The Royal Shakespeare Company opens its London winter season with The Tragedy of Thomas Hobbes, at Wilton's Music Hall, a crumbling old relic down a back street in Tower Hill, which last night reeked of soporific mulled wine. The play, like its venue, is a curious mix. It's a new history. It's about English philosophy after the Civil War, by an American with an Italian name (Adriano Shaplin). It's based in a time when... [continue]

Londonist brings news of lots of lovely openings in London this week, filling us with a nice juicy sense of anticipation. Rather than that anxious stomach-achy guilt feeling when you know something fab is closing and you're never going to get to see it. Today, confusingly, brings Yesterday to London. Award-winning choreographer (and Sadler's Wells Associate Artist) Jasmin Vardimon celebrates her company's 10th anniversary with a retrospective at the Peacock Theatre. There's multimedia, new... [continue]

It seems the London Palladium just can't get out of the habit. Currently occupied by the singing nuns and lively hills of The Sound of Music, today we hear Maria and co's residency at the Palladium will be followed by Sister Act The Musical next summer. Whoopi Goldberg herself, the original wimple-wearing, gangster-fooling, singing competition-winning Delores is producing the divine new musical alongside Stage Entertainment. New musicals derived from films haven't done all that... [continue]

London's arts scene has a time-travelling theme this week. See the best of November's openings and closings, and you'll traverse time from the earliest myths to the most modern art, plus a final trip to Manchester's contemporary pop scene before it leaves London altogether. Think Impressionism was all about the French? Think again. Sisley in England and Wales opens today at the National. It's a rare chance to see rugged British landscapes rendered all... [continue]

The Evening Standard Theatre Awards shortlist has been announced, and the Donmar Warehouse tops the bill with six nominations for three shows. Today's announcement cuts down on the longlist released earlier this week to three nominations in each category. Donmar Artistic Director Michael Grandage is nominated for Best Director for three productions (Othello, The Chalk Garden and Ivanov). And those same three shows dominate the acting categories. Kenneth Branagh (Ivanov) and Chiwetel Ejiofor (Othello)... [continue]

Arts Ahead, Londonist's sporadic(!) weekly guide to getting you cultured is back this week, with exciting events breaking out all over the city. Openings in London this week: We've seen a few happy endings over the last couple of days (Lewis, Barack, Steven). Why not make a fourth with Mark Morris Dance Group's Romeo and Juliet which opens today at the Barbican? It's being performed as the composer, Sergey Prokofiev, originally intended complete with... [continue]

The Evening Standard kicked off the 08/09 British Theatre awards season announcing their longlist of theatrical heavy-weights, newcomers, regulars and Hollywood stars for the Evening Standard Theatre Awards. Kevin Spacey and Kenneth Branagh fight it out for the best actor accolade; Kev for Speed-The-Plow at the Old Vic, Ken for Ivanov, currently at Wyndham's. Wanna be in their gang? Better get some Shakespeare into your repertoire. Alongside Branagh and Spacey in the best actor... [continue]

Ahh, we love a good naked headline here at Londonist. Sadly, the nuns in question don't appear to in the wimple wearing habit, but when did such factual frippery slow us down? To the real story then: 18 members of Capital NUNS – a London netball club affiliated with the Nottingham University Netball Squad (NUNS) – have stripped off Calendar Girls-stlye, posing against London landmarks, creating a 2009 calendar to raise money for South... [continue]

Ladies and Gents, set your status to "moist anticipation," cultivate those stomach-fluttery butterflies, and start thinking of some health hiccups you can turn into sickies; there's seven, just SEVEN days to go until the amazing Times BFI 52nd London Film Festival kicks off! Unlike Cannes, and Venice, and those other high profile film festivals you hear about, the beauty of the London Film Festival is that it's a public film festival. So you, yes,... [continue]

The new production of No Man's Land at the Duke of York's Theatre has all the right ingredients. It's a play by Harold Pinter, whom everyone seems obliged to describe as "our greatest living playwright". It's directed by the award-winning Rupert Goold, Theatreland's man of the moment. (Not content with getting an Olivier for his Macbeth with Patrick Stewart last year, he's also behind the stunning 6 Characters in Search of an Authour, Liverpool's... [continue]

