Rosemary Waugh

Lisbon is the city for aesthetes. Or rather, it’s the city for anyone who has ever accidentally walked into a lamppost, fallen down the curb or tripped over thin air trying to take the perfect shot of urban beauty. From massive monasteries to those gorgeous rambling streets and – oh! – the interiors of the churches, this city is a visual feast and then some. So where better to find somewhere equally lavish and artfully decked out to stay in than the Portuguese capital? When so many of a city’s hotels are, quite literally, named after palaces, you know you’re onto a winner when it comes to luxury accommodation options. We’ve rounded up a long-ish list of our favourites, including some longtime faves and a few characterful newbies. Trust us, you won’t be disappointed. Updated March 2025: We've updated our list with two five-star hotels: the well-named EPIC SANA Lisboa Hotel and the literary-loving Books & Wine boutique hotel.  RECOMMENDED:The best things to do in LisbonThe best Airbnbs in LisbonThe best boutique hotels in Lisbon Who makes the cut? While we might not stay in every hotel featured below, we've based our list on top reviews and amenities to find you the best stays. This article includes affiliate links. These links have no influence on our editorial content. For more information, see our affiliate guidelines.

Most trips to the Pacific Northwest stop or end in Seattle, and for good reason. The home of grunge is an indie darling packed with incredible restaurants, so many things to do and a list of attractions that call for more than a quick weekend getaway. The next question on your mind must be: Where do I stay? Let’s talk options: From luxury chains to hip boutique properties to historical accommodations, there’s a Seattle hotel that’s right for you. Your search for somewhere to lay your head down (preferably on a soft, fluffy pillow) starts here with our list of the best hotels in Seattle from Downtown to Belltown and beyond.RECOMMENDED: Rent one of the best Airbnbs in SeattleHead to the best bars in SeattleVisit the best parks in SeattleCheck out the best cheap hotels in Seattle Who makes the cut? While we might not stay in every hotel featured, we've based our list on top reviews, hosts and amenities to find you the best stays. This article includes affiliate links. These links have no influence on our editorial content. For more information, see our affiliate guidelines.

If you've ever stayed in a boutique hotel, then you know they're the real deal when it comes to creating a more unique and tailored experience during your stay – it's the middle ground between a B&B and a hotel, and in some cases even fancier. Of course, this is Paris we're talking about, a city never lacking in wow factor when it comes to exceptional restaurants, architecture, museums and things to do, so beautiful boutiques are just another on the list. Whether you're honeymooning in Paris for the weekend, you're visiting with friends or flying solo, do Paris in style. It'd be criminal not to… RECOMMENDED:🇫🇷 Check out the best Airbnbs in Paris💶 See our list of budget hotels in Paris 🥖 Paris's hippest neighbourhoods to stay in Who makes the cut? While we might not stay in every hotel featured below, we've based our list on top reviews and amenities to find you the best stays. This article includes affiliate links. These links have no influence on our editorial content. For more information, see our affiliate guidelines.

If your dream Parisian trip involves swoon-worthy architecture, savings-emptying shopping, and waistband-expanding eating, then look no further than the Marais. This centrally-located neighbourhood in the 4th arrondissement combines its multifaceted history – which includes being Paris’s former Jewish quarter – with the type of constant reinvention needed to keep it feeling like a genuinely great place to spend time. Stay here and you’re surrounded by the city’s best galleries, museums, restaurants, and a host of LGBTQ+-friendly venues (plus some excellent falafel and kosher bakeries). Perhaps unsurprisingly, the hotels around here live up to the same levels of design-led, hipster chic as the area itself. We’ve picked our favourites, including a contender for ‘Paris’s sexiest hotel’ and – naturally – a hotel named after a Truffaut film. Enjoy! Updated March 2025: Because Paris is the gift that keeps on giving we've chimed in with yet another hotel that should be on your list, the very button-cute Maison Saintonge. Looking for more options? 🛏 Check out the best Paris Airbnbs🏨 or stay in the best hotels in Paris🇫🇷 Take your pick of these Paris walking tours Another fabulous district to stay in? These are the best hotels in Opéra Garnier. Who makes the cut? While we might not stay in every hotel featured, we've based our list on top reviews, hosts and amenities to find you the best stays. This article includes affiliate links. These links have no influence on our editorial

Elegant, artistic, and effortlessly liveable, Vienna is not called the 'City of Dreams' for nothing. It's a vibrant cultural capital where grand palaces meet cutting-edge design, and where classical music shares space with contemporary art and coffeehouse culture. From Mozart’s legacy and the masterpieces inside the city’s world-class museums to the buzz of Vienna’s boozy nightlife and the charm of its Christmas markets, this is a city that satisfies every kind of traveller. Whether it’s your first time in Vienna, or a returning visit, you’ll want to be able to live like a local to truly soak up the Austrian vibes. We’ve rounded up the best Airbnbs in the city, from studios with roof terraces to stunning flats next to the Danube River that will let you experience the best of the capital.  Time Out tip: If you're driving while in Vienna, you'll need to add the HANDYPARKEN app to your itinerary – it will come in handy.  Updated October 2025: We’ve added a gorgeous studio with a balcony overlooking Vienna so you can really see what this magnificent city is all about. Best Airbnbs in Vienna at a glance 👨‍👨‍👧‍👧Best for families: The loft with a balcony in Währing 🥰Best for couples: The historic apartment near the Danube 🏛️Best location: The retro apartment in Alliiertenviertel RECOMMENDED: 🇦🇹Fancy staying in one of the best hotels in Vienna?🏛Check our list of the best things to do in Vienna Who makes the cut? While we might not stay in and review every Airbnb featured

