January in London 2018

 
 
 
Previous image

Lia Williams and Juliet Stevenson star in Mary Stuart

Next image
Lia Williams and Juliet Stevenson star in Mary Stuart
Zoe Wanamaker stars in The Birthday Party
Things I Know To Be True
London A Cappella Festival
Long Day's Journey Into Night
New Year's Day Parade
London Boat Show
Cirque Du Soleil: Ovo
The Birthday Party
Amadeus
Re:Solutions Festival
John
Julius Caesar
Hayley Atwell stars in Dry Powder
Vault Festival
The Adventure Travel Show
So Many Reasons
Daniel Day-Lewis and Vicky Krieps in Phantom Thread
Strangers In Between
The Royal Ballet: Giselle
Neverland: The Guild of Misrule and Theatre Deli
The France Show
Charles I: King and Collector
Andreas Gursky
Rhythm & Reaction: The Age of Jazz in Britain
Vault Festival
 

© Manuel Harlan

Mary Stuart transfers to the West End where The Birthday Party gets an all-star revival and Lumiere London returns, bigger and spread wider, to light up the city.

Filter by category:
 
 

New Year's Day Parade

American cop cars, miniature steamers and drummers Pandemonium join the parade.

Parliament Square, Westminster Bridge, Westminster, London, SW1P 3JX

Tube: Westminster Station , St James's Park Station

 

Dates: 01st January 2018

 

American cop cars, miniature steamers and drumming group Pandemonium, who made their first public appearance at the Opening Ceremony of the London Olympics, appear in front of over half a million spectators at London's New Year's Day Parade. The parade, which has been entertaining London since its inception on January 1st 1987, takes around three hours to weaves its way along the 2.2 mile central London route, from outside The Ritz Hotel to Parliament Square, and more than 500,00 spectators pack London's streets to see it. Expect vast, extravagant, Disney-style floats, with plenty of loud music, whistles and dancing in the street, along with marching bands, cheerleaders, street performers, clowns, acrobats, kites, colourful costumes and representatives from each of the 33 London Boroughs.

 
 
 

Re:Solutions Festival

Wellness warriors are invited to celebrate their love of health and wellbeing.

The Old Truman Brewery, 91 Brick Lane, London, E1 6QL

Tube: Aldgate East Station

 

Dates: 10th - 14th January 2019

 

The month-long Re:Solutions Festival invites wellness warriors to celebrate their love of health and wellbeing. Taking place at Juju's Bar & Stage in the Old Truman Brewery, it's back for its second year and promises to be bigger and better than ever with yoga, dance and fitness classes from the likes of Yogahood, Fat Buddha Yoga and Disco Barre. There will be swing and Cuban dance classes, mindful and meditation workshops, disco barre and Pilates. Nourishing and healthy food will be on offer from the Juju Bean Café with Moju juices, Karma Cola and vegan Cupcakes and Shhht offering guilt-free indulgence.

 
 
 

Year in Focus 2017

A look back at the past year through striking photography.

Getty Images Gallery, 46 Eastcastle Street, London, W1W 8DX

Tube: Oxford Circus Station

 

Dates: 04th January - 03rd February 2018

 

The Getty Images Gallery looks back at the year of 2017 with its new exhibition, Year in Focus 2017. The retrospective exhibition brings together a striking group of Getty Images that capture and define the global news agenda of the past year. From important news events such as the devastation of Grenfell Tower, the genocide of Rohingya and Hurricane Harvey to some of the year's highest profile entertainment sporting events, including Wimbledon, Cannes Film Festival and the World Athletic Championships, it will be a broad showcase. Further to this, the exhibition will mark 20 years since Princess Diana's death and other anniversaries such as the Russian Revolution and the Hindenburg disaster with a curation of archival images.

 
 
 

Cirque Du Soleil: Ovo

Back with a brand new show for the UK, the circus troupe revel in an insect's life.

Royal Albert Hall, Kensington Gore, London, SW7 2AP

Tube: South Kensington Station

 

Dates: 07th January - 11th February 2018

 

The award-winning theatrical troupe Cirque du Soleil returns to the Royal Albert Hall in 2018 with its never before seen in the UK show, OVO. Written, directed and choreographed by Deborah Colker, the show presents a high-flying celebration of nature set in a colourful ecosystem teeming with insect life, including a 14 metre high flying trapeze act. Taken from the word 'egg' in Portuguese, OVO is a story of love at first sight and the life cycle of insects, set in the hidden world at our feet.

