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Go shoppingEvent Listings, February 2011
From Egyptian mummies to the daddy of folk, via French farce and classical music, there’s so much more to February than hearts and flowers. Wander lonely as a cloud or grab a friend and take a trip through London’s vibrant cultural scene with the help of our monthly listings, edited by Alex James.
All February: The London Concerts, The Barbican Centre and Southbank Centre. Two great venues have joined forces to bring Sir Simon Rattle and the Berliner Philharmoniker to London for a series of four concerts in 2011. The London Concerts series opens at the Queen Elizabeth Hall on Sunday 20 February, then continues with two concerts at the Barbican Centre on 21 and 22 February and concludes on 23 February at the Royal Festival Hall. See: www.barbican.org.uk
Until February 5: The Fitzrovia Radio Hour, Trafalgar Studios, Whitehall. After a sell-out run at the Edinburgh Fringe, The Fitzrovia Radio Hour hit the West End with a four-week run at Trafalgar Studios! Put on your spats and dig out your hats for three 1940s-inspired radio plays performed with live sound effects and cut-glass theatricality! See:
www.fitzroviaradio.co.uk
February 5 – April 17: Frankenstein, The National Theatre.
This new play by Nick Dear is based on the novel by Mary Shelley and is directed by Danny Boyle. The story follows Frankenstein’s bewildered creature as he is cast out into a hostile universe by his horror-struck maker. The friendless creature becomes desperate and merciless, as he seeks to track down his creator and take vengeance. Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller will alternate the roles of Victor Frankenstein and the Creature. See: www.nationaltheatre.co.uk
February 14: Valentine Late, Museum of London, London Wall. Experience a Valentine’s Day like no other at the Museum of London. Visitors can also try out some seductive Latin dance classes as well as having the opportunity to make vintage Valentine cards at a paper-cutting workshop. Poetry readings will be held and visitors can also sample some sensational aphrodisiac love philtres by London’s most creative catering duo Bompas & Parr. There will also be a Valentine themed bar alongside the open galleries. See: www.museumoflondon.org.uk
February 14: Evening with the Stars, Royal Observatory Greenwich. Each star tells a story. But enough of the cheese. To revel in Valentine’s Day, take a special evening at the Royal Observatory Greenwich, with a romantically-themed Planetarium show and a chance to gaze at the stars through the gigantic 28-inch telescope. See: www.nmm.ac.uk
February 15-16: Love or Loathe? Renaissance Pubs. Leading West London pubs are honouring haters of Valentine’s Day this year. For the day itself, a Valentine’s special menu will be offered, but for those who feel that romance is off the menu, Renaissance will be offering a bottle of bubbly to every group of four dining on the following Tuesday or Wednesday after Valentine’s Day – everyone’s a winner. See: www.renaissancepubs.com
February 21-27: Exhibition and Theatre Tour. Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre. The Globe Exhibition at Shakespeare’s Globe will be open throughout the spring half-term offering visitors access to the world’s largest and most comprehensive exhibition devoted to Shakespeare. There will be a rolling programme of live events including sword fighting, costume dressings and printing press demonstrations. www.shakespeares-globe.com
Until February 26: Roald Dahl’s Twisted Tales, The Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith. From the archives of retro TV’s Tales of the Unexpected. Enter a wonderfully dark and dangerous world where nothing is quite as it seems. Expect the unexpected with tales of sinister landladies, sweet revenge and gambling with
February 28: Storytails, Upstairs at the Birdcage, Stoke Newington. Featuring readings of short fictional stories from some professional, and some not-quite-so professional writers, Storytails is held on the last Sunday of every month from 5pm Upstairs at The Birdcage in Stoke Newington, London. See: www.storytails.org
Until March 5: A Flea in Her Ear, The Old Vic, Waterloo. The ever-escalating trend for burlesque comes to the theatre. When the beautiful wife of Victor Chandebise suspects him of having an affair, she enlists the help of his dearest friend to entrap him. Their plan to entice him to a rendezvous at the Hotel Coq d’Or spectacularly misfires and chaos ensues. Set in the decadent surroundings of Belle Epoque Paris, Feydeau’s quintessential farce promises to be an exhilarating evening of mistaken identities and comic disaster. See: www.oldvictheatre.com
Until April 2: Woody Sez. The Arts Theatre, West End. It’s the award-winning, foot-stomping, heartfelt theatrical journey through the life of America’s greatest folk icon and storyteller, Woody Guthrie. Weaving together Guthrie’s words and songs, Woody Sez paints an engaging portrait of this folk hero’s fascinating life. Featuring a talented cast of multi-instrumental musicians and actors, this show brims with infectious enjoyment. With such classic tunes as This Land is Your Land and Bound for Glory, it’s easy to see why Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash idolized Woody, and why his music continues to inspire some of today’s finest songwriters including Bruce Springsteen, Van Morrison and Billy Bragg. See: www.woodysez.co.uk
Alex James
You can find Anna Clair’s review of A Flea in Her Ear here, in our What’s On section:
About Emily Cleaver
Emily Cleaver is Litro's Online Editor. She is passionate about short stories and writes, reads and reviews them. Her own stories have been published in the London Lies anthology from Arachne Press, Paraxis, .Cent, The Mechanics’ Institute Review, One Eye Grey, and Smoke magazines, performed to audiences at Liars League, Stand Up Tragedy, WritLOUD, Tales of the Decongested and Spark London and broadcasted on Resonance FM and Pagan Radio. As a former manager of one of London’s oldest second-hand bookshops, she also blogs about old and obscure books. You can read her tiny true dramas about working in a secondhand bookshop at smallplays.com and see more of her writing at emilycleaver.net.