Bali is bustling with hotel options - seriously, it’s kind of overwhelming. From luxurious beachside resorts, perfect for honeymoon escapes, to secluded hilltop retreats with all the necessities for a solo traveller, the options are as diverse as the island itself. If you’re feeling adventurous, you could book multiple Bali hotels and explore different vibes throughout your stay. Sure, it takes a bit of planning, but trust us, it’s worth it.  Basically, what we’re trying to say is that no matter where you land, Bali’s got you covered with stunning rice terraces, wild jungle escapades, and those Instagram-worthy white sandy beaches. The only thing that might outnumber the amazing hotels here is the list of fantastic things to do. To help you plan the perfect adventure, our team of local editors and travellers have handpicked our top Bali hotels. Whether you’re eyeing the surfers’ paradise, Canggu, discovering tranquillity in Ubud, or diving into Seminyak’s vibrant scene, we’ve narrowed down the choices to save you valuable time. So, pack your bags, soak up the sun, and get ready to experience the unique blend of natural beauty and culture that Bali offers.  RECOMMENDED: ☀️ Click here to learn the 19 best things to do in Bali🏠 Check out the best Airbnbs in Bali🌴 Discover the best hotels in Ubud🏖️ Explore the best hotels in Seminyak Where to stay in Bali Who makes the cut? While we might not stay in every hotel featured below, we've based our list on top reviews and ameniti

Whatever your vibe (and whatever your budget), London’s got it all – and anyone will find something they love here. Historic pubs, leafy parks and gardens and an unmatched restaurant scene make this city worth visiting year-round, but before you’ve booked anything in London, you kind of have to know where you’re going to be based. To get you started, we’ve rounded up the city’s best Airbnbs available to book right now, with expert tips from our local editors.  Should I choose an Airbnb or a hotel in London? London is not short on lovely hotels, ranging from budget to luxury and just about everything in between. But it’s fair to say that even the cheaper options cost a pretty penny – and you’ll often find them in more central, touristy areas in the city. If you want to live like a Londoner, an Airbnb can allow you to properly immerse yourself in a more residential area of London – and all the locally-loved bars, pubs and restaurants that come with it. You’ll find lots of our local tips below, but for a detailed breakdown of the best neighbourhoods to stay in London, check out our ultimate area guide. More of a hotels guy? No problem. Here’s our list of the best hotels in London.  📍 RECOMMENDED: Ultimate guide to the best hotels and Airbnbs in London Who makes the cut? While we might not stay in and review every Airbnb featured, our writers have based our list on expert knowledge of the destination covered, editorial reviews, user reviews, amenities and in-depth research to

We know, we know. NYC is already an incredibly romantic city. With all those legendary sights, how could it not be? But don’t underestimate the power of a hotel to make the city even more amorous. Just think about it: NYC’s classically romantic backdrop plays host to fancy restaurants, hot tubs and massages. It’s enough to seduce even the sternest of New Yorkers. Of course, you can’t put a price on love – but if you could, these hotels are great places to start. Updated December 2024: When we updated a list, you know it’s worth getting excited about – especially when we’ve added two hotels to really get you in the mood: an Art Deco stunner and a Soho institution with a very special bar. RECOMMENDED: Full guide to the best hotels in NYCThe most romantic hotels in the U.S. Who makes the cut? While we might not stay in every hotel featured, we've based our list on top reviews, hosts and amenities to find you the best stays. This article includes affiliate links. These links have no influence on our editorial content. For more information, see our affiliate guidelines. 

Fresh flowers are such a versatile gift. From graduations to housewarmings to baby showers to a ‘congrats’ on their new job, they’re great for marking every occasion. So why not put a little extra effort in and swap the ones down at your local Co-op for a bespoke floral bouquet delivered straight to their door? That does sound appealing. And it is. Nothing says 'I love you' like surprising them with a gorgeous hand-delivered bunch even if the postman sees them in PJs. Order a bountiful bouquet that makes the most of the season's blooms and has the added bonus of coming from an online florist who will make your life as easy as a few clicks (and some credit card details). These are the best flower delivery services in Manchester. Bloom away! This article includes affiliate links. These links have no influence on our editorial content. For more information, click here.

Sure, New York City has its charm—the food, the theatre, the endless energy. But sometimes, amidst the city that never sleeps, we all need a decent bit of shut-eye, right? That's where an off-grid escape comes into play. Picture this: you, comfortably nestled on a plush couch next to a crackling wood-burning fire, sipping on an endless supply of hot cocoa topped with generous heaps of whipped cream and marshmallows—it's the stuff of dreams, isn't it? If you're nodding in agreement, it's time to bid farewell to the Big Apple and embark on a journey to a cozy cabin outside the city. These hidden gems—tucked away in lush forests, perched on majestic mountaintops, and surrounded by picturesque hiking trails and tranquil lakes—are the ultimate recipe for a snug and intimate getaway. Some even come with fire pits, inviting hot tubs and the precious gift of solitude. Get ready for a delightful exploration of the coziest cabin Airbnb options around. Updated March 2025: To bring you the freshest holiday rentals, we're always on the lookout for guest favorites and rare stays that are normally booked out – including an over-the-water cabin with a glass floor in the living room! RECOMMENDED: 🚕 See our full guide to weekend getaways from NYC⛷ Check out the best Airbnbs for a ski getaway from NYC🪵 Discover the best Airbnbs with fireplaces in NYC🛣️ Explore the best road trips from NYC❤️ Check out the most romantic Airbnbs near NYC Who makes the cut? While we might not stay in every Airb

