What’s On this Week: 14th January – 21st
The Night Before Christmas
Inspired by Clement Clarke Moore’s much-loved poem, Christmas Eve is brought to life in a new production featuring original music, skilful puppetry and a generous sprinkling of festive magic.
Amber is six and loves reindeers! It’s Christmas Eve but Grandad is being extremely grumpy, and Amber’s favourite snow-globe gets broken.
Then her world is turned topsy turvy by a surprise visitor and Amber begins an adventure she will never forget.
Join Amber on a festive journey like no other – after all, on the night before Christmas, surprises can happen.
Until January 16
The Polka Theatre
Hex
Deep in the wood, a lonely fairy longs for someone to bless.
When she is summoned to the palace to help the princess sleep, her dream turns into a nightmare and her blessing becomes a curse.
Soon, she is plunged into a frantic, hundred-year quest to somehow make everything right.
Rosalie Craig plays the fairy in this vividly original retelling of Sleeping Beauty: a mythic, big-hearted new musical that goes beyond the waking kiss.
Until January 22
National Theatre
Best of Enemies
It is 1968 – a year of protest that divided America. As two men fight to become the next President, all eyes are on the battle between two others – the cunningly conservative William F Buckley Jr., and the iconoclastic liberal Gore Vidal.
Beliefs are challenged and slurs slung as these political idols feud nightly in a new television format, debating the moral landscape of a shattered nation.
Little do they know they’re about to open up a new frontier in American politics, and transform television news forever. Charles Edwards plays Gore Vidal and David Harewood plays William F. Buckley Jr.
Until January 22
The Young Vic
Bring It On
The smash-hit Broadway cheerleading musical backflips into the UK, starring Amber Davies and Olympic gymnast Louis Smith.
Inspired by the film of the same name, Bring It On: The Musical takes you on a high-flying, high-energy journey tackling friendship, jealousy, betrayal and forgiveness – wrapped up in explosive choreography and tricks.
Cheer-royalty and newly crowned Squad Captain, Campbell, should be embarking on her most cheertastic senior year at Truman High School.
When she’s forced to move to the neighbouring hard-knock Jackson High, Campbell fears her life is over.
But an unlikely friendship catapults Campbell back into contention, with a powerhouse squad and the fire to achieve the impossible.
Until January 22
Queen Elizabeth Hall
My Work
Over the past two years, members from the London Region of the Royal Photographic Society in conjunction with Cafe Art have been helping a group of photographers affected by homelessness.
Running the group online during lockdowns and in person at all other times, mentors have been improving participants’ photographic skills and confidence during a very difficult period.
This exhibition showcases 12 of the photographers’ work, with each photographer displaying a set of 4 photographs taken during this time.
Until January 29
Brixton Library
Bloomberg New Contemporaries 2021
New Contemporaries exhibition of emerging and early career artists returns to the SLG for the fourth consecutive year.
The 2021 edition includes 75 artists selected through an open submission by internationally renowned artists Hew Locke, Tai Shani and Michelle Williams Gamaker.
New Contemporaries was established in 1949 to give visibility and recognition to an incredible breadth and depth of emerging talent.
It also provides other vital development opportunities that enable artists’ practices to become more sustainable long-term.
Until February 20
The South London Gallery
Womxn of Colour Art Award Exhibition: Altitude
Altitude features the work of WoCAA winner Maybelle Peters as well as 7 artists WoCAA finalists currently working in the UK.
Some are early-career practitioners just starting to find their voice whilst others have established studio practices.
This poignant, immersive and timely show celebrates the fact that these artists are continuing to make art.
As such, Altitude is holding the space for artists to question audiences as well as facilitate the emergence of new aesthetic narratives for Womxn of Colour.
Curator Marlene Smith has selected an exciting range of new and recent artworks including drawing, print, photography, textiles, sound, film and performance.
Until February 26
198 Contemporary Arts & Learning
Printmaking with Alex Booker
Join artist and printmaker Alex Booker for this two-day workshop exploring woodcut printmaking.
Get inspired by Helen Frankenthaler: Radical Beauty whilst learning about the woodcut printmaking process and all its possibilities.
January 15 and 22
Dulwich Picture Gallery
Behind the Beat
After five days R&D and experimentation with theatre maker Haley McGee, Simon Roth shares the seeds and ideas of his new solo show ‘Behind the Beat’.
Simon has spent his life being a drummer and writing about himself in the third person. This is an early stage Work In Progress sharing of his first ever solo show.
This show explores Simon’s relationship with the drums, an instrument he has played since he was three years old, and treats this as a metaphor for all the other things in his life.
I will be drawing on my writings, musical ideas and artistic reflections to create a theatrical show.
January 15
Canada Water Theatre