Do This Or Regret It: My Weekly Dose Of Capital Culture
The time has come to jump the festive bandwagon and wish you all a very Merry Christmas! I hope you enjoy this week’s recommendations – a clash of traditional and not-so-traditional pursuits for your perusal.
THEATRE: The Enormous Turnip, Jackson’s Lane Theatre, until 31st December
A wonderful alternative to the precarious world of panto, The Enormous Turnip is a festive family treat. Created by the acclaimed Stuff and Nonsense, the show tells the tale of Mr and Mrs Chickweed (alongside their prizewinning vegetables!). Unswervingly energetic, raucously imaginative and not to be missed.
ART: The Mystery Of Appearance, The Haunch Of Venison, until February
I have – in past posts – lamented my awkward evening spent at the launch of The Haunch of Venison, where I woefully misjudged the level of its stylish grandeur (Them: a legion of paparazzi-poised starlets, sipping Vodka Martinis against a backdrop of Turner prize winners. Me: post-cycle sweat, rain smeared mascara and sporting a jumbled assortment of ill-fitting clothes). For this, however, I will be putting my daemons behind me. Featuring work by a score of British post-war painters – including Frank Auer Bach, Francis Bacon and David Hockney – The Mystery Of Appearance is in an exploration of how the personal relationships between the artists impacted on their work
FILM: Midsummer Night Screen Christmas Special, The Nave, Wednesday 21st December
Midsummer Night Screenings switch seasons for a Christmas Special in aid of Crisis. There will be a screening of the 1947 yuletide classic – Miracle on 34th Street – alongside mince pies, mulled wine, candy canes, 1940’s records and a real Christmas tree.
MUSIC: Midnight Mass, St Paul’s Cathedral, 24th December
Regardless of your religious inclinations, Midnight Mass at St Paul’s Cathedral is stunning. The Cathedral Choir are joined by Barbican Brass to mark the first Eucharist of Christmas by candlelight; glorious, soaring, tradition.
WILDCARD: The Canterbury Tales, The Southwark Playhouse, until 7th January.
Bawdy, rowdy, fourteenth century filth . . . and a lot of fun. Live folk music, local ale and an energetic ensemble of mischief makers, combine to create an evening of scandalous storytelling. The cavernous Southwark Playhouse is transformed in a fully functioning tavern (complete with drunkards and rogues aplenty); playing host to a series of riotously realised tales.
WILDCARD +1: Back In The Day, The Erratic Man.
It’s not every week that I include a WILDCARD +1, but then it’s not every week that you can enter your pet into a pet choir. The Erratic Man – the solo effort of Infadels’ lead singer Bnann Watts – has just unveiled the video for his new single, ‘Back In The Day’. It features singing stuffed animals, to a soundtrack of Paul Simon tinged twisted joy. In short: jaunty nightmare fodder. Watch it here below then add your pet here: www.petchoir.com.
Once again, have a great Christmas and a Happy New Year. Enjoy your week!
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