Lights, Camera, Action!
THE NEW YEAR IN LONDON: WHAT’S ON
Destination 6 minute read
London is one of the world’s great cultural capitals, with the new year heralding a fresh batch of landmark art exhibitions, innovative plays and standout musicals. Whether you’re catching the closing show of a sell-out theatre run, or first through the doors at a new exhibition, this is our guide to London’s top ten standout blockbusters this winter.
Bridge Theatre
Guys and Dolls
January 4th marks the last chance to see the current immersive production of Guys and Dolls at the Bridge Theatre. Frank Loesser’s jazzy score includes ‘Luck be a Lady’, ‘A Bushel and a Peck’ and ‘Adelaide’s Lament’. The musical is something of a London rite of passage — it first came to the West End in 1953, and even Queen Elizabeth II attended a show.
Image courtesy of London Theatre Company Productions Limited
Gillian Lynne Theatre
The Lehman Trilogy
The Lehman Trilogy is widely regarded as one of the best pieces of theatre to show in London for years. This strictly limited re-run is directed by the legendary Academy Award, Tony Award and Golden Globe winner Sam Mendes, and ends on January 5th. The narrative follows the story of the three Lehman brothers, their sons and grandsons, from 1844 to 2008 when the bank they established — Lehman Brothers — collapsed, triggering the financial crisis.
National Gallery
Van Gogh: Poets and Lovers
The National Gallery’s Van Gogh: Poets and Lovers is open until January 19th. Billed as ‘unmissable’ in The Guardian’s five-star review, this exhibition shows 61 of Van Gogh’s paintings, focusing on his use of colour and combining to form a larger-than-life representation of this era-defining artist.
© Photo: Musée d'Orsay, Dist. RMN-Grand Palais / Patrice Schmidt
Courtauld Gallery
Monet & London
A series of Monet’s paintings of London in 'Views of the Thames' are on display at the Courtauld for the first time, until January 19th. Monet painted his depictions of Charing Cross Bridge, Waterloo Bridge and the Houses of Parliament after three visits between 1899 and 1901. Atmospheric, foggy and distinctly London-ish, the exhibition has had rave reviews from the media.
Harold Pinter Theatre
The Years
From January 24th to April 19th, The Years comes to the Harold Pinter Theatre after a sold-out run at the Almeida. The play is based on Nobel Prize-winning writer Annie Ernaux’s eponymous memoir, narrating the period between 1941 and 2006 through five actors. The show is about memory and its unfolding, through culture, books, photography and imagination.
The Years at the Almeida Theatre. Photo by Ali Wright
Sam Wanamaker Playhouse
Three Sisters
The Sam Wanamaker Playhouse is part of Shakespeare’s Globe, the historic theatre on London’s southbank. On January 31st, the playhouse will host the world premiere of a new translation of Anton Chekhov’s Three Sisters. The narrative follows the lives of Olga, Masha, and Irina, three sisters living in a provincial Russian town. Yearning for a more fulfilling life, the sisters struggle with unfulfilled dreams, love, and the passage of time. The show will run until April 19th.
Barbican Art Gallery
Noah Davis
On February 6th, the Barbican opens the UK’s first retrospective of the late American artist Noah Davis. Davis was best known for his figurative paintings about Black life in America, exploring the emotional textures of everyday existence. The exhibition, which runs until May 11th, brings together around 50 of Davis’s works, spanning painting, sculpture and works on paper.
Noah Davis, Pueblo del Rio: Arabesque, 2014 © The Estate of Noah Davis Courtesy The Estate of Noah Davis and David Zwirner Photo: Kerry McFate
Royal Albert Hall
Cirque du Soleil
The world-famous Cirque du Soleil will be performing 'Corteo' at the Royal Albert Hall between February 14th and March 2nd. The troupe will perform near-impossible acrobatics in traditional Italian costumes, with opulent world-building and their usual magical collection of jugglers, puppeteers, aerialists, pole artists and more.
Royal Academy
Michelangelo, Leonardo, Raphael
This landmark exhibition, open until February 15th, marries the works of Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and Raphael at the Royal Academy. The curation is critically acclaimed, and examines the rivalry between three titans of Italian art history at the turn of the 16th century in Florence. This exhibition is small but perfectly formed.
Michelangelo Buonarroti, The Virgin and Child with the Infant Saint John (The 'Taddei Tondo'), c. 1504-05. Marble, 106.8 x 106.8 cm. Royal Academy of Arts, London. Bequeathed by Sir George Beaumont, 1830. Photo: Royal Academy of Arts, London, Photographer: Prudence Cuming Associates Limited
Tate Modern
Leigh Bowery!
On February 27th, Leigh Bowery! opens at the Tate Modern. The exhibition is a celebration of the colourful artist, performer, designer, musician and personality, from his presence in London’s 1980s nightclub scene to his outrageous performances. It’s also an eclectic look at some of his collaborations with names such as Lucian Freud and Fergus Greer, with insight into London and New York’s creative landscapes.
For more information, or for help booking tickets, please contact the concierge at COMO Metropolitan London.
