Arts & Culture
Originally published on Tuesday, 6th July 2010
The Culturist - JULY
In the immortal words of Mr George Benson, there’s music in the air. And lots of loving everywhere… Okay, so whilst we can’t technically guarantee that latter part, with enough of the former (and July is looking killer in that respect) and the gorgeous weather we’re blessed with, the chances of the rest of it aren’t looking too shabby. So from gigs in the park to plays on the roof, icons in the garden to dancing in the streets, just gimme the night. Woh-oh-oh, gimme the night…
BOOK AHEAD: THEATRE / FOOD
Rooftop Picnic & Plays
August 2-20
The Deck, National Theatre, South Bank, SE1 9PX
£55
What’s better than a summertime dose of stage culture? Why a summertime dose of stage culture with a drink and picnic beforehand of course. Served up on the NT’s lovely rooftop Deck, with its (oddly enough) decked flooring, bright deck chairs and loveable faux lawn, the picnic includes all sort of cute summery bites washed down with a glass of Pimm’s. And this month’s plays include Welcome to Thebes, The Habit of Art, Danton’s Death and After the Dance, so get booking.
DANCE
Nederlands Dans Theater – 50th Anniversary
July 6-10
Sadler’s Wells, Roseberry Avenue, EC1R 4TN
£10-£38
If you’re not a stalwart of the dance scene but nevertheless relish the occasional scratching of your performative itch, it can be tough deciding which of the capital’s array of performances to fork out for. After 50 years as one of the world’s leading contemporary dance outfits, the Nederlands Dans Theater certainly deserves your consideration – and thankfully their anniversary programme at Sadler’s Well is here this week. Perfect. Featuring both incredible troupes (NDTI and NDTII) with a 50-strong army of dancers, prepare to have that dance itch scratched good and proper.
MUSIC: Summer Series
July 8-18
Somerset House, Strand, EC2R 1LA
£22.50-£32.50
Lovebox, 1-2-3-4… even the Serpentine are getting in on the festival act. But to help even out the field our first pick of the fest-bunch is the rather more refined offering (read: less tents, mud and staggering, drug-addled festival regulars than some) from Somerset House. With a line-up that includes Air, Noah and the Whale, The xx, Gil Scott Heron, Florence and the Machine and even Soul II Soul (‘Back To Life’ is stampeding through my head just typing that), it can’t not be great. But be quick! Tickets are already dropping like flies.
TALK: Tony Parsons
July 12, 7pm
Foyles, 113-119 Charing Cross Road, WC2H 0EB
£7
Show me a man who didn’t at least stifle a tear at the Man and a Boy trilogy and I’ll show you a cold-hearted soul who doesn’t deserve your love. Okay, so maybe that’s a smidge too harsh but still, how can you not be touched by Tony Parsons’ wonderful series? Launching the new Time Out Book Club at Foyles, their first installment takes the form of a conversation between TO’s literary editor, Chris Moss, and the good Mr Parsons himself, mainly focusing on the last installment of the trilogy, Men From the Boys. (Tear-stifling not included.)
MUSIC: iTunes Festival
July 1-31
The Roundhouse, Chalk Farm Road, NW1 8EH
Free (in advance through iTunes)
With so many festivals on this summer, you can kind of separate them by the artists they’re featuring. But judging by their offering this year, the iTunes 2010 series at The Roundhouse is gonna be huge, featuring the likes of Paloma Faith, The xx (who clearly never rest), Ellie Goulding, Goldfrapp, The Drums and Phoenix among others. And since it’s iTunes, all the gigs will be recorded for download through the store afterwards. Not that that should be an excuse not to turn up, mind – these are gonna be fab.
MUSIC: Sage Francis
July 14
The Camp. 70-74 City Road, EC1Y 2BJ
£14
More than a one-hit wonder (we all remember that track of his, yes?), Dan le Sac would be a reasonable enough excuse to hit up this Old Street local club/venue for an intense, high-energy gig. But throw in one of the reigning masters of intelligent, entertaining and annoyingly smart rap/spoken word, Sage Francis, and how can you possibly not want to go? Tickets are disappearing quick so you’ll have to be fast. But if you’ve never seen the rocking Mr Francis live then this is your chance. And if you have, then you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about.
LAST CHANCE: ART
Chorus
Until July 18
Wapping Project, Wapping Wall, E1W 3SG
Free
Apparently designed to “explore the relationship between performance, sculpture and installation” (gotta love artist statements/press releases), there is nonetheless something incredibly intriguing yet somehow grounding about this installation from the amazing United Visual Artists. Huge lights, bound together with audio speakers, swing on motor-assisted pendula (pendulums?) from the ceiling of the gloriously industrial Wapping Project out East. It’s a mesmerising and hypnotic multi-sensory treat. And it ends this month.
FILM: Grey Gardens
July 20
Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club, 44-46 Pollard Row, E2 6NB
£5
I can remember the first time I saw Albert and David Mayles’ iconic Grey Gardens. As I watched the bickerings and rambling of Big and Little Edie Beale in their unbelievably dilapidated mansion in East Hampton, I was transfixed. Hypnotized. The insanity, the intimacy, the unerringly beautiful tragedy of these reclusive cousins of Jackie O was unlike anything I had ever seen before on film or in life. And now the chance to catch it again on a decent sized screen (care of the lovely people at Close Up) is even more wondrous.
THEATRE: Tomorrow, In A Year
July 27-28
Barbican, Silk Street, EC2Y 8DS
£15-£25
Electro-opera. Not a term you get to bandy about too often in this world – even for me. But there you have it. And Tomorrow, In A Year (which premieres at the Barbican this month) is precisely that: electro-opera. And damn if it doesn’t look sensational. Imagine the world as seen through the eyes of Charles Darwin: a world of diversity and change. Then set it to a haunting and unfathomably beautiful score by Swedish duo, The Knife, and visuals from Hotel Pro Forma that will blow your mind. Not your usual stage offering, that’s for sure… and entirely unforgettable.
FESTIVAL: Field Day
July 31
Victoria Park, E9
£33.33
Oh gods. It’s Field Day o’clock once more and you know what that means: kiss goodbye to that last weekend in July, boys and girls. And maybe your eardrums while you’re at it… This year’s line-up is looking silly good – with promoters like Adventures in the Beetroot Field, Bugged Out and Eat Your Own Ears hosting the stages, and everyone from Moderat to Max Tundra and Giles Peterson to Phoenix on the list to make sure that you darn well enjoy every last second of this very, very long and awesome day.
