Goings-On Feb 24, Part III

Eight Great Events of the Overwhelming London's agenda

When I started writing the February digest it soon became very clear that London’s cultural agenda was still the liveliest in Europe. Against this logic I put my bet on Paris (all on red!). After years of making selections for friends and family, I’ve noticed that the spring season in London tends to be more theatrical and autumn’s more inclined towards visual arts. This year confirms my theory: the West End is blooming with blockbusters, Sadler’s Wells is bursting with loads of touring superstars, and later in March and April we’ll have many interesting productions to look out for. The third (and final) part of February’s Goings-On is all about London with 8 selected events and some extra notes. Some of them I’ve already seen, others are selling out quickly, some shows would be a miracle to attend, some will be repeated later this year.

From Jan 17 - Mar 31 / Theater / Plaza Suite feat. Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick/ Savoy Theater

I’ve been asked to give at least a line of description for each event. Well, is there any need to say anything other than: Sarah Jessica Parker will be on stage. No, I don’t think she’s a genius actress, but she is definitely an icon. Once I went to see a play featuring Jude Law and I don’t remember the title at all, but I do remember paying £50 and watching Law perform live for at least 2 hours. Isn't that a precious memory?! Okay, jokes aside. Parker and her husband are on the West End for 10 weeks starring in Neil Simon’s classic romantic comedy Plaza Suite. Tickets are still on sale but availability is pretty tight. PS. Costumes are bad…not sure about the play

Feb 1 - Mar 17/Exhibition/ Barbara Kruger, Thinking of You. I Mean Me. I Mean You / Serpentine Gallery

Barbara Kruger is one of the most famous female artists in the world. You might easily recognise her by the image supplemented slogan ‘I shop therefore I am’. Besides working with poster-like two-dimensional images, she is also famous for her large-scale site-specific installations. The show at Serpentine Gallery features both of these media, and some historical videos. It is Kruger’s first UK exhibition in a decade.

From Feb 6 /Theater/ The Picture of Dorian Grey feat. Sarah Snook/ Theatre Royal Haymarket

Do you remember Shiv Roy from Succession? Isn’t she a perfect choice to play Dorian Grey? The West End brings a 14-weeks daily run of an Australian hit directed by Kip Williams (the head of the Sydney Theatre Company). Shiv Roy has substituted the original actress to suit the tastes of the British audiences. Although I don’t know much about William’s career, I hope to see more of his productions across Europe in the near future.

Feb 14-22/ Ballet/ Nelken by Pina Bausch/ Sadler’s Wells

In the history of dance, few creations bear the stamp of genius. Nelken, premiered in 1982, is one of them. In a huge field of 8000 carnations, the ensemble deploys the seasons, moves from chair to chair, displays its virtuosity with a nod to classical forms.

Since 2018, I've been trying unsuccessfully to catch Nelken all over the world. One reason is that it’s the most known and wonderful work by the legendary Pina Bausch, but the other is that I just love carnations. And I truly believe that if you put 8 000 flowers on the stage it is enough for my soul to get high. Damn it, but this time I’m going to miss it again.

Feb 24 - May 11 /Theater/ Tim Price’s Nye feat. Michael Sheen / National Theatre

The storyline: Aneurin ‘Nye’ Bevan is often referred to as the politician with greatest influence on our country without ever being Prime Minister. Confronted with death, Nye’s deepest memories lead him on a mind-bending journey back through his life; from childhood to mining underground, Parliament and fights with Churchill in an epic Welsh fantasia.

Until Feb 25 / Exhibition/ Gabrielle Chanel, Fashion Manifesto/ V&A

There are several fashion designers whose shows are always sold out, and even though they run every couple of years, they are still blockbusters. Coco Chanel is one of them, of course (the second is Christian Dior). I spent 6 weeks in London, lived around the corner from the V&A and had three magic cards: press card, V&A membership and ICOM, which basically gives you free entry to any museum in the world without having to queue. Guess what? I didn’t manage to get in and watch all the tweed costumes. Maybe you will have more luck and be more resistant.

Feb 28 - Mar 2 / Ballet/ Ink by Dimitris Papaioannou/ Sadler’s Wells

The Greek choreographer is famous for his provocative stagings which straddle the line between dance, performance and theater. His productions have caused me physical pain, which I take as a sign of a great talent. I believe that good art provokes feelings in the audience, whether they are positive or negative. Papaioannou has mastered it. Ink is his latest work, which I haven’t seen yet, but I have attended a few other productions before and can assure you that you’ll have a remarkable experience, although I can’t guarantee that you’ll like it.

Mar 1 - 3 / Ballet/ Roommates by Ballet national de Marseille and (LA)Horde / Southbank Center

(LA) Horde is a collective in charge of the National Ballet of  Marseille. They have frequented many European festivals lately and are gaining fame rapidly. Young, eager to experiment, but already sophisticated and professional they selected six performances which make up a programme for Roommates. Initially I planned to include this show in the March digest, but then I realized that I didn’t want you to miss it. So, please, get your seats as soon as possible, as tickets are still available and cheap. And don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Until Feb 10 / Theater/ Machbeth feat David Tennant and Cush Jumbo / Donmar Warehouse

Until Apr 10 / Theater / A MIRROR feat. Jonny Lee Miller / Trafalgar Theatre

Until Apr 10 / Exhibition / DIVA / V&A

While preparing this digest, I’ve been learning how to use Canva features to lay out reels (my respect for all the influencers in the world has skyrocketed). And I lost my sleep watching the incredible TV drama Fellow Travellers and the documentary series about France’s biggest political scandal L'Affaire Bettencourt, which grew out of a banal mother-daughter feud.

By the way, if you need to entertain yourself this weekend, you can always find Book Now events on my Instagram.

Talk to you soon!

Yours,

Miri