January in London 2014

 
 
 
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The Weir

Ardal O'Hanlon in The Weir at Donmar, 2013

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The Weir
Cirque Du Soleil: Quidam
Man Drake: Anatomia Publica
Citta di Ebla: The Dead
A Serious Man, A Modern World: Buster Keaton and the Cinema of Today
Taking Shots: The Photography of William S Burroughs
Andy Warhol: Photographs 1976 - 1987
London International Mime Festival
Table of Contents
James Arthur
Vamos Theatre Company, Finding Joy
Behind the Mask
Behind the Mask
Sensing Spaces: Architecture Reimagined
 

© Helen Warner

Shakespeare's Globe's brand new indoor theatre opens with The Duchess of Malfi, Sam Mendes directs King Lear at the National, and Abi Morgan makes her Royal Court Theatre debut in January 2014.

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The Decorative Antiques & Textiles Fair

A fair that specialises in unusual English and European antiques, designs and artworks.

 

With around 140 exhibitors, this thrice-yearly event specialises in unusual English and European antiques, original twentieth-century designs, and artworks from past to present. The fair is well-known as an excellent source of painted furniture, Gustavian & Swedish design, twentieth-century design, lighting, accessories and named-design furniture, and excellent mirrors. Having run for 25 years, it has an international reputation and attracts international trade and retail buyers, interior designs, as well as discerning private customers.

 
 
 

A Serious Man, A Modern World: Buster Keaton and the Cinema of Today

A celebration of the work of Buster Keaton.

BFI Southbank, Belvedere Road, South Bank, South Bank, London, SE1 8XT

Tube: Waterloo Station , Embankment Underground Station

 

Dates: 01st January - 28th February 2014

 

Following the release of the 4K digital restoration of The General (1926), the BFI hosts a series that celebrates the work of Buster Keaton. A Serious Man, A Modern World will screen some of the greatest works by the magnificent screen comedian, who was rivalled only by Charlie Chapman. As well as possessing comic invention and impeccable timing that made him a pleasure to watch on screen, Keaton was also an imaginative director whose work still feels modern today. As well as The General, this series will include screenings of Sherlock Jr (1924), Go West (1925 and The Navigator (1924). Plus, a selection of films made over the last half century that are deemed 'Keatonesque', such as Woody Allen's Zelig (1983), Jacques Tati's Playtime (1967) and Aki Kaurismaki's Take Care of Your Scarf, Tatjana (1994).

 
 
 

Peter Pan: The Never Ending Story World Arena Tour

Stacey Solomon plays Tinker Bell in the arena stage show of the boy who wouldn't grow up.

SSE Arena, Wembley, Arena Square, Engineers Way, London, HA9 0DH

Tube: Wembley Park Station

 

Dates: 02nd - 04th January 2014

 

This imaginative and theatrical staging of JM Barrie's classic children's book, directed by Luc Petit, is sure to be one of the most extravagant you'll ever see. Peter Pan, The Never Ending Story comes to London's Wembley Arena as part of a worldwide arena tour under the artistic direction of Geert Allaert, who runs Belgian production company Music Hall. Songs by the likes of Duran Duran, Robbie Williams and Rod Stewart have been adapted by Matt Dunkley who has written music for films including Moulin Rouge, The Black Swan, Love Actually and The Pirates of the Caribbean. High tech CGI mapping conjures up a cinematic quality backdrop while members of the 50-strong cast of actors, singers, acrobats and stunt artists fly through the air without a harness using wind turbines and bungees. Under the director of Petit and choreographer Martino Müller (Notre-Dame de Paris, Cirque du Soleil), this £10 million version of the tale of the boy who didn't want to grow up promises to be a spectacular show. Book tickets to Peter Pan, The Never Ending Story through LondonTown.com today.

 
 
 

Stewart Lee: Much A-Stew About Nothing

The comedian presents his new show.

Leicester Square Theatre, 6 Leicester Place, Soho, London, WC2H 7BX

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

 

Dates: 03rd March 2016

 

Comedian Stewart Lee , who made his name in the mid-1990s as one half of the radio duo Lee and Herring alongside Richard Herring, presents a work-in-progress show with Much A-Stew About Nothing, an opportunity for Lee to work on material for the latest series of his Bafta award-winning show Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle, which has been commissioned for another two series set to be broadcast on BBC 2 in 2014/15.

 
 
 

Bloodshot

Thriller set in London in the 1950s is staged at St James Theatre.

The Other Palace Theatre, 12 Palace Street, Westminster, London, SW1E 5JA

Tube: Victoria Station

 

Dates: 03rd - 25th January 2014

 

Written by Douglas Post and set in 1957 London, this solo thriller tells the story of a photographer who receives a mysterious envelope through his letter box asking him to take secret photos of a young woman walking through Holland Park. With the promise of a handsome reward, he accepts. However, when the assignment takes a shocking turn, leading him into the seedy world of Soho nightlife, he finds his whole outlook on life is challenged.

 
 
 
 

The London Boat Show

A must-see for anyone who likes messing about on the water.

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

Tube: Canning Town Station

 

Dates: 04th - 12th January 2014

 

Ahoy there! London's biggest exhibition of boats and water crafts of all kinds returns - featuring 500 exhibitors showcasing anything from 1.4-metre sailing dinghies to 37-metre tri-deck motor yachts. Visitors can also take part in a range of thrilling watersport activities such as kayaking, windsurfing and wakeboarding in a special Action Pool. With displays ranging from indoor canoeing to sailing, tall ships, historic vessels and a marina full of some the largest exhibitor boats in production (at the Royal Victoria Dock), it's set to be an action-packed event with all hands on deck. Additional activities include an anchor watch masterclass, boating for beginners area - free from people peddling products - new boat launches and the Dinghy Racing Weekend. A must-see for anyone who likes messing about on the water.

 
 
 

Cirque Du Soleil: Quidam

Gravity-defying acrobatics and modern circus skills.

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

Tube: South Kensington Station

 

Dates: 04th January - 16th February 2014

 

Cirque du Soleil bring their award-winning production Quidam to the Royal Albert Hall this January. The show received its world premiere in Montreal back in 1996 and has since toured across five continents, playing to over 10 million audience members. The vibrant modern-circus piece tells the story of Zoe, who slips into an imaginary world to alleviate her boredom. With an international cast of 45 world-class acrobats, the performance is something to behold. Audiences will be treated to award-winning acts Banquine, which sees fifteen artists perform sequences of acrobatics and human pyramids in synchronised movement and Aerial Contortion in Silk, showcasing the power and grace of the acrobats as they are suspended high above the stage.

 
 
 

Valley of Song

An homage to Ivor Novello's homeland.

Finborough Theatre, 118 Finborough Road, Fulham, London, SW10 9ED

Tube: West Brompton Station

 

Dates: 05th - 21st January 2014

 

Set on the eve of the Great War, Valley of Song, Ivor Novello's musical is a homage to his homeland, Wales. Staged at the Finborough Theatre as part of THEGREATWAR100 series, a new programme of works presented between 2014 and 2018 to commemorate the centenary of the First World War, the play tells the story of choirmaster David and his love for Lily, his leading soprano who is given an opportunity to sing in Venice and become an international star. Directed by Benji Sperring who recently directed 'The Blind and The Intruder' which received an Off West End Award nomination for best design.

 
 
 

Robert Newman's New Theory Of Evolution

A comedy monologue on evolutionary theory

Soho Theatre, 21 Dean Street, Soho, London, W1D 3NE

Tube: Tottenham Court Road Station , Leicester Square Station

 

Dates: 06th - 18th January 2014

 

Rob Newman's 90-minute comic discourse on the ongoing arguments within evolutionary theory takes in DNA, lemon ants, Tsarist dungeons, altruistic vampire bats and Richard Dawkins' postman wrestling naked. You'll never take Darwin for granted again. This Soho Theatre run is Newman's first complete new comedy show for seven years and is hotly anticipated. Suitable for ages 14

 
 
 

Bring Me Laughter

A display of some of the funniest items from the museum's archives.

The Cartoon Museum, 63 Wells Street, Bloomsbury, London, WC1A 3AE

Tube: Tottenham Court Road Station , Holborn Station

 

Dates: 07th January - 23rd February 2014

 

Bring Me Laughter will focus on exhibiting some of the funniest items from the archives of the Cartoon Museum, with cartoons and caricatures by over 40 artists including HE Bateman, Maz Beerbohm, Walt Disney Studio, Fougasse, William Heath Robinson, Ronald Searle and many others.

 
 
 
 

Kate Tempest: Brand New Ancients

The spoken word artist presents her new show.

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

Tube: Hammersmith Station

 

Dates: 07th January 2014

 

Poet and spoken word artist Kate Tempest began rapping in battles at 16, and at the ripe old age of 26 became the first person under 40 to win the Ted Hughes award for innovation in poetry. This is a chance to see her performing 'Brand New Ancients', her new solo show before she heads to New York later in the month.

 
 
 

Tell Me on a Sunday

A comedy one-woman show from Marti Webb.

The Other Palace Theatre, 12 Palace Street, Westminster, London, SW1E 5JA

Tube: Victoria Station

 

Dates: 07th - 12th January 2014

 

Marti Webb, aged 68, reprises a role she created over 30 years ago when she stars in Andrew Lloyd Webber and Don Black's classic Tell Me on a Sunday. The one-woman show comes to St James Theatre for eight performances only from 7th to 12th January 2014, telling the story of an English girl newly arrived in New York, and her romantic trials and tribulations. The show, which includes hit single 'Take That Look Off Your Face', will be supplemented by hits from theatreland's latest and greatest shows.

 
 
 

Alfie Brown: The Revolting Youth

A call to arms with jokes.

Soho Theatre, 21 Dean Street, Soho, London, W1D 3NE

Tube: Tottenham Court Road Station , Leicester Square Station

 

Dates: 08th - 11th January 2014

 

Alfie Brown is angry. In his hour-long tirade at the Soho Theatre Upstairs he launches into social media, procreation, capitalism, international corporations, elitist politics and the apathy of today's youth. A call to arms with jokes. Suitable for ages 16

 
 
 

Only Our Own

A new drama on how to adjust to a changing world.

Arts Theatre, 6-7 Great Newport Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2H 7JB

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

 

Dates: 08th January - 01st February 2014

 

Three generations of an Anglo-Irish family face a struggle to survive, as a new class takes over their heritage. Ann Henning Jocelyn's drama, on how to adjust to a changing world, is directed by Lars Gathe.

 
 
 

Table of Contents

Siobhan Davies addresses the question of how ephemeral art creates a lasting presence.

Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA), 12 Carlton House Terrace, The Mall, St James's, London, SW1Y 5AH

Tube: Piccadilly Circus Station , Charing Cross Station

 

Dates: 08th - 19th January 2014

 

Starting with her own history as a choreographer and dancer, Siobhan Davies addresses the question of how ephemeral art creates a lasting presence, and how embodied movement is captured, passed on and remembered. Davies and her collaborators Andrea Buckley, Helka Kaski, Rachel Krische, Charlie Morrissey and Matthias Sperling engage the audience in a kind of live encounter or exchange a learning process between both parties. The audience mingles with the dancers and the work intentionally shows process, unravelling dance and choreographic thinking. In a gallery context, this new work plays with the relationship between dance and other art forms, essentially celebrating dance as a very particular way of apprehending the world.

 
 
 
 

London International Mime Festival

An ambitious city-wide celebration of silent theatre.