Ready to head to California on a road trip or for a few days' break to see what the Golden State has to offer? While 'something for everyone' is definitely overused, it's simply true – California really does have it all. It has some of the best restaurants and attractions in the country plus beautiful beaches, rugged national forests and national parks, vast deserts, and stunning mountains. But on your trip, you'll need somewhere to rest your head, so where to begin? Want to commune with nature? Go all in with a mountainside yurt or a treehouse in the forest. If you’re feeling the artsy vibe, try an artist’s loft in Los Angeles. Alternatively, those looking for the baller lifestyle might consider a stay in a luxury beachside villa. Solitude seekers will love chilling in a homesteader cabin in the desert. The possibilities are endless. Whatever your reason is for visiting, these California Airbnbs are some of the best. However, if you’re not down with the quirky nature of these options, there’s always our list of the best hotels in California to help you out. RECOMMENDED: 🌴 Best things to do in California🏠 Best Airbnbs in San Francisco🏠 Best Airbnbs in Los Angeles🏠 Best Airbnbs in San Diego Who makes the cut? While we might not stay in and review every Airbnb featured, we've based our list on our expert knowledge of the destination covered, editorial reviews, user reviews, hotel amenities, and in-depth research to find you the best stays. This article includes affiliate l

Southern California is like a magnet for folks seeking cozy getaways, and it’s easy to see why. The region boasts stunning landscapes, picturesque coastlines and tons of outdoor activities. Whether you’re drawn to the stark beauty of the desert or the tranquility of the mountains, SoCal offers it all. Los Angeles, the sprawling metropolis at the heart of the area, perfectly blends urban vibrancy with natural beauty. There’s the trademark Hollywood-driven glitz and glamour nearby, but you’re also within reach of some of the most incredible hiking trails and scenic vistas in the United States—it’s like having the best of both worlds. But if the city’s hustle and bustle isn’t your scene, don’t worry. The areas around Los Angeles offer loads of comfy accommodations for a laid-back getaway. Airbnb cabins in the region are renowned for providing inviting spaces perfect for relaxation. Whether you’re unwinding on a comfy couch with a glass of wine, snuggled up in warm blankets, or soaking up the serenity of nature on your cabin’s deck, the options are as diverse as the landscapes you’ll explore. To help you plan your ideal escape, we’ve carefully selected some of the best Airbnb cabins for a getaway around Los Angeles. From rustic desert lodges to tranquil mountain retreats, we like to think there’s something for every traveler’s taste and preference. RECOMMENDED:    The best things to do in Los Angeles🌳The best secluded Airbnbs near Los Angeles☀️The best beachfront Airbnbs in Lo

The Gainsborough Bath Spa is a spa hotel. Sorry, read that again: The Gainsborough Bath Spa is a spa hotel. Not a hotel-with-a-spa, but a spa hotel whose entire raison d’etre is its beautiful suite of treatment rooms and the accompanying glass-roofed bath house. This isn’t somewhere to consider taking a quick dip one empty afternoon on holiday, it’s where you come to feel righteously annoyed whenever life drags you away from the thermal waters.  The hotel lays claim to two ‘firsts’. One, it’s the only hotel in the country to have access to real thermal spa waters (the very same ones for which Bath is famous), which are enriched with a semi-magical blend of minerals renowned for an endless list of health-giving benefits. Two, it’s the first UK hotel from the YTL group who pioneered the Spa Village model at locations across Asia, combining local remedies and traditions with contemporary super-high-luxe bathing trends. Purely for reasons of journalistic integrity (yes, really), I opted for the spa’s most luxurious treatment: the Golden Massage. Centred on the healing properties of gold, it starts with a full-body exfoliation using a floral-scented sugar scrub that smelled like my grandma’s dressing table (that, my friends, is a very good thing). Hanna, the spa’s understandably most in-demand therapist, then gave me what I call a ‘proper massage’ using gold-infused oil. Not your average, silky-smooth spa massage, but a genuine bone-realigning, knot-untangling muscle-melter - but

Sugar and spice and all things nice: that’s what this hotel is made from. Situated midway down Great Pulteney Street (aka Bath’s second-most-famous street), No. 15 by GuestHouse augments its inherent Georgian elegance with a predilection for all things feminine. Buttery-soft pinks, sandy beiges and that Millennial favourite, rose-gold, are used liberally throughout the bedrooms and wider building. Other cute decorative twists include old-timey dolls’ houses to encase the tea-and-coffee stations and framed embroideries in the bathrooms, which also feature beautiful ceramic washbasins and oh-so-deep freestanding bathtubs. If you wanted somewhere for a genuinely decent (and sophisticated) version of a - whisper it - ‘hen’ weekend, this is your place. It’s not as flat-out-fancy as some Bath hotels, but its low-key aura is very much part of its charm. Dinner is served in the cosy bar which, true to form, has dried flower installations and glass tables filled with vintage dressing-up jewellery and trinkets. The menu skirts the line between wholesome and indulgent, with the burnt orange and sheep’s cheese salad, and the harissa cauliflower, being real highlights. But leave space for grabbing some treats, including theatre-interval-sized ice creams and homemade vegan brownies, from the complimentary pantries for in-room nibbling (possibly in the bath).  But its absolute best bit is hidden below ground. Never stay here without booking into the perfectly proportioned basement spa. The

A best-kept-secret of a boutique hotel and spa nestled right in the centre of Bath's most famous street Bath is beautiful. But Bath is also busy. And as much as we love sharing the city with, well, everyone, sometimes the ratio of tourists to square footage of street space can get a little intense. Which is what makes this five-star boutique hotel particularly alluring. It’s located in the bull’s-eye centre of the Royal Crescent and yet it somehow – somehow – maintains the feel of being a hidden gem. Here’s how it does it: Step inside the cooling lobby with its painted vistas of tree-lined parkland and serenity descends like a weighted blanket dropped from the high ceiling. The front of house staff are put-you-at-ease chatty but the sound you hear loudest is a deeply inviting silence: the song of total off-line peace. There are 45 bespoke rooms, including 11 individually decorated suites, all taking their lead from the building’s history but subtly deviating. I stayed in the Royal Crescent Suite (aka Room 19), a three-room riot of royal blue and white stylings outlined in red, with the centrepiece of a nest-like four-poster bed, excellent skyline shots and a vertiginous downward view of the spiral staircase. Best of all, thanks to the wonders of Georgian architecture and airflow, it didn’t have that overheated or over-air conned stagnant sensation as many hotels do. [Side note: hidden in the wardrobe was a Dyson hairdryer, the singularly best cosmetic invention ever. Ever.] B

