4. 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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RECORDS TUMBLE AT BIGGEST
EVER LONDON MARATHON
Records tumbled at the Virgin Money
London Marathon last Sunday where
more than 37,500 finished the gruelling
26.2-mile journey from Blackheath to
Westminster, making the 35th edition of
the race the biggest in its history by
almost 1000 runners.
Of the 37,675 who crossed the Finish
Line in The Mall, three established new
world records while no fewer than six
course records fell on a day of
celebration for Paula Radcliffe and
triumph for London Marathon debutants
Eliud Kipchoge and Tigist Tufa, who took
the prestigious elite titles in style.
Kipchoge clinched the men’s crown
with a thrilling sprint finish and a
flamboyant gesture, denying reigning
champion Wilson Kipsang his third
London win as he clocked the third fastest
time on the course of 2:04:42, while Tufa
upset the odds to beat a field of fancied
Kenyans, becoming only the second
Ethiopian to win the women’s race.
While Kipsang missed his London
hat-trick by five seconds, Tatyana
McFadden made it three from three in
the women’s wheelchair event as the
American superstar dominated the field
to knock nearly four minutes from her
own course record.
Before all that breathtaking action,
crowds around the Finish Line, including
the Beckham family supporting Romeo,
had already seen five course records in
the Virgin Money Giving Mini London
Marathon, none more impressive than
Kate Adenegan who smashed more than
two minutes from the Under 14 girls’
wheelchair mark.
After the Minis came the masses, set
on their way by the London Marathon’s
first-ever winners, Joyce Smith, Inge
Simonsen and Dick Beardsley, who sent
a record 38,020 starters off from
Greenwich with a hand-in-hand gesture
to echo Simonsen and Beardsley’s
famous shared finish from 1981.
It was an emotional day for thousands
of other runners too as, behind the stars,
the masses chased times and
fundraising targets, turning the cool,
damp London streets into a colourful
parade as club runners, fun runners,
celebrities and Guinness World Records
hopefuls pledged to transform their
26.2-mile challenge into millions of
pounds for charity.
In 2014, the Virgin Money London
Marathon raised £53.2 million for
charity, setting a new Guinness World
Record for the largest annual single-day
charity fundraising event worldwide for
an eighth successive year.
Adidas BOOST were main sponsors of
the event, with many runners embracing
The Energy Running revolution. Ultra
BOOST features 20 percent more BOOST
cushioning material than the previous
model, the highest Energy Return
cushioning in the running industry, and
has eliminated the traditional EVA midsole
for more direct contact to provide the
ultimate expression of BOOST. Made of
thousands of unique energy capsules,
BOOST delivers a consistent performance
over hundreds of kilometres, in virtually
any condition. Keep an eye on
@adidasUK on twitter and instagram
(#boostLondon) for updates.
Next comes the Bupa Westminster
Mile on Sunday 24 May, celebrating the
30th anniversary of Steve Cram’s
brilliant UK mile record of 3 minutes
46.2 seconds. Then on Monday 25 May,
reigning European 10,000m champion
Jo Pavey and 2014 European silver
medallist Andy Vernon, along with
around 12,000 other runners, will race
in the Bupa London 10,000. The next
Virgin Money London Marathon will take
place on Sunday 24 April 2016.
Houses of Parliament
parliament.uk/visiting
020 7219 4114
Visitoneoftheworld’smosticonicbuildings
5. 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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WAR HORSE EXTENDS TO 2016
The National Theatre’s acclaimed
stage production of Michael Morpurgo’s
much celebrated War Horse, recently
extended bookings at the New London
Theatre until 13 February 2016, having
now been seen by over 6 million
worldwide.
War Horse recently completed sell-
out dates in South Africa visiting
Johannesburg and Cape Town and
concluded a record-breaking extensive
UK national tour earlier this year in
Bristol. A Chinese-language production
will open in autumn 2015 at the National
Theatre of China’s theatre in Beijing and
will then tour across China.
At the outbreak of World War One,
Joey, young Albert’s beloved horse, is
sold to the cavalry and shipped to
France. He’s soon caught up in enemy
fire, and fate takes him on an
extraordinary odyssey, serving on both
sides before finding himself alone in no
man’s land. But Albert cannot forget Joey
and, still not old enough to enlist, he
embarks on a treacherous mission to
find him and bring him home.
War Horse is directed by Marianne
Elliott and Tom Morris, adapted for stage
by Nick Stafford and received its world
premiere at the National Theatre in
October 2007.
For tickets, telephone the box office
on 020 7452 3000 or online at
www.warhorselondon.com
ARSENAL STADIUM TOURS
Let Arsene Wenger, Jack Wilshere
and a host of Arsenal stars share their
match-day experiences as you explore
behind-the-scenes at Arsenal with the
new audio tour.
Hear from the boss as you take your
place in the changing room, listen to the
roar of the crowd as you walk down the
tunnel, explore the museum and test
your knowledge against one of the
Arsenal experts.
Self-guided tours offer a flexible
duration of 55 mins to 90 mins excluding
time spent in the museum, so guests who
wish to enjoy the full tour and the
museum should commence their tour
before 16.00 to allow enough time.
To book tickets for Arsenal Stadium
Tours, telephone 020 7619 5000.
CHRISde
BURGH
& BAND
The Hands
of Man
Live
2015
www.cdeb.com · www.facebook.com/cdebofficial
Agency/Credit Card bookings subject to a fee
www.ticketline.co.uk · 0844 888 9991
A KENNEDY STREET PRESENTATION
BY ARRANGEMENT WITH KENNY THOMSON MANAGEMENT INC.
Monday 11th Mayat 7.30pm
LONDON
ROYAL ALBERT HALL
020 7589 8212 · www.royalalberthall.com
Pictured: the cast of War Horse at the
New London Theatre.
