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choc-loads of fun for the bank holiday weekend and beyond

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THE BIG PICTURE: Mosaic of a guard dog. From the House of Orpheus, Pompeii, 1st century AD. Copyright Soprintendenza Speciale per i Beni Archeologici di Napoli e Pompei / Trustees of the British Museum

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4 Scouted Date Night, Places That Change Your Life, Book Now, Last Chance London 6 Talent Scout Hot new actor Matt Stokoe tell us about his top London haunts

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The Big Picture

8 Easter The weather might still be stuck in December, but our spring holiday is fast approaching. Whether you’re looking for ways to keep the kids happy or a fun way to spend the bank holiday weekend, our main feature is your ticket to a truly egg-cellent Easter

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

Detail from Mosaic of a Guard Dog, from Life and Death in Pompeii and Herculaneum, The British Museum – page 28

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The warped edge of British cinema In the wake of Skyfall and Les Mis, British cinema is flying high. But there’s another side to our film industry that we should be just as proud of, as a new season at BFI Southbank reminds us

W

hen the rest of the world thinks of British film, it’s likely a combination of Potter, Bond and whatever Tom Hooper might have lined up next. But there is, of course, a far edgier side to our national cinema that is just as deserving of praise and recognition.

The BFI’s Made in Britain season returns next month with this explicit goal in mind. A programme of events through April will celebrate perhaps the most quintessentially British production company of the 21st century. No, not Working Title, but Warp Films, which is 10 years old this year.

Warp has gone where the rest of the UK film

# love

industry would rather not look. Its catalogue includes landmarks such as Shane Meadows’ bitter reflection on our skinhead past, This is England, and Chris Morris’s suicide bomber comedy, Four Lions.

The season of films opens with a special screening of what many consider Meadows’ best film, Dead Man’s Shoes, featuring the magnificent Paddy Considine in his most chilling and compelling role to date. The film will be shown in the Queen Elizabeth Hall on March 29, accompanied by a new soundtrack played live by Jah Wobble and members of UNKLE and Clayhill.

Date Night

The programme also includes an evening of short films, including work from Considine and cult music video director Chris Cunningham, and a special Warp-focussed edition of Adam Buxton’s music video-themed night, BUG. In spite of its cinematic successes, Warp’s roots are actually in music – it started life as a record label in Sheffield in 1989, and its commitment to working on the electronic cuttingedge saw it release music from Aphex Twin, Nightmares On Wax, Flying Lotus, Boards Of Canada and many more.

Other films in the BFI’s Warp season include Richard Ayoade’s accomplished directorial debut, Submarine, Ben Wheatley’s shocking Kill List, Considine’s brutal yet brilliant Tyrannosaur, and the debut film from Mighty Boosh director Paul King, Bunny and the Bull.

If you want reminding that British cinema can do more than just stuttering kings and wandwaving teens, look no further.

Made in Britain: Warp Films at 10, BFI Southbank, March 29-April 28, bri.org.uk

The one where you go for smug brunch...

VENUE The Riding House Cafe PRICE ££ PERFECT FOR Your new-ish paramour One of the key benefits to being coupled-up is that you get to do smug, coupley things like going for brunch – even the word itself is fat, decadent and excluding to singles who generally don’t rise before 1pm on a weekend. But we digress… The Riding House Cafe in Marylebone is famous for its brunch menu and comfortable, unpretentious atmosphere. The buttermilk pancakes, chorizo hash and delicious smoothies

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are must-trys. The best thing: last orders for breakfast are at 11.30am, so you have the rest of the day ahead of you for adventures. ridinghousecafe.co.uk

FACT TO ENTERTAIN

The origins of eggs Benedict are much disputed, though it’s generally agreed it was created in 19th century New York.

IT’S GOING WELL ...

Stroll to Hyde Park. Hold hands, feed bread to the ducks, hire bikes and practise your smug faces.

YOU NEED TO ESCAPE

Yawn loudly and declare that you really must go back to bed. Alone.

Fun-damental Chris Morris’s Four Lions

11: Looking Glass

Cocktail Club, Shoreditch

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NOW

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LONDON

Stunning debut Richard Ayoade’s Submarine

Stewart Lee

Union Chapel July 6 unionchapel.org.uk

Above Me The Wide Blue Sky Young Vic Closes Thurs Mar 28

Dirty Great Love Story Soho Theatre Closes Sat Mar 30

Breaking The Ice: Moscow Art, 1960-80s Saatchi Gallery Closes Thurs Mar 28

Ring Battersea Arts Centre Closes Thurs Mar 28

Hello/Goodbye Hampstead Theatre Closes Sat Mar 30

GET IN TOUCH

A Thousand Miles of History Bussey Building Closes Sat Mar 30

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The XX

Osterley Park June 23 seetickets.com

This ‘Me’ Of Mine APT Gallery Closes Sun Mar 31 Elise Ansel: Drawn From History Cadogan Contemporary Closes Sat Mar 30 Chris Addison Queen Elizabeth Hall Closes Thurs Mar 28

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at, but once through the door you’re invited to walk through the looking glass into a sumptuous interior, complete with moody lighting, vintage furniture and exposed brickwork.

The cocktail menu itself is both delicious and daring – think rosemary and cardamom-infused vodkas, chocolate and vintage liquors. Get in there now, before the crowds. lookingglasslondon.co.uk

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

Hugh Laurie

Hammersmith Apollo June 14 hammersmithapollo.com

BAD MEANING GOOD We like this

On Thursday, one of the UK’s most exciting theatre companies, Punchdrunk, announced their first major London show in six years.

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Richard Hawley

Somerset House July 14 somersethouse.org.uk

BAD MEANING BAD We don’t like this

)

Thriller Berberian Sound Studio

Skinhead story Thomas Turgoose in This Is England

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Lift the vid Adam Buxton hosting BUG

It’s very satisfying being the first to discover a place, and the Looking Glass Cocktail Club (est. 2013) is so spanking new you’ll still be ahead of the trend if you get in there now.

The bar is hidden away at the top of Hackney Road, a stretch more renowned for its convenience stores than cool, quirky bars. But it’s still only a 10-minute walk from Old Street or Shoreditch High Street. The outside isn’t much to look

Demand is so high that by the time you read this it will almost certainly be sold out.

Oh well, only another six years until the next one.

020 3553 4523 scoutlondon.com Scout London

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Matt Stokoe Actor Fans of outrageously enjoyable TV show Misfits, about a group of spiky yoofs blessed and burdened with supernatural powers, will likely recognise Matt Stokoe as bartender Alex, who joined the show in series 4. He’ll be returning for series 5 later this year, but first is starring alongside John Simm and Maxine Peake in The Village, a promising new BBC drama that charts the life of one English village through the course of the 20th century. Matt took time out from filming to tell Scout about his favourite London haunts.

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

The Chandos, just off Trafalgar Square. Great pub and my go-to spot when meeting mates.

Good choice. Now how about a bite to eat?

MeatLiquor on Wellbeck Street [near Bond Street]. Great burgers, fried food and hard liquor. It’s my idea of heaven but inside it looks like hell.

Scout London Cover Stars 0033 Rosco Brittin, 35, Illustrator & Actor, Hackney

What in London inspires you?

Some of the ‘rougher’ parts of the city. It’s only there that you’ll meet the truly mad, defeated, beautiful, funny and tragic characters.

How important is London in your work?

It is my work. Everything from my humour to what I’m designing about is always linked to London.

What’s your favourite part of the city?

I think where I live. If you want to wear eyeliner while wearing nothing but paper bag shoes, this is the place to do it.

Any London secrets to share?

People still go to Abney Park Cemetery off Church Street in Stoke Newington and miss the abandoned church in the centre. Also, next to it is the old tree stump that was burnt about 150 years ago because of

Right on. We love MeatLiquor.

Where do you go to relax?

Either Stoke Newington or Muswell Hill – basically the closest things to villages in London.

Do you have a favourite outdoor spot?

Yeah, I love walking up by Alexandra Palace, as the views of town from up there are unrivalled.

What’s a great cultural experience you’ve had recently?

I went to see [Chicago singersongwriter] Joe Pug play at The Borderline in Soho. There were only about 200 people in the audience so it felt like a really unique experience for us all.

Do you have any secret tips for Londoners?

It’s not that secret anymore, but Slim Jim’s on Upper Street in Islington is the greatest, grimiest bar in London.

The Village begins on BBC One on Easter Sunday.

demonic reasons. But it still lives – the tree not the demons.

What’s next for you?

Well, London Fashion Week is over so I can remove my paper bag shoes. Then I’ll be putting together some cartoons for publication and illustrating more animals based on all the characters I’ve bumped into once or twice in London.

See more at: roscobrittin.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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A very happy

Easter Christmas still feels like yesterday and summer seems so far away. But, believe it or not, Easter is upon us already. For some, that just means a long weekend – in which case, check out our bank holiday tips on pages 14-15. But for others it means two

weeks of entertaining restless children.

Thankfully, that cultural behemoth we call London has plenty on offer. Over the next four pages we run through some of the best entertainment to keep the kids (and you) happy through the holiday

By Teju Adeleye

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Holiday happiness Sensational Butterflies at The Natural History Museum

Wallace and Gromit

Potted Potter

The nation’s favourite bumbling bastion of Brit quirk and his canine companion are taking to the stage with a new musical production at Hammersmith Apollo. Packed with classical numbers from the likes of Mozart, Debussy and Stravinsky, all played before the audience by the Aurora orchestra, Musical Marvels is a continuation of the duo’s successful appearance at last year’s BBC Proms and includes Wallace’s specially commissioned piece, My Concerto in Ee, Lad. The show also features special new animations that take the audience backstage as the haphazard characters prepare for their nail-biting moment in the spotlight.

March 31-April 1, Hammersmith Apollo, £15£40, hammersmithapollo.com

Chocolate Quest Easter brings out the chocolate fiend in most of us, but how often do you think about where that deliciousness actually comes from? Kew Gardens will be hosting a Chocolate Quest this Easter, in which sweet-toothed explorers will delve into the rich, 4,000-year history of chocolate – beginning with its presence at Mayan religious festivals and travelling all the way through to the ubiquitous snack stuff of the modern world. They’ll learn about the Spanish explorers who brought cacao to Europe 600 years ago, about the Cadbury family who turned it into bars, and about how best to protect cacao in the future, so our descendants can continue to enjoy it as much as we do. And that’s in addition to all the other wonderful family activities on offer, including craft workshops, face painting and an Easter egg hunt.

For those experiencing withdrawal symptoms since the exploits of Harry and chums finally drew to a close, this wildly popular production will allow you to relive the magical adventures in a way you never have before: at wandsnappingly high speed. The lowdown: two actors (CBBC stars Daniel Clarkson and Jeff Turner), one stage and 75 minutes of comically abridged story-telling, in which all of the Potter books are condensed into one deliriously fast and fun show that travels all the way from Harry’s first year at Hogwarts through to the final duel with He Who Must Not Be Named.

Expect a fire breathing dragon, some audience interaction and a live game of Quidditch as this global sensation returns to London for a limited run.

March 29-April 14, Kew Gardens, adults £14.50, children FREE, kew.org

Until April 21, Garrick Theatre, £10-£30, pottedpotter.com

RAF workshops and birds of prey display Nearly all of the capital’s museums are running special Easter holiday activities, but we’re particularly taken with the double-header of family fun at the Royal Air Force Museum near Hendon. There will be family workshops themed around the Berlin Airlift, which between 1948 and 1949 saw almost half a million tonnes of food and supplies flown into the city after it had been cut off from Russia. Children will be able to recreate the humanitarian mission by making their own origami aid boxes and parachutes to then drop from a height. The second element

of the museum’s Easter offering is a thrilling and interactive birds of prey display. Celebrating the contribution of the hunting avians to the RAF’s history – from its badge to the names of aircraft such as the Kittyhawk and the Harrier – the event will host free displays by the English School of Falconry, where children can learn to become “trainee” bird-handlers.

Berlin Airlift workshops, March 28-April 5, Eagles at Easter, April 6-12, RAF Museum, FREE, rafmuseum.org.uk scoutlondon.com Scout London

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The Firework-Maker’s Daughter Based on the enchanting tale by Philip Pullman, this family opera promises to be a delightful introduction to the medium for children. The story tells of a brave girl called Lila, who is discouraged from following in her father’s firework-making footsteps simply because she is a girl. The courageous Lila then embarks on an adventurous quest to prove to herself and all around her that she has what it takes. Brought to life through a beautiful score and stunning Balinese shadow puppetry, Pullman’s rousing tale of talking tigers, swashbuckling pirates and the terrifying firefiend is sure to be an Easter holiday favourite.

April 3-13, Royal Opera House, £10-£23, roh.org.uk

Sensational Butterflies This Easter sees the return of the live tropical butterfly house and garden to the Natural History Museum. The popular attraction will feature a fascinating Life Cycle Tour, with baby caterpillars hatching before visitors’ eyes and butterflies emerging from their chrysalises, all while moths and butterflies from the four corners of the globe flutter above and around them in a setting packed with exotic tropical plants. There will be tips and advice for those wishing to create their own butterfly garden at home, plus interactive fun and educational games for kids.

March 29-September 15, Natural History Museum, £4.50, nhm.ac.uk

Where to pet cuddly new-born animals The Paradise Pub in Kensal Green will be transformed into a wonderland of cuteness this Easter, as the building’s roof plays host to a furry array of adorable ducklings, chicks and baby bunnies. Adults are invited to have a pint or two while the kids pet away. theparadise.co.uk

Rapunzel Aspiring young dancers will likely adore this production from world-renowned company BalletLORENT, who will bring their adaptation of the imprisoned long-haired maiden to Sadler’s Wells for its popular Family Weekend event. Taking a different approach from more romantic versions, the show is a darker, bewitching treatment of the story, written

by Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy. As well as the production, the theatre will be laying on a variety of exciting activities for all the family before and after performances.

March 29-30, Sadler’s Wells, £15, sadlerswells.com

Hounslow Urban Farm will be welcoming families for its ‘baby boom’. Visitors will be able to feed the new lambs and calves, watch piglet racing, wise up with the owl displays and enjoy the time-honoured egg hunt. hounslowurbanfarm.co.uk

Belmont Children’s Farm in North London hosts daily petting sessions where kids can meet rabbits, lambs, kids and other animals. There are also tractor-riding sessions, and if you arrive early enough you can see the animals having their breakfast. belmontfarm.co.uk

Head to Mudchute City Farm to welcome the new lambs and chicks. There will also be bottle-feeding, ecology programmes, arts and crafts, a pony club and the Mudchute Dog show. Your young ones will be spoilt for choice. mudchute.org 10 Scout London scoutlondon.com

One of the most famous and best, Hackney City Farm, is always a reliable option for animal petting.

It’s home to everything from donkeys and goats to rabbits and guinea pigs, all of which will make hearts melt and lead to inevitable “can we get one, pleeeeeeaaaase” conversations on the way home. hackneycityfarm.co.uk

PRESENTS

Village Underground Thu 25 April

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out on April 1

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Tickets: ÂŁ12 Seetickets / WeGotTickets villageunderground.co.uk

020 7422 7505

FIND US

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Cultural activities are all well and good, but sometimes all kids want are the garish thrills of a fun fair. With pocket-friendly prices, the Clapham attraction offers a variety of exciting rides including dodgems, a waltzer, a mini rollercoaster, a ghost train and, of course, a carousel. All rides are free for wristband holders, (wristbands are £7.99 for adults and £5.99 for those under one metre high). For those who don’t want to ride and simply fancy soaking up the atmosphere, tickets are a mere £2.50.

March 29-April 14, Clapham Common, irvinleisure.co.uk

Terrible Tudors and Vile Victorians

The popular CBBC series is bringing some of its best-loved magicians to the Southbank Centre for a special Easter production.

Some of the most popular elements of the TV show will take place live on stage: young tricksters can learn how to pull a fast one on friends with Tricks of the Trade, the magical master-class that divulges sneaky, behind the scenes secrets; and the audience will be able to join in on the tricks with Interactive Illusion. But be quick – it’s only on for a few days. Now you see it, now you don’t!

Horrible Histories, the groundbreaking book and TV series that managed to make history more fun than even Simon Schama dared imagine, is coming to the Hackney Empire this Easter with a double bill of theatre shows that are each packed with special 3D effects.

Terrible Tudors charts the adventures of problem husband Henry VIII, then follows with the exploits of his various offspring, including Elizabeth 1 and her run-in with the Spanish, whose Armada sails directly into the audience. Vile Victorians looks at the reign of Queen Vic, subjecting audiences to the drudgery of life down the mines and in the factories, and the explosive changes of the Industrial Revolution.

March 29-April 1, Southbank Centre, £13, southbankcentre.co.uk

March 29-31, Hackney Empire, £10-£20, hackneyempire.co.uk

Some of the capital’s best Easter egg hunts Fortnum and Mason’s is getting in on the action this year, with big prizes to be won for those who can spot eggs in store and online. There will also be an Easter Artisan Market for adults to enjoy too. fortnumandmason.com

There are egg-citing egg-tivities galore (sorry) at the London Wetlands Centre in Barnes. Kids can follow the trail through the resident wildlife and learn all about real eggs and nesting, then enjoy arts, crafts educational games and the all-important chocolate. wwt.org.uk

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Head to Handel House Museum in Mayfair, the former home of Baroque composer George Frideric Handel, where you and the family can hunt in time to classic medleys while solving riddles and rhymes in order to claim your chocolatey prize. handelhouse.org

Legendary tea clipper and recently restored Greenwich attraction The Cutty Sark is offering families a maritime adventure this Easter, as they’re sent off in search of tasty treats deposited by the ship’s on-board chickens (who knew?). rmg.co.uk/cuttysark

Join Edwin the Easter bunny and his giant friends at the London Eye, where the egg hunt shenanigans have been taken up a notch – it’s not just a hunt but an interactive chocolate factory, with delicious prizes and freebies being given away all weekend. londoneye.com

flickr.com/photos/irezumi13

Clapham Fun Fair

My Supply Teacher is Magic!

Exhibition sponsored by

Anchorman/Mean Girls quote along Just because you’re looking for an alternative way to celebrate Easter doesn’t mean you have to do away with the idea of sitting among a group of strangers to recite important texts. The Prince Charles quote along events are legendary, and they’re hosting a classic double bill on Easter Sunday, with Mean Girls in the afternoon and Anchorman in the evening. You might want to use the occasion to brush up your script

knowledge, or maybe you already know your dialogue like Ron Burgundy knows his women. Either way, the gospels according to Lohan and Ferrell are the sacred texts that movie buffs should be celebrating this Easter Sunday.

March 31, Prince Charles Cinema, Leicester Square, WC2H 7BX, tickets from £7-£12.50, princecharlescinema.com

The Sunday Assembly

Secret Productions’ Sunday Papers Live

Perhaps you’re the type that loves the idea of a church-based gathering, complete with sermons, singing and the like, just without the religious element. Well look no further than the increasingly popular Sunday Assembly, an ‘atheist church’ service that brings together like-minded ‘worshippers’ for Jesus-free celebrations of life.

Created by comedians Pippa Evans and Sanderson Jones, the events follow the traditional mass pattern and feature singing, guest speakers, volunteer opportunities and tea.

Feel like broadening your mind as well as your waistband this Easter? Then head to this event from the folk behind Secret Garden Party and Wilderness Festivals.

The aim is to bring the Sunday papers to life through thought-provoking talks, challenging debates and even a little performance art. With an old fashioned feel, yet a very modern heart, the 12-hour event is, like all the best Sundays, only slightly sedentary – participants are also promised guided walks around Primrose Hill and Regents Park, with restorative Bloody Marys upon return and a full roast dinner served as a banquet.

March 31, The Nave, St Paul’s Road, N1 2QH, FREE, sundayassembly.com

March 31, Cecil Sharp House, Camden, NW1 7AY, £20, secretproductions.net

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Make the most of your bank holiday Kids might get several weeks off but us adults have to make do with a long weekend, so we need to make the most of it. There is, as always, an eye-watering array of entertainment on offer, from The Book of Mormon to the Bowie exhibition.

But perhaps you fancy something a little different, away from the crowds. Here are our top tips for alternative bank holiday fun

By Lucy Peden

Retz’s The Trial Kafka was a master of creating vivid characters. And now theatre company Retz have taken what he started a step further, by turning each of their audience members into one of his most beleaguered protagonists. This interactive, oneon-one production sees each audience member take on the role of Joseph K as he is arrested for unspecified crimes and tried by a shady government department. Every audience member is sent off on their own around various buildings in east London, encountering characters and scenes along the way. And the entire piece is split into two episodes – so you return for the second part at a later date. If you’re a bit bored of the traditional, this is a real theatre trip with a difference.

Until April 27, around Shoreditch, £30, barbican.org.uk

There’s a ton of great comedy happening over the bank holiday weekend. If you don’t know where to start, you can’t go wrong with this legendary sketch comedy troupe, who are bringing their award-nominated show to London after major success in Edinburgh. Anxious fans might need reassuring that the title is, in fact, a joke. And they can rest easy that the musical moments, punchiness, paciness and sheer silliness that have earned the trio cult status over the last few years are as present and correct as ever. Just be careful where you sit, unless you fancy getting hitched to one of the gang.

April 1-20, Soho Theatre, Dean Street, W1D 3NE, £10-£15, sohotheatre.com

Floriculture: Flowers, Love and Money

Cartographies of Life & Death: John Snow and Disease Mapping

Done all the big museums a zillion times? Want to try somewhere new? Then start with the truly wonderful and criminally underknown Garden Museum, and this very seasonal exhibition. Freshly cut flowers might be synonymous with spring, but they’re also loaded with all kinds of other meaning and significance, as this exhibition explores. You’ll find yourself transported to 17th century Covent Garden, where you’ll be shocked to discover that flowers had a role in the arms trade. And you’ll learn about their underrated importance in many other areas of life and history. From the fine art of floristry to their significance in various rituals, it would seem our relationship with flowers is anything but flowery.

