LONDON

ENTERTAINMENT
THE O2
Enormous venue for live music. 23 Jan:
The Corrs. Catch the Irish family singing
songs from their new album. 6.30pm. Tickets
£42.50-£97.50. 30 Jan: The Libertines. Pete
Doherty and his rock pals are back singing tunes
from their recent Anthems for Doomed Youth
album. 6.30pm. Tickets £34-£45. Peninsula
Square, SE10 0AX. 0844 856 0202. theo2.co.uk.
North Greenwich. Map inset.
O2 SHEPHERD’S BUSH EMPIRE
23 Jan: Jeremy Loops. South African folk
musician. 7pm. Tickets £16-£87. Shepherd’s
Bush Green, W12 8TT. 020 8354 3300.
o2shepherdsbushempire.co.uk. Shepherd’s
Bush. Off map.
RONNIE SCOTT’S JAZZ CLUB
London’s most famous jazz venue. 1-4 Jan:
Booker T Jones. The winner of a Grammy
Lifetime Achievement Award performs on
a guitar and organ keyboard. 6pm. Tickets
£45-£80. 13-16 Jan: Brubecks Play Brubeck.
This annual event features Darius (piano),
Chris (bass and trombone) and Dan Brubeck
(drums) playing their father’s hits, alongside
special guest Dave O’Higgins on the saxophone.
6pm. Tickets £35-£55. 47 Frith St, W1D 4HT.
020 7439 0747. ronniescotts.co.uk. Tottenham
Court Road. Key 56.
I WANT MY HAT BACK
To 2 Jan: A children’s play
about a bear losing his hat, based on the book
by Jon Klassen. Tickets £12-£15. 2 Jan 11am
& 2pm. National Theatre, South Bank, SE1 9PX.
020 7452 3000. nationaltheatre.org.uk.
Waterloo. Key 27.
MR RABBIT MEETS BRER SANTA
To 10 Jan: An enchanting tale
suitable for under eights, about a wily puppet
rabbit trying to outwit a fox. Adult £12; child
£8.50. 1-3 Jan: 3pm; 9 Jan: 11am & 3pm; 10 Jan:
3pm. Puppet Theatre Barge, 35 Blomfield Rd,
W9 2PF. 020 7249 6876. puppetbarge.com.
Warwick Avenue. Off map.
THE PAPER DOLLS
From 8 Jan: A tale about a girl who
makes a string of paper dolls which come alive,
told by the author of The Gruffalo. Accompanied
by puppets and music and suitable for under
New
show
CHILDREN & FAMILIES
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST
This enchanting classic comes to life with music
and magic. Suitable for ages six to 12. Tickets £18.
Please check website for times. Polka Theatre,
240 The Broadway, SW19 1SB. 020 8543 4888.
polkatheatre.com. Wimbledon. Off map.
DR SEUSS’S THE LORAX
To 16 Jan: Comical tale about
a bad-tempered critter determined to protect
Earth from a tree-chopping businessman. Please
check website for times. Tickets £12-£60.
The Old Vic, The Cut, SE1 8NB. 0844 871 7628.
oldvictheatre.com. Waterloo. Key 32.
THE GRUFFALO
To 3 Jan: Join Mouse on
an adventure through the woods in search of
hazelnuts. Delightful play based on the popular
book. Please check website for times. Tickets
£13-25.50. Vaudeville Theatre, 404 Strand,
WC2R 0NH. 0844 482 9675. nimaxtheatres.com.
Charing Cross/Covent Garden. Key 48.
HEARTBREAK HOTEL
A grand hall, big stage and velvet curtains
are the usual ingredients for an opera, but
when it comes to Found & Lost, forget all
your preconceptions. For starters, it takes
place at the Corinthia Hotel London and
is performed to audiences of 12 people in
the bedrooms and corridors. As for the script,
it begins with a woman with a briefcase
arriving in a taxi outside the hotel. The words
are taken from the hotel’s housekeeping
notes, wine lists and lost and found records
– hence the title. It was devised by Emily
Hall, the hotel’s 2015 artist in residence.
From 25 Jan. £27.50-£35. 0844 477 1000.
corinthia-air.com
FOUND & LOST © SIM CANETTY-CLARKE
62 | LONDON PLANNER