LONDON

After the success of its first year
in 2014, the UK Jewish Comedy
Festival (from 28 Nov; below)
returns with workshops, music,
talks and films, as well as stand-up
comedy from funny men Sol
Bernstein, Brett Goldstein, Mark
Maier and The All Star Hava
Nagiggle Stand-Up Night.
jw3.org.uk
The Royal Albert Hall’s Late
Night Laughs comedy season
continues in the Elgar Room
(from 20 Nov), hosted by Richard
Herring in between stints on his
Happy Now? UK tour. Don’t miss
award-winner Mike Wozniak,
Aisling Bea, who has appeared on
Channel 4’s 8 Out of 10 Cats, and
Steve Bugeja, best known for his
social nightmare gags.
Star power comes to the Barbican
(below) as former Doctor Who
David Tennant takes the title role
in Richard II, and legend Antony
Sher appears in Henry IV part I,
Henry IV part II and Henry V.
They mark the 400th anniversary
of Shakespeare’s death, and there
are several dates where avid fans
can watch all four plays in a day.
barbican.org.uk
hanks to its jam sessions,
improvisation and singalongs,
the EFG London
Jazz Festival will jazz up
your holiday (13-22 Nov;
venues across town). This
year’s line-up promises to
wow, as Andy Sheppard
returns and homegrown
talent Jamie Cullum
is set to perform.
Nashvillebased
banjo
player Abigail
Washburn,
Grammywinner
Maria
Schneider
and singersongwriter
Melody
Gardot (inset) are also
confirmed, along with the
Average White Band and
legendary rapper Ice-T.
Trumpet player Terence
Blanchard (above) plays music
from his new Blue Note album,
Breathless. Listen out, too, for
All-Four + Grimwald
improvising original
compositions. If they get your
toes tapping, then join a jam
session, a family sing-along
or watch Adriano Adewale’s
Catapluf’s Musical Journey,
which has everything and
the kitchen sink.
Meanwhile, The O2 arena
plays host to big-name
blues stars at the
Prudential
BluesFest (6-8
Nov). Leading
the bill is the
Dave Matthews
Band (7 Nov)
and, on the same
night, you can hear
the Tedeschi Trucks
Band. There’s an
unmissable Van Morrison and
Tom Jones concert, too (8 Nov).
– Sarah Riches
EFG London Jazz Festival.
020 7324 1880. efglondonjazz
festival.org.uk. Prudential
BluesFest. 020 7009 3200.
prudentialbluesfest.co.uk
JEWISH COMEDY FESTIVAL COURTESY OF FLIX ‘N’ PIX; TERENCE BLANCHARD © NITIN VADUKUL; MELODY GARDOT © FRANCO P TETTAMANTI PICTURES
54 | LONDON PLANNER