We take a look at the best of entertainment to be found in the capital this April.

EXHIBITION

Out Shopping: The dresses of Marion and Maud Sambourne (1880-1910), Until 20 October
Inviting us to step into a world of fashion history, this meticulously curated collection explores the lives of Marion Sambourne and Maud Messel, a mother-daughter duo whose sartorial choices epitomise an era that continues to influence modern fashion sensibilities.

Featuring some previously unseen garbs, alongside rare creations from renowned dressmakers, the exhibition tells the intertwined tales of Marion and Maud, how their middle-class roots and affluent lifestyles intersect, and reflects not just their personal styles but also the evolving landscape of fashion consumption. Set across three captivating spaces, including Leighton House’s exquisite exhibition galleries and an exclusive display at Sambourne House. Prepare to swoon.

Leighton House, 12 Holland Park Road, W14 and Sambourne House, 18 Stafford Terrace, W8 (rbkc.gov.uk/museums)

Above: Marion Sambourne wearing beaver fur jacket, c.1900
Main image: Marion and Maud Sambourne, 1890s | © Sambourne House, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea

THEATRE

London Tide, 10 April-22 June
A riveting adaptation of Dickens’ Our Mutual Friend, London Tide is directed by Ian Rickson and features original songs by PJ Harvey and Ben Power. Hailed as a romantic and propulsive thriller, the play is essentially a homage to the Capital’s soul and its iconic river. As a night storm rages, a body is pulled from the swirling Thames, while across the city, two young women confront an uncertain future: in Limehouse, Lizzie Hexam struggles to break free of the river’s dark secrets, and on the other side of town, Bella Wilfer mourns a lost marriage. Meanwhile, the appearance of the mysterious John Rokesmith has the potential to change both their lives for ever. Expect to be captivated. In fact, you may be swept away.

Lyttelton Theatre, Upper Ground, SE1 (nationaltheatre.org.uk)

THEATRE

Gunter, 3-25 April
Following its sold-out premiere at the Edinburgh Fringe, this month, the Royal Court welcomes the London transfer of Dirty Hare’s award-winning play, co-created by the all-women team of Lydia Higman, Julia Grogan, and Rachel Lemon, whose delicious speciality is reconstructing stories from the past to challenge the present – 2021’s acclaimed Belly Up did exactly this. It is 1604, and in a small village just outside Oxford, two boys have been murdered by local brute Brian Gunter, and their mother wants justice. But Brian is the richest and most powerful man in the village and has an ego too fragile to tolerate public slander. A nasty feud begins, and when Brian’s daughter Anne starts demonstrating strange afflictions, an allegation is made: she has been bewitched. 3-25 April, Jerwood Theatre Upstairs, Royal Court

Theatre, Sloane Square, SW1W (020 7565 5000; royalcourttheatre.com)

© Alex Brenner

EXHIBITION

Marie-Louise Von Motesiczky and Dorothy Bohm, Until 15 December
Hampstead’s dynamic art space Burgh House announces two major exhibitions to run concurrently until the end of the year, namely Motesiczky’s (in)Visible Women, a collection of vibrant expressionist paintings, and Bohm’s visceral photographic series About Women, which spans over seven decades of the artist’s journey, capturing the evolving lives of women around the world. Curator, Sophie Richards, says: “Once you start looking for it, you realise how rare it is to see women of all ages in artworks living full, interesting, everyday lives. For me, that is what makes the works of Motesiczky and Bohm so important. Both artists highlight everyday experiences of women, and with such poignancy and wit.” Not to be missed.

New End Square, NW3 (burghhouse.org.uk)

© Estate of Dorothy Bohm

THEATRE

Minority Report, 19 April-18 May
With a creative team including Olivier Award-winning director Max Webster, award-winning writer David Haig, and the production team behind Life of Pi, you know from the get-go this is going to be one special production. And while you may be familiar with the 2002 film of the same name, here, we’re promised an immersive theatrical experience that blurs the boundaries between reality and science fiction. The year is 2050 and neuroscientist Dame Julia Anderton is set to launch the next phase of her pioneering Pre-Crime programme, which detains offenders for the crimes they’re yet to commit. But when Julia is accused of pre-murder, she’s in a race against time to save herself from her own system.

Lyric Hammersmith, Lyric Square, W6 (020 8741 6850; lyric.co.uk)

© Marc Brenner