Rosemary Waugh

Attracting families, culture vultures and adventurous travelers alike, this major city in south-central Texas has a whole lot of character, with theatres, galleries and museums being just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to things to do in San Antonio. It’s a city that embraces and preserves its rich colonial and Mexican heritage, which you can experience while strolling through historic buildings and taking snaps of long-standing attractions and landmarks from The Alamo, an 18th-century Spanish mission, to The Natural Bridge Caverns and the Venetian-style Riverwalk.   While you’re not being transported back in time by the architecture or taking advantage of its vibrant restaurant and bar scene, you can spend the rest of your visit relaxing by the outdoor fire pit, in the pool or on the balcony of your own private accommodation – courtesy of Airbnb. We’ve got a variety of options spread across the city, whether you’re looking to soak up the buzz of the center or get away from the action with a remote stay by Canyon Lake. These are the San Antonio Airbnbs you need to see.Who makes the cut? While we might not stay in every Airbnb featured, we've based our list on top reviews, hosts, and amenities to find you the best stays. This article includes affiliate links. These links have no influence on our editorial content. For more information, see our affiliate guidelines.

San Antonio isn’t just the best day (or weekend) trip to take from Austin anymore; it's a destination in its own right, filled with incredible cuisine, fun time bars, gorgeous hotels, fascinating historical structures, and much more. Time your visit for the annual fiesta celebration or the rodeo, and you’ll need a whole itinerary that requires some forward planning, especially when it comes to accommodation.  Here’s a tip: the bulk of tourist activity happens along the River Walk, and this is where you’ll want to be based. Luckily, there are lots of hotels primely positioned along or at least near it, along with resorts further afield where the point is to get away from the bustle. From right-on-the-water happening hangouts to charming boutiques by the Alamo to family-friendly spa resorts a short drive away, here are our favorite stays and the best hotels in San Antonio. RECOMMENDED: Best Airbnbs in San Antonio This guide was written by Texas-based writer James Wong. At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. This guide includes affiliate links, which have no influence on our editorial content. For more information, see our affiliate guidelines. While we might not stay in and review every hotel featured, we've based our list on our expert knowledge of the destination covered, editorial reviews, user reviews, hotel amenities and in-depth research to find you t

If you want to be beside countless fantastic Manhattan neighborhoods, then you need to stay at one of the best hotels in Chelsea. Like most other New York 'hoods, Chelsea was once industrial and more than a little rough around the edges (aren't we all?). Then came the galleries and the gay scene to the rescue, followed by the elevated High Line. Now the buzzy area is packed with nightlife, tourists, shopping, and art galore. And don’t forget to sample some (or several) of the best Chelsea restaurants while you're exploring. Food is, after all, the way to many of our hearts. Plus it’s within walking distance of the clubby Meatpacking District, charming West Village, bustle of Midtown, and at the heart of all the Chelsea girls. From the height of luxury to unique boutiques and intimate charmers, there's something for everyone amid the best hotels in Chelsea. Luckily for you, we've done our research and come up with the top trumps for you to pick from, you know, to make your life easier.  RECOMMENDED: 🏨See our full guide to the best hotels in NYC🍾Stay in one of NYC's best luxury hotels🪵Or take your pick of the best Airbnbs in Hudson Valley Who makes the cut? While we might not stay in and review every hotel featured, we've based our list on our expert knowledge of the destination covered, editorial reviews, user reviews, hotel amenities and in-depth research to find you the best stays. This article includes affiliate links. These links have no influence on our editorial cont

