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FREE EVERY MONDAY MARCH 04>10 2013

ART & CULTURE COMEDY FILM FOOD & DRINK MUSIC SHOPPING SMALL SCREEN THEATRE

Olly Murs | oz the great and powerful | Kelly Brook

Wonder Wonder Wonder

Art Art and Art Art and Science and and Science Science Science on the onon on the Brain the the Brain Brain Brain Mar–Apr Mar–Apr Mar–Apr Mar–Apr A season A season AAtoseason season light to light up to tothe light light upmind the up upmind the the withmind mind film, withwith with film,film, film, theatre, theatre, music, theatre, theatre, music, talks music, music, talks andtalks talks participation andand and participation participation participation barbican.org.uk/wonder barbican.org.uk/wonder barbican.org.uk/wonder barbican.org.uk/wonder #wonderseason #wonderseason #wonderseason #wonderseason

Cover Story

8 London 2063 What will London look like in 50 years? We ask experts to predict the future, and give you a glimpse of what’s likely to be in store

Regulars COVER PHOTO: FOSTER + PARTNERS / THE BIG PICTURE: FOSTER + PARTNERS

4 Scouted Date Night, Places That Change Your Life, Book Now, Last Chance London 6 Talent Scout Actress Amy Morgan, tells us about her favourite London haunts

The Big Picture

Sections 17 20 27 28 32 34 38 40 48

London Food & Drink Shopping Art & Culture Comedy Film Small Screen Music Theatre

The future look of London – page 8

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Women to wow # love

Date Night

Sounds of success Angelique Kidjo will perform

Performers and speakers will celebrate women’s achievements and campaign for gender equality at festival The one where you stuff your face...

VENUE Feast London PRICE £ PERFECT FOR Chowing down with your long-term partner When you’ve been together for a while, going out for dinner becomes a bit passe. Unless you go to Feast London in Tobacco Dock (March 7-10), which is hardcore dining with a twist. You’ll want to starve yourself (like, for a week) before you go, because Feast London does exactly what it says on the tin: let you feast from stalls belonging to some of the hottest movers and shakers in London’s food scene.

The line-up this spring includes

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Dishoom, Rita’s, HIX, Patty and Bun, Caravan, Wright Brothers, Meringue Girls and many more. It’s the ultimate food festival, and in a nicer space than Olympia. wefeast.co.uk

FACT TO ENTERTAIN

Wall’s Feast ice cream was introduced back in 1995 and remains a best seller to this day.

IT’S GOING WELL ...

You’re going to be too full for anything else, so under the guise of romance go for a stroll along the river to St Katharine’s Dock.

YOU NEED TO ESCAPE

Wipe your mouth on their coat.

The boss WOW artistic director Jude Kelly

Girl group The All Women Orchestra

07: MacFarlane’s, Clapham

Walters, singer Petula Clark, and presenter Jenni Murray.

The annual event celebrates women’s achievements and discusses the obstacles that still exist in society, with the best of recognised and emerging female talent across all fields and industries making gender equality a front-and-centre issue.

If you’re fed up with being served greasy slices of (probable) horse at your local supermarket, head down to MacFarlane’s Deli. Nestled in a side road by Clapham South, MacFarlane’s has been serving up cheese, pâté and pesto for over 12 years.

The cheeses are sourced directly from producers or trusted cheese merchants throughout Europe, the charcuterie is carefully

March 6-10, Southbank Centre, southbankcentre.co.uk/wow

Send us your favourite spots of inspiration by email, Twitter or Facebook. You might end up in Scouted.

Stand-up star Sue Perkins will star in comedy show Mirth Control

Feminism and porn – not two things you’d often put together. But it’s just one of the hot topics being debated as part of a fiveday festival celebrating the achievements of women.

Timed to coincide with International Women’s Day on March 8, the Southbank Centre’s Women of the World (WOW) festival will feature over 300 speakers and performers including comedians Sandi Toksvig and Ruby Wax, actress Julie

BOOK belinda lawley / linda nylind / Jacob Halton, Anton Khristolubov, The Noun Project

NOW

Much Ado About Nothing The Old Vic September 7-November 16 oldvictheatre.com

Merrily We Roll Along Menier Chocolate Factory Closes Sat Mar 9

last chance

LONDON

Lady Rizo Soho Theatre Closes Sat Mar 9 Bottleneck Soho Theatre Closes Sat Mar 9

GET IN TOUCH

If You Won’t Let Us Dream, We Won’t Let You Sleep Jerwood Theatre at the Royal Court Closes Sat Mar 9 Bitch Boxer Soho Theatre Closes Sat Mar 9 Shen Yun 2013 Barbican Centre Closes Sat Mar 9

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Bruno Mars The O2 October 8 theo2.co.uk

Eva Hesse 1965 Hauser & Wirth Closes Sat Mar 9

A$AP Rocky

O2 Academy Brixton May 21 & 22 o2academybrixton.co.uk

sourced, and the fruit and veg are organic and locallysourced where possible.

This is no high street bakers: the MacFarlane’s sausage roll has been described as the “Rolls Royce of sausage rolls” and their freshly made pies and quiches have a cult status. The only downside: you might have to elbow a yummy mummy out of the way before they sell out. macfarlanesdeli.co.uk

British Summer Time: Bon Jovi Hyde Park October 29&30 theo2.co.uk

BAD MEANING GOOD

BAD MEANING BAD

The upside down purple cow of Udderbelly and the London Wonderground have announced their programmes – and they’re ace!

Broken ribs mean Robert Hardy had to pull out of his role as Winston Churchill in The Audience. Still, he’s replaced by Edward Fox.

We like this

We don’t like this

Art In Mind: Downtown Brick Lane Gallery Closes Sun Mar 10 Coalition The Pleasance Closes Sun Mar 10

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020 7998 1901 scoutlondon.com Scout London

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Amy Morgan Actress

Let’s go for a drink – Scout’s buying. Where shall we go?

The cast and I love the Two Brewers in Seven Dials. It has a long history of actors going for a drink there and you always end up seeing someone you’ve worked with.

Nice choice. Now how about a bite to eat?

If I’m feeling posh, J Sheekys. It’s steeped in history, serves amazing food and has a sense of ceremony.

But I also adore Byron Burger.

Scout London Cover Stars 0030 Simon Astridge , 32, Architect and Lecturer, NW6

What in London inspires you?

People, food, sunlight, parks, art, galleries, books and the physical urban fabric! London inspires me daily on many levels, I find it a humbling, stimulating and an invigorating place to practice architecture. It’s one of the best cities in the world for sure.

Favourite part of London?

Without a doubt it has to be Kentish Town – the best food, pubs and eclectic mix of people in London. It is walking distance from the West End and striking distance from

Hampstead Heath to the north and Primrose Hill to the south-west while maintaining that nonchalant appeal.

How important is London in your work?

It’s critical – currently, all our work is in London, from one-off intimate joinery items to multi-unit mixed residential/commercial use complexes for developers. London has it all, from pop-up food joints to attention-grabbing skyscrapers.

Any London secrets to share?

Exploring spaces and places along

Where’s your favourite outdoor spot in the city?

I love the South Bank. It doesn’t matter what time of the year it is, you can always stroll down there and feel how wonderful London is. I’ve laughed, cried and drunk a lot of wine there. It’s nice to be near the water too, as I miss the beaches in Wales.

What’s your favourite London theatre?

To be honest, it’s the Donmar. It’s such a versatile but compact space that you can really connect with your audience straight away. And everyone there is just so lovely.

Do you have any secret tips for Londoners?

Yplan! It’s an amazing phone app that tells you amazing events happening in London that night – from secret cinema screenings to exhibitions, comedy and football.

Amy Morgan is in Trelawny of The Wells at the Donmar Warehouse until April 13, donmarwarehouse.com the Regent’s Canal, including Victoria Miro gallery between Angel and Old Street. This really cool new gallery extension sits on top of an existing industrial-style building with a secluded courtyard garden and contemplative pond to the rear.

What’s next for you?

Continuing trying to change the world we live in with beautiful architecture! I’m also launching a new weekly blog on all architectural based thoughts and ramblings.

See more at: simonastridge.com

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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johan persson

It’s only a few years since Amy Morgan graduated from The Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama, yet she’s already making waves on the British stage. Having starred in Howard Davies’ acclaimed revival of Hay Fever at the Noël Coward, the 26-year-old from Bridgend in Wales is now starring in the central role of Rose Trelawny at the Donmar Warehouse, under the direction of renowned film-maker Joe Wright (Atonement and Anna Karenina).

THE SPONTANEITY SHOP AND PLEASANCE PRESENT

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H

ectic London lifestyles don’t leave much room for serious thought about what the future will look like. It is, of course, a totally unknown quantity – impossible to predict. But that doesn’t mean you can’t make some educated guesses, albeit rather broad ones. And no, this isn’t just an excuse to fantasise about flying cars.

It’s a serious question: what will London be like in 50 years? If we’re still around, this will be the London of our twilight years; the London that our children will be running. What will the skyline look like? Where will the hipsters hang out? How will we travel around it?

We looked at major planned developments, where current trends are leading and spoke to experts about what the capital will be like to live in, in 2063.

By Chris Beanland

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GETTY

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carole gomez, GETTY

Green heights Roof space will be used for gardens and for growing food, as this artist’s impression shows

LONDON LIFE By 2063 a raft of huge skyscrapers will have been built all over the city, creating a new skyline that will be almost unrecognisable from today’s iconic silhouette. London could well have one of the densest and tallest cityscapes in the world by then, but the expectation is that this will be softened by green spaces – rooftop gardens, beehives and allotments for growing food, and more parks.

“In 50 years the streets will be a much nicer place for pedestrians and cyclists to be,” asserts Gareth Edwards, editor of the influential London Reconnections blog. “The buses and iconic London taxis will be entirely electric (or at least fossil fuel-free), and if there are still petrolpowered private vehicles, they will have been completely banned from the centre of the city.”

Edwards also predicts that commuting will change enormously – or even disappear entirely.

“As the transport systems increasingly struggle to keep up with demand, working from home will become less of a luxury for London’s firms than a necessity. We will also start to see an increase in ‘reverse commuting’ as firms, encouraged

by London’s outer borough councils, move out to base themselves on the city edges. The

next generation will be commuting outwards to Tottenham Hale, rather than inwards to Tottenham Court Road.”

An increase in the number of single people living in London will likely add to the strain on housing provision, presumably requiring innovative solutions – hints of which can be glimpsed through current plans to convert rows of garages in Haggerston into microflats.

Of course, a huge change will be how we interact and connect with each other, and with the city. If the past decade or so are anything to go by, technology will allow us to be constantly ‘plugged-in’ to work, to friends, to social networks, to all sorts of new media, to the city streets and even to buildings. Smart connections and portable devices will all be seamlessly interwoven, always on, linking everyone and everything in concert.

There obviously won’t be newspapers, and probably not books, radio or TV either. Instead we’ll see a convergence of devices and media into blends combining elements of all these things that we can enjoy while walking up Oxford Street or sitting on the next generation Routemaster bus.

It won’t look like this for long The current London skyline with an artist’s impression of the Nine Elms development in the foreground

10 Scout London scoutlondon.com

Exhibition sponsored by

What the future holds Plans for the development of Battersea

LONDON’S COOLEST DISTRICTS IN 2063

students won’t be seen dead in East London,” laughs Steve Pill, editor of Artists & Illustrators magazine. “Just as Chelsea has spent the last half-century morphing from a swinging 1960s hotspot, so too Clapton, Dalston and Mile End

will become gentrified to the point of not being cool at all. The art school graduates of the future will be living out of Victorian terraces, warehouses and converted rail depots in North Acton, Willesden and Harlesden.”

Flat pack city Ikea is planning to build a new ‘town’ called Strand East, near the Olympic park

pawel gaul, GETTY

The perennial question, “Where’s the next Hackney?”, is almost impossible to answer now, let alone when looking 50 years ahead.

However, there are some ambitious development plans already scheduled that are likely to attract people to new areas of London.

Ikea is building a huge ‘town’ between Stratford and Bow, called Strand East, which will house thousands of residents. And a major redevelopment scheme on the Leamouth Peninsula in east London is likely to have turned that area into a thriving residential and new media business hub in 50 years’ time.

There are also significant new construction and new transport links scheduled for south London. One of the biggest new developments on the drawing board is the Nine Elms development in Battersea. The US is building a new embassy, which will open in 2017, and new housing will be served by an extension of the Northern Line from Kennington. As for Battersea Power Station, it should definitely still be standing and should – assuming current plans go ahead – be an impressive complex of flats and shops by 2063.

King’s Cross will be a thriving commercial area, home to new headquarters for Google and Sainsbury’s.

And what of Dalston? “In 50 years time, art

New look An artist’s impression of the Nine Elms development, which will see 20,000 homes built

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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

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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

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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

LONDON’S AIRPORTS IN 2063

Central hub A vision of how the proposed Thames Estuary airport might look

connecting the airport to Phase Two of High Speed Rail (HS2).

“It would link the airport with Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds on one side and offer connections to mainland Europe via the Eurostar on the other. These plans are likely to prove popular with the government as they mean some short haul air routes could be axed and replaced with the more lucrative long haul services to emerging markets in China, India and Asia.”

By 2063 Gatwick or Stansted might have two runways and London City Airport will be larger. But the biggest question is

LONDON’S ART AND CULTURAL LIFE IN 2063 Brush strokes are gradually giving way to pixels, just as MP3s usurped CDs and streaming replaced DVDs. So is the future of London art and culture inevitably electronic?

“I still don’t think that will be the case by 2063,” counters Artists & Illustrators magazine’s Pill. “A work of art is, by its nature, unique – and while there are some fantastic people working in the digital realm, it’s impossible to generate the same excitement inherent in a one-off painting or installation.

Nevertheless, I think the web will increasingly dominate the way in which we understand 14 Scout London scoutlondon.com

whether a huge new airport will be built in the Thames Estuary. Plans for the development have been mooted since the 70s, but have consistently failed due to opposition and a lack of desire to invest. However, a current plan has been championed by Mayor Boris Johnson – resulting in its inevitable nickname, Boris Island – who reportedly set “a crack team” on it to investigate. That could make London life very different, as it is predicted it will create thousands of jobs and necessitate the building of billions of pounds of infrastructure to serve the new workers.

and discover works of art. The Google Art Project and BBC’s Your Paintings websites are paving the way for a more democratic access to London’s art treasures that’s only likely to expand over the next 50 years.”

Online galleries will proliferate by 2063, and the use of ‘found’ and temporary spaces is only likely to increase. But by then the live/ work spaces of Manor House, Peckham and Hackney Wick will have closed and more affluent residents will have moved in. Creative types will have to look elsewhere – maybe to some of the city’s many council estates, which will be approaching their centenary by then and could provide very cheap accommodation and studios.

The music we’ll listen to and the plays we’ll see will increasingly be tied to technology – they’ll be interactive, they’ll use (and describe) ever more elaborate human-

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“In 50 years’ time demolition squads will be getting their wrecking balls ready to smash down Heathrow’s Terminal 5 – opened in 2008 – and the new Terminal 2, due to be opened next year,” says Alan Gallop, Heathrow’s foremost historian and author of Time Flies – A History Of Heathrow.

In some ways, it’s rather a chilling thought. “Airport terminals have a shelf-life of around 55 years before they become too small or too obsolete for the requirements of the vast numbers of people using them,” he explains.

But Gallop is certain that Heathrow will remain in operation. “It will have the controversial new third runway by then, plus yet another new terminal – possibly two – and will have expanded further north, south, east and west of the current airport site. A great deal of the economy of west London, Surrey and Berkshire depends on Heathrow for employment and if it ever closed, it would be an economic disaster for those communities.”

Oliver Clark, editor of aviation bible Routes News magazine adds: “In the next 50 years it could also become much easier to get from Heathrow to cities in the UK and further afield, if plans are approved for a spur

made trickery. Yet as long as the arts remain worthy of the name, many will react against the march of technology and society. Just as today a growing group of romantics prefer music created by instruments to music created by computers, or 35mm stock to digital film, in 2063 there will no doubt be movements that hark back to the retro pleasures of 2013. There might even be a 2010s revival in fashion and culture, or themed 2010s club nights.

“The Tate will have opened new London outposts in north London and Soho in a bid to combat the influx of foreign-owned public galleries,” muses Pill. “And the must-see summer blockbuster of 2063 will be Tracey Emin’s centenary exhibition at the Royal Academy.”

Total transformation How Bond Street station will look once Crossrail work has been completed

LONDON’S PUBLIC TRANSPORT IN 2063

day one, it’ll be very busy. That’s why plans are now already underway for Crossrail 2 – a new railway line that will link Hackney and Wimbledon, via Euston and Chelsea. If all goes well, then by 2030 this too will be appearing on the Tube map.”

Edwards adds: “The Tube itself in 50 years will look not much different from today.

There’ll be new trains, revamped stations and extensions to the Northern and Bakerloo lines, but to a certain extent the wide-reaching

upgrades already underway will have already started to max out what the Underground can do. We’re seeing more than 30 trains an hour on lines like the Victoria and Jubilee, and ultimately there are only so many trains you can fit down a narrow metal tube. In fact the only major difference in 50 years will be the splitting of the Northern Line – it was two separate lines in the past and, as traffic increases, it will be so again. Place your bets on names and colours now!”

“The food landscape of London will be shaped by two major influences: a swelling population and the cost of energy, says Charlie Cottrell, editorial director at social media agency We Are Social and a noted food writer. “The most exciting innovations are expected in urban growing. The London roofscape Green city Rooftop gardens will be more common could be transformed into an urban farm,” even more about our food – that one trend says Cottrell, who recently delivered a shows no sign of stopping. thought-provoking lecture on the future of food “More people will need to get access to at the Hospital Club. As the city speeds up and more food more quickly. Services that can we live even faster, denser lives – where the deliver on that will thrive – like delivery services boundaries between work, home and leisure blur into one – we’ll be even more time-pressed for groceries and fast (not necessarily fried) food eateries,” says Cottrell. when it comes to eating. Yet we’ll also care

CLARISSA LEAHY, GETTY

LONDON’S FOOD SCENE IN 2063

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With more Londoners and an ever more mobile society, transport systems in 2063 will have to cope with huge new demands.

High speed rail lines will connect British and European cities, enabling people to live in Amsterdam or Brussels and still commute to London every day. New stations and lines will serve new parts of the city – but it takes a while to plan and build them.

