December 2006-February 2007
The Bloomsbury Theatre, 15 Gordon Street, WC1H OAH www.thebloomsbury.com Box Office: 020 7388 8822
Michael Morporgu’s ‘Kensuke’s Kingdom’
12 December - 23 December and 8 January to 27 January
Monday to Friday (10.30am and 1.30pm) Saturday (2pm)
The Birmingham Stage Company is proud to present the world premiere of Michael Morporgu’s award-winning book. If you are looking for a fantastic adventure for all the family, don't miss your chance to enter Kensuke’s Kingdom! It is the story of Michael, who goes on a fantastic sailing adventure with his parents around the world as their dream becomes a nightmare when the boat is hit by a terrifying storm and Michael is thrown into the sea. Washed up on an island in the Pacific, his fight for survival has only just begun. But soon he is to make a startling discovery!
Suitable for 5 & over. Tickets: £15, Family ticket £45.
The T S Eliot Prize Poetry Readings, presented by the Poetry Book Society
The T S Eliot Prize is awarded annually to the poet who, in the judges’ opinion, has published the best new poetry collection that year. On the eve of the winner being announced, the ten short listed poets are invited to take part in the T S Eliot Readings at the Bloomsbury Theatre. This event is a unique opportunity to hear the best contemporary poets reading their own work. Tickets £12 (concessions £8)
Monday 5 February (8pm)
A benefit to raise money to pay for the production of a 4cd box set of the complete works of the 1980’s cult comedian ‘Ted Chippington’, whose vaudeville surrealism predated Vic Reeves and whose ultra deadpan delivery and contempt for the very idea of jokes influenced a generation of comics without any of them even knowing who Ted was.
Line up to include: Simon Amstell (Never Mind The Buzzcocks), Dan Brown (The Davinci Code), Richard Herring (Richardherring.com), Robin Ince (Stuart Foot in The Office), Phil Jupitas (Porky The Poet), Stewart Lee (Radio 4's Quote Unquote), Josie Long (if.comedies winner).
Having won many international awards including Fringe First at the Edinburgh Festival, Ferdydurke comes to the Bloomsbury Theatre. It is based on Gombrowicz's first novel, a satirical work and cult classic, which was published in 1937 and is one of the forgotten treasures of 20th century literature.
Teatr Provisorium presented by the Polish Cultural Institute. Tickets £17.50 (concessions £12.50)
Cochrane Theatre, Southampton Row, London, WC1B 4AP
www.cochranetheatre.co.uk Tel: Administration: 020 7269 1600, Box Office: 020 7269 1606
British Museum, Great Russell Street, WC1B 3DG
www.britishmuseum.ac.uk Tel: 020 7323 8000
Crack the Codex at the British Museum
Weekends from 25 November, daily 20-31 December 11.00–16.00
Great Court
Play your own version of Codex, Channel 4’s brand new adventure game programme presented by Tony Robinson. Crack the code by taking our trail around Museum objects for your chance to win a prize
Free, no pre-booking required
Encounters: travel and money in the Byzantine world
until January 2007
Byzantium and the Byzantine Empire are names given to the Eastern Roman Empire during the Middle Ages (5th to 15th centuries). Byzantines thought of themselves as Romans, and their imperial capital at Constantinople (now called Istanbul) was known as New Rome. This exhibition examines the context and spread of Byzantine coins beyond the borders of the empire and how other peoples responded to Byzantine coinage.
The Past from Above through the lens of Georg Gerster
A journey over the world's greatest archaeological sites
16 November 2006 – 11 February 2007
Room 35
See over 100 of the world's greatest historic locations in the heart of London. Captured over 40 years, the aerial photography of Swiss photographer Georg Gerster will take visitors on a tour of five continents including the ancient cities of Babylon (in modern-day Iraq), Leptis Magna (in Libya) and Teotihuacan (in Mexico), will be explored in this exhibition. Objects from the Museum's permanent collection will feature alongside Gerster's photographs to provide an added insight into the people behind these extraordinary locations.
The exhibition also serves as a reminder of the fragility of many of these important locations and that positive action is required to preserve our common cultural heritage. A chance to view the world from a truly different perspective!
Admission £5 (concessions £4)
Tickets on sale at the British Museum,
online or telephone +44 (0)20 7323 8181
October Gallery, 24 Old Gloucester Street, London, WC1N 3AL
October Gallery presents an exhibition of major works by one of the UK's most important and original artists. Today considered a key figure of post-war painting in Britain, Aubrey Williams brought together a spectrum of visual and cultural influences in his paintings that ranged from astronomy and ecology to pre-Columbian iconography and the music of Dimitri Shostakovich.
Rokeby Gallery, 37 Store Street, WC1E 7BS
Tel: 020 7168 9942 www.rokebygallery.com
Sam Dargan: A Bad Year for People
Sam Dargan will launch Rokeby’s 2007 exhibition programme with a solo exhibition of new paintings and drawings. Dargan creates paintings and drawings that express the alienation and dissatisfaction experienced in contemporary daily life. Isolated middle income men are depicted in stark environments, political graffiti often forming the backdrop; packed with hostility, Dargan’s work comments on the imbalance of power systems. Sam Dargan recently won the Oriel Moystn 16th Open, previous winners have included Gary Hume, Simon Starling and Cerith Wyn Evans. Dargan is represented by Rokeby.
Toni Heath Gallery 10 Lamb's Conduit Passage, Red Lion Square, WC1R 4RH (020 7831 3002) www.toniheath.com
Nicholas Brown. Nicholas has quickly found an appreciative audience for his work with its’ timeless qualities and recurring themes, seemingly relating to the environment, but deliberately, ambiguously open, inviting the viewer to create narratives of their own.
Tung-pang Lam. Tung-pang Lam is rapidly becoming a name to watch in international contemporary art. Using both traditional (oil, acrylic, charcoal, ink, paper) and non-traditional (nails, sand, wax, plywood) materials, he produces beautiful, thought-provoking pieces, which resonate with the viewer long after their first encounter.
Rupert Record. Rupert Record is Toni Heath Gallery’s most widely collected artist. Bending the greed, hate and violence, he used auras of luminous colour - reminiscent of stained glass - to reflect the deeper emotion and uniqueness within each figure. The layers within are able to stir the soul: transfiguring the individual's internal pain to investigate 'the triumph of the spirit over oppression'.
Arin Sunaryo. Arin Sunaryo’s painting practice has developed through a fascination with comic books, science fiction films and Japanese manga animations. The sensuality of paint is the main reason he is currently choosing to work in this medium. However, the works also strive to deliver a distinctive visual impact.