Southbank Centre announces its Platinum Jubilee programme of events

To celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee a programme of events has been organised by an arts centre, ranging from classical to alternative performances and an exclusive screening, writes Lina Kurdi.

The Southbank Centre announced events across five days to celebrate the jubilee, starting from Wednesday, June 1 until Thursday, June 5.

There’s an exclusive free live screening of director Danny Boyle’s new six-episode limited series, Pistol, about a roc’n’roll revolution. The screening will be held in the Purcell Room on Sunday, June 5 from 1pm until 6pm.

Pistol is based on the memoir, Lonely Boy: tales of a Sex Pistol, by the Sex Pistols guitarist, Steve Jones, who was at the heart of the punk scene during the Queen’s Silver Jubilee in 1977.

The screening will be followed by a panel discussion chaired by author Andrew O’Hagan, in discussion with Danny Boyle, director and film-maker Julien Temple and actress Maisie Williams, at the Queen Elizabeth Hall from 7.30 pm until 8.30 pm.

BBC Radio 2 and the BBC Concert Orchestra will perform royal music from the big and small screen, including soundtracks from The King’s Speech, The King and I, The Last Emperor and The Queen, on Wednesday, June 1 in the Queen Elizabeth Hall.

The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the Royal Choral Society and The Bach Choir will hold a concert, presented by BBC Radio 3’s Katie Derham, at the Royal Festival Hall on Saturday, June 4 at 2.30pm.

Club Duckie for LGBTQI+ people have created Posh Club, a performance, dance, and social club for older people within the LGBTQI+ community.

Posh Club’s “Official” Royal Command Performance includes cabaret acts and an aristocratic afternoon tea dance, at the Clore Ballroom, Southbank Centre on Friday, June 3, from noon until 3pm.

Later in the day, The “Alternative” Royal Command Performance, hosted by Duckie, includes the Bloolips performance legend, Bette Bourne, who is just out of retirement and a DJ set, at the Queen Elizabeth Hall Foyer on June 3, from 10.30pm until 2am.

The Southbank Centre is putting on parties and events for children aged two and over from Saturday, June 4 until June 6.

Mark Ball, the Southbank Centre’s artistic director, said: “We’re marking Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee with a range of events across a multitude of art forms with wide-ranging appeal – from the jazz of Duke Ellington’s The Queens Suite, to exploring punk and the clash of cultures at the time of the Silver Jubilee, to re-imagined folk-dance and a party for two to five-year-olds.

“We wanted our jubilee to be an open programme – for anyone of any age, background, or cultural interest to be inspired to attend and to celebrate the long weekend.”

For more information about all the events the Southbank Centre is putting on for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, visit: https://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/whats-on/festivals-series/jubilee?

 

Pictured: The Sex Pistols in Pistol – CR: Miya Mizuno/FX