“Long-term transport planning is a tricky thing to do. This is doubly true in London, which has a nasty habit of growing faster than even the most optimistic of forecasts,” says Gareth Edwards – London Reconnections editor and an expert in London public transport. “This is certainly true for Crossrail, the first of our future lines running right through central London on its way from Berkshire to Essex. This isn’t just a new tube line, it’s much bigger than that. Almost from

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Talawa Theatre Company

Macca’s Mecca The legendary Abbey Road Studios is opening its doors to the public this month, with a series of talks and tours that take visitors behind the scenes to where the magic happens. Laura Martin finds out more

T

hink of Abbey Road and chances are you’ll picture The Beatles walking across that iconic zebra crossing for the cover of their Abbey Road album. To many, the crossing is Abbey Road. But the worldfamous recording studios after which the album was named is actually just a little further down the road from the famous photo op, and this month it will open its doors for a series of tours and talks that reveal the magical musical mastery that has taken place there over the years.

Filling music fans in on the secrets of the studio is Brian Kehew – record producer, engineer, musician and author of one of the most comprehensive books on The Beatles’ time at the studio.

“I still remember my first time visiting,” he tells Scout London. “It was very significant for me, it was like coming home to Mecca. It felt like you were entering a very holy or special room. Many people feel that there is a vibe in there. I don’t know whether it’s just Beatle fandom or people do actually feel something in there.”

Alongside co-author and co-speaker Kevin Ryan, Kehew spent a painstaking 15 years researching and writing his book, Recording The Beatles, that documented in exact detail the processes used by The Beatles – and many other huge artists such as Pink Floyd, The Hollies, Adele and Oasis – to achieve such impressive results at the north London studios.

“I think the impression people have is that the artists who have come through Abbey Road have been the greatest in their era, across many decades now, all the way back to 1930s,” says Kehew. “They were the greatest of their time and it all reflects back on the studio.”

That said, Kehew is quick to point out that much of the studio’s fame harks back to the Fab Four: “I think The Beatles thing is probably about 90 per cent of the recognition, as they named an album after it and the famous photograph enhances it. But when we wrote the book, for us it was not so much about The Beatles but about the studio and the recording process. We became very involved with people who were working at the studio at the time.”

Mic check Some of the microphones at the studios

The studio has also been used to record film soundtracks for major movies such as Harry Potter and Star Wars. And alongside its illustrious musical past, Kehew also discovered a few secrets: “At one point there was a time when the largest room – which was used for a classical orchestra, it’s probably the top orchestra room in the world – wasn’t really used by anyone. So they’d put in a badminton court to have games in there when it was empty.”

As well as listening to the talks, visitors to the studio will get to see rare archive photos and film, while also witnessing some of the vintage equipment in action. There’ll be a film score sync demonstration, plus demonstrations of the studio’s famous echo chamber and a vintage fourtrack mixing console and tape machine.

“The Beatles are a fraction of what we talk about, as we cover 81 years,” explains Kehew, “although they are the main reason people come, so we give them a larger fraction than anyone else.

But all of it is important. There are people from the 30s and 40s who were selling millions of records even back then.”

Kehew and Ryan will also be showing photographs by photographer Henry Grossman, who they published a book about earlier this year.

“Henry worked with the Beatles longer than any other photographer and he simply put the photographs away rather than publish them,” Brian explains. “We found he had over 6,000 Beatles images that were not only unseen, but are the best photos of The Beatles I’ve ever seen. He’s an incredible artist. We’ll be showing some images during the talks as there are some taken in the studio that are just beautiful.”

Inside Abbey Road, March 8-17, £80, seetickets.com/tour/abbey-road-studios scoutlondon.com Scout London 17

The Three Furies at Canada Water Culture Space, 21 Montreal House Surrey Quays Road, SE16 7AN Surrey Quays £8, concs £5, 7.30pm. Performance poetry mixed with movement and sound, in this exploring of modern representations of female anger.

ONGOING

Monday March 4 Error, Lies And Adventure: Beyond Truth: Error And Adventure: Lecture at London School Of Economics, Houghton Street, WC2A 2AE Temple FREE, 6.30pm-8pm. Philosopher and author Hilary Lawson discusses error’s place in philosophers’ accounts of meaning.

Poet In The City: Poetry And Medicine Featuring John Burnside And Jo Shapcott: Talk at Kings Place, 90 York Way, N1 9AG King’s Cross St Pancras £9.50, 7pm. Poets Burnside, Shapcott and Jane Draycott discuss the connections between poetry, medicine and health.

Tuesday March 5 Camden Clog: Workshop at Cecil Sharp House, 2 Regents Park Road, NW1 7AY Camden Town £4, concs £3, 6.45pm-8pm. The group shows Lancashire Clog Dancing techniques.

Crouch End Poetry Group: Workshop at Hornsey Library, Haringey Park, N8 Crouch Hill FREE, 10.30am9JA 12.30pm. Develop poetry writing and craft.

Illustrating Books: Talk at The British Library, 96 Euston Road, NW1 2DB Euston £7.50, concs £5, adv booking required, 6.30pm-9pm. A discussion of bespoke book illustration.

Saturday March 9

A Life In Politics: Lecture at London School Of Economics, Houghton Street, WC2A 2AE Temple FREE, 6.30pm-8pm.

Baroness Shirley Williams discusses her career.

Graham Jevon: The Livefood Link Cycle System: Talk at The InSpiral Lounge, 250 Camden High Street, NW1 8QS Camden Town donations welcome, 9pm. Advice from the nutritionist.

National Theatre Platforms: Adrian Noble On The Captain Of Kopenick at National Theatre: Olivier, South Bank, SE1 9PX Waterloo £4, concs £3, 6pm. The director talks about the production which stars Antony Sher.

Pongathon at Rich Mix, 35-47 Bethnal Green Road, E1 6LA Aldgate East FREE, 5pm-11pm. Ping pong games with visual art and music.

Raconteurs: Adult Tales at Downstairs At The King’s Head, 2 Crouch End Hill, N8 8AA Finsbury Park £6, 8pm, doors. Chris Neill hosts a monthly celebration of the spoken word.

Juergen Teller In Conversation With Bice Curiger: Talk at ICA, 12 Carlton House Terrace, The Mall, SW1Y 5AH Charing Cross £12, concs £10, mems £8, 8pm. The photographer discusses his exhibition with the curator and ICA Director Gregor Muir.

Weekend travel update

Grayson Perry: Updated & Expanded: Talk at Victoria & Albert Museum, Cromwell Road, SW7 2RL South Kensington £9, concs £6, adv booking required, 6.30pm-7.30pm. The artist talks to Jackie Klein about his career.

Wednesday March 6 BAFTA Masterclass Labs: Editing Wildlife With Andy Netley at ICA, 12 Carlton House Terrace, The Mall, SW1Y 5AH Charing Cross £10, concs £8, mems £7, 6.15pm. The editor discusses his creative practices and work.

The Forest And The Field at Ovalhouse, 54 Kennington Oval, SE11 5SW Oval £14, concs £8, under 26s £10, 7.45pm.

Leytonstone Film Club at Leytonstone Library, 6 Church Lane, E11 1HG Leytonstone £4, 7pm-9pm. With discussions about film and screenings of a chosen film each week.

Ukulele Jam Session at The Royal George, Goslett Yard, WC2H 0EA Tottenham Court Road FREE, 7pm-11pm.

Thursday March 7 China At The Beginning Of The Imperial Age: Talk at British Museum, Great Russell Street, WC1B 3DG Russell Square FREE, 1.15pm-2pm.

With curator Carol Michaelson.

General Introduction: Guided Walk at Bishopsgate Institute, 230 Bishopsgate, EC2M 4QH Liverpool Street FREE, 6.30pm. A behind-the-scenes tour of Bishopsgate Library.

Friday March 8

Bakerloo Line No service Paddington to Queens Park all weekend.

District Line No service Earl’s Court to Aldgate East all weekend.

18 Scout London scoutlondon.com

Circle Line No service all weekend.

Northern Line No service Tooting Broadway to Morden all weekend.

For the latest information visit tfl.gov.uk

Balkanplus at Cecil Sharp House, 2 Regents Park Road, NW1 7AY Camden Town £7, adv £5, 7pm10pm. A variety of music and dancing that has its roots in the Balkan countries.

Ethics On The Underground: Talk at Bishopsgate Institute, 230 Bishopsgate, EC2M 4QH Liverpool Street FREE, 2.30pm. Richard Baron considers the balancing act involved in running London’s tube network.

Culture Now: Stephen Poliakoff: Talk at ICA, 12 Carlton House Terrace, The Mall, SW1Y 5AH Charing Cross £5, mems FREE, 1pm. Geoffrey Colman talks to the screen and stage-writer.

The Female Detective: Panel Discussion at The British Library, 96 Euston Road, NW1 2DB Euston £7.50, concs £5, adv booking required, 6.30pm-8pm. Join an esteemed panel of writers for an entertaining debate.

Hand-Marbled Paper: Workshop at Sir John Soane’s Museum, 13 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, WC2A 3BP Holborn £40, inc refreshments and lunch, 10.15am-4pm, doors 10am. Make your own decorative marbled paper using traditional marbling techniques.

How To Create The Perfect Wife: Talk at The Foundling Museum, 40 Brunswick Square, WC1N 1AZ Russell Square FREE, plus admission £7.50, child/art fund mems FREE, concs £5, 2pm-3pm.

Wendy Moore discusses her historical book.

From Enlightenment To Romanticism: Study Day at British Museum, Great Russell Street, WC1B 3DG Russell Square £22, 10.30am4.30pm. Lectures and talks about the Grand Tourists and the ethos of knowledge sharing.

Sunday March 10 Characters From History: Resurrection Man (Over 7s) at Museum Of London, 150 London Wall, EC2Y 5HN Barbican FREE, 11.30am-1.30pm, 2pm-4pm. Learn about the body snatchers.

Historical Tours at Fulham Palace, Bishops Avenue, SW6 6EA Putney Bridge £5, accompanied children FREE, 2pm. Join a tour of all the public rooms to hear secrets and stories.

Planet Piano: Andras Schiff: Workshop at Royal College Of Music, Prince Consort Road, SW7 2BS South Kensington £8, 4pm. Piano class with the awardwinning composer.

Silversmithing: Make A Pair Of Earrings: Workshop at The Papered Parlour, 7 Prescott Place, SW4 6BS Clapham Common £87.50, phone for times. Design and make a unique pair of sterling silver earrings.

Welcome To Cheese & Wine: Workshop at Vinopolis, 1 Bank End, SE1 9BU London Bridge £50, 1pm. Sample selected wines and cheeses.

SAM PROUD

Craft It Yourself: Pimp Your Pumps: Decorate Your Shoes!: Workshop at Craft Central, St. John’s Square, EC1M 4DS Farringdon Mar 27, 6pm-8pm, £19.99 inc materials. Until Mar 27.

Graffiti Class at The London West Bank Gallery, Westbourne Grove, W11 2RS Bayswater Sat & Sun 11am-1pm, 1pm-3pm, £49, adv booking required. Until Mar 31.

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

Good food We’d all consider dining to be a social activity, but few realise just how much good eating out can do for society. Ben Norum takes a look at London’s lesser-known restaurant-based social enterprises.

W

here socially minded restaurants are concerned, it’s hard not to think first of Jamie Oliver. He captured the nation’s headlines and hearts when he launched Old Street restaurant Fifteen in 2002, giving unemployed and disadvantaged youngsters the chance to take on apprenticeships. Eleven years on, the TV cameras have gone home, but the good work continues and we still hear success story after success story from graduates at both the London restaurant and the newer Cornwall spin-off.

Opening two years later, the likeminded but less high-profile Hoxton Apprentice restaurant didn’t have the luxury of a celebrity ambassador.

It won numerous social and culinary accolades, and across nine years placed more than 450 apprentice chefs into restaurants including Nobu. Its fate was less hopeful, though. Due to a cut in government funding, Training For Life – the charity of which the restaurant was part – went into administration and the restaurant was put up for sale.

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It’s currently closed while a buyer is being sought.

Things are looking better for nearby Waterhouse restaurant in Shoreditch. It is owned and run by The Shoreditch Trust, which uses it to host its Blue Marble Training programme, which supports and nurtures young people who would otherwise not get the opportunity to develop a career in the food industry.

The tucked-away but well worth seeking-out restaurant is highly affordable and pairs a dedication to helping people with a focus on food sustainability.

Brigade (main picture) on Tooley Street is the newest entrant to the social enterprise game.

Housed in a disused fire station next to the offices of accountancy giant PricewaterhouseCoopers, it is privately supported by the company through funding and mentoring work.

It was founded by chef Simon Boyle and runs a six month apprenticeship programme called Freshlife, aimed at people who are jobless, homeless or considered in danger of becoming homeless.

Turning around A chef at Fifteen

Prison food The Clink

Candidates receive mentoring and lessons, but primarily learn on the job at Brigade, under the guidance of the restaurant’s permanent chefs.

“Brigade works to high standards and expects the same from its staff, irrespective of their level or ability,” says Boyle. Indeed, during a lunch boasting a brilliantly-executed runnyyolked Scotch egg and a beautifullyseared beef fillet adorned with bone marrow crust, it’s hard to imagine that the chef cooking it won’t have worked in the kitchen for more than a matter of weeks. There’s clearly a lot of quality control to be done, but by all accounts their graduates already seem to be building up an impressive array of jobs upon leaving.

After the six months at Brigade are up, the apprentice chefs receive two more six-month placements at other restaurants and companies who have partnered with the scheme.

These are paid positions and are designed so that there is a high likelihood of longer-term employment once they come to an end.

The Clink charity also sees food as a way of helping people into

employment; this time, it’s prisoners who they work with.

Based in Surrey, not far south of Morden station, The Clink trains inmates who then work in a prison restaurant which is open to the public. As well as offering a quirky dining experience, and something for the prisoners to focus their time on, it also provides them with valuable skills and experience for future employment upon release; the scheme has been highly praised by ministers who commend the visible drop in re-offending rate of those prisoners who have taken part.

Now a second, more central London branch is planned for Kennington within the next year or so, this time held in a church rather than in prison, and will be run almost entirely by ex-offenders.

It seems that social responsibility in London’s restaurant industry is moving off the list of sides and becoming a popular main course. As for how much it can help feed up our starved economy? Well, we’ll just have to keep eating out and see what happens.

Top Ten cake shops

& Cook As if homemade... only far 1 Konditor more beautiful SE1 8TW Waterloo

Yum Shack Pristinely decorated 2 Victoria cupcakes E8 3RL

Cambridge Heath

3

Bea’s of Bloomsbury Off-rack and bespoke; super-squidgy brownies WC1X 8NW Chancery Lane

Cupcake They’re vegan, but you wouldn’t know it 4 Ms. Brixton SW9 8LF

5

Gail’s Tantalising hot cross buns are just in stock Various locations

Sugar at Borough Market Just try 6 Dark the homemade jaffa cake SE1

7

London Bridge

Cakey Muto Weird and wacky designs, plus a full bar E5 0LH Homerton

Gate Cake Shop Cream filled and glossy 8 Golden Chinese delicacies W1D 5BR Leicester Square

Bakery Cakes in all guises, but 9 Primrose always luxuriously presented NW1 8LD

10

Camden Town

Ottolenghi A glistening treasure-trove of pastries & tarts N1 2TZ Highbury & Islington

El Pirata Mayfair £££ It is well-known but easily forgotten that tapas originates from the Spanish word “tapar”, meaning to cover, and that the slices of bread or meat were originally used to cover drinks in bars so that flies couldn’t get in. Even as they have evolved, they are supposed to be something which is eaten to accompany a drink – and not the other way around.

That is not how we treat tapas in this country.

Even top restaurants which pride themselves on authenticity, such as Barrafina and Fino, have Anglicised the way tapas is eaten to more resemble a threecourse meal. What London’s best tapas places do manage to maintain, though, is the relaxed sense of informality and conviviality which are so important to the style of food.

With this in mind, the idea of a tapas restaurant in Mayfair rings alarm bells. These get louder thanks to a glance through the window at bright white tablecloths, but the maître d’ creates peaceful silence through a gesticulate-filled warm welcome that would put any restrained English greeting to shame. The restaurant itself is anything but silent, which helps. Tables are full, close together and people chat at bar volume, rather than in hushed fine dining tones. A hearty buzz fills the space, giving a feeling of fun that not even the unwieldy sea of suits can make serious; aromatic waves of cooking shellfish, evaporating wine and braising garlic are as sunny and holiday-drenched as they come.

A selection of more than 50 tapas dishes is joined by a couple of set menus for those far too relaxed to choose, and at under £17 and £21 per head they’re refreshingly affordable for the area.

If our bill adds up it’s only because we choose greedily. We start on deeply salty pata negra ham, silky soft deep-fried monkfish pieces, and tender, meaty octopus chunks dressed in peppery young olive oil.

A rice dish made with squid ink is a standout for the simple fact that it has restored my faith that this favourite Spanish dish can be executed well in our city. Unlike many versions where such little – or such poor quality – ink is used that it provides nothing more than black colour, this is fresh tasting, almost gelatinous and subtly but surely oceanic.

A vast wine list that’s entirely Spanish (bar a few Champagnes) backs up the food offering; a solid, though not massive, sherry selection is a particularly good bet for versatile wines that will suit a table filled with a wide selection of dishes.

No, the food isn’t here just to accompany the drinks, and I certainly wouldn’t advocate using slices of precious ham to shield your wine glass from flies. But despite a tweaking of tradition, the spirit of Spanish tapas is well and truly alive at El Pirata. Yes, really, in Mayfair.

