Spring in the City 2016 - the City of London Corporation

Spring
in the City
SPRING EVENTS 2016
February to April
ART AND
EXHIBITIONS
FAMILY
MUSIC
SPECIAL EVENTS
THEATRE
WALKS AND TALKS
ART AND EXHIBITIONS
|4
|
FAMILY
8
|
MUSIC
10
SPECIAL EVENTS
|16
|
THEATRE
21
WALKS AND TALKS
|24
Son et Lumiere p18
As the weather
starts to turn and
the daffodils appear,
see the Square Mile
burst into life with
a huge range of
engaging and
inspiring events.
Look for the quill
for all events in our
Shakespeare400
programme.
This year marks the 400th
anniversary of the death of
Shakespeare – one of the City’s
most famous residents. Wander
the streets where the Bard lived
and worked, and enjoy an array
of events designed to bring the
story of the world-famous
playwright to life. This programme
is choc-full of Shakespearethemed events – just look for the
quill icon and let the inspiration
flow from there.
The City’s ancient Guildhall is a
spectacular backdrop for our
Shakespeare Son et Lumiere
on 4 & 5 March (p18). Brought
to you by Guildhall Library and
Guildhall School of Music &
Drama, this impressive light show
will be set to period music and
use the extraordinary archives of
London’s library of history. Take the
opportunity to pop into Guildhall
Art and Heritage Galleries, where
you can view the Shakespeare
deed and one of the finest copies
of the playwright’s First Folio (p5).
Also on display will be Visscher’s
1616 engraving – a panorama
of London (p6), one of the few
visual records of the pre-Great
Fire City and created in the
year of Shakespeare’s death.
Alongside it, artist Robin Reynolds’
version of modern London, newly
unveiled in 2016, will be hung
– teasing visitors with its visual
references to the Bard’s 37 plays,
poems and sonnets.
For more events and
information about the City go
to www.visitthecity.co.uk or visit
our City Information Centre by
St Paul’s Cathedral, where our
friendly, multilingual staff are
ready to help you plan your
days out:
City of London Information Centre
St Paul’s Churchyard
London EC4M 8BX
The information in this leaflet has been researched and compiled in good faith and
checked as thoroughly as possible with the relevant sources. It is correct to the best
of the publisher’s knowledge at the time of printing (January 2016) and the publisher
cannot accept any liability for errors and omissions howsoever caused. No payment was
either solicited or received for inclusion of entries (with the exception of the back page
advertisement) and it does not claim to be fully comprehensive.
Sign up to the City of London eShot for all the latest
news and events at www.cityoflondon.gov.uk
www.visitthecity.co.uk
@visitthecity
/visitthecity
/visitthecity
/visitthecity
5
l
Shakespeare
and London
On-going
Tattoo London
On-going
War in London
From the English Civil War to the
Cold War, this exhibition reveals
the effects of five conflicts on
Londoners and their city. On the
100th anniversary of the Zeppelin
air raids of WW1, and the 75th
anniversary of the London Blitz
during WW2, this exhibition
uncovers historical manuscripts,
maps, photographs and films that
tell the story of the destruction
of the city and the heroism of
ordinary Londoners.
Mon 9.30am-4.45pm,
Tue-Thu until 7.30pm
For Sat openings please
see the website.
FREE
London Metropolitan Archives
40 Northampton Road EC1R 0HB
www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/lma
T 020 7332 3820
Get under the skin of what it
means to be a tattoo artist
in London in this exhibition of
photography, artwork and film.
Through a partnership with four
prominent studios, the display
features contemporary tattoo
designs never before seen on
public display.
Daily, 10am-6pm
FREE
Museum of London
150 London Wall EC2Y 5HN
www.museumoflondon.org.uk
T 020 7001 9844
Until 23 March
The Worshipful
Company of
Glaziers and
Painters of Glass
through the Ages
This exhibition takes you on a
journey through the life of the
Worshipful Company of Glaziers
and Painters of Glass, from its
historical beginnings to its work
in the present day, including
supporting students and creating
new work. On display will be a
selection of precious items from
their collections.
Mon-Fri 9.30am-5pm; Wed until
7.30pm; open alternative Sat
FREE
Guildhall Library
Aldermanbury EC2V 7HH
www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/
guildhalllibrary
T 020 7332 1869/1871
Until 26 March
Zanzibar’s Story:
Remembering
the Past, Securing
the Future
This touring exhibition presented
by the World Monuments Fund
Britain tells the story of the last
permanent slave market in
East Africa, and its legacy – the
construction of Christ Church
Cathedral on the site. The
exhibition is accompanied by
events and a special display in
the House highlighting Johnson’s
own views on slavery.
Mon-Sat 11am-5pm
Admission: £4.50; concs £3.50;
child £1.50; exhibition included
in admission price
Dr Johnson’s House
17 Gough Square EC4A 3DE
www.drjohnsonshouse.org
T 020 7353 3745
Arts and Exhibitions
Until 31 March
Visit the City of London
Heritage Gallery and see
the rarely-displayed deed
for a property in Blackfriars
which William Shakespeare
purchased in 1613. Part of the
collections at London
Metropolitan Archives, the
deed is one of only six surviving
documents to carry his signature.
It will be displayed alongside
Guildhall Library’s First Folio and
documents which bring the story
of London’s playhouses to life.
