What’s On This Week: August 3rd – August 9th 2009
So the proverb says (or something very like it), all work and no play make The City a dull place. So lucky for us there’s a hearty dose of good, clean, fun in the city’s events this week, promising wholesome entertainment for kids young and old.
If you’re feeling particularly creative there’s a chance to make your own musical instruments at Shake, Radical, Roll, a drop-in workshop at the Barbican conservatory on Thursday evening. Whilst you’re there, a new exhibition of pictures inspired by the journeys, atmospheres and people of London buses is opening in the Library – it’ll be intriguing to see what this particular element of British public transport can inspire, beyond fear for your life whilst trying to navigate the stairs in motion. It is a multimedia exhibition as well, apparently, so one for the techies.
Those of you on babysitting duty may appreciate the Museum of London’s efforts; on Sunday afternoon archaeologist John Digger (prophetic name or what?) is telling tales of the secrets that may lurk beneath our city streets. This follows the weekly Sunday morning Story Time, mildly educational but mostly fun stories about the city’s history of knights, Romans and such like.
Watch out, there’s also a Balloonatic on the loose on New Street Square on Wednesday, threatening to adorn passers by with hats, costumes and toys all made out of balloons. It’s all part of the City of London festival, which comes to a close this Friday as the young people of the renowned New London Children’s Choir get their chance to shine, performing a range of baroque and classical songs at St Bart’s on Friday Lunchtime. The Rambert Dance Company’s stars of tomorrow will also be performing this week, as their School will be resident at St Paul’s Cathedral from Wednesday to Friday.
What’s On This Week: July 27th – August 2nd 2009
Eclectic is the name of the game this week with a real mixed bag of things happening in The City.
On the educational front the Museum of London are uncovering some Thames Treasures with a whole raft (geddit?) of guided tours and workshops designed to bring the river to life. For the children there are opportunities to learn about weapons, boats and other cool stuff at the weekend drop-in sessions whilst the more grown-up kids may prefer the lunchtime guided tours that focus on the history of the river from prehistoric to medieval times.
Fans of theatre are also in for a treat, as the Old Red Lion Theatre is hosting no less than 3 productions this week. ‘Les Chaises’, from Tuesday to Saturday, is a triad of short pieces centred on the chair: I know it sounds a little odd, but it’s all in context – one focuses on her late father’s chair, another on a psychologist’s couch and so on. There’s also the fun looking ‘Darwin -The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection or The Survival of [R]evolutionary Theories in The Face of Scientific and Ecclesiastical Objections: Being a Musical Comedy About Charles Darwin (1809 – 1882)” – the title says it all really. Finally there’s the debut of ‘Art House’ by a young Australian playwright, exploring themes of betrayal and sisterhood in this promising thriller. And if all that doesn’t satiate your thirst for theatre, The Bridewell Theatre is still showing their 1950s take on Much Ado About Nothing, lunchtimes until 7 August.
Music lovers, well specifically folk music lovers, will also be spoilt for choice. The Betsey Trotwood in Clerkenwell will be hosting French folk-pop songwriter Francoise on Tuesday evening; he’s a big myspace hit and is about to release his album via an indie label, with this the London leg of his UK tour. The Slaughtered Lamb is also holding a trio of gigs from Monday to Wednesday, with a mix of well-credited folk bands and a Bowie-esque electro-pop singer. Told you this week was an eclectic one!
Did we miss anything? Post other stuff happening this week in the comments below. To get future events featured in this weekly post, email whatson@thecity.co.uk
What’s On This Week: 20th July – 26th July 2009
The weather may not have been too encouraging this past week but we Brits are well used to soldiering on through July with cheery optimism and in that vein, there’s plenty happening to celebrate the Great Outdoors in the City this week.
The prize for ‘most gung-ho’ (aka brave) must go to the Barbican for their ‘Do Something Different’ weekend, a range of free activities from the festival standard dancing classes and al fresco live music to the less conventional staring contests, ice-cream making sessions and sandcastle building competitions. There’s obviously a family focus but the live music sessions run well into the evenings and promise an energetic and lively collection of Brazilian Music and brass ensembles that will appeal to all ages. Just pretend that golfing umbrella is really a giant cocktail umbrella…
Barbican’s neighbours, Guildhall School of Music, are also venturing outside this Thursday for their ‘Inside Out: Picnic Music’ concert on the steps of LSO St Luke’s. The up-tempo young Matt Fripp Jazz Trio will be providing the soundtrack to your cucumber sandwiches with a mix of Jazz, Latin and Bossa Nova in this laid-back, free lunchtime affair.