Ben Norum 5-6 Down Street, W1J 7AQ

Green Park

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Martini Moves @ Axis Strand £££

Smiths Hammersmith ££

Swapping a ‘cinema-large’-sized cup of soft drink for a martini might sound somewhat indulgent, but that’s what this new run of movie screening evenings at the One Aldwych hotel is all about. Pay an upfront charge of £42.50 and you’re all set for a feast of entertainment. Start with a Grey Goose vodka martini (we’d rather have had gin, but it’s wellcrafted all the same), move on to the night’s film shown in the boutique screening room, and then finish in the adjoining restaurant, Axis, for a three-course meal from a set menu. Dishes are in the classic fine-dining vein and unlikely to win points for innovation, but a slab of cracklingcrowned melting pork belly and succulent, crisp-skinned John Dory both perform their roles with aplomb; a richly creamy dark chocolate tart gives a much happier ending than the showing of Anna Karenina. Ben Norum

This new cocktail bar is hidden away in the basement of the Brook Green Hotel, but in an area far from overrun with drinking dens it’s well worth seeking out. Full of regal, vintage furniture that’s just slightly shabby and sultry, and boasting an air of boudoir chic, it’s impossible not to feel sexy while sipping on a classic cocktail in such surrounds. The selection ranges from a whole list of martinis – most made with the house gin Sipsmith, which is distilled locally – to creative twists such as the humorously-named Chilli Willy that mixes passion fruit, vodka, lime and a chilli infusion to create a killer winter warmer. While there’s no pretence that it’s all about the booze, a short range of platters, which feature crab cakes, chorizo skewers and cheese and ale toasties, transform it from a one-drink-wonder into somewhere to spend the night. BN

1 Aldwych, WC2B 4BZ

170 Shepherd’s Bush Road, W6 7PB

Temple

Hammersmith

Kopapa Covent Garden ££

McQueen’s Shoreditch £££

This newer opening from “King of Fusion Food”, chef Peter Gordon, follows in the footsteps of acclaimed Marylebone restaurant and brasserie The Providores. Kopapa takes the style of a French bistro and injects some tastebud-twanging fun in the form of layer upon layer of maverick flavour combinations that really shouldn’t work, but almost always do. The likes of poached eggs served with whipped yoghurt, hot chilli butter and flat bread; ricotta fritters with avocado, roast grapes and pistachio caramel sauce; and spiced banana French toast with grilled bacon, orange blossom labneh (cheese-like strained yoghurt), tamarind relish and orange vanilla syrup boast almost enchanted flavours that you’ll want to linger over and dissect. Coffees, juices and smoothies accompany wines and cocktails at this all-day venue that is mesmerising and indulgent while also being inexpensive, incredibly vegetarian friendly and fairly healthy, too. BN

Inspired by King of Cool, Steve McQueen, this memorabilia-clad venue on the fringes of the City is dark, moody, sexy and stylish. Like most of the late great’s films, it’s also much more than a triumph of style over substance, though. A simple menu delivers just a few options but all without fault. Scallops are soft and silky, cooked little enough so as still to have a wobble; a perfectly medium-rare rib eye steak is as drenched in flavour as it is juices, with a pleasing amount of outer char; and a deconstructed cheesecake served knickerbocker glory-style is unctuously creamy with an (ahem) buttery biscuit base. The cocktail list – also available at the lounge bar – is equally accomplished, with spirits carefully accentuated by citrus and infusions of herbs and spices.

McQueen’s knows exactly what it wants to do and it does it in style.

That’s how cool it is. BN

32-34 Monmouth Street, WC2H 9HA

55-60 Tabernacle Street, EC2A 4AA

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Leicester Square

Old Street

At Last, A Family Day Out Where Everyone Is Happy

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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

Big Apple Hot Dogs at Apartment 58 101 New Oxford Street, WC1A 1DB Tottenham Court Road Hotdogs £ Running until at least April, Abi will be bringing his famed hotdogs, more commonly seen close to the Old Street roundabout, to Soho. The restaurant is open to the public as well as Apartment 58’s members from 12-7pm and will feature the usual favourite sausages including the pork & beef blended Huge Pole, the pork Big Frank, and the beef Pimp Steak.

Monikers 16 Hoxton Square, N1 6NT Old Street Cocktail Bar ££ This new cocktail bar on buzzy Hoxton Square offers a 50-seater downstairs restaurant as well as a counter service bar. Upstairs is a private dining room.

Anyone dining here before Wednesday can claim 50 per cent off.

Master & Servant 8-9 Hoxton Square, N1 6NU Old Street British ££ This new venture from Matt Edwards, previously of St John Hotel and Hix Soho, launches today (Monday). Together with head chef Luke Cleghorn he has put together a menu based around their charcoal grill, and which has seasonality at its heart.

Dishes will include home-cured charcuterie, as well as a Hereford porterhouse for two.

EAST

Oaka The Mansion House, 48 Kennington Park Rd, SE11 4RS Kennington Pub/Thai ££ Now open is this first London venue from award-winning brewery Oakham Ales. Beers including its JHB, Citra, Inferno and Bishop’s Farewell labels are paired with gap glam, a Thai phrase meaning “beer food”. The small plates, designed to match the ales, include Heavenly Beef (fried slices of air-dried beef marinated in palm sugar and coriander), crunchy spiced aubergines, soft shell crab and fried mackerel that’s been marinated with saké and herbs.

WEST Mizuwari Basement, 16 Old Compton Street, W1D 4TL Leicester Square Bar ££ Tucked away beneath Bincho Yakitori is this new bar. It’s not just any bar, but London’s first dedicated Japanese whisky bar. With the Asian upstarts giving the Scots a run for their money of late, it’s a veritable treasure-trove of liquid delights.

Albeit not a cheap one. There’s a bottle keep service if you don’t want to finish in one sitting, plus cocktails and some small plates from the restaurant upstairs.

No 11 Pimlico Road 11 Pimlico Road, SW1W 8NA Sloane Square Bistro £££ This new all-day eatery opening this month describes itself as “an all-day place, not quite bar, not quite restaurant”. Expect charcuterie, freshly-baked breads and pastries, morning coffee and a full bar in the evenings.

Cinnamon Club The Old Westminster Library, 30-32 Great Smith Street, SW1P 3BU St James’s Park Indian ££ Westminster’s Cinnamon Club has come up with the perfect Mother’s Day gift. Places can now be booked for a special masterclass on March 16 when chefs Vivek Singh and Hari Nagaraj will help the gift giver and their mother to expand their culinary capabilities with a course that spans the four corners of the subcontinent.

NORTH

Lucky Chip’s Lucky Fried Chicken The Grafton, 20 Prince of Wales Road, NW5 3LG Kentish Town Chicken ££ The latest in a line of pub residencies sees burger maestros Lucky Chip - famed from their popular Netil Market stall - take on chicken. Served in pieces, boxes or buckets, and with a slogan declaring, “it’s pretty frickin’ good”, it’s easy to see where influence has come from, though it’s said to be of much higher standard than any Colonel could produce.

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K10 3 Appold Street, EC2A 2AF Liverpool Street Japanese ££ This second, larger opening in the Liverpool Street area from K10 (the other is on Copthall Street) offers traditional Japanese food served on a rotating conveyor belt. Popular dishes include salmon sashimi, seared sesame tuna served with a miso and mustard vinaigrette and a variety of katsu curries. Unlike the big chain competitors, to prepare any bespoke dish, if the ingredients are available.

Beagle 397-399 Geffrye Street, E2 8HZ Hoxton British ££ Brothers Kieran and Danny Clancy (who set up Bonnie Gull) are behind this new restaurant and bar set in three restored railway arches in Hoxton. It is set to open later in the month will be headed up food-wise by chef James Ferguson, formerly of nearby Rochelle Canteen. Dishes already said to feature include pig’s head croquette with gribiche, and whole wild sea bass with samphire and cucumber. Both cocktails and a selection of British beers will feature.

Dishoom 7 Boundary Street, E2 7JE Shoreditch High Street Indian ££ Dishoom will be spreading the party feeling throughout Shoreditch in celebration of Holi this year. As well as hosting a special party at Shoreditch’s Village Underground – complete with plenty of brightly coloured gulal powder – it will be offering a special Holi menu of food and drinks from March 21-31. The £28 per person set menu will feature more than 10 dishes, including a spiked lassi made with rum.

SOUTH The Avalon 16 Balham Hill, SW12 9EB Balham Gastropub ££ It’s British Pie Week. To celebrate, Balham’s The Avalon is offering a range of classically simple options with provenance in mind. The meat from its cow, chicken or lamb pies all come from its very own farm in Hampshire. Cue jokes about no horsemeat in sight now. The best bit, though, is the ongoing offer of pie and pint for a tenner.

The Bingham 61-63 Petersham Road, TW10 6UT Richmond Hotel ££ In honour of Mother’s Day this Sunday, the Bingham restaurant with rooms is offering sleepdeprived mums the opportunity to check into one of its Queen Single Bedrooms for some much needed rest and relaxation. The Mums Only Sleepover Experience will be available every Sunday priced from £150.

Three Cromwell Road 3 Cromwell Road, SW7 2HR South Kensington British £££ This new bar, restaurant and club set in a three-storey Georgian townhouse overlooking the Natural History Museum is set to open in the next couple of weeks. It is able to boast being the first UK venue where Jimi Hendrix played a live performance. The large site will now include a first floor restaurant The Drawing Room, a ground floor cocktail bar The Back Room, and a downstairs club The Basement.

Yashin Sushi 117-119 Old Brompton Road, SW7 3RN South Kensington Japanese £££ Following in the footsteps of its popular High Street Kensington branch, Yashin are expanding with this second venue. Sashimi, sushi rolls, salads and carpaccio predominate the menu.

Scout London Price Guide ££££ Over £19 per main £££ £14-18 ££ £9-13 £ Under £9

COOK IN

DRINK OUT

Local Catch App

Meantime Brewery Fresh Tank Beer

Even in a city like London, finding truly fresh fish can be a bit of a challenge without setting the alarm for 4am and schlepping out to Billingsgate. Just as with most things in life, though, there’s now an app for that. Local Catch has been developed in conjunction with fishermen and fishmongers with an aim of making it easier for buyers to find locally-caught seafood.

The app has information about the latest catch of the day, your nearest fishmongers, seafood restaurants and even some guidance on preparation and cooking. Most handy is a map view of the nearest places to shop for fresh fish, and alerts when products come in. The app’s makers suggest it will not only be of use to consumers, but potentially restaurants and wholesalers, too. Now, if we could only get some fish out of that murky Thames.

The title here is a bit of a mouthful, but the drink itself should go down much more nicely. As opposed to being put in kegs as is usual, Meantime’s Brewery Fresh London Lager will be served direct from specially engineered tanks which sit in the pub itself. As such, the beer no longer needs to be pasteurised, is completely unfiltered and unaffected by air which can change its flavour. The result is smoother beers with enhanced flavours and aromas. Although this kind of beer is common in cities such as Prague, it’s the first time tanks have been seen in pubs in the UK. The Brewery Fresh London lager will initially be available in three Young’s pubs including The Plough in Battersea.

Free. Available on iPhone and Android. localcatch.co.uk

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Love your mum

Mother’s Day is on March 10. Don’t have a panic about what to get, here’s our top picks of gifts to show your mum you love her

picture perfect family

love is a triangle

double Gift

Remind her who loves her with this poster, which can be personalised to tailor it to your own family members.

Personalised family poster, £25 from notonthehighstreet.com

No taste? The Design Museum has saved you the embarrassment of picking something awful by selecting this.

Triangle Necklace designed by Kirsty Thomas, £17, from Design Museum Shop

This could be the gift that rewards the giver – if your mum makes this, she may even give it to you.

Rowan Lazy Lace Snood Knitting Kit, £25 from John Lewis

Stand up for mum

Star woman

She’s the queen

She loves baking them, you love eating them. This stand will at least make her cakes look good before you scoff them.

Kirstie Allsopp 2-tier cake stand, £19.50, from Marks & Spencer

The V&A’s Bowie exhibition is sure to bring back some great memories. This print will keep them alive longer.

Changing Faces of Bowie print £45 from V&A Shop vandashop.com

She loves London and so do you. Get this bag, to remind her she’s the Pearly Queen of your life.

Pearly Queen tote, £12 from John Lewis

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You’re only supposed to blow the bloody candles out

M

ichael Caine is certainly not short on achievements.

But of all the accolades and iconic, era-defining movies, it’s a little-known fact that the working class, fish market porter’s son from Rotherhithe is one of only two actors to have been nominated for an Academy Award in every decade from the 1960s through to the 2000s (the other is Jack Nicholson).

It speaks volumes about his acting ability (not that it was ever in doubt); but also about the standard of films he’s still making. They might not all be The Dark Knight or The

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Quiet American (ahem, Journey 2: The Mysterious Island) but he’s still an Inception-sized leap ahead of many of his contemporaries.

It’s this that makes him much more than a ‘British cinema legend’.

We can save that kind of tag for the likes of Alec Guinness or Sean Connery (the dead or the given-up).

Caine, however, manages to have that kind of status while also still being a vital part of contemporary cinema. Not only does he make at least one film a year (though more like two), he’s also a regular in Christopher Nolan’s pictures – and little can signal an actor’s status more than being favourited by one of

Blowing the doors off His famous role as Charlie Croker in 1969’s The Italian Job

Paramount - The Kobal Collection

Michael Caine turns 80 this month.

To make the occasion, the Museum of London is hosting a major exhibition of photos and film that look back on the life of one of cinema’s – and London’s – most famous and celebrated sons

Still a force to be reckoned with Playing the titular hero in Harry Brown (2009)

Marv Films, MGM, Jim Henson Productions - The Kobal Collection

Tough guy Caine in Get Carter (1971)

the hottest directors in the world.

So it is, for our money, that Michael Caine (or Maurice Joseph Micklewhite, as he was so marvellously christened), is one of British cinema’s greatest assets – past, present and, we sincerely hope, far into the future.

No doubt you agree (you’d be mad not to). And the Museum of London certainly does. To mark the actor’s 80th birthday on March 14, it’s staging a major exhibition of family photographs, iconic portraits by the likes of David Bailey and Terry O’Neill, and a selection of film and audio footage from some of his bestloved movies, including Alfie, The

Italian Job, Get Carter, Educating Rita and Hannah and Her Sisters.

There’ll also be a series of free Caine film screenings – one a month, which is chosen by the public through online vote.

So dig out your thick-rimmed specs, polish that Cockney accent (be sure to choose your Caine era correctly – use Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon’s advice in The Trip for guidance) and head to the Museum of London to wish a happy birthday to the one and only Michael Caine.

Michael Caine, March 8-July 14, Museum of London, FREE, museumoflondon.org.uk

Playing the miser As Scrooge in The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)

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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.

Central

John Davies: Highways at Museum Of London, 150 London Wall, EC2Y 5HN Barbican FREE, Until Jun 16. Photographs of major London thoroughfares.

Oskar Fischinger at Tate Modern, Bankside, Holland Street, SE1 9TG Southwark FREE, Until May 12.

Restored film footage of the artist’s 1926 performances.

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.

North

BP British Art Displays: Looking At The View at Tate Britain, Millbank, SW1P 4RG Pimlico FREE, Until Jun 2. Over 70 works which reflect the way artists have framed our vision of the landscape.

Adel Abdessemed: Le Vase Abominable at David Zwirner, 24 Grafton Street, W1S 4EZ Green Park FREE, Until Mar 30. Sculptures, installations, animations, photographs and drawings.

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 2.30pm6pm OAP/concs £6, under 12s FREE, family £24, Until May 19. Altarpieces, devotional paintings and portraits by the 16th-century Italian artist.

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.

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 Thomas Joshua Cooper: Messages at Haunch Of Venison, 51 Eastcastle Street, W1W 8EB Oxford Circus FREE, Until Mar 28. Photography documenting the world’s most remote and isolated landscapes.

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.

OAP £8.50, family £23, under 17s £4.65, under 5s FREE, Until Apr 14. Paintings, drawings, prints, manuscripts, sculpture, tapestries and armour.

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.

Pakpoom Silaphan: Empire State at Scream, 27-28 Eastcastle Street, W1J 6QX Oxford Circus FREE, Until Apr 6. A solo exhibition exploring globalisation, mass consumerism and global cultural icons.

Juergen Teller: Woo! at ICA, 12 Carlton House Terrace, The Mall, SW1Y 5AH Charing Cross FREE, Until Mar 17.

Fashion and commercial photography.

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.

More than 100 paintings and sculptures by the American artist.

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.

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.

The Northern Renaissance: Durer To Holbein at The Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace, Birdcage Walk, SW1A 1AA Victoria £9.25, NUS/

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.

Dorothy Iannone: Innocent And Aware at Camden Arts Centre, Arkwright Road, NW3 6DG Finchley Road FREE, Starts Fri, Until May 5. Graphic paintings, sculptures and video art, portraying male and female sexuality. Some works are of an explicit nature.

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.

East

Ben Washington: Geometric Figuring at The Nunnery, 181183 Bow Road, E3 2SJ Bow Road FREE, Starts Fri, Until May 9. An interconnecting collage and sculpture.

Art In Mind: Downtown at Brick Lane Gallery, 196 Brick Lane, E1 6SA Shoreditch FREE, Until Mar 10. Works in a range of media by contemporary artists.

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.

Sanchita Islam: The Rebel Within at Rich Mix, 35-47 Bethnal Green Road, E1 6LA Aldgate East FREE, Starts Thu, Until Apr 28. Contemporary works in a range of media from the British Bangladeshi female artist.

Jeff Keen at Kate MacGarry, 27 Old Nichol Street, E2 7HR Liverpool Street: FREE, Starts Fri, Until Apr 20. Contemporary film installations.

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.

Over The Hills And Far Away at Will’s Art Warehouse, 1 Sadlers House, 180 Lower Richmond Road, SW15 1LY Parsons Green FREE, Until Apr 18.

Landscapes and seascapes.

Nicolas Poussin’s First Series Of The Seven Sacraments at Dulwich Picture Gallery, Gallery Road, SE21 7AD West Dulwich £5, OAP £4, concs FREE, Until May 19. Five remaining paintings from the series.

Sodastream at Bearspace, 152 Deptford High Street, SE8 3PQ New Cross FREE, Starts Fri, Until Apr 6.

West 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.

Through A Glass Darkly at Stephanie Hoppen, 17 Walton Street, SW3 2HX South Kensington FREE, Until Mar 13. Four contemporary photographers’ differing takes on the female form.

Treasures Of The Royal Courts: Tudors, Stuarts And The Russian Tsars at Victoria & Albert Museum, Cromwell Road, SW7 2RL South Kensington £8, concs available, Starts Sat, Until Jul 14. A large-scale exhibition charting the cultural diplomacy and trade between Britain and Russia from 1555 through to the 1680s.

scoutlondon.com Scout London 31

B

ill Bailey might be bestknown for describing himself as “part troll”, but over the years he’s left the fringes of the alternative scene to become a comedy superstar. His upcoming Leicester Square show, Qualmpeddler, is set to establish another collection of jokes, thoughts and moments that become part of our collective comedy consciousness.

For now, here are our favourite Bill Bailey moments from over the years.

Bill Bailey gets horny for Metallica Bailey doesn’t just have the same haircut and T-shirt collection as an ageing rockstar – he has the musical chops too. Anyone who has seen him live will testify that his musical skills are dazzling – but if

you need convincing, check out his unique rendition of Enter Sandman, performed during Sonisphere rehearsals on a custom rig made from bike horns. It’s as technically impressive as it is hilarious. j.mp/metallica_bill

rhythmic sound had a more basic, Christmassy core. Demonstrating a “catastrophic technical failure” at a U2 gig, he pretended to be The Edge, with no edge and no effects. j.mp/u2_bill

Bill Bailey reveals U2’s scary musical secret

Channel 4 comedy series Black Books is still a benchmark of brilliance. Week after week, the audience would tune in to see Bailey’s put-upon, erudite, cheerful Manny going toe-to-toe with Dylan Moran’s mercurial, violent, boozy Bernard. But as Manny, he comes into his own when a combination of an espresso machine and a box set of The Sweeney turns him into an accidental crime fighter, bluffing his way around the situation with 70s cop show slang. Taking on the role of Good Cop, he persuades a criminal to confess through sheer bewilderment.