Mon-Sat, 10am-5pm;
Sun 12noon-4pm
FREE
City of London Heritage Gallery
Guildhall Yard EC2V 5AE
www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/
heritagegallery
T 020 7332 3700
Until 10 April
The Crime Museum
Uncovered
Never-before-seen objects from
the Metropolitan Police’s Crime
Museum go on public display
in a major new exhibition at the
Museum of London. Real-life
case files take you on an uneasy
journey through some of the UK’s
most notorious crimes from Dr
Crippen to the Krays, the Great
Train Robbery to the Millennium
Dome diamond heist.
Daily, 10am-6pm
Admission: from £10 online
Museum of London
150 London Wall, EC2Y 5HN
www.museumoflondon.org.uk/
crimemuseum
T 020 7001 9844
7
l
Arts and Exhibitions
From 18 April
Eccleston’s
Shakespeare
From 4 April
20 February – 20 November
Visscher Redrawn: 1616–2016
Claes Jansz Visscher’s 1616
engraving is one of the most
recognisable images of
London in Shakespeare’s day and
is one of the few visual records of
the City before so much of it was
swept away in the Great Fire of
1666. Four hundred years on, artist
Robin Reynolds repeats the
exercise. His version of modern
London, arranged to fit the
Visscher landscape, will be
unveiled at Guildhall Art Gallery
and displayed alongside Visscher’s
original image.
From 4 March
Unseen City:
Photos by
Martin Parr
Martin Parr has been the City
of London’s photographer-inresidence since 2013. Over the
years and across three mayoralties,
he has documented the life of the
City. Through Parr’s playful eye for
William Shakespeare died in the
year that Visscher’s print was
published. In the new drawing
there are references to his 37
plays, three major poetic works,
and the sonnets. How many
can you spot?
Mon-Sat, 10am-5pm;
Sun 12noon-4pm
FREE
Guildhall Art Gallery
Guildhall Yard EC2V 5AE
www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/
visscher
T 020 7332 1868
detail and visual dynamism,
visitors will gain access to the
world of private ceremonies,
ancient and modern traditions,
processions, banquets, public
occasions and informal
behind-the-scenes shots. Parr
offers a human perspective
on ceremony unseen by the
general public, capturing the
unguarded moments that
would otherwise go unnoticed.
Mon-Sat 10am-5pm;
Sun 12noon-4pm
Admission: £5, concs £4
Guildhall Art Gallery
Guildhall Yard EC2V 5AE
www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/
martinparr
T 020 7332 1868
Feeding London:
The Forgotten
Market Gardens
Celebrating the long history
of market gardening in South
West London, this exhibition tells
the story of commercial foodgrowing in the area. Recorded
memories of workers and families
bring the past to life.
Mon-Fri 9.30am-5pm; Wed until
7.30pm; open alternative Sat
FREE
Guildhall Library
Aldermanbury EC2V 7HH
www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/
guildhalllibrary
T 020 7332 1869/1871
4 – 30 April
Highlights of
Shakespeare in
the 18th Century:
Johnson, Garrick
and Friends
Enjoy highlights from the
House’s highly popular
exhibition, hosted last year to
celebrate the 250th anniversary
of Johnson’s edition of
Shakespeare’s plays.
Mon-Sat 11am-5pm
Admission: £4.50; concs £3.50;
child £1.50; exhibition included in
admission price
Dr Johnson’s House
17 Gough Square EC4A 3DE
www.drjohnsonshouse.org
T 020 7353 3745
The £20 series D banknote,
designed by Bank of England
employee Harry Eccleston,
was the first to carry an image of
a historical character. Discover
the beautiful artwork depicting
Shakespeare and one of his most
famous plays, Romeo and Juliet,
as the Bank of England Museum
commemorates the 400th
anniversary of the playwright’s
death.
Mon-Fri 10am-5pm
FREE
Bank of England Museum
Bartholomew Lane EC2R 8AH
www.bankofengland.co.uk/
museum
T 020 7601 5545
From 18 April
London at Night
London is a remarkable city at
any time of day, but London
at night has a magic all of its
own. Photographer Simon
Gregor often leads tourists and
Londoners on night-time photo
walks of the city, to try to discover
some of the intrigue, atmosphere
and charm of the metropolis
‘after hours’. In this exhibition,
Simon shares some of his own
favourite images of London
after dark.
Mon-Fri 9.30am-5pm; Wed until
7.30pm. Open alternative Sat
FREE
Guildhall Library
Aldermanbury EC2V 7HH
www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/
guildhalllibrary
T 020 7332 1869/1871
© Museum of London
From firefighters to matchgirls,
pop-stardom to politics, find
out what makes a London hero
with a week of fun, hands-on
activities at the Museum of
London.
When: check the website for
event times
FREE
Museum of London
150 London Wall EC2Y 5HN
www.museumoflondon.org.uk/
halfterm
T 020 7001 9844
15 – 19 February
The Battle
for Toad Hall
A costumed storyteller brings the
classic stories of The Wind in the
Willows to life in these interactive
and fun sessions.
Daily story times: 10:30am,
11:30am, 12:30pm, 2pm,
3pm, 4pm
FREE
Bank of England Museum
Bartholomew Lane EC2R 8AH
www.bankofengland.co.uk/
museum
T 020 7601 5545
Join the Museum of London
and science students from
Imperial College London to
explore the amazing world of
science and technology in
London’s past, present and
future. Part of British Science
Week. Activities suggested for
ages 5 years and older.
Daily 11am-4pm
FREE
Museum of London
150 London Wall EC2Y 5HN
www.museumoflondon.org.uk/
familiesfindout
T 020 7001 9844
Family
Heroes at Half Term
l
13 – 21 February
Families Find
Out Festival
9
12 – 13 March
19 – 20 March
London’s Night
Owls Sleepover
What happens in the Museum of
London once the doors close for
the night? Explore the galleries
by torchlight in this special after
hours’ event for children and
enjoy three immersive and
hands-on activities throughout
the night exploring London’s
history from the Romans to
the Victorians.
