Lifestyle

  • OUT OF OFFICE
    Thursday, 2nd September 2010
    TIMOTHY BARBER
    LES MISERABLES AT THE BARBICAN There can’t be many people left who haven’t seen Les Mis, but the Barbican’s forthcoming, brand new production might be the show to convince naysayers what a remarkable musical it is. Alternatively it might be grist to those who deplore stunt casting:?Gareth Gates as Marius? Meh. Still, for rousing drama and rollocking tunes Les Mis has rarely been bettered, and this is a terrific opportunity to experience it anew. 14 Sept-2 Oct, Barbican Theatre. Tickets £15-85 from www.barbican.org.uk THE ART OF BEING BRITISH Jermyn Street in St James’s is the historic centre... [Read more]

  • OUT OF OFFICE
    Thursday, 5th August 2010
    TIMOTHY BARBER
    LAST CHANCE: AFTER THE DANCE Anyone who’s been riveted by Benedict Cumberbatch’s performance in the BBC’s updated version of Sherlock Holmes should check out his tremendous starring role in After the... [Read more]
  • OUT OF OFFICE
    Tuesday, 27th July 2010
    TIMOTHY BARBER
    DANTON’S DEATH AT THE NATIONAL Doesn’t Toby Stephens ever rest? Having only just finished a run in Tom Stoppard’s play The Real Thing at The Old Vic, he’s straight into dishevelled hair, frock coat... [Read more]
  • OUT OF OFFICE
    Wednesday, 14th July 2010
    ZOE STRIMPEL
    DON’T MISS: HOFESH SHECHTER DANCE Hofesh Shechter made a huge splash in the UK with Uprising in 2007. Now he takes the first full length piece since Uprising, called Political Mother, on tour. The 10... [Read more]

  • OUT OF OFFICE
    Thursday, 8th July 2010
    TIMOTHY BARBER
    BIKERADAR LIVE 2010 Cycling enthusiasts should check out BikeRadar Live at the Brands Hatch circuit in Kent this weekend. Now in its second year and just in time for Tour de France fever, the event... [Read more]
  • OUT OF OFFICE
    Wednesday, 7th July 2010
    TIMOTHY BARBER
    HABIT OF ART RETURNING After a sell-out run at the National, Alan Bennett’s amusing play about old age, the creative spirit and sexuality is returning to the Lyttelton from next week. National... [Read more]
  • OUT OF OFFICE
    Wednesday, 30th June 2010
    ZOE STRIMPEL
    GO RUNNING, BOUTIQUE-STYLE Ever feel that your girls’ nights out are a little on the unhealthy side? If so, try this one on for size: a boutique run, 5 or 10k, in Battersea Park followed by free... [Read more]
  • OUT OF OFFICE
    Thursday, 24th June 2010
    TIMOTHY BARBER
    MASTER DRAWINGS LONDON Celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, Master Drawings London is a chance to pick up high quality works by artists stretching from the Renaissance to the present day. 21... [Read more]
  • OUT OF OFFICE
    Wednesday, 23rd June 2010
    ZOE STRIMPEL
    TAPAS FANTASTICA Feel like you need a break from World Cup madness? Or more to the point, if you love tapas and Rioja (and who doesn’t, really), don’t miss this Spanish gastro-fair taking place this... [Read more]
  • OUT OF OFFICE
    Thursday, 17th June 2010
    TIMOTHY BARBER
    BRAZIL! BRAZIL! AT UDDERBELLY The comedy and performance festival at the Southbank’s inflatable, inverted cow-shaped tent is into its second vibrant year, and the show setting the place alight is a... [Read more]
  • OUT OF OFFICE
    Thursday, 10th June 2010
    TIMOTHY BARBER
    MUSEUM OF LONDON Right here in the City and free, the Museum of London is a treasure trove of artefacts and curios, and its Galleries of Modern London, documenting the city’s development from the... [Read more]
  • OUT OF OFFICE
    Wednesday, 9th June 2010
    ZOE STRIMPEL