 

Dates: 09th January - 01st February 2014

 

If you thought mime was all about white-faced clowns continually plagued by invisible glass and very strong winds, the London International Mime Festival will make you think again. Running for over 30 years, the well established festival takes place at top arts venues across London - including the Barbican, Jacksons Lane, Linbury Studio Theatre at the Royal Opera House, Platform Theatre, Roundhouse, Soho Theatre, and the Southbank Centre - and brings contemporary visual arts from around the world to London. It's packed with some of the freshest and most inventive physical theatre, dance, circus, puppetry and live art. Theatre groups come from far and wide - France, America, Italy and Australia - to perform, and stage shows are supplemented by 'meet the artist' sessions, workshops and lectures. The Guardian describes the festival as "some of the most gasp-worthy theatre you'll see all year."

 
 
 

English National Ballet: Le Corsaire (The Pirate)

The 19th century Russian swashbuckling dance-drama comes to the London Coliseum.

London Coliseum - English National Opera (ENO), St Martin's Lane, Covent Garden, London, WC2N 4ES

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

 

Dates: 08th - 14th January 2020

 

When the English National Ballet performs Le Corsaire (The Pirate) at the London Coliseum in January 2014 it will be the first time the complete work will have been performed by a British company. The 19th century Russian swashbuckling dance-drama based on the poem The Corsair by Lord Byron showcases some of the most bravura male dancing in the ballet repertoire. The ballet is in three acts, telling the story of Medora, a young Greek girl, who seized by Conrad the pirate who takes her to his grotto and declares his love for her. The staging by Anna-Marie Holmes, after Marius Petipa and Konstantin Sergeyev, features music by Adolphe Adam, Leo Delibes and Prince Oldenbourg. Hollywood film designer Bob Ringwood (Batman, Alien 3, Star Trek Nemesis, AI and Troy) has created new sets and costumes.

 
 
 

The Duchess Of Malfi

The first production staged at Shakespeare's Globe's new indoor Sam Wanamaker Playhouse.

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

Tube: Mansion House Station

 

Dates: 09th January - 16th February 2014

 

Shakespeare's Globe opens its very first season in the brand new indoor Sam Wanamaker Playhouse on 9th January 2014 with The Duchess of Malfi. Dominic Dromgoole directs John Webster's drama in which the duchess, now widowed, wants to marry her lover Antonio. But her brothers, the Cardinal and Ferdinand are opposed to the marriage. When they find out that the lovers have secretly wed, and that the Duchess is pregnant, they seek a horrific revenge. This is the first chance we will get to see the new theatre and this intimate Jacobean tragedy is the ideal curtain-raiser for it.

 
 
 

Not I, Footfalls, Rockaby

Three Samuel Beckett monologues.

Royal Court Theatre, Sloane Square, Belgravia, London, SW1W 8AS

Tube: Sloane Square Station

 

Dates: 09th - 18th January 2014

 

Irish actress Lisa Dwan performs these three Samuel Beckett monologues, directed by Walter Asmus, a close friend and collaborator of the playwright. Not I, performed as a speaking mouth spotlit in the blackness, returns to the Royal Court 40 years after its UK debut at the theatre; for this special event, actress Billie Whitelaw, who performed the original under Beckett's coaching, has tutored Dwan herself and the stream-of-consciousness piece is spoken at the speed of thought, as per Beckett's instruction. In Footfalls, a woman paces back and forth, metronome-like, outside her dying mother's room and in Rockaby, a prematurely-old woman rocks back and forth in a rocking chair, a piece that explores issues of loneliness. The peices will tour UK theatres and festivals throughout 2014.

 
 
 

The 1975

One of the biggest breakthrough bands of 2013 play three live gigs.

O2 Academy Brixton, 211 Stockwell Road, Brixton, London, SW9 9SL

Tube: Brixton Station

 

Dates: 09th - 11th January 2014

 

Since finding mainstream chart success with their single Chocolate in early 2013, The 1975 have gone on to become one of the biggest new bands of the year, supporting the Rolling Stones on tour and gaining a UK number one debut album, for which they outsold the Nine Inch Nails comeback album. They also booked three nights at the O2 Academy Brixton months before the self-titled album was even released. Stopping by the London venue in early 2014, the Manchester-formed four-piece will play sweeping, post-punk-style indie rock from their debut album and four EPs.

 
 
 
 

The Blackest Black

Jeremy Brock returns to playwriting.

Hampstead Theatre, Eton Avenue, London, NW3 3EU

Tube: Swiss Cottage Station

 

Dates: 09th January - 08th February 2014

 

An introverted, straight-laced astronomer and a free-spirited artist begin a surprising yet passionate relationship. At the Arizona desert-located space observatory, their constant struggle to connect starts an unsettling chain of events. Jeremy Brock, author of scripts for many critically acclaimed films including 'Mrs Brown' and 'The Last King of Scotland', returns to playwriting for the first time in over 20 years with The Blackest Black, staged in Hampstead Theatre's downstairs space. Directed by Michael Longhurst.

 
 
 

Don Gil of the Green Breeches

One of a trio of plays being staged in repertory at the Arcola.

Arcola Theatre, 24 Ashwin Street, Dalston, London, E8 3DL

Tube: Highbury & Islington Station

 

Dates: 09th January - 15th March 2014

 

One of a trio of plays being staged in repertory at the Arcola in Dalston as part of their Spanish Golden Age, Don Gil of the Green Breeches is a cross-dressing comedy about mistaken identity, role-reversal, ghosts and green trousers. Donna Juana, "easily the best part in all three of the plays" (The Stage), is played by a "sparkling" Hedydd Dylan. When she discovers the man she thought she was going to marry has left her for the wealthy Dona Ines, Dona Juana dons a pair of green breeches and sets off to Madrid in hot pursuit. Anarchy and hilarity ensue.

 
 
 

Punishment Without Revenge

A dark and thrilling drama set in the dangerous and glamorous world of Renaissance Italy.

Arcola Theatre, 24 Ashwin Street, Dalston, London, E8 3DL

Tube: Highbury & Islington Station

 

Dates: 09th January - 15th March 2014

 

A "first-rate" production, according to Guardian critic Michael Billington, Lope de Vega's "unqualified masterpiece" Punishment Without Revenge is a dark and thrilling drama set in the dangerous and glamorous world of Renaissance Italy. Duke of Ferrara has lived a wild and unconventional life. An infamous womaniser, his only son, Federico, is a bastard whom he dreams will one day succeed him. "This is the real deal" says Billington who praised this production when it appearaed at Theatre Royal, Bath last year, calling it "an essential evening". Staged in repertory at the Arcola theatre as part of the Spanish Golden Age season alongside Don Gil of the Green Breeches and A Lady of Little Sense.

 
 
 

Maroon 5

The LA five-piece perform two nights in London.

The O2 Arena, Peninsula Square, London, SE10 0BB

Tube: North Greenwich Station

 

Dates: 10th - 11th January 2014

 

If you think you've got 'Moves like Jagger' you might want to get yourself down to the O2 this January to dance the night away to Maroon 5. Following their fourth studio album 'Overexposed' the LA five-piece will be gracing London with their presence for two nights. Other than a couple of band member adjustments, Maroon 5 have been a consistent unit since 1994, working hard to gain recognition. Achieving this sought after success in 2002, with their debut album 'Songs About Jane', the band have since reaped the rewards of the music industry with numerous awards including three Grammy Awards four successful studio albums and a number of sell out tours.

 
 
 

London Short Film Festival

The premier UK showcase for cutting-edge, independent film.

 

Dates: 10th - 19th January 2020

 

In 2014 London Film Short Festival, the premier UK showcase for cutting-edge, independent film, uses its January billing - near enough to the shortest day of the year - to launch the Shortest Day, a Europe wide initiative to celebrate the short film format. The festival celebrates its 11th anniversary in 2014, bringing together the very best filmmakers and showcasing their talent. Described by The Guardian as "the best short film festival in the world", LSFF is renowned for its crazy, avant-garde and challenging offerings with over 75 events taking place in 25 venues across town including the ICA, Curzon Soho, Hackney Picturehouse, Roxy Bar & Screen and the Cine Lumiere. This really is an ultra buzzing, decidedly edgy and often decadent event from start to finish, accompanied by training sessions, drunken bashes, live music and awards.

 
 
 
 

London Ice Sculpting Festival

Blocks of ice become works of art at Canary Wharf.

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

Tube: Canary Wharf Station

 

Dates: 10th - 12th January 2014

 

There'll be snow - real snow! - in London this winter at the Ice Sculpting Festival in Canary Wharf where a snowpit will be set up next to the outstanding pieces of art constructed using ice. With impressive craftsmanship teams of acclaimed sculptors from around the globe carve dramatic, large-scale works of art from two metre high blocks of ice, against the clock. There will be eight teams working together to craft their designs and a prize for the most spectacular of all. If you think this looks easy, try it yourself the ice sculpting masterclasses showing you how to transform a block of ice into a work of art.

 
 
 

Melanie C. Sporty's Forty

The former Spice Girl performs her hits.

Shepherd's Bush Empire, Shepherd's Bush Green, London, W12 8TT

Tube: Goldhawk Road Station , Shepherd's Bush Market Station (Hammersmith and City Line), Shepherd's Bush Station (Central)

 

Dates: 11th January 2014

 

Singer-songwriter and former Spice Girl Melanie Chisholm performs her pop hits including 'I Turn to You' and 'Here It Comes Again' on the eve of her fortieth birthday. Expect a few special guest appearances at Sporty's Forty, a one-off show at London's O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire.

 
 
 

Lebensraum

A wordless show based on Buster Keaton's silent movie, The Scarecrow.

Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, South Bank, London, SE1 8XX

Tube: Waterloo Station , Embankment Underground Station

 

Dates: 11th - 15th January 2014

 

Part of the London International Mime Festival, Lebensraum is a wordless show based on Buster Keaton's silent movie, The Scarecrow. Presented by Swedish-born theatre-maker Jakop Ahlbom and musicians Leonard Lucieer and Empee Holwerda, it tells the story of two inventors living together in a small room who at first have a very smooth and simple life. But, once their joint creation of a female robot is complete, it's not long before pandemonium ensues. The show coincides with the BFI's Buster Keaton series, which screens a number of Keaton's greatest works to celebrate the digital restoration of The General (1926).

 
 
 

A Lady of Little Sense

A romantic comedy that celebrates love and marriage.

Arcola Theatre, 24 Ashwin Street, Dalston, London, E8 3DL

Tube: Highbury & Islington Station

 

Dates: 11th January - 15th March 2014

 

Nise and Finea are famous beauties and their father, Don Octavio, a wealthy businessman, is doing his best to marry them off in A Lady of Little Sense. But there's a problem; one is too clever for her own good while the other is notoriously stupid. This rare 1613 piece from the prolific Lope de Vega is reworked into "an immensely lively production" (The Guardian) by Laurence Boswell as part of the Spanish Golden Age season, playing at the Arcola alongside Don Gil of the Green Breeches and Punishment Without Revenge. A celebration of love and marriage, the play is a big-hearted and hilarious romantic comedy.

 
 
 

Hatch, Match & Despatch

A display of fans commemorating births, marriages and deaths.

Fan Museum, 12 Crooms Hill, London, SE10 8ER

Tube: New Cross Station (East London line closed. Bus service operates)

 

Dates: 11th January - 01st June 2014

 

This intriguing display of fans at the Fan Museum commemorating births, marriages and deaths over a period of 300 years, reveals how fans recorded not only joyous occasions of national significance such as Royal births and weddings but those of a darker, melancholic nature too. From lavishly crafted examples given as wedding presents to modest commemorative confections produced in quantity and designed to appeal to all pockets, these fans reveal an often subtle undercurrent of dynastic and political intrigue.

 
 
 
 

Ellen Terry with Eileen Atkins

Excerpts from Terry's lectures, woven into portrayals of Shakespeare's tragic heroines.