Disease mapping? How delightful. Just what the bank holiday fun doctor ordered. But don’t turn your nose up just yet. This exhibition might sound a bit academic, but it’s honestly quite fascinating and celebrates a pivotal moment in the history of health and medicine.

It marks the bicentenary of John Snow, a doctor and ‘medical detective’ who established that cholera was a water-borne disease when he linked a Victorian outbreak to a water pump in Soho (near the Sam Smith’s pub that has taken his name). It was a huge discovery and earned him the lofty title, ‘the founder of modern epidemiology’. If you’re feeling brave, you can enjoy a drink at the pop up water bar, or investigate the Scent of Darkness pieces from Bompass and Parr, which show how London is shaped by scent. As well as historical artefacts and newly commissioned artworks, the exhibition will also feature street art performances and disease maps from around the world.

Until April 28, Garden Museum, Lambeth Palace Road, SE1 7LB, £3-£7.50, gardenmuseum.org.uk

Until April 17, London School of Hygiene & Topical Medicine, Keppel Street, WC1E 7HT, FREE, johnsnow.org.uk

A Woman’s Place

Wing Asylum

Admittedly, Woolwich is a bit far out for most of us.

But it’s well worth making the trip for this exhibition of images by photojournalist Alison Baskerville. The acclaimed photographer followed female soldiers working in Afghanistan last year. Her pictures are displayed alongside a range of historical items from the Firepower museum archives, showing how much has changed in the roles of women in warfare over the past 100 years, while drawing attention to the war work women have done when excluded from the front line.

So you can’t get into the Bowie exhibition, the Hayward is packed too, and you just want something a little less, well, rammed. Head down to increasingly trendy Peckham, where this intriguing pop up exhibition of wing-inspired artwork is being showcased in a beautiful 17th century chapel. The collection arose after a group of artists were invited to respond to some unusual stimulus: a bird’s wing, sent in an envelope through the post. The work is a mixture of paint, photography and sculpture, and the featured artists – including Katie Brookes, Louise McNaught and Sarah Carpenter – are rising stars well worth keeping an eye on.

Until April 13, Firepower, the Royal Artillery Museum, Royal Arsenal, Woolwich, SE18 6ST, £5.30, firepower.org.uk

NESTING by KATIE BRooks

Pappy’s: Last Show Ever

March 28-30, Caroline Gardens chapel, Asylum Road, SE15 2SQ, thewingassignment.com

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Bluffing through the boat race It’s the Oxford and Cambridge boat race this weekend, one of the biggest sporting events in the British calendar. If you’re checking it out for the first time, here’s all the info you need to pass yourself off as a veteran

you can probably get a decent view at any point along the river.

However, the recommended vantage points are Putney Bridge, Putney Embankment and Bishops Park at the start, Hammersmith and Barnes in the middle, and Dukes Meadows and Chiswick Bridge at the finish.

There’ll also be big screens showing the whole race at Bishops Park in Fulham and Furnival Gardens in Hammersmith.

right into the path of the boats. The race was restarted after a short delay, but then the two teams collided, damaging Oxford’s boat and giving Cambridge a clear path to victory. On top of all that, one of the Oxford team had rowed so hard that he collapsed and had to be taken to hospital afterwards.

Maoris vs Morris Men Performers at last year’s race

So let me get this straight: on Easter Sunday you’re going to go and stand by the river and cheer on a bunch of blokes who represent two universities that you didn’t go to?

That’s right.

light blue – then stick with them.

You’ll be surprised how infectious the atmosphere is. It’s very lively and fun. Before you know it you’ll be jumping up and down, screaming for a university that never would have accepted you.

Cool, where will be the busiest?

Well, everywhere will be pretty busy.

This has been a sporting fixture since 1829 and a major annual event since 1859, so it’s acquired a fair few fans in that time – a quarter of a million people lined the banks in 2010.

So genuine drama then.

Sure, it’s an intense event. Over the years there have also been sinkings – both crews sank in 1912, Cambridge in 1859 and 1978, and Oxford in 1925. The Oxford crew even had mutinies on a couple of occasions.

But why? What could possibly be fun about that?

Er, hello! Did you even see the Olympics?! Rowing is cool now. It’s exciting and a nice day out.

Watch it! Anyway, isn’t it just a bunch of poshos quaffing bubbly and cheering on cousin Tarquin?

Well, no. And what are you, a class warrior? Sure, you’re unlikely to run into Billy Bragg, but it’s hardly Ascot.

Wow, I didn’t realise it had been going that long. Which university has won the most times?

Cambridge – 81 victories to Oxford’s 76. Cambridge also won last year, which some have described as “the most dramatic year ever”.

What, like in Treasure Island?

Haha, very good.

Ooh, do tell.

It was a neck-and-neck race for the first half or so, until it had to be halted because some joker had swum

The Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race, March 31, proceedings begin at 1pm, the race itself starts at 4.30pm, FREE, theboatrace.org

Yeah, but in the Olympics we were cheering on Team GB. Here there’s no allegiance.

Doesn’t matter. You just pick one of the blues at the start of the day – Oxford are dark blue, Cambridge are

OK, so supposing I decided to head down there, where’s the best place to watch from?

Well it starts in Putney and finishes in Mortlake – 4.2m basically – and

Alright, you’ve talked me round.

I might even have a little flutter.

Who are this year’s favourites?

What do I look like, an expert?!

scoutlondon.com Scout London 17

Kizomba Dance Classes at Bar Lenuccia, Camberwell New Road, SE5 0RR Oval Sat 8pm, two lessons £10, one lesson £7. With resident DJs. Until Apr 27.

Mini Music at Haringey Irish Centre, Pretoria Road, N17 8DX Tottenham Hale Wed 4pm-4.45pm, Children must be accompanied by a parent or carer., FREE. Musical workshop for children aged 2-4. Until Dec 18.

Monday March 25 Flamenco Festival London 2013: Gala Flamenca at Sadler’s Wells, Rosebery Avenue, EC1R 4TN Angel MonWed ,7.30pm,£12-£40. Dance spectacular directed by Angel Rojas.

Poet In The City: Coleridge: Talk at Kings Place, 90 York Way, N1 9AG King’s Cross St Pancras £9.50, 7pm. An event exploring the life and work of the poet.

Landscapes By Mimika Theatre (Ages 4-11) at Lyric Hammersmith, Lyric Square, King Street, W6 0QL Hammersmith £8, 12noon, 1.30pm, 3pm. Immerse show about landscapes around the world.

Light Up Dippy at Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, SW7 5BD South Kensington FREE, 10am-6pm.

Raise money for the Central Hall appeal.

Monthly Bookshop Planning Round Table: Help Us To Plan Our New Flagship Store at Foyles, 113-119 Charing Cross Road, WC2H 0EB Tottenham Court Road FREE, adv booking required, 6.30pm-8pm.

Out Of Chaos: Talk at London Transport Museum, 39 Covent Garden Piazza, WC2E 7BB Covent Garden £10, concs £8, 6.30pm-8pm. Sam Mullins looks at the last 50 years of the London transport system.

Tuesday March 26 Arabic And Arabesques: Themes In Islamic Art: Talk at British Museum, Great Russell Street, WC1B 3DG Russell Square FREE, 1.15pm-2pm.

With Carolyn Perry.

Weekend travel update

Jubilee Line No service Stanmore to West Hampstead all weekend (including bank holidays). Rail replacement buses operate.

DLR No service Canning Town to Beckton all weekend (including bank holidays). Rail replacement buses operate.

Metropolitan Line No service between Aldgate and Uxbridge/Rickmansworth/Croxley all weekend (including bank holidays). Rail replacement buses operate. There

will be no Chiltern Railways service between Marylebone and Amersham.

Northern Line No service between Edgware and Kennington via Bank (including bank holidays). Rail replacement buses operate.

Circle Line No service on bank holiday Monday between Aldgate and Gloucester Road via Victoria.

District Line No service on bank holiday Monday between Aldgate and Earl’s Court.

For the latest information visit tfl.gov.uk 18 Scout London scoutlondon.com

An Audience With Howard Marks at The Bloomsbury Theatre, 15 Gordon Street, WC1H 0AH Euston £15, concs £12.50, 8pm.

The Welsh author, raconteur and exinternational drug smuggler talks about his experiences.

Bangladesh Independence Day at Rich Mix, 35-47 Bethnal Green Road, E1 6LA Shoreditch High Street FREE, 6.30pm. Guest speakers and performers celebrate the occasion.

Beefeater Gin Club at The Elgin, 96 Ladbroke Grove, W11 1PY Ladbroke Grove FREE, phone for times. Taste and learn about gin.

India Knight: House Of Heawood: Talk at Concrete, The Tea Building, 56 Shoreditch High Street, E1 6JJ Shoreditch High Street adv £8, 7pm-11pm.

Who Killed Bambi? at The Boogaloo, 312 Archway Road, N6 5AT Highgate phone for prices, 5pm12midnight. Music quiz show.

Wednesday March 27

An Evening With Jodi Picoult: Talk at Kings Place, 90 York Way, N1 9AG King’s Cross St Pancras £12.50, 7pm. The writer discusses her new novel.

Deborah Hyde: Natural Historie Of The European Werewolf: Talk at Hackney Attic, 270 Mare Street, E8 1HE Hackney Central £2.50, 7.30pm.

Masks And Masquerade: The Art Of Transformation In Africa: Talk at British Museum, Great Russell Street, WC1B 3DG Russell Square FREE, 1.15pm-2pm. With the historian Fiona Sheales.

Duval Timothy: Talk at Lewisham Arthouse, 140 Lewisham Way, SE14 6PD Lewisham FREE, 7pm.

Talk with the artist.

Thursday March 28 Jeff Lowder: Evidence About God: What Apologists Don’t Want You To Know: Talk at Conway Hall, 25 Red Lion Square, WC1R 4RL Holborn FREE, donations welcome, 7pm, doors 6.30pm.

The co-founder of Internet Infidels Inc discuss how people defend their religious beliefs.

Kevin Maher: Talk at Waterstones Covent Garden, 9-13 Garrick Street, WC2E 9BA Covent Garden £4, mems £3, 6pm. An interview with the journalist and author.

Courttia Newland: The Gospel According To Cane: Book Launch at The Flyover, 3-5 Thorpe Close, W10 5XL Ladbroke Grove FREE, 7pm-12midnight.

Friday March 29 BMITC: Celebrating Our Women’s Advancement And Leadership at Tabernacle Arts Centre, Powis Square, W11 2AY Westbourne Park £10, under 16s £5, 6pm, doors. A celebration of International Women’s Month with talks and music.

Saturday March 30 Aomori Project Workshops at Greenwich Dance Agency, The Borough Hall, Royal Hill, SE10 8RE Greenwich £8, concs £6, adv booking required, 10am-3pm.

A collaborative session, led by choreographer Sioned Huws, based on the Borough Hall’s architecture.

Flight Gallery Tour at Science Museum, Exhibition Road, SW7 2DD South Kensington FREE, 1pm1.30pm. The history of flight.

Hip Hop Dance: Workshop (Ages 1319) at Chelsea Theatre, World’s End Place, SW10 0DR Sloane Square FREE, 2.30pm-4pm.

Independence Day Of Bangladesh Celebration at Rich Mix, 35-47 Bethnal Green Road, E1 6LA Shoreditch High Street FREE, 3pm7pm. A cultural event to celebrate the independence day.

Francesco Petreni: Lecture at Kings Place, 90 York Way, N1 9AG King’s Cross St Pancras £12.50, adv £9.50, 1.30pm. The percussionist talks about the music of Brazil.

Speed Surgery: Surgery In The 19th Century: Demonstration at The Old Operating Theatre Museum & Herb Garret, 9a St Thomas Street, SE1 9RY London Bridge £6, child £3.50, concs £5, family £13.90, 2pm. A demonstration exploring surgical practices in 1822.

Tricks Of The Mind: Talk at Conway Hall, 25 Red Lion Square, WC1R 4RL Holborn phone for prices, 10.30am4pm. Psychologists Daniela Rudloff and Robert Teszka, lecturer Martin S Taylor and writer Claudia Hammond discuss how minds distort and deceive information.

Wigs And Hair In The 18th Century: Talk at Handel House Museum, 25 Brook Street, W1K 4HB Bond Street £6, child FREE, concs £5, 3pm. A museum volunteer discusses headpieces and hairstyles from the 1700s.

Sunday March 31 The African Market at Rich Mix, 35-47 Bethnal Green Road, E1 6LA Shoreditch High Street FREE, 12noon-7pm. A celebration of African skill and craft including several stalls.

Build A Robot: Workshop (Ages 13-18) at British Museum, Great Russell Street, WC1B 3DG Russell Square phone for availability, 11am-4pm. Use Arduino toolkit to build and run a robot.

SAM PROUD

ONGOING

Wonder

Art and Science on the Brain Mar–Apr A season to light up the mind with film, theatre, music, talks and participation barbican.org.uk/wonder #wonderseason

What does it mean?

O rganic

Supernatural We’re in the midst of Real Wine Month, with restaurants and bars across London going wild for natural, organic and biodynamic wines. Ben Norum explores what it all means and why its popularity is booming

M

ost of us will have spotted the words ‘natural’, ‘biodynamic’ and ‘organic’ on wine lists around town – they’re an increasingly common sight. It was the opening of French wine bar Terroirs near Charing Cross in 2008 that helped kickstart the trend; we were slower to grasp the concept than our friends across the channel, but five years later we’re catching up.

Natural wine has a heavy presence at top restaurants such as Claude Bosi’s Hibiscus and Anna Hansen’s The Modern Pantry, plus headline listings at leading wine bars such as Antidote in Soho and Albertine in Shepherd’s Bush. Add to that two annual London wine fairs dedicated to it (the Real Wine Fair and the Real Artisan Wine Fair) and this entire month in celebration of it, and it’s clear that it is no longer just a niche.

Much of the surge in popularity is because natural wines are made using artisanal methods, which to

20 Scout London scoutlondon.com

varying degrees eschew modern technologies and artificial chemicals.

In doing so, it shows a form of dedication, traditionalism, pride and craftsmanship on the part of the winemaker – product is being put before profit.

You need only look at the rise in grassroots cooking at pop-ups and street food stalls, the shift from glossy fine-dining restaurants to rawer, more casual eating, or the popularity of food that is ingredientsled and unrefined, such as that found at Noma, in order to see how ontrend this ‘natural’ mindset is.

It’s not just that thoughts on food and wine are aligned, either. The earthy, mineral-rich, bold flavours of natural wines are much better suited to a rawer, more rustic style of cooking than they are old-school creamy sauces. As with the dishes, they are varied, characterful and ever-changing, not constant, sterile or precise. Albertine owner Giles Phillips also notes: “A lot of these new restaurants that are appealing to

young foodies have young sommeliers or wine buyers who are willing to try something different.”

Of course, not everyone’s a fan.

Master of Wine Tim Atkins summed up the views of several critics when he wrote on his blog that, “natural wine lovers...seem to be indulgent of faults”, and Albertine’s Giles concedes that, although he’s a fan, their reputation can be damaged by lesser versions.

“Natural wines can be overrated in the same way wines from famous châteaux can be,” he admits. “Being called natural should be no mask for lesser winemaking.”

Even among well-made natural wines, their signature cloudy, lactic, musky, “flat cider” flavours can be hit and miss. What can be said for sure is that if you’re up for a bit of trial and error in search of those hits, then there are few better cities in the world for it. We might have come late to the party, but right now London is floating on one immense natural high.

The label of organic is fairly straightforward, though in most instances it refers only to the actual grape growing and doesn’t take into account what goes on in the winery, where sulphites and other chemicals may be used.

In Europe, a wine cannot legally be called organic for this reason, instead being described as “wine made from organic grapes”.

Biodynamic Biodynamic farming is an approach that maximises the self-sustainability of a growing area (eg producing your own natural fertilisers on-site) and attempts align with nature as much as possible. The exact processes vary wildly but include timing processes to coincide with lunar activity, growing and burying several different kinds of herbs and plants, and burying cow manure in cow horns over winter. To be biodynamic, the wine must always also be organic.

N atural It’s the term ‘natural wine’ that is most used and best known.

But, as an umbrella term for any wine made with minimal chemical and technological intervention, it has no official boundaries. As a result, winemakers differ from each other in what they consider to be an acceptable level of intervention; there is no obligation for a natural wine to even be organic, for example. But if you want it all reduced to a simple aphorism, try trailblazing French natural wine producer Alexandre Bain, who says: “Organic and biodynamic are the tools, natural is the philosophy.”

Top Ten natural wine

The one that started it all 1 Terroirs WC2N 4DW Charing Cross

Biodynamics by 2 Antidote the glass; charcuterie to match W1F 7RR Oxford Circus

Dedicated natural wine menu 3 Albertine W12 7DP Shepherd’s Bush

Meaty mains; meaty wine; 4 Brawn trendy setting E2 7RG

Hoxton

Battu Small plate organic food 5 Bar and biodynamic wine EC2V 7AY

Bank

Man & French Horn Focus on natural wines from 6 Green the Loire region WC2N 4EA Leicester Square

Wine shop with a natural 7 Zelas focus; craft beers too N6 5AX

Highgate

South London Terroirs 8 Soif outpost SW11 1HG

Clapham Junction

9

Green & Blue A predominantly naturtal selection to take away or drink in SE22 8HJ East Dulwich

Food as earthy and 10 Ducksoup wholesome as the wine

W1D 4PY Tottenham Court Road

Oaka Kennington £££ Oaka has been a long time coming. I know this because I live around the corner from the site and, for almost two years, have walked past the Oakham Ales branded hoarding which surrounded the previously derelict Mansion House pub on my way to the Tube.

Having perhaps been brainwashed by so much exposure, I have found myself especially interested in Oakham Ales whenever I see them on tap at craft beer pubs, which is fairly often. Brewed in Peterborough, their diverse range includes the refreshing grapefruit, lychee and gooseberrytasting Citra, and the heavier JHB, which is a bitter rich in toasted malt taste. A rack of awards from international beer challenges back up my extensive pub-based research, which declares them among the UK’s most interesting up and coming breweries.

As soon as signs of near completion were spotted, local speculation about the form Kennington’s first proper beer pub would take began in earnest. Ale-loving residents were excited, local pub owners were apprehensive; as it turns out, neither group need have bothered. While the Mansion House pub frontage has been retained, a glass frontage, bright lights and laid dining tables throughout make it perfectly clear that Oaka is primarily a place for eating. But what about the beer?

The main menu is a selection of ‘gap glam’ Thai food that, for the purposes of this venue, is best translated as “small plates that are eaten with beer”.

Sounds interesting, but the first logistical problem

comes within minutes of us being shown to our table. A Thai team bring us our menu, talk us through the dishes and highlight some of their favourites. But ask them about the beer and their enthusiasm turns to trepidation. We’re shown a list of the regular ales, but have to strain our eyes to see the guest beers at the bar. I eventually walk up and ask for some tasters – as is normal in a beer pub – but it is clear that this isn’t really the done thing. I ask our waitress which beers would match well with the dishes we have ordered and she replies that all the beers match with all the food. My delicate, fresh-flavoured tuna tartare, which arrives while I’m enjoying a third of treacly, tar-like tastebudhogging Black Hole Porter seems to disagree.

A bowl of ‘heavenly beef’ is deep-flavoured, dried halfway to jerky and very nice indeed, if not quite godly: a kind of Thai pork scratching. Pumpkin gyoza and prawn tempura are both well flavoured but heavy on the coating. Soft-shell crab is meaty and crisp, again with a high proportion of batter, though the extra stodge is easily soaked up by the beer.

This is better than average Thai snack food, served alongside some magnificent ales, but that’s just the problem. They are two entities not one; acquaintances not lovers. Perhaps as it beds in, the food and beer side of things will grow closer and more entwined. As a local, I certainly hope so.

Ben Norum 48 Kennington Park Rd, SE11 4RS Kennington scoutlondon.com Scout London 21

Cubana Waterloo ££

Trullo Highbury ££

Set in the shadow of Waterloo, Cubana’s brightly painted side wall depicting a flamenco dancer and the words “join the party!” acts as a beacon to the thirsty, spreading a ray of Cuban sunshine all around.

Inside, things are equally vivid: primary colour blue and yellow walls are dotted with playful red stars and more poignant images from the historically troubled country. There’s plenty of scope for just sitting down with a jug of signature mojito or another fruity number and watching the world go by (especially during 5pm-7pm happy hour), but it would be a shame to pass up on the well-priced food. Comforting chorizo and sweet potato croquettes served with a piquant salsa, and tangy slow-cooked and shredded marinated beef or pork are among the highlights. And then there’s the homemade ice cream with dulce de leche sauce... Ben Norum

There’s been no shortage of praise for Trullo, and just about anyone who has been seems to feel almost duty bound to recommend it at any given opportunity. Still, it remains largely unknown, and it’s criminal how much more attention Italian restaurants such as Fifteen and River Café get. The former was the training ground of Trullo chef Tim Siadatan and the latter of front-of-house Jordan Frieda; what they have created outdoes both of them.

