It’s sad when the Christmas decorations come down for Twelfth Night, and the rotten weather is adding to the end-of-party gloom. Storm Eleanor is lashing down as I write, and there’s a cold snap forecast for the weekend. This is not a time to be outdoors for any longer than it takes to dash into the nearest theatre, art gallery or music venue for an artistic pick-me-up.
Company, from Zoe Kronberger’s solo show Soft Landing at Wimbledon Fine Art
If you’re out in Wimbledon Village on Saturday set aside half an hour to catch the final day of Soft Landing, Zoe Kronberger’s first solo exhibition in Britain, which is at Wimbledon Fine Art in Church Road. Her soft, fluid paintings evoking winter sports will put you in a cheerful mood with thoughts of fun in the snow. Free.
If you have more time on your hands, the Cezanne Portraits exhibition (top picture) at the National Portrait Gallery behind Trafalgar Square is an engrossing show. Cezanne abstracts the personalities of his sitters to colour, light and shape. Critics call the show magical, stunning, brilliant and the art exhibition of the year. On until February 28.
Don’t waste time trying to book for Michael McIntyre at New Wimbledon Studio Theatre on Friday night – it’s sold out, sadly. Instead, try a South London institution – the Banana Cabaret at The Bedford in Balham, SW12, where Sean Meo, Ninia Benjamin, David Ward and Peter White will be holding court on Saturday, 9-11pm. Doors open 7.30pm, tickets £16.69.
Niamh Cusack and Christopher Eccleston will star in Macbeth at the RSC
Local theatres are still running their Christmas shows, and if you haven’t seen Jack and the Beanstalk at the New Wimbledon Theatre and Alice in Winterland at the Rose Theatre, Kingston, I highly recommend them – read my reviews to find out why. But now is also a good time to sit down with the brochures and websites and start picking out the shows you want to see this Spring. There’s two things by the Royal Shakespeare Company that I’m hoping to catch: one is Christopher Eccleston and Niamh Cusack’s Macbeth, and the other is the Imperium: The Cicero Plays – Robert Harris’s thrilling political novels set in ancient Rome adapted for the Swan Theatre stage by Mike Poulton, who did such a brilliant job on Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall and Bring Up The Bodies. Imperium is on until February 10; Macbeth opens on March 13.
Richard McCabe as Cicero in the RSC’s Imperium: The Cicero Plays
Have a great week, and keep an eye on Twitter for more news of what’s on around Wimbledon.
About The Author
Jenny Booth
Jenny was a news journalist for The Times. An ex-teacher, mum, gardener and art lover, there’s nothing she doesn’t know about the local culture scene…