Last night London's Luvvieland came together for their annual award ceremony, the Oliviers. Having received 11 nominations across 10 categories, it looked like being Hairspray's night. And Londonist is happy to confirm what we already knew: the show is a deserved winner of the Best New Musical accolade. In addition, Leanne Jones (Best Actress in a Musical) rocks as the optimistic teen, Tracy Turnblad; Tracie Bennett (Best Supporting Role in a Musical) is similarly......

Swanning About Not one, but two Swan Lakes swim into town this week. Take your pick from The Russian State Ballet of Siberia's version at the New Wimbledon Theatre, or the Moscow City Ballet at The Hackney Empire. Expect world-class dance interpretations this classic love story to Tchaikovsky's sublime score at both. Topsy-turvy Theatreland Liverpool comes to Hampstead (in 3 Sisters on Hope Street), Hollywood hits Stratford (Marylin and Ella), and an Asian Tempest......

Bitterness aside (yes, we too were not on the pulse fast enough to bag tickets before their price sky-rocketed), we are rather enjoying the bitch fight that is ‘should Ewan McGregor have been cast as Iago in the Donmar Warehouse’s production of Othello?’ Bloomberg, while slightly disappointed by McGregor’s under-emphasis of evil intent, are definitely the most complimentary of his performance: Fortunately, Ewan McGregor gives a very creditable performance -- codpiece and all ... The......

If you’re a fan of musicals then you probably think the bigger the better. In which case you must pop down to the BFI Imax, where their After-Dark All-Nighter event will be screening four modern musicals on the trot on Saturday 8th December. First off the bat is 1980’s high school classic Fame at 11.15pm where the students of the New York High School for Performing Arts discover sex and show tunes. For those......

Judging from the deluge that hit parts of the capital Monday morning, a rain dance is the last thing soaked Londoners need this week. Lucky, then, that we're actually talking about the Raindance Film Festival, which opens on Tuesday night. Now in its fifteenth year, Raindance has matured from a youthful dalliance as the edgy alternative to the LFF to become one of Europe's most highly respected film festivals, and a proving ground for......

If you're not too busy reading Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows or attending fabulous Londonist quizzes this week, here are are a few things to keep you occupied on a quiet night in. On TV, Londonist likes: Monday, 23 July The Tower (BBC1, 22:35-11:25) It's episode 5 of this 8 part series, and it's all about the romance on the estate. Kelley and Wayne tie the knot with a large part of the......

The Force is strong in this city. So strong that Star Wars: The Exhibition is on its way to County Hall: Running until 1 September, the exhibition presents a respectable collection of memorabilia, including 280 original film props, vehicles, costumes and models covering the entire Star War saga. Visitors can apparently participate in several interactive exhibits and activities from Jedi training to a green screen simulation - which is the effect used to make......

Filming stopped (briefly, we're sure) on the new Woody Allen film so that Colin Farrell could help a little boy who fell off his bike. "Witnesses say the heartthrob rushed to the aid of the crying youngster and scooped him up in his arms." Oooh, ahhh, awwww, etc. Um, yeah. What's probably more interesting is that the source who leaked the juicy details of this story to the press also said of the new......

I've had a very interesting few days. I was sent up for a couple of auditions to play bass for some pop acts last week (neither of which seem to have been successful), had a casting for an Italian watch advert where they need a "sexy, powerful female guitarist", co-stage-managed an all day music festival and played two sets within it and had a day's work on the set of Woody Allen's new film -......

This week - A 14 year old James Bond, (Stormbreaker), Jennifer Aniston and Vince Vaughn break up, (The Break-Up) and Garfield comes to the UK and finds himself in charge of a castle, (Garfield 2 ) First up, Stormbreaker. Peter Bradshaw gives it 3/5, dubbing it an "entertaining teen Bond fantasy" and writing "what's not to enjoy?" This is the sort of summer film that doesn't go for subtleties. According to James Christopher in......

A man was arrested yesterday afternoon in south east London as part of a major investigation into 'alleged international terrorism'. On Monday three other men were arrested in Hackney as part of the same investigation. Mayor Ken has announced his plans for an architecture and urban design unit which will "support the delivery of world-class architecture and sustainable and inclusive design across London’s built environment." Talking of which: Colliers Wood Tower has been voted......

Don’t be fooled by the peace and tranquillity that pervades the oasis of NW3 – the Guardian readers stacked up on Primrose Hill, yummy mummies hiking those 4x4 buggies along Belsize Lane, up past the celeb-spotters perched outside the latest place to be. Despite the semblance of calm, you’ll find the area has broken into two warring factions in an argument started by actress Helena Bonham Carter and her director partner Tim Burton. The......

Tessa Jowell announced yesterday that a memorial garden to the 52 people murdered on July 7 will be built in Tavistock Square. Obscure fact of the week: Lewisham women have the highest rate of heart disease in South London. Meet Emma Hignett, the 'voice of London's buses'. Woody Allen has cast Ewan McGregor and Colin Farrell in his next London-based flick. Sigh...Was Jack the Ripper a woman ask scientists who should probably be off......

Let's go out onto a limb here and say we don't really understand the appeal of wanting to be a wizard. There's the rubbish clothes, having a broomstick between your legs, having to go to boarding school, pointing small sticks at people in a threatening manner... why so many kids find this interesting is beyond us. Now being a SPY... that's something different altogether. Lots of explosions, car chases, gadgets galore and barrels of......

Dudley Moore and Peter Cook will be resurrected to return to the West End where their comedy careers started. Not, we hasten to add, in resurrected corpse / zombie form (though who wouldn't want to see a zombie Dudley Moore choking on brains as an undead Peter Cook tries to make him laugh). Come Again was first performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival last summer and will open in London at The Venue in......

It's the 30th year for the Laurence Olivier Awards, the biggest and arguably the most coveted item of recognition and achievement for London theatre. Presented this year by Richard "I don't believe it!" Wilson, the gala night on 26th February will mean the gathering of a thousand luvvies all congratulating one another in loud, extremely well pronounced, carefully projected tones. It's the annual Oscars for the theatre, but with far less of the red......

The Island is the BIG movie for Friday Film News this week and by BIG we mean BAD. At least that's the consensus from the press. Anthony Quinn kicks things off in the Independent: "The only thing less subtle than Michael Bay's monster set-pieces are the product placements littered throughout this dystopian sci-fi fable: two minutes in and we've already had a plug for a certain brand of sports trainer... It's better than anything......

The last time Londonist saw Ewan McGregor on stage was during his run in Little Malcolm And His Struggle Against The Eunuchs and damn good he was too. He's due back on the London stage this time in Guys and Dolls, but has set down a couple of ground rules for any Star Wars fans who may start hanging around the stage door with overpriced crap in hand: he won't be signing any memorabilia.......

Is it petty to point out stupid errors on the major news sites like the BBC? Quick answer: Yes. Slightly longer answer: Yes, but let's do it anyway because it's fun. This piece from the Beeb site today is a bit of a filler article on Ewan McGregor's artistic preprations for his role in the forthcoming West End production of Guys and Dolls. If you want to get the inside knowledge on Euan's tonsils......

So we've all seen the stories that Ewan McGregor's going to play Sky Masterson in the Michael Grandage's upcoming production of Guys and Dolls at the Donmar. And we all know that the theatre companies have to pull in big Hollywood names these days to try and get bums on seats and coppers in coffers. But, if we're honest, we might admit to being a bit celebritied out...a bit jaded by all the Madonnas and......