Photo: Brinkhoff Mogenburg.
6. 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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GET IN WITH THE SPIDERS AT
ZSL LONDON ZOO
ZSL London Zoo is taking on the
challenge of a lifetime in a bid to clear
the name of one of the world’s most
feared, misunderstood and maligned
creatures, in a brand new exhibit being
unveiled this month.
Opening on Saturday 23 May, In with
the Spiders will bring people face-to-
face with amazing arachnids from
around the world in a completely unique
and immersive experience within the
Zoo’s popular B.U.G.S exhibit.
The only exhibit of its kind in Europe,
zoo visitors will first get gently
acquainted with the UK native species
and regular house guest ‘spider in a
bathtub’ before meeting fascinating
exotic species such as the black widow,
huntsman and giant bird-eating spiders.
Visitors will then discover the true
meaning of ‘up close’ as they enter into
the forest home of ZSL London Zoo’s
uniquely sociable communal spiders,
and stunning, golden orb spiders that
spend their days posing proudly on
huge one-metre wide webs.
A sneak peek into the Spider Nursery
will give visitors an insight into the
varied breeding work carried out by
keepers at ZSL London Zoo, and
hopefully a glimpse of tiny spiderlings.
During May half term only, visitors
can take part in a series of exclusive
spider events, becoming intimately
acquainted with the infamous black
widow and her defamed cousin, the false
widow; dress up as a Spider Superhero
to discover the epic role spiders play in
the world and discover all there is to
know about spiders at the daily live
Spider Talk. Visit www.zsl.org
LONDON’S ROYAL DOCKS TO HOST
DUNKIRK LITTLE SHIPS FESTIVAL
Over 20 Dunkirk Little Ships will
gather in London’s Royal Docks over the
weekend of 16 and 17 May ahead of
their Return to Dunkirk to mark the 75th
anniversary of the Dunkirk Evacuations.
During the evening of Saturday,
16 May, the Dunkirk Little Ships will
parade around Royal Victoria Dock.
The Little Ship ‘Silver Queen’ will offer
twilight trips around the docks and there
will be the chance to step aboard some
of the other ships taking part.
On 21 May, over 60 of the Little Ships
will leave Ramsgate in Kent and make
their way to Dunkirk to commemorate
the 75th Anniversary of Operation
Dynamo. In 1940, 700 small civilian
boats sailed from Ramsgate in Kent to
Dunkirk in Northern France under
extraordinarily dangerous conditions,
braving mine fields, E-boat attacks and
Stuka bombs to rescue British and
French forces trapped on the beaches
by the advancing German army. These
little ships, mostly privately owned
pleasure boats, private yachts and
fishing boats, contributed to the rescue
of over 338,000 British and French
soldiers. Although the Evacuation of
Dunkirk was no victory for the British
Army, it saved the troops to carry on the
fight against Hitler – indeed many went
on to return to liberate Europe through
Normandy and Italy.
LIGHT SHINING IN
BUCKINGHAMSHIRE PLATFORMS
As Light Shining in Buckinghamshire
opens at the National Theatre, there are a
number of Platforms planned in line with
the production, including The Putney
Debates, on Election Day, Thursday 7 May,
when actors will read from the historic
1647 debates about how this country
should be run for the benefit of all.
Civil War: ancient and modern, on
Thursday 21 May, is an examination of
events in England in the 1640s and
more recent parallels and resonances;
guests include historian Diane Purkiss
and political activist, John Rees.
Visit www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/
discover/platforms/ for details.
News Presenter, Huw Edwards, takes a
break from his busy general election
schedule to visit the Waterloo exhibition
at the Household Cavalry Museum in
London. Further details about the
exhibition to celebrate the 200th
anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo at
www.householdcavalrymuseum.co.uk
Dunkirk Little Ships.
7. TOURS DEPART DAILY AT 10:00, 11:00, 12:00, 13:00, 14:00, 15:00 AND 16:00.
TOURS DO NOT OPERATE ON WEMBLEY EVENT DAYS.
TAKE THE
WEMBLEY TOUR
FOLLOW IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF LEGENDS
TRANSLATION NOW AVAILABLE IN 9 LANGUAGES
OURS DEPT T 10:00, 11:00, 12:0Y AATAILT DDAARDEPPA
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AILABLVVATION NOW AAVTRANSLAAT
T 10:00, 11:00, 12:00, 13:00, 14:00, 15:00 AND 16:00.
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8. 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
8
CHRIS DE BURGH & BAND:
THE HANDS OF MAN
Few artists can lay claim to
international success spanning three
decades but, beginning with his very first
release, Chris de Burgh has achieved
precisely that. The star, most famous for
the hit song Lady in Red, returns to the
Royal Albert Hall on Monday 11 May,
performing his classic hits as well as
featuring some tracks from his new album
‘The Hands of Man’ released last October.
While much has changed since his
debut LP, certain things have retained their
integrity, as ‘The Hands of Man’, his 20th
studio album of original new material,
bears testament. As he continues to take
on the challenges of a music industry so
radically reinvented during the 21st
century, his new album finds Chris
maintaining his focus as a singer-
songwriter of unique vision and craft.
‘I think you have to grow with your
ideas, your songs and your music, and
that is what I’ve tried to do,’ he says. ‘On
the new record, my intention was to
reflect who I am today and the things that
I think about.’ To that end, ‘The Hands of
Man’ – its title and opening song of the
same name referencing both the good and
bad done by humankind – is a collection
of 14 diverse songs ‘concerning what I’ve
been thinking about in recent months and
years.’ The album has been thoughtfully
and carefully compiled to be listened to
like a vinyl record; in two distinct parts,
‘Sunrise’ and ‘Sunset’, each introduced by
orchestral instrumentals.
