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WINNER
2019
A ROYAL SHAKESPEARE COMPANY CO-PRODUCTION
WITH THE FUGARD THEATRE
IN ASSOCIATION WITH ERIC ABRAHAM
HHHHH
‘A remarkable
AND MOVING
NEW PLAY ’
GUARDIAN
HHHH HHHH
THE TIMES
THE STAGE
FINANCIAL TIMES
OBSERVER
HHHH HHHH
THE SUNDAY TIMES
HHHH HHHH
WHATSONSTAGE
LIMITED LONDON SEASON
24 JANUARY - 28 MARCH
KuneneAndTheKing.com
AMBASSADORS THEATRE
Photography by Paul Stuart & Claude Barnardo © RSC
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CONTENTS
Events 4
Lightopia at Chiswick House & Gardens
The Japan Foundation Touring Films
Bekele takes on Kipchoge
Music 8
London Symphony Orchestra Gospels
Come From Away Celebrate New Cast
Exhibitions 12
Peaks & Glaciers at
John Mitchell Fine Paintings
The Big Game at Hard Rock Cafe
Body Worlds London
Theatre 16
The Welkin
Kunene and The King
Proprietor Julie Jones
Publishing Consultant Terry Mansfield CBE
Associate Publisher Beth Jones
Editorial Sue Webster Louise Kingsley Jackie Hawken
© This is London Magazine Limited
This is London at the Olympic Park
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Fish Island, London E3 2PA
Telephone: 020 7434 1281
www.til.com
www.thisislondonmagazine.com
Welcome to London
The Royal Observatory Greenwich is preparing for an evening of
Valentine fun with a romantically themed planetarium show and a chance
to look at the night sky through a giant historic telescope.
Visitors can enjoy some time on the Meridian Line with an amazing view
and a warming hot drink. The event provides an opportunity to visit the
Royal Observatory Greenwich after hours and to meet the team of
astronomers with whom guests can discuss topics from historical astronomy
right through to the contemporary exploration of the universe.
The Valentine’s Evenings will take place on 8 and 14 February, with
various timeslots to choose from 17.25 onwards.
© National Maritime Museum, London.
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.
VISITOR INFORMATION
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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
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Antonio Verrio The Sea Triumph of Charles II
c.1674 The Royal Collection Trust
© Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2019
BRITISH BAROQUE: POWER AND
ILLUSION AT TATE BRITAIN
Opening at Tate Britain on 4 February,
British Baroque: Power and Illusion will
be the first ever exhibition to focus on
baroque culture in Britain. From the
Restoration of Charles II in 1660 to the
death of Queen Anne in 1714, the
exhibition explores the rich connections
between art and power in this oftenoverlooked
era. The show includes many
new discoveries and works shown in
public for the first time, many on loan
from the stately homes for which they
were originally made.
The baroque is usually associated
with the pomp and glory of European
courts, epitomised by that of Louis XIV,
but baroque visual culture also thrived
in Britain under very different
circumstances. From the royal court’s
heyday as the brilliant epicentre of the
nation’s cultural life, to the dramatic shift
in power that saw the dominance of
party politics, this exhibition shows how
magnificence was used to express status
and influence. As well as outstanding
paintings by the leading artists of the
day, including Sir Peter Lely, Sir Godfrey
Kneller and Sir James Thornhill, the
show also uncovers pivotal works by
lesser known names.
NEW DECADE, NEW INTENT AT
HACKNEY EMPIRE
At the start of a new decade, Hackney
Empire plans to build on its commitment
to community and championing of
young people, alongside an exciting
programme of work for audiences to
enjoy, plus innovative collaborations
with artists, venues and theatre makers
around the country.
Since Artistic Director Yamin Choudury
and Executive Director Jo Hemmant were
appointed in 2018, the theatre has seen an
average of 83% new bookers for many
productions – a huge achievement for a
1000+ seater theatre in London. In 2018-
19 there were over 62 productions with
over 100,000 people attending.
Previous collaborations with theatres
and organisations include Birmingham
Repertory Theatre, RSC, Scottish Opera,
Royal Court, English Touring Opera and
LIFT Festival. The theatre will now expand
upon and increase collaborations in the
future, and in autumn 2020, Headlong
Theatre will bring their first production to
the venue – August Wilson’s Jitney,
playing from 20-25 October as part of its
UK tour. Debris Stevenson’s hit show Poet
in Da Corner will finish its national tour at
Hackney Empire, and the venue are
working to develop her new show,
Write to Rave.
Hackney Empire Artistic Director, Yamin
Choudury. Photo: Katherine Leesdale.
Hackney Empire.
IT'S ON! BEKELE TAKES ON
KIPCHOGE
The gladiatorial match-up the whole
world has been waiting for – Eliud
Kipchoge versus Kenenisa Bekele – is
on and will take place this April at the
2020 Virgin Money London Marathon.
The two greatest distance runners in
history and the two fastest men ever over
the marathon distance will go head to
head on the streets of London on
Sunday 26 April in a contest the world
has been waiting to see.
Kipchoge and Bekele have previously
met four times over the marathon
distance, including twice at the Virgin
Money London Marathon (2016 and
2018), with Kipchoge coming out on top
each time. But Bekele has the better
head-to-head record over all distances
and surfaces.
The two men spearhead the elite
men’s field at the 2020 Virgin Money
London Marathon which also includes
the second and third-placed finishers
from last year, Ethiopia’s Mosinet
Geremew and Mule Wasihun.
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Power UP at the Science Museum
© Benjamin Ealovega, Science Museum Group.
YOUNG PLANET APP
A new first-of-its-kind app,
YoungPlanet, helps parents keep kids’
stuff out of landfill, declutter their home
and curb the high cost of raising little
ones who grow up so fast. YoungPlanet
enables parents to turn outgrown toys
into items other families can enjoy, all
completely for free.
In addition to cutting out waste, it is
also setting out to give families equal
access to childrens’ items and help curb
child poverty issues. After a successful
beta in Hackney, where rates of child
poverty are some of the highest in the
UK, the app is launching London-wide
with a strong community and hundreds
of items already being shared.
POWER UP RETURNS TO THE
SCIENCE MUSEUM THIS SPRING
This spring sees the return of the
Science Museum’s interactive gaming
extravaganza, Power UP, featuring the
very best video games, computers and
consoles from the last five decades.
Featuring 160 consoles and hundreds
of games from retro arcade classics to
the latest in virtual reality, Power UP will
take visitors on an immersive journey
through the history of gaming. From
Pong on the 1970s Binatone and Pac-
Man – which celebrates its 40th year –
on an Atari 2600 through to the latest
PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo and more,
Power UP will explore the evolution of
the console, allowing gaming fans and
novices to discover the latest in gaming
technology and experience the classics
that continue to inspire game makers
around the world.