From being welcomed with efficiency and a smile through to a perfectly bitter lemon tart via the plumpest, most flavoursome olives we’ve tried, there is no fault to find. A dish of smoky chargrilled quail is moist and addictive; slow roast lamb is juicy and deep-flavoured; tagliatelle with smoked eel is more delicate, considerably perked up by lemon zest. The price is a good third lower than at the two aforementioned restaurants, to boot. BN

48 Lower Marsh, SE1 7RG

300 St Paul’s Road, N1 2LH

Waterloo

Highbury & Islington

Rotary Bar & Diner Shoreditch ££

Brasserie Chavot Mayfair ££££

There’s no affiliation with the Rotary Club here, but rather a more impressive association with Soho’s acclaimed members-only cocktail lair, Milk & Honey. The downstairs Rotary Room is similarly exclusive, but upstairs is open to all, at least for the duration of the venue’s 10-month existence. Formica, stripes and concentric patterns swing to the 60s, but the menu of street food-inspired dishes is as on-trend as the impermanence of it all. Buttermilk-fried chicken wings are crisp, succulent and well-seasoned; fish tacos are light thanks to a tantalising sprinkling of chilli and citrus; beef dripping-cooked chips served with rolls are not light at all, but are incredibly delicious. Drinks are an equally big part of proceedings, and the bar team live up to their impressive credentials. Ask for any classic cocktail you can think of, choose one of the house specials, or get stuck into a US craft ale. BN

If the name attached to this new brasserie at the Westbury hotel is familiar, it’s because chef Eric Chavot was previously king of the kitchen at two-Michelin-starred Capital in Knightsbridge. This latest venture is slightly less formal and marginally less expensive, though the elaborate tiled floor, vast gold-framed mirrors and row of low-hanging chandeliers confirm there’s nothing understated about it. Dishes are incredibly lavish but inherently simple: king crab mayonnaise combines silky soft crab meat, avocado and mayonnaise with the refreshing crunch of lettuce; homemade choucroute sausages are robustly spiced but delicately textured; and a deliciously pink rack of lamb comes with couscous perked-up herbs, pine nuts and piquant peppers so as to be a highlight.

A rum baba is a suitably syrup-drenched and decadent ending, with shavings of pineapple on hand to lighten the luxurious mouthfuls as well as your conscience: this is Paris, done the Mayfair way. BN

70 City Road, EC1Y 2BJ

41 Conduit Street, W1S 2YF

Old Street

22 Scout London scoutlondon.com

Oxford Circus

CENTRAL

Plum and Spilt Milk The Great Northern Hotel, King’s Cross, N1C 4TB King’s Cross St. Pancras British £££ The highly anticipated relaunch of The Great Northern Hotel is one of the final steps in the completition of the area’s regeneration. This will be the hotel’s plush destination restaurant, set to open in mid April. The all day British menu will include dishes such as twice baked smoked haddock soufflé and char-grilled Scottish beef. As a nice touch, and with business in mind, there will also be very fast Wi-Fi and plug sockets by every table.

EAST Sticks n Sushi TBC WC2 Covent Garden Sushi ££ This quirky Danish chain which offers sushi and yakitori sticks in a varying combinations was a big hit when it opened its first UK branch in Wimbledon last year. Now site number two is planned for London, set to open this Spring somewhere in Covent Garden.

Mayfair Pizza Co. 4 Lancashire Court, New Bond Street, W1S 1EY Bond Street Pizza ££ Freshly cooked pizzas fresh from the brick oven is the simple premise here. Flavours include lobster and smoked black pudding, spicy Mediterranean sausage with gorgonzola cheese, and tuna confit. They’re accompanied by some grills and California-inspired salads for the sake of variety.

The Corner Room and Champagne Bar Selfridge’s, 400 Oxford Street, W1A 1AB Bond Street British £££ Last week saw the launch of this new restaurant and bar on the 2nd floor of Selfridge’s, headed up by recent MasterChef - The Professionals joint winner, Keri Moss. It will feature an all-day seasonal British menu as well as a Sunday brunch menu and a separate Champagne bar.

Koshari Street 56 St Martin’s Lane, WC2N 4EA Leicester Square Middle Eastern ££ Middle Eastern cookbook author Anissa Helou is to launch an Egyptian takeaway restaurant in Covent Garden this Spring. The menu will centre around koshari – a vegetarian street food dish of lentils, rice and pasta topped with a spicy tomato sauce, chickpeas and caramelised onions. Salads, soups, desserts and juices will also be available.

Benares 12a Berkeley Square House, Berkeley Square, W1J 6BS Green Park Indian £££ The latest initiative from Atul Kochhar’s Michelin-starred Indian is monthly event, Benares Blend. Each month, the restaurant will invite a high-profile brand ambassador or mixologist into the Benares Bar to design an exclusive cocktail as well as hosting a masterclass. The exclusive cocktail will then be paired with Atul’s canapés and made available to diners for the rest of the week. The series starts tomorrow with the guys from Purl speakeasy in Marylebone.

WEST

Simply Fish Boxpark, 2-4 Bethnal Green Road, E1 6GY Shoreditch High Street Fish ££ This newly opened sustainable fish restaurant follows in the successful footsteps of the original branch in Camden. Diners will one again be offered a choice of fish, cooking style and sauce; the restautrant will also offer delivery across the City and surrounding areas.

Chabrot Smithfield Long Lane Barbican Bistro ££ Following the launch of Bistro Chabrot d’Amis in Knightsbridge, this Smithfield venue is set to open in the next month. Similar French bistro-style food is planned, though there we are promised some unique twists.

Camino San Pablo St.Paul’s St. Paul’s Spanish ££ Although an exact site has not yet been revealed, we now know that Camino owner Richard Bigg is set to open his latest venture somewhee inbetween St. Paul’s and Blackfriars this May. What sets it apart from the other brances is that it will include within it a dedicated cava bar. Bigg describes the opening as, “London’s first authentic dedicated cava bar”.

SOUTH

NORTH

The Lord Palmerston 33 Dartmouth Park Hill, NW5 1HU Tuffnell Park Gastropub ££ This Geronimo Inns venue in Tuffnell Park is having a re-fit. The large Victorian venue is closed until the 2nd April, when it will re-open with a shiny new lease of life. Food and drink menus will remain classically British and seasonal, in-line with other Geronio Inns pubs across London.

24 Scout London scoutlondon.com

Wandsworth Common Beer Festival Le Gothique Restuarant, John Archer Way, Windmill Road, SW18 3SX Wandsworth Common Beer festival £ The 5th annual Wandsworth Common Beer Festival starts this Wednesday, running until Sunday. Entry is £4 on the door (£1 CAMRA discount) and it promises over 120 new and hard to find beers, along with 30 ciders & 20 wines by the Glass. East London Brewery, Twickenham Fine Ales and Sambrooks are among the London breweries included.

The Blank Canvas Lambert House, 55 Southwark Street, SE1 1RU Borough Cafe £ This appropraitely named new cafe set within the former Art Academy building next to the Mernier Chocolate Factory still lends wall space to local artists. Tea, cake and Monmouth coffee are all on the menu.

Wandsworth Common Beer Festival Le Gothique Restuarant, John Archer Way, Windmill Road, SW18 3SX Wandsworth Common Beer festival £ The 5th annual Wandsworth Common Beer Festival starts this Wednesday, running until Sunday. Entry is £4 on the door (£1 CAMRA discount) and it promises over 120 new and hard to find beers, along with 30 ciders & 20 wines by the Glass. East London Brewery, Twickenham Fine Ales and Sambrooks are among the London breweries included.

Restaurant Gordon Ramsay 68 Royal Hospital Road, SW3 4HP Sloane Square British ££££ Sitting at the pinnacle of the Ramsay empire, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay on Royal Hospital Road is London’s longest-standing three Michelin starred venue. It last week relaunched after a multi-million pound makeover, at the hands of the acclaimed Fabled Studio. It includes hand painted silk walls, rich velvet wallpaper and marble features, but probably most excitingly a brand new chef’s experience table and a decadent liquor library, storing a variety of fine wines and spirits for guests to choose from.

Marco Stamford Bridge, Fulham Road, SW6 1HS Fulham Broadway British ££ Marco Pierre White’s flagship restaurant set within Chelsea Football Club has launched a brand new Friday Fish Menu. The specials, which will also include among them fish & chips, start from £13 and entitle the diner to 30% off a bottle from a selection of white wines.

Paradise 19 Kilburn Lane, W10 4AE Kensal Green Gastropub ££ In an Easter gimmick more impressive than most venues’ laying on something chocolatey, this West London favourite will install a pop-up petting zoo.

This Easter Sunday from 12-3pm, guests will be able to visit baby ducklings, just hatched chicklets and bunnies on the building’s roof terrace.

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

DRINK IN

READ IN

Sprizzato

The Search For The Perfect Pub, Paul Moody & Robin Turner

Summer’s on the way – well, that’s what we’ve been told, anyway.

Even if the sun hasn’t got his hat on, nothing says it’s that time of year better than an Italian-style aperitivo with a bit of sparkle. It may be Aperol Spritz and Campari that come to mind, but let us introduce you to the new kid on the block, Sprizzato. This bitter-orange drink contains extracts of grapefruit and herbs, and boasts flavours of marmalade, pine needles and brown sugar. It’s got a bitterness somewhere between the Campari and Aperol, creating a refreshing drink with a real edge that’s dangerously easy to work your way through. Pour in a little prosecco and we reckon you could easily get confused between Milan and Muswell Hill. Well, almost...

RRP £14.50 31Dover.com or sprizzato.com

What makes the perfect pub? Great ale’s a good starting point, but how about a blinding scotch egg, homemade pork scratchings, a dartboard or a pool table? Maybe just a guarantee you won’t have to queue even if it’s 6pm on a Thursday? The perfect pub is subjective, but in their quest Paul Moody and Robin Turner have created more than just an unattainable wish list.

It’s a fascinating travelogue to which anyone who fancies a pint or three can instantly relate, looking deep into the importance of pubs to society along the way. For anyone who’s barmy about their boozers, it’s an absolute must-read.

RRP £14.99, published by Orion

scoutlondon.com Scout London 25

‘One of the most stunning pieces of theatre I have ever seen’ Baz Bamigboye · Daily Mail · 22 Feb 2013

12

First ‘Cabaret’ then ‘Chicago’ and now...

TONY AWARD

®

NOMINATIONS

N DIRECTIO

Y

OGR APH

& CHORE

SUSAN AN TROM AVID FRED DTHOMPSON S EBB BOOK

ND LYRIC

MUSIC A

S

JOHN R AND KANDE

A YOUNG VIC AND CATHERINE SCHREIBER PRODUCTION

18 OCT – 23 NOV 020 7922 2922 YOUNGVIC.ORG

Supported by

@ScottsboroLDN

PHOTOGRAPH: CHRIS NASH

Easter Feaster Anyone can grab a basic Easter egg from the supermarket shelf, but why sell your loved ones short when there’s so much more on offer?

hatching the surface

all the fun of the farm

the truffle shuffle

The Harrods chocolate shop is world famous, and this egg that is decorated with brownie and raspberry pieces is one of its most tempting Easter options.

Brownie & Raspberry Milk Chocolate Egg (250g), £24.95, from Harrods

Another of the capital’s top chocolatiers is Rococo, which has made this lovely collection of chocolate farm animals to help kids learn their Old MacDonald.

Rococo Praline City Farm, £6.95, from rococochocolates.com

Founded in 1875, Charbonnel et Walker is one of the UK’s oldest and most respected chocolatiers – with the products to match.

Charbonnel et Walker Dark Champagne truffles Easter egg, £11.75 from chocolatetradingco.com

thick in the teeth

in it for the bunny

Ruling the roost

Some Easter eggs are so thin! But not this sumptuous offering from Hotel Chocolat. A super thick egg holds 12 mini eggs, filled with caramel, hazelnut praline, strawberry ganache and more.

The Egglet Extra Thick Easter Egg, £27, from hotelchocolat.com

This delicious and mellow milk chocolate rabbit will keep your brood occupied while the real Easter Bunny is hard at work.

Buttons the Easter Bunny, £7.50, from hotelchocolat.com

William Curley is one of the UK’s most famous chocolatiers. You’ll understand why when you try this Easter egg, filled with sea salt caramels.

Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Caramel Easter Egg, £30, from williamcurley.com

scoutlondon.com Scout London 27

Bringing Pompeii back to life It’s 40 years since London last hosted a major exhibition about Pompeii and Herculaneum. But now The British Museum is staging an exciting show that uses artefacts recovered from the towns to show how ancient Romans lived, as well as died. Elysia Jenson finds out more

28 Scout London scoutlondon.com

Y

ou could be forgiven for thinking that an exhibition about the famous cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum might be a bit macabre. These are, after all, the cities that were buried under clouds of burning volcanic ash almost 2,000 years ago, where an estimated 16,000 people died.

Even by ancient standards, the 79AD eruption of Mount Vesuvius was a catastrophic natural disaster. But the new exhibition at The British Museum chooses not to dwell on the death. Instead, it aims to bring everyday Romans back to life in all their surprising, humorous and fascinating glory.

The enthusiasm that curator Paul Roberts feels for the lives of ordinary Romans is delightfully catching, and it is a love that he is excited to

share. “I was first inspired to create this exhibition in 1976, when I was 14,” he tells Scout London. “I visited both Pompeii and Herculaneum on a family holiday and that’s when I really fell in love with these two cities.”

Opening this week, the exhibition features more than 300 excavated treasures, including some rather salacious artworks from the bawdy Pompeii and some never before seen treasures from the more refined and differently preserved city of Herculaneum.

Seven extraordinarily rare pieces of carbonised wooden furniture recovered from Herculaneum will be on display, including Roberts’ own personal favourite: a simple wooden baby’s cradle, still on its rockers, that wouldn’t look out of place in a home today. “Romans are not all emperors

Pompeii, Bay of Naples, Italy, 2012. Copyright Soprintendenza Speciale per i Beni Archeologici di Napoli e Pompei / Trustees of the British Museum

UNESCO World Heritage Site The ancient Italian city of Pompeii today

Buried for centuries Wall painting of the baker Terentius Neo and his wife

Wall painting of the baker Terentius Neo and his wife. From the House of Terentius Neo, Pompeii. AD 50 to 79. Copyright Soprintendenza Speciale per i Beni Archeologici di Napoli e Pompei / Trustees of the British Museum Plaster cast of a dog. From the House of Orpheus, Pompeii, AD 79. Copyright Soprintendenza Speciale per i Beni Archeologici di Napoli e Pompei / Trustees of the British Museum

great wealth, education and power,” says Roberts. “We don’t know how they may have been viewed socially, but it is entirely possible they were so rich they didn’t care!”

Some visitors might be taken aback by the similarities between the modern world and ancient Roman.

But the differences can be equally surprising. “They had their toilet in the kitchen, right by the food preparation area,” explains Roberts.

“They used it for both human and household waste.”

Just to prove the point, the exhibition includes items found down a Pompeii toilet. Among the other unlikely yet fascinating exhibits is possibly the most over-cooked loaf of bread ever – placed in the oven in 79AD and finally removed in the 1930s, still bearing the stamp of the slave that made it.

There will, of course, be ample reminder of the eruption’s devastating human and animal cost, including the casts of a family of Romans, huddled together in their final moments, and a pet dog, writhing against its leash to escape the deadly downpour.

Yet Roberts is adamant that death is not the focus of the exhibition. The bodies or gladiators” Roberts remind us. are important because they “They are people like you and me.” make the lives of these The exhibition includes items that ancient Romans “all the have never before been seen outside more real”, he reminds of Italy. It invites visitors to explore us. “It is very sad to a recreation of the bustling Roman imagine the lives of streets, and to see artefacts in the the cities and their context of ordinary Roman family people cut short. But, homes. That of baker Terentius Neo in a sense, by walking and his wife – the portrait of whom with them, imagining advertises the exhibition – is one these people in their such example. homes with all their Visitors will also be able to see beautiful things, you how Romans addressed some of are bringing them the same social issues that we face back to life.” today, such as class, wealth and the equality of women. There is even Life and Death suggestion that our preconceived in Pompeii and notions about Roman society might Herculaneum, actually need readjusting.

The British Museum, “We see evidence again and March 28-September 29, again of women and freed slaves with £12.50-£15, britishmuseum.org

Desperate to escape Plaster cast of a dog killed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius

scoutlondon.com Scout London 29

A ÂŁ3 booking fee is included in the price of discounted tickets. No booking fee on full price.

TKTS is run by the Society of London Theatre. All profits support the theatre industry.

Central

Be A Man at Sumarria Lunn Gallery, 36 South Molton Lane, W1K 5AB Bond Street FREE, Until Apr 19. Contemporary works in a range of media.

Michael Caine at Museum Of London, 150 London Wall, EC2Y 5HN Barbican FREE, Until Jul 14.

Photographs, films and audio extracts celebrating the actor’s 80th birthday.

The Cartoon Museum at Cartoon Museum, 35 Little Russell Street, WC1A 2HH Holborn £5.50, NUS £3, concs £4, mems/under 18s FREE, under 12s under must be accompanied, Until Dec 31. Showcase of British work including artwork on loan from The Beano, The Dandy and Topper.

Bernadette Corporation: 2000 Wasted Years at ICA, 12 Carlton House Terrace, The Mall, SW1Y 5AH Charing Cross FREE, Starts Wed, Until Jun 9. Retrospective of the New York collective’s work since their inception in the early 1990s.

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 the great Marcel Duchamp on American artists, composers and choreographers.

Dancing Around Duchamp: Geoffrey Farmer: The Surgeon And The Photographer at Barbican Centre, Silk Street, EC2Y 8DS Barbican FREE,

Starts Tue, Until Jul 28. Installation piece made out of hundreds of puppet-like assemblages.

Geraldo De Barros: What Remains at The Photographers’ Gallery, 16-18 Ramillies Street, W1F 7LW Oxford Circus FREE, Until Apr 7.

Photographs by the influential, 20thcentury Brazilian artist.

Dobells: Jazz Folk Blues at Chelsea College Of Art And Design, 16 John Islip Street, SW1P 4JU Pimlico FREE, Until Apr 18. Artefacts, ephemera, photographs and graphics from the former London record shop.

Justin Eagle: Food For The Poor Daddy Not Home From Work Yet at Vitrine Bermondsey Street Gallery, First Floor, 183-185 Bermondsey Street, SE1 3UN London Bridge FREE, Until Apr 13.

Works that grapple with notions of b boredom and the unrealised desire to escape from monotony.

Chris Gollon: Mainly Still Life & Other New Work at IAP Fine Art, 23a St James’s Street, SW1A 1HA Green Park FREE, Until Mar 31.

Paintings exploring the identities, emotions and personalities of inanimate objects.

Manet: Portraying Life at Royal Academy Of Arts, Burlington House, Piccadilly, W1J 0BD Green Park £15, OAP/disabled/NAFDAS/Art Fund mems £14, NUS £10, unwaged/ages 12-18 £6, disabled carers/under 12s FREE, inc gallery guide, Until Apr 14. The first major UK exhibition of the 19th-century, French painter’s portraiture.

North Serena Korda: Aping The Beast at Camden Arts Centre, Arkwright Road, NW3 6DG Finchley Road FREE, Until May 5. Films and performances, which explore animal symbolism and folklore, including a centrepiece latex monster puppet.

Alan Scales: Paris In The Sixties: Some Decisive Moments at theLOCALgallery, 14 Avenue Mews, N10 3NP East Finchley FREE, Until Apr 13. A series of black and white photographs depicting Parisian life during the 1960s.

East

Miranda Donovan: Walls at The Outsiders, 8 Greek Street, W1D 4DG Tottenham Court Road FREE, Until Apr 20. Over twenty paintings exploring the artist’s fascination with walls.

Adam Dant: Soerditch: A Diary Of A Neighbourhood at Eleven Spitalfields, 11 Princelet Street, E1 6QH Aldgate East phone for prices, Until Apr 26.

Contemporary drawings inspired by Shoreditch, its people and its history.

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

The Space Between at The V&A Museum Of Childhood, Cambridge Heath Road, E2 9PA Bethnal Green FREE, Until May 19. Photographs by Tanya Clarke, Peter Gates, Emer Gillespie and Jacqueline McCullough exploring the domestic family environment.

Take Another Look at Museum Of London Docklands, West India Quay, Hertsmere Road, E14 4AL Canary Wharf FREE, Until Aug 4.

An exploration of the people from the African Diaspora who lived and worked in Britain during the 18th and 19th centuries.

Jessica Warboys: Pageant Roll at Whitechapel Gallery, 80-82 Whitechapel High Street, E1 7QX Aldgate East FREE, Until Apr 15.

Looped film set to an intermittent and unearthly soundtrack.

Write & Repeat at StolenSpace Gallery, Dray Walk, The Old Truman Brewery, 91 Brick Lane, E1 6QL Shoreditch FREE, Until Mar 10. Works formed solely from text and pattern-based pieces.

South Jim Dow: American Studies at Public House Projects, 62 Gowlett Road (above the Gowlett pub), SE15 4HY Peckham Rye FREE, Until Apr 12.

American photographer’s studies of places where people enact everyday rituals and traditions.

Firepower - The Royal Artillery Experience at Firepower ñ The Royal Artillery Museum, Royal Arsenal, SE18 6ST North Woolwich £5.30, child £2.50, concs £4.60, family £12.50, Until Dec 31. The history of artillery with hands-on activities to enhance the experience.

Eoghan Ryan: Oh Wicked Flesh! at South London Gallery, 65-67 Peckham Road, SE5 8UH Elephant & Castle FREE, Until May 12. An installation and a short film which features obscure references to everyday encounters.

This ‘Me’ Of Mine at APT Gallery, Harold Works, 6 Creekside, SE8 4SA Deptford Bridge FREE, Until Mar 31.

Mixed media works exploring the notion of identity in the digital age.

Pae White: Too Much Night, Again at South London Gallery, 65-67 Peckham Road, SE5 8UH Elephant & Castle FREE, Until May 12. Large-scale installation comprising large quantities of coloured yarn crisscrossing the gallery space.

Until Mar 28. A group show of works by 20 Russian artists.

Climate Changing Stories at Science Museum, Exhibition Road, SW7 2DD South Kensington FREE, Until Jun 27. Historical objects and art exploring man’s ability to adapt to a constantly changing planet.