Whether you’re visiting NYC or taking a little staycation, there’s no need to pay a small fortune to have someone watch your furriest friend. Bring them along, they make the best travel companion! Top NYC hotels across all price points are putting the “friendly” in pet-friendly. The best pet-friendly hotels in NYC not only allow dogs, but often pamper them as much as (if not even more than) their humans. A dog is everyone's best friend, right? Unless you're a cat person... Some of these hotels have a resident pooch who oversees the lobby (tip them with snacks), while others greet doggie guests with curated local treats and other extras such as comfy dog beds. What else would you expect from a city that’s obsessed with pets? Tried and true New Yorkers don’t like to leave their canine companions at home—and thanks to these pet-friendly accommodations, out-of-towners don’t have to either. Round out your dog’s big NYC adventure by going all out with a feast at one of the city’s best dog-friendly restaurants. RECOMMENDED: Full guide to the best hotels in NYCRECOMMENDED: The best Airbnbs with fireplaces in NYC Who makes the cut? While we might not stay in every Airbnb featured, we've based our list on top reviews, hosts and amenities to find you the best stays. This article includes affiliate links. These links have no influence on our editorial content. For more information, see our affiliate guidelines. 

If you're after an idyllic SoCal vacation destination, look no further than Santa Catalina Island. With its vibrant wildlife, charming coastal towns, and amazing beaches, it's no wonder the Island is highly sought after. And a trip away to the island has to include a stay in one of the best hotels, ranging from stunning beachside luxury to hilltop charm. Located just 22 miles off the California coast, Catalina is easily accessible by ferry or helicopter. Most opt to take the Catalina Express ferry round-trip (out of Long Beach, San Pedro, or Dana Point), which takes about an hour and offers up to 30 departures daily to Avalon and Two Harbors. Since there's a fair amount of schlepping involved with traveling to (and around) Catalina, you'd be well-advised to pack light and bring some snacks.  Once in Catalina, you can choose between being nestled in the hills or overlooking the sand along one of the best beaches in California. Here, we've outlined the Catalina hotels that best encompass this little island's vibrancy and warmth. March 2025 update: We've added two super hotels to the list: the Aurora Hotel and the Catalina Canyon Hotel. See what you think! RECOMMENDED: The best things to do on Catalina IslandRECOMMENDED: The best bars and restaurants on Catalina IslandRECOMMENDED: Everything you need to know about the Catalina Island ferry Who makes the cut? While we might not stay in every hotel featured, we've based our list on top reviews, hosts and amenities to find you the

Despite the glitz and glamor, there are ways to explore Sin City on a budget (and in style). Veteran Vegas penny pinchers know it’s wise to save your money for the slots, shows and other attractions by booking a room in one of the best cheap hotels in Las Vegas. For the uninitiated, finding overnight accommodations in Las Vegas ain't for the faint of heart or the light of wallet. (If money is no object, check out our guide to the very best hotels in Las Vegas). It can be an expensive town to visit, especially on peak weekends and during major events, but bargains can be found – it just requires some sleuthing. These budget-friendly options offer all the amenities you need in the location you want, at a fraction of the prices charged by the Strip’s big-ticket hotels. Choose cheap lodgings and you’ll save enough cash to dine at the best restaurants and sip at the best bars in Vegas. That's a win-win! We’ve scoured the local landscape for the most affordable Las Vegas hotels, each providing easy access to the city so you can hit the casinos knowing you’re in the black by already saving hundreds on your stay.  RECOMMENDED: 🍽️ The best restaurants in Las Vegas This article was written by travel writer and Las Vegas expert, Sarah Feldberg. At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines.

There are a few things to know right off the bat about Joshua Tree hotels—there aren't many luxury options. If you're looking for a swanky stay, you may have to make the schlep from Palm Springs or Desert Hot Springs. Most folks staying here are either camping in Joshua Tree National Park or at least spending most of their time there, so proximity to the area's trails and other outdoor activities is priority number one.  Spring and fall are typically the best times of year to visit since average temperatures during the summer hover around 100 degrees. The park is open year-round, attracting many during spring when the wildflowers are in bloom. But don't worry, there are always plenty of opportunities to snap photos of the namesake trees.  In Joshua Tree, you can expect gorgeous scenery, hiking, camping, and an eclectic arts scene—so you won't want for things to do either. You don't need to stay at a sub-par chain motel either, the local area has a handful of eclectic lodging options with way more charm than your average Best Western. We should know, we've rounded up the spots that are most unique, affordable, fun and close to the park. RECOMMENDED: The most beautiful National Parks in California Updated march 2025: We've updated the list with a set of swoon-worthy bungalows to stay in, plus a one-off home with the pool of your dreams. Who makes the cut? While we might not stay in and review every hotel featured, we've based our list on our expert knowledge of the destination

