London events in May

Super-director Jamie Lloyd is renowned for his powers of celebrity wrangling, but even by his standards this is quite the coup: his production of Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo & Juliet’ will star Tom Holland, aka Spider-Man himself, in his first stage role since a lengthy stint in ‘Billy Elliot’ as a child actor. Holland will, of course, be playing Romeo: there’s no word on any other casting, including Juliet, but further celebrities seem unlikely – Lloyd tends to assemble diverse, interesting casts that highlight up-and-coming talent. Stylistically, we can certainly expect a contemporary setting and stripped-back aesthetic, though last year’s peerless ‘Sunset Boulevard’ did see Lloyd get back to his more maximalist roots with its gargantuan video wall and copious use of gore – you’d think a bit of the ol’ claret has to be an option for Lloyd’s take on Shakespeare’s high-ish body-count romantic tragedy.

In partnership with Gucci, the V&A will be showcasing a stunning follow-up from the Tate Modern’s 2016 exhibition, ‘The Radical Eye’. Meandering through the decades from 1950 up until the present day, visitors will be presented with an unmatched collection of more than 300 rare prints by over 140 photographers, including Cindy Sherman, known for her striking self-portraits, and Robert Mapplethorpe, famed for his black and white still-life and nude studies. Each item is on loan from Sir Elton John and David Furnish’s private collection, marking their 30 years of collecting.

Stage-loving Studio Ghibli fans are being treated like never before at the moment: hot on the heels of the RSC’s hugely acclaimed ‘My Neighbour Totoro’, here comes this spectacular Japanese production of Hayao Miyazaki 2001 masterpiece ‘Spirited Away’. Adapted for the stage by John Caird – co-director of ‘Les Miserables’ – with puppets by Toby Olié, there’s so much Brit talent at the heart of the production that a transfer always seemed pretty much bolted on, and it’ll play a limited run at the vast London Coliseum as part of a wider international tour. ‘Spirited Away’ is perhaps the quintessential work by Ghibli head honcho Miyazaki, concerning Chihiro, a young girl who inadvertently crosses over into a world filled with strange spirits of varying friendliness. Presented in Japanese with English surtitles, it also features a live orchestra playing Joe Hisaishi’s score.

Get ‘All Shook Up’ with a visit to Direct from Graceland: Elvis, a kaleidoscopic retrospective of the global sensation, Elvis Presley. Put on your ‘Blue Suede Shoes’ and see over 450 largely unreleased artefacts that chart the King’s humble beginnings to his meteoric rise to fame in this exclusive release from Graceland. Extended due to popular demand, don’t miss Elvis Direct from Graceland at London’s newest destination for culture, Arches London Bridge.

The human impact of conflict is a dimension of war that is often overlooked, but not in this springtime exhibition at the Imperial War Museum, which looks to shed light on people and their experiences of war through the work of celebrated humanitarian and photojournalist Tim Hetherington. Marking the 13th anniversary of his passing, it will explore Hetherington’s unconventional approach of creating ‘visual novels’, becoming ‘part of the platoon’ and his commitment to ‘closing the distance’ between his subjects and his audience, and includes work from his 2011 project on the Libyan Civil War, during which he was mortally wounded.

‘Fawlty Towers’ (the play) is absolutely not an attempt to boldly reinvent the adventures of Basil, Sybil, Manuel and co for the twenty-first century. Instead, the performance has stitched together content from three classic episodes: ‘The Hotel Inspector’, ‘The Germans’ and ‘Communication Problems’. It sounds like they’ll be woven into a single narrative with a new ending, but whether you’re a long-term fan or too young to have ever seen it, you’ll pretty much be getting ‘Fawlty Towers’ in its classic form.

The first main house play in David Byrne’s reign at the Royal Court is one that was made earlier: great Brit auteur director Katie Mitchell remounts her 2019 German adaptation of Maggie Nelson’s ‘Bluets’, an essay on grief, sadness and the colour blue, with a new English language adaptation by rising star playwright Margaret Perry. It’s a great piece of leftfield programming from Byrne: the Court has gone without a really successful Downstairs theatre show for what feels like years – Mitchell’s rep alone is enough to sell ‘Bluets’, but it’s also enough to get a very exciting cast headed by Paddington Bear himself Ben Whishaw, who’ll star alongside Emma D’Arcy and Kayla Meikle.

