered one of the best new British plays of the last 10 years. Little wonder then that her follow-up, The Effect, is surrounded by feverish buzz. To add fuel to the excitement, she is again collaborating with Rupert Gould, who directed Enron and is one of the hottest young directors working in British theatre. Described as “a funny and moving new play which explores questions of sanity, neurology and the limits of medicine”, it stars Tom Goodman Hill and Billie Piper, who also played the lead in the Prebblepenned Secret Diary of a Call Girl. SE1 9PX Waterloo nationaltheatre.org.uk
The Seagull Southwark Playhouse November 8December 1, £10-£18 As part of Southwark Playhouse’s final season in the railway arches at London Bridge station before moving to a new home, Chekhov’s black comedy, The Seagull, has been given a shot in the arm by exciting new young playwright Anya Reiss. She relocates the play – featuring Matthew Kelly – to contemporary Britain. SE1 2TF London Bridge southwarkplayhouse.co.uk
Constellations Duke of York’s Theatre November 9-January 5,
£10-£37.50
WC2N 4BG
Leicester Square
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The Dark Earth and the Light Sky Almeida Theatre November 8-January 12, £8-£32 Stage heavyweight Sir Richard Eyre directs this play by Nick Dear, who adapted Frankenstein for Danny Boyle at the National Theatre. It tells the story of poet Edward Thomas, whose professional slump is lifted by a friendship with American poet Robert Frost – which also inspires a rash decision to fight in the first world war. N1 1TA
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Angel almeida.co.uk
Nobby Clark
On the back of rave reviews for its Royal Court debut, Nick Payne’s intelligent and deeply moving new play is transferring to the West End stage – but with its intimacy intact. The Duke of York’s has purportedly been ‘reimagined’ into a more intimate space to suit the romantic drama, which cleverly examines the near-endless possibilities of friendship and love, in multiple realities. Starring the marvellous Sally Hawkins and the ever-charming Rafe Spall, it is directed by Michael Longhurst. Take a box of tissues.
Uncle Vanya (in Russian) Noel Coward Theatre November 5-10, £15-£55 The second production of Uncle Vanya to arrive in the West End in as many weeks might not quite have the star billing of the Anna Friel-topped production at the Vaudeville, though it does have the authenticity of language. This production of the Chekhov classic is staged by Moscow’s revered, multi awardwinning Vakhtangov theatre company, and will be performed in its author’s native tongue,
The Bodyguard Adelphi Theatre November 6-April 27, £20-£95 It’s just a couple of weeks until the Spice Girls get their own allsinging, all-dancing West End spectacular, but first it’s the turn of Whitney Houston. The diva’s hits have been worked into a musical theatre adaptation of The Bodyguard – her most famous film role. The 1992 romantic thriller starred Houston as a stalked superstar who, after bashing heads with him initially, ends up falling in love with her bodyguard (played by Kevin
WC2N 4AA Leicester Square delfontmackintosh.co.uk
Costner in the film). The story will be told here with classic Houston hits woven in, including Saving All My Love, I Wanna Dance With Somebody and I Will Always Love You. Tony Award-winning Broadway star Heather Headley will play the lead role, with direction from celebrated British director Thea Sharrock. WC2R 0NS Leicester Square thebodyguardmusical.com
Cooking Ghosts Camden People’s Theatre November 5-17, £8-£10
Paul Coltas
with English subtitles. Surprisingly stripped-back in its staging, the production has already notched up a string of prestigious Russian theatre awards and is expected to wow British critics with this short but highly-anticipated West End run.
Where the Mangrove Grows Theatre 503 November 6-December 1, £14
London Storytelling Festival Leicester Square Theatre November 9-18, various prices
This intense new show uses story-telling, puppetry, archive film footage and music to tell the story of a mother’s suicide through the eyes of a child. Harrowing yet humourous, it looks at the mother’s desperation, the child’s loss of innocence, and the capacity ever to find joy again after such trauma.
New writer Joe Hammond spent much of his career working with young people in care, and has now used his experiences as inspiration for his debut play. Based around the fears, insecurities and confusion of a 12-year-old boy in a care home, Where the Mangrove Grows will be directed by rising star Tamara Harvey, who is developing a new musical with Tim Rice.
We’ve all been seduced by the age-old art of storytelling at some point in our lives. Though sadly under-represented in London in its purest form, professional storytelling is out there for those willing to look for it. This 10-day festival includes work by top theatre and comedy professionals such as Russell Tovey (pictured), Martin Dockery and Deborah Frances-White.
