Last Updated on June 15, 2026

The Devil Has The Best Tunes

You might think that Orfeo’s visit to the underworld was a bad trip, but the appearance of sinkholes next to a Purley railway bridge made yesterday’s journey to Glyndebourne from London similarly hellish, with train cancellations and quite a few ticketholders having to cancel. However, the transport-induced shenanigans didn’t take away from the creativity and visual invention of South African artist and Olivier Award-winning director William Kentridge’s production of Monteverdi’s 1607 masterpiece L’Orfeo.

Glyndebourne is going through a process of building relationships with visual artists, encouraging them to bring opera into their creative practice. This production is a product of that process and marks both Kentridge’s Glyndebourne debut and the house’s first Monteverdi production, making it the festival’s most anticipated premiere of the 2026 season. L’Orfeo is a critical work in the development of opera. Jacopo Peri wrote the earliest examples of the form, but Monteverdi’s 1607 work, first performed at Duke Vincenzo Gonzaga’s court at Mantua, created the template for Baroque opera.

The ancient Greek Orpheus legend still has a powerful hold on our musical culture. The story of the foolish young troubadour who descends into Hades to retrieve his deceased wife Euridice often turns up at moments of cultural innovation; from Monteverdi to the Offenbach operetta Orphée aux Enfers that established the genre, and in more modern times, the box-office-busting Broadway smash Hadestown.

Kentridge is no stranger to opera production, and this is a return to Monteverdi for him, having directed the composer’s 1640 Il Ritorno d’Ulisse using puppets, in a much more radical take on the work than the new Garsington production that opened last week. For L’Orfeo, he has taken his inspiration from the poet Rainer Maria Rilke’s Sonnets to Orpheus, written in 1922, the text of which is projected in a typical Kentridgian sans-serif font.

In Rilke’s work, Euridice is at one with her death, subsumed into the transformative process of existence and barely acknowledging Orpheus. This conception of the body and spirit as a palimpsest has a deep connection with the director’s art practice in which drawings are created, filmed, then erased and recreated, creating an endless cycle of change.

Kentridge has set his production twelve years earlier than Rilke in 1910, and it is possibly no coincidence that it aligns with the year in which the Union of South Africa was created. The opera’s setting is located in an artist’s studio overlaid with multiple projections and animations that speed up with the music. It’s a synthesis of a Bauhaus artist’s studio and Kentridge’s own, with items shipped from South Africa. There are images of Bauhaus-style pendant lights, megaphones, and telephones, with the period seeing the birth of mass-communication culture.

The singers carry corrugated cardboard Kandinsky-esque cutouts in earth tones. The animations and films showcase notebooks full of charcoal drawings of township landscapes, symbols and jottings. We see the director’s signature charcoal trees and flowers, with the tree’s transformation into a root representing Euridice’s journey. There are marked-up maps, another Kentridge trope and even a photo of Rilke. In a sense, Kentridge has created an installation that addresses his creative process with an opera folded into it.

Central to the opera is the character of La Musica, the spirit of music, beautifully sung by Italian Baroque specialist Francesca Aspromonte, who also covers the underwritten part of Euridice. With her strong, clear soprano, Aspromonte sets out her stall in the opening air ‘Dal mio Permesso amato.’ Kentridge has transformed La Musica into a representative of all arts; we are in her studio, and instead of a lyre, she has a sketch book out of which the whole scenography of the opera emerges, integrating the world of the classical myth with Kentridge’s practice.

Dancer Roseline Wilkens also represents Euridice through movement. The choreography was attractive, if lacking in stylistic coherence, but it didn’t seem to add much to understanding of the character.

Polish tenor Krystian Adam, dapper in a boater, loose-fitting golden-brown jacket and cravat, brings a sense of passionate lyricism to his Orfeo with a moving ‘Possento Spirito’ but needed a little more arrogance in his characterisation to justify his turning against Pluto’s orders.

Up-and-coming Australian mezzo-soprano Xenia Puskarz Thomas was excellent as La Speranza / Messaggera. Her ‘Ecco l’atra palude’ combined a powerful sense of foreboding with a touching sensitivity. Her line ‘Lasciate ogni speranza, o voi ch’entrate’ (Abandon all hope, ye who enter here) might well have been aimed at the Southern Rail customers. British bass Callum Thorpe brought a sense of empathy to the role of the boatman Caronte whilst American mezzo Leia Lensing made a sweet-toned Proserpina, Queen of the Underworld. You could see why sombre-toned Davide Giangregorio as Plutone, god of the underworld, found it hard to object to her entreaties on behalf of Orfeo.

From the strident opening brass Toccata, Jonathan Cohen coaxed a wonderful array of colours out of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. In particular, the viols and organ created moments of great sublimity and the whole ensemble created a sparkling account of Monteverdi’s progressive polyphony.
Kentridge has created a densely populated, multi-layered and intriguing take on L’Orfeo. It could be argued that the characters have again become his puppets, immersed in a dialogue with the artist’s personal practice. Sometimes it is overwhelming, sometimes immensely moving. The production certainly operates in the realms of a Wagnerian Gesamtkunstwerk and makes us out of the past address the operatic future.

On a more prosaic note, because of the transport problems we didn’t manage the usual dash to Waitrose to pick up picnic essentials and so ordered a last-minute Glyndebourne picnic on arrival. I’m happy to report that we were given a prime spot just in front of the Rose Garden and that the picnic was well-constructed and plentiful. I do like the self-made picnic ritual, but if you can’t be bothered or don’t have time and don’t want the formality of the restaurants, then it is a good option.

