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Cover Story
COVER PHOTO: JOAN MARCUS / THE BIG PICTURE: Ciaran Griffin, GETTY
8 O come all ye faithful One of the most anticipated – and controversial – musicals, The Book of Mormon, opens this week. We speak to creators Matt Stone, Trey Parker and Robert Lopez, and some of the show’s stars
The Big Picture
Regulars
4 Scouted Date Night, Places That Change Your Life, Book Now, Last Chance London 6 Talent Scout Being Human actor, Damien Molony, tells us about his favourite London haunts
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London Food & Drink Shopping Art & Culture Comedy Film Small Screen Music Theatre Competition
We find out how to make the perfect chip – page 20
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Stars in his eyes
A new exhibition pays tribute to the father of fashion photography So many of today’s fashion photography ‘norms’ – exotic locations, unusual props, bizarre juxtapositions – were born of the work of one man: Norman Parkinson. Though regarded as the father of modern fashion photography, behind the glamour, he was also an incisive and skilful portrait photographer. Now there’s a chance to see the highlights of his incredible career in an exhibition at the National Theatre. Marking 100 years since his birth, it features a wide variety of celebrities and other subjects, and is an impressive tribute to a man who continues to influence both fashion and celebrity culture, more than 20 years after his death.
# love
Date Night
The one where you sip cool cocktails... VENUE Happiness Forgets PRICE ££ PERFECT FOR The date with a degree of sophistication Blame Sex and the City, blame Tom Cruise, even blame The Dude if you must, but there’s no avoiding the unwritten rule dictating that, at some point, you and your beloved have to go for cocktails. Fortunately, you’re in one of the best cities for it (London’s cocktail bars frequently come top in all manner of global awards). One of our current favourites is Happiness Forgets, a relatively new and cool little basement bar in trendy Hoxton
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Still sitting Elton John
Square. The French Pearl (mint and madness-driving absinthe) is to diefor and the kooky, dim-lit basement vibe is cool without being over-thetop pretentious. You’ll probably win points just for knowing about it. happinessforgets.com
FACT TO ENTERTAIN
Absinthe is said to be the spirit that drove Vincent Van Gough insane.
IT’S GOING WELL ...
You’re not far from a meat-feast at Meat Mission. We highly recommend the Dead Hippy.
YOU NEED TO ESCAPE
Cut off your own ear.
Norman Parkinson, Sygma, Corbis
Cue-t look David Bowie poses for Norman Parkinson
Lifework: Norman Parkinson’s Century of Style, March 1-May 12, National Theatre, nationaltheatre.org
Drama Actress Maggie Smith
07: Love Shake, Hoxton There has been a spate of American-style diners opening in London of late, but Love Shake is a shakeshack with a difference. The obvious things you notice are how the décor is vintage-cool, the chairs comfy and the Wi-Fi free. But the real game-changers are the extra-friendly cost and the extra-friendly staff. For just £3.50 you can enjoy the fattest stack of pancakes you’ve ever laid
You can always get what you want Mick Jagger and his then girlfriend, fashion model Jerry Hall
BOOK
NOW
Robbie Williams
Wembley Stadium June 29&30, July 2&5 tickets.robbiewilliams.com
NAOMI ATKINSON, the noun project / liguang san
Privates on Parade Noel Coward Theatre Closes Sat Mar 2
last chance
LONDON
Fiesta (The Sun Also Rises) Trafalgar Studios Closes Sat Mar 2 Rain Room Barbican Centre Closes Sun Mar 3
GET IN TOUCH
Vincent Simone and Flavia Cacace: Midnight Tango Phoenix Theatre Closes Sat Mar 2 Kiss Me Kate Old Vic Closes Sat Mar 2 Salad Days Riverside Studios Closes Sat Mar 2
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Justin Timberlake
Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park July 12 wirelessfestival.co.uk
Playing Cards 1: SPADES The Roundhouse Closes Sat Mar 2
eyes on and unlimited coffee refills. It serves real, proper hotdogs and super-tasty curly fries. And, of course, the milkshakes are to die-for – try a peanutbutter and Oreo combo. Best of all, it turns into a speakeasy after hours, serving cheap beer and tasty cocktails to a cool crowd. The buzz is definitely growing, so get in there before it’s deafening. theloveshake.co.uk
Send us your favourite spots of inspiration by email, Twitter or Facebook. You might end up in Scouted.
Jay Z
Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park July 13 wirelessfestival.co.uk
Jessie J
The O2 October 29&30 theo2.co.uk
BAD MEANING GOOD
BAD MEANING BAD
Pioneering independent London label Ninja Tune is spearheading an initative to re-press out-of-stock records. See beatdelete.com
The Old Vic Tunnels, a performance space beneath Waterloo Station, is set to close after The Old Vic declined to renew the lease.
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Valentino: Master of Couture Somerset House Closes Sun Mar 3 Polanski Posters BFI Southbank Closes Mon Feb 25
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Damien Molony Actor
Let’s go for a drink – Scout’s buying. Where shall we go? The Anchor and Hope on The Cut, near Waterloo. It’s a must-try for the Sunday set lunch. I went for my birthday a few years ago. They put the pot on the table, and it’s every man for himself.
Scout London Cover Stars 0029 Ben Rowe, 37, Illustrator, Streatham
What in London inspires you? Going to some of the amazing exhibitions and gigs that London always has on offer, and sitting on the top deck of the 159 listening to music, watching London go by. Favourite part of London? Berwick Street for the record shops, Westminster Bridge for the
Where’s your favourite outdoor spot in the city? Portobello Road during the week is a world away from the same street on Saturday mornings. It still has many of the same stalls and produce, but it’s friendlier, easier to navigate and full of great characters. What’s a great cultural experience you’ve had recently? I enjoyed the National Portrait Gallery’s Taylor Wessing photography prize. A drama teacher once told me to always visit the Portrait Gallery when starting work on a new character. ‘He’s in there somewhere...’
Nice choice. What about other places to eat? Any favourites? I love going to new restaurants. 10 Greek Street is one of the best in Soho, with chefs in a tiny kitchen, producing exciting, delicious plates. My latest fave is Honey and Co. on Warren Street. Exquisite food, and a mouth-watering introduction to Middle Eastern cuisine.
Do you have any secret tips for Londoners? I love walking past Holland Park Mews. It’s a magical sight.
views and the green spaces around Streatham for the quiet!
Any London secrets to share? Barbarella’s at the top of Lower Marsh does a great cooked breakfast.
How important is London in your work? It’s not a direct influence, but I take elements of it here and there and try and use it in some way – people, buildings, snatched bits of conversations.
Damien Molony is starring in If You Don’t Let Us Dream, We Won’t Let You Sleep at the Royal Court until March 9, royalcourttheatre.com
What’s next for you? Designing my 2014 calendar, drawing and more drawing, self promotion and adding some new things to my online shop. See more at: benrowe.co.uk
Hey there, are you a talented creative? Fancy reworking 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
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BBC/Touchpaper
Damien Molony shot to fame as vampire Hal in the hit BBC Three comedy-drama series Being Human. But when he’s not trying to stop drinking blood, the 28-year-old Irish actor can often be seen on the London stage, and is appearing at the Royal Court.
THE SPONTANEITY SHOP AND PLEASANCE PRESENT
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O come all ye faithful It has already taken £7.8m in advance bookings, and you can’t get a ticket before June. Is The Book Of Mormon the biggest West End opening in recent memory?
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ountless shows have opened in the West End over the past decade, but barely a fraction of them have inspired the kind of anticipation currently surrounding The Book of Mormon. Not only is it a collaboration between the shockingly talented creators of South Park, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, and Avenue Q creator Robert Lopez; it also arrives in London on a tsunami of Broadway acclaim. The show opened in New York in March 2011, and quickly had both critics and audiences falling over themselves to sing its praises. It then went on to win nine Tony Awards. All the while, legions of British South Park fans were sat patiently on this side of the pond, waiting for their turn. Now, finally, it has made the pilgrimage to London. Previews of the show start this evening, with opening night on March 21. Over the next few pages we look ahead to what’s in store, and then back at the glorious moments that have made Parker and Stone two of the most influential comedy writers of their generation.
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genesis Creators Trey Parker, Matt Stone and Bobby Lopez reveal how
JOAN MARCUS
The Book of Mormon came to life
Where did the idea for The Book of Mormon come from? TP: Matt and I went to see Avenue Q when it opened in 2003, and we were like, ‘Wow, this is actually really good’. When it was over I was thinking, ‘This is exactly the kind of thing I’ve always dreamed about doing’. MS: During the intermission, we saw that we were thanked in the Playbill. We thought, ‘Well, that’s weird’. BL: That’s because I saw the South Park movie when it open in 1999, and I just
thought, ‘Oh my God, this is exactly what I want to be doing’. A week after that, the idea came to me for Avenue Q. TP: It happened purely by coincidence that Bobby showed up on the same night that we were there. He introduced himself and we went across the street for a drink. MS: Bobby is younger than Trey and me, so he looked at us like elder statesmen and asked what he should do next. We asked him what he wanted to do, and he said, ‘I want to write something about Joseph Smith and the Mormons’. scoutlondon.com Scout London
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BL: When I said Joseph Smith, they were like, ‘We’ve wanted to do that, too!’ So I said, ‘If you guys want to do that, it’s fine, because I’d really love to see what you do with it – more than I’d like to see what I do’. TP: It just became ridiculously obvious that we should team-up and do something about Mormons. So we said, ‘No, let’s do it together’. What came first, the story or the score? What was the first thing that you wrote together? TP: The opening number, Hello, was literally the first thing we wrote. As soon as we figured out the show was going to be about missionaries, we realised that it would be a great introduction to just ring a massive amount of doorbells and somehow work them into a musical number. This symphony of doorbells and white boys with good haircuts and white shirts and black ties, all saying ‘hello’ and offering you a free book, seemed very much an opening number to us. It is totally Disney in sensibility, and totally Mormon in attack.
What other musical theatre did you look to for influence when writing the show? TP: There’s a lot of Rodgers and Hammerstein references in there, because that’s what it feels like to me. When you’re writing this sort of happy-go-lucky, optimistic Mormon, it just plays right into it. For the second act pageant, Joseph Smith American Moses, we always thought it would be so awesome to do our own version of Uncle Tom’s Cabin from The King and I. We did this improv where we put on African drum loops and started singing African melodies. We had such a great time doing it, it was ridiculous. But then we realised we should make it a bigger number. We went back and actually watched the Uncle Tom’s Cabin sequence. It was really long but it told such a huge story, and our number didn’t. So we were like, ‘Let’s follow The King and I, and really make it clear that the story has a much deeper and profound meaning to the Africans’. Speaking more broadly, there’s just nothing more perfect in the universe to me
Terrible trio From left: Bobby Lopez, Matt Stone and Trey Parker
A bunch of Mormons The cast of The Book of Mormon
than a good musical. A bad musical makes you want to kill yourself, but a good musical is to me so much more moving and powerful than a great movie or a great book, or anything.
Writing for Broadway and now the West End, did you find there were more boundaries in what you could do or say than you have in South Park?
Hilarious though it might be, The Book of Mormon is – like South Park – fairly provocative. Is there a specific message you hope audiences will take away from it?
TP: Well, there is a line that you can cross, and you can cross it all you want – as long as you have a reason for doing it. If it has a point and it has a story and it has genuine, real character and emotion, then you can pretty much do whatever you want as long as you’re being truthful.
MS: There’s a catharsis in being able to really laugh at some of the goofier ideas of religion without necessarily laughing at the people practising them. We never like to make a ‘point’, per se. We want to give you room to feel what the show is saying to you. We don’t want to tell anybody what the point is, or what the politics are. It’s up to you to figure out what it means.
The Book of Mormon opens at the Prince of Wales Theatre on February 25. Visit bookofmormonlondon.com
JOAN MARCUS
On a mission The missionaries travel to Africa
10 Scout London scoutlondon.com
Exhibition sponsored by
preaching to the converted Book of Mormon stars Gavin Creel and Jared Gertner chat to Caroline Bishop Judging by the feverish levels of anticipation for the West End production, that shouldn’t be too hard. But does that add to the pressure? “I think it makes it really exciting,” say Gertner. “When you’ve been doing a show for a while, that’s what keeps you excited to go out every night, that give-and-take that you get from the audience. It makes it so easy to do our jobs.” When we meet they’ve just moved into their dressing rooms at the Prince of Wales Theatre. But they already know each other inside-out. “He likes his routine,” says Creel of Gertner, while Creel’s more relaxed, “with really flaily arms!” according to his co-star. But it’s clear that, like their characters in what is essentially a classic buddy comedy, they’ve developed a bit of a bromance during their Mormon journey. They frequently finish each other’s sentences, and when asked about their favourite part of the show, choose a scene in which their characters have a bonding moment. “It’s the first time my character talks to him, rather than at him,” says Creel, who plays the strait-laced Elder Price to Gertner’s bumbling, Star Trek-loving Elder Cunningham. “It’s funny,” he adds, “[my character] is about routine, I know exactly how things are supposed to work – and he’s a bit of a mess!” He cracks up as he realises the inverse parallel. “We play each other!” grins Gertner.
Musical Mormon Gavin Creel plays Elder Price
12 Scout London scoutlondon.com
A bit bumbling Jared Gertner as Elder Cunningham
While Creel’s becoming a West End regular, having appeared in Mary Poppins and Hair here previously, Gertner’s a newbie to the London stage and is enjoying his immersion in our culture at the hands of his British cast-mates. Creel, meanwhile, is trying to corrupt them. “They’re so polite!” he says. “It’s shocking. I’m like, c’mon, be ruder.” Indeed, we can be pretty different to our US friends. So will this musical, written by Americans and centring on a religion that isn’t widely followed here, translate? Both think it will. “The show’s not really about Mormonism. It’s about religion and extreme faith and not Mormonism in particular,” explains Gertner. “I didn’t know much about Mormons at all and I still thought it was brilliantly
funny when I first read it.” Plus, a seven-minute musical number explaining Mormon beliefs fills us in. More importantly, the humour – crude, offbeat, outrageous – will be familiar to anyone who’s watched Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s South Park. That’s most people who’ve bought tickets, then. The team will discover during previews if anything in the script jars with British audiences, but Gertner and Creel aren’t worried. Rather, they can’t wait for their British cast-mates’ first experience of an audience which, to date, has always been converted. “I’m just so excited for them because they don’t know yet what it’s like,” says Gertner. “I’ve done a lot of shows and comedies and I’ve never experienced anything like this.”
Mormon-who?
T
hey count Mitt Romney, Brandon Flowers and The Osmonds among their number, but what are Mormons? The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is a type of Christianity formed in 1830 by New Yorker Joseph Smith after receiving a revelation from God. As well as the Bible, the
church follows the holy text the Book of Mormon, compiled by the American prophet Mormon and written down by Smith, which tells the story of the ancient people of America. A highly conservative and community-focused religion, the Mormon church has sent missionaries to spread the word since its inception. The title Elder (or Sister, for women) is conferred on its missionaries.
Spokesman Brandon Flowers
Familiar sounds The Osmonds
JOAN MARCUS / jason sheldon, rex / CHriS capstick, rex
W
hile Elders Price and Cunningham are on a mission to convert Ugandans to Mormonism, the actors who play them, Americans Gavin Creel and Jared Gertner, are also on a quest in a strange and foreign land. “Gavin and I are actually on a mission together,” jokes Gertner, “spreading the word of this musical around the world!” They’re doing well so far. The pair has already taken The Book of Mormon on a national tour of the US, and now they’ve hopped over the pond to convert us Brits.
presents & Asgard present
RICHARD THOMPSON
Wed 20 Feb I CARDIFF I St David’s Hall Thu 21 Feb I BIRMINGHAM I Symphony Hall Fri 22 Feb I BRIGHTON I Dome Sat 23 Feb I BRISTOL I Colston Hall Sun 24 Feb I CAMBRIDGE I Corn Exchange Mon 25 Feb I LONDON I 02 Shepherd’s Bush Empire Tue 26 Feb I LONDON I Barbican SOLD OUT Thu 28 Feb I EDINBURGH I Usher Hall Fri 1 Mar I LIVERPOOL I Philharmonic Hall Sat 2 Mar I SHEFFIELD I City Hall Sun 3 Mar I GATESHEAD I The Sage Gateshead Mon 4 Mar I LEEDS I Irish Centre EXTRA DATE Wed 6 Mar I NOTTINGHAM I Royal Concert Hall
MARISA MONTE
Verdade Uma Ilusão Sunday 14 April London Hammersmith Apollo
,
GORAN BREGOVIC
Thu 7 Mar I BEXHILL I De La Warr Pavilion Fri 8 Mar I BASINGSTOKE I Anvil SOLD OUT Sat 9 Mar I ST. ALBANS I Alban Arena EXTRA DATE Sun 10 Mar I SALFORD I The Lowry SOLD OUT
THE ELECTRIC TOUR New album Electric out Mon 11 Feb on Proper
Champagne for Gypsies Saturday 18 May London Royal Festival Hall
serious.org.uk
SWEET HONEY IN THE ROCK
Saturday 23 March London Barbican
SOUL REBELS
Sunday 12 May Norwich Theatre Royal
Full details of all shows can be found at serious.org.uk. Sign up to the Serious e-news for all the latest news and show information serious.org.uk/subscribe
MARIZA
Monday 13 May London Barbican Tuesday 14 May Norwich Theatre Royal
RODRIGUEZ
Searching for Sugarman Saturday 8 June London Hammersmith Apollo
Parker and Stone: our top 10 How do you pick the top 10 moments from a body of work that includes South Park, Team America, Baseketball and Orgazmo? With enormous difficulty it turns out. No Big Gay Al? No Chef? No Shake Weight or Butters the pimp? Like we said, there were tough choices to be made…
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Kyle’s Mom is a Big Fat Bitch
South Park, Season 1, Episode 9 Just making the list is one of the show’s earliest highlights and a legendary Cartman classic (it’s also in the movie). In an episode about the overreach of political correctness and religious sensitivity, Cartman delivers this frenetically-paced and fabulously funny musical number about his friend’s mum. It might not be in any way satirical or designed to make any kind of point, but it remains one
of the scenes that always reduces us to uncontrollable giggles. And, for all the great achievements yet to come, this is still one of Cartman’s funniest moments.
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Puppet sex scene Team America
An obvious Team America choice, perhaps. But there’s no denying that staging one of the raunchiest sex scenes in the history of mainstream cinema between two puppets is a landmark moment in the Parker/ Stone catalogue. The piledriver gets us every time.
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World of Warcraft battle scenes
South Park, Season 10, Episode 8 Consistently ranked among the best South Park episodes, Make Love Not Warcraft sees the gang become obsessed with multiplayer role-playing game World of Warcraft, (and become very fat
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Tom Cruise and John Travolta in the closet
South Park, Season 9, Episode 12 This is probably one of the most famous moments in the history of South Park. And the episode as a whole (Trapped in the Closet) is certainly one of the most notorious. The ridiculing of Scientology is among the show’s bravest and most uncompromising examples of social commentary. But the scene where the Cruisemeister shuts himself in the closet, quickly 14 Scout London scoutlondon.com
followed by John Travolta, then R Kelly, who tries to sing them out before joining them… well, what can you say, it’s just next level humour, and certainly the bit that we all remember. As with many great South Park moments, it’s a combination of a truly daring debunk with the wryest form of humour, to the extent that you can’t quite believe anyone has had the nerve to create it. Its audacity and the fine legal line it treads are shocking; its comedic genius is peerless; it’s a fine example of why Parker and Stone are so formidable.
in the process). Yes, it’s hilarious when Cartman has diarrhea all over his mum and when Randy is given the Sword of a Thousand Truths, but what really makes the episode are the avatar fight sequences, all voiced by their corresponding characters…that and the bit where Butters turns up as the same avatar as Cartman. It’s as close to perfect as a comedy episode gets.
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Lemmiwinks’s journey out of Mr Slave
South Park, Season 6, Episode 14 Lemmiwinks, if you remember, is the gerbil that Mr Garrison inserts into the back passage of his gay lover, Mr Slave, in front of his class of eight-year-olds. Cue
a ridiculously funny sequence in which Lemmiwinks has to navigate his way out of Mr Slave, via his digestive system, assisted on his “quest” by three animal spirits and accompanied by twee minstrel-esque song The Ballad of Lemmiwinks. It’s also part of the excellent Death Camp of Tolerance episode – more inspired mockery of political correctness.
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Mel Gibson being totally crazy
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Satan and Saddam in bed together
South Park, Series 8, Episode 3
South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut
No show in the history of the world has been so withering in its mockery of public figures as South Park. Of all the joyous lampooning (honourable mentions also go to J-Lo, Al Gore and Jacko), Mel Gibson’s deranged pursuit of Stan and Kenny is one that has us in tears every time. The fact that it then leads into Cartman’s Hitler impersonation is the icing on the cake.
This is our only featured moment from the South Park movie (What! No Cartman using a megaphone to tell Mr Garrison to suck his balls?). There are, of course, so many stand-out elements, but the gay coupling of Satan and Saddam Hussein is, for us, the masterstroke that immortalised the film as a classic. The devil as a sensitive lover with needs; Saddam as the randy partner who just wants to “f*ck” all the time; unimpeachable genius.
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Sexual Harassment Panda song South Park, Series 3, Episode 6
Pant-wettingly funny satirical moments are so commonplace in South Park – particularly in later episodes – that picking favourites is incredibly hard. But we just had to include the sublime moment that a man in a panda suit comes to Mr Garrison’s classroom to try and teach the class about sexual harassment (through song, followed by a very dry reading of the law). Wonderfully surreal and satirical, it has us in stitches every time, and leads to a great episode that parodies the absurdities of litigation culture.
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“America, f*ck yeah”
Team America How could we not feature Everyone Has AIDS? Or the “dicks, pussies and assholes” speech? Or “Hans Brix!”? Or “Maaattt Daaamooon”? Alas, there just isn’t room for it all. But this gloriously parodic hymn to American military machismo was always going to finish near the top of the list. It’s one of the greatest examples of Parker and Stone’s remarkable talent – that,
in one brilliantly catchy, irresistibly repeatable and frankly hilarious song, they can say so much about modern America. Along with the accompanying visuals (fighter planes shooting out from the top of Mount Rushmore etc), the song encapsulates not just the aggressive arrogance of the Bush administration and its conduct throughout the world, but also the lazy patriotism that underpinned the embattled-yet-heroic national myth of the post-9/11 era. It was also the moment that we fell off our seat in the cinema.
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Cartman feeding Scott Tenorman his own parents
South Park, Season 5, Episode 4 We could have argued for weeks about the top spot, but the game-changing climax to the Scott Tenorman Must Die episode was always the front-runner. It’s a hilarious episode, but also a watershed moment: the moment that Cartman becomes truly evil. Having been conned out of money
by Tenorman, he stops at nothing to exact revenge, masterminding the murder of his parents, then feeding the unwitting boy their bodies in a bowl of chili. Having revealed the horrors of his crime, Cartman crowns his payback by getting Radiohead (Tenorman’s favourite band) to mock the grieving boy, before licking the “tears of unfathomable sadness” from his distraught face. Genius. South Park Season 17 starts on Comedy Central in September. scoutlondon.com Scout London 15
Theatre Bench in association with Ros Povey & Perfect Pitch
MUST END 24 FEB! The world premiere of a new musical by Craig Adams and Ian Watson about love, life and loss in a London lift.
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‘Knock-out performances.’
