This Is London Sept 14th

62 Years Informing International & UK Visitors 

Est. 1956 Issue 3117 

Friday 14th September, 2018

Welcome to London 

3 

CONTENTS 

Events 4 

Witness For The Prosecution 

The Last Tsar: Blood and Revolution 

Stephen Sondheim’s Company Opens 

Music 8 

London Mozart Players Piano Explored 

Chris Barber Band 70th Anniversary 

Monteverdi Choir Verdi Requiem 

Exhibitions 12 

British Art Fair 

Exhibition Road Pedestrianised 

Body Worlds Opens in London 

Theatre 16 

Allelujah! 

Kinky Boots Final London Company 

Pinter at the Pinter 

Twelfth Night at Wilton’s 

© This is London Magazine Limited 

This is London at the Olympic Park 

Stour Space, 7 Roach Road, 

Fish Island, London E3 2PA 

Telephone: 020 7434 1281 

www.til.com www.thisislondonmagazine.com 

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. 

London is the undisputed theatre capital of the 

world. I am delighted that last year was a record 

year for the capital’s theatre business with box 

office revenues topping the £700 million mark 

and the success of musicals in particular helping 

to push theatre audiences past 15 million for the 

first time since audience records began more 

than 30 years ago. 

London Theatre is also great value for money – a lot cheaper than across the pond. 

I am delighted to currently be producing the astonishing Broadway revival of The 

King and I at the London Palladium with a range of tickets prices to suit all budgets. 

We opened to extraordinary reviews at the London Palladium, a magnificent 

2,286-seat Grade II heritage listed theatre in Argyll Street near Oxford Circus. From 

the roster of stars that have played there and many televised performances, it is 

arguably the most famous theatre in the world, especially for musical variety shows. 

Throughout my career, I have been lucky enough to produce or co-produce musicals 

and drama in the West End, internationally and on national tours, but what I really 

relish is the sheer enjoyment that live entertainment brings to people of all ages as 

well as all walks of life. 

Night after night The King and I is bringing such pleasure to theatregoers many of 

whom are on their first visit to London. The musical's plot is as significant now as 

ever, relating the experiences of Anna, a British schoolteacher hired as part of the 

King of Siam’s (Thailand) drive to modernise his country. The relationship between 

the King and Anna is marked by conflict through much of the piece, as well as by a 

love to which neither can admit. Making their West End debuts are the original 

Broadway stars; reprising her Tony Award-winning performance and ‘Broadway 

musical’s undisputed Queen’ – The Sunday Times, Kelli O’Hara (Anna), Tony and 

Oscar nominee Ken Watanabe (The King) ‘A powerhouse’ – The Times. 

With one of the finest scores ever written, The King and I is a testament to the lavish 

heritage of gloriously romantic musical theatre. I hope you have an unforgettable 

time in London – theatre capital of the world! 

Sir Howard Panter Producer, The King and I 

VISITOR INFORMATION 

Emergencies 999 Police Ambulance Fire 

24 Hour Casualty 020 8746 8000 

Dentistry 0808 155 3256 

Victim Support 0845 30 30 900 

free and confidential service 

Visit London 020 7234 5833 

Heathrow Airport 0844 335 1801 

Gatwick Airport 0844 892 0322 

Taxis 020 7272 5471 

Dry Cleaner 7491 3426 Florist 7831 6776 

Optician 7581 6336 Watches 7493 5916 

Weather 0870 9000100 

t h i s i s l o n d o n m a g a z i n e • t h i s i s l o n d o n o n l i n e

4 

Photo: Sheila Burnett 

Photo: Ellie-Kurttz 

WITNESS FOR THE PROSECUTION 

BY AGATHA CHRISTIE 

Leonard Vole is accused of murdering 

a widow to inherit her wealth. The stakes 

are high. Will Leonard survive the 

shocking witness testimony? Will he be 

able to convince the jury of his innocence 

and escape the hangman’s noose? The 

acclaimed production of Agatha Christie’s 

classic courtroom play, Witness For The 

Prosecution, was recognised at this year’s 

Olivier Awards with a nomination for Best 

Revival, as well as being the only work by 

a female writer included in the categories 

of Best Revival, or Best New Play. 

The production has captured the 

imagination of audiences who have 

experienced the drama inside the unique 

setting of County Hall’s ornate Chamber 

on London’s iconic South Bank. Eleanor 

Lloyd Productions and Rebecca Stafford 

Productions have also received ongoing 

support from Lambeth Council, following 

the news that Witness for the Prosecution 

is shortlisted as a finalist in the London 

Building Excellence Awards 2018. 

Director Lucy Bailey (Love From A 

Stranger, The Graduate, Titus Andronicus) 

thrillingly places the audience in the thick 

of the action, with some even watching 

from the jury box, as this gripping tale of 

justice, passion and betrayal unfolds 

around them. 

Tickets are available from the box office 

on 0844 815 7141, and the production is 

booking through to 31 March next year. 

SCIENCE MUSEUM TO EXPLORE 

MURDER OF RUSSIA’S LAST TSAR 

A new exhibition, opening at the 

Science Museum on 21 September will 

investigate the role of science in the 

extraordinary lives and deaths of Tsar 

Nicholas II and his family, and take 

visitors behind the scenes of one of the 

greatest mysteries of the 20th century. 

Set against a turbulent backdrop of 

social upheaval and war between 1900 

and 1918, The Last Tsar: Blood and 

Revolution will explore the significant 

influence of medicine on the private 

lives of the imperial family during this 

period and the advances in medicine 

and forensic science over 70 years later 

that transformed the investigation into 

their sudden disappearance. Visitors will 

be able to examine evidence from the 

scene of the execution, from dentures of 

the imperial physician and a diamond 

earring belonging to the Tsarina, to an 

icon peppered with bullet holes, and 

delve into the remarkable modern 

forensic investigation which set out to 

piece together the events of that night. 

Xray of the hand of Nicholas II, Emperor of Russia © Harvard Medical Library 


6 

Photo: Dewynters. 

MAMMA MIA! THE PARTY TO OPEN 

AT THE O2 IN SPRING 2019 

Executive producer Björn Ulvaeus and 

producer Ingrid Sutej have announced 

that Mamma Mia! The Party, an 

immersive theatrical and dining 

experience launched in Stockholm, will 

take up residency in a specially-adapted 

venue within London’s The O2. The 

London production of Mamma Mia! The 

Party is set to open late Spring 2019, 

with tickets going on sale this Autumn. 

When Björn Ulvaeus watched people 

at the musical Mamma Mia! having such 

a good time, getting into party mood by 

the end of the show, he thought to 

himself, ‘What if this could continue 

somewhere else?’ The obvious place 

would be in a taverna on the island of 

Skopelos, where most exteriors of the 

first Mamma Mia! film were shot. This 

imagined and wonderfully exotic Greek 

taverna – and its equally exotic landlord 

Nikos, his family and friends – became 

the home of Mamma Mia! The Party, 

which first opened in Stockholm in 

January 2016 where it is now in its third 

sold-out year. 