 
 
 

The Birthday Party

An all-star revival of Harold Pinter's darkly comic thriller.

Harold Pinter Theatre, 6 Panton Street, London, SW1Y 4DN

Tube: Piccadilly Circus Station , Leicester Square Station

 

Dates: 09th January - 14th April 2018

 

A trio of Olivier Award winners, Toby Jones, Zoe Wanamaker and Stephen Mangan, star in Harold Pinter's darkly comic thriller about a birthday party at a seaside boarding house. Proceedings descend into disarray when two enigmatic strangers arrive and disrupt the humdrum lives of the residents. This new production of The Birthday Party at the Harold Pinter Theatre comes 60 years after the play's debut. Ian Rickson, artistic director at the Royal Court from 1998 to 2006, who directed Pinter himself in his last performance as an actor in Krapp's Last Tape, directs.

 
 
 
 

London International Mime Festival

The 2018 festival sees the return of 2015 Olivier Award winners, Peeping Tom.

 

Dates: 08th January - 02nd February 2020

 

Dialogue is minimal at the London International Mime Festival. Taking place at some of the city's best arts venues, from Shoreditch Town Hall to Soho Theatre, the programme of events is made up of 11 UK or London premieres, with artists from Finland, France, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Belgium and beyond joining some of Britain's fast emerging talents and established names. The festival opens with Lahto (Departure), a piece reminiscent of 1960s cult movie Blow Up, performed by Finland's Kalle Nio / WHS at Central Saint Martins Platform Theatre. Further festival highlights include the return of Jakop Ahlbom's five star Horror team who stage another movie-inspired masterpiece, Lebensraum, while at the Barbican two large-scale shows from Belgium see the return of 2015 Olivier Award winners, Peeping Tom, and the UK premiere of epic and extraordinary FC Bergman.

 
 
 

London Boat Show

Messing about with boats. See the latest yachts and meet boating legends.

ExCeL London, One Western Gateway, Royal Victoria Dock, London, E16 1XL

Tube: Canning Town Station

 

Dates: 10th - 14th January 2018

 

London's biggest exhibition of boats returns for its 64th year in 2018, with hundreds of exhibitors showcasing everything from 1.4-metre sailing dinghies to 37-metre tri-deck motor yachts. Visitors to the five day London Boat Show will be able to see the latest in boating and boating technology and hear from the world's experts in the field as well as interviews with boating legends. You can even have a go in the activity pool and learn how to do dinghy sailing, kayaking or stand up paddleboarding. Beautiful yachts are moored in the marina and next them is the Watersports Park where visitors can get on the water and try the latest watersports.

 
 
 

Strangers In Between

A West Transfer for the warmhearted Australian drama.

Trafalgar Studios, 14 Whitehall, London, SW1A 2DY

Tube: Charing Cross Station , Embankment Underground Station

 

Dates: 10th January - 03rd February 2018

 

A West End transfer for the King's Head Theatre's staging of Tommy Murphy's warmhearted Australian drama about a troubled gay man, who runs away from his provincial home to seek acceptance and understanding in the metropolitan bustle of Sydney. Strangers in Between is "a play that relies deeply on the rapport between its actors" (The Stage) and its director, the King's Head Theatre's Artistic Director, Adam Spreadbury-Maher, "has brought together a winning team". The cast includes Roly Botha as Shane, Dan Hunter as Will and Stephen Connery-Brown, "utterly credible as the witty, urbane Peter" (The Stage).

 
 
 

Things I Know To Be True

Frantic Assembly tell the story of a family and marriage through the eyes of four grown siblings.

Lyric Hammersmith, Lyric Square, 2 King Street, London, W6 0QA

Tube: Hammersmith Station

 

Dates: 11th January - 03rd February 2018

 

A hit here at the Lyric two years ago and now on a second UK tour, Andrew Bovell's Things I Know To Be True is brought to the stage by Frantic Assembly and State Theatre Company Of South Australia. The drama tells the story of a family and marriage through the eyes of four grown siblings. Original UK cast members, Matthew Barker and Kirsty Oswald, return to reprise their roles as Mark and Rosie. Joining them are Cate Hamer as Fran Price, married to Bob, played by John McArdle, parents who have worked their fingers to the bone. Their four grownup children, ready to fly the nest, struggle to define themselves beyond their parents' love and expectations.

