St. Martin in-the-fields: Lunchtime Concerts ★★★★ FREE


Maybe the best musical value in London. The lunchtime concerts at St. Martin's are always a wonderful way to escape the hustle and bustle that is London and the sensory overload that is Trafalgar Square. This is a beautiful setting with great acoustics, and a church pew hard enough to make sure you don't nod off.

Reviewed by J.C.

 Our score:  ☆☆☆☆ 

WHEN, WHERE, GETTING THERE:
Mon & Fri: 1 pm - 1:45 pm (occasionally Tues & Thurs) 
St. Martin in-the-fields, Trafalgar Square
Nearest tube: Charing Cross
https://www.stmartin-in-the-fields.org/whats-on
Map & Location: Trafalgar Square, London WC2N 4JJ, UK

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The Credit Suisse Exhibition: Frans Hals ★★★★★ The National Gallery | Until January 21, 2024

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One looks at Frans Hals' portraits and immediately begins to speculate about the sitter's character. In his picture Jasper Schade (1645) looks sensitive, but a bit on the arrogant side. In another work, the anonymous young woman (c. 1658) appears sweet, but not too practical. In an instant, we feel we know these people, and we recognise them as kindred spirits. Even when the poses are formal, the artist ensures that the personality shines through. This extraordinary exhibition, which is next scheduled to move to the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, has borrowings from most major holders of Hals' work and includes, perhaps, his best known piece, The Laughing Cavalier (1624), which has not left The Wallace Collection since it opened in 1900. Divided into six galleries: Early Work, Portraiture into Art, Invented Characters, Family Ties, Up Close and Late Work, the show provides an unparalleled look at the work of a painter who was admired by artists as diverse as Whistler and Van Go
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Mates in Chelsea ★★★ Royal Court Theatre | Nov 3 - Dec 16, 2023

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Burma to Myanmar ★★★★ The British Museum | Nov 2, 2023 - Feb 11, 2024

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King Lear ★★★★ Wyndham’s Theatre | Oct 21 - Dec 9, 2023

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Kenneth Branagh takes on a formidable challenge with his decision to both direct and star in Shakespeare's tragedy about age and the dynamics of power. The play is pared down to two hours and is set in what appears to be Stonehenge. While there will certainly be objections to both Branagh's abridging and interpretation of the work, for us, the pacing and stark staging brought a refreshing energy and intensity to a play which can sometimes seem uninflected and somewhat belaboured. Branagh, the director, has created a rich atmosphere that resonates with action and passion. He also draws some strong performances out of his cast, and we were particularly taken by Corey Mylchreest's malevolent Edmund and Joseph Kloska's tormented Gloucester. In fact, it is Branagh's own interpretation of Lear that raises some questions. From the outset, it is never quite believable that such an imperious and vigorous monarch would choose to divide his kingdom amongst his children in the
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Discover Liotard & The Lavergne Family Breakfast ★★★★★ The National Gallery | Until March 3, 2024 (Free Entry)

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This exquisite, small exhibition will be every art lover's cup of tea. Jean-Etienne Liotard is an 18th century artist more celebrated in his time than he is today, but this delightful look at his work should be an important step in rectifying this situation. Liotard worked in a variety of media from oils to ceramics, but his crowning achievement was in pastels. He was a master of this extremely fragile medium, and the central point of the current exhibition is an excellent opportunity to compare and contrast his representation of the same subject, The Lavergne Family Breakfast , in both pastels and in oil. For the first time in almost 250 years, Liotard's masterpieces come together and are placed side by side. The pastel version was acquired by The National Gallery in 2019 and the oil, which was painted almost twenty years later, has been lent from a private collection. Contrasting the two representations highlights how the two media can be employed to deal with volume, tone an
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The Mongol Khan ★★★★ London Coliseum | Nov 17 - Dec 2, 2023

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LIZZIE ★★★★ Southwark Playhouse | Oct 26 - Dec 2, 2023

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