When: 6.45pm–9.30am
Admission: £60 per person
Museum of London
150 London Wall EC2Y 5HN
www.museumoflondon.org.uk/
night-owls
T 020 7001 9844
26 March – 10 April
29 March – 8 April
Get Inventive
at Easter
EGGcellent
Easter Adventure
Discover London’s famous
inventions with trails, storytelling,
crafts and characters at the
Museum of London.
When: check the website
for event times
FREE
Museum of London
150 London Wall EC2Y 5HN
www.museumoflondon.org.uk/
easter
T 020 7001 9844
Follow the trail to find the chicks
and egg hidden in the Bank of
England Museum, colour in an
Easter animal mask to take home
and claim a chocolate egg
(there is one for every child).
Daily 10am-4.30pm
FREE
Bank of England Museum
Bartholomew Lane EC2R 8AH
www.bankofengland.co.uk/
museum
T 020 7601 5545
Canetty-Clarke
© Sim
16 February
London Symphony
Orchestra:
Mendelssohn’s
A Midsummer
Night’s Dream
Sir John Eliot Gardiner
conducts the London
Symphony Orchestra and his
Monteverdi Choir in the first of a
trio of concerts exploring some of
the greatest music inspired by
Shakespeare’s writing. The
evening begins with the youthful
exuberance of Mendelssohn’s
Symphony No 1, composed in
1824 when the composer was just
15 years old, before concluding
with his incidental music for A
Midsummer Night’s Dream.
When: 7.30pm
Admission: £10-£40 (plus
booking fee)
Barbican Centre
Silk Street EC2Y 8DS
www.lso.co.uk/whats-on
T 020 7638 8891
7 February
LSO Discovery Family Concert
– Play On, Shakespeare!
‘If music be the food of love,
play on’. Shakespeare needs
the guidance of Puck and
the orchestra to help him with his
writer’s block. The London
Symphony Orchestra presents
a family concert with music
inspired by the Bard’s plays.
Performed by the full orchestra
and accompanied by a cast of
actors, expect love, war, laughter
and magic. If you love reading,
music or writing, then this is the
concert for you.
When: 2.30pm
Admission: £5 children; £10 adults
(plus booking fee)
Barbican Centre
Silk Street EC2Y 8DS
www.lso.co.uk/whats-on
T 020 7638 8891
Jazz at Lincoln
Center International
Associate Residency
Made up of some of the finest
soloists, ensemble players and
arrangers in jazz today, the Jazz
at Lincoln Center Orchestra,
led by Wynton Marsalis, return
for their fourth International
Associate Residency. In
collaboration with saxophonist
Wayne Shorter and their George
Gershwin Songbook.
When: 7.30pm
Admission: £25-£70
(plus booking fee)
Music
The Pavel Haas Quartet, threetime winners of a coveted
Gramophone Award, return to
LSO St Luke’s for their second
residency in this series of four
concerts. Performing pieces by
Prokofiev, Shostakovich, Smetana
and Schubert, this exciting series
explores music from the group’s
native Czech tradition as well as
some of the most highly cherished
works in the chamber music
repertory.
When: 1pm-2pm
Admission: £12; concs £10
(plus booking fee)
LSO St Luke’s
161 Old Street EC1V 9NG
www.lso.co.uk/whats-on
T 020 7638 8891
18 – 20 February
l
BBC Radio 3
Lunchtime Concerts
– The Pavel
Haas Quartet
11
4, 11, 18, 25 February
Barbican Centre
Silk Street EC2Y 8DS
www.barbican.org.uk/music
T 020 7638 8891
25 February
London Symphony
Orchestra: Strauss’
Macbeth
Gianandrea Noseda
conducts the LSO for the
second of three concerts
inspired by Shakespeare. An
evening of history and tragedy
begins with Smetana’s
interpretation of Richard III’s rise
to power and eventual downfall,
before Simon TrpĈeski joins the
stage as the soloist
in Liszt’s Piano
Concerto No 2.
The concert
continues with
Tchaikovsky’s first
masterpiece, his
famous FantasyOverture for
Romeo and Juliet,
before moving on
to Strauss’ dramatic
Macbeth to finish the
evening with a flourish.
When: 7.30pm
Admission: £10-£40
(plus booking fee)
Barbican Centre
Silk Street EC2Y 8DS
www.lso.co.uk/lso-st-lukes
T 020 7638 8891
26 February
LSO Discovery:
Free Friday
Lunchtime Concert
A free concert with music and
words to celebrate
Shakespeare, including
Korngold’s Nine Shakespeare
Songs performed by students from
the Guildhall School of Music &
Drama. Includes readings and the
chance the chance to ask
questions in an informal Q&A.
When: 12.30pm-1.15pm
FREE
LSO St Luke’s
161 Old Street EC1V 9NG
www.lso.co.uk/lso-discovery
T 020 7638 8891
© Harald Hoffmann-Decca
28 February
Berlioz’s Romeo
and Juliet
Gianandrea Noseda is back
for the final concert of the
LSO’s Shakespeare 400 series.
He conducts a suite from Berlioz’s
Romeo and Juliet, one of the
composer’s greatest and most
daring works, alongside a
performance of Shostakovich’s
Violin Concerto No 2.