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‘A strong cast... Cynthia Erivo gives thrilling vocal expression.’
‘Engaging, funny and a definite stand-out.’
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Londonist
Let us not pray It’s like church, but without God. Welcome to the increasingly popular world of religion-free Sunday services. Laura Martin joins the atheist congregation and meets the organisers
TIM DALINIAN-jones / TOM bell with nimrod kramer
B
een thinking about God lately? Neither has Sanderson Jones, one half of the new non-religious church event, The Sunday Assembly. Sanderson and his friend Pippa Evans set up the monthly meeting to bring the best of a religious service – sermons on the wonders of the world, a sing-a-long and sense of general togetherness – to London, just without the bother of Him upstairs. But before you cry “cult!”, standup comic Jones explains that it’s all just a bit of light-hearted fun: “I’ve always thought, ‘Why is it only ever at events like the Olympics or the Jubilee that people can experience a sense of community? Why is it only when it snows that people smile at each other on the street?’ Us Brits need an excuse to find it and this is it.” The atheist pair decided on a Sunday service to carry on the feelgood factor coursing around the nation last year, and the first Sunday Assembly took place on January 6 in The Nave, Islington. The theme for the inaugural event was ‘Beginnings’, and featured a guest speaker, author
In Sunday swing Sanderson Jones
Andy Stanton, talking about going from a decade of dropping out and dead-end jobs to literary success. A band, lead by Evans, played tracks such as Ain’t Got No, I Got Life by Nina Simone, the evangelical-lite Jones MCed (well, pastored) the service, and there was even tea for everyone afterwards. The effervescent Jones fizzes with excitement as he says how the idea has now gone global: “The response was overwhelming, like nothing I’ve ever seen. We’ve only been going a month! I’ve just had Qatari TV in to do an interview in my house as the story they did in January went down so well in the Arab world, we’re meeting with Brazilian TV later this week, and we’re setting something up with a Russian TV station. On the back of this, 150 people have emailed to say they want to start their own assemblies and we’ve got a plan to help them do it.” The Sunday Assembly’s motto is ‘Live better, help often and wonder more’. Jones explains: “Just because you don’t believe in God doesn’t
mean you don’t have an inner life. You’ve got questions and you’re trying to make it from birth to death in the best way. We’ll raise these issues and we’ll have a bloody good time doing it.” But, there are always the naysayers. “I get some atheists saying, ‘I don’t want to do this’,” says Jones. “And it’s like, ‘Fine – don’t come!’. We can’t threaten anyone with hell or reward them with heaven, anyway!” Jones and Evans have just secured comedian Josie Long for a service they’re planning in the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and the next speaker for the London service on March 3 is Hugh RaymentPickard, founder of InToUniversity, which provides learning centres for young people. “The next theme is Lend A Hand,” adds Jones. “Then the plan is to start engaging with the community and to do good things for charity. “The key part of it is doing some amazing things inside the church and taking it out of there. And the idea that now there might be more than 100 people looking to do the same
Together Co-founder Pippa Evans
thing is really exciting. It’s great to think that in three or four years we could still be doing this, and that we might have had a positive effect.” Sounds almost...religious? “No,” he laughs. “It’s not like a religion. We expected this to grow like you’d grow a comedy night or something. But, it turns out, it’s just really struck a chord with people.” The next service is on March 3, at 11am and 1.30pm, at The Nave, St Paul’s Road, N1 2QH. Get there around 30mins early to secure your place. sundayassembly.com scoutlondon.com Scout London 17
Tuesday February 26
Facts, Fiction And Philosophy at London School Of Economics, Houghton Street, WC2A 2AE Temple FREE, 10am-8pm. An exhibition presented by the LSE Language Centre. Web Lab at Science Museum, Exhibition Road, SW7 2DD South Kensington Mon-Sun 10am-6pm, closed Dec 2426, ends Jun 20, FREE. Interactive experiments based on the internet. Until Jun 20.
Monday February 25 Art History In The Pub: Talk at The Monarch, 40-42 Chalk Farm Road, NW1 8BG Chalk Farm FREE, 7.30pm, doors. A pub-based chat. The Chief Rabbi Lord Sacks: Talk at Kings Place, 90 York Way, N1 9AG King’s Cross St Pancras £12.50, adv £9.50, 8.30pm. The Rabbi discusses his career and intellectual legacy. Coffee House Poetry: Magma #55 at The Troubadour, 263-267 Old Brompton Road, SW5 9JA Earl’s Court £7, concs £6, 8pm-12midnight. A poetry reading by poets Penelope Shuttle and Clare Pollard and editors Karen McCarthy Woolf and Tim Kindberg discuss the magazine. The Rise And Fall Of London Transport: Talk at London Transport Museum, 39 Covent Garden Piazza, WC2E 7BB Covent Garden £10, concs £8, adv booking required, 6.30pm-8pm. Oliver Green looks at how the transport system has developed over the years. Simon Schama’s History Of The Jews: Talk at Kings Place, 90 York Way, N1 9AG King’s Cross St Pancras adv £9.50, 7pm. The historian and broadcaster discusses his book.
The Great Unwashed at Museum Of London, 150 London Wall, EC2Y 5HN Barbican FREE, 6pm-7pm. The history of Typhus, from 18th Century London to Nazi Germany and beyond. You’re Gonna Need A Bigger Boat Film Quiz at Upstairs At The Ritzy, Coldharbour Lane, SW2 1JG Brixton £4, 7.30pm. Film-themed quiz.
Wednesday February 27 Beefeater Gin Club at The Elgin, 96 Ladbroke Grove, W11 1PY FREE, phone for times. A chance to taste and learn about gin. Ftw Comedy Pop Quiz at The Queen Of Hoxton, 1-5 Curtain Road, EC2A 3JX Shoreditch High Street £3, 8pmlate. An interactive weekly quiz with stand-up from James Loveridge, Amy Howerska, Luke Capasso and Kerry Billson between rounds.
John Major: Music Halls: Talk at Victoria & Albert Museum, Cromwell Road, SW7 2RL South Kensington £9, concs £6, adv booking required, 6.30pm-7.30pm. The former Prime Minister discusses the history of the British music hall.
Cecil Sharp House Community Choir at Cecil Sharp House, 2 Regents Park Road, NW1 7AY Camden Town £72, concs £58, 7pm. A cappella harmony songs. Fruit And Vegetable Market: Workshop at Chelsea Theatre, World’s End Place, SW10 0DR Sloane Square phone for prices, 11am-3.30pm. A small market that provides the local Community with the opportunity to buy affordable fruit and vegetables. Tower Twilight Tours (Over 12s) at Tower Of London, Tower Hill, EC3N 4AB Tower Hill £25, mems £22.50, 7pm-8.30pm. Hear tales of murders and hauntings. Ukulele Jam Session at The Royal George, Goslett Yard, WC2H 0EA Tottenham Court Road FREE, 7pm11pm. Wolf Talk: DIY Synth Workshop at House Of Wolf, 181 Upper Street, N1 1RQ Highbury & Islington £40, 7pm-9pm. An introductory lesson on electronics.
Thursday February 28
18 Scout London scoutlondon.com
Northern Line No service Camden Town to Edgware until 8.30am southbound and 9am northbound on Sunday. London Overground On Sunday, no service from Barking to South Tottenham until 12:15pm, Richmond to Camden Road until 11am and Shepherd’s Bush to Willesden Junction until 11am.
For the latest information visit tfl.gov.uk
Friday March 1 Friday Salon: Artists And Participatory Practices: Panel Discussion at ICA, 12 Carlton House Terrace, The Mall, SW1Y 5AH Charing Cross £5, mems FREE, 3pm. A panel of invited artists discuss the participatory strategies of artists. Ijad Workshop at Rich Mix, 35-47 Bethnal Green Road, E1 6LA Shoreditch High Street £10, concs £8, 10.30am. Work with Joumana Mourad from IJAD Dance Company to create artwork that can be translated across digital media. The Shock Of The Old: Art In The Ice Age: Panel Discussion at British Museum, Great Russell Street, WC1B 3DG Russell Square £5, concs/mems £3, adv booking required, 6.30pm-8pm. A panel discussion about how the Ice Age art exhibition’s works are evaluated. With live speech-to-text transcription.
Saturday March 2
Weekend travel update
Hammersmith & City Line No service Moorgate to Barking all weekend. Circle Line No service Edgware Road to Hammersmith all weekend. District Line No service East Ham to Upminster all weekend. Metropolitan Line No service between Aldgate and Harrow-On-The-Hill all weekend.
The Feminine Mystique: 50 Years On: Talk at Kings Place, 90 York Way, N1 9AG King’s Cross St Pancras adv £9.50, 8.30pm. Writers Bidisha, Julie Bindel, Leah Thorn and Lisa Appignanesi discuss Betty Friedan’s book. London Calling: Talk at Bishopsgate Institute, 230 Bishopsgate, EC2M 4QH Liverpool Street £8, concs £6, 7.30pm. Exploration of London’s counter-culture. Masterclass: Hand Printed Wallpaper With Custhom Design at The Papered Parlour, 7 Prescott Place, SW4 6BS £133, 12noon-5pm. Carve your own wallpaper block to create a distinctive design.
Edmund De Waal: Talk at Kings Place, 90 York Way, N1 9AG King’s Cross St Pancras £12.50, adv £9.50, 8.30pm. The author discusses his grandmother’s book The Exiles Return. Chill Pill at The Albany, Douglas Way, SE8 4AG Deptford £7, concs £5, 7.30pm. Spoken word and poetry and an open mic. Death Drawing With Art Macabre: Workshop (Over 18s) at Museum Of London, 150 London Wall, EC2Y 5HN Barbican £19, concs £18, adv booking required, 7pm-9.30pm. Life-drawing session themed around 19th-century surgery.
Bird Barmy Army: A Dawn Chorus at Victoria Park, Grove Road, E3 5SN Mile End phone for prices, 6am8.30am. Learn about feathered animals that live in the park. Introduction To Wildlife Photography at London Wetland Centre, Queen Elizabeth Walk, SW13 9WT Hammersmith £55, plus admission £10.59, child £5.91, concs £7.91, family £29.55, under 4s FREE, adv booking required, 10am-4pm. With photographer and author Iain Green.
Sunday March 3 The 99 Percent: The Social Justice Movement in Israel: Talk at Kings Place, 90 York Way, N1 9AG King’s Cross St Pancras adv £9.50, 2pm. Journalists Haggai Matar and Paul Mason and writer Rachel Shabi discuss the creation of protest movements. Thomas Heatherwick: Talk at Kings Place, 90 York Way, N1 9AG King’s Cross St Pancras £14.50, adv £9.50, 8pm. The designer discusses the conceptual ideas behind his creations. Welcome To Wine: Workshop at Vinopolis, 1 Bank End, SE1 9BU London Bridge £40, 1pm. A wine tasting introduction.
SAM PROUD
ONGOING
comono.co.uk
The London LaTin Music FesTivaL april
uk debut debut
the new band from OjOs de BrujO
beyond flamenco Part of the London flamenco festival
Village underground thursday 21 march doors 8pm
aLeXandeR aBReu Y havana d’PRiMeRa 12 April • Electric Brixton A Curva Da Cintura TouMani diaBaTe, aRnaLdo anTunes & edGaRd scanduRRa 12 April • Union Chapel Mexico Vs. Balkans Brass Band Battle: Banda esTReLLas de sinaLoa vs.BoBan & MaRKo MaRKovic 14 April• Barbican BuiKa 18 April • Union Chapel MaLa RodRiGueZ 18 April • Village Underground La RaZa: London LaTin hiP hoP FesTivaL 19 April • Rich Mix ana MouRa 20 April• Barbican MaRceLo BRaTKe 24 April • PurcellRoom MeRidian BRoTheRs, chancha & eL G 25 April• Cargo www.lalineafestival.com @lalineafest lalineafestival
tickets £15 in advance + booking fee comono.co.uk ticketmaster ticketweb See tickets lenacay.com
fEATuRINg
quANTIc & MARIO gALEANO KOKO fRIdAY MAY 31 dOORs 7PM ONdATROPIcA ONsTAgE 8PM cOMONO.cO.uK ONdATROPIcA.cOM
PINK MARTINI Monday 29 April
ROYAL ALBERT HALL
comono.co.uk 020 7589 8212
ORquEsTA BuENA VIsTA sOcIAL cLuB™ fEATuRINg
ELIAdEs OcHOA OMARA PORTuONdO &
Monday 21 October
ROYAL ALBERT HALL
comono.co.uk 020 7589 8212
Chips Off The Old Block More of our favourites... D inner
All chipping in Whether dipped in ketchup, drowned in vinegar or smothered in salt, there’s no denying that chips are one of the world’s favourite foods. If you’ve noticed even more potato loving than usual going on over the past week, that’s because it’s been National Chip Week – a celebration of over 150 years of our nation’s favourite snack
W
hile the origin of chips on a global scale is almost impossible to be sure of, in the UK the first chips to be fried can be traced back to Oldham’s Tommyfield Market in 1860 – Kennington pub The Tommyfield is now named in their honour. As longstanding as they are, this multi-purpose meal, side and snack is anything but old hat. Pairing them with fried fish or stuffing them in a butty might sound simple, but many of London’s top chefs are now cooking them in innovative ways that are anything but. In fact, a gastronomic arms race is underway, with London’s pubs and restaurants competing to create the capital’s top chip. By our standards, The Lady Ottoline pub in Bloomsbury (reviewed on page 22) offers chips that are up there with the best of them. Delectably crispy, dreamily fluffy, quaintly misshapen and pleasingly chunky (without heading into potato wedge territory), they tick all the boxes. We caught up with head chef Alan Irwin to find out how to recreate the beauties at home. You’ll want to start a couple of days before dinner time, though.
20 Scout London scoutlondon.com
Heston Blumenthal was the pioneer of the triple-cooked chip, and he routinely measures the dry matter of the potatoes he uses, in order to perfect cooking time. You don’t have to understand what that means, but when you try the crisp results you’ll appreciate that he knows what he’s doing. 66 Knightsbridge, SW1X 7LA
C omptoir G ascon This less formal spin-off from Club Gascon is only marginally less extravagant. There’s nothing remotely humble about the French fry-style chips that they serve, which are given extra richness by being fried in duck fat before being sprinkled with fleur de sel. 61-63 Charterhouse Street, EC1M 6HJ
H awksmoor Chip perfection The Lady Ottoline’s fries
D ay O ne
D ay T H R E E
1 Take Maris Piper potatoes (they’re
5 Prepare a pan of rapeseed
a dry potato, which makes them crispier and fluffier) and cut them into rough two-inch pieces. They don’t need to be exact.
2 Rinse the sliced potatoes under
running water, and leave to soak overnight in the fridge.
D ay T wo
3 Bring a pan of water to the boil
(don’t add salt) and add the potatoes. Once the water has returned to the boil, start a timer and cook for seven mintes.
4 Lay the boiled potatoes on a tray,
leave to cool slightly and then place in the fridge overnight.
oil for deep-frying. Add the potatoes and fry at 140 centigrade for seven minutes until they start to blister.
6 Remove the chips from the
Given that this steakhouse is a living, breathing homage to cow, it’s not surprising that beef dripping features. Cooked first in salty water and then twice in the meat fat, the result is crisp, fluffy, salty and subtly beefy chips. Various locations
F ish C lub
fryer and leave to dry and cool on kitchen towel. If you are making a big batch, you could freeze them at this point and keep them until needed.
7 Finally, just when you are
ready for the chips, fry them again, in slightly hotter rapeseed oil, around 200 centigrade for another seven minutes. Eat while still hot for the ultimate indulgent chip.
This is far more than your average fish & chip shop, offering a wide range of fried and grilled fish, spanning just about everything that’s sustainable. Chips are taken just as seriously. 189 St. John’s Hill, SW11 1TH
Top Ten fish & chip shops
Union Flaky fish, crisp batter, central location 1 Golden W1F 7LY Oxford Circus
Club Steamed, grilled and smoked options as well 2 Fish as fried SW11 1TH Clapham Junction
and Malt Including a fishcake burger 3 Kerbisher and fish nuggets W6 7PB Goldhawk Road
As sustainable as 4 Poppies it is trendy E1 6QR
Shoreditch High Street
Fish suppers named after their celebrity 5 Olley’s fans SE24 9AA Herne Hill
A bit of posh; dine in with wine 6 Geale’s SW3 3QT Sloane Square
Bone A cheap and cheerful local in the heart 7 Fish of town W1T 6NF
Great Portland Street
8
Fryer’s Delight Refreshingly light and crisp batter WC1X 8SL Holborn
Generous and refined, but not just for toffs 9 Toff’s N10 3RT Highgate Brothers Fish Restaurant Large portions 10 Two to eat-in or take-out N3 1DP Finchley Central
The Crooked Well Denmark Hill £££ The adjective ‘crooked’ refers to something which is bent out of shape or place; it’s a suitable name for this venue. Looking quaint with a friendly village-like feel, it’s far from what you’d expect just a head’s turn away from the gritty, arty urbanism of Camberwell Green. It fits no mould, either. There is too prominent a bar area for it to really be considered a restaurant, but the service is a tad too slick, the cocktail menu too extensive and the wine list too considered for it to be branded a gastropub. Like many a Londoner, I’ve grown both weary and wary of establishments that trendily tread the line and tend to offer either overpriced pub meals or sloppily-served ‘masterpieces’ which are incoherent with the atmosphere. In fittingly non-committal style, though, a place of such a description can swing both ways, and on entering The Well (I’m speaking of it affectionately already), any ambiguity quickly disappears. It may be the fact that it’s generously heated and cosily warm, or because we’re welcomed with a genuine smile and friendly banter, or down to the freshly-baked bread that we’re promptly brought to pick at as we browse the menu, but for one reason or another we fall head-over-heels for the place in an instant. Nervous that the food offering would compromise our feelings, we order carefully; I ask our waitress for advice and though she’s confident that the whole menu is sound, it’s refreshing to hear she has her own highlights and personal favourites. They don’t disappoint. Pigeon breast nestled in rich, stock-seeped
lentils and studded with spicy chorizo is one recommendation. The meat is beautifully and radiantly pink and tender, and we’re confident that in a room less heated, the dish’s robust Mediterranean flavours could easily chase away the London winter. A breaded halloumi salad is another, and one that we wouldn’t have plumped for without a push. It could serve as a mascot for the often maligned cheese; it’s crisp, creamy and pleasingly salty, while a honey dressing, fresh pear slices and tangy watercress all help to cut through its denseness and lend a touch of refinement to what is otherwise classic comfort food. A ballotine of guinea fowl, Jerusalem artichoke and leeks is daintier; it’s soft, earthy and faff-free thanks to being boned and rolled. Pata Negra pork served with a red cabbage and celeriac slaw, and utterly delectable crispy roast ham is heartier, but still intricate in its flavours. From the pudding list, a chocolate and rhubarb tart is particularly impressive, with the tartness of this most classic British spring vegetable soaring through the dark richness of the chocolate. Bakewell, eat your heart out. If The Well is a gastropub, then the genre has a leader in its field, but just as the area of Camberwell Grove that it occupies is its own entity, someway between suburban Dulwich and edgy Peckham, so The Crooked Well is a unique venue that’s well and truly in a class of its own. Ben Norum 16 Grove Lane, SE5 8SY Denmark Hill scoutlondon.com Scout London 21
The Wheatsheaf London Bridge ££
Rum Shack @ Floridita Soho ££
The resurrection of this Young’s pub three years after its closing due to nearby railway work prompts some earnest questioning – will it be as good as the original? Whatever the answer, it’s popular, so you’ll have to be first out of the office to get a table. Food comes courtesy of a camper van outside, and orders are placed via a lottery-like ticket, except that here, everyone’s a winner. Highlights include lip-smackingly sticky whiskey-glazed ribs, slow-cooked for 12 hours before being grilled to perfection, spit-roast chicken marinated in Aspall’s cider, and steamed herby fish of the day. Sides have street food Americana vibe, with the likes of mac’n’cheese, sweet potato mash, spiced baked beans, ’slaw and chilli corn on the cob. The loud lot are here for the drinks though, a top selection of London ales and craft beers. Farah Shafiq
Wardour Street might not conjure up images of Havana, but the Cuban city’s El Floridita bar is the inspiration for this Soho institution. Perhaps jealous of the former’s sunshine, the well-established London Floridita has transformed itself into a beach-based, palm tree-flanked rum shack for the winter months; a move that will be a boost to London’s SAD sufferers. While the venue’s impressive rum list will remain, it’s joined by the sort of especially sippable cocktails that need to be drunk within spitting distance of a coconut or two. The Cheeky Monkey cocktail made with Chairman’s Reserve rum comes as a sort of alcoholic fruit and fibre, boasting flavours of raisin and spice; In A Barrel is shorter and punchier, with absinthe mixed into the equation along with a big hit of citrus. Come here to top up your tiki, even if you can’t quite top up your tan. Ben Norum
6 Stoney Street, SE1 9AA
100 Wardour Street, W1F 0TN
London Bridge
Leicester Square
Naga Kensington ££
The Lady Ottoline Holborn ££
Opening late last year, Naga was recently crowned Best Chinese Restaurant at the prestigious Asian Curry Awards. Its non-committal attitude to nationality (the menu spans China, Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia) may irk some of a more conservative bent, but it’s hard to see why. An aromatic Vietnamese curry is light, tangy and fresh; Mongolian lamb chops are tender and lavished in soy; honey-glazed cod is meltingly soft and unctuously sticky. Even tofu gets a chance to shine: a plate of the silken variety makes an uncharacteristically creamy base for a life-giving zingy fresh ginger dressing. Five-spice pork belly on garlicky ‘Asian mash’ is a step further into the world of fusion than we’re comfortable with and the same can be said of a few dishes on the menu. Get over that and you’re in for sophisticated Asian food, which at around £10 for a main is particularly reasonable for the area. BN
Tucked away on a quiet Bloomsbury side street, it can seem a shame at busy times that word has got out about this quaint two-storey pub quite as much as it has. Still, with charmingly friendly service, a relaxed atmosphere and surprisingly good food without a gastro mark-up, the success is well deserved. While downstairs is primarily about aleguzzling, the upstairs dining room is about simply cooked, producedriven dishes that take pub classics and give them a subtle update. A venison cottage pie is made with large, tender chunks of rare-cooked venison in a rich ale-y gravy; buttery mash is placed on top, rather than baked on, making a lighter and fresher dish. Chips are a big seller, and they’re just about as exquisite as they come. Read about how they take more than two days to make on p20, and take our word that it’s most definitely worth it. BN
2 Abingdon Road, W8 6AF
11a Northington Street, WC1N 2JF
22 Scout London scoutlondon.com
High Street Kensington
Chancery Lane
At Last, A Family Day Out Where Everyone Is Happy
T
his summer a special event takes place for young families. It lasts about an hour. Yet those who attend will remember it many months, even years later. This event is In the Night Garden Live. It is not just for little ones, but for parents who want to share the best possible experiences with their children.
In the Night Garden Live takes place in its own family-friendly Showdome. Everything is there to make your visit as easy and enjoyable as possible, from the warm welcome and child-friendly staff, to the ample buggy parks, microwaves, babychanging rooms, and many flushing toilets – with trainer steps and seat inserts.
PARENTS AND CRITICS GIVE RAVE REVIEWS You may have seen the reviews, or heard other parents raving about it – 339,266 people have attended so far! And 9 out of 10 parents give 5/5 stars and would also recommend it to friends and family. We know this from thousands of parents’ reviews and post-show surveys.