    LOTUS ART POP UP SHOP Bespoke luxury service Couturelab is to host a pop-up store for high-end Thai brand Lotus Arts de Vivre, a rare opportunity to purchase one-off pieces. Founded by a Bangkok-... [Read more]
  • OUT OF OFFICE
    Thursday, 3rd June 2010
    ZOE STRIMPEL
    COFFEE TABLE MUST-HAVE Lifestyle group Quintessentially has launched the definitive coffee table book in the form of Perfume, an educational guide to the history of perfume featuring some of the... [Read more]
  • OUT OF OFFICE
    Thursday, 27th May 2010
    ZOE STRIMPEL
    PINTER PLAY COMES TO FLEET STREET Legend has it that Harold Pinter’s career was saved by Harold Hobson’s single favourable review of The Birthday Party: “a skull-beneath-the-skin play, exposing the... [Read more]
  • OUT OF OFFICE
    Wednesday, 26th May 2010
    ZOE STRIMPEL
    RIEDEL WINE TASTING Don’t miss Riedel’s legendary wine and glass comparative tasting on 11 June, conducted by Georg Riedel, 10th generation master glassmaker and head of the wine glass company. In a... [Read more]
  • SEX AND THE CITY 2 SPECIAL
    Tuesday, 25th May 2010
    ZOE STRIMPEL
    SPECIAL EDITION SKYY BOTTLE What would Sex and the City be without vodka cocktails? With this in mind, Costume Designer Patricia Field has designed a limited edition SKYY Vodka Sex and the City 2... [Read more]
  • OUT OF OFFICE
    Thursday, 13th May 2010
    TIMOTHY BARBER
    MONTE CARLO OR BUST If you’re a deep pocketed Formula 1 fan but thought you’d missed the chance to get to Monaco for the Grand Prix this weekend, think again. Monte Carlo’s Metropole Hotel, including... [Read more]
  • OUT OF OFFICE
    Wednesday, 12th May 2010
    ZOE STRIMPEL
    GO FACE TO FACE WITH THE SURREY LIONS The Surrey Lions will be set loose in London as they launch their campaign for the 2010 Friends Provident Twenty20 Championship at Potters Field near Tower... [Read more]
  • OUT OF OFFICE
    Thursday, 6th May 2010
    TIMOTHY BARBER
    WHERE TO WATCH ELECTION NIGHT Soho’s den of fine dining and decadence, Quo Vadis, (www.quovadissoho.co.uk) is hosting an election night party in its naughtily-named Petting Room, with coverage... [Read more]
  • OUT OF OFFICE
    Wednesday, 5th May 2010
    TIMOTHY BARBER
    MACBETH AT THE GLOBE The theme for this year’s season at Shakespeare’s Globe is “kings and rogues”, with various monarchs and their rogueish retinues appearing at the outdoor theatre. First up is the... [Read more]
  • OUT OF OFFICE
    Tuesday, 4th May 2010
    TIMOTHY BARBER
    STOPPARD’S THE REAL THING Playing now at the Old Vic, Tom Stoppard’s 1982 play mixes the playwright’s customary linguistic fireworks with emotional warmth, and is anchored by a masterful ­– and very... [Read more]
  • OUT OF OFFICE
    Thursday, 29th April 2010
    ZOE STRIMPEL
    SAMSONITE POP-UP AT HARRODS Call yourself a travel buff? Like a good suitcase as you swish through the business lounge at Heathrow? Then pop along to Harrods where this massive luggage brand is... [Read more]
  • OUT OF OFFICE
    Wednesday, 21st April 2010
    CHARLIE HODD
    THE REAL THING BY STOPPARD Toby Stephens, Fenella Woolgar and Hattie Morahan are starring in Tom Stoppard's razor sharp comedy, which opens tonight at the Old Vic. Full of Stoppard’s usual verbal... [Read more]
  • OUT OF OFFICE
    Thursday, 15th April 2010
    TIMOTHY BARBER
    PIRATES OF PENZANCE AT WILTON’S Wilton’s Music Hall may be a stone’s throw from Tower Hill, but the oldest surviving music hall is a magnificently atmospheric throwback to another age. Its current... [Read more]
  • OUT OF OFFICE
    Wednesday, 14th April 2010
    TIMOTHY BARBER
    HAIR COMES TO THE WEST END Back in the age of flower power and the sexual revolution, James Rado and Gerome Ragni’s counter-culture musical was a defining cultural event. Its recent Broadway revival... [Read more]