Outdoor spaces are big business come London summertime, and this seasonal pop-up between Waterloo and Westminster bridges is one of the biggest in London. Boasting lovely views over the river Thames and an eclectic programme of drag shows, DJs, live performances and themed club nights, its summer 2024 season is packed with surprises. For this month’s schedule, you can expect non-stop noughties from the 10-piece brass powerhouse that is the Old Dirty Brasstards, plus TEDFEST, celebrating everything that is Father Ted. 

While it is fairly nuts that leftfield European director Ivo van Hove has been allowed to plonk a leftfield European musical (which features absolutely no dance numbers, power ballads, lavish sets, or cute romantic storylines) in a big theatre in the middle of London, this play has a palpable warmth. ‘Opening Night’ is a stage adaptation of a classic arthouse film, which, under all the avant-garde bells and whistles, unquestionably has a heart, and features a wonderful performance by Sheridan Smith.

After celebrating its 75th anniversary last year, this multimedia exhibition at the Migration Museum in Lewisham delves into the history of the NHS, and to the thousands of dedicated non-British workers who have contributed to its delivery of healthcare. Through photography, artefacts, and a newly commissioned interactive music video installation, their stories are lovingly told. 

One of the best things about Denise Gough’s astounding performance in Duncan Macmillan’s addiction drama is how understated it is. For all the initial, broad black comedy, it’s a masterclass in nuance and subtlety. This is a play about the seduction of escaping reality, and it features a performance that burrows into the heart, the guts, the brain, the soul.

Enjoy an incredible offer at one of London’s charming French restaurants. Prix Fixe Brasserie invites you to indulge in two courses and a glass of prosecco for just £15! Indulge in a classic French Bistro menu of grilled mussels in garlic, Escargots à la Bourguignonne, and confit of duck accompanied by dauphinoise potatoes to name a few.

James Graham’s adaptation of Alan Bleasdale’s seminal ’80s drama follows five unemployed men trying to negotiate their way through Thatcher’s decade. It’s directed by Kate Wasserberg (artistic director of Theatr Clwyd in Wales) and will return to Liverpool for a run before a short transfer to the Olivier theatre for 21 performances, then heading straight back on to the West End’s Garrick Theatre.

This autobiographical work by musician Stew looks back at the LA-born singer-songwriter and playwright’s formative years as a young Black man navigating finding himself and his musical taste. We’re finally being graced with the UK debut, 20 years after it was first performed in the US, part of Kwame Kwei-Armah’s impressive final season.

Rosie Sheehy (Chernobyl, Royal Shakespeare Company: King John) gives an astonishing performance in Richard Jones’s staggering revival of Sophie Treadwell’s 1928 expressionist classic, nailing a different aspect of alienation throughout, from her opening panic attack on the subway to her pathetic gratefulness to the man she hooks up with. The hyper-stylized production is daring from start to finish, but the scope of Jones’s ambitions becomes apparent at the end, when a caged Young Woman (Sheehy) becomes an almost Christ-like figure. It’s certainly a choice to push it this far, given the character is based upon real-life husband murderer Ruth Snyder, but the production feels like a logical conclusion of Treadwell’s endeavour to compassionately consider Snyder’s reasons for snapping.

As London’s galleries gear up for their big summer exhibitions, they’re closing the doors on their spring shows. Small gallery exhibitions like Nick Waplington’s amazing ‘Living Room’ jostled for space with major institutions’ exhibitions like the Hayward’s huge sculpture show ‘When Forms Come Alive’ and big in-depth historical extravaganzas like Raven Row’s Brazilian art rundown ‘Some May Work As Symbols’. There was photography, painting, sculpture, immersive installations, the whole shebang, so try and catch ‘em while you still can. 

Dinner theatre specialists The Lost Estate return with a theatrical dining experience themed around classic Sherlock Holmes adventure ‘The Hound of the Baskervilles’. We’re assuming you sit in a fixed place and actors act around you – but you’ll have to grab your ticket to find out. We do know the show is set in 1889 at (where else) 221B Baker Street, and there’s an indulgent-sounding three-course menu. Dinner is afoot.

Peckham Fringe returns for its third year with over 20 productions created by local artists and members of Peckham’s community. The programme promises inventive, enthralling storytelling, from Time Fly’s, a time-travelling adventure back to the south-east London of old, to Last Goal Wins, an award-winning piece about five men trying out for the Nigerian national football team.