The largest Spring gathering of the international publishing industry assembled at Olympia on Tuesday 12th March, as The London Book Fair kicked off its first day. Thousands of exhibitors and visitors from the UK and around the world gathered to do business, share expertise, network, and attend sessions covering topics including platforming marginalised voices, sustainability, tips for writers, social media, and new global trends.
Aardman Animations, the world-renowned studio behind beloved characters Wallace & Gromit, is set to enchant audiences with a special event at Nova Cinema on April 13th and 14th. Attendees will have the exclusive opportunity to delve into the captivating world of model-making through interactive sessions run by an expert model maker, who has worked on some of Aardman’s best-loved productions, alongside a delightful double bill featuring two iconic Wallace & Gromit adventures: The Wrong Trousers and A Close Shave.
You’ll be able to get creative with clay and make the devious Feathers McGraw or supportive sidekick Gromit to take home with you!
This unique event promises an immersive experience for fans of all ages, offering a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the meticulous craftsmanship that brings Wallace & Gromit to life. Participants will learn firsthand from Aardman’s skilled model-makers, gaining insights into the wonderful world of Aardman that has captivated audiences for decades.
VAULT Creative Arts, the charity behind VAULT Festival, have announced the closure of VAULT Festival and the cancellation of plans for their new London home, after failing to secure the funding required to continue.
The organisation had secured a new long-term home for VAULT Festival and other year-round creative activity in SE1, central London which was due to open later this year. VAULT had been in developed conversations with multiple social investors alongside a blended fundraising strategy. Last week, the organisation learned that it had failed to secure the principal funding required to deliver their new home and future VAULT Festivals. This prevents VAULT from utilising the other additional funds being raised alongside the social investment and VAULT are therefore left without the reasonable prospect of sufficient funds to continue operating, nor the time to be able to seek alternative investment.
Hanif Kureishi’s much loved screenplay is adapted masterfully for the stage in 2019. The story takes a life of its own with characters given more development in the way only theatre allows, with asides and fanciful monologues, that humanise the stuffy Pakistani patriarchs and skinheads alike.
Set in South London during the Thatcher years, the story is told through the eyes of a young mixed-race Pakistani, Omar, who is intent of making a success out of his uncle’s run-down launderette with old school friend and part-time fascist Johnny.
My Beautiful Launderette paints a complex picture and narrative of male masculinity and relationships which explore father-son relationships, brotherly love, friendship and queer love, competition between the ideal Pakistani man and the Westernised ethnic, and finally leadership and pack mentality. Power, love and freedom are main motivators in the play and the various variations of how these dynamics play out between different characters is what makes this story so irresistible to watch. Chemistry is palpable, especially between the main two protagonists Omar and Johnny played impeccably by Lucca Chadwick-Patel and Sam Mitchell.
Speaking of impeccable performances, Gordon Warnecke plays Papa beautifully which makes total sense when you find out that he played Omar Malik in the original film in 1985. You can read the interview with Warnecke with The Belgrade Theatre here. Warnecke’s comic timing especially deserves special mention along with his ability to be lovable even whenbeing a complete twat. Speaking of lovable twats, Paddy Daly’s depiction of Genghis, the Paki-hungry racist and political anarchist, is extraordinary. It is testament to what great actors can do with nuanced writing.
The Olivier Awards 2024 with Mastercard, theatre’s most prestigious honours, has announced its nominations. The annual awards will take place on Sunday 14 April at the iconic Royal Albert Hall with a highlights package broadcast on ITV that evening.
The competition for nominations has been fierce during an outstanding year for theatre with significantly more productions than last year. There has been a record-breaking number of new plays gracing the stage and a stunning array of on-screen stars treading the boards – including those in striking one-person performances. The nominees in the craft awards have stunned with their groundbreaking creativity.
The National Theatre has had an excellent year with a total of 15 nominations, with Dear England, The Motive And The Cue, Till The Stars Come Down and The Effect all in the running for various accolades. The National Theatre’s footballing drama Dear England is the most nominated play with a total of nine nominations including Joseph Fiennes for Best Actor, Will Close for Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Gina McKee for Best Actress in a Supporting Role, Rupert Goold for Best Director and The Londoner Award for Best New Play. This is alongside nominations for the Blue-i Theatre Technology Award for Best Set Design (Es Devlin), White Light Award for Best Lighting Design (Jon Clark) and d&b audiotechnik Award for Best Sound Design (Dan Balfour & Tom Gibbons). Dear England is also the only play with a nomination for Best Theatre Choreographer (Ellen Kane & Hannes Langolf).