Alistair Otto, Associate Commercial
Director at the Science Museum Group,
said: ‘Video games have captivated
audiences since the humble Pong
launched in 1972 and have continued to
evolve as platforms for storytelling,
while remaining at the frontier of
advancing technologies. At Power UP
visitors can travel in time from the
earliest consoles to the latest in VR,
experiencing the thrill of gaming through
the ages while discovering the
technology and future possibilities of
this truly exciting field.'
WHY BEETHOVEN THREW THE
STEW – HALF TERM WITH THE LPO
As the world celebrates Ludwig van
Beethoven’s 250th birthday in 2020, the
London Philharmonic Orchestra takes to
Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall
stage for a live FUNharmonics family
concert during half term on Sunday
16 February (at midday), introducing
families to one of the most famous –
and brilliant – composers in the history
of music.
Inspired by the book of the same
name by cellist Steven Isserlis, this
concert explores some of the best
moments from some of Beethoven’s
greatest orchestral music, as well as
revealing the real man behind the music.
The audience will get the chance to
guess Beethoven’s mood from the
music, conduct the Orchestra just like he
did, and join in to sing with the LPO, all
while finding out more about his life and
what he was like.
The concert will be presented by
Rachel Leach and conducted by Ben
Glassberg and also includes a new work
by Rachel Leach performed alongside
excerpts of Beethoven’s most popular
orchestral works.
In addition to the concert, the LPO
also present free hands-on activities
around Southbank Centre between 10.00
and 12.00. Children aged 6+ with a
concert ticket can ‘have a go’ at different
orchestral instruments under expert
instruction, take part in a singing
workshop, or get creative with drop-in
arts and crafts activities on the Clore
Ballroom.
The London Philharmonic Orchestra
– widely regarded as one of the world’s
finest orchestras working on the
international stage – has brought the
wonder of orchestral music to children
for decades through its FUNharmonics
concerts. These much-loved, hour long
concerts offer an engaging and fun
introduction to classical music for
children aged 6 and over.
For tickets, telephone the LPO Box
Office on 020 7840 4242.
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Andre J Thomas.
Photo: Lisa Kohler.
LONDON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
FULL SYMPHONIC GOSPEL CONCERT
On Sunday 1 March, leading American
gospel music specialist André J Thomas
will conduct the London Symphony
Orchestra in their first ever full concert of
gospel symphonic music. The evening
will bring together the full orchestra, a
400-strong choir comprising the London
Adventist Chorale, with LSO Community
Choir, Hannah Brine Choirs, Hackney
Empire Community Choir, and Milton
Keynes Community Choir with guest
soloists, NaGuanda Nobles, Jason
Dungee and Brandon Boyd.
André J Thomas said: ‘This concert
brings together two forms of music that
are indigenous to African Americans: the
slave song as spiritual and the gospel
song which came after emancipation and
grew out of the spiritual. Now we’re
putting that in symphonic setting, with
full orchestra and choir. This is music of
the soul, of a people who were so close
to music. It’s music about their lives. As
Africans, that’s a crucial part of our
expression – in the African village
everyone dances and sings. That
extended itself to the time of slavery; add
the religious element on top, and it
creates something incredibly powerful.’
Kathryn McDowell, Managing Director
of the LSO added: ‘Every year, LSO Sing,
the umbrella title for our range of singing
projects for vocal enthusiasts of all ages,
gets stronger and stronger, with an everbroadening
repertoire. For our Christmas
Concert in 2018 we added a gospel
element, and received such a wonderful
warm response from our audiences and
had a great time performing the music that
the Orchestra decided it was time to
present a full evening with gospel music
at the heart. I am delighted that this has
come to fruition. It’s a pleasure to
welcome André J Thomas to conduct, and
a thrill that on stage we have the
wonderful London Adventist Chorale
under the leadership of Ken Burton, and
most of all, that we will be bringing
together four community choirs to raise
the roof of the Barbican Hall.’
The programme for the evening will
be in two parts: opening the evening will
be selection of well-known and less
familiar spirituals, with André J Thomas’
own composition Gospel Mass – A
Celebration of Love and Joy forming the
second part of the evening.
CELEBRATING WITH BEETHOVEN
In 1971, a twenty-one-year-old
pianist burst onto the classical music
scene with a hugely acclaimed debut
recital. He was no stranger to public
performance having performed on stage
at the Royal Festival Hall aged 10, and
on TV aged 11 and, fresh out of the
Royal College of Music where he had
not only gained entry on a scholarship
but had been awarded the premier prize
in his first year, he made quite an
impression. His debut was quickly
followed by a blistering performance
with the London Symphony Orchestra in
the BBC Proms under the baton of
Michael Tilson Thomas.
Fast forward forty-eight years and
piano virtuoso Howard Shelley OBE is
about to celebrate his seventieth birthday
– at the piano, naturally – with a
performance at St John’s Smith Square
of all Beethoven’s five piano concertos in
a single afternoon, conducting the
London Mozart Players from the
keyboard, the orchestra he has
performed with for forty-five years.
‘Celebrating with Beethoven’ marks an
important milestone in Howard’s
extraordinary career that has seen him
perform at the piano with all the leading
orchestras and conductors.
London Symphony Orchestra. Photo: Mark Allan.
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
Photo: Matthew Murphy
COME FROM AWAY CELEBRATES SECOND YEAR WITH NEW CAST
As the Olivier Award-winning ‘Best New Musical’ Come
From Away enters its second year in the West End, there will
be new cast members from Monday 10 February.
This joyous musical tells the
remarkable true story of 7,000 stranded
air passengers during the wake of 9/11,
and the small town in Newfoundland that
welcomed them. Cultures clashed, and
nerves ran high, but as uneasiness turned
into trust, music soared into the night and
gratitude grew into enduring friendships.
On 11 September 2001 the world
stopped. On 12 September, their stories
moved us all.
The multi award-winning musical
continues sold-out, record-breaking
engagements on Broadway, in Canada, in
Australia and on a 60-city North American
Tour. It has recently been announced that
a tour of China will commence in
Shanghai from May 2020, and a feature
film adaptation is in the works.
The new cast of Come From Away in
the West End will include Tarinn
Callender, James Doherty, Alice Fearn,
Kate Graham, and Alasdair Harvey, with
Ricardo Castro, Stuart Hickey, Sorelle
Marsh, Micha Richardson and Matthew
Whennell-Clark. They join Jenna Boyd,
Mary Doherty, Mark Dugdale, Jonathan
Andrew Hume, Harry Morrison, Emma
Salvo, Cat Simmons and Chiara Baronti,
Alexander McMorran and Jennifer Tierney.