The work is quintessentially Chris de
Burgh – from the varied lyrical content to
the several musical genres and techniques
at play – and the resounding impression
is of an accomplished, experienced
musician steering himself in precisely the
direction he wishes to follow which has
been his way since the very beginning of
a spectacular and enduring career.
‘I make music the way I always have
done,’ says Chris. ‘I can’t think of any
other way of doing it. I’m certainly not
going to change just because it’s a new
tradition or in order to follow a trend.
Then again, I don’t want to sound old-
fashioned, either, so I move with the times
as it suits me.’
Recorded both at his home studio in
Ireland and at Mark Knopfler’s British Grove
facility in London, ‘The Hands of Man’ has
once again been produced by Chris Porter.
Preluded by the lead single ‘The Keeper of
The Keys’ – about the right of every human
being to a life of dignity and to the right of
education – the album is a potent mix of
versatility. ‘The Fields Of Agincourt’ is a
classic, filmic and historical de Burgh epic,
‘There Goes My Heart Again’ swings like a
‘30s big band and ‘Where Would I Be’ is as
emotive and relatable a ballad as Chris has
ever written or recorded.
Chris approached many of the new
songs from the perspective of not only
how they could be performed on stage
but, far beyond that, how his audience
might react to them in the live arena.
Box office telephone 020 7589 8212.
ROJAS AND RODRÍGUEZ IN TITANIUM
AT THE PEACOCK
Flamenco duo Ángel Rojas and
Carlos Rodríguez are to present the UK
premiere of an unprecedented fusion
between flamenco and street dance at
The Peacock from 5–23 May. Titanium
sees a troop of 13 men take to the stage,
dancers and musicians, fusing the rich
dance heritage of flamenco with the
rawness of hip hop and break dance
culture. The show has won a National
Dance Award in Spain and received high
praise in a tour across Europe.
Titanium features a multi-talented
dance cast of three flamenco dancers,
three hip hop dancers and three break
dancers including Elihú Vázquez, nine-
time winner of the b-boy championship
of Andalucía. The dancers are
accompanied by a live band of four,
mixing flamenco with hip hop beats.
This is Rojas and Rodríguez’s most
ambitious production to date and aims to
offer audiences a new perspective on the
commonality between the cultures of
flamenco and break dancing. Both styles
share a history of improvised movement,
dance battles, live music and communality.
Rojas and Rodríguez, co-founders and
directors of the Nuevo Ballet Español,
have in the last two decades developed a
reputation for creating pioneering
flamenco work infused with contemporary
disciplines and different cultural
influences. Tickets tel: 0844 412 4322.
10. 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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FINAL SEASON AT LONDON
PALLADIUM FOR CATS
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s record
breaking Cats will return to the London
Palladium for a final ten week season from
23 October to 2 January. Tickets will be
released for sale on Thursday 14 May.
Based on T. S. Eliot’s Old Possum’s
Book of Practical Cats, Cats returned to
the West End in December last year
reuniting the original creative team –
Director Trevor Nunn, Associate Director
and Choreographer Gillian Lynne,
Designer John Napier and Composer
Andrew Lloyd Webber. Nicole Scherzinger
and then Kerry Ellis played the role of
Grizabella in this sell-out Palladium run.
On just one special night of the year, all
Jellicle cats meet at the Jellicle Ball where
Old Deuteronomy, their wise and
benevolent leader, makes the Jellicle
choice and announces which of them will
go up to The Heaviside Layer and be
reborn into a whole new Jellicle life.
One of the longest-running shows in
the West End and on Broadway, Cats
received its world premiere at the New
London Theatre in 1981 where it played
for 21 record-breaking years and almost
9,000 performances. The production was
the winner of the Olivier and Evening
Standard Awards for Best Musical. In
1983 the Broadway production became
the recipient of seven Tony awards
including Best Musical, and ran for
eighteen years.
Since its world premiere, Cats has
been presented in over 30 countries, has
been translated into 10 languages and has
been seen by over 50 million people
world-wide. Both the original London and
Broadway cast recordings won Grammy
Awards for Best Cast Album.
The classic Lloyd Webber score
includes Memory which has been
recorded by over 150 artists from Barbra
Streisand and Johnny Mathis to Liberace
and Barry Manilow.
Tickets from the London Palladium box
office telephone 0844 874 0667 (with no
booking fee) or online at the website
www.catsthemusical.com/london
THOMAS
BOWESFrom the Sonatas and Partitas for solo violin:
BWV 1003, 1004 (Chaconne) and 1006
Thursday 7th May, 7.30pm
Church of the Holy Spirit,
Narbonne Avenue, SW4 9LQ
Tickets: £8, concessions £4,
on the door and at www.ticketsource.co.uk
Wednesday 13th May, 7.30pm
St James’s Church,
197 Piccadilly, W1J 9LL
Tickets: £12, concessions £5,
on the door and at www.eventbrite.co.uk
Friday 15th May, 1.05pm
St Mary Abchurch,
Abchurch Lane, EC4N 7BA
Donations to The Friends of the City Churches
The West End cast of Cats. Photo: Alessandro Pinna.
11. 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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AMATIS PIANO TRIO WINS THE
2015 PARKHOUSE AWARD
The Amatis Piano Trio (Mengjie Han,
piano; Lea Hausmann, violin; Samuel
Shepherd, cello) won the 2015
Parkhouse Award on 18 April at
Wigmore Hall with stunning
performances of the Brahms and
Shostakovich first piano trios.
Formed as recently as 2013 whilst
studying at the Conservatorium van
Amsterdam, this vibrant and talented
young ensemble has quickly been
recognised as such and in 2014 won the
Dutch Classical Talent Award 2015/16
which provides 11 concerts during
January 2016 in the Netherlands when
they hope to perform a newly
commissioned work arising out of a
competition they are setting up for
young Dutch composers. Appearances
to date include a rising stars concert at
the Amsterdam Chamber Music Festival
and recitals with Hatto Beyerle, Miguel
da Silva and the Atos Trio with whom
they also studied as a result of entering
the Trondheim Chamber Music
Academy.