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

Tube: Mansion House Station

 

Dates: 12th January - 23rd February 2014

 

Eileen Atkins, familiar to most for her BAFTA award winning role in Cranford, explores Shakespeare's women through the persona of the great 19th century Shakespearean actress, Ellen Terry. Ellen Terry with Eileen Atkins features excerpts from Terry's lectures, woven into portrayals of Shakespeare's tragic heroines such as Lady Macbeth and Desdemona. Performances are on Monday and Sunday evenings between 12th January and 23rd February and the production, together with John Webster's The Duchess of Malfi, is the first to be staged at Shakespeare's Globe's new indoor theatre.

 
 
 

The Pass

Following the fame and fortunes of two football stars.

Royal Court Theatre, Sloane Square, Belgravia, London, SW1W 8AS

Tube: Sloane Square Station

 

Dates: 13th January - 01st March 2014

 

Twelve years, three hotel rooms... The Pass follows the fame and fortunes of football stars Jason and Ade, checking in with them throughout their careers and catching up with their sex-studded lives of apparent luxury. We first meet them as they are about to make their first team debut. Will the goals win them girls and glory? Will they play fair or foul? Will they really be living the dream? Russell Tovey stars as Jason. Recommended for ages 14 and over.

 
 
 

That Pair: Never Liked Her Anyway

Sketch comedy from Kathryn Bond and Lorna Shaw.

Soho Theatre, 21 Dean Street, Soho, London, W1D 3NE

Tube: Tottenham Court Road Station , Leicester Square Station

 

Dates: 13th - 14th January 2014

 

Fast-paced sketches, eccentric characters and some very funny songs... double act Kathryn Bond and Lorna Shaw, aka That Pair, bring their acclaimed Edinburgh Fringe show Never Liked Her Anyway to the Soho Theatre Upstairs. Includes a lesson in how to be remembered fondly after you're gone.

 
 
 

John Lill

The leading British pianist performs the complete Beethoven Piano Sonatas.

Cadogan Hall, 5 Sloane Terrace, Belgravia, London, SW1X 9DQ

Tube: Sloane Square Station

 

Dates: 13th January 2014

 

Renowned for his Beethoven interpretations, leading British pianist John Lill performs the complete Beethoven Piano Sonatas at Cadogan Hall from October 2013 to February 2014, celebrating his 70th birthday year over eight concerts. On Monday 13th January he continues the series when he performs Beethoven's Piano Sonata No 9 In E Major No 1, Piano Sonata No 16 In G Major No 1 and Piano Sonata No 29 In B Flat Major, 'Hammerklavier'.

 
 
 

George London: His Work in and around the Capital

Author David Jacques recreates the works of George London.

Garden Museum, Lambeth Palace Road, South Bank, London, SE1 7LB

Tube: Lambeth North Station

 

Dates: 13th January 2014

 

Having written a book on 'Gardens of Court and Country: English Design 1640-1730' author David Jacques is something of an authority on George London, the 17th century garden designer who created important works for royalty and the court and who specialised in an English version of the formal Baroque gardens. Of his works in and around the capital many have been lost but Jacques recreates them in this Monday evening talk at the Garden Museum, 300 years after the death of the designer.

 
 
 
 

Ciphers

Writer Dawn King and director Blanche McIntyre renew their collaboration for this new play.

Bush Theatre, 7 Uxbridge Road, London, W12 8LJ

Tube: Shepherd's Bush Market Station (Hammersmith and City Line) , Goldhawk Road Station, Shepherd's Bush Station (Central)

 

Dates: 14th January - 08th February 2014

 

The Bush Theatre begins 2014 with the London premiere of Ciphers, a new play which sees writer Dawn King and director Blanche McIntyre renew their collaboration, following their work together on 'Foxfinder' - "In a wan year for new writing, Dawn King's play shines out like a beacon", wrote Michael Billington in The Guardian on reviewing it at Finborough in 2011. In Ciphers, a smart thriller about spies and double agents, a woman is found dead and her sister trys to find out what happened but stumbles into a world of secrets and subterfuge. Director Blanche McIntyre is a promising young talent who won best director at the 2013 TMA UK theatre awards for her modern take on The Seagull for Headlong.

 
 
 

Royal Opera: Manon

Laurent Pelly's interpretation is staged at the Royal Opera House.

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

Tube: Covent Garden Station , Leicester Square Station

 

Dates: 14th January - 04th February 2014

 

Laurent Pelly's interpretation of Massenet's tale of love and temptation through riches is the first production of 2014 to be staged at the Royal Opera House. Pelly's Manon "has the great virtue of taking the characters' emotional turmoil seriously", said The Telegraph, reviewing the 2010 version. In the latest staging Albanian soprano Ermonela Jaho stars as the young girl longing for love who is corrupted by wealth and luxury.

 
 
 

King Lear

Simon Russell Beale is King Lear in Sam Mendes' production at the National.

 

Simon Russell Beale is King Lear in the Sam Mendes directed production of Shakespeare's great tragedy at the National Theatre, staged from January 2014. The Skyfall director instructs a cast which includes Kate Fleetwood as Goneril and Anna Maxwell Martin as Regan, Lear's two fawning daughters while Olivia Vinall plays Cordelia, his third and favourite daughter who refuses to play along and profess blinding love for her father. In a act of brilliant casting Adrian Scarborough, who made his big-screen debut in 1994 in 'The Madness of King George', is the Fool to Russell Beale's Lear.

 
 
 

Putting it Together

Having sold out in Guilford, this London premiere will run for just three weeks.

The Other Palace Theatre, 12 Palace Street, Westminster, London, SW1E 5JA

Tube: Victoria Station

 

Dates: 14th January - 01st February 2014

 

First staged over 20 years ago by Cameron Mackintosh in New York with Julie Andrews performing, the show reflects on the complexities of modern relationships through songs by acclaimed American composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim. Putting it Together is a revue with a difference in that it tells a story, that of two couples - one married, the other young lovers - at a cocktail party in New York. Having sold out in Guilford, the London premiere will run for just three weeks and features classic songs from Sweeney Todd, Merrily We Roll Along, Follies, Company, Sunday In the Park With George, Into The Woods and many more. The award-winning cast includes David Bedella, Daniel Crossley, Janie Dee, Damian Humbley and Caroline Sheen. View our ticket offers for Putting it Together.

 
 
 

Patrick Coyle: Only Reference

Patrick Coyle presents material from his ongoing project, Only Reference.

Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, South Bank, London, SE1 8XX

Tube: Waterloo Station , Embankment Underground Station

 

Dates: 14th January - 23rd February 2014

 

This poetry exhibition, which forms part of the Southbank Centre's literature season, sees Patrick Coyle present material from his ongoing project, Only Reference. The title is a reversal of the term used throughout a great expanse of the Saison Poetry Library's collection, and refers to Coyle's production of an expanded reference manual for the library. Known for using performance, text and sculpture to explore both personal and hidden narratives, this exhibition sees Coyle display writing and objects that come as a result of extensive research conducted in the Rare Books section of the library.

 
 
 
 

Giorgio de Chirico: Myth and Mystery

Sculptural work showing de Chirico's fascination with classical myth and legend.

Estorick Collection of Modern Italian Art, 39a Canonbury Square, London, N1 2AN

Tube: Highbury & Islington Station

 

Dates: 15th January - 19th April 2014

 

Organised with Bologna's Galleria d'Arte, the first Estorick exhibition of the year will show the rarely seen sculptural work of Giorgio de Chirico, the father of Pittura metafisica or metaphysical art, which reflect his fascination with classical myth and legend, and a selection of his drawing on related themes. De Chirico was influenced by the Symbolists, as well as the philosophy of Schopenhauer and Nietzsche, particularly the latters belief that "underneath this reality in which we live and have our being, another and altogether different reality lies concealed". De Chirico began to sculpt towards the end of the 1960s, producing small bronze versions of the mysterious figures populating his paintings including his singular re-imaginings of characters such as Orpheus, Castor, and Hector and Andromache, resembling tailors dummies or automatons. Subsequently, he devoted himself to the creation of multiples in silver patina and gilded bronze. Such was the success of his work that in 1972 he was awarded the Ibico Reggino Prize for Sculpture, jointly with Henry Moore.

 
 
 

Hannah Hoch

The Whitechapel Gallery displays works by German artist Hannah Hoch, a pioneer of collage.

Whitechapel Gallery, 77-82 Whitechapel High Street, Tower Hamlets, London, E1 7QX

Tube: Aldgate East Station , Aldgate East Underground Station, Aldgate Station

 

Dates: 15th January - 23rd March 2014

 

The first major UK exhibition of the influential artist Hannah Höch (1889-1978), an important member of the Berlin Dada movement and a pioneer in collage. Splicing together images from fashion magazines and illustrated journals, she created a humorous and moving commentary on society during a time of tremendous social change. Höch was admired by contemporaries such as George Grosz, Theo van Doesburg and Kurt Schwitters, yet was often overlooked by traditional art history. At a time when her work has never seemed more relevant, the exhibition puts this inspiring figure in the spotlight. Bringing together over 100 works from major international collections, the exhibition includes collages, photomontages, watercolours and woodcuts, spanning six decades from the 1910s to the 1970s.

 
 
 

James Arthur

The X Factor winner embarks on his debut UK tour.

Hammersmith Apollo, 45 Queen Caroline Street, London, W6 9QH

Tube: Hammersmith Station

 

Dates: 15th January 2014

 

In the year since he won 2012's X Factor, James Arthur has released the biggest selling X Factor single in history, been nominated for a BRIT Award and released a self-titled debut album, entering the chart at number two after being beaten to the top spot by Eminem's The Marshall Mathers LP 2. However, it hasn't all been rosy for the singer as he also offended the LGBT community with homophobic lyrics and tweets, resulting in a number of fans requesting refunds on his album. Despite this, Arthur still seems to have a fan base and will be embarking on his debut UK and European headline tour in early 2014, stopping by the Hammersmith Apollo for one night in January.

 
 
 

London Art Fair

The fair returns for its 26th year.

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

Tube: Angel Station

 

Dates: 22nd - 26th January 2020

 

Now in its 26th year, the London Art Fair at the Business Design Centre shows no signs of losing its cutting edge. With prices going as low as £20 it's an interesting exhibition to browse, appreciate and shop, for the amateur collector as well as the professional. There are two shows within the show: 'Art Projects', showcasing contemporary art from across the globe; and 'Photo50', where 50 contemporary photographs are featured in a curated exhibition. This year's exhibition is on the theme of 'Immaterial Matter', curated by Charlie Fellowes and Jeremy Epstein, directors of Edel Assanti Gallery on London's Vauxhall Bridge Road.

 
 
 

Fiji Land

A surreal play about what happens when cell doors shut.

Southwark Playhouse, 77-85 Newington Causeway, Elephant and Castle, London, SE1 6BD

Tube: Elephant & Castle Station , Borough Station

 

Dates: 15th January - 08th February 2014

 

A surreal play about what happens when cell doors shut, Fiji Land, penned by Nick Gill - nominated for an OffWestEnd Award as Most Promising Playwright for 'Sand' - comes to the Southwark Playhouse's smallest space from 15th January. Stephen Bisland, who appeared in The Hairy Ape at this venue two years ago, Jake Ferretti and Matthew Trevannion are directed by Alice Malin in this new work tipped as one to watch by the Royal Shakespeare Company's Radical Mischief magazine.

 
 
 
 

Chamber Classics Unwrapped

A year-long festival to celebrate the association that Kings Place has with chamber music.