In addition to winning 4 Olivier
Awards (London) including ‘Best New
Musical’, Come From Away has scooped
multiple awards all across North
America: the Tony Award for ‘Best
Direction of a Musical’, 5 Outer Critics
Circle Awards (NYC) including
‘Outstanding New Broadway Musical’,
3 Drama Desk Awards (NYC) including
‘Outstanding Musical’ and 4 Helen
Hayes Awards (Washington DC)
including ‘Outstanding Production of a
Musical’.
Come From Away was originally
co-produced in 2015 by La Jolla
Playhouse and Seattle Repertory Theatre,
and presented in 2016 by Ford’s Theatre
in Washington DC and Mirvish
Productions at the Royal Alexandra
Theatre in Toronto, Canada, all in
partnership with Junkyard Dog
Productions.
Come From Away is produced in the
UK by Junkyard Dog Productions and
Smith & Brant Theatricals. The European
premiere of Come From Away was
co-produced with the Abbey Theatre,
Ireland’s National Theatre.
Tickets from the Box Office on
0844 871 7615.
MAGIC GOES WRONG EXTENDS TO
AUGUST 2020
Mischief Theatre, the Olivier awardwinning
company behind The Play That
Goes Wrong, have announced a new
booking period for Magic Goes Wrong,
with tickets now on sale until 30 August.
Created with magic legends Penn &
Teller, this is the second production as
part of Mischief Theatre’s residency at
the Vaudeville Theatre.
Mischief Theatre’s other current
London productions are The Play That
Goes Wrong and The Comedy About A
Bank Robbery, performing at the
Duchess Theatre and Criterion Theatre.
Tickets from the box office telephone
0330 333 4814.
ROYAL COLLEGE OF MUSIC OPERA
STUDIO PRESENTS TRIPLE-BILL
This season, on 16, 17, 19 & 21
March, the Royal College of Music
Opera Studio is to present a triple bill of
French-language operas from three of
the world’s most celebrated composers:
Britten, Debussy and Ravel.
This trio of Gallic-inspired one-act
works celebrates the French language
through elegant libretti and showcases
the versatility of the Royal College of
Music’s talented young singers. All three
pieces are given a contemporary setting
by director Olivia Fuchs (pictured), who
draws on the shared theme of searching
for one’s identity to create a cohesive yet
varied programme.
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Acosta Danza Temporada Verano.
Photo: Santiel Rodriguez.
ACOSTA DANZA MAKE THEIR
LINBURY THEATRE DEBUT
Former Principal dancer of The Royal
Ballet Carlos Acosta is bringing his
acclaimed Cuban company Acosta
Danza to the Royal Opera House from
13 to 24 February. Making their debut in
the Linbury Theatre, The Royal Ballet’s
international stage for dance, the
company present a varied bill of five
contemporary works created by
internationally acclaimed
choreographers.
Rafael Bonachela is to present
Soledad, an evocative pas de deux set to
music by Chavela Vargas and Gideon
Kremer which receives its UK premiere
during this run. Maria Rovira’s Impronta,
a work created specifically for Acosta
Danza is also performed for the first time
in the UK alongside Marianela Boán’s El
cruce sobre el Niágara [The Crossing
Over Niagra], based on Alonso Alegría’s
play about 19th-century tightrope walker
Charles Blondin, who famously crossed
Niagra Falls bearing his friend on his
shoulders.
Russell Maliphant’s acclaimed solo
Two also features and is performed by
Carlos Acosta, and the bill is completed
with the world premiere of Mundo
Interpretado (Interpreted World), a new
work by Juliano Nunes, returning to the
Royal Opera House following his 2019
debut with Two Sides Of..., presented as
part of New Work New Music.
TANZTHEATER WUPPERTAL PINA
BAUSCH UK PREMIERE
Staged for the first time in over 29
years and receiving its UK premiere at
Sadler’s Wells is Pina Bausch’s early
monumental masterpiece Bluebeard.
Following eight performances at Opera
House Wuppertal, the acclaimed
production arrives at Sadler’s Wells from
Wednesday 12 to Saturday 15 February.
The work first premiered in 1977 and
was presented in 12 cities until the mid
90’s, including Cologne, Los Angeles,
Venice, Paris and Tokyo.
Bausch uses Bartók's Opera as a
world of direct images, focussing on the
hopeless lack of understanding between
man and woman. A brave experiment
combining elements from different
genres, it is a disturbing and, at the
same time, a moving balancing act
across various forms of love, tenderness
and violence.
43 years after its world premiere, the
new restaging is led by rehearsal
directors Helena Pikon and Barbara
Kaufmann as well as original cast
members Jan Minarik and Beatrice
Libonati. Pina Bausch wrote dance
history. She not only founded the worldfamous
company in Wuppertal, she
shaped a whole genre – dance theatre –
and influenced countless other artists,
choreographers and directors worldwide
who credit her and her work.
Ticket Office: 020 7863 8000.
HOLY WEEK FESTIVAL 2020 AT
ST JOHN’S SMITH SQUARE
Returning for a fourth successive
year, St John’s Smith Square and
Tenebrae are to present the Holy Week
Festival 2020 running from 5-12 April.
Curated in partnership with Tenebrae
and Nigel Short, St John’s Smith Square
will host workshops, ticketed concerts
and free late-night liturgical events
exploring a vast range of sacred music
in celebration of Holy Week. New for
2020 is a focus on mental health and
wellbeing, including a pre-concert panel
discussion on music and lamentation
(8 April), and a guided meditation to
open the Festival ahead of a reflective
concert from Siglo de Oro (5 April).
In creating the Holy Week Festival,
Nigel Short wanted to curate a festival
that celebrates the choral music of Lent
under one roof, where people can really
immerse themselves and reflect on
music and the Easter story.
Pina Bausch: Bluebeard. Photo: Maarten Vanden Abeele. Nigel Short. Photo: Sim Cannetty-Clarke.
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
LIGHTOPIA MAKES LONDON DEBUT
AT CHISWICK HOUSE
Lightopia makes its London debut at
the stunning Chiswick House and
Gardens until 1 March, inviting visitors
to become Lightopians and explore the
interactive and immersive city of light
and stories. The handmade, silk
installations combine ancient techniques
of Chinese lantern making with modern
technology to create a magical new
world, with the theme for this year’s
inaugural event being ‘Harmony.'