A state-of-Brexit-Britain portmanteau film is exactly the kind of well-meaning project that could result in a lot of on-the-nose cringeworthiness. But ‘The Uncertain Kingdom’, a collection of 20 shorts made by 20 different filmmaking teams (each with a budget of £10,000), is a largely brilliant, subtle and multifaceted group of timely films. Comprised of documentaries, fictional dramas, animations and a smattering of comedy (ten of the total 20 were shown at the press viewing), the collective aim of ‘The Uncertain Kingdom’ is to give a fair and unjudgmental hearing to the wildly different experiences of UK citizens, from second-generation immigrants in the South East connecting with their heritage through their names, to food bank users in a freezing, dilapidated Blackpool. Highlights include Siân Docksey and Sophie King’s ‘Swan’, a funny slice of satire about an Englishman who voluntarily takes the ‘advanced citizenship test’ and, after passing with flying colours, is granted the honour of being turned into a stunning white swan. Equally, Paul Frankl’s fable-like story of a Bolivian mother trying to save her son’s life with the help of a mystical tree is a compelling bit of magic realism. But the best are ‘Verisimilitude’ (written by Justin Edgar), in which the brilliant Ruth Madeley plays Bella, an actress and wheelchair user employed to tutor a pretentious, non-disabled actor who has to perform as a disabled character on screen, and Hope Dickson Leach’s ‘Strong is Better T

'Afterplay' is cancelled due to Covid-19 A man enters a Moscow café after a hard day’s rehearsal at the city’s opera house. He’s working on Puccini’s ‘La Bohème’ under the guidance of a draconian German conductor, while a teenaged protégé steals the limelight as Mimi. Or is he? Brian Friel’s slight-but-slightly-lovely one-act play is filled with ‘untruths’. The violinist, Andrey (Rory Keenan), and the woman he meets in the café, Sonya (Mariah Gale), are snatched from Anton Chekhov’s ‘Three Sisters’ and ‘Uncle Vanya’. Over thin cabbage soup and semi-fresh bread (him) and cold tea with vodka added to it (her), they construct the stories of their existences. Andrey’s is full of flagrant lies, while Sonya’s is subtly but significantly altered to protect her emotions. For people familiar with Chekhov, Andrey and Sonya start off seeming like pleasantly changed characters. Andrey, pampered and irresponsible in ‘Three Sisters’, appears driven and creative. Sonya, who in ‘Uncle Vanya’ deserves to be called ‘poor Sonya’ for how life always serves her shrivelled, juiceless lemons, also has the markings of a more together person. Seated at the table with her calculations and papers, laced into schoolmarm boots, there’s a no-frills modernity to her 1920s persona. But the most Chekhovian thing of all about Friel’s play is how nothing has changed one bit. Andrey and Sonya (both peripheral characters in their original plays), are eventually forced back to their familiar narratives: she’s cru

Merce Cunningham’s game-changing radicalisation of dance demands an approach to documenting it that goes beyond the traditional. So, director Alla Kovgan’s visual-heavy, 3D attempt makes a lot of sense. For the American choreographer (1919-2009), dance was not a representation of something else, it simply was ‘the thing’, with every interpretation an audience placed on it equally valid. Arguably, then, the best documentary of his output would just be the dances themselves because Cunningham never intended to create work with some kind of ‘story’ hidden behind it. Kovgan basically honours this with a collage of restaged dances in woodlands, concert halls and glass-encased architecture, plus short bits of footage from the earlier stages of Cunningham’s career (1944-1972), including the establishment of the now world-famous company bearing his name. This documentary could never be accused of not letting the dance speak for itself – indeed, the historic and new segments of body-stockinged dancers moving with undulating, freewheeling motions to John Cage’s atonal music are by far the best parts of the film. But the whole thing suffers from relying too heavily on the familiar (and familiarly boring) narrative of: ‘maverick is panned by critics’ followed by ‘world catches up to maverick’s genius’. There’s also crushingly little interrogation of Cunningham’s practice or in-depth analysis of his evolution as a choreographer and dancer. For regulars in the Sadler’s Wells audience, ther

The Victorians: buttoned-up, sermonising, empire-loving sexophobes. And their art? Sentimental pictures of big-eyed children and bigger-eyed spaniels, right? Well, #NotAllVictorians. Aubrey Beardsley (1872-1898) did things differently. His slinky black-and-white drawings are filled with sex and death and… well, sex and death mainly. Associated with Oscar Wilde – he produced the illustrations for Wilde’s ‘Salomé’ – Beardsley’s images caused a fair amount of scandal. They also titillated and thrilled, and while it would be false to imagine Victorians up and down the land plastering their bedroom walls with Beardsley soft porn (rather than imagining a smallish group of bourgie art-loving Londoners consuming it), the simple existence of it beautifully disrupts what we think we know about the Victorians. This gorgeous retrospective covers pretty much everything Beardsley did, from early medievalist and mythological subjects through to illustrations for The Yellow Book (a quarterly arts publication) and explicit pictures of Ancient Greeks getting frisky. The earlier pieces are similar to Edward Burne-Jones’s work but while Burne-Jones was crushingly bad at depicting feet, Beardsley is king at drawing heels (an underrated talent if ever there was one). The small curve of flesh below the ankle is, perhaps, the sexiest thing of all in his artworks. The obviously sexy pics, meanwhile – the ones with the extra-large cocks and the woman having a powder puff popped between her bum cheek