David Bowie Is at Victoria & Albert Museum, Cromwell Road, SW7 2RL South Kensington £17.30, NUS/child £10.60, child under 12 FREE, family of 3 £26.20, family of 4 £40.70, OAP £14.10, Until Jul 28. The first global retrospective of the career of the musician, actor, designer and pop culture icon.

Anne Purkiss: Studio Sittings: Photographing Royal Academicians at Leighton House Museum, 12 Holland Park Road, W14 8LZ High Street Kensington £5 entry to museum and exhibition, concs £3, NT Members £2.50, Until Jun 2. Photographs of Royal Academicians taken over a 25year period.

Signs, Symbols, Secrets: An Illustrated Guide To Alchemy at Science Museum, Exhibition Road, SW7 2DD South Kensington FREE, Until Apr 27. Historical illustrations and manuscripts relating to the quest for the philosopher’s stone.

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

Rosemarie Trockel: A Cosmos at Serpentine Gallery, Kensington Gardens, W2 3XA South Kensington FREE, Until Apr 7. Contemporary works in a variety of media exploring spaces for interdisciplinary ideas.

Martin Usborne: The Silence Of Dogs In Cars at The Little Black Gallery, 13A Park Walk, SW10 0AJ Sloane Square FREE, Until Apr 27. Photographs exploring the relationship between people and animals.

West Elise Ansel: Drawn From History at Cadogan Contemporary, 87 Old Brompton Road, SW7 3LD South Kensington FREE, Until Mar 30. An exhibition of works by the artist who has taken iconic paintings and used them as inspiration for her own works or ‘translations’.

Dorothy Bohm: Sixties London at Proud Chelsea, 161 Kings Road, SW3 5XP Sloane Square FREE, Until Apr 28. Images portraying the photographer’s vision of 1960s London.

Breaking The Ice: Moscow Art, 1960-80s at Saatchi Gallery, Duke Of York’s HQ, King’s Road, SW3 4RY Sloane Square FREE,

Tehran Calling London/ London Calling Tehran at London Print Studio, 425 Harrow Road, W10 4RE Westbourne Park FREE, Until Apr 20. Print, illustration, conceptual art, video, painting, new media, sculpture, and photography.

scoutlondon.com Scout London 31

This could be the last mime T

here are many perfectly successful stand-ups who would happily sacrifice a loved one to win the Edinburgh Comedy Award, such is the status boost it supposedly offers. But Doctor Brown isn’t a stand-up – or a doctor for that matter – and clearly views the world rather differently. Believe it or not, the silent comedian who currently holds that coveted prize is thinking of giving up showbusiness altogether.

“I don’t know what the next thing is for me,” says Brown, aka Phil Burgers, sounding genuinely bewildered down the line from his native California. “I don’t even know if it’s in the same medium or not.

Not because I won this award and now I’m ‘done’ – I just have no idea.

I’ve been really involved in it and now I want to step away.”

His next thing is actually a lengthy run of his mystifyinglynamed but much-admired show, Befrdfgth, at the Soho Theatre, which may well be the last London appearances for his enigmatic, influential alter-ego. And this will

32 Scout London scoutlondon.com

no doubt be met with dismay by fans and some other comics, many of whom have been influenced and inspired by Doctor Brown’s mute but gloriously expressive deeds.

Burgers quit a comfortable job making TV ads to study clowning at France’s prestigious Philippe Gaulier school, after being inspired by some gifted circus types at the Edinburgh Fringe. The UK stand-up circuit and several tours of Australia then helped hone his skills, but the Fringe was “boot camp”, as he puts it.

Befrdfgth, his third adult show, is the spectacular result of this hard grafting; an hour of sublime comic subtlety, outrageous sexuality and ego-trashing audience participation, all magically encased within a cohesive narrative in which Burgers doesn’t utter a single word. And yet, despite becoming one of the Fringe’s hottest topics and tickets, he baulks at the suggestion of a triumphant return.

“No, man, no – I’ve worked Edinburgh, like, six years in a row, it’s such a machine,” he says. “I personally find little joy in doing

Edinburgh. It’s too hectic. It was good to achieve something, a skill set, but I’d rather go develop that skill set somewhere else.”

‘Joy’ is a word that peppers Burgers’ conversation, and his real raison d’être is to discover and disperse it as widely as possible. There are Doctor Brown performances for children, which he tends to prefer because the interaction is easier than regular shows. “I always feel more fighty towards adults,” he says. “I want to fight to get them on board, whereas with kids there’s no fighting aspect.”

He also hosts regular clowning classes, which have proven popular with a variety of comics keen to bring more freedom and physicality to their work. Even so, his dealings with contemporaries might be a little more awkward during this London run.

A few months ago Burgers appeared on Stuart Goldsmith’s Comedian’s Comedian podcast – which, as the title suggests, is much listened-to by stand-ups – and launched a surprisingly withering

attack on the profession, which got more than a few backs up.

Particularly contentious was his assertion that all stand-ups are merely “repressed clowns”.

So was he not feeling very joyful that day?

“I’d just done five workshops that I run, a television show, I was in Australia… I was just f**king burning out,” he admits. “So yeah, I heard that podcast once and I was like, ‘Oh man, I’m really angry in it’. I don’t want to be angry. It doesn’t matter that much. I’ve seen so much good stand-up.”

The TV show he refers to is still pending, following a splendidly odd Channel 4 pilot last year, which might yet prolong the comedy career. But otherwise? “Whatever I do next – if it’s making a live twohour, theatrical, non-comedic show – it’s because I really want to,” he insists. “Or maybe I’ll want to build boats or something.”

Doctor Brown: Befrdfgth, Soho Theatre, March 25-April 20, £12.50-£20, sohotheatre.com

STEve ullathorne

Enigmatic silent comedian Doctor Brown won last year’s Edinburgh Comedy Award and is about to start a month-long residency at Soho Theatre.

But, as he explains to Si Hawkins, the time might have come to throw in the comedy towel

ONGOING Doctor Brown: Befrdfgth at Soho Theatre, 21 Dean Street, W1D 3NE Tottenham Court Road From Mar 25, Mon-Sat 7.30pm, ends Apr 20, Mon-Wed £15, concs £12.50, Thu-Sat £20, concs £17.50. Absurd visual humour from Phil Burgers’s impish alter ego, who collected the 2012 Foster’s Edinburgh Comedy Award. Until Apr 20.

Place, WC2H 7BX Leicester Square 9pm, £8. Film-related stand-up act.

Lewis Schaffer Is Free Until Famous at The Source Below, 11 Lower John Street, W1F 9TY Piccadilly Circus 8pm, FREE. Self-deprecating stand-up.

Monday March 25 Andrew Lawrence Is Coming To Get You at Soho Theatre, 21 Dean Street, W1D 3NE Tottenham Court Road Mar 25-30. 9pm, Mon-Thu £15, concs £12.50, Fri & Sat £17.50, concs £15.

Vitriolic humour from the Stand Up For The Week regular.

David Mills: The Gospel Truth at Leicester Square Theatre, 6 Leicester Place, WC2H 7BX Leicester Square 7pm, £7. Politically incorrect, acidtongued stand-up and the occasional musical interlude.

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

Greg Proops Podcast: The Smartest Man In The World at Soho Theatre, 21 Dean Street, W1D 3NE Tottenham Court Road 9.30pm, £15, concs £12.50. A podcast from the standup and Whose Line is it Anyway? star.

Friday March 29 Carl Donnelly And Tom Craine: Work In Progress at Pleasance Theatre, Carpenter’s Mews, North Road, N7 9EF Caledonian Road 8pm, £5.

Offbeat, conversational humour and intelligent wit.

Thursday March 28

Tuesday March 26 Harry Hill: Sausage Time at Hammersmith Apollo, Queen Caroline Street, W6 9QH Hammersmith 8pm, £30. Madcap, surreal stand-up and character comedy.

Sketch Club: So You Think You’re Funny? at Downstairs At The King’s Head, 2 Crouch End Hill, N8 8AA Finsbury Park 8pm, phone for prices.

MC Doug Faulkner introduces a heat for the Best New Sketch Act 2013 award.

The Three Englishmen at Canal Café Theatre, Bridge House Pub, Delamere Terrace, W2 6ND Warwick Avenue 7.30pm, £4.50, concs £3.50. Sketch and musical comedy.

Steve Ullathorne

Wednesday March 27 Paul Chowdhry: Work In Progress at Canal Cafe Theatre, Bridge House Pub, Delamere Terrace, W2 6ND Warwick Avenue 9.30pm, phone for availibility. Intelligent humour as the stand-up tries out new material.

Pear Shaped In Fitzrovia at Fitzroy Tavern, 16a Charlotte Street, W1T 2NA Goodge Street 8.30pm, £5. With Glen Lenny Sherman, Sean Cosgrove, Norman Cho, Perry Whyte, Karen Steadman, Kristin Revere, Elizabeth Hotson, Tom Ollerton, Sheraz Yousaf, Colin Gallettly and MCs Brian Damage & Krysstal and Anthony Miller.

Richard Sandling’s Perfect Movie at Leicester Square Theatre, 6 Leicester

The Humble Quest For Universal Genius at Leicester Square Theatre, 6 Leicester Place, WC2H 7BX Leicester Square 9pm, phone for prices. Mark Allen tests two guest standups on their knowledge of as many topics as possible. Rounds include poetry, science and languages.

Mat Ricardo’s London Varieties at Leicester Square Theatre, 6 Leicester Place, WC2H 7BX Leicester Square 9.30pm, £15, concs £12.50. The awardwinning cabaret artist welcomes Kev Orkian and Omid Djalili in conversation.

Waterloo Comedy Club Easter Basket at Horse Bar, 124 Westminster Bridge Road, SE1 7XG Lambeth North 8.15pm-11pm, £15, concs £12. With Sean Hughes, Addy Van Der Borgh, Ian Smith and David Mills.

Vikki Stone: Hot Mess at Soho Theatre, 21 Dean Street, W1D 3NE Tottenham Court Road 7.45pm, £12.50, concs £10. Musical comedy from the star of Edinburgh and winner of the inaugural One Night Stand Award. Also on Friday and Saturday.

Chris Addison: The Time Is Now, Again at Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, SE1 8XX Waterloo 7.30pm, £20, concs £10. Stand-up from The Thick Of It, In The Loop, Skins and Lab Rats actor.

Andrew Bird: Scruffy Kafuffle at Leicester Square Theatre, 6 Leicester Place, WC2H 7BX Leicester Square 7pm, £8. Insightful storytelling and observational humour.

Crack Comedy Club: The Patchwork Club at The Slug And Lettuce, 1 Islington Green, N1 2XH Angel 8pm, £4. With Edward Aczel and James Bran.

Rob Deering: The One at Kings Place, 90 York Way, N1 9AG King’s Cross St Pancras 8pm, £12.50, adv £9.50. Musical comedy from the guitar-playing stand-up.

Comedy Carnival at Rumba, 36 Shaftesbury Avenue, W1D 7EP Piccadilly Circus 8pm-10pm, £12.

With Kerry Godliman, Sean Collins, Benny Boot and MC Bryan Lacey.

The Covent Garden Comedy Club @ Heaven at The Covent Garden Comedy Club @ Heaven, Under The Arches Villiers Street, WC2N 6NG Charing Cross 8pm-10.30pm, £13 & £15. With MC Mark Restuccia, Tommy Campbell, Stephen Carlin, Rory O Hanlon and Paul Magaritty.

C$R$E$A$M at Leicester Square Theatre, 6 Leicester Place, WC2H 7BX Leicester Square 9pm, £5. With John Kearns, Stuart Laws, Gareth Morinan, Mark Stephenson and Ben Target.

Soho Comedy Club at The Casino At The Empire, 5-6 Leicester Square, WC2H 7NA Leicester Square 8pm10pm, £15, adv £10. With Wes Zaharuk, Nathan Caton, James Sherwood and MC David Mulholland.

Top Secret Comedy Club at The Africa Centre, 38 King Street, WC2E 8JT Covent Garden 8.15pm-10.45pm, £8, NUS £5. With Henry Ginsberg and Alex Maple.

Up The Creek at Up The Creek, 302 Creek Road, SE10 9SW Greenwich 8.45pm, £12, adv £11. With Foil, Arms & Hog, Lateef Lovejoy and MC Addy Van Der Borgh.

Saturday March 30 Big Night Out at Rumba, 36 Shaftesbury Avenue, W1D 7EP Piccadilly Circus phone for times, £9.99. With Keith Farnan and Chris Gilbert.

Comedy Cabaret at Downstairs At The King’s Head, 2 Crouch End Hill, N8 8AA Finsbury Park 8.30pm, £11, concs £7. With Liam Mullone and Rick Right.

The Covent Garden Comedy Club @ Heaven at The Covent Garden Comedy Club @ Heaven, Under The Arches Villiers Street, WC2N 6NG Charing Cross 8pm-10.30pm, £13 & £15. With MC Mark Restuccia, Tommy Campbell, Stephen Carlin and Paul McMullan.

Crack Comedy Club at The Slug And Lettuce, County Hall, 5 Chicheley Street, SE1 7PJ Waterloo 8.30pm, £11, adv £10, NUS £7. With Ninia Benjamin, Liam Mullone and Matt Forde.

Foster’s Comedy Live at Highlight, Camden Lock, Middle Yard Chalk Farm Road, NW1 8AB Camden Town 8.15pm-10.15pm, £17 & £18. With Ian Stone, Tim Clark, Paul Sinha, Stuart Goldsmith and Sean Moran.

The Funny Side...Of Covent Garden at The George, 213 Strand, WC2R 1AP Temple 8pm, £12.50. With Eddy Brimson, Meryl O’Rourke, Mitch Benn and compere Gareth Kane.

Dave Gorman’s Screen Guild at Hoxton Hall, 130 Hoxton Street, N1 6SH Old Street 7.30pm, £12. Monthly gathering of Gorman’s favourite established and rising stand-ups.

Hampstead Comedy Club at The Pembroke Castle, 150 Gloucester Avenue, NW1 8JA Chalk Farm 8.30pm, £10, concs £8.50. Tony Law, Eleanor Tiernan, Craig Murray and Ivor Dembina.

Soho Comedy Club at The Casino At The Empire, 5-6 Leicester Square, WC2H 7NA Leicester Square 8pm-10pm, £15, adv £10. With Brian Damage & Krysstal, Ryan McDonnell, Tobias Persson and MC David Mulholland.

Up The Creek at Up The Creek, 302 Creek Road, SE10 9SW Greenwich 8.45pm, £16, adv £15. With Joe Lycett, Lateef Lovejoy, Foil, Arms & Hog and Addy Van Der Borgh.

Sunday March 31 Comedy Store Players at Comedy Store, 1a Oxendon Street, SW1Y 4EE Piccadilly Circus 7.30pm, £17, NUS/ concs £12. Improvisational 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 Tom Deacon and MC Rich Wilson.

Joe Lycett: Work In Progress at Pleasance Theatre, Carpenter’s Mews, North Road, N7 9EF Caledonian Road 8pm-9pm, £5.

Stories and anecdotes as the stand-up tries out new material.

scoutlondon.com Scout London 33

Five years after his departure from Skins, Nicholas Hoult has emerged as one of Hollywood’s most exciting young actors.

Susan Griffin catches up with the rising star as he prepares to make his leading man debut

F

ake tanning isn’t a topic you expect to be discussing with Nicholas Hoult, and yet here he is happily expounding on the pitfalls of a spray tan.

“Me, Colin [Firth] and Matthew [Goode] were staying in the same hotel and we had to apologise because we’d wake up and there would be brown sheets,” says Hoult, recalling the beauty treatment he and his co-stars underwent while shooting Tom Ford’s stylish 2009 drama, A Single Man. No, he didn’t wear the usual paper pants for the procedure, but apparently they did use Ben Stiller’s tanner, “so I felt really honoured”, he says, smiling.

It’s 11 years since Hoult appeared alongside Hugh Grant and Toni Collette as a lad with a chronically 34 Scout London scoutlondon.com

depressed mother in About a Boy. Now aged 23, he’s one of the country’s most exciting screen exports, having starred as Eusebios in Clash of the Titans and Hank McCoy, known as Beast, in X-Men: First Class. Next is 3D adventure Jack the Giant Slayer, in which he plays the title character.

Based on the fairytale Jack and the Beanstalk, it’s an all-action caper about an age-old war that’s reignited when young farmhand Jack unwittingly opens the gateway to a fearsome land of giants.

“I remember the story from the pantomime version, but it’s changed a lot,” says Hoult, who cuts a tall, slim figure in his jeans, jumper and leather jacket. He’s also wearing a sports cap that he later removes to reveal a shaved head for his role

in the new Mad Max movie. “I feel exposed but I kind of like it, because I feel free as well,” he says.

At least he has the features to pull it off. His ex-girlfriend, Oscarwinning actress Jennifer Lawrence (the pair met on the set of X-Men: First Class and dated for two years), has said that Hoult has no idea how good-looking he is. “It was very nice for that person to think that – their opinion only though,” he says, clearly embarrassed.

Hoult describes Jack as a havea-go hero. “He feels useless but bad things happen to him even when he’s trying to do good,” he explains.

“Throughout the story he faces some of his fears and then manages to save the day.” And Hoult’s own fears? “Spiders,” he says immediately. “I’d scream and hide

but I have to pretend I’m not terrified because I’m a guy,” he admits laughing.

He’s not a fan of heights either, which was both a help and a hindrance during the shoot. While much of the action was filmed against a green screen, a huge chunk of the magic beanstalk was built for the actors, including Ewan McGregor and Stanley Tucci, to climb.

“I did some climbing practice but my character’s not supposed to be a great climber and he’s scared of heights, so I didn’t have to look like an action hero,” says Hoult, who grins like a big kid when recalling the giant-sized sets.

“It was like being in The Borrowers,” he says. “There was a giant kitchen, so I was running around with massive knives and chopping boards and there’d be bushes as herbs.”

He also learned to ride a horse, but admits he wasn’t what you’d call a natural in the saddle.

“Not at all,” he says. “And it was painful, but then the wardrobe lady got me a pair of jodhpurs to wear underneath my costume.”

Photo/Warner Brothers

A very tall story

Acclaimed filmmaker Bryan Singer took the reins for the film.

So what was it like being directed by the man responsible for The Usual Suspects and the original X-Men movie?

“It’s fun working with him because he’s a very intelligent guy and knows how to tell a good story,” says Hoult, who reveals Singer has been waiting years for technology to reach a point where he could make the movie he’d envisioned.

This included bringing the giants to life through motion capture.

“It’s stressful,” says Hoult of playing the title role. “Luckily as an actor you’re not holding the whole production together, but I feel the pressure, definitely, because you’ve still got to try and put in a performance that’s maintained to the high level.”

About a Boy was his big breakthrough, but Hoult has been acting since he was eight and, bar a stint at the Sylvia Young Theatre School, has learnt his trade on set.

“I’ve got good memories of all the jobs I’ve done because I’ve worked with great people,” he says.

He doesn’t watch any of his movies back, though. “Maybe one day when I’m sitting in a rocking chair, I’ll get the grandkids over and make them watch them all,” he says, laughing again.

While his turn in About a Boy endeared him to millions, it was teen drama Skins that really made people sit up and take notice.

The cute schoolboy had grown into a 6ft tall, handsome young man who put in a brilliant “There’s a really sinister tone to the giants because they’re being played performance as the cocky yet charismatic Tony Stonem. by real actors, like Bill Nighy,” says “Reading the script, I thought Hoult. “They’re very human, fast and I was more suited to the role of intelligent and that kind of changes [nice guy] Sid,” says Hoult. “So the ball game.” when they asked me to audition for Hoult first met Singer at the Tony, I thought it was a bit of an odd read-through for 2011’s X-Men: choice. It wasn’t the type of person I First Class, which Singer wrote and was but I eventually got the hang of it produced.

“He mentioned he was doing this and figured out what made him tick.

That’s one of the exciting things film but then I was supposed to be making Mad Max,” reveals Hoult. But about the jobs – you get to pretend to be other people and learn through then Mad Max was delayed, so he them.” could sign up to play Jack.

While Skins turned the actor into a heartthrob, the shy Hoult has never had any interest in courting the limelight. “There’s something to be said for an actor to not be too well known as a person, otherwise people aren’t going to see the character you’re playing,” he says.

But given the way his career is going, he’ll have to get used to enduring the spotlight – at least for the moment. There’s the release of post-apocalyptic saga Mad Max: Fury Road for starters.

“To be a part of something of that scale is fantastic,” says Hoult, who co-stars with Tom Hardy, who’s playing the character made famous

by Mel Gibson.

“I look up to Tom and think he’s one of the best actors. He can be intimidating but he’s also a very sweet guy, and kind. It’s fun to just watch him because he does something different [every take] and he’s very charismatic and entertaining.”

And this summer Hoult will reunite with Singer to make X-Men: Days of Future Past, the follow-up to X-Men: First Class.

There’s little chance of Hoult forgetting his roots in Wokingham, Berkshire, though – because his mates won’t let him.

“They wouldn’t be mates if they didn’t give you a bit of stick occasionally,” he says. “And it’s a good thing because you can’t take any of this too seriously.”

Jack the Giant Slayer is out in cinemas now

You didn’t say he was THAT big Hoult (third from right) in Jack the Giant Slayer

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new releases

Trance (15) Following the triumph of his opening ceremony for the London 2012 Olympic Games, Oscar-winning director Danny Boyle returns to the smaller canvas of the big screen with this tricksy thriller penned by Joe Ahearne and John Hodge. Trance isn’t quite as smart as it pretends to be, tipping the wink to one major plot twist far too early. But Boyle’s bravura direction energises every frame, eliciting strong performances from James McAvoy and Rosario Dawson as the amnesiac art auctioneer and sexy hypnotherapist who are drawn together to tease out dark secrets from his fractured memory. Filmed on location in the capital, Trance takes us for a ride as much as the characters. And, for the most part, we hold on tight for the numerous hairpin twists and turns.