The first of their three Parkhouse
Award concerts will be at St John’s
Smith Square on Wednesday 28 October
at 19.30 when they will perform piano
trios by Beethoven Op 70 No 1 ‘Ghost’,
Shostakovich No 1, Op 8 and
Mendelssohn No 1, Op 49.
BOISDALE CLASSICS CLASSICAL
FEAST WITH MILOŠ KARADAGLIC
Boisdale of Canary Wharf’s Classical
Feast are to host a sumptuous music and
dining experience with Classic BRIT
Award winning artist, guitarist Milos
Karadaglić at Canary Wharf on Tuesday
19 May. This new classics series presents
some of the world’s most revered classical
artists in the surroundings of Boisdale of
Canary Wharf – an exceptional live music
venue and British restaurant and bar that
presents world class live music across
London.
Boisdale Classics is a concept
devised by restaurateur Ranald
Macdonald and music industry promoter
Ian Roberts. With over 15 years’
experience representing world-class
artists and music events around the
world, Roberts has been able to book
some of the most exciting classical
soloists currently touring the world.
The events will be a return to the
golden age of dining with tickets
including a champagne reception, a
specially created 3-course dinner, and
carefully selected fine wines, coupled
with an intimate concert performance by
award winning classical artists.
Throughout the coming months, there
will be further events featuring
performances from violinist Charlie
Siem and later in the year one of the
UK’s biggest classical stars Jennifer Pike
will take to the stage.
Roberts says: ‘Appealing to lovers of
both fine dining and exceptional music
talent, these evenings are a unique
opportunity to hear the very best artists
in a more intimate venue, whilst
enjoying Boisdale’s outstanding
restaurant experience. Audiences can
expect a warm welcome that only
London can provide and the luxurious
surroundings of the Boisdale’s Canary
Wharf venue provide a backdrop which
will be the envy of London’s other live
venues, making these events the must
have ticket of 2015.’
Boisdale Canary Wharf is at Cabot
Place, Canary Wharf, E14 4QT. The
evening will begin at 18.30. Tickets at
£115 include champagne, three courses
and entertainment; £78 for meal and
entertainment; or £65 (restricted view)
meal and entertainment. Tickets to the
Milos Karadaglić evening online at
www.boisdale.co.uk
Canary Wharf station is on the
Docklands Light Railway.
Amatis Piano Trio. Photo: Marco Borggreve.
12. The White Sands Oceanfront Resort and Spa is located along the Jersey Shore, which is so much more than just
the ‘Shore’; it’s the place to experience the real and authentic home style that the Shore brings. The Jersey Shore
and more particularly, Point Pleasant Beach, is known for family. The White Sands is the perfect place to take your
family on vacation! Our hotel is family owned and operated, and offers many amenities including our award win-
ning spa and wellness center. Other on-site amenities include two beach-side outdoor pools, a private beach, two
ocean view restaurants, two cocktail lounges, fitness center, indoor pool, steam room, sauna and Jacuzzi.
The White Sands is one of many sites that are offered in Point Pleasant Beach. Within a five-minute walk, you will
find yourself on Jenkinson’s Boardwalk. The boardwalk is a mile long that has a wide variety of attractions that will
be perfect for the family! Attractions on the boardwalk include an aquarium, amusement park, arcades, games,
mini golf, batting cages and sweet shops that will satisfy your sweet tooth. For adults, the boardwalk offers night-
clubs with dancing and live entertainment.
We are perfectly located within easy reach of the downtown area, and the commercial fishing district. The down-
town area includes antique shops, restaurants, a comedy club, and unique shopping. In the fishing district you
will find parasailing, a riverboat cruise, fishing charters, dine-in fisheries, as well as casual and fine dining.
13. www.thewhitesands.com
Want to take a break from the beach and do something exhilarating? The great thing about The White Sands is
you get the luxury of a beautiful destination vacation along the beach, and can still conveniently access New York
City and Philadelphia. Both cities are equidistant from the hotel, make perfect day trips, and are easy to get to
with the public train system located downtown. Six Flags Great Adventure and Hurricane Harbor is the place to go
if you’re looking for pulse-pounding roller coasters, slides into a whirlpool or even enjoy one of the concerts that
are provided in the amusement park. If golf is your pastime,
For decade’s families, couples, spa goers & businesses have chosen The White Sands for their authentic “Jersey
Shore” experience.
Start making your memories with us now!
14. 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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AUTHENTIC 1930s GLAMOUR AT
ELTHAM PALACE ART DECO FAIR
The English Heritage Art Deco Fair at
Eltham Palace is back this year and it’s
bigger and better than ever. During the
popular two day event, visitors will have
the opportunity to browse everything
from jewellery to furniture in the opulent
Art Deco setting.
Over the weekend of Saturday 16 and
Sunday 17 May, you can join the experts
and browse the specialist stalls for antique
and reproduction pieces that will add a
touch of Art Deco glamour to any home.
Offering the perfect opportunity to
discover original and coveted pieces from
the period in luxurious art deco
surroundings, the Eltham Palace event will
have even more stalls with items from
across the era on sale. Browse quality
antique and reproduction pieces at
affordable prices, ranging from beautiful
art deco furniture to elegant jewellery and
objets-d’arts, selling specialist items and
many sought after names.
The marquee area adjoining the Great
Hall at Eltham Palace will once again
bring together vintage stallholders
offering original clothing and jewellery
as well as specialist exhibitors in art
nouveau. Art Deco dealers from around
the country will be attending so 1930s
enthusiasts or those who simply love
beautiful, elegant period pieces will find
this to be an ideal event.