When it comes to Sin City, hotels are much more than a mere collection of rentable rooms or suites. So much more. In fact, the best Las Vegas hotels (which happen to double up as some of the best Las Vegas casinos too, btw) are shopping malls, dining destinations and nightlife meccas all rolled into one. Believe it or not, even the best Las Vegas shows call these hotels their stage. To be perfectly honest, you can book in at one of these Las Vegas hotels and barely leave the foyer and you'll pack more fun in than you could find in most cities around the world. All you need to do is remember you're in Las Vegas! Its whole vibe is to serve up some of the most incredible things to do this planet has to offer, so make sure you check out as much of it as you can. And whether you're yet to discover this fascinating place, or you're a seasoned pro heading back for even more, you're going to have a blast. So you better make sure you book the best hotel, right? Well, we're here to help. Oh, a quick word of advice: sometimes all those incredible indoor activities can prove to be a bit claustrophobic, so we thought our list of the best Las Vegas parks might be helpful for your staycation or vacation. After all, it's nice to get some air sometimes, you know? March 2025 update: We've expanded our write-ups on the Green Valley Ranch Resort and the Four Seasons. Enjoy! Looking for more options? Check out our pick of the coolest Las Vegas Airbnbs or our guide to the best cheap hotels in Las

If your dream Parisian trip involves swoon-worthy architecture, savings-emptying shopping, and waistband-expanding eating, then look no further than the Marais. This centrally-located neighbourhood in the 4th arrondissement combines its multifaceted history – which includes being Paris’s former Jewish quarter – with the type of constant reinvention needed to keep it feeling like a genuinely great place to spend time. Stay here and you’re surrounded by the city’s best galleries, museums, restaurants, and a host of LGBTQ+-friendly venues (plus some excellent falafel and kosher bakeries). Perhaps unsurprisingly, the hotels around here live up to the same levels of design-led, hipster chic as the area itself. We’ve picked our favourites, including a contender for ‘Paris’s sexiest hotel’ and – naturally – a hotel named after a Truffaut film. Enjoy! Updated March 2025: Because Paris is the gift that keeps on giving we've chimed in with yet another hotel that should be on your list, the very button-cute Maison Saintonge. Looking for more options? 🛏 Check out the best Paris Airbnbs🏨 or stay in the best hotels in Paris🇫🇷 Take your pick of these Paris walking tours Another fabulous district to stay in? These are the best hotels in Opéra Garnier. Who makes the cut? While we might not stay in every hotel featured, we've based our list on top reviews, hosts and amenities to find you the best stays. This article includes affiliate links. These links have no influence on our editorial

Though known for its swimming pools and as a place for Hollywood legends to escape, Palm Springs offers so much more than this classic reputation. Everyone knows about Coachella and Stagecoach, but art festivals, food and wine festivals and the annual Pride parade—which hosts thousands of people each fall—are more than enough reasons to book a Palm Springs getaway. While the desert heat may deter some, there’s no reason not to pay a visit in the fall, winter or spring, where the temperatures are cooler, and places to stay, abound.  Hotel personalities are diverse here—from massive resorts to cozy bungalows and boutique hotels with plenty of character, you and your crew are sure to find the right fit. Got a bachelorette? Party hard at a famous hotel known for its pool parties. Planning a romantic anniversary? Book a spa treatment at a hotel that’s hidden away from the rest of the city.  Whatever your vibe, read on to discover our picks for the best places to stay in the desert—oh, and don’t forget to hydrate.  RECOMMENDED: ☀️ The ultimate guide to California 🏠 The best Palm Springs Airbnbs⭐ The best luxury hotels in Palm Springs💰 The best cheap hotels in Palm Springs This guide was recently updated by California-based writer Michelle Poveda. At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. While we might not stay in every hotel featured below, we've based our lis