L’Orfeo

Playing between 14 June and 25 July

Glyndebourne
Lewes,
East Sussex,
BN8 5UU

You might like: A Summer of Opera: England’s 2026 Festival Season

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Last Updated on June 14, 2026

Vivaldi’s Masterpiece Re-imagined in Dance

A Life in Four Seasons is an exuberant riff on the phases of our lives, danced by a company that encompasses a range of ages and training, and all the better for that.  Presented in the feel-good, sylvan setting of the Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre on a mercifully dry and warmish spell of London weather, it makes for a colourful, uplifting evening.

Inspired by Vilvaldi’s most popular work, the quartet of violin concerti that makes up The Four Seasons, the piece, directed by Tinuke Craig and choreographed by the American Alexzandra Sarmiento, follows three characters from the joyful carelessness of youth – Spring – through to the slower, more meditative mood of old age in Winter.

The characters are the same throughout: Heart, Head and Gut, and although the printed programme describes them as three distinct characters, who meet as teenagers and whom the piece follows through the various phases of their lives, they could just as well be different aspects of the same person: sentimental, cerebral, instinctive.  It doesn’t matter: it works either way, or rather, it works even better if both possibilities are present in how you look at the performance.

A simple set of blocks, that could represent buildings (set and costumes by Ryan Dawson Laight), denotes an urban setting.

Urban commercial with a touch of hip hop is the predominant accent of the choreography, which is never less than exuberant and very vital. Each of the three main characters is colour-coded throughout – pink for Heart, sky blue for Head and burnt orange for Gut – though the fashion of the costumes changes subtly from section to section.

So, Spring burst onto the stage, in knee-length shorts and blocky Doc Martens, first two smiley, fresh-faced young women, bursting with life and promise, and then Gut, an impish, impulsive young man. 

Their steps closely follow the rhythm of the music; they are soon joined by the remaining members of the 16-strong cast for a vibrant ensemble number.

The same process applies to the following three sections.  Summer, now costumed in long trousers and chunky trainers, has perhaps the most intense feel to the movement, particularly in a solo for Head, which denotes the apogee of the life cycle.  This section, leading to the interval, ends with a clubby feel, as the ensemble dances to a prolonged burst of techno beat.

Which leads us neatly to the use of the music.  The score is a take on Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons, but not necessarily as you know and love it.  Having undergone the ministrations of composer DJ Walde, Vivaldi’s score is often conveyed through an electronic recording, chopped and changed and occasionally giving way to DJ Walde’s techno input.

The piece actually starts with a burst of heavily distorted Vivaldi, which set my teeth on edge, and I have to say, I wasn’t particularly keen on what, to my mind, amounted to the savaging of the original score. It seemed unnecessary, given that Vivaldi himself has infused his concerti with all the feelings and moods and even beats you need to portray the cycle of life from youth to old age, from Spring to Winter.

Winter, in terms of movement, the most individual of all seasons, brought engaging performances by older dancers, and the tone of their movement was slower, more meditative, yet capable still of great, yet more wistful, joy.

All through A Life in Four Seasons, the protagonists of each section reappear in subsequent seasons, providing continuity and fleshing out the idea that whatever your age, however you evolve, the essence of the individual is always present.

I found A Life in Four Seasons entertaining enough, though I felt that there wasn’t sufficient variety in the movement between seasons.  But to the last person, the dancers offered exceptionally committed and proficient performances, a pleasure to watch.

A Life in Four Seasons is at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre 11 to 14 June at 7.45 pm. Sat & Sun matinee at 12.30 pm. Sun at 5.00 pm

Dur.: 75 minutes inc one interval. Tickets £15 to £51

Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
The Regent’s Park
Inner Circle
London NW1 4NU

Check out our London Dance Previews – January to July 2026

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From Orfeo to Ulisse: The Second Chapter of a Monteverdi Journey

Visiting Garsington for the second time this season (check our review of Rosenkavalier for more of what is on), the production of Il ritorno d’Ulisse from The English Concert seems particularly apposite. I’m moving away from London, and much as I love summer excursions to Garsington at the Wormsley Estate, going next year may be something more of a challenge. This Monteverdi opera is the second in a trio of works that the English Concert have planned, and Orfeo, staged at Garsington in 2022, marked my first visit for a truly memorable production. Conducted by Laurence Cummings and directed by John Caird, with sets and costumes by Robert Jones, with lighting by Paul Pyant and choreography by Arielle Smith, the original creative team for Orfeo was reunited. Ulisse sits between Orfeo (1607) and L’incoronazione di Poppea (1643), which the English Concert will bring to Garsington in 2028, offering a fascinating insight into the development of Monteverdi’s style and the evolution of opera from courtly entertainment to the humane world of Ulisse and then to the complexity of Poppea.

Unlike Orfeo, which centred on youthful love, Ulisse was written when Monteverdi was in his early seventies and was one of the most celebrated composers in Europe. And, unlike Orfeo, written for the royal court in Mantua, Ulisse was written for one of Venice’s new commercial opera houses, the Teatro Santi Giovanni e Paolo, during the 1640-41 carnival season. As such, it’s a work which is less concerned with heroic adventure than with endurance, fidelity and the wisdom of experience. Opera was still a relatively new art form, and writing for a commercial opera house, Monteverdi’s work needed to appeal to a broader audience, mixing mythology with comedy and theatrical spectacle. Ulisse, with the protagonist disguising himself as a beggar, with the central spectacle of the bow challenge and with recognition of servants as friends and advisors.