The Exmoor Singers are feeling a little more cautious and have chosen to bring the outdoors indoors with their ‘Echoes of Nature’ concert on Monday at St Giles Cripplegate. They’ve chosen an interesting programme of folk-ish choral music inspired by the natural environment, ranging from play-it-safe Benjamin Britten to the remember-we-used-to-sing-it-at-school ‘Who Killed Cock Robin?’, a brave choice by even the daring Barbican’s standards.
What’s On This Week: July 13th – July 19th 2009
Summer is a time of long lunches in the city, but if all that champagne and ciabatta is a getting a bit much for you, there are plenty of other things to spend your golden hour doing.
St Paul’s Cathedral are hosting the Charleston Symphony Orchestra Gospel Choir on Wednesday lunchtime. This bona-fide American gospel group in such a spectacular setting promises to be an energetic and rousing spectacle, regardless of your denomination. Eat your heart out Sister Act.
Anything that can survive 1800 years of bombs, buildings and bus drivers must be worth a look in my opinion. The City’s Roman wall is uncovered with a Museum of Londonguided tour on Thursday, focusing on the remains of the immense wall that surrounded The City in AD200. Some of the east gate incredibly still rests beneath the Museum, presumably where the whole ‘London Wall’ thing comes from – amazing what you can learn in your lunch hour.
Speaking of which, Gresham College is hosting a lecture on Friday lunchtime about what The City and its overlords must learn from the economic crisis, now that we are tentatively beginning to recover. Professor Michael Mainelli and Bob Giffords of the CSFI will be presenting their thoughts and provoking ours, as they highlight the risks of returning to the perilous pre-crunch ways and suggest some radical (and possibly controversial) options for change.
Extending the lunchtime activities into the weekend, the Barbican are celebrating the release of Harry Potter with an 11am showing on Saturday followed by a family workshop/picnic as part of the Family Film Club series.
Finally, The City is hosting a couple of Big Lunches on Sunday, the products of a heartwarming venture to get us to spread a little joy by building our own little street parties all over Britain. This Bevin Way party promises BBQs, face-painting and ad-hoc music – it’s more village fete than city slicker, but makes for a refreshing change.
What’s On This Week: 6th July – 12th July 2009
The City of London Festival draws to a close in real style this week, with over 20 events dotted around the Square Mile. Fans of classical music will be especially spoilt for choice, as St Margaret Lothbury hosts hotshot young violist Maxim Rysanov on Monday night for some Bach, Prokofiev and Shostakovich. The latter composer also pops up in St Andrew Holborn on Tuesday evening during what should be a fantastic spectacle – choral works incorporating lights and visual effects and featuring the world premiere of Seven Words, Seven Icons, Seven Cities by composer Nigel Osborne.
Renowned singer Inger Dam-Jensen also appears on Tuesday, performing songs from her Native Scandinavia at the Fishmonger’s Hall in London Bridge. City workers might also like to check out some of the free lunchtime concerts such as young Scottish troop Bodega rocking out (well, folking out) on Finsbury Circus Gardens on Thursday.
Non-musical offerings from the festival include Poet in the City on Wednesday, promising world-class readings on the subject of realism vs mysticism and Alasdair Nicholson discussing Robert Burns’s environmental conscience at the Barbican on Thursday. The Barbican is also showcasing the work of Ingmar Bergman throughout the weekend, which should see off any post-heat wave blues, or at the very least provide shelter. This is Britain after all!
The Museum of London is also taking to the City streets for their ‘Hidden Treasures’ Walk on Friday, promising an educational trip into the secret cultural past of London. Starting at 2pm it’s a healthy alternative to the long pub lunch and if you’ve spent the week braving out all these church pews and piano stools in the name of cultural enrichment your legs will certainly thank you.