Rhian Daly

Autumn is well and truly in the air. Make the most of the last super sunny days of the year while lapping up the spoils of the season by filling up your diary with the new slew of events and things to do that are taking over the city’s cultural calendar.  This week don’t miss The National Gallery’s new five-star Van Gogh exhibition, which Time Out’s art editor called a “mesmerising show of kaleidoscopic, emotional artthat brings together work from the last two years of his life”. Book tickets for Theatre Royal Stratford East’s producton of Mike Leighs ‘Abigail’s Party’, with an outstanding performance from Tamzin Outhwaite and cleverly tweaked takes on the classic. Or, head to the Lambeth Fringe to see experimental theatre, comedy, cabaret and music.  There are also plenty of exciting festivals taking place this week, including Open House – our annual excuse to mosey around London’s coolest buildings usually closed off to the public; the London Design Festival letting us experience brilliant installations from world-class designers at artistic districts dotted across the city; and HowTheLightGetsIn philosophy and music festival.    Or, check out London’s best bars and restaurants, and take in one of these lesser-known London attractions. Stay in the loop: sign up to our free Time Out London newsletter for the best of the city, straight to your inbox.

Horror films aren’t just for Halloween, but they certainly make spooky season that bit more terrifyingly fun. Whether you’re a hide-behind-the-cushion kind of watcher or someone who enjoys every second of jumpscares and gore, joining a Halloween film screening of fellow horror enthusiasts is an unbeatable way to celebrate All Hallow’s Eve. Don’t worry, though – not all Halloween screenings are focused on bone-chilling bumps in the night. There are also plenty of more lighthearted picks to choose from, like the camp-but-festive ‘Hocus Pocus’ and ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show’, that will get you in the mood without scaring you to within an inch of your life. Recommended: 🎃 Our guide to Halloween in London👹 The 66 greatest movie monsters of all time

The sun might still be shining right now, but pretty soon the nights will get darker, the heating will be on, and everything will have the sickly sweet taste of pumpkin spice as the spookiest month of the year rolls around.With every passing October, London’s Halloween celebrations seem to get bigger, better and spookier, with all sorts of family-friendly frights, movie screenings, pumpkin-picking fun and scary nightlife to check out over the month. And it’s also a bumper season when it comes to London culture, with the return of the BFI London Film Festival, the London Literature Festival and the Bloomsbury Festival. October is also Black History Month in the UK, with many of London’s major institutions staging special events to mark the occasion.  Art-wise, a major new Huw Locke exhibition at the British Museum, Holly Herndon and Mat Dryhurst’s AI installation ‘The Call’ at the Serpentine and a huge group exhibition of Indian art at the Barbican all open.  And it’s also a fantastic month for theatre. As well as the West End transfer of Max Webster’s David Tennant-starring ‘Macbeth’, there’s Robert Icke’s adaptation of ‘Oedipus’, Armando Iannucci’s take on Stanley Kubrick’s immortal ‘Dr Strangelove’ starring long-time collaborator Steve Coogan, and an adaptation of the hit noughties rom-com ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ by none other than Sir Elton John.  And for those not embarking on Sober October, there are Oktoberfest celebrations galore, plus London Cocktail Week is also on t

Gone are the days when people would give you a funny look if you told them you were an avid fan of manga. The long-standing Japanese art form has been brought well and truly into the mainstream thanks to popular TV adaptations like ‘Alice In Borderland’ and the iconic ‘One Piece’. If you want to go old school and read the original graphic novels, you’ll find plenty of bookshops in London to help you on your quest, complete with knowledgeable staff to guide you towards your next read. Whether you’re already mad for manga or just a curious newcomer to the genre, our pick of the best places in the capital to get stuck into shonen and shojo will help you get immersed in the worlds of ‘Dragon Ball’, ‘Attack On Titan’ and so much more. Recommended: 100 best shops in London  

Sam Fender It’s sadly rare that a Brits Critics Choice winner tackles uncomfortable and important subjects, but Sam Fender does just that. His debut EP ‘Dead Boys’ found him singing about male suicide and the woes of masculinity, all set to soaring indie anthemics that sound ready to lift the roof off any festival tent this summer. Sam Fender plays Electric Brixton on Feb 28. Ella Mai For some artists, success takes years to find them. That’s true of Ella Mai, who finally got her moment last year when irresistible single ‘Boo’d Up’ made it impossible to ignore her any longer. Her debut album, released last October, confirmed she’s more than a one-hit wonder: packing classic, soulful R&B and fully justifying her co-signs from the likes of Bruno Mars and Kehlani. Ella Mai plays O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire on Thu Jan 10.  Kojey Radical Born-and-bred Londoner Kojey Radical isn’t just a rapper – he’s a poet, visual artist and much more. That refusal to be limited to just one discipline comes through in his music, too, which boasts elements of grime, hip hop, R&B and beyond, while his subject matter draws precisely from all areas of life and politics.  Kojey Radical has music due imminently, apparently! Oooh.  King Princess There’s something so joyful about King Princess (aka Mikaela Straus), even when she’s writing sad songs. You can feel creative excitement shining through everything she does, whether that’s the incredibly romantic but tongue-in-cheek ‘Pussy Is God’ or the elegan