Ed Lyon, who performed Monteverdi’s first great hero, Orfeo, in the 2022 production, returned as Ulisse, alongside other members of the 2022 cast, including Claire Lees and Benjamin Hulett. And, Il ritorno d’Ulisse was just as memorable a production as Orfeo.

Lyon, a lyrical tenor with an expressive and subtle voice, was in his element as the returning, battle-weary hero, oscillating between his lowly disguise as a beggar and his innate nobility. When partnered with Minerva, a bright-toned, agile and incisive Claire Lees, we are reminded that he chose a mortal human life over immortality in order to return to Penelope. When he meets his old servant Eumete (James Gilchrist), he is humble and sensitive; when he confronts Penelope’s suitors, he displays the authority and strength of a king reclaiming his kingdom. The vocal nuances in his solo recitatives, driven by Monteverdi’s wonderful score, were beautifully realised.

By contrast, Cecelia Hall’s Penelope was defined by constancy. Possessing a gloriously rounded mezzo-soprano, she conveyed the character’s dignity and steadfastness, though there were moments when a little more emotional intensity might have lifted the music into the sublime. While Monteverdi’s writing in the opening lament is austere and restrained, the delivery could perhaps have benefited from greater expressive variety. It is a delicate balance: Penelope’s dignity needs to rest upon the love and emotional connection with Ulisse that has sustained her fidelity over two decades. Similarly, in the final recognition duet, the chemistry between the pair seemed somewhat elusive.

The vibrant Melanto (Rowan Pierce) and Eurimaco (Innocent Masuku) were a delight, with Masuku in particular offering a bell-like vocal tone and wonderful lyricism. Both were charming on stage, with Pierce trying her best (and failing) to lead Penelope astray.

For me, the female vocalist of the night, though, was Claire Lees, with a bright, silvery soprano and irrepressible energy. Her singing combined clarity with warmth. A sparkling stage presence and impeccable diction made each divine intervention count.

What makes an opera, though, should not be one great singer, but the entirety of the production. There are too many great performances to mention in this Ulisse, from Lyon himself through to the wonderfully sonorous James Cresswell as Nettuno and Anfinomo, the honeyed lyricism of Dafyyd Jones as Telemanco and the comedic yet vocally brilliant Stuart Jackson as Ino. The staging, with a similar pastoral setting to parts of Orfeo, the brilliant costumes and designs, including Penelope’s stunning blue cloak that doubled as ‘the sea’ and some truly adorable ‘sheep’ with lace-topped gloves and black legs providing a cohesive setting for this fabulous work. And, of course, the splendid English Concert who played impeccably throughout (and before the show). It’s rare for me to want to see it all again – but I would be happy to do so. This is a pivotal work at the crossroads of Renaissance and Baroque music – and yet it’s the perfect entertainment for a glorious summer’s evening in the country today.

Il Ritorno d’Ulisse runs from 12th to 25th June 2026 with tickets from £185, including an £80 donation.

Garsington Opera

Wormsley Estate,
Stokenchurch,
High Wycombe
HP14 3YE

Check our Summer Opera Previews

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Last Updated on June 12, 2026

The Royal Ballet Excels in a New Choreographic Language

The dancers of The Royal Ballet are truly special.  We knew that, of course, but to see the way in which they mastered the totally alien choreographic language of León and Lightfoot was heart-warming. The double bill So Are We marks the first time work by the Netherlands-based choreographic duo, Sol León and Paul Lightfoot, was performed at Covent Garden; but you wouldn’t know it from the assurance and verve the company brought to it.

León and Lightfoot spent the best part of their careers with Nederlands Dans Theatre (NDT).  There they absorbed, and in turn contributed to, a very specific style of contemporary dance, inspired by the company’s long term director, Jiří Kylián, and the giant of Dutch contemporary dance, Hans van Manen, to whom Sol León dedicates the new ballet Salle de Danse.

It’s a very specific, very theatrical style of movement, intensely physical, often spiky, with signature moves like high extensions, flapping hands and exaggerated facial expressions.  At times it quotes from what went before, but distorts it to create something new.  It is cerebral, often absurdist, yet asks for an emotional reaction.

The first piece in So Are We was created for NDT in 2006 (the Dutch company performed it at Sadler’s Wells six years ago).  Entitled Shoot the Moon, it’s a cinematic work, borrowing its aesthetic from silent movies.  In a revolving set depicting three interconnected rooms two couples and a single man enact difficult, tormented relationships to the second movement of Philip Glass’s ‘Tirol Concerto’. 

Glass’s post-minimalist work, with its recurring, soft piano line, creates a wistful, melancholy mood.  The first couple, Vadim Muntagirov and Anna Rose O’Sullivan, appear to interrogate each other, initial softness giving way to anguished, jerky gesturing, hands clutching heads.  He lifts her delicately, but next thing she’s sitting on his back.  The set revolves slowly to bring on the second room and another couple, Lauren Cuthbertson and Matthew Ball.  Theirs is a more fraught relationship, and as the third room rolls on it appears she is having an affair with its occupant, a mysterious Lukas B Brændsrød.

Some of their interactions are filmed in real time (take a bow Bennet Gartside, transitioning effortlessly from dancing Widow Simone to skilled camera operator), and projected in black-and-white on large screens overhanging the stage.

Shoot the Moon is a visually stylish, emotionally charged piece, but I felt towards the end it was struggling to fill the music, which was played live by the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House conducted by Matthew Rowe, with Robert Clark on the piano.