If Richard Curtis had decided to make indie theatre instead of films, his output might well have looked a little like Sally Abbott’s ‘I Think We Are Alone’. Co-directed by Kathy Burke and Scott Graham, the sweetly sincere – but overly simplistic – play presents a patchwork quilt of London, each square filled with a character. There’s the black mum from Lewisham who’s massively proud of her son for getting to Cambridge, but forgets to ask if her dreams make him as happy as they make her. There’s the white cabbie who recently lost his wife and just wants a passenger who will talk to him, even if it’s so he can tell them the slightly awkward story about the time ‘an Arab’ gave him a £250 tip. There’s the saintly cancer patient who prefers visualisation techniques and positive thinking to ever being angry about her condition. And, finally, there are the two estranged sisters, one working as a chipper hospice nurse and the other as an insomniac HR manager. Swirled into the mix are constant reminders of death and loneliness. Both sisters seek release through getting wasted, one in a blaring techno club and the other at a smart-casual large-glass-of-Picpoul-de-Pinet bar. The Lewisham mother, Josie (played by a brilliant Chizzy Akudolu), talks openly about her dead dog, but can’t even start to process her dead dad. But these people never become more than neat archetypes of different walks of life. Instead of watching a collection of complex, indefinable humans, we’re presented with a

William Shakespeare’s final – and possibly weirdest – play is set mainly on a far-flung island. Its main character, Prospero, is a sorcerer, one of his companions is a sprite named Ariel, and its title refers to a conjured storm. Especially when compared to his weighty history plays, this is Shakespeare in fantasy mode, his Jacobean toe-dipping in the waters JRR Tolkien and others would fully dive into centuries later. Tom Littler’s production for the pint-sized Jermyn Street Theatre hints at the mythological storytelling elements of the play by opening the show in a room lined with rows of books, wooden carvings and an old-fashioned toy boat with handkerchief sails. When Prospero (Michael Pennington) and his daughter Miranda (Kirsty Bushell) first start talking, it could easily be the set-up for an expanded storytime, in which the grave Pennington simply narrates the whole piece from the comfort of his study. The inspiration for the production, in fact, is the artist Paul Gauguin’s travels in Tahiti, although you wouldn’t necessarily know that from simply watching it (perhaps a good thing, given how hugely problematic Gauguin’s output from his Tahitian period is). Instead, the whole thing plays out as a largely traditional, albeit small-scale, staging of the story. The only really notable part is how foregrounded Whitney Kehinde’s Ariel – and her relationship with Prospero – is. Her role in thwarting Prospero’s enemies and controlling the run of events often makes her a more

Antoinette Nwandu’s ‘Pass Over’ is like a radical rewriting of Samuel Beckett’s ‘Waiting for Godot’, with the aged homeless men, Estragon and Vladimir, switched for two young black men, Moses and Kitch, who pass repetitive days on a street corner under an elevated train track. But while Nwandu echoes Beckett’s blend of sharp, crackling comedy and utter despair, there is one major, crucial difference to her play. Beckett’s tramps existed inside an anywhere, anytime vacuum; Nwandu’s young men are grounded in a reality that’s horrifically recognisable. Paapa Essiedu’s Moses and Gershwyn Eustache Jnr’s Kitch kill time through ritualised jokes, routines and daydreams. They tease and playfight; get angry at each other’s presence; and share their imagined versions of heaven, listing its rewards like kids writing to Santa Claus. There’s a beautiful tenderness to their exchanges, the way there often is just below the bantering, back-chatting surface of guys’ friendship. And, as the sun comes up each day, they discuss how they’re going to leave this spot, get up from this kerb and ‘fulfil their potential’. Yet the thing keeping them on the kerb isn’t their motivational skills or a ride out of there, but the lurking presence of the white police officers who keep shooting men like them. Eustache Jnr’s Kitch is the softer of the pair, the one who is more willing to keep playing their childish games each day and who is more instinctively trusting of the bizarre, hyper-American stranger (Al

This show opens with a black blob. An inky, scrawly, looming lump of damp mountainside, like a geological metaphor for impending doom. And from there, it doesn’t get much lighter. Léon Spilliaert was born in Ostend, Belgium, in 1881. He spent most of his life between there and Brussels, and his gothicky, wobbly paintings are filled with the frigid features of the local landscape. The strongest sense conveyed is how freaking freezing it is. Every tiny figure is battered by a bitter wind, each hunched-over human a drastically poor opponent when pitted against the elements. His favoured medium of fuzzy Indian ink washes and gouache makes everything look like it’s viewed through the evening mizzle. This neatly comprehensive exhibition moves through the themes of Spilliaert’s career, including the Symbolist-ish illustrations he made for a couple of books and his woe-is-me self-portraits. But Spilliaert was remarkably consistent. He found his niche and stuck to it. And that niche was: desolation. These are sad, gloomy, lonely images in which even the women he idolises turn their back on poor Léon. There are paintings titled ‘Alone’ and ‘Misery’ (the latter showing a bit of black cloth dripping from a droopy clothes line). The most obvious artistic comparison is with Edvard Munch, but whereas the painter of ‘The Scream’ slapped his bare soul across the canvas, spreading existential angst like Marmite, Spilliaert gives only a sense of emptiness. And that’s the essential problem of

Florencia Cordeu spends a considerable portion of ‘Autoreverse’ in a hazmat suit, the kind a person wears on a nuclear site or at a fresh crime scene. She breathes through a surgical mask and snaps on latex gloves before delving into a box. The cassette tapes she picks out are each in their own zipped plastic sandwich bag, like pieces of evidence.The set-up works as a visual metaphor for Cordeu’s whole autobiographical performance. The past needs preserving in small, sealed chunks before it disintegrates; it also risks contaminating the present, spreading like buried radiation detected years later with a Geiger counter.Cordeu and her family fled Argentina for Chile when she was one year old to escape the military dictatorship. Her uncle is one of the ‘disappeared’ citizens thought to have been murdered by the regime, although her family have never fully understood what happened to him.This one-woman show, co-created and directed by Omar Elerian, makes heavy use of cassette-tape recordings of family life before and after they left Argentina. They contain the usual childhood episodes such as make-believe games with superheroes, a funny anecdote involving a very fat cat falling on to the roof of a soft-top car and reflections on the adults’ secretive political life.It’s palpable how much this show means to Cordeu and how it’s part of her quest to make sense of the missing men, country and memories in her life. There are some lovely small passages evoking South America: the peach

