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Posted by Jenny Booth | 6 April 2018 | Arts & Culture, Magazine, What's On

It’s an all star cast in Much Ado About Nothing, which opens at the Rose Theatre on Friday 13th April. Comedian Mel Giedroyc will surprise her many Bake Off fans with her serious acting credentials as Beatrice, opposite John Hopkins [Poldark] as Benedick.

Culture Vulture caught up with actor Peter Guinness [Alien 3, Casualty, Coronation Street] who plays Don Pedro, and he explains why this Mafia themed production is channelling the chilling climax of The Godfather 3, where Michael Corleone’s enemies are gunned down while the priest is christening his baby.

Michael Rosen’s Chocolate Cake is the simplest of stories: a greedy little boy sneaks downstairs in the night and scoffs his brother’s birthday cake. When former children’s laureate Rosen performs it, his eyes light up and his voice swoops an octave in squeals of delight. Can Polka Theatre’s stage version for ages 4+ live up to the original? Culture Vulture has seen a preview, and it’s not letting the cat out of the bag to say – yes, it can. Watch for my full review on Saturday. On until May 13th, more details here.

Merton artist Philip Copestake quit his career in science to paint full time. After a successful show in November 2017 at Coolangatta cafe-come-art-gallery in Kingston Road, Wimbledon, he is back again from Friday April 6th with a new collection of over thirty small works on paper. Some are purely abstract, others are more illustrative, but each is a little jewel of colour, form, and subject matter. Pop in for avocado sourdough toast and come out with an original work of art.

You go for years without a production of Giselle and then, like buses, two come along at once. Giselle dies of a broken heart when she learns her beloved Albrecht is promised to another woman, then comes back from the dead as a vengeful spirit to make unfaithful men dance to death. The sensational Sergei Polunin dances Albrecht to prima ballerina Svetlana Zakharova’s Giselle in the Bolshoi ballet’s production, which you can watch live in cinemas on Sunday, April 8th.

Two weeks later on April 25th, watch a recording of Tamara Rojo and the English National Ballet performing Akram Khan’s Olivier award-winning Giselle, set among migrant workers cast out of their jobs in a condemned garment factory.

Have a great week and keep an eye on Twitter for more of what’s on around Merton.

 

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…

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