Arts Ahead: 18-24 June

By Zoe Craig Last edited 189 months ago
Arts Ahead: 18-24 June
1706_the_lift.jpg

Yikes, summer's here, and London's gone festival mad. We can hardly keep up…

We're sorry we've only just got round to telling you about this year's Lift Festival, which started last week in Stratford, then moves to the Southbank Centre next Thursday, and on to Shoreditch from 16-24 August. Previously the London International Festival of Theatre, Lift has been bringing innovative world theatre to London for 25 years, usually in the last place you expect to find a bunch of actorly types. Look out for the funky mobile venue for the Lift Festival in Stratford Park, cunningly called The Lift.

Plus, the city-wide London Festival of Architecture starts on Friday. Another festival that contains more exciting stuff than we can usefully mention here; our recommendations are the Limehouse Canal Boat Tours next Saturday, and the Architectural Jelly Banquet at University College London, among others. Buildings. Made of jelly. Wow.

Then there's the City of London Festival kicking off on Friday too; the Chelsea Festival's been raging since last Saturday, and the Twickenham Festival closes on Sunday. Who needs Glastonbury?!

If you're more of an indoors type with the rocketing pollen count, check out Thursday Night Live at Rich Mix. This week's offering is Adulthood plus extras: a cocktail of music and poetry, and resident DJ Twin B spinning the decks.

The ICA's got a great event for this Saturday's Solstice, combining cinema and a late-night picnic: a double-bill of 70s summer cinema. Neat.

And if you really want to celebrate midsummer in dramatic style, London's not shy about staging the bard's timely magical comedy. You can see Midsummer Night's Dream on midsummer night at the Globe (at 7.30 and again at midnight), at Bromley Little Theatre or in Shenley Park.

Last Chance!

Dickens Unplugged at the Comedy Theatre has announced it's closing earlier than expected, on 29 June. [Insert "unplugs" gag here.] Boo. We rather liked it. And it's your last chance to see Thomas Hope's gorgeous Regency Designs at the V&A before it closes on Sunday.

Forward Planners

This week, Londonist's en pointe with excitement as Sadler's Wells and the English National Ballet have announced their forthcoming seasons. Book ahead for Matthew Bourne's Dorian Gray (gasp, the world's coolest choreographer's been at it again) in September. And it seems a long way off, but the organised among you might want to sort your Christmas tickets now for the ENB's eccentric Nutcracker. You know your mum will thank you for it.

Image shows artist's impression of The Lift.

Last Updated 18 June 2008