Led by Steve Tompkins of architects 

Haworth Tompkins, work has begun on 

transforming one of the venues within 

The O2 into Nikos’ Taverna, and guests 

will feel as if they’re right in the heart of 

a Greek island paradise, sitting around 

tables in the taverna’s courtyard 

complete with a fountain, amongst olive 

trees and bougainvillea. While the story 

of Nikos and his family plays out in front 

of them, an audience of around 500 

people will be able to eat great 

Mediterranean food, drink, and even 

have the opportunity to dance along to 

ABBA songs. 

Björn Ulvaeus said of Mamma Mia! 

The Party’s future London home, ‘We 

have long admired The O2 and the huge 

entertainment success it has become 

under the ownership and management of 

AEG. We believe bringing Mamma Mia! 

The Party to The O2 will add to this 

already vibrant cultural destination and 

provide the perfect location for our 

exciting new show.’ 

The cast of Company. 

STEPHEN SONDHEIM AND GEORGE 

FURTH’S MUSICAL COMPANY 

Marianne Elliott’s highly anticipated 

new production of George Furth and 

Stephen Sondheim’s Company opens at 

the Gielgud Theatre on 17 October. 

At Bobbie’s 35th birthday party, all 

her friends are wondering why she isn’t 

married; why she can’t find the right man 

and why she hasn’t settled down to have 

a family. The multi-award winning 

musical comedy about life, love and 

marriage includes Stephen Sondheim’s 

iconic songs, The Ladies who Lunch, 

Being Alive, Side by Side and You Could 

Drive a Person Crazy. 

Marianne Elliott, Artistic Director of 

Elliott & Harper Productions, a company 

she founded in 2016 with producer 

Chris Harper, was awarded an OBE in 

the 2018 Queen’s Birthday Honour’s List 

for her services to theatre. Elliott is the 

first woman in Broadway history to win 

two Tony Awards for Best Director and 

her recent Broadway transfer of Tony 

Kushner’s Angels in America received 

the 2018 Tony Award for Best Revival of 

a Play. Marianne’s ground-breaking 

production of The Curious Incident of 

the Dog in the Night-Time received 

7 Olivier Awards in London, including 

Best New Play and Best Director and 

5 Tony Awards for its run on Broadway, 

including Best Play and Best Director 

and continues to tour internationally. 

War Horse, which she co-directed has 

been seen by 7 million people worldwide 

to date. 

Photo: Helen Maybanks. 


HARD ROCK CAFE LONDON TO HOST 

FASHION SHOW 

There’s only one place to be for this 

season’s forthcoming Fashion Week and 

that’s the Hard Rock Cafe London 

Fashion Show on Wednesday 

19 September. Celebrating Fashion 

Week in style, Hard Rock Cafe London 

will host what promises to be a very 

special preview of some of the hottest 

autumn period Hard Rock fashions 

including the ‘This Is My Journey’ line 

and the classic and timeless original 

Hard Rock tee, all available from the 

Rock Shop. 

Modelling in the show will be this 

year’s Hard Rock Ambassadors, who will 

take to the stage for a live music night 

after the fashion show. For £2, 

fashionistas will be treated to the fashion 

show with doors opening from 18.00. 

For entry to the live music night that 

follows, tickets are £5. 

Beginning with an Eric Clapton guitar, 

Hard Rock owns the world's greatest 

collection of music memorabilia, which 

is displayed at its locations around the 

globe. Hard Rock is also known for its 

collectible fashion and music-related 

merchandise, Hard Rock Live 

performance venues and an awardwinning 

website. 

The nearest tube station to Hard Rock 

Cafe is Hyde Park Corner, which is on 

the Piccadilly Line. For bookings, 

telephone 020 7514 1700. 

HOGWARTS AFTER DARK RETURNS 

TO WARNER BROS STUDIO TOUR 

Following last year’s incredibly 

popular ‘Hogwarts After Dark’ events, 

Warner Bros. Studio Tour London is 

once again inviting brave witches, 

wizards and Muggles to enjoy a magical 

Hallowe’en evening on the set of the 

Hogwarts Great Hall on 26-28 October. 

Guests attending ‘Hogwarts after Dark’ 

will begin their magical evening with 

smoking dry ice cocktails and canapés 

before stepping onto the red carpet 

through the doors of the wizarding 

school into the Great Hall, which will be 

completely transformed for Hallowe’en. 

The Great Hall will be decorated with 

over 100 floating pumpkins, as seen on 

screen in Harry Potter and the 

Philosopher’s Stone. 

After stepping into the actual Great 

Hall set that was used for filming, guests 

will enjoy a delicious two-course dinner 

and drinks surrounded by the original 

props and costumes. All before grabbing 

a lantern and following the spiders into 

the newly opened Forbidden Forest 

where dessert will be served in the 

company of magical creatures such as 

Buckbeak the Hippogriff and Aragog the 

Acromantula. 

Throughout the evening, Death Eaters 

will be roaming the Tour dressed in the 

original costumes from the film series 

allowing guests to see up close the 

intricate details of the embroidered robes 

and hand-painted masks. 

HARVEST STOMP FESTIVAL AT 

QUEEN ELIZABETH OLYMPIC PARK 

Visitors will be able to join in the end 

of summer celebration at the Harvest 

Stomp festival at Queen Elizabeth 

Olympic Park on Sunday 23 September 

and embrace the music, dance, activities 

and entertainment taking place 

throughout the day. 

There will be something for everyone 

on the Main Stage with live music and 

dance, including performances from the 

Belles of London City and License to 

Ceilidh. Or simply stroll into the autumn 

season by visiting the variety of world 

food and drink stalls with vegan and 

vegetarian options. Alternatively, enjoy 

a range of outdoor activities and 

workshops for all ages including 

traditional garden games, arts and crafts 

with Makendo along with micro brewery 

demonstrations for adults. 

Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park opened 

in April 2014 following the 18 month 

transformation programme of the 

London 2012 Olympic Park. It is now 

home to six former Olympic and 

Paralympic venues, the Copper Box 

Arena, Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis 

Centre, Lee Valley VeloPark, London 

Aquatics Centre and London Stadium 

where visitors can take part in sport, 

enjoy watching world class athletes 

compete or experience concerts or arts 

and culture events. 

The Harvest Stomp will take place 

near the Timber Lodge Café. 

7 


8 

LONDON MOZART PLAYERS 

PIANO EXPLORED CONCERT SERIES 

London Mozart Players celebrates its 

70th birthday season with an exciting 

Piano Explored lunchtime series from 

October 2018 to March 2019 at 

St John’s Smith Square (SW1). In a 

whistle-stop hour, Howard Shelley will 

lead the orchestra in his much loved and 

hugely engaging repertoire 

deconstructions, followed by a full 

performance of the chosen works: and 

this season he is joined by LMP 

musicians performing double and triple 

concerti alongside him at the piano. 

All lunch time concerts will take place 

from 13.05 - 14.00. 

Packed with music to highlight the 

talent within the LMP, this season 

includes a sparkling selection of works 

by Beethoven, Shostakovich, Hummel 

and Haydn, alongside Mozart, with a few 

surprises along the way. It’s a superb 

way to celebrate this significant 

milestone birthday in the orchestra’s 

history; the concerts are lots of fun and 

there’s a real connection between 

orchestra, soloists and audience. 

