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6 London & Paris September 24- 25, 2011 SPECIAL PROMOTION The Sydney Morning Herald SPECIAL PROMOTIONSeptember 24- 25, 2011 London & Paris 7DESTINATIONLONDONCurtainraisersAs if the Olympics aren’t enough, there are plenty of otherreasons to visit London next year, writes Joanne Brookfield.City preparesfor a royal galaPomp, pageantry and portraits will mark the Queen’sDiamond Jubilee festivities, writes Kristie Kellahan.What the Dickens?Born 200 years ago next February, CharlesDickens is considered by many to be the greatestnovelist of the Victorian era.Celebrating his historical significance andenduring popularity (his work has never goneout of print), the Museum of London ispresenting Dickens and London.His works tackled the great social questions ofthe 19th century – wealth and poverty,prostitution, childhood mortality andphilanthropy – and the exhibition includespaintings, photographs, costumes and objectsillustrating his work’s key themes. DickensianLondon will be recreated, with haunting soundsand projections, and an innovative audiovisualexperience will ‘‘bring to life’’ the desk and chairwhere Dickens wrote. Lovers of literature willgain a rare glimpse of his handwrittenmanuscripts for Bleak House and DavidCopperfield, which is considered his mostautobiographical work.In his 58 years, Dickens went from workingin a blacking factory as a child while his fatherwas imprisoned to beginning his writing careeras a political journalist. He penned classics suchas A Tale of Two Cities, Great Expectations andOliver Twist.As part of the exhibition, documentaryfilmmaker William Raban will link past andpresent in his specially commissioned film,which explores the similarities between presentdayLondon after dark and the night-time citydescribed by Dickens more than 150 years ago.Visitors will be left saying, ‘‘Please sir, I wantsome more.’’Dickens and London, December 9 to June 10 atthe Museum of London.All the world on stageThe Tempest performed in Arabic? TitusAndronicus in Cantonese? Julius Caesar inItalian? How about Henry VIII in Spanish? OrKing Lear in an Aboriginal language? Maybe TheTaming of the Shrew in Urdu? Although WilliamShakespeare is undoubtedly the most famousEnglish playwright, his 38 works will prove theirinternational appeal when each is performed in adifferent language.The World Shakespeare Festival begins nextyear, fittingly enough on the Bard’s birthday,April 23, as part of next year’s Cultural Olympiad.Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, on the banks ofthe Thames, will be home to a massive,multilingual event: the first time all Shakespeare’splays have been performed in one season.Many theatres and venues will host otherfestival performances. The Almeida Theatre, theBarbican, the BBC, the British Museum, theNational Theatre and the Roundhouse willshowcase a mix of professional theatrecompanies and young and emerging artists.The director of the World ShakespeareFestival, Deborah Shaw, says: ‘‘Artists from allover are pushing the boundaries of performance,fusing different art forms: theatre, circus, music,dance, multimedia.’’For more information, seeworldshakespearefestival.org.uk.Cherishing ChurchillWhat was Sir Winston Churchill’s favouritechampagne? Should that question be asked at atrivia night, you’ll know the answer if you attend aone-night-only event at the Churchill War Rooms.On February 10, the rooms will host a specialValentine’s Day-themed event. The1940s-inspired evening will feature jive classesfrom the London Swing Dance Society plus foodand drink typical of the era. There will also beinformal guided tours of what were the originalcabinet war rooms, a maze of undergroundbunkers that safely housed Churchill’s teamduring World War II. Guests are asked to get intothe swing of things by dressing as they did in the1940s, though this is not compulsory. The manhimself will be toasted with a glass of hisfavourite bubbly: Pol Roger.The rich history of these rooms – the roundthe-clockplanning and plotting, the strategiesand secrets they once held – can also beexperienced in this museum to Churchill, whichuses cutting-edge technology and multimediadisplays to bring his story to life.After Hours at the Churchill War Rooms,February 10. See cwr.iwm.org.uk.Among the tall poppiesFilmmakers have the Oscars, athletes have theOlympics and horticulturalists have theChelsea Flower Show.The most famous flower show in the world,it is held for five days every northern springand attracts visitors from around the globe, sotickets must be booked in advance.The best ideas are on display, winningprofessionals awards across many categoriesand inspiring onlookers to re-create the magicat home.This year’s people’s choice large-gardenwinner, Diarmuid Gavin’s The Irish Sky Garden,a metal structure suspended above the groundSomething for all ... (clockwise from top left) Churchill’s war rooms; the Globe Theatre; DamienHirst with his work The Immortal; the Chelsea Flower Show.and surrounded by reflective pools, might bestbe left to the experts but it’s a good example ofthe level of creativity on display.At the flower show, new varieties of plantssit alongside old favourites, there are fabulousfloral displays and great contemporary designs,plus an endless array of related products to getthose green fingers reaching for their wallets.The show, which is run by the RoyalHorticultural