NW1 2PY Warren Street cptheatre.co.uk
SW11 3BW Clapham Junction theatre503.com
WC2H 7BX Leicester Square leicestersquaretheatre.com scoutlondon.com Scout London 51
WEST END
Blood Brothers booking until Nov 10, Phoenix Theatre, 110 Charing Cross Road, WC2H 0JP Leicester Square £20-£65, MonSat 7.45pm, mats Thu 3pm, Sat 4pm. Willy Russell’s musical bids a fond farewell to the capital after 20 years in the West End. The 39 Steps booking until Mar 30 2013, Criterion Theatre, 218-223 Piccadilly, Piccadilly Circus, W1J 0TR Piccadilly Circus £15-£55, Mon-Sat 8pm, mats Wed 3pm, Sat 4pm, no perf Dec 26, Dec 24, 4pm. John Buchan’s thriller. All That Fall Starts Tue, booking until Nov 24, Arts Theatre, 6-7 Great Newport Street, WC2H 7JB Covent Garden Mon-Thu £20-£35, Fri & Sat £20-£39.50, From Nov 6, Mon-Sat 7.30pm, mats Thu, Sat 3.30pm. Michael Gambon and Eileen Atkins star in Samuel Beckett’s radio play, directed by Trevor Nunn. Billy Elliot - The Musical booking until Dec 21 2013, Victoria Palace, Victoria Street, SW1E 5EA Victoria £19.50-£65, Mon-Sat 7.30pm, mats Thu, Sat 2.30pm. An adaptation of the film. The Bodyguard Starts Tue, booking until Apr 27 2013, Adelphi Theatre, 409-412 Strand, WC2R 0NS Charing Cross Nov 6-30, Dec 1-4 £20-£57.50, Dec 5-31, Jan 1-31, Feb 1-28, Mar 1-31, Apr 1-27 £20-£67.50, From Nov 6, Mon-Sat 7.30pm, mats Wed, Sat 3pm (press night Dec 5, 7pm, no perf Dec 24 & 25, extra mat perf Dec 27 & 28, Jan 3, 3pm). The stage adaptation from director Thea Sharrock, of the early 1990s film which starred Kevin Costner and the late Whitney Houston Cabaret booking until Jan 19 2013, Savoy Theatre, Savoy Court, Strand, WC2R 0ET Charing Cross £35-£85, Mon-Sat 7.30pm, mats Wed, Sat 2.30pm, no perf Dec 25. Will Young stars in this re-vamped production of Kander and Ebb’s musical. Chariots Of Fire booking until Feb 2 2013, Gielgud Theatre, 35-37 Shaftesbury Avenue, W1D 6AR Piccadilly Circus £26-£55, Premium Seats £85, MonSat 7.45pm, mats Wed, Sat 3pm. Mike Bartlett’s stage version of the race to compete in the 1924 Paris Olympic Games. A Chorus Of Disapproval booking until Jan 5 2013, The Harold Pinter Theatre, 6 Panton Street, SW1Y 4DN Piccadilly Circus £10-£53.50, Premium Seats £85, Mon-Sat 7.30pm, mats Wed, Sat 2.30pm, no perfs Dec 2426, 31, extra mat perf Dec 28, 2.30pm. Alan
52 Scout London scoutlondon.com
Ayckbourn’s comedy about an amateur opera company’s back stage problems surrounding the imminent staging of The Beggar’s Opera. Constellations Starts Fri, booking until Jan 5 2013, The Duke Of York’s, St Martin’s Lane, WC2N 4BG Leicester Square £25-£75, From Nov 9, Mon-Sat 7.30pm, mats Thu, Sat 2.30pm (press night Nov 16, 7pm, no perf Dec 24 & 25, 31, Jan 1). Nick Payne’s drama on friendship and free will, with Rafe Spall and Sally Hawkins. Damned By Despair booking until Nov 7, National Theatre: Olivier, South Bank, SE1 9PX Waterloo £12-£32, OAP £22, Nov 6 & 7, 7.30pm. A new version written by Frank McGuinness, of Baroque Spanish writer Tirso de Molina’s drama. Dreamboats And Petticoats booking until Jan 19 2013, Wyndham’s Theatre, Charing Cross Road, WC2H 0DA Leicester Square £10-£75, Mon-Sat 7.30pm, mats Thu 3pm, Sat 4pm, except Dec 24, 3pm only, no perfs Dec 25 & 26, Jan 1, extra mat perfs Dec 28, Jan 2, 3pm. Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran’s musical. The Effect Starts Tue, booking until Feb 23 2013, National Theatre: Cottesloe, South Bank, SE1 9PX Waterloo £12-£32, Nov 6 & 7 previews £12-£23.50, Nov 8-12 previews £12-£28.50, phone for availability, Nov 6-10, 12, 14 & 15, 21-24, Dec 17-20, Jan 4 & 5, 7, 11 & 12, 14 & 15, 21-23, Feb 1 & 2, 4-9, 11-16, 18-23, 7.30pm, mats Nov 15, 22, 24, Dec 20, Jan 5, 12, 23, Feb 2, 6, 9, 13, 16, 20, 23, 2.30pm (press night Nov 13, 7pm, captioned perfs Jan 14, Feb 5, audio described perf Feb 1). Lucy Prebble’s drama looks at sanity, neurology and the limits of medicine. Ghost - The Musical booking until Apr 20 2013, Piccadilly Theatre, 16 Denman Street, W1D 7DY Piccadilly Circus Mon-Wed/Thu mats £25-£65, Thu eves/ Fri & Sat £25-£67.50, Premium Seats £85, £25 day tickets available Mon-Fri from the box office from 10am on the day of the performance, Mon-Sat 7.30pm, mats Thu, Sat 2.30pm. A stage adaptation of the 1990 film. Hedda Gabler booking until Nov 10, Old Vic, 103 The Cut, SE1 8NB Waterloo £11-£50, Mon-Sat 7.30pm, mats Wed, Sat 2.30pm. Henrik Ibsen’s classic drama about a young woman’s yearning for independence, adapted by Brian Friel. Horrible Histories: Barmy Britain! (Over 6s) booking until Jan 6 2013, Garrick Theatre, 2 Charing Cross Road, WC2H 0HH Charing Cross £10-£14.50, Thu & Fri 1pm, Sat 10.30am & 12noon, Sun 2pm & 4pm. A look at all the nasty, crazy things British people have done to each other over many years. Jersey Boys booking until Feb 17 2013, Prince Edward Theatre, 28 Old Compton Street, W1D 4HS Tottenham Court Road Tue-Thu £20-£65, Fri-Sun £20-£67.50, Premium Seats Tue-Thu £85, Fri-Sun £95, Tue-Sat 7.30pm, mats Tue, Sat & Sun 3pm, no perf Dec 25, Dec 30, 3pm, extra mat perf Dec 27, 3pm. Musical drama about the career of Frankie Valli And The Four Seasons. Les Miserables booking until Oct 26 2013, Queen’s Theatre, 51 Shaftesbury Avenue, W1D 6BA Piccadilly Circus £20-£85, Mon-Sat 7.30pm, mats Wed, Sat 2.30pm, no perf Dec 24 & 25, extra mat perf Dec 27, Jan 3, 2.30pm. Musical drama.
Let It Be booking until Jan 19 2013, Prince Of Wales Theatre, 31 Coventry Street, W1D 6AS Piccadilly Circus £20, £40, £60, Mon, Wed-Sat 7.30pm, Sun 5pm, mats Thu, Sat 3pm. Marking 50 years since the release of their first single, The Beatles are celebrated in this musical-narrative, created by RAIN Productions. The Lion King booking until Jan 6 2013, Lyceum Theatre, 21 Wellington Street, WC2E 7RQ Covent Garden Tue-Thu £30-£60, Fri, Sun £32.50-£62.50, Sat £35-£65, Sep 2-Dec 31, Jan 1-6 2013, Tue-Sat 7.30pm, mats Wed, Sat & Sun 2.30pm, Wed & Thu, Sat 2.30pm, no perf Dec 25, no mat perf Dec 26, extra mat perf Dec 27, 2.30pm. Musical based on the Disney film about a cub’s journey.
Our House - In Concert Savoy Theatre, Savoy Court, Strand, WC2R 0ET Charing Cross £35-£175, Nov 11, 7pm. The Madnesscomposed musical celebrates its 10th anniversary with this celebratory concert, in aid of Help For Heroes. Loserville booking until Mar 2 2013, Garrick Theatre, 2 Charing Cross Road, WC2H 0HH Charing Cross Nov 1-30, Dec 1-31, Jan 1-31, Feb 1-28, Mar 1 & 2 Mon-Thu £10-£45, Fri & Sat £10-£49.50, Tue & Wed 3pm & 7.30pm family £32.50, Oct 1-16 previews £10-£29.50, Mon-Sat 7.30pm, mats Wed, Sat 3pm. Musical about a computer geek, set in 1971, written by Elliot Davis and James Bourne. Madame Galina Leicester Square Theatre, 6 Leicester Place, WC2H 7BX Leicester Square £10, Nov 8, 10pm. Iestyn Edwards channels a Russian prima ballerina. Mamma Mia! booking until Apr 13 2013, Novello Theatre, 5 Aldwych, WC2B 4LD Covent Garden Mon-Fri £15-£64, Sat £15-£67.50, Mon-Sat 7.45pm, mats Thu, Sat 3pm, no perf Dec 24 & 25, extra mat perf Dec 31, 3pm. Musical comedy based at a family wedding and set to the ABBA songbook. Matilda: The Musical booking until Dec 22 2013, Cambridge Theatre, Earlham Street, WC2H 9HU Covent Garden Oct 25 2011-Dec 22 2013 £19-£58.50, disabled £28.75, Tue-Thu under 18s £19-£48.50, Feb 14 2012-Feb 17 2013 £20-£62.50, disabled £31.25, Tue-Thu under 18s £19£52.50, Tue 7pm, Wed-Sat 7.30pm, mats Wed, Sat 2.30pm, Sun 3pm, extra mat perf Nov 1, 2.30pm. Dennis Kelly and Tim Minchin’s musical adaptation of Roald Dahl’s tale.