Mindy Kaling pode não ser tão conhecida como as outras mulheres do elenco de Ocean’s 8, de Gary Ross, mas não é nenhuma novata. Desde que se deu a conhecer no papel de Kelly Kapoor, na versão americana de O Escritório, a actriz cómica (e produtora e argumentista) impôs-se como uma presença hilariante e inteligente no cinema e televisão, participando em filmes como Divertida-Mente ou Gru – O Maldisposto e na sua própria série, The Mindy Project. Ocean’s 8 é o seu maior papel até à data, mas tudo indica que isto é apenas o começo.   Os filmes de golpada costumam ser muito falocêntricos. Foi refrescante integrar um elenco maioritariamente feminino no Ocean’s 8? Nos filmes protagonizados por mulheres ou com um elenco feminino – e até nalguns que eu adoro – as mulheres costumam ser oprimidas, ou estão a vingar-se de algo terrível que lhes aconteceu. E, apesar de haver uma parte do Ocean’s 8 que gira em torno de uma vingança com um fundo romântico, aquilo de que eu mais gosto é que este é sobretudo um filme engraçado sobre um golpe. Interpretas Amita, uma joalheira. Quando a vemos pela primeira vez ela está a trabalhar no negócio da família e a ser mandada abaixo pela mãe. Isso faz-te pensar nalguma experiência por que tenhas passado na tua carreira? Oh sim, eu tenho sido subestimado inúmeras vezes em Hollywood e ao longo da minha carreira. Mas o mais interessante neste papel é que a mãe da personagem está obcecada por ela se casar. Lembro-me de ver o filme e pensar: “Ok, isto é me

In a new York café, Mindy Kaling is imagining pulling off the perfect crime against her ‘Ocean’s 8’ co-star Rihanna. ‘She sometimes posts photos on her Instagram of getting all these beautiful shoes and clothes, and she’s like, “Thanks Balenciaga, you’re so nice!”’ says Kaling, looking like she’s flicking through a mental catalogue of RiRi’s freebies in her head. ‘If I had to heist her house I’d probably take some of that stuff because I don’t know if she’d even notice.’ It’s not a plot Kaling has to go through with, though. The comedy writer, actor and producer has already pulled off one daring con this year, as part of the all-female ‘Ocean’s 8’ crew who team up to steal a diamond necklace worth $150 million from New York’s prestigious Met Gala. She’s surrounded by household names in the reboot of the ’00s heist franchise (Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway and Helena Bonham Carter among them), but Kaling steals every scene she’s in with her impeccable comic timing and relatable, natural presence. Her name might be less familiar than some of her co-stars’, but Kaling is no newbie. Since making her breakthrough as the ultra-confident, drama-loving Kelly Kapoor on the US version of ‘The Office’, she’s cemented her place as one of the funniest, smartest talents in both film and TV, with roles in ‘Despicable Me’, ‘Inside Out’, ‘A Wrinkle in Time’, and her own show, ‘The Mindy Project’. ‘Ocean’s 8’ is her biggest moment to date, but it still feels like it’s only the b

And he is?Alex O’Connor, a 19-year-old from Surrey making woozy, head-in-the-clouds tunes that have as much in common with the smooth R&B of Frank Ocean as they do the jazz-tinged indie rock of King Krule or Mac DeMarco. What are his credentials?He’s gone from regular teenager to one of the UK’s most exciting new acts in little over two years. Since uploading his first full-length collection, the lo-fi ‘bcos u will never be free’, to SoundCloud in 2015, Rex has done some impressive things, including collaborating with Tyler, The Creator on his ‘Flower Boy’ album, and appearing in backing bands for Skepta. Oh, and he put out his second LP, ‘Apricot Princess’, last year, which has truly catapulted him from one-to-watch territory to one-to-never-take-your-eye-off, not even for a second. Why does he deserve my undivided attention?He makes music for those stomach-flipping moments when you start properly falling for someone; all big declarations of emotion, crippling self-doubts and reflecting on past relationships. And what’s more exciting than new love? OK, but what about the music?It’s not just the lyrics that have a romantic effect. ‘Apricot Princess’ begins with an elegant string section that makes you feel like you’re in the embassy ball scene from ‘My Fair Lady’, even if you’ve been hitting the sesh hard. Plus, the 2017 record has so many varying influences (indie, soul, jazz, Latin, hip hop, R&B, and more) you could make an excellent drinking game out of it. Sounds great. W