In the Night Garden™ Ragdoll Worldwide Limited 2007.
One mum, Kirsty, wrote: ‘Our little boy was mesmerised from the minute we arrived, and didn’t want to leave when the show ended! The facilities are fantastic for families. This is an absolute must for all parents – trust me, you will not be disappointed!’
Children are thrilled to meet their favourite characters as if they’re actually inside the Night Garden. And parents love watching the look on their children’s faces.
THERE’S NOTHING ELSE LIKE IT There are other shows for young children. ‘But,’ as The Independent wrote, ‘there’s, nothing quite like In the Night Garden Live.’
BOOK EARLY AND SAVE £75 This summer the Showdome is coming to London, Birmingham and Manchester. You can book tickets now – there’s no booking fee online – and save money using the special coupon below. The purpose-built Showdome
But hurry, seats are limited, and our premium tickets always sell out first.
IT MELTED MY HEART Gemma Ashbrook was worried that her 7 month old was too young, ‘Because of his age I was worried he wouldn’t enjoy it. But he loved it, and his face at the end melted my heart! A must see show. I can’t wait to take him next year.’ Another mum, Jacqueline Fenn, said simply, ‘The whole experience was so easy it made it a magical day.’
BOOK EARLY AND
SAVE UP TO £75* With Coupon:
HAPPY55 www.NightGardenLive.com HURRY, this offer is valid for the first 55 bookings only! FOR £5 OFF ORDERS OVER £50 AND 5% OFF ORDERS UNDER £50
* 4 weekend standard tickets and 2 goody bags booked at lowest advance rate using coupon costs £90, compared with 4 weekend standard tickets and 2 goody bags purchased at highest rate on the door costing £165. Subject to availability, terms and conditions apply, see NightGardenLive.com.
CENTRAL
Banca 30 North Audley Street, W1K 6ZF Marble Arch Italian ££ Banca has upped their aperitivo ante with the launch of a specialist Negroni menu. Along with the classic, there are six twists for those who fancy something different. The menu includes Campari Shakerato: a mix of Bitter Campari and Orange Bitter; Banca: a combination of Cynar, Antica Formula Carpano and Gancia Dry Vermouth; and Americano: a blend of Bitter Campari, Martini Rosso served on the rocks with a splash of Club Soda. Roux at Parliament Square 11 Great George Street, SW1P 3AD Westminster British £££ This famed Westminster restaurant has joined up with Slow Food UK to host an exclusive culinary evening hosted by Michel Roux Jr himself. A selection of ‘forgotten foods’ as picked by Slow Food will be showcased across a fivecourse menu on March 19, starting with a canapé and organic sparkling wine reception at 7pm. Tickets are now available at £150 per head, including a glass of organic wine matched with each course, coffee and petits fours. The Trafalgar Hotel 2 Spring Gardens, SW1A 2TS Charing Cross Tea £ Love coffee but find it hinders your sleep? Give this a go. Roispresso is a brand new drinks concept, which uses the caffeine-free Rooibos tea to make coffee-style drinks including cappuccinos, lattes and macchiatos. The menu here launches on March 1 and The Trafalgar Hotel will be the drink’s only outlet in the UK. The verdict’s out. Libertine 4 Winsley Street, W1W 8HF Oxford Circus Bar ££ Chinawhite is relaunching as Libertine, and will up its drinks range by bringing in an experimental cocktail bar, Reason and Mankind. It is said to feature exciting drinks “conceptualised by one of UK’s most cutting-edge tastemakers in the drinks world”. Alrighty then...
NORTH
Kitchin 8 Caledonia Street, N1 9AA King’s Cross St Pancras Buffet ££ Fusion food is somewhat controversial, but Kitchin’s mix of Chinese, Thai, Indian and Italian dishes are particularly popular for their bold flavours, low prices and the option to keep topping your plate up as much as you like. Rasa 55 Stoke Newington Church Street, N16 OAR Stoke Newington Indian £ Serving Keralan vegetarian food from south west India, Rasa is a touch slicker than your average curry house. Try Banana Bolis (crisp plantain pieces), paneer curry, and citrussy tamarind rice along with freshly-made chapati and paratha.
EAST
WEST
The Jugged Hare 49 Chiswell Street, EC1Y 4SA Moorgate Gastropub ££ This City pub is holding a dinner in dedication to the humble sheep. On March 13 the ‘Ovine and Wine’ night will roll out a menu put together by chef Richard O’Connell and Ben Weatherall of The Blackface Meat Company. It will cost £75 per head for a five-course menu with matched wines, and feature sheep in all stages from lamb, hogget and mutton through to ewe cheese. The menu includes milk-fed lamb tartar, pickled lamb tongue, and mutton and kidney pie. The Clove Club 380 Old Street, EC1V 9LT Old Street British £££ The highly-anticipated new restaurant from Daniel Willis, Johnny Smith and chef Isaac McHale, aka The Young Turks, has now been confirmed as opening on March 4, and reservation lines are now open. The menu features dishes including: Parsley and Snails, House Smoked Cured Duck Ogleshield Puffs; Spinach and Clams, Sunflower Seeds & Mint; and Blood Orange, Sheep’s Milk Yoghurt & Wild Fennel. Market Cafe 2 Broadway Market, E8 4QG London Fields Brasserie ££ Truffle rarebit is one of the signature dishes at this bohemian bar and eatery which is almost too cool for its own good. Other dishes merge British and Mediterranean flavours, while cocktails and a list of local beers add oomph to proceedings.
SOUTH Cottons 70 Exmouth Market, EC1R 4QP Angel Caribbean ££ In a unique monthly event, artist and performers Dean Atta and Deanna Rodger bring Come Rhyme With Me to this popular Caribbean restaurant. Celebrating the art of spoken word, they’re serving up a poetry evening presented as a dining experience with a set menu of performers, each style specific to the course they have been chosen to represent. The next performance takes place on March 29. Follow them on twitter @ComeRhymeWithUs for details.
24 Scout London scoutlondon.com
Rocca di Pappa 75-79 Dulwich Village, SE21 7BJ North Dulwich Pizza £ Some of the team behind the early days of Franco Manca in Brixton Village are behind this lesser-known but no less busy restaurant a little further south. Sourdough pizza bases with simple toppings are the speciality, but salads, charcuterie platters and grilled meats are all available. It’s worth noting that in these parts, the mummies are as yummy as the food.
After Taste 97 Newington Butts, SE1 6SF Elephant & Castle Chinese £ There’s some comedy value in the name, but for Elephant locals it’s a decent new Chinese offering eat in or takeaway. Previously the nearest Chinese was the much posher award-winning Dragon Castle restaurant on Walworth Road. Hutong The Shard, 32 London Bridge Street, SE1 London Bridge Chinese £££ The Shard has been named as the home for the first European outpost of David Yeo’s Hong Kong-based restaurant group, which serves spicy Szechuan and Northern Chinese food. An opening date and floor number are not yet known.
The White Horse 1-3 Parsons Green, SW6 4UL Parsons Green Pub £ The famously beer-filled Sloaney Pony pub on Parsons Green is holding its third annual Over The Hop Festival, offering three days of food, drink and festivities celebrating the finest beers brewed in the UK. It will run from March 22-24 and - weather permitting - festival-goers will be able to tuck into a selection of grills and a hog roast in the pub’s garden. Restaurant Gordon Ramsay 68 Royal Hospital Road, SW3 4HP Sloane Square British ££££ Following a luxurious art deco interior redesign, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay will reopen next month. The longest-standing three Michelin star restaurant in London will welcome Head Chef Clare Smyth on board as a partner, following working with Ramsay for over nine years. The Cadogan 75 Sloane Street, SW1X 9SG Sloane Square British ££ As of March 1, The Cadogan is introducing a new Afternoon Tea in association with Chelsea deli Partridges, Royal Warrant holders as grocers to the Queen. The tea will feature assorted sandwiches, home-baked scones and pastries, including a special Chelsea Bun, which was first created in the 18th century just around the corner from the deli. House of Roxy 141 Upper Richmond Road, SW15 2TX Putney Mediterranean ££ Offering a sophisticated range of cocktails, along with craft beers and a large wine list, as well as a calmer upstairs Mediterranean restaurant, this new opening is out to become an all-round place-to-go in West London.
Scout London Price Guide ££££ Over £19 per main £££ £14-18 ££ £9-13 £ Under £9
READ IN
DRINK OUT
The Bowler’s Meatball Cookbook
The Flask by The Macallan
London’s most famous balls can now be enjoyed in the comfort of your own home. Street food pioneer and all round cheeky chappy Jez Felwick, the man behind The Bowler’s grasscovered meatball van, has put his recipes down on paper so that they can be rolled in your own kitchen. Fish and veggie balls join their meaty counterparts in this collection that offers ball busting mains, ballsy sides and ballistic flavours. There are a fair few puns to be had, too.
This luxurious and super-cool new hipflask has been created in a partnership between sport equipment (and sunglasses) brand Oakley and Speyside single malt whisky Macallan. The invention is gadget-heavy and tech-centric. As the blurb goes, it has “gone through extraordinarily exacting regimens and processes to ensure the exquisite taste of the single malt is maintained”. That’s to say the inner flask has been laser welded using food-grade steel and wrapped in carbon fibre composite. It’s been treated to an intensive bout of “electro-polishing” (whatever that means) and clad in black anodized 5-axis machined aerospace grade Aluminium. Guess that’s why it costs £600.
RRP £16.99, published by Mitchell Beazley. Widely available in bookshops and online.
themacallan.com
scoutlondon.com Scout London 25
★★★★★ ‘MASTERFUL, MIND-ALTERING COMEDY’ SPOONFED
WILL FRANKEN THE ONE-MAN ‘MONTY PYTHON’S FLYING CIRCUS’ MAKES HIS LONDON DEBUT AT THE SOHO THEATRE
ID D E W S G THIN Y T I L A E R E BEFOR
★★★★
‘SIMPLY HILARIOUS’ THE TIMES
★★★★★ THREEWEEKS
★★★★ ★★★★ ★★★★ GUARDIAN
INDEPENDENT
SUNDAY TIMES
28 FEB - 9 MAR 9.30PM £10 - £15
020 7478 0100 / sohotheatre.com / 21 Dean Street W1 Registered charity number 267234
mickperrin.com
In association with Michael R. Blaha Management
Cook up a storm
Whether you love or hate cooking, you’ll be going back for seconds at the stove with these funky kitchen gadgets
reinvent the pizza wheel
getting in shape
get boiled eggs cracked
Move over pizza wheel, these scissors – with a spatula under them – will make light work of even the heaviest slice. Scizza, £19.95 from prezzybox.com
Your burgers taste good but look like Freddie Kruger’s face? Not any more. Pop in here and voila! Patty perfection. Weber Burger Press, £12.99, from John Lewis
Pop it in at the same time as your eggs and this nifty gizmo will play a different tune for when they’re soft, medium or hard-boiled. Beepegg, £14.99 from firebox.com
No onion no cry
Take it slow
homage to fromage
Don’t shed a tear when preparing onions – these goggles may not look cool, but they’ll prevent those stinging eyes. Onion Goggles, Around £15, widely available
Put it on in the morning and your dinner’s ready when you get back from work. It’s like living with your parents again. Morphy Richards 3.5L Slow cooker £25.49 from Argos
Put the cheese in here, pop it in the oven and brace yourself for the ultimate snack/meal/seduction kit. Camembert Baker, £12.99 from Lakeland
scoutlondon.com Scout London 27
A tale of poison and paint Federico Barocci was one of the most successful artists of his time, so why isn’t he as famous as Michelangelo or Rubens?
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Urbino, where he stayed for the rest of his career. As a result, many of his most accomplished works are in his home region of the Marches, on the altars for which they were made. And it is likely this that has led to his diminished status in the popular imagination. However, for many artists and art historians he is one of the great masters of the period, not least because his forward-looking works blazed a trail for the Baroque movement. The National Gallery is now staging the first major UK exhibition of Barocci’s work. It brings together some of his greatest altarpieces and paintings alongside sequences of the dazzling preparatory drawings, allowing people to understand how each work was created. The exhibition will include The Entombment of Christ from the town of Senigallia and Last Supper, painted for Urbino Cathedral – neither of which has left Italy before. He may not be as famous now as he was in his lifetime, but this exhibition is taking steps to change that. Barocci: Brilliance and Grace, February 27-May 19, The National Gallery, £12, nationalgallery.org.uk
Bringing religious tales to life Stigmatization of Saint Francis, 1594-95
Photo Scala, Florence / Palazzo Ducale, Urbino, Italy / The Bridgeman Art Library
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he late 16th century artist Federico Barocci is not as world famous as his predecessors Michelangelo and Raphael, or even those he influenced, such as Baroque artist Rubens, but at the time of his death in 1612 he was one of the highest-paid painters in Italy. Beginning his career during the High Renaissance – the visual arts high point in the Italian Renaissance – he challenged the conventions of the time by placing his subjects in active, spatial arrangements, anticipating similar Baroque innovations by almost 50 years. Often painting religious scenes, his style brought Bible stories to life in a way that people could relate to, making him highly popular and in-demand among patrons. So why is he not as recognised now as other painters of the time? Having moved from the eastern Italian town of Urbino to Rome in the 1550s to study, he subsequently made a second trip in the 1560s, when he was allegedly poisoned by a jealous rival while at a picnic. In recuperating, he returned to
Incredible colour palate Rest on the Flight into Egypt, about 1570-73
The not-so-swinging 60s
Reflections East End, 1961, by David Bailey
When he wasn’t swinging along with the hipper side of 60s London, David Bailey was photographing ordinary folk in the East End, as a new exhibition reveals
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Pub life Rio Club, 1968, by David Bailey
avid Bailey might be most famous for his stylish images of models and popstars in swinging 60s London, but he was also a keen documenter of his native East End. He was born in Leytonstone in 1938, and returned to east London after military service in 1958, keen to pursue his new-found hobby of photography. Before long, he was one of the most famous and in-demand photographers in the world, a friend to the movers and shakers in 60s London, and the person chiefly responsible for its stylish photographic representation. But amid all the celebrity parties, the Vogue shoots and the model girlfriends, Bailey continued to photograph ordinary life in the streets where he grew up.
It’s these images that make up a new exhibition at the William Morris Gallery in Walthamstow, in Bailey’s home borough of Waltham Forest. East End Faces features previously unseen photos of 1960s characters and street scenes, and complements another Bailey exhibition that took place in the Royal Docks last summer, which showed the changing social and physical landscapes of the area from the 1960s through to the present. Bailey himself will be speaking at the gallery about the images and his career on March 13. Check the website for details. East End Faces, William Morris Gallery, until May 26, free, wmgallery.org.uk scoutlondon.com Scout London 29
A ÂŁ3 booking fee is included in the price of discounted tickets. No booking fee on full price. TKTS is run by the Society of London Theatre. All profits support the theatre industry.
Schwitters In Britain at Tate Britain, Millbank, SW1P 4RG Pimlico £10, concs £8.60, Art Fund mems £5, concs £4.30, Until May 12. Late collages, sculptures and assemblages from the British period of Kurt Schwitters. Juergen Teller: Woo at ICA, 12 Carlton House Terrace, The Mall, SW1Y 5AH Charing Cross FREE, Until Mar 17. Fashion and commercial photography. Valentino: Master Of Couture at Somerset House, The Strand, WC2R 1LA Temple £12.50, concs £9, Until Mar 3. A major exhibition on the career of the acclaimed Italian designer.
Central Barocci: Brilliance And Grace at The National Gallery, Trafalgar Square, WC2N 5DN Leicester Square £12, OAP/ concs £11, NUS/ages 12-18/unwaged/ Art Fund mems/Tue 2.30pm-6pm OAP/ concs £6, under 12s FREE, family £24, Starts Wed, Until May 19. Altarpieces, devotional paintings and portraits by the 16th-century Italian artist. Board S#!tlú$s at The Circle London, 21 Noel Street, W1F 8GP Tottenham Court Road FREE, Until Mar 31. Contemporary art by several artists, inspired by skate and snowboards Dancing Around Duchamp: The Bride And The Bachelors: Duchamp With Cage, Cunningham, Rauschenberg And Johns at Barbican Centre, Silk Street, EC2Y 8DS Barbican £12, adv £10, concs £8, adv concs/ages 13-17 £7, adv ages 13-17 £6, under 13s/mems FREE, Until Jun 9. Around 90 works highlighting the influence of Marcel Duchamp on American artists, composers and choreographers. Henry And Catherine Reunited at National Portrait Gallery, 2 St Martin’s Place, WC2H 0HE Embankment FREE, Until Dec 31. Portraits of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon shown together. Eva Hesse 1965 at Hauser & Wirth, 23 Savile Row, W1S 2ET Oxford Circus FREE, Until Mar 9. Drawings, paintings and reliefs from a pivotal transitional moment in the artist’s career. Ice Age Art: Arrival Of The Modern Mind at British Museum, Great Russell Street, WC1B 3DG Russell Square £10, NUS/ages 16-18/disabled/unwaged £8, Art Pass £5, disabled carer/under 16s FREE, Until May 26. A display of Ice Age artifacts from across Europe, being shown in the country for the first time. Laura Letinsky: Ill Form And Void Full at The Photographers’ Gallery, 16-18 Ramillies Street, W1F 7LW Oxford Circus FREE, Until Apr 7. The latest series of photographs dating from 2010 and 2011, exploring the artist’s look at space and time. Lichtenstein: A Retrospective at Tate Modern, Bankside, Holland Street, SE1 9TG Southwark £14, concs £12.20, National Art Pass/Art Fund mems £7, concs £6.10, Until May 27. Paintings and sculptures by the American artist. Light Show at Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, SE1 8XX Waterloo £10, OAP £9, NUS £8, ages 12-18 £6.50, Until Apr 28. Sculptures and installations from the 1960s to the present, exploring the nature of light. Manet: Portraying Life at Royal Academy Of Arts, Burlington House, Piccadilly, W1J 0BD Green Park £15, OAP/disabled/NAFDAS/Art Fund mems £14, NUS £10, unwaged/ages 12-18 £6, disabled carers/under 12s FREE, inc gallery guide, Until Apr 14. The first major UK exhibition of the 19th-century, French painter’s portraiture.
North Becoming Picasso: Paris 1901 at The Courtauld Institute Of Art, Somerset House, Strand, WC2R 0RN Temple £6, concs £5, NUS/under 18s/unwaged/disabled carer FREE, Mon £3, Until May 26. Major paintings originally shown at the artist’s debut exhibition. Heather & Ivan Morison: Skirt Of The Black Mouth at Tate Modern, Bankside, Holland Street, SE1 9TG Southwark FREE, Until Sep 30. A site-specific sculptural installation created as part of the Tate Modern Project. Mughal India: Art, Culture And Empire at The British Library, 96 Euston Road, NW1 2DB Euston £9, OAP £7, NUS/ disabled/unwaged £5, under 18s/mems/ disabled carer FREE, National Art Pass £4.50, OAP £3.50, Until Apr 2. More than 200 paintings and artefacts documenting the entire period of the Mughal Empire. Bruce Nauman: Mindfuck at Hauser & Wirth, 23 Savile Row, W1S 2ET Oxford Circus FREE, Until Mar 9. A selection of works which cover the artist’s career. The Northern Renaissance: Durer To Holbein at The Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace, Birdcage Walk, SW1A 1AA Victoria £9.25, NUS/ OAP £8.50, family £23, under 17s £4.65, under 5s FREE, Until Apr 14. Paintings, drawings, prints, manuscripts, sculpture, tapestries and armour. Polanski Posters at BFI Southbank, Belvedere Road, SE1 8XT Waterloo FREE, Until Feb 25. International film posters from the releases of Repulsion, Chinatown and Tess. rAndom International: Rain Room at Barbican Centre, Silk Street, EC2Y 8DS Barbican FREE, Until Mar 3. An installation exploring the notion of water as an increasingly scarce natural resource. Man Ray Portraits at National Portrait Gallery, 2 St Martin’s Place, WC2H 0HE Embankment £12.70, OAP £11.80, concs £10.90, ages 12-18/unwaged/NUS/ disabled/disabled carer FREE, Until May 27. A major retrospective featuring more than 150 vintage prints.
Burgh House, Hampstead Museum at Burgh House, Hampstead Museum, New End Square, NW3 1LT Hampstead FREE, Until Dec 31. Burgh House is a grade I listed house built in the early years of the 18th century and the Hampstead Museum is incorporated on the first floor of the house and offers permanent displays on Hampstead’s history. Judy Chicago And Louise Bourgeois, Helen Chadwick, Tracey Emin at Ben Uri Gallery, 108a Boundary Road, NW8 0RH Kilburn Park £5, child FREE, concs £4, Until Mar 10. A survey of the American artist and activist, contextualised with work by three other foremost European female artists. Letellier-Nakamura: Of Mulberry & Light at The Sunday Gallery, 36 New End Square, NW3 1LS Hampstead FREE, Until Mar 17. Sculptures created from mulberry fibre, encased within paper panels. RAF Photographer Of The Year at Royal Air Force Museum, Grahame Park Way, Hendon, NW9 5LL Colindale FREE, Until Apr 30. Photographs taken by serving personnel.
To Each Their Own at Rich Mix, 35-47 Bethnal Green Road, E1 6LA Shoreditch High Street FREE, Until Feb 28. Works by selected artists responding to the world at large.
South Ansel Adams: Photography From The Mountains To The Sea at National Maritime Museum, Romney Road, SE10 9NF Cutty Sark £7, concs £5, mems FREE, Until Apr 28. Photographs of the natural landscapes of America. D Eye Y at Pump House Gallery, Battersea Park, SW11 4NJ Sloane Square: FREE, Until Apr 7. An exhibition of photographs taken by nondigital methods. Murillo & Justino De Neve: The Art Of Friendship at Dulwich Picture Gallery, Gallery Road, SE21 7AD West Dulwich £10, OAP £9, NUS/ disabled/unwaged/Art Fund mems £5, under 18s/mems/disabled carer FREE, Until May 19. More than 30 paintings by the Spanish Baroque artist Bartolome Esteban Murillo. Beatriz Santiago Munoz: The Black Cave at Gasworks, 155 Vauxhall Street, The Oval, SE11 5RH Vauxhall FREE, Until Apr 21. Films and videos exploring the social and historical landscape of Puerto Rico.
West
East Gemma Anderson: Isomorphology at EB&Flow, 77 Leonard Street, EC2A 4QS Old Street FREE, Until Apr 6. Etchings, drawings, ceramics, film, photographs, photograms and mathematical models. Steve Bishop: An Escalator Can Never Break, It Can Only Become Stairs at Carlos/Ishikawa, Unit 4, 88 Mile End Road, E1 4UN Whitechapel FREE, Until Mar 2. Contemporary art. Matt Bryans at Kate MacGarry, 27 Old Nichol Street, E2 7HR Liverpool Street: FREE, Until Mar 2. Sculptural installations and collages made from erased newsprint. Gerard Byrne: A State Of Neutral Pleasure at Whitechapel Gallery, 80-82 Whitechapel High Street, E1 7QX Aldgate East FREE, Until Mar 8. A major survey of the Irish artist’s work from 2003 to the present day. Alejandro Ospina: Megalopolis at IMT, Unit 2, 210 Cambridge Heath Road, E2 9NQ Bethnal Green FREE, Until Mar 3. Paintings negotiating contemporary problems of image-making.
