The City calendar is always full to bursting with things to see, do and experience each week. From festivals and food to concerts and community fundraisers, these are the top events in the City of London for 10 – 16 May 2017.
FAIR / Affordable Art Fair
Love the art scene but strapped for cash? Look no further than the Affordable Art Fair, which since its launch in 2008 has strived to tear down the walls of exclusivity that are often associated with the art scene. Limited edition works from some household names can often be picked up at a fraction of the price of the open market (prices are capped at £5,000), with young up-and-comers able to rub shoulders with their esteemed peers. Time to get yourself in the frame?
11-14 May, tickets £8-£20, under-16s go free
Hampstead Heath, Highgate Road NW5 1QR
PERFORMANCE / Anthea Hamilton
Combining live performance, animation and sound, Anthea Hamilton presents a new work created for the Whitechapel Gallery that takes the form of a live film. Structured as a series of real and imagined telephone calls, the piece will be assembled and activated in real time, with a series of playful interventions and interruptions by performers. Developed on the occasion of the gallery’s Eduardo Paolozzi exhibition, the piece uses collage and reproduction, sampling broad references from popular culture to mime and classical music.
13 May, 3pm, tickets cost £5 or £3.50 for concessions from whitechapelgallery.org
Whitechapel Gallery, 77-82 Whitechapel High Street E1 7QX
COCKTAIL EVENING / A fiery walk with a fiery cocktail
The museum’s unique Great Fire of 1666 walking tour just got a lot hotter! Join staff on a two-hour twilight walk uncovering how the great disaster unfolded and hear the stories from Londoners who were there. Then join a relaxed atmosphere in the London Wall Bar & Kitchen where a refreshing complimentary cocktail will be served along with nibbles.
12 May until 18 August, 6pm
Museum of London, 150 London Wall
EC2Y 5HN
PERFORMANCE / Othello
One of Shakespeare’s most timeless plays is made even more relevant with this contemporary re-setting, a Shakespeare at the Tobacco Factory co-production directed by Richard Twyman, artistic director for English Touring Theatre. RADA graduate Abraham Popoola takes the title role as a Muslim general, facing difficult decisions and watching his life unravel when employed by a western colonial power to lead their army against a Turkish invasion. This masterful depiction of a life torn apart by racism and the destructive nature of prejudice features a cast whose stage credits include performances in Hamlet at the Globe, The Alchemist and Othello for the RSC, and The Last Days of Judas Iscariot at the Almeida.
16 May until 3 June, 7.30pm evenings; Saturday matinees 2.30pm, tickets £15 to £25; concessions £12.50 to £23
Wilton’s Music Hall, Graces Alley E1 8JB
TOURS / City of London Guided Walks
The City of London is the historic heart of London with almost 2,000 years of history. Behind its street facades are alleyways with nooks, crannies and hidden depths. A great way to explore them is with an experienced, qualified guide who can give unique insight into the City’s architecture, history, customs and pageantry, as well as a range of entertaining stories.
Daily at 11am & 2pm, tickets are £7 or £6 for concessions from cityoflondon.gov.uk/walks
Tours leave from the City Information Centre, St Paul’s Churchyard EC4M 8BX
HIT THE BEACH / Brixton Beach
OK, so it’s not quite the real thing. But Brixton Beach is as close to sandy shores Londoners can get without crossing city borders, and why wouldn’t you want to don your floral shirt and flip flops at this urban rooftop beach jam? Live music, bottomless brunches, fitness sessions and tasty grub are all on the packed menu, perfect for toiling away those lazy summer afternoons. Of course, no trip to the seaside would be complete without a cocktail or two, and guests will find just that in abundance. Now let’s just pray for sunshine.
From 26 May; brixton-beach.designmynight.com for ticket information.
Brixton Beach, Popes Road, Brixton SW9 8JH
CONCERT / The Sound of Musicals
Hear showstopping hits from the world’s best-loved musicals, including West End & Broadway hits from Jesus Christ Superstar, Kiss me Kate, Sunset Boulevard, Oliver!, Les Miserables, Mamma Mia, Oklahoma, Chicago, Chess, and Evita. To cap it off the epic showstoppers will be performed by, well, epic showstoppers including Louise Dearman, Hannah Waddingham, Tim Howar and Oliver Tompsett. The London Concert Orchestra, led by conductor Richard Balcombe, will provide the accompaniment.
13 May, 7.30pm, tickets £14.50-£49.50
Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road SE1 8XX