Founded in 1949 by Harry Blech, the 

London Mozart Players is known for its 

unmistakable British roots. Over its 

seventy years at the forefront of 

London’s music scene, the LMP has 

developed a reputation for adventurous 

programming, from Baroque to genrecrossing 

contemporary music. 

Acclaimed pianist, conductor and 

recording artist Howard Shelley has 

performed worldwide at major venues 

and with top-flight orchestras, 

particularly in the combined role of 

conductor and soloist. 

Whether you work at Westminster, 

travel in from the country, or you are 

taking a break in London, the LMP 

Piano Explored series is truly the best 

way to spend a lunch break. The 

concerts are an hour long, and tickets 

are just £15, so if you have no time 

limits, why not grab a bite to eat in the 

Footstool Restaurant in the crypt at the 

stunning St John’s, enjoy a sublime 

concert, and then wander around this 

iconic historic area with visits to 

Westminster Abbey or the Houses of 

Parliament? 

Tickets are available from the box 

office on 020 7222 1061. For more 

information visit www.sjss.org.uk 

VERDI’S REQUIEM PERFORMED BY 

MONTEVERDI CHOIR 

Monteverdi Choir and Orchestre 

Révolutionnaire et Romantique, led by 

Sir John Eliot Gardiner will stage a 

special one-off performance of Giuseppe 

Verdi’s legendary Messa da Requiem at 

London’s Westminster Cathedral on 

18 September at 19.30. The performance 

is dedicated to the memory of Richard 

Fitzgerald, Monteverdi Choir & 

Orchestras’ long-standing stage manager 

who sadly passed away from lung 

cancer in August 2016. All the profits 

from this performance will be donated to 

Cancer Research UK in his memory. 

The Monteverdi Choir and Orchestra 

will be at full strength for this unique 

concert with more than 140 musicians 

taking to the stage using traditional and 

period instruments They will be joined 

by a stellar line-up of international 

soloists: American soprano Corinne 

Winters, Swedish Mezzo-soprano Ann 

Hallenberg, Lithuanian tenor Edgaras 

Montvidas and Italian bass Gianluca 

Buratto. This special concert marks 20 

years since the Monteverdi ensembles’ 

last London performance of Verdi’s 

monumental work which took place at 

St Paul’s Cathedral on 13 July, 1998. 

Tickets on 0844 844 0444. 

Westminster Cathedral. 


10 

THE BIG CHRIS BARBER BAND 

70TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR 

Chris Barber OBE (87) is one of the 

last British Jazz legends around and an 

icon of traditional jazz in the United 

Kingdom. This season, he starts 

celebrating his 65th anniversary as 

leader of his band on a full-time 

professional basis and 70th anniversary 

on starting his musical career. The 

celebratory concert will take place on 

21 September at 19.30 at Cadogan Hall. 

Since 1949, Chris has been active in 

the music scene with promoting, 

recording and releasing music and 

touring his band. So far, he has released 

hundreds of recordings, performed more 

than 15,000 concerts in 50 different 

countries in five different continents. An 

incredible milestone! 

Chris Barber is one of the initiators of 

pop music today, as he gave stage to 

many American blues musicians during 

the ’50s for the first time in Europe. 

Musicians like Muddy Waters, Sonny 

Terry & Brownie McGhee and Big Bill 

Broonzy. These musicians later inspired 

bands like The Rolling Stones, The 

Beatles, and Eric Clapton. Chris and his 

band are respected by many other jazz, 

blues and pop musicians, like Van 

Morrison, John Mayall, Eric Clapton, 

Bill Wyman, Mark Knopfler, Paul Jones 

and many more. 

Chris Barber is last of the Mohicans 

with a spectacular band with one of the 

best British jazz musicians on stage. The 

BIG (10-piece) Chris Barber Band, 

inspired by the great Ken Colyer Jazz 

Men, features everything from New 

Orleans to blues to late 20’s Ellington, 

played with extraordinary panache and 

skill. On this special night, you will hear 

songs from that age and Chris’ 

favourites songs like Bourbon Street 

Parade, Jubilee Stomp, Petite Fleur, Ice 

Cream, When the Saints Go Marching 

In, and many more. The audience can 

count on an exciting evening of high 

quality jazz and blues, which will appeal 

in equal measure to the aficionado and 

the newcomer. 

For tickets, telephone the box office 

on 020 7730 4500. 

Chris Barber. 

AT LAST – THE ETTA JAMES STORY 

At Last – The Etta James Story, 

returns to the UK this autumn, starring 

the sensational Vika Bull. Having wowed 

British audiences in 2017, Vika and the 

Essential R&B Band start a 23 date visit, 

kicking off in High Wycombe next week 

and concluding with a performance at 

Cadogan Hall on Tuesday 23 October. 

Following its world premiere in 

Melbourne in 2013 At Last – The Etta 

James Story repeatedly packed theatres 

throughout Australia and New Zealand. 

In 2016 the show returned to Melbourne 

for a sell-out season at The Arts Centre 

and July saw the show triumph for a 

third season at The Sydney Opera House. 

The show tells the story of soul 

legend Etta James’ turbulent life and 

features some of her most beloved 

songs including Tell Mama, Something’s 

Got A Hold On Me, Sugar On The Floor, 

the heart rending I’d Rather Go Blind, 

her iconic signature song At Last and 

more. Vika puts her heart and soul into 

this unforgettable show and is joined on 

stage by some of Australia’s finest and 

funkiest musicians. 

During a long and tumultuous career 

that saw her win six Grammy Awards 

and a star on The Hollywood Walk Of 

Fame, Etta James has influenced a vast 

array of artists from Diana Ross, Janis 

Joplin, Stevie Wonder, The Rolling 

Stones and Rod Stewart and is 

acknowledged as inspiring the careers of 

a new generation of singers from 

Christina Aguilera, Joss Stone, Adele 

and the late Amy Winehouse. 

Vika Bull. 


WICKED London Company. Photo: Matt Crockett. 

WICKED PLAYS LANDMARK 

5000th PERFORMANCE 

WICKED, the ‘gravity-defying Wizard 

of Oz prequel’ (Time Out) that tells the 

incredible untold story of the Witches of 

Oz, played its landmark 5000th 

performance on 9 August at London’s 

Apollo Victoria Theatre. 

The hit musical ‘with brains, heart 

and courage’ (The Sunday Telegraph) 

will celebrate its 12th birthday this 

month and is already the 14th longest 

running West End show of all time. 

‘One of the most successful West End 

shows ever’ (Radio Times), WICKED has 

now been seen by more than 9 million 

people in London alone and is the 7th 

longest running show currently playing 

in the West End (and the 5th longest 

running musical). 

Based on the acclaimed, best-selling 

novel by Gregory Maguire that 

ingeniously re-imagines the stories and 

characters created by L Frank Baum in 

‘The Wonderful Wizard of Oz’, it tells the 

story of an unlikely but profound 

friendship between two sorcery students. 

Their extraordinary adventures in Oz will 

ultimately see them fulfil their destinies 

as Glinda The Good and the Wicked 

Witch of the West. 

The London production of the Tony 

Award-winning Broadway musical is the 

recipient of ten theatregoer-voted 

WhatsOnStage Awards (winning ‘Best 

West End Show’ on three occasions), 

two Olivier Audience Awards and an 

Evening Standard Theatre Award. 