Ossie Clark: The King Of The King’s Road Reigns Again at Proud Chelsea, 161 Kings Road, SW3 5XP Sloane Square FREE, Until Mar 10. A look at the life and career of the late tailor and fashion designer. Michael Eastman: Havana at Michael Hoppen Gallery, 3 Jubilee Place, SW3 3TD Sloane Square FREE, Until Mar 29. A selection of photographs depicting the crumbling yet vibrant nature of Cuba’s capital. Gaiety Is The Most Outstanding Feature Of The Soviet Union: New Art From Russia at Saatchi Gallery, Duke Of York’s HQ, King’s Road, SW3 4RY Sloane Square FREE, Until May 5. A large survey featuring contemporary works by 18 artists. Light From The Middle East: New Photography at Victoria & Albert Museum, Cromwell Road, SW7 2RL South Kensington FREE, Until Apr 7. More than 90 photographs by 30 artists from 13 countries.
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The Bucks are stopping here Irish cult comedy Hardy Bucks is coming to London for two nights of white trash craic. James Drury chats to the two stars and co-creators
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ontrary to popular belief, the internet is about more than just cat LOLs. For one thing, it has made stars of countless people who wouldn’t otherwise have been spotted. Justin Bieber is a fine example. And just behind him in the significance stakes are Chris Tordoff, Martin Maloney and Mike Cockayne, creators of the hilarious Hardy Bucks. Beginning as a web series, it quickly became an online phenomenon, drawing millions of hits and eventually winning the StoryLand drama competition on Irish TV channel RTÉ in 2009. Two TV series later, their YouTube hits have topped 7million. More excitingly, the Hardy Bucks have also made their first movie, which was released in Ireland last week. And, even more excitingly, they’re headed over to the UK for some live shows. So what is Hardy Bucks actually about? you ask. Well, it’s a bit like an Irish version of Canadian mockumentary Trailer Park Boys, in that it follows the misadventures of best friends Eddie Durkin (Maloney) and Billy ‘Buzz’ McDonnell (Owen Colgan) in the fictional location of
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Castletown, where the white-trash duo exercise their penchant for drinking, fighting and smoking. With “no work, no women and no craic”, Eddie dreams up various hairbrained schemes to make quick cash and escape Castletown. But his efforts are usually thwarted by arch nemesis The Viper (Tordoff), a small time dealer and wannabe gangster. We caught up with Maloney and Tordoff after the film premiere… When you started off making the first episodes, did you ever think you’d one day be making a movie? Martin Maloney: We always thought it had the potential to be a movie, but that seemed such a long way off in the future that we didn’t really think about it. We had the ambition and what we believed was the product, and we had the drive. Our goal was basically just to make people laugh. There’s enough doom and gloom in the world at the moment that people really need a laugh. Where do you get inspiration for the characters from? MM: It was a satire on the hard men and bully boys that lived in the town
where we’re from. I also based a bit of my character on my dad. I used to do impressions of him when I was a kid. I also used to get some from some unmentionable people. We had seen Trailer Park Boys and it was like our homage to that. Owen Colgen is massively influenced by The Office and we all like stuff like Alan Partridge and The Day Today – actually, I met Chris Morris in Oxford Street just before a failed audition for Game of Thrones. I was posing for a photo with a family from Limerick who had recognised me, and I was suddenly like, ‘Wait, I’ve got to get my photo with him’. He was a really nice guy, but he declined a photo. He’s a private person. Is it getting like that for you guys? MM: God, yes. It’s got to the point where we can’t really go out in public without being stopped. People are usually really nice, but the frequency with which we get asked is getting quite crazy. I was at a Mass with my mother the other week and someone came up to ask me for an autograph in church! Is there nothing sacred any longer? [laughs] Chris Tordoff: That might make us
Trash talk Maloney and Colgen in the show
sound a bit off, but we always try to make time for people. You want people to go away thinking ‘they are nice guys’. There are enough bastards in the world without us adding to it. What can people expect from your live show? CT: Lots of laughter, music, a few turns. All kinds of things come up, from straight stand-up pieces to full theatrical pieces and a song or two at the end. Then we’ll be in the bar later for some craic, of course. Hardy Boys Live, March 14 & 15, £10, Power’s, Kilburn High Road, NW6 2QN, powersbar.co.uk
Monday February 25
We Love Comedy at The Pipeline, 94 Middlesex Street, E1 7EZ Liverpool Street 7.30pm-10.30pm, adv £5 & £7, NUS £4.50. With Sol Bernstein, Mr Cee, Jimmy Bird, Dan McKee and Lea Emery, plus MC Sean Brightman.
Wednesday February 27
John Hegley at The Betsey Trotwood, 56 Farringdon Road, EC1R 3BL Farringdon 8.30pm, £8, concs £5. Performance poetry, stand-up and audience participation. Simon Brodkin: Works In Progress at Downstairs At The King’s Head, 2 Crouch End Hill, N8 8AA Finsbury Park 8.30pm, £5. The character comedian tries out some new material. Comedy Bin at The Rhythm Factory, 1618 Whitechapel Road, E1 1EW Whitechapel 8pm-11pm, FREE. With Sophie Johnson, Jimmy Crash, Pete Dobbing, Mihai Antoci, Chris Gau, Jim Lacey, Lea Rose Emery, Raphael Perahia, Jen Carnovale, Ben Anderson and MC Gwilum Argos. Tony Law: Maximum Nonsense at Soho Theatre, 21 Dean Street, W1D 3NE Tottenham Court Road until Mar 2, 7.30pm, Mon-Thu £15, concs £12.50, Fri & Sat £17.50, concs £15. Surreal and energetic humour from the inventive Canadian stand-up. Susan Harrison In Folken Britain at Hen & Chickens, 109 St Paul’s Road, N1 2NA Highbury & Islington 7.30pm, £6.50. Character comedy.
Bridget Christie: Radio 4 Series: Read Through/Try-Outs at Hen & Chickens, 109 St Paul’s Road, N1 2NA Highbury & Islington 7.30pm, £5. Comedy on the state of British feminism today. Alex Horne: Lies (Work In Progress) at Canal Cafe Theatre, Bridge House Pub, Delamere Terrace, W2 6ND Warwick Avenue 7.30pm, £6.50, mems £5. The gregarious leader of The Horne Section promises to tell the whole truth about fibbing. Stand Up For Shelter at Hammersmith Apollo, Queen Caroline Street, W6 9QH Hammersmith 7pm, £30-£50. With Tim Minchin, Jimmy Carr, Alistair McGowan, Stewart Francis, Sara Pascoe, The Cuban Brothers and MC Christian O’Connell. Ucking Comedy at The Camden Head, 100 Camden High Street, NW1 0LU Camden Town 8.15pm, FREE. With Yianni Agisilaou, Paul Ricketts, James Loveridge, Chris Turner, Dan Kelly, Lindsay Sharman and Raphael Perahia.
Thursday February 28
Tuesday February 26
Trentcaster at Leicester Square Theatre, 6 Leicester Place, WC2H 7BX Leicester Square 9.15pm, £5. With James Acaster and David Trent (pictured). Steve N Allen And Erich McElroy: Exclusive Comedy Album Recording at Comedy Cafe, 66-68 Rivington Street, EC2A 3AY Liverpool Street 7.45pm, £5. The radio presenter and Seattle-born stand-up record their debut comedy albums in front of a live audience.
Mat Ricardo’s London Varieties at Leicester Square Theatre, 6 Leicester Place, WC2H 7BX Leicester Square 9.30pm, £15, concs £12. The awardwinning cabaret artist welcomes Kev Orkian and Omid Djalili in conversation. Will Franken: Things We Did Before Reality at Soho Theatre, 21 Dean Street, W1D 3NE Tottenham Court Road 9.30pm, Feb 28, Mar 1 & 2 £10, Mar 4-9 Mon-Wed £15, concs £12.50, Thu-Sat £17.50, concs £15. Character comedy. John Hegley: Gongoozled at Canal Cafe Theatre, Bridge House Pub, Delamere Terrace, W2 6ND Warwick Avenue 7.30pm, £6.50, mems £5. Performance poetry with mandolin accompaniment.
The Humble Quest For Universal Genius at Leicester Square Theatre, 6 Leicester Place, WC2H 7BX Leicester Square 9pm, phone for prices. Mark Allen tests two guest standups on their knowledge of as many topics as possible. Rounds include poetry, science and languages. Mark Watson’s 25-Hour Interactive Comedy Fundraising Extravaganza For Red Nose Day at Pleasance Theatre, Carpenter’s Mews, North Road, N7 9EF Caledonian Road 11pm, continuous until Mar 1, 12midnight, £25, phone for availability. The Bristolian stand-up hosts a marathon of games, songs, stunts and endurance challenges. Monkey Business Comedy Club at The Oxford, 256 Kentish Town Road, NW5 2AA Kentish Town 8pm, £6.50, concs £5. With Luisa Omielan, Lewis Schaffer, Miranda Dawe, Matthew Smith, Mark Silcox, Adam Race, Pete Dinnen, Peter McAuliffe, Jacob Hawley, Luke Gretton, Ryan James, Jenna Wimshurst, Ean Luckhurst, Pav, Saudi Arabia and MC Martin Besserman.
Friday March 1 Banana Cabaret at The Bedford, 77 Bedford Hill, SW12 9HD Balham 9pm, £14, concs £11. With Ian Stone, Rudi Lickwood, Philberto and Windsor. The Best In Stand-Up at Comedy Store, 1a Oxendon Street, SW1Y 4EE Piccadilly Circus 7.30pm, 11pm, 7.30pm £20 & £27.50, 11pm £15 & £22.50, NUS/concs £9 & £16.50. With Adam Bloom, David Hadingham, Steve Williams, Prince Abdi and MC Sean Meo. Crack Comedy Club at The Watershed, 267 The Broadway, SW19 1SD Wimbledon 8pm, £11, adv £10, NUS £7. With The Mitford Sisters, Faultless And Torrance and Trodd En Bratt. Foster’s Comedy Live at Highlight, Camden Lock, Middle Yard Chalk Farm Road, NW1 8AB Camden Town 8.15pm-10.15pm, £17 & £18. With JoJo Smith, Pete Johansson, Maff Brown, Tania Edwards and Allyson Smith. Will Franken: Things We Did Before Reality at Soho Theatre, 21 Dean Street, W1D 3NE Tottenham Court Road 9.30pm, Feb 28, Mar 1 & 2 £10, Mar 4-9 Mon-Wed £15, concs £12.50, Thu-Sat £17.50, concs £15. Character comedy. Hungry Comedians Comedy Club at Canal Cafe Theatre, Bridge House Pub, Delamere Terrace, W2 6ND Warwick Avenue 7.30pm, FREE, bring food as payment. Guest acts perform in exchange for food, with MC Lee Kern.
Saturday March 2 Banana Cabaret at The Bedford, 77 Bedford Hill, SW12 9HD Balham 9pm, £16, concs £13. Ian Stone, Rudi Lickwood and Philberto. The Boat Show at Tattershall Castle, Victoria Embankment, SW1A 2HR Charing Cross 8pm, £13.50, concs £11, standing £10, £26 inc meal. With John Moloney, Keith Farnan, Chris McCausland and MC Michael Legge.
Foster’s Comedy Live at Highlight, Camden Lock, Middle Yard Chalk Farm Road, NW1 8AB Camden Town 8.15pm-10.15pm, £17 & £18. With JoJo Smith, Pete Johansson, Steve Shanyaski, Julian Deane and Allyson Smith. Will Franken: Things We Did Before Reality at Soho Theatre, 21 Dean Street, W1D 3NE Tottenham Court Road 9.30pm, Feb 28, Mar 1 & 2 £10, Mar 4-9 Mon-Wed £15, concs £12.50, Thu-Sat £17.50, concs £15. Character comedy. The Funny Side...Of Covent Garden at The George, 213 Strand, WC2R 1AP Temple 8pm, £12.50. Luisa Omielan, David James, Christian Reilly and compere Gareth Kane. Hampstead Comedy Club at The Pembroke Castle, 150 Gloucester Avenue, NW1 8JA Chalk Farm 8.30pm, £10, concs £8.50. Otiz Cannelloni, Nigel Watkins, Julian Deane, compere Ivor Dembina plus a guest act. Jongleurs Comedy Show at The Sports Cafe, 80 Haymarket, SW1Y 4TE Piccadilly Circus 8.30pm, £15. With Joe Rowntree and Wayne Deakin. Jongleurs Comedy Show at Sway, 6165 Great Queen Street, WC2B 5BZ Holborn 7pm, 8.45pm, 7pm £17, 8.45pm £20. With Gary Delaney and Babatunde. Monkey Business Comedy Club at Sir Richard Steele, 97 Haverstock Hill, NW3 4RL Chalk Farm 8.45pm, £12.50, concs £10. With Joe Rowntree, Glorious Monster, Christian Elderfield, David Jordan, Sarah Callagahan and MC Martin Besserman. Wegottickets Musical Comedy Awards 2013 at The Wilmington Arms, 69 Rosebery Avenue, EC1R 4RL Angel 1.30pm, £10, adv £7. Comedy competition for new acts.
Sunday March 3 Comedy Store Players at Comedy Store, 1a Oxendon Street, SW1Y 4EE Piccadilly Circus 7.30pm, £17, NUS/ concs £12. Improvised humour. Comedy Variety Cabaret at Downstairs At The King’s Head, 2 Crouch End Hill, N8 8AA Finsbury Park 8.30pm, £7, concs £5. With Mark Simmons, Darius Davies, Foil, Arms & Hog, Paddy Lennox, Allyson Smith and MC Rich Wilson. Doggett & Ephgrave’s Mostly Comedy Club at Leicester Square Theatre, 6 Leicester Place, WC2H 7BX Leicester Square 8.30pm, £10, concs £8. With Phil Kay, Jay Foreman, Luke Benson and Stuart Laws. NewsRevue at Canal Cafe Theatre, Bridge House Pub, Delamere Terrace, W2 6ND Warwick Avenue 9pm, £11, concs £9.50. Comedy sketches and songs inspired by current affairs. No Pressure To Be Funny at Soho Theatre, 21 Dean Street, W1D 3NE Tottenham Court Road 7pm, £10, concs £8. Satirical panel show presented by James O’Brien
scoutlondon.com Scout London 33
Goode by name... As one of Britain’s top acting talents, Matthew Goode found himself switching from playing a creepy uncle to partying with his co-stars, in a blink of an eye
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atthew Goode’s experience filming Stoker was one of contrasts. By day he’d be playing the creepy and mysterious Uncle Charlie, and by night he’d be whooping it up with co-stars Nicole Kidman and Mia Wasikowska. “Charlie is a slippery customer. He comes in at the beginning and you’re not quite sure about him,” says Goode. “I don’t want to say he’s a psychopath but there’s something slightly odd.” He adds: “However, I’m not method, so it would be quite disturbing if I stayed in character the whole time. I take it quite seriously
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during the hours of work and then afterwards, I like to think I’m quite good fun.” Indeed, he would often go out with his co-stars: “I love Mia – she is talented but also really good fun. She’s kind of like my little sister. We used to go out – I had my missus and my family over when we were making this, and we always used to get a babysitter and then go out, listen to country music and get drunk.” Stoker is the first Englishlanguage film from the renowned South Korean director Park Chanwook, the man behind Oldboy, Thirst and Sympathy For Mr Vengeance. Written by Prison Break’s Wentworth Miller, it is also the final project of
producer Tony Scott, who committed suicide during the making of the film. The psychological thriller follows the arrival of Uncle Charlie, who ingratiates himself with 18-year-old India Stoker (Wasikowska) and her mother after the death of India’s father, seemingly in an accident. Goode enjoyed delving into the personality of his alter-ego, a man who is charming and mesmerising, and exerts an intense influence over the Stoker household. “This kind of script doesn’t come around every day. It has all the right ingredients to move an audience, as well as to scare and provoke them. It’s a beautiful love story in a twisted way,” he explains.
“Nothing is what it appears. Charlie is extremely unbalanced and he has feelings for India that are not all uncle-like. “The challenge for me was that rather than being simply evil, he has to have a centre to him that we like, which is disorienting and quite scary. It was very interesting to try and get the psychology of him right.” In one beautifully-shot scene, uncle and niece play the piano together, and by the end of the song, the younger relative is trembling. “I hadn’t played the piano since I was about 11, that’s 20 odd years ago, so I did need some training,” smiles Goode. “I used to play Bach’s Minuet In G Major for grade three,
The odd ones Goode, Kidman and Wasikowska play a very dysfunctional family
but had to start back with a Philip Glass arpeggio piece.” However, once the day’s work was done, the Devon-born actor and his co-stars would be out having fun together. His family – long-term girlfriend Sophie Dymoke and their fouryear-old daughter Matilda – would often get together with Kidman’s, including her country singer husband Keith Urban and their children. “We were filming in Nashville, which is her home, so I think we were quite lucky to see her in such a relaxed state. She showed us around and on Halloween, our kids went to a pumpkin patch and went to the farms together,” says Goode. “She’s such a big star, you know, and has been for such a long time. You go with preconceptions like, ‘I wonder if she’s going to be starry?’ And actually she’s nothing like that. She’s completely lovely. “I just haven’t got a bad word to
say about her. She’s also bloody good at her job, and incredibly beautiful – easy on the eye, thank God.” Despite a decade’s worth of work under his belt, Goode isn’t as recognised as you might expect. It seems odd – with his piercing eyes and striking features, he certainly doesn’t have an unforgettable face – plus he’s worked with the likes of Woody Allen and Tom Ford, and shared screen time with Colin Firth, Scarlett Johansson and Amy Adams. But his surprising anonymity could be about to change, following not only Stoker, but a raft of other work. The 34-year-old is currently livening up Sunday evenings in BBC Two drama Dancing On The Edge, where he plays music journalist Stanley Mitchell, and has just signed to play papal secretary Bernard Koch in Ridley Scott’s new pilot, The Vatican, opposite Zero Dark Thirty
actor Kyle Chandler and A Good Day To Die Hard’s Sebastian Koch. “I’m having a bit of a resurgence at the moment, with everything happening at the same time,” he says, eyes twinkling as he is clearly thrilled about the TV show. “It’s quite exciting, isn’t it? It’s Ridley Scott so of course I am excited,” he says. “I’m slightly frightened as well, because he’s going to direct the pilot
and if it doesn’t go into a series, I am probably going to blame myself. His back catalogue is pretty fool free. “I love Kyle Chandler so I’m excited to meet him, and Sebastian Koch. It films in England too, so it’s ticking a lot of things. As a family man, I’m like, ‘Great!’ It’s perfect so we will see. Let’s hope it does well.” Stoker opens in cinemas on Friday, March 1
Creepy technique Wasikowska and Goode at the piano
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new releases
Hansel and Gretel – Witch Hunters (15) Director Tommy Wirkola puts a bloodthirsty new spin on the classic fairytale in this relentlessly violent fantasy. Hansel (Jeremy Renner) and feisty sister Gretel (Gemma Arterton) arrive in a sleepy village, where several children have vanished from their straw beds. Working with a local woman (Pihla Viitala), Hansel and Gretel track the powerful grand witch (Famke Janssen), who is kidnapping the urchins to sacrifice during the impending Blood Moon. With lashings of gore and pottymouthed humour, Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters is no slavish retread of the Brothers Grimm, splattering a crone’s guts all over the camera lens in stomach-churning 3D. Renner and Arterton dispatch their prey with the occasional well-timed one-liner but frenetic action sequences cannot completely compensate for flimsy plotting and a paucity of character development. Damon Smith
Broken City
(15)
Politics is a grubby business in Allen Hughes’s serpentine thriller, which argues that to effect lasting change in the corridors of power, you have to be prepared to get your hands bloody. Mark Wahlberg shuns any palpable emotion as a shamed NYPD cop-turned-private detective, who is hired by Mayor Nicholas Hostetler (Russell Crowe) to keep an eye on his glamorous wife (Catherine Zeta-Jones), whom he suspects of an extra-marital affair. Broken City is, fittingly, a disjointed mess that fails to get the pulse racing. The starry cast is poorly served by Brian Tucker’s script, which becomes increasingly preposterous and is peppered with surreal one-liners that masquerade as gritty street talk. “Help me or you’re sucking on bananas too!” growls one character. Sounds painful. DS
Stoker (15) South Korean director Park Chan-wook makes his impressive English language debut with this erotically-charged Gothic fairytale, which coasts along on a delicious undercurrent of menace. Mia Wasikowska is mesmerising as sullen teenager India Stoker, whose father perishes in a freak car accident. Soon after, seductive uncle Charlie (Matthew Goode) inveigles his way into the family home and into the affections of India’s mother, Evelyn (Nicole Kidman). Distrust turns to infatuation and Park chronicles his reclusive heroine’s journey of sexual self-discovery with brio and explosions of grisly violence. Kidman thaws another ice maiden from her fine repertoire while Goode sends temperatures soaring as the homme fatale, who delivers a piano master class that really tinkles India’s ivories. DS
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Also showing
Safe Haven
(12A)
Murder suspect Katie Feldman (Julianne Hough) flees the scene of a crime with detective Kevin Tierney (David Lyons) in hot pursuit. She changes her hair and boards a bus, alighting in a North Carolina fishing community where hunky widower Alex Wheatley (Josh Duhamel) catches her eye. Cue the usual array of longing glances between the attractive leads and a canoe ride in a rainstorm that kindles their long overdue first kiss. Adapted from the book by Nicholas Sparks, Safe Haven is undemanding fluff that doesn’t stray once from a well-trodden narrative path. Director Lasse Hallström (Dear John) is in familiar, syrupy territory, adding a touch of suspense to the usual gooey mix. A plot twist involving Katie’s neighbour Jo (Cobie Smulders) beggars belief, inspiring unintended snorts of derision. DS
Aliens (18) James Cameron’s superb sequel to Ridley Scott’s seminal 1979 horror ramps up the nerve-shredding tension, waking Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) from hyper-sleep in order to send her back to planet LV-426 in the company of an elite platoon of colonial marines and an android called Bishop (Lance Henriksen). The bloodletting begins in earnest as the team encounters swarms of wily Xenomorphs and a young girl called Newt (Carrie Henn), who helpfully informs the interlopers that the acid-blooded predators “mostly come at night... mostly.” High-octane action scenes are orchestrated at breakneck speed and the climactic showdown between Ripley and the Alien Queen is the stuff of legend. “Get away from her, you bitch!” growls Ripley, tingeing her maternal instincts towards Newt with old-fashioned homicidal rage. DS Feb 26, 8.45pm, £6.50, mems £4 The Prince Charles Cinema, 7 Leicester Place, WC2H 7BY Leicester Square
Between The Lines
Wizard of Oz (U)
Great documentaries spark debate, prick consciences and occasionally alter the political landscape. Rich Mix celebrates the vitality of the art form with three days of screenings and lively discussion, including Eugene Jarecki’s scathing assessment of America’s war on drugs, The House I Live In (Mar 2), Alex Gibney’s unsettling account of sexual abuse within the Roman Catholic Church, Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence In The House Of God (Mar 2), and The Central Park Five (pictured, Mar 3), which revisits the controversial 1989 arrest of five black and Hispanic teenagers for the rape of a white woman. Speakers over the weekend include award-winning journalists Dan Bell and Jenny Kleeman, and filmmakers Kim Longinotto, Kevin Macdonald and Penny Woolcock. DS
Ahead of the release of the eye-popping adventure Oz: The Great and Powerful next month, BFI Southbank dedicates an entire season to L Frank Baum’s beloved fantasy world. The highlight is undoubtedly the definitive 1939 MGM musical in which Judy Garland dons her iconic ruby slippers to magical effect as Dorothy, who is swept off to the land of Oz, where she must seek the help of the wizard to return home to blackand-white Kansas with her trusty pooch, Toto. The leading lady sings Somewhere Over The Rainbow, and with her enchanted companions Scarecrow (Ray Bolger), Cowardly Lion (Bert Lahr) and Tin Man (Jack Haley), follows the Yellow Brick Road to the Emerald City and their respective destinies. A classic that never loses its lustre. DS
Mar 1-3, times vary, £7 Rich Mix, 35-47 Bethnal Green Road, E1 6LA Shoreditch High Street
Mar 1-14, times vary, £5-£10, concs/mems £5-£8.50 BFI Southbank, Belvedere Road, SE1 8XT Waterloo scoutlondon.com Scout London 37
Vorderman tucks in to Simon Cowell’s new show Carol Vorderman is making her primetime TV comeback as host of new cooking competition Food Glorious Food. She tells Kate Whiting why she loves the show
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f you happen to bump into Carol Vorderman before May, don’t offer her any chocolate. She’s on a detox, following filming for her new job – as host of TV cooking competition Food Glorious Food. “I ate vast amounts,” admits the 52-year-old. “I’m on a detox because I’ve eaten so much.” The show, made by Simon Cowell’s production company Syco and styled as a ‘cross between The X Factor and The Great British Bake Off’, sees contestants from around the country compete to wow judges with their favourite home-cooked dishes. “People would make lovely bread and butter pudding, so I’d have that for breakfast and then a curry for elevenses, followed by whatever else, and I would try everything I could... And often get told off for it because it was meant to go on camera,” she adds with a giggle. Former MasterChef presenter Loyd Grossman is on the judging panel, along with the Duchess of Cornwall’s son, food writer Tom Parker Bowles, MasterChef finalist Stacie Stewart, who owns a bakery, and vice chairwoman of the Women’s Institute, Anne Harrison.