When: 7pm
Admission: £10-£40 (plus booking
fee)
Barbican Centre
Silk Street EC2Y 8DS
www.lso.co.uk/whats-on
T 020 7638 8891
28 February
LSO Discovery: Berlioz
and Shakespeare
Immerse yourself in the
colourful world of
composer Hector Berlioz,
and find out more about his
lifelong passion for Shakespeare
and the music that it inspired. In
the morning, watch conductor
Gianandrea Noseda guiding the
LSO through Berlioz’s Romeo and
Juliet Suite at a rehearsal at the
Barbican, followed by an
afternoon talk by guest expert
speaker Julian Rushton, discussion
and more at LSO St Luke’s.
When: 10am-5.30pm
Admission: £20; concs £15;
afternoon only from 3pm £14
(plus booking fee)
A Hum about
Mine Ears
29 February
Leap-Day Jazz
Spectacular with
Liane Carroll
The Guildhall School of Music
& Drama’s jazz department
comes out in force for a special
concert in collaboration with
the award-winning singer-pianist
Liane Carroll. Her soulful, emotive
artistry was most recently heard
on the critically-acclaimed
album Seaside.
When: 7.30pm
Admission: £15; concs £5
Milton Court Concert Hall
Milton Court, EC2Y 9BH
www.gsmd.ac.uk/events
T 020 7638 8891
Shakespeare’s The Tempest
is set in new surroundings in
this performance of
vocalist and composer Clara
Sanabras’s new album. More
than a simple soundtrack to
the play, A Hum About Mine
Ears takes some of The
Tempest’s ideas and themes
– loss and retrieval, exile and
reunion, relating them to
Sanabras’s own experiences as
an emigrant.
When: 6pm
Admission: £5 (plus booking fee)
Barbican Centre
Silk Street EC2Y 8DS
www.barbican.org.uk/playon
T 020 7638 8891
5 March
Junior Guildhall
Concert
Barbican, Silk Street EC2Y 8DS &
LSO St Lukes, 161 Old Street
www.lso.co.uk/whats-on
T 020 7638 8891
Few pieces of music can rival
the sheer drama of Prokofiev’s
ballet score for Romeo and
Juliet. The Junior Guildhall
Symphony Orchestra performs
excerpts from this master work,
interspersed with scenes from the
Shakespeare play enacted by their
drama students. This concert also
includes the world premiere of a
four-movement concerto for
clarinet and strings composed by
Head of Junior Guildhall, Derek
© Paul Cochrane
© Paul Cochrane
Guildhall School of Music &
Drama musicians perform
songs based on Shakespeare
texts in this pre-LSO concert
performance. The programme
includes Korngold’s Nine
Shakespeare Songs and Strauss’
Drei Ophelia Lieder.
When: 5.30pm
FREE
Barbican Centre
Silk Street EC2Y 8DS
www.gsmd.ac.uk/events
T 020 7638 8891
l
LSO Platforms:
Guildhall Artists
6 March
13 Music
28 February
Rodgers with soloist Rowan Jones,
and Arensky’s Variations on a
theme of Tchaikovsky.
Conducted by Julian Clayton.
When: 5.30pm
Admission: £10; concs £5 (plus
booking fee)
Milton Court Concert Hall
1 Milton Street EC2Y 9BH
www.gsmd.ac.uk/events
T 020 7638 8891
LSO Futures
The London Symphony
Orchestra’s biennial festival of
contemporary music returns
with two back-to-back concerts
celebrating some of the very
best compositions of the 20th
and 21st centuries. Join LSO St
Luke’s for chamber symphonies
by Schoenberg and Adès and
a world premiere from Darren
Bloom, before the evening’s
concert at the Barbican tackles
Ligeti’s rebellious Atmosphères
and Berio’s Sinfonia.
When: 4pm-9.30pm
Admission: £10-£22
LSO St Luke’s
161 Old Street EC1V 9NG
and Barbican Centre
Silk Street EC2Y 8DS
www.lso.co.uk/whats-on
T 020 7638 8891
14 – 28 April
Best of British
with the LSO
22 – 24 March
10 April
Los Angeles
Philharmonic/
Dudamel
Mohammed Assaf
Influenced by centuries-old
Arabic poetry and the current
Egyptian dance music scene,
Assaf’s catchy, emotive
songs are a symbol of pride
for his native Palestine.
This performance brings the
real-life stories of his peers to
the world’s stage.
When: 7.30pm
Admission: £35-£55
(plus booking fee)
Barbican Centre
Silk Street, EC2Y 8DS
www.barbican.org.uk/music
T 020 7638 8891
This explosive residency of three
concerts showcases works at
the heart of the Los Angeles
Philharmonic’s repertoire.
Dudamel will also conduct an
open rehearsal with Young
Orchestra East; an orchestra
made up of young people
from both sides of the Atlantic,
brought together by Barbican
Guildhall Creative Learning.
Daily, 7.30pm
Admission: £10-£65
(plus booking fee)
Barbican Centre
Silk Street EC2Y 8DS
www.barbican.org.uk
/music
T 020 7638 8891
© Simon Webb
13 March
Takuo Yuasa makes a welcome
return to conduct the Guildhall
Symphony Orchestra in
Prokofiev’s Fifth Symphony,
Webern’s Passacaglia and
Strauss’ Der Rosenkavalier Suite.
When: 7.30pm
Admission: £15-£10; concs £5
Barbican Centre
Silk Street EC2Y 8DS
www.gsmd.ac.uk/events
T 020 7638 8891
© Simon Dodd
Guildhall
Symphony Orchestra
Bringing together artists from
the Guildhall School of Music
& Drama, Royal Irish Academy
of Music Dublin, and the
Juilliard School, Drums and
Guns explores conflict in war
and the impact it has on
families left behind.