 
 
 

All's Well That Ends Well

Caroline Byrne directs Annie Siddons' reimagining of Shakespeare's drama.

Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, 21 New Globe Walk, Bankside, London, SE1 9DT

Tube: Mansion House Station

 

Dates: 11th January - 03rd March 2018

 

After her "splendid" (The Guardian) production of The Taming of the Shrew in 2016, Caroline Byrne directs Annie Siddons' reimagining of Shakespeare's drama All's Well That Ends Well to the Globe's candlelit Sam Wanamaker Playhouse. A dark, twisted and dangerous interpretation of Shakespeare's tale of youthful rebellion and boundless determination, the play is about a spirited orphan, Helena, (played by Ellora Torchia, previously ambitious protege Priya in Boys Will Be Boys) who risks her life to win the heart of the son of her adopted family.

 
 
 
 

Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992

Anna Deavere relives the murder of Rodney King with this powerful piece.

Gate Theatre, 11 Pembridge Road, London, W11 3HQ

Tube: Notting Hill Gate Station

 

Dates: 11th January - 03rd February 2018

 

Obie Award-winning writer and performer Anna Deavere Smith relives the summer of 1992 for verbatim theatre piece Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992. Staged at the Gate Theatre, the ground-breaking show will look back at the murder of Rodney King, who was beaten to death by Los Angeles police officers. The community was then left in further despair when these officers were acquitted, causing riots to break out across LA and thus shining a light on racial oppression and police brutality. This piece will use the interviews that Smith did with King's family, police commissioners and hundreds of other people.

 
 
 

London Short Film Festival

The festival returns for its 15th year in 2018.

 

Dates: 10th - 19th January 2020

 

Returning for a 15th year, the London Short Film Festival comes to seven venues across London this January with hundreds of film screenings, each hand-picked for the occasion. Renowned for its crazy, avant-garde and challenging offerings, the festival sees events take place at the ICA, Curzon Soho, Regent Street Cinema, Rich Mix and BFI Southbank. Screenings include an anniversary screening of the best of the festival across the 15 years, a triple bill premiere of With Teeth's three commissioned moving image pieces, and a series of Brexit shorts. There are also touching stories about queer characters, a premiere of sound documentaries exploring the thin line between freedom and risk, and the festival's first screening exclusively for deaf audiences.

 
 
 

Lady Windermere's Fan

Samantha Spiro, Kevin Bishop and Jennifer Saunders appear in the biting comedy of clashing classes

Vaudeville Theatre, 404 Strand, London, WC2R 0NH

Tube: Covent Garden Station , Charing Cross Station, Embankment Underground Station, Leicester Square Station

 

Dates: 12th January - 07th April 2018

 

Kathy Burke directs the second salvo of Dominic Dromgoole's Oscar Wilde Season at the Vaudeville, staged by Classic Spring, the new theatre company from the former Artistic Director of Shakespeare's Globe. Samantha Spiro, Kevin Bishop and Absolutely Fabulous star Jennifer Saunders appear in the biting comedy of clashing classes and cultures. The drama unfolds at Lady Windermere's birthday party, where roguish Lord Darlington plants a seed of suspicion about an extra-marital affair. The year long season, A Celebration of Oscar Wilde, kicked off with A Woman of No Importance, starring Eve Best, followed by De Profundis, adapted by Frank McGuinness, which has a short run before Lady Windermere's Fan opens for previews on 12th January.

 
 
 

Mary Stuart

Juliet Stevenson and Lia Williams play the central roles, allocated with the toss of a coin.

Duke of York's Theatre, St Martins Lane, London, WC2N 4BG

Tube: Leicester Square Station , Charing Cross Station, Covent Garden Station, Piccadilly Circus Station, Embankment Underground Station

 

Dates: 13th January - 31st March 2018

 

Juliet Stevenson and Lia Williams trade the central roles of Elizabeth I and Mary Stuart, deciding who gets which part with a toss of a coin ahead of each performance. Following its critically acclaimed run at the unstoppable Almeida Theatre, Robert Icke's adaptation of Friedrich Schiller's political tragedy Mary Stuart gets a West End transfer. Set during some of British history's most crucial days, the drama centres on the lives of the two queens - one in power, one in prison.

 
 
 

Beginning

David Eldridge's new play transfers from the National to the Ambassadors Theatre.