Something else that León and Lightfoot absorbed from their stay at NDT is the Dutch dislike of hierarchies, and Salle de Danse, the hour-long work that premiered in this programme, is a statement of equality, assembling 45 dancers from across all ranks of the company with no distinction of rank.

Over the years dancers’ daily class has inspired ballets such as Harold Lander’s famous Études.  In Salle de Danse León and Lightfoot take that model, captioning each section with the steps it should concentrate on – for example ‘Adage’, ‘Petit Allegro’, ‘Piqués et Grandes Pirouettes’ – but then offering movement that goes its merry way, with little or no reference to the title.  

Danced to an especially commissioned score by Russian composer Ilya Demutsky, the bulk of the piece is bookended by surreal duets for Francesca Hayward and Marcelino Sambé, a pair vaguely reminiscent of circus ringmaster and dainty acrobat.

For the remainder of the hour, principals like Natalia Osipova rub shoulders with Aud Jebsen programme newbies, like Tristan-Ian Massa, in twenty sections of dance, some of which build on the specific characteristics of individual dancers, such as the flexibility of principal Melissa Hamilton, partnered by artist Martin Diaz in ‘Étirements’.  I found many of the sections a bit same-y and the predominantly black visual – costumes, set, denuded wings – cried out monotonous.  However, there were very special moments, such as the duet between Calvin Richardson and the ever engaging Marco Masciari, that opened the ‘Adage’ section, followed by a blink-and-you-missed it pas de deux for Marianela Núñez and Patrício Revé.

Worth doing? On balance, I think so.

So Are We: León & Lightfoot is at RBO 10 to 20 June at 7.30 pm

Dur.: 2 hours approx incl one interval. Tickets £7 to £139 (discounts available – try code LIGHTFOOT30)

Royal Ballet and Opera
Covent Garden
Bow Street|
London WC2E 9DD

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Last Updated on June 12, 2026

Riverside dining in a heatwave

It’s summer in the city, and in West London, one of the best places to be is by the river. The pubs are overflowing, and the Thames is buzzing with life, but where do you go when you want to dine alfresco with a front row seat with a water view? Sam’s Riverside, of course.

My favourite west London brasserie sits right beside Hammersmith Bridge on the banks of the River Thames, steps away from Riverside Studios.

Sam’s Riverside was first opened in 2019 by Sam Harrison and Fanny Stocker. Since then, it has earned 2 AA Rosettes, recognition in the Harden’s Best UK Restaurants Guide, and a place in the MICHELIN Guide Great Britain & Ireland.

I’ve visited this elegant, contemporary brasserie several times over the years, but it was my first experience on their terrace. Arriving in the middle of a heatwave, there was no place I’d rather be. Over the course of the evening, we watched the sunset and the skies turn orange.  

Fanny welcomed us with frozen, spicy Coconut Margaritas, made with Ocho Blanco tequila, coconut syrup, habanero tincture, and fresh lime, served in icy, pale-pink glasses of gorgeousness with just the right kick to set the tone for the evening.

You can’t possibly visit Sam’s without trying their signature savoury churros – they’re fabulously light and fluffy, sprinkled with Parmesan, and make the perfect nibble while you browse the menu. Enjoy them alongside some Dorset crab toasts – crunchy tidbits piled high with creamy white crab meat, which are so delicate and delicious I could happily eat them on repeat.

This summer, Sam’s is partnering with Pommery Champagne, adding a touch of glamour to the terrace and creating the perfect pairing for seafood and sunshine. The terrace dining also includes Sam’s full à la carte menu, which ranges from Sam’s celebrated burger and chips to risotto primavera, courgette and stracciatella ravioli, crab and Gruyère soufflé, sea bass, Cornish lamb rump, and Hereford aged ribeye.

We enjoyed a chilled bottle of Pommery Brut Royal, which comprises the classic Champagne trio of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier. Crisp and lively, with notes of peach and lemon. Other options include Brut Royal Rosé and the Louis Pommery England Brut.

If you really want a taste of summer, pair your Pommery with Sam’s Deluxe Fruit De Mer for the ultimate treat. A magnificent seafood platter arrived for us to share. The Carlington & Jersey oysters were superb, and they slipped down a treat with champagne. The crevettes were served with a Marie Rosé sauce, and the Scottish langoustines with lemon mayonnaise, both incredibly fresh and meaty. There’s something exciting about indulging in active food, no matter how messy it gets.

The slices of silky sea bream ceviche were bright and citrussy, and the smoked salmon was delicate. Another tasty mouthful was the thinly sliced tuna tataki, with a rich flavour and an umami kick. But the highlight of this platter was the dressed Dorset crab, which was astonishingly good – served in a shell, brimming with luscious, sweet and briny white and brown meat.

My mother used to try to impress at dinner parties with her soufflés, but I think even she would have been bowled over by the lemon & elderflower soufflé, light-as-cloud and topped with a brown-butter crumble; it was pure magic. Another nod to the 1970s was the Amalfi lemon sorbet served in an iced lemon shell: very nostalgic and a perfect, refreshing dessert for a balmy evening by the river.

And the finale – black coffee served with coffee macarons, sweet, nutty and gently bitter.

Sam’s really does deliver: the food is great, the service excellent, and dining on its riverside terrace, with the added pleasure of Pommery champagne, is pretty darn lovely.

