Entertainment

By Carl Allen, author of London Gig Venues London has a rich and varied history of live music venues from pubs to theatres, churches to warehouses. A new book –‘London Gig Venues’ by Carl Allen explores almost 600 of the capital’s venues from the lost and forgotten to the internationally famous. We asked Carl to share some of the most interesting venues and gigs that have happened in the capital. 1.Islington Assembly Hall A 1930s civic dancehall that sprang into...

Anybody approaching newsstands for tomorrow's press will be forgiven for thinking the Sun's masthead had been designed by a 5-year-old child. It has, as it happens, been created by acclaimed artist David Hockney, a man who is considered one of the most influential British artists of the 20th century. The prominent 'Sun' wording is mirrored by a schoolboy sun sketch, a stroke of genius by Hockney's account, who said of the opportunity: “I was delighted to be asked. Once I thought...

Following a successful run in Madrid, The Art of the Brick: DC Super Heroes is set to make its London debut on 1st March 2017. The contemporary art exhibition will be shown in an exclusively built space on London’s South Bank, home to the capital’s cultural quarter. Together with Warner Bros. and DC Entertainment, the well-known and celebrated artist Nathan Sawaya has created the world’s largest collection of artwork inspired by DC's Justice League, including Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, alongside...

Introducing comedy star Sophie Willan, who brings her exceptional Edinburgh 2016 show, “On Record” to the UK with of 21 dates dotted all over the UK along with a very special stretch of 9 London dates at the Soho Theatre. We caught up with her for a quick chat... 1) What can people expect from your show? You can expect an anarchic and energetic show that explores my social services records from my childhood growing up in and out of...

Ten things to do in London this weekend: February 3rd,4th & 5th 2016 Don't ever say there's nothing to do this time of year; the first weekend in February is destined to be a jam-packed one. You’ve got a wallet stuffed full of fresh cash after that January lull and love is on the horizon, thanks to a plethora of Valentine’s cards coming your way. But how will you spend your free time? We've teamed up with REVL, London's amazing FREE...

The art traders report last year revealed that nearly half of online art buyers plan to purchase more art and collectibles online this year. With online art sales reaching $3.27 billion (£2.62 billion) in 2015, and nearly a quarter of millennials surveyed saying they bought art online for the first time, is the art world finally dropping the elitist act? The rise in online art collectors hasn’t come out of thin air, top art galleries that you wouldn’t walk into...

Mac DeMarco has announced This Old Dog, his third album and first full-length since 2014’s Salad Days, on May 5th 2017 worldwide. In conjunction with today’s album announcement, DeMarco is announcing a North American tour and sharing two lead singles - “My Old Man” and “This Old Dog.”  DeMarco says, “I demoed a full album, and as I was moving to the West Coast I thought I’d get to finishing it quickly. But then I realized that moving to a new...

There’s plenty of drama in Michael McLean’s Years of Sunlight about friendship and the exodus of Liverpudlians living in 1960s slums to new purpose built town Skelmersdale, but Mark Rice-Oxley’s Paul, best friend of parent-less Emlyn, is directed by Amelia Sears to stand as still as one of Anthony Gormley’s iron men statues on Merseyside’s Crosby Beach at the top of the play. Basked in Joshua Pharo’s Rothko-esque very northern feeling like light, Polly Sullivan’s molten stage and landscape is...

Critic Mark Shenton wrote of the 2016 Escaped Alone production, now back at the Royal Court for a second run that he wouldn’t be surprised “if we woke to headlines today that described exactly what she'd foretold.” The play by Caryl Churchill premiered before the UK left the EU, a little before all the anger at Europe’s response to the Refugee Crisis and before we had an unelected Prime Minister who seems to enjoy holding hands with Donald Trump as...