The event will feature acrobats,
musicians and 47 groups of light
installations, including the Tree of Light
centrepiece – a 10m tall sculpture,
surrounded by 20 drums, which
Lightopians use to change the tree's
colours illuminating the night sky,
ensuring an ever-changing installation
which allows visitors to become a part of
the artistic experience.
Elsewhere, a stunning 18m peacock
will synchronise with music, as light
pulses through its wings in time with the
beat. And a breathtaking field of 70,000
individual roses will flicker and blaze
across an expanse of land. Other
installations include buttons on the floor
which create light shows when stepped
on; paths of wintry flowers and an
interactive Zodiac Sign piece.
The Keys of Life piece invites guests
to walk through illuminated, keyholeshaped
doors, while the Rainbow Tunnel
and Angel Wings provide the perfect
backdrop for Instagram-ready
photographs.
Chiswick House will also play a key
role in the exhibition, as state-of- the-art
3D video mapping creates a visual
masterpiece across its grand exterior,
bringing the story of Lightopia to life.
The festival will incorporate street food
stalls, licensed bars and a kid’s zone
where children can enjoy a fairytale
world of candy, flowers and rides.
Ian Xiang, Creative Director of
Lightopia, says: 'We have designed a
world in which light, sculpture and art
combine with traditional, Chinese
lantern-making techniques to create
something London has never seen
before – a world where guests are not
just invited to view the show, but to
become a vital part of it. Many of the
exhibits will react differently depending
on who is manipulating the lights, so the
experience will change from person to
person, night to night. Lightopia is a
celebration of techniques old and new,
of art and design and of course, the
people who come to experience it. We
are inviting visitors to become a part of
Lightopia and help create art as you
move around the beautiful gardens of
Chiswick House.'
The installations have been designed
by contemporary artist, Ava Moradi, with
a mission to create an immersive artistic
experience for visitors of all ages.
Moradi has exhibited and created art and
installations internationally for over ten
years. She is a UK based artist who lives
and works with one foot planted firmly in
Europe and the other in Asia.
Ava’s artistic practice is inclusive of
many mediums; she creates two
dimensional and three dimensional
installations around the world that
explore the concepts of possibility and
potential. The dynamics created by the
participation of the audience with the
pieces allow for a rich social experience
within a contemplative ambiance.
She adds: ‘All of the pieces explore
this year’s theme of Harmony, which is
central to the world of Lightopia. Visitors
must work in harmony to control the
pieces, and each installation is loaded
with stories and symbolism exploring
this powerful theme.'
For further details on the Festival and
opening times, visit the website at
www.lightopiafestival.com
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artists, the specialist mountain painter,
James Hart-Dyke and work by
landscapist, Michael Bennallack Hart.
As well as representing the better
known mountains and resorts, such as
Chamonix, Zermatt, Megève, Tignes,
Grindelwald, Davos, Klosters and Mürren
to name but a few, the exhibition also
traces the changes that have occurred in
the Alps over the last 150 years. Today,
these changes are all the more visible and
relevant due to a changing climate in what
was once dubbed in the late nineteenth
century as The Playground of Europe.
William Mitchell of John Mitchell Fine
Paintings is the leading specialist in
Alpine art and combines his interest in
mountaineering with the history of the
PEAKS & GLACIERS AT JOHN MITCHELL FINE PAINTINGS
Every winter since 2001, John Mitchell Fine Paintings has
put on a specialist exhibition of paintings, drawings and
vintage photographs of the Alps.
Peaks & Glaciers offers works from
the mid-1800s to the present day with
an emphasis on views painted by
specialist Alpine painters – ‘peintresalpinistes’
– who were both artists and
climbers, for example, Edward Theodore
Compton, Gabriel Loppé, Charles-Henri
Contencin, Franz Schrader and Jacques
Fourcy. This year’s Peaks & Glaciers will
also include paintings by two living
Alps and in 2018 wrote the first book
about the French painter and mountaineer,
Gabriel Loppé (1825-1913).
Peaks & Glaciers 2020 will show
circa. 50 pictures by Swiss, French,
German, Austrian, British and American
artists with prices starting from £500 to
£50,000. Given the variety of subject
matter: high-altitude views, glaciers and
Alpine valleys at all times of the year, the
exhibition appeals to a wide-ranging
audience whether avid climbers, skiers
or walkers. The gallery also holds a
large stock of vintage photographs of the
Alps dating from the 1870s onwards.
A fully illustrated catalogue is
available from the gallery at £20 and
online at www.johnmitchell.net
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
THE JAPAN FOUNDATION TOURING
FILM PROGRAMME
The Japan Foundation Touring Film
Programme returns to London from
31 January with a theme of ‘Happiness',
touring 22 cities nationwide. From
contemporary dramas to anime and
classics, it is the largest of its kind
focusing on Japanese cinema in the UK.
It will showcase 20 Japanese films, most
of which have never been screened in
the UK.
Happiness is a staple theme in
Japanese cinema and it is within its
framework that the Japan Foundation
Touring Film Programme 2020 has been
curated, showcasing diverse cinematic
voices which explore the highs and lows
experienced in pursuit of happiness.
Embracing the rich and complex
spectrum of emotions that go hand in
hand with this concept, the programme
presents a comprehensive line-up of
unique films which shine a light on the
best Japanese cinema has to offer, from
critically acclaimed documentary I Go
Gaga, My Dear which explores the
realities of geriatric care in Japan’s
ageing society, to Kon Ichikawa’s
(Director of Tokyo Olympiad) stylish
classic of the silver screen Ten Dark
Women, and international film festival
circuit darlings such as Jesus, And Your
Bird Can Sing, and Organ – there is
something for everyone’s taste.
The Japan Foundation Touring Film
Programme is the largest of its kind in
the UK and is produced and organised
by the Japan Foundation. The
organisation promotes international
cultural exchange between Japan and the
rest of the world by organising projects
as well as providing financial support
through grant programmes in the fields
of Arts and Culture, Japanese language
and Japanese studies.
For tickets and information on
London screenings, visit www.ica.art
LUCIE JONES LIVE AT THE ADELPHI
Lucie Jones Live at the Adelphi will
be a celebration of all that Lucie has
achieved to date across her multiplatform
career, and will be accompanied
by the 22-piece London Musical Theatre
Orchestra. The show will be packed with
old classics and modern hits, and will
feature stories from Lucie’s remarkable
career.
The performance at the Adelphi
Theatre on 16 February, will be recorded
and released as a live album, available
in Spring 2020.
Joining Lucie on stage will be guest
artists, fellow Welsh musical star John
Owen Jones and her Waitress co-star
Marisha Wallace.