Damon Smith

In The House (Dans La Maison) (U) François Ozon, the enfant terrible of French cinema, returns to glorious form with a teasing psychological drama that playfully blurs boundaries between fantasy and reality. Fabrice Luchini is perfectly cast as despairing teacher Germain, whose passion for the written word is reinvigorated by a talented student called Claude (Ernst Umhauer) and his detailed accounts of weekends spent with a wealthy classmate (Bastien Ughetto), which course with homoeroticism and adolescent yearning. Germain’s sexually frustrated wife (Kristin Scott Thomas) becomes equally fixated when her husband reads aloud the lad’s essays, providing Ozon with a framework for a tantalising social satire of modern, voyeuristic mores that proves that you shouldn’t always believe what you read. Except this review, of course. DS

G.I. Joe: Retaliation 3D (12A) Money talks louder than sense. The first G.I. Joe film, subtitled The Rise Of Cobra, opened in 2009 to a blitzkrieg of largely negative reviews but still stormed past $300m at the worldwide box office.

Behold the bigger-budget sequel, directed by Jon M Chu (Step Up 3D), which raises the action ante with eye-popping set pieces and a profusion of explosive showdowns between the forces of good and evil. Bruce Willis joins the muscle-bound cast as highly decorated soldier General Joseph Colton, who leads the team, including Roadblock (Dwayne Johnson), Duke (Channing Tatum) and Snake Eyes (Ray Park), against dastardly villain Zartan (Arnold Vosloo) and his heinous henchmen. Expect big guns, pithy oneliners and lots of male posturing. DS A finished cut wasn’t available as Scout went to press.

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Also showing

Birds Eye View Film Festival

Finding Nemo 3D (U)

Launched in 2005 to champion female directors from across the globe and help the next generation to compete on an equal creative footing with men, Birds Eye View Film Festival returns stronger than ever with a focus on the new wave of Arab women filmmakers. Annemarie Jacir opens the festival on April 3 with the UK première of her deeply moving drama, When I Saw You (pictured), and festivities close with the romance Habibi, set against the backdrop of the escalating Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Other highlights include Hanan Abdalla’s courageous documentary In The Shadow Of A Man (Apr 5) about the struggle for freedom in Egypt, a screening of 1926 silent film The Adventures Of Prince Achmed (Apr 5) and Djamila Sahraoui’s awardwinning familial tragedy Yema (Apr 6). DS

Ten years after it was first released, Pixar’s hugely entertaining fable swims back into cinemas in the 3D format, following neurotic clownfish Marlin (voiced by Albert Brooks) as he searches for his missing son (Alexander Gould) in the company of a forgetful blue tang called Dory (Ellen DeGeneres). Finding Nemo is 104 minutes of perfection. Brooks plays his compulsive-obsessive father with sensitivity and dry wit, and DeGeneres is a hoot as the comic sidekick who forgets who Marlin is and swims to the surreal conclusion: “Are... are you my conscience?”

The animation is jaw-dropping and peppered with sly visual jokes, including a cameo by Buzz Lightyear. Before the main feature, there is an uproariously funny Toy Story short called Partysaurus Rex. Pixar certainly knows how to spoil us. DS

Apr 3-10, times vary, £7.50-£11. BFI Southbank and selected cinemas, Belvedere Road, SE1 8XT Waterloo

Lars von Trier Selectrospective

Point Blank (15)

This Sunday afternoon triple-bill of work by the Danish director begins with The Idiots at 1pm and ends with apocalyptic drama Melancholia, starring Kirsten Dunst, at 5.35pm. The centrepiece is his emotionally wrought musical melodrama, Dancer In The Dark, distinguished by a tour-de-force performance from Björk as a Czech immigrant afflicted with a rare illness that is slowly robbing her of her vision. It’s an intensely powerful portrait of shattered innocence and self-sacrifice, beautifully photographed by von Trier and cinematographer Robby Miller. Grainy handheld camerawork lends a documentary air and a roughness to the musical numbers that punctuate the turmoil. The cinematic equivalent of a sledgehammer to the stomach. Remember to breathe. DS

A welcome re-release of John Boorman’s gritty and occasionally violent thriller, adapted from the novel The Hunter by Donald E Westlake. Lee Marvin delivers a superb central performance as hard-nosed gangster Walker, who is left for dead on Alcatraz by his heist partner (John Vernon) and duplicitous wife (Sharon Acker). Rising from the ashes to reclaim the $93,000 that was stolen from him, Walker exacts revenge on the people who betrayed him, aided by his smouldering sister-in-law (Angie Dickinson). Boorman holds us in a vice-like grip from the grim opening frames, bringing an art house sensibility to classic noir. Marvin glowers with intent as the avenging angel, who repeatedly snarls, “I want my money back,” and won’t stop killing until he gets his dues. DS

April 7, 1pm, £12-£18, or £4-£6.50 per film. The Prince Charles Cinema, 7 Leicester Place, WC2H 7BY Leicester Square

Mar 20, 8.45pm, £10, mems £7.50. The Prince Charles Cinema, 7 Leicester Place, WC2H 7BY Leicester Square scoutlondon.com Scout London 37

From the Abbey to the Holy Grail As she takes on a lead role in the TV adaptation of Kate Mosse’s novel Labyrinth, Jessica Brown Findlay talks to Sophie Herdman about leaving Downton Abbey – and why she doesn’t own a television

“For each scene there’s almost an entire chapter with a wealth of colour and description,” says Brown Findlay, originally from Berkshire.

She particularly enjoyed the physicality and goriness involved in being Alaïs. “Being able to get muddy and messy rather than having someone coming and fixing just one hair was fun.”

Proud as she is of the role, it’s unlikely Brown Findlay will catch much of Labyrinth herself, as ctors are often much smaller than you she doesn’t own a TV. “Don’t get me wrong, I go that of Alice, a woman in modern day France. imagined – it’s one of the most common to iPlayer and find things I want to watch, and I “Alaïs’s life starts to crumble and then she’s observations in the business. But Jessica handed this responsibility – it becomes the making have guilty pleasures like Made in Chelsea, I’m not Brown Findlay really is. It’s obvious the a TV snob at all. But once, when I had a day off, I of her. Although she’s afraid, she keeps heading moment the ex-Downton Abbey star bounds into found myself flicking through channels and then towards danger, even though she feels she’s the room and sinks into a large armchair. suddenly realised I hadn’t got up for six hours. I just probably not going to make it through.”

But what 23-year-old Brown Findlay lacks thought I’m completely wasting my life.”

The character’s determination not to be held in size, she certainly makes up for in personality, Next up, she’s starring alongside Russell back by fear is reminiscent of Brown Findlay speaking in considered, intelligent sentences and Crowe and Will Smith in a film adaptation of Mark herself, who made the bold decision to leave firmly batting away any vaguely controversial Helprin’s novel Winter’s Tale, in which she plays Downton Abbey, in which she played Lady Sybil, questions. Like when she is asked how she feels Beverley Penn, a dying but powerful woman. She because she wanted a fresh challenge. about appearing naked in new TV show Labyrinth. has a knack for picking strong female roles.

“Facing the abyss of the unknown is so “It’s a fleeting moment and that’s it,” she says exciting. What scares me more is staying “It’s not necessarily what I look for, but it is of her first scene, in which she arises unclothed exciting to play women who stand their ground comfortable,” she says. from her marital bed. “She’s a married woman, it’s and don’t apologise for being a woman,” she Taking on a leading role in Labyrinth was no medieval times and this scene is much more about easy task – the book was a bestseller in 2006 and explains, adding that she definitely considers an introduction to a couple.” translation rights have been sold in 38 languages. herself a feminist. “It’s just an equality issue.

And despite the nudity, she didn’t feel the need One benefit of dramatising a book though is that, People hear the word feminist and always think to spend extra hours in the gym. “Maybe it is part that you want to burn your bra. But I like what as an actor, you have more than just a script to of the job, but I don’t,” says the Berkshire-born Caitlin Moran says: ‘I love my bra, it’s brilliant, I base your characterisation on. actress. “Obviously being healthy, that’s just a couldn’t live without it.’”

Let’s twist again Labyrinth’s Brown Findlay (left) and Katie McGrath common sense thing.”

So far fame hasn’t affected Brown Findlay’s Brown Findlay is a fan of imperfections – life. She doesn’t get recognised on the streets something she looks for when deciding whether to and puts that down to the difference between the go for a role: “They make characters jump out and flawless period drama appearance of Lady Sybil are much more exciting to play.” and her everyday look.

Alaïs, her character in Labyrinth, is a strong, “Really,” she says, “I just don’t think people bold but naive woman on the search for the expect to see me in Tesco looking for loo rolls.”

Holy Grail. The two-part series is based on the meticulously researched book of the same name Labyrinth is on Channel 4 on Saturday, March

by Kate Mosse, and parallels Alaïs’s search with 30 and Sunday, March 31

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PA Photo/Channel 4

A

Rise of the Guardians (PG)

Great Expectations (12)

Available on DVD, Blu-ray and iTunes

Santa Claus (voiced by Alec Baldwin) and his elves are hard at work when darkness flashes across his map of the Earth. “The bogeyman was here,” Santa tells fellow guardians Easter Bunny (Hugh Jackman), Tooth Fairy (Isla Fisher) and Sandman. Pitch Black (Jude Law) has risen to challenge their supremacy with his hideous nightmares and, sure enough, the children of the world turn their backs on Santa and co until just one boy, Jamie (Dakota Goyo), still believes in magic. Based on The Guardians of Childhood book series by William Joyce, Rise of the Guardians is an entertaining computer-animated fantasy that reminds us there are things without scientific proof that still touch our hearts.

Peter Ramsey’s film boasts a pleasing mix of action, adventure and comedy, courtesy of Santa’s army of expressive elves. Law is a slightly lacklustre villain but Jackman trades dry Antipodean wit as the macho bunny with a bonzer boomerang. Visuals lack Pixar’s meticulous detail and complexity, but colour radiates from the screen and director Ramsey combines the elements with confidence. The 3D version is exclusive to Blu-ray. Damon Smith

Sightseers (15)

Available on DVD, Blu-ray and iTunes Desperate for a break from her harridan mother (Eileen Davis), Tina (Alice Lowe) agrees to accompany nerdy boyfriend Chris (Steve Oram) on a caravanning holiday around the country’s great cultural hotspots, including Keswick Pencil Museum and the Tramway Museum, but soon realises she’s dating a psychopath. The art of romance isn’t dead, just deadly in Ben Wheatley’s deranged road movie.

Fans of the award-winning director’s Kill List will be braced for the graphic violence; the humour is black as night, but there’s much to enjoy, from Oram and Lowe’s screen chemistry to the quintessentially British tourist attractions that provide the couple with their road map to slaughter. DS

Available on DVD, Blu-ray and iTunes As a boy, orphan Pip (Jeremy Irvine) has a disturbing encounter with escaped convict Magwitch (Ralph Fiennes), for whom he steals some food from his haughty sister (Sally Hawkins) and her husband (Jason Flemyng).

Soon after, Pip is dispatched to visit the reclusive Miss Havisham (Helena Bonham Carter). Fear is supplanted by infatuation with her ward, Estella (Holliday Grainger), and Pip falls under the spell of the girl, who has been raised “to wreak revenge on all men”. Great Expectations is a handsome rendering of Dickens’ novel but there’s little we haven’t seen before.

Richard Hartley’s soundtrack swoons in all the right places but only faintly strums our heartstrings. Irvine is an appealing leading man, but Bonham Carter’s anaemic portrayal of eternal bride Miss Havisham is emblematic of a film covered in the cobwebs of previous adaptations. Arriving so soon after the BBC adaptation, Great Expectations is both sluggish and slavish.

Crucially, the film fails to match David Lean’s seminal 1946 version, even with John Mathieson’s magnificent cinematography. DS

Castle: The Complete Fourth Season (15)

Kweekweek

Free download available from Apple App store

Available on DVD and Blu-ray box set Time heals old wounds in 23 episodes of the Emmy award-nominated drama, which pairs mystery writer Richard Castle (Nathan Fillion) with Detective Kate Beckett (Stana Katic) in the search for murderers and degenerates.

After the dramatic events at the end of series three, which culminated in Beckett taking a bullet and a whispered declaration of love, all that simmering sexual tension finally boils over. Beckett returns to work, hoping that the camaraderie of colleagues will heal the emotional and physical wounds, while Castle becomes protective of his partner, helping her to track down the men responsible for her close brush with death. DS

When it comes to things to do, Londoners are spoilt for choice – the city’s bursting with events, exhibitions, shows and the rest. Scout London is, of course, your first port of call for narrowing all this down, but you can never have too much help. KweekWeek offers users tailored recommendations, based on their likes, interests and location. You can search for things going on in your area in the next few hours – or weeks ahead. You can buy tickets too (with Paypal) and share events instantly with friends. Users can even sign up to promote their own events.

Alongside Scout London, it’s the ultimate twopronged attack.

Abi Jackson

scoutlondon.com Scout London 39

You’ve just come back from SXSW festival in texas. How was it?

It was incredible. Beautiful sunshine, really, really nice. This was our first year. We played about four or five shows, and some house parties as well. It’s very industry focused, but that’s just part of it.

You’re touring the UK, then you play Coachella and then more touring and festivals. You must be pretty excited?

The world in the palm of their hands

You recently toured with Peace, Miles Kane and Django Django on the NME tour. How was that?

It was great because we’re all quite different bands and I think each set of fans got to see something they might not normally from the other bands. I loved the variety, and they’re all great bands.

Your live performances have been praised since you first got together. Is performing something you concentrate on?

It’s all we’ve ever wanted to do, I think that’s why we’re good at it.

We only formed in 2011, but as soon as we had three or four songs, we just did some gigs. There was nothing else to do, and everyone was always going to gigs in pubs where you’d get kicked out after 11.30pm, so we decided to put on parties in our studio.

When did you write all the songs for the album?

We had the last one done about two weeks before we started recording.

We really wanted to capture a moment in time, so we wanted to get it done quickly. We’ve not moved on from it, we’re only just settling into them. Lots of bands will have their songs for five or six years before they record, and we’ve only had them for -

Palma Violets are one of the UK’s most hotly-tipped new bands. In the wake of the success of their debut album, the Lambeth four-piece are preparing to take to the nation’s festival stages – and they can’t wait. Singer and bassist Alexander ‘Chilli’ Jesson chats to Andy Welch

I can’t wait. This tour in the UK is going to be the best we’ve done. It’s good-sized venues, and the record is out so they’ll know the songs, and then we go to America to do the West Coast tour – in a van. It’s going to be fantastic.

40 Scout London scoutlondon.com

two, so I think everyone who has been there from the beginning will recognise how much we’ve come on as a band.

You’re signed to Rough Trade, home of The Libertines, The Strokes and The Smiths – bands you cite as influences. Was it a big deal for you to sign to there?

It’s always been my favourite label so it was a very special thing to happen to us. The people that run the label are very hands on, too, they’re at all our shows, I speak to them daily.

How long have you known each other?

The rest of the band all went to school together, and I met Sam, who I write with, at Reading Festival in 2010. It was amazing to meet someone that had so many shared interests, and we’d just go to gigs and swap records. I loved Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds, Sam loved punk, and we just swapped ideas. A match made in heaven.

Had you been in other bands before Palma Violets?

No. Palma Violets is the first band for all of us, which is rare. It’s been a bit of a ride, learning everything, but it’s a special thing. I’ve always dreamed about it but it never seemed possible.

I thought I might do something in music, but that I’d be a roadie. I didn’t think I’d be in a band. I helped

Welcome to the big leagues One of 2013’s hottest new acts, Palma Violets

a friend out being a roadie before and quite liked it.

Your album charted at no 11. Were you surprised?

I couldn’t believe it, it was incredible considering we didn’t have that much promo. We made this decision to tour instead and played all over the place; small towns and places not many bands seem to reach out to.

They were some of the best shows we played, and we’re really glad we did it. We just wanted to have a good time, so we’d just go out with everyone after the gig. It’s brilliant.

Palma Violets support Paul Weller at the Royal Albert Hall on March 25. Their debut album, Studio 180, is on sale now.

Visit palmaviolets.co.uk

66 We decided to play

Palma Violets are Alexander ‘Chilli’ Jesson (vocals, bass), Samuel Thomas Fryer (vocals, guitar), Jeffrey Peter (keyboards) and William Martin Doyle (drums).

They formed in 2011 following a chance meeting around a campfire at Reading Festival, and realised they had musical tastes and dreams in common.

Their first single, Best of Friends, was voted NME ‘song of the year’ in 2012.

It’s recently been announced that they’ll be supporting Franz Ferdinand in California next month.

Exercising typical temperance, NME recently described them as “the most exciting band in the world right now”.

-

small towns where not many bands tour to.

Those were some of our best shows 99

EXTRA TIME PALMA VIOLETS

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THI S WEEK

Beach House

March 25, Shepherd’s Bush Empire, £18 Beach House are boy/girl duo Victoria Legrand and Alex Scally – a pair of indie icons from Baltimore who are credited with dragging dream pop kicking and screaming into the noughties. They found overnight cult status back in 2008 with nostalgic pop perfection on their album, Devotion. The follow-up, Teen Dream, saw them hurled into the mainstream, with the likes of Jay Z and Beyonce showing

return to form should find the band in a celebratory mood at the concert. Whether they’re playing old favourites or exciting new arrivals, you can look forward to an evening of soaring guitars and gleefully melodramatic posturing from Britpop’s most glamorous export. CC Alexandra Palace Way N22 7AY Alexandra Palace

March 28, The Garage, £5

There is nothing predictable about Archy Marshall, AKA King Krule. He is a Brit School graduate who has wholeheartedly eschewed the world of mainstream pop, with a wearily wise head on his 18-year-old shoulders.

Until recently he was known and loved as Zoo Kid, but chose to change the name when he released his latest EP, The Noose of Jah City. He has drawn comparisons with

musical heroes ranging from Morrissey to Jamie T, but could never be accused of looking only backwards. His decidedly London sound found a perfect home at maverick label Rinse – pirate radio pioneers who are best known for delivering bassfocused dance music from the likes of Skream and Katy B. CC Highbury Crescent N5 1RD Highbury & Islington

PA IMAGES

March 30, Alexandra Palace, £32.50

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

King Krule

Suede These days, it seems, we can’t get enough of a little pop nostalgia. But the more encouraging moments have come from reformed bands who actually offer up exciting new sounds to accompany the cosy and familiar ones. Suede are a case in point, having excited both fans and critics with their new album, Barriers. Eleven years in the making, this confident

up at their gigs. But their latest album, Bloom, proves that these innovators are interested in so much more than gossip column inches. It takes their hazy and slightly cute melancholic sound and hurls it into a darker and more grown-up place.

Clare Considine

Paul Weller and Palma Violets March 25, Royal Albert Hall, £25-£75 The Teenage Cancer Trust’s highly impressive series of concerts goes out with a bang courtesy of Modfather legend Paul Weller. You can look forward to live servings from his 11th solo album, Sonic Kicks. The spirited long-player was created with help from high-profile friends Graham Coxon and Noel Gallagher, and proves that there’s more than a little life in the old dog yet. The pop-tinged soul rock of the new numbers will no doubt be punctuated by some Jam classics. Plus, Weller will be supported by rambunctious newcomers Palma Violets – a handing over of the baton that will hopefully allow for some juicy onstage collaboration.

CC Kensington Gore SW7 2AP South Kensington

Scout Stereo

1

Rachel Sweet Take Good Care of Me

2

Da Lata Going Underground

3

Lee Dorsey Occapella

4

Izzi Dunn It Wasn’t Love

5

Steve Mason Lonely

The sort of tune that would rock any discerning wedding dancefloor.

A swaggering, charming cover version of this Jam classic.

A breakbeat collector’s classic and tons of fun for the rest of us.

Simplicity makes this soulful refrain stand very tall indeed. The strings are cleansing.

Cheer up Steve, it might never happen. If it does, then this song will keep you company.

Listen to our playlist: j.mp/scout0033

Also this week:

PA IMAGES

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club March 27, Brixton Academy, £23 These hirsute San Fransiscans may not offer up the most groundbreaking rock’n’roll, but they sure know how to throw a party. Since their formation back in 2008, it seems that they have been perpetually on the road, bringing their noisy and stomping brand of glam-rock and psychedelia to baying crowds across the globe. Their sixth and

most recent album, Specter at the Feast, introduced a more haunting element to their sound.