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

Tube: King's Cross Station

 

Dates: 15th January - 13th December 2014

 

Celebrating the association that Kings Place has with chamber music, this year-long festival sees them depart from the usual standard of 'unwrapping' a single composer - 2013 was dedicated to Bach - and instead present a series of concerts presenting the top fifty chamber works, which were chosen with the help of an online poll launched with BBC Music Magazine. The festival also provides musicians with the freedom to curate their own concerts, resulting in Beethoven being paired with John Adams or Herrmann's Psycho Suite, Ravel served with Birtwistle, and Brahms with Ligeti. Children are treated to Dirty Beasts and Carnival of the Animals while a number of Baroque evenings will suit those who were not ready to depart with the Bach season. Plus, a Musical Brain Day examines the psychology of our relationship with music.

 
 
 

The Weir

Conor McPherson's drama transfers from the Donmar to the West End.

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

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

 

Dates: 16th January - 19th April 2014

 

Conor McPherson's drama transfers to London's West End in January 2014 following a hugely successful run at the Donmar Warehouse in 2013. McPherson's The Weir was first premiered in 1997 when it won the Evening Standard, Critics' Circle and Olivier Award for Best New Play. Now 15 years on, with The Donmar's Josie Rourke directing, this modern classic is enjoying a revival. Opening with the gathering of three men in a rural Irish pub, a routine daily pint is soon interrupted by the arrival of a further friend and a female companion. The presence of the woman encourages the men to embark on telling stories that have a supernatural theme. Delving into tales of Irish folklore, ghosts, fairies and mysterious happenings, one story is eventually told that is so realistic and chilling that it surpasses anything the men could have envisaged. Original cast members Brian Cox, Risteard Cooper and Dervla Kirwan return for this staging at Wyndham's Theatre in Soho.

 
 
 

Blurred Lines

Nick Payne and Carrie Cracknell are behind Blurred Lines, a drama on the minefield of gender politics.

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

Tube: Temple Station , Waterloo Station

 

Dates: 16th January - 22nd February 2014

 

There's a hot shot team behind Blurred Lines, the first new play to be staged at the National Theatre's award-winning Shed theatre in 2014. Nick Payne, the writer responsible for Constellations and The Same Deep Water As Me, teams up with Carrie Cracknell (whose recent work includes A Doll's House, the Young Vic production which transfers to Broadway via London's West End) to bring us "a blistering journey through the minefield of contemporary gender politics. With songs." 'Outnumbered' actress Claire Skinner stars in a cast which includes Bryony Hannah ('Call the Midwife') and Sinead Matthews who played Poppy, a cheery, colorful, North London schoolteacher in Mike Leigh's 2008 film 'Happy-Go-Lucky'.

 
 
 

Paul Currie: The Sticky Bivouac

Clowning around

Soho Theatre, 21 Dean Street, Soho, London, W1D 3NE

Tube: Tottenham Court Road Station , Leicester Square Station

 

Dates: 16th - 18th January 2014

 

Described as a 'surrealist absurd clown boy man', Paul Currie is not your regular standup. His bizarre strand of comedy-meets-street-clown makes for a high-energy show. Currie lists his influences as British music hall, Perry Como, ironing boards and The Deer Hunter, and has been compared to The Goons, Monty Python, Spike Milligan and The Mighty Boosh, so expect plenty of physical comedy and lots of silliness in the hour-long show at Soho Theatre Upstairs. Recommended for ages 16

 
 
 

The School of Life Live

A talk on how to deal with adversity and how to create emotional health.

School of Life, 70 Marchmont Street, Bloomsbury, London, WC1N 1AB

Tube: Russell Square Station

 

Dates: 16th January 2014

 

Six members of the School of Life team offer their unique and invaluable advice on some of the quieter areas of our lives from how to deal with adversity to how to create emotional health. The evening's talks will correspond to a new series of 'How To' books launching in 2014.

 
 
 
 

Cocorico

France's best-known comedy performers present a skilled shadow play.

Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, South Bank, London, SE1 8XX

Tube: Waterloo Station , Embankment Underground Station

 

Dates: 16th - 19th January 2014

 

France's best-known comedy performers, Patrice Thibaud and Philippe Leygnac, spar against each other in a battle of French temperaments in this skilled shadow-play, which takes place at the Southbank Centre as part of the London International Mime Festival. A physical show that incorporates a number of humorous routines, it sees the pair pay homage to spaghetti westerns and the Tour de France, as well as a number of other cultural points.

 
 
 

The Body of an American

Dan O'Brien's prize-winning drama about war and war reporting.

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

Tube: Notting Hill Gate Station

 

Dates: 16th January - 08th February 2014

 

Dan O'Brien's prize-winning drama about war and war reporting, in which two actors take on more than 30 roles, comes to Notting Hill's Gate Theatre in January 2014. Part of the Gate's 'These American Lives' season, The Body of an American charts an extraordinary friendship and features some of the most iconic war images from around the world.

 
 
 

Rapture, Blister, Burn

Emilia Fox appears on the London stage for the first time in 13 years.

Hampstead Theatre, Eton Avenue, London, NW3 3EU

Tube: Swiss Cottage Station

 

Dates: 16th January - 22nd February 2014

 

Emilia Fox appears on the London stage for the first time in 13 years to star in "the intensely smart, immensely funny new play" (New York Times) by US Pulitzer-nominated playwright Gina Gionfriddo, Rapture, Blister, Burn. Director Peter DuBois reunites with the US writer for the Hampstead Theatre production following their collaboration on the "pitch-perfect" (Daily Telegraph) 'Becky Shaw' at the Almeida Theatre. The play features an unusual love triangle as four women from different generations prompt discussions on feminism and how it shapes everyday life.

 
 
 

Lee Memphis King: One Night Of Elvis

Lee Memphis brings Elvis back to life.

 

Elvis lives on!  At least he does in the form of Lee Memphis King, who was officially named the best Elvis tribute artist in the world at the 2005 Collingwood Elvis Festival.  One Night of Elvis celebrates the King's career, covering his early Rock and Roll years, his 1968 comeback, and 'the Vegas years'. This is the largest Elvis show to tour UK theatres, and features large-screen projections and a world-class backing band.

 
 
 

Frank Skinner: Man In A Suit

The well-known TV personality performs live at two London venues in January.

The Other Palace Theatre, 12 Palace Street, Westminster, London, SW1E 5JA

Tube: Victoria Station

 

Dates: 17th - 18th January 2014

 

Satirical wit and intelligent humour from Frank Skinner, the stand-up and TV personality best known for his TV comedy, football and chat shows. But if you only know Skinner from his TV appearances his live stand-up will come as a surprise. "His risque stage persona could hardly be more different," says The Guardian, noting how he shows his "smuttier side" on stage. But don't be put off, his "observant eye" makes him "reliably funny in any context".  As well as two nights at St James Theatre, his Man In A Suit show has been extended to include five weeks at London's Leicester Square Theatre in January 2014.

 
 
 
 

The France Show

Everything a Francophile could want under one roof.

Earls Court Exhibition Centre, Warwick Road, Earls Court, London, SW5 9TA

Tube: West Brompton Station , Earls Court Station

 

Dates: 17th - 19th January 2014

 

The France Show at Earls Court Exhibition Centre, now in its  year, labels itself as being everything French under one roof. 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 Flavours of France stage will feature Michelin-starred chef Jean-Christophe Novelli, who'll create his favourite French recipes; Guy Wolley, a former chocolatier at the Savoy; and Clotilde Dusoulier, author of the gourmet food blog Chocolate & Zucchini. For those Francophiles who want to fully embrace their passion for the country and move across the Channel, the show will also include details of thousands of properties for sale. Property seminars will be run throughout the weekend and will address important issues surrounding the house-buying process and the realities of living and working in France. Learn about the French lifestyle with a French market, purchase and sample produce, presentations, culinary demonstrations, language classes, holiday advice and purchasing property.

 
 
 

David Lynch: The Factory Photographs

Dark, brooding photographs from the Oscar-nominated director.

Photographers' Gallery, 16-18 Ramillies Street, Soho, London, W1F 7LW

Tube: Oxford Circus Station

 

Dates: 17th January - 30th March 2014

 

David Lynch is best known for his surrealist films which have earned him four Oscar nominations. However, the American film and television director is something of a Renaissance man and his CV spans the far-ranging job titles of visual artist, musician, photographer and occasional actor.The series of photographs to be shown at the Photographers' Gallery reveal his self-confessed love of industry, machinery, man-made objects, and 'people hard at work'. He once said that if he were offered a choice of visiting Disneyland or an abandoned factory, that there would be no choice.The dark and brooding series of black and white photographs were taken at derelict factories in Germany, Poland, New York and England, among other places. His unique cinematic style is much in evidence in his depictions of labyrinths of passages, detritus and decaying manmade structures slowly being taken over by nature. Lynch has said that the appeal of the abandoned factory is that "it seems like such a great place to set a story", underlining the point that he's still very much wearing his film director hat when taking photographs.

 
 
 

Taking Shots: The Photography of William S Burroughs

A visual counterpart to the American Beat author's 'cut-up' writing style.

Photographers' Gallery, 16-18 Ramillies Street, Soho, London, W1F 7LW

Tube: Oxford Circus Station

 

Dates: 17th January - 30th March 2014

 

Focusing solely on American Beat author William S Burroughs' photographic work, the exhibition at the Photographers' Gallery reveals a visual counterpart to his 'cut-up' writing style. The controversial writer's work, which often drew on his own experiences as a heroin addict living in London, Paris, Berlin and Mexico City, was fragmented and non-linear in style and this approach can be seen in his other artistic endeavours, including his photography. For his photo collages, Burroughs would arrange images together and photograph them, then cut some of the images up and repeat the process. "He is quite well known for his 'cut-up' technique [in his writing], cutting up sentences and mixing them all up, then reconfiguring them into something else," says Clare Grafik, head of exhibitions at The Photographers' Gallery. "I guess thats what he was doing visually with his collages."

 
 
 

Andy Warhol: Photographs 1976 - 1987

Images from the final decade of Warhol's life.

Photographers' Gallery, 16-18 Ramillies Street, Soho, London, W1F 7LW

Tube: Oxford Circus Station

 

Dates: 17th January - 30th March 2014

 

The controversial American pop artist's work straddled the divides between artistic expression, pop culture, celebrity life, and advertisement. So too did his life. His name will forever be synonymous with New York in the 1970s and adjoining decades with the Studio 54 disco scene and The Factory, his infamous studio, which was a renowned gathering spot for the bohemians, artists, intellectuals and the Hollywood celebrities of his day. But despite being at the epicentre of this cultural revolution, Warhol was a quiet character and meticulous observer. And that is what makes his photographs so compelling. The exhibition will feature images from his final decade, starting from the year he began working with Polaroid and taking black-and-white photographs with a 35-millimetre camera. It will also include a small number of his stitched works, which he began creating In the 1980s by stitching together images to create multi-panelled works.

 
 
 

Silke Otto-Knapp

A challenge to the tradition of romantic landscape painting.

Camden Arts Centre, Arkwright Road, London, NW3 6DH

Tube: Finchley Road Station

 

Dates: 17th January - 30th March 2014

 

For this solo exhibition German artist Silke Otto-Knapp challenges the tradition of romantic landscape painting through the constraints of stage design, questioning the decorative surface, spatial depth and pictorial construction. Otto-Knapp has become known for her paintings of landscapes and figures, for which she tends to depict in a romantic and fantastical fashion. However, her latest works take a slight departure from this. Still focusing on similar subjects, she has begun to produce paintings that are rendered almost entirely in black and silver, producing a monochrome effect that pays particular attention to lighting. As well as the paintings, this exhibition will also feature collages and etchings created during her residency at The Banff Centre in Canada.

 
 
 
 

Nina Canell: Near Here

Transforming the commonplace into artworks.

