In London, if you were interested in oddball eating experiences, you could always count on powerful women. Queen Anne made everyone in her court eat pineapples, while famous ballerinas through the years have had strange desserts named after them. Punk poet, Patti Smith would probably throw the whole lot in the chef’s face before performing a blistering rant on epicurean excess – pineapple chunks anyone?
Ask anyone to describe a typical ballet performance and it’s more than likely that they’ll come up with all the major elements of Swan Lake. From the iconic unison dance of the white swans to the immortal score by Tchaikovsky, this is one of the high points of western art and worth seeing again and again.
The English National Ballet tell the story of star-crossed loves set against the eternal struggle between good and evil as Siegfried and Odette choose eternal love in death over a life apart. Jurgita Dronina dances the twin roles of Odette and her evil counterpart, Odile. The role of Prince Siegfried is inhabited by Isaac Hernández.
It seems that while “artisan” pizza is being churned out by anyone with access to a wood-fired oven, truly authentic pasta is thin on the ground. Scarpetta are determined to correct this imbalance and offer hand-made, egg-free pasta dishes that are choc full of taste and goodness.
The sauces may seem familiar at first, but one forkful will tell you that only the finest ingredients have gone into their n’duja sausage and truffles mushroom combinations. Scarpetta is also fast become known for brilliant coffee and £5 cocktails after 4pm.
A triangle of intrigue and manipulation starring three of the best actresses currently working in the biz, this period drama with a darkly comic twist is not to be missed. It’s the court of Queen Anne in the early 18th Century and the palace is full of plotting and pressure as rival politicians try to flatter, trick and bully the monarch into supporting there pet projects.
Anne (Olivia Coleman) shields herself from all this politicking by surrounding herself with “favourites” and this informal position becomes vitally important in itself. Rachel Weisz plays the Queen’s confident and Emma Stone plays a fast-rising newcomer in this bawdy “Girl-power with wigs” look at pre-regency Britain.
The Roundhouse is a unique concert space that used to be part of a train repair yard but has in its time hosted every musical act from Pink Floyd to Pink. It’s a surprisingly flexible venue and, depending on how the circular seating is configured, can be as intimate as a gig at your local pub.
In The Round takes advantage of these attributes in order to stage a series of performances by up and coming songwriters as well as some seasoned performers. On the bill are Ana Moura, Gruff Rhys and Patti Smith. Fans of Acoustic reinventions, gentle surrealism and dynamic spoken-word gigs will all find something to like.