When: 7.30pm
Admission: £10; concs £5
Milton Court Theatre
Milton Court EC2Y 9BH
www.gsmd.ac.uk/events
T 020 7638 8891
© Paul Cochrane
Drums and Guns
l
17 March
15 Music
12 – 13 March
An exploration of the most iconic
British music of the twentieth
century. Reflect on the legacy
of the Great War with Elgar’s
passionate choral work, The
Dream of Gerontius – first
performed by the LSO exactly
100 years ago – alongside
a programme of music shaped
by conflict on both sides of the
Channel, from Vaughan Williams
to Ravel.
Various times, check the
website for details
Admission: £10-£40
LSO St Luke’s, 161 Old Street
EC1V 9NG, and Barbican Centre,
Silk Street EC2Y 8DS
www.lso.co.uk/whats-on
T 020 7638 8891
17
l
Special Events
13 – 14 February
My Twisted
Valentine
The Barbican’s alternative
Valentine’s weekend series
features Wong Kar-Wai’s
sumptuous 2046; the awkward
French love triangle of The
Mother and the Whore; and
Jack Smith’s cult art-house title,
Normal Love.
When: various times, check
website for details
Admission: £8.50 – £9.50
(plus booking fee)
Barbican Cinemas 2 & 3
Beech Street EC2Y 8AE
www.barbican.org.uk/film
T 020 7638 8891
20 February
Tour the Thames:
crime, death
and myths
Until 25 February
Broadgate Ice Rink
Get your skates on at Broadgate’s
magical ice rink. Just a twominute walk from Liverpool Street
Station and perfect for skaters of
all levels and ages, visitors can
enjoy a season of lessons, special
events and family fun or grab a
post-skate tipple and watch all the
action in the pop-up rink-side bar
and restaurant.
Daily 10am-10pm
Admission: £13; concs £10;
children £9; family £35
Exchange Square
Broadgate EC2A 2BQ
www.broadgate.co.uk/ice
T 0845 653 1424
Take a boat trip down the
Thames and immerse yourself
in the myths and the dark
stories surrounding the worldfamous river.
When: 1pm–4.30pm
Admission: £38
Leaving from Westminster Pier
www.museumoflondon.org.uk/
london-wall/whats-on
T 020 7001 9844
26 February, 24 March
Crack the Case
22 February
Tattoo London:
under the skin
Inspired by the Museum of
London’s exhibition Tattoo
London (p4), experience a
unique evening getting under
the skin of London’s vibrant
Tattoo culture. Meet artists in the
field and hear from the leading
London tattoo studios featured
in the exhibition, including
an illustrated talk by tattoo
historian Matt Lodder followed
by discussions with artists on
contemporary practices.
When: 7pm-10pm
Admission: £10
Museum of London
150 London Wall EC2Y 5 HN
www.museumoflondon.org.uk
T 020 7001 9844
Can you solve a crime before
it’s happened? Forensic
Outreach leads an interactive
workshop exploring the future
of preventative, digital crimefighting. Learn techniques,
including hot spot analysis,
and use interactive apps and
problem solving to crack the
case against the clock.
When: 7pm-10pm
Admission: £36
Museum of London
150 London Wall EC2Y 5HN
www.museumoflondon.org.uk
T 020 7001 9844
3 March & 21 April
Guildhall Yard
Lunch Market
Ditch the packed lunch and
enjoy an al fresco bite to eat
in the glorious surroundings of
Guildhall Yard. Market stalls sell
tasty foodstuffs from around the
world, and there’s even some
arts and crafts too.
When: 12noon-2.30pm
FREE
Guildhall Yard EC2V 5AE
www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/
guildhallmarkets
Barbican
Shakespeare
Weekender: Play On
Enjoy two action-packed days
as boisterous and subversive as
Shakespearean drama. Filling
the Barbican spaces with playful
experiences, interactive workshops,
insightful talks, fun installations and
performances with a difference,
Play On offers something for
everyone. Drop in or spend the
day at the Barbican, dipping into a
multitude of events. Barbican
Weekender events are suitable for
all the family.
Special Events
Shakespeare Son et Lumiere
l
5 – 6 March
19
4 – 5 March
When: 11am-6pm
FREE
Barbican Centre
Silk Street EC2Y 8DS
www.barbican.org.uk/
shakespeareweekender
T 020 7638 8891
6 March & 10 April
Shakespeare on
the Silent Screen
Home to William Shakespeare
from the late 16th century, the
City of London celebrates its
most famous resident this spring
with a spectacular Son et Lumiere
projected onto the façade of
London’s ancient Guildhall.
Brought to you by Guildhall Library
and Guildhall School of Music &
Drama, this impressive light show
will be set to period music and use
the extraordinary archives of
London’s library of history to
mark the 400th anniversary of the
Bard’s death.
From 6pm to 9pm Guildhall Art
and Heritage Galleries will also
be open with the opportunity
for visitors to get up close and
personal with some of the
documents that have inspired this
event, including the Shakespeare
Deed (which contains his
signature) and one of the world’s
finest copies of the First Folio (p5).
Also on display will be Visscher’s
1616 engraving (p6), one of
the few visual records of
the pre-Great Fire City
and created in the year of
Shakespeare’s death. Alongside
it, artist Robin Reynolds’ version
of modern London, newly
unveiled in 2016, will be hung
– teasing visitors with its visual
references to his 37 plays, poems
and sonnets.
There’s also the chance to view
Guildhall Art Gallery’s temporary
exhibition Unseen City: Photos by
Martin Parr for FREE (usual price
£5) in the gallery (p6). So why
not make a night of it – enjoy
the show, the exhibitions and the
atmosphere while sipping on a
Shakespeare-themed cocktail in
the gallery’s pop-up, pay-bar?