Fed up with impersonal hotel chains? They’re easily avoided in the artsy Swedish capital. Whether you’re looking for somewhere cheap so you can enjoy Sweden's nightlife, an uber-chic boutique for elevated comfort, or special-occasion luxe for when its time to go all out, the very best hotels in Stockholm can all offer bang for your krona. Plenty of the top boltholes are centrally located. And a third plus: here as in few other cities, you’ll most likely get a side order of swish Nordic style in your room. Some hotels boast incredible architecture and interiors, many are steeped in fascinating local history, and others are also home to some of the city’s best bars and restaurants. Whatever your budget, you’ll find something apt in our pick of Stockholm’s best hotels. Updated March 2025: Get your time in the spa with a visit to Villa Dahlia or the Elite Palace Hotel & Spa.  RECOMMENDED: 🇸🇪 Check out the best Airbnbs in Stockholm🍷 Plan your next adventure in Stockholm🚲 Here's Where to stay in Stockholm Who makes the cut? While we might not stay in and review every hotel featured, we've based our list on our expert knowledge of the destination covered, editorial reviews, user reviews, hotel amenities and in-depth research to find you the best stays. This article includes affiliate links. These links have no influence on our editorial content. For more information, see our affiliate guidelines.

Lisbon is the city for aesthetes. Or rather, it’s the city for anyone who has ever accidentally walked into a lamppost, fallen down the curb or tripped over thin air trying to take the perfect shot of urban beauty. From massive monasteries to those gorgeous rambling streets and – oh! – the interiors of the churches, this city is a visual feast and then some. So where better to find somewhere equally lavish and artfully decked out to stay in than the Portuguese capital? When so many of a city’s hotels are, quite literally, named after palaces, you know you’re onto a winner when it comes to luxury accommodation options. We’ve rounded up a long-ish list of our favourites, including some longtime faves and a few characterful newbies. Trust us, you won’t be disappointed. Updated March 2025: We've updated our list with two five-star hotels: the well-named EPIC SANA Lisboa Hotel and the literary-loving Books & Wine boutique hotel.  RECOMMENDED:The best things to do in LisbonThe best Airbnbs in LisbonThe best boutique hotels in Lisbon Who makes the cut? While we might not stay in every hotel featured below, we've based our list on top reviews and amenities to find you the best stays. This article includes affiliate links. These links have no influence on our editorial content. For more information, see our affiliate guidelines.

This review is from the Open Air Theatre in August 2019. A reworked version of Jamie Lloyd’s Evita will transfer to the London Palladium in summer 2025, with massive US star Rachel Zegler starring as Eve Perón. Forget everything you know about ‘Evita’: this one properly rocks. Gone are the romanticised shots of sun-soaked South America, sliced out are the filler numbers clogging the score and deleted is the simpering, blonde starlet. Instead, Jamie Lloyd’s production wipes the gloss off Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s musical, creating a pumping, sped-up ‘Evita’ edged with dirt, rust and grime. It starts literally with a bang. Grey confetti falls like funeral ashes blasted from a cannon, marking Eva Peron’s death. From there, it’s a mass celebration of blue-and-white streamers, flares, cheerleaders and names on placards. The feel is more Maradona than Madonna, a tribute perhaps to a country England knows best through the World Cup. Or, a clever nod to the overlap between the unified chanting and colour coordination of a political rally and the behaviour inside a football stadium.  It’s a more critical portrayal of the Peróns than, for example, Alan Parker and Oliver Stone’s film provides. Yet one of the best aspects is how Samantha Pauly’s Evita owns her reputation and herself. Bounding around in a white slip dress and sneakers – the costume department definitely got the ’90s revival memo which also includes boyband braces and baggy suit pants – Pauly looks like an Insta i