  • OUT OF OFFICE
    Tuesday, 13th April 2010
    TIMOTHY BARBER
    AT THE BRIDEWELL: WHIPPING IT UP As election fever takes hold, the Tower Theatre Company is reviving Steve Thompson’s rip-roaring dissection of Westminster double dealing and dirty tricks. Set just... [Read more]
  • OUT OF OFFICE
    Thursday, 8th April 2010
    TIMOTHY BARBER
    BOOK NOW:?WHIPPING IT UP In case you didn’t notice, there’s a general election on. That makes it a good moment for a revival – at the City’s Bridewell Theatre – of Steve Thompson’s rip-roaring... [Read more]
  • OUT OF OFFICE
    Thursday, 1st April 2010
    TIMOTHY BARBER
    EASTER EGG HUNT WITH A DIFFERENCE It may not be difficult to spot the giant eggs laid out in the Jubilee Gardens beside the London Eye, but to see them all – and the little chick that’s apparently... [Read more]
  • OUT OF OFFICE
    Tuesday, 30th March 2010
    TIMOTHY BARBER
    BEDROOM FARCE Alan Ayckbourn is back in fashion at the moment, and his old mucker Peter Hall has directed this revival of one of his funniest and most ingenious plays. Set in three different bedrooms... [Read more]
  • OUT OF OFFICE
    Tuesday, 16th March 2010
    TIMOTHY BARBER
    Sweet nothings La Ronde author Arthur Schnitzler’s play, known originally as Flirtation, nailed 1890s Viennese society with its look at the tragic couplings between four foolish young people. David... [Read more]
  • OUT OF OFFICE
    Thursday, 11th March 2010
    ZOE STRIMPEL
    LONDON ASSURANCE AT THE NATIONAL Dion Boucicault, the Irish genius of London theatre in the mid-19th century, wrote the hilarious London Assurance in 1841, creating in Sir Harcourt and Lady Spanker... [Read more]
  • OUT OF OFFICE
    Wednesday, 10th March 2010
    TIMOTHY BARBER
    BUTTERWORTH AT THE BRIDEWELL Find out how Jerusalem playwright Jez Butterworth made his name with the Tower Theatre Company’s staging of his acclaimed earlier show, Mojo, a scintillating tale of Soho... [Read more]
  • OUT OF OFFICE
    Thursday, 4th March 2010
    TIMOTHY BARBER
    JUDI DENCH AT THE ROSE One of the most noteworthy shows in London at the moment isn’t to be found in the West End, or even on Southbank. You have to head to Kingston to see Judi Dench starring as a... [Read more]
  • OUT OF OFFICE
    Tuesday, 2nd March 2010
    TIMOTHY BARBER
    PAUL NASH RETROSPECTIVE British painter Nash is most famous for his nightmarish depictions of the battlefields of both World Wars as dark, dystopian landscapes. Beyond this, a new retrospective shows... [Read more]
  • OUT OF OFFICE
    Monday, 22nd February 2010
    TIMOTHY BARBER
    HENRY MOORE AT TATE BRITAIN Opening this week, the Tate’s new retrospective revisits the legacy of one of the giants of British art in the twentieth century, and arguably the country’s greatest-ever... [Read more]
  • OUT OF OFFICE
    Thursday, 18th February 2010
    ZOE STRIMPEL
    FASHION STILLS AT SOFITEL ST JAMES In honour of Fashion Week, Sofitel St James’s is hosting a photo exhibition, a poignant vision of the fashion world through the lenses of famous fashion snappers... [Read more]
  • OUT OF OFFICE
    Wednesday, 17th February 2010
    ZOE STRIMPEL
    FLAMENCO FESTIVAL AT SADLER’S WELLS The crПme de la crПme of Spain's flamenco talent should not be missed during this two-week festival. The maestros of the dance form, including the world-renowned... [Read more]
  • OUT OF OFFICE
    Thursday, 4th February 2010
    Zoe Strimpel
    THE POWER OF YES AT THE NATIONAL It’s been somewhat overshadowed by Enron, Lucy Prebble’s story of Enron’s collapse. But Hare’s breaking news-style drama is a brilliant, intense and eminently... [Read more]