Fashion v Sport kicks off this week's cultural contributions, opening today at the V&A. Don your favourite shellsuit and examine the unique relationship between fashion and sport (is the missing link money?). Theatrically speaking, there's masses of exciting new stuff to choose from this week. Risk a dramatic shower tomorrow as Timon of Athens opens at the Globe, and the lovely Topol starts crooning his way through Gigi in Regent's Park. If you'd rather... [continue]

It's the news you've been waiting for. Clear your diaries: the world premiere of the new Barry Manilow musical comes to London this August. Starring, wait for it, Chesney Hawkes. Students' favourite, cheesy Chesney takes the lead in the new show, which is called "Can't Smile Without You". And you'll be thrilled to hear the new musical features "many" of Barry Manilow's hits: "Mandy", "Could It Be Magic", and, of course, "Copacabana". And it sounds... [continue]

London's cultural scene steams into August with an eclectic range of arty goings on. Those of you with art collections to refresh are in luck this week. Contemporary Arts Project's "Start You Collection" are offering a whole load of "highly collectible" art for under £200 from Friday, asking, "Without our art collections, how would we understand our cultural roots and trace its development to the present?" Indeed. And let's face it, if you can't... [continue]

There's plenty to entertain those of us in search of cultural enlightenment this week. London's arts scene is offering a really varied pick'n'mix bag of sticky sweet treats... Enjoy! Happy Birthday West Side Story! This groundbreaking dance musical opens tonight at Sadlers' Wells, 50 finger-clicking years since it first appeared. Without Jerome Robbins' legendary choreography, Londonist can't help think everything from MJ's Thriller to Britney's school uniform would've been rather different. Tomorrow night, you... [continue]

Londonist's been looking for a proper, new, bona fide West End Musical for you for ages. (Marguerite: too many Nazis; Never Forget: too many hens; Into the Hoods: too street; Brief Encounter, Dirty Dancing: too not-the-film; Gone With The Wind: too meh...) Decent, take-your-mum's-mate-along musicals are hard to come by. In Zorro, we're happy to let you know we think we've found one. What do you need from a good show? A cheeky hero... [continue]

There are more theatre openings in London this week than decent sunny spells, many of them featuring some familiar (read: off telly) faces... Under the Blue Sky, a story of three intertwined love stories with Catherine Tate, a couple of girls you'll recognise from Cranford, and him from the IT Crowd starts previews at the Duke of York today. Over at the Vaudeville, more Cranfordians tread the boards in The Female of the Species... [continue]

Ché Walker wrote The Frontline while he was sitting backstage during last year's Othello at Shakespeare's Globe. As an actor in a minor role, Ché was lucky enough to have a two-and-a-half hour break each evening. So he sat in the Globe's attic in his doublet and hose with the Moor of Venice's Shakespearean rhythms floating through the floorboards while he penned a piece about Camden's lowlife. It's an incongruous image. But surely incongruity... [continue]

Ignore the crazy weather, and book on something more definite: London's world-class cultural scene is here to entertain you, come rain or shine. Regent's Park Open Air Theatre is offering a reimagined Midsummer Night's Dream for everyone aged six and over from today. If you've got kids, nieces, nephews, or are just trying to entertain small people over the summer, this is sure to be a hit. Camden tube station comes to Shakespeare's Globe... [continue]

It's one of those weeks where you feel London's arts scene could end up totally overwhelming you if you're not careful. Strap yourselves in, there's masses going on... We'll start with outdoor opera. When was the last time we told you about watching world-class opera for free? We can't remember either. So, head to Trafalgar Square or Canary Wharf on Thursday and enjoy Verdi's Don Carlo free from 6pm on the big screens. There's... [continue]

Sure Wimbledon's started, but what if you couldn't give two hoots about tennis? Here's our round-up of what you should be getting excited about among London's cornucopia of current cultural offerings. Who needs tennis? What you really need is some swashbuckling flamenco swordfighting action with a Gipsy Kings soundtrack, right? Well, thank goodness for Zorro: The Musical, previewing from Monday at the Garrick. We can't help thinking it'll feel a little flat without a certain... [continue]