The Gainsborough Bath Spa is a spa hotel. Sorry, read that again: The Gainsborough Bath Spa is a spa hotel. Not a hotel-with-a-spa, but a spa hotel whose entire raison d’etre is its beautiful suite of treatment rooms and the accompanying glass-roofed bath house. This isn’t somewhere to consider taking a quick dip one empty afternoon on holiday, it’s where you come to feel righteously annoyed whenever life drags you away from the thermal waters.  The hotel lays claim to two ‘firsts’. One, it’s the only hotel in the country to have access to real thermal spa waters (the very same ones for which Bath is famous), which are enriched with a semi-magical blend of minerals renowned for an endless list of health-giving benefits. Two, it’s the first UK hotel from the YTL group who pioneered the Spa Village model at locations across Asia, combining local remedies and traditions with contemporary super-high-luxe bathing trends. Purely for reasons of journalistic integrity (yes, really), I opted for the spa’s most luxurious treatment: the Golden Massage. Centred on the healing properties of gold, it starts with a full-body exfoliation using a floral-scented sugar scrub that smelled like my grandma’s dressing table (that, my friends, is a very good thing). Hanna, the spa’s understandably most in-demand therapist, then gave me what I call a ‘proper massage’ using gold-infused oil. Not your average, silky-smooth spa massage, but a genuine bone-realigning, knot-untangling muscle-melter - but

Sugar and spice and all things nice: that’s what this hotel is made from. Situated midway down Great Pulteney Street (aka Bath’s second-most-famous street), No. 15 by GuestHouse augments its inherent Georgian elegance with a predilection for all things feminine. Buttery-soft pinks, sandy beiges and that Millennial favourite, rose-gold, are used liberally throughout the bedrooms and wider building. Other cute decorative twists include old-timey dolls’ houses to encase the tea-and-coffee stations and framed embroideries in the bathrooms, which also feature beautiful ceramic washbasins and oh-so-deep freestanding bathtubs. If you wanted somewhere for a genuinely decent (and sophisticated) version of a - whisper it - ‘hen’ weekend, this is your place. It’s not as flat-out-fancy as some Bath hotels, but its low-key aura is very much part of its charm. Dinner is served in the cosy bar which, true to form, has dried flower installations and glass tables filled with vintage dressing-up jewellery and trinkets. The menu skirts the line between wholesome and indulgent, with the burnt orange and sheep’s cheese salad, and the harissa cauliflower, being real highlights. But leave space for grabbing some treats, including theatre-interval-sized ice creams and homemade vegan brownies, from the complimentary pantries for in-room nibbling (possibly in the bath).  But its absolute best bit is hidden below ground. Never stay here without booking into the perfectly proportioned basement spa. The

A best-kept-secret of a boutique hotel and spa nestled right in the centre of Bath's most famous street Bath is beautiful. But Bath is also busy. And as much as we love sharing the city with, well, everyone, sometimes the ratio of tourists to square footage of street space can get a little intense. Which is what makes this five-star boutique hotel particularly alluring. It’s located in the bull’s-eye centre of the Royal Crescent and yet it somehow – somehow – maintains the feel of being a hidden gem. Here’s how it does it: Step inside the cooling lobby with its painted vistas of tree-lined parkland and serenity descends like a weighted blanket dropped from the high ceiling. The front of house staff are put-you-at-ease chatty but the sound you hear loudest is a deeply inviting silence: the song of total off-line peace. There are 45 bespoke rooms, including 11 individually decorated suites, all taking their lead from the building’s history but subtly deviating. I stayed in the Royal Crescent Suite (aka Room 19), a three-room riot of royal blue and white stylings outlined in red, with the centrepiece of a nest-like four-poster bed, excellent skyline shots and a vertiginous downward view of the spiral staircase. Best of all, thanks to the wonders of Georgian architecture and airflow, it didn’t have that overheated or over-air conned stagnant sensation as many hotels do. [Side note: hidden in the wardrobe was a Dyson hairdryer, the singularly best cosmetic invention ever. Ever.] B