Society, began in 1862 andattracts royals, celebrities and lots of mediacoverage, which includes an annual DVD ofthe event.Chelsea Flower Show, May 22-26 at the RoyalHospital. See rhs.org.uk.Artful splendourArt lovers will be spoilt for choice with fourmust-see exhibitions at Tate Britain, TateModern, the Royal Academy of Arts and theNational Gallery. Picasso, who was born in Spain and spent mostof his life in France, had lifelong connections withBritain. The painter, famed for co-founding cubism,had an enormous impact on 20th-century Britishmodernism. Tate Britain is celebrating this figure ofcontroversy and celebrity with its exhibitionPicasso and Modern British Art, which featuresmore than 150 works from public and privatecollections. It is on display from February 15to July 15. One artist influenced early on by Picasso isDavid Hockney. Now known more for hisnatural, realistic style, Hockney is described asthe best-known artist of his generation. He isexhibiting a large body of new work at theRoyal Academy of Arts in London fromJanuary to April. His work includes landscapes,photography, prints and stage designs. Managing to smash the stereotype of thestruggling artist, Damien Hirst is reportedly therichest artist alive in Britain. His work grabbedthe headlines when he suspended a shark informaldehyde in the 1990s, which cementedhis place as one of the most influential artistsof his generation. Tate Modern is bringingtogether some of his key works of the past20 years, making this the first substantialsurvey of his work displayed in a Britishinstitution. The exhibition will run fromApril 4 to September 9. Hyped as a must-see exhibition, Leonardoda Vinci: Painter at the Court of Milan is said tobe the most complete display of the artist’s raresurviving paintings. The exhibition, at theNational Gallery from November 9 toFebruary 5, will be a collection of internationalloans never before seen together.For more information on these art exhibitions,see tiny.cc/xk0mk; tiny.cc/ijcbd; andtiny.cc/e3dzt.The recent nuptials of Prince Williamand Kate Middleton elevated royalfever to new heights in Britain and allsigns point to a prolonged period ofglory for the reigning monarch.Next year, the Queen will celebrate 60 years onthe British throne and a slew of Diamond Jubileeevents have been planned to celebrate thismilestone. The celebrations will continuethroughout the year across London, culminatingin a fun-filled four-day weekend in June, when adouble bank holiday will give locals and visitorsplenty of reason to kick up their heels.Monarchists, traditionalists and those whosimply love to party will want to be in Londonfrom June 2-5, with more than 1000 vesselstaking to the waters on June 3 in a spectaculardisplay during the Thames Diamond JubileeRiver Pageant.Celebrations led by the Queen will bring theriver to life with the sound of music barges,chiming bells and a gun salute at London Bridgeas sailing vessels of all shapes and sizes create avisual feast to remember. Fifty big screens will beplaced along the route of this free event, bringingthe proceedings live to the massive crowd that isexpected to attend.A family-friendly festival at Battersea Park thatday will also keep children of all ages happy, withfunfair rides, food and amusements.To continue the celebrations, severalexhibitions have been planned. Don’t miss TheQueen: Art and Image at the National PortraitGallery from May 17 to October 21. The 60portraits on display – one for each year of theQueen’s reign – range in size from a postagestamp to the length of the gallery’s walls andhave been created in mediums as diverse as a3D light projection.Master strokes ... Buckingham Palace (top)will host a display of Leonardo da Vinci’s workin the Queen’s Gallery (above).The Victoria and Albert Museum of art anddesign is also joining the festivities with a displayof portraits of Her Majesty from February 8 toApril 22.Queen Elizabeth II by Cecil Beaton: ADiamond Jubilee Celebration will showcasealmost 100 portraits of the Queen captured overthe past 60 years, as well as intimate notes anddiaries that document Beaton’s trusted role inrecording royal history.As part of a British cultural extravaganzathroughout the year, the Queen’s Gallery atBuckingham Palace will host the largest-evercollection of Leonardo da Vinci’s studies of thehuman body.Let there be no doubt, London is readyto celebrate.Follow in Kate and Wills’s well-shod footstepsHAS Britain ever seemed so young, glamand stylish as it does right now? If you’retempted to follow in the trendsettingfootsteps of the royal newlyweds, start withtheir favourite haunts.For classic Brit fare whipped up by chefMark Block, the young couple are regulardiners at Bluebird. And as many a smilingpaparazzi pic will attest, Wills and Kate (androyal best man Harry) favour the tropicalcocktails at upmarket tiki bar Mahiki.Get the classic preppy royal look with ashopping spree to some of the couple’smost-loved retailers. Stylish gents shouldmake a beeline for Turnbull & Asser,bespoke tailor to the royal family. Poloshirts from Polistas and handcrafted shoesfrom the official bootmaker to the Prince ofWales, John Lobb, complete the look.For ladies, Harvey Nichols is just theplace to pick up Kate’s favourite Issadresses. A visit to crown jeweller Garrardmight be out of reach for most but thepretty separates and accessories at Jigsaw— where Kate once worked — are happilybudget-friendly.