Lucie was a finalist in the 2009 series
of The X Factor. She toured the UK
playing to sell out arena crowds on The
X Factor tour in 2010.
In January 2017, Lucie won the
public vote on BBC2 show Eurovision –
You Decide with her original song,
‘Never Give Up On You’. She competed
at the Eurovision World Final in Ukraine.
John Owen Jones is a West End and
Broadway actor and singer. John is best
known for his performances as Jean
Valjean in Les Misérables and as The
Phantom in The Phantom of the Opera.
For tickets, telephone the box office
on 020 7087 7753.
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KICKSTART 2020 WITH A TRIP TO
BODY WORLDS LONDON
The nation is still collectively
groaning at the amount of calories
consumed over the festive season and
the complete lack of exercise undertaken
during the Christmas holidays so if you
are looking for some inspiration for the
year ahead, step forward Body Worlds
London, the top anatomy museum based
in Piccadilly Circus where visitors get a
unique and unprecedented look at what
goes on under the skin.
The exhibition fuses science, art and
health education whilst offering a
fascinating and fun insight into the
human body. Body Worlds London uses
over 200 real ‘plastinated’ human bodies
and body parts, as well as interactive
displays to take visitors on a journey
through everything from diet and
cholesterol to the beating heart,
pregnancy and reproduction, all in more
detail than has ever been previously
possible. Visitors also learn all about the
impact certain lifestyle choices have on
our bodies, as the exhibition looks at
things like smoking, eating healthily and
how our mental health can affect our
physical wellbeing.
New for 2020, Body Worlds London
are introducing ‘organ of the month’.
With themed activities and
collaborations with relevant charities, the
scheme kicks off with the liver in
January. The whole month will be
dedicated to the second largest organ of
the human body – one that will no doubt
have been tested to the max over the
Christmas period. Partnering up with
The British Liver Trust for ‘Love Your
Liver Month’, Body Worlds London aim
to show visitors just how amazing the
liver is, giving them the opportunity to
see real plastinated human livers and
how lifestyle choices can impact them.
The ever-popular Junior Doctors
programme is back for 2020, as budding
young physicians get the chance to go
on a bespoke tour of the exhibition with
a real-life medic, who can answer all
their questions about the human body,
no matter how weird or wonderful.
Aimed at children aged 7 – 13, this
unique experience expands young
inquisitive minds and boggles little
brains as they don their white lab coats
and stethoscopes and even graduate
with a special Junior Doctors certificate.
Even January’s ‘London Lates’
evening is themed around the liver, with
Friday 31 January playing host to the
first Body Worlds London Detox Grotto,
featuring music, non-alcoholic cocktails,
a quiz all about liver health and Love
Your Liver games.
The first Friday of every month sees
Body Worlds London welcome a group
of artists into the exhibition as they
capture the human form on paper for
Artist Days; all budding artists have the
chance to spend the day developing
their anatomical drawing skills.
Whether it’s a New Year’s Resolution
to stop smoking, to eat healthier or to
simply treat your body a little bit better
in 2020, Body Worlds London is the
place to inspire that fresh start.
Body Worlds exhibitions are the most
successful travelling exhibitions in the
world. On display since 1995, they have
attracted more than 50 million visitors in
over 130 cities across America, Africa,
Asia, and Europe. BODY WORLDS can
currently be found in Amsterdam,
Guben, Berlin and Heidelberg.
TUTANKHAMUN QUIZ NIGHT AT
SAATCHI GALLERY
On Friday 31 January, Culture Trip
are presenting an Egyptian-themed quiz
night at Saatchi Gallery, where attendees
have the chance to win prizes and enjoy
music by Soho Radio DJs Simone Marie
and Jon More, as well as enjoy access
to Tutankhamun: Treasures of the Golden
Pharaoh exhibition, all for the same
price as a standard museum entry ticket.
The exhibition commemorates the 100th
anniversary of the discovery of
Tutankhamun's tomb and the final chance
to see these world heritage artefacts before
they return to Egypt forever.
Junior Doctors at Body Worlds London. Photo: Jeff Moore.
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
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The Welkin at the National Theatre.
A grid-like series of open-sided
rooms shows twelve women at their
individual tasks – all of them menial.
Churning butter, pounding laundry,
wringing sheets, mending clothes,
stirring cooking pots, feeding babies:
each is a familiar scene from 18th
century life, only here accentuated by a
rectangle of light, as if the past were
given a note of TV brightness.
You get the picture. Then drama
enters this mundane world in the form of
an invitation. Mrs Luke (Maxine Peake) ,
a woman who has assisted at the birth of
many in the village, is called upon to
join a ‘jury of matrons’ in the case of a
young woman who has already been
convicted of murder. Obviously, only
men could decide such a verdict in
1759. But the accused’s sentence could
be commuted from hanging to
transportation, should her claim to be
pregnant be upheld by the twelve
women.
It is a fascinating scenario, for this is
no courtroom drama. Instead of an
orderly verbal exchange presided over
by men of law, the twelve jurors plus the
Photos: Brinkhoff-Moegenburg.
THE WELKIN National Theatre
A woman’s work is never done’ could be the unspoken
subtitle to the opening scene of this striking new play by
Lucy Kirkwood.
condemned woman are locked into a
chamber by a clerk of the court who is
forbidden to say a word beyond asking
them for their verdict. They are deprived
of food, drink and heat to encourage
them. How will they decide?
Maxine Peake (Lizzy Luke) and Ria
Zmitrowicz (Sally Poppy) in The Welkin.
Though their methods be risible to
the modern mind (circling the woman to
peer at her stomach for any sign of
protrusion; questioning her about any
odd cravings; massaging her breasts to
see if any milk will come), they provide
an insight into female society at the
time. Superstition and jealousy on the
one hand, kindness and fortitude on the
other – women folk in a small country
town had tangled and conflicting
relationships and Kirkwood’s dialogue
captures every nuance.
Ria Zmitrowicz as Sally, the apparent
murderess, has an energy in her
performance which is as beguiling as it
is repulsive. She swears, she spits, she
snarls. She is not sorry for what she has
done. At the same time, she seems to
have suffered tremendously. And did she
really do it? We want to help her. We
want to punish her. The play draws us
into the judgement and ultimately
shocks us to the core.
Maxine Peake as the middling-sort-ofmidwife
who wins some and loses some,
also gives a heart wringing performance.
She is angry about the fate of Sally. But
she is more angry about the way the court
never stands up for women and how
women have precious little power, even in
the matter of childbirth.
