BRIGHTER – Shows and Performances in the Angel! May 2019
The wonderful arts and cultural venues in the Angel will be hosting a wide range of shows over the coming month. Check out below for a selection of what’s on…
ALMEIDA – www.almeida.co.uk
Until 1 June – Three Sisters
In a room in a house in a provincial town, three sisters wait for their lives to begin. Olga, the eldest. Masha, the middle child. Irina, the youngest. The clock strikes. A candle is lit. The clock stops. Something catches fire. The clock strikes. They wake up. Following her critically acclaimed production of Summer and Smoke, Almeida Associate Director Rebecca Frecknall directs Anton Chekhov’s Three Sisters, in a new adaptation by Cordelia Lynn (One For Sorrow, Lela & Co).
SADLER’S WELLS – www.sadlerswells.com
3 – 5 May – Breakin’ Convention 2019
Now in its 16th year, Breakin’ Convention is an annual celebration of all things hip hop, with taster sessions, workshops and free activities on offer through the entire building, giving attendees a unique glimpse into hip hop culture. Spilling off the stage and out into the theatre, the festival includes free activities, taster sessions, dance circles and workshops across the entire building.
9 – 11 May – Yang Liping – Rite of Spring
Choreographer Yang Liping is known as the “Peacock Princess” in her native China. This affectionate nickname stems from her most famous dance work, Spirit of the Peacock, inspired by the traditional peacock folk dancing of her youth. In 2016, she brought her beautiful visions to Sadler’s Wells with Under Siege. For her new work, she reunites with Oscar-winning designer Tim Yip, to create a unique take on Igor Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring – utilising the iconic score alongside original compositions inspired by traditional Tibetan music.
14 – 18 May – Rambert: McGregor / Motin / Shechter
World leading contemporary dance company Rambert uncovers early works by two Sadler’s Wells Associate Artists and a new piece by a rising star. Created for Rambert by Wayne McGregor in 2002, PreSentient marked the arrival of a major new talent. Hofesh Shechter had a similar impact in 2007 with In Your Rooms. Completing the triple bill is a new work by Marion Motin, whose hip hop influenced style is best known through her work for Christine and the Queens.
28 May – 8 June – San Fransisco Ballet
Last seen at Sadler’s Wells in 2012, the world-famous company led by Helgi Tomasson, San Francisco Ballet, is back in London with four thrilling triple bills. Each of the programmes is entirely composed of work created since their last visit, with an astonishing eight pieces premiered in 2018 alone, all by some of the greatest and most exciting choreographers working today, including Alexei Ratmansky, Cathy Marston, Christopher Wheeldon and Liam Scarlett.
KING’S HEAD THEATRE – www.kingsheadtheatre.com
Until 11 May – H.M.S. Pinafore
Aboard the strictly hierarchical H.M.S. Pinafore, Josephine, the Captain’s daughter has fallen in love with a lowly sailor, despite being promised to the First Lord of the Admiralty. Featuring some of the world’s best loved music, prepare for an evening of rollicking choruses and tender tunes imbued with the unique wit and infectious energy from ‘the masters of Gilbert & Sullivan in small spaces.’
15 May – 8 June – This Island’s Mine
1988. Thatcher’s Britain. Seventeen-year-old Luke runs away to London – away from homophobic playground slurs, headlines that scream ‘Don’t Teach Our Children To Be Gay’ and a family who wouldn’t understand him. This Island’s Mine was originally performed by Gay Sweatshop in 1988. Now, three decades after the introduction of Section 28 banning positive representations of homosexuality, Philip Osment’s passionate and lyrical play, of outsiders, exiles and refugees, is all too resonant.
21 – 26 May – The Worst Little Warehouse in London
When 12 people live under the same roof in a converted warehouse in North London, what could possibly go wrong? This ‘kooky, fun and light hearted cabaret’ follows Lala Barlow and Robbie Smith as two wide eyed koalas fresh off the boat, looking for the perfect place to call home. Directed by Sarah Redmond and starring every housemate you’ve ever lived with, The Worst Little Warehouse In London is a ‘mind-bogglingly funny story of companionship, shared accommodation, and how to grit your teeth and bear it’.
OLD RED LION THEATRE – www.oldredliontheatre.co.uk/theatre.html
30 April – 25 May – Bromley Bedlam Bethlehem
Christmas Eve. 1948. Deep in the heart of Galway, Eamonn, the fattest baby you’ve ever seen, is found abandoned in a manger. 70 years later, after struggling to make amends with his estranged daughter Sarah and grandson Ben, one final and fateful action leaves the next two generations of his family reeling. Winner of the Methuen Drama and Marlowe Society Other Prize 2017, Bromley Bedlam Bethlehem, is a visceral and candid new play about the lengths we’ll go to for the ones we love.
LITTLE ANGEL THEATRE – www.littleangeltheatre.com
8 – 12 May (various dates) – A Necklace of Raindrops
One Moment In Time’s adaptation of Joan Aiken’s classic book conjures a world of magic, mayhem and moonlit adventures! Journey from the snow covered landscapes of the north to the fiery deserts of the east, encountering brave children, talking camels and one extremely lazy wizard. Dynamic physical storytelling, live music, hand-crafted shadow puppets and moving paper scenery bring these timeless tales alive again for a new generation of story listeners.
10 May – 4 August (various dates) – The Slightly Annoying Elephant
What’s big, blue, bossy, and turns up uninvited? A slightly annoying elephant, of course! One day Sam gets a very big surprise as a tired, hungry, antique-loving, cycling enthusiast elephant turns up on his doorstep. Adopting an elephant at the zoo turned out to be a lot more than he bargained for as he didn’t realise the elephant would actually come to live with him – silly boy! This hilarious story by comedian and author David Walliams is brought to life through puppetry.
23 May – 13 July (various dates) – Suffrajitsu
Suffrajitsu tells the story of one young girl and how she learns that being small doesn’t mean you can’t change the world. Inspired by the real lives of suffragettes, this is the story of a movement that divided the nation. Suffrajitsus used Jiu Jitsu to protect themselves from arrest and police brutality, and ultimately helped win the fight to give women the vote! Combining original music, puppetry and some graphic novel style ‘Ka-Pows!’, Suffrajitsushows you that you too can change the world, no matter who you are.
