There's something of a Valentine's theme to the Arts of choice taking place in the capital this week. But Londonist knows for every young Juliet embracing the idea of timeless romantic love, there's a Bridget hugging her near-empty vodka bottle, crooning to Chaka Khan. So, in the name of balance, here's a varied, half 'rom', half 'com' round-up for you all.
Shows for Swingin' Lovers:
Photographer Gregg Stone, has been taking snaps of kissing couples in and around Carnaby Street (inspired by Robert Doisneau's "Kiss by the Hotel de Ville"). An exhibition of the pictures opens on Thursday at the Carnaby Street Gallery. If you're caught on camera kissing in the street between 12-4pm on Valentine's Day, you could see your picture in the gallery. Aww, go on; make an exhibition of yourselves...
Pretty Woman fans can go all Julia Roberts, get misty eyed, and declare the Royal Opera House's production of La Traviata "so good, I nearly peed my pants" to any willing Richard Geres out there on Tuesday or Thursday this week.
Find goosebumps sexy? Don't miss the free outdoor screening of Noël Coward's classic, A Brief Encounter outside the National Theatre on Thursday. Mrs Bagot and Beryl will provide teas, coffees, Bath buns and Banbury cakes; bring your own blankets.
Is your lover an photography lover? Then pop over to the National Portrait Gallery together, and check out the Vanity Fair Portraits. Over 150 classic images from the 1913 onwards are on display, including pictures of Virginia Woolf, Claude Monet, Madonna, Miles Davis and the Queen, by photographers like Edward Steichen, Cecil Beaton and Annie Leibovitz. The exhibition's on until May.
Couldn't give a flying cupid about Valentine's Day?
The critically acclaimed South African reimagining of Mozart's The Magic Flute moves from the Young Vic to Duke of York's Theatre from Wednesday. Audiences young and old are going crazy for this show.
London's Weather is the theme at the Museum of London from Saturday. You can explore all things frosty, windy and wet, learn about when the Thames froze over, or make your own suncatcher. We wonder if they'll be able to fill us in on this crazy early spring. Not that we're complaining.
Forget all about frivolous flowers and crap cards, and join the fight for democracy and free expression by booking yourself a place for the Belarus Free Theatre's Being Harold Pinter from today. Makes not getting a card seem a bit irrelevant, don't you think?
Image: Carnaby Kiss by Gregg Stone
