Things to do in London: July 2017 edition
Feminist theatre, a-list letter reading and a multi-sensory gin-soaked adventure: this summer is full of surprises. Here’s where to go and what to do in London this July
See Sienna Miller's Southern Belle
Sienna Miller stars in Tennessee Williams's sultry play about about a Mississippi family in crisis. It's a smouldering story about a marriage in crisis, with promising potential for Bourbon-soaked, Southern-fried chemistry. With iconoclast director Benedict Andrews at the helm, expect an intense, edgy take on this classic drama.
Read more ...Celebrate the art that sparked the civil rights movement
What did it mean to be a black artist in the US at the height of the civil rights movement? Explore the paintings, photo-montages and fashion designs from artists pushing for racial equality in this pertinent exhibition charting race and indentity in America from 1963 -1983.
Read more ...Sing along and soak up the sun at outdoor gigs
Cider, songs and the setting sun: enjoy the best bits of a festival in the more decorous surroundings of Somerset House's open air courtyard with 11 nights of topnotch gigs. Our highlights include decadent synthpop duo Goldfrapp, Malian desert punk/blues trio Songhoy Blues and up-and-coming English indie-folk star Birdy.
Spot the stars at this epistolary celebration
Boasting more heavyweight A-listers than the average red carpet, Letters Live puts the art of letter writing back in the limelight. A surprise selection of celebrities read aloud from history's most fascinating correspondence, conjuring intimate relationships, private moments and historical intrigue. Past readers include. Past readers include Benedict Cumberbatch, Jude Law, Sophie Dahl, Gillian Anderson, and more - so get ready for a star safari.
Read more ...Immerse yourself in a gin-themed foodie surprise
Gingerline are the masters of immersive dining. They conjure up multi-course foodie experiences, in a secret location somewhere on the orange (or Ginger!) Overground train line. This summer, you can lose yourself in a new multi-sensory, gin-themed adventure, created in partnership with Sipsmith. Just promise to keep the secrets of Juniper Manor.
Read more ...Laugh along at new feminist play by creators of Fleabag
You may not have heard of DryWrite Theatre, but there’s no way you missed their breakthrough hit Fleabag, which skyrocketed from one hour of Fringe theatre to a full BAFTA-winning TV series… Writer-director duo Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Vicky Jones return to the Soho Theatre with Touch, another unapologetic comedy about one woman’s sexual escapades and self-discovery. If it’s even an iota as sharp as Fleabag, you’ll be laughing, cringing and sobbing your way home.
Read more ...Let Sofia Coppola, Nicole Kidman and Elle Fanning beguile you
‘WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ME, YOU VENGEFUL B*TCHES?’ screams Colin Farrell in the trailer for this star-studded Civil War melodrama, directed by Sofia Coppola. Telling the story of a lost soldier recuperating in an all-girls boarding school, The Beguiled is just as lusty and punitive as the trailer promises.
Read more ...Go gourmand with the most Michelin-starred woman in England
Ever since Clare Smyth became the first female chef in the UK to earn three Michelin stars, we've been waiting for her to step out of Gordon Ramsey's shadow and go solo. Core is everything we hoped, with opulent 10 course tasting menus, 400 fine wines and champagnes and a luxe Kensington Park Road location. The doesn't open until late July and the best tables are already being booked up. All you need is a suitable excuse to push the boat out.
Read more ...Bop along to pop by classical orchestras
The BBC Proms at the Royal Albert are the height of high culture and a showcase of world class musical talent. Sound intimidating or - dare we say it - dull? The first ever relaxed Prom is here to bring all that classical clout to popular, toe-tappingly good, hum-along songs. You’re made of stone if you don’t want to dance to Pharrell Williams’s Happy, and the Doctor Who theme is an outright invitation for tum-te-tum-te, woo-oo-oo responses, especially when played by 80 musicians.
Read more ...Lose yourself in a WWII epic with an almighty cast
Director Christopher Nolan eschews the mind-bending sci-fi and inter-dimensional travel of Inception or Interstellar for a good old-fashioned war movie. Dunkirk boasts an a-list troop of soldiers, including Tom Hardy, Mark Rylance, Cillian Murphy, Kenneth Branagh and - of course - former One Directioner Harry Styles. We predict an army of fan girls...
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