A state-of-Brexit-Britain portmanteau film is exactly the kind of well-meaning project that could result in a lot of on-the-nose cringeworthiness. But ‘The Uncertain Kingdom’, a collection of 20 shorts made by 20 different filmmaking teams (each with a budget of £10,000), is a largely brilliant, subtle and multifaceted group of timely films. Comprised of documentaries, fictional dramas, animations and a smattering of comedy (ten of the total 20 were shown at the press viewing), the collective aim of ‘The Uncertain Kingdom’ is to give a fair and unjudgmental hearing to the wildly different experiences of UK citizens, from second-generation immigrants in the South East connecting with their heritage through their names, to food bank users in a freezing, dilapidated Blackpool. Highlights include Siân Docksey and Sophie King’s ‘Swan’, a funny slice of satire about an Englishman who voluntarily takes the ‘advanced citizenship test’ and, after passing with flying colours, is granted the honour of being turned into a stunning white swan. Equally, Paul Frankl’s fable-like story of a Bolivian mother trying to save her son’s life with the help of a mystical tree is a compelling bit of magic realism. But the best are ‘Verisimilitude’ (written by Justin Edgar), in which the brilliant Ruth Madeley plays Bella, an actress and wheelchair user employed to tutor a pretentious, non-disabled actor who has to perform as a disabled character on screen, and Hope Dickson Leach’s ‘Strong is Better T

'Afterplay' is cancelled due to Covid-19 A man enters a Moscow café after a hard day’s rehearsal at the city’s opera house. He’s working on Puccini’s ‘La Bohème’ under the guidance of a draconian German conductor, while a teenaged protégé steals the limelight as Mimi. Or is he? Brian Friel’s slight-but-slightly-lovely one-act play is filled with ‘untruths’. The violinist, Andrey (Rory Keenan), and the woman he meets in the café, Sonya (Mariah Gale), are snatched from Anton Chekhov’s ‘Three Sisters’ and ‘Uncle Vanya’. Over thin cabbage soup and semi-fresh bread (him) and cold tea with vodka added to it (her), they construct the stories of their existences. Andrey’s is full of flagrant lies, while Sonya’s is subtly but significantly altered to protect her emotions. For people familiar with Chekhov, Andrey and Sonya start off seeming like pleasantly changed characters. Andrey, pampered and irresponsible in ‘Three Sisters’, appears driven and creative. Sonya, who in ‘Uncle Vanya’ deserves to be called ‘poor Sonya’ for how life always serves her shrivelled, juiceless lemons, also has the markings of a more together person. Seated at the table with her calculations and papers, laced into schoolmarm boots, there’s a no-frills modernity to her 1920s persona. But the most Chekhovian thing of all about Friel’s play is how nothing has changed one bit. Andrey and Sonya (both peripheral characters in their original plays), are eventually forced back to their familiar narratives: she’s cru

Merce Cunningham’s game-changing radicalisation of dance demands an approach to documenting it that goes beyond the traditional. So, director Alla Kovgan’s visual-heavy, 3D attempt makes a lot of sense. For the American choreographer (1919-2009), dance was not a representation of something else, it simply was ‘the thing’, with every interpretation an audience placed on it equally valid. Arguably, then, the best documentary of his output would just be the dances themselves because Cunningham never intended to create work with some kind of ‘story’ hidden behind it. Kovgan basically honours this with a collage of restaged dances in woodlands, concert halls and glass-encased architecture, plus short bits of footage from the earlier stages of Cunningham’s career (1944-1972), including the establishment of the now world-famous company bearing his name. This documentary could never be accused of not letting the dance speak for itself – indeed, the historic and new segments of body-stockinged dancers moving with undulating, freewheeling motions to John Cage’s atonal music are by far the best parts of the film. But the whole thing suffers from relying too heavily on the familiar (and familiarly boring) narrative of: ‘maverick is panned by critics’ followed by ‘world catches up to maverick’s genius’. There’s also crushingly little interrogation of Cunningham’s practice or in-depth analysis of his evolution as a choreographer and dancer. For regulars in the Sadler’s Wells audience, ther