Camden Arts Centre, Arkwright Road, London, NW3 6DH

Tube: Finchley Road Station

 

Dates: 17th January - 30th March 2014

 

Aiming to articulate our intuitive understanding of the world, Nina Canell transforms objects and materials such as watermelon seeds, chewing gum and electrical currents into sculptural components. This solo exhibition at Camden Arts Centre sees the Swedish artist present a new series of works which respond to the specific architectural features of the gallery, focusing on the historic ventilation system, ducts and airways, and its relationship to Finchley Road.

 
 
 

The Magic of Motown

Classic hits by legendary artists such as Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and Diana Ross.

Richmond Theatre, The Green, Surrey, London, TW9 1QJ

Tube: Richmond Station

 

Dates: 18th January 2014

 

Having sold out at London's O2, the lavish production continues with 36 classic Motown hits, dozens of costume changes, and five-star performances that capture the authentic Detroit sound. The show charts the rise of Motown from its first 1960 hit, through 50 years of number-one records, to being named the world's best record label. Much loved songs by legendary artists including Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Lionel Richie and Diana Ross are included.

 
 
 

Death Ship 666

An irreverent parody of James Cameron's Titanic.

Leicester Square Theatre, 6 Leicester Place, Soho, London, WC2H 7BX

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

 

Dates: 19th January - 23rd February 2014

 

An irreverent parody of James Cameron's Titanic, with a generous helping of references to other epic disaster movies. A half-built cruise liner, Death Ship 666, sets sail on ill-fated voyage (what other kind is there?) to the Bermuda Triangle, on course for what it describes as a 'fight for survival: woman vs child, human vs bear, and ship vs time'. Six actors constantly switch roles, hats and voices to play the 30 passengers and crew in this frenetic comedy from Box Step Productions.

 
 
 

Jamie Demetriou: People Day

Character comedy from the hotly-tipped young comedian.

Soho Theatre, 21 Dean Street, Soho, London, W1D 3NE

Tube: Tottenham Court Road Station , Leicester Square Station

 

Dates: 20th - 25th January 2014

 

No-holds-barred character-based comedy from hotly-tipped young comedian Jamie Demetriou. Creations such as Kern, a nervous magician who finds he's accidentally been booked to fill a comedy slot, have led to Demetriou being hailed as 'a Steve Coogan in the making'.

 
 
 

Jerry Sadowitz: Card Magic Course For Beginners

Learn an entertaining new skill - no experience required.

Leicester Square Theatre, 6 Leicester Place, Soho, London, WC2H 7BX

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

 

Dates: 20th January - 24th February 2014

 

His stand-up shows are famously outrageous, and often sold out, but Jerry Sadowitz is also highly regarded for his close-up magic skills. In this six week Monday-night workshop, Sadowitz will teach the basics of card magic to a small group in the Leicester Square Theatre Lounge. Learn an entertaining new skill in 2014. No previous experience necessary.

 
 
 
 

Behind the Mask

Photographer Andy Gotts' images of movie icons of the last 20 years.

Somerset House, Strand, Covent Garden, London, WC2R 1LA

Tube: Temple Station

 

Dates: 20th January - 07th February 2014

 

Photographs of A-list movie stars including Scarlett Johannson, Daniel Day-Lewis, Al Pacino, and Robert De Niro reveal what happens 'Behind the Mask'. Taken by Andy Gotts, a celebrity photographer for over 20 years, the images are taken from a pool of over a hundred international actors and actresses who have won or been nominated for a BAFTA since 1954. In addition to the exhibition, images will be projected onto the facade of BAFTA's headquarters at 195 Piccadilly on 15th and 16th February 2014, the weekend of the British Academy Film (BAFTA) Awards.

 
 
 

Man Drake: Anatomia Publica

A simmering ménage à trois, told in dance.

Barbican Centre, Silk Street, City, London, EC2Y 8DS

Tube: Barbican Station , Moorgate Station

 

Dates: 21st - 25th January 2014

 

Part of the London International Mime Festival, this 55 minute piece tells the story of a soldier who, having been presumed dead, returns home to find his wife has remarried, a narrative loosely based on true events. Dancers employ jerky movements and nervous spasms in a way that makes the piece appear almost cinematic, a deliberate attempt to evoke filmmaker Martin Arnold's work on mechanical breakdowns, jolts and short-circuits. Composer and founder of The Man Drake Company, Tomeo Vergés, says of the piece: 'Anatomia Publica isn't about looking for what goes on inside the body, but rather what is brewing beneath the visible surface of our actions. Just as the scalpel cuts opens flesh to reveal the innards, deconstructing and decomposing body movement uncovers the layers that compose action.' This is Man Drake's first appearance in the UK and will include a post-show talk at the Barbican on 23 January. Age recommendation 12

 
 
 

Sophie Ellis-Bextor

The singer-songwriter performs on the back of her new album, Wanderlust.

Bush Hall, 310 Uxbridge Road, London, W12 7LJ

Tube: Shepherd's Bush Market Station (Hammersmith and City Line)

 

Dates: 21st January 2014

 

Singer, songwriter and Strictly Come Dancing contestant Sophie Ellis-Bextor plays a special show at London's Bush Hall to launch her new album, Wanderlust. The sold-out gig will take place on Tuesday 21st January 2014, the day after the album's release. If you missed tickets for this gig, she is also playing at Union Chapel on 10th April 2014.

 
 
 

Romesh Ranganathan: Rom Com

Upcoming comedy talent fresh from Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Soho Theatre, 21 Dean Street, Soho, London, W1D 3NE

Tube: Tottenham Court Road Station , Leicester Square Station

 

Dates: 21st - 25th January 2014

 

'Dry' and 'sardonic' seem to be the adjectives most used in connection with Romesh Ranganathan's stand up. Oh, and 'funny'. In this Edinburgh Fringe 2013 show Rom Com, which saw Ranganathan nominated for the Fosters' Edinburgh Best Newcomer Award, we find the comedian trying to make sense of the world while failing to make sense of his own house. Ranganathan has been seen on Comedy Central at the Comedy Store and is the winner of Leicester Mercury Comedian of the Year.

 
 
 

Cirque Berserk

Inspirational circus that includes a first-time motorcycle stunt for the UK stage.

Hackney Empire, 291 Mare Street, London, E8 1EJ

Tube: Bethnal Green Underground Station

 

Dates: 21st - 22nd January 2014

 

Wild theatrical circus performance from Cirque Berserk at Hackney Empire. Expect all the classics (jugglers, acrobats, dancers, musicians, trapeze artists and high wires) alongside highlights including Guinness World Record holder Hercules the strongman and award-winning clown Tweedy. This will also be the first time that the notoriously dangerous motorcycle stunt the Globe of Death has ever been performed on stage in the UK.

 
 
 
 

The Ugly Sisters

A cabaret show highlighting objectification and sexism in the media.

Soho Theatre, 21 Dean Street, Soho, London, W1D 3NE

Tube: Tottenham Court Road Station , Leicester Square Station

 

Dates: 21st January - 02nd February 2014

 

Providing an alternative take on the fairytale Cinderella, this RashDash production is from the perspective of supposed villains The Ugly Sisters and casts a light on media representation. When the sisters, Emerald and Pearl, have to move in with their strange new stepfather, they are cast aside as all eyes are on their perfect stepsister. So, when they are chosen to appear on the reality television show, You Shall Go To The Ball, they attempt to win the love of their mother, Prince Frederick and the rest of the country. Influenced by the Object report in 2011 that came after the Leveson enquiry, this cabaret show highlights objectification and sexism in the media.

 
 
 

In the Making

Ed Barber and Jay Osgerby look at how familiar objects are made.

Design Museum, 224-238 Kensington High Street, Bankside, London, W8 6AG

Tube: High Street Kensington Station

 

Dates: 22nd January - 04th May 2014

 

In an exhibition guest curated by Ed Barber and Jay Osgerby (the duo behind the London 2012 Olympic torch, the 'Tab' lamp and the 'Tip Ton' chair), the Design Museum looks at how familiar objects are made. Products are caught mid-manufacture, their unfinished forms held up as things of beauty in their own right. The pair say that such an in-depth appreciation of the manufacturing process often inspires their own work.

 
 
 

Ludovico Einaudi

The Italian pianist plays one night only at the Hammersmith Apollo.

Hammersmith Apollo, 45 Queen Caroline Street, London, W6 9QH

Tube: Hammersmith Station

 

Dates: 22nd January 2014

 

Italian pianist Ludovico Einaudi, the supreme talent behind the wonderful soothing scores for the British TV-drama This Is England and the French film Untouchable, plays one night only at the Hammersmith Apollo with his band following a string of sell-out UK appearances including a slot at the iTunes festival last year. Blending minimalism, pop, classical, jazz, chillout and world music, the bespectacled Einaudi performed his chillingly affecting music on the Europe stage at the BT River of Music ahead of the 2012 summer Olympics. The 57-year-old from Turin has been touring in support of his latest album, In A Time Lapse, which was written over a period of two years and recorded in a remote monastery near Verona.

 
 
 

Laugh Till It Hurts

Comedians and actors come together for Macmillan Cancer charity gig.

Bloomsbury Theatre, 15 Gordon Street, Bloomsbury, London, WC1H 0AH

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

 

Dates: 19th January 2016

 

This charity gig in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support offers surreal and offbeat humour from the stand-up and actor of BBC Three sitcom Him And Her, Joe Wilkinson, and a humorous political smoothie from Mock The Week star Hal Cruttenden. The MC for the night is Hardeep Singh Kohli while further comedians include Shappi Khorsandi, Alex Smith and Dave Johns.

 
 
 

Trevor Noah: The Racist

Carefully crafted comedy on a truly tricky topic.

Shepherd's Bush Empire, Shepherd's Bush Green, London, W12 8TT

Tube: Goldhawk Road Station , Shepherd's Bush Market Station (Hammersmith and City Line), Shepherd's Bush Station (Central)

 

Dates: 22nd - 24th January 2014

 

South African comedian Trevor Noah brings his critically acclaimed show The Racist to the Shepherd's Bush Empire this January. The son of a Xhosa mother and a Swiss father, Noah is a child of apartheid and states he was 'born a crime'. With this background, the comedian is armed with the courage to fearlessly tackle the subject of racism, humorously observing the fact that he had to walk on the opposite side of the road to his father and avoided physical discipline from his grandmother due to his bruises being more visible. Despite comedy being practically banned in South Africa while he was growing up, he has successfully crafted the art form and audiences can expect 'a tight, smart, astute show' (Metro).

 
 
 
 

What the Women Did

The sell-out wartime drama gets a second run.

Southwark Playhouse, 77-85 Newington Causeway, Elephant and Castle, London, SE1 6BD

Tube: Elephant & Castle Station , Borough Station

 

Dates: 22nd January - 15th February 2014

 

Two's Company's What the Women Did, a wartime drama which was a sell-out success when it was first shown at the Southwark Playhouse in 2004, is being remounted for the 1914 centenary. The "neglected great war threesome... offers a fascinating portrait of the isolation felt by women", wrote Michael Billington in The Guardian, reviewing the original production ten years ago. The three plays - 'Luck of War' by Gwen John, 'Handmaidens of Death' by Herbert Tremaine and 'The Old Lady Shows Her Medals' by Peter Pan creator J M Barrie - each examine women's roles during the First World War.

 
 
 

The Keepers of Infinite Space

Putting the Israeli prison system under the spotlight.

Park Theatre, 11 Clifton Terrace, London, N4 3JP

Tube: Finsbury Park Station

 

Dates: 22nd January - 16th February 2014

 

The Keepers of Infinite Space by Omar El-Khairy provides a hard-hitting examination of the Israeli prison system - exploring the fact that, since the 1967 Israeli occupation, 40% of the Palestinian male population has been detained under military orders. Zoe Lafferty directs the play, which is staged at Finsbury Park's new Park Theatre.

 
 
 

Franz Ackermann

The Berlin-based artist's latest works at White Cube Bermondsey.