  • Out of Office
    Wednesday, 3rd February 2010
    Zoe Strimpel
    Shining City, at Camden’s Theatro Technis, premiered at the Royal Court in 2004. SHINING CITY TO OPEN IN CAMDEN John, a newly-bereaved businessman, is being haunted by the ghost of his wife. In a... [Read more]
  • OUT OF OFFICE
    Monday, 25th January 2010
    TIMOTHY BARBER
    Van gogh comes to the r.a. Incredibly, this is the first major Van Gogh exhibition in London for over 40 years, and it will shed extra light on the impulses and inspirations of the troubled Dutch... [Read more]
  • OUT OF OFFICE
    Wednesday, 20th January 2010
    TIMOTHY BARBER
    LONDON MIME FESTIVAL The annual celebration of physical theatre is in full swing across a number of venues. It runs until the end of the month, with highlights including Belgium’s award-winning,... [Read more]
  • OUT OF OFFICE
    Wednesday, 13th January 2010
    BMW’s new all-terrain motor is just the ticket when the snow is thick on the roads
    TIMOTHY BARBER
    BARBERSHOPERA II A popular highlight at last year’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Rob Castell’s sequel to his award-winning Barbershopera! is returning for a brief West End run. It’s a distinctly silly... [Read more]
  • OUT OF OFFICE
    Wednesday, 6th January 2010
    TIMOTHY BARBER
    SWEET CHARITY AT THE MENIER Tamsin Outhwaite is currently proving her talents stretch far beyond TV soap operas and cop shows, starring in this revival at the hit machine that is the Menier Chocolate... [Read more]
  • OUT OF OFFICE
    Tuesday, 5th January 2010
    TIMOTHY BARBER
    EVERY GOOD BOY DESERVES FAVOUR After a successful run last autumn, Tom Morris’s haunting production of Tom Stoppard’s dazzlingly clever play is returning to the National this month for a limited run... [Read more]
  • OUT OF OFFICE
    Wednesday, 16th December 2009
    TIMOTHY BARBER
    THE HABIT OF ART Alan Bennett’s new play for the National Theatre may not have the universal appeal of The History Boys, but it’s a hilarious, searingly clever piece nevertheless. Richard Griffiths... [Read more]
  • OUT OF OFFICE
    Tuesday, 15th December 2009
    TIMOTHY BARBER
    V&A’S MEDIEVAL GALLERIES The Victoria & Albert museum’s newly-opened rooms of exhibits from the era of 300-1600 are a magnificent triumph, perhaps the finest museum space in London now.... [Read more]
  • OUT OF OFFICE
    Monday, 14th December 2009
    ZOE STRIMPEL
    BOO SAVILLE British artist Boo Saville has created a collection of prints that should be unsettling but are actually calming and contemplative – and quite beautiful. Her Ghost series works from... [Read more]
  • OUT OF OFFICE
    Tuesday, 8th December 2009
    TIMOTHY BARBER
    WAITING FOR GODOT RETURNSActing heavyweights Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart made the revival of Samuel Beckett’s masterpiece one of the year’s stand-out theatrical events. The show is... [Read more]
  • OUT OF OFFICE
    Tuesday, 1st December 2009
    ZOE STRIMPEL
    CALEDONIART SCOTS ART SHOWThere are some beautiful pieces of art on show at Caledoniart in honour of St Andrew’s Day which should delight Scots and non-Scots alike. It’s a colourful,... [Read more]
  • OUT OF OFFICE
    Monday, 23rd November 2009
    ALYSSA WOLICE
    THE HOERENGRACHT COLLECTIONThe Hoerengracht by American artists Ed and Nancy Kienholz has transformed the National Gallery’s Sunley Room into a walk-through evocation of Amsterdam’s Red... [Read more]
  • OUT OF OFFICE
    Wednesday, 18th November 2009
    TIMOTHY BARBER