Multi-platinum alt-rock trio Wallows have announced their eagerly awaited global tour in support of their forthcoming album Model. Wallows’ Model Tour, their biggest tour to date, was revealed this morning with a spectacular short film directed by Nina Ljeti and stars the band themselves, along with a few of their friends. Watch the eerie, horror-film esque video which was shot at Los Angeles’ Kia Forum HERE.
Produced by Live Nation, the tour kicks off August 6th in Portland, OR at Alaska Airlines’ Theater of the Clouds and will take the band across North America, Europe and the United Kingdom (full list of shows below). The 38 city tour marks Wallows’ first ever headline performances at Madison Square Garden, The Kia Forum, Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Budweiser Stage, Alexandra Palace, Zenith, and AFAS Live. Additionally, very special guest Benee will join the band on all North American dates.
Wallows newsletter subscribers will get first access to pre-sale tickets starting Tuesday, March 12th at 10am local time through Thursday, March 14th at 10pm local time. If you aren’t already a subscriber, you can register HERE by 7pm ET tonight (March 11th) for access. Tickets go on sale to the general public at 10am local time on Friday, March 15th. For tickets and more information, visit wallowsmusic.com.
To celebrate 30 years of garage music, The House & Garage Orchestra will headline London’s O2 Forum Kentish Town on Saturday 8th June 2024. Tickets are now on general sale via livenation.co.uk.
The House & Garage Orchestra (THGO) will celebrate 30 years of garage with their dynamic musical project bringing the electrifying energy of House & Garage music to life on stage. The Orchestra has captivated live audiences with their soulful renditions of iconic classics, collaborating with original vocalists and artists to deliver unforgettable live experiences so it’s certainly not to be missed on 8th June!
The House & Garage Orchestra: Celebrating 30 Years of Garage
Saturday 8th June O2 Forum Kentish Town London, United Kingdom
MORE: Founded in 2015 by music producer Shy Cookie and events promoter Ishmael Hamilton, The House & Garage Orchestra (THGO) is a dynamic musical project that brings the electrifying energy of House & Garage music to life on stage. Since their debut performance in 2016, THGO has captivated audiences with their soulful renditions of iconic classics, collaborating with original vocalists and artists to deliver unforgettable live experiences.
Today, South Facing and Live Nation present a brand-new music festival experience for summer 2024. Yussef Dayes Presents: Summer Dayes will take place on Sunday, August 4th, at South London’s Crystal Palace Bowl for a day of incredible live music, west Indian food offerings, jelly coconuts, yoga classes with Dave Dayes (Yussef’s dad), all happening in and around the venue’s natural outdoor amphitheatre. Tickets go on general sale Friday, March 15th, 2024, at 10 am GMT, exclusively at livenation.co.uk.
Curated by Southeast London’s very own Yussef Dayes, this festival is a major hometown moment for Yussef as he grew up in the surrounding area. The festival boasts an eclectic lineup of diverse and dynamic artists, headlined by none other than the visionary drummer and producer Yussef himself. Renowned for his innovative blend of jazz, hip-hop, and electronic influences, Dayes has captivated audiences worldwide with his boundary-pushing soundscapes and mesmerizing performances, including a sold-out show at the iconic Royal Albert Hall last year and a Brit nomination off the back of his debut album Black Classical Music. Continue reading
Olivier Award-winning hip hop dance theatre company Boy Blue has been appointed as the next Guest Artistic Director of National Youth Dance Company (NYDC) for 2024/25. Boy Blue was founded in East London in 2001 by Michael ‘Mikey J’ Asante and Kenrick ‘H2O’ Sandy and is a radical force that has defined the potential and power of hip hop dance theatre across the UK.
National Youth Dance Company, run by Sadler’s Wells is the country’s flagship company for young dancers. Since its inception 336 dancers have joined the company, working intensively with renowned dance artists as Guest Artistic Directors including Oona Doherty, Wayne McGregor, Alesandra Seutin, Russell Maliphant, Botis Seva, Sharon Eyal, Damien Jalet, Michael Keegan Dolan, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Akram Khan & Jasmin Vardimon.
From 2-25 August 2024, Edinburgh International Festival presents a hand-picked selection of leading international and local artists in the world’s Festival City, with 24 days of world-class opera, dance, music and theatre.
The 2024 programme comprises 161 performances from over 2000 artists across 42 nations, all joined under the theme, ‘Rituals That Unite Us’.The theme responds to an overwhelming desire for togetherness from artists and audiences following on from 2023’s question ‘Where Do We Go From Here?’. Reasserting the value of shared experiences, the 2024 International Festival celebrates the practices, traditions and festivities that give us meaning and connect us – as a festival, a city, and as a society.