Sam’s Riverside Restaurant

Address: 1 Crisp Walk, London W6 9DN, United Kingdom

Telephone: +44 20 8237 1020

Looking for something different? Check our Best of British restaurants

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Last Updated on June 11, 2026

Champagne and Murder at County Hall

Agatha Christie’s play Witness for the Prosecution is now in its 9th year at the atmospheric octagonal Edwardian Baroque ex-council chamber of County Hall, the iconic behemoth of a building on Westminster Bridge that used to house both the London County Council and its successor, the Greater London Council. County Hall is within walking distance of Waterloo, Embankment, Charing Cross and Westminster stations.

The play is a period piece, a courtroom murder trial that feels very at home in its setting. Originally published as a short story in 1925, Witness for the Prosecution was first adapted as a stage play, premiering in 1953 at London’s Winter Garden Theatre. There was also a starry 1957 Billy Wilder-directed movie starring Tyrone Power, Marlene Dietrich and Charles Laughton.

The story is centred on the character of Leonard Vole, a naïve young man struggling to find regular work and married to Romaine, a worldly foreign emigré. Vole has made friends with a wealthy older woman, who was found murdered by her Scottish housekeeper on an evening that Vole had paid her a visit. Vole is accused of the murder, still a capital offence, and most of the play takes place in the courtroom with some classic Agatha Christie twists keeping the audience on the edge of their seats.

The star of the show is the council chamber masquerading as the courtroom. You feel as if you could be at the Old Bailey, watching real criminal proceedings unfold, giving the production an immersive quality. It’s the perfect location for a courtroom drama. The room has a natural reverberation that adds atmosphere, but small speakers positioned among the seats ensure you can hear every word.

There is a strong ensemble cast that has a lot of fun with the twists and turns of Christie’s melodramatic plot. Owen Warner convincingly plays Leonard Vole as a besotted and well-meaning innocent trapped in a terrifying web of false accusation. Eleanor Sutton, in a red wig and a fetching black beatnik outfit, hams it up as the wife, Romaine Vole. With an amusingly indeterminate accent, she is every inch the femme fatale.

The defence team of solicitor Mr Mayhew, played by Matthew White and Simon Cotton as Sir Wilfrid Robarts Q.C., play it straight with an old-fashioned lack of cynicism and a faith in British justice which is stylishly upheld by David Whitworth’s Mr Justice Wainwright. Michael Mears gives it his all for the prosecution as barrister Mr Myers, aided by Paul Westwood as the lugubrious Inspector Hearne, who slinks across the stage like a provincial tango dancer. Tamsin Heatley’s Scots housekeeper Janet Mackenzie is suitably over the top for a show that keeps its tongue firmly in its cheek. Director Lucy Bailey keeps things very pacey, and there is some well-choreographed business going on with the set changes and dramatic use of audio.

As part of the Gala event, we were invited to a Champagne Traditional Afternoon Tea at the London County Hall Marriott Hotel’s The Library. Lined with oak bookcases, it’s a fabulous space for an afternoon tea with unrivalled views of the river, Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, and the London Eye. The hotel is the perfect place to stay if you want to see the show, want a location right in the middle of town, or are just looking for a great spot for a meal or a drink.

The Afternoon Tea was a real treat. Served on elegant William Edwards china, after a welcome glass of fizz, we feasted on delicious savouries; pickled cucumber, tea cured salmon and coronation chicken sandwiches, a moreish truffled egg mayonnaise brioche bun and a tasty little caramelised onion goats cheese tartlet. There were scones with lashings of clotted cream, strawberry jam and lemon curd, and a lovely selection of pastries, including a chocolate Victoria sponge take on the Elizabeth Tower that houses Big Ben. There’s a wide selection of posh teas and plenty of other drink options.

If you’re a fan of whodunnits and want a fun night out, then Witness for the Prosecution is a good bet. It’s perfect for families (not for very young children) and will keep your attention.

The Afternoon Tea in London County Hall Marriott Hotel’s The Library


Witness for the Prosecution 
London County Hall,
Belvedere Road,
SE1 7PB

Booking through until April 25th 2027

For more South Bank and Bankside theatre, check our previews

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Last Updated on June 11, 2026

On its Centenary, Rambert Looks to the Future

You can celebrate a landmark birthday – a centenary, in the case of Rambert, the UK’s foremost contemporary dance company, in one of two ways. You can look back at the key moments of a long and illustrious life to outline “how we got here”. 

Or you can opt to say, this is where we are, and this is where we’re going.  We’re looking to the future, not the past.  As the tagline in the printed programme for This is Rambert, its anniversary show, has it, “We’re 100, and we’re just getting started”.

It’s not as though Rambert, in its look-ahead current incarnation, is entirely forsaking its past: the printed programme for This is Rambert, which opened at Sadler’s Wells prior to an international tour, contains a detailed account of its history.  The first ballet company in the UK, founded by the formidable Polish emigrée Marie Rambert in 1926, over the years, it has shown a remarkable ability to grow and shapeshift to adapt to, and reflect, the times it lives through. In the process, Rambert has nurtured influential names in ballet and contemporary dance, from a young Frederick Ashton through Anthony Tudor, Richard Alston, Christopher Bruce and Mark Baldwin, to mention but a few.

All left their imprint on Rambert, and Benoit Swan Pouffer, the company’s artistic director for the past six years, is determined to leave his, too.  In This is Rambert Pouffer assembled a triple bill of works by international choreographers working at the cutting edge of contemporary dance.  The programme is loud, brash and exuberant, and it showcases the tremendous talent of Rambert’s 18 multi-national dancers; I, for one, enjoyed it a lot.

It kicked off with a première: In Crimson, director-choreographers Bobbi Jane Smith and Or Schraiber’s first work to be performed in the UK.