Theatre The blockbuster ‘The Burnt City’ Punchdrunk are the gods of immersive theatre, their intense, gloomy, hyperdetailed epics making most other immersive theatre shows look like glorified fancy dress parties… which to be fair, they basically are. After a long absence from the UK, Punchdrunk returned in 2022 with their gargantuan Trojan War epic ‘The Burnt City’.One Cartridge Place, Woolwich. Until Apr 16 2023. From £56.50. The Insta fave ‘The Great Gatsby’ Party like it’s Prohibition with a visit to the immersive version of F Scott Fitzgerald’s novel. Guests are encouraged to fully embrace the 1920s vibe with flapper-style clothing and plenty of bootleg booze. London’s longest-running immersive show, it finally leaves town early in 2023 as its building is being redeveloped, though a comeback is possible.Immersive LDN. Until Jan 7 2023. From £41. The niche one ‘The Witches of Oz’ The Vaults has carved out an unexpected niche as a home for queer immersive dinner theatre fabulousness. ‘The Witches of Oz’ sees the team behind improbable smash ‘Mulan Rouge’ – that's a mash-up of ‘Mulan’ and ‘Moulin Rouge!’ – join forces for a brand new show riffing off Frank L Baum’s ‘Oz’ books that follows the adventures of Dorothey in an enchanted kingdom. The Vaults. Booking to Jan 14. From £20, or £45 dining. Photograph: Christoph Bolten Art The blockbuster ‘Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience’ From ‘The Starry Night’ to those joyful sunflowers, this 360-degree VR experience takes you in

This trip down the rabbit hole was set to be one of London’s cultural highlights last summer. The V&A’s highly anticipated ‘Alice: Curiouser and Curiouser’ exhibition was due to welcome fans in June 2020, but for obvious reasons, its opening was delayed. The immersive show will now debut this very weekend.  Designed by the award-winning Tom Piper, creator of the Tower of London’s poppies installation, ‘Alice: Curiouser and Curiouser’ will chart our continued devotion to all things Alice over the past 157 years.   Zenaida Yanowsky as the Red Queen, and artists of the Royal Ballet in The Royal Ballet production of ‘Alice's Adventures in Wonderland’ © Johan Persson/ Royal Opera House / ArenaPAL   We now know the displays will feature the original concept art for Disney’s 1951 animated version, plus sketches and costumes from Tim Burton’s deliciously weird 2010 film. These include Johnny Depp’s Mad Hatter outfit and Mia Wasikowska’s Alice costume, both designed by the Oscar-winning Colleen Atwood.  © Victoria and Albert Museum, London.jpg Other star attractions from the 300-plus items on display are John Tenniel’s iconic original illustrations for Lewis Carroll’s story and sketches by Ralph Steadman, former collaborator of Hunter S Thompson. Photographs by Tim Walker are also going to be on show, plus fashion designs by Vivienne Westwood and Viktor & Rolf. For more details and to book tickets, click here. Check out the V&A’s kimono exhibition online.For even more of a trip, t

ウサギの穴から始まる不思議の国への旅は、この夏のロンドンで見逃せないイベントの一つになるはずだった。しかし、2020年6月に予定されていたヴィクトリア＆アルバート博物館における「不思議の国のアリス」をテーマにした展覧会『Alice: Curiouser and Curiouser』の開催が、2021年3月末まで延期されることになった。 この展覧会は157年にわたり愛されてきた『不思議の国のアリス』の全てを網羅。展示のデザインを担当したのは、ロンドン塔でのポピーを使ったインスタレーションなどの仕事で知られるトム・パイパーだ。   Zenaida Yanowsky as the Red Queen, and artists of the Royal Ballet in in The Royal Ballet production of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, choreographed by Christopher Wheeldon, to music by Joby Talbot, with set and costume designs by Bob Crowley. Premiered at The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden on 25 February 2011. ARPDATA ; ALICES ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND ; Music by Talbot ; Zenaida Yanowsky (as the Red Queen) ; The Royal Ballet ; At the Royal Opera House, London, UK ; 25 February 2011; Credit: Royal Opera House / ArenaPALJohan Persson     展示の目玉は、ディズニーが1951年に公開したアニメ作品のために制作されたコンセプトアートの原画。また、ティム・バートンが監督した2010年公開の映画『アリス・イン・ワンダーランド』のスケッチのほか、デザイナーのコリーン・アトウッドがデザインし、ジョニー・デップが演じた帽子屋やミア・ワシコウスカが演じたアリスが着てオスカーを獲得した衣装もフィーチャー。さらに、ジョン・テニエルがルイス・キャロルの原作本のために描いた挿絵の原画、ハンター・S・トンプソンとの仕事で知られるラルフ・ステッドマンによるスケッチ、ティム・ウォーカーによる写真、ヴィヴィアン・ウエストウッドやヴィクター＆ロルフによるファッションデザイン作品など、300点を超える展示物が一堂に会する。   © Victoria and Albert Museum, London.jpg   展覧会期間は2021年3月27日（土）から12月末までの予定。ソーシャルディスタンスを確保しながらの開催になるため、十分な会期が設定されている。アリス展のチケットはまだ販売されていないが、ヴィクトリア＆アルバート博物館はすでに段階的に営業を再開。現在は、訪れる時間帯を予約すれば、無料の常設展を見ることが可能だ。 原文はこちら 関連記事 『ジブリ美術館が9月に一般客受け入れを再開』 『ハリポタの世界に旅へ、テーマパークについて現在分かっていること』 『ロンドンに世界最大のイラストレーション展示施設が誕生』 『世界の美術館のアートマスク9選』 『アートは飛躍するのか』

