Mars at the Old Royal Naval College
See the final work in Luke Jerram’s out-of-this-world installation trilogy in the beautiful Painted Hall, part of the Old Royal Naval College (ORNC) at Greenwich. It’s always special to visit this magnificent building and now you can see the magical red planet of Mars at the same time. Following the sell-out success of his previous installations, Gaia and Museum of the Moon, this spellbinding seven-metre rotating artwork features detailed NASA imagery of Mars, accompanied by a surround sound composition from BAFTA-winning composer Dan Jones. You can also learn some fun facts about the planet, which is roughly half the size of Earth but twice as big as the Moon.
And did you know that a year on Mars is equivalent to 687 Earth days. Each Mars day is called a ‘sol’ and is a little longer than an Earth day – 24 hours and 37 minutes to be precise. The ORNC is a UNESCO heritage site and well worth the trip on the DLR or along the Thames. There’s also a series of special events to accompany the installation.
Ticketed, Painted Hall, Old Royal Naval College, London
Celebrate the festive season at Cecil Sharp House
Cecil Sharp House is the home of the English Folk Song and Dance Society, the national development agency for the folk arts. This month, it has a program of festive experiences culminating with its much-loved New Year’s Eve Ceilidh. Popular rising stars of the London folk scene, Goblin Band, are performing on 3 December alongside Craven. On 8 December, the annual Festive Gathering, a carol concert with a folk twist, fills the Kennedy Hall with song, dance, music and good cheer! See the Cecil Sharp House Choir with guests including The Shackleton Trio, Matthew Crampton and the Latin American Choir of London. And then, on 19 December, some of the English folk scene’s most inventive artists present Awake Arise: A Christmas Show For Our Times, celebrating the riches of winter traditions with songs, folk carols, spoken word and newly written music.
Ticketed, 2 Regent’s Park Road, London
Read: Theatre review: A Christmas Carol, The Old Vic
Deck The Stalls!
Love them or hate them, it’s the season for office Christmas parties. Head off to Hammersmith’s Riverside Studios to see Lydia Kavanagh’s hilarious new play, Deck The Stalls, performed by Laura Rea and directed by Chloe Cattin. Serena’s office Christmas Party is so tragic that she’s locked herself in the loo – do you know how she feels? If you’ve ever been forced to endure a cringe-worthy office Christmas party, you’ll appreciate her predicament! Dates: 16 to 22 December 2024
Ticketed, 101 Queen Caroline Street, Hammersmith, London
A Very Dolly Christmas
And just in time for Christmas, Riverside Studios is also staging Here You Come Again, a new musical comedy produced by arrangement with Dolly Parton and featuring all her greatest hits. Adapted for the UK by acclaimed British playwright Jonathan Harvey, from the original script by two-time Emmy award-winning comedy and songwriter Bruce Vilanch, Here You Come Again stars Gabriel Barre and Tricia Paoluccio. Dates: 10 December 2024 to 18 January 2025
Ticketed, 101 Queen Caroline Street, Hammersmith, London
Christmas at the Royal Albert Hall
The wonderful Royal Albert Hall is almost as famous for its Christmas concerts as it is for the Proms. Choral fans rave about Christmas with the Royal Coral Society and everyone loves Carols at the Royal Albert Hall. These are now so popular that this year there will be 15 performances across six days. There are also soul Christmases, swing Christmases and a big band Christmas. And when Sandi (Toksvig) Claus comes to town, it’s a joyful celebration of the LGBTQIA+ family and their allies. You can then close out the year with The Nutcracker by the Birmingham Royal Ballet and the Royal Ballet Sinfonia.
Ticketed, Kensington Gore, London
Christmas Bop!
They will be singing to raise the roof at Southbank with the London Gay Men’s Chorus doing Christmas Bop! The show features all those festive classics that capture the sound of an era when rock and roll, jive and the bunny hop filled the airwaves. Sing along to colourful arrangements of ‘Jingle Bell Rock’, ‘I Saw Daddy Kissing Santa Claus’ and ‘Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree’. So dust off your diamanté dancing shoes and join the London Gay Men’s Chorus for a toe-tapping trip back to the dance halls of the 1950s and 1960s. Three performances only at Southbank. Date: 6 and 7 December.