WICKED UK Executive Producer 

Michael McCabe said: ‘We are thrilled to 

celebrate 5000 performances of Wicked 

at the Apollo Victoria Theatre. It is a 

testament to all the incredible work that 

goes into maintaining this gigantic 

production that we have reached this 

remarkable milestone and we are greatly 

indebted to all of our production staff, 

cast members and musicians. London 

audiences have passionately embraced 

Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman’s 

extraordinary musical since its UK 

premiere in 2006 and we thank them all 

for their continued support.’ 

Alice Fearn and Sophie Evans as Elphaba and Glinda. 

WICKED has music and lyrics by 

multi Oscar, Golden Globe and Grammy 

Award winner Stephen Schwartz and is 

adapted for the stage by Winnie 

Holzman. Musical staging is by Tony 

Award-winner Wayne Cilento and the 

production is directed by two-time Tony 

Award-winner Joe Mantello. 

Through its FOR GOOD programme 

and other charitable endeavours, Wicked 

supports the remarkable work the Anti- 

Bullying Alliance (ABA); Great Ormond 

Street Hospital Children’s Charity (GOSH 

Charity); the National Literacy Trust; and 

the Woodland Trust. 

The Tony Award-winning original 

Broadway production remains 

‘Broadway’s biggest blockbuster’ (The 

New York Times) after almost 15 years 

and over 6000 performances at the 

Gershwin Theatre. Winner of over 100 

major awards, the original production 

has been performed in more than 130 

cities in 16 countries around the world. 

WICKED is produced around the 

world by Marc Platt, Universal Stage 

Productions, The Araca Group, Jon B. 

Platt and David Stone. Executive 

Producer (UK) Michael McCabe. 

Experience this unforgettable musical 

and discover that you’ve not been told 

the whole story about the Land of Oz... 

Box Office telephone 0844 871 3001. 

Official UK website and 24hr online 

bookings: www.WickedTheMusical.co.uk 

Photo: Darren Bell. 

11 


12 

Gertler: Still life with pears, courtesy Richard Green. 

BRITISH ART FAIR AT SAATCHI 

GALLERY 

The thirtieth edition of the British Art 

Fair (previously the 20/21 British Art 

Fair) opens at the Saatchi Gallery on 

Thursday 20 September. 

With 50 galleries and three special 

projects, the event promises to be a true 

celebration of British art. It remains the 

only fair entirely dedicated to Modern 

British Art and is timed to take place at a 

moment when the market is in a strong 

position. Writing in June in the Daily 

Telegraph, the art market analyst Colin 

Gleadell observed: ‘When you measure 

results against expectations, however, 

modern British art is outperforming 

impressionism and modern art.’ Gleadell 

noted the strong performance of 

sculpture and Scottish colourists as well 

as some significant price inflation. For 

example, a relief construction of painted 

wooden rectangular shapes by Victor 

Pasmore that sold in 1999 for £6,000 

sold for £125,000 to an online bidder 

and a jazzy abstract by Bridget Riley 

quadrupled its price of seven years ago, 

selling for £1.6 million. 

The presentations at the British Art 

Fair range from well-known names 

through to discoveries of overlooked 

artists. The visitor has the chance to 

acquire works ranging from previously 

unoffered works by the key names of 

Modern British Art through to prints and 

works on paper at the more affordable 

end of the market. 

Amongst the many highlights in the 

fair, Richard Green will be showing Mark 

Gertler’s ‘Still life – pears’ (1932) and 

Terry Frost’s ‘Olive Sun Ride’. Gertler’s 

work was commissioned by Cadbury’s as 

James Reeve at work. Long & Ryle. 

part of a ‘Famous Artist’ series of 

chocolate boxes designed by a number 

of artists that also included Paul Nash, 

Laura Knight and Arthur Rackham. 

Frost’s ‘Olive Sun Ride’ (1987) 

celebrates the bright sunshine and olive 

groves of the Mediterranean and was 

acquired directly from the artist by the 

leading photographer Roger Mayne. 

The Mayor Art Gallery will be 

showing works from the collection of 

Ray Hughes. The Australian art dealer 

acquired British artworks for both his 

gallery (located initially in Brisbane and 

then in Sydney) and his own collection. 

The presentation will include 9 works by 

Alfred Wallis from Hughes’ own 

collection. It will also include works by 

Roger Hilton, Howard Hodgkin, Allen 

Jones and Alan Green amongst others. 

The critic Richard Dorment described 

James Reeve (b.1939) as ‘one of a long 

line of British eccentrics’, ‘a miraculous 

draughtsman’ and also ‘a true original’. 

Reeve painted landscapes in the 

Australian outback, Uganda, Haiti and 

Madagascar before settling on Mexico 

where he produced his most interesting 

paintings produced with a virtuoso 

technique and filled with idiosyncratic 

detailing. Long & Ryle will be showing 

works by Reeve at their stand at the fair. 

The British Art Fair takes place at the 

Saatchi Gallery, Duke of York’s HQ, 

King’s Road, SW3 4RY between 

Thursday 20 and Sunday 23 September. 

The fair is an incarnation of the 20/21 

British Art Fair under the new ownership 

of Robert and Johnny Sandelson. 

Participating galleries in the 2018 

edition include Richard Green, Robin 

Katz Fine Art, Offer Waterman, Flowers, 

Piano Nobile, Beaux Arts, Jonathan 

Clark, Osborne Samuel and Redfern 

amongst others across all three floors of 

the Saatchi Gallery. 


14 

Tom Kitchin is an Edinburgh-based 

chef and restauranteur with Michelinstarred 

The Kitchin to his name, as well 

as The Scran & Scallie gastro-pub and 

its award-winning sister, Castle Terrace 

Restaurant. 

For the dinner on 27 September, Tom 

has created a unique four-course menu 

that celebrates seasonal Scottish 

ingredients, highlighting the best of both 

land and sea. Guests will be welcomed 

with a glass of Moet & Chandon and a 

selection of canapes before sitting for 

dinner. To begin, there will be Handdived 

Orkney scallops baked in their 

shell and served with seasonal 

vegetables and a white wine, vermouth 

and herb sauce, followed by the king 

of the sea in a dish of roast fillet of 

halibut with Jerusalem artichoke and 

black truffle. 

Render by Waugh Thistleston of the Exhibition Road Day of Design. 

EXHIBITION ROAD PEDESTRIANISED 

FOR LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL 

The Victoria and Albert Museum 

(V&A) is collaborating with the Natural 

History Museum, Science Museum, 

Design Museum, Imperial College 

London and Brompton Design District to 

pedestrianise a section of Exhibition 

Road for one day only on Sunday 

23 September for the Exhibition Road 

Day of Design, a free day of activities 

celebrating 10 years of London Design 

Festival at the V&A. 

The London Design Festival 

(15-23 September) is a city-wide 

festival, now in its 16th year, with a 

vision to celebrate and promote London 

as the design capital of the world. 

As the official Festival hub, the V&A 

is presenting a programme of exciting 

and innovative installations, displays 

and events by some of the world’s most 

exciting and innovative designers, 

alongside a broad events programme 

covering all aspects of design. 

