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Est 1956 Issue 2752
53 YEARS The No 1 Magazine for Visitors
‘The eloquent and brilliant ballerina with limitless potential’ CLIVE BARNES NEW YORK POST
FRI 17 & SAT 18 JULY LONDON COLISEUM THREE PERFORMANCES ONLY
Box Office: 0871 911 0200
www.volochkova.ru
www.eno.org
3/10 July, 2009 OLYMPIC CITY 2012
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21 Years of Aboriginal Art in the UK Rebecca Hossack Art Gallery 2 July – 29 August 2009
PAINTINGS FROM UTOPIA 3 JULY – 31 JULY 2009
FAITH THOMPSON NELSON STONE COUNTRY 2 JULY – 1 AUGUST 2009
OPENED BY DR GERMAINE GREER IN THE PRESENCE OF THE ARTIST At Rebecca Hossack Art Gallery 2A Conway Street Fitzroy Square London W1T 6BA
At Rebecca Hossack Art Gallery at Charlotte Street 28 Charlotte Street London W1T 2NA
Tel. 020 7436 4899 Fax. 020 7323 3182
Tel. 020 7255 2828 Fax. 020 7323 3182
www.r-h-g.co.uk
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Welcome to London CONTENTS Events
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Anastasia Volochkova at Coliseum Public on the Plinth
Music
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Henley Festival Isis Ensemble Summer Serenade Vox Zambezi at St John’s
Exhibitions
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Aboriginal Artist at Rebecca Hossack Time and Tide at Hay Hill Gallery
Theatre
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Flamenco Spectacular at Peacock Too Close to the Sun Proprietor Julie Jones Chairman Terry Mansfield CBE Advertising Janet Gardener Editorial Sue Webster
© This is London Magazine Limited 42 Conduit Street, London, W1R 9FB Telephone: 020 7434 1281 www.thisislondonmagazine.com
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The world has witnessed an incredible century of science – countless discoveries, inventions and endeavours that would have been unimaginable when the Science Museum came into being in 1909. Today, at a time of rapid and radical change for humankind, the Science Museum is committed to becoming the best place in the world for people to enjoy science, and gain insight and inspiration. Our centenary is a moment of reflection and celebration but is also an opportunity to look towards the future. Museum of the Future is the vision of the Science Museum and incredibly exciting. As the Science Museum reaches 100 years we aim to celebrate the achievement of this great institution, whilst maintaining our focus on the future: the future of the Science Museum, and the future of Great Britain and the world. Museum of the Future places these three concerns equally at its core. When Museum of the Future becomes a reality the Science Museum will be closer than ever to achieving its aim of being the best place in the world to enjoy science, an attractive destination for visitors from across the UK and abroad. As Britain increases investment in 'high tech' industries the importance of the Science Museum will grow as a place to spark the curiosity and creativity of the scientists, engineers and entrepreneurs of the future. And as the world changes ever faster, the Science Museum will be relied upon more than ever to tell the captivating narratives of past, present and future that our collections embody. I look forward to seeing you at our Centenary celebrations this summer.
Whilst every care is taken in the preparation of this magazine and in the handling of all the material supplied, neither the Publishers nor their agents accept responsibility for any damage, errors or omissions, however these may be caused.
Professor Chris Rapley CBE Director of the Science Museum www.sciencemuseum.org.uk
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VISITOR INFORMATION Emergencies 999 Police Ambulance Fire 24 Hour Casualty 020 8746 8000 Dentistry 0808 155 3256 The Berkeley Clinic, 19 Upper Berkeley St, W1. Tel: 020 7724 4004 www.theberkeleyclinic.com Heal, Rejuvenate, Thrive – The Natural Way
Victim Support 0845 30 30 900 free and confidential service
Heathrow Airport 0870 0000123 Gatwick Airport 0870 0002468 Taxis 020 7272 5471 Dry Cleaner 7491 3426 Florist 7831 6776 Optician 7581 6336 Watches 7493 5916 Weather 0870 9000100 Hair Salon – Kamen Yakimov 7493 0480 T H I S
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ANASTASIA VOLOCHKOVA AT THE LONDON COLISEUM Star ballerina Anastasia Volochkova, with world class special guests, is to present the world premiere of her new show NERVE for only three performances at the London Coliseum on Friday 17th and Saturday 18th July. As a star Russian dancer, the beautiful Anastasia attracts so much publicity she has been described as the ‘Paris Hilton of Russia’. From her early career with Kirov and Bolshoi she has been admired and talked about – for her dancing and her personal life. But whilst this amazing woman has achieved so much in her creative work, personal happiness has eluded her in failed relationships and her marriage to the man of her dreams gave her a beautiful daughter but ended this year. Yet Anastasia has emerged stronger from these experiences and created a new dance show NERVE, transforming her emotional journey into an artistic performance. ‘Nerve is my story’, says Anastasia. ‘Artistes who have not experienced a tragic love cannot know this feeling.
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The ten compositions I dance are full of my genuine passion, my broken dreams, my regrets and my eternal hope. This performance is my art imitating my real life.’ This new show performed by the celebrated Russian ballerina consists of ten heart-stopping compositions set to the music of Pyotr Tchaikovsky, Giacomo Puccini, Henry Purcell, Nino Rota, Charles Dumont, Ara Gevorgyan and Igor Kornelyuk enriched with amazing opera performances of Vassily Efimov (Helikon Opera) and Natalia Borozdina (Novaya Opera). Anastasia’s male partners are Rinat Arifulin (Bolshoi Theatre) and Yevgeny Ivanchenko (Kirov Ballet). Anastasia Volochkova was born in St Petersburg in 1976. At a very young age she decided she wanted to be a dancer and attended the renowned St Petersburg Vaganova Academy. Still a student, she made her debut with the Kirov Ballet as Odette-Odile in Swan
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Lake, becoming Kirov’s youngest soloist in 1994. With Kirov she toured internationally dancing La Bayadere, Giselle, Don Quixote, Raymonda, and Nutcracker. In 1998, she made her debut at the Bolshoi Theatre in Vladimir Vassiliev’s version of Swan Lake, going on to dance prima ballerina roles in La Bayadere, Raymonda, Sleeping Beauty, Giselle, and Russian Hamlet. At the end of 1990’s she started her solo career in Giselle for the New National Ballet in Tokyo, followed by Sleeping Beauty with Bordeaux Ballet, and her London debut in Derek Dean’s 2000 production of the Sleeping Beauty. In London 2001, she made her debut in the Carmen-Suite, music Georges Bizet/Rodion Schedrin, choreographer Alberto Alonso. Maya Plisetskaya, (the first Russian Carmen) personally directed the role for Anastasia. ‘Anastasia is one of Russia’s most striking young ballerinas. She possesses scenic good-looks, style, flexibility and she knows how to present herself to the auditorium.’ – The Mail on Sunday ‘The eloquent and brilliant ballerina with limitless potential.’ – Clive Barnes New York Post
NERVE will be at the London Coliseum on Friday 17 July at 20.00 and Saturday 18 July 14.00 and 20.00. Tickets priced at £10 to £60 can be purchased by calling 0871 911 0200 or at www.eno.org L O N D O N
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OUT OF THIS WORLD AT SOUTHBANK CENTRE This July, Southbank Centre is staging a series of events to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Apollo moon landing – the first manned mission to land on the moon. Highlights include a talk by cosmonaut Buzz Aldrin, the second man on the moon, in conversation with author Andrew Smith at the London Literature Festival on 4 July at 19.30; Space Disco, a lunar-themed offering from Silent Disco on the Queen Elizabeth Hall roof on 17 July at 19.00; The Heritage Orchestra playing their take on music from iconic children’s TV show The Clangers on 20 July at 19.30; and for the doubting Thomas’s, the Hayward Gallery offers Deceitful Moon, an exhibition in the Project Space that addresses the dark side of the moon, especially its long-standing association with hoaxes and conspiracy theories, running from 21 July to 30 August. Just make sure you don’t miss it, as these kinds of events only come along once in a blue moon!