He only gives himself away when he attempts to suddenly straddle a chair, like Carter in a final scene – the expression on his face says it all. j.mp/officer_bill (from 15.52)

When he’s not paying homage to his musical heroes, Bill Bailey enjoys exposing overrated stadium acts.

And who hasn’t ever wondered why U2 have the power to sell millions of tickets and albums, when even the most dedicated rock fan will admit that they can be a little hard to love. Bailey pointed out something fascinating when he suggested that the band’s heavily synthesised

For whom the horn honks Bailey plays a cover of Enter Sandman – on bike horns

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As Bill Bailey brings his new show Qualmpeddler to London, Lucy Peden picks his five funniest moments

Bill Bailey impersonates an officer

Bewilderness) is a perfectly-pitched piece of observational comedy.

He notes that, in keeping with the continental lifestyle, sirens sound at a gentler, more “lyrical” pace – “yes, there is an accident, but let’s enjoy the ride!” j.mp/emergency_bill

Bill Bailey goes kosher on Match Of The Day

Bailey is a classically-trained musician, and much of his act is fuelled by his understanding of the way music is constructed. This sounds like it could be very dry, but anyone who saw him at last year’s Royal Variety performance will testify that it’s anything but boring. He knows that a melody can be pulled apart and replayed in a way that totally alters its emotional charge.

Sometimes this is very moving, and sometimes this is painfully funny. It’s definitely the latter when Bailey plays the Match Of The Day theme as a lounge classic – and when he slows it down and plays it at the same pace as a Jewish folk song, you expect to see the Queen somewhere in the Bill Bailey has a laid back emergency audience, dancing the hora. j.mp/kosher_bill Bailey might have a penchant for the whimsical, but the genius Bill Bailey – Qualmpeddler, March of his comedy is that it’s often 6-7, Leicester Square Theatre rooted in reality, and his piece on leicestersquaretheatre.com European ambulance sirens (from

JOHN GARRETT

Bill’s best bits

ONGOING NewsRevue at Canal Cafe Theatre, Bridge House Pub, Delamere Terrace, W2 6ND Warwick Avenue Thu-Sat 9.30pm, Sun 9pm, £11, concs £9.50.

Comedy sketches and songs inspired by current affairs. Until Mar 31.

Monday March 4 Comedy Bin at The Rhythm Factory, 1618 Whitechapel Road, E1 1EW Whitechapel 8pm-10pm, FREE. With Athena Kugblenu, Christine Edwards, Mandy Dassa, Andrew Tobert, Kevin Itchy, Owen Booth, Mandeep Singh, Victoria Elizabeth and Sam Roberts.

Will Franken: Things We Did Before Reality at Soho Theatre, 21 Dean Street, W1D 3NE Tottenham Court Road 9.30pm, ends Mar 9, Mar 4-9 Mon-Wed £15, concs £12.50, Thu-Sat £17.50, concs £15. Character comedy and impressions.

The Good Ship Comedy Club at The Good Ship, 289 Kilburn High Road, NW6 7JR Kilburn 6pm, £5, adv £4.

With Patrick Monahan, Matt Winning and Pete Jonas.

Robert Newman’s New Theory Of Evolution: Work In Progress at Tabard Theatre, 2 Bath Road, W4 1LW Turnham Green 8pm, £10. Hardhitting humour.

A Night Of Comedy In Aid Of The MS Society at Comedy Store, 1a Oxendon Street, SW1Y 4EE Piccadilly Circus 8pm, £15, phone for availability. With Jon Richardson, Adam Hills, Dave Fulton, Shappi Khorsandi, Josh Widdicombe, Charlie Baker, Suzi Ruffell and Marlon Davis.

Mark Thomas: Manifesto Warm Up at Soho Theatre, 21 Dean Street, W1D 3NE Tottenham Court Road 9.15pm, £10. The political stand-up tries out new material.

Tuesday March 5

Best Friends Club at Leicester Square Theatre, 6 Leicester Place, WC2H 7BX Leicester Square 9pm, £10.

With Nish Kumar, Ed Gamble and special guests Dan Simonsen and Ray Peacock.

Gits & Shiggles Comedy Night at Half Moon, Putney, 93 Lower Richmond Road, SW15 1EU Putney Bridge 8pm, £5. Guest acts take to the stage for an evening of laughter, including Late Night Gimp Fight, Joel Dommett and Tiernan Douieb. MC is Stephen Bailey.

Robin Ince & Michael Legge: Pointless Anger, Righteous Ire at Comedy Cafe, 66-68 Rivington Street, EC2A 3AY Liverpool Street 7.45pm, £10.

Intelligent rants from the two stand-ups.

Wednesday March 6 Bill Bailey: Qualmpeddler at Leicester Square Theatre, 6 Leicester Place, WC2H 7BX Leicester Square 9pm, £20. Surreal songs and off-the-wall humour.

Andrew Maxwell at Comedy Cafe, 66-68 Rivington Street, EC2A 3AY Liverpool Street 7.45pm, £10.

Social commentary and political observations from the Irish stand-up.

Rachel Stubbings: Stubbing Out Problems at Kings Place, 90 York Way, N1 9AG King’s Cross St Pancras 8pm, £12.50, adv £9.50. A multimedia agony aunt show.

Friday March 8

Give It Up For Comic Relief at Wembley Arena, Arena Square, Engineers Way, HA9 0DH Wembley Park 6.30pm, £50, phone for availability. Russell Brand hosts a music and comedy spectacular in aid of Red Nose Day featuring Doc Brown, Eddie Izzard, Frankie Boyle, Jason Manford, Jimmy Carr, Noel Fielding and Simon Amstell.

Thursday March 7 Bill Bailey: Qualmpeddler at Leicester Square Theatre, 6 Leicester Place, WC2H 7BX Leicester Square 9pm, £20. Surreal songs and off-the-wall humour.

Free And Funny at Camden Head, 2 Camden Walk, N1 8DY Angel 8pm, FREE. With Gatis Kandis, Masud Milas, James O Brien, Ben Anderson, Ben Nolan, Farrell McKenzie, Adrian Knight, Victoria Marshall, Richard Banks and Benjamin Howard.

Funny Women: Celebrating International Women’s Day at St James Theatre, 12 Palace Street, SW1E 5JA Victoria 6pm, £25. A panel discussion followed by a stand-up showcase, featuring Alice Frick, Shazia Mirza, Lynn Ruth Miller, Ria Lina, Tessa Waters, Sofie Hagen, Njambi McGrath, Gabby Best, Sindhu V and Katerina Vrana.

Monkey Business Comedy Club at The Oxford, 256 Kentish Town Road, NW5 2AA Kentish Town 8pm, £6.50, concs £6. With Luisa Omielan, Richard Todd, Elaine Powell, Dan Maclane, Naomi Hester, Andrea Alexandra, Jake Louski, Gary Shaw, Simon Berkowitz, Sean Canon, Paul David, Collins, Emily Rose, Mary Felding and MC Martin Besserman.

Banana Cabaret at The Bedford, 77 Bedford Hill, SW12 9HD Balham 9pm, £14, concs £11. With Adam Bloom, Alisatire Barrie, Owen O’Neill and Martin Beaumont.

Bridget Christie: War Donkey at Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, SE1 8XX Waterloo 8pm, £7.50, concs £3.75. Surreal stand-up and baffling character comedy.

Foster’s Comedy Live at Highlight, Camden Lock, Middle Yard Chalk Farm Road, NW1 8AB Camden Town 8.15pm-10.15pm, £17 & £18. With John Fothergill, Rich Wilson, Dana Alexander, Chris Conroy and Matthew Baylis.

Saturday March 9 Banana Cabaret at The Bedford, 77 Bedford Hill, SW12 9HD Balham 9pm, £16, concs £13. With Adam Bloom, Alisatire Barrie, Owen O’Neill and Martin Beaumont.

Foster’s Comedy Live at Highlight, Camden Lock, Middle Yard Chalk Farm Road, NW1 8AB Camden Town 8.15pm-10.15pm, £17 & £18. With John Fothergill, Rich Wilson, Dana Alexander, Jonnie Price and Luke Honnoraty.

The Funny Side...Of Covent Garden at The George, 213 Strand, WC2R 1AP Temple 8pm, £12.50. Rainer Hersch, Kevin Precious, Nick Wilty and compere Jonny Freeman.

Hampstead Comedy Club at The Pembroke Castle, 150 Gloucester Avenue, NW1 8JA Chalk Farm 8.30pm, £10, concs £8.50. Earl Okin, Nick Doody, John Fothergill and compere Ivor Dembina.

Jongleurs Comedy Show at The Sports Cafe, 80 Haymarket, SW1Y 4TE Piccadilly Circus 8.30pm, £15. With The Raymond & Mr Timpkins Revue and Maff Brown.

Jongleurs Comedy Show at Sway, 6165 Great Queen Street, WC2B 5BZ Holborn 7pm, 8.45pm, 7pm £17,

8.45pm £20. With Matt Rudge, Joe Bor and Andre King.

Kernow King’s Wonders Of The Cornish Universe at Rich Mix, 35-47 Bethnal Green Road, E1 6LA Shoreditch High Street 7.30pm, £12, adv £10. Wry observations from Edward Rowe’s alter ego.

Monkey Business Comedy Club at Sir Richard Steele, 97 Haverstock Hill, NW3 4RL Chalk Farm 8.45pm, £12.50, concs £10. With Dan Antopolski, Sol Bernstein, Wez Zaharuk, Tania Edwards, Andy Storey and Martin Besserman Top Secret Comedy Club at The Africa Centre, 38 King Street, WC2E 8JT Covent Garden 8.15pm-10.45pm, £10, NUS £5. With Ian Stone, Joe Rowntree and John Hastings.

Up The Creek at Up The Creek, 302 Creek Road, SE10 9SW Cutty Sark 8.45pm, £16, adv £15.

With Gavin Webster, Jessica Fostekew and MC Ben Norris.

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 10 Craig Campbell Live at The Bloomsbury Theatre, 15 Gordon Street, WC1H 0AH Euston 7pm, 9.30pm, £15. A celebration of the mundane from the acclaimed Canadian stand-up.

Central London Comedy Club at Theodore Bullfrog, 28 John Adam Street, WC2N 6AS Charing Cross 8.30pm10.30pm, £5. With Eric Hutton, Rick Kieswetter, Matt Tiller, Gerry Howell and MC Ramsay MacDonald.

Central London Comedy Club at Theodore Bullfrog, 28 John Adam Street, WC2N 6AS Charing Cross 8.30pm-10.30pm, £5. With Paul T Eyres, Pam Ford, Lindsay Sharman, Mark Restuccia, Darius Davies and MC Ramsay MacDonald.

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 Liam Speirs, Jason Kavan, Charlie Ross and Marian Pashley.

Mirth Control, Deeds Not Words at Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, SE1 8XX Waterloo 7.30pm, £10£40, concs £5-£20. Comedy and music with special guests including Petula Clark and MC Sandi Toksvig.

Mark Restuccia: The Diary Of A Serial Internet Dater: Work In Progress at Hen & Chickens, 109 St Paul’s Road, N1 2NA Highbury & Islington 7.30pm, £4.

Stand-up.

Sunday Special at Up The Creek, 302 Creek Road, SE10 9SW Cutty Sark 7.30pm, £6, concs £4. Guest acts take to the stage.

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Off to be the wizard Director Sam Raimi has reinvented the land of Oz for his prequel, Oz The Great And Powerful. Shereen Low hears how the back-story to the famous characters took shape

O

ver 70 years since the release of Victor Fleming’s The Wizard of Oz, the 1939 film remains one of the most successful Hollywood hits of all time. The famous image of a young Judy Garland, gazing skyward in her blue gingham dress as she sings Somewhere Over the Rainbow, is as emotive and enduringly iconic as ever.

Based on the novel by L Frank Baum, the film has inspired many subsequent spin-offs, in film, TV, theatre and fiction – most famously, 1985 film sequel Return to Oz and hit stage musical Wicked.

Now, after much anticipation, Spider-Man director Sam Raimi has reinvented the magical land in 3D glory for his film, Oz The Great And

34 Scout London scoutlondon.com

Powerful, starring James Franco, Rachel Weisz, Michelle Williams and Mila Kunis. But don’t worry – the famous yellow brick road and the Emerald City are pretty much as you remember.

“The 1939 film is beloved by many people, myself included,” says Franco, who plays the wizard himself. “One of the things I knew that they’d be able to improve on with this film was the rendering of Oz, to create a spectacular world that is fully engaging and seamless.”

This prequel to the classic follows Oscar Diggs, a small-time circus magician with questionable ethics, who is transported away from dusty Kansas to the vibrant land of Oz. When he encounters three witches – Theodora (Kunis), Evanora

(Weisz) and Glinda (Williams) – he has to try to save his new home and its inhabitants before evil takes over.

“This film explains how all the characters became who they are and explains their origins so you understand them a little more,” says Kunis.

“It brings a little more sincerity and truth to all the characters. And, while being funny and endearing, it very much stays true to the original concepts that L Frank Baum created.”

Co-star Zach Braff adds: “We’re not trying to remake that treasured classic.”

So, though you might think you know the characters from the 1939 film, here’s our guide to who they really are...

MICHELLE WILLIAMS WHO Glinda, the Good Witch PERSONALITY “She’s the younger version of Glinda that we all know from the books. I think of my Glinda as a witch at the beginning of developing those powers,” says Williams.

POWERS The ability to manipulate water, using her magic wand, and being able to travel around in a bubble.

Raimi adds: “It’s in Glinda that Oz is finally able to consummate the love story that his limited character couldn’t back in Kansas.

In Oz, he grows into a greater man, a man who values others as much as himself and only then does he finally become worthy of Glinda’s love.”

ZACH BRAFF WHO Finley, the winged monkey PERSONALITY “Through the course of the film, Oz and Finley go on this journey together and become buddies with each other,” says Braff.

POWERS Comic timing and wisdom Raimi adds: “Finley is the Wizard’s conscience. When he gets to Oz, Finley reminds the Wizard in so many different ways about right and wrong. At first, Oz doesn’t listen but eventually begins to respect the monkey, and the goodness of his wisdom gets through.”

MILA KUNIS JAMES FRANCO WHO Oscar Diggs, aka The Wizard of Oz

© Disney Enterprises

PERSONALITY “He’s part goofball, part con-man, part seducer, part vaudeville guy, all of which appealed to me. In some ways, he touches on many aspects of Americana, while being a cross between Charlie Chaplin and Clark Gable,” says Franco.

RACHEL WEISZ WHO Evanora, the Evil Witch PERSONALITY “I think she can be vulnerable, as most bullies are. She’s a narcissist so she only cares about herself. She’s vulnerable when she thinks she might not get what she wants, but I don’t think that she cares about anybody else,” says Weisz.

POWERS Performing magic tricks and illusions.

POWERS The ability to create lightning from her fingertips.

“I came out two weeks early to work with the great Las Vegas magician Lance Burton,” Franco says. “I learned dove tricks and fire tricks as well as pulling things out of hats and making things levitate.”

Raimi adds: “She is the advisor to the king and seems like a good person, somebody who’s just looking out for the welfare of the Emerald City. Later, we realise she’s wicked, as wicked as they come.”

WHO Theodora, Evanora’s younger sister, who is also smitten by Oz PERSONALITY “Theodora is a really sweet, naive witch who truly wants to bring peace to the land. She is a girl who desperately wants to believe in good and believe in the betterment of society, the betterment of the people and betterment of the world. She is also in so much denial of the bad that she doesn’t even think it exists,” explains Kunis.

POWERS The ability to create fire from a magic ring.

Raimi says: “Theodora is a good witch when we first meet her. She loves her older sister and is also fond of goodness, which Glinda represents. She is very innocent and protected in a lot of ways.” scoutlondon.com Scout London 35

new releases

Side Effects

(15)

Emily Taylor (Rooney Mara) is crippled with anxiety about the impending release of her jailbird husband (Channing Tatum), who was locked up for four years for insider trading. She turns to psychiatrist Jonathan Banks (Jude Law) for help, and he prescribes her a new medication called Ablixa. However, soon afterwards, Emily commits an unspeakable act in her drug-induced state. The media swarms and attention turns to Banks’s culpability for supplying the pills. Steven Soderbergh’s lean psychological thriller is built on the rock-solid foundations of Scott Z Burns’s script, which engineers hairpin plot twists to keep us on the edge of our seats. Law plays his role as a pawn in a deadly game with restraint, while Mara delivers another mesmerising performance after her Oscar nomination last year for The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo.

Soderbergh’s cool direction oozes style but crucially, gives nothing away.

Damon Smith

Robot & Frank

(12A)

Directed by Jake Schreier, Robot & Frank is a futuristic buddy movie about the unusual bond of trust between an aging ex-con (Frank Langella) with a faltering memory and his VGC-60L robot helper (voiced

by Peter Sarsgaard). Man and machine carry out a theft at the local library then ramp up their larcenous activities with wryly amusing and heartbreaking consequences. “Are you in?” Frank wonders excitedly.

“Only if you agree to eat a low sodium diet from now on,” dryly responds his mechanised sidekick. Robot & Frank is an endearing slice of technolife, anchored by a terrific performance from Langella as a cantankerous old coot, who finds companionship when he least expects it. The plot is slight and the resolution messy but the central relationship is always touchingly believable. DS

Broken (15) Award-winning stage director Rufus Norris makes an assured debut behind the camera with this gritty snapshot of suburban malaise, shot through the eyes of an 11-year-old girl called Skunk (Eloise Laurence). There is something inherently theatrical about Mark O’Rowe’s script, based on the novel by Daniel Clay, with its explosions of violence that leave half the characters nursing deep, and in some cases fatal wounds. Broken paints a grim picture of the modern family unit, daring to peek behind twitching net curtains to glimpse the terrible secrets that divide the generations. Laurence is mesmerizing, effortlessly shouldering the emotional burden of the film’s most intense scenes, while Tim Roth offers solid support as her protective single father. DS

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Also showing

The Princess Bride (PG)

London Asian Film Festival

Uproariously funny and touchingly sweet, Rob Reiner’s irreverent fairytale fantasy returns to cinemas for a limited time to celebrate its 25th anniversary. Based on the William Goldman novel of the same name, The Princess Bride unfolds as a bedtime story told by an old man (Peter Falk) to his poorly grandson (Fred Savage), in which a valiant farmhand called Wesley (Cary Elwes) battles outlaws atop the Cliffs Of Insanity and evades the razor-sharp teeth of the Rats Of Unusual Size in order to declare his love to the beautiful Princess Buttercup (Robin Wright).