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The winner will receive a £20,000 prize, plus their dish will be available in Marks & Spencer the day after the final is shown on ITV1. A series of heats are held around the country, and each judge is responsible for awarding rosettes in their area of expertise. Grossman is the international cuisine expert, Parker Bowles judges historical recipes, while Stewart does sweet dishes and Harrison the savouries. Once rosettes have been awarded, the judges fight it out over who to send through to the next round. While Simon Cowell’s company might be behind it, he’s not directly involved and the show is “not competitive”, stresses Vorderman. “This is not X Factor – it has a very different, British feel, it’s kind of eccentric. I know it’s a competition, but it’s gentle and even those people that don’t get through or even don’t get rosettes, tend to be very happy. There are no tears at bedtime!” Every dish tells a story and the contestants are a colourful bunch of characters, covering a wide age range – from children to 92-year-old Eunice from Cornwall. The show also represents the UK’s cultural diversity, as people
arrived to cook Kenyan and Indian dishes, as well as regional favourites, including baked fresh crab from a family of fishermen. And there was one chef who even insisted on cooking naked. “That was a bit dangerous,” says Vorderman, smiling. “He was wearing an apron and was filmed from the back, but I refused to go and stand next to him!” Although she enjoyed trying most of the dishes, there was one recipe Vorderman steered clear of. “This guy turned up and said, ‘I’ve got the world’s hottest curry’. He started cooking and told me the story about how he’d cooked it for his friend. He’d had a plateful and had to call an ambulance! “Tom Parker Bowles tried a bit and went into shock. His eyes were streaming.”
Vorderman admits it’s going to be a “very busy year”, with a couple of other series potentially in the pipeline. But, she adds: “I don’t ever want to go back to how it was 10 years ago, when I was getting up at 6am and getting home at 10pm, six or seven days a week, every week for a year. “I want to learn to fly and there are lots of other adventures that I’d like to experience. Cameron [her son] is doing his GCSEs this year, and Katie [her daughter] is in her second year at Cambridge, so I want most of April at home so I can steer them as much as possible. “Everyone says, ‘You need that work-life balance’, but I am trying.” Food Glorious Food starts on ITV1 on February 27
Cakedown Vorderman checks out the baking quality
Killing Them Softly (18)
Frankenweenie (PG)
Available on DVD, Blu-ray and iTunes Low-level crook Johnny Amato (Vincent Curatola) learns that mob man Markie Trattman (Ray Liotta) staged a robbery at one of his own card games in order to steal the pot. So Amato hatches a plan to rob another card game and point the finger of suspicion at Markie. Mob go-between Driver (Richard Jenkins) calls in hit man Jackie Cogan (Brad Pitt) to identify the perpetrators and make them pay. Killing Them Softly is an artfully composed, slow-burning crime thriller in which crime does pay and the price tag is your life. Writer-director Andrew Dominik transplants the setting of the book from 1970s Boston to 2008 Louisiana. Unlike other film-makers who are in a hurry to get to the action set-pieces, Dominik allows conversations to breathe: veiled threats hang in the air, murderous glances are held uncomfortably long and every scene crackles with tension. His film is punctuated with brilliantly orchestrated and stylish explosions of violence, including a breathtaking slow-motion car crash, which perfectly encapsulates the head-on collision of style and substance throughout Dominik’s picture. Damon Smith
Available on DVD, Blu-ray and iTunes Victor Frankenstein (voiced by Charlie Tahan) is an outcast in the sleepy community of New Holland, where he lives with his parents (Martin Short, Catherine O’Hara). His only friend is a bull terrier Sparky, who has a crush on Persephone, the black poodle that lives next door with Victor’s classmate Elsa Van Helsing (Winona Ryder). When tragedy strikes and Sparky is laid to rest in the pet cemetery, Victor constructs a machine to harness a lightning bolt à la Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein to re-animate the dead dog. Frankenweenie is a charming and impeccablycrafted stop-motion animation. The black-and-white visuals are crisp and every frame is peppered with horror references and in-jokes. There are nods and winks to Gremlins and Godzilla, plus a torch-wielding showdown that embraces Mary Shelley with gusto. John August’s script tugs the heartstrings without ever being cloying and the grand finale is orchestrated at a brilliant, breathless pace. Vocal performances are strong, including Tahan’s moving portrayal of a boy, who tearfully tells his parents, “I don’t want (Sparky) in my heart, I want him here with me.” DS
Hope Springs (12)
Available on DVD, Blu-ray and iTunes Arnold Soames (Tommy Lee Jones) and his wife Kay (Meryl Streep) celebrate their wedding anniversary by buying each other cable TV subscriptions. The couple’s children Brad (Ben Rappaport) and Molly (Marin Ireland) sense all is not well, but Arnold appears unconcerned, content to stick to the same routines and sleep in a separate room to his wife. In desperation, Kay uses her savings to buy a series of intensive marriage counselling sessions with Dr Bernie Feld (Steve Carell). After much prodding from Dr Feld, Arnold takes the tentative first step towards greater openness that could save the marriage. Hope Springs is a smart, funny and sweet romantic comedy, underpinned by surprisingly convincing screen chemistry between Streep and Jones, who both bring gravitas and deep emotion to their roles. DS
Nurse Jackie Season Four (15)
Available on DVD and Blu-ray box set Edie Falco prescribes a healthy dose of laughter and tears as nurse Jackie Peyton in this medical black comedy, which is blessed with sharp writing that cuts to the bone. Sobriety fits the lead character well and Falco delivers a tour de force performance as a woman desperate to bury past misdeeds and prove herself to her overdemanding boss. DS
DigiPill
FREE from digipill.com Want to feel more motivated, confident or less stressed? There’s a Digipill for that! Developed by psychotherapist Brian Colbert, the app uses psychoacoustics (how we respond psychologically to sounds) to enable users to channel into their subconscious to alter their perceptions and behaviour. You can download specific ‘pills’, which include Sanctuary to clear the mind and Perfect Pitch to help you prepare for a big speech. Then find somewhere peaceful, plug in your headphones and play the ‘pill’. Abi Jackson
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Earls Court is due for demolition next year. But have you already missed its last gigs?
Last gig luck Gordon Moakes from Bloc Party
Gordon Moakes from Bloc Party says it’s a shame for music fans: “It’s a tremendous honour to rank alongside some of the acts that have played there. In the past, it seemed it was a really crowning moment for arls Court Exhibition Centre Liam Gallagher snarled and waggled a band to reach that stage in their has loomed over south-west his eyebrows in 1997; Chris Martin career, and I think it’s sad that we’re London since the 1930s. hit his pitch-perfect falsetto in losing a piece of British live music In its time, the legendary 2005; and the BRIT Awards took up history. We purposefully picked Earls art-deco venue has played host to a residence for a decade, all in these Court to do this show over playing The legion of stars and spectacular shows. hallowed halls. O2, to link in with that idea of rock’s From the Chocolate and Confectionary But a line is now being drawn traditions, the old-fashioned idea of Exhibition that opened the building in under that iconic musical history. the landmark show. 1937, via the indefatigable Ideal Home In November, Kensington and “I think it reflects how live music Show, through to the volleyball events Chelsea Council and Hammersmith venues have changed over the years in the 2012 Olympics, it has been and Fulham Council approved the and what people want from them home to a multitude of conferences demolition of Earls Court to create and exhibitions. However, it’s the new housing. And ever since, there has these days. But it’s also a dip caused by the economic conditions. In years many large-scale concerts that have been a swift decline in artists playing arguably been the star attraction. at the venue. Last week, the final two to come, hopefully live music will be in a healthier place, but it’s sad to lose Pink Floyd took us to the Dark musical acts actually scheduled on classic venues along the way.” Side of the Moon here in 1973; Led the Earls Court website – Bloc Party The exact date when Earls Zeppelin performed an epoch-defining and Example – played their shows. show in 1975; Kylie Minogue flashed And the expectation is that these will Court will close for good is still to be confirmed, though it is expected to her hotpants in 2005; Madonna be the last ever concerts hosted at be some time next year. There are showed off her conical bra in 2001; the venue.
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numerous conferences and exhibitions still booked in for the remaining time, but why no concerts? A spokesperson for the venue insists: “We’re presently contracting events into spring 2014. The majority of our business has always been exhibitions and conferences, and this continues to be the case. We are still taking enquiries for music events.” EC Properties – which, alongside developers Capital and Counties, is behind the £8m new homes project – is equally vague. A spokesperson at the company said: “There is no official closure date, but bookings are being taken until mid-2014. We don’t know when the official closure date is to be announced, either.” While musicians and fans wait hopefully for an announcement of an Earls Court encore, for the time being it looks like it’s farewell to rock’n’roll, and hello to the Internet World 2013 exhibition instead. Laura Martin
ilpo musto, rex / STARTRAKS PHOTOS, REX
Thank you for the music
‘People mistake us for a boyband’
They may look like models, but that doesn’t mean Lawson can’t turn out a catchy tune, as they tell Laura Martin
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here are not many British guitar bands that get a kick out of country’n’western. Well, not many popular ones, anyway. But it’s a fondness that Andy Brown, lead singer of Lawson, is happy to admit: “We’re probably the only four English lads who listen to country on their iPods. I know it sounds strange!” Nevertheless, Nashville obsessions have done nothing to harm the career of Lawson. Brown and his bandmates Ryan Fletcher, Joel Peat and Adam Pitts have had three top 10 singles in only 10 months, with Taking Me Over their highest flyer, reaching No3. Following a tour supporting The Wanted in the US and Will Young in the UK, not to mention numerous festival appearances, the band are now on the eve of their latest solo UK tour. Liverpudlian Brown says: “We’re just buzzing and can’t wait to kick it off. It’s a real step up from the other venues we’ve played, so it’s brilliant. Manchester will be a big gig for
me as its quite close to home. But we’re also looking forward to playing Shepherd’s Bush Empire as it’s an iconic venue. We’ve always wanted to headline there after playing as a support band – it’s pretty overwhelming that we’re doing it.” Brown says there seems to be a misconception that they are a boyband, but that it sometimes works in their favour. “I think people get a shock when they see us live,” he says. “I don’t think they expect us to be as good as we are! So when they come and actually see us perform, they’re like ‘these guys can actually play!’. They don’t realise we’ve been a band for five years so we’ve got pretty tight over that time.” The band’s debut album, Chapman Square, was released in October. It has a very big Americana feel, which is probably the influence of Grammy-winning producer John Shanks, who’s twiddled knobs for the likes of Bon Jovi. Brown says: “Being in and working in America has definitely had an influence on our sound. We
love the American country scene, it’s so massive over there – you hear acts like Lady Antebellum and Rascal Flatts and we really got into it. Working with John was also a big influence. He’s very American, and I think we’ve inherited that style to some extent. We love that big guitar sound, like Bon Jovi.” Lawson have also looked to the success of acts such as Taylor Swift and Adele, who have found stardom by pouring their own heartbreak into their work.
Country-loving Andy Brown confesses the band loves country’n’western music
Brown says: “Lyrically, our songs come from real life things – mostly relationships, to be honest. I’ve had a couple of relationships that have ended quite badly, and when you’re upset like that it’s really good inspiration to write songs. I think a lot of people can then relate to the
lyrics, as everybody has been through those situations. Experiencing heartbreak and then writing about it, it’s real and people can see that. I think people can see through a song that’s manufactured and we want everything to be as real as possible.” Next up for the lads is a SouthEast Asian and Australian tour, before they head back to the UK for festival season, and then their homefrom-home, America. And there’s even a TV show on the way – just don’t expect any pretend fights or faux-mances. Andy says: “We have a camera guy, George. He’s sitting next to me now, actually. He comes everywhere with us and documents everything. He’s been filming us from when we first started. He comes along with us on the road and we can be ourselves around him. “We had some really cool meetings in America about doing a TV show, but I don’t think we’d ever do anything like reality TV – more like a fly-on-the-wall documentary about the music. We’d be no good at setting up fake scenarios, that’s not what we’re about.” Lawson play the O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire on March 1, o2shepherdsbushempire.co.uk scoutlondon.com Scout London 41
THIS WEEK
The Jacksons
March 3, Hammersmith Apollo, £45-60 The most iconic family in pop music history are performing together again for the first time since the death of brother Michael. Jackie, Jermaine, Marlon and Tito Jackson will sing the hits of the Jackson 5, as well as a special tribute to
their late brother. According to Jackie, it took two weeks to choose the set list – hardly surprising when you consider the number of classic tracks to pick from. And there’s even the hint of new material, as the group have reportedly been in
Tony Humphries
March 2, The Loft Studios, £18 Tony Humphries is one of the most important names in the evolution of house music, and one of the few DJs who’s managed to sustain a successful career all the way from the 70s through to the present. He joined New York’s 98.7 KISS-FM in 1981, and a year later began a formative 42 Scout London scoutlondon.com
residency at Club Zanzibar in nearby Newark, New Jersey. The rest, as they say, is history. He’ll be playing a special five-hour set to mark the birthday of club night The Date. Scrubs Lane NW10 6QU Willesden Junction
the studio recently. Do they still have the sparkle that made them childhood sensations? We’ll see. Will Michael’s absence be felt? Undoubtedly. Queen Caroline Street W6 9QH Hammersmith
5ive, Atomic Kitten, B*witched, Liberty X, 911, Honeyz February 26, Hammersmith Apollo, £20
From where we were standing (sulkily, in the corner of the playground), the 90s offered some of the most exciting music of recent memory. Unfortunately, none of it is on offer here at this kitsch timewarp show that we have ITV2’s The Big Reunion to thank for.
Still, there’s no point fighting it. This group of yesteryear tween idols obviously still hold the keys to a fair few hearts – the gig sold out in minutes and they’re now planning an arena tour. Queen Caroline Street W6 9QH Hammersmith
Chvrches
Scout Stereo
February 27, ICA, £12
1
Nuno Dos Santos & TJ Kong Something Happened (Pitto instrumental) Sly, sultry and sexy future disco with irresistible groove
No, we haven’t made a typo, this canny Glaswegian electro outfit purposefully changed the ‘u’ to a ‘v’ so that they don’t get mixed up with places of worship on Google searches. That said, if the dearly beloved did stumble
upon this lot, it’d be no bad thing. The trio make such good tunes that we can often get a bit evangelistic about them. Not surprisingly, they’re regular botherers of ones-to-watch lists for this year, and are gathering
quite the congregation of followers. Get ready for a religious experience. Carlton House Terrace
SW1Y 5AH
Charing Cross
2
!!! Slyd
3
Melt Yourself Down We Are Enough
4
Dobie The Beginning
5
Brother Ali Writer’s Block
Also this week:
Moya
February 28, House of Wolf, Free This 21-year-old Brighton singersongwriter is definitely one to watch. Her recent single, Making Me Fall, was A-listed on Radio2, and she’s recently been tipped by the likes of Fearne Cotton and Perez Hilton, largely thanks to forthcoming single A Little More Love. Where Making Me Fall was as carefully middle-of-the-road
as cats’ eyes, A Little More Love strays just far enough to the left to tempt the interest of a slightly cooler crowd. It’s still very safe, but that’s unlikely to hurt her chances of success. Expect to see plenty more of Moya. Upper Street N1 1RQ Highbury & Islington
Dancing Around Duchamp: Eliza McCarthy Mar 24, Apr 27, May 26, Jun 8, Barbican Centre, adm included in ticket for The Bride And The Batchelors exhibition Esben And The Witch, Thought Forms Feb 26, The Scala, adv £10 Fall Out Boy Feb 25, The Underworld, £16.50 Fenech Soler Feb 25, Birthdays, £10 Finley Quaye, The Mercenaries Feb 28, The Scala, £19.50, adv £12.50 & £15.50 Four Tet Feb 28, Heaven, adv £15.50 Girls Aloud Mar 1-Mar 3, The O2, £42.50-£49.50 Jake Bugg, Valerie June, Hudson Taylor Feb 27 & Feb 28, O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, £14 Kaiser Chiefs, This Many Boyfriends Mar 1, O2 Academy Brixton, adv £27.50 NME Awards Shows 2013: Jagwar Ma Feb 26, Birthdays, £8.60
80s funk reinvented for the 2013 house crowd
Polar Bear/Acoustic Ladyland supergroup release new single for free. This is a taste of what to expect
Producer, DJ and photographer releases his debut album and we wonder why it’s taken him so long – it’s incredible
“Trying to give myself goosebumps, okay”
Listen to our playlist: j.mp/scout0029
Ebony Day, Adam Burridge Feb 28, The Book Club, £7, £6 before 8pm, adv £5
Ocean Colour Scene Feb 25-Feb 27, Electric Ballroom, £28.50 Post War Years Feb 25, Cargo, £8 Soweto Kinch Feb 25 & Feb 26, Ronnie Scott’s, £20-£30 The Airborne Toxic Event Feb 28, KOKO, £16 The Rest Is Noise: Liza Minnelli Mar 1, Southbank Centre, £40-£120, concs £20-£60
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BOOKING AHEAD ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead Apr 25, O2 Academy Islington, £14 4 Poofs And A Piano Apr 14, Charing Cross Theatre, £12.50-£19.50 ASAP Rocky May 21 & May 22, O2 Academy Brixton, £20 Action Bronson Jun 7, KOKO, adv £16.50 Alchemy: Harshdeep Kaur, Ash King Apr 20, Southbank Centre, £10-£20, concs £5-£10 Alicia Keys May 30 & May 31, The O2, £39.50 & £45 All Tomorrow’s Parties I’ll Be Your Mirror: I’ll Be Your Mirror 2013: Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Grizzly Bear May 4 & May 5, Alexandra Palace, weekend £110, oneday £59 Alt-J, Princess Chelsea May 16, O2 Academy Brixton, £16 AlunaGeorge Jun 20, Electric Brixton, £14.50 Amon Tobin Mar 8, Hammersmith Apollo, £28.50 & £35 Anastacia Apr 6, O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, £32.50 And So I Watch You From Afar Apr 16, The Garage, £11 Angel Haze May 7, The Scala, adv £12.50 Angelique Kidjo And Fatoumata Diawara Mar 8, Southbank Centre, £10£27.50, concs £5-£13.75
Darwin Deez May 2, O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, £14 Archive Apr 19, KOKO, £16 Athlete May 10, O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, adv £21.50 Bastille Mar 28 & Mar 29, O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, adv £13 Beach House Mar 25 & Mar 26, O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, £18 Beth Orton Apr 17, Southbank Centre, £15-£25, concs £7.50-£12.50 Beyonce: The Mrs Carter Show Apr 29May 1, May 3, The O2, £55-£85 Biffy Clyro, City And Colour Apr 3, The O2, £26.50 & £29.50 Big Sean Mar 13, Electric Brixton, £23.50 Black Rebel Motorcycle Club Mar 27, O2 Academy Brixton, £22.50