White Cube Bermondsey, 144-152 Bermondsey Street, London, SE1 3TQ

Tube: London Bridge Station

 

Dates: 22nd January - 13th April 2014

 

Franz Ackermann has led a nomadic life for much of the last two decades years, travelling the world in order to document his impressions of city life with journal-like drawings that he calls 'mental maps'. These drawings inform his vast abstract paintings, which use acid bright colours and swirling graphics usually melded with mind maps and architectural forms, to create a feverish chaos that is meant to reflect the social reality of increasingly globalised societies. The themes of tourism, globalisation, urbanisation, particularly their darker aspects, have underpinned much of his work since early 1990s. He has named the 1997 Luxor Massacre, when over 60 people were killed at one of Egypts most popular tourist attractions, as being a key event in the development of his work.

 
 
 

He Xiangyu

The latest installations from the upcoming Chinese artist.

White Cube Bermondsey, 144-152 Bermondsey Street, London, SE1 3TQ

Tube: London Bridge Station

 

Dates: 22nd January - 13th April 2014

 

The Chinese artist, born 1986, came to prominence in 2009 when he took over a lumber mill and employed a team of migrants to boil and reduce over 100 tonnes of Coca-Cola over the course of a year. The dried out lumps of Cola, which resembled an apocalyptic landscape of dark matter, were placed in the Beijings Wall Art Museum and taken as a comment on the nature of globalised consumerism. Subsequent artworks include Mr Fantasy (2012), a sculpture of the artist dressed as former Communist leader Chairman Mao laid out in a glass cabinet, and Death of Marat (2011), a sculpture of the dead Ai Weiwei, a Chinese contemporary artist who is still very much alive. The artwork references Jacques-Louis Davids neoclassical painting of the French revolutionary Jean-Paul Marat.

 
 
 

Darren Almond

Atmospheric images of far-flung landscapes.

White Cube Bermondsey, 144-152 Bermondsey Street, London, SE1 3TQ

Tube: London Bridge Station

 

Dates: 22nd January - 13th April 2014

 

British artist Darren Almond's artworks, which often depict remote, uninhabited landscapes, are meditations on time and space, designed to provoke a response in the viewer on both a personal and universal level. Almond, whose career has been nurtured by the White Cube and who was a Turner-prize finalist in 2005, has a long-term fascination with travel that dates back to a childhood as an avid trainspotter. His work has taken him to far-flung locations such as a Tibetan monastery, the holy mountains in China, and rapidly disappearing Siberian forests. Since 1998, he has taken a series of long-exposure photographs of landscapes at full moon, so the images are bathed in a brilliant, ghostly light. Almond denies that his work is socially or politically motivated, insisting that these elements are evident only "because they're present", but his real focus is the "emotional landscape" around him.

 
 
 
 

Kindertransport

A timely story of love, loss and hope, starring actresses Paula Wilcox and Janet Dibley.

The Churchill Theatre, High Street, Bromley, Kent, London, BR1 1HA

Tube: New Cross Station (East London line closed. Bus service operates)

 

Dates: 22nd - 25th January 2014

 

A beautiful and moving play about nine year old Eva, a Jewish child rescued from Nazi Germany, showing the effects on her actual and adoptive parents as she changes her name and begins to deny her roots.
Last year marked the 75th anniversary of the evacuation of almost 10,000 Jewish Children from Nazi Europe to Britain prior to the outbreak of World War II, known as Kindertransport. This timely story of love, loss and hope stars popular TV and stage actresses Paula Wilcox and Janet Dibley.

 
 
 

Happy Days

Juliet Stevenson makes her Young Vic debut.

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

Tube: Southwark Station , Waterloo Station, Lambeth North Station

 

Dates: 23rd January - 08th March 2014

 

Olivier Award-winning stage and screen actress Juliet Stevenson (unforgettable star of Truly Madly Deeply) takes on one the great roles in Samuel Beckett's surreal masterpiece Happy Days, in a Young Vic production directed by Natalie Abrahami who directed a "compulsively watchable" (Guardian) revival of 'After Miss Julie' here two years ago. Stevenson makes her Young Vic debut as Winnie, a middle-aged woman who is trapped in a scorched wasteland with her detached husband, Willie, and appears on stage buried up to her waist in a great mound of earth.

 
 
 

London A Cappella Festival

The Swingle Singers have put together an excellent line-up for the festival's fifth birthday.

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

Tube: King's Cross Station

 

Dates: 24th - 27th January 2018

 

Five decades on from their Grammy Award-winning debut album festival favourites and co-hosts The Swingle Singers perform at the London A Cappella Festival which celebrates its fifth birthday in 2014. Showcasing some of the best choral, jazz, contemporary and beatbox ensembles, the annual festival offers an eclectic assortment of music that ranges from choral masterpieces to extraordinary beatbox and Nordic folk to retro pop. The line-up includes: the all-American House Jacks who make their London debut at the festival; Bellatrix, World Champion Female Beatboxer, who presents eight London vocalists in new project Backstep; and the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir which makes a rare trip to London presenting music from their homeland and from Russia.

 
 
 

I Break Horses

Swedish duo Maria Linden and Fredrik Balck play a one-off gig at Village Underground.

Village Underground, 54 Holywell Lane, Shoreditch, London, EC2A 3PQ

Tube: Old Street Station

 

Dates: 23rd January 2014

 

I Break Horses, aka Swedish duo Maria Linden and Fredrik Balck, release a new full-length album in January 2014 and their one-off gig at Village Underground on 23rd January is the first chance for fans to hear the band play live in London following its release. 'Chiaroscuro' follows their much acclaimed 2011 debut 'Hearts', and includes the already unveiled singles 'Faith' and 'Denial'.

 
 
 

Jack Quartet: Julian Anderson's String Quartet No. 1 Light Music

The second offering from composer-in-residence Julian Anderson.

Wigmore Hall, 36 Wigmore Street, Marylebone, London, W1U 2BP

Tube: Bond Street Station , Oxford Circus Station

 

Dates: 23rd January 2014

 

The second of three concerts presented by the Wigmore Hall this season as part of Julian Anderson's 3-year tenure as composer in residence. His String Quartet No. 1 Light Music receives its London premiere on Thursday 23rd January 2014, performed by the Jack Quartet. Anderson's "oeuvre is developing into a treasure-chest", according to The Financial Times, "serious, well-made and engaging as much to the senses as to the intellect."

 
 
 
 

LOCO: London Comedy Film Festival

The annual line up of comedy films at BFI Southbank and other London cinemas.

BFI Southbank, Belvedere Road, South Bank, South Bank, London, SE1 8XT

Tube: Waterloo Station , Embankment Underground Station

 

Dates: 22nd - 25th January 2015

 

The BFI Southbank is assisting Londoners to lift the January blues with the return of its annual Comedy Film Festival, promising a playful, provocative and pioneering programme of comedy films. Spread over four days at the BFI and selected cinemas across London, "LOCO" celebrates Britain's great traditional of cinematic comedy with screenings of a number of humorous movies and a range of workshops and events all aimed at kick-starting the next generation of British comedy film talent. All screenings contain an interactive element with the aim of being both mischievous as well as educational.

 
 
 

Derek Jarman: Pandemonium

Three rarely seen Super 8 films from the celebrated artist and filmmaker.

King's College School, Southside Common, Covent Garden, London, SW19 4TT

Tube: Wimbledon Station

 

Dates: 23rd January - 09th March 2014

 

This free Somerset House exhibition, held to mark the 20th anniversary of Derek Jarman's death from an HIV-related illness in February 1994, includes a continuous screening of three rarely seen Super 8 films made by the celebrated artist and filmmaker in the 1970s. Derek Jarman: Pandemonium also includes a selection of notebooks and loaned material which provides an insight to Jarman's collaborative relationships as part of a year-long celebration of his life and work.

 
 
 

Red Velvet

Adrian Lester stars in period drama based on the true story of Ira Aldridge.

Garrick Theatre, 2 Charing Cross Road, London, WC2H 0HH

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

 

Dates: 23rd January - 27th February 2016

 

Adrian Lester, who together with his Othello co-star, Rory Kinnear, jointly won the best actor prize at the Evening Standard Theatre Awards, returns to the Tricycle Theatre to star in Red Velvet, an award-winning period drama based on Othello and the true story of Ira Aldridge. The Hustle actor reprises his award-winning turn as the young black American actor from the nineteenth century, starring alongside Charlotte Lucas, Eugene O'Hare and newcomer Rachel Finnegan.

 
 
 

Just Glass

A demonstration of the beauty that can be achieved with kiln-formed glass.

PM Gallery and House, Walpole Park, Mattock Lane, London, W5 5EQ

Tube: Ealing Broadway Station

 

Dates: 24th January - 08th March 2014

 

The Just Glass exhibition will be devoted to the art of contemporary glassmaking. It will demonstrate the beauty that can be achieved with kiln-formed glass as opposed to glass- blowing, and will feature the work of established and emerging glass artists belonging to the Just Glass collective. Some of the work that will be on display has been inspired by Sir John Soane's Pitzhanger Manor, to which the PM Gallery was built as an extension. It will also include a special display explaining kiln-formed glass techniques, covering processes such as casting, fusing and slumping glass in a kiln as well as the methods used to finish, such as grinding and polishing, gilding, etching and engraving.

 
 
 

Glasgow International Comedy Festival Burns Night Gala

A Burns Night comedy showcase.

Leicester Square Theatre, 6 Leicester Place, Soho, London, WC2H 7BX

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

 

Dates: 24th January 2014

 

A one-off Burns Night Gala showcasing some of the top talent that will be appearing at the forthcoming Glasgow International Comedy Festival (14 March to 5 April 2014). Previous years have featured Stewart Lee, Susan Calman, Craig Hill, Robin Ince, Fred MacAulay, Mark Thomas, John Hegley, Richard Herring, Kevin Eldon, Craig Campbell, Phil Nichol, Arnold Brown, Tony Law, Jason John Whitehead, Pete Johansson and more... Suitable for ages 16

 
 
 
 

BBC Symphony Orchestra Andre De Ridder: Memoryhouse

Max Richter performs his album Memoryhouse.

Barbican Centre, Silk Street, City, London, EC2Y 8DS

Tube: Barbican Station , Moorgate Station

 

Dates: 24th January 2014

 

Contemporary composer Max Richter performs his 2002 debut album Memoryhouse with the BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Andre de Ridder. Strings, piano and live electronic music combine with haunting effect in a homage to Europe and the power of memories.

 
 
 

Finding Joy

A show based on true stories from the UK's foremost full mask theatre company.

Jacksons Lane Theatre, 269a Archway Road, London, N6 5AA

Tube: Highgate Station

 

Dates: 24th - 25th January 2014

 

Part puppetry, part performance, Finding Joy by Vamos Theatre Company, one of the UK's foremost full mask theatre companies, is at Jacksons Lane as part of London International Mime Festival. Touching and funny, the show is based on life events and true stories as Danny becomes a carer to his grandmother who is gradually losing her memory.

 
 
 

Icebreaker: Kraftwerk Uncovered: A Future Past

The German group re-imagines tracks from a range of Kraftwerk albums.

Science Museum, Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London, SW7 2DD

Tube: South Kensington Station

 

Dates: 24th January 2014

 

Following its highly successful Apollo tour, Icebreaker is turning its focus to another contemporary icon - Kraftwerk. Since its formation in 1970, the German group's output has revolutionised music and influenced scores of musicians. For this project, composer, producer and sound-scapist J Peter Schwalm re-imagines tracks from a range of Kraftwerk albums to show off the group's many different sounds - from early acoustic tracks to the iconic synthesized tunes such as Autobahn and Tour De France. Visual artists Sophie Clements and Toby Cornish have created a new video work for this piece that evokes the era of avant-garde film.