Ticketed, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre
Cinderella in Islington
The main event of the holiday season at Islington’s King’s Head Theatre is a new family-friendly pantomime of Cinderella. Ella Vaday (Nick Collier) RuPaul’s Drag Race UK queen stars as Peckham, one of the Ugly Sisters, alongside Maddy Erzan-Essien as leading lady Cinderella. The role of the narrator is voiced by that living treasure of English theatre Dame Judi Dench. And yes, there are a couple of ‘adults only’ performances too. Dates: 30 November 2024 to 5 January 2025
Ticketed, 116 Upper Street, Islington, London
London’s own Gothic Panto!
Welcome to Lewishtonia, where once upon a time, a princess is born. Not invited to the celebration party, wicked fairy Carabosse casts an evil spell that changes the Princess’ life forever – but can she take charge of her own destiny? This is the fun reimagining of Sleeping Beauty at the Broadway Theatre in Catford. Suitable for all ages, this new show is written and directed by acclaimed ‘Panto Legend’ Susie McKenna. It’s a modern remix, a gothic fairytale with a 21st century twist, that transports you to the magical kingdoms of Lewishtonia and Westminsteria. Featuring Broadway theatre favourites Wayne Rollins as Denzil the Dragon, Durone Stokes as Prince Gabriel and Ben Fox as King Eric The Undecided, with Roshani Abbey as the titular beauty. Dates: 4 to 31 December
Ticketed, Broadway Theatre Rushey Green, Catford London
Read: Theatre review: The Snowman, Peacock Theatre, London
But wait, there’s more Panto
Hackney Empire is celebrating its 25th pantomime with a new production of Dick Whittington and his Cat directed by Olivier Award-winner Clive Rowe, who also stars as Sarah the Cook. An old hand at Hackney, this will be his 17th pantomime there. Hackney Empire’s panto is one of the most iconic in the UK. The first pantomime of the modern era was Aladdin in 1988. This year’s festive season will burst into life with Dick on his search for fortune and fame. Along the way, he’ll experience the adventure of a lifetime, battling rats, falling in love and finding himself on the path to becoming the Mayor of London! Dates: 3 December 2024 to 5 January 2025
Ticketed, 291 Mare Street, London
Monet and London: Views of the Thames
If all that festive frivolity is too much for you, head to the serenity of The Courtauld Gallery in Somerset House for Monet and London. Claude Monet (1840–1926) is renowned as the leading figure of French Impressionism, the movement that changed the course of modern art. But some of Monet’s most remarkable Impressionist paintings were painted right here in London. They depict extraordinary views of the Thames, full of evocative atmosphere, mysterious light and radiant colour. This is the first time these paintings have been shown together in the UK. Dates: to 19 January 2025
Ticketed, The Courtauld Gallery, Somerset House, The Strand, London
Famous faces on stage
There’s always an opportunity to see a famous face from film and television live on stage in London. This month, Mark Strong and Lesley Manville star in a political reworking of Oedipus at the Wyndham Theatre; funny man Steve Coogan and Armando Iannucci from The Thick of It do Dr Strangelove at the Noel Coward Theatre; Ugly Betty star Vanessa Williams shines in The Devil Wears Prada – The Musical at the Dominion; former Dr Who Jodie Whittaker is The Duchess, a modern reimagining of a Jacobean tragedy, at the Trafalgar Theatre; Lily Collins from Emily in Paris and Money Heist’s Álvaro Morte continue with their West End debuts at the Duke of York’s Theatre in the brilliant two-hander, Barcelona; Lucian Msamati and Ben Whishaw are Waiting for Godot at the Theatre Royal Haymarket; and you can also catch David Tennant and Cush Jumbo in Macbeth at the Harold Pinter Theatre before it ends on 14 December.