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RICH MIX: SUSPENDED LIVES Suspended Lives is an intriguing theatrical creation by refugee and nonrefugee actors; exploring their own sense of identity. After a successful run at Tara Arts in October, the production now arrives at Rich Mix in East London where the original research on refugee identities was conducted. It is not just a play but an interactive piece which provokes debate and dynamic interventions from the audience and uses specific theatre techniques such as forum and verbatim. Box Office telephone 020 7613 7498.
PUBLIC ON THE PLINTH: ANTONY GORMLEY’S ONE & OTHER Antony Gormley’s One & Other is conceived as a portrait of the UK in 2009. Every hour, 24 hours a day for 100 days, a different person will take their place on the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square as a continuous monument in time until 14 October. The public can view the plinth at any time.
TWICKENHAM WORLD RUGBY MUSEUM & STADIUM TOUR A visit to the new Twickenham Stadium makes a great day out. Whatever rugby team or nation you support, Twickenham is simply awe inspiring. On the tour you can imagine what it would be like to run out of the Tunnel to a wall of noise from 82,000 cheering fans, or in the Museum see how the game was developed and became the global sport it is today. Call 020 8892 8877 or www.rfu.com/museum T H I S
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THE RIME OF THE ANCIENT MARINER’ On Saturday 4 July, at 12.00 and 15.00, Southbank Centre Square will be the setting for a major new outdoor production of Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s classic poem The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. In a unique collaboration between Southbank Centre and Young Vic, this haunting tale is brought to life by a large cast including 150 children from five Lambeth and Southwark primary schools as part of the London Literature Festival (2 –16 July). Written by Coleridge in 1797–98, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner relates the events experienced by a mariner on a long and arduous sea voyage. A ghostly procession of 150 young performers in sailor inspired costumes, puppetry, and a troupe of bell ringers, animate Coleridge’s powerful descriptions of the voyaging boat, the questioning mind and the spectral ship. The Ancient Mariner, whose thoughts and actions are embodied through the children’s movement, song and gesture, is played by RADA trained actor Jude Akuwudike and the spirit of the albatross is played by actress Janet Whiteside. Death takes the form of a 15ft puppet who stalks across the square, an albatross is glimpsed atop buildings and an ice cream van appears as the little boat that saves the Mariner from drowning. L O N D O N
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Medeski, Martin & Wood will perform John Zorn’s ‘Zaebos’ on Wednesday 8 July.
BLAZE – MUSIC FOR THE HEART AND FEET A dynamic new event in London’s music calendar, ’blaze’ is a summer celebration of music and dance designed for the heart and feet. Lighting up the Barbican and other venues and outdoor spaces across East London with an exciting series of concerts from high-profile international artists (many of whom are making their UK debuts), blaze features a celebration of Cuban music, a series of concerts by some of the world’s greatest dance bands, the Barbican Jazz summer programme, a celebration of Joe Boyd’s influential Witchseason label and much more. There’s also a programme of workshops when where you can learn some of the dance moves that you’ll need to enhance your enjoyment of the live music. Dance Nations offers music to move you, from Spain, Benin, Argentina, Serbia, Italy, Brazil and elsewhere – and starting with a free open-air concert of rhythms from a country which has probably contributed more dance steps to the world than any other – Cuba. Dance Nations includes old masters (Argentina’s Café de los Maestros, Spain’s Carmen Linares), young stars (Antibalas from New York), UK debuts (Brazil’s Spok Frevo, Italy’s Orchestra di Piazza Vittorio), along with freestage acts from the UK and lots of chances to join in. T H I S
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Cuban acts appearing at Victoria Park, Hackney Empire and the Barbican itself include dance legends Los Van Van and Orchestra Aragon, the great troubadour Pablo Milanes and lesserknown gems including Changui de Guantanamo and Son del Tropico. The Witchseason Weekender on 18-19 July celebrates the label and the man who did so much to support and promote the indigenous British music scene in the extraordinarily creative years of the late 1960s, Boston-born producer and label boss Joe Boyd. Curated by Boyd himself, these concerts are a reminder of the continuing vitality and relevance of the scene which produced Nick Drake, Sandy Denny and Fotheringay, and the UFO club. The shows are An All-star Fairport
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Convention Concert with band members past and present and Very Cellular Songs: The Music Of The Incredible String Band, featuring Mike Heron and an array of special guests including Richard Thompson, Danny Thompson and Robyn Hitchcock. The world-renowned Barbican Jazz series takes place from 2-24 July, programmed in association with Barbican partners Serious, with appearances from funky saxophone legend David Sanborn, jam band supremos Medeski, Martin & Wood (pictured), and Wynton Marsalis with the mighty Jazz at LincoIn Center Jazz Orchestra. With something for all ages and tastes – this summer blaze is bringing it all to London. Details telephone 0844 848 8443.
Piccadilly Market Perfect for all your Piccadilly market is held Christmas Gifts in the charming setting of the courtyard at St James’s Church Piccadilly Market is held–in the charming setting of the just yards from Piccadilly courtyard St James’s Church Circus. Aatpopular – just yards from the Royal destination for over 20 Academy. The market has been market offers a years, popularthe destination for over an exciting selection of twenty years and each week it antiques, plays host to up & tocrafts, 50 stalls arts offering an exciting selection of jewellery, souvenirs, antiques, crafts, arts, jewellery, fashions, furnishings and souvenirs, fashions, furnishings more. and more. The market has aopen growing Craft Market reputation for its contemporary Wednesday-Saturday jewellery designers who offer a 10am-6pm. range of unique pieces in St James’s Antiques and Murano glass, Baltic amber and vegetable ivory. Collectors Market open
Tuesday 10am-6pm.
Craft Market open: Wednesday-Saturday 10am-6pm. James’s Church, StSt James’s Antiques and Collectors Market open: 197 Piccadilly, Tuesday 10am-6pm. London W1J 9LL
Tel: 020 7734 4511
St James’s Church Piccadilly Tube: Piccadilly 197 Piccadilly, W1Circus/ Green 020 7734Park 4511 Tube: Piccadilly Circus/Green Park
Market closed 7-11 April.