    FAHRENHEIT TWINS AT THE BARBICANThere’s seasonal fun of a very cold kind at the Barbican, taking you into the world of two siblings who live with their scientist parents on a remote Arctic... [Read more]
  • OUT OF OFFICE
    Thursday, 12th November 2009
    ZOE STRIMPEL
    BOOK NOW: MARILYN & ELLAKnown for BBC2’s Newsnight Review (and now for taking  Nick Griffin down several pegs on Question Time), Bonnie Greer is also a respected playwright. Find out... [Read more]
  • OUT OF OFFICE
    Wednesday, 11th November 2009
    ZOE STRIMPEL
    JAMIE LUMLEY PHOTO SHOW OPENSAs the son of Joanna Lumley, Jamie Lumley is in pole position  to comment on the plight of the Ghurkas. Last night saw the launch of his new photo exhibition, which... [Read more]
  • OUT OF OFFICE
    Tuesday, 10th November 2009
    TIMOTHY BARBER
    REGINALD D HUNTER AT SOHO THEATREOne of the most provocative comedians around, expect the three-time Perrier Award nominee to take no prisoners with his new show at the Soho Theatre. Until 21 Nov,... [Read more]
  • OUT OF OFFICE
    Monday, 9th November 2009
    ZOE STRIMPEL
    JAPANESE WHISKY TASTING AT TSURUWhisky is almost as popular as sake in Japan and it goes surprisingly well with sushi. Japanese whisky is similar to Scottish in style and as good. To prove it, Tsuru... [Read more]
  • OUT OF OFFICE
    Thursday, 22nd October 2009
    ZOE STRIMPEL
    BLOW UP THE (CREDIT CRUNCH) MUSICALWhat’s not to love about a telling of the credit crunch through the medium of a five-piece brass band? Failed financier Max Klein, played by ex-City... [Read more]
  • OUT OF OFFICE
    Tuesday, 20th October 2009
    TIMOTHY BARBER
    LAPLAND VIA THE LANGHAM HOTELIf you’re planning a bit of wining and dining over the festive season – and let’s face it, who isn’t? – you could end up in Lapland courtesy... [Read more]
  • OUT OF OFFICE
    Monday, 19th October 2009
    ZOE STRIMPEL
    ED RUSCHA AT THE HAYWARDEd Ruscha is one of the most influential artists of the past half-century. This exhibition, which spans his career, is the first retrospective to focus exclusively on his... [Read more]
  • OUT OF OFFICE
    Thursday, 15th October 2009
    TIMOTHY BARBER
    BARBICAN’S RADICAL NATUREIt’s the last week to catch the Barbican’s fascinating show about art, architecture and the environment, Radical Nature. There are diverse pieces on show... [Read more]
  • OUT OF OFFICE
    Wednesday, 14th October 2009
    ZOE STRIMPEL
    DAMIEN HIRST AT THE WALLACE COLLECTIONHirst, whose work fetched £100,000 at a charity sale at Christie’s on Monday night, has spent £250,000 refurbishing the Wallace Collection in... [Read more]
  • OUT OF OFFICE
    Tuesday, 13th October 2009
    TIMOTHY BARBER
    FRIEZE  ART FAIRLondon’s art world goes into overdrive this week as the season of contemporary art fairs gets underway. The biggest of the lot once again is Frieze (www.friezeartfair.com... [Read more]
  • OUT OF OFFICE
    Monday, 12th October 2009
    TIMOTHY BARBER
    ED RUSCHA AT THE HAYWARDThe Los Angeles-based painter Ed Ruscha has been one of America’s most influential artists of the past 50 years.  His cold depictions of remote gas stations and... [Read more]
  • OUT OF OFFICE
    Wednesday, 7th October 2009
    TIMOTHY BARBER
    POP LIFE AT TATE MODERNThe new major exhibition at Bankside this winter is a vivid celebration of the way art has grappled with consumerism, pop culture, commerce and kitsch since the Pop Art... [Read more]
  • OUT OF OFFICE
    Monday, 5th October 2009
    TIMOTHY BARBER
    FAMILY WEEKEND AT SADLER’S WELLSAfter a successful outing last year, this weekend Sadler’s Wells is reviving its fun-packed series of performances, games and workshops for children and... [Read more]