Miss Ophelia booking until Nov 7, Barbican Centre, Silk Street, EC2Y 8DS Barbican £8.50, Nov 6 & 7, 10am & 12noon. Physical theatre adaptation of Michael Ende’s children’s book. The Mousetrap booking until Dec 15, St Martin’s Theatre, West Street, Cambridge Circus, WC2H 9NZ Leicester Square £15.60-£41.60, Premium Seats £60.60, Mon-Sat 7.30pm, mats Tue 3pm, Sat 4pm. Agatha Christie’s murder mystery. The Mystery Of Charles Dickens booking until Nov 10, Playhouse Theatre, Northumberland Avenue, WC2N 5DE Charing Cross £15-£55, Mon-Sat 7.30pm, mats Wed, Sat 2.30pm. One-man drama, starring Simon Callow. NSFW booking until Nov 24, Jerwood Theatre At The Royal Court, Sloane Square, SW1W 8AS Sloane Square Mon £10, Tue-Sat 7.30pm £12, £20, £28, under 25s £8, Thu, Sat 2.30pm/concs £15, £23, Mon-Sat 7.30pm, mats Sat 2.30pm, Nov 15, 22, 2.30pm. A sharp comedy by Lucy Kirkwood, on power games in the media and elsewhere. One Man, Two Guvnors booking until Aug 31 2013, Theatre Royal, 18 Suffolk Street, SW1Y 4HT Piccadilly Circus £15-£55, premium seats £85, concs available, Mon-Sat 7.30pm, mats Wed, Sat 2.30pm, except Dec 24, 2.30pm, Dec 26, 7.30pm only, no perf Dec 25, extra mat perfs Dec 27, Jan 3, 2.30pm. Richard Bean’s comic tale, based on Carlo Goldoni’s The Servant Of Two Masters. Our Boys booking until Dec 15, Duchess Theatre, 3-5 Catherine Street, WC2B 5LA Covent Garden £20-£65, Mon-Sat 7.45pm, mats Wed, Sat 2.45pm. An account of the trials and terrors faced by young injured soldiers, written by Jonathan Lewis. People booking until Feb 9 2013, National Theatre: Lyttelton, South Bank, SE1 9PX Waterloo £12-£47, Mon-Fri under 18s £19 & £23.50, other concs available, Nov 5 & 6, 8, 16 & 17, 19-22, 26-29, Dec 3-6, 17-20, 28 & 29, Jan 1, 4 & 5, 7 & 8, 11 & 12, 14 & 15, Feb 1 & 2, 4, 8 & 9, 7.45pm, press night Nov 7, 7pm, mats Nov 8, 17, 29, Dec 6, 15, 20, 29, 31, Jan 5, 12, Feb 2, 9, 2pm, Jan 6, Feb 3, 3pm. Alan Bennett’s drama about the owner of a British stately home contemplating a sale of the house’s contents. The Phantom Of The Opera booking until Oct 26 2013, Her Majesty’s Theatre, 57 Haymarket, SW1Y 4QL Piccadilly Circus £22.45-£85, MonSat 7.30pm, mats Thu, Sat 2.30pm. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Gothic musical about a masked man and his dangerous obsession. Richard III Starts Tue, booking until Feb 10 2013, Apollo Theatre, 31 Shaftesbury Avenue, W1D 7EZ Piccadilly Circus £25-£55, Nov 6, 13 & 14, 21 & 22, 28, Dec 5 & 6, 12 & 13, 19 & 20, Jan 2 & 3, 9 & 10, 23 & 24, 30 & 31, Feb 6, 7.30pm, mats Nov 7, 10, 24, Dec 1, 8, 15, 22, 27, 29, Jan 5, 12, 19, 26, Feb 2, 9, 2pm, press perf mats Nov 17, 1.30pm, Dec 2, Jan 20, Feb 10, 3pm. An all-male production of Shakespeare’s history play is led by Mark Rylance as the monstrous Duke of Gloucester. The River booking until Nov 17, Jerwood Theatre At The Royal Court, Sloane Square, SW1W 8AS Sloane Square Mon £10, Tue-Sat 7.45pm £20, Thu, Sat 3.30pm/available until Oct 27 concs £15, no tickets available for advance purchase;
all tickets on sale on day of performance, Mon-Sat 7.45pm, mats Thu, Sat 3.30pm. A bewitching tale set in a remote cliff-top cabin, written by Jez Butterworth. Rock Of Ages booking until Feb 17 2013, Shaftesbury Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue, WC2H 8DP Holborn Mon-Thu £20£57.50, Fri & Sat £20-£65, Mon-Thu 7.30pm, Fri 5.30pm & 8.30pm, Sat 8pm, mats Sat 4pm, no perf Dec 25, Dec 31, 3pm & 7pm, extra mat perf Dec 27, 3pm. Chris D’Arienzo’s musical celebrating Los Angeles rock culture. Scenes From An Execution booking until Nov 15, National Theatre: Lyttelton, South Bank, SE1 9PX Waterloo £12-£47, Mon-Fri under 18s £19 & £23.50, other concs available, Nov 5 & 6, 13-15, 7.30pm, mat Nov 15, 2.15pm. Howard Barker’s drama on the artist Galactia’s painting The Carnage Of The Battle Of Lepanto. The Showstoppers booking until Dec 23, Charing Cross Theatre, The Arches, Villiers Street, WC2N 6NL Embankment £17.50-£27.50, Sun 7pm, mat Dec 16, 3pm. Improvised musical comedy from the acclaimed troupe. Shrek - The Musical booking until Feb 24 2013, Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, Catherine Street, WC2B 5JF Covent Garden £20-£65, Wed & Thu eves family of four £99-£150, additional seats £29.50 (upper circle) & £45 (best available), Premium Seats £95, Mon, Thu-Sat 7.30pm, Wed 7pm, mats Thu, Sat & Sun 3pm, Dec 24, 31, 3pm. Musical based on the computeranimated film.