Ambassadors Theatre, West Street, London, WC2H 9ND

Tube: Leicester Square Station , Covent Garden Station, Tottenham Court Road Station

 

Dates: 15th January - 24th March 2018

 

A new play by David Eldridge, Beginning invites the audience to be a fly on the wall at Laura's party. With the party coming to the end, Danny is the last straggler and decides to stay for one final drink. The flat is a mess and so are they, what will one more drink lead to? Polly Findlay directs the tender and funny piece, which transfers to the Ambassadors Theatre after a sell-out run at the National in 2017.

 
 
 
 

Winter Lights Festival

Light sculptures, laser and projections help to brighten the dark winter nights.

Canary Wharf, Canada Square Park, London, E14 5AG

Tube: Canary Wharf Station

 

Dates: 16th - 25th January 2020

 

Brightening the darkest January days, the Winter Lights Festival at Canary Wharf brings an array of illuminated installations to the city. The interactive festival - where you can actually get up close to the light sources - includes 30 sculptures, lasers, projections and digital art. Works include Sonic Light Bubble, a six-metre wide living, breath installation; Halo, a giant levitating halo; Apparatus Florius, a multi-coloured light installation featuring giant geometric patterns; and On Your Wavelength, an interactive light and music sculpture that is controlled by your mind.

 
 
 

So Many Reasons

Exploring the unique influence mothers have on how we understand the world.

Camden People's Theatre, 58-60 Hampstead Road, London, NW1 2PY

Tube: Warren Street Station , Euston Square Station, Euston Station, Great Portland Street Station

 

Dates: 16th January - 03rd February 2018

 

Fuel presents a collaboration between writer Racheal Ofori and performer Heather Agyepong, exploring the unique influence mothers have on how we understand the world, telling the story from the perspective of a first generation British Ghanaian woman. So Many Reasons, headlines the Calm Down Dear festival of feminist theatre at Camden People's Theatre (from 16th January until 3rd February). It considers generational divides, looking at the different ways mothers and daughters view female sexuality.

 
 
 

London Art Fair

Curated spaces and unmissable art, discover works by renowned artists from the 20th Century to today.

Business Design Centre, 52 Upper Street, Islington, London, N1 0QH

Tube: Angel Station

 

Dates: 22nd - 26th January 2020

 

Now in its 30th year, the London Art Fair at the Business Design Centre shows no signs of losing its cutting edge. Whether you're buying or just looking you'll have over a hundred of London's best galleries to browse through. This year, five leading contemporary artists - Sonia Boyce, Mat Collishaw, Haroon Mirza, Oscar Murillo and Rose Wylie - select works from Art UK for one-off exhibition within the fair. Talks and tours hosted are by leading experts from Sotheby's and the like and it's open late on Thursday - stop by after work for an insightful programme of talks, tours and performance.

 
 
 

John

Annie Baker's

National Theatre: Dorfman, South Bank, London, SE1 9PX

Tube: Temple Station , Waterloo Station

 

Dates: 17th January - 03rd March 2018

 

Annie Baker, whose Pulitzer Prize-winning The Flick had a sold-out run at the National in 2016, is back with John, a new play about the uncanny impact of inanimate objects. Set in a bed and breakfast in Gettsburg, Pennsylvania, it's the week after Thanksgiving and a young couple from Brooklyn are attempting to save their relationship. Following its staging in New York in 2015 The Guardian critic Alexis Soloski praised "the playwright's feel for character and dialogue" and The New Yorker said it was "so good on so many levels".

 
 
 

Lumiere London

Bigger and brighter, the illuminated installations return with more than 40 light works lighting up London.

 

Dates: 18th - 21st January 2018

 

A huge success when it lit up London for the first time two years ago, the Lumiere festival of light is back. Produced by Artichoke, the grand spectacle will run for four nights in January and see illuminations and animations projected at different locations throughout London including the West End and King's Cross, Westminster Abbey and the National Theatre, with new destinations Covent Garden, Victoria, the South Bank and Waterloo added. More than a million people came to see the spectacle last time. This time it's bigger and brighter, with more than 40 interactive installations and light works transforming London into a big nocturnal outdoor exhibition. The perfect way to inject some sparkle into the city after the Christmas lights have come down.

 
 
 
 

The Open House

Michael Boyd directs Will Eno's drama about a strained family relationship and a missing dog.

