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Radiohead

June and beyond
PICK OF THE MONTH
MUSIC
Radiohead
The ’Head play east London’s Victoria Park this summer. Now they can recoup their losses after the ‘pay what you like’ policy for ‘In Rainbows'. Book now!
June 24-25.

FILM
David Lean retrospective
Lean, one of Britain’s foremost filmmakers, would have been 100 years old had he lived until March this year, and so BFI Southbank is celebrating in his absence with a full retrospective from the master craft of Britain’s wartime studio system to the widescreen showmanship of international epics of the ’60s and ’70s. The season features ten restorations of his films including ‘Brief Encounter’, ‘Doctor Zhivago’ and ‘Lawrence of Arabia’.
June and July, BFI Southbank

Feature continues

ART
‘Radical Light: Italy’s Divisionist Painters 1891-1910’
This will be the first time, outside Italy, that painters employing dots, dashes and stabbing brushwork such as Segantini and Previati will be seen alongside their more famous futurist friends Boccioni, Balla and Severini. Both groups went in for machines rather than nature, social change over bohemianism and physics instead of painterly whim. Expect fireworks.
June 18-Sept 7, National Gallery

'Black Watch' at Barbican Theatre

THEATRE
‘Black Watch’
Hurrah! The most anticipated event of the year. Gregory Burke’s play, a sensation at the Edinburgh Festival in 2006, finally makes it to London. From June 24, Barbican Theatre

AROUND TOWN
‘The Big Smoke’
One year on from the smoking ban, the Museum of London plans to mount a display looking at the history of the habit in London. Using objects and images from the museum’s collections, it will chart the history of, and attitudes towards, the practice, from the introduction of tobacco to London to the present.
July 1-Sept 21, Museum of London

GAY
London Pride
It rained on our parade last year, but don’t let that put you off. This year’s London Pride celebrations have been moved back a week in the hope of better weather. Prior to that, there’s the Pride Arts Festival – three whole weeks of gay-themed visual arts, comedy and theatre events.
July 5 (www.pridelondon.org)

MUSIC
Camp Bestival
Big Chill-style spin-off of the IoW-based festival which has enjoyed runaway success since Glastonbury became deemed ‘too commercial, maan’ by snooty music snobs such as ourselves. Camp Bestival will boast a similarly free-ranging line-up as its parent fest, with tasteful dance acts rubbing fancily dressed shoulders with the likes of Kid Creole & The Coconuts, Billy Bragg and Suzanne Vega.
July 18-20, Dorset

Lovebox Weekender

MUSIC
Lovebox Weekender
Last year’s Lovebox was one of the highlights of London’s alleged ‘summer’, and we’re not just saying that because we sponsored it. The quality and diversity of bands and stages, plus the imaginative family-friendly sideshows, meant a good time was had by all, except Sly Stone for some reason. Still, the good news is he won’t be there to spoil things. With The Flaming Lips already booked for Sunday night, this year’s ’Box promises to be bigger and better in every way, Tower Hamlets Council permitting, of course.
July 21-22

DANCE
‘West Side Story’
A fiftieth anniversary production of Jerome Robbins’ landmark musical.
July 22-Aug 31, Sadler’s Wells

ART
‘Hadrian: Empire and Conflict’
The BM sticks closer to home for the second of its blockbusters to utilise the platform inside the Reading Room, which was adapted last year for the invading terracotta army. Hadrian, the emperor of Rome from 117-138AD, is best known for building a much smaller wall than his Chinese counterpart, although it too kept the marauding barbarians of the north from coming too far south. Hadrian’s ruthless military style will be on display, as will his soft spot for beautiful architecture. July 24-Oct 26, British Museum

DANCE
Guangzhou Acrobatics Troupe
This group from China will perform what is bound to be the wackiest dance event of 2008, ‘The Acrobatic Swan Lake’. Contortionist antics combined with Tchaikovsky promises to provide a deliciously weird night in the theatre.
Aug 4-9, Royal Opera House

'Fashion vs Sport'

AROUND TOWN
‘Fashion vs Sport’
This show at the V&A will look at the symbiotic relationship that has developed between fashion and sport. Sportswear by Stella McCartney, an art-inspired range for Adidas by New York fashion designer Jeremy Scott and customised products such as hand-engraved Nike trainers by I-Saw will all be on display, as will evidence of sportswear’s influence on the catwalk in collections by Balenciaga, Prada and Visvim. The exhibition will also encompass sportswear, street fashion and examples of ad campaigns for fashion brands featuring sports personalities.
Aug 5-Nov 23, V&A.

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