Further details are available at the 

website www.vam.ac.uk 

THE GAME BIRD WELCOMES TOM 

KITCHIN FOR GUEST CHEF SERIES 

Earlier this year, The Game Bird 

launched a series of guest chef dinners, 

welcoming many of the greatest chefs 

from around the UK to cook in the 

critically-acclaimed restaurant within 

The Stafford London. Following the great 

success of events with Michael Wignall 

and Lisa Allen, legendary Scottish chef 

Tom Kitchin will be hosting the third 

dinner in the series on 27 September. 

Tom Kitchin 

For the main course, guests will be 

treated to roasted loin of Borders 

venison, autumn fruits and vegetables 

and a red wine sauce. Tom is rounding 

off the evening with a dessert of Set 

Knochraich Farm yogurt, orange 

meringue, Granny Smith apple sorbet 

and East Lothian sea buckthorn 

consomme. 

Tom Kitchin will cook alongside the 

team at The Game Bird and Culinary 

Director of The Stafford London, Ben 

Tish. Reservations: 020 7518 1234. 

Following Tom, the fourth dinner in 

The Game Bird Guest Chef Series will be 

held on 9 November with the renowned 

Mark Sargeant. 


GUNTHER VON HAGENS’ ORIGINAL 

BODY WORLDS OPENS IN LONDON 

The world-famous exhibition of the 

human body, Body Worlds, will open its 

new flagship venue, a permanent 

museum experience at the London 

Pavilion on 6 October. 

Body Worlds will be taking over 

28,000sq feet of one of the capital’s 

iconic buildings, The London Pavilion, 

which has been subject to a multimillion-pound 

restoration to prepare for 

its arrival in the heart of the capital. 

Having already attracted over 47 

million visitors in more than 130 cities 

worldwide, this journey through the 

human body comprises an extraordinary 

series of exhibitions, the most unique of 

which are real human bodies, donated to 

be preserved by plastination – the 

process invented by Body Worlds’ 

creator Dr. Gunther von Hagens. 

Body Worlds London’s 200 exhibits, 

curated by creative director Dr. Angelina 

Whalley, explore the reproductive, 

nervous, cardiovascular, respiratory, 

locomotive and metabolic systems in 

more detail than has ever previously 

been possible, offering an unparalleled 

insight into the human body, how it 

works, and how best to look after yours. 

This life-changing experience is a 

unique convergence of art, science and 

education, defined by its creators’ 

missions: to make people more healthconscious 

– with nearly 70% of visitors 

leaving determined to lead a healthier 

lifestyle. 

Body Worlds is being brought to 

London by Peter Tabernal, who says: ‘ 

‘After years of preparation, we’re proud 

to be opening the flagship Body Worlds 

in the heart of central London. It’s the 

biggest Body Worlds ever and sure to be 

an epic, immersive journey to discover 

the magic and mysteries that lie 

underneath the skin. We’re incredibly 

grateful to the donors who have made 

this happen, and to Westminster 

Council for the warm welcome and 

support. We look forward to forming an 

integral part of the local economy and 

making a significant contribution to 

London’s cultural landscape.’ 

Permanent Body worlds exhibitions 

can currently be found in Amsterdam, 

Guben, Berlin and Heidelberg, with no 

fewer than 7 more travelling exhibitions 

currently found all over the world. What 

all of these exhibitions have in common, 

and what makes them unique, is the use 

of the most up-to-date plastination 

technology having been created by the 

inventor of the process Dr Gunther von 

Hagens, and its own morally and legally 

fair and robust donation programme. 

The glorious nineteenth century 

former Music Hall was built as part of 

the construction of Shaftesbury Avenue 

and is situated at 1 Piccadilly Circus. 

The building’s cultural history includes 

playing home in its early days to Dr 

Khan’s Delectable Museum of Anatomy. 

15 


16 

Samuel Barnett (Colin). Members of the cast of Allelujah!. Photos: Manuel Harlan. 

ALLELUJAH! 

The Bridge Theatre 

‘Nobody likes old people. Not even old 

people like old people,’ opines a man in a 

pinstripe suit. He turns out to be the 

Chairman of an NHS Trust fighting the 

closure of a local hospital, but you can 

hear Alan Bennett’s voice in this 

observation – not bitter, but twinkly eyed. 

It is possibly the truest statement in the 85 

year old playwright’s latest drama, 

‘Allelujah’, which is set in a geriatric ward 

and would almost certainly not be a top 

pick of most theatre goers, were it not 

from the pen of a man widely esteemed as 

a national treasure. 

The drama is both political and 

personal, if low key. Colin (Samuel 

Barnett) a lycra-clad racing cyclist on an 

athletic jaunt from London to visit his 

old Dad, has grown up to be a gay 

management consultant with no 

sympathy for the inefficient ‘cosiness’ of 

local hospitals. Indeed his advice to the 

Minister responsible has been to close it 

down. His Dad is an ex-coal miner who 

has never forgiven Colin for his sexual 

orientation, but vacillates between 

hostility and well-hidden paternal pride. 

Their relationship could be interesting, 

but it is frozen in a snapshot here. You 

could say old people’s personalities 

rarely develop – unless you count the 

mellowing due to memory loss. 

Other characters are also more two 

dimensions than three. There’s a line-up 

of old dears, of course, with their past 

lives sketched in like a faded 

watercolour. And there’s the staff – a 

jolly nurse who runs the geriatric choral 

society for example, resulting in unlikely 

bursts of song and dance on the ward, 

and a stentorian Sister who keeps a 

careful list of which patients succumb to 

incontinence (as you might suspect, this 

turns out badly in the end.) 

The most engaging persona on stage 

is the warm, intelligent and caring 

Dr Valentine, (Sacha Dhawan) an Indian 

medic who loves old people (the only 

one!), has anglicised his name in order 

to fit in locally and lives in terror of 

being repatriated since his visa ran out. 

We would empathise more with his trials 

if they were really believable, however. 

No matter how subtly obnoxious 

immigration officials may be, I doubt 

they would get away with requiring 

interviewees to sing ‘Land of Hope and 

Glory’ as a test of patriotism. 

On the other hand, the saving grace 

of the play is its musical interludes and 

those are far from realistic. Both Dhawan 

and Barnett get to sing solos and their 

voices are striking – Colin’s reluctant 

Sacha Dhawan (Dr Valentine) and 

Simon Williams (Ambrose). 

version of ‘Blow the Wind Southerly’ 

brings a lump to the throat. 

In the big numbers, dementia and 

disability, loneliness and death are all 

pushed joyfully aside as the 

octogenarians rise from their wheel 

chairs to belt out ‘Good Golly, Miss 

Molly’, ‘On the Sunny side of the Street’ 

and similar. They are reliving their youth 

and we live it with them – allelujah! 

Sue Webster 


18 

Photo: Matt Crockett. 

KINKY BOOTS REVEALS FIRST LOOK 

AT FINAL LONDON COMPANY 

A hit with audiences since it opened in 

September 2015, Kinky Boots, the winner 

of every major Best Musical award, will 

play its final performance at London’s 

Adelphi Theatre on 12 January 2019. After 

celebrating its third birthday in the West 

End in September, Kinky Boots will also 

embark on an extensive UK tour from 

autumn 2018 through 2019. 