Singin’ In The Rain booking until Sep 1 2013, Palace Theatre, 109-113 Shaftesbury Avenue, W1D 5AY Leicester Square £14-£84, £25 day seats available from the box office from 10am on day of the performance, Oct 1-Aug 31 2013, Mon-Sat 7.30pm, mat Oct 1-Aug 31 2013, Wed, Sat 2.30pm, no perf Dec 24 & 25, 31, Jan 6, Dec 26, 5pm, extra mat perf Dec 27 & 28, Jan 3, 2.30pm. Musical based on the MGM film about the end of silent movies. Stomp booking until Dec 22 2013, Ambassadors Theatre, West Street, WC2H 9ND Leicester Square £20-£49.50, Mon, Thu-Sat 8pm, Sun 6pm, mats Thu, Sat & Sun 3pm, no perf Jul 27, Aug 12, Dec 25, no eve perf Dec 24, Jan 1. Steve McNicholas and Luke Cresswell’s percussion-based spectacular. Tape booking until Nov 10, Trafalgar Studios, 14 Whitehall, SW1A 2DY Charing Cross Nov 1-10 £27.50, concs £24.50, Mon-Sat 7.45pm, mats Thu, Sat 3pm. Stephen Belber’s suspenseful drama, featuring Marc Elliott as Vince. Top Hat - The Musical booking until Sep 28 2013, Aldwych Theatre, 49 Aldwych, WC2B 4DF Covent Garden £20-£65, Mon-Sat 7.30pm, mats Thu, Sat 2.30pm, no perf Sep 4-5, Dec 25, extra mat perf Dec 30, 2.30pm. Irving Berlin’s romantic musical. Twelfth Night booking until Feb 9 2013, Apollo Theatre, 31 Shaftesbury Avenue, W1D 7EZ Piccadilly Circus £25-£55, Nov 2 & 3, 7-10, 15 & 16, 20, 23 & 24, 27,
Scrooge The Musical booking until Jan 5 2013, London Palladium, 8 Argyll Street, W1F 7TF Oxford Circus £27-£69, child £22-£53, Mon-Sat 7.30pm, mats Thu, Sat 3pm, Dec 28, 3pm (press night Nov 6, 7pm, no perf Dec 24-26, Jan 1). Leslie Bricusse’s musical based on Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol. 29 & 30, Dec 1, 4, 7 & 8, 11, 14 & 15, 18, 21 & 22, 26-29, Jan 4 & 5, 8, 11 & 12, 15, 17-19, 22, 25 & 26, 29, Feb 1 & 2, 5, 7-9, 7.30pm (press night Nov 17, 7pm, mats Nov 14, 21, 28, Dec 5, 12, 19, Jan 2, 9, 16, 23, 30, Feb 6, 2pm, Nov 4, 11, 18, 25, Dec 9, 16, 23, 30, Jan 6, 13, 27, Feb 3, 3pm). Awardwinning actor Mark Rylance plays Olivia in an all-male production of Shakespeare’s romantic comedy. Uncle Vanya booking until Feb 16 2013, Vaudeville Theatre, 404 Strand, WC2R 0NH Embankment £25£53.50, Premium Seats £76, Mon-Sat 7.30pm, mats Thu, Sat 2.30pm, except Dec 31, 2.30pm, extra mats Dec 18, 28, Jan 2, no perfs Dec 24 & 25, Jan 1. Anton
Chekhov’s comic tale on the tribulations of the human condition. Uncle Vanya booking until Nov 10, Noel Coward Theatre, 85-88 St Martin’s Lane, WC2N 4AU Leicester Square phone for prices, Nov 5-10, 7pm. A stripped-back stage to highlight the passion in the Anton Chekhov drama, presented by Vakhtangov Theatre. Performed in Russian with English surtitles. Want/Need/Crave (How The Heart Works & Kingdom Come) Starts Wed, booking until Nov 9, Leicester Square Theatre, 6 Leicester Place, WC2H 7BX Leicester Square £8, Nov 7-9, 1.30pm. A double bill of plays which both look at feelings of people who cannot accept their fate. Written by Shapour Benard and Nia DaCosta. War Horse booking until Oct 26 2013, New London Theatre, 166 Drury Lane, WC2B 5PW Covent Garden £15-£55, Premium Seats £85, Mon, Wed-Sat 7.30pm, Tue 7pm, mats Thu, Sat 2.30pm. Michael Morpurgo’s story about a farm horse caught up in the horrors of the First World War. We Will Rock You booking until Mar 23 2013, Dominion Theatre, 268-9 Tottenham Court Road, W1T 7AQ Tottenham Court Road Mon-Fri £27.50-£55, Sat £27.50-£60, Mon-Sat 7.30pm, mats Sat 2.30pm, Nov 28, Dec 26, Jan 31, Feb 27, 2.30pm, no perf Dec 24 & 25, extra mat perf Dec 27 & 28, 31, Jan 1-4, 2.40pm. Futuristic musical set to the hits of Freddie Mercury’s Queen.