But it seems likely that standout moments at the gig will come courtesy of roof-raising numbers like Spread Your Love Like A Fever and Weapon of Choice. CC Stockwell Road SW9 9SL Brixton

Sinead O’Connor Mar 27, Barbican Centre, £18-£25 Foals, Efterklang Mar 28, Royal Albert Hall, £10-£25 Ian Hunter, Andy York, Dave Roe Mar 30, The Bloomsbury Theatre, £25 Peace Mar 27, Rough Trade East, £9.99 Rico Rodriguez Mar 28, The Jazz Cafe, £18.50 Sandi Thom, Chris Buck Mar 25, Madame Jojo’s, £17, adv £15

Squarepusher Mar 30, Roundhouse, £25 Suede Mar 30, Alexandra Palace, £32.50 Syleena Johnson Mar 30 & Mar 31, The Jazz Cafe, phone for prices The Black Crowes Mar 29 & Mar 30, The Forum, £37.50 The Gaslight Anthem Mar 29 & Mar 30, Troxy, £23.50 The Weeknd Mar 25-Mar 27, Electric Ballroom, £22, phone for availability Tyler, The Creator Mar 30, O2 Academy Islington, phone for availability Ulrich Schnauss, Marconi Union Mar 28, The Borderline, adv £11

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BOOKIN G AHEAD

AlunaGeorge Jun 20, Electric Brixton, £14.50

Alison Moyet Oct 15, Southbank Centre, £25-£45, concs £12.50-£22.50 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, day ticket £59, two day ticket £110 Alt-J, Princess Chelsea May 16, O2 Academy Brixton, £16 Andreya Triana May 31, Union Chapel, £22.50, adv £17.50 Andreya Triana Apr 11, Hoxton Square Bar And Kitchen, phone for availability Angel Haze May 7, The Scala, adv £12.50 Anti Nowhere League Oct 18, The Underworld, adv £12.50 Athlete May 10, O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, £21.50 Austra Jun 17, Hoxton Square Bar And Kitchen, £10 Ben Harper And Charlie Musselwhite Jul 16, O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, £26 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

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Laura Mvula May 1, Islington Assembly Hall, £13.75, phone for availability Big Daddy Kane Apr 24 & Apr 25, The Jazz Cafe, £20 Bill Ryder-Jones May 8, The Lexington, adv £8 Billy Bragg Dec 1, Southbank Centre, £20 & £22, concs £10 & £11 Billy Bragg Jun 5, Union Chapel, £20 Blondie Jul 7, Roundhouse, £37.50 Blue May 3, O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, £25 Bluey Robinson Apr 2, The Scala, adv £10.50 Bo Ningen Apr 4, Dingwalls, adv £9 Bonnie Raitt Jun 27, Royal Albert Hall, £40-£50 Bonobo Nov 23, O2 Academy Brixton, phone for prices Brand New Heavies May 10, KOKO, £23.50 Brian May And Kerry Ellis May 1, Royal Albert Hall, phone for prices British Sea Power Apr 17, O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, £15 Bruno Mars Oct 8 & Oct 9, The O2, £39.50 Bryan Ferry Nov 4, Royal Albert Hall, £35-£95 Burt Bacharach Jun 26, Southbank Centre, £30-£75, concs £15-£37.50 Buzzcocks Apr 6, Electric Brixton, adv £20 C2C Jun 20, The Forum, £16.50 Caitlin Rose Sep 12, O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, phone for prices Chris & Cosey May 19, Heaven, £15 Chris De Burgh Apr 24, Royal Albert Hall, £35-£50 Chvrches Apr 29, Village Underground, phone for prices Clive Gregson May 16, The Green Note Cafe, £10 Danzig Jun 24, Roundhouse, £27.50 De La Soul May 8, The Forum, £22.50 Dead Can Dance Jul 2, Roundhouse, £30 Deep Purple Oct 16 & Oct 17, Roundhouse, £35 Depeche Mode May 28 & May 29, The O2, £40 & £50

Devendra Banhart Jul 18, Barbican Centre, £20 Devlin Apr 30, KOKO, £15 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, £19.50 Diff’rent Folks Apr 6, Apr 13, Apr 20, Apr 27, Proud Camden, FREE Ducks Deluxe Jun 2, Half Moon, Putney, £12, adv £10 Dwele Apr 17-Apr 19, The Jazz Cafe, £22.50 Edwyn Collins Apr 24, Union Chapel, £25 Emeli Sande Apr 9 & Apr 10, Hammersmith Apollo, £25-£29.50 phone for availbility Emeli Sande Apr 8, Hammersmith

Classical

Alexander Ardakov Mar 26, Southbank Centre, £15-£25 Academy Of St Martin In The Fields Mar 26, Cadogan Hall, £12.50-£39.50 Bernarda Fink And Malcolm Martineau Mar 25, Wigmore Hall, £15-£30 Charles Castronovo Mar 31, Apr 1, Apr 7, Apr 8, Apr 14, Apr 29, King’s Head, Islington, £35 Choir Of The AAM Mar 29, Barbican Centre, £8-£35 Florilegium Mar 30, Wigmore Hall, £18-£35

Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band Jul 13, Half Moon, Putney, adv £12 Apollo, £25-£29.50 Fairport Convention May 10, The Borderline, £24 Fatback Band May 31, Under The Bridge, £23 Field Day Festival 2013: Bat For Lashes, Solange, Animal Collective May 25, Victoria Park, £49.50 Fleetwood Mac Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 27, The O2, £80-£125 Frankie Valli And The Four Seasons Jun 25 & Jun 26, Royal Albert Hall, £55-£65 Gaz Coombes Apr 25, The Garage, £13.50 Ghostpoet May 30, Village Underground, adv £15.50 Goat Jun 27, The Scala, adv £12.50 Gold Panda Jun 12, Electric Brixton, £12 Green Day, Kaiser Chiefs, All Time Low Jun 1, Emirates Stadium, £45-£65 Hadouken! Apr 25, Electric Ballroom, £14.50 Haim May 30, KOKO, phone for availability Haim Apr 24, Heaven, £10 Happy Mondays Jun 29, The Forum, £32.50 Hard Rock Calling 2013: Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band,

New London Singers Mar 29, St Martin-In-TheFields, £10-£22 Imogen Cooper Mar 27, Wigmore Hall, £18-£35 Jonathan & Charlotte Jun 29, Hammersmith Apollo, £30-£32.50 Royal Choral Society/Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Mar 29, Royal Albert Hall, £12-£37 The Michael Nyman Band Mar 27, Southbank Centre, £25-£60 Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra Apr 9, Southbank Centre, £15-£68 Wolfram Christviola, Maria Razumovskaya, Daniel Migdal And Benjamin Gregor-Smith Apr 8, St John’s, Smith Square, £14, concs £10, mems £12.60

Sussie Ahlburg

!!! May 7, Village Underground, £13.50 ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead Apr 25, O2 Academy Islington, £14 ASAP Rocky May 21 & May 22, O2 Academy Brixton, £20 Action Bronson Jun 7, KOKO, adv £16.50 Adrian Edmondson And The Bad Shepherds Dec 14, O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, adv £20 Alasdair Roberts, David McGuinness May 31, DHFC, £12, concs £8 Albert Hammond Apr 17, Bush Hall, adv £25 Alice Russell Apr 17, The Scala, adv £15.50, early bird £12.50 Alicia Keys: Set The World On Fire Tour May 30 & May 31, The O2, £39.50 & £45

Killer Mike May 21, XOYO, adv £12 Kasabian Jun 29 & Jun 30, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Sat day ticket £45, Sun day ticket £62.50 Iron & Wine May 31, Barbican Centre, £18-£22.50 JLS Dec 21 & Dec 22, The O2, £25 & £33.50 Jah Wobble & Bill Sharpe Apr 26, Islington Assembly Hall, £17.50 & £20 Jake Bugg Oct 23 & Oct 24, O2 Academy Brixton, £20 James, Echo And The Bunnymen Apr 19 & Apr 20, O2 Academy Brixton, £38.50 Jessie J Oct 29 & Oct 30, The O2, £25 & £33.50 Joe Cocker May 13, Hammersmith Apollo, £30-£40 John Grant May 15, O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, £20 Junip Sep 18, O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, £16 Karl Hyde Apr 25, Union Chapel, £25 Kings Of Leon Jun 12 & Jun 13, The O2, £57.50 Lana Del Rey May 19 & May 20, Hammersmith Apollo, £28.50 Laurel Halo Apr 25, XOYO, adv £12 Leona Lewis May 8 & May 9, Royal Albert Hall, £35-£65 Leonard Cohen Jun 21, The O2, £25£75 Level 42 Sep 20, IndigO2, £28.50£38.50

Daylight Music: Fuzzy Lights, Correatown, Dan Bilbrough Apr 13, Union Chapel, FREE, Midday-2pm

Lez Zeppelin: Led Zeppelin Tribute Jun 14, The Garage, £15 Low Apr 30, Barbican Centre, £17.50£22.50 Lucy Rose May 14, O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, £13.50 Mark Knopfler May 27-Jun 1, Royal Albert Hall, £37.50-£52.50 Megadeth Jun 6, O2 Academy Brixton, £28.50 Mic Righteous May 24, The Garage, £10 Michael Buble Jul 1, Jul 3-Jul 5, Jul 7, Jul 8, Jul 10, Jul 12, Jul 13, The O2, £50£75, phone for availability Michael Buble Jun 30, The O2, £50£75, phone for availability Mick Hucknall Apr 28, Hammersmith Apollo, £40 & £50 Misfits Apr 21, O2 Academy Islington, adv £16 Muse, Dizzee Rascal May 25 & May 26, Emirates Stadium, £49.50-£85 Neil Innes Apr 17, Half Moon, Putney, £14, adv £12

Rodriguez Jun 7 & Jun 8, Hammersmith Apollo, £10-£29.50 Rudimental May 2, Electric Brixton, £12 Rush May 24, The O2, £60 & £75 Santana Jul 19, Wembley Arena, £38.30-£65.80 Shuggie Otis May 11, The Forum, £20 & £25 Skunk Anansie Unplugged Apr 15, Cadogan Hall, £27.50 Steve Earle And The Dukes May 21, Southbank Centre, £15-£32.50, concs £7.50-£16.25 Steve Gibbons Band Apr 21, Half Moon, Putney, £10 Steve Mason Apr 11, Village Underground, £17 Steve Winwood Jun 20, O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, £32.50 Somerset House Summer Series: Alex Clare Jul 11, Band Of Horses Jul 12, Basement Jaxx Jul 21, Edward Sharpe And The Magnetic Zeros Jul 19, First Aid Kit Jul 15, Goldfrapp Jul 20, Jessie Ware Jul 18, Lianne La Havas Jul 13, Somerset House, £27.50, Of Monsters And Men Jul 16, Richard Hawley Jul 14, Tom Odell Jul 17, all shows £27.50 Summerlin, A Season Of Secrets, Thousand Autumns, Odd Squad Apr 4, The Garage, £6 Swans, Xiu Xiu, Ben Frost, Mercury Rev Apr 4, KOKO, £30 Tame Impala Jun 25, Hammersmith Apollo, £19.50 The Breeders Jun 19, The Forum, £27.50 The Feeling Apr 26, O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, £22.50

Wireless Festival 2013: Justin Timberlake, Jay-Z, Snoop Dogg, Emeli Sande Jul 12-Jul 14, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Fri/Sat day ticket £57.50, Sun day ticket £75, Fri & Sat two-day ticket £110, weekend ticket £190

Nitin Sawhney Jun 27, Roundhouse, £23.50-£25 Neil Young & Crazy Horse Jun 17 & Jun 19, The O2, £45-£65 Nell Bryden May 14, Bush Hall, £14 Neville Staple Nov 8, Under The Bridge, £17.50 Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds Oct 26 & Oct 27, Hammersmith Apollo, phone for prices Nomeansno May 31, The Lexington, adv £10 Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark May 3, Roundhouse, £33.50 Palma Violets Apr 9, Electric Brixton, phone for prices Patrick Wolf Apr 6, Southbank Centre, £17.50-£22.50, concs £8.75-£11.25 Pet Shop Boys Jun 18, The O2, £35 Peter Gabriel Oct 21 & Oct 22, The O2, £40 & £50 Portico Quartet Apr 17, KOKO, phone for prices Rod Stewart: Live The Life Tour Jun 4 & Jun 6, The O2, £60-£70

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 Stylistics Nov 29, IndigO2, £21.50£35 The Weeknd Nov 26, The O2, £28.50 & £30 The Who Jul 8, Wembley Arena, phone for prices The Who Jun 15 & Jun 16, The O2, £60-£70 Todd Rundgren Jun 15, O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, £24.50-£29.50

Seasick Steve May 1, Roundhouse, £24 The Flaming Lips May 20 & May 21, Roundhouse, £32 The Knife May 8 & May 9, Roundhouse, £27.50 The Monochrome Set, The Would-BeGoods, Stuart Moxham Apr 27, Bush Hall, £15 The Moody Blues Jun 22, The O2, £47.50

Tom Odell Oct 22 & Oct 23, O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, £14.50 Tom Odell May 23 & May 28, Electric Ballroom, £11 Tom Paxton Apr 26, Union Chapel, £28.50 Toro Y Moi Jun 4, KOKO, adv £12.50 Two Door Cinema Club Apr 27, Alexandra Palace, £20, disabled £10 Vampire Weekend May 8, Troxy, £27.50 Villagers May 21, Electric Brixton, £15 Wang Chung May 25, Bush Hall, £15 Wiley, Skepta, JME Apr 20, The Forum, £14.50, phone for availability Woodkid May 14, Roundhouse, £20 Woodpigeon Jun 6, Bush Hall, £11.50 World Party Apr 17 & Apr 18, Under The Bridge, £27.50 WorldService Project Apr 26, Southbank Centre, FREE ZZ Top Jun 24 & Jun 28, Hammersmith Apollo, £45

scoutlondon.com Scout London 45

C L U BBIN G Monday March 25 Jamed at Trafik, 331 Old Street, EC1V 9LE Old Street FREE, 10pm2am. Tommy Oriel and AV.rage spin deep and tech house.

The Jump Off at The Scala, 275 Pentonville Road, N1 9NL King’s Cross St Pancras £15, £12 before 10pm, adv £8, 9pm-2am. Hip hop and rap courtesy of Rap 6, Charlie Sloth and DJ Manny Norte.

Monday Nights at Ladybird Bar, 70 Upper Street, N1 0NY Angel FREE, 5pm-9pm. 8track Records spin lounge and disco songs from the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Soulful Sound at Joiners Arms, 116-118 Hackney Road, E2 7QL Old Street FREE, phone for times. Resident DJs spin soul and funk.

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 26 Club Attitude at Village Underground, 54 Holywell Lane, EC2A 3PQ Old Street £7, 8pm-12midnight. Wave Machines, Yunioshi and IYES spin electro, funk and pop.

Paradox at The Den & Centro, 18 West Central Street, WC1A 1JJ Holborn phone for prices, 12midnight-7am.

Residents Antoretox and David Vice supply house and electro.

United Colours Of Rumba at Rumba, 36 Shaftesbury Avenue, W1D 7EP Piccadilly Circus FREE guestlist before 11pm, 10pm-3am. Resident DJs play R&B, pop and dance.

Wednesday March 27

Anything Goes at Charlie’s, 9 Crosswall, EC3N 2JY Tower Hill ladies FREE, phone for times. The residents play pop and rock from four decades.

Back To My Roots at Zen Sai, 16 Inverness Street, NW1 7HJ Camden Town FREE, 9pm-2am. Paul Trouble Anderson spins 1970s to 1990s jazz, funk, hip hop, disco and R&B. Cabaret Voltaire at Cellar Door, Zero Aldwych, WC2E 7EN Temple FREE, 9pm. Resident DJs play jazz, electro, rock’n’roll and swing, with a ukulele and jazz cabaret from Tricity Vogue.

Death 2 Disco at Notting Hill Arts Club, 21 Notting Hill Gate, W11 3JQ Notting Hill Gate £3, FREE before 11pm, 7pm-2am. Eighteen Nightmares At The Lux, Dead Parties and Lillian Todd Jones spin garage and psychedelia.

Disco Paradise at Joiners Arms, 116-118 Hackney Road, E2 7QL Old Street FREE, 11pm-2am. Jo Public plays rare groove, disco, soul and rock’n’roll.

Factory Afterparty at Covert, 65 Albert Embankment, SE1 7TP Vauxhall £6, w/flyer/mems £4, 1am-8am. Resident DJs play house, nu-disco, electro and techno.

Hot Wuk Wednesdays at The Social, 5 Little Portland Street, W1W 7JD Oxford Circus £7, £5 before 10pm, 7pm-1am. Residents play bashment, reggae, dub, dancehall, soca, one-drop reggae, grime and UK funky.

Les Femmes Sur Le Ponte at Bar Vinyl, 6 Inverness Street, NW1 7HJ Camden Town FREE, 8pm12midnight. House and dance music courtesy of resident female DJs. N*A*S*I*N at The Borderline, Orange Yard, Manette Street, W1D 4JB Tottenham Court Road £5, w/flyer £4, NUS £3, mems £2, 11pm-3am. SoniX, Brahim and Punk Gareth play punk, rock, metal and ska.

Thursday March 28

Streets Of Beige at The Old Blue Last, 38 Great Eastern Street, EC2A 3ES Shoreditch High Street FREE, 7pm-12midnight. Electronic music courtesy of Matthewdavid (picture), Diva, Dynooo, My Panda Shall Fly, Cyclist and Alphabets Heaven.

Alive! at Royal Vauxhall Tavern, 372 Kennington Lane, SE11 5HY Vauxhall phone for times, 8pm.

Resident DJs play rock’n’roll with cabaret and comedy from Myra DuBois.

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secretsundaze Easter Special at Electric Brixton, 1 Town Hall Parade, Brixton Hill, SW2 1RJ Brixton adv £18.50, 10pm-6am. Nina Kraviz, Mike Huckaby, Anthony Naples, Citizen and Youandewan spins house and techno with resident support from Giles Smith and James Priestley, plus a live performance from A Guy Called Gerald.

Apogee v Potty Mouth at Secret Location, E1 adv £15, 9pm-6am. DJ T, Tiger And Woods, Duke Dumont and Waze & Odyssey spin house and electro with resident support from Owen Howells, The Pushamann, mikeOK, Red Ben, George A G, Ron E, Kag and Gearo.

Bedrock Easter Special at Area, 67-68 Albert Embankment, SE1 7HD Vauxhall £25, 10pm-6am. House and techno across three rooms courtesy of John Digweed, Tim Green, Tom Middleton, Jimpster, John Barber, Lowbit Records, Sonic Union, Wade Bennett, GRG, Dale Middleton and Chris Richardson.

Bugged Out, Durrr & Phantasy at Fire, Arch, 39-43 Parry Street, corner South Lambeth Road, SW8 1RT Vauxhall adv £13.50, 9pm-7am. Erol Alkan spins a ten-hour set of house and electro music.

Disco Bloodbath at Dalston Superstore, 117 Kingsland High Street, E8 2PB Dalston Kingsland £5, FREE before 10pm, 9pm-4.30am. Neville Watson, Shay Malt and Nick G spin house, garage, disco and pop.

The Doctor’s Orders Easter at Cargo, 83 Rivington Street, EC2A 3AY Old Street £10, adv £5, FREE before 9pm, 8pm-3am. Funk, house, soul, reggae and hip hop courtesy of Jazzie B, Shortee Blitz, Sarah Love, Spin Doctor, Eric Lau, The Last Skeptik, Mo Fingaz and MC Prankster.

Fabriclive at Fabric, 77A Charterhouse Street, EC1M 6HJ Farringdon adv £18, 10pm-6am. Jackmaster, Roska, Joker, Alexander Nut, Skepta, P Money, Trim, Ruff Sqwad, Girl Unit, Cas, Artwork, Mark Radford, Sophie, Josey Rebelle and Dominique Danielle spin house, techno, grime, dubstep, disco and bass music across three rooms.

Feel My Bicep at Dance Tunnel, 95 Kingsland High Street, E8 2PB Dalston Junction phone for availability, 10pm-5am. Bicep and Jeremy Underground Paris spin house, disco, funk and techno.

Floripa Easter Weekender Warmup at Floripa, 91-93 Great Eastern Street, EC2A 3HZ Old Street £3, FREE before 9pm, 6pm-3am. DJs Ross Clark and Lee Bright play Latin, funk, hip hop, soul and reggae with a live performance from Yesking.

Futurism Extended at Bar Music Hall, 134-146 Curtain Road, EC2A 3AR Old Street FREE, 8pm-3am. DJs from ISM Records spin disco, soul, hip hop, electronica and indie.

How S That? at Joiners Arms, 116-118 Hackney Road, E2 7QL Old Street £3, FREE before 11.30pm, phone for times.

Guest DJs spin experimental sounds.

Kitsune Club Night Easter Special at Village Underground, 54 Holywell Lane, EC2A 3PQ Old Street adv £14.50, 10pm-6am. Dance and electro courtesy of Aeroplane, Thetwelves, Gigamesh, Dena and special guest Is Tropical.

The Playground at KOKO, 1a Camden High Street, NW1 7JE

Mornington Crescent adv £13.50 & £15, 9pm-4am. Yuksek, Etienne De Crecy and Kap Bambino play electro, house and dance, plus a live performance from Vitalic.

Warehouse Presents at Club Warehouse, Unit H9, Hastingwood Trading Estate, 35 Harbet Road, N18 3HT Angel Road adv £15, 11pm-7am. LA-based DJ Marc Kinchen plays house music, with support form resident DJs.

Friday March 29 Airbound Boat Party/ Warehouse Party at The Dixie Queen Paddle Steamer, Tower Pier, Lower Thames River, EC3N 4DT Tower Hill adv £25, 7pm-6am. A four hour Thames cruise followed by a warehouse party with house, techno and electro music from JG Wilkes (Optimo), The Drifter, Airbound DJs, Shock World Service DJs, Hidden Agenda DJs, Hugh Cooney, Magnier, White Collar Boy, Anna Wall, Anthony Mooney, Dan McCauley, Dave McDonogh, Hugh Fowler, Liam Kelly, Guy Hornsby. Aidan O’Connell, Paul Mac and Sol O’Carroll.

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.

Drum&BassArena 2013 Album Launch at Village Underground, 54 Holywell Lane, EC2A 3PQ Old Street adv £13.50 & £15, 10pm-4am.

Drum’n’bass courtesy of Calyx And Teebee, LTJ Bukem, Sigma, SpectraSoul, Dimension and Emperor.

Fabriclive at Fabric, 77A Charterhouse Street, EC1M 6HJ Farringdon adv £22 inc cd, £18, adv £17, mems £13, NUS £10, £8 after 3am, 10pm-6am.

DJ Hype, Pascal, Hazard, Ed Rush And Optical, TC, Original Sin, Taxman, Scratch Perverts, True Tiger, N-Type, Sub Zero, Jaydan, North Base, Potential Badboy, Randall, Ray Keith, Jumping Jack Frost and Remarc play drum’n’bass, jungle and dubstep across three rooms.

