What to do this winter? From The Hobbit to Guy Bourdin to the Merchant of Venice – culture for the colder months

 

Yes, the weather’s taken a turn and yes, the clocks have gone back. But don’t let the cold temperatures and short days dampen your spirits; as ever, London has plenty to warm the cockles over the winter, with plenty of great plays, exhibitions and films scheduled for the end of the year.

 

From one of the greatest fashion photographers of the twentieth century to a new Las Vegas-set Shakespeare classic to a three hour fantasy epic, City A.M. presents a winter arts preview that’s sure to get you excited about the dark days ahead….

 

 

Cert 12a

Peter Jackson continues his epic adaptation of JRR Tolkien’s The Hobbit with The Battle of the Five Armies, which will be released on 12 December. The third instalment of the Lord of the Rings prequel sees the return of Benedict Cumberbatch as wrathful dragon Smaug who has left Lonely Mountain to unleash his fiery revenge on the people of Laketown. In his absence, the enemy Sauron has returned to Middle Earth and mobilised legions of Orcs to siege the mountain. Expect around three hours of fighting and folklore. Out December.

 

 

 

Royal Academy

Allen Jones finally gets the retrospective he deserves this winter at the Royal Academy. The British artist was instrumental in establishing a pop art voice this side of the Atlantic and is responsible for some of the twentieth century’s most iconic images. Jones’ sculptures incorporating mannequins in fetish gear (see below) won critics as well as fans but his pulsatingly colourful prints are sure to  provide some welcome brightness in the cold winter months ahead. Opens 13 November, £10, visit royalacademy.org.uk

 

 

Somerset House

Somerset House can always be relied upon for an excellent winter exhibition programme, and this year is no different. Fashion photography legend and Man Ray protégé Guy Bourdin is the subject of a stunning retrospective including 100 previously unseen images from a glittering 40 year career. Bourdin elevated fashion advertising to an art-form (see left) and paved the way for countless young experimenters from Miles Aldridge to Viviane Sassen. Opens 27 November, £9, visit somersethouse.org.uk

 

 

GRAD gallery

When Dmitri Shostakovich’s satirical ballet “Bolt” premiered in 1931 it was met with disapproval from the Soviet political establishment. Subsequent performances were forbidden, and 74 years went by before it was staged again in a 2005 Bolshoi production. This exhibition takes a closer look at the original production, with costume designs and period photographs providing a unique insight into a cultural moment that was almost buried by political repression. Free, Opens 6 December

 

 

The National

When Pulitzer Prize-winner and MacArthur genius grant recipient Katherine Boo teams up with Academy Award nominee and Laurence Olivier award winner David Hare (pictured), you know you’re in for something special. Boo spent three years in an Indian slum recording the lives of its residents. The resulting book, Behind the Beautiful Forevers, has been adapted by Hare for an epic play at the National about the underside of rapid economic expansion. Opens 10 November, tickets from £15

 

 

The Sam Wanamaker Playhouse