World Premiere 7 – 17 November 2012
THE SERPENT’S TOOTH by David Watson directed by Michael Buffong
9PM SHOWS
Tickets £5 – £15
Book now on 020 7359 4404 almeida.co.uk/serpent in association with
on Thu, Fri & Sat evenings
Shoreditch Town Hall Shoreditch High Street, Hoxton, Old Street, Liverpool Street
Registered Charity no 282167
Wicked booking until Apr 27 2013, Apollo Victoria Theatre, 17 Wilton Road, SW1V 1LG Victoria Mon-Fri eves/mats £15-£62.50, Sat eves £15-£65, 24 front row day tickets priced £27.50 each released 10am at the box office, maximum two per person, Mon-Sat 7.30pm, mats Wed, Sat 2.30pm, extra mats Dec 27 & 28, 30, Jan 3, Feb 21 2013, 2.30pm, no perf Dec 25, Dec 26-29, 2.30pm & 7.30pm, Dec 30, 2.30pm. Musical charting the early years of the Wicked Witch Of The West. The Woman In Black booking until Dec 14 2013, Fortune Theatre, Russell Street, WC2B 5HH Covent Garden £16.50£45, Premium Seats £55, Tue-Sat 8pm, mats Tue, Thu 3pm, Sat 4pm. Adaptation of Susan Hill’s ghost story. Yes, Prime Minister booking until Mar 30, 2013, Trafalgar Studios, 14 Whitehall, SW1A 2DY Charing Cross £26.50, £46.50, Mon-Sat 7.30pm, mats Thu, Sat 2.30pm. Antony Jay and Jonathan Lynn’s comedy.
OFF WEST END 55 Days Ends Nov 24, Hampstead Theatre, Eton Avenue, NW3 3EU Swiss Cottage Oct 18-20 previews £22, Oct 22-31, Nov 1-24 Mon £22, TueSat £29, concs £15, Mon-Sat 7.30pm, mats Sat 3pm, Wed 2.30pm. Howard Brenton’s historical drama, with Mark Gatiss as King Charles I. Berenice Ends Nov 24, Donmar Warehouse, 41 Earlham Street, WC2H 9LX Covent Garden Sep 2730, Oct 1 previews £10-£25, Oct 2-31, Nov 1-24 £10-£32.50, Mon-Sat 7.30pm, mats Thu, Sat 2.30pm. Alan Hollinghurst’s version of Jean Racine’s play, featuring Anne-Marie Duff. Blackta Ends Nov 17, Young Vic, 66 The Cut, SE1 8LZ Waterloo £10, £15, MonSat 7.45pm, mats Wed, Sat 2.45pm (press night Nov 5, 7pm). A satirical drama on the highs and lows of making it as a black actor, by Nataniel Martello-White. But I Cd Only Whisper Ends Dec 1, Arcola Theatre, 24 Ashwin Street, E8 3DL Dalston Junction Mon, Wed-Sat £16, concs £12, Tue pay what you can, MonSat 8pm, mats Sat 3pm. Drama about a returning black Vietnam war veteran accused of a crime. Written by Kristiana Colon
54 Scout London scoutlondon.com
I, Malvolio Ends Nov 11, Unicorn Theatre, 147 Tooley Street, SE1 2HZ London Bridge £16, concs £13, under 21s £10, Nov 9 & 10, 7.15pm, mats Nov 9, 1.30pm, Nov 10 & 11, 2.30pm. Tim Crouch re-imagines Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. Desire Under The Elms Ends Nov 10, Lyric Hammersmith, Lyric Square, King Street, W6 0QL Hammersmith £12.50-£35, Mon-Sat 7.30pm, mats Wed 1.30pm, Sat 2.30pm. A rare staging of Eugene O’Neill’s drama of lust and redemption, featuring Morgan Watkins as Eben Cabot. The Kingdom Ends Nov 17, Soho Theatre, 21 Dean Street, W1D 3NE Tottenham Court Road Oct 24-26 £10, Oct 27-31, Nov 1-3 £12.50, concs £10, Nov 5-17 £15, concs £12.50, Mon-Sat 7.45pm, mats Sat 4pm. Colin Teevan’s lyrical drama which draws on the myths of ancient Greece. Radar 2012: Chewing Gum Dreams & Chapel Street Starts Thu, ends Nov 13, The Bush Theatre At The Old Library, 7 Uxbridge Road, W12 8LJ Shepherd’s Bush £15, concs £13, Nov 8, 13, 7.30pm. Double bill of contemporary dramas by Michaela Coel and Luke Barnes respectively. Rapunzel And The Tower Of Doom: Theatre Of Widdershins (Over 3s) Lyric Hammersmith, Lyric Square, King Street, W6 0QL Hammersmith £8, family £30, Nov 10, 11am & 1pm. Children’s puppet show adapted from a popular fairy story.