Friday at Paradise By Way Of Kensal Green, 19 Kilburn Lane, W10 4AE Kensal Green £5 after 9pm, 7pm2am. DJ Norman Jay spins reggae, funk, soul and rare groove.

Friday at XOYO, 32-37 Cowper Street, EC2A 4AP Old Street adv £12.50, 9pm-3am. Electro, house and indie courtesy of Digitalism, Kolsch and Shit Robot.

The Gallery: Anjuna Beats at The Ministry Of Sound, 103 Gaunt Street, SE1 6DP Elephant & Castle £14, 10.30pm-6am. Super 8 And Tab, Norin And Rad, Anjunadeep, Dave Seaman, Jody Wisternoff, Cole Jonson and Amar Daved spin trance and house.

Jukebox Jam at The Alley Cat, 4 Denmark Street, WC2H 8LP Tottenham Court Rd phone for prices, 9pm-3am. Resident DJs spin rhythm’n’blues, ska, soul and rock’n’roll.

Kartel at Plan B, 418 Brixton Road, SW9 7AY Brixton adv £7, 10pm4am. dEbruit, Auntie Flo, Zulu and Moto And Bagheera play electronic and African music.

Saints Don’t Sleep at Jamm, 261 Brixton Road, SW9 6LH Brixton £10, adv £5 & £8, 10pm-6am. House, techno, disco, soul, funk and hip hop courtesy of Casino Times, Montel, OJ Smooth, Leisureware, DrDr, Eniz And Deniz Menendez, Alex Crescent, Freddie Prest, Tristan Pringle and Mr A. Hill.

Wobbly Records at The InSpiral Lounge, 250 Camden High Street, NW1 8QS Camden Town FREE, 9pm-1.30am.

Guest DJs spin psychedelia, dub, breaks, house and techno, plus live performances.

Saturday March 30

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Saturday Sessions: Sasha Involv3r Album Launch at The Ministry Of Sound, 103 Gaunt Street, SE1 6DP Elephant & Castle £20, 11pm7am. DJs Sasha (picture), Nic Fanciulli, Thermal Bear, Toyboy And Robin, Kiwi, Jordan Wade, Rick Maia, Paul Eastburn, Adam Pearson, Phil Elbourne and Russ Pearson play house, dance and techno.

Cat Lovers at The Queen Of Hoxton, 1-5 Curtain Road, EC2A 3JX Shoreditch High Street £7, £5 before 11pm, 8pm-2am. DJs The Golden Boy, Lemmy Ashton, Georgie Rogers, Cat Lovers and Hands Solo spin house, disco, garage and bass with live performances from Femme, Enjoyed and The Shallows.

Coco Loco at Salsa!, 96 Charing Cross Road, WC2H 0JG Tottenham Court Road phone for prices, 6pm-2am. DJ Jorge Andre plays Latin, pop and commercial floor-fillers.

Feed Your Head at Mother Bar, 333 Old Street, EC1V 9LE Old Street £6, adv/w/flyer £5, 8pm-2am. Resident DJs play vintage rock’n’roll, psychedelia and punk, with live performances.

I Love Acid at Ginglik, Shepherd’s Bush Green, W12 8PH Shepherd’s Bush £8, £6 before 12midnight, guestlist adv £4, mems FREE, 7pm-4am. Acid house courtesy of Tusk Wax, AGT Rave Cru and Placid.

Innersoul at Plan B, 418 Brixton Road, SW9 7AY Brixton £7, £5 before 12midnight, NUS £4, 9pm-4am. Bass, soul and house courtesy of Utah Jazz, Deeizm, Dramatic and DBAudio with resident support from n:Soula, SirReal, The Wook, Shylo and MC K-eye.

Loco Dice Weekender at Electric Brixton, 1 Town Hall Parade, Brixton Hill, SW2 1RJ Brixton £20-£25, 11pm8am. House, dance, techno and hip hop courtesy of Loco Dice, Guti, Robert Dietz, Hector, Tristan Ingram, Electronic Youth, Rob Cockerton, Adam Neenan, Sam Neicho, Emeskay and Luca Tizzano.

Mynt - Bank Holiday Special at Pacha, Terminus Place, SW1V 1JR Victoria adv £15, phone for times.

House courtesy of Audiowhores, Dolly Rockers, Digital Alliance, Dom Chavez, Jay P And Nashville, Mikey, Darren Heath, Substance DJs, Long And Harris, Ten Story, Deep Tone, Kyle Altringham, Twin Peaks and Santo Vida.

Off The Record at The Lockside Lounge, 75-89 West Yard Dock, NW1 8AF Camden Town £5, £3 before 12midnight, 8pm-3am.

House, breakbeat, drum’n’bass, dubstep, grime, funk and soul courtesy of DJs Rennie Pilgrem, Fracture, Ray Juss and Super Human DJs Sonny D and DJ Hee-Man. Pake at White Horse, 94 Brixton Hill, SW2 1QN Brixton FREE, 9pm-3am.

Resident DJs supply dance beats and electronica.

Pinup Peepshow at Proud Cabaret, 1 Mark Lane, EC3R 7AH Fenchurch Street £10, 8.30pmlate. Resident DJs spin swing, jazz and electro, plus live burlesque and cabaret performances including Miss Betsey Rose, Beau Rocks, Slinky Sparkles, Velma Celli and Teddy Boy. Saturday at The Big Chill House, 257259 Pentonville Road, N1 9NL King’s Cross St Pancras £5, FREE before 10pm, 9pm-4am. Oxide, Neutrino and South Rakkas Crew spin garage, house, urban, Afrobeat and dancehall with resident support from Bobby Gandolf, Nimble Jack and Napper, plus live disco, house and electro from Million Way. Saturday Social at The Social, 5 Little Portland Street, W1W 7JD Oxford Circus FREE, 6pm-1am.

Resident DJs spin soul, rock’n’roll, funk, disco, house, pop, boogie, psychedelia and classics from the 1960s and 1970s.

Shake at Electric Ballroom, 184 Camden High Street, NW1 8QP Camden Town £10, NUS/mems £8 before 11.30pm, 10pm-3am. Disco and pop from DJ John Osbourne and Paul C in the main room, while DJ Milo plays party anthems in room two.

Shiva 6th Birthday at Gigalum, 7 Cavendish Parade, Clapham Common South Side, SW4 9DW Clapham South FREE, 7pm-2am.

House courtesy of Soul Avengerz, Liam D, Steve Feelgood, Muzz Khan, Steve Butcher, Lofty, Richie Hodges, Rickstaa and Kevin T. SOS at Dalston Superstore, 117 Kingsland High Street, E8 2PB Dalston Kingsland £5, FREE before 10pm, 9pm-4.30am. JoJo De Freq, Scottee, Iicarus, Jim Warboy, Joe Robots and Anton Douglas spin electro and bass across two rooms.

Video Bar at TR Bar & Club, Basement of The Plaza, 234 Trafalgar Road, SE10 9ER Maze Hill FREE, phone for times. Resident DJs play house, dubstep, R&B, garage, hip hop and dance, with a music video projector screen.

We Fear Silence Vs Idiosynphonic at Cable, 33A Bermondsey Street, SE1 2EG London Bridge adv £10 & £12, queue jump £22, mems £12, NUS £10, 10pm6am. Goldie, Fabio, Commix, DJ Die, Technimatic, Koncept and Tomek N play drum’n’bass in room one, while Baratone, Katie’s Ambition, Mr A, L’Amour, Sounds Of London, Tetraplex and Whippy spin dubstep and bass music in room two.

Sunday March 31

Beach Break Live Warm Up Party at Cable, 33A Bermondsey Street, SE1 2EG London Bridge adv £7 & £10, mems £10, NUS £7, 10pm-4am. DJs Mistajam, Nu:Tone, Monki and Jimi Needles play hip hop, R&B and drum’n’bass.

Age Of Panic at The Borderline, Orange Yard, Manette Street, W1D 4JB Tottenham Court Road £8, concs £5, 10pm-late. DJs Stevie C, Rockit Riyad, Miss B and Paul spin 1990s rock, metal, punk, grunge, alternative and hip hop.

Ava Word at XOYO, 32-37 Cowper Street, EC2A 4AP Old Street £5£10, 1pm-1am. Gavin Peters, Adam Cotier, D’vinci, Two of Us, Roch Mix Hard. The Mascot, Mark Paul, Farina and Playtime Productions spin house and techno.

Bank Holiday Extravaganza at The Barfly, Camden, 49 Chalk Farm Road, NW1 8AN Chalk Farm £5, 10pmlate. Resident DJs play rock music with live performances from New Device, Spy Catcher, The Social Club and The Black Delta Movement.

Bank Holiday Special at Guanabara, Parker Street, WC2B 5PW Holborn phone for prices, 5pm-late. DJ ET spins Brazilian, house and garage music, with live performances from Forro Class and Bem Brasil Band featuring Elizangela Mahogany.

Bank Holiday Sunday at The Nest, 36 Stoke Newington Road, N16 7XJ Dalston Kingsland adv £7, NUS £5, 6pm-2am. Electronica, old skool and acid house courtesy of Cole Medina, Paul Barkworth, Kid Circus and Mrs NDP. Channel One Soundsystem at Vibe Bar, 91 Brick Lane, E1 6QL Aldgate East £5, 5pm-11.30pm. Dub and reggae courtesy of Mikey Dread and Ras Kayleb.

The Church Of Proud at Proud Camden, The Horse Hospital, Chalk Farm Road, NW1 8AH Camden Town £8, 8pm4am. Dance, electro, house and disco courtesy of Phil Hartnoll, Jacob Plant and Tom Neville.

Dub Hop Easter Sunday Special at The Bedroom Bar, 62 Rivington Street, EC2A 3AY Old Street £7, adv £5, 9pm-late. Reggae, dub, hip hop, dancehall, jungle, ska and breaks c ourtesy of Jinx In Dub, One Roots, Cerberus Collective and Culture Cuts.

Future History Extended Set at Bar Music Hall, 134-146 Curtain Road, EC2A 3AR Old Street £5, 8pm-5am.

Resident DJs play electronic music.

HD Festival Pre Party at Club Warehouse, Unit H9, Hastingwood Trading Estate, 35 Harbet Road, N18 3HT Angel Road £10, adv £5 & £8, 11pm-6am. Electronic Youth, Soul Avengerz, Damien Stone, Skyhigh, BSTAudioline and J Barz play house and electro.

Kerfuffle Easter All-Nighter at Jamm, 261 Brixton Road, SW9 6LH Brixton £10, 11pm-6am. Underground house and techno courtesy of Alex Cellar, Pure Science, Rob Collman, Martin Whelan, Liz Edwards and Rochester.

Listed at Cable, 33A Bermondsey Street, SE1 2EG London Bridge Q Jump £25, adv £12 & £15, 10pm-5am. Hot Since 82, Terry Francis, Mark Fanciulli, Milton Jackson, Last Magpie, Nathan Coles, Alex Blaxx and Sinuous play house and techno, plus a live performance from Saytek.

Platinum at Cable, 33A Bermondsey Street, SE1 2EG London Bridge queue jump £25, adv £9-£15, mems £15, NUS £12, 10pm-5am.

DJs Hot Since 82, Terry Francis, Mark Fanciulli, Milton Jackson, Last Magpie, Nathan Coles, Alex Blaxx and Sinuous spin house and techno, plus a live performance from Saytek.

Promised Land: 25 Years Of House Music Celebration at Egg, 200 York Way, N7 9AX King’s Cross St Pancras £18, adv £10, 3am-8am. Mr C, Sterling Void, Evil Eddie Richards, Terry Farley, Philgood And Ram, Huck Finn, Mark Ruston And Steve Altman, DJ Stick, Niki Dimensions, Nick Power, Jason Head, Mervyn Victor, Steve Stritton, Arkoss, Rob Maynard, Mets, Techno Notice, Jon Russell and Craig James play acid house, old skool, disco and garage.

Sunday Best at Ladybird Bar, 70 Upper Street, N1 0NY Angel FREE, 9pm3am. Resident DJs spin funk, disco, soul and house.

The Sunday Social at The Old Queen’s Head, 44 Essex Road, N1 8LN Angel FREE, 3pm-12midnight. Resident DJs play a mix of indie, pop, house and electro.

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.

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A stroke of genius

“I

suppose circumstances have conspired to make some kind of happy ending,” actor Edward Petherbridge reflects, smiling. It’s an unlikely comment, given that the 76-year-old is discussing the major stroke that he experienced while rehearsing for a production of King Lear in New

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Zealand in 2007. One day he was preparing for one of the greatest roles in the theatrical canon; the next, he was barely able to move.

Petherbridge describes the “episode” – he rarely uses the word stroke – as “completely unexpected and swift and sudden”. But while the stroke initially left him physically

he finally gets to play Lear… sort of.

“I said to Paul Hunter in an idle moment when we were doing The Fantasticks together that I thought we could take a two-man Lear to the Edinburgh Festival,” a now fullyrecovered Petherbridge explains. “He said, ‘Well I might have a better idea than that, which is a show about you not doing Lear.’”

The final product, created jointly between Petherbridge, Hunter and acclaimed director Kathryn Hunter, is My Perfect Mind, which has its London premiere at the Young Vic next week after a short UK tour.

Marrying Petherbridge’s experience debilitated, unable to even move his with chunks of text from King Lear, thumb and index finger together, he co-deviser and performer Hunter soon discovered that the role of Lear describes the piece as a “strange, was still stubbornly lodged in his mind, dreamlike journey through Edward’s word for word. It was this discovery, brain”. Petherbridge plays himself and paired with a continuing fascination Lear, while Hunter single-handedly with the part he was robbed of, that takes on all the other roles, from eventually led to Petherbridge’s Petherbridge’s doctor to Lear’s fool. “happy ending”: a new show in which “I don’t think either of us knew

Manuel Harlan

Celebrated classical actor Edward Petherbridge was preparing to play King Lear when he suffered a major stroke, which left him nearly paralysed. Rather than giving up on Shakespeare’s great tragedy, he combined the role with the story of his own trauma to create My Perfect Mind, which arrives in London next week.

Catherine Love meets Petherbridge and co-writer Paul Hunter

Turning trauma into tragedy Edward Petherbridge in My Perfect Mind

quite what the show would be when we started, and I’m still rather amazed at what it is,” Petherbridge admits.

Despite the trauma of the stroke, he tells me there was little hesitation in taking Hunter up on his suggestion,

Staging sickness Alicja Rogalska and Ed Collier

4.48 Psychosis, Sarah Kane 2000 The last play that Sarah Kane wrote before committing suicide, 4.48 Psychosis uses a fragmented structure without any clear plot or characters to present a subjective experience of depression. Its title purportedly refers to the hour in the morning when Kane would often wake in her depressed state.

and mining his harrowing health experiences for theatrical material.

This surprising lack of trepidation might even have something to do with the stroke itself. “I heard on the radio not long after the stroke that the synapses that generate regret are often disabled by the brain damage that comes with it,” Petherbridge explains.

While the nightly re-enactment of such a painful episode might sound challenging and emotionally exhausting, Petherbridge plays down these difficulties, turning again to Lear. “Someone asked me last night whether I found it at all painful or difficult,” he says, “but it’s no more painful than Lear’s much more gargantuan difficulties; mine pale into invisibility when compared with his.” He pauses for a moment, before adding: “And if acting isn’t a pleasurable experience, why do it?”

Petherbridge’s long and distinguished career has seen him

perform in a huge range of roles on the nation’s most prestigious stages.

And his love of acting and the theatre seems to have had a cathartic effect in the aftermath of the stroke. Indeed, Petherbridge refers to it fondly as “doctor theatre”.

But dealing with such personal subject matter has not been without its hurdles. Hunter is frank about his own occasional discomfort. “I’d be lying if I said there weren’t moments when I went, ‘Is this OK?’” He also speaks about the “responsibility” involved in grappling with the topic, but emphasises the importance of comedy in the piece. “I think the thing that was really key was the sensitivity around the stroke, because Edward was very clear that he didn’t want to dwell on that too much or in any way to become maudlin or sentimental, and I think we’ve avoided that by treading quite lightly around it.”

The result, delivered in the characteristically absurd and madcap

Mess, Caroline Horton 2012

The Madness of George III, Alan Bennett 1991

Caroline Horton’s unflinching look at anorexia, drawn from her own experience of the illness, tackles this difficult taboo with a delicate balance between honesty and playful charm.

Acting anorexia Mess

style of Hunter’s theatre company, Told by an Idiot, is dreamlike and ever-shifting, rapidly jumping between Petherbridge’s life and the fictional world of Lear. As Petherbridge puts it: “It’s like a kaleidoscope of different bits of my life that Paul has shaken up.”

There’s an evident connection between content and form, in that the brain’s complex recovery from trauma is narrated in a way that reflects its own extraordinary and often unexpected quirks.

“To see the show might be like going to a seminar on Lear when you’ve taken a dose of LSD,” Petherbridge suggests, with evident glee at the comparison. “I know nothing about LSD first-hand, but I believe there are good and bad trips.

I’m hoping that the experience of seeing this show is a good trip.”

My Perfect Mind, Young Vic, April 3-20, £10-£19.50, youngvic.org

Alan Bennett’s fictionalised account of the famously mad monarch explores George III’s struggle with a psychiatric condition that baffled his court in the 18th century.

Broken thoughts Autobiographer

Autobiographer, Melanie Wilson 2012

Polar Bears, Mark Haddon 2010

Researched with support from the Alzheimer’s Society, this show

by Melanie Wilson uses multiple performers to voice the fragmented and unravelling thoughts of one central character who is suffering from dementia.

After writing his well-known 2003 novel The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time from the perspective of a young boy with suspected Asperger syndrome, Mark Haddon turned to bipolar disorder as the theme for his first play. scoutlondon.com Scout London 49

P R E V IEW S

My Robot Heart Battersea Arts Centre, March 26-28, £8-£10

Hattie Morahan was heartbreaking last year as young wife Nora in this production of Ibsen’s astonishingly modern 1879 drama about a woman stifled by marriage. Luckily, there’s now a second chance to catch her award-winning performance – and that of Dominic Rowan, who provides fine support as Nora’s husband, Torvald – at this short revival of Carrie Cracknell’s celebrated production.

Well, it would be a second chance, if it wasn’t

already sold out. But determined theatregoers may still be in with a shot – it has recently added an extra performance on March 28.

A limited number of standing tickets are available for £5 over the phone, and a small selection of seats are sold each morning from the theatre box office for that evening’s performance. Caroline Bishop SE1 8LZ

Waterloo youngvic.org

Gibraltar Arcola Theatre, March 27-April 20, £12-£17

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SW11 5TN bac.org.uk

Clapham Junction

My First Cinderella Peacock Theatre March 27-April 7, £7-£25 There’s something heart-warmingly lovely about this concept from English National Ballet: take one classic fairytale, adapt it especially for young audiences going to the ballet for the first time, and have it performed by talented dancers newly graduated from ENB’s ballet school.

Inspiration all round. CB WC2A 2HT Holborn sadlerswells.com

Media law expert Alastair Brett has got himself a meaty subject to write about in this, the true story of an SAS operation in Gibraltar in 1988 in which three unarmed Provisional IRA terrorists were shot dead. Along with playwright Sian Evans, Brett explores the rights and wrongs of the subsequent media furore, which rocked the British government. CB

Nina Kristofferson promises an uncanny impression of Billie Holiday’s distinctive vocals in this one-woman show about the American jazz singer’s hard life and influential career, featuring hits including Strange Fruit, God Bless the Child and Lover Man. CB

E8 3DL Dalston Junction arcolatheatre.com

WC2N 6NL Charing Cross charingcrosstheatre.co.uk

The Billie Holiday Story Charing Cross Theatre April 1-May 25, £12.50-£35

JOHAN PERSSON / simon annand

A Doll’s House Young Vic, March 28-April 20, £5-£32.50

Molly Naylor’s charming musical monologue was a hit at last year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Accompanied by a folksy two-piece band, The Middle Ones, Naylor recounts three overlapping stories centring around an impending wedding, loosely inspired by Japanese scientists’ attempts to create a robot that can experience love. CB

The Thrill of Love St James Theatre, March 27-May 4, £20-£40 The St James Theatre has quickly established its dramatic pedigree since opening in the autumn of 2012, and that looks set to continue with this new play. James Dacre, who directed the Olivier Awardwinning production of The Mountaintop, about Martin Luther King Jr’s final night alive, turns his attention to another historical death in this play by Amanda Whittington. Telling the story of Ruth Ellis, the last person in Britain to be hanged, in 1955, after being convicted of murdering her unfaithful lover, the play attempts to find out what drove this divorcee with a young child to kill, and why she refused to mount a defence in court. CB SW1E 5JA

Victoria stjamestheatre.co.uk

andrew billingotn / Richard Davenport

I Didn’t Always Live Here Finborough Theatre, March 26-April 20, £10-£14 Bring tissues: this portrayal of the dispossessed and elderly is bound to leave you with a lump in the throat. Stewart Conn’s 1967 play centres on two aged neighbours in a decaying Glasgow tenement block, cut off from friends and family. With the future uncertain, they cling to their memories of bygone times and long-lost loved ones. Director Lisa Blair may be making her freelance directorial debut with this production, but she knows the ropes: she’s previously assisted Rupert Goold, Lindsay Posner and David Farr, and has just been Associate Director on National Theatre hit One Man, Two Guvnors. CB SW10 9ED

West Brompton finboroughtheatre.co.uk

WEST END

Mydidae booking until Mar 30 2013, Trafalgar Studios, 14 Whitehall, SW1A 2DY Charing Cross £15-£25, Mon-Sat 7.45pm, mats Thu, Sat 3pm. An intimate tale about the darker side of love, written by Jack Thorne.