The script is an embarrassment of quotable riches – “There’s a shortage of perfect breasts in this world. It would be a pity to damage yours” – and the performances are suitably tongue-in-cheek. DS Selected cinemas across London, times and prices vary.

Marking the centenary of Indian cinema, LAFF boasts a tempting array of independent features, old classics and mainstream fare from as far afield as America, Assam, Kashmir, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and the UK. Festivities get underway with Avinash Kumar Singh’s modern family portrait, Listen… Amaya (Mar 7). The gala screening will be attended by stars Deepti Naval and Farooque Shaikh and legendary actress Shabana Azmi. Other highlights include award-winning documentary Saving Face (Mar 9); Gauri Shinde’s light-hearted journey of self-discovery, English Vinglish (Mar 14, pictured); and the closing night gala of Anurag Basu’s romantic comedy Barfi! (Mar 17), which was one of Bollywood’s highest grossing films of yesteryear. Variety certainly is the intoxicating spice of festival life. DS Mar 7-17, times vary, free-£25. BFI Southbank, Belvedere Road, SE1 8XT Waterloo

Vertigo (PG)

LA Confidential (18)

The first offering in the Prince Charles Cinema’s Alfred Hitchcock season is this restored print of arguably the director’s finest hour, uniting James Stewart and Kim Novak at the apogee of their careers in a mesmerising psychological thriller, which makes for dizzying viewing with its dazzling camerawork and disorienting narrative u-turns. Released in 1958, Vertigo opens with a memorable rooftop chase that introduces San Francisco police detective John “Scottie” Ferguson (Stewart) and his crippling acrophobia. A fatal accident ushers Scottie into retirement, until he is agrees to shadow the beautiful and enigmatic Madeleine Elster (Novak). Nothing is quite as it first appears… North By Northwest, Psycho and The Birds will screen on subsequent Wednesdays. DS

LA Confidential is a stylish and gripping thriller examining the friction generated within a 1950s police division when one ambitious officer dares to speak out against the corruption and greed around him. Guy Pearce and Russell Crowe give career-making performances as two cops ensnared in a web of intrigue and murder, with dazzling support from Kevin Spacey as a narcotics detective with a TV image to uphold, and Danny DeVito as an odious, muck-raking tabloid magazine editor, whose salacious tips are always “off the record, on the QT, and very hush-hush”.

Brian Helgeland’s lean script is riddled with polished one-liners, and director Curtis Hanson ratchets up the tension with almost sadistic glee, even eliciting an Oscar-winning supporting turn from Kim Basinger. DS

Mar 6, 8.45pm, £6.50, mems £4. The Prince Charles Cinema, 7 Leicester Place, WC2H 7BY Leicester Square

Mar 5, 6.15pm (as a double bill with Gangster Squad), £9.50, concs £8.50. Riverside Studios, Crisp Road, W6 9RL Hammersmith scoutlondon.com Scout London 37

Fresh from her success as a guest dancer in the Crazy Horse burlesque troupe, Kelly Brook is ready to take on another challenge - holding her own opposite Keith Lemon. Susan Griffin weighs up her chances

G

iven that Kelly Brook’s latest project involves being taunted and teased by the acerbic-tongued and irrepressible Keith Lemon, it’s a good thing she can laugh at herself.

The swimwear and lingerie model is taking over as a team captain from Fearne Cotton while the radio DJ enjoys her maternity leave and as anyone who’s watched Celebrity Juice can testify, she’s going to need skin as thick as a rhino’s.

“He can be really cheeky,” says Brook, who’s at least had a taster of what to expect. “When I was a guest on the show, he told me if I didn’t have good boobs I’d be working at Dixons. He comes out with the most horrendous things.

“But I like that pub humour. It’s banter and you can take whatever he says with a shovel of salt.”

Brook co-starred opposite comedian Leigh Francis’s platinum blonde alter ego in Keith Lemon: The Film last year.

She says it was “amazing and did really well”, before revealing it was an impromptu meet-up at the Comedy Awards that led to her involvement in the show.

“Leigh was talking about Celebrity Juice and the fact Fearne wasn’t coming back [for a while] and I said to him, ‘Look if you need someone, bear me in mind’.”

Francis couldn’t have been more enthusiastic about hiring Brook as a rival team captain to This Morning’s Holly Willoughby.

38 Scout London scoutlondon.com

“He was like, ‘Would you do it, would you do it?’” says Brook. “I said, ‘I’ll do it if you want me to do a few episodes’ and then it went from there.

“It wasn’t like I had to go in and screen test or anything. I’d been on the show before so it was a natural, organic thing, really out the blue. It’s my favourite show, so I thought it’d be such a laugh.”

A weekly comedy show, Celebrity Juice pits two rival teams against each other to see which one knows most about the week’s celebrity news, through a cornucopia of crazy tasks and quizzes.

Now in its ninth series, it’s ITV2’s highestrated show and on Thursday marked its 100th episode ahead of a series packed with a host of new showbiz names taking part in a splatter of chaotic challenges.

“There’s no-one like Keith on TV, he’s so spontaneous, you never know what he’s going to

Bang tidy Brook, Lemon and Willoughby

say. And he has no filter, he speaks like a 12-yearold boy and that’s why people just can’t not watch him,” says Brook.

As for Lemon, he’s said: “I really didn’t think we could replace Fearne Cotton but now we’ve got Kelly Brook I hope Fearne don’t come back. Only joking! But the two main reasons we’ve chosen Kelly Brook are obvious – her bangers. Just hope Holly don’t get jealous.”

Brook finds this hilarious when it’s read out down the phone to her. “It’s good to see they’re still providing me with a lot of income and work,” she jokes of her assets.

“I think the longer I’m on the show, the more he’ll pick holes in me and make fun of me. He’s always making fun of the fact I’ve been fired [from Britain’s Got Talent] and I’ve got big boobs. But I can handle it, I’m a big girl.”

And she has Willoughby on hand to help her out. “I know Holly, she’s brilliant. I think we’re just going to be grown-ups trying to deal with this ‘child’, and reining him in when we can. It’ll be good to have another female to look to for support.

We’ll have each other’s backs.”

Refreshingly, Brook makes no qualms about the fact that her career has focused on her looks.

“That’s kind of what it is when you’re a model, I don’t really know why I get such a hard time for it,” she says.

The Kent-born 33-year-old seems to be in a good place professionally. She has also just finished guest starring in sitcom Trollied and says she has plans to do “something” for the Comedy Central channel as well.

“I’m just keeping really busy,” she says. “I’m looking forward to having a laugh on Celebrity Juice. We’re not trying to reinvent the wheel - it’s just a fun, cool show.”

Celebrity Juice is on ITV2 on Thursdays

JAMES McCAULEY, rex features

Juice the ticket

Argo (15)

Gambit (12)

Available on DVD, Blu-ray and iTunes On November 4, 1979, simmering tensions outside the US embassy in Tehran boil over. Militants storm the building and capture 52 Americans.

Back on American soil, CIA extractor Tony Mendez (Ben Affleck) concocts an elaborate scheme to rescue the escapees by posing as the producer of a sci-fi epic called Argo. Bona fide Hollywood producer Lester Siegel (Alan Arkin) and make-up artist John Chambers (John Goodman) lend credibility to the fake blockbuster but when Tony arrives on Iranian soil, he quickly realises that extracting the six nationals could end with an Iranian firing squad. Ben Affleck’s thriller holds our attention hostage in a vice-like grip and refuses to let for the entire two hours. Taut pacing, slick editing and escalating tension are underpinned by emotionally wrought performances from a sensational ensemble cast. Arkin and Goodman provide the comic relief as the Hollywood veterans who realise they must spend serious money to create the illusion of a blockbuster in the making. “If I’m doing a fake movie, it’s gonna be a fake hit!” growls Lester. Damon Smith

Available on DVD, Blu-ray and iTunes Mild-mannered art curator Harry Deane (Colin Firth) grows tired of the constant bullying of his obscenely wealthy boss, Lord Lionel Shabandar (Alan Rickman). So he concocts an elaborate swindle with his loyal friend The Major (Tom Courtenay) to pass off a fake Monet as the missing masterpiece that Shabandar is desperate to acquire. Harry travels to Texas to befriend rodeo queen PJ Puznowski (Cameron Diaz) and hires the blonde beauty to pose as the witless owner of the painting called Haystacks At Dusk. From the moment PJ sashays into his office, Shabandar is smitten by her “invigorating lack of decorum”. However, he is less convinced by the authenticity of the painting and calls in his own expert, the flamboyant Zaidenweber (Stanley Tucci), which throws Harry’s preposterous plan into disarray. Michael Hoffman’s remake of a 1966 screwball caper of the same name is a shambles. Midway through Gambit, Firth finds himself standing half naked on a window ledge of the Savoy hotel, staring down at passing traffic. “This is absurd,” he despairs.

It’s an apt summation of Hoffman’s misfiring feature. DS

Game of Thrones (18)

Available on DVD and Blu-ray box set

People Like Us (12)

Available on DVD and Blu-ray Sam (Chris Pine) is a fast-talking salesman, who learns that his estranged 63-year-old father (Dean Chekvala) has died from cancer. He inherits nothing more than his father’s vinyl collection and old leather shaving bag. Inside the bag, Sam discovers $150,000 and instructions to deliver the money to someone called Josh Davis. Sam heads to a motel where he finds troubled 11-yearold Josh (Michael Hall D’Addario), whose single mother Frankie (Elizabeth Banks) is a recovering alcoholic. She conceals a secret that rocks Sam’s world and forces him to re-evaluate his priorities.

Having started at a brisk pace, the script treads water for too long before lighting a fuse on the emotional fireworks that detonate at the end. DS

The bloody battle between the noble families of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros continues in 10 episodes of the epic fantasy drama based on the best-selling novel series A Song Of Ice And Fire by George RR Martin. Sex, swordplay and skullduggery abound in what has become one of the TV events of the year – albeit only for those lucky swines with access to Sky Atlantic. This series, winter approaches fast and Joffrey (Jack Gleeson) sits on the coveted Iron Throne, guided by his scheming mother Cersei (Lena Headey) and clever dwarf Tyrion (Peter Dinklage). An influential new leader rises among the wildlings North of the Wall, which poses problems for Jon Snow (Kit Harington).

Alliances are forged and blood spilt, and we love every skull-cracking moment. DS

For a Good Time Call... (18) Available on DVD and Blu-ray

Lauren (Lauren Anne Miller) and Katie (Ari Graynor), have hated each other since an unfortunate college incident a decade previously.

Following calamities, the pair reluctantly agree to move in together for the sake of saving money and late one night, Lauren discovers her flatmate is making her mark as a phone sex operator. For A Good Time, Call... is a potty-mouthed comedy galvanised by the appealing double-act of Miller and Graynor, who clearly have a hoot with their foul-mouthed shrieks down the telephone receiver.

Unfortunately, Miller and Katie Anne Nelson’s script is twice as long as it needs to be, with too much cloying sentimentality. DS

scoutlondon.com Scout London 39

Olly good show X Factor runner-up Olly Murs has come a long way in four years, with three albums and almost three million sales under his belt. But he feels people still don’t give him credit for his achievements. Andy Welch hears how he’s winning over his critics You’ve been in the US lately.

How’s it going?

Really well, I’m so chuffed. There’s another single coming out over there soon, and then the album in April.

I’m going to be back there after my UK tour for more promo, and other different bits and bobs. It’ll be an interesting couple of months. The single Troublemaker is doing really nicely – smashing it, in fact. Things 40 Scout London scoutlondon.com

have been taking off since before Christmas, so it looks like it could be a big hit over there.

With a wave of Brits such as Adele, Ed Sheeran and One Direction doing so well over there, is it paving the way for you?

They’re doing really well but it’s been like that for years. There’s been a rash of spectacular success in the

past year or so, but British artists doing well in the US is something that goes back years; we’ve long had successful artists over there. It’s a bit more highlighted now with all the media attention, but it’s a pleasure to be a part of it. The Americans are jumping on our music and that’s great. It’s all down to quality; Brits are releasing quality music and for me, that’s the most important thing.

So, what have you got planned for the UK tour?

It’s going to be a step up from the last tour, and that means bigger everything. I’ve done pretty well in the past year, so I wanted to have a bigger show to reflect that. It means a bigger stage, bigger arrangements and a bigger band. I’ve got plenty of songs in my back catalogue too, with having three albums, so for me

66 I’m like an underdog

– but one that’s sold almost three million albums! 99 I continue to do so. Everyone likes an underdog.

Do you see yourself as an underdog?

Yes, but an underdog that’s sold almost three million albums! The sales are there, I don’t need to bang on about that, and I’m proud of what I’ve achieved, so if people don’t want to write about me, fair enough. I’ll have to carry on selling records and doing arena tours.

it’s about picking the right ones for the show.

Is it hard choosing which songs to leave out?

It is hard, but it’s great to be in that position. People come from the X Factor and they might stick around for a year or two, so I’m proud to be able to carry on selling records, to grow a fan base and be on my third

album. It’s a massive achievement and the fact I’ve released three albums and the sales I’ve achieved doesn’t get highlighted enough.

I think it’s amazing and I’m really chuffed, but it just doesn’t get written about.

Does that bother you?

Of course it does. You want to be successful from a fan point of view,

You were nominated for Best British Male at the Brits.

That’s recognition.

Well, yes. But it’s an award voted for by the industry, so I knew I wouldn’t win. If it was voted for by the fans, then I might have had a chance. I would love to have won, and it’s a pleasure to be nominated.

I should’ve been nominated in 2012 to be honest, so I felt that was a bit of a snub. But it was great to be nominated this year, so perhaps it’s a step forward within the industry; and with journalists, maybe they’re starting to come around and notice and you want people to buy your stuff my achievements.

– I think people love my stuff – so from that aspect I couldn’t be doing Are you going to be back on any better. However, from an industry The Xtra Factor? point of view, and the press too, It’s unlikely. I’m not too sure. It there is snobbery that I’m from the depends on my schedule. Last year X Factor, that I didn’t come through I didn’t do anything on the auditions the right channels, and they’re not and wasn’t on it until the live into it. I just don’t understand it. It’s shows, so that might be something clear on paper how successful I’ve we do again. There’s been a lot of been and what I’ve achieved. It’s like speculation, but I’ve never said I you have to decide whether you want definitely wasn’t going back, just to win awards, or sell records, but that it was unlikely, due to my music I want both. I’ve got amazing fans, commitments. an amazing team, and there are a lot of people out there that enjoy my Olly Murs is at Wembley Arena on music, so I have to focus on that and March 10, ollymurs.com scoutlondon.com Scout London 41

THIS WEEK Sigur Ros

March 7-9, O2 Brixton Academy, £30 Undoubtedly one of Iceland’s finest exports, Sigur Ros bring their epic, haunting and achingly beautiful sounds to O2 Academy Brixton for three nights this week. The band will perform tracks from sixth album Valtari, as well as classics such as Sæglópur and Hoppípolla. Yes, we can’t pronounce them either, but you’ll know them from The Life of Pi film trailer and the BBC’s incredible Planet Earth series respectively.

Stockwell Road SW9 9SL Brixton

March 8, Hammersmith Apollo, £28.50 & £35 It’s time to say farewell to Amon Tobin’s incredible ‘beyond 3D’ show. The ISAM Live experience is one of the most exciting ways to watch live music and has moved electronic music forwards in a giant leap. The show uses 42 Scout London scoutlondon.com

a set made up of boxes which have images projected on them, to create a visually dazzling experience.

Queen Caroline Street W6 9QH Hammersmith

March 5-7, Shepherd’s Bush Empire, £16

Another wonderful band to come out if Iceland, Of Monsters and Men had one of the biggest indie hits of 2012: the ubiquitous Little Talks.

Hailed as “the new Arcade Fire” by Rolling Stone, the sixpiece create fast, thunderous,

brass-and piano-driven pop, which puts a massive grin on your face and a wiggle in your behind.

Shepherd’s Bush Green W12 8TT Shepherd’s Bush

PA IMAGES

Amon Tobin

Of Monsters and Men

Wilko Johnson

Scout Stereo

March 6 & 10, KOKO, £20

1

Disclosure (feat. AlunaGeorge) White Noise

Two of electronic pops hottest acts combine into superpopelectrolove.

Dr Feelgood guitarist Wilko Johnson’s current tour is called the Farewell Tour. Having been diagnosed with terminal cancer, the incredibly influential axe man has declined treatment

and is instead heading out on the road one last time. Having created the essential style of Dr Feelgood at its outset, he also played with Ian Dury’s Blockheads. Expect some of the

best rock music you’ll ever hear from one of the best guitarists, who says he feels “vividly alive”.

Camden High Street NW1 7JE Mornington Crescent

Also this week:

Willy Moon

March 5, XOYO, £10 Na-na-na fans get ready. Kiwi Willy Moon shot to fame when his track Yeah Yeah was used for Apple’s iPod ad recently. The sharply-dressed, even sharper coiffured chap will be bringing his exceptionally catchy sounds

to XOYO on Tuesday, where you can wiggle your thang to his 50s rock’n’roll/modern big beat sounds. Shoot for the moon.

Cowper Street EC2A 4AP Old Street

Bonecrusher Festival 2013 Mar 6, The Underworld, £14 Bruts, Urban Rocka Live Band, Dot Rotten, Ghetts, Mercston, Paigey Cakey, Johnny Gunz, Brotherhood, Aleisha Lee Mar 4, Rich Mix, £5, adv £3 Clinic Mar 7, Corsica Studios, adv £12 Give It Up For Comic Relief: Noel Gallagher, Kasabian and Jake Bugg Mar 6, Wembley Arena, £50, phone for availability James Yuill Mar 4, The Sebright Arms, adv £9 Mark Morriss Mar 9, Jamm, £13, adv £10 Mmoths Mar 5, Hoxton Bar & Kitchen, £6 Olly Murs Mar 10, Wembley Arena, £34 Ron Sexsmith Mar 7, Royal Albert Hall, £22.50-£40 Space, Dollface Mar 7, O2 Academy Islington, £17.50

2

Christo Urgencia

3

Kenny Cox Clap Clap!

The Joyful Noise

4

Elephant Skyscraper

5

Cold War Kids Miracle Mile

Blissful, melodic, house music all night long.

A rare and glorious funky gem from the Stata East back catalogue.

Luscious vocals, tinkling melodies, swooning music.