Coronet Theatre, 103 Notting Hill Gate, London, W11 3LB

Tube: Notting Hill Gate Station

 

Dates: 18th January - 17th February 2018

 

Former Artistic Director of the Royal Shakespeare Company, Michael Boyd directs Will Eno's drama about a strained family relationship and a missing dog. The Open House offers a wildly subversive and darkly hilarious take on the archetypal family drama as Son and Daughter come home to celebrate their Mother and Father's wedding anniversary. The production stars Teresa Banham as Mother, Greg Hicks as Father, Lindsey Campbell as Daughter, Crispin Letts as Uncle and Ralph Davis as Son.

 
 
 

The Brothers Size

The deeply moving fable is revived a decade after being staged at the Young Vic.

The Young Vic, 66 The Cut, London, SE1 8LZ

Tube: Southwark Station , Waterloo Station, Lambeth North Station

 

Dates: 19th January - 14th February 2018

 

Bijan Sheibani directs the long-awaited revival of this deeply moving fable about the rarely spoken bond between brothers by Oscar-winning writer of Moonlight Tarell Alvin McCraney. The Brothers Size, acclaimed when first produced at the Young Vic in the Maria studio in 2007, earning McCraney the Evening Standard Most Promising Playwright Award, is revived a decade later at the Young Vic, this time in the main house. As before, it's a co-production with the Actors Touring Company.

 
 
 

The Royal Ballet: Giselle

The groundbreaking ballet returns for the first time since 2016.

Royal Opera House, Bow Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2E 9DD

Tube: Covent Garden Station , Leicester Square Station

 

Dates: 19th January - 10th February 2018

 

A ballet that never grows old, Giselle is once again performed at the Royal Opera House this year, after last being staged here in 2016. First performed in Paris in 1841, it transformed the world of dance and has since undergone many choreography and design changes over the years, although the essence still remains the same. Peter Wright's production for The Royal Ballet is based on Marius Petipa's classic version. The title role is emotionally and technically demanding for the ballerina, calling for an absolute transition from innocent peasant girl - who dies of a broken heart - to avenging spirit, but the Royal Ballet's ballerinas ensure a vital performance each night.

 
 
 

Julius Caesar

David Calder and Ben Whishaw lead an all-star in a promenade staging of Shakespeare's tragedy.

Bridge Theatre, 3 Potters Fields Park, London, SE1 2SG

Tube: London Bridge Station

 

Dates: 20th January - 15th April 2018

 

Nicholas Hytner directs a promenade staging of Shakespeare's bloodthirsty tragedy in which Caesar returns to Rome to public adulation and the educated elite plot his assassination to ensure Caesar cannot seize more power from the Roman republic. David Calder plays the title role opposite the brilliant Ben Whishaw (see The Hour, London Spy and his scene stealing turn as Q in the Bond films) and Michelle Fairley as coup conspirators Brutus and Cassius, and David Morrissey as Mark Antony.

 
 
 

The Adventure Travel Show

The major travel show returns for its 22nd year.

Olympia Exhibition Centre, Hammersmith Road, London, W14 8UX

Tube: Kensington (Olympia) Station

 

Dates: 18th - 19th January 2020

 

Back for its 22nd year, The Adventure Travel Show is the UK's only event dedicated entirely to discovering the world off the beaten track. Whether you're interested in volunteering, a career break, trekking, diving, safari or cycling, the show gives you access to specialist adventure travel companies who can help. There are over 100 free inspirational talks across four theatres to choose from, information on the hottest new destinations, the chance to enhance your travel photography, writing and film skills. Hear talks from adventurers and experienced explorers including Sir Ranulph Fiennes. There's also a special focus on Africa with a Discover Africa feature that has talks, exhibitors and Africa experts. If this doesn't inspire you to travel in 2018, nothing will.

 
 
 
 

Amadeus

Battle of wits between the court composer and his rowdy young prodigy.

National Theatre: Olivier Theatre, South Bank, London, SE1 8XZ

Tube: Embankment Underground Station

 

Dates: 22nd January - 17th February 2018

 

Following a sell-out run last year, Amadeus returns to the Olivier in 2018. Adam Gillen and Lucian Msamati, who "cuts a swaggering figure in Game of Thrones as the pirate Salladhor Saan" (Guardian), reprise the roles of Mozart and the scheming Salieri. This acclaimed play had its premiere at the National Theatre more than 35 years ago, winning multiple Olivier and Tony Awards before being adapted into Milos Forman's Academy Award-winning film. Now Michael Longhurst directs this battle of wits between the court composer and his rowdy young prodigy Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart who arrives in Vienna determined to make a splash.