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Boyzone: BZ20 Tour Dec 21, Wembley Arena, £37.50 & Dec 20, The O2, phone for prices Brand New Heavies May 10, KOKO, £23.50 Brandt Brauer Frick Mar 21, XOYO, adv £12 Breed 77 Mar 13, The Garage, £12 Bullet For My Valentine, Halestorm Mar 17, Roundhouse, £20 C2C: Country to Country Mar 16 & Mar 17, The O2, day ticket £35-£65, weekend ticket £130 Cancer Bats, Brutality Will Prevail, Empress Mar 15, KOKO, £12.50 Chas & Dave May 18, IndigO2, £26.50£45 Clannad Mar 20, O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, £32.50 Clare Teal May 9, Cadogan Hall, £15-£27 Clinic Mar 7, Corsica Studios, adv £12 Cold War Kids May 9, The Forum, £15 Crystal Fighters May 23, KOKO, £14 Dead Can Dance Jul 2, Roundhouse, £30 Deaf Havana Apr 3 & Apr 4, Union Chapel, adv £15 Death Grips May 2, The Forum, £15 Depeche Mode May 28 & May 29, The O2, £40 & £50 Desertfest 2013: Unida, Pentagram Apr 26-Apr 28, Various Venues, Camden, weekend ticket £85 Die! Die! Die!, Evans The Death Mar 22, Hoxton Square Bar And Kitchen, £6 Disclosure Mar 7, Heaven, £12.50 Dog Is Dead Apr 24, KOKO, adv £11.50 Don Broco Apr 18, KOKO, £12 Dutch Uncles May 2, The Scala, adv £10 Edwyn Collins Apr 24, Union Chapel, £25 Eels Mar 21, O2 Academy Brixton, £30 Egyptian Hip Hop Mar 4, XOYO, £10 Eliza Carthy & Jim Moray May 16, Union Chapel, £20 Elvis Costello & The Imposters Jun 4 & Jun 5, Royal Albert Hall, £45 Emeli Sande Apr 8-10, Hammersmith Apollo, £25-£29.50 phone for availbility Eric Clapton May 17, May 18, May 20, May 21, May 23, Royal Albert Hall, £70 & £85 FM Mar 23, O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, £18.50 Factory Floor With Simon Fisher Turner Mar 14, ICA, £8, mems £5, concs £7 Fats Waller Anniversary Concert Mar 16, Southbank Centre, £18.50 & £20, concs £9.25 & £10 Fenech Soler May 22, Electric Ballroom, £12 Field Day Festival 2013: Bat For Lashes, Solange, Animal Collective May 25, Victoria Park, £49.50 Finley Quaye May 29, 100 Club, phone for prices Foals, Efterklang Mar 28, Royal Albert Hall, £10-£25
Classical
Dexys Apr 15, Apr 16, Apr 18Apr 20, Apr 22, Apr 23, The Duke Of York’s, £26-£41 Foy Vance Mar 13, Islington Town Hall, £15 Fucked Up, Titus Andronicus May 30, Electric Ballroom, £16.50 Gabby Young And Other Animals, Fiona Bevan, Koukie Mar 16, The Garage, phone for prices Gaz Coombes Apr 25, The Garage, £13.50 Green Day, Kaiser Chiefs, All Time Low Jun 1, Emirates Stadium, £45-£65 Hadouken! Apr 25, Electric Ballroom, £14.50 Hamer & Isaacs Mar 8, Royal Albert Hall, FREE Happy Mondays Jun 29, The Forum, £32.50 A Hawk And A Hacksaw Apr 17, The Lexington, phone for prices Headhunters Apr 25, Under The Bridge, £17.50 Hello Bear Mar 20, Nambucca, £5 Helloween, Gamma Ray Apr 16, The Forum, £25 Hookworms, Traams, Cape Clear Apr 3, Birthdays, £5 Hypnotic Brass Ensemble Mar 14 & Mar 15, Ronnie Scott’s, £20-£40 Iamamiwhoami May 30, Electric Brixton, £15
Teenage Cancer Trust: Primal Scream, Echo And The Bunnymen Mar 21, Royal Albert Hall, £25-£75
Britten Sinfonia Feb 27, Barbican Centre, £8£32 BBC Symphony Orchestra Mar 1, Barbican Centre, £10-£30 Brandenburg Choral Festival 2013: Tiffin Boy’s Choir/ Brandenburg Sinfonia Mar 5, St Martin-In-The-Fields, £10-£20 Brussels Philharmonic Mar 8, Cadogan Hall, £18-£39 Choir Of Clare College, Cambridge Mar 21, St Peter’s Church, £15, concs £10 City Of London Sinfonia Mar 9, Cadogan Hall, £8, child £6, family £24 Docklands Sinfonia Mar 15, St Anne’s Church, £15, adv £12, concs £10 James Gilcrhist And Julius Drake Mar 18, Middle Temple Hall, £5-£45
Philharmonia Orchestra Feb 28, Southbank Centre, £9-£40, concs £4.50£20 Kensington Symphony Orchestra Mar 9, St John’s, Smith Square, £12 & £16, concs £12, mems £10.80 & £14.40 Planet Piano: Around The World On 88 Keys Mar 10, Royal College Of Music, FREE The Mystery Fax Machine Orchestra Mar 17, Hoxton Hall, £10 Trio Zimmermann Mar 12, Wigmore Hall, £15-£30 Vienna Piano Trio Mar 14, LSO St Luke’s, £10, concs £9 Vienna Piano Trio Mar 7, LSO St Luke’s, £10, concs £9 Young Musicians Symphony Orchestra Mar 13, St John’s, Smith Square, £10-£18, concs £8£14.40, mems £9-£16.20
5ive, Atomic Kitten, B*witched, Liberty X, 911, Honeyz May 14, The O2, phone for prices
Imagine Dragons Apr 11, The Forum, £13 Inspiral Carpets Mar 22, KOKO, £18.50 JLS Dec 21 & Dec 22, The O2, £25 & £33.50 Jaguar Skills, Mikill Pane, Pixel Fist Mar 23, KOKO, £15 Jah Wobble & Bill Sharpe Apr 26, Islington Town Hall, £17.50 & £20 James Taylor Quartet Mar 20-Mar 23, Ronnie Scott’s, £25-£45 James, Echo And The Bunnymen Apr 19 & Apr 20, O2 Academy Brixton, £38.50 Jessie J Oct 29 & Oct 30, The O2, £25 & £33.50 Jessie Ware Mar 13 & Mar 14, O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, £16.50 Joe Cocker May 13, Hammersmith Apollo, £30-£40 Joe Satriani Jun 17, O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, £40 Johnny Marr, F.U.R.S Mar 15, O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, £22.50 Journey/Whitesnake, Thunder May 29, Wembley Arena, £48 Justin Bieber Mar 4, Mar 5, Mar 7, Mar 8, The O2, £50 & £60 Kate Nash May 1, 100 Club, £15 Katie Melua Oct 2, Roundhouse, £37.50 Killing Joke Mar 16, The Forum, adv £25 Killswitch Engage May 5, O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, £18 Kings Of Leon Jun 12 & Jun 13, The O2, £57.50 La Linea: The London Latin Music Festival: Alexander Abreu Y Havana D’Primera Apr 12, Electric Brixton, £22 La Linea: The London Latin Music Festival: Ana Moura Apr 20, Barbican Centre, £15-£22 La Linea: The London Latin Music Festival: Brass Band Battle - Mexico Vs Balkans Apr 14, Barbican Centre, £15.50-£24 Lana Del Rey May 19 & May 20, Hammersmith Apollo, £28.50
Leona Lewis May 8 & May 9, Royal Albert Hall, £35-£65 Leonard Cohen Jun 21, The O2, £25£75 Lianne La Havas, Rae Morris, George Ezra Mar 11 & Mar 12, O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, £15 Lionel Blair Mar 23, The Hippodrome Casino, £15-£35 Local Natives Oct 17, O2 Academy Brixton, phone for prices London International Ska Festival 2013 Mar 28-Mar 31, Various Venues, weekend ticket £99.99 Lordi May 12, The Forum, adv £17.50 Lucy Rose May 14, O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, £13.50 Major Lazer, Angel Haze May 4, Roundhouse, £17.50 Man Like Me Mar 6, Plan B, phone for prices Maps & Atlases Mar 6, Dingwalls, adv £11.50 Marcella Detroit, Robert Vincent May 3, O2 Academy Islington, £18 Mark Knopfler May 27-Jun 1, Royal Albert Hall, £37.50-£52.50 Mark Morriss Mar 9, Jamm, £13, adv £10 Marlena Shaw Mar 26-Mar 30, Ronnie Scott’s, £30-£50 Maroon 5 Jun 23 & Jun 24, The O2, £40 & £45 Matchbox Twenty Apr 16 & Apr 17, Hammersmith Apollo, £29.50 McFly May 18, Wembley Arena, £31.50 Meat Loaf: Last At Bat Tour Apr 10, The O2, £57.50 Megadeth Jun 6, O2 Academy Brixton, £28.50 Mica Paris Mar 15, The Hideaway, £25 Michael Ball: Both Sides Now Tour May 4, Hammersmith Apollo, £37.50 & £42.50 Mick Hucknall Apr 28, Hammersmith Apollo, £40 & £50 Mudhoney, Meat Puppets Jun 8, The Forum, adv £18.50 Mumiy Troll May 25, O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, £20
Billy Bragg Jun 5, Union Chapel, £20
Muse May 25 & May 26, Emirates Stadium, phone for prices My Bloody Valentine Mar 12 & Mar 13, Hammersmith Apollo, adv £25 My Vitriol May 8, KOKO, £17 Nas Mar 19, The O2, £34-£39, w/CD £44.99-£49.99 Ne-Yo, Tulisa Mar 15, The O2, £36 & £40 Neil Young & Crazy Horse Jun 17, The O2, £45-£65 Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds Oct 26 & Oct 27, Hammersmith Apollo, phone for prices Olivia Newton-John Mar 13, Royal Albert Hall, £45 & £55 Olly Murs Mar 10, Wembley Arena, £34 & Mar 29 & Mar 30, The O2, £34 One Direction Apr 1, Apr 2, Apr 4, Apr 5, Apr 2, The O2, £25 & £33.50 Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark May 3, Roundhouse, £33.50 P!nk Apr 24, Apr 25, Apr 27, Apr 28, The O2, £42.50-£55 Palma Violets Apr 9, Electric Brixton, phone for prices
Paloma Faith Jun 7, The O2, £22.50 & £28.50 Patrick Wolf Apr 6, Southbank Centre, £17.50-£22.50, concs £8.75-£11.25 Pere Ubu Apr 23, Bush Hall, £20 Pet Shop Boys Jun 18, The O2, £35 Peter Gabriel Oct 21 & Oct 22, The O2, £40 & £50 Rascal Flatts Jul 11, O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, £25 Rod Stewart: Live The Life Tour Jun 4 & Jun 6, The O2, £60-£70 Rodriguez Jun 8, Hammersmith Apollo, £10-£29.50 Ron Sexsmith Mar 7, Royal Albert Hall, £22.50-£40 Santana Jul 19, Wembley Arena, £38.30-£65.80 Sinead O’Connor Mar 27, Barbican Centre, £18-£25 So Solid Crew Mar 21, IndigO2, phone for prices Squarepusher Mar 30, Roundhouse, £25 Stereophonics Mar 4, Electric Brixton, phone for prices Suede Mar 30, Alexandra Palace, £32.50
Roots Manuva Mar 16, KOKO, £17, adv £15 Teenage Cancer Trust: Kasabian Mar 22, Royal Albert Hall, £25-£75 Teenage Cancer Trust: Noel Gallagher With Damon Albarn & Graham Coxon Mar 23, Royal Albert Hall, £25-£100 Teenage Cancer Trust: Paul Weller, Palma Violets Mar 25, Royal Albert Hall, £25 Teenage Cancer Trust: Rizzle Kicks, Labrinth Mar 24, Royal Albert Hall, £25-£50 Teenage Cancer Trust: Ryan Adams, Beth Orton Mar 19, Royal Albert Hall, £25-£75 The Black Crowes Mar 29 & Mar 30, The Forum, £37.50 The Courteeners Mar 16, O2 Academy Brixton, £19.50 The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster Apr 12, O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, £15 The Flaming Lips May 20 & May 21, Roundhouse, £32 The Script Mar 22 & Mar 23, The O2, £29.50 The Smashing Pumpkins Jul 22, Wembley Arena, £38.50 & £48.50 The Specials May 28 & May 29, O2 Academy Brixton, adv £37.50 Tim Burgess And Lambchop Jun 23, Barbican Centre, £15-£25 Tribes May 29, Roundhouse, phone for prices Wave Machines, Yunoshi, Iyes Mar 26, Village Underground, adv £7
The Vaccines May 2, The O2, £27 Wiley, Skepta, JME Apr 20, The Forum, £14.50 Xavier Rudd Jun 24, KOKO, £20 ZZ Top Jun 24 & Jun 28, Hammersmith Apollo, £45
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CL U B B I N G Monday February 25 Girls-A-Loud at Candy Bar, 4 Carlisle Street, W1D 3BJ Tottenham Court Road FREE, 8pm-late. DJs play pop, chart and electro, while Seauntelle hosts the weekly karaoke session. Hoxton Ukulele Hootenanny at The Queen Of Hoxton, 1-5 Curtain Road, EC2A 3JX Shoreditch High Street £20, 7.30pm-12midnight. Resident DJs play Ukulele inspired music, plus live performances. The Jump Off at The Scala, 275 Pentonville Road, N1 9NL King’s Cross St Pancras £15, £12 before 10pm, adv £8, 9pm-2am. Hip hop and rap courtesy of Rap 6, Charlie Sloth and DJ Manny Norte.
Trannyoke at Escape Bar, 10A Brewer Street, W1F 0SU Piccadilly Circus FREE, 9pm-3am. DJ Matt spins pop and dance, with host Lady Lloyd, and karaoke. XXL Wednesdays at Pulse, 1-4 Invicta Plaza, SE1 9UF Blackfriars £3, mems FREE, annual m’ship £10, 10pm3am. DJs Christian M and Alex Logan play funky house in the main room, while Joe Egg spins retro in the Fluff Bar.
Thursday February 28
Tuesday February 26
The Doctors Orders at Plan B, 418 Brixton Road, SW9 7AY Brixton £17.50, adv £12.50, 10pm-4am. Hip hop and rap from DJ Premier (pictured), Statik Selektah, DJ Nonames and Spin Doc.
Glamorous Afterparty at Covert, 65 Albert Embankment, SE1 7TP Vauxhall £7, w/ flyer £6, 5am-11am. Deep house and electro courtesy of DJs Kaos Kid, Marlon K and Francko Harris. Gramme: Fascination Album Launch Party at The Queen Of Hoxton, 1-5 Curtain Road, EC2A 3JX Shoreditch High Street £5, 7pm-late. DJs Joe Goddard and Nathan Gregory Wilkins spin electronica, disco and psychedelia with a live performance from Gramme. Paradox at Egg, 200 York Way, N7 9AX King’s Cross St Pancras £15, £12 before 1am, adv £8, 10pm-6am. Outart joins the resident DJs spinning house and techno.
Wednesday February 27 Eat Your Own Ears at Plan B, 418 Brixton Road, SW9 7AY Brixton £10, 10pm-4am. Resident DJs spin electronica and techno, plus a live performance from Nathan Fake. The-Monitors at The Big Chill Bar, Drury Walk, E1 6QL Liverpool Street FREE, 7pm-12midnight. DJs from the blog mix soul, hip hop and rockabilly with new electro and dub tracks.
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Arkhive’s February Fumble at Horse And Groom, 28 Curtain Road, EC2A 3NZ Shoreditch High Street FREE, 7pm2am. House music courtesy of Rawsun, Benny Brown, Olly Vale and Sasha Koloskov. FWD at Plastic People, 147-149 Curtain Road, EC2A 3QE Liverpool Street £7, 9.30pm-2am. Bok Bok and Girl Unit spin house, grime and bass music Gravity at Covert, 65 Albert Embankment, SE1 7TP Vauxhall w/ flyer £5, FREE before 1am, 12midnight8am. DJs Fat Tony, Verity Mayes and The Oli spin house and electro. Groove Theory at Bloomsbury Bowling Lanes, Basement Of Tavistock Hotel, Tavistock Square, WC1H 9EU Russell Square FREE, 8pm-1am. Vintage funk, soul, hip hop, reggae, dancehall, ska, dub and breaks courtesy of Keith Lawrence. Mixed Bag at House Of Wolf, 181 Upper Street, N1 1RQ Highbury & Islington phone for prices, 8pm-4am. Resident DJs on rotation spin reggae, soul, funk, hip hop and disco. NSPCC Dance To Be Heard at Bar Music Hall, 134-146 Curtain Road, EC2A 3AR Old Street FREE, 7pm1am. Kid Circus and guests spin house and electro, with live performances, raising money for the NSPCC. Onvision at Egg, 200 York Way, N7 9AX King’s Cross St Pancras £15, £12 before 1am, adv £8, 10pm-6am. Aleksandr and residents spin house and techno. Porn Idol at Heaven, Charing Cross Arches, Villiers Street, WC2N 6NG
Charing Cross w/flyer FREE, 11pm4am. Resident DJs spin pop and dance while plucky punters are invited to demonstrate their talents for a shot at a cash prize. Ronnkie Pop’s Razzmatazz at Salvador And Amanda, 8 Great Newport Street, WC2H 7JA Leicester Square FREE, 8pm-2am. Tribes, Mystery Jets and Ronnie Joice spin indie, pop and party anthems. The Silver Bullet Presents Wobble Disco at The Silver Bullet, 5 Station Place, N4 2DH Finsbury Park FREE, 8pm. Fresh Air DJs, 100 Faces DJs, Phase 2 and Hatchback spin house, garage, techno, drum’n’bass and jungle. Society Presents at Dalston Superstore, 117 Kingsland High Street, E8 2PB Dalston Kingsland FREE, 9pm2.30am. Veteran Robert Owens and resident DJs spin Chicago house, acid and old skool. Your Mum’s House at The Nest, 36 Stoke Newington Road, N16 7XJ Dalston Kingsland £7, £5 before 12midnight, FREE before 10.30pm, 9pm3am. Resident DJs spin pop and disco.
Friday March 1 Basslaced Presents All Trap Music at Fire, Arch, 39-43 Parry Street, corner South Lambeth Road, SW8 1RT Vauxhall adv £7.50, phone for times. Uz, Rockwell, Darq E Freaker, Stookie Sound, Piff Gang, Cadenza, Jikay and Amy Becker spin grime, trap and bass music, plus MCs Majestic and Juma. Bollyparty at Cafe Chai, 34 The Broadway, W5 2NP Ealing Broadway £10, £5 before 10pm, phone for times. Residents play Bollywood, bombass, old skool classics, R&B and funky house. Broken Robots Label Night at The InSpiral Lounge, 250 Camden High Street, NW1 8QS Camden Town phone for prices, 10pm-4am. Monk3ylogic, Neurodriver, Snook, Peak and Tummy Talk spin psychedelia, electro and techno. Datablender Birthday Bash 2013 at Electrowerkz, 7 Torrens Street, EC1V 1NQ Angel £10, adv FREE, 11pm-6am. Hardcore and techno courtesy of Madhouse Brothers, Sandy Warez, Richie Gee, Leo Laker, Dariush Gee, Noizbar and Persohna. Detroit Swindle at Dance Tunnel, 95 Kingsland High Street, E8 2PB Dalston Junction £9, £5 before 11pm, 9pm. The Dutch DJ and production duo play house music, plus support from Zoo Look and Jimmy Posters. Deviation at XOYO, 32-37 Cowper Street, EC2A 4AP Old Street £15, 9pm-3am. DJs Benji B, Jamie XX and Actress play deep house, garage, electronica and indie-pop. DMZ 8th Birthday at Great Suffolk Street Warehouse, 29 Great Suffolk Street, SE1 0NS Southwark adv £20, 10pm-7am. Digital Mystikz Vs Loefah, Artwork, Pinch, Chef, Zed Bias,
Cluekid, Paleman and Commodo spin dubstep, techno, garage and bass music across two rooms, plus MC Sgt Pokes. Evolution Of Dub Presents Pull Up at Arch, 15-16 Lendal Terrace, SW4 7UX Clapham North £4, FREE before 10pm, 8pm-3am. Reggae, dub and jungle courtesy of Da Vinci Sound, Ambassador, Disorda, NFinnerty and Japu Selektah. Fabriclive at Fabric, 77A Charterhouse Street, EC1M 6HJ Farringdon £17, adv £16, mems £12, NUS £10, £8 after 8pm, £21 inc CD, 10pm-6am. Rustie, Araabmuzik, Illum Sphere, Jonny Dub, Martelo, Spencer, French Fries, Bok Bok, Bambounou, Jean-Nipon, Manare, Tessela, Deft, Bareskin and Cedric Maison spin dubstep, electronica, techno and bass music across three rooms, plus a live performance from Neil Landstrumm. Funkyzeit 3rd Birthday at Crucifix, 7-9 Crucifix Lane, SE1 3JW London Bridge adv £12 & £15, 11pmlate. Andre Galluzzi, Dana Ruh, Mikail and Oli Low provide house and techno sounds. The Gallery at The Ministry Of Sound, 103 Gaunt Street, SE1 6DP Elephant & Castle £14, 10.30pm6am. Trance and house courtesy of Eddie Halliwell, with support from resident and guest DJs. G-A-Y Camp Attack at Heaven, Charing Cross Arches, Villiers Street, WC2N 6NG Charing Cross w/flyer FREE, 11pm-4am. Pop and retro classics from the 1970s to the 1990s, plus songs from musicals in the Departure Lounge with a chance to perform at 1am. Idiosynphonic at Cable, 33A Bermondsey Street, SE1 2EG London Bridge queue jump £20, £13, adv £7 & £10, mems £10, NUS £7, 10pm-6am. Clapham-born Dillinja and DJs Hazard, Cyantific, Dimension, Culture Shock, Trei and Loot spin drum’n’bass and jungle. Illusions Of House & Release Presents at Relay, 33 Bermondsey Street Tunnel, SE1 3JW London Bridge adv £12.50, 10pm-6am. Krankbrothers, Matt Fear, Jesse James, Soul Purpose, Vice and Jason Lee Ward play techno. Kaiser Chiefs Official End Of Tour Party at Jamm, 261 Brixton Road, SW9 6LH Brixton £10, 7pm-4am. Indie, electronica and house music courtesy of the Kaiser Chiefs (DJ set), plus a live performance from Flymo And Replay. The LipSinkers at Royal Vauxhall Tavern, 372 Kennington Lane, SE11 5HY Vauxhall £8, concs £5, 9.30pm. DJ Squeaky and John Sizzle spin dance music, with comedy and cabaret. Lost Presents Spacebase at Plastic People, 147-149 Curtain Road, EC2A 3QE Liverpool Street adv £8, 10pm-3am. DJs Andrew Weatherall and Steve Bicknell spin disco, house and techno. Pacha Presents at Pacha, Terminus Place, SW1V 1JR Victoria £15, adv £10, 11pm-late. Roots For Bloom, Mike
Gill, Jamie Trench and Maxwell spin house, techno and nu-disco. Plex - Basement Sessions #1 at The Waiting Room, 175 Stoke Newington High Street, N16 0LH Stoke Newington phone for prices, 9pm-4am. DJs Luke Handsfree and James Tec spin techno, plus guests. Love Filth Presents Shoreglitch at Vibe Bar, 91 Brick Lane, E1 6QL Aldgate East £5, FREE before 8pm, 6pm-1am. DJs William Breakspear, Standard & Push, Dyson and It Takes Two To Tango spin glitch hop and bass music. Sick Travellin’ Tour at Oval Space, 2932 The Oval, E2 9DY Cambridge Heath adv £15, 9pm6am. DJs Fritz Kalkbrenner, Chopstick And JohnJon, Fritz Zander and Jozif spin house, hip hop, funk and soul. Super You&Me Weekender at Electric Brixton, 1 Town Hall Parade, Brixton Hill, SW2 1RJ Brixton phone for availability, 10pm-6am. Laidback Luke spins house and electro, with support from Sunnery James, Ryan Marciano and La Fuente. Tonker at Eagle, 349 Kennington Lane, SE11 5QY Vauxhall £6, mems £5, FREE before 10pm, 9pm-3am. DJ Tim Jones spins house and dance with guests. Tsuba Limited at The Basing House, 25 Kingsland Road, E2 8AA Liverpool Street £10, adv £7, 10pm4am. DJs Milton Jackson and Kevin Griffiths play house and techno. Warm at Corsica Studios, 4-5 Elephant Road, SE17 1LB Elephant & Castle adv £15, 10pm6am. Optimo, Matias Aguayo and Nick Hoppner play house, electro and techno, plus a live set from Golden Teacher. X Presents at Egg, 200 York Way, N7 9AX King’s Cross St Pancras £20, adv £15, mems/NUS £13, 10pm-10am. DJ Sneak and D’Julz spin house and garage.
Cocoon Heroes London at Great Suffolk Street Warehouse, 29 Great Suffolk Street, SE1 0NS Southwark adv £20, 9pm-6am. Josh Wink, DJ W!ld, Markus Fix, You-BEhT, Magma, Mark d’Ground, Gavin Rayner and Robbie Linstead spin house, techno and acid, plus a live performance from Extrawelt.
Saturday March 2 Back To 95 12th Birthday at Egg, 200 York Way, N7 9AX King’s Cross St Pancras £17.50, mems £15, early bird £13.50, 10pm-5am. Old skool club classics courtesy of DJ EZ, Matt Jam Lamont, Mike Ruff Cut LLoyd, Micky Sims, Chris Lavish and Listener plus Nicky Blackmarket, Jumping Jack Frost, Funky Flirt, Easy M and more.
