‘Navigating the shark-infested waters of their local‘ There is something truly idiosyncratic about the British pub, dare I go further, the London pub. The Italian osteria or Greek taverna doesn’t have quite the same blend of comfort and rowdiness, that distinctive smell or pint-dulled tang that settles at midnight. So, when I clocked a new(ish) Matthew Bourne set in one ...

‘Show political films politically, and queer films queerly’ Like the vibrating water glass as the T. Rex thumps along in Jurassic Park, Pride unrolls its stomping boots, ready to rampage across the country. But does it have to be only frozen daiquiris, ageing pop stars, and endorsements from arms dealers? The Barbican (and I) say no! So, we, the artistic ...

‘Piddly by name, but not piddly by nature’ Central (South) London is treated to all the circus classics for less than a sandwich and a coffee at Pret. I have an odd relationship with circuses. There is something in the sweat-stained sequins, gasoline reek mixed with popcorn and undeniable talent that has always tightened my collar. Yet I hate animals ...

‘Theatrical beauty’ If you don’t love Fiddler are you even a musical theatre fan? Perhaps you’re not, I do pride myself on the mixed-bag readers of this site. Yet I would argue regardless of your relationship to a step-ball-change, you should. Here’s a quick history lesson, get comfy children. Sholem Aleichem’s Yiddish language stories were carefully musicalised by writer Joseph ...

‘Stuffed after six slices’ When is a pizza joint not a pizza joint? No, this isn’t a Schrödinger’s domed oven deal. It’s more of a question on the nature of the food scene, answered audaciously by Bing Bong Pizza. You Call The Shots (YTCS) is an egalitarian bar that has been rebranded and open since January. It is crouching across ...

‘A garden, a mother, a daughter, and a looming line of work. Bernard Shaw’s searing social commentary springs eternal with Imelda Staunton and Bessie Carter as head gardeners’ Now I will level with you, dear reader, this is my first shuffle with Shaw. I know scandal and shock, a Nobel prize-winner to boot. I mean, I’ve heard of him whispered ...

‘Treading the glamorous but dangerous path of memory lane’ I am a super fan of Hersh Dagmarr’s blend of cabaret and campy vampire (like a singing queer Dracula) which is going to make this review a tricky one to get down. The setting is flawless, the doldrums of Sunday flung aside in the hustle to get tarted up and head ...

‘Bloated, besmirched, and oh so happy’ As the sun swooped through the gigantic windows of The Star By Hackney Downs, my pal and I settled in for a flamed-tongued feast in a fairground-themed pub. As you do. Midweek in London is never dull, and your local boozer might be hiding a top hat and sparkly vest behind its Victorian grandeur. ...

‘hope to recontextualise the past, improve the present, and hopefully change the future’ Now I am a history girlie, chuck me a bustle, a hoop skirt, a cod piece (cheeky) or a corset and I’m blissful. However uncomfortably, I am a feminist, and so often the voices of women are absent or drowned out from the past. Enter Ava Pickett! ...

‘Korean art has long enthralled the West: from Changgeuk and Pansori (Opera/folk performance) to swooping, spidery calligraphy. Now, a festival of dance expands our horizons once again.’ Having missed Jinjo Crew at Breakin’ Convention at the beginning of the month, I fairly squeaked when I spied that a Korean dance festival was on at The Place and in its eighth year. It is supported ...