 
 
 

London A Cappella Festival

Some of the best choral groups, beatbox ensembles and throat singers.

Kings Place, 90 York Way, King's Cross, London, N1 9AG

Tube: King's Cross Station

 

Dates: 24th - 27th January 2018

 

The annual London A Cappella Festival showcases some of the best choral, jazz, contemporary, beatbox ensembles and throat singers, with an eclectic programme that never disappoints. In 2018 the festival welcomes global jazz superstars New York Voices, leading exponents of Renaissance sacred music The Tallis Scholars and internationally acclaimed Tuvan throat singers Huun-Huur-Tu. World Beatbox Champions The Beatbox Collective give a performance and workshop, award-winning vocal sextet Estonian Voices perform live and the festival also sees the return of the hugely popular LACF Kids on Saturday 27th January, bursting with events to inspire the next generation.

 
 
 

Andreas Gursky

The UK's first major retrospective of the photographer's work.

The Hayward Gallery, Belvedere Road, London, SE1 8XZ

Tube: Waterloo Station , Embankment Underground Station

 

Dates: 25th January - 22nd April 2018

 

Kicking off the gallery's 50th anniversary year, 2018 sees the Hayward Gallery host the first major retrospective in the UK of the work of Andreas Gursky. Considered one of the most significant photographers of our time, the German artist is known for pushing the boundaries with his large-scale pictures that portray scenes of the global economy and contemporary life. The exhibition will include some of Gursky's best-known works including Paris, Montparnasse, an iconic photo of a seemingly endless block of flats; Rhine II, a digitally tweaked vision of the river as a contemporary minimalist symbol; and May Day IV, which depicts hundreds of revellers at Germany's Mayday techno music festival.

 
 
 

Vault Festival

The fabulous fringe festival expands to bring you 300 weird and wonderful new shows.

The Vaults, 10 Leake Street, South Bank, London, SE1 7NN

Tube: Waterloo Station , Lambeth North Station

 

Dates: 28th January - 16th March 2020

 

The boundless Vault Festival is one of the most exciting happenings on London's fringe. Returning for its sixth year, the eight-week arts festival expands to include 300 new shows with a wide-ranging programme of performance, live music, discussions and one-off late night parties. Held at The Vaults in Waterloo's Leake Street tunnels, the line-up for this year's festival includes Neverland, by Theatre Deli and The Guild of Misrule, producers of the 2017 immersive theatre sensation, The Great Gatsby who bring glittering pirates, mermaids, food fights, absinthe bars and live music to the Vaults. There's immersive hip hop dance with Caravan while Lamplighters leads the audience through an improvised spy story in the style of John Le Carre. Chivaree Circus bring their award winning re-imagining of the classic myth of Persephone into a full 8 week immersive circus extravaganza and comedy comes via Edinburgh from Mat Ewins, Graham Dickson and Joe Sutherland.

 
 
 

Neverland: The Guild of Misrule and Theatre Deli

Dive into a dark and dangerous world of mermaids, rum and glittering pirates.

The Vaults, 10 Leake Street, London, SE1 7NN

Tube: Waterloo Station , Lambeth North Station

 

Dates: 24th January - 18th March 2018

 

Rediscover your lost child and dive into a dark and dangerous world of mermaids, rum and glittering pirates in the wonderful world of Neverland. Returning to the Vault Festival, where they gave us last year's sell out, smash hit The Great Gatsby, The Guild of Misrule and Theatre Deli are back with a new Peter Pan-inspired, immersive musical. Expect food fights, absinthe bars and live music from a band of lost boys.

 
 
 
 

Dry Powder

Hayley Atwell, star of BBC's Howards End, is not in business to make friends.

Hampstead Theatre, Eton Avenue, London, NW3 3EU

Tube: Swiss Cottage Station

 

Dates: 26th January - 03rd March 2018

 

Hayley Atwell, star of BBC's Howards End, makes her Hampstead Theatre debut as Jenny in the UK premiere of Sarah Burgess' witty comedy, Dry Powder. She is joined by Tom Riley and Aidan McArdle in a production placed at the financial heart of New York City. In the same week his private equity firm forced massive layoffs at a supermarket chain, Rick threw himself a lavish engagement party - which even featured an elephant - setting off a Public Relations nightmare. The ensuing comedy explores the vision, the vulnerability, and the vilification of those shaping - and skewing - the economy.

 
 
 

The France Show

Savour the flavours of France at this major exhibition.

