What’s on this week
MON 15 – SUN 21 JAN
Thünderbards – The Best of, Norden Farm Maidenhead, Fri 19 Jan
Beat the January Blues and spend the night with critically-acclaimed sketch duo Glenn Moore and Matthew Stevens. They’re Edinburgh Fringe faves, have appeared on BBC Radio 4’s Sketchorama and are CITV staff writers. With a potent combo of heartfelt absurdity, silliness and sweat-drenched toil, Thünderbards will stop at nothing to make your day great again
Winter walk, National Trust Cliveden, throughout 2018
If you’ve been cooped up for days at the relis or nursing a monumental NYE hangover, pop some pills get some fresh air at Cliveden. There’s s stonking 375 acres of gardens, woodland and riverside walks to explore. Plus the hotel is on hand for a coffee or hair of the dog.
Teddy, Watermill Theatre Newbury, Thurs 11 Jan – Sat 10 Feb
Come on January can be sooooo boring. Don’t make it an entirely no-fun zone. The Watermill is hitting 2018 hard with punchy new musical Teddy. After a successful run in London, Teddy is going on tour, first stop Newbury to unleash the teen rebellion. Let the good times rock ‘n’ roll.
Space, The Look Out Discovery Centre Bracknell, Thurs 18 and Fri 19 Jan
If you have littlies, the post Crimbo come down can be, well, challenging. Prepare them for a special mission at The Lookout Discovery Centre for an intergalactic crafts, stories and face painting. There’s even prizes for out of this world fancy dress. 3… 2… 1… BLAST OFF!
Clarence House Chase Raceday, Ascot Racecourse, Sat 20 Jan
Love a day at the races but can’t wait for Royal Ascot? Saddle up for a January raceday with a little less pomp and ceremony (ok a lot less), but the fashion is fabulous (coats, faux fur and boots) and you can have a little flutter to spend on the totally unnecessary shoes you have seen in the sales.
The Vinyl Frontier 2018 Album Championships, Norden Farm, Sat 20 Jan
It’s the vinyl countdown: 8 contestants bring their fave LP to battle it out to be crowned 2018 Vinyl Frontier Album Champion. The audience chooses the winner of each round. Last year’s winner was American Idiot by Green Day. Come and have a go if you think you’re muso enough.
Bolshoi Live: Romeo & Juliet, Corn Exchange Newbury, Sun 21 Jan
Former Bolshoi artistic director Alexei Ratmansky’s, Romeo & Juliet a reboot cranks up the drama live from Moscow. Standard star-crossed lovers, warring families, ending in heart-wrenching tragedy, but in the hands of the brilliant Bolshoi… you’ll be on the edge of your seat.
Windsor Winter Half Marathon, Dorney Lake Eton, Sun 21 Jan
If you’re on of those smug people who has managed to keep on running despite the wine and cheese tempting you to fall off the wagon – good on you. You might be interested in shifting unwantedCrimho pounds with a easy peasy 13-mile Sunday jog. I’ll see you at the start line… one day.
Gin Tasting, Thames Valley Wine School, Sir Christopher Wren Hotel, Fri 19 Jan
Dry January? Er, what’s that? No me neither, not a clue. Ginuary on the other hand, has my name written all over it. The Thames Valley Wine School is putting on an evening of ginspiration at the Sir Christopher Wren Hotel in Windsor, so get in the spirit, learn some stuff, quaff the good stuff, then… Taaaaaaxiiiii!
My Fair Lady, Mill at Sonning, until 27 Jan
Can you Adam and Eve it, it’s not panto, it’s not a Christmas show, but it is a classic. Eliza Dolittle will be breaking into song for the musical My Fair Lady at the Mill at Sonning. If Crimbo theatre doesn’t get your jingle bell ringing, then this just might. Make a date with your mum… Wouldn’t it be Loverly?
FURTHER AFIELD
London Art Fair, Islington, London, Weds 17 – Sun 21 Jan
Image: Rachel Ara, This Much I’m Worth, 2017.
The London Art Fair in my old stomping ground of Islington, North London, offers punters museum-quality Modern British art alongside contemporary work from today’s leading artists, covering the period from the early 20th century to the present day. Besides the main Fair, there’ll be specially curated contemporary spaces which feature the next generation of artists and collectives. A great chance to find something beautiful for your walls that doesn’t cost the earth.
Business Design Centre, 52 Upper Street, London N1, londonartfair.co.uk
Matthew Bourne’s Cinderella, Sadler’s Wells, London, now until Sat 27 Jan
Matthew Bourne’s productions are always stunning and this is no exception. He transposes the story of Cinderella to London during the Blitz, rebooting it as a wartime romance between our heroine and an RAF pilot. The reviews have been of the rave variety, with Lez Brotherston’s sumptuous costumes and sets winning Olivier Award.
Sadlers Wells, Rosebery Av, London EC1, sadlerswells.com
Hogwarts in the Snow, Harry Potter Studios, now – 4 Feb
Hogwarts in the Snow – as regular as Christmas! The festive makeover will see Christmas trees line the Great Hall, the Gryffindor common room dressed for the season and a blanket of filmmaking snow covering the majestic Hogwarts castle model. Visitors will even be able to touch samples of the different types of ‘snow’ used during production, each selected for its ability to float like falling snow, crunch under foot or glisten in the light like ice. Trust me, your kids will love it.
Warner Bros. Studio Tour London, Studio Tour Drive, Leavesden, wbstudiotour.co.uk
The BFG in Pictures, River and Rowing Museum, Henley, until 21 Jan 2018
Curated by Quentin Blake himself, the exhibition of everyone’s favourite giant includes unpublished illustrations that have never been exhibited in public before. The exhibition includes Blake’s first designs that weren’t included in the book, and provide a glimpse of a BFG that might have been in 40 original artworks. Don’t forget there’s the permanent John Piper exhibition at the museum too – that’s well worth seeing in its own right.
North – Fashioning Identity, Somerset House, now – Feb 4 2018
Alice-Hawkins, LOVE magazine, ‘The Liver Birds’, 2012
Forget the north/south divide, London doffs its hat to Manchester, Newcastle et al in this new exhibition. Social documentary film and photography detailing life in the north of England in the mid-20th century sits alongside works by photographers, designers and artists inspired by the parts of our green and pleasant land beyond the Watford Gap. Contributors include Nottingham’s finest Paul Smith and Manchester’s Factory Records designer Peter Saville. If you visit after 15 Nov, you can also take a twirl on Somerset House’s gorgeous outdoor ice rink.
Twelfth Night, RST, Stratford, now – Feb 24 2018
Dinita Gohil as Viola. Photo: Manuel Harlan (c) RSC
The RSC’s winter production Twelfth Night sees Ade Edmondson, of The Young Ones and Bottom fame, as Olivia – Kara Tointon’s dour steward Malvolio in Shakespeare’s bittersweet comedy. Directed by Christopher Luscombe, who recreated Warwickshire’s Charlecote Park on stage for the RSC’s fabulous Love’s Labour’s Lost and Much Ado About Nothing, it’s set in Victorian Britain. Also starring Birmingham’s Dinita Gohil as Viola and Michael Cochrane as Sir Andrew Aguecheek.
Modigliani, Tate Modern, now – 2 April 2018