Kate Boss At The Book Club at The Book Club, 100-106 Leonard Street, EC2A 4RH Old Street £5 after 9pm, 8pm2am. The Swedish disco troupe Drop Out Orchestra spin lost classic sounds, and will be joined by The Lovely Jonjo and Kate Boss DJs. Bugged Out! at XOYO, 32-37 Cowper Street, EC2A 4AP Old Street adv £12.50, 9pm-3am. The 2 Bears and Cajmere play house, techno, indie and electronica. Bump at Plan B, 418 Brixton Road, SW9 7AY Brixton £8, £5 before 12midnight, FREE before 10pm, 9pm4am. Hip hop, funky, dancehall and dubstep courtesy of Heatwave, Snips, Motive and CWD. The Burning Beat at House Of Wolf, 181 Upper Street, N1 1RQ Highbury & Islington phone for prices, 8pm-4am. The Roustabouts and David Harris play electro swing, Balkan beats and vintage pop, plus live music and cabaret performances. Buttoned Down Disco at KOKO, 1a Camden High Street, NW1 7JE Mornington Crescent £10, FREE before 10pm, 9pm-3.30am. Christian Laing and Pete Wheeler spin indie and electro. 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, plus themed fancy dress. The Date’s 1st Birthday Party at Loft Studios, 77-81 Scrubs Lane, NW10 6QW Willesden Junction adv £18, early bird £15, 9.30pm-5am. Tony Humphries, Stuart Patterson, Phil Asher, Tim Keenoy, Dave Jarvis and Si Kurrage spin house and disco across two rooms. Dubpack The Return at The Garage, 2026 Highbury Corner, N5 1RD Highbury & Islington £9, adv £7, 11pm-6am. KillSonic, Nicky Blackmarket, Boyson, Flatline, Roksonix, Genetix, Krafty
MC, Slugz, Offkey, Th3rty2, Dub Chafed, Jamie Muse, Harikiri, Jekyl and C-Side spin electro, drum’n’bass, jungle and old skool across three arenas. 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. Fabric at Fabric, 77A Charterhouse Street, EC1M 6HJ Farringdon adv £24 in cd, £20, adv £19, NUS/mems £14, £10 after 4am, 11pm-8am. DJs Petre Inspirescu, Craig Richards, Cristi Cons, Terry Francis, Cosmin TRG, A Made Up Sound and Blond:ish spin house, techno and electronica across three rooms, plus a live performance from Francesco Tristano. Girls Don’t Pay at The Scala, 275 Pentonville Road, N1 9NL King’s Cross St Pancras £13.50, ladies FREE before 11pm, 9pm-6am. Drum’n’bass courtesy of Nicky Blackmarket, Phantasy, Ruffstuff, Modified Motion, DJ Guv, Logan D, DJ Sly, Chunky Bizzle, Hary Bizzle, DJ Sicknote, Certified Sickness, Fatality and S.O, with MCs Shabba, Skibadee, IC3, Harry Shotta, Funsta, Dreps and Stormin. The Jupiter Club at The George Tavern, 373 Commercial Road, E1 0LA Shadwell £5, 9pm-3am. Indie, folk and pop courtesy of J. Maizlish Mole, yoB and Kitty Finer, plus a live performance from The Jupiter House Band.
Space at Pacha, Terminus Place, SW1V 1JR Victoria adv £10, 11pm-late. Guest DJs play house and dance. Super You&Me Weekender at Electric Brixton, 1 Town Hall Parade, Brixton Hill, SW2 1RJ Brixton £20, 10pm-6am. Laidback Luke spins house and electro, with support from Congorock and Oliver Twizt.
Sunday March 3 Ffaannggrrll’s 1st Birthday at The George Tavern, 373 Commercial Road, E1 0LA Shadwell FREE, 7pm-12midnight. DJs play female fronted dance, pop, hip hop, 1980s and 1990s. Horse Meat Disco at Eagle, 349 Kennington Lane, SE11 5QY Vauxhall £6, 8pm-3am. Resident DJs spin dance, house and disco. Jaded at Cable, 33A Bermondsey Street, SE1 2EG London Bridge £12, concs/ mems £8, 5pm-1am. House and techno courtesy of Edit Select and resident DJ Raymundo Rodriguez. S.L.A.G.S / CHILL-OUT Sundays at Royal Vauxhall Tavern, 372 Kennington Lane, SE11 5HY Vauxhall £8, £5 before 7.30pm, 2pm-12noon. Simon Le Vans, Andy Almighty and Sean Sirrs spin disco, electro and house, plus The D E Experience performs live.
scoutlondon.com Scout London 47
Experimental theatre on trial Think you’ve been there and done it when it comes to experimental theatre? Well how about a one-on-one production of The Trial, with you as Joseph K, staged across many different buildings, in two parts? By Dan Frost
T
he wackier recesses of theatre production have edged ever more towards the mainstream in recent years. One-on-one productions (staged for one audience member at a time) have become popular, and immersive, sitespecific pieces are now positively commonplace. The result of all this is that many people (regular theatregoers and otherwise) are now very
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au fait with a variety of experimental techniques. Ipso facto, the thrill factor is wearing off a little and it’s getting harder to truly surprise audiences. This begs the question: where next? The Retz performance company might just have the answer. Its new production of Kafka’s The Trial incorporates many of the traits that have made experimental
companies such as Punchdrunk and You Me Bum Bum Train so successful, then adds a few of its own invention. A one-on-one production, it sees each audience member take on the central role of protagonist Joseph K, who is arrested and prosecuted by an unknown authority for a crime that is never revealed. And, much like the character in Kafka’s book,
each audience member will have to navigate their way around a series of buildings through the course of the play (all in the Hoxton area, with the help of around 40 different cast members). It’s an interesting idea, and becomes even more intriguing when you factor in the other novel approach: it’s an episodic production, whereby each audience member will go through the first section, then book to come back at a later date for the trial itself. This, incidentally, is where the production switches narratives to Kafka’s In The Penal Colony, which presumably adds to the Kafkaesque confusion of the overall piece. We asked director Felix Mortimer for some clarification.
The Trial because of how relevant it is – in a world where we’re all paranoid about identity, privacy and the internet, this story of a man being arrested one day for reasons that aren’t explained, then having to navigate through the world with all these dark forces acting against him... For me, it resonates with the real-life stories of people such as Bradley Manning, Julian Assange, Gary McKinnon – people who were put under immense pressure by dark, unknown forces because of their activities online. You quite successfully used the episodic approach to stage The Tempest in six parts last year. What does this format offer that a straight run doesn’t? Our production of The Tempest almost felt like a theatre box-set, where you had to come back every month for different parts of the story. And there’s something special that I think you get from a box-set – they allow you to have a deeper connection with the characters because you worry about them in between watching each episode. There’s something really appealing about using this format for theatre – having people go away, think about it for a while, hopefully develop more of a connection, then come back. work their way around a few different spaces until they end up in this government department in Hackney. I used to work for Punchdrunk, and we used to build barns and cornfields and shop fronts all in one It’s supposed to feel like the story of Joseph K and The Trial is happening old building. But what we’re doing to them in the real world. We want to here is allowing people to break out replicate real life as much as possible. of the buildings and experience the story in the real world. The idea is When I go to the theatre, it feels that it’s hyper-real. like it only appeals to the cultural part of my brain. We want to hit people’s brains through real life. The story starts in Shoreditch Town Hall, then five minutes later the audience member will be arrested by someone, who tells them to go up the street to visit a lawyer. On the way they will make a phonecall, and speak to a kind of sinister government department, Innovator Director Felix Mortimer and from there they will gradually This sounds like a very exciting approach to Kafka, but can you tell us a bit more about what audience members can expect?
So what came first? Did you fit the story of The Trial around a pre-existing production idea or did the whole approach come from wanting to stage The Trial?
Can you elaborate on how The Trial and In The Penal Colony will be joined together?
The first cycle follows the story of the Trial, then the second cycle follows the story of In The Penal Colony, before coming back to the story of Definitely the former. I did a big piece The Trial at the very end. It’s kind in Edinburgh that was based on the of The Trial, but with In The Penal idea of a story taking place in a few Colony plonked into the middle. different locations, and I got really We’re trying to distill the taken with that idea. I thought for atmosphere of Kafka and how he a long time about doing that in a would react to the modern day, so one-on-one context, and tried to we’ve heavily adapted both stories find a text that told its story totally to reflect our themes. What really from the point of view and pathway appeals to me about Kafka, as of a central protagonist. Kafka’s opposed to the narrative, is the stories are very much grounded in the atmosphere that he manages to individual, as opposed to the likes of create. Brave New World and 1984, which are more about dystopian systems. The Trial, February 28-April 27, We also got really excited about £30, retz.co.uk scoutlondon.com Scout London 49
PREVIEWS
Paper Dolls Tricycle Theatre February 28-April 13, £14-£28 The Tricycle’s new artistic director, Indhu Rubasingham, follows Red Velvet, her awardwinning debut at the theatre, with Philip Himberg’s play about a group of Filipino immigrants in Israel who, when they aren’t working as live-in carers for elderly men, perform as a musical drag act. NW6 7JR
The rest of London might only just be cottoning on, but Peckham’s cultural stock has been rising for some time now, with the Bussey Building a core part of its arty heart. The opening of this new play – developed by Soho Theatre and New York’s Lincoln Centre Theatre – is further indication of the area’s arrival as a cultural destination. Set in New York in the 1980s, it focuses on three of the city’s most famous and pioneering artists – pop art godfather Andy Warhol and graffiti legends
Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring, at the point at which the latter two made the leap from streets and subway trains to the walls of fancy galleries, befriending the likes of Warhol in the process. Edinburgh Comedy Award-winner Adam Riches will play Warhol, with Michael Walters as Basquiat and Simon Ginty as Haring. SE15 4ST Peckham Rye athousandmilesofhistory.co.uk
Facts Finborough Theatre, February 26-March 23, £14-£16
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Kilburn tricycle.co.uk
Dorothy in Oz Waterloo East Theatre February 26-March 17, £12 Warning: this version of the L Frank Baum classic is definitely not suitable for children. James Michael Shoberg’s sinister and psychedelic interpretation takes place inside a mental health hospital, where Dorothy’s entire adventure is, in fact, the result of a new experimental drug. The Scarecrow is a heroin addict, the Tinman a deranged biker and the Lion a sexual deviant in search of ‘courage’ below the belt. SE1 8TN
Waterloo waterlooeast.co.uk
Playwright and director Arthur Milner is a major figure in Canadian theatre. This is the European premiere of his latest work, which takes place in the West Bank, following the murder of an American archaeologist. Thrown together in their hunt for the killer, an Israeli detective and a Palestinian detective must put their differences aside, and separate facts from faith. Celebrated director Caitlin McLeod takes the helm.
This new comedy by Natalie Darkins centres on a C-list celeb who is given refuge from her destructive lifestyle by a fan, but soon finds herself an unwitting feminist icon.
SW10 9ED West Brompton finboroughtheatre.co.uk
NW1 7BU Camden Town etceteratheatre.com
Hot Property Etcetera Theatre February 26-March 1, £10
idil sulkan / JASON PANGILINAN / MIKE SHELFORD
A Thousand Miles of History Bussey Building, March 4-30, £14
Longing Hampstead Theatre, February 28-April 13, £14.50-£29 Acclaimed novelist and screenwriter William Boyd (Any Human Heart, Chaplin) has adapted two short stories by Chekhov into one comedic play about provincial life in 19th century Russia (natch). And Boyd is just the start of the talent involved. Among the cast are Downton Abbey and Game of Thrones actor Iain Glen, Episodes and Green Wing star Tamsin Greig, and wonderfully funny veteran of stage and screen John Sessions. The production will be directed by Nina Raine, returning to Hampstead after her excellent sell-out production of Tiger Country in 2010. NW3 3EU
Swiss Cottage hampsteadtheatre.com
Manuel harlan / hugo glendinning
Purple Heart Gate Theatre, February 26-April 6, £10-£20 Bruce Norris won both the Pulitzer Prize and the Best New Play Award at the 2011 Oliviers for his racially-themed play, Clybourne Park. This powerful 2002 work is one of his earlier triumphs. Set in the Midwest in 1972, it centres on a young woman struggling to raise her son alone after her husband is killed in Vietnam. She has her watchful mother-in-law to deal with, as well as the morbid sympathy of the local community, but everything changes when an unexpected soldier arrives on her doorstep. W11 3HQ
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LISTINGS
The Judas Kiss booking until Apr 6 2013, The Duke Of York’s, St Martin’s Lane, WC2N 4BG Leicester Square £15-£52.50, Premium Seats £65, Mon-Sat 7.30pm, mats Wed, Sat 2.30pm. Rupert Everett recently won the What’s On Stage award for Best Actor for his role as Oscar Wilde in David Hare’s drama. The 39 Steps booking until Oct 19 2013, Criterion Theatre, 218-223 Piccadilly, Piccadilly Circus, W1J 0TR Piccadilly Circus £15-£55, Mon-Sat 8pm, mats Wed 3pm, Sat 4pm. John Buchan’s thriller. The Audience booking until Jun 15 2013, Gielgud Theatre, 35-37 Shaftesbury Avenue, W1D 6AR Piccadilly Circus £10-£59, concs available, limited number of £10 day seats on sale from 10am on day of performance from the box office, MonSat 7.30pm, mats Wed, Sat 2.30pm, no mat Mar 6 (press night Mar 5, 7pm). Peter Morgan’s fictional renditions of private meetings between Queen Elizabeth II and her Prime Ministers. 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. Adaptation of the film about a miner’s son, who dreams of becoming a ballet dancer. The Bodyguard booking until Sep 28 2013, Adelphi Theatre, 409-412 Strand, WC2R 0NS Charing Cross £20£67.50, Nov 11-Apr 27 2013, Mon-Sat 7.30pm, mat Nov 11-Apr 27 2013, Wed, Sat 3pm, Apr 29-Sep 28, Mon-Thu 7.30pm, Fri 5pm & 8.30pm, mat Apr 29Sep 28, Sat 3pm. The stage adaptation from director Thea Sharrock, of the early 1990s film which starred Kevin Costner and Whitney Houston A Chorus Line booking until Jan 25 2014, London Palladium, 8 Argyll Street, W1F 7TF Oxford Circus £19.50£65, Feb 2-18 previews £10-£55, MonSat 7.45pm, mats Wed, Sat 3pm. Revival of Michael Bennett’s award-winning musical.
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Dear World booking until Mar 30 2013, Charing Cross Theatre, The Arches, Villiers Street, WC2N 6NL Embankment £15-£42.50, Mon-Sat 7.30pm, mats Wed, Sat 2.30pm. A new version of Jerry Herman’s musical fable, written here by David Thompson. Fiesta (The Sun Also Rises) booking until Mar 2 2013, Trafalgar Studios, 14 Whitehall, SW1A 2DY Charing Cross Feb 5-7 Tue-Thu 7.45pm & 3pm previews £15, Feb 7-28, Mar 1 & 2 Mon-Sat 7.45pm & 3pm £15£25, Mon-Sat 7.45pm, mats Thu, Sat 3pm. A musical adaptation of Ernest Hemingway’s first novel, The Sun Also Rises, from Alex Helfrecht and Sam Snape. Great Expectations booking until Jun 1 2013, Vaudeville Theatre, 404 Strand, WC2R 0NH Embankment Mon-Thu/ Sat mats £25-£50, Fri & Sat eves £25£55, Feb 1-5 previews £25-£45, Premium Seats £75, Mon, Wed-Sat 7.30pm, Tue 7pm, mats Wed, Sat 3pm. Jo Clifford’s adaptation of Charles Dickens’s novel. Jersey Boys booking until Oct 20 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, Sun 5pm, mats Tue, Sat 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. Musical based on Victor Hugo’s classic novel. Let It Be booking until Oct 5 2013, Savoy Theatre, Savoy Court, Strand, WC2R 0ET Charing Cross £20£60, Mon, Wed-Sat 7.30pm, Sun 7pm, mats Sat & Sun 3pm. Marking 50 years since the release of their first single, The Beatles are celebrated in this musicalnarrative, created by RAIN Productions. The Lion King booking until Jun 30 2013, Lyceum Theatre, 21 Wellington Street, WC2E 7RQ Covent Garden Tue-Thu £25-£62.50, Fri, Sun £27.50£65, Sat £30-£67.50, Premium Seats £70-£95, Tue-Sat 7.30pm, mats Wed, Sat & Sun 2.30pm, extra mat Apr 4, no perf Apr 14. Musical based on the Disney film about a cub’s journey to pride leader. Macbeth booking until Apr 27 2013, Trafalgar Studios, 14 Whitehall, SW1A 2DY Charing Cross Mon £15 available online on the first day of each month, Tue-Sat £24.50-£54.50, Premium Seats £65, £10 day seats available in person at the box office from 10am on the day of the performance, Mon-Sat 7.30pm, mats Thu, Sat 2.30pm. James McAvoy and Claire Foy headline Jamie Lloyd’s staging of Shakespeare. 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. Musical comedy based at a family wedding and set to ABBA songs.
Quartermaine’s Terms booking until Apr 13 2013, Wyndham’s Theatre, Charing Cross Road, WC2H 0DA Leicester Square £25-£58.50, Mon-Sat 7.30pm, mats Thu, Sat 2.30pm. Rowan Atkinson stars as the teacher St John Quartermaine in Simon Gray’s tragicomic play.
Privates On Parade booking until Mar 2 2013, Noel Coward Theatre, 85-88 St Martin’s Lane, WC2N 4AU Leicester Square £10-£57.50, Premium Seats £85, Mon-Sat 7.30pm, mats Wed, Sat 2.30pm. There’s only a week left in which to catch Simon Russell Beale in Peter Nichols’s awardwinning second world war comedy. 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, WedSat 7.30pm, mats Wed, Sat 2.30pm, Sun 3pm. Dennis Kelly and Tim Minchin’s musical adaptation of Roald Dahl’s tale. Monty Python’s Spamalot booking until Apr 13 2013, Playhouse Theatre, Northumberland Avenue, WC2N 5DE Charing Cross £15-£85, Mon-Sat 8pm, mats Wed, Sat 2.30pm. Eric Idle and John Du Prez’s musical comedy featuring Stephen Tompkinson as King Arthur. The Mousetrap booking until Dec 21 2013, St Martin’s Theatre, West Street, Cambridge Circus, WC2H 9NZ Leicester Square £16-£42, Premium Seats £61, Mon-Sat 7.30pm, mats Tue 3pm, Sat 4pm. Agatha Christie’s murder mystery. Old Times booking until Apr 6 2013, The Harold Pinter Theatre, 6 Panton Street, SW1Y 4DN Piccadilly Circus £10£49.50, £10 front row day seats available at the box office from 10am on day of the performance, Mon-Sat 7.30pm, mats Wed, Sat 3pm. Harold Pinter’s sexually charged drama starring Kristin Scott Thomas, Rufus Sewell and Lia Williams. One Man, Two Guvnors booking until Aug 31 2013, Theatre Royal, Haymarket, 18 Suffolk Street, SW1Y 4HT Piccadilly Circus £15-£55, premium seats £85, concs available, Mon-Sat 7.30pm, mats Wed, Sat 2.30pm. Richard Bean’s comic tale, based on Carlo Goldoni’s The Servant Of Two Masters. The Phantom Of The Opera booking until Oct 26 2013, Her Majesty’s Theatre, 57 Haymarket, SW1Y 4QL Piccadilly Circus £22.45-£85, Mon-Sat 7.30pm, mats Thu, Sat 2.30pm. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Gothic musical about a masked man and his dangerous obsession.
Rock Of Ages booking until Nov 2 2013, Garrick Theatre, 2 Charing Cross Road, WC2H 0HH Charing Cross £25£65, Mon-Sat 7.45pm, mats Fri & Sat 3pm, transfer from Shaftesbury Theatre. Chris D’Arienzo’s musical celebrating Los Angeles rock culture. 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. 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. Steve McNicholas and Luke Cresswell’s percussion-based spectacular. The Tailor-Made Man booking until Apr 6 2013, Arts Theatre, 6-7 Great Newport Street, WC2H 7JB Covent Garden £20-£39.50, Feb 13-20 previews £10£29.50, Mon-Sat 7.30pm, mats Thu, Sat 2.30pm. The true story of silent screen actor William Haines who lost his MGM contract due to his homosexuality, written by Claudio Macor. Thriller Live booking until Oct 15 2013, Lyric Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue, W1D 7ES Piccadilly Circus £26£87.50, Tue-Fri, Sun 7.30pm, Sat 8pm, mats Sat 4pm, Sun 3.30pm. A celebration of the music of Michael Jackson. Top Hat - The Musical booking until Apr 27 2014, Aldwych Theatre, 49 Aldwych, WC2B 4DF Covent Garden £20£65, Mon-Sat 7.30pm, mats Thu, Sat 2.30pm, Feb 28 Q & A session with Linda Emmett, daughter of Irving Berlin, after mat perf, Feb 25-Apr 20, Sun 4pm, no eve perf Feb 25-Apr 20, Wed 7.30pm. Irving Berlin’s romantic musical. Vincent Simone And Flavia Cacace: Midnight Tango booking until Mar 2 2013, Phoenix Theatre, 110 Charing Cross Road, WC2H 0JP Leicester Square £20-£55, Premium Seats £90, Mon-Sat 7.30pm, mats Thu, Sat 3pm. The dance professionals present a showcase of tango routines. Viva Forever! booking until Jun 1 2013, Piccadilly Theatre, 16 Denman Street, W1D 7DY Piccadilly Circus £20£67.50, Nov 27-30, Dec 1-10 previews £20-£52.50, Mon-Thu, Sat 7.30pm, Fri 5pm & 8.30pm, mats Sat 3pm. Jennifer Saunders’s comedy musical, featuring the songs of the Spice Girls.
manuel harlan
WEST END
War Horse booking until Feb 15 2014, New London Theatre, 166 Drury Lane (corner of Parker Street), 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, MonSat 7.30pm, mats Sat 2.30pm, Feb 27, 2.30pm. Futuristic musical set to the hits of Freddie Mercury’s Queen. Wicked booking until Apr 26 2014, Apollo Victoria Theatre, 17 Wilton Road, SW1V 1LG Victoria Jan 1-Jun 29 Mon-Sat 7.30pm & 2.30pm £15£62.50, Sat 7.30pm £15-£65, Jul 1-Dec 31 2013, Jan 1-Apr 26 2014 Mon-Sun 7.30pm & 2.30pm £15-£65, Sat 7.30pm £15-£67.50, 24 front row day tickets priced £27.50 each released 10am at the box office, maximum two per person, MonSat 7.30pm, mats Wed, Sat 2.30pm, extra mats Feb 21, Oct 31, Dec 23, 27, 29, 31, Jan 2 2014, Feb 20 2014, 2.30pm, no perf Dec 25 & 26, 30, Dec 24, 29, 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-£48, Tue-Sat 8pm, mats Tue, Thu 3pm, Sat 4pm. Adaptation of Susan Hill’s ghost story.
ALEX BRENNER
OFF WEST END
Port booking until Mar 24 2013, National Theatre: Lyttelton, South Bank, SE1 9PX Waterloo Jan 28-31, Feb 1-28, Mar 1-24 £12-£34, concs available, Mar 1 & 2, 4-6, 11-14, 22 & 23, 7.45pm, mats Mar 2, 6, 13, 2.15pm, Mar 3, 24, 3pm, Mar 23, 2pm. A young girl despite everything, looks to the future and for something better, in Simon Stephens’s drama.