Roundhouse Show Slam 2012 Starts Sun, ends Nov 18, Roundhouse, Chalk Farm Road, NW1 8EH Chalk Farm FREE, Nov 11, 18, 7.30pm-10pm. A very special night showcasing the best in new theatre talent, battling it out to win a three-night run in the Roundhouse Studio Theatre. Sweet Smell Of Success Starts Fri, ends Dec 22, Arcola Theatre, 24 Ashwin Street, E8 3DL Dalston Junction Nov 9 & 10, 12 & 13 previews £18, Nov 14-30, Dec 1-22 Tue-Sat 7.30pm £25, concs £18, Sat 2.30pm £22, concs £15, From Nov 9, TueSat 7.30pm, mats Sat 2.30pm (press night Nov 14). Musical drama from the book by John Guare, based on the 1957 film which featured Burt Lancaster and Tony Curtis. The White House Murder Case Ends Nov 10, Orange Tree Theatre, 1 Clarence Street, TW9 2SA Richmond Mon eves £14.50, concs £12.50, Tue-Thu £16.50, concs £14.50, Thu mats £11.50, Fri eves £20, concs £18, Sat mats £14.50, concs £12.50, eves £22, Mon-Sat 7.45pm, mats Thu 2.30pm, Sat 3pm, no mat perf Nov 8. Revival of cartoonist Jules Feiffer’s political satire.
FRINGE The Atheist Starts Tue, ends Nov 24, The Lion & Unicorn, 42-44 Gaisford Street, NW5 2ED Kentish Town £15, concs £12, From Nov 6, Tue-Sat 7.30pm, mats Sat 3.30pm. Graffiti Productions presents Ronan Noone’s drama satirising media excess. Belvedere Ends Nov 11, White Bear Theatre, 138 Kennington Park Road, SE11 4DJ Kennington £14, concs £10, Tue-Sat 7.30pm, Sun 6pm. A witty drama by Ana-Maria Bamberger about the battle between the head versus the heart. Daddy Long Legs Ends Dec 8, St James Theatre, 12 Palace Street, SW1E 5JA Victoria £30-£45, Mon-Sat 7.30pm, mats Wed, Sat 2.30pm (press night Nov 7, 7pm). John Caird and Paul Gordon’s early 20th century-set musical is based on the novel of the same name, by Jean Webster. Forever Crazy Ends Dec 24, South Bank, Belvedere Road, SE1 8XX Waterloo standing £35, silver ticket £45, gold ticket £55, platinum ticket £65, Tue & Wed 8.30pm, Thu-Sat 7pm & 9.30pm, Sun 7pm. The Parisian cabaret Crazy Horse presents its entertaining cabaret show. Freedom, Books, Flowers And The Moon Starts Tue, ends Nov 25, Waterloo East Theatre, 3 Wootton Street (Entrance In Brad Street), SE1 8TG Waterloo £15, concs £12, From Nov 6, Tue-Sat 7.30pm, mats Sun 4pm. A drama adaptation about the plight of native gypsies during the Second World Wa. The Hatpin Ends Nov 24, Blue Elephant Theatre, 59a Bethwin Road, SE5 0XT Elephant & Castle Nov 1-24 £16.50, concs £12.50, Tue-Sat 8pm. Musical based on true events in Australian history. Imagine A Spectacle Starts Sun, ends Nov 18, The Space, 269 Westferry Road, E14 3RS Mudchute £10, concs £7, Nov 11, 18, 3pm. Audience participation theatre that examines the many challenges of the 21st-century. Joy Division Starts Tue, ends Nov 10, The London Theatre, New Cross, 455 New Cross Road, SE14 6TA New Cross £9, mems £5, Nov 6-11, 8pm, doors 7.30pm. An unflinching drama about the lives of sex slaves working in Nazi labour camps.
Lot And His God Ends Nov 24, The Print Room, 34 Hereford Road, W2 5AJ Notting Hill Gate £20, concs £15, Mon-Sat 7.30pm, mats Sat 3.30pm. A reimagining of the biblical story, with writer Howard Barker looking at a marriage on the brink of seismic destruction. La Reve Cafe De Paris, 3-4 Coventry Street, W1D 6BL Piccadilly Circus £15, £47.50 & £52.50 inc meal, Nov 9, 7pm-10.30pm. Alternative cabaret featuring burlesque, vaudeville and circus performers. Othello Ends Nov 10, Brockley Jack Studio Theatre, 410 Brockley Road, SE4 2DH Honor Oak Park £13, concs £10, TueSat 7.45pm. Culturcated Theatre presents Shakespeare’s tragedy. Rosas: En Atendant & Cesena Ends Nov 9, Sadler’s Wells, Rosebery Avenue, EC1R 4TN Angel £12-£27, director talk £4, concs £3, Nov 5-9, 7.30pm, preshow director talk Nov 6, 6pm. Two of the more recent works from Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker and company. The Seagull Starts Thu, ends Dec 1, Southwark Playhouse, Shipwright Yard, corner of Tooley Street and Bermondsey Street, SE1 2TF London Bridge £10£18, From Nov 8, Mon-Sat 7.45pm, mats Sat 3.15pm. Anton Chekhov’s dark comedy is adapted by Anya Reiss. Shelf-Life Ends Nov 10, Theatre Delicatessen, 35 Marylebone High Street, W1U 4QA Baker Street £16, concs £12, Mon-Sat 7pm & 8.30pm. HalfCut Theatre invites you to take part in its interactive, promenade work, a journey which searches for the meaningless of life. Where The Mangrove Grows Starts Tue, ends Dec 1, Theatre 503, The Latchmere Pub, 503 Battersea Park Road, SW11 3BW Sloane Square £14, concs £9, From Nov 6, Tue-Sat 7.45pm, Sun 5pm. Drama in which a neglected child takes refuge in fantasy.