Olympia Exhibition Centre, Hammersmith Road, London, W14 8UX

Tube: Kensington (Olympia) Station

 

Dates: 26th - 28th January 2018

 

Savour the flavours of France with exhibits, live cooking demonstrations, wine tastings, language and travel theatre at The France Show. The event covers French travel, culture, lifestyle and property, with gastronomy at the centre of the three-day celebration. France is, after all, the only country to have its dining tradition listed by UNESCO World Heritage. The popular Flavours of France stage is hosted by culinary expert Guy Wolley and Telegraph wine expert Susy Atkins. Author Peter May discusses his move to France and travel writer and blogger Lindsey Tramuta - author of Lost in Cheeseland - talks about 'The New Paris'. For Francophiles who want to fully embrace their passion for the country and move across the Channel, the show includes properties for sale, property seminars and the realities of living and working in France.

 
 
 

Bloomberg New Contemporaries 2017

Showcasing 47 of the best new and recent fine art graduates.

South London Gallery, 65-67 Peckham Road, London, SE5 8UH

Tube: Denmark Hill Station

 

Dates: 06th December - 23rd February 2020

 

An important barometer of contemporary art, Bloomberg New Contemporaries comes to Block 336, in London, for the first time. Showcasing some of the best new and recent fine art graduates, 47 artists have been selected to create a show that's playful, clever and thought-provoking. The exhibition includes paintings which re-imagine family memories, photography exploring themes of belonging and 'a sense of home', and films which draw on the conventions of post-war theatre, 'kitchen sink' dramas and TV sit-coms.

 
 
 

Long Day's Journey Into Night

Jeremy Irons and Lesley Manville star as the parents doomed to a destructive cycle.

Wyndham's Theatre, Charing Cross Road, London, WC2H 0DA

Tube: Leicester Square Station , Covent Garden Station, Charing Cross Station, Piccadilly Circus Station

 

Dates: 27th January - 07th April 2018

 

Jeremy Irons returns to the London stage for the first time in over 10 years opposite Olivier Award winner Lesley Manville as the early 20th century parents, who are doomed to a destructive cycle of love and resentment with their two sons. Richard Eyre directs the star duo in this West End transfer of Bristol Old Vic's 250th anniversary production of Eugene O'Neill's Pulitzer Prize-winning drama, Long Day's Journey Into Night.

 
 
 

Charles I: King and Collector

A landmark exhibition reuniting exceptional artwork acquired and commissioned by Charles I.

Royal Academy of Arts, Burlington House, London, W1J 0BD

Tube: Green Park Station , Piccadilly Circus Station

 

Dates: 27th January - 15th April 2018

 

During his reign, from 1625 until his execution in 1649, King Charles I acquired and commissioned masterpieces from the fifteenth to the seventeenth century. In January 2018, the Royal Academy of Arts, in partnership with Royal Collection Trust, presents Charles I: King and Collector, a landmark exhibition that reunites the most exceptional art collection. It's a chance to discover the royal art collection which includes sculptures, Baroque paintings and miniature and monumental tapestries, including works by Van Dyck, Rubens, Holbein, Titian and Mantegna now in collections such as the Musee du Louvre and the Museo Nacional del Prado.

 
 
 
 

Rhythm & Reaction: The Age of Jazz in Britain

A major exhibition marking 100 years since jazz reached Britain.

Two Temple Place, 2 Temple Place, London, WC2R 3BD

Tube: Temple Station

 

Dates: 27th January - 22nd April 2018

 

Marking 100 years since jazz reached Britain in the aftermath of the First World War, Two Temple Place, a spectacular neo-Gothic mansion on London's Victoria Embankment, reopens in January 2018 with its seventh annual winter exhibition, Rhythm & Reaction: The Age of Jazz in Britain. Produced in partnership with The Arts Society, on its 50th anniversary, this major exhibition brings together paintings of dancers by William Roberts and Frank Dobson, displayed alongside the Harlem-inspired paintings by Edward Burra. Prints, cartoons, textiles and ceramics, moving film, instruments and the all-important jazz sound are all used to examine the influence of jazz on British art, design and wider society.

 
 
 

The Divide - Part 1

The two-part play comes to The Old Vic after being staged at the Edinburgh International Festival.