Market closed: 23 December – 2 January 2009
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IF YOU DO ONE THING THIS SUMMER – GO TO HENLEY FESTIVAL! At the top of its game, this year’s Henley Festival on the banks of the Thames, allows you to enjoy the laughs, revel in the unexpected and hear the best summer music. Stellar performers on the Floating Stage include: Katherine Jenkins, John Barrowman, Sir Michael Parkinson, the Bootleg Beatles, a trio of international opera stars in a Puccini evening presented by James Naughtie, and a UK first, Broadway magic from the ravereviewed Three Mo’ Tenors. Music performers in more intimate venues are also to die for. Watch out for writer and broadcaster John Suchet, the swing and jive world’s favourite maestro Ray Gelato, Spanish guitarist Eduardo Niebla, not to mention jazz singer Rebecca Poole and ex-Fairport
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musical comedy of Flanders and Swann from Tim FitzHigham. Other performances on offer include: Miss Polly Rae and The Hurly Burly Girlys, Sheelanagig, jazz from Michael Mwenso and Mishka Adams, and a tribute to Dudley Moore from pianist James Pearson and Ronnie Scott’s Allstars. So, one event this summer you certainly won’t want to miss, even before you factor in the brilliant Festival atmosphere, with its riverside bars and eateries, huge firework spectaculars and ad hoc street theatre, not to mention sculpture never-before-seen in this country from the great Salvador Dali. A nightly Henley Festival ticket buys access to much, much more than a single brilliant performance. Tickets allow festival-goers entry to all performances on offer throughout the night. Henley Festival runs from 8-12 July. For more programme information visit www.henley-festival.co.uk or telephone the box office on 01491 843404.
Photo: Warwick Saint.
Convention’s Ashley Hutchings and Rainbow Chasers – just some of the acts on show. Cut this with comedy and you have Jo Brand, a late and enormously welcome addition to the programme, plus ‘a funny look at impressions’ with Jan Ravens, and ‘Grumpy Old Man’, Arthur Smith, the gorgeous wicked Fascinating Aïda and sophisticated T H I S
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ALMEIDA SUMMER FESTIVAL For the Almeida Theatre’s 2009 Summer Festival (8 July – 1 August), the Yorkshire based Slung Low, The TEAM (Theater of the Emerging American Moment) from New York, GULP and Tiata Fahodzi have been invited to collaborate with the Almeida at its home base in Islington and the surrounding area. In addition, the Festival will present a concert by Heather Christian, an Installation by Lu Kemp and a concert celebrating African music presented by Tiata Fahodzi. Slung Low, the Yorkshire based company led by nine artists collected from diverse creative backgrounds including movement, video and sound, will present Last Seen. Last Seen takes audiences on a multi-media journey from the stage of the Almeida onto the streets of Islington. Performances are 8, 9, 10 and 11 July at 19.00 and 21.00 and 12 July at 16.00 and 18.00. Tickets are available from the Almeida Box Office on 020 7359 4404.
performer Pauline Malefane playing God and Jesus. The score comprises vocal traditions found in South Africa and the all black cast perform in English, Xhosa, Afrikaans, Tswana and Zulu. Mark Dornford-May has worked in South Africa for the last seven years where he created the Lyric Theatre Company Dimpho di Kopane which preceded Isango Portobello. He was responsible for originating and directing all their productions. U-Carmen eKhayelitsha was DornfordMay’s first feature film and was awarded the Golden Bear for Best Film at the 2005 Berlin Film Festival, the award for Best Feature at the Pan African Film Festival in Los Angeles and a Golden Thumb. His second film, Son of Man,
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premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and received the Founder’s Prize at the Traverse City Film Festival. He is Director of Isango Portobello in South Africa. Eric Abraham is a film, television and theatre producer. He produced the Academy Award and Golden Globe– winning Kolya. His theatre credits include the Olivier award-winning The Magic Flute, Christopher Hampton’s Embers starring Jeremy Irons, directed by Michael Blakemore and Hugh Whitemore’s adaptation of Pirandello’s As You Desire Me, directed by Jonathan Kent starring Kristin Scott Thomas and Bob Hoskins. Tickets from the Box Office telephone 0844 412 4662.
THE MYSTERIES – YIIMIMANGALISO RETURNS TO THE WEST END A new production of The Mysteries – Yiimimangaliso, the musical that has been seen by audiences of over 250,000 worldwide, will return to London for twenty five performances only at the Garrick Theatre from 11 September until 3 October. Adapted and directed by British Director Mark Dornford-May and performed by the Cape Town based Isango Portobello Theatre Company, The Mysteries – Yiimimangaliso is produced and presented by Eric Abraham. The production is an African version of the English medieval Chester Mystery plays. These timeless biblical stories – from the creation to the resurrection – are brought to life through exhilarating songs, dance and intense drama. The ensemble of 33 performers, playing characters from Adam and Eve to Cain and Abel, is led by South Africa’s award-winning T H I S
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ISIS ENSEMBLE SUMMER SERENADE The critically acclaimed Isis Ensemble will be performing the fourth concert in their popular annual Summer Serenade series on July 9 at 19.30. The stunning St James's Church, Piccadilly, will resonate with Elgar’s Serenade, Vaughan Williams’ Oboe Concerto and the world premiere of a new arrangement for strings of Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition by Jacques Cohen. Originally composed for piano in 1874, there have been many orchestrations of Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition including that for brass, wind, organ and even accordion, but this is believed to be the first arrangement for strings. Mussorgsky wrote the piece following the posthumous exhibition of over 400 works of art by his friend Viktor Hartmann, arranged after the artist's death in 1873. The music depicts an imaginary tour of the collection with titles of individual movements alluding to particular canvases. The piece is multi-faceted; depicting humour, tragedy and a sense of the macabre. Following the tradition of conductors such as Stokowski, who regularly wrote arrangements for their orchestras, Jacques Cohen, founder and Musical Director of the Isis Ensemble, has written this arrangement to exploit the outstanding virtuosity of the orchestra’s musicians. Formed in 2005, the Isis Ensemble has established an international reputation for T H I S
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excellence. Its members are international soloists, high-profile chamber musicians, and experienced orchestral players with collective experience of virtually every major professional orchestra in the UK. The concert will also feature Elgar's poignant Summer Serenade as well as Vaughan Williams' delightful Oboe Concerto. Outstanding oboist Emily Pailthorpe will perform the solo in this pastoral evocation of the traditional English landscape. Tickets are £15 and available on the door or from 07875 610941. For more information, see www.isisensemble.com M A G A Z I N E
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JACQUES COHEN London-based composer/conductor Jacques Cohen is the founder and Musical Director of the acclaimed Isis Ensemble. He explains: ‘I started composing at a very young age. For as long as I can remember, I’ve had music going round in my head – both my own and other people's. I had my first piece performed when I was just eleven years old and first conducted at sixteen. I’d written a piece for my youth orchestra and the conductor didn't fancy conducting it himself so he asked if I'd like to do it. ‘I studied at Oxford and the Royal College of Music and since then I’ve worked my way around the world. Recent engagements include conducting Romania’s premier orchestra – the George Enescu Philharmonic – as well Bulgaria’s prestigious ensemble The Sofia Soloists. One of my most enlightening jobs was with the Bombay Chamber Orchestra. ‘People think conducting is glamorous but the time spent actually conducting a concert is only the tip of the iceberg. Most of the hard work is done in seclusion at home. While an actor, singer or instrumentalist only has to learn his or her lines, the conductor has to know every part and understand how they all fit together. ‘Running an orchestra can be difficult because it’s hard to get funding in this country. We’ve had great reviews for the Isis Ensemble’s debut CD but we had to record it in a church in freezing conditions. ‘I’m lucky to have a varied career, not just working in different places but also in a diversity of music: choral, orchestral and opera from the 16th century to today, as well as jazz bands. The Isis Ensemble plays stunning music from the classical repertoire but we’re also very committed to performing new work. I’d like to think that our concerts are never boring! ‘I am one of the few people who really is both a composer and a conductor. Most of my contemporaries are more biased towards one discipline or the other. For me, the idea that a composer doesn't perform and work with other musicians is a strange one.’ Jacques Cohen I S
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VOX ZAMBEZI – THE REAL AFRICA IN LONDON Vox Zambezi is a chamber choir from Zambia – a place many think of as the Real Africa. They sing an eclectic mix of Zambian and international classical music which is adapted and arranged to convey a sense of fun. The choir was started by Dr Paul Kelly, a medical researcher who lives in Lusaka, and Simon Kalommo, a talented musician who was born and bred there. Both men had a musical history and were involved in at least two choirs each. One day they were ruminating over how some wonderfully talented Zambian singers had never heard the great choirs of the world nor heard a symphony orchestra and decided to do something about it. After securing a sponsorship in 2006, the choir was named and formed. Through twice weekly rehearsals and fund raising concerts, enough money was raised to bring the choir to sing in London for the first time in 2007.