With a book by Broadway legend and 

four-time Tony® Award-winner Harvey 

Fierstein (La Cage aux Folles), songs by 

Grammy® and Tony® Award-winning 

pop icon Cyndi Lauper and direction 

and choreography by two-time Tony® 

Award-winner Jerry Mitchell (Legally 

Blonde, Hairspray), this joyous musical 

celebration is about the friendships we 

discover, and the belief that you can 

change the world when you change your 

mind. 

Inspired by true events, Kinky Boots 

takes you from a gentlemen’s shoe factory 

in Northampton to the glamorous catwalks 

of Milan. Charlie Price is struggling to 

live up to his father’s expectations and 

continue the family business of Price & 

Son. With the factory’s future hanging in 

the balance, help arrives in the unlikely 

but spectacular form of Lola, a fabulous 

performer in need of some sturdy new 

stilettos. 

With direction and choreography by 

two-time Tony® Award-winner Jerry 

Mitchell (Legally Blonde, Hairspray), 

Kinky Boots is the winner of every major 

Best Musical award including three Olivier 

Awards, three WhatsOnStage Awards as 

well as six Broadway Tony® Awards. 

ARISTOCRATS 

Donmar until 22 September 

The ‘Big House’ in Lyndsey Turner’s 

slow burn revival of the late Brian Friel’s 

1979 family drama is tiny – Es Devlin’s 

design reduces Ballybeg Hall to a 

perfectly fitted out doll’s house which 

retains the memories of earlier days when 

life was very different for those born and 

raised there. 

The Catholic O’Donnells’ once splendid 

Georgian home is crumbling – just like 

the dying paterfamilias Father, a retired 

judge now reduced to communicating 

with his family via a baby monitor. Four of 

his adult offspring have gathered for the 

forthcoming marriage of the youngest – 

fragile, piano-playing Claire – to a much 

older and far from suitable man. This is 

no love match. 

But the siblings’ reunion proves to be 

the occasion of a funeral rather than a 

wedding. And, as visiting American 

academic Tom (there to research the 

‘upper strata of Roman Catholic society in 

rural Ireland’) soon realises, fact and 

fantasy merge in the memories of this 

dysfunctional family, historically isolated 

by status from the local villagers and by 

religion from wealthy Protestant 

landowners. 

Elaine Cassidy’s elegant, unhappy 

alcoholic Alice now lives in London with 

her husband. Older Judith (Eileen Walsh) 

who stayed at home is worn down by the 

efforts of caring for their father and a 

house falling into disrepair, despite the 

devoted efforts of David Ganly’s robust 

handyman, Willie. 

David Dawson invests misfit son 

Casimir (who admits that he might well 

have been seen as the village idiot had he 

come from a less privileged background) 

with a febrile intensity. Unable – or 

unwilling – to distinguish reality from 

fantasy, he’s constantly making attempts to 

establish telephone contact with a wife 

and children back in Hamburg (who may 

or may not exist) and recounting 

impossible details of past visitors to the 

house. 

And as Friel’s play (with its undeniable 

Chekhovian influence) progresses, the 

splendour of what once was is gradually 

revealed as, sliver by sliver, piece by 

piece, the layers are peeled away from the 

painted backdrop. 

Louise Kingsley 

Elaine Cassidy (Alice) and Emmet 

Kirwan (Eamon) in Aristocrats at the 

Donmar Warehouse. 

Photo: Johan Persson 


Kimberley Blake. 

NEW CAST FOR THE PHANTOM OF 

THE OPERA 

As The Phantom of the Opera heads 

in to its 33rd year, Andrew Lloyd Webber 

and Cameron Mackintosh have 

announced that Tim Howar will play 

‘The Phantom’ from 3 September to 

8 December. Also joining the cast will be 

Kimberly Blake as ‘Carlotta Giudicelli’ 

and Ross Dawes as ‘Monsieur Firmin’. 

Tim Howar joins Phantom following 

his recent triumph as ‘Freddie Trumper’ 

in Chess at the London Coliseum. His 

West End theatre credits include ‘Stacee 

Jaxx’ in ‘Rock of Ages’ at the Shaftesbury 

Theatre and Garrick Theatre, ‘Stu’ in 

‘Tonight’s The Night’ at the Victoria 

Palace and ‘Ozzie’ in ‘On The Town’ at 

the London Coliseum. 

In October 2016, the London 

production of The Phantom of the Opera 

celebrated its 30th Anniversary with a 

special gala performance at Her 

Majesty’s Theatre. It opened at Her 

Majesty's Theatre on 9 October 1986 

starred Michael Crawford as 'The 

Phantom' and Sarah Brightman as 

'Christine.' It is produced by Cameron 

Mackintosh and The Really Useful 

Theatre Company Limited. 

Her Majesty’s Theatre box office is 

on 020 7087 7762. 

PINTER AT THE PINTER 

Marking the 10th anniversary of the 

revered playwright’s death, Pinter at the 

Pinter features all Pinter’s short plays, 

alongside a selection of his poems and 

sketches. 

Pinter at the Pinter is an unparalleled 

event featuring the short plays written by 

the greatest British playwright of the 

20th Century, in the theatre that bears 

his name. They have never been 

performed together in a season of this 

kind. Each play runs for a limited 

number of performances. 

The season will be presented in 

repertoire by a world-class cast, many of 

whom were Harold Pinter’s friends and 

frequent collaborators. The cast includes 

Keith Allen, Jessica Barden, Ron Cook, 

Phil Davies, Danny Dyer, Paapa Essiedu, 

Lee Evans, Martin Freeman, Rupert 

Graves, Tamsin Greig, Jane Horrocks, 

Celia Imrie, John Macmillan, Emma 

Naomi, Tracy Ann Oberman, Kate 

O’Flynn, Jonjo O’Neill, Abraham 

Popoola, Sir Antony Sher, John Simm, 

Hayley Squires, Maggie Steed, David 

Suchet, Meera Syal, Luke Thallon, 

Russell Tovey, Penelope Wilton and 

Nicholas Woodeson. 

Mark Rylance will make two special 

charity performances of Art, Truth and 

Politics, Pinter’s Nobel Prize Lecture, in 

aid of the Stop the War Coalition. 

Harold Pinter. 

Photo: Martin Rosenbaum. 

WATERMILL THEATRE’S TWELFTH 

NIGHT AT WILTON’S MUSIC HALL 

Following the success of its run at 

The Watermill and its UK and 

international tour last year, The 

Watermill Ensemble will revive Twelfth 

Night at Wilton’s Music Hall from 12 to 

22 September. 

Renowned for its bold, progressive 

and collaborative approach to 

Shakespeare, The Watermill Ensemble 

re-imagines the play in the hedonistic 

1920s, where prohibition is rife. Fused 

with innovative staging and actormusicianship, 

the radical spirit of Duke 

Ellington and Ella Fitzgerald collides 

with the contemporary influence of 

Postmodern Jukebox to create a dizzying 

and beautiful version of Shakespeare’s 

perfect play. 

Twelfth Night is directed by Paul Hart 

and designed by Katie Lias. Sound 

design is by David Gregory, movement 

by Tom Jackson Greaves and musical 

direction by Ned Rudkins-Stow. 