Danced on a narrow corridor in front of red stage curtains, an upright piano stage left providing live music. In Crimson, plays on the clash between what’s seen and what’s hidden, in front of or behind the curtains.   One by one, later in groups, dancers emerge from the wings.  Vigorous encounters prove fleeting; everything is frenzied until an old recording of tenor Enrico Caruso establishes a more meditative mood.  I found it intriguing and very digestible.

Hop(e)Storm created by Rambert in conjunction with the French collective (LA)HORDE, premièred at the Southbank last year.   Drawing from the energy, rhythms and spirit of Lindy Hop, it starts with two lines of dancers facing each other across the stage.  One by one, women rush across and throw themselves at men.  Following that unsettling prologue, the 12 dancers join up, first doing a spot of line dancing, then inhabiting a 1940s dance hall, to dance a full-blown bout of Lindy Hop (a swing instructor, Simon Selmon, is credited).  It’s lit by Eric Wurtz with capricious, ever-changing nightclub colours.

The raw energy of this piece, animated by Pierre Aviat’s assertive, pounding musical score, is contagious, and the dancers’ sheer joy and togetherness make for a thrilling half-hour.

The final piece in the programme was perhaps the most sophisticated. Commissioned by Rambert from the Dutch choreographer Emma Evelein, Gallery of Consequence uses an airport setting as a metaphor for life itself. 

The curtain goes up on a familiar scene: against the background of a departures board and a row of uncomfortable plastic chairs, travellers pulling cases on wheels make their way to the check-in desks on either side, lulled by a fuzzy sound score that reflects the numbing atmosphere of airports.

At intervals, though, reality gives way to nightmarish unreality, as departure board directions  such as ‘boarding” dissolve to become instead words like “scared” and  “alone”, and the passengers turn on each other, their inner fears taking over. 

Finally, they form an orderly queue to board, but all flights are shown as departed, missed and cancelled.  And so you’re left wondering if it’s really a plane they are queuing to board or something more final.

As a statement of intent, This is Rambert is youthful and very much de nos jours.  It’ll be interesting to see where the company goes from here.

This is Rambert is at Sadler’s Wells from 10 – 13 June at 7.30 pm

Duration.: 1 hour 40 mins incl one interval. Tickets £15 to £80

Sadler’s Wells Angel
Rosebery Avenue
London EC1R 4TN

Check out our London Dance Previews – January to July 2026

The post This is Rambert appeared first on London Unattached.

Last Updated on June 10, 2026

An elegant and authentic Indian restaurant in the heart of Westfield shopping centre launches seasonal mango specials alongside beloved classics

There’s something reassuring about walking into an Indian restaurant where half the tables are filled with Indians. It’s not a guarantee of quality, of course, but it is usually a promising sign – a sign that the kitchen is getting something right.

This is absolutely the case at Copper Chimney at Westfield London. Situated in the Southern Terrace area of the sprawling shopping centre, the restaurant is easy to find and a little understated alongside its chain companions. Once inside families, groups of friends, couples and a very large group of men are chatting animatedly over their shared plates. It immediately set the tone for what turned out to be one of the nicest Indian restaurant experiences I’ve had in London.

The decor makes a good first impression. It feels light and airy. The space is contemporary while paying homage to India’s rich craft traditions. Hundreds of gleaming copper bells hang over the main seating area, and intricately carved wood blocks and antique cooking utensils sit on the shelves.

My guest and I take our seats centre stage directly in front of the open kitchen. I love watching the rhythm of chefs at work. Here, just one chef tends the tandoor and the open-flame grills, while others out back seem to finish the curries and plate them up. Sadly, it is all behind a glass wall, and so the aromas of the charcoal and smoke are somewhat lacking.

We settle in with the drinks menu. There are, of course, the classics, and I spot my favourite margarita, but alcohol and Indian food don’t agree with me, so I settle with a Delhi Shikanji – mint, lemon, spices and soda water. My guest orders a SoBo G&T – gin with hibiscus tea, cranberry and lime. Not too sweet and not too sharp. The perfect blend for him. We are transported to the rooftop of our favourite rooftop bar in Mumbai for a few minutes before the waiter disrupts that reverie.

The summer mango menu is why we are here. We Indians take mango season very seriously so any excuse to eat it is welcome. Here the chefs have balanced the natural sweetness of mango – Alphonso, I believe – with the savoury, spiced elements that naturally sit on the menu.

Our choices are not vast – Laal Aloo with Chargrilled Mango featuring smoky baby potatoes, charred mango, and spices. The Patiala Mango Dahi Bhalla pairs lentil fritters with yoghurt, ripe mango and a sprinkle of chaat masala. The Mango Chilli Cheese Naan combines that mango sweetness with fiery green chillies and melted cheese, and finally, the Aam Papad Makhana Chaat brings together crispy foxnuts, mango and sun-dried mango strips together with spices traditionally used in Mumbai’s streetside snacks.

Beyond the seasonal specials, the core menu is a reassuring celebration of Indian classics. Familiar favourites such as butter chicken, lamb rogan josh, dal makhani and paneer masala sit alongside a strong selection of tandoori dishes, biryanis and freshly baked breads, offering plenty for first-time visitors and regulars alike.

What elevates the menu for me, however, is its attention to seafood. Copper Chimney brings it centre stage with dishes like the delicately spiced Saffron Shrimp in an aromatic red gravy, alongside tandoor-grilled options like Chutney Fish – seabass marinated in mint and lemon chutney. It is a gentle nudge to the seafood culture in Mumbai and an inclusive touch for pescatarians wanting to join in with the tandoor action. Not a skewered prawn in sight!