Visitors can take a break from browsing
around the Fair to get true inspiration from
the Art Deco mansion built by the
Courtaulds. Built on the site of a medieval
palace, Eltham Palace was lovingly created
by textile magnates Stephen and Virginia
Courtauld in 1936 to become one of the
most spectacular private houses of the day.
The mansion’s distinctive glamour and
style has made it one of the great Art Deco
design classics, still relevant to a
contemporary audience. The 19 acres of
gardens at Eltham Palace are another
delight and ideal for a picnic or leisurely
wander. The moat and 15th century stone
bridge are spectacular features within the
wonderfully landscaped grounds.
Created for millionaires Stephen and
Virginia Courtauld, Eltham Palace is part
showpiece of Art Deco design and
1930s cutting-edge technology, and part
medieval royal palace. Take the family,
make yourself at home, try on clothes,
play games and listen to music, as a
guest of the Courtaulds. Eltham Palace
has just reopened following a
£1.7 million renovation project, with
five new rooms for all to enjoy.
Lucy Hutchings, Head of Events for
English Heritage said: ‘The Art Deco Fair
at Eltham Palace grows in popularity
year on year and we always look forward
to seeing what treasures arrive amongst
many of the country’s leading dealers.’
Trains leave from Central London to
Eltham or Mottingham mainline station
for Eltham Palace with a five minute walk
to the Palace and Gardens. For further
information on Eltham Palace and the
Art Deco Fair, telephone 020 8294 2548.
English Heritage exists to protect and
promote England's spectacular historic
environment and ensure that its past is
researched and understood. The charity
cares for over 400 historic monuments,
buildings and places.
15. 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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WELLCOME COLLECTION’S SPRING
WEEKEND ‘ON LIGHT’
Wellcome Collection and UCL will
host a dazzling extended weekend of free
events and activity this Bank Holiday
weekend to mark the International Year
of Light and Light-based Technologies.
‘On Light’ will illuminate our human
relationship with light with four days of
performance, discussion, activity and
art. Artists and academics will come
together to explore the significance of
light in human life, to interrogate how it
feeds, fascinates and inspires us, and
reflect on its influence over our health
and happiness.
The ambitious programme will bring
together over 60 contributors, from
performance artists and storytellers to
engineers and architects.
The weekend will begin on Friday
1 May with a late event at Wellcome
Collection, when visitors can seek out
performances and installations from
renowned artists such as Fevered Sleep
and Mariele Neudecker, listen to a talk
by cosmologist Andrew Pontzen, or
enjoy a drink at a pop-up bar. The event
will range across five floors, filling the
expanded event spaces and new
galleries which have doubled the venue’s
capacity for live events. In the darkened
Auditorium, the Pars Foundation will
lead a captive audience through an
audio performance of music, poetry and
science, while up in the transformed
Reading Room, award winning
storytellers The Crick Crack Club will
enchant audiences with myths of the
sun, the moon and the stars.
On Saturday 2 May, UCL will throw
open the doors of the Institute of Making
for a day of investigations into materials
that we use to make and manipulate light,
from Ballotini glass beads and invisible
balls, to cats eyes and road markings.
Elsewhere on Malet Place, UCL
researchers will host a colourful street fair
of activities, including the chance to take
part in a record breaking attempt to create
the world’s largest cyanotype print.
A changing, eclectic selection of
free ticketed and drop-in events will
run throughout Saturday, Sunday and
Monday at Wellcome Collection. Visitors
may catch a one-off discussion with a
Wellcome Collection conservator on
Sunday and return to hear sociologist
Simon Carter explore popular attitudes
to sunshine and health, from sanatoria
to cheap travel, on Monday.
Other installations will run across the
four days. For his installation ‘Non In
Luce’ artist Andy Field will invite
audiences to work together to create a
model-city in complete darkness, finding
a new way to communicate without the
light of an electrical bulb or the glow of
a digital device.
‘On Light’ runs from Friday 1 May to
Monday 4 May. All events are free.
wellcomecollection.org/events
21-24 February 2008
Thurs: 11am-9pm Fri: 11am-8pm Sat: 11am-7pm Sun: 11am-6pm
18-21 February, 201016-19 February, 201214 –17 May 2015
Zebrafish Embryo. Photo: Jay Patel.
17. 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
17
20/21 INTERNATIONAL ART FAIR
AT THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF ART
‘Colourful, exotic and eccentric’ is how
the 20|21 International Art Fair was
described on Bloomberg TV and this year’s
fair, which takes place in the prestigious
galleries of the Royal College of Art from
14-17 May, aims to be just that.
It will be opened by Uri Geller, the
internationally acclaimed illusionist, at
12 noon on Thursday 14 May. Geller is
an avid collector and also a talented
artist who was taught by the great
Salvador Dali.
On show at this ‘boutique’ fair, now in
its ninth year, will be modern and
contemporary art from the UK and
around the world. Although most of the
60 participating galleries are UK based,
they will feature work from a whole host
of countries including Eire, France,
Japan, Russia, Serbia and South Africa
to name just a few.
There will be oils, original prints,
watercolours, drawings, collage, some
photography and sculpture from 1900 to
the present day. Prices range from a few
hundred pounds to many thousands –
without doubt something to appeal to all
tastes and pockets.
To mark the 75th anniversary of
London in The Blitz, there is a special
display of previously unseen work by
Olga Lehmann who lived through the
devastation of the bombing, recorded it
on paper and also recorded many
moving scenes of people living through
it – in underground shelters and
celebrating New Year in 1940 for
instance.
London continues to be a magnet for
art collectors and art lovers. The major
public galleries annually attract
hundreds of thousands of visitors to an
unrivalled variety of exhibitions, while
the number of commercial galleries in
the capital continues to grow, reflecting
the city’s international importance
amongst collectors.
