Theatre.
Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons
18 January-18 March, Harold Pinter Theatre
If you’re a lover of words, you’ll love this tender and witty romantic comedy, written by Sam Steiner. The play opened in 2015 at the Warwick Arts Centre and went on to receive three Judges’ Awards at the National Student Drama Festival. It’s since been performed at Latitude, Edinburgh Fringe, and the Camden People’s Theatre. This January, Lemons is seeing its much-deserved West End debut. Starring Jenna Coleman and Aidan Turner, and directed by Josie Rourke, the play explores language as currency. With a limited number of words at your disposal, how would you use them? What would you say? And perhaps most importantly, who would you give them to? Sharp, funny and not to be missed.
Panton Street, SW1Y (lemonstheplay.co.uk)
Stand-Up.
Quip Shed Comedy
28 January, Marylebone Theatre
One way to banish the January blues is to treat yourself to a night of live comedy, and chuckle, guffaw and yowl away the gloom. It’s no coincidence then that this January sees the launch of a monthly stand-up show, in which you can expect some of the biggest (and best upcoming) names in stand-up, including Ed Gamble, Phil Wang, Fern Brady, Ahir Shah, and Michael May. Artistic director of this exciting new cross-arts venue, Alexander Gifford says: “Audiences are getting to know us as a place where they can be sure of high-quality theatre and music, and it is exciting that this new year they will also be able to discover us as a home for dance, stand-up and the visual arts.”
Rudolf Steiner House, 35 Park Road, NW1 (020 7723 7984; marylebonetheatre.com)
Exhibition
David Mach: Heavy Metal
25 January to 25 March, Pangolin London
Describing himself as “a kind of sculptural performance artist,” this renowned Scottish sculptor is not entirely at home in the confines of a studio. “I prefer to build installations and to work as publicly as possible,” he says. “I’ve built works in shopping centres, parks, streets and car showrooms as often as I have in galleries or museums.” Luckily for us, this King’s Cross art space has managed to pin him down for one incredible solo exhibition, which features a series of maquettes charting Mach’s development from sculpture to architecture, whilst probing the tension between the two disciplines. Expect a thought-provoking delve into the artist’s dynamic working processes and his natural desire to push the boundaries of contemporary public art.
Kings Place, 90 York Way, N1 (pangolinlondon.com)
Exhibition
London Art Fair
18-23 January, Business Design Centre
With exceptional modern and contemporary works from both emerging and globally renowned names including Osborne Samuel Gallery, Purdy Hicks, Charlie Smith London and Galerie Olivier Waltman, this renowned collectors’ fair returns to the Capital, kicking off 2023’s international art calendar with a bang. Alongside the fair’s extensive line-up of over 100 gallerists, you can expect a programme of curated spaces, events, tours and lates
to inspire. Curated talks include ‘Revisiting Modern British Art’, ‘The Fine Art of Commissioning’ and ‘Does the Artist’s Muse Have a Place in the Modern World?’, while the much-loved Photo50 showcase returns with a guest-curated exhibition of current trends. Dive in!
52 Upper Street, N1 (londonartfair.co.uk)
Beverley Knight and Sharon Rose star in the world premiere of Kate Prince’s tale of the lesser known Pankhurst sister
Musical
Sylvia
27 January-1 April, The Old Vic
This revolutionary story celebrates the lesser-known Pankhurst at the heart of the Suffragette movement, starring Sharon Rose as Sylvia, and Beverley Knight as Emmeline. Brought to life as a hip hop musical, with lyrics by Kate Prince, and original music by Josh Cohen and DJ Walde, we’re promised one rousing production. Matthew Warchus, artistic director of The Old Vic, says: “At long last, we are delighted to deliver the completed version of this hugely uplifting show, which first appeared at The Old Vic in an embryonic workshop version four years ago. Even then, this thrillingly kinetic, fun and emotional show was a giant hit with audiences and I’d urge you not to miss the much-anticipated finished article.”
The Cut, SE1 (0344 871 7628; oldvictheatre.com)