Part of Barbican Weekender:
Play On (p19)
When: 6.45pm-8.45pm on
20 minute loop (last show
approximately 8.15pm)
FREE
Guildhall Yard EC2V 5AE
www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/
sonetlumiere
Striking films from the early
days of silent cinema,
including Asta Nielson as a
female Hamlet, and The
Merchant of Venice, shot on
location in the floating city.
When: 4pm
Admission: £11.50; concs £10.50
Barbican Cinemas
Silk Street EC2Y 8DS
www.barbican.org.uk/film
T 020 7638 8891
15 March
Shakespeare and
the Law Moot
Competition
Join King’s College and Inner
Middle Temple for a debate
competition centred on
Shakespeare and the Law. The
competition will be arbitrated by
Lord Judge, Lord Phillips and
Professor David Caron. A limited
number of tickets are available
for the public.
When: 6pm
Admission: £15
Inner Temple Hall
Treasury Building EC4Y 7HL
https://portal.innertemple.org.uk
17 March
Dr Johnson’s
Reading Circle
Meet in the atmospheric
surroundings of Dr Johnson’s
Georgian townhouse to read and
discuss works from, and about,
the time in which Johnson lived.
When: 6.30pm-7.45pm (doors
open at 6.15pm)
Admission: £10 (includes a
complimentary glass of wine)
Dr Johnson’s House
17 Gough Square EC4A 3DE
www.drjohnsonshouse.org/
ReadingCircle.html
T 020 7353 3745
Celebrate the best of British
science with free, family-friendly
activities throughout Tower
Bridge. The Learning Team will
be on hand in the exhibition with
fun activities to help you and
your family discover the scientific
secrets that keep Tower Bridge
functioning. Suitable for children
aged 6+
When: 10am-4pm
Admission: £9; concs £6.30;
children £3.90; under 5s free
Tower Bridge Exhibition
Tower Bridge Road SE1 2UP
www.towerbridge.org.uk/
learning/families/
T 020 7403 3761
2 April
Shakespeare’s
London Boat Tour
Along the Thames
Take an exclusive trip along
the Thames this Easter and
enjoy the stunning City views
as you experience sites associated
with the Bard by boat. Presented
by the Museum of London.
When: 1pm
Admission: £38
Leaving from
Westminster Pier
www.museumoflondon.org.uk/
london-wall/whats-on
T 020 7001 9844
22 April
St George’s Day at
Leadenhall Market
Visit Leadenhall Market on
England’s national day. See the
Ewell Morris Men perform and
meet the market’s very own St
George.
Performances from 11am
FREE
Leadenhall Market
EC3V 1LR
www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/
leadenhall
T 07930 326 238
© Robbie Jack
Barbican Centre
Silk Street EC2Y 8DS
www.barbican.org.uk/theatre
T 020 7638 8891
1 – 5 March
1 – 6 March
The Woman
who Cooked
her Husband
Kenneth and Hilary have been
married for 20 years and, for the
last few years, food has been the
only connection between them.
After being discovered having
an affair with a younger woman,
Kenneth decides to leave Hillary
for the younger model, Laura.
But there’s one problem – she
can’t cook.
Daily 7.30pm, Sat matinee 3pm
Admission: £10-£14
Bridewell Theatre
Bride Lane EC4Y 8EQ
www.towertheatre.org.uk
T 020 7353 1700
Complete Works:
Table Top Theatre
Forced Entertainment brings
you the Complete Works as
you’ve never seen it before.
Each of Shakespeare’s 37 plays
condensed and presented on a
table top using a cast of ordinary,
everyday objects. Macbeth
becomes a cheese grater,
Pericles a light bulb and Hamlet a
bottle of ink.
When: times vary – please visit
website for details
Admission: £3 (plus booking fee)
Barbican Centre
Silk Street EC2Y 8DS
www.barbican.org.uk/playon
T 020 7638 8891
© Hugo Glendinning
British Science
Week at
Tower Bridge
Theatre
19 March
Enjoy cocktails in the
Guildhall Art Gallery while
City Music Foundation Artists
and patrons present a
Shakespeare-themed evening of
words and music. Actor Simon
Callow, soprano Joan Rodgers
and pianist Roger Vignoles will
provide an evening of varied
entertainment. They will be
joined by young professional
artists currently participating in
the City Music Foundation
programme, including soprano
Raphaela Papadakis.
When: 6pm
Admission: £60, two for £100
Guildhall Art Gallery
Guildhall Yard EC2V 5AE
www.citymusicfoundation.org/
events
T 033 0313 0891
The Encounter
Be transported into the depths
of the Amazon by Simon
McBurney’s storytelling.
Accompanied by the
enveloping presence
of binaural technology
transmitted to the audience
through provided headphones,
the show’s sound design
plugs into the power of the
imagination, questioning
perceptions of time and our
own consciousness.
When: 7.30pm
Admission: £32-£42
(plus booking fee)
l
Shakespeare
Cocktail Concert
12 February – 6 March
21
15 April
Using the sonnets as
springboards into his creative
and personal life, this new
work explores the theatre, acting,
passions and politics of
Shakespeare’s life. Performed by
final-year actors from the
Guildhall School of Music &
Drama and directed by
Patsy Rodenburg.