Other characters are also finely drawn
and acted. There are no caricatures in
this play, even if some of their traits are
instantly recognisable. The sharp-witted,
the dim, the proud and the dishonest are
all in the room and it is hard for them to
agree. At the same time, it is often
hilarious to listen to their squabbles and
their rustic concerns. And we need every
flash of comedy, for in the end a
woman’s life is at stake and the tragedy
of her short, brutal existence is one to
weep over.
Sue Webster
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
John Kani and Antony Sher in Kunene and the King.
KUNENE AND THE KING WEST END
RUN AT AMBASSADORS THEATRE
John Kani’s ‘remarkable and moving’
(***** Guardian) two-hander Kunene
and the King is currently running at the
Ambassadors Theatre for a strictly
limited West End run until 28 March.
Co-produced by the Royal
Shakespeare Company in partnership
with Cape Town’s Fugard Theatre, this
timely new play marks 25 years since
South Africa’s first democratic elections.
The production first premiered in the
RSC’s Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-
Avon in March last year and transferred
to the Fugard Theatre in April where it
played to sell-out audiences.
Photos: Ellie Kurttz
South African actor, activist and
playwright John Kani reprises his role as
Lunga Kunene alongside South African
actor and RSC Honorary Associate Artist,
Antony Sher in this important production
directed by Janice Honeyman. John Kani
last performed at the Ambassadors in
1974, where he appeared alongside actor
and co-author, the late Winston Ntshona,
in the Tony award-winning Sizwe Banzi Is
Dead, which went on to receive the
London Theatre Critics Award for the Best
Play of that year.
Gregory Doran, RSC Artistic Director,
said: ‘Our productions exist within a
global culture: we love to share our work
from Stratford-upon-Avon with
audiences across the UK and around the
world... I am delighted that London
audiences will have the opportunity to
experience this timely and important
piece of work in one of the very theatres
in which John Kani and Winston
Ntshona first performed their seminal
play, Sizwe Banzi Is Dead, in 1974.’
Kunene and the King follows the story
of Jack Morris (Antony Sher), a
terminally ill sixty-five-year-old white
actor living a relatively comfortable life
in the suburbs of Johannesburg, and
Lunga Kunene (John Kani), a sixty-nineyear-old
black retired male nurse.
Having suffered innumerable losses
during apartheid, Lunga must learn to
deal with the tension that more than fifty
years of apartheid has created whilst
Jack’s health rapidly deteriorates.
Tickets are available through the RSC
Box Office 01789 331 111 or book
online via ATG Tickets 0843 904 0061.
www.kuneneandtheking.com
CUNNINGHAM
Cunningham, a 3D cinematic
experience about legendary American
choreographer Merce Cunningham is
set to be released in cinemas across
the UK and Ireland from 13 March,
following the Merce Cunningham
centenary this year.
Directed by Alla Kovagan, the film
follows Merce’s artistic evolution over
three decades between 1944–1972, from
early years as a struggling dancer in
postwar New York to his emergence as
one of the most visionary and influential
choreographers in the world.
Misunderstood and rejected by the dance
world of his time, Merce persevered
against all odds and developed a new
dance technique and a new way of
thinking about making dance
performances in collaboration with
composer John Cage and visual artist
Robert Rauschenberg.
The film features excerpts from
Cunningham’s works, re-imagined for
3D cinema creating a moving and
visceral journey through Merce’s world.
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Gavin Spokes, who currently plays the
role of King George III in the hit West
End musical, Hamilton, stands with The
Royal Mint’s new £5 commemorative
coin which has been launched to mark
200 years since the end of Britain’s
longest serving king’s reign. The 200th
anniversary of the end of George III’s
reign takes place on 29 January.
HAMILTON’S GEORGE III
CELEBRATES WITH THE ROYAL MINT
The Royal Mint is celebrating the life
and legacy of Britain’s longest-reigning
King, George III, with a commemorative
£5 coin to mark 200 years since his death.
To mark the anniversary, The Royal
Mint has worked with the cast of the
West End musical, Hamilton, to capture
photography of Gavin Spokes, who plays
the monarch in the show. The Olivier,
Tony and Grammy award-winning
production, with Book, Music and Lyrics
by Lin-Manuel Miranda, opened at the
newly re-built and restored Victoria
Palace Theatre in December 2017 where
it continues to play to packed houses.
The third king from the House of
Hanover but the first to be born in
Britain and speak English as a first
language, George III reigned for nearly
six-decades making him Britain’s
longest-reigning King. During his reign,
George III witnessed wars with France
and American colonists, territorial
expansion across the world, and
industrial and agricultural revolutions.
He also had an interest in astronomy
and commissioned the construction of
the King’s Observatory near his
residence in Richmond. It was at the
Observatory that George III viewed the
Transit of Venus with his royal
astronomer, Stephen Demainbray. In
1769 scientists travelling with Captain
Cook on his first voyage of discovery
also observed the same event in Tahiti.
Clare Maclennan, Divisional Director
of Commemorative Coin at The Royal
Mint said, ‘During the 59 years that
George III was on the throne, he
witnessed wars across continents and
lived through industrial and agricultural
revolutions. George III is Britain’s
longest-reigning King, and we are
delighted to celebrate his life and legacy
with a commemorative coin.’
Dominique Evans, Royal Mint Coin
Designer said: ‘I have placed George III
at the centre of the coin design in a pose
depicting the iconic portrait by
Benedetto Pistrucci, that I, like many,
greatly admire. Surrounding George III’s
head are the symbols of his kingdom,
framed by his crown. I felt it important to
add symbolism reflecting the life of a
king and mind of a man who was
dedicated to discovery and progress.
From science to agriculture and industry
George III left a remarkable legacy.’
As well as the portrait, the coin also
features George III’s Royal Cypher, which
combines George III’s first initial ‘G’ with
‘R’, an abbreviation of ‘Rex’ the Latin word
for king. The edge lettering features the
words of George III at his accession:
I GLORY IN THE NAME OF BRITON.
TEENAGE DICK
Donmar until 1 February
The wall to wall banners adorning the
gym of designer Chloe Lamford’s
Roseland High School, immediately
evoke the unpleasant suspicion that
there’s going to be a gun-toting
bloodbath before the evening is over. But
although some blood is shed – and not
all the characters make it through to the
end – there are no bullets (or swords)
and the damage is more psychological
than physical in American playwright
Mike Lew’s reimagining of Shakespeare’s
Richard III, a crafty mix of tragedy, high
school comedy and witty misquotes
from the original.