Bouncing pianoinfluenced indie

Listen to our playlist: j.mp/scout0030

Jamie Lidell Mar 8, Heaven, adv £16 Suede Mar 4, The Barfly, Camden, phone for prices The Darkness Mar 7, Hammersmith Apollo, £27.50 The Joy Formidable Mar 8, Roundhouse, £15 Willy Mason, The Mariner’s Children Mar 7, KOKO, £15

scoutlondon.com Scout London 43

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 5ive, Atomic Kitten, B*witched, Liberty X, 911, Honeyz May 14, The O2, phone for prices A$AP Rocky May 21 & May 22, O2 Academy Brixton, £20 Action Bronson Jun 7, KOKO, adv £16.50 Alchemy: Anoushka Shankar Apr 13, Southbank Centre, £10-£20, concs £5-£10 Alchemy: Harshdeep Kaur, Ash King Apr 20, Southbank Centre, £10-£20, concs £5-£10 Alchemy: Martin Simpson & Arieb Azhar Apr 17, Southbank Centre, £10 & £15, concs £5 & £7.50 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 Anastacia Apr 6, O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, £32.50 Angel Haze May 7, The Scala, adv £12.50 & May 9, Heaven, phone for prices 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-May 5, The O2, £55-£85 Biffy Clyro, City And Colour Apr 3, The O2, £26.50 & £29.50 Big Country Apr 21, The Forum, £23.50 Black Rebel Motorcycle Club Mar 27, O2 Academy Brixton, £22.50

Boyzone: BZ20 Tour Dec 21, Wembley Arena, £37.50 and Dec 20, The O2, phone for prices

44 Scout London scoutlondon.com

Brandt Brauer Frick Mar 21, XOYO, adv £12 Brian May And Kerry Ellis May 1, Royal Albert Hall, phone for prices British Sea Power Apr 17, O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, £15 British Summer Time: Bon Jovi Jul 5, Hyde Park, £65 Bruce Forsyth Jun 3, Royal Albert Hall, £45-£65 Bruce Foxton Apr 12, The Clapham Grand, £17 Bruno Mars Oct 8, The O2, phone for prices Bryan Ferry Nov 4, Royal Albert Hall, £35-£95 Burt Bacharach Jun 26, Southbank Centre, £30-£75, concs £15-£37.50 C2C: Country to Country Mar 16 & Mar 17, The O2, day ticket £35-£65, weekend ticket £130 CSS May 13, Hoxton Square Bar And Kitchen, phone for prices Chas & Dave May 18, IndigO2, £26.50£45 Chris De Burgh Apr 24, Royal Albert Hall, £35-£50 Cold War Kids May 9, The Forum, £15 Cornershop Mar 28, 229 The Venue, £15

Crystal Fighters May 23, KOKO, £14, phone for availability 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 Dexys Apr 15, Apr 16, Apr 18-Apr 20, Apr 22, Apr 23, The Duke Of York’s, £26-£41 Die Antwoord Jun 22, O2 Academy Brixton, phone for prices Dog Is Dead Apr 24, KOKO, adv £11.50 Don Broco Apr 18, KOKO, £12 Dutch Uncles May 2, The Scala, adv £10 Ebony Day Apr 4, The Borderline, adv £6 Ed Harcourt May 30, Cadogan Hall, £12.50-£17.50 Edwyn Collins Apr 24, Union Chapel, £25

Classical

Danzig Jun 24, Roundhouse, £27.50 Eels Mar 21, O2 Academy Brixton, £30 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 Engelbert Humperdinck May 10, Royal Albert Hall, £38.50 Eric Clapton May 17, May 18, May 20, May 21, May 23, Royal Albert Hall, £70 & £85 Everclear Apr 4, O2 Academy Islington, £17.50 FM Mar 23, O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, £18.50 Factory Floor With Simon Fisher Turner Mar 14, ICA, £8, mems £5, concs £7 Fairport Convention May 10, The Borderline, £24 Fenech Soler May 22, Electric Ballroom, £12 Field Day Festival 2013: Bat For Lashes, Solange, Animal Collective May 25, Victoria Park, £49.50 Foals, Efterklang Mar 28, Royal Albert Hall, £10-£25 Frank Hamilton May 3, The Borderline, £7.50 Fucked Up, Titus Andronicus May 30, Electric Ballroom, £16.50 Gaz Coombes Apr 25, The Garage, £13.50 Ghostpoet May 30, Village Underground, adv £15.50 Green Day, Kaiser Chiefs, All Time Low Jun 1, Emirates Stadium, £45-£65 Iamamiwhoami May 30, Electric Brixton, £15 Imagine Dragons Apr 11, The Forum, £13 JLS Dec 21 & Dec 22, The O2, £25 & £33.50 Jaguar Skills, Mikill Pane, Pixel Fist Mar 23, KOKO, £15 Jessie J Oct 29 & Oct 30, The O2, £25 & £33.50 Kate Nash May 1, 100 Club, £15 Kings Of Leon Jun 12 & Jun 13, The O2, £57.50 Kodaline Apr 4, The Scala, adv £12.50 Lana Del Rey May 19 & May 20, Hammersmith Apollo, £28.50

Arcanto Quartet Mar 10, Wigmore Hall, £12, concs £10 inc coffee, sherry or juice Academy Accordionists Mar 11, Royal Academy Of Music, £7, concs £5 Academy Of St Martin In The Fields Mar 26, Cadogan Hall, £12.50-£39.50 Alfie Boe: Storyteller Apr 8 & Apr 9, Royal Albert Hall, £25-£45 BBC Symphony Orchestra Nov 10, Royal Albert Hall, £8-£36 Damiano Salerno And Giulio Zappad Mar 18, Wigmore Hall, £12-£26 Dmitry Sitkovetsky, Yuri Zhislin And Luigi Piovano Mar 20, Kings Place, £16.50-£34.50, adv £9.50 Il Divo And Katherine Jenkins Apr 19, The O2, £35-£95 Julian Marc Stringle Mar 22, Chickenshed, £17, adv £15

Les Talens Lyriques Mar 8, Barbican Centre, £11-£45 London Mozart Players Mar 14, St John’s, Smith Square, £10-£26, concs £9-£23.40 Los Angeles Philharmonic/Los Angeles Master Chorale Mar 16, Barbican Centre, £15-£65 New London Singers Mar 29, St Martin-In-The-Fields, £10-£22 Royal Philharmonic Orchestra: The Great Classics Jun 7, Royal Albert Hall, £5-£38 The Mystery Fax Machine Orchestra Mar 17, Hoxton Hall, £10 Vienna Piano Trio Mar 14, LSO St Luke’s, £10, concs £9 Vivamus Mar 26, St Martin-InThe-Fields, £8-£24

Maverick Sabre, Jacob Banks, Tom Prior, Rainy Milo Mar 15, Proud Camden, £20, £15 before 9pm, guest list £15, £12 before 9pm guestlist Laura Mvula May 1, Islington Town Hall, phone for prices 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 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 Major Lazer, Angel Haze May 4, Roundhouse, £17.50 Mark Knopfler May 27-Jun 1, Royal Albert Hall, £37.50-£52.50 Marlena Shaw Mar 26-Mar 30, Ronnie Scott’s, £30-£50 Maroon 5 Jun 23 & Jun 24, The O2, £40 & £45 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 Michael Ball: Both Sides Now Tour May 4, Hammersmith Apollo, £37.50 & £42.50 Michael Buble Jun 30 & Jul 1, Jul 3-Jul 5, Jul 7, Jul 8, Jul 10, Jul 12, Jul 13, The O2, £50-£75, phone for availability Mick Hucknall Apr 28, Hammersmith Apollo, £40 & £50 Mumiy Troll May 25, O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, £20 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

Nitin Sawhney Jun 27, Roundhouse, £23.50-£25 Olafur Arnalds And Britten Sinfonia Mar 11, Barbican Centre, £15-£22.50 Olivia Newton-John Mar 13, Royal Albert Hall, £45 & £55 Olly Murs Mar 29 & Mar 30, The O2, £34 One Direction Apr 1, Apr 2, Apr 4, Apr 5, Apr 2, The O2, £25 & £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 Petula Clark Oct 13, Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, £22.50-£47.50 Portico Quartet Apr 17, KOKO, phone for prices Rascal Flatts Jul 11, O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, £25 Rod Stewart: Live The Life Tour Jun 4 & Jun 6, The O2, £60-£70 Roddy Woomble Mar 13, The Jazz Cafe, £15 Rodriguez Jun 8, Hammersmith Apollo, £10-£29.50 Roots Manuva Mar 16, KOKO, £17, adv £15 Santana Jul 19, Wembley Arena, £38.30-£65.80 Shout Out Louds Apr 2, The Lexington, adv £14.06 Sinead O’Connor Mar 27, Barbican Centre, £18-£25 Skid Row, I Am I, Buffalo Summer Apr 13, O2 Academy Islington, £16 Skinny Lister May 8, The Borderline, adv £8 Skunk Anansie Unplugged Apr 15, Cadogan Hall, £27.50 So Solid Crew Mar 21, IndigO2, phone for prices Squarepusher Mar 30, Roundhouse, £25

Noah And The Whale Apr 28, May 5, May 12, May 19, Palace Theatre, £26.50 & £32.50

Stornoway Mar 27, The Forum, £15 Tame Impala Jun 25, Hammersmith Apollo, £19.50 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: Primal Scream, Echo And The Bunnymen Mar 21, Royal Albert Hall, £25-£75 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 Alarm Mar 15, O2 Academy Islington, phone for prices The Black Crowes Mar 29 & Mar 30, The Forum, £37.50 The Courteeners Mar 16, O2 Academy Brixton, £19.50

Stereophonics Mar 4, Electric Brixton, £35, phone for availability The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown, Moulettes Mar 29, The Borderline, £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 Fratellis Apr 11, Electric Ballroom, £20 The Future Shape Of Sound Apr 20, Archangel, £8, adv £6 The Gaslight Anthem Mar 29 & Mar 30, Troxy, £23.50 The Handsome Family May 29, Islington Town Hall, phone for prices The Heavy Mar 21, KOKO, £12.50 The Knife May 8 & May 9, Roundhouse, £27.50 The Lumineers Mar 11 & Mar 12, O2 Academy Brixton, £18.50 The Mad Professor, The Sound System, Fenomino Show, Samurai Mar 29, The Silver Bullet, £10, adv £8 The Pigeon Detectives May 9, Dingwalls, £15

Muse, Dizzee Rascal May 25 & May 26, Emirates Stadium, £49.50-£85 The Postal Service May 19 & May 20, O2 Academy Brixton, £22.50, phone for availability The Script Mar 22 & Mar 23, The O2, £29.50 The Selecter, Zion Train, Talisman Mar 23, Islington Town Hall, £19.50 & £24.50 The Smashing Pumpkins Jul 22, Wembley Arena, £38.50 & £48.50 The Specials May 28 & May 29, O2 Academy Brixton, adv £37.50 The Stone Roses Jun 7 & Jun 8, Finsbury Park, £55 The Twang, Cast May 9, O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, £18 The Undertones May 24, KOKO, £20 The Vaccines May 2, The O2, £27 The Who Jun 15 & Jun 16, The O2, £60-£70 The Wonder Stuff, Pop Will Eat Itself, Jesus Jones Dec 20, O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, £20 Tim Burgess And Lambchop Jun 23, Barbican Centre, £15-£25 Toro Y Moi Jun 4, KOKO, adv £12.50 Tribes May 29, Roundhouse, phone for prices Two Door Cinema Club Apr 27, Alexandra Palace, £20, disabled £10 Vampire Weekend May 8, Troxy, £27.50 Wave Machines, Yunoshi, Iyes Mar 26, Village Underground, adv £7 Wiley, Skepta, JME Apr 20, The Forum, £14.50 Wireless Festival 2013: Justin Timberlake, Jay-Z, Snoop Dogg, Emeli Sande Jul 12 & Jul 13, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, day ticket £57.50, two day ticket £110, under 16s must be accompanied, tickets on sale Feb 22, 9am Xavier Rudd Jun 24, KOKO, £20 Xtatic Mar 21, Dover Street Restaurant And Bar, £15, FREE before 10pm Yo La Tengo Mar 20, Barbican Centre, £15 ZZ Top Jun 24 & Jun 28, Hammersmith Apollo, £45

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CLU B B I N G Monday March 4 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.

Popcorn at Heaven, Charing Cross Arches, Villiers Street, WC2N 6NG Charing Cross £8, £4 before 12midnight, 11pm-5.30am. Resident DJs play dance, electro, R’n’B, pop and hip hop.

Stampede at Escape Bar, 10A Brewer Street, W1F 0SU Piccadilly Circus £5, £3 before 1am, £1 before 11am, FREE before 10pm, 9pm-3am. DJ Laurence Rene spins pop-punk, alternative, rock and ska, with hosts Oli Sandler and Matt Boland.

Tuesday March 5 Coyote Presents: Wavey EP Launch at The Macbeth, 70 Hoxton Street, N1 6LP Old Street £5, £3 before 9pm, 8pm1am. Walter Ego, Faze Miyake, OH91, Notion, Elsewhere and Guppy Slim play grime and bass music.

Matinee Single Launch Party Presents at Shacklewell Arms, 71 Shacklewell Lane, E8 2EB Dalston Kingsland FREE, 8pm-late. Chris Geddes spins indie, pop and rock’n’roll with live performances from IamCharlii and Genna Marabese, plus Matinee launch their new single White Lies.

No Quarter at Notting Hill Arts Club, 21 Notting Hill Gate, W11 3JQ Notting Hill Gate £5, FREE before 8pm, 7pm-2am. Rock, pop and indie courtesy of TV Nights and Maz, plus live performances.

White Heat at Madame Jojo’s, 8-10 Brewer Street, W1F 0SE Piccadilly Circus £5, concs £4, 10.30pm-3am. DJs Matty, Olly and Marcus supply electro, techno and indie.

Wednesday March 6 Coup D’etat at Shoreditch Butchery, 32-37 Cowper Street, EC2A 4AP FREE, 7pm-late. Hofbahn, Def Bond, Stewart Read, Filthy French and Deep6 play house and techno.

Gamerdisco at The Book Club, 100-106 Leonard Street, EC2A 4RH Old Street FREE, 7.30pm-late. DJ Jet Set Rory plays disco and gaming soundtracks.

Girls-A-Loud at Candy Bar, 4 Carlisle Street, W1D 3BJ Tottenham Court Road FREE, 8pmlate. DJs play pop, chart and electro, while Seauntelle hosts the weekly karaoke session.

Trannyshack at Madame Jojo’s, 8-10 Brewer Street, W1F 0SE Piccadilly Circus £5, w/flyer £3, FREE in drag or suitable attire before 12midnight, 10pm-3am. Miss Dusty O, Tasty Tim and Lady Lloyd spin commercial dance and pop at a weekly celebration of glamorous polysexuality.

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White Leather Viper Club at Dalston Superstore, 117 Kingsland High Street, E8 2PB Dalston Kingsland FREE, 9pm-2.30am. Will Viper spins electronica, disco and mutant-pop.

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 March 7 The Beaupreau Project at The InSpiral Lounge, 250 Camden High Street, NW1 8QS Camden Town FREE, 8.30pm-late. The duo perform psychedelia and folk tracks, plus support from resident DJs. CB Radio 2am at Charterhouse, 38 Charterhouse Street, EC1M 6JH Farringdon phone for prices, 10pm2am. DJs Kojock and Robbie Rob Dimba play pop, dance and indie.

Detente at The Player, 8 Broadwick Street, W1F 8HN Oxford Circus £5, £3 before 10.30pm, 8pm-2am. Resident DJs spin jazz, soul and psychedelic music from the 1950s to the 1970s.

Disclosure at Heaven, Charing Cross Arches, Villiers Street, WC2N 6NG Charing Cross £12.50, 7pm. The South London-born duo, featuring brothers Guy and Howard Lawrence, performs bass-heavy dubstep and garage.

Funny Farm at Jamm, 261 Brixton Road, SW9 6LH Brixton £10-£15, 8.30pm-2am. House, disco and funk courtesy of Liz Edwards and Nathan Coles, plus comedy.

Good Sex Launch Night at Proud Camden, The Horse Hospital, Chalk Farm Road, NW1 8AH Camden Town adv £6, 7pm-late. Bad Sex DJs spin dance, house, drum’n’bass, dubstep and pop after live performances from Deaf Club, Sons & Lovers and Kieran Leonard.

It’s A Trap at The Lockside Lounge, 75-89 West Yard Dock, NW1 8AF Camden Town FREE, 8pm-2am.

DJs Koshii, Mooch and Gizzla play hip hop, trap and Moombahton.

Late Lunch at The Bussey Building/ CLF Art Cafe, 133 Rye Lane, SE15 4ST Peckham Rye £5, adv £3, £2 before 11pm, 10pm-late. Dead Boy, Shox, Audio Doughnut and resident DJs spin garage, house and techno.

Lemtek March Madness at The Silver Bullet, 5 Station Place, N4 2DH Finsbury Park FREE, 10pm-late.

Jungle, drum’n’bass and techno courtesy of Spacedocker, Fig Cake, Edderzz, Mr Boogedy and Hungo.

Oval Space Music at Oval Space, 29-32 The Oval, E2 9DY Cambridge Heath adv £15, 8pm-12midnight. Falty DL and James Priestley spin house, techno and dubstep, plus a live performance from Cobblestone Jazz.

Put It In Your Mouth! at Dalston Superstore, 117 Kingsland High Street, E8 2PB Dalston Kingsland FREE, 9pm-2.30am. QBoy, Neil Prince and DJ Silvia Prada spin hip hop and R&B.

The Shelter Present Remake Musique Showcase at The Shelter, 267 Kingsland Road, E2 8AD phone for prices, 10pm5am. DJs Arnaud Le Texier and Greg Brockmann play house and techno tracks.

Tweetbox at The Book Club, 100106 Leonard Street, EC2A 4RH Old Street FREE, 8pm-2am. Reggae, dancehall, hip hop and reggaeton courtesy of Mr TPFD. Vrybdy at The Basing House, 25 Kingsland Road, E2 8AA Liverpool Street phone for prices, 9pm-2am.

Resident DJs spin house and electronica.

Friday March 8

Egg Presents at Egg, 200 York Way, N7 9AX King’s Cross St Pancras adv £10, 10pm-8am. House and techno courtesy of Timo Maas and guest DJs. Alola Events Present at Dukes House, 32-38 Dukes Place, EC3A 7LP Aldgate adv £12-£15, 10pm-6am.

Techno and house courtesy of DJ Vibe, Omid 16b, Demi, Rik Parkinson, Kevin Mckay, Rob Mello, Flymo, Reeplay, Bobby and Digital across two rooms.

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.

Can You Feel The Rush at Jamm, 261 Brixton Road, SW9 6LH Brixton phone for prices, 10pm-6am. Jungle, dub and drum’n’bass courtesy of Nicky Blackmarket, Kenny Ken, RatPack, Ragga Twins and Bryan G. Casino Times at Horse And Groom, 28 Curtain Road, EC2A 3NZ Shoreditch High Street £4 & £5, concs/adv £3, FREE before 10pm, 9pm4am. Jac the Disco, Neil Thornton, Peure Bleue, Gohan, Kolor and guests spin house, disco, bass and techno.

