Theatre
The Snail House
7 September-15 October, Hampstead Theatre
In a bold celebration of original drama, Hampstead Theatre announces four world premieres for autumn 2022. The first of which is written and directed by Richard Eyre, former artistic director of the National Theatre and a dab hand at adapting other people’s work for the stage. The Snail House is his first completely original play. Sir Neil Marriot, a familiar face on TV as the government’s medical advisor, is hosting his own lavish birthday party. But amidst the grand oak panelling and the flowing Champagne his family are at one another’s throats. There’s also something deeply unsettling about one of the caterers… Intrigued? You will be.
Eton Avenue, NW3 (020 7722 9301; hampsteadtheatre.com)
Design fair
Material Matters
22-25 September, Bargehouse
A new fixture on the London design calendar, Material Matters will launch during this year’s London Design Festival – just when all eyes are on the Capital’s most exciting movers and shakers and designer-makers. The inaugural fair turns the critically acclaimed podcast of the same name into a 3D exhibition, looking at ideas for a better future including circularity in design and materials; how materials can help drive the sustainable agenda; and how they can influence human behaviour. Expect an extensive talks programme curated by Grant Gibson, design, craft and architecture writer, and of course, popular podcaster.
Oxo Tower Wharf, Bargehouse Street, SE1 (materialmatters.design)
Zena Holloway
Ballet
Giselle
13-17 September, London Coliseum
It is a rare thing when the story of the performers themselves is as enthralling as the tale they’re telling. The United Ukrainian Ballet comprises 60 artists in exile, all of whom have fled their homeland as a result of Russia’s invasion and the ongoing conflict. This powerful interpretation of the highly charged 1841 ballet sees world-renowned choreographer Alexei Ratmansky, who grew up in Ukraine, at the helm, while Viktor Oliynyk, conductor of the National Opera of Ukraine, takes the baton. Profits from the September stint at the Coliseum will go to the DEC Ukraine Appeal and The United Ukrainian Ballet Foundation. Expect themes of love, betrayal, life and death… and with this performance, hope.
St. Martin’s Lane, WC2N (020 7845 9300; londoncoliseum.org)
Exhibition
Nokukhanya Langa
14 September-15 November, Saatchi Yates
This US-born mixed media artist grew up living between the United States, India, South Africa, The Netherlands and Belgium. She’s now based in Ghent. Her fascinating work merges the rich variety of her personal story, her mixed cultural heritage, and her lived experiences. In her first UK solo show, Langa dives into the world of modern media and internet culture. Expect an exploration of figuration and abstraction through 20 new paintings. She says: “I see paintings as a laptop that has a lot of tabs open: one painting can be really quiet, or loud, or eccentric, and still all come together in one collection”.
6 Cork Street, W1S (020 8187 9445; saatchiyates.com)
Left: Saatchi Yates, Nokukhanya Langa, Not Yet Titled, 2022, Oil on canvas, 183 x 152 cm. Right: Saatchi Yates, Nokukhanya Langa, Not Yet Titled, 2022, Mixed media and oil on canvas, 83 x 93 cm
Theatre
Walking with Ghosts
6-17 September, Apollo Theatre
It’s hard to believe that veteran Hollywood star Gabriel Byrne is making his West End debut at the age of 72. Proving that it’s better late than never, the Irish actor brings his critically acclaimed one man show to Shaftesbury Avenue following a sold-out stint at Dublin’s Gaiety. Adapted from his best-selling memoir of the same name, Walking with Ghosts promises hilarity, heartbreak, and a lifetime of fascinating anecdotes from a master storyteller. Byrne says: “I’ve chosen to be honest and unflinching in the recounting of a life from working class Dublin to Hollywood. Although rooted in the local, I hope the play has a universal resonance. What I want in the theatre is to be moved to laugh, to be provoked, to be changed.” Not to be missed.
31 Shaftesbury Avenue, W1D (0330 333 48o9; theapollotheatre.co.uk)
Exhibition
Tiffany Anna: TA X LDN
10-28 September, 340 King’s Road
If you’re struggling to get your head around NFTs, this hybrid metaverse/physical exhibition is a great place to start. In her first London solo show, dynamic young artist Tiffany Anna will present over 125 NFT works (visitors can view – and buy – the artworks with the help of virtual reality goggles), alongside 40 large scale paintings and limited-edition prints. With inspiration found in ballsy wallpaper prints, street art and the cosmos, Tiffany’s work is bold, bright, and bursting with colour. “I absolutely love colour and my dream is to create artwork that makes people smile both inside and out,” she says.
340 King’s Road, SW3 (tiffany.gg)
Book fair
Queen’s Park Book Festival
17-18 September, Queen’s Park
A festival for literature lovers on our doorstep? Yes please! September sees the return of north west London’s beloved book fair with a line-up to inspire. On the programme are Robert Harris, Colin Thubron, Victoria Hislop, Natasha Brown, plus many more celebrated authors: expect a mix of household names, local talent and the most sought-after new writers around. Beyond the books, there’ll be food and drink plus Saturday night entertainment with music and a late bar, all in Queen’s Park’s 30 acres of verdant surrounds. Man Booker prize winner Howard Jacobson says: “The festival still retains the blessed atmosphere of a garden fête. We really are in a park. The ground is sun-warmed. Parakeets dash screaming from tree to tree. And writers sign their books in a bandstand… This is an oasis of sanity.”
Queen’s Park, NW6 (queensparkbookfestival.co.uk)