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An unforgettable experience for all the members was walking up the back steps of St Paul's Cathedral and emerging from the dark stone tunnel into the fantastic space of the the amazing cathedral. The choir comprises students and professionals from a variety of backgrounds who love singing. This will be their third tour to London and performances will take place at St John's Smith Square, Ely and Bury St Edmunds. The St John's Smith Square concert is on July 8 at 19.30. For tickets, telephone St John's Smith Square box office on 0207 222 1061.
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ROYAL FILLY-MONIC ORCHESTRA Beautiful music will accompany the sound of cantering horse hooves this week as players from the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra gear up to play one of their most unique recitals – the world’s first horse race run to a live musical soundtrack. Members of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra will perform the adrenalin-inducing William Tell Overture during an official Kempton Park race meet on Wednesday 8 July. The live music will echo around the Surrey racecourse as part of its Best of British Gala Night celebrations. Ian Maclay, Managing Director of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, comments: 'We’ve played some unusual recitals before but this one has to be one of the most exciting. We know that rousing music can motivate humans to run faster, but we have no idea how the horses will react to the ‘classical canter’. Box Office telephone 0844 848 0176. CAUGHT BY THE RIVER Caught By The River – the online fishing and culture magazine – recently published their first book, Caught By The River: A Collection of Words On Water. On 11 July, contributors to the book alongside favourite authors and friends will give an evening of readings, music, film and musings at the Purcell Room on the South Bank. Inspired by the great environmentalist Roger Deakin and the current vogue for New Nature Writing, these authors celebrate fishing, birds, clouds and life in the country with live accompaniment to some of the readings by soundscape artist Chris Watson. The evening’s lineup features Gavin Pretor-Pinney, author of the best-selling Cloudspotter’s Guide and Guardian journalist Laura Barton reading from Caught By The River: A Collection of Words on Water; Michael McCarthy, reading from Say Goodbye to the Cuckoo; Will Hodgkinson, author of Song Man, reading from The Ballad Of Britain; and Andrew Brown reading from Fishing in Utopia. Tel: 0871 663 2500. L O N D O N
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THE REALLY BIG CHORUS On Sunday, 12 July, The Really Big Chorus will gather at the Royal Albert Hall for a performance of John Rutter’s Requiem, conducted by the composer. John Rutter is one of this country’s most widely admired choral composers. Best known for his familiar Christmas carol arrangements, he also has a large number of more extended choral works to his name, of which the tuneful Requiem is the best known. The concert also features Vaughan Willliams’ The Lark Ascending and English Folksong Suite with Mary Bevan (soprano) and Thomas Gould (violin). More than 2,000 singers will gather from all over the UK and Europe, representing many different choirs, in addition to hundreds of individual singers. The performance starts at 19.30. The Really Big Chorus is Britain’s only national choral society and probably one of the world’s largest, with a total membership approaching 30,000 singers. Audience tickets cost from £12 to £34 and can be obtained from the Royal Albert Hall Box Office on 020 7589 8212. AMERICAN ENCOUNTERS St Martin-in-the-Fields will celebrate American Independence with ‘American Encounters’ which includes music by the greats of American classical music including Bernstein, Gershwin, Copland, Ives, Barber, Scott Joplin and John Cage. BBC Maestro mentor Ivor Setterfield conducts the New London Singers in an evening of American Choral Classics on Friday 3 July at 19.30. The highlight of evening will be a performance of T H I S
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Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms in which the voice of the boy David from the 23rd Psalm the ‘Psalm of David’ will soar through St Martin’s in the original Hebrew. The Grammy Award-nominated Cloudburst by Whitacre is also included as is Barber’s Reincarnations and Sure on this Shining Night. John Landor and the LMA Orchestra take an instrumental tour of the United States on Saturday 4 July at 19.30. The evening’s programme of American works for string orchestra includes Aaron Copland’s Appalachian Spring, the orchestral suite from his 1944 Pulitzer Prize winning ballet and selections from Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess, Bernstein’s West Side Story and Copland’s Rodeo together with Barber’s poignant Adagio for Strings. Tickets tel: 020 7766 1100.
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St Martin-in-the-Fields.
do something different this summer
David Byrne | Dianne Reeves | Angelique Kidjo | Medeski Martin &Wood | David Sanborn | Ute Lemper | Hypnotic Brass Ensemble | Pablo Milanés | Los Van Van | Carmen Linares | Goran Bregovic | Kasai Allstars | Spok Frevo | Antibalas | The Flatlanders and many more...
Music | Dance | Summer | East London 6 Jun – 3 Aug
0844 848 8443 www.barbican.org.uk/blaze Cuba50 events supported by
Part of
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The Barbican is provided by the City of London Corporation
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ABORIGINAL ARTIST TAKES LONDON BY STORM The first international solo exhibition displaying major Aboriginal art from one of the Tiwi Islands’ most renowned artists, Jean Baptiste Apuatimi, will be on view at the Rebecca Hossack Gallery in Fitzroy Square until 31 July. The Tiwi Islands, located 80km north of Darwin in Australia’s Northern Territory, are renowned for their art, which is an important part of the Tiwi culture. Jean is a senior custodian of Tiwi culture and a nationally recognised artist, recently chosen as one of the top five Indigenous artists for the Cultural Warriors Exhibition at the National Gallery Australia. This exhibition, a beautiful collection of recent ochre works on paper and bark tunga baskets, will provide an extremely rare opportunity to promote the Northern Territory and its indigenous culture. Aboriginal art has a growing international status and continues to be a great movement in the 21st century; Jean’s work exemplifies the continuing development and diversity of Aboriginal artists and art. T H I S
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DYLAN LEWIS: 'SHAPESHIFTING – FROM ANIMAL TO HUMAN' Dylan Lewis, one of only a handful of living artists ever to have held a solo sale at Christie’s, has once again been invited by the auction house to introduce his recent exhibition ‘Shapeshifting – From Animal to Human’ to their South Kensington premises. The exhibition, which has been showing at the Rupert Museum in Stellenbosch, explores Lewis’ passion for the wilderness and the forces that shape it, with his sculptures touching his audience through the elemental, the pristine, the primitive and the subconscious. The South African sculptor’s work captures the timelessness of the anatomy of the animal and human form, while exploring the sculptor’s broader concerns of environment, wilderness and man’s increasingly fragile relationship with the earth. ‘Shapeshifting – From Animal to Human’ will be exhibited from 23 July to 23 August at Christie’s, Old Brompton Road, SW7.
