Franz West, Tate Modern - ★★★★ - Until June 2, 2019


Never heard of Franz West? Neither had I until I went to this exhibition. An Austrian who died in 2012, by the 1990s he had become quite widely known internationally. His works have whimsical German titles, and in the 1970s he began making small ‘interactive’ sculptures that people could handle. By the mid-1980s he was making much larger ‘Legitimate Sculptures’ on pedestals. Materials often suggested a kindergarten: paint-slathered papier-mâché or plaster over everyday objects and ice cream colours. By the 1990s, he achieved the same look with his large ‘Outdoor Sculptures’ made from aluminium or fibreglass. Whatever the scale, his work was always playful, but, perhaps, not ‘punk’ as the descriptions suggest. He sought to provoke and to amuse, but not to shock, and his use of pedestals was his reaction against Minimalism. His output included drawings, collages, furniture and abstract sculpture. They invite interaction, but visitors are advised which works can be sat on and which can’t. Sarah Lucas, a friend of West’s, has curated the show very sensitively, and I loved this exhibition, as much for the scrambling of categories as for its aesthetic qualities. Art that is a lot of fun!

 Reviewed by A.L.

 Our Score:  ☆☆☆☆ 

WHEN, WHERE, GETTING THERE:
Until June 2, 2019
Mon - Thu: 10 am - 4:30 pm
Fri - Sun: 10 am - 8:30 pm
Tate Modern
Nearest tube: Waterloo
https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-modern/exhibition/franz-west
Map & Location: Bankside, London SE1 9TG, UK

Most Popular

Now You See Me Live ★★★★ London Coliseum | Jul 31 - Sep 6, 2026

Image
Now You See Me , the 2013 heist thriller about four illusionists known as the Four Horsemen, combined magic, mystery and action as its central characters staged elaborate robberies under the cover of spectacular live performances. The film has now inspired a stage show that brings together some of the world's leading magicians. They include French illusionist Enzo Weyne, who specialises in large-scale illusions, Italian escape artist Andrew Basso, inspired by Harry Houdini, Canadian magician Gabriella Lester, whose act combines sleight of hand and escapes, and British mentalist Matthew Pomeroy, known for mind reading and interactive performances. In a production showcasing the breadth of modern magic, this world-class quartet is joined by Britain's Got Talent performers Eden Choi and Rafferty Coope, alongside hypnotist Fraser Penman. Aimed at audiences aged five and above, Now You See Me makes for a thoroughly enjoyable family outing, while delivering enough skill, spectacle ...
Full Details »

Summer Exhibition 2026 ★★★★ Royal Academy of Arts | Jun 16 - Aug 23, 2026

Image
The theme of the 258th Summer Exhibition, “Interconnectedness,” makes tracing links between the works on display both a fascinating and at times overwhelming experience. While this year’s works on view appear to contain less overt political commentary and fewer instances of humour than is often typical of such events, both are still present in striking moments. Tim Shaw’s powerful portrayal of Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in Pin It On Them (Associated Artwork From the Installation: Shut It Piggy) (555) can be juxtaposed with the playful absurdity of Joey Rutherford’s Pickle With a Pearl Earring (1110) , reminding viewers of the range of tones running through the exhibition. Alongside these, there are the usual charming animal representations, including our favourite, the highly realistic cat in Thus Regard Palmerston (793) , as well as the standard attempts to shock and provoke, such as Tracey Emin’s There Is An End To Everything (674) . The collection continues to move between cur...
Full Details »

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

Image
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
Full Details »

Cats ★★★★ Regent's Park Open Air Theatre | Jul 25 - Sep 19, 2026

Image
T. S. Eliot's whimsical poetry collection Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats was published in 1939. More than four decades later, Andrew Lloyd Webber transformed most of its poems into Cats , which premiered in 1981 and became a theatrical phenomenon, running for 21 years in the West End and 18 on Broadway. Eliot's poems introduce an eccentric gallery of feline characters including Jennyanydots, The Rum Tum Tugger, Bustopher Jones, Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer, Gus the Theatre Cat, Skimbleshanks the Railway Cat, Growltiger, Macavity and Mr Mistoffelees. Lloyd Webber and director Trevor Nunn fashioned a slender narrative around them, introducing the outcast Grizabella, who does not appear in Eliot's collection, and giving her the now iconic song "Memory." The story centres on the annual Jellicle Ball, where the elderly Old Deuteronomy gathers the tribe to celebrate each cat through song and dance before choosing one to be reborn into a new Jellicle life. Narr...
Full Details »

Death Note: The Musical ★★★★ Barbican Theatre | Jul 30 - Sep 12, 2026

Image
Calling all manga mavens and animé aficionados! Death Note returns in a full-scale production, pitting Light and L against each other on a spectacular set designed by Jon Bausor. Following successful runs in Japan and Korea, and a London concert version in 2023, the production arrives with two new numbers written especially for it. The story of a schoolboy and a super sleuth locked in a battle of wits after the former discovers a notebook that allows him to kill anyone whose name he writes in it has been streamlined from its original manga version, but the essentials remain. Questions of law versus justice, whether the ends can ever justify the means, and the corrupting influence of power are deftly woven into the cat-and-mouse game between the two protagonists. All this unfolds against the existential questions raised by the shinigami, or death gods, and their intervention in human affairs. The absorbing story moves at a brisk pace, while Frank Wildhorn’s score brings considerable de...
Full Details »