When: 7.30pm (matinees 21 &
23 March at 2pm)
Admission: £10; concs £5
Silk Street Theatre
Guildhall School EC2Y 8DT
www.gsmd.ac.uk/events
T 020 7638 8891
© Jan Versweyveld
Accolade
Will Trenting has all the trappings
of success: loving family, Nobel
Prize for literature, house in
Regent’s Park – and a secret
that risks destroying everything.
Public and private worlds collide
when the award of a knighthood
attracts the glare of the press and
the threat of exposure. A story of
seedy sex and public propriety,
back-street brothels and celebrity
scandal, this gripping thriller is
as relevant now as when it first
shocked audiences in 1950.
Daily 7.30pm,
Sat matinee 3pm
Admission: £10-£14
Bridewell Theatre
Bride Lane EC4Y 8EQ
www.towertheatre.org.uk
T 020 7353 1700
17 & 24 April
Playing to
the Crowd –
A production
by Palimpsest
28 March – 8 April
The Tempest
View this special
performance of
Shakespeare’s last play in
Middle Temple Hall, which is
much as it was in 1602 when his
Globe Theatre Company
performed Twelfth Night in the
very same space.
When: 7.30pm
Admission: £50
Middle Temple Hall
Middle Temple Lane EC4Y 9AT
www.middletemple.org.uk
T 020 7427 4800
Follow Dr Johnson as he
begins the process of editing
Shakespeare’s plays. With
him in his Gough Square drawing
room are Charlotte Lennox, who
surveyed Shakespeare’s sources
in her Shakespear Illustrated, and
Johnson’s former pupil, David
Garrick, the celebrated actor
and theatre manager. This
performance explores the
tensions between interpreting
Shakespeare on stage for a live
audience, and on the page for a
literary enthusiast.
When: 11am & 5pm each day
Admission: £25 (advance
bookings essential)
Dr Johnson’ House
17 Gough Square EC4A 3DE
www.drjohnsonshouse.org
T 020 7353 3745
22 April – 1 May
From left to right Ramsey Nasr
(Henry V), Eelco Smits (Henry VI)
and Hans Kesting (Richard III)
Kings of War
Olivier Award-winning
director, Ivo van Hove
(A View from the Bridge,
Antigone) returns to the Barbican
with a depiction of Shakespeare’s
Henry V, Henry VI and Richard III
as modern day political leaders.
26 – 30 April
Hair
The hippie ideology of the late
1960s sought a new world order
based on love, peace and
harmony. The Tribe have chosen
to live together in a commune
led by the charismatic Berger.
As they act out their lives, we
glimpse their beliefs and vision for
a better world. At a time when
When: times vary – please
visit website for details
Admission: £16–£50
(plus booking fee)
Barbican Centre
Silk Street EC2Y 8DS
www.barbican.org.uk/playon
T 020 7638 8891
thousands of young men were
going to fight in Vietnam,
they refused, and dared for
the first time to challenge
authority and ask why.
Daily 7.30pm,
Sat matinee 3pm
Admission: £12.50-£17
Bridewell Theatre
Bride Lane EC4Y 8EQ
www.geoidsmt.co.uk
T 020 7353 1700
Theatre
Go, Make
you Ready
l
5 – 9 April
23
18 – 23 March
Guildhall Library
Evening Events
On-going
Guildhall Library
Afternoon Talks
Find out something fascinating
about London at one of Guildhall
Library’s free talks. Highlights
include: The Winter’s Tale:
Shakespeare and the Traditions of
Indoor Performance (5 April);
An Introduction to the Library
of the Worshipful Company of
Gardeners (14 April).
When: check website for
days and times
FREE
Advance bookings necessary at
www.ghlevents.eventbrite.co.uk
Learn something new about
London, history and literature
– and enjoy a complimentary
glass of wine – at one of Guildhall
Library’s regular evening events.
Highlights include: The Lost World
of the Georgian Chocolate
House (4 February); Love’s Secret:
Affairs in Georgian London
(11 February); Writing Home:
Decorative Writing (3 March);
London at Night (19 April)
and Shakespeare’s London/
Beaumont’s London (28 April).
When: check website for days
and times
Admission: £5 (plus booking fee)
Advance bookings necessary at
www.ghlevents.eventbrite.co.uk
5 – 11 March
Crime
investigations:
fact and fiction
Bullsh!t London’s
Shakespeare
Walk
What is it really like to be a
detective today? How do our
cultural perceptions measure up
to real life? Join journalist and
Crime + Investigation presenter,
Dermot Murnaghan, as he chairs
a panel of experts discussing
real life cases featured in The
Crime Museum Uncovered
and the processes of modern
investigation.
When: 7pm-9.30pm
Admission: £15 (events only); £25
(event plus exhibition entry)
Museum of London
150 London Wall EC2Y 5 HN
www.museumoflondon.org.uk
T 020 7001 9844
This humorous walking
tour of Shakespeare’s
London from the Bullsh!t
London team pays tribute
to history’s greatest
fictionographer with a
made-up chronicle of his life
and times. Learn about
Shakespeare’s tragic Ham and
Omelette breakfast, meet his
surviving children, avoid
catching the bubonic plague
and experience Shakespeare’s
London in a more immediate
and amusing way than you
could possibly imagine.
“After all what is a lie? Tis but the
truth in masquerade.”
Sat & Sun, 11am and 3pm;
Mon-Fri: 3pm
(tour lasts approx 90 min)
FREE
Meet at the City Information
Centre
St. Paul’s Churchyard EC4M 8BX
www.bullshitlondon.com
T 075 8891 3297
Guildhall Library
Aldermanbury EC2V 7HH
www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/
guildhalllibrary
T 020 7332 1869/1871
On-going
On-going
Gresham
College Lectures
Mansion House
Tours
Each week you can pop into free
public lectures on a huge variety
of subjects at Gresham College.