The Non Veg Platter brings the staples together in a hearty portion – The classic Chicken Tikka – chicken marinated in a plethora of spices, dried mango powder and Himalayan black salt; a second chicken offering – Reshmi Malai chicken bringing cardamom and delicate white pepper into the hung yoghurt marinade; Lamb Kebabs and the Chutney Fish. My guest exclaimed it was the best Chicken Tikka he’d ever had – tender, juicy, sweet without any bitter burned bits.

Service throughout our meal is attentive without being intrusive. A bit of Mumbai laissez-faire perhaps, but the place was rather busy, and we Indians are a demanding bunch. The staff are knowledgeable about both the menu and drinks list, happy to explain unfamiliar dishes or recommend pairings, and the pace of service allowed us to do some people watching. A heated argument broke out between the romantic couple. She huffs and looks away in a classic Bollywood move while he gets up, shoulders hunched, to go to the central, semi circular bar; the long table of men bursts into laughter – not at the couple I hasten to add – but at the youngest seemingly being mocked for his greying hair; the birthday cake arrives for the sweet girl in piglets in the corner beaming at the pile of presents. It’s wonderful entertainment, and there’s no oversized TV in sight! The one thing missing to make this a TRULY authentic Indian local. I am very grateful for that blip in the interior design brief.

Back to mangoes for our dessert. I am rather full but there is always a second stomach for dessert. We of course got one of each – Aam Ki Kulfi and Falooda brings together creamy mango kulfi ice cream and my favourite rose falooda milkshake. It was a pleasant surprise to find this a deconstructed version on my plate. The ice cream was gelato-like, and the sweet noodles of falooda were neatly arranged around the mango. Just the basil seeds were missing. The Mango Mastani, apparently a classic dessert from Pune, layers thick blended mango with ice cream and crushed nuts for something closer to a drinkable sundae. It was more of a mango milkshake, but delicious nonetheless.

Despite being located inside one of London’s busiest retail destinations, it feels entirely detached from the frenetic pace of shoppers outside. Once seated beneath the canopy of copper bells with the theatre of the open kitchen, it is very easy to forget you are only metres away from the hustle and bustle of the mighty Westfield. Not quite transported to Bombay but certainly to the Non Veg Uncle’s house for a bit of naughty chicken action.

For those seeking authentic Indian cooking that goes bold on choices and flavour while delivering elegant surroundings and creative cocktails, Copper Chimney is well worth a visit. The pricing is fair, and the portions are generous. Nothing needs a few glasses of water upon a single bite, and the option to have most of the curries as side dishes means you can experiment with unfamiliar dishes or gorge on the Black Dal Maharaja all to yourself. And a room filled with Indian diners of all ages, perhaps returning for another meal, is perhaps the strongest endorsement of all.

Copper Chimney

Unit 1028, Westfield London, Ariel Way, London W12 7GA

020 8059 4439

For more Indian restaurants in London, try Roti Chai or The Great Indian,

The post Copper Chimney Indian Restaurant, Westfield London appeared first on London Unattached.

Last Updated on June 10, 2026

A Showcase for the UK’s Major Dance Schools

For its latest edition, Ballet Nights went off piste: instead of assembling a cast of seasoned professionals and up-and-coming dancers and choreographers, as it’s done over the past 11 editions, director Jamiel Devernay-Laurence brought together the top seven ballet schools in the UK for an unprecedented joint show, with mixed results.

On the plus side, all the participating student dancers – and there must have been close to 100 – showed tremendous commitment and professionalism, which augurs well for the future of the art form.   A few outstanding talents shone through, whom I’m sure we’ll see in professional companies before too long.   Most of the twelve works on show, which ranged from pure classical ballet to cutting-edge contemporary with a touch of ersatz Broadway thrown in for good measure, had something to offer.  

There were a few minuses, though: given the wide-ranging scope of the material, the evening didn’t quite coalesce as a show, and the apparent failure to give each school a clear  (dare I say strict) time slot meant that a few overstayed their welcome by what seemed like an eternity.

The list of participants was as follows: The Royal Ballet School, Elmhurst School of Ballet, Northern Contemporary Dance School, English National Ballet School, Central School of Ballet, Rambert School and Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.  As a bonus, a charming 14-year-old Indonesian girl, Aiko Larasati, appeared as Young Ambassador for Ballet Nights’ outreach programme.  Slender and leggy, and looking younger than her age, she performed a variation from Raymonda with impressive assurance and endearing charm.

Word count prevents me from passing comment on all seven schools, so below is a selection of my favourite moments of New Futures.

As was to be expected, the Royal Ballet School, this year celebrating its centenary, came off well.  It opened the evening with ‘A Class Demonstration’, showing the build-up of every dancer and dance student’s daily class, from simple floor steps and port de bras to grand allegro jumps.

It was performed by second and third year students, and while both boys and girls danced impeccably, two young men caught my eye: Fabrizio Ulloa, a veritable bundle of energy and showmanship, who I was happy to learn has already been hired by The Royal Ballet, and Keenan Mentzos, who has a thrilling jump and limbs that drew lines of the utmost classical purity.  

It fell to all 50 second-year students of Rambert School to close the evening, and they did so with the vibrancy and discipline we’ve come to expect from this excellent institution.   Throughout the year, they’ve been working with the maverick choreographer Hofesh Shechter, and for New Futures they picked a section from his apocalyptic work, Grand Finale.  Laden with foreboding, blending rhythmic, jerky movement inspired by Middle Eastern folk dances with bouts of frenzy and violence, and danced to Shechter’s own loud and ominous music, this is a demanding work, and it was really inspiring to see how the students made it their own.