The Doctors Orders at East Village, 89 Great Eastern Street, EC2A 3HX Old Street £7.50, adv £5, 9pm3.30am. Mr Thing, Spin Doctor, Mo Fingaz, Chris P Cuts, Al Fingers and Disorda spin old skool hip hop, dancehall, reggae and soul across two rooms.

Electric Elephant Launch Party at Dance Tunnel, 95 Kingsland High Street, E8 2PB Dalston Junction adv £6 & £8, 10pm-late. DJs Sean Johnston, Luke Unabomber, Chris Duckenfield, Louis Finch and Jake Manders play house and disco.

Fabriclive at Fabric, 77A Charterhouse Street, EC1M 6HJ Farringdon £17, adv £16, mems £12, NUS £10, £8 after 8pm, £21 inc CD, 10pm-6am. Kode 9, DJ Rashad, Ikonika, Scratcha DVA, Cooly G, Goldie, Doc Scott, Storm, Lenzman, Artificial Intelligence, Ulterior Motive, Rido, Mikal, Kutmah, Om Unit, Blue Daisy, KidKanevil and Jay 5ive mix dubstep, drum’n’bass, jungle and bass music across three rooms, plus MCs GQ, SP:MC and Justyce.

Feeling Gloomy at The Phoenix, 37 Cavendish Square, W1G 0PP Oxford Circus £6, NUS £5, adv £4.50, 10pm-3am. Resident DJs play indie, rock, Morrissey and The Smiths tracks.

Flow at Cargo, 83 Rivington Street, EC2A 3AY Old Street adv £10, 8pm-4am. DJs Victor Simonelli, Peter Dutch, Alex Mark, Rob Maynard and Chloe Fontaine spin house and dance tracks.

The Gallery: Girls Girls Girls at The Ministry Of Sound, 103 Gaunt Street, SE1 6DP Elephant & Castle £14, 10.30pm-6am. House, dance and trance courtesy of Lisa Lashes, Sister Bliss, Claudia Cazacu, Vicky Devine, Shebang!, Hayley Parsons, Sarah Holder, DJ Sugar Shaker, Claire Moss, Holly Bee and Laydee V. Gin And Juice at The Rhythm Factory, 16-18 Whitechapel Road, E1 1EW Whitechapel adv £3, 9pm-4am.

Old skool hip hip courtesy of Budakan, Bukowski, Tom P, Bwalya Newton and L.o.L Cool J in room one, while Tim Hilton, Sai and Deckscar spin trap, dubstep, electro and house.

It’s All Gone at XOYO, 32-37 Cowper Street, EC2A 4AP Old Street adv £8 & £12.50, 9pm-3am. DJs Pete Tong, Jonas Rathsman and Ejeca play house.

Kabuuki Dust Launch Party at Hysteria, 578 Kingsland Road, E8 4AH FREE, 8pm-2am. DJs Calmic Hypement, Glacier, L Boog and Face spin garage, grime, drum’n’bass and trap.

Losing Suki at The Basing House, 25 Kingsland Road, E2 8AA Liverpool Street FREE, 10pm-6am.

DJs Ste Roberts, St Gabriels and Chris Mounter spin house, techno and bass music.

Munich Presents at Peckham Palais, 1 Rye Lane, SE15 5EW £4, 10pm-5am.

My Panda Shall Fly, Bearcubs, Greenwood Sharps, Cube Face and Peh Per Ghost play garage and bass music.

Naa8 at Village Underground, 54 Holywell Lane, EC2A 3PQ Old Street adv £14 & £18, 8pm-4am.

DJs Duncan Brown, Felix Buxton, Mira Calix, SuperTanker and DJ Koggi play an eclectic mix of electronica, trip hop, industrial and classical music.

Saturday March 9 Audio Sushi at The Dogstar, 389 Coldharbour Lane, SW9 8LQ Brixton £5, FREE before 11pm, 7pm-4am. Jeffrey Disastronaut plays reggae, electro, funk jungle, pop, indie and dubstep.

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The Story Of Life at Pulse, Invicta Plaza, SE1 9UP Southwark £25, adv £20, 9pm-5am. Bearded Kitten return with DJs Benji Boko, Clean Bandit and Goldie Rocks (pictured) among the celebrants who want to party to the best moments in life.

Pacha Presents at Pacha, Terminus Place, SW1V 1JR Victoria adv £10, 11pm-late. Hypercolour label boss Cedric Maison and BareSkin spin house with support from Bobby Pleasure and LongPlay.

Propaganda at O2 Academy Islington, N1 Centre, 16 Parkfield Street, N1 0PS Angel £5, 10.30pm-3.30am. DJ Dan and guests spin an eclectic mix of indie, electro, pop, dance and drum’n’bass.

Scroobius Pip Presents at The Book Club, 100-106 Leonard Street, EC2A 4RH Old Street £5 after 9pm, 8pm2am. The beat poet presents a night of hip hop, breaks, funk, soul, electro and disco, plus support from Dan Le Sac, Destruction, Redshift Rebels and Push Music.

Them at Corsica Studios, 4-5 Elephant Road, SE17 1LB Elephant & Castle adv £8, 10pm-6am. Pariah, Pangaea, Sigha, Moto and Bagheera spin techno and house, with a live performance from Redshape.

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.

Troupe at The Sidings, 51-53 Southwark Street, SE1 1RU Southwark £20, adv £12.50 & £15, earlybird £8 & £10, phone for availability, 10pm-6am. DJs Cyril Hahn, Gavin Herlihy, Danny Fry, Squa, Lucas Freeman, Balou, Waze And Odyssey, Sam Russo, Oscar, Golden Boy, Balou and Sharkbait play house and disco.

We Fear Silence Presents at Cable, 33A Bermondsey Street, SE1 2EG London Bridge queue jump £22, £15, adv £10 & £12, mems £10, 10pm-6am.

Drum’n’bass courtesy of Optical, Ed Rush, Black Sun Empire, Matrix, Optiv, BTK, The Upbeats and Audio with MCs Rymetyme, 2Shy and Frankee.

White Jail Warehouse at Secret Location, E1 early bird £8, 10pm6am. DJs Phil Weeks, Luciano Esse, ThanksMate and Roberto Amo play underground house and techno records.

Neon Noise Project at Fire, Arch, 39-43 Parry Street, corner South Lambeth Road, SW8 1RT Vauxhall adv £12.50 & £15, 10.30pm-6am. Marc Romboy, Russ Yallop and Foamo play house and techno in room one plus a live performance from German production duo Booka Shade. Room two welcomes Lindstrom (live), Fort Romeau and Warm DJs. Baauer at XOYO, 32-37 Cowper Street, EC2A 4AP Old Street adv £8 & £12.50, 9pm-3am. The New York-based DJ and producer plays hip hop, trap and bass music.

Bump at Plan B, 418 Brixton Road, SW9 7AY Brixton £8, £5 before 12midnight, FREE before 10pm, 10pm4am. Sinjin Hawke, The Heatwave, Snips and CWD play hip hop, funky, dancehall and dubstep.

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.

Connected at Cable, 33A Bermondsey Street, SE1 2EG London Bridge £25 queue jump, adv £15, mems/NUS £12, 10pm-6am. DJs Luca Bacchetti, Deepgroove, Dirty Channels, Jesse James, Johnny Bloomfield, Matt Rich, Ricky Torres, Mark Derry, Daliee’s Jukebox Over The Moon at The Book Club, 100106 Leonard Street, EC2A 4RH Old Street £5 after 9pm, 8pm-6am.

DJs Moniker, Rebel Sonix, Jawa, Sweetie Irie and Master Level spin soul, disco, hip hop, moombahton and bass.

Dreamland at Pacha, Terminus Place, SW1V 1JR Victoria £15, 11pm-late.

House and dance courtesy of Crazibiza, James Murray, Dirty Stop Outs, Lee Game, George Smeddles, Lyle M, Mulitiplayerz, O-Twins, Dayne Bulled, Jason Feist, Shane Who, Slim D, Gary Moore, Musikal Mike and Soul Cycle across three rooms.

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.

Electronic Sessions 7th Birthday at Jamm, 261 Brixton Road, SW9 6LH Brixton £20, adv £13 & £15, 10pm6am. Henry Saiz, Jeremy Orlander and Chris Malinchak spin house, techno and disco with resident support.

Fabric at Fabric, 77A Charterhouse Street, EC1M 6HJ Farringdon adv £24 inc cd, £20, adv £19, NUS/mems £14, £10 after 4am, 11pm-8am. DJs Craig Richards, Levon Vincent, Yossi Amoyal, Terry Francis, Marcel Dettmann, Adam Shelton, Javier And Hanfry and Bloody Mary spin house and techno across three rooms, plus live performances from Delano Smith and O/V/R. Faciendo Meets Back To My Roots at East Village, 89 Great Eastern Street, EC2A 3HX Old Street £9, £6 before 11pm, adv £5, 9pm-3.30am. House and techno in the Basement courtesy of DJs Desyn Masiello, Tom Morgan, Rowan Blades and balErik, while Paul Trouble Anderson, Johnny Reckless, Terry Jones and MC Nino spin 1970s, 1980s, jazz, funk, boogie and hip hop in the Lounge.

Heroes at Egg, 200 York Way, N7 9AX King’s Cross St Pancras £20, mems £15, NUS £13, adv £10, 10pm-11am.

Monika Kruse, Gregor Tresher and Him_ Self_Her spin house and techno.

Jaunt Presents at The Basing House, 25 Kingsland Road, E2 8AA Liverpool Street £10, concs £8, 10pm-4am. DJs Virginia, Blackhall And Bookless, Richard Rowell and Tom Rankin play house.

Krush 2nd Birthday at Secret Location, E1 adv £15, 10pm-6am. DJs Prins Thomas, Fairmont, Nikos and Mikolai spin disco, house and techno.

Magnetix at Club 414, 414 Coldharbour Lane, SW9 8LF Brixton £10, 11pm7am. Resident DJs spin psychedelic trance.

Modern Soul at The Bussey Building/ CLF Art Cafe, 133 Rye Lane, SE15 4ST Peckham Rye FREE, 10pm-4am. P Zonk DJs spin psychedelia, funk, boogie, hip hop and techno.

The Playground Presents at KOKO, 1a Camden High Street, NW1 7JE Mornington Crescent adv £25, 9pm4am. Electro, house and dance courtesy of The Bloody Beetroots, High Rankin, Cutline and Stenchman.

Reviveher & Phonica Records at Corsica Studios, 4-5 Elephant Road, SE17 1LB Elephant & Castle adv £10 & £12, 10pm-6am. House, bass, electro and disco courtesy of Vakula, Maurice Fulton, Move D, Juju and Jordash, with a live performance from Magic Mountain High.

Ritual at Under The Bridge, Stamford Bridge Fulham Road, SW6 1HS Fulham Broadway £20, adv £12.50, 9pm-late. Felix from Hot Chip, Stanton Warriors, Herve and Tempo Tantrum spin house, techno, electro, breaks, funky, disco and bass. With a live performance from Coda.

Sub Terrania at Cable, 33A Bermondsey Street, SE1 2EG London Bridge adv £8 & £10, mems £10, NUS £8, 5am-

12noon. DJs Mauro Ferno, Mestivan and Mark Pharoah spin house and techno.

Tangerine at The Bussey Building/CLF Art Cafe, 133 Rye Lane, SE15 4ST Peckham Rye £5, £3 before 12midnight, 10pm-6am. Ashley Casselle and Tim Red spin house, techno and disco, with resident support from Justin Steel and Dave Ritchie.

Tramp Shade at Dalston Superstore, 117 Kingsland High Street, E8 2PB Dalston Kingsland £5, FREE before 1pm, 9pm-4am. Kris Di Angelis and Munroe Bergdorf spin hip hop, garage and house, with guests Matt ‘Jam’ Lamont, JoshYouAre, Stacey Dee Collins and Jonathan Bestley.

Sunday March 10

SUN 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.

Audio Doughnuts at Plan B, 418 Brixton Road, SW9 7AY Brixton £10 & £12, 10pm-4am. Electro and house courtesy of Loefah, MJ Cole, Wookie, Kyrstal Klear, Shox, Pusherman, Diamond Bass, Teeza, TOYC, Bobby Champs, Skanky and Dave Verne, plus live performances from Jay Shepheard and Redinho.

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 resident DJ Raymundo Rodriguez and guests.

S & J Presents at XOYO, 32-37 Cowper Street, EC2A 4AP Old Street adv £15, 7pm-1am. Siggi Bad Boy spins hip hop and rap, with live performances from N.ORE and Living In Sin, and host Billy Danze.

Tutti Frutti at Dalston Superstore, 117 Kingsland High Street, E8 2PB Dalston Kingsland FREE, 8.30pm2.30am. Soul, disco and house courtesy of DJ Squeaky.

Wet Yourself! at Fabric, 77A Charterhouse Street, EC1M 6HJ Farringdon £12, adv/NUS £7, 11pm6am. House and techno courtesy of Kid K, Maura, Peter Pixzel, Cormac and Jacob Husley.

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Hot to foxtrot Donald Hutera gets hot under the collar at the sizzling rehearsals for ballroom dance hit Burn The Floor

S

inuous and supremely sexy, the dancers – 18 of them, from all over the world – sizzle, even in the rehearsal studio.

And you’d expect nothing less from the cast of Burn the Floor, a ballroom dance extravaganza with no fake tans or pastedon smiles, just blasts of exhilaratingly hot energy.

“If you mention Burn the Floor to any dancer, they know it,” says the show’s tiniest but possibly steamiest-looking female ensemble member, the American-born Janette Manrara. “Whether they’re doing commercial work, are in a show themselves or even in a dance company, they know how tough it is to do. Because in this show you’re really performing. And,” she adds with a smile, “you have to learn to love the aches, the pain and the sweat”.

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couples who between them are guaranteed to keep every performance on the boil.

I watched most of them in action at Covent Garden’s Dragon Hall in late February, expertly guided by the show’s director and choreographer Jason Gilkison. A former championship Latin and ballroom dancer himself, this stocky, Burn the Floor starts its second West End unpretentiously friendly, middle-aged Australian run on March 6. The first was in 2010, but has the light but sure touch of a master. the production is a good deal older than that.

When I visit rehearsals this time around the Premiered in Bournemouth in 1999, it was originally conceived as a splashy dance spectacular ensemble is working on a number set to Sunshine designed to fill arena-sized spaces. Over the years of Your Love, in which they’re the slithery, oozing backdrop for one of the show’s two live singers. it’s dazzled audiences in more than 300 cities Punctuating his soft-spoken directions with worldwide, but only after undergoing several rhythmic sound effects (“Zoom-pah zoo-za wompersonnel changes and major creative overhauls en route to a Broadway engagement in 2009 that boom”), Gilkison does his best to give the dancers what they need in order to get what he most drew rave reviews. This, in turn, led to that initial wants us to see in performance.

West End engagement.

Their moves, Gilkison tells the cast, should In its latest incarnation the show can claim have “the consistency of oil”. He speaks of the Robin Windsor and Kristina Rihanoff, stars of TV’s women “trickling down the men’s bodies”, then Strictly Come Dancing, as the headliners. This advises each of the latter to follow their partners dynamic duo lead a pack of eight championship

Dancing in the spotlight Other shows where dance takes centre stage.

West Side Story (1957)

Maybe dance isn’t the major draw for this musical street gangs update of Romeo and Juliet (made into a much-loved 1961 film), but there’s no denying that Jerome Robbins’ choreography helped seal the deal.

A Chorus Line

hugo glendinning / ralph perou

Strictly stars Robin Windsor and Kristina Rihanoff

“with your eyes. She could have a knife or a gun – you don’t know, you’ve just met her”. Later, he adds: “You wanna dance this full-out but you’ve gotta hold back and just let the music drip on you a bit.”

By having the dancers percolate rather than blatantly push forward their kinetic impulses, Gilkison is aiming to infuse the show with a seductive aura of dangerous possibility and what Windsor identifies as “edge-of-seat excitement”.

The director’s job is to help them articulate any emotional motivations underlying their interpretation of his choreography while refining in even the smallest ways – the position of a wrist, say, or whether the feet need to be open or closed in a travelling step – myriad details of placement, focus and timing.

“This is the bit I love most,” Gilkison says during a short break from rehearsals, and it shows.

As the only child of professional dancers, he’s been dancing ever since he can remember. He grew up in Perth, and claims that his grandfather (who

was of Scottish lineage) opened Australia’s first ballroom dance school there.

Gilkison became a choreographer out of necessity rather than intention. As teenage dancers, he and his onstage partner Peta Roby (now his assistant on the show) began to “put our own stuff together” in Perth’s fairly arid ballroom scene. They also studied in London, a ballroom mecca for decades, with some of the best in the business.

That’s what Gilkison himself clearly now is.

Although retired from performing, he keeps close tabs on new trends in a no-longer dormant field.

“In the last couple of years ballroom’s exploded with so many influences that keeping up with it all becomes a balancing act,” he enthuses. The glut of competitive talent shows on global TV has shaken the genre awake, attracting a fresh generation of dancers keen to fuse traditional forms with hip hop, jazz or contemporary dance.

“They now have a license to take ballroom further: waltzing without shoes, or a cha-cha in Doc Martens. There are just so many different flavours,” he says.

This certainly holds true for Burn the Floor.

Asked to sum up the show’s essence, he replies: “It’s as if you find a beautiful piece of jewellery your grandmother used to wear, and then extract the precious stones and put them in a brand new setting. It’s about taking something from a bygone era and bringing it up to date – to the way people dance today.”

Burn the Floor is at the Shaftesbury Theatre until September 1, burnthefloor.com

(1975) Michael Bennett’s legendary Broadway musical is built around a big group of auditioning dancers. The recent West End hit A Chorus Line London Palladium revival proves that the show’s innovative mix of text, song and dance has lost none of its humanity or ‘kick’.

Stomp (1991)

Luke Cresswell and Steve McNicholas’ percussion-based hit has proved an unstoppable hit all around the globe.

Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake (1995) This male-led production is the biggest ever show by the acclaimed choreographer, and the West End’s longest-running, ballet-influenced contemporary dance show.

Tap Dogs (1995) Created by Dein Perry, the ‘hottest show on legs’ features six Aussie blokes workin’ rhythms in Blundstone boots.

Fosse (1999)

This book-less, three-act musical revue was a paean to the moves of a bona fide choreogenius.

Hats off Fosse

Movin’ Out (2002)

Maverick American choreographer Twyla Tharp’s politicised jukebox musical (set to Billy Joel) was a Broadway hit but a West End flop.