 
 
 

Counterfeit Stones

The most famous Stones band in England according to Mick Jagger.

Richmond Theatre, The Green, Surrey, London, TW9 1QJ

Tube: Richmond Station

 

Dates: 25th January 2014

 

Sure the real thing is creaking on, but you can see this for a fraction of the price and you won't have to listen to any of the Rolling Stones' new stuff. Named "The most famous Stones band in England" by none other than Sir Mick Jagger, The Counterfeit Stones put on a 'Spinal Tap' style mockumentary of the legendary rock bands colourful history with faithfully reproduced outfits and instruments. The tribute band has performed for Bill Clinton, Sir Tim Rice and at Buckingham Palace and promises a night of "pure unadulterated Xerox-rock" with its latest show Let's Pretend the Night Together.

 
 
 

Musicmania

A music show for dedicated collectors.

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

Tube: Kensington (Olympia) Station

 

Dates: 25th January 2014

 

For dedicated collectors or anyone looking for a bargain, the annual Musicmania show covers everything from glam rock and hard fi to rock 'n' roll and jazz. Visitors can buy or sell CDs, vinyl, posters, programs, tour jackets and other memorabilia.

 
 
 
 

Joshua Rifkin

A late-night recital from the American pianist who ignited a national passion for ragtime jazz.

Wigmore Hall, 36 Wigmore Street, Marylebone, London, W1U 2BP

Tube: Bond Street Station , Oxford Circus Station

 

Dates: 25th January 2014

 

Four decades ago American pianist Joshua Rifkin recorded Scott Joplin's Piano Rags, recordings which went on to ignite a national passion for ragtime jazz and "created, almost alone, the Scott Joplin revival," as New York magazine wrote. On 25th January the pianist gives a late-night recital of the tunes he helped to make famous at London's Wigmore Hall.

 
 
 

The Adventure Travel Show

Receive advice on holidays and adventures that you can't find on the high street.

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

Tube: Kensington (Olympia) Station

 

Dates: 25th - 26th January 2014

 

Touted as the biggest collection of specialist travel operators, The Adventure Travel Show offers advice on the kind of holiday adventures you can't find on the high street. There'll be more than 100 free talks from explorers, expedition leaders, and guide-book writers, and you can attend travel writing and photography seminars held in conjunction with Wanderlust travel magazine.

 
 
 

Just William: Martin Jarvis & Richard Sisson

Actor Martin Jarvis and pianist Richard Sisson take inspiration from the Just William books.

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

Tube: King's Cross Station

 

Dates: 26th January 2014

 

Acclaimed actor Martin Jarvis - "the Olivier of book readers" as Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter once put it - performs a selection of stories about the irrepressible William, the star of Richmal Crompton's hugely popular Just William books. Jarvis has been reading the Just William books for Radio 4 for some 25 years and for this Sunday coffee concert at Kings Place, part of the regular Sunday Coffee Concert series organised by pianist Lucy Parham, he is joined by pianist Richard Sisson.

 
 
 

The NATYS Comedy Showcase and Awards Final

New comedians are given their chance to shine.

Leicester Square Theatre, 6 Leicester Place, Bloomsbury, London, WC2H 7BX

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

 

Dates: 31st January 2016

 

Twelve new acts are given five minutes to work their magic in the annual final to crown comedy's New Act of The Year. Now in its 31st year, this comedy showcase and awards event comes to the Bloomsbury Theatre for the second time and promises a variety of performers - from stand-up to sketch shows, singers to surrealist and spoofs. Previous finalists include the likes of Russell Brand, Harry Hill, Ed Byrne, Lee Mack, Tim Vine, Micky Flannagan, Jack Whitehall, Simon Amstel and Rhod Gilbert. Auditions and heats are held between October and December 2013 at the Rich Mix Arts Centre in Bethnal Green ahead of the showcase and awards final at the Bloomsbury Theatre on Sunday 26th January 2014.

 
 
 

New Order II: British Art Today

A showcase of works by the likes of Dominic Beattie, Laura Buckley and Hannah Perry.

Saatchi Gallery, Duke of York's Square, King's Road, Chelsea, London, SW3 4SQ

Tube: Sloane Square Station

 

Dates: 26th January - 06th April 2014

 

The second installment of the Saatchi Gallery's selection of contemporary art works representing British Art Today includes a variety of media by artists like Dominic Beattie, Laura Buckley and Hannah Perry whose digital, interactive film and performance piece 'Have a Nice Day' led to a live performance at the Barbican Art Gallery last summer.

 
 
 
 

Richard Herring's Meaning of Life

The comedian tackles life's biggest questions.

Leicester Square Theatre, 6 Leicester Place, Soho, London, WC2H 7BX

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

 

Dates: 26th January - 18th May 2014

 

A monthly Sunday-night series of shows, each tackling one of life's big questions: Is there a God? What happens to us when we die? What is love, anyway? Why are we here? Is there really good and evil? As well as Richard Herring's own brand of intelligent, irreverent stand up, there'll be interviews with experts in each subject helping Herring uncover the meaning of life (though don't expect a conventional line of questioning). Each show will be filmed for subsequent broadcast by Herring alongside his already popular podcasts.

 
 
 

Fallen Angels

Home truths and an erstwhile lover in the Noel Coward classic.

Rose Theatre Kingston, 24-26 High Street, Kingston upon Thames, London, KT1 1HL

Tube: Richmond Station

 

Dates: 27th January - 01st February 2014

 

The Noel Coward classic comedy starring Jenny Seagrove and Sara Crowe is being revived at the Rose Theatre Kingston. While their husbands are away playing golf, best friends Julia and Jane receive the news that a mutual long-ago lover is planning to pay them a visit. Panic ensues, as does much drinking of champagne to steady their nerves. And as the booze goes down, the truths come out, accusations are flung and respectability goes out of the window. But what happens when their husbands return home unexpectedly early?

 
 
 

The Only Way is Downton

Luke Kempner brings his hit Edinburgh festival show to London's Trafalgar Studios.

Trafalgar Studios, 14 Whitehall, Westminster, London, SW1A 2DY

Tube: Charing Cross Station , Embankment Underground Station

 

Dates: 27th January - 22nd February 2014

 

This solo comic parody from impressionist Luke Kempner, star of YouTube hit Downstairs At Downton, was a sell-out success at the Edinburgh festival and now comes to London's Trafalgar Studios. Other popular television shows and characters appear as they try to help the Downton cast save the estate from ruin. Kempner is "clearly going places" write Dominic Cavendish in the Telegraph, and the good news is "you don't need to give two hoots about Julian Fellowes' monster hit" to enjoy the show.

 
 
 

The Pride

Following superb reviews last year in the West End, the play transfers to the Richmond Theatre.

Richmond Theatre, The Green, Surrey, London, TW9 1QJ

Tube: Richmond Station

 

Dates: 27th January - 01st February 2014

 

Acclaimed director Jamie Lloyd's production of Alexi Kaye Campbell's play won an Olivier Award and was nominated for two Evening Standard awards when it ran at the Royal Court in 2008. Following a much anticipated-revival and superb reviews last year when it played in the West End, The Pride comes to Richmond with Naomi Sheldon taking over the role of Sylvia from Hayley Atwell. The play focuses on a love triangle between Oliver (Al Weaver), a children's author, Sylvia, an illustrator who collaborates with him on a book, and her husband Phillip (Harry Hadden-Paton). It begins in 1948 and then leaps to the present day when relationships between the three have been reconfigured, so to speak, with Oliver and Phillip in a relationship, and Sylvia as a close friend.

 
 
 

Citta di Ebla: The Dead

James Joyce's tale of lost love and remembrance.

Barbican The Pit, Silk Street, City, London, EC2Y 8DS

Tube: Barbican Station , Moorgate Station

 

Dates: 28th January - 01st February 2014

 

Italian theatre group Citta di Ebla presents its contemporary take on James Joyce's short story The Dead, part of the writer's 1914 collection Dubliners. In the story, a woman is transfixed when she hears a song at a party that transports her back to memories of her first love - a boy who gave his life to be with her. For this 55 minute Barbican performance, we join a female dancer in her bedroom as she relives the powerful emotions of her youth. A projected backdrop of real-time photographic images plays with ideas of memory, reality and connections between moments in time. The Dead forms part of this year's London International Mime Festival and is considered suitable for ages 14 . There will be a post-show talk on 29 January.

 
 
 
 

The Merchants Of Bollywood

A song-and-dance spectacular with everything you'd expect of Bollywood.

Peacock Theatre, Portugal Street, Holborn, London, WC2A 2HT

Tube: Holborn Station , Covent Garden Station, Temple Station

 

Dates: 28th January - 15th February 2014

 

A song-and-dance spectacular, The Merchants of Bollywood features everything you'd expect from the stars of Bombay's (now Mumbai) giant movie industry - fabulous costumes, outstanding choreography and acting that's so cheesy it's brilliant. There's a flimsy plot about a Bollywood ingenue, but really it's just a way to give the dancers time to make their dozens of costume changes between one extravagant dance routine and the next. The songs have all been borrowed from successful Bollywood movies, and they're intensely catchy, with choreography by Vaibhavi Merchant - one of Bollywood's top choreographers. This is an infectiously joyful show that ends with the audience on their feet and dancing.

 
 
 

John Robins: Where Is My Mind?

The upcoming comedian on love, alter egos, illness and nostalgia.

Soho Theatre, 21 Dean Street, Soho, London, W1D 3NE

Tube: Tottenham Court Road Station , Leicester Square Station

 

Dates: 28th - 29th January 2014

 

John Robins' self-deprecating tales of love, alter egos, illness and nostalgia tell it like it is. Fans may recognise him from BBC3's Russell Howard's Good News (the two once shared a flat in Bristol). This raucous set went down a storm at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2013; here Robins performs in the Soho Theatre's downstairs cabaret space.

 
 
 

Vault Festival

Comedy, theatre and live music in the tunnels beneath Waterloo Station.

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

Tube: Waterloo Station , Lambeth North Station

 

Dates: 28th January - 16th March 2020

 

Following the huge success of last year's inaugural Vault Festival, Heritage Arts return for a second year with more comedy, theatre, live music, a public bar and a host of exciting happenings in one of London's most atmospheric venues: the tunnels beneath Waterloo Station (accessed via Leake Street). The six-week programme offers a choice of more than 30 shows (that's at least five shows a night!) and includes live music every Tuesday and Wednesday, late-night events every Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and two headline theatre productions running throughout the festival: Hunter S Thompson's drug-fuelled gonzo road trip Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, and Ian McEwan's unsettling The Cement Garden. Boredom is not an option.

 
 
 

Carthage

First time playwright Chris Thompson pieces together a boy's life and death in care.

Finborough Theatre, 118 Finborough Road, Fulham, London, SW10 9ED

Tube: West Brompton Station

 

Dates: 28th January - 22nd February 2014

 

Piecing together a boy's life and death in care, Carthage asks who should raise our children when the systems designed to protect them can be as abusive as the situations from which they were rescued. The Finborough Theatre has commissioned the work by first time playwright, Chris Thompson, who has first hand experience of the topic, working as a social worker.

 
 
 

English National Opera: Peter Grimes

Britten's opera story about a fisherman who is suspected of killing his apprentice is revived.

London Coliseum - English National Opera (ENO), St Martin's Lane, Covent Garden, London, WC2N 4ES

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

 

Dates: 29th January - 27th February 2014

 

A revival of a critically acclaimed ENO prodution, Edward Gardner conducts Britten's Peter Grimes, a story about a fisherman who is suspected of killing his apprentice. Acclaimed international tenor Stuart Skelton, who triumphed in the title role when the opera premiered at the London Coliseum in 2009 and again when it was staged at the BBC Proms in 2012, reprises the role of the eponymous protagonist. ENO Harewood Artists Mary Bevan and Rhian Lois appear as the two nieces and celebrated South African singer Elza van den Heever makes her long overdue UK premiere singing Ellen Orford, Grimes's only true friend. A "thoroughly curdled portrayal of English provincial life," wrote The Guardian critic in 2009, claiming this to be an "outstanding" production with Stuart Skelton's "towering performance at its heart".