The Comedy About Spies ★★★★★ Adelphi Theatre | Aug 1 - Sep 26, 2026

Image
At the height of the Cold War, there was no business like the spy business, and now The Comedy About Spies has returned to the West End to deliver another brilliantly bonkers send-up of our enduring fascination with James Bond and his cinematic counterparts. The plot, such as it is, revolves around thwarting a double agent intent on delivering plans for a secret doomsday weapon to the Soviets. But there is little need to worry about the fate of the free world. This spoof about spooks is a gloriously wacky farce, with CIA, KGB and MI6 agents racing around a hotel where an earnest young baker is planning to propose to his girlfriend and a hapless actor is preparing to audition for the role that Sean Connery made his own. The silliness is relentless, with gags flying thick and fast. The puns are outrageously groan worthy, while the cast’s physical comedy is superb. Every performance hits the mark, but Chris Leask is a particular delight as the backstory obsessed Sergei Ivanov, while Henr...
Full Details »

Tao of Glass ★★★★★ @sohoplace | Jul 25 - Sep 12, 2026

Image
Phelim McDermott has created a richly theatrical meditation on his relationship with Philip Glass and the composer's music. The show begins with anecdotes about McDermott's attempts to create a production with Glass and Maurice Sendak based on the latter's In the Night Kitchen , before widening into reflections on the artistic and spiritual journey that followed. First published in 1970, In the Night Kitchen tells the story of Mickey, a young boy who tumbles into a surreal dream world. In retrospect, the tale can be seen as a metaphor for McDermott's own immersion in Glass's music, a journey he explores through the lens of Arnold Mindell's Processwork, or deep democracy. Mindell's model can be visualised as a cone comprising levels of experience, from Consensus Reality, our everyday consciousness, through Dreamland, the realm of feelings, symbols, and dreams, to the Essence Level, the deepest state of awareness, where distinctions dissolve into a primal sen...
Full Details »

Abigail’s Party ★★★★★ Harold Pinter Theatre | Aug 12 - Sep 19, 2026

Image
Mike Leigh's acerbic 1977 comedy about the social aspirations and spiritual emptiness of British suburbia gets a first-rate resurrection in this new production, directed by Nadia Fall. The dark parallel between the unseen Abigail and her unbridled teenage revels and the concealed marital tensions and clandestine sexuality that pervade Beverly's pretentious soirée is neatly drawn. The setting is a masterclass in period detail. Peter McKintosh's terrific set, crammed with furnishings and status symbols, creates a claustrophobic world in which every ornament, glass and canapé becomes a badge of social standing. His costumes are equally telling, capturing the fashions and ambitions of a Britain caught between old-fashioned respectability and the new consumer culture. This is Beverly's evening, and Tamzin Outhwaite makes the most of it. She wrings laughs from the most straightforward line, deploying a repertoire of expansive gestures and imperious glances. She dominates the ...
Full Details »

I’m Every Woman - The Chaka Khan Musical ★★★ Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre | Jul 22 - Sep 27, 2026

Image
With a career spanning five decades and more than 70 million records sold, Chaka Khan is a legend. From her years with Rufus, which produced classics such as "Tell Me Something Good," "Sweet Thing" and "Ain't Nobody," to solo hits including "I'm Every Woman," "I Feel for You" and "Through the Fire," her catalogue is packed with songs that have become part of the soundtrack of popular music. Add a life shaped by family turmoil, political activism, destructive relationships and addiction, and the ingredients for a compelling musical are all there. Her music provides the soundtrack, her life supplies the drama. On paper, it is an irresistible combination. The show opens with real promise. Chaka confronts her family in a rehabilitation therapy session, attempting to reckon with the addiction that has shaped so much of her life. It is a bold, emotionally charged beginning that suggests this will be far more than a conventio...
Full Details »

A Slow Fire ★★★ Jermyn Street Theatre | Aug 20 - Sep 26, 2026

Image
In a post-apocalyptic world, Reece and Ashton have taken refuge in an industrial lock-up. They pass the time recalling and re-enacting scenes from their past lives, “moments of hope”, as they describe them. Their situation recalls Beckett’s Vladimir and Estragon, except that here Godot actually arrives in the form of Presley, a mysterious figure who threatens to disrupt their isolated existence. At first, he joins in their ritual recollections, but eventually reveals darker intentions.  A Slow Fire is described as “part thriller, part excavation of the soul” and it delivers, to varying degrees, on both counts. Unfortunately, its thriller elements are undermined by a structural flaw. The first act takes too long to establish the premises, allowing the tension to dissipate, while the second act then accelerates abruptly as Presley attempts to seduce Reece into participating in his scheme. The result is not simply uneven pacing but an imbalance in the play’s dramatic architecture, wi...
Full Details »

The City Life Magazine | Reviews & Ratings