Of the two offerings from Central School of Ballet, I much preferred Solitaire, a delicate Kenneth MacMillan pas de deux, danced with great sensitivity and elegance by a young man in an acid-green jerkin and a young woman in a short tutu with a salmon-coloured bodice, her head encased in a soft, flowery helmet.  

The young men of Elmhurst Ballet School, which is associated with Birmingham Royal Ballet (BRB), were better served by their choreography than the women: their Dance of the Argonauts from Orpheus, choreographed by the former BRB director David Bintley, was a high-octane, fast-moving jazzy piece, with plenty of virtuoso jumps, which the dancers positively relished.

English National Ballet School showcased the impressive technical proficiency of its first-year students, with director Lynn Charles’ adaptation of the Jewels section from The Sleeping Beauty, performed by four women in bejewelled, glittering classical tutus and one man.

Choreography being one of the central disciplines of all the schools’ curricula, I would end with a brief, appreciative mention of Anima Mea.

It was a beautiful, fresh, flowing and witty pas de deux choreographed by RBS student Milan de Benito, who also introduced it, and joyfully danced by two of his colleagues. I want to see a lot more dances made by this young man.

Ballet Nights New Futures was at Cadogan Hall on 9 June

Cadogan Hall
5 Sloane Terrace
London SW1X 9DQ

Check out our London Dance Previews – January to July 2026

The post Ballet Nights New Futures appeared first on London Unattached.

Last Updated on June 9, 2026

Theatre as a social experiment

An actor opens an envelope on stage. Inside is a script they have never seen. This is not a rehearsal, and there is no director. The performance is now.  White Rabbit Red Rabbit is a one-person show written by Iranian playwright Nassim Soleimanpour. Opened in London as part of its 15th year celebrations, the production will run on Mondays only, when an actor will perform the play at the Duchess Theatre. The opening night starred Lucian Msamati (Game of Thrones), and future performers include David Tennant, David Harewood, Jo Joyner, Jodie Whitaker, and Riz Ahmed. The play has been translated into 30 languages and performed over 3000 times, so clearly it has captured audiences around the world. While White Rabbit Red Rabbit was written in 2010, Iran remains in the headlines as urgently as it was at the time, and Soleimanpour explores themes of obedience, choice and freedom of expression. References to death and suicide certainly balance any lighter moments.

Soleimanpour explains, via the actor who speaks for him, that at the time of writing, he had no passport and hence could not travel. In Iran, passports were issued on completion of two years of military service, which he had refused to participate in. He wanted at least to travel through his words, which helped him taste freedom, and he imagines where White Rabbit Red Rabbit will be performed, in what language, who the actor will be and how the audience will receive the production. He uses the actor as a link between himself and the audience. He writes that the past creates the future, and the future (us sitting in the audience) creates the past (brings him to life).

The unusual title refers to a fable related in White Rabbit Red Rabbit, which tells of his grandfather subjecting his rabbits to cruelty. The rabbits are all imprisoned, and the grandfather trains and manipulates their behaviour. This is a not-so-subtle observation about how we, the audience, can be encouraged to carry out instructions. Even when negative outcomes become clear, how do we respond? Do we subvert the evening at the theatre by refusing to comply with the playwright’s instructions written 15 years ago? I expect most audiences to participate happily. And this is part of the playwright’s point, as he illustrates how we become complicit by trusting, feeling obliged, or, in certain contexts, being forced to carry out behaviours. Soleimanpour is only too aware that, as a rabbit imprisoned in a cage at the time of writing, he was not safe from attack by other rabbits in the cage with him. In fact, he writes repeatedly that he may be dead or alive by the time his words reach us. Fortunately, Soleimanpour is very much alive and made a brief appearance on stage at the end of opening night. But this night at the theatre makes us reflect on how little has changed in the society from which he has released himself.

In London, safe and trusting in the theatre, the actor and the audience know that no harm will come to any of us during the course of the evening. It is impossible to imagine. Yet Soleimanpour makes it explicit that this is not the case in Iran, where writing a play like this carries a risk. At what point do we speak out as instructions encourage us to enact cruelty or to endanger others? What are the limits to our obedience? Are there limits?  Do we carry out the instructions or do we become complicit through our silence? Do we write our own script or simply carry out the instructions written by someone else? In this sense, White Rabbit Red Rabbit is somewhat didactic and certainly unsubtle. It would be a good production to take into senior schools to get pupils to think about the slow creep of complicity and personal responsibility, along with the contexts in which this has gone perilously wrong when whole societies become complicit in cruelty.

It takes a brave actor to perform a play unseen, and I wondered what the experience would be as an audience member. It was as much a social experiment as a theatrical performance and relied for its success on the participation of the audience. The actor on opening night, Lucian Msamati, was engaging and amusing, turning the pages of the script, never knowing whether the next page would explore dark issues of death and cruelty or veer off into absurdist comedy. His reading was understated, but he kept the energy flowing and was very encouraging of the audience members who participated on stage. As every performance is unique, it would be interesting to see what other actors bring to this production, which has developed quite a following over the past 15 years.

White Rabbit Red Rabbit runs at the Duchess Theatre from 8 June to 28 September, Mondays only.

Duchess Theatre, 3 – 5 Catherine Street, London WC2B 5LA

For more theatre in London, check our West End Theatre Previews

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