 
 
 
 

Liu Wei

A showcase of the Beijing-based artist's work.

White Cube Mason's Yard, 25-26 Mason's Yard, Off Duke Street, St James's, London, SW1Y 6BU

Tube: Piccadilly Circus Station , Green Park Station

 

Dates: 29th January - 15th March 2014

 

The ready made is a recurring element in Beijing-based Liu Wei's practice, and his work is often assembled out of everyday found objects, such as ceramics, books, television sets, fridges and fans. The artist re-works these discarded materials, transforming them into sculptural objects and installations of layered complexity. Part of a generation in China that grew up in a period of rapidly accelerating urbanisation, Liu Wei has frequently turned to architectural and urban themes in his work. While he presents the city as a dynamic and vital force, he often raises questions about contemporary urban life: the way we plan, build, consume and experience our cities. His work forges a personal sense of order and meaning out of rigidly controlled social and political structures and the turbulent disorder of the contemporary cityscape.

 
 
 

Martin Creed

The Turner Prize winning artist is the subject of a major exhibition.

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

Tube: Waterloo Station , Embankment Underground Station

 

Dates: 29th January - 05th May 2014

 

He got all the bells ringing in the country at the same time to launch the cultural Olympic celebration in 2012, and in 2014 the Turner Prize winning artist Martin Creed is the subject of a major exhibition occupying both floors and the outdoor terraces of the Hayward Gallery. Some of Creed's earliest works from the 1990s are shown for the first time in the UK alongside his Turner Prize winning installation 'The Lights Going On and Off'. Known for his playful side, the exhibition also includes 'Work No. 319', a room half-filled with balloons, and 'Work No. 1000', a monumental print work made with broccoli. Portraits, new sculptural commissions and two performance pieces - 'Face to Face with Bach' and his ballet 'Work No. 1020' - offer a comprehensive review of the artist's work across which covers all artistic media.

 
 
 

Compagnie 111: Questcequetudeviens?

Fiery flamenco from France.

Barbican Theatre, Silk Street, City, London, EC2Y 8DS

Tube: Barbican Station , Moorgate Station

 

Dates: 30th January - 01st February 2014

 

Theatre director Aurelien Bory of Compagnie 111 created this piece especially for French flamenco dancer Stephanie Fuster in 2008, and it has been thrilling audiences across Europe ever since. It comes to the Barbican Theatre as part of this year's London International Mime Festival. A stark, black stage and plaintive Spanish guitar set the scene for a highly visual deconstruction of the art of flamenco, with Fuster dancing in an empty box, in a pool of water and with a red dress that seems to have a mind of its own. The title means 'What's Become of You?' and echoes the dancer's own journey of falling in love with flamenco. A post-show talk takes place on 30 January.

 
 
 

The Mistress Contract

Abi Morgan makes her Royal Court Theatre debut.

Royal Court Theatre, Sloane Square, Belgravia, London, SW1W 8AS

Tube: Sloane Square Station

 

Dates: 30th January - 22nd March 2014

 

Abi Morgan, the writer responsible for films 'The Iron Lady' and 'Shame', and television dramas including 'The Hour', makes her debut at the Royal Court Theatre with The Mistress Contract, a play based on 40 years of transcripts charting a real-life extramarital affair. An American couple meet at university, fall out of touch, then reacquaint 20 years later and enter into a contract. The woman will provide sex and "mistress services" in return for a house where she would live, read, and record all their conversations. The play charts the decades of intellectual exchange between the pair who also shared a love of culture, art, literature and books, and whose contract continues into their old age. Recording their conversations, according to the Royal Court's artistic director, Vicky Featherstone, who directs, was also about "trying to keep hold of something; persuading yourself that something is not transient".

 
 
 

A Dialogue with Nature: Romantic Landscapes from Britain and Germany

Romantic landscape drawing in Britain and Germany from the 1760s to the 1840s.

, Covent Garden, London,

Tube:

 

Dates: 30th January - 27th April 2014

 

Romantic landscape drawing in Britain and Germany from the 1760s to the 1840s will be explored, bringing together twenty-six major drawings, watercolours and oil sketches by artists such as J.M.W. Turner, Samuel Palmer, Caspar David Friedrich and Karl Friedrich Lessing. The exhibition draws on the complementary strengths of the New York-based Morgan Library and Museums exceptional group of German drawings and The Courtauld Gallery's wide-ranging holdings of British works.

 
 
 
 

Rent: 20th anniversary concert tour

The cult classic about young New Yorkers, set against a backdrop of HIV/Aids.

Hackney Empire, 291 Mare Street, London, E8 1EJ

Tube: Bethnal Green Underground Station

 

Dates: 30th January - 01st February 2014

 

The final leg of the UK tour celebrating 20 years of multi-award-winning Broadway rock musical Rent. Telling the story of a group of young friends trying to make it in New York and set against the backdrop of HIV/Aids, Jonathan Larson's classic caused a stir when it opened two decades ago for its cultural commentary as well as its catchy tunes. Since then it has become a pop-culture phenomenon with a cult following to rival that of The Rocky Horror Show. For the Hackney Empire dates, the part of Mimi will be played by West End star Kerry Ellis, best known for playing Elphaba in Wicked. Suitable for ages 14

 
 
 

Ivan Putrov's Men In Motion

A program specifically created for the male dancer.

London Coliseum - English National Opera (ENO), St Martin's Lane, Covent Garden, London, WC2N 4ES

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

 

Dates: 30th - 31st January 2014

 

Former Royal Ballet Principal, Ivan Putrov, presents an evening of works exploring the history of the male dancer over the last century. First presented at Sadler's Wells in 2012, Men in Motion has travelled to Europe and now comes to the London Coliseum for two nights only in January 2014. Putrov has evolved the format and for this show has employed the talents of fellow performers including Edward Watson, Vadim Muntagirov and Elena Glurdjidze. The program features dances specifically created for the male dancer including Nijinsky's L'apres-midi d'un faune and the latest work from Arthur Pita, creator of the critically acclaimed Metamorphosis.

 
 
 

Mark Steel

Quirky local knowledge from the socialist comedian and broadcaster.

Leicester Square Theatre, 6 Leicester Place, Soho, London, WC2H 7BX

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

 

Dates: 30th - 31st January 2014

 

Writer, comedian, broadcaster and socialist Mark Steel brings his current show to the Leicester Square Theatre for two nights. Steel has won several awards for his Radio 4 series 'Mark Steel's in Town', in which he performs a bespoke gig in a succession of regional towns, constructing each show from local references. Expect a certain amount of quirky local knowledge in the current stand-up tour.

 
 
 

Chris Ramsey: The Most Dangerous Man On Saturday Morning TV

The comedian examines what happens when you say the wrong thing at the wrong time.

Bloomsbury Theatre, 15 Gordon Street, Bloomsbury, London, WC1H 0AH

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

 

Dates: 30th January - 01st February 2014

 

Having been 'sent off' from Soccer AM for using the word 'bumming', Chris Ramsey uses his new show to ponder whether he really is The Most Dangerous Man on Saturday Morning Television, and whether he wants to be. During the show the Geordie looks back at his mistakes and examines what happens when you say the wrong thing in the wrong place and at the wrong time. Should he stick to his late night slots on Celebrity Juice?

 
 
 

Being a Man

A new festival that examines what being a man means today.

Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, South Bank, London, SE1 8XX

Tube: Waterloo Station , Embankment Underground Station

 

Dates: 24th - 26th November 2017

 

After launching the Women of the World (WOW) Festival back in 2011, Jude Kelly, the Southbank Centre's artistic director, now presents the new Being a Man (BAM) festival. Once realising that WOW had become a forum where men were often discussed, she thought it would be good for there to be an event where men could do the discussing. Bringing together men from different backgrounds and experiences, and of all ages, the three-day event will explore what it means to be a man today. The programme includes singer Billy Bragg and novelist Nick Hornby discussing the pros and cons of blokey-ness; Martin Daubney, the former editor of Loaded magazine, investigating porn and the brain; theatre director and writer Topher Campbell on being a gay black man; and artist Grayson Perry looks at why men need to sit down for their rights.

 
 
 
 

Discoveries

A showcase of key objects from the University of Cambridge's eight museums.

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

Tube: Temple Station

 

Dates: 31st January - 27th April 2014

 

Discoveries at Two Temple Place showcases key objects from all eight museums at the University of Cambridge, spanning millennia and disciplines. It features valuable artworks alongside rare scientific, anthropological zoological specimens, covering objects like Charles Darwin's recently re-discovered Tinamou Egg, the only surviving egg from the HMS Beagle voyage, accidentally cracked by Darwin himself. The exhibition takes place at Two Temple Place, offering visitors a rare chance to glimpse the stunning interior of one of London's most remarkable hidden treasures.

 
 
 

Artist Textiles: Matisse to Warhol

Over 200 textile pieces from artists such as Picasso, Braque and Miro.

Fashion and Textile Museum, 83 Bermondsey Street, London, SE1 3XF

Tube: London Bridge Station

 

Dates: 31st January - 17th May 2014

 

A survey of textiles as an art form in 20th century Europe and America, this Fashion and Textile Museum exhibition features work by influential artists from Matisse - whose lifelong fascination with textiles and its profound impact on his art - to Warhol. Over 200 examples are displayed, by artists including Braque, Barbara Hepworth, Miro, and Picasso, many of which have not been on public display before.

 
 
 

At Home With Music

A new display that brings together highlights of the keyboard instrument collections.

Horniman Museum, 100 Road, London, SE23 3PQ

Tube: Denmark Hill Station

 

Dates: 31st January - 31st December 2015

 

At Home With Music is a new display that brings together highlights of the keyboard instrument collections from the Horniman and the Victoria and Albert Museum. The display includes organs, harpsichords, pianos and clavichords and features rare and beautiful instruments including a portable piano of the type that Captain Scott took with him on his first expedition to the Antarctic in 1901.

 
 
 

Ross Noble

The popular improv star has a short residency at the new intimate theatre.

Michael Edwards Studio Theatre, Cutty Sark, King William Walk, London, SE10 9HT

Tube: New Cross Station (East London line closed. Bus service operates)

 

Dates: 31st January - 04th April 2014

 

Hugely popular improv star Ross Noble, regarded as one of the most original comics around, performs ten nights in the intimate surrounds of the new Michael Edwards Studio Theatre inside the Cutty Sark. Noble will also introduce special guests during the evenings. Noble will perform every Friday between 31st January and 4th April.

 
 
 

Sensing Spaces: Architecture Reimagined

A new perspective on architecture.

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

Tube: Green Park Station , Piccadilly Circus Station

 

Dates: 25th January - 06th April 2014

 

The Royal Academy of Arts has called on seven leading architects and urban designers and set them a challenge: to give you a new perspective on architecture. The result, Sensing Spaces: Architecture Reimagined, transforms the gallery's main rooms into a series of structures, textures, scents, lighting and colour which encourage visitors to sit, climb, walk and talk through the display, exploring the different environments and observing how they make affect our mood. The architects include: Dublin-based Grafton Architects; Kengo Kuma, the Japanese architect behind Sake No Hana restaurant interior; Diébédo Francis Kéré founder of the Berlin-based practice, Kéré Architecture; and the Portugese architect Álvaro Siza, winner of the 1992 Pritzker Architecture Prize.

 
 
 

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