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A CELEBRATION OF CRICKET FROM ASHES TO ZOOTER The first cricket exhibition to be held at Chris Beetles Gallery will include illustrations, cartoons and watercolours from 200 years of the nation’s famous game. From leather on willow and glory at Lords, to galumphing googlies and third-man humour, the show will be a body-line rib-tickler like no other, whilst showing off the rich visual history that is associated with the game. Cricket has been depicted by artists since its earliest days, and after 5 years of focused collecting, the exhibition will field an all-round display of genres and artists. For example: George Richmond (1809-1896) – a watercolour showing a proud young cricketer at the height of the Victorian cricket boom, when the game was first formalised into county and national teams; George du Maurier (1834-1896) – a regular contributor to the satirical periodical Punch, his drawing of two female visitors to Lords, published in July 1884, pokes gentle fun at both female and upper-class spectators of the game; E H Shepard (1879-1976) – the celebrated illustrator of Winnie the Pooh, also regularly drew for Punch. A number of his works will be shown that use cricket as a platform for his ideas, from sporting gags to national stereotyping. From Sir Len Hutton to Shane Warne, few cricketers of note have escaped the hawk-eye of the finest newspaper cartoonists. With over 200 pictures, and something for all tastes, the exhibition will be one bouncer that you won’t want to duck! The show will be opened at 19.00 on Tuesday 14 July by Sir Ian Botham. The exhibition takes place from Wednesday 15 July - Saturday 1 August at Chris Beetles Gallery, 8 & 10 Ryder Street, SW1. L O N D O N
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‘TIME AND TIDE’ AT HAY HILL GALLERY ‘Time and Tide’ is a joint show of the most recent work by internationally recognised London-based Russian photographers Al Lapkovsky and Katya Evdokimova. These works will be exhibited alongside seminal works by Auguste Rodin at the Hay Hill Gallery, 23 Cork Street from Monday 29 June – Saturday 18 July. Both Lapkovsky and Evdokimova have won many photographic awards including Professional Photographer of the Year and the International Photographic Awards and often work together. Their clients range from Bosch, The Sunday Times, Vauxhall, The Independent and the Royal Shakespeare Company, and regularly contribute to international newspapers and magazines. Lapkovsky’s collection of works in this exhibition juxtapose the surreal and the ordinary enabling the viewer to take a leap of imagination and look at our ordinary lives through the realms of fantasy.
The Ghost City Project offers a glimpse of the future that awaits our familiar urban environment, should global warming continue. This can be seen in ‘London Ghost City 9’, where the iconic image of Big Ben has a surreal decay about it (pictured). In his black and white works ‘Project 55-5’ and ‘Project 55-2’, the artist’s concept began with a close up of a violin player to illustrate the relationship between the artist and his instrument. This concept was expanded when two almost identical images were juxtaposed as a diptych, with vital elements
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changed to heighten the play on reality. In ‘Project 55-5’ the piano has been removed, so the pianist seems to ‘play’ the ‘memory’ of the piano. In the second ‘Project 55-2’ image, the artist continues to play the violin despite being nude, completely altering his personality from image to image. Evdokimova’s series ‘Alter Ego’ on the other hand depict the human body as an art work, offering the viewer glimpses, viewed through a veil of hand-made paper as though seen through an old and decayed wall, torn to review the naked flesh beneath. The figures are backlit, illustrating her mastery of chiaroscuro, and perhaps referring back to the Indonesian shadow puppets and magic lantern shows of yesterday. This exhibition offers an unprecented opportunity to view these works by these leading contemporary photographers, alongside some 50 of Auguste Rodin’s seminal bronzes. The nude studies of Eve, Age of Bronze and The Thinker all have a resonance with Evdokimova’s studies. Telephne 020 7734 7010.
supported by:
Play the Future Generator, an exciting new exhibit allowing you to shape London’s future based on your lifestyle choices today. Visit the new Museum and choose a future for your capital. www.ltmuseum.co.uk
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BONHAMS GEARS UP FOR THE GOODWOOD FESTIVAL OF SPEED Bonhams has announced an outstanding catalogue of cars as part of its successful annual sale at the Goodwood Festival of Speed on 3 to 5 July. Now in its 17th year, the event is recognised as the United Kingdom’s biggest celebration of motoring, with the auction seen as a key component to the weekend. Leading the line-up is a 1965 Ford GT40 Endurance Racing Coupe – a periodbuilt, modern-day, race-prepared competition car which has regularly proved itself as a competitive historic racing frontrunner and race winner. The car’s most recent owner prepared it into one of the fastest Ford GT40s on the contemporary historic racing scene. The car is the finest and most competitive example of a GT40 to be offered for sale in recent times, and with such exceptional credentials, it is little wonder that the car is estimated at between £900,000-1,100,000. The GT40 is joined by a host of other exciting lots, including a 1922 Sunbeam 2-litre Strasbourg Grand Prix Works Racing Car, believed to have been driven by Kenelm Lee Guinness in the guelling French Grand Prix of that year, with his loyal mechanic Bill Perkins alongside. Arguably the most attractive of all the Sunbeam racing cars, the Strasbourg Sunbeam is a covetable addition to any collection of historic racing cars, with the lot estimated at £300,000-350,000. Other prestigious cars included in the auction include a 1958 Rolls-Royce Silver T H I S
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Cloud I Drophead Coupe with coachwork by Mulliner Co, which is estimated at £210,000-240,000, a 1931 Bentley 4-Litre Coupe with coachwork by HJ Mulliner which is expected to achieve £180,000240,000, a 1930 Aston Martin International 2/4 11⁄2-Litre at between £80,000-90,000 and a 1973 Ferrari 246 GTS Dino which is priced between £65,000-75,000. Meanwhile Mini Cooper enthusiasts will be excited at the inclusion of two classic cars: 'The ex-Paddy Hopkirk, 1963 RAC Rally Works' 1962 Mini Coooper S ‘8 EMO’ which is estimated between £80,000-100,000 and 'The ex-Timo Makinen 1966 Monte Carlo Rally Works' 1965 Mini Cooper S ‘GRX 555D which is expected to reached £50,000-60,000. James Knight, International Managing Director of the Bonhams Motoring Department comments: 'Although we are pleased to offer once again a diverse entry, we made a conscious effort this year to attract quality over quantity and limit duplication. We offer something to suit all tastes and pockets and I am very pleased with the line up.' www.bonhams.com
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PEOPLE AND PARLIAMENT: CONNECTING WITH COMMUNITIES A new exhibition which explores the connections between people, communities and Parliament opens in Westminster Hall on 2 July. People and Parliament: Connecting with Communities draws on the unique archival resources held by the Parliamentary Archives and regional archive services to examine how people have influenced Parliament and how Parliament has affected communities and lives over a period of nearly 500 years. The exhibition includes documents, photographs, images and archive film from the Parliamentary Archives and a number of partners around the UK. The centrepiece exhibit is the 1821 Land Tax Act, which at 348 metres is the longest Act of Parliament held by the Parliamentary Archives (pictured). The Act, which is made up of over 700 sheets of parchment stitched end to end contains the names of approximately 65,000 commissioners who were appointed to supervise the assessment and collection of the land tax. This document is a source of great interest to local and family historians who are keen to identify the individuals listed. The exhibition will be in Westminster Hall between 2 July and 20 September. Admission is free. The Parliamentary Archives has custody of the archives of both Houses of Parliament, which date from 1497. These records are made available to the public for research, life long learning and leisure. For more information visit www.parliament.uk/archives
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FLAMENCO SPECTACULAR AT THE PEACOCK THEATRE A cast of over one hundred dancers will stage one of the largest and most thrilling Flamenco shows ever to appear in London on 18 & 19 July at the Peacock Theatre. A series of dazzling short peices, dancers and musicians will come together to create a vibrant display of the full array of authentic Flamenco dance. Juan Ogalla, one of the top dancers in Spain, is the main guest dancer and has been the primary dancer and partner of Christina Hoyos company for many years, including dancing at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona. He has worked with great artists such as Angelita Gomez, Manuel Morao, Beatriz Martin and many more. He has travelled all over the world as solo and guest artist and now has his own company Soniquete Flamenco. Performances will take place in the Peacock Theatre, Sadlers Wells. Tickets are available from Sadlers Wells box office on 0844 412 4300 or visit the website www.sadlerswells.com
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Juan Ogalla.