Who?Sophie Hawley-Weld and Tucker Halpern. (See what they did there?). Just a couple of friends from New York currently causing a fuss with their ‘jungle-pop’. Jungle-pop, you say…Or what your average person might call dance-influenced, Portuguese-infused pop with tropical vibes. Oh, and their songs are ridiculously catchy – they’ve got a knack for crafting nagging hooks that you think have finally left your head, only for them to crawl back in when you’re least expecting it. Where does the Portuguese part come in?Sometimes Sophie sings in Portuguese – she studied the language at Brown University, where the pair met. Don’t worry if you don’t speak the linguagem, though: the focus on tracks such as housey ‘Drinkee’ isn’t so much on the words, as on the loose, percussive sounds. It does sound pretty great, though. Gotcha. So what’s their story?They met at a college event in their final year, where Sophie was playing bossa nova and Tucker was DJing. He asked if he could remix one of her songs and, next thing you know, they’re Grammy nominees (for ‘Drinkee’ in 2017) and soundtracking last year’s iPhone X advert with their recent single ‘Best Friend’. Not bad going, if you ask us. Huh. So, they’re going to be a big deal?Looks like it. They’ve already been building up quite a rep in the US, thanks to late-night TV appearances and their infectious live shows. If you like to move, you’ll love their gigs, where the emphasis is on fun and dancing – to the point where even the band brin

They don’t look like you’d find them on a farm…Far from it. This Rough Trade-signed four-piece are from the very urban climes of south London (Peckham, to be precise). The name doesn’t even have anything to do with those farmyard dwelling creatures – the band got their moniker from comedian Bill Hicks’s ‘Goat Boy’ character. Does his humour pervade their music too?You can definitely hear traces of Hicks’s satire and social commentary in their songs. ‘Scum’, in particular, is a cutting piece that opens with singer Clottie Cream asking ‘How can an entire nation be so fucking thick?’ Hold on… Clottie Cream?Yep. The four band members all have nicknames like that. Clottie (or Lottie, as her parents probably call her) is joined by LED (guitarist Ellie), Naima Jelly (bassist Naima) and Rosy Bones (drummer Rosy). Cool epithets, deriding lyrics – they must be a punk band?They’ve definitely got some punk spirit to them, but their music is a little harder to pin down by genre. Recent B-side ‘Mighty Despair’ is a sparse song that feels like they’ve strayed into dance music territory (albeit very skeletal and gloomy) via a ton of hi-hat, and debut single ‘Country Sleaze’ is glorious, grubby garage-rock. Where can I hear more?Currently, you’ll have to make do with four songs (the aforementioned three, plus the hypnotic ‘Crow Cries’), but we should be getting an album next year. Keep your fingers crossed and get down to what’s bound to be a sweaty, sharp night at Corsica Studios on November

Young who? Young M.A, otherwise known as Katorah Marrero. This 25-year-old Brooklyn-born rapper has swapped shifts flipping gourmet burgers at Shake Shack and selling discount clothes at TJ Maxx for the road to rap stardom. How close to being a star is she? She’s well on her way. M.A’s gone from self-funding her own recording sessions to racking up over 113 million Spotify streams for her debut single ‘OOOUUU’. Everyone from Nicki Minaj, A$AP Ferg and hip hop royalty Remy Ma have since put out their own remixes of the trappy ode to cutting loose in the club. Lee Daniels even created a character in ‘Empire’ just for her, but she turned the role down, preferring to be known for being herself. Trust us, she’s going to be big. Impressive, but what’s so special about her? She’s as versatile as they come – early track ‘Body Bag’ was a fiery cut that could end any rap battle, while the aforementioned ‘OOOUUU’ is more hedonistic than heated. She’s also a rapper who’s studied her art. We don’t mean a degree in hip hop, but M.A is an artist who holds what’s come before in reverence, absorbs it and uses it to make her craft even better. That’s not even mentioning how she’s completely honest and open in her music without ever making herself vulnerable. Where can I hear more? She just released the ‘Herstory’ EP in the US – seven tracks of confident, cheeky and colossally cool rap – while her 2015 mixtape ‘Sleepwalkin’’ is available on YouTube. She’ll be making an appearance at this year’s

Savior isn't her real name, right?Wrong. Savior is genuinely this Portland singer-songwriter’s middle name. And true to her name, she’s here to save us from beige pop music. How is she doing that?It helps that her songs have a feeling of pure magic about them, all supreme elegance and old Hollywood glamour, even when she’s flippantly singing lines such as ‘We sing songs about whatever the fuck she wants’, in ‘Mirage’. Is she the new Lana Del Rey?There are certainly similarities, but where Del Rey is mostly fuelled by stories of tragic love, Savior opts for playful character studies. Sometimes those are tales of romance, but they’re also full of wry humour, as in the ever-relatable ‘Shades’: ‘Like when you’re looking for your shades/Rifling through your pockets/And you find them on your face.’ We’ve all been there. Okay, I'm intrigued. Tell me more.You might have heard her name in passing before, specifically around the release of The Last Shadow Puppets’ second album, ‘Everything You’ve Come to Expect’, last year. She co-wrote one of that record’s highlights, ‘Miracle Aligner’, with Alex Turner, who also worked with her on her own exquisitely titled upcoming album, ‘Belladonna of Sadness’. Impressive. So is the new album basically 'Everything You've Come to Expect' part two?In a word, no. It does share that very laidback Californian vibe ghat makes you feel like you’re cruising down the Pacific Coast Highway or through the desert. But it’s also full of its own unique moments,