perks!Things to do in London this week
Is the week ahead looking quiet? Not any more. Head out in to the city and get a load of the hottest happenings taking place right now. You’ll be begging for a night off by Sunday, trust us. Here's our pick of the newest restaurant openings, the best new museum shows and the latest art exhibitions, plus out-of-the-way events and gigs you really won't want to miss. Let us be your social lifesaver for the next seven days. And if you’ve got a tip for something fun going on in London, tweet us your suggestion and help spread the word.
RECOMMENDED: Time Out’s London hot list
Show of the Week: ‘The Height of the Storm’
Grief is at the heart of this meditative exploration of the shades of loss by French playwright Florian Zeller. Together, Eileen Atkins and Jonathan Pryce are devastating. They break your heart in the quietest, mundane moments.
Jorja Smith
Walsall’s Drake-endorsed rising star heads to Brixton to perform the gorgeous alt-R&B bops from her Mercury Prize-nominated debut album ‘Lost & Found’.
Restaurants of the Week: Hide Above/Hide Ground
Visit super-chef Ollie Dabbous’s two new restaurants. Go to the first floor for his Michelin-starred restaurant-and-bar complex with a meticulous and technical tasting menu. Or, stay ground level for an à la carte menu with a spot of theatre.
London Literature Festival
Once again, the Southbank Centre is being filled with acclaimed authors, poets, speakers and collaborators for 20 days of wordy events. Get stuck into live readings, talks and workshops from the likes of Salman Rushdie, Roger Daltrey, Sally Field, Akala, David Olusoga, Carol Ann Duffy and Mary Beard.
Show of the Week: ‘Modern Couples: Art, Intimacy and the Avant-garde’
The Barbican’s new exhibition shows how the art world’s most intimate relationships influenced their works and gives equal visibility to women artists who have previously been reduced to ‘muses’ or ‘dilettantes’ tied to more famous men.
Affordable Art Fair
Thrifty art lovers: dig through a shedload of original works on sale from £100.
‘Hidden Voices: Processions in the City’
Artichoke, (the brilliant brains behind Lumiere and heaps of other fantastic events) are back with a new installation that continues to celebrate 100 years since women got the vote. See this installation created from words, stories, interviews and workshops with local women.
Discover Dogs
Canine-deprived Londoners can now get the biggest doggie fix of all at the city’s largest dog event, where 200 breeds will be on show. Sadly it’s not a bring-your-own affair, so leave your pets at home.
‘Anni Albers’
Dive into bauhaus maverick Anni Albers’s world of textiles. She weaved her own magic and triumphed.
Film of the Week: ‘Halloween’
Watch psycho killer Michael Myers return in this reboot of the franchise by indie director David Gordon Green. John Carpenter’s immaculate grammar has been redeployed and Jamie Lee Curtis makes an appearance as a shotgun-toting recluse.
‘Twelfth Night’
Catch this soufflé-light but very fun musical version of Shakespeare’s comedy, adapted by Kwame Kwei-Armah, with songs by Shaina Taub. It’s a joyous, pyrotechnic celebration.
RA Lates: Cosmic Ocean
A session of sketching all manner of sea life. Cruise around dance performances and street food after.
Fabric 19th Birthday Weekend
The superclub rings in its birthday with 30 hours of non-stop music including sets from Craig Richards and Apollonia. Epic.
Bar of the Week: Ziggy’s
Hotel Café Royal was where Bowie killed off his spaceman, holding a retirement party for Mr Stardust here in 1973. Now you can visit a Ziggy-themed bar here, with cocktails inspired by Bowie songs – wham bam, thank you, ma’am!
Crepe City
Trainers are more than just a PE kit staple, and Crepe City – Europe’s biggest sneaker festival – knows it. It’s basically sports shoe heaven, with hundreds of kicks-sellers and installations. Go forth and feel fancy in some high-tops, fresh out the box.