Photo: Ivan Garcia.
BLOOD BROTHERS CELEBRATES ITS 21ST PHENOMENAL YEAR! Blood Brothers recently celebrated its 21st birthday in London’s West End at The Phoenix Theatre, marking the phenomenal success of Willy Russell’s legendary musical. Blood Brothers tells the captivating and moving tale of twins who, separated at birth, grow up on opposite sides of the tracks, only to meet again with tragic consequences. The incredible score includes Bright New Day, Marilyn Monroe and the emotionally charged hit Tell Me It’s Not True. Few musicals have received quite such accolades as this multi-award winning show, which, having opened in 1988 to tremendous acclaim, continues to enjoy standing ovations at every devastating performance.
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DREAMBOATS AND PETTICOATS – GREATEST TIME OF YOUR LIFE! Inspired by the smash hit million selling albums Dreamboats and Petticoats, which rocketed to the top of the charts within the first week of its release, and Dreamboats and Petticoats Two, comes a brand new musical featuring some of the greatest hit songs of the Rock ‘n’ Roll era. Written by Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran, this new feel-good musical production will give you ‘the greatest time of your life’, taking you back to a time when each passing week brought another classic track. In 1961 emotions run high as young musicians Norman and Bobby compete to win a national song writing competition – and, more importantly, the attention of the gorgeous Sue! But when Bobby discovers that shy Laura is no slouch on the piano, love and rock ‘n’ roll fame beckons… Featuring classic tracks from Roy Orbison, The Shadows, Eddie Cochran, Billy Fury, and many more, including Let’s Dance, To Know Him Is To Love Him, Shaking All Over, Bobby’s Girl, Three Steps To Heaven, Little Town Flirt, Only Sixteen, Let’s Twist Again and many more hits from music’s golden era. Savoy Theatre tickets 0844 871 7615.
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Emma Reeves’ writing credentials include adult drama, children’s drama, radio and the stage. Emma’s adaptation of ‘Little Women’ ran in the West End in 2004, and her adaptation of Carrie’s War was staged previously at Sadler’s Wells. With designs by Edward Lipscomb, Carrie’s War is a heart warming and unforgettable story of one girl’s wartime adventure. The production also features traditional Welsh choral singing performed live in the show. Andrew Loudon directs an extraordinary cast which also includes James Beddard, John Heffernan, James Joyce, Daniel Llewelyn-Williams, Sion Tudor Owen and Amanda Symonds. Box Office telephone 0844 412 4658. CARRIE’S WAR In a production to mark the 70th anniversary of the start of World War 11, Kacey Ainsworth is joining Sarah Edwardson and Prunella Scales in Nina Bawden’s Carrie’s War, adapted for stage by Emma Reeves at the Apollo Theatre. Carrie’s War was written by Nina Bawden in 1973 and has become a classic in literature, enjoyed by both young and old. The novel is based on the author’s own childhood experiences as an evacuee in Wales during the Second World War. Carrie Willow and her brother Nick are wartime evacuees, billeted to the mining valleys in Wales with old Mr Evans and his kind sister, Lou. At Christmas, they are sent to Druid’s Bottom to collect a goose from Mrs Gotobed where they meet Hepzibah, the witch and eccentric Mister Johnny, and hear about the curse of an ancient skull. Nina Bawden CBE is one of Britain’s most distinguished and best loved novelists. She has published over 40 novels, including her autobiography ‘In My Own Time’ and ‘Dear Austen’, a powerful essay to her late husband Austen Kark, who was killed in the Potters Bar train crash in 2002. Nina was movingly portrayed by actress Kika Markham in ‘The Permanent Way’, David Hare’s brilliant polemic against railway privatisation. T H I S
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TOO CLOSE TO THE SUN Too Close To The Sun, a dramatic new musical of a fictional account of the last days in the life of Ernest Hemingway, has its World Premiere in London’s West End this summer, opening at the Comedy Theatre on Thursday 16 July for a strictly limited 8 week season.
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Helen Dallimore plays Mary Hemingway in Too Close to the Sun. Photo: Tristram Kenton.
Author and Nobel Prize-winner Ernest Hemingway, battling the rigours old age, takes solace in the company of his young secretary. His wife, tolerating this liaison so as not to lose him, is aware that the secretary has a secret agenda – to become wife number five and inherit his estate. The arrival of Rex, an old school friend, adds a further complication, as he tries to secure the film rights to the life of the notorious writer. With bribery, lies and manipulation, Rex plays a dangerous game to achieve his goal, but in this suggested account of events leading to Hemingway’s death, can there be any winners? Tel: 0844 871 7622.
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COTTESLOE THEATRE
CARRIE’S WAR A stage adaptation of Nina Bawden’s novel starring Prunella Scales and Kacey Ainsworth, the tale of two evacuees transported from London to the safety of the countyside in the 1940s. APOLLO THEATRE Shaftesbury Avenue, WC2 (0870 890 1101) THE 39 STEPS Maria Aitken’s tongue-in-cheek adaptation of John Buchan’s whodunnit has four actors playing 150 parts and includes all the legendary scenes from Hitchcock’s movie. CRITERION THEATRE Piccadilly Circus, WC2 (0844 847 1778) COLLABORATION/TAKING SIDES Companion pieces written by Ronald Harwood explore the fine line between collaboration and betrayal during the Second World War. DUCHESS THEATRE Catherine Street, WC2 (0870 890 1103) ARCADIA Major revival of Tom Stoppard’s play, directed by David Leveaux. A dazzling, witty masterpiece of misunderstanding and quest for knowledge, resonating across centuries. DUKE OF YORK’S St. Martin’s Lane, WC2 (0870 060 6623) THE WOMAN IN BLACK An innocent outsider, a suspicious rural community, a gothic house and a misty marsh are the ingredients of this Victorian ghost story, now in its 17th year. FORTUNE THEATRE Russell Street, WC2 (0870 060 6626)
ALL’S WELL THAT ENDS WELL Set against a background of sexism, snobbery and a battle between the generations, Shakespeare turns fairytale logic on its head. ENGLAND PEOPLE VERY NICE A riotous journey through four waves of immigration from the 17th century to today. The emerging pattern shows that white flight and anxiety over integration is anything but new. LYTTELTON THEATRE TIME AND THE CONWAYS J B Priestley was fascinated by the study of time. Writing in 1937, he saw how Britain was complacently failing to learn from history and charging headlong towards another conflagration. PHEDRE Helen Mirren takes the title role in this savage play by Jean Racine, translated into muscular free verse by the late Poet Laureate, Ted Hughes.