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, Mon-Sat 7.30pm, mats Wed, Sat 2.30pm. Peter Morgan’s fictional renditions of private meetings between Queen Elizabeth II and her Prime Ministers.

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.

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.

Debbie Chapman: Queen Of Hearts Leicester Square Theatre, 6 Leicester Place, WC2H 7BX Leicester Square £12.50, concs £10, Mar 26, 7pm. A journey by song of love gained and love lost.

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.

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Jersey Boys booking until Mar 2 2014, 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.

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 musical narrative, created by RAIN Productions.

The Lion King booking until Sep 29 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. Musical based on the Disney film.

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 Oct 26 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.

The Mikhailovsky Ballet: London Repertoire Programme 1 (Giselle, Ou Les Wilis) Starts Tue, ends Mar 29 2013, London Coliseum, St Martin’s Lane, WC2N 4ES Charing Cross £10-£70, Mar 26-29, 7.30pm. The version of the Adolphe Adam ballet from Nikita Dolgushin, first seen in London in 2008.

The Mikhailovsky Ballet: London Repertoire Programme 2 (Don Quixote) Starts Sat, ends Mar 31 2013, London Coliseum, St Martin’s Lane, WC2N 4ES Charing Cross £10-£70,

Mar 30 & 31, 7.30pm, mat Mar 31, 3pm.

The classical ballet choreographed by Marius Petipa.

Monty Python’s Spamalot booking until Dec 2 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.

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.

The Book Of Mormon booking until Sep 21 2013, Prince Of Wales Theatre, 31 Coventry Street, W1D 6AS Piccadilly Circus £37.50-£67.50, Feb 25-Mar 30 £27.50-£57.50, Premium Seats £95, Mon-Sat 7.30pm, mats Wed, Sat 2.30pm, no perf May 31. Musical satire chronicling the misadventures of two missionaries in Uganda.

Once booking until Nov 30 2013, Phoenix Theatre, 110 Charing Cross Road, WC2H 0JP Leicester Square £19.50-£67.50, Premium Seats £95, Mon-Sat 7.30pm, mats Thu, Sat 3pm (press night Apr 9, 7pm). The romantic stage musical of the 2006 film about an Irish busker and young Czech immigrant and their shared love of music.

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.

Peter And Alice booking until Jun 1 2013, Noel Coward Theatre, 85-88 St Martin’s Lane, WC2N 4AU Leicester Square £10, £27.50, £57.50, Mon-Sat 7.30pm, mats Sat 2.30pm (press night Mar 25, 7pm). John Logan’s drama about the chance meeting between Alice Liddell Hargreaves and Peter Llewelyn Davies, the original Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan.

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.

Robin Windsor And Kristina Rihanoff: Burn The Floor booking until Sep 1 2013, Shaftesbury Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue, WC2H 8DP Holborn £16-£57, Mon, Wed & Thu 7.30pm, Fri & Sat 8pm, mats Thu 3pm, Sat & Sun 4pm. An entertaining dance spectacular featuring two of the professional stars of television’s Strictly Come Dancing, and special guest Karen Hauer.

The Royal Ballet: Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland Ends Apr 13 2013, Royal Opera House, 45 Floral Street, WC2E 9DD Covent Garden £4-£93, phone for availability, Mar 25, 27 & 28, Apr 2, 11, 7.30pm, Apr 13, 7pm, mat Apr 6, 12.30pm. Christopher Wheeldon’s 2011 full-length production.

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.

The Tailor-Made Man booking until Apr 6 2013, Arts Theatre, 6-7 Great Newport Street, WC2H 7JB Covent Garden £20-£39.50, Feb 13-20 previews £10£29.50, Mon-Sat 7.30pm, mats Thu, Sat 2.30pm. The true story of silent screen actor William Haines who lost his MGM contract due to his homosexuality, written

by Claudio Macor.

Thriller Live booking until Oct 15 2013, Lyric Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue, W1D 7ES Piccadilly Circus £26£87.50, Tue-Fri, Sun 7.30pm, Sat 8pm, mats Sat 4pm, Sun 3.30pm. A celebration of the music of Michael Jackson.

Top Hat - The Musical booking until Apr 27 2014, Aldwych Theatre, 49 Aldwych, WC2B 4DF Covent Garden £20£65, Mon-Sat 7.30pm, mats Thu, Sat 2.30pm, Feb 28 Q & A session with Linda Emmett, daughter of Irving Berlin, after mat perf, Jan 1 2013-Apr 20 2013, Mon & Tue, Thu-Sat 7.30pm, Sun 4pm. Irving Berlin’s romantic musical.

Untold Stories: Hymm & Cocktail Sticks booking until Jun 15 2013, Duchess Theatre, 3-5 Catherine Street, WC2B 5LA Covent Garden £12£59.50, concs available, Mon-Sat 7.30pm, mats Wed, Sat 3pm (press night Apr 2, 7pm, no mat perf Mar 27). Alan Bennett looks back over his childhood and recalls memories of his late father, in this double bill featuring Alex Jennings as the writer.

War Horse booking until Feb 15 2014, New London Theatre, 166 Drury Lane (corner of Parker Street), WC2B 5PW Covent Garden £15-£55, Premium

Manuel Harlan, simon annand

LI S TIN G S

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. 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

Dirty Great Love Story Ends Mar 30 2013, Soho Theatre, 21 Dean Street, W1D 3NE Tottenham Court Road Mar 12 & 13, 16, 23, 30 7.30pm £13, concs £11, Sat 3.15pm £13, concs £11, Mar 15-30 7.30pm £15, concs £13, From Mar 12, Mar 12 & 13, 15 & 16, 18, 20-23, 25-30, 7.30pm, mats Sat 3.15pm. The story of two hopeful romantics who get it on and then get the hell away from each other.

Gibraltar Starts Wed, ends Apr 20 2013, Arcola Theatre, 24 Ashwin Street, Dalston Junction £17, E8 3DL concs £12, From Mar 27, Mon-Sat 8pm, mats Sat 3pm (Mar 28, 8pm). Hardhitting drama by Alastair Brett with Sian Evans, based on the shooting by the SAS of three unarmed IRA terrorists in 1988.

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.

noddy clark, simon annand

Doctor Brown Brown Brown Brown Brown And His Singing Tiger Starts Fri, ends Mar 30 2013, Soho Theatre, 21 Dean Street, W1D 3NE Tottenham Court Road £10, family £30, Mar 29 & 30, 1pm, doors 12.45pm. A madcap comedy adventure from breakfast to bedtime for children and families.

Above Me The Wide Blue Sky Ends Mar 28 2013, Young Vic, 66 The Cut, SE1 8LZ Waterloo £19.50, concs £10, Mar 7-9, 11, 13-16, 18-23, 25-28, 7.45pm, except Mar 12, 7pm press night, mats Mar 9, 16, 20, 23, 2.45pm. Fevered Sleep’s performance installation exploring how we connect to the natural world.

Before The Party Ends May 11 2013, Almeida Theatre, Almeida Street, N1 1TA Highbury & Islington £8-£32, Mar 21-27 previews £8-£26, concs available, Mon-Sat 7.30pm, mats Sat 2.30pm, extra mats Apr 10, May 1 (press night Mar 28, 7pm, audio described perf Apr 27, 2.30pm, captioned perf May 2, 7.30pm).

Rodney Ackland’s drama about a family struggling to rebuild shattered lives.

The Captain Of Kopenick booking until Apr 4 2013, National Theatre: Olivier, South Bank, SE1 9PX Waterloo Jan 29-31, Feb 1 & 2, 4 previews £12-£30, Feb 5-28, Mar 1-31, Apr 1-4 £12-£47, concs available, Mar 25, Apr 2-4, 7.30pm, mat Apr 3, 2pm. 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 28, 30, 6pm. An oratorio without music by Alan Bennett, with Alex Jennings and Janet Dale.

Horrible Histories: The Terrible Tudors Starts Fri, ends Mar 31 2013, £10-£20, Mar 30, 7pm, Mar 31, 5pm, mats Mar 29 & 30, 2.30pm. Horrible Histories: The Vile Victorians Starts Fri, ends Mar 31 2013, Hackney Empire, 291 Mare Street, Hackney Central £10-£20, E8 1EJ Mar 29, 7pm, mat Mar 31, 1.30pm. Stage adaptation of Terry Deary’s books.

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, Mon-Sat 7.30pm, mats Wed 2.30pm, Sat 3pm. A single drama adapted, by William Boyd, from two short stories by Anton Chekhov.

The Low Road booking until May 11 2013, Jerwood Theatre At The Royal Court, Sloane Square, SW1W 8AS Sloane Square Mon £10, Tue-Sat £12-£28, concs available, Mon-Sat 7.30pm, mats Sat 2.30pm, Apr 18, 25, 2.30pm (press night Mar 27, 7pm, no perf Mar 29, Apr 1, May 6). A modern fable on modern, savage capitalism, written by Bruce Norris.

Mies Julie Ends May 19 2013, Riverside Studios, Crisp Road, W6 9RL Hammersmith £25 & £26, Tue-Sat 8pm, 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.

Moby Dick Starts Wed, ends May 4 2013, Arcola Theatre, 24 Ashwin Street, E8 3DL Dalston Junction Mar 27-30, Apr 1, 3 & 4 7.30pm £14, Apr 2, 5-30, May 1-4 Mon-Sat 7.30pm £18, concs £14, Apr 6, 13, 20, 27, May 4 2.30pm £16, concs £12, From Mar 27, Mon-Sat 7.30pm, mats Sat 2.30pm (no mat perf Mar 30, 2.30pm). A play adapted from Herman Melville’s novel.

Paper Dolls Ends Apr 28 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 Wed 2pm, Sat 4pm, no perfs Apr 1, 22, extra mat Apr 28, 3pm. 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, MonFri under 18s £19 & £23.50, other concs available, 26-28, 30, Apr 1 & 2, 19 & 20, 22, 26 & 27, 29, May 6-9, 13-15, 7.45pm, Mar 21, 7pm, 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.

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.

A moving drama on love, loss and grief, written by the award-winning playwright, Bruce Norris.

Ring Ends Mar 28 2013, Battersea Arts Centre, Lavender Hill, SW11 5TN Clapham Junction £15, concs £10, Mon-Sun 7.30pm, Mar 27 & 28, 9pm.

An immersive theatre piece taking place in complete darkness, and where the audience wears headphones to augment the intimacy.

Sandpits Avenue & League Of St George: East 15 Acting School King’s Head, Islington, 115 Upper Street, N1 1QN Angel £10, Mar 25, 6.30pm & 8.45pm. Double bill of dramas by emerging playwrights.

Scratch: Major Tom Battersea Arts Centre, Lavender Hill, SW11 5TN Clapham Junction pay what you can, Mar 28, 8.30pm. A one-woman, one-dog show reflecting on the fascination with winning.

Splat: The Paint-by-Numbers Show: CloudCuckooLand & Greenwich Theatre (Ages 5-8) Ends Apr 6 2013, Greenwich Theatre, Crooms Hill, Greenwich £10, concs/ SE10 8ES child £7.50, family £30, Mar 29 & 30, Apr 1-6, 10am, Mar 29, Apr 1 & 2, 12noon, Mar 30, Apr 3, 2pm, Apr 4-6, 1pm. Children’s performance involving puzzles, mazes and cracking codes.

Steptoe And Son Ends Apr 6 2013, Lyric Hammersmith, Lyric Square, King Street, W6 0QL Hammersmith £12.50-£35, Mon-Sat 7.30pm, mat Mar 27, 1.30pm, no perfs Mar 29, Apr 1. Emma Rice’s adaptation of Ray Galton and Alan Simpson’s TV sitcom.

Superposition Starts Wed, booking until Mar 28 2013, Barbican Centre, Silk Street, EC2Y 8DS Barbican £15£25, Mar 27 & 28, 8pm. An immersive theatrical work featuring digital sound sculptures, video screening and real-time content feed, all conceived by Japan’s visual artist Ryoji Ikeda.

Quasimodo Ends Apr 13 2013, King’s Head, Islington, 115 Upper Street, N1 1QN Angel Mar 20 & 21 previews £10, Mar 22-31, Apr 1-13 £15-£25, Tue-Sat 7.15pm, mats Sun 3pm, Apr 13, 3pm.

The last musical written by the composer Lionel Bart.

This House booking until Apr 8 2013, National Theatre: Olivier, South Bank, SE1 9PX Waterloo £12-£47, Mar 26-28, 30, Apr 1, 5 & 6, 8, 7.30pm, mats Mar 27, 30, Apr 6, 2pm, Apr 7, 2.30pm. A political drama set during 1974, written

by James Graham.

Three Birds Ends Apr 20 2013, The Bush Theatre, 7 Uxbridge Road, W12 8LJ Shepherd’s Bush Mar 2231, Apr 1-20 Mon-Sat 7.30pm £19.50, concs £12, Wed/Sat 2.30pm £15, concs £10, Mar 20 & 21 previews £15, concs £10, Mon-Sat 7.30pm, mats Sat 2.30pm, Mar 27, Apr 17, 2.30pm. An awardwinning, darkly comic play by Janice Okoh, on childhood and fantasy.

Trelawny Of The Wells Ends Apr 13 2013, Donmar Warehouse, 41 Earlham Street, WC2H 9LX Covent Garden £10-£27.50, standing £7.50, Mar 1-31, Apr 1-13 £10-£35, standing £7.50, Mon-Sat 7.30pm, mats Thu, Sat 2.30pm.

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

Vanessa And Virginia Starts Tue, ends Apr 14 2013, Riverside Studios, Crisp Road, W6 9RL Hammersmith Mar 26 & 27 £10 preview, Mar 28-31, Apr 2-14 £15, concs £12, From Mar 26, Tue-Sat 8pm, mats Sun 4pm, perf Mar 26 & 27 preview. Drama about the writer Virginia Woolf and her artist sister Vanessa Bell.

What The Dickens? Starts Wed, ends Mar 28 2013, Greenwich Theatre, Greenwich Crooms Hill, SE10 8ES £15, concs £12.50, Mar 27 & 28, 7.30pm.

Comedy drama set in the world of the young Charles Dickens.

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LI S TIN G S FRINGE The 24-Hour Plays: The Questors The Questors Theatre, 12 Mattock Lane, W5 5BQ Ealing Broadway £5, concs £4, Mar 30, 7.45pm. Seven brand new pieces created on the evening before the performance.

Above And Beyond Ends Apr 14 2013, Corinthia Hotel London, Whitehall Place, SW1A 2BD Embankment £27.50, can also book via artistinresidence@ corinthia.com, Tue-Sun 6pm-9pm, shows starts every 7 minutes, 1 person per slot, mats Sat 4pm-5pm, shows starts every 7 minutes, 1 person per slot. Immersive theatre company Look Left Look Right takes its audience on a journey of suspense.

Annie Jr: Act Now Entertainment Starts Wed, ends Apr 1 2013, LOST Theatre, 208 Wandsworth Road, SW8 2JU Stockwell £10, Mar 27, 30, 7pm, Mar 29-31, 5pm, mats Mar 2931, Apr 1, 2pm, Apr 1, 11am. The popular comic strip heroine takes centre stage in one of the world’s best-loved musicals.

The Briefcase Theatro Technis, 26 Crowndale Road, NW1 1TT Mornington Crescent £5, Mar 25, 7.30pm. Franz and Samuel have a very important decision to make when they come into possession of a briefcase.

Darling Of The Day Ends Apr 20 2013, Union Theatre, 204 Union Street, SE1 0LX Waterloo £19.50, concs £17.50, Tue-Sat 7.30pm, mats Sat & Sun 2.30pm, no mat perf Mar 31. Jule Styne, Yip Harburg and Nunnally Johnson’s award-winning musical.

The Deep Blue Sea: Tower Theatre Company Starts Tue, ends Mar 30 2013, Bridewell Theatre, Bride Lane, off Fleet Street, EC4Y 8EQ Blackfriars £12, concs £11, mems £10, Mar 26-30, 7.45pm, mat Mar 30, 3pm. A drama by Terence Rattigan.

Dogs Don’t Do Ballet: Little Angel Theatre (Ages 2-6) Starts Fri, ends Apr 1 2013, The Little Angel Theatre, 14 Dagmar Passage, Cross Street, N1 2DN Angel £10, child/concs £8, Mar 29, Apr 1, 11am & 2pm. David Duffy and Andrea Sadler’s adaptation of the book written by Anna Kemp.

A member of Ask 4 Group Ltd Heston Park House 32-42 New Heston Road, Hounslow TW5 0LJ 020 3553 4524 hello@scoutlondon.com Chairman & Managing Director, Ask Group of Companies Ltd. Sudhir Sharma

The Trial Ends Apr 27 2013, Shoreditch Town Hall, 380 Old Street, EC1V 9LT Old Street £30, book via www. barbican.org.uk, 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. Escape From Castle Kronenburg: Gap Theatre Company Etcetera Theatre, 265 Camden High Street, NW1 7BU Camden Town £10.50, Mar 29, 9.30pm. Spoof POW escape production.

Euphoria: Uncover Youth Theatre Starts Wed, ends Mar 28 2013, The Albany, Douglas Way, SE8 4AG Deptford £4, under 19s FREE, Mar 27 & 28, 7.30pm. A play as told by a group of carnival workers who run the world’s most euphoric ride.

Gargantua The Horse Hospital, 30 Colonnade, WC1N 1JD Russell Square £6.50, adv £5, Mar 26, 7.30pm, doors. Multimedia performance piece, inspired by the writings of Francois Rabelais.

The Gingerbread Man The Little Angel Theatre, 14 Dagmar Passage, Cross Street, N1 2DN Angel £10, concs £8, Mar 30, 10am & 1pm. A re-telling of the popular story, using puppetry, live cooking and loads of imagination.

Kindly Leave The Stage LOST Theatre, 208 Wandsworth Road, SW8 2JU Stockwell £15, concs £13, Mar 28, 7.30pm. A farcical comedy by John Chapman.

The Libertine: Actorworks Starts Thu, ends Mar 30 2013, Brockley Jack Studio Theatre, 410 Brockley Road, SE4 2DH Honor Oak Park £10, concs £8, Mar 28-30, 7.30pm. A play based on the life of the debauched wit and poet of Charles II’s court, John Wilmot.

Mister Holgado Ends Apr 28 2013, Unicorn Theatre, 147 Tooley Street, SE1 2HZ London Bridge Mar 24-27 2pm & 7pm preview £10, Mar 28, 30, Apr 2-6, 9-28 11am, 2pm, 7pm £16, concs £13, under 21s £10, Apr 7 2pm £8, Mar 26-28, 30, Apr 4, 6, 11, 13, 16-20, 23-27, 7pm, mats Mar 26, 30, Apr 2-7, 9-14, 20 & 21, 27 & 28, 2pm, Apr 18, 25, 11am, Mar 26 & 27 preview, Apr 7, 2pm relaxed performace, Apr 13, 2pm captioned, Apr 14, 2pm audio described. When Conrad’s parents suddenly welcome a mysterious stranger, Mister Holgado, Conrad suspects he’s more of a threat than any tiger could be.

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

Creative artwork@scoutlondon.com

Film Reviews Damon Smith

Creative Director Sam Proud

Contributors Abi Jackson Sophie Herdman Nicky Williams Clare Considine Caroline Bishop Susan Griffin Si Hawkins Elysia Jenson Tej Adeleye Lucy Peden Andy Welch

Editor Dan Frost Editorial editorial@scoutlondon.com Food & Drink Editor Ben Norum

Moon & Genie (Ages 3-7) Ends Mar 27 2013, Half Moon Young People’s Theatre, 43 White Horse Road, E1 0ND Limehouse £6, Mar 21, 6pm, mats Mar 20-22, 25-27, 10.30am & 1.30pm, Mar 23, 11am & 2pm.

Jamal, his monkey friend and the Genie Of The Saucepan travel the world in search of a meal to cook for Jamal’s grandmother.

My Haggerston Hoxton Hall, 130 Hoxton Street, N1 6SH Old Street £5, donations welcome, Mar 27, 7pm.

A theatrical interpretation of the area’s colourful history devised and performed by a company of young theatre makers.

The Passion Of Jesus Trafalgar Square, WC2 5DS Charing Cross FREE, Mar 29, 12noon & 3.15pm. The story of Christ during the hours leading up to His crucifixion, presented by the Wintershall Players.

Sing Something Simple Starts Wed, ends Mar 28 2013, The Cockpit, Gateforth Street, NW8 8EH Marylebone £12, concs £10, Mar 27 & 28, 7.30pm. A comedy about singing up and standing out, written and directed by Vanessa Brooks.

Sleeping Beauty (Over 3s) Ends Apr 14 2013, Colour House Theatre, Merton Abbey Mills, off Merantun Way, SW19 2RD Colliers Wood £10, concs £8, Sat & Sun 2pm & 4pm. Poor Princess Aurora is cast into a deep sleep to await true love’s kiss.

Trash Starts Tue, ends Apr 13 2013, White Bear Theatre, 138 Kennington Park Road, SE11 4DJ Kennington £13, concs £10, From Mar 26, Tue-Sat 7.30pm.

Comedy drama about a group of povertystricken students.

Truth’s Vision Starts Tue, ends Apr 12 2013, Bridewell Theatre, Bride Lane, off Fleet Street, EC4Y 8EQ Blackfriars £7, advance £6, From Mar 26, Tue-Fri 1pm, no perf Mar 29. A musical comedy about a woman and her two sides of personality, written by Lily Lowe-Myers.

Vivian Stanshall’s 70th Birthday Party The Bloomsbury Theatre, 15 Gordon Street, WC1H 0AH Euston phone for availablity £22.50, Mar 25, 8pm.

Theatrical tribute to a unique performer.

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