Fairs, too, have a large role in the
market by making art accessible to those
at the starter level as well as to those
seeking to add to their collections. They
offer the perfect opportunity to meet
dealers in a friendly atmosphere and
learn about the current market and
trends. Those such as 20|21
International, with a rich diversity of
styles, media and price, are a major part
of the London art scene.
20|21 is organised by Gay Hutson
and Angela Wynn who also run the
successful 20/21 British Art Fair each
September at the same venue.
The Royal College of Art is in
Kensington Gore, SW7 2EU. The nearest
underground station is High Street
Kensington or South Kensington on the
Piccadilly Line. Open Thurs: 11.00-
21.00; Fri: 11.00-20.00; Sat: 11.00-
19.00; Sun: 11.00-18.00.
For further information, telephone
020 8742 1611 or visit the website at
www.20-21intartfair.com
‘Roland Collins (b.1918): London Bridge & St. Saviours after the Blitz’, gouache,
37 x 53 cms. From Michael Parkin Fine Art.
Jackie Edwards: ‘Gone Lamping’, oil on
canvas, from The Doorway Gallery, Dublin.
Dodo Burgner (1907-1998): 'Two
women in conversation', watercolour,
30cm x 31cm (from her Berlin days).
From The Rae-smith Gallery.
18. 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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AMERICAN BUFFALO
Wyndham’s Theatre
Not a lot happens in David Mamet’s
1975 three-hander American Buffalo but
director Daniel Evans rattles it to the
bone in this fiery revival at Wyndham’s
Theatre. Set inside Don’s downtrodden
junk shop, the play centres around the
pursuit of a buffalo nickel sold for ninety
dollars and now suspected to be worth
far more. As the lure of the coin – and of
money itself – grows deeper, Don (John
Goodman) and his young gofer Bob
(Tom Sturridge) set about burgling it
back. But Bob is soon ousted in favour
of Don’s poker buddy: the fast-talking,
foul-mouthed Teach (Damian Lewis in
formidable hyper-energetic form).
Simple enough though the premise of
the plot may seem, it requires pricked
ears and full attention to really get on
board with at the start. Mamet’s savage,
bruising dialogue is handled with skill
and ferocity throughout but is
sometimes taken at such a pace that
detail is missed – particularly in the
initial set-up.
Yet what lurks beneath the surface
narrative is key to Mamet’s writing, not
least American Buffalo where the
corruptive power of money and
masculinity and the perils of the
American Dream are laid bare. The cast
demonstrate ample talent in mining the
play for its embittered subtext with the
final moment between Goodman and
Sturridge strikingly tender amid the
testosterone-fuelled rampage that has
come before. Finely acted by all, it is
Sturridge who makes the real star turn,
showing a chameleonic transformation
from the British preppiness that the
media are prone to associate him with.
His scene partners in Lewis and
Goodman are forces to be reckoned with
and neither let the ball drop even for a
mere moment.
In many ways, the play is not a
typical, commercial choice for the West
End with its singular set and abrasive
dialogue more naturally befitting a
battered off-Broadway studio. It is
refreshing to see it embraced in the heart
of Theatreland where Paul Wills’ artfully
cluttered design perfectly captures the
play’s rising pressure-cooker
atmosphere. Mamet’s explicit language
has long been cause for contention and
although never gratuitous, the work will
continue to elude some of its audience.
It takes some intellectual fervour to get
invested in the characters and their
broken world but the cast do a fine job
in taking many of us along for the ride.
Tim Hutchinson
John Goodman (Don), Tom Sturridge (Bob) and Damian Lewis (Teach) in American
Buffalo at Wyndham’s Theatre. Photos: Johan Persson.
Damian Lewis (Teach).
John Goodman (Don) and Tom
Sturridge (Bob).
19.
20. 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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LIGHT SHINING IN
BUCKINGHAMSHIRE
National Theatre
You don’t hear very much at school
here about the English Civil War – an
inglorious period when Charles I got
above himself, was reprimanded by
Parliament and finally beheaded by
commoners in 1649. There were
Cavaliers and Roundheads, feathered
hats and flashing steel according to
some accounts. But not according to
Caryl Churchill, whose dun-coloured
drama, ‘Light Shining in
Buckinghamshire’, focuses on the
struggle of the working people to
acquire a voice.
It is a tale with excellent potential and
the opening scenes of rich men feasting,
while poor men humbly serve at a table
the size of a cornfield raises our political
hackles. Too bad the narrative takes us
not much further than the observation
that the highly placed have a nice life
whilst the ne’er do wells don’t do well
because the others won’t let them.
As a history lesson, ‘Light Shining’ is
spot on. We become acquainted with the
Levellers, the Ranters and the Diggers.
What marvellous folk – they were
various shades of left wing opinion
ranging from those who thought that all
men could be saved and enter the
Kingdom of Heaven, that sex should be
enjoyed freely, that property should be
held in common and even fellows
without property should have the vote.
In the most impressive scene, the vast
wooden table is broken up to reveal earth
beneath. The Diggers are transforming
St. George’s Hill at Weybridge into one
big allotment; they plonk themselves
down upon it and wait for their seeds to
grow. They don’t grow, however. Local
landlords and others who prefer to
maintain the status quo shoot some of
them and put others in prison.
It’s too bad that so much political
ferment is represented by Churchill in
speech rather than deed. So the Putney
Debates, where Oliver Cromwell and
other soldiers argue about the
Constitution, are faithfully rendered as a
talking shop where both performers and
audience feel the tedium of never
reaching agreement. The lady in front of
me was nodding off.
You may feel much improved by this
brush with seventeenth century politics,
if not wildly entertained. More emotional
investment might have made the political
personal. I wanted love and violence as
well as talking and digging, or perhaps I
wanted blood red, black and white, not
just tan and green.