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NATIONAL THEATRE South Bank, SE1 (020 7452 3000) WAR HORSE The National Theatre’s new epic based on the celebrated novel by Children’s Laureate, Michael Morpurgo. Actors work with magnificent life-size puppets on a gruelling journey through history. NEW LONDON THEATRE Drury Lane, WC2 (0844 412 4654) CALENDAR GIRLS The true story of the members of the Woman’s Institute who shun their usual cake baking and jam making in order to produce a nude calendar to raise money for Leukaemia Research. NOEL COWARD St Martin’s Lane, WC2 (0870 850 9175) THE CHERRY ORCHARD Chekhov’s daring, droll meditation on bourgeois materialism and what remains in its wake, presented in a new version by Tom Stoppard, directed by Sam Mendes. THE WINTER’S TALE Shakespeare’s rich tragi-comedy is a magical testament to the follies of hasty judgement and the force of love as a means of reconciliation.
THE MOUSETRAP Agatha Christie’s whodunnit is the longest running play of its kind in the history of the British theatre. ST MARTIN’S THEATRE West Street, WC2 (0870 162 8787)
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OLD VIC The Cut, Waterloo, SE1 (0844 847 1722)
Royal National Theatre (Plays In Repertory)
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WAITING FOR GODOT Samuel Beckett’s classic play originally exploded onto the London stage 50 years ago when it shocked as many people as it delighted. This new production stars Ian McKellan and Patrick Stewart. THEATRE ROYAL HAYMARKET Haymarket, SW1 (0870 400 0626) DUET FOR ONE Deeply moving psychological drama about a brilliant concert violinist who is forced to rethink her career and her life after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. VAUDEVILLE THEATRE Strand, WC2 (0870 890 0511) HAMLET Jude Law makes his Donmar debut in the title role, directed by Kenneth Branagh. WYNDHAM’S THEATRE Charing Cross Road, WC2 (0870 950 0925)
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‘THRILLER – LIVE’ is a spectacular, high octane show celebrating the career of the King of Pop, Michael Jackson and the Jackson 5 – at the Lyric Theatre.
MUSICALS DIRTY DANCING Based on the ‘80s movie, this famous tale involves a daddy’s girl and a dance instructor at a New York holiday resort during the long, hot summer of 1963. ALDWYCH THEATRE Aldwych, WC2 (0870 4000 704) WICKED THE MUSICAL Hit Broadway story of how a clever, misunderstood girl with emerald green skin and a girl who is beautiful and popular turn into the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch in the Land of Oz. APOLLO VICTORIA THEATRE Wilton Rd, SW1 (0870 161 1977) CHICAGO A dazzling mixture of sinuous bodies, tough broads, murder and fickle fame, the Ebb-Fosse musical goes from strength to strength. CAMBRIDGE THEATRE Earlham Street, WC2 (0870 890 1102) TOO CLOSE TO THE SUN World premiere of a dramatic new musical, a fictional account of the last days in the life of Ernest Hemingway. From 16 July. COMEDY THEATRE Panton Street, SW1 (0870 060 6637) WE WILL ROCK YOU A unique collaboration between the legends of rock and Ben Elton, reflecting the scale and spectacle that marked Queen’s live performances. DOMINION THEATRE Tottenham Court Rd, W1 (0870 169 0116) L O N D O N
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A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC Set to a score in waltz time by Stephen Sondheim, the story turns on four couples over a midsummer weekend in turn-of-the-century Sweden, where affairs of the heart are uppermost. GARRICK THEATRE Shaftesbury Avenue, WC2 (0844 412 4662) AVENUE Q An unholy comedic alliance of humans and puppets tells the story of life on the wrong side of the tracks in this Tony Award-winning musical by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx. GIELGUD THEATRE Shaftesbury Avenue, WC2 (0844 847 1722) THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA Long running epic romance by Andrew Lloyd Webber, set behind the scenes of a Paris opera house, where a deformed phantom stalks his prey. HER MAJESTY’S THEATRE Haymarket, SW1 (0870 890 1106) SISTER ACT The new stage musical based on the smash-hit movie, featuring a score by 8-time Oscar winner, Alan Menken. LONDON PALLADIUM Argyll Street, W1 (0844 847 1722) THE LION KING Disney‘s phenomenally successful animated film is transformed into a spectacular stage musical, a superb evening of visual delight. LYCEUM THEATRE Wellington Street, WC2 (0870 243 9000) THRILLER – LIVE Spectacular, high octane show celebrating the career of the King of Pop, Michael Jackson and the Jackson 5. LYRIC THEATRE Shaftesbury Avenue, W1 (0870 890 1107) STOMP This British theatrical sensation has enthralled audiences across the world with its combination of theatre, dance, comedy and percussion. NEW AMBASSADORS West Street, WC2 (020 7369 1761) PRISCILLA THE MUSICAL Based on the Oscar award winning film, a glamorous Sydney based performing trio take their show to the middle of the Australian outback. PALACE THEATRE Shaftesbury Avenue, W1 (0870 895 5579) BLOOD BROTHERS Willy Russell’s powerful musical about twins from Liverpool, separated at birth, whose paths cross in friendship and finally in bloodshed. PHOENIX THEATRE Charing Cross Road, WC2 (0870 060 6629)
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GREASE Inimitable slice of 50s Americana, bursting with denim, cheerleaders and well-oiled quiffs. Summer Nights, Hopelessly Devoted to You, You’re The One that I Want and many more get audiences dancing in the aisles. PICCADILLY THEATRE Denman Street, W1 (0870 060 0123) LA CAGE AUX FOLLES Major revival of the classic Jerry Herman musical, which became the biggest new American musical of the decade when it opened on Broadway in 1983. A tale of family values and the need to be proud of who we are, where life is never a drag! PLAYHOUSE Northumberland Avenue, WC2 (0870 060 6631) JERSEY BOYS Rags to riches tale of four blue collar kids working their way from the streets of Newark to the heights of stardom as Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons. PRINCE EDWARD THEATRE Old Compton Street, W1 (0870 850 9191) MAMMA MIA Hit musical based on the songs of ABBA, set around the story of a mother and daughter, on the eve of the daughter’s wedding. PRINCE OF WALES THEATRE Old Compton Street, W1 (0870 850 0393) LES MISERABLES Much praised and spectacularly staged version of Victor Hugo’s epic novel. QUEENS THEATRE Shaftesbury Avenue, WC2 (0870 950 0930) CAROUSEL The story of the love affair between Billy Bigelow, a smooth-talking carousel barker, and Julie Jordan, plus one of the most celebrated scores of all time. SAVOY THEATRE Savoy Court, WC2 (0870 164 8787) HAIRSPRAY THE MUSICAL Tracy Turnblad, the big girl with the big hair and an even bigger heart goes from 60s style dance show to a downtown rhythm and blues record shop. Based on the John Waters movie. SHAFTESBURY THEATRE Shaftesbury Avenue, WC2 (020 7379 5399) OLIVER! Cameron Mackintosh’s revival of Lionel Bart’s musical masterpiece, starring Rowan Atkinson as ‘Fagin’. The legendary songs include ‘Consider Yourself’, ‘Food Glorious Food’, ‘I’d Do Anything’ and ‘As Long as He Needs Me’. THEATRE ROYAL DRURY LANE Catherine Street, WC2 (0870 890 1109)
