What’s On This Week: Spring Edition

Wednesday was the first day of Spring. Spring flowers are appearing on every patch of earth and buds are breaking on the trees.

Music

It’s a good moment to go and see The Winter’s Tale, Shakespeare’s classic tale of the passing of the seasons. The winter rages of jealousy thaw into renewed life thanks to the power of love. ENO has commissioned a new opera of The Winter’s Tale from composer-in-residence Ryan Wigglesworth, who conducted at its world premiere this week to four star reviews and general acclaim. Tickets start at £12 for the four remaining performances, on March 3, 8, 10 and 14.

Locally, Lantern Community Choir is celebrating in song at its Spring Concert in the Studio Theatre, Lantern Arts Centre, Raynes, Park, at 8pm on Friday 3 March. Tickets £5 in advance or on the door.

Kids

With feather duster in hand, Mavis Sparkle is spring-cleaning her way to making her dreams come true. A mix of magic, animation and comedy for kids aged 4 – 7 at the Polka Theatre on Friday to Sunday, March 3 – 5.

Food & Drink

The Mayor of Merton is hosting a charity Wine Call My Bluff event with six wines to taste led by an expert from Majestic Wines, a bottle tombola and light snacks, at the Elmwood Centre on London Road in Mitcham on Friday 3 March. Tickets cost £20, with proceeds going to the Mayor’s chosen charities, Age UK Merton and The Avanti Club.

Saturday night is Comedy and Curry Night at the Wimbledon Racquets and Fitness Club in Cranbrook Road, Wimbledon. An authentic Punjabi buffet will be laid on by Sai restaurant in Raynes Park, while the laughs will be provided by Comedy Store regular Chris McCausland, Have I Got News For You guest Shazia Mirza, and stand up Oliver Noakes, controlled by MC Sion James. Tickets are £21.83 via Eventbrite.

If you miss it, don’t worry: there’s another one on at Sai Restaurant, 193 Worple Road, Raynes Park, on March 8, with a different comedy line up.

Art

Tickets for the blockbuster Hockney exhibition at Tate Britain are hard to come by, but one option to see the show is to join Festival no 6 when it takes over Tate Britain for one night only on Friday 3 March. As well as the chance to browse Hockney after dark, a multi-arts evening is promised with themed dining experiences, music from Charlotte Church, comedy from Sara Pascoe and poetry from John Cooper Clarke. Tickets start at £69.

Locally, browse the 40 works on display in young Scottish painter Craig Jefferson’s first solo show in London, presented by the Stafford Gallery at Wimbledon Fine Art, Church Road in Wimbledon Village – it closes on Sunday.

Or enjoy the free exhibition at Rose Theatre of work by Richmond Printmakers.

Get Active

Get outside and enjoy the spring in the latest of YMCA Wimbledon’s Guided Walks, this time a four mile stroll along the Regents Canal from the Palladian grandeur around Regents Park to the bohemian charm of Camden Market. March 7. For more details contact: Lisa-MarieHawkins@ymcalsw.org, or call 020 8544 6673 or 07880 033553.

Coming Up

The Wimbledon Symphony Orchestra presents Magnificent Mozart, including arias from The Marriage of Figaro performed by mezzo-soprano Anna Huntley, at St Paul’s Church, Augustus Road SW19 6EW, on Saturday 11 March at 7:30pm. In association with Macmillan Cancer Support. Tickets are £25, including refreshments. Contact zmpenny@btinternet.com.

The Other Art Fair returns to Victoria House in Bloomsbury on March 30 – April 2 for its 16th edition, presenting 130 star artists and thousands of show-stopping works of art starting from an affordable £50. Tickets from £7.

John Edwards on double bass, new electronic music duo Phil Durrant and Phil Maguire, Sue Lynch on tenor sax and clarinet and Richard Sanderson on melodeon are the artists performing at the monthly Sound Space, at Merton Arts Space in WImbledon Library, from 8pm on March 11. Tickets £8 on the door or available in advance from We Got Tickets.