The Snail And The Whale: Tall Stories Theatre Company (Over 4s) Starts Wed, ends Nov 8, Redbridge Drama Centre, Churchfields, E18 2RB South Woodford £9, concs £6, Nov 7 & 8, 1.30pm, Nov 7, 11am, Nov 8, 5pm. Children’s adventure story about a plucky snail who hitches a ride on the back of a humpback whale.
Graeme Braidwood
Forests Starts Tue, booking until Nov 10, Barbican Centre, Silk Street, EC2Y 8DS Barbican £16-£35, Nov 6-10, 7.45pm. The Catalan director Calixto Bieito presents this radical show created from original woodland and heath scenes in the plays of William Shakespeare.
Charley’s Aunt Ends Nov 10, The Menier Chocolate Factory, 53 Southwark Street, SE1 1RU London Bridge £31, £39.50 inc meal, concs £25, Tue-Sat 8pm, mats Sat & Sun 3.30pm. Mathew Horne features as Lord Fancourt Babberley, in Ian Talbot’s production of Brandon Thomas’s comedy. Dangerous Lady Ends Nov 17, Theatre Royal Stratford East, Gerry Raffles Square, E15 1BN Stratford Oct 19 & 20 £12 preview, Oct 24-Nov 17 £5-£20, concs £5-£15, Fri & Sat eve £12-£24, concs £10£18, Tue-Sat 7.30pm, mats Sat 2.30pm, captioned mat perf Nov 10, audio described & signed mat perf Nov 17, post show talk eve perf Nov 8. Adaptation of Martina Cole’s gangster novel. The Dark Earth And The Light Sky Starts Thu, ends Jan 12 2013, Almeida Theatre, Almeida Street, N1 1TA Highbury & Islington £8-£32, Mon under 30s £16, Nov 8-14 previews £8-£26, concs available, From Nov 8, Mon-Sat 7.30pm, mats Sat 2.30pm, no mat perf Nov 10, extra mat perfs Nov 28, Jan 9, no perfs Dec 24-26, 31 (press night Nov 15, 7pm, captioned perf Dec 11, audio described perf Dec 15, 2.30pm). Nick Dear’s drama about the complex 20th-century poet Edward Thomas.
WIN an Orange Micro Terror Stack for your iPhone Top British guitar amp manufacturer Orange Amplification has teamed up with Scout London to help celebrate its headline sponsorship of the forthcoming Classic Rock Roll of Honour awards with a competition giveaway worth over £630. Orange has been supplying amps to the biggest bands in rock for over 40 years and at this year’s Classic Rock Awards, it is also sponsoring the Living Legend Award. Many of its endorsees are nominated, including Rush, Mastodon, Phantom Limb and Ghost. You can win one of four Orange Micro Terror stacks comprising a MT20 guitar
amp head and PPC108 cab, which together are worth £158. The Micro Terror delivers a classic Orange sound way bigger than it looks, offering 20 watts of power in an amp not much bigger than an iPhone. In fact, you can play your guitar along to your favourite tunes from any phone through the Micro terror using a 2.5mm jack. To find out more about the Orange gear and its artists see orangeamps.com The Classic Rock Roll of Honour takes place at The Roundhouse in Camden on November 13
How long has Orange been supplying amps to the biggest bands in rock?
To enter text SCOUT AMP and your answer to 88010 or head to scoutlondon.com/win Texts cost £1*, and count for TWO entries!
A) 6 months B) 5 years C) More than 40 years
* TERMS & CONDITIONS: Messages cost £1 each + standard network rate. 18+ bill payers only. Send STOP to end. Number may show on bill. A2B 08700460138. Closing date Nov 11 2012. Prizes may differ from those pictured. The promotion is open to residents of the UK except employees of the Promoter, their families, agents or anyone professionally connected with the promotion. Promotion limited to one entry per person. Responsibility is not accepted for entries lost, damaged or delayed as a result of any network, computer hardware or software failure of any kind. Proof of sending will not be accepted as proof of receipt. For full T&Cs for all competitions, visit scoutlondon.com/win
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