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THE OBSERVER AT THE NATIONAL THEATRE The observer herself is being carefully observed in Matt Charman's interesting and, it would seem, well-researched new play set in a fictitious former colony in West Africa as preparations are made for its first democratic elections. The incumbent president is expected to romp home with a resounding victory, but the initial results prove inconclusive and Fiona, deputy chief of the international observation team, becomes aware that by extending the polling hours – and thereby enabling more of the rural population to cast their votes – a change of government might become a possibility. But her position is meant to be completely impartial, and Charman raises important questions of whether intervention – with the best intentions and the most fairminded of motives – is permissible or even in the best interests of those it is meant to benefit. Anna Chancellor gives a fine, determined performance as the hardworking and dedicated Fiona, and is well supported by, amongst others, Chuk Iwuji's local translator, Lloyd Hutchinson's cynical BBC journalist, James Fleet's somewhat seedy Foreign Office civil servant (whose covert reports on her activities include intercepted personal e-mails to her husband), and Cyril Nri in several roles including an intimidating General. Richard Eyre's fluent and engrossing production makes it clear that what was meant to be a free and fair process has been tainted by offstage violence, and designer Rob Howell incorporates a tension-boosting ticker tape style to monitor the countdown to the final result. Cottesloe Theatre Louise Kingsley
BILLY ELLIOT - THE MUSICAL The hit British film is transformed into a thrilling stage musical by its original director, Stephen Daldry, with music by Elton John. VICTORIA PALACE Victoria Street, SW1 (0870 895 5577) M A G A Z I N E
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TRAFALGAR SQUARE FREE LIVE OPERA FROM ROYAL OPERA HOUSE The Royal Opera’s La Traviata and The Barber of Seville are being beamed live from Covent Garden’s Royal Opera House to a big screen in Trafalgar Square this summer as part of the BP Summer Big Screens Programme 2009. Visitors can enjoy The Barber of Seville on Wednesday 15 July at 19.30. With its familiar music, this most famous of all Italian comic operas features love, laughter and a resourceful heroine, aided and abetted by Figaro, town barber, extraordinaire. SUMMER SWING AT THE KEW ROYAL BOTANICAL GARDENS From Night Fever to Dancing Queen, Kew Gardens’ open-air concert series this July promises to be one of London’s best nights out. On Tuesday 7 July, Jools Holland and his Rhythm and Blues Orchestra will be performing for his annual two night stint. Creating an instant party atmosphere, Jools and his brilliant big band promise a trademark foot-stomping set, joined by the legendary Gilson Lavis, with special guest star Dave Edmunds, and long-time guest vocalists Ruby Turner, and Louise Marshall. On Thursday 9 July, the Bootleg Beetles will be re-living the sights and sounds of The Sixties as the world’s premier Beatle band returns to Kew with their spectacular multi-media stage production featuring all the classic Beatles hits, using film footage of the period and 'with a little help from' their fabulous string and brass ensemble. Joining them will be the counterfeit Stones – Mick, Keith, Bryan, Bill and Charlie, back to rock out the classics in this No.1 tribute to the greatest rock 'n' roll band in the world. T H I S
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LSO PERFORM SIBELIUS VIOLIN CONCERTO AT THE BARBICAN Frank Peter Zimmermann and London Symphony Orchestra will perform Sibelius Violin Concerto conducted by Daniel Harding on Sunday 5 July (19.30) at the Barbican. Born in Oxford, Daniel Harding began his career assisting Sir Simon Rattle at the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, with which he made his professional debut in 1994. He went on to assist Claudio Abbado at the Berlin Philharmonic and made his debut with the orchestra at the 1996 Berlin Festival. Frank Peter Zimmermann began playing the violin aged five and since completing studies in 1983 with Valery Gradov, Saschko Gawriloff, and Herman Krebbers has been hailed as one of the world’s foremost violinists. Sibelius too learnt the violin as a child and even in adulthood dreamed about becoming a virtuoso and the 1904 violin concerto is a powerful exaltation of his beloved instrument. Book tickets through the Barbican box office on 020 7638 8891.
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A VISIONARY NEW PAINTER OF THE SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS For her second exhibition with the Francis Kyle Gallery, the Scottish painter Wendy Sutherland has assembled a body of paintings completed over some two years which explore and articulate a vision of landscape in the north-east Highlands of Scotland as dynamic as it is lyrical. In works which can border on abstraction without losing a crucial sense of place, Sutherland’s ‘conversation’ with her canvases charts her relationship with her natural surroundings. While every painting is still specific to a particular landscape in its genesis, frequently these works take on a universal dimension where distance and proximity may fuse, creating a beguiling ambiguity. ‘Each painting,’ Sutherland comments, ‘I treat as an individual with its own demands as to what medium it requires. Pieces will vary from graphite and oil to a combination of ink and shellac. I try to listen to the subject and allow it to lead me in the direction that best reflects the mood or atmosphere’. Concerns such as these indicate an element of high seriousness underpinning all Sutherland’s works. Wendy Sutherland graduated from Edinburgh College of Art with First Class Honours in 1997 and has gone on to receive some ten major awards for her landscape work, including Judges Commendation, Highland Open (1998) and Awards to Artists, Highlands and Islands Arts and Scottish Arts Council (2001), holding seven one-person exhibitions in the United Kingdom and Canada over the past ten years. She has undertaken several public commissions since 1999 including Edinburgh International Conference Centre and UHI Millennium Institute. Still in her early thirties, Sutherland identified early on as her primary goal an evolving interpretation of the landscape of the Scottish Highlands today and is already considered a leading figure in this field. Francis Kyle is in Maddox Street, W1. L O N D O N
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If there's only one thing you do this summer
The Henley Festival 8 -12 July 2009 classical & traditional music G opera G dance G comedy G jazz world music G street theatre G sculpture G circus G cabaret G art wining, dining and fireworks in a spectacular Thames-side setting Katherine Jenkins, John Barrowman, Sir Michael Parkinson, Three Mo’ Tenors, Rebecca Evans in a Puccini Gala, New London Consort, Comedy from Rich Hall, Fascinating Aïda & Arthur Smith, The Hurly Burly Girlys and much more…
www.henley-festival.co.uk
box office: 01491 843404
Image: The London Stilt Ballet - Divine Company
it really has to be . . .