Listings: What’s on this week

Grayson Perry: A Show for Normal People
Let the artist take you through an enlightening and eye-watering evening in which existentialism descends from worthiness to silliness and leave safe and warm in the knowledge that nothing really matters anyway.

Despite being an award-winning artist, Bafta-winning TV presenter, Reith Lecturer and bestselling author, Grayson Perry is a normal person – and just like other normal people, he’s marginally aware that we’re all going to die.

Born in Essex in 1960, Perry has had a career spanning 40 years and has become something of an expert in making lemonade out of the mundanity of life.

Perry created a chapel to the history of his home county with 2015’s A House for Essex.

In documentary mini-series Grayson Perry’s Big American Road Trip, he explored the meaning of the American Dream today, and with Grayson’s Art Club he brought the nation together during lockdown through art.

Join Perry as he asks, and possibly answers, the big questions in an evening sure to distract you from the very meaninglessness of life.
October 22 to 23
Royal Festival Hall

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The Walk
In 2021, from the Syria-Turkey border all the way to the UK, The Walk will bring together celebrated artists, major cultural institutions, community groups and humanitarian organisations to create one of the most innovative and adventurous public artworks ever attempted.

At the heart of The Walk is Little Amal, a 3.5-metre-tall puppet of a young refugee girl, created by the acclaimed Handspring Puppet Company.

Representing all displaced children, many separated from their families, Little Amal will travel over 8,000km embodying the urgent message “Don’t forget about us”.
October 22
Deptford High Street to Giffin Square

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National Poetry Library Open Day 2021
The National Poetry Library is the world’s largest public collection of modern poetry, and among those many, many words, there’s more than a few pearls of wisdom on friendship, this year’s theme for the London Literature Festival.

The return of the National Poetry Library Open Day provides a chance to feast your eyes on a selection of recent acquisitions and specially curated displays, including poetry responding to Covid-19 and a large selection of staff picks.

Be sure to also join us at 2pm for live readings from a range of contemporary poets as they respond to this year’s friends theme.
October 23
Royal Festival Hall

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4 Brown Girls Who Write
The four brown girls who write are Roshni Goyate, Sharan Hunjan, Sunnah Khan and Sheena Patel.

Their collection of four pamphlets, published by Rough Trade Books, beautifully showcases the daring, brilliant writing that characterises the group and each individual author.
October 23
Queen Elizabeth Hall

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Candice Carty-Williams: Empress & Aniya
Candice Carty-Williams, author of the smash hit Queenie, talks to Charlie Brinkhurst-Cuff about her debut YA novel and the value of true friends.

Empress & Aniya is South London’s answer to Freaky Friday. It follows two teenage girls from different backgrounds who accidentally cast a body swap spell on their 16th birthday.

Empress is from a single-parent household and lives on an estate that she’s learned to love, while Aniya’s parents are in high-profile jobs and have given her a life that she often takes for granted.

Empress & Aniya is a warm, moving and funny portrayal of the importance of real friendship and the power in seeing the world through someone else’s eyes.
October 23
Queen Elizabeth Hall

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Creating the Sea: October Half Term at Queen’s House
This October half-term, join Greenwich Museums’ free workshops inspired by the Van de Velde’s drawings.

Explore the themes of their masterpieces, navigating the world of seascapes with workshops for making viewfinders and collages.

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Surviving the Ice: October half term at Cutty Sark
Journey through ice and time to discover how Cutty Sark crews survived the freezing temperatures of the Antarctic.

Find out about weather records, distress signals and hear stories from sailors aboard the Cutty Sark.
October 23 to 31
Cutty Sark

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Telling Tales
Our family festival is back and packed full of events and activities this October half term.

Uncover the magic of storytelling in a family workshop, explore Shakespeare’s plays in a storytelling session, jump into the action in an on stage workshop, learn the secrets of the Globe on a family guided tour, and so much more.
October 24 to 30
The Globe Theatre

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How To Build A Universe – Making short dance videos
Join Extended Play to explore how to make digital dance through creative tasks with music and dance in a two- day long workshop this October half term.

Find your own creative voice as a dancer and learn how to make dance work on screen. Expect to develop your skills and confidence as a dance maker and create your very own dance video to share with friends.
October 27 to 28
Deptford Lounge

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When This Is Over
“Does anyone really know where their story starts? Do you? Maybe it only really starts when you tell it. Maybe it’s starting right now.”

Hopeful, energetic and urgent, When This Is Over is a new performance created with seven members of Company Theatre, all aged 14 to 18.

While being part of a young generation grappling with the global crisis, the cast share with us the extraordinary, funny and sometimes embarrassing small moments that make up a life – from childhood pasts, to the impossible imagined hope of what is to come.
October 27 to 30
The Unicorn Theatre