Director, Paul Hart: ‘A jazz club seems 

the perfect setting for Twelfth Night, 

given the play's obsession with music, 

love and excess. Featuring live music 

performed by our multi-talented 

company, the soundtrack is 1920's 

influenced with a modern twist.’ 

Wilton’s is between Wapping and 

Whitechapel, close to the historic Tower 

of London and St Katherine Docks. 

Box office 020 7702 2789. 

Photo: Scott Rylander 

19 


20 

Cult! will be performed on Monday 

24 September as part of From Page to 

Stage. Cult! is a musical comedy based 

on the true psychological study of a 

modern day cult that predicted the end 

of the world. 

CASTING ANNOUNCED FOR THE 

SEVEN NEW MUSICALS 

The full cast has been announced for 

Aria Entertainment’s prestigious festival 

of new musical theatre, From Page To 

Stage (FPTS), which returns with gusto 

for a 6th successful year from 

September at London’s Southwark 

Playhouse. Jane Deitch has cast the 

37-strong company, who will each star 

in one of the seven brand new musicals 

featured in the 2018 festival. 

PLAYS 

FOXFINDER 

Olivier Award-winner Iwan Rheon stars in the 

West End premiere of Dawn King’s awardwinning 

thriller. The play explores belief, 

desire and responsibility as the Foxfinder 

arrives at a farm to investigate a potential 

contamination. 

AMBASSADORS THEATRE 

West Street, WC2 (020 7395 5405) 

ALLELUJAH! 

Alan Bennett’s new play is directed by 

Nicholas Hytner, and tells the story of a 

hospital in a small town in the Pennines 

threatened with closure as the NHS looks to 

improve efficiency. Until 29 September. 

BRIDGE THEATRE 

One Tower Bridge, SE1 (0843 208 1846) 

THE COMEDY ABOUT A BANK ROBBERY 

One enormous diamond, eight incompetent 

crooks and a snoozing security guard. What 

could possibly go right? 

CRITERION THEATRE 

Piccadilly Circus, (020 7492 0810) 

THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG 

A Polytechnic amateur drama group are 

putting on a 1920s murder mystery and 

everything that can go wrong... does! 

DUCHESS THEATRE 

Catherine Street, WC2 (0330 333 4810) 

KING LEAR 

Jonathan Munby’s explosive revival of 

Shakespeare’s epic tragedy with a celebrated 

cast led by Ian McKellen as the embittered 

monarch in a fractured kingdom. 

DUKE OF YORK’S THEATRE 

St Martin’s Lane, WC2 (020 7492 1552) 

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. 

FORTUNE THEATRE 

Russell Street, WC2 (0844 871 7626) 

PINTER ONE 

Opening the Pinter at the Pinter season is a 

dynamic collection of his most potent and 

dangerous political plays. 

HAROLD PINTER THEATRE 

Panton Street, SW1 (0844 871 7627) 

Royal National Theatre 

Plays in repertory 

OLIVIER THEATRE 

EXIT THE KING 

This great tragi-comedy is brought to life on 

stage this summer, the first time Eugène 

Ionesco’s work has been performed at the 

National Theatre. 

ANTONY & CLEOPATRA 

Ralph Fiennes and Sophie Okonedo play the 

famous fated couple. At the fringes of a wartorn 

empire the Egyptian Queen Cleopatra and 

Mark Antony have fallen fiercely in love. 

LYTTELTON THEATRE 

THE LEHMAN TRILOGY 

The story of a family and a company that 

changed the world, told in three parts on a 

single evening. With Simon Russell Beale, 

Adam Godley and Ben Miles. 

I'M NOT RUNNING 

David Hare's 18th play to open at the National 

Theatre, bringing his characteristic themes of 

British politics and public versus private 

relationships to the Lyttelton stage. 

DORFMAN THEATRE 

THE PRISONER 

Peter Brook and his long-time collaborator 

Marie-Hélène Estienne return to London with 

a provocative study of what it means to be free. 

STORIES 

Following the critically acclaimed Consent, 

Nina Raine returns to the National Theatre with 

A funny and touching new play about the 

fertilisation of an idea. 

NATIONAL THEATRE 

South Bank, SE1 (020 7452 3000) 

THE INHERITANCE: PART ONE 

Following a sold-out run at the Young Vic, 

Matthew Lopez's major two-part world 

premiere questions how much we owe to 

those who lived and loved before us. Directed 

by Stephen Daldry. 

NOEL COWARD THEATRE 

St. Martin’s Lane, WC2 (0844 482 5140) 

HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED 

CHILD PARTS I & II 

Stage play based on the Harry Potter franchise 

written by Jack Thorne, based on an original 

story by J.K Rowling. 

PALACE THEATRE 

Shaftesbury Avenue, W1 (0330 333 4813) 

THE JUNGLE 

Experience the intense, moving and uplifting 

encounters between refugees in the Calais 

camp from many different countries and the 

volunteers who arrived from the UK. 

PLAYHOUSE THEATRE 

Northumberland Ave, WC2 (0844 871 7631) 

FAULTY TOWERS DINING EXPERIENCE 

Inspired by one of Britain's greatest ever 

comedy series, this 2 hour interactive 

production is set in a restaurant where you the 

audience are the diners. 

RADISSON BLU EDWARDIAN 

Bloomsbury Street, (0845 1544 145) 

THE MOUSETRAP 

Agatha Christie’s whodunnit is the longest 

running play of its kind in the history of 

British theatre. 

ST MARTIN’S THEATRE 

West Street, WC2 (0844 499 1515) 

THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST 

Wilde’s much-loved masterpiece throws love, 

logic and language into the air to make one of 

theatre’s most dazzling firework displays. 

VAUDEVILLE THEATRE 

Strand, WC2 (020 7400 1257) 


MUSICALS 

KINKY BOOTS 

Inspired by a true story and based on the 

Miramax film, the show tells the story of 

Charlie Price who has reluctantly inherited his 

father's Northampton shoe factory. 

ADELPHI THEATRE 

Strand, WC2 (020 3725 7060) 

WICKED 

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 Road, SW1 (0844 826 8000) 

EVERYBODY’S TALKING ABOUT JAMIE 

New feel good musical starring John McCrea 

transfers to the West End. 

APOLLO THEATRE 


MATILDA 

Critically acclaimed Royal Shakespeare 

Company production of Roald Dahl’s book, 

directed by Matthew Warchus. 

CAMBRIDGE THEATRE 

Earlham Street, WC2 (0844 800 1110) 

BAT OUT OF HELL 

Following an acclaimed extended season last 

summer, Jay Scheib's stage musical, written 

by Jim Steinman and featuring Meat Loaf's 

greatest hits, returns to the West End. 

DOMINION THEATRE 

Tottenham Court Road, W1 (0845 200 7982) 

COMPANY 

Marianne Elliott directs Stephen Sondheim and 

George Furth’s musical about life, love and 

marriage. This iconic musical comedy with the 

lead role of ‘Bobby’ is re-imagined for the first 

time as a woman. 

GIELGUD THEATRE 


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 (0844 412 2707) 

THE KING & I 

The multi-award winning and critically 

acclaimed Lincoln Center Theater’s production 

of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s masterpiece. 