In the end, even the endearing,
slightly loopy protagonists who have
been faithfully awaiting the coming of
Christ in Buckinghamshire – for it
seems impossible that they would have
fought so hard for change and wanted so
much for Him to come – have to admit
that He has not come. Or, if He has, they
missed it.
Sue Webster
PLAYS
THE AUDIENCE
Stephen Daldry directs Kristin Scott Thomas
in the play charting Queen Elizabeth II from
young mother to grandmother, following the
arc of the second Elizabethan Age.
APOLLO THEATRE
Shaftesbury Avenue, W1 (0844 482 9671)
THE 39 STEPS
Maria Aitken’s tongue-in-cheek adaptation of
John Buchan’s whodunnit has four actors
playing 150 parts and includes all the
legendary scenes from Hitchcock’s movie.
CRITERION THEATRE
Piccadilly Circus, WC2 (0844 847 1778)
THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG
A Polytechnic amateur drama group are
putting on a 1920s murder mystery and
everything that can go wrong... does!
A sell-out hit at the Edinburgh Festival.
DUCHESS THEATRE
Catherine Street, WC2 (0844 482 9672)
HAY FEVER
Noel Coward's classic comedy returns to the
West End, with misjudged meetings, secret
seductions and scandalous revelations during
one outrageous weekend in Berkshire.
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)
THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG
IN THE NIGHT-TIME
Based on Mark Haddon’s best-selling novel,
the play follows a 15 year-old maths genius
who tries to unravel the mystery of his
neighbour’s murdered dog.
GIELGUD THEATRE
Shaftesbury Ave, W1 (020 7452 3000)
Royal National Theatre Plays in repertory
OLIVIER THEATRE
BEHIND THE BEAUTIFUL FOREVERS
From Katherine Boo's book, winner of the
National Book Award for Non-Fiction 2012,
David Hare has fashioned a tumultuous play on
an epic scale. Until 5 May.
THE BEAUX STRATAGEM
George Farquhar’s final play is a fabulous
carnal comedy. The ‘Beaux’: Mr Aimwell and Mr
Archer, two charming, dissolute young men who
have blown their fortunes in giddy London. They
flee to provincial Lichfield to marry for money.
Adelle Leonce (Hoskins).
Photos: Marc Brenner.
21. 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
21
EVERYMAN
Chiwetel Ejiofor takes title role in the play which
has been a cornerstone of English drama since
the 15th century. It now explodes onto the stage
in a startling new production.
LYTTELTON THEATRE
MAN AND SUPERMAN
A romantic comedy, an epic fairytale, a fiery
philosophical debate, the play asks
fundamental questions about how we live.
Ralph Fiennes takes the role of Jack Tanner in
this exhilarating reinvention of Shaw’s classic.
LIGHT SHINING IN BUCKINGHAMSHIRE
Tells the story of the passionate men and
women who went into battle for the soul of
England. It speaks of the revolution we never
had and the legacy it left behind.
DORFMAN THEATRE
THE HARD PROBLEM
Based around the goings-on at a brain-
science institute, Tom Stoppard’s new play
follows the life of a young researcher trying to
overcome her own personal unhappiness.
RULES FOR LIVING
In Sam Holcroft’s theatrically playful, dark
comedy an extended family gathers in the
kitchen for a traditional Christmas.
NATIONAL THEATRE
South Bank, SE1 (020 7452 3000)
WAR HORSE
The National Theatre’s epic based on the
celebrated novel by Children’s Laureate,
Michael Morpurgo. Actors work with
magnificent life-size puppets on a gruelling
journey at the time of the First World War.
NEW LONDON THEATRE
Drury Lane, WC2 (0844 412 4654)
DEATH OF A SALESMAN
Olivier Award winners Antony Sher and
Harriet Walter star in the West End transfer of
the Royal Shakespeare Company’s critically
acclaimed production.
NOEL COWARD THEATRE
St Martin's Lane, WC2 (0844 482 5141)
THE ELEPHANT MAN
Oscar nominee Bradley Cooper makes his
London stage debut in this West End transfer
from Broadway. From 19 May.
THEATRE ROYAL HAYMARKET
Haymarket, SW1 (0845 481 1870)
THE MOUSETRAP
Agatha Christie’s whodunnit is the longest
running play of its kind in the history of the
British theatre.
ST MARTIN’S THEATRE
West Street, WC2 (0844 499 1515)
OPPENHEIMER
Tom Morton-Smith's new play takes us into the
heart of the Manhattan Project and explores the
tension between the scientific advances that will
shape our understanding of the universe.
VAUDEVILLE THEATRE
The Strand, WC2 (0844 412 4663)
AMERICAN BUFFALO
Damien Lewis stars in this explosive drama,
examining the fickle nature of honour among
thieves as three small-time crooks plan one
big-time heist.
WYNDHAM’S THEATRE
Charing Cross Road, WC2 (0844 412 4663)
MUSICALS
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)
BEAUTIFUL - THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL
This new musical is the untold story of her
journey from school girl to superstar, featuring
the Carole King classics including So Far Away
and Take Good Care of My Baby.
ALDWYCH THEATRE
Aldwych, WC2 (0845 200 7981)
MATILDA
Critically acclaimed Royal Shakespeare
Company production of Roald Dahl’s Matilda,
directed by Matthew Warchus.
CAMBRIDGE THEATRE
Earlham Street, WC2 (0844 800 1110)
LORD OF THE DANCE DANGEROUS GAMES
Michael Flatley’s farewell tour. Based on Irish
folklore, this is the classic tale of Good vs. Evil
is expressed through the language of dance.
DOMINION THEATRE
Tottenham Court Road, W1 (020 7927 0900)
LET IT BE
Relive The Beatles’ meteoric rise from their
humble beginnings in Liverpool’s Cavern Club,
through the heights of Beatlemania, to their later
studio masterpieces.