This season’s highlights include:
Changing Minds and Mental
Health (10 Feb), Medieval Music:
The Mystery of Women (18 Feb),
Sex and the Law (2 Mar), and
The Architecture of London’s
Medical Profession (9 Mar).
Dates and times vary; check
website for full listings.
FREE
Gresham College
Holborn EC1N 2HH
www.gresham.ac.uk
T 020 7831 0575
Take a guided tour through
Mansion House, home of the
Lord Mayor of the City of London.
The tours operate on a ‘first
come’ basis and the maximum
number is forty. It is not possible
to book in advance.
2pm every Tuesday
(except public holidays)
Admission: £7; concs £5
Meet in Walbrook (exit 8 at Bank
tube station) by the A-board
outside Mansion House.
www.cityoflondonguides.com
T 020 8398 4715
Walks and Talks
On-going
2 February
l
The library holds regular events associated with exhibitions, London
history and special anniversaries. Check out the full range online.
25
TALKS AND EVENTS AT GUILDHALL LIBRARY
7 March
Crime Forensics:
Fact and Fiction
3 March & 21 April
Guildhall Tours
Take a tour of the iconic Guildhall
complex, including the Great Hall
and its crypt.
When: 11am-12 noon
Admission: £7 (must be booked in
advance)
Meet guide at Guildhall Art Gallery
Guildhall Yard EC2V 5AE
www.cityoflondonguides.com
T 020 8398 4715
How do forensic experts really
consult on real life investigations?
What has changed about
forensic investigation in
recent years? Join ex Crime
Commander, Peter Spindler, to
discover how he contributes to
the development of criminal
investigations.
When: 7pm-9.30pm
Admission: £15 (event only); £25
(event plus exhibition entry)
Museum of London
150 London Wall EC2Y 5 HN
www.museumoflondon.org.uk
T 020 7001 9844
Walks and Talks
16 March
l
9 April
Shakespeare’s
London
Guided Walk
Explore Shakespeare’s
London with an expert
Museum of London guide.
From his Silver Street home to
picturesque settings you’ll
recognise from film, visit riverside
theatreland and the City streets
that inspired his plays.
When: 11am
Admission: £20
Museum of London
150 London Wall EC2Y 5HN
www.museumoflondon.org.uk/
london-wall/whats-on/
T 020 7001 9844
27
9, 26 March, 6, 16, 30 April
Shakespeare’s
Friends and Rivals
7 April
The Critic
and the Bard
Enjoy an early evening visit to
Dr Johnson’s House, and join
a City of London Guide for a
gentle stroll around the Fleet
Street, Temple and Blackfriars
areas. The group will seek out
locations associated with the two
great wordsmiths, Dr Johnson and
Shakespeare, as well as the sites
of some long-gone theatres and
hidden haunts of 18th-century
writers and playwrights.
When: 5pm
Admission: £10
Start at Dr Johnson’s House
17 Gough Square, EC4A 3DE
www.drjohnsonshouse.org
T 020 7353 3745
A day of Shakespearethemed activities led by
Dr Eva Griffith, author
of A Jacobean Company and
its Playhouse and a theatre
historian working on early
17th-century entertainment,
spectacle and drama.
The focus will be on Clerkenwell’s
Jacobean playhouse and the
theatrical people of Clerkenwell
who knew Shakespeare well.
Explore the history of the Queen’s
Servants and the Red Bull Theatre
through talks, document
viewings, performance and an
afternoon walking tour.
When: 10am-4pm
Admission: £15 (booking essential)
London Metropolitan Archives
40 Northampton Road EC1R 0HB
www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/lma
T 020 7332 3820
12 April
The Artificial Heart:
A New Ending?
Shakespeare
in Print
In this lecture, Professor Martin
Elliott (heart surgeon and
Co-Medical Director of Great
Ormond Street Hospital) will
describe the progress made in
developing an artificial heart,
and consider the risks of the
devices for the individual and
for society.
When: 6pm
FREE
Museum of London
London Wall EC2Y 5HN
www.gresham.ac.uk/lecturesand-events
T 020 7831 0575
Taking inspiration from
Guildhall Library’s collection,
Dr Peter Ross (Guildhall
Library Principal Librarian) will look
at the various books printed at
the time of Shakespeare’s First
Folio, his plays and the playwright
himself. His talk will include a look
at the First Folio.
When: 1pm
FREE
Guildhall Library
Aldermanbury EC2V 7HH
www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/
guildhalllibrary
T 020 7332 1869
18 April
Fakes and
Forgeries Seminar
The possibility of overlooking a
fake or forged piece of silverware
or jewellery continues to daunt
experts, curators and collectors.
The Assay Office’s Fakes and
Forgeries Days aim to answer
important questions by combining
educational lectures with firsthand contact with examples of
authentic and counterfeit objects.
When:10.30am-4pm
Admission: £85
Goldsmiths’ Hall
Foster Lane EC2V 6BN
www.thegoldsmiths.co.uk/
welcome-to-the-assay-office/
T 020 7606 8971
30 April
Shakespeare and
Modern Symposium
This one-day symposium
explores the relationship
between modernist thinking,
scenography, art and literature in
the early to mid-twentieth century
and poses questions about
modernism’s legacy for
Shakespeare production and
scholarship today.
When: 10am-5pm
Admission: £15 (includes a
complimentary glass of wine)
Barbican Centre
Silk Street EC2Y 8DS
www.barbican.org.uk/playon
T 020 7638 8891
Book tickets now at
broadgate.co.uk/ice