LONDON PALLADIUM 

Argyll Street, W1 (020 7087 7755) 

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 (0844 871 3000) 

THRILLER – LIVE 

High octane show celebrating the career of the 

King of Pop, Michael Jackson. Over two 

hours of the non-stop hit songs that marked 

his legendary live performances. 

LYRIC THEATRE 

Shaftesbury Avenue, WC2 (0330 333 4812) 

SCHOOL OF ROCK 

Andrew Lloyd Webber's new stage musical 

with lyrics by Glenn Slater and book by Julian 

Fellowes, adapted from the film. 

NEW LONDON THEATRE 

Drury Lane, WC2 (020 7492 0810) 

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. 

NOVELLO THEATRE 

Aldwych, WC2 (0844 482 5170) 

CHICAGO 

The award-winning tale of nightclub singer 

Roxie Hart, her cell-block rival Velma Kelly 

and the smooth-talking lawyer Billy Flynn. 

PHOENIX THEATRE 

Charing Cross Road, WC2 (0844 871 7627) 

STRICTLY BALLROOM 

New stage musical based on Baz Luhrmann's 

1992 film. The story of a championship 

ballroom dancer who defies the rules and 

follows his heart. 

PICCADILLY THEATRE 

Denman Street, W1 (0844 871 7630) 

ALADDIN 

The classic hit film has been brought to thrilling 

life on stage by Disney, featuring all the songs 

from the Academy Award winning score. 

PRINCE EDWARD THEATRE 

Old Compton Street, W1 (0844 482 5151) 

BOOK OF MORMON 

Broadway musical takes shots at everything 

from organised religion to consumerism, state 

of the economy and the musical theatre genre. 

PRINCE OF WALES THEATRE 

Coventry Street, W1 (0844 482 5115) 

LES MISERABLES 

A spectacularly staged version of Victor Hugo’s 

epic novel about an escaped convict’s 

search for redemption in Revolutionary France. 

QUEEN’S THEATRE 


LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS 

Major revival of the classic Howard Ashman 

and Alan Menken musical. Down and out skid 

row floral assistant Seymour discovers an 

exotic plant with a craving for fresh blood. 

REGENT’S PARK OPEN AIR THEATRE 

Inner Circle, NW1 (0844 826 4242) 

DREAMGIRLS 

Set in the USA during the late 1960s and 

early 1970s, the story follows a young female 

singing trio as they become music superstars. 

SAVOY THEATRE 

Strand, WC2 (020 7492 0810) 

MOTOWN THE MUSICAL 

Featuring all the much loved classics from 

Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder, and the Jackson 5, 

the show tells the story behind the hits. 

SHAFTESBURY THEATRE 


42ND STREET 

The song and dance, American dream fable, 

where a small town girl, Peggy Sawyer’s rise 

from chorus line to Broadway star. 

THEATRE ROYAL 

Drury Lane, WC2 (020 7492 0810) 

HEATHERS 

An adaptation of the classic 1980s movie 

features sensational brand-new songs, and 

stars Carrie Hope Fletcher as Veronica 

THEATRE ROYAL HAYMARKET 

Haymarket SW1 (020 7930 8800) 

HAMILTON 

Lin-Manuel Miranda's multi award-winning 

musical, based on Ron Chernow's biography 

of one of the American Founding Fathers, 

Alexander Hamilton. 

VICTORIA PALACE THEATRE 

Victoria Street, SW1 (0844 248 5000) 

Michael Jibson in Hamilton. 

Photo: Matthew Murphy. 

21 


22 

VIET LOUNGE 

It’s been a while since I was in Hanoi. 

I remember wonderful food, smiley 

people, a lot of sizzling pans and the 

sort of delicious tropical heat that hits 

you like a wall as you step out of an 

aeroplane. 

In fact Viet Food, at the southern end 

of Soho’s Wardour Street, is a lot like 

that. Minus the heat. If I spent a lot of 

time in W1 (instead of running all over 

town trying new places), I would go 

there at least once a week, because the 

flavours and authenticity of the cooking 

are inspiring and it’s not expensive – 

despite its ownership by ex-Hakkasan 

chef Jeff Tan. 

There is just one downside to the 

place – everyone likes it. You know you 

will have to queue at busy times and the 

tables are close together – the 

atmosphere is more cosmopolitan 

hubbub than tranquil dining, shall we 

say. Cheer up though – because now 

there is Viet Lounge on the top floor. It’s 

a cocktail bar with small plates of food 

and (blessed relief!) not too many 

people have discovered it yet. 

That will change. Still at 19.30 in the 

evening, we enjoyed the relative calm 

and even engaged in desultory 

conversation with the very smiley 

Vietnamese barman, who is clearly 

thrilled to be dispensing Asian-style 

cocktails, so we gathered from his 

demeanour and we also gathered that 

the bar is partly French influenced as the 

term came up several times. Beyond that 

we ourselves could be accused of 

nodding and smiling somewhat inanely 

as on comparing notes we realised that 

the poor chap’s English is so heavily 

accented we hadn’t understood very 

much at all. But so authentic! 

His cocktails are impressive. We saw 

purple ones with dry ice streaming off 

the top, green ones full of mint leaves, 

orange ones with tiny flowers. 

Blackberries, lychees, ginger, 

lemongrass and lime are the sort of 

ingredients which presumably add zing 

and I say presumably because cocktails 

are not my thing – they make you fall off 

your chair and given that we were 

perched on very high wooden bar stools 

(remind me to bring my own cushion 

next time) I think that was sensible. The 

wines are great though – both the Gavi 

and the Viognier (£7.50 and £5.50) 

amongst the whites by the glass are very 

drinkable both with and without the 

spicy food. 

The food is fantastic. Why don’t we 

cook like this at home? (Answer: way too 

much trouble.) I tried to be scornful of 

the ‘spices rice crakers [sic]’ which my 

friend ordered but even these were tasty 

and seemed vaguely wholesome, as 

opposed to the empty carbohydrate I 

meant to castigate her for. Save 

yourselves, though, for dishes such as 

the Hanoi beef (£7.20) which is a row of 

little slow-cooked cubes dipped in black 

pepper crumble sitting on a hollow bone 

– sweet and low-key fiery at once. Even 

my friend ate this and she alleges to be 

vegetarian, but maybe that doesn’t matter 

on a Thursday? More her style were the 

fish dishes like Pomelo salad with fresh 

water prawns and homemade chilli 

sauce (£6.80), although I would say the 

prawns which are char-grilled with garlic 

and served with vinegar lemongrass 

dressing (£8.80) are the best. Sweetcorn 

crab balls (£6.50) spiked on a stick of 

lemongrass are one of those cunning 

things that could easily be chicken – a 

delightful mouthful of soft spiciness in 

your mouth which you would just 

continue to eat if there were no limit to 

the portion. 

In truth, it’s all good and I don’t often 

say that. Everything is pretty on the 

plate. The bar guests come and go, 

making an entertaining parade of human 

interest. Try it – it’s a great place to wait 

if you feel like eating downstairs, too 

and frankly if your derriere is not well 

padded you will feel more like lingering 

there. 

Sue Webster 

VIET LOUNGE 

34-36 Wardour Street, W1D 6QT 

Tel: 020 7494 4555

This Is London Sept 14th

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?