On the morning of March 16, 90-year-old Diana Cohen travelled from Norfolk to King's College London's Bush House in London for the opening of ‘Alfred Cohen: An American Artist in Europe’, a retrospective of her late husband’s work and the first public exhibition of it since 2001, the year he died. But by that evening the show had been formally closed to the public as part of London’s coronavirus lockdown. The product of 20 years work, and a labour of love on the part of Diana Cohen and Max Saunders (the artist’s stepson and co-curator of the show), it had been open less than 24 hours. Alfred Cohen was born in Chicago in 1920, the son of Latvian immigrants to the United States. His American art education preached the virtue of all things French and, not long after the Second World War, he moved to Paris, the first step in a new life that ended with his permanently relocating to Britain. His paintings – many of which are landscapes – are a pool of different influences swirling together. There are river views bearing the wispy imprint of Impressionism; a patchwork of blocky, boldly coloured rooftops in a borderline abstract manner; and a parade of joyfully creepy carnivalesque characters completed along the wobbly, whimsical lines of Marc Chagall.  Best of all, he painted countless images of London and the Thames, filled with nods to Whistler and Monet, but imbued with something more modern and melancholy. They’re empty, quiet vistas – and they feel weirdly appropriate for right

After a bit of escapism? Paradise City, the latest immersive cinematic experience from Backyard Cinema, opens on April 17 and it’s tropical-themed. Concealed behind a retro launderette that guests will enter through, the neon-soaked, plant-filled interior will form the backdrop to screenings of classic films, live performances and light shows. Housed in Backyard Cinema’s permanent space in Capital Studios, Wandsworth, Paradise City invites Londoners to watch a film while reclining on giant beanbags and sipping luxury cocktails (including champagne slushies). They will also be able to buy food and snacks from Honest Burger and Mother Clucker, plus artisan pizzas and vegan dishes.  Photograph: Backyard Cinema The line-up of movies is crammed with feelgood hits, including a good dose of kitsch in keeping with the setting. Along with singalong screenings of films including ‘The Greatest Showman’ and ‘Grease’, the bill features popular favourites like ‘Dirty Dancing’, ‘School of Rock’, ‘10 Things I Hate About You’ and ‘Moulin Rouge!’.  Previous Backyard Cinema experiences include The Winter Night Garden, The Lost World and Baz Luhrmann’s ‘Romeo + Juliet’ in a church with a live choir. This latest enterprise ensures at least one bit of London will resemble a tropical paradise in late spring, no matter what the weather is doing outside. Paradise City is on from Apr 17 at Capital Studios. Click here for more details and to buy tickets. For the best films to see in cinemas across Lo

London’s V&A Museum of Childhood has announced plans for a major makeover. The Bethnal Green landmark will reopen in 2022 with a radically reimagined interior by AOC Architecture, including three new galleries and a re-configured central space. Colourful, playful and filled with natural light, the £13million refurb has the needs of little ones at its heart: the new displays and interactive exhibits are all being designed according to how children aged 0-14 years learn best. The museum closes on May 11 2020. To mark the start of its new phase of life, three-day free festival RE-INVENT will be on across the May bank holiday. Visitors will be able to explore specially commissioned art installations, live music and drop-in events. The museum is also partnering with Ideas Store Whitechapel and local schools to hold events and activities during its two-year closure. The shiny new space features three galleries: ‘Imagine’, ‘Play’ and ‘Design’. ‘Imagine’ is an ‘Alice in Wonderland’-inspired display bringing together the most famous characters from myths, legends and storybooks – from the Loch Ness Monster to Paddington Bear. It will also include the itsy-bitsy National Collection of Dolls’ Houses.   'The Stage' area of redesigned V&A Museum of Childhood in Bethnal Green Photograph courtesy of V&A Museum of Childhood   In ‘Play’, children and their families will make their own fun with interactive exhibits showcasing the weird and wonderful world of games, whether that’s soft play,

While it feels like winter isn’t going anywhere fast, it’s time to cast your mind forward to the summer. The design for the Serpentine’s annual pavilion has just been announced and this year it has a special London focus. The temporary structure, which opens on June 11, is designed by Johannesburg-based architectural studio Counterspace. The all-female team of Sumayya Vally, Sarah de Villiers and Amina Kaskar (who, incidentally, were all born in 1990, making them the youngest ever architects to get the prestigious commission) have created a structure integrating ‘places of memory and care’ from Brixton, Hoxton, Hackney, Whitechapel, Edgware Road, Peckham, Ealing, North Kensington and elsewhere in the city. The completed pavilion will include small, moveable parts that will first be on display in those London neighbourhoods as part of a series of community events. The pieces will then be incorporated into the main structure in Hyde Park throughout the summer months. The geometric shapes making up the main bulk of the dark grey and pink-tinted construction are also inspired by existing London spaces used by migrant and other marginalised communities. Counterspace’s design marks the twentieth anniversary of the Serpentine Pavilion. The first, in 2000, was designed by Zaha Hadid and since then the commission has famously embraced bold, experimental designs. Last year, Japanese architect Junya Ishigami’s design involved a cooling, black slate roof sweeping dramatically across th

What’s your favourite London-related song? The Kinks’ earworm hit ‘Waterloo Sunset’? Taylor Swift’s seismically divisive ‘London Boy’? Nick Cave’s gloriously gloomy ‘Brompton Oratory’? Or perhaps you instantly answered that question with The Clash’s seminal ‘London Calling’. Whatever tune best captures London for you, the simple fact is that our fair city has served as inspirational fuel for a lot of musicians. And, thanks to a new art installation at the London Mithraeum, you can now choose between 70 London-themed tracks on a specially created jukebox. Artist Susan Hiller, who passed away in 2019, completed the ‘London Jukebox’ project over ten years from 2008-2018 (meaning: no Taylor Swift on the tracklisting).  The featured songs dart through London’s neighbourhoods from Kilburn High Road to New Cross, Hammersmith to Mile End, plus a fair old whack dedicated to central and the West End. The artist intended the compilation to be a homage to all the different areas, people and sounds of the capital.  Visitors to the London Mithraeum, an ancient Roman temple restored to where it was originally excavated, can listen through headphones to a track of their choice or hear one selected by someone else.  But first – how many of those 70 can you guess in advance? ‘London Jukebox’ is on at the London Mithraeum Bloomberg Space until Jul 11 and is free to visit. Click here for more details. And for more great art exhibitions to visit, check out our guide to all the latest openings.