Into the Hoods (2006)

Made for her hip hop dance troupe ZooNation, Kate Prince’s ‘urban fairy tale’ was a joy. Ditto its follow-up Some Like It Hip Hop, returning to the Peacock Theatre in May. scoutlondon.com Scout London 49

PREVIEWS

Above Me the Wide Blue Sky Young Vic, March 7-28, £10-£19.50 Fevered Sleep, the company that put the words of ageing adults into the mouths of children performers for 2010 production On Ageing, is returning to the Young Vic with this new immersive piece, which looks at the relationship between our emotions and the natural world.

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If there’s one thing that Michael Grandage’s season at the Noël Coward isn’t lacking, it’s star power. We’ve already had Simon Russell Beale in Privates on Parade, and still to come are Daniel Radcliffe, Jude Law, David Walliams and Sheridan Smith. But before all that, Judi Dench and Ben Whishaw are to star in John Logan’s Peter and Alice, the only new play of the season.

Logan’s last play, Red, won six Tony Awards, plus he co-wrote a little movie called Skyfall. This

new play is based around the real-life encounter between Alice Liddell Hargreaves and Peter Llewelyn Davies – the moment that the girl who inspired Alice in Wonderland met the boy who inspired Peter Pan. Logan’s play uses this famous encounter to look back on the real lives of two of fiction’s greatest heroes.

WC2N 4AU Leicester Square michaelgrandagecompany.com

Mydidae Trafalgar Studios, March 5-30, £15-£25

50 Scout London scoutlondon.com

Mies Julie Riverside Studios March 7-May 19, £26 One of the biggest hits at last year’s Edinburgh Festival, this South African production is coming to London for a limited run. Directed

by Yael Farber, the Baxter Theatre Centre production transposes Strindberg’s classic Miss Julie to modern day South Africa, where a black farm-hand and his white master’s daughter spend a night battling over power, sexuality and politics.

W6 9RL Hammersmith riversidestudios.co.uk

The Living Room Jermyn Street Theatre March 5-30, £20

Jack Thorne’s intimate and naturalistic exploration of a modern day relationship won wide critical praise at Soho Theatre last year, and is now transferring to the West End for a limited run. Directed by Vicky Jones, the play is set entirely amid the bare and clinical intimacy of a fullyplumbed bathroom, where a young couple must face the first anniversary of a shared personal tragedy. Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Keir Charles, who were critically lauded for their performances at Soho, will reprise their roles.

This is the first major revival in 60 years of Graham Greene’s powerful play about adultery, religion and guilt. First staged in 1953, the play is being revived by Primavera and director Tom Litter, starring Christopher Timothy and Caroline Blakiston.

SW1A 2DY Charing Cross trafalgar-studios.co.uk

SW1Y 6ST Piccadilly Circus jermynstreettheatre.co.uk

simon annand

Peter and Alice Noël Coward Theatre, March 9-June 1, £10-£57.50

Waterloo youngvic.org

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time Apollo Theatre, until August 31, £12-£85 Regional theatre might be feeling the frosty pinch of Arts Council cuts, but the National Theatre appears never to have been in better health.

Alongside War Horse and One Man, Two Guvnors, this transfer of Simon Stephens’ adaptation of Mark Haddon’s best-selling novel will mean that the National has three productions running concurrently in the West End. And it will be quickly joined by Alan Bennett double bill Untold Stories, bringing the National’s West End count to four – its highest ever in the centre of town. This acclaimed production of The Curious Incident stars Luke Treadaway as a boy with “behavioural difficulties” (often suggested to be Asperger Syndrome) who tries to investigate the death of a neighbour’s dog.

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Piccadilly Circus nationaltheatre.org.uk

manuel harlan / jay brooks

The Winslow Boy Old Vic, March 8-May 25, £11-£50 Fresh from his work with Ken Stott and Anna Friel on Uncle Vanya in the West End, director Lindsay Posner is returning to the Old Vic, where his hilarious 2011 production of Noises Off opened to great acclaim. The Winslow Boy is one the masterworks by legendary playwright Terrence Rattigan, who also penned the likes of The Browning Version and The Deep Blue Sea. First staged in 1946, it tells the story of a disgraced 14-year-old boy who is dismissed from naval college for stealing a postal order, and his father’s subsequent quest to clear his son’s name.

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Waterloo oldvictheatre.com

LISTINGS

The Book Of Mormon booking until Jul 27 2013, Prince Of Wales Theatre, 31 Coventry Street, W1D 6AS Piccadilly Circus Feb 25-Mar 30 £27.50-£57.50, Apr 1-Jul 27 £37.50£67.50, Mon-Sat 7.30pm, mats Wed, Sat 2.30pm (press nights Mar 16, 19 & 20, Mar 21, 7pm). Musical satire chronicling the misadventures of two missionaries in Uganda.

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.

52 Scout London scoutlondon.com

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.

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.

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, MonSat 7.30pm, mats Wed, Sat 2.30pm.

Rupert Everett plays Oscar Wilde in David Hare’s drama.

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 the ABBA songbook.

Matilda: The Musical booking until Dec 22 2013, Cambridge Theatre, Earlham

Street, WC2H 9HU Covent Garden Oct 25 2011-Dec 22 2013 £19-£58.50, disabled £28.75, Tue-Thu under 18s £19-£48.50, Feb 14 2012-Feb 17 2013 £20-£62.50, disabled £31.25, Tue-Thu under 18s £19-£52.50, Tue 7pm, 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.

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.

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.

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. Irving Berlin’s romantic musical.

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.

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.

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.

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, Mon-Sat 7.30pm, mats Sat 2.30pm. Futuristic musical set to the hits of Freddie Mercury’s Queen.

joan marcus / tristram kenton

WEST END

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.

OFF WEST END

simon kane / hugo glendinning

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 7, 5pm, mats Mar 7, 1214, 1.30pm, Mar 7 & 8, 12-15, 10.30am, Mar 9 & 10, 16 & 17, 2pm. Drawn from the stories of the Arabian Nights, Douglas Rintoul’s adaptation offers an adventurous drama featuring Rita Arya.

Ballet Revolucion Starts Wed, ends Mar 23 2013, Peacock Theatre, Portugal Street, WC2A 2HT Holborn £15£48, From Mar 6, Tue-Sun 7.30pm, mats Sat & Sun 2.30pm (press night Mar 6).

An exciting fusion of ballet, hip hop and contemporary dance, performed by a group of Cuban dancers and musicians.

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. Last chance to catch this satirical performance exploring the origins of the banking crisis.

BalletBoyz: Spring Tour The Talent 2013 Starts Fri, ends Mar 13 2013, Sadler’s Wells, Rosebery Avenue, EC1R 4TN Angel £12-£38, Mar 8 & 9, 11-13, 7.30pm, mat Mar 10, 4pm. A double bill of recent works choreographed

by Russell Maliphant and Liam Scarlett.

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.

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, Jan 29-31, Feb 1 & 2, 4, 6 & 7, 12-16, Mar 1 & 2, 4-6, 12-14, 21-23, 25, Apr 2-4, 7.30pm (press night Feb 5, 7pm, mats Feb 6, 13, 16, Mar 2, 6, 13, 23, Apr 3, 2pm, Feb 17, Mar 3, 24, 2.30pm).

Ron Hutchinson’s comic version of Carl Zuckmayer’s satire, starring Antony Sher in the title role.

Cocktail Sticks booking until Mar 30 2013, National Theatre: Lyttelton, South Bank, SE1 9PX Waterloo £12-£32, 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 booking until Mar 16 2013, Barbican Centre, Silk Street, EC2Y 8DS Barbican £18, Mon-Sat 7.45pm, mats Sat 3pm. A theatrical adaptation of Samuel Beckett’s poem, directed by Tom Creed.

Earthquakes In London: Rose Bruford College Of Theatre & Performance Ends Mar 6 2013, Greenwich Theatre, Crooms Hill, SE10 8ES Cutty Sark £10, concs £8, Mar 4-6, 7.30pm, mat Mar 6, 2.30pm. Performing arts students present Mike Bartlett’s drama.

English National Ballet: Emerging Dancer Award 2013 Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, SE1 8XX Waterloo £10-£25, Mar 4, 7.30pm.

The annual competition is in its fourth year, recognising the young talent within the company.

God’s Property 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, Mon-Sat 7.30pm, mats Sat 3pm. Arinze Kene’s drama set during the London inner city riots of 1982.

Hello/Goodbye Ends Mar 30 2013, Hampstead Theatre, Eton Avenue, NW3 3EU Swiss Cottage Mar 1-6 £5, Mar 7-30 £12, concs £10, Mon-Sat 7.45pm, mats Sat 3.15pm. 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. A political play on the ethos of austerity and offering an alternative, by Anders Lustgarten.

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 Mar 4.

Cabaret performance featuring vintage arrangements and original material.

Longing Ends Apr 13 2013, Hampstead Theatre, Eton Avenue, NW3 3EU Swiss Cottage Feb 28, Mar 1-6 preview £22, Mar 7-31, Apr 1-13 Mon £22, concs £15, Tue-Sat £29, concs £18, Wed, Sat 2.30pm & 3pm OAP £15, MonSat 7.30pm, mats Wed 2.30pm, Sat 3pm (press night Mar 7, 7pm, no mat perf Mar 6). A single drama adapted, by William Boyd, from two short stories by Anton Chekhov.

Lysistrata Starts Wed, ends Mar 23 2013, Riverside Studios, Crisp Road, W6 9RL Hammersmith £16, concs £13, From Mar 6, Mon-Sat 7.45pm, mats Tue, Thu 2pm (extra mat perf Mar 23, 2pm). A musical adaptation of Aristophanes’s comedy.

Man 1, Bank 0 Ends Mar 16 2013, Soho Theatre, 21 Dean Street, W1D 3NE Tottenham Court Road Mar 4 & 5 £10, Mar 6-16 Mon-Thu £15, concs £12.50, Fri & Sat £17.50, concs £15, From Mar 4, Mon-Sat 7.15pm. Comedy-drama based on a true story.

Mavis Sparkle: M6 Theatre Company (Over 5s) Artsdepot, 5 Nether Street, Tally Ho Corner, N12 0GA Finchley Central £7, Mar 10, 12noon & 3pm. Children’s theatre production blending live performance with animation.

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.

Mies Julie Starts Thu, ends May 19 2013, Riverside Studios, Crisp Road, W6 9RL Hammersmith £25 & £26, From Mar 7, Tue-Sat 8pm, press night Mar 11, 7.30pm, Sun 6pm, mats Sat 2.30pm.

An award-winning modern reworking of August Strindberg’s drama, adapted and directed by Yael Farber. Contains nudity and scenes of a sexual nature.

Purple Heart Ends Apr 6 2013, Gate Theatre, 11 Pembridge Road (above the Prince Albert Pub), W11 3HQ Notting Hill Gate Feb 28, Mar 1-4 previews £10, Mar 5-31, Apr 1-6 MonSat 7.30pm £20, concs £15, Sat 3pm £10, Mon-Sat 7.30pm, mats Sat 3pm (press night Mar 5, 7pm). A moving drama on love, loss and grief, written by the award-winning playwright, Bruce Norris.

Misunderstood Monsters (Ages 4-9) Tricycle Theatre, 269 Kilburn High Road, NW6 7JR Kilburn £8, concs £6, Mar 9, 11am & 1pm. Conquer your fear of various beasties and aliens with Georgie and Squeezy.

Nobody Rides The Unicorn: Puppetcraft (Over 4s) Lyric Hammersmith, Lyric Square, King Street, W6 0QL Hammersmith £8, Mar 9, 11am & 1pm. A fairy tale puppet show based on the book by Adrian Mitchell.

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 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, Mon-Sat 8pm, mats Sat 4pm, Mar 13, 20, 2pm (press night Mar 6, 7pm, no perf Apr 1). Philip Himberg’s drama adapted from the film by Tomer Heymann.

People booking until May 15 2013, National Theatre: Lyttelton, South Bank, SE1 9PX Waterloo £12-£47, Mon-Fri under 18s £19 & £23.50, other concs available, Mar 7-9, 15 & 16, 18-20, 26-28, 30, Apr 1 & 2, 19 & 20, 22, 26 & 27, 29, May 6-9, 13-15, 7.45pm, Mar 21, 7pm, mats Mar 9, 16, 27, 30, Apr 20, 27, May 8, 15, 2pm, Apr 21, 28, 3pm. Alan Bennett’s drama about the owner of a British stately home contemplating a sale of the house’s contents.

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, Feb 1416, 22 & 23, Mar 1 & 2, 4-6, 11-14, 22 & 23, 7.45pm, mats Mar 23, 2pm, Feb 16, Mar 2, 6, 13, 2.15pm, Feb 17, 23, Mar 3, 24, 3pm. A young girl despite everything, looks to the future and for something better, in Simon Stephens’s drama.

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Scratch: Glasshouse Starts Wed, ends Mar 9 2013, Battersea Arts Centre, Lavender Hill, SW11 5TN Clapham Junction pay what you can, Mar 6, 8 & 9, 8.30pm. Performance piece which overturns the logic of the diner party.

Scratch: Kick Starts Thu, ends Mar 9 2013, Battersea Arts Centre, Lavender Hill, SW11 5TN Clapham Junction pay what you can, Mar 7-9, 8pm. A twoperson show in development with music.

Scratch: Phantasmagoria Starts Thu, ends Mar 9 2013, Battersea Arts Centre, Lavender Hill, SW11 5TN Clapham Junction pay what you can, Mar 7-9, 9.30pm. An examination of the human inability to distinguish reality from simulation.

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.

Shen Yun 2013 Starts Tue, booking until Mar 9 2013, Barbican Centre, Silk Street, EC2Y 8DS Barbican £40-£100, Mar 5-9, 7.45pm, mat Mar 9, 2.30pm.

Traditional Chinese theatre incorporating a large-scale production with dancers, musicians and live orchestra.

The Stepmother Ends Mar 9 2013, Orange Tree Theatre, 1 Clarence Street, TW9 2SA Richmond £11.50-£22, child/NUS/OAP £12.50-£18, Mon-Sat 7.45pm, mat Mar 9, 3pm. A play from 1924 about the challenges facing a young stepmother.

This House booking until Apr 8 2013, National Theatre: Olivier, South Bank, SE1 9PX Waterloo £12-£47, Mar 7-9, 11, 15 & 16, 18-20, 27 & 28, 30, Apr 1, 5 & 6, 8, 7.30pm, 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.

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.

One woman’s personal story set against the backdrop of Polish national evolution and politics, written by Anna Wakulik.

Touch Of Class: Mothers Day Special Hackney Empire, 291 Mare Street, E8 1EJ Hackney Central £22.50£25, Mar 10, 8pm. Variety show for Mothers Day. 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, MonSat 7.30pm, mats Thu, Sat 2.30pm.

Arthur Wing Pinero’s homage to the stage, directed by BAFTA award-winning director Joe Wright.

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.

Untold Stories: Hymm & Cocktail Sticks Starts Sun, booking until Mar 17 2013, National Theatre: Lyttelton, South Bank, SE1 9PX Waterloo £24 & £36, Mar 10, 17, 2.15pm. Alan Bennett looks back over his childhood and recalls memories of his late father, in this double bill featuring Alex Jennings as the writer.

FRINGE Black Pudding Starts Thu, ends Mar 9 2013, The Bussey Building/CLF Art Cafe, 133 Rye Lane, SE15 4ST Peckham Rye £10, concs £8, Mar 7-9, 7.30pm. A cabaret show.

The Boy Who Kicked Pigs Jacksons Lane Theatre, Archway Road, N6 5AA Highgate £14.95, concs £12.95, Starts Mar 5, Tue-Sat 8pm, mats Sat 3pm. A physical adaptation of the macabre story by Tom Baker, presented by Kill The Beast.

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

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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, 6.30pm-9.35pm, Fri & Sat, every five minutes, 6.30pm-10.55pm, average journey time 70 minutes.

Dreamthinkspeak’s site-responsive promenade through an underground labyrinth.

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.

Dorothy In OZ Ends Mar 17 2013, Waterloo East Theatre, 3 Wootton Street (Entrance In Brad Street), SE1 8TG Waterloo Feb 26-28 £10, Mar 1-17 £12, concs £10, Tue-Sat 7.30pm, Sun 4pm. A skewed adaptation of L. Frank Baum’s ‘The Wizard Of Oz’.

Laburnum Grove Ends Mar 19 2013, Finborough Theatre, 118 Finborough Road, SW10 9ED West Brompton £14, concs £10, Sun & Mon 7.30pm, mats Tue 2pm (press night Mar 4). A comic exploration of dishonesty in the suburbs of England, written by J.B.Priestley.

Mile High: The Musical Starts Tue, ends Mar 24 2013, LOST Theatre, 208

Contributors Chris Beanland Abi Jackson Shereen Low Laura Martin Lucy Peden Nicky Williams Kate Whiting

Wandsworth Road, SW8 2JU Stockwell £10-£25, Tue-Sat 7.30pm, Sun 3pm. A comedy musical about the Illyrian Royal Airlines Flight XBL5.

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.

Ross Sutherland: Comedian Dies In The Middle Of Joke Starts Wed, ends Mar 20 2013, Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club, 42-44 Pollard Row, E2 6NB Bethnal Green £5 & £7, Mar 6, 20, 8pm, doors 7pm. Interactive performance piece, incorporating 14 interchangeable audience roles.

The Royal Ballet: A Mixed Programme (Apollo/Aeternum/24 Preludes) Ends Mar 14 2013, Royal Opera House, 45 Floral Street, WC2E 9DD Covent Garden £4-£63, Mar 7, 14, 7.30pm, mat Mar 9, 12noon. A triple bill programme featuring the latest works

by Christopher Wheeldon and Alexei Ratmansky.

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, mat Mar 9, 2.30pm. The world premiere of a new comedy about a band of London tailors.

A Thousand Miles Of History Ends Mar 30 2013, The Bussey Building/CLF Art Cafe, 133 Rye Lane, SE15 4ST Peckham Rye Mar 4-6 previews £10, Mar 7-30 £14, concs £10, From Mar 4, Mon-Sat 7.45pm, mats Sat 3.30pm (press night Mar 11, 7pm). Harold Finley’s play about the lives of the artists JeanMichel Basquiat, Andy Warhol and Keith Haring.

The Trial Starts Tue, ends Apr 27 2013, Shoreditch Town Hall, 380 Old Street, EC1V 9LT Old Street £30, book via www.barbican.org.uk, From Mar 5, Tue-Fri 4pm-7.40pm, start times at 20 minute intervals, Sat 2pm-7.40pm, start times at 20 minute intervals, Part One. A large-scale, immersive theatre piece from RETZ.

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