1001 Nights: Unicorn Theatre (Over 6s) Ends Mar 17 2013, Unicorn Theatre, 147 Tooley Street, SE1 2HZ London Bridge Feb 7-28, Mar 1-17 £16, under 21s £10, concs £13, Feb 5 & 6 previews £10, Mar 2, 7, 5pm, mats Feb 26, 28, Mar 7, 12-14, 1.30pm, Feb 26, 28, Mar 1, 7 & 8, 12-15, 10.30am, Mar 2, 9 & 10, 16 & 17, 2pm. Drawn from the stories of the Arabian Nights, Douglas Rintoul’s adaptation offers an adventurous drama featuring Rita Arya. Bottleneck Ends Mar 9 2013, Soho Theatre, 21 Dean Street, W1D 3NE Tottenham Court Road Feb 19 £10, Feb 20-28, Mar 1-9 £15, concs £10, Mon-Sat 8.30pm, Sat 4.30pm. A solo comedy written by Luke Barnes. The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari Ends Mar 16 2013, Arcola Theatre, 24 Ashwin Street, E8 3DL Dalston Junction £17, concs £12, Mon-Sat 8pm, mats Sat 3pm. A thrilling adaptation with music from simple8 theatre, of the silent horror movie from 1920. The Captain Of Kopenick booking until Apr 4 2013, National Theatre: Olivier, South Bank, SE1 9PX Waterloo Jan 29-31, Feb 1 & 2, 4 previews £12-£30, Feb 5-28, Mar 1-31, Apr 1-4 £12-£47, concs available, Mar 1 & 2, 4-6, 12-14, 21-23, 25, Apr 2-4, 7.30pm, mats Mar 2, 6, 13, 23, Apr 3, 2pm, Mar 3, 24, 2.30pm. Antony Sher plays the title role in a very funny version, by Ron Hutchinson, of Carl Zuckmayer’s satire. Cocktail Sticks booking until Mar 30 2013, National Theatre: Lyttelton, South Bank, SE1 9PX Waterloo £12-£32, Feb 25 & 26, Mar 16, 18, 28, 30, 6pm, mats Mar 10, 17, 3.30pm. An oratorio without music by Alan Bennett, with Alex Jennings and Janet Dale. Dancing Around Duchamp: Watt Starts Tue, booking until Mar 16 2013, Barbican Centre, Silk Street, EC2Y 8DS Barbican £18, From Feb 26, MonSat 7.45pm, mats Sat 3pm. A theatrical adaptation of Samuel Beckett’s poem, directed by Tom Creed. God’s Property Starts Tue, ends Mar 23 2013, Soho Theatre, 21 Dean Street, W1D 3NE Tottenham Court Road Feb 26-28, Mar 1 & 2 £10, Mar 4-16 £15, concs £12.50, Mar 18-23 £20, concs £17.50, From Feb 26, Mon-Sat 7.30pm, mats Sat 3pm, no perf Feb 27, no mat Mar 2. Arinze Kene’s drama set during the London inner city riots of 1982. Hello/Goodbye Starts Fri, ends Mar 30 2013, Hampstead Theatre, Eton Avenue, NW3 3EU Swiss Cottage Mar 1-6 £5, Mar 7-30 £12, concs £10, From Mar 1, Mon-Sat 7.45pm, mats Sat 3.15pm, no mat Mar 2. Comedy drama about two strangers who move into a rented flat. If You Don’t Let Us Dream, We Won’t Let You Sleep booking until Mar 9 2013, Jerwood Theatre At The Royal Court, Sloane Square, SW1W 8AS Sloane Square Mon £10, Tue-Sat £12-£28, Thu, Sat 2.30pm and all on perfs until Feb 23 concs £12, £15, £23, 25s and under £8, Mon-Sat 7.30pm,
mats Thu, Sat 2.30pm, no mat perf Feb 28. A political play on the ethos of austerity and offering an alternative, by Anders Lustgarten. Kiss Me Kate booking until Mar 2 2013, Old Vic, 103 The Cut, SE1 8NB Waterloo £11-£60, Mon-Sat 7.30pm, mats Wed, Sat 2.30pm. The awardwinning, Cole Porter classic musical is directed by Trevor Nunn. Lady Rizo Ends Mar 9 2013, Soho Theatre, 21 Dean Street, W1D 3NE Tottenham Court Road Feb 18-20 preview £10, Feb 21-28, Mar 1-9 Tue-Thu £15, concs £12.50, Fri & Sat £20, concs £17.50, Mon-Sat 9.45pm, no perf Feb 25, Mar 4. Cabaret performance featuring vintage arrangements and original material. DreamWorks Madagascar Live! (Over 3s) Starts Fri, ends Mar 3 2013, Wembley Arena, Arena Square, Engineers Way, HA9 0DH Wembley Park £20£50, family £99, Mar 1 & 2, 6.30pm, mats Mar 2, 11am & 3pm, Mar 3, 12noon & 4pm. A fun-filled spectacular based on the DreamWorks film franchise, in which 25 characters go on an adventure from Central Park to the Madagascar beaches. The Magic Flute Ends Mar 3 2013, Riverside Studios, Crisp Road, W6 9RL Hammersmith Feb 5 & 6 previews £22.50, concs £22, Feb 7-28, Mar 1-3 £25, concs £22.50, Tue-Sat 7.30pm, Sun 5pm, mats Sat 2.45pm. Kit HeskethHarvey’s translation of Mozart’s opera. Merrily We Roll Along Ends Mar 9 2013, The Menier Chocolate Factory, 53 Southwark Street, SE1 1RU London Bridge £35, concs £27.50, £43 inc meal, Premium Seats £37.50, Tue-Sat 8pm, mats Sat & Sun 3.30pm. Stephen Sondheim and George Furth’s musical, based on the 1934 drama by George S Kaufman and Moss Hart. Money: The Game Show Ends Mar 9 2013, The Bush Theatre, 7 Uxbridge Road, W12 8LJ Shepherd’s Bush Feb 6-28, Mar 1-9 Mon-Sat eves £19.50, concs £12, Sat mats £15, concs £10, Feb 27 £15, concs £10, Mon-Sat 7.30pm, mats Sat 2.30pm, extra mat Feb 27, 2.30pm. Satirical performance exploring the origins of the banking crisis. Oh What A Lovely War Ends Mar 15 2013, Theatre Royal Stratford East, Gerry Raffles Square, E15 1BN Stratford Feb 4-6 previews £15, Feb 1-3, 7-28, Mar 1-15 Mon-Sat 7.30pm & 2.30pm £12£22, concs £8-£14.50, Fri-Sun 7.30pm & 3pm £14-£28, concs £9.50-£18.50, Mon-Sat 7.30pm, mats Sat 2.30pm, Sun 3pm. Satirical musical about world war one, originally adapted by Joan Littlewood, from Charles Chilton’s 1961 radio play. Our Country’s Good Ends Mar 9 2013, St James Theatre, 12 Palace Street, SW1E 5JA Victoria £25-£42.50, Mon-Sat 7.30pm, mats Thu, Sat 2.30pm. Timberlake Wertenbaker’s drama, based on The Playmaker by Thomas Keneally, is directed by Max Stafford-Clark.
Bitch Boxer Ends Mar 9 2013, Soho Theatre, 21 Dean Street, W1D 3NE Tottenham Court Road Feb 19 £10, Feb 20-28, Mar 1-9 £15, concs £10, Mon-Sat 7pm, mats Sat 3pm. Solo drama set in the world of women’s boxing.
Our Friends, The Enemy Starts Wed, ends Mar 2 2013, New Wimbledon Theatre, 93 The Broadway, SW19 1QG Wimbledon £10, Feb 27 & 28, Mar 1 & 2, 7.45pm. A theatrical story combined with spoken word and poetry set during the First World War’s Christmas truce. The Paper Cinema’s Odyssey Ends Mar 9 2013, Battersea Arts Centre, Lavender Clapham Junction Hill, SW11 5TN £15, concs £10, Mon-Sun 7.30pm. Homer’s epic poem is retold using cinematic projection and puppetry. Paper Dolls Starts Thu, ends Apr 13 2013, Tricycle Theatre, 269 Kilburn High Road, NW6 7JR Kilburn Mon/ Wed 2pm & 8pm £14, Tue-Thu/Sat 4pm & 8pm £20, concs £18, Fri & Sat 8pm £22, concs £20, From Feb 28, Mon-Sat 8pm, mats Sat 4pm, Mar 13, 20, 2pm (press night Mar 6, 7pm, no perf Apr 1, no mat perf Mar 2). Philip Himberg’s drama adapted from the film by Tomer Heymann. People booking until Apr 2 2013, National Theatre: Lyttelton, South Bank, SE1 9PX Waterloo £12-£47, MonFri under 18s £19 & £23.50, other concs available, Nov 1-3, 5 & 6, 8, 16 & 17, 1922, 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, 11-13, 18-21, 25-28, Mar 7-9, 15 & 16, 18-20, 26-28, 30, Apr 1 & 2, 7.45pm (press night Nov 7, 7pm, Mar 21, 7pm, mats Nov 8, 17, 29, Dec 6, 15, 20, 29, 31, Jan 5, 12, Feb 2, 9, 13, 20, 27, Mar 9, 27, 30, 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. Playing Cards 1: SPADES Ends Mar 2 2013, Roundhouse, Chalk Farm Road, NW1 8EH Chalk Farm £15-£45, Feb 7-9 previews £15-£40, concs available, Mon-Sat 7pm. The first in a quartet of plays which are each shaped around a suit in a deck of cards, from Robert Lepage. Contains nudity and scenes of a violent nature.
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LISTINGS FRINGE
Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch: Vollmond Ends Feb 25 2013, Sadler’s Wells, Rosebery Avenue, EC1R 4TN Angel £15-£60, Feb 25, 7.30pm. A rarely performed work from the repertoire of the acclaimed choreographer. Salad Days Ends Mar 2 2013, Riverside Studios, Crisp Road, W6 9RL Hammersmith £25, concs £20, Premium Seats £30 & £35, Cafe Seats £40, Tue-Sat 7.45pm, mats Thu, Sat & Sun 3pm. Julian Slade’s and Dorothy Reynolds’s sunny and romantic musical. The Secret Garden Ends Mar 17 2013, King’s Head, Islington, 115 Upper Street, N1 1QN Angel £10-£25, concs £16, Mon, Sun 7.15pm, mat Mar 17, 3pm. Musical based on Frances Hodgson Burnett’s children’s novel. A Time To Reap booking until Mar 23 2013, Jerwood Theatre At The Royal Court, Sloane Square, SW1W 8AS Sloane Square Mon £10, Tue-Sat £20, concs £15, Mon-Sat 7.45pm, Mar 12 & 13, 15, 8.30pm, mats Thu, Sat 3.30pm (press night Feb 27, 7pm). One woman’s personal story set against the backdrop of Polish national evolution and politics, written by Anna Wakulik. The Turn Of The Screw Ends Mar 16 2013, Almeida Theatre, Almeida Street, N1 1TA Highbury & Islington Jan 1823 previews £8-£26, concs available, Jan 24-31, Feb 1-28, Mar 1-16 £8-£32, concs available, Mon-Sat 7.30pm, mats Sat 2.30pm, extra mat perf Mar 6, 2.30pm. Henry James’s ghostly novella, adapted by Rebecca Lenkiewicz. This House booking until Apr 8 2013, National Theatre: Olivier, South Bank, SE1 9PX Waterloo £12-£47, Feb 23, 25-27, Mar 7-9, 11, 15 & 16, 18-20, 27 & 28, 30, Apr 1, 5 & 6, 8, 7.30pm (press night Feb 28, 7pm, mats Mar 9, 16, 20, 27, 30, Apr 6, 2pm, Mar 10, 17, Apr 7, 2.30pm). A political drama set during the year of 1974, written by James Graham. Trelawny Of The Wells Ends Apr 13 2013, Donmar Warehouse, 41 Earlham Street, WC2H 9LX Covent Garden Feb 15-25 previews £10-£27.50, standing £7.50, Feb 26-28, Mar 1-31, Apr 1-13 £10-£35, standing £7.50, Mon-Sat 7.30pm, mats Thu, Sat 2.30pm (press night Feb 26, 7pm). Arthur Wing Pinero’s homage to the stage, directed by BAFTA award-winning director Joe Wright.
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The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee Starts Wed, ends Mar 24 2013, Broadway Theatre, Rushey Green, SE6 4RU Catford £14.50, child/ OAP £11, Wed-Sat 7.30pm, Sun 3pm. An amusing tale chronicling the experience of six adolescents vying for the spelling championship of a lifetime. Aladdin Ends Mar 2 2013, Brick Lane Music Hall, 443 North Woolwich Road, E16 2DA Liverpool Street Jan 18 & 19, 25 & 26, Feb 1 & 2, 9, 15 & 16, Mar 2 9pm three course dinner & show £39.50, Jan 16 & 17, 22, 24, 29 & 30, Feb 6, 12, 14, 20, 22 & 23, 27, Mar 1 2pm afternoon tea & show £27.50, Jan 23, 31, Feb 7 & 8, 13, 21, 26 & 28 2.30pm lunch & show £32.50, Mar 2, 9pm, dinner from 7.30pm, mats Feb 26, 28, 2.30pm, lunch from 1pm, Feb 27, Mar 1, 2pm, served with afternoon tea. A very grown-up pantomime show, by Vincent Hayes. Alaska Starts Tue, ends Feb 27 2013, Jacksons Lane Theatre, 269a Archway Road, N6 5AA Highgate £14.95, concs £12.95, Feb 26 & 27, 8pm. Contemporary comedy drama set in the challenging wilderness. Alp Haydar’s Asylum Seekers The Battersea Barge, Riverside Walk, Nine Elms Lane, SW8 5BP Vauxhall £7, Feb 28, 8pm-10pm, doors 6.30pm. Videointeractive comedy cabaret show. Andrea Donovan Is Missing Parts Etcetera Theatre, 265 Camden High Street, NW1 7BU Camden Town £8, Feb 25, 7.30pm. A one-woman detective comedy. Anything Goes Starts Thu, ends Mar 7 2013, Bernie Grant Arts Centre, Town Hall Approach Road, N15 4RX Seven Sisters £10, concs £6.50, From Feb 28, Feb 28, Mar 1-7, 3pm & 7.30pm. Cole Porter’s classic musicalA Champagne cocktail of unforgettable songs and one in the eye for the Great Depression. Boy George’s Taboo Ends Mar 31 2013, Brixton Clubhouse, 467 Brixton Road, SW9 8HH Brixton £10, £25, Meal Deal with top price ticket only £32.50, Oct 31 £20, Tue-Sun 7.30pm, mats Sat & Sun 3pm. Boy George’s romantic musical set during the era of the New Romantics A British Boy In Brooklyn Landor Theatre, 70 Landor Street, SW9 9PH Clapham North £12, concs £8, Feb 28, 7.30pm. A new musical from the writers of Jet Set Go. Cabaret Salon Volupte, 7-9 Norwich Street, EC4A 1EJ Chancery Lane £67 inc meal, Feb 28, 8pm. A showcase for rising cabaret stars. Calendar Girls The Network Theatre, 246A Lower Road, SE1 8SJ Waterloo FREE, Feb 25, 7pm. A staged reading of the famous play. Chess The Musical Ends Mar 16 2013, Union Theatre, 204 Union Street, SE1 0LX Waterloo £18, concs £16, Feb 13 & 14 previews £15, Tue-Sat 7.30pm, Sun 2.30pm & 7pm. A fully staged production of the definitive version
of the musical by Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus, and Sir Tim Rice. Coalition Ends Mar 10 2013, Pleasance Theatre, Carpenter’s Mews, North Road, N7 9EF Caledonian Road £8£14, Tue-Sun 7.30pm, mats Sat 3pm. A fast-moving satirical comedy about the nearing of the end of the coalition government, written by Robert Khan and Tom Salinsky. Consumed Rich Mix, 35-47 Bethnal Green Road, E1 6LA Aldgate East £12, NUS/concs £10, Mar 1, 7.30pm. Romantic drama set against the backdrop of a rapidly changing China. Facts Starts Tue, ends Mar 23 2013, Finborough Theatre, 118 Finborough Road, SW10 9ED West Brompton Wed-Fri, Sun £14 & £16, concs/Tue £10 & £12, Sat £14 & £16, Feb 26 & 27 preview £9, Tue-Sat 7.30pm, mats Sun 3pm, Mar 9, 16, 23, 3pm (preview Feb 26 & 27). A powerful new play about a prominent American archaeologist working in the West Bank found murdered. Glasgow Girls Ends Mar 2 2013, Theatre Royal Stratford East, Gerry Raffles Square, E15 1BN Stratford Mon-Thu/Sat mats £5-£20, Mon-Thu concs/Sat mats concs £5-£15, Fri & Sat eves £12-£24, concs £10-£18, Feb 8 & 9 previews £12, Tue-Sat 7.30pm, mats Sat 2.30pm. David Grieg and Cora Bissett’s musical based on a true story. Guys And Dolls Starts Thu, ends Mar 2 2013, The Questors Theatre, 12 Mattock Lane, W5 5BQ Ealing Broadway £10, concs £8, Feb 28, Mar 1 & 2, 7.30pm. The popular musical set in the hustle and bustle of New York City. Hamlet Ends Mar 3 2013, The Rose, Bankside, 56 Park Street, SE1 9AR London Bridge £12, concs £10, TueSat 7.30pm, mats Sun 3pm. An intimate production of Shakespeare’s Denmark tragedy, directed by Martin Parr. Hot Property Starts Tue, ends Mar 1 2013, Etcetera Theatre, 265 Camden High Street, NW1 7BU Camden Town £10, Feb 26-Mar 1, 7.30pm. A comedy about celebrity directed by Matthew Randle. In The Beginning Was The End Ends Mar 30 2013, Somerset House, The Strand, WC2R 1LA Temple £24.50, concs £19.50, Mon-Thu every five minutes from 6.30pm-10.55pm, average journey time 70 minutes. Dreamthinkspeak’s site-responsive promenade through an underground labyrinth. Laburnum Grove Starts Sun, ends Mar 19 2013, Finborough Theatre, 118 Finborough Road, SW10 9ED West Brompton £14, concs £10, From Mar 3, Sun & Mon 7.30pm, mats Tue 2pm (press night Mar 4). A comic exploration of dishonesty in the suburbs of England, written by JB Priestley. Miss Hope Springs...Sunday Soiree Starts Sun, ends Mar 31 2013, Brasserie Zedel, 20 Sherwood Street, W1F 7ED Piccadilly Circus £12, Sun 7pm. The ex-Las Vegas showgirl sings original songs and recalls showbusiness tales about her ‘career’ in Tinseltown.
MYFIRSTTRAINERS.ORG Ends Feb 27 2013, Tristan Bates Theatre, The Actors Centre, 1a Tower Street, WC2H 9NP Leicester Square £12, Feb 25-27, 7.30pm. Jonathan Lewis takes an irreverent look at corporate life. On Top Of The World/Fourplay/ Stiff Upper Lip/The Price Of Power/ Pineapple Juice/At The Click Of A Mouse/Last Orders Brockley Jack Studio Theatre, 410 Brockley Road, SE4 2DH Honor Oak Park £8, Mar 2, 5pm & 8pm. The Jack Writers’ Workshop presents short dramas inspired by newspaper stories. Romeo & Juliet Ends Mar 2 2013, Upstairs At The Gatehouse, Hampstead Lane, N6 4BD Highgate Tue £10, Wed-Fri/Sun £14, concs £12, Sat £16, concs £14, Tue-Sat 7.30pm, mats Sun 4pm. Shakespeare’s tragedy of forbidden love, here set in 1960s Brighton. The Tailors’ Last Stand Ends Mar 10 2013, Barons Court Theatre, The Curtain’s Up, 28A Comeragh Road, W14 9HR Barons Court £12, concs £10, Tue-Sat 7.30pm, Sun 6.30pm, mats Mar 2, 9, 2.30pm. The world premiere of a new comedy about a band of London tailors. Tales From The Shed (Under 7s) Ends Mar 23 2013, Chickenshed, 290 Chase Side, N14 4PE Cockfosters £5.50, child under 6 months FREE, Fri & Sat 11.30am, Sat 10am, no perf Mar 8 & 9. Interactive performances for children. Tomorrow I’ll Be Happy: LOST Youth Theatre Company Starts Wed, ends Mar 2 2013, LOST Theatre, 208 Wandsworth Road, SW8 2JU Stockwell Feb 27 Pay what you can, Feb 28 £5, Mar 1 & 2 £10, Feb 27 & 28, Mar 1 & 2, 7.30pm. Jonathan Harvey’s drama about a homophobic hate crime. A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings (Over 6s) Ends Mar 2 2013, The Little Angel Theatre, 14 Dagmar Passage, Cross Street, N1 2DN Angel £14, child/ concs £10, Fri 5pm £5, Feb 26 & 27, Mar 2, 3pm & 7pm, Feb 28, 1pm & 7pm, Mar 1, 5pm & 8pm. A parable inspired by the short story by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, directed by Mike Shepherd of Kneehigh, alongside Sarah Wright of the Little Angel Theatre. Vincent River Starts Tue, ends Mar 24 2013, Pleasance Theatre, Carpenter’s Mews, North Road, N7 9EF Caledonian Road £10-£12, From Feb 26, Tue-Sat 7.45pm, Sun 5.45pm. Restock Theatre presents Philip Ridley’s drama. Why The Lion Danced: Yellow Earth (Over 5s) Ends Mar 2 2013, Polka Theatre, 240 The Broadway, SW19 1SB South Wimbledon £12, concs/previews £8, Mar 2, 11am, mat Mar 2, 2.30pm. Children’s show adapted from a Chinese fable. Your Place Or Mine? Starts Tue, ends Mar 2 2013, Ovalhouse, 54 Kennington Oval, SE11 5SW Oval £5, Feb 2628, Mar 1 & 2, 8.15pm. Tim Redfern and David Sheppeard’s play on forgetting and apathy.
WIN family tickets to
Madagascar Live! T his is your chance to win tickets for a family of four to the first arena tour of DreamWorks Madagascar Live! presented by Stage Entertainment Touring Productions. There are five family tickets up for grabs at Wembley Arena on Friday, March 1 at 6.30pm, and each winner will also receive a copy of the newly released Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted on DVD. Everyone’s favourite Madagascar characters will star in a live theatrical show based on the blockbuster DreamWorks Animation franchise, reliving the fun and humour of the animals and their escapades, brilliantly recreated in an arena production of lively storytelling, dance and music, including the hit song Move It, Move It. Madagascar Live! is at Wembley Arena March 1-3. Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted is available now on DVD and Blu-ray.
Visit the official Madagascar Live! website for the full touring schedule and more information: madlive.co.uk
To be in with a chance of winning, just answer the following question before midday on February 28:
Where is Madagascar Live! going to be hosted? A) Wembley Arena B) The Globe Theatre C) Your front room To enter text SCOUT MADAGASCAR and your answer to 88010 or head to scoutlondon.com/win Texts cost £1*, and count
for TWO entries!
* TERMS & CONDITIONS: Messages cost £1 each + standard network rate. 18+ bill payers only. Send STOP to end. Number may show on bill. A2B 08700460138. Competition opens 25/02/13 and closes at midday on 28/02/13. There is no cash alternative. Prize is non-transferable and not for re-sale. Family ticket can be used by any combination of a total of 4 adults and children. At least 1 adult must be present. Children aged 2 - 18 must have a ticket. Children under 2 may sit on their parent’s/guardian’s lap. Tickets valid for the first performance of Madagascar Live! at Wembley Arena on Friday 1st March 2013 at 6.30pm, subject to availability. Seats can be located anywhere within the top two family ticket price bands. Any travel and accommodation will not be included in the prize. 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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