The monarch here becomes Richard
Gloucester, a clever hemiplegic student
who is bullied by his classmates but
encouraged by well-meaning teacher
Elizabeth York (Susan Wokoma) to stand
for election as Senior Class President
against Callum Adams’ good-looking
(but not very bright) football-playing
jock, Eddie. You’d think Dick hasn’t got a
chance, but he’s read (and learnt from)
Machiavelli and by sheer cunning and
persistent determination (plus a little
help) the guy who’s still a virgin and
can’t drive a car even manages to steal
Eddie’s ex (Siena Kelly’s touching Anne
Margaret) whose supple dancer’s body
is, she hopes, destined for fame.
Shakespeare’s Duke of Buckingham is
now Ruth Madeley’s wheelchair-using
‘Buck’, the Duke of Clarence a twittermad,
campaigning Clarissa who will do
anything to get the credits she needs for
a place at Stanford.
The transposition takes liberties with
the plot but works surprisingly well, with
disabled Australian actor Daniel Monks’
first-rate Dick powering through Michael
Longhurst’s fast-paced, interval-free
production, sometimes relying on a
crutch, angry, manipulative, longing to
be loved and fully aware,
that for him and for Buck ‘This isn’t our
awkward phase this is the rest of our
lives.’
Louise Kingsley
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
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PLAYS
KUNENE AND THE KING
The RSC production of John Kani’s highly
acclaimed play marks the 25th anniversary of
the end of apartheid in South Africa following
its premiere in Stratford-upon-Avon and a
sold-out run in Cape Town.
AMBASSADORS THEATRE
West Street, WC2 (020 7395 5405)
THE LION THE WITCH & THE WARDROBE
Step through the wardrobe this winter into the
magical kingdom of Narnia for the mystical
adventures in a faraway land. Until 2 February.
A NUMBER
Caryl Churchill’s thrilling drama, which won the
2002 Evening Standard Award for Best Play,
Roger Allam plays Salter, the father. Colin
Morgan plays all his sons. Polly Findlay directs
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)
TOUCHING THE VOID
Staging to celebrate the 30th anniversary of
Joe Simpson’s best-selling memoir, charting
his extraordinary struggle for survival on the
Siula Grande in the Peruvian Andes.
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)
UNCLE VANYA
Ian Rickson directs Conor McPherson’s new
adaptation of Chekhov’s play. Toby Jones
stars as Uncle Vanya alongside Richard
Armitage as Astrov.
HAROLD PINTER THEATRE
Panton Street, SW1 (0844 871 7622)
Celebrated as one of the most famous classics in the ballet canon and set to
Tchaikovsky’s iconic score, The Royal Ballet’s Swan Lake returns to the Royal Opera
House from March 2020.
Photo: Bill Cooper.
National Theatre
OLIVIER THEATRE
Plays in repertory
MY BRILLIANT FRIEND
Based on the celebrated novels by Elena
Ferrante, an epic story of love, violence,
ambition and self-destruction.
THE VISIT
or The Old Lady Comes to Call, based on
Friedrich Dürrenmatt’s visionary revenge play,
transported into mid-20th-century America by
Tony Kushner (Angels in America).
LYTTELTON THEATRE
THREE SISTERS
Love and longing in 1960s Nigeria. Inua Ellams
returns to the National with his heart-breaking
re-telling of Chekhov’s masterpiece.
THE WELKIN
Lucy Kirkwood’s new play, directed by James
Macdonald. Set in rural Suffolk, 1759. As the
country waits for Halley’s comet, Sally Poppy is
sentenced to hang for a heinous murder.
DORFMAN THEATRE
DEATH OF ENGLAND
Rafe Spall performs a fearless one-person play
which asks explosive and enduring questions
about identity, race and class in Britain.
NATIONAL THEATRE
South Bank, SE1 (020 7452 3000)
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)
CYRANO DE BERGERAC
An inventive new adaptation of Edmond
Rostand’s masterwork by Martin Crimp, with
direction by Jamie Lloyd.
PLAYHOUSE THEATRE
Northumberland Ave WC2· (0844 871 7631)
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)
A TASTE OF HONEY
Shelagh Delaney’s taboo-breaking 1950s play
transfers to the West End in a new staging
featuring re-arranged songs from the jazz era.
TRAFALGAR STUDIOS
Whitehall, SW1 (0844 871 7632)
MAGIC GOES WRONG
The original Mischief Company play a hapless
gang of magicians presenting a charity event.
As the accidents spiral out of control, so does
their fund-raising target.
VAUDEVILLE THEATRE
Strand, WC2 (0330 333 4814)
LEOPOLDSTADT
A passionate drama of love, family and
endurance, Tom Stoppard's most humane and
heart-breaking play. Directed by Patrick
Marber.
WYNDHAM’S THEATRE
Charing Cross Road, WC2 (0844 482 5120)
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
MUSICALS
WAITRESS
Hit Broadway musical brought to life by an
all-female creative team, featuring original
music and lyrics by Sara Bareilles.
ADELPHI THEATRE
Strand, WC2 (020 3725 7060)
TINA
New stage musical reveals the untold story
of Tina Turner, a woman who dared to defy
the bounds of her age, gender and race.
ALDWYCH THEATRE
The Aldwych, WC2 (0845 200 7981)
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 – supported by his
mum and friends, Jamie overcomes prejudice,
beats the bullies and steps into the spotlight.
APOLLO THEATRE
Shaftesbury Avenue, W1 (0330 333 4809)
SIX THE MUSICAL
Tudor Queens meet Pop Princesses in a
musical retelling the six wives of Henry VIII.
A celebration of sisterly sass-itude, powered
by an all-female band.
ARTS THEATRE
Great Newport Street, WC2 (020 7836 8463)
MATILDA
Critically acclaimed Royal Shakespeare
Company production of Roald Dahl’s book,
directed by Matthew Warchus.
CAMBRIDGE THEATRE
Earlham Street, WC2 (0844 800 1110)
CITY OF ANGELS
A tribute to film noir, the show follows dual
paths; the life of Stine, a writer trying to get his
novel turned into a screenplay, alongside the
story of the film itself.
GARRICK THEATRE
Charing Cross Road, WC2 (0330 333 4811)
THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA
Long running epic romance by Andrew Lloyd
Webber, set in Paris opera house where a
deformed phantom stalks his prey.
HER MAJESTY’S THEATRE
Haymarket, SW1 (0844 412 2707)
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
Over two hours of the non-stop hit songs that
marked Michael Jackson’s live performances.
LYRIC THEATRE
Shaftesbury Avenue, WC2 (0330 333 4812)
SCHOOL OF ROCK
Andrew Lloyd Webber's stage musical with
lyrics by Glenn Slater adapted from the film.