Old Vic Theatre, 103 The Cut, London, SE1 8NB

Tube: Waterloo Station , Southwark Station, Lambeth North Station

 

Dates: 30th January - 10th February 2018

 

Following its premiere at the Edinburgh International Festival Alan Ayckbourn's new play, The Divide, opens at The Old Vic, with previews from 30th January 2018. Set in a dystopian future, the six-hour play - a tale for our own turbulent times - is told in two parts. Part 1 sees brother and sister Elihu and Soween glimpse cracks in the system of a regime that embraces brutal repression, forbidden love, division of the sexes and insurrection. In part two, Elihu's romance with the daughter of two radical mothers threatens to ignite a bloody revolution. Despite Ayckbourn's 'national treasure' status, The Divide did come in for some stinging reviews - "more punishment than a play" (Daily Telegraph) and "strains patience" (Guardian) - after its Edinburgh Festival run.

 
 
 

Phantom Thread

Daniel Day-Lewis's final film gets a special preview screening at Royal Festival Hall.

Southbank Centre: Royal Festival Hall, Belvedere Road, London, SE1 8XX

Tube: Waterloo Station , Embankment Underground Station

 

Dates: 31st January 2018

 

Three-time Academy Award winner Daniel Day-Lewis's final film, Phantom Thread, gets a special preview screening at Royal Festival Hall on Wednesday 31st January 2018, days before the film's general UK release on Friday 2nd February 2018. The soundtrack to Paul Thomas Anderson's new film will be performed live by the London Contemporary Orchestra and both the director and composer, Radiohead's lead guitarist Jonny Greenwood, will introduce the film and discuss their creative partnership. Greenwood and Anderson have previously collaborated on There Will Be Blood, The Master and Inherent Vice.

 
 
 

Eloise Hawser: By The Deep, By The Mark

A playful installation drawing parallels between civil engineering and the human body.

Somerset House, Strand, London, WC2R 1LA

Tube: Temple Station

 

Dates: 31st January - 22nd April 2018

 

A new work by artist Eloise Hawser, By The Deep, By The Mark presents playful parallels between extraordinary feats or civil engineering and the workings of the human body. Using Somerset House's close relationship with the River Thames and Victoria Embankment as a starting point, the show takes visitors on a journey through a three dimensional mind map of sculptures, audio visual displays, medical hardware and archival material. Looking at the past and future sewage systems in London, Hawser charts attempts through the ages to keep London clean and the aim of utilising the Thames as a space for leisure as opposed to industry. Weaving together pioneering works of civil engineering with remarkable innovations in medical science, the artist looks at how both of these industries come as a result of our fear of pollution and disease and the desire for control over our bodily processes.

 
 
 

The Divide - Part 2

Part two of Alan Ayckbourn's turbulent drama.

Old Vic Theatre, 103 The Cut, London, SE1 8NB

Tube: Waterloo Station , Southwark Station, Lambeth North Station

 

Dates: 31st January - 10th February 2018

 

In the second part of Alan Ayckbourn's The Divide, a drama for our own turbulent times, directed by Annabel Bolton, Elihu's romance with the daughter of two radical mothers threatens to ignite a bloody revolution that will test his relationship to his sister Soween. "Alan Ayckbourn's projection of a plague-ravaged future where sexes are segregated contains many nice ironies and performances, but strains patience over its six hours" said The Guardian of this co-production between The Old Vic, Edinburgh International Festival and Karl Sydow.

 
 
 

Vault Festival

The Old Vic Tunnels, Station Approach Road, South Bank, London, SE1 7XB

Tube: Lambeth North Station

 

Dates: 09th - 26th February 2012

 

This February the newly discovered Old Vic Tunnels will be taken over for the Vault festival. The underground maze will host a number of theatrical gigs including late night themed parties and a horror-exclusive cinema. The flicker club and Hammer will be joining forces to offer resurrections of classic horrors including Frankenstein Created Woman, as well as cutting edge thrillers Let Me In and much anticipated, The Woman in Black. Lurking underground the streets of London this cinema will be the perfect place for audiences to immerse themselves in some truly nerve-racking screenings. Further events include silent opera La Bohème; the combination of silent disco and opera, plus a ballsy gig from heavy metal band The Furies, and numerous late night spectaculars with different themed nights to suit all tastes.

 
 
 

IN THIS ARTICLE

 

RELATED ARTICLES

 
 
 
SALE London Hotels

From cheap budget places to stay to luxury 5 star hotels see our special offers for hotels, including from 0% off.

 
 
 
Call now: hotel deals 0207 420 4960