GARRICK THEATRE
Charing Cross Road, WC2 (0844 412 4662)
SUNNY AFTERNOON
The Kinks exploded onto the 60’s music scene
with a raw, energetic new sound that rocked a
nation. With music and lyrics by Ray Davies.
HAROLD PINTER THEATRE
Panton Street, SW1 (0844 871 7627)
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 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 (0844 412 4661)
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)
THE COMMITMENTS
Roddy Doyle’s classic story about an assorted
bunch of Irish kids who find salvation through
soul music comes to the stage for the first time.
PALACE THEATRE
Shaftesbury Avenue, W1 (0844 412 4656)
continued on p.22
ROALD DAHL’S CHARLIE AND THE
CHOCOLATE FACTORY
The deliciously dark tale of young Charlie
Bucket and the mysterious confectioner
Willy Wonka that has captivated the world
for almost 50 years is brought to life at
Theatre Royal Drury Lane, directed by
Academy Award® winner Sam Mendes.
22. 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
ALICE’S ADVENTURES
UNDERGROUND
Waterloo Vaults
The immersive fairytale is fast
becoming hot theatrical property. Not
long since Philip Pullman’s Grimm Tales
saw its season extended at the Oxo
Tower Bargehouse, Les Enfants Terribles
arrive with their almost excessively dark
take on Alice in Wonderland and
Through the Looking Glass. Wringing
every droplet of hallucinatory disorder
from Lewis Carroll’s beloved stories,
Alice’s Adventures Underground quite
literally takes you beneath the surface
into a bold, experiential journey through
Wonderland – shifting from space to
space at The Vaults in Waterloo.
Samuel Wyer’s design is breathtaking.
No stone has been left unturned in his
visionary take on the mad and chaotic
world of Carroll’s writing. Visual and
textural detail is abundant right down to
the unsavoury residue on cups and
saucers at the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party.
Each of Alice’s encounters is imaginatively
realized as we recline with the Caterpillar,
witness some mischievous aerial work
from Tweedledum and Tweedledee and are
even tried in the Queen of Hearts’ Court
Room. There is a glorious sense of
discovery as audience members become
fully-fledged participants, clambering
through each room with increasing verve
and commitment.
Performances are expertly pitched for
the most part, with actors adding great
dollops of eeriness to wacky
characterization. Everything about the
production kicks against the Disney
adaptation although there are odd
moments when a whimsical lightness of
touch is abandoned unnecessarily amid
some heavy-handed overplaying.
Many will find joy in the fact that they
have experienced the proceedings
differently to others in their party; it all
depends on which suit of cards you are
placed into at the start. If you’re feeling
intrepid, these Kings and Queens of
quirkiness are sure to come up with
something that tickles your fancy.
Tim Hutchinson
WEST END WEDNESDAYS
BACK IN MAY
West End Wednesdays, the hugely
popular promotion which offers theatre
lovers half price tickets to top London
shows, is to return for the month of May.
Initially launched last July and run by
TKTS, the Official London Theatre Ticket
Booth, the promotion returns this spring
with tickets starting from as little as
£9.75. These brilliant bargains will only
be available to buy on-the-day and in
person at the TKTS ticket booth in
Leicester Square.
Shows involved include Memphis
The Musical at the Shaftesbury Theatre,
The Play That Goes Wrong at the
Duchess Theatre and Sunny Afternoon at
the Harold Pinter Theatre.
There are also tickets available for big
musicals such as The Commitments at
the Palace Theatre, Thriller Live at the
Lyric Theatre and Women On The Verge
Of A Nervous Breakdown The Musical at
the Playhouse Theatre.
Established in 1980, the Society of
London Theatre’s only ticket booth has
been offering safe and secure ticket
services to both Londoners and tourists
alike for over 30 years.
JERSEY BOYS
Rags to riches tale of four blue collar kids
working their way to the heights of stardom
as Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons.
PICCADILLY THEATRE
Denman Street, W1 (0844 871 3055)
WOMEN ON THE VERGE OF A
NERVOUS BREAKDOWN
New musical comedy starring Olivier-Award
winning actress Tamsin Greig. A story about
women and the men who pursue them...
Until 23 May.
PLAYHOUSE THEATRE
Northumberland Avenue, WC2 (0844 847 1722)
MISS SAIGON
Set in the final days of the American occupation
of Saigon at the end of the Vietnam War, the
legendary musical returns to the West End.
PRINCE EDWARD THEATRE
Old Compton Street, W1 (0844 482 5155)
THE 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
Shaftesbury Avenue, WC2 (0844 482 5160)
GYPSY
Major revival of the Stephen Sondheim and
Jule Styne musical, starring Imelda Staunton,
transfers from a sold out run at Chichester.
SAVOY THEATRE
Strand, WC2 (0844 871 7687)
MEMPHIS THE MUSICAL
Transferring from Broadway, the Tony Award-
winning musical, inspired by true events from
the underground dance clubs of 1950s.
SHAFTESBURY THEATRE
Shaftesbury Avenue, WC2 (020 7379 5399)
CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY
Roald Dahl's story of young Charlie Bucket
and the mysterious confectioner Willy Wonka
is brought brilliantly to life in a new West End
musical directed by Sam Mendes.
THEATRE ROYAL
Drury Lane, WC2 (0844 871 8810)
BILLY ELLIOT – THE MUSICAL
Hit British film transformed into a thrilling
stage musical by its original director, Stephen
Daldry, with music by Elton John.
VICTORIA PALACE
Victoria Street, SW1 (0844 811 0055)
23.
24. ART DECO FAIR
Sat 16 – Sun 17 May &
Sat 19 – Sun 20 September
10am – 6pm
Surround yourself with art deco decadence and sample
the splendour of the thrilling thirties at our darling fair.
The English Heritage Trust is a charity, no. 1140351, and a company, no. 07447221, registered in England.