Last year, a genius art project took over an old Walthamstow bank and started printing its own money. Featuring local community heroes instead of the Queen, Bank Job’s artwork banknotes were sold for a total of £40,000. Half of that went to charity and the other half towards abolishing more than £1 million of high-interest debt in the community, which had been written down in value by being resold on the secondary market. The UK economy is turbocharged by debt. It’s created by banks in the form of loans to people and companies, then sold and resold in the financial market. But while the banks get bailed out in times of crisis, it’s estimated that more than half a million Londoners are in problem debt – often as a result of taking out predatory payday loans. This project wants to tackle that. And so Bank Job has big plans for 2020, including the release of a full-length documentary about debt. But now it’s been asked to leave the ex-bank it has run as a community space since 2018. Support the project by treating yourself to one of its artwork bonds or coins, or head to its website to find out how else you can help Bank Job stay on the high street and fight for economic justice – with art! Sign up here to get the latest from London straight to your inbox.

From the tiniest creepy crawlies to giant roaring beasts, the Wildlife Photographer of the Year award captures the awesomeness of the entire animal kingdom. This year’s winners were announced this week and they include a startled Chinese marmot, a spider disguised as an ant and a pair of super adorable horned sheep. You can see all the winners, plus many more entrants, at the Natural History Museum’s annual exhibition, which opens today (October 18). To get you excited, here’s a peek at some of the winning images – and yes, firework-watching sound effects are necessary throughout. Overall winner and joint behaviour – mammals winner: 'The Moment' by Yongquing Bao © Yongqing Bao / Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2019  Animal portraits winner: 'Face of Deception' by Ripan Biswas © Ripan Biswas / Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2019 Mammals behaviour joint winner: 'The Equal Match' by Ingo Arndt © Ingo Arndt / Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2019 Invertebrates behaviour winner: 'The Architectural Army' by Daniel Kronauer © Daniel Kronauer / Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2019 Amphibians and reptiles behaviour winner: 'Pondworld' by Manuel Plaickner © Manuel Plaickner / Wildlife Photographer of the Year Birds behaviour winner: 'Land of the Eagle' by Audun Rikardsen © Audun Rikardsen / Wildlife Photographer of the Year Animals in their environment winner: 'Snow-Plateau Nomads' by Shangzhen Fan © Shangzhen Fan / Wildlife Photographer of the Year Wildlife Pho

The Maurizio Cattelan exhibition at Blenheim Palace this autumn has received more publicity than it could ever have wished but, unfortunately, for the wrong reasons. Two days after opening, one of the artworks – a solid gold, fully working toilet titled ‘America’ valued at £4.8million - was stolen in a smash-and-grab raid.     America, 2016, Victory is Not an Option, Maurizio Cattelan at Blenheim Palace Photograph: Tom Lindboe/courtesy of Blenheim Art Foundation   The bling loo was intended for public use, but sadly visitors are now limited to the manor house’s regular facilities. But don’t let regular ol’ ceramic toilets stop you from visiting this year’s exhibition before it closes on October 27 – there’s still plenty of reasons to make the trip.   Untitled, 2018, Victory is Not an Option, Maurizio Cattelan at Blenheim Palace Photograph: Tom Lindboe/courtesy of Blenheim Art Foundation   Cattelan’s conceptual installations cleverly riff on the oddities found in an English estate of this sort, including the monumental pieces of taxidermy and heroic battle scenes adorning the walls. It’s disconcerting, fun and completely different from seeing his art in a normal white-walled gallery.   Photograph: Pete Seaward/Blenheim Palace   And when you’re done with that, head out for a walk in the expansive grounds. The rose garden is an ‘Alice in Wonderland’-style paradise, with lots still blooming at the start of autumn, and The Cascades (basically a mini waterfall) is picture-per

Forty London museums and galleries are being taken over for a mix of late-night gigs, tarot readings and DJ sets. How many can you make in one night? London, meet Emerge, a brand new festival that’s breaking down the doors of more than 40 iconic museums and galleries for a brilliant programme of lates spanning 11 boroughs (Fri Sep 27-Sat Sep 28) . You’ll only need one ticket per night whatever you choose, whether that’s an Ady Suleiman gig at the Horniman, gothic fairytales at Strawberry Hill House or poetry in a former convent. Queues are inevitable, and with miles separating some of these venues, you’ll need to plan your night wisely. Put on your plimsolls, you have a lot of ground to cover…  Friday Ice Sound Bath at London Canal Museum Cool off with an arctic dip in the sonic soundscape of Tom White. The electronic musician layers sound samples from an ice factory and the waterways of London to create a chilling immersive experience. The cleverest part is how it references the Victorian ice business, which transported boatloads of frozen stuff along the canals. Ice, ice, baby. London Canal Museum. Tube: King’s Cross. 6pm. Can’t make it Friday? This one is on the Saturday too!  Number One London House of Scandal at Apsley House Slip on some silk stockings and ramp up the face powder, we’re on our way to Regency England. Held at Apsley House, former home of the Duke of Wellington, this party takes you back to when pamphleteers were the Twittersphere and the servants knew you