The London April Guide to Theater, Art, Food and Fun
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It’s time for spring in London. The city is bustling, with art from Ai Weiwei to stage plays such as Hanya Yanagihara’s “A Little Life” and Jon Bradfield’s “Animal,” as well as all the newest restaurants to dine at, such as Kapara.
What to watch
“A Little Life”
Hanya Yanagihara’s devastating novel “A Little Life” comes to life at the Harold Pinter Theatre with James Norton, Luke Thompson, Omari Douglas and Zach Wyatt as four best friends living in New York as they journey through the past of Jude St. Francis (played by Norton). It’s the most emotionally charged stage play since “The Normal Heart” at the National Theatre.
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“Nederlands Dans Theater – NDT 1”
The Nederlands Dans Theater is in London at Sadler’s Wells for a three-part production that plays with the themes of extinction, beauty, space and time.
In “Figures in Extinction [1.0]” choreographer Crystal Pite and director Simon McBurney dissect the killing of nature and language. Renowned Czech dancer Jiří Kylián stages his 100th choreography, “Gods and Dogs,” based on the idea of unfinished beauty. Slapstick meets acrobatics and modern dance in Gabriela Carrizo’s “La Ruta,” which creates an abstract world from motorway to village to forest path.
“Animal”
Jon Bradfield’s “Animal” at Park Theatre follows David, a gay disabled character on the quest for love and sex while in round-the-clock care, starring Christopher John-Slater, Amy Loughton, Matt Ayleigh, Harry Singh, Joshua Liburd and William Oxborrow.
What to see
“Ai Weiwei: Making Sense”
Chinese artist Ai Weiwei is playing the role of maker and curator at the Design Museum for his first major exhibition on design. The artist has already unveiled a Lego artwork reimagining Claude Monet’s “Water Lilies #1” by using 650,000 studs of Lego bricks in 22 colors. The showcase will examine historical Chinese artifacts, as well as demolition and urban development in China.
“Andy Warhol: The Textiles”
Andy Warhol’s design of ice cream sundaes, toffee apples, colorful buttons, cut lemons, pretzels and jumping clowns are being exhibited at the Fashion and Textile Museum, featuring his lesser known work of more than 45 patterns, from the ’50s to ’60s.
“Grenfell”
Sir Steve McQueen has produced a 24-minute film on the horrors of the event of June 14, 2017, when Grenfell Tower burned down. It’s a silent film that doesn’t address anything yet it’s emotionally harrowing. The film is being shown at the Serpentine.
Where to eat
Claridge’s ArtSpace Café
Claridge’s has opened its doors to café culture with an informal dining area where visitors can enjoy roasted brie and wild mushroom on toast, croissant sandwiches, coconut chia pudding, homemade granola and baked eggs with ratatouille.
British architect John Pawson designed the space, which has a patisserie counter and marble communal tables.
Kapara
A taste of Tel Aviv, Israel, has come to Soho via chef Eran Tibi, who has a Tunisian-born father and a Syrian Israeli mother. Tibi has translated this heritage into the menu, which includes dishes including slow-cooked lamb belly, cheesy borekitas, hummus with aubergine and amba spice and shawarma chicken.
Brat
Chef Tomos Parry’s restaurant Brat sits at number 78 in the World’s 50 Best Restaurants with two locations in London, one on Redchurch Street in Shoreditch and the other on Climpson’s Arch in Hackney. Parry is all about British produce with a back to basics approach to the food he serves, including velvet crab soup, roast duck rice, grilled bread, olive oil ice cream and fig leaf.
Studio Frantzén
Swedish chef Björn Frantzén has set up a kitchen inside Harrods that goes onto the terrace with more than 150 seats. The menu features everything from oysters and caviar to crudites to grilled porterhouse steak with pine-scented bone marrow and oxtail ponzu.
The Twenty Two
It’s all happening at The Twenty Two, which is a hotel, private member’s club and restaurant visited by the likes of Rihanna, Kate Moss and Stormzy. The kitchen is headed by executive chef Alan Christie, formerly of Clos Maggiore and Arbutus.
Christie’s menu includes spiced cauliflower with green tahini, truffle roast chicken, octopus and pasta al limone.
Where to treat yourself
Sunday Riley at Liberty London
Since founding her beauty company in 2009, Sunday Riley has taken her brand global, from Houston to London. The brand’s facial menu at Liberty starts from 30 pounds with consultations and facials such as the Ice Lift, CEO Glow, Ice Clear and Ice Repair at 145 pounds.
Gay’s The Word
The U.K’s oldest LGBTQ bookshop in Russell Square has been going since 1979 — started by a group of gay socialists as a means to educate the people around them and to give minority voices a space.
Healing Sessions
Energy healer Emma Lucy Knowles is opening her studio to one-on-one sessions over three, one-hour sessions over the course of three weeks to teach healing techniques. The first session takes place at her studio while the following two can be done remotely or in person.
Sessions can be booked on Emmalucyknowles.com.
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