GILLIAN LYNNE THEATRE
Drury Lane, WC2 (020 7492 0810)
DEAR EVAN HANSEN
The hit Broadway musical about a teenage boy
who finds it difficult to talk to people and make
friends until a tragic accident changes everything.
NOVELLO THEATRE
Aldwych, WC2 (0844 482 5170)
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)
COME FROM AWAY
UK Premiere of the Tony Award-winning musical
which tells the remarkable true story of 7,000
stranded air passengers in the wake of 9/11.
PHOENIX THEATRE
Charing Cross Road, WC2 (0844 871 7627)
PRETTY WOMAN
One of Hollywood’s most romantic stories is
coming to the West End in February, featuring
direction and choreography by two-time
TonyAward® winner Jerry Mitchell .
Opens Valentine’s Day.
PICCADILLY THEATRE
Denman Street, W1 (020 7452 3000)
MARY POPPINS
The story of the world’s favourite Nanny is
spectacularly brought to the stage with its
famous and unforgettable songs.
PRINCE EDWARD THEATRE
Old Compton Street W1 (0844 482 5151)
THE BOOK OF MORMON
A crude, witty and satirical show telling the
story of two young and naive mormon
missionaires.
PRINCE OF WALES THEATRE
Coventry Street, W1 (0844 482 5110)
&Juliet is currently playing at the
Shaftesbury Theatre, with Miriam-Teak
Lee (pictured) in the title role of Juliet.
The story is a modern on the
Shakespearean classic, Romeo and
Juliet featuring classic pop songs.
Photo: Johan Persson.
9 TO 5 THE MUSICAL
Based on the much loved movie and making its
West End debut, Dolly Parton’s musical comes
to London for a strictly limited season.
SAVOY THEATRE
Strand, WC2 (020 7492 0810)
&JULIET
New musical that proves when it comes to
love, there’s always life after Romeo. Told
through pop anthems of fthe last three
decades from legendary songwriter
Max Martin.
SHAFTESBURY THEATRE
Shaftesbury Avenue, WC2 (020 7492 0810)
LES MISERABLES
Cameron Mackintosh’s legendary production
of Boublil and Schönberg’s musical is a
global stage sensation, seen by 70 million
people in 52 countries around the world.
SONDHEIM THEATRE
Shaftesbury Theatre, WC2 (0844 482 5151)
ONLY FOOLS AND HORSES
The landmark, record-breaking and top-rated
television series written by the late, great John
Sullivan, becomes a new British musical.
THEATRE ROYAL HAYMARKET
Haymarket SW1 (020 7930 8800)
HAMILTON
Lin-Manuel Miranda's multi award-winning
musical, based on one of America’s Founding
Father, Alexander Hamilton.
VICTORIA PALACE THEATRE
Victoria Street, SW1 (0844 248 5000)
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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
22
THE ATHENIAN
Adjacent to Victoria Coach Station (at
15a Elizabeth Street, SW1) is The
Athenian – a Greek street food concept,
serving simple fresh food made as you
wait, with several dips made in their
kitchen in advance.
The extra virgin olive oil and olives
are from Kalamata, the potato fries are
cooked in rapeseed oil, sprinkled with
oregano and the pitta bread is handmade
in Athens.
The concept is ‘fast food’, as there are
only 12 bar stools in the venue, all
situated around high tables, which is
where we sat to enjoy our meal,
observing the constant flow of
customers, happy to wait for their food
to be freshly prepared by the
Manager/chef, Vasilis, and his
assistants.
We had souvlakis – one pork, one
chicken, served with pitta bread, salad,
haloumi and fries. The meat was
excellent. The tzatziki and Athenian dips
were very good. The feta dip (tytokafteri)
was very spicy and ‘thin’ and we enjoyed
it less. The Greek salad was delicious,
particularly the feta and olives.
They also offer Gyros as well as
halloumi fries, sweet potato fries and
croquettes. Vegan options are available.
The Greek soft drinks are sweetened
with Stevia. The lemon and orange were
delicious. They have Greek beer, wine
and water.
We finished with a delicious flourless
brownie.
Prices are reasonable and the food is
authentically Greek, fresh, tasty and
value for money. Other Athenian venues
can be found in Tooting, White City,
Victoria, Shoreditch, Canary Wharf and
Wembley.
Jackie Hawken
The Athenian in Victoria, the perfect
location for a sightseeing snack near
Buckingham Palace.
BAOZILNN CHINATOWN 2 ADDS
NEW RANGE OF SPICY DISHES
Nestled in the heart of Chinatown, the
modest yet mighty Taiwanese street food
restaurant, BaoziInn China Town 2, is
bringing much-needed cheer,
brightening up the grey winter days with
a colourful new range of spicy
Sichuanese dishes at 8 little Newport
Street, WC2.
Sitting alongside the usual group
offering of dumplings, wonton and buns,
the new dishes include the starters
smacked cucumber with sesame sauce,
shredded chicken in chef’s special chilli
oil and thousand century eggs with
pickled chilli and vinegar – an interesting
Sichuanese dish with a fiery aftertaste.
Main courses are reasonably priced at
just £11.50 each and include traditional
Sichuan noodles such as Yipin Ran
Mien. Much like you might imagine the
Asian version of Spaghetti Bolognese to
be, it’s a dry and wonderfully spicy dish.
Meanwhile Chongqing Xiao Mien has a
fiery, soupy base.
A perfect balance of textures and
contrasting flavours, the fusion style
spicy and numbing pork chop noodles
are a revelation – with the tender pork in
light and crispy breadcrumbs working in
harmony with the dry and fragrant
noodles. The pork chop soup noodles
served with marrowfat peas have an
unusual but welcome flavour coming
through from the peas, whereas the fried
egg soup noodles served with marrowfat
peas are a delightfully soupy vegetarian
version.
Braised pork belly with fresh chilli is
hearty with a spicy kick while classic
chicken with rice or noodles has punchy,
refreshing and slightly sweet flavours all
at once. Fried pork chop rice with a fried
egg is also a sublime addition.
Last is the legendary Sichuanese
staple, the Mala Hot Pot, available five
ways, with sets ranging from £14.90 to
£18.90. Myriad ingredients include
Chinese cabbage, fish balls, black
fungus, enoki mushrooms, thinly sliced
beef and dried bean curd, all
underpinned with that brilliant
Sichuanese hit of hot, chilli-infused
soup.
Offering exceptional food at affordable
prices in a relaxed environment,
welcome some warmth into the winter
days with a visit to BaoziInn China Town
2 – you will certainly leave with a spring
in your step!
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