The Victorians: buttoned-up, sermonising, empire-loving sexophobes. And their art? Sentimental pictures of big-eyed children and bigger-eyed spaniels, right? Well, #NotAllVictorians. Aubrey Beardsley (1872-1898) did things differently. His slinky black-and-white drawings are filled with sex and death and… well, sex and death mainly. Associated with Oscar Wilde – he produced the illustrations for Wilde’s ‘Salomé’ – Beardsley’s images caused a fair amount of scandal. They also titillated and thrilled, and while it would be false to imagine Victorians up and down the land plastering their bedroom walls with Beardsley soft porn (rather than imagining a smallish group of bourgie art-loving Londoners consuming it), the simple existence of it beautifully disrupts what we think we know about the Victorians. This gorgeous retrospective covers pretty much everything Beardsley did, from early medievalist and mythological subjects through to illustrations for The Yellow Book (a quarterly arts publication) and explicit pictures of Ancient Greeks getting frisky. The earlier pieces are similar to Edward Burne-Jones’s work but while Burne-Jones was crushingly bad at depicting feet, Beardsley is king at drawing heels (an underrated talent if ever there was one). The small curve of flesh below the ankle is, perhaps, the sexiest thing of all in his artworks. The obviously sexy pics, meanwhile – the ones with the extra-large cocks and the woman having a powder puff popped between her bum cheek

If Richard Curtis had decided to make indie theatre instead of films, his output might well have looked a little like Sally Abbott’s ‘I Think We Are Alone’. Co-directed by Kathy Burke and Scott Graham, the sweetly sincere – but overly simplistic – play presents a patchwork quilt of London, each square filled with a character. There’s the black mum from Lewisham who’s massively proud of her son for getting to Cambridge, but forgets to ask if her dreams make him as happy as they make her. There’s the white cabbie who recently lost his wife and just wants a passenger who will talk to him, even if it’s so he can tell them the slightly awkward story about the time ‘an Arab’ gave him a £250 tip. There’s the saintly cancer patient who prefers visualisation techniques and positive thinking to ever being angry about her condition. And, finally, there are the two estranged sisters, one working as a chipper hospice nurse and the other as an insomniac HR manager. Swirled into the mix are constant reminders of death and loneliness. Both sisters seek release through getting wasted, one in a blaring techno club and the other at a smart-casual large-glass-of-Picpoul-de-Pinet bar. The Lewisham mother, Josie (played by a brilliant Chizzy Akudolu), talks openly about her dead dog, but can’t even start to process her dead dad. But these people never become more than neat archetypes of different walks of life. Instead of watching a collection of complex, indefinable humans, we’re presented with a

William Shakespeare’s final – and possibly weirdest – play is set mainly on a far-flung island. Its main character, Prospero, is a sorcerer, one of his companions is a sprite named Ariel, and its title refers to a conjured storm. Especially when compared to his weighty history plays, this is Shakespeare in fantasy mode, his Jacobean toe-dipping in the waters JRR Tolkien and others would fully dive into centuries later. Tom Littler’s production for the pint-sized Jermyn Street Theatre hints at the mythological storytelling elements of the play by opening the show in a room lined with rows of books, wooden carvings and an old-fashioned toy boat with handkerchief sails. When Prospero (Michael Pennington) and his daughter Miranda (Kirsty Bushell) first start talking, it could easily be the set-up for an expanded storytime, in which the grave Pennington simply narrates the whole piece from the comfort of his study. The inspiration for the production, in fact, is the artist Paul Gauguin’s travels in Tahiti, although you wouldn’t necessarily know that from simply watching it (perhaps a good thing, given how hugely problematic Gauguin’s output from his Tahitian period is). Instead, the whole thing plays out as a largely traditional, albeit small-scale, staging of the story. The only really notable part is how foregrounded Whitney Kehinde’s Ariel – and her relationship with Prospero – is. Her role in thwarting Prospero’s enemies and controlling the run of events often makes her a more

Antoinette Nwandu’s ‘Pass Over’ is like a radical rewriting of Samuel Beckett’s ‘Waiting for Godot’, with the aged homeless men, Estragon and Vladimir, switched for two young black men, Moses and Kitch, who pass repetitive days on a street corner under an elevated train track. But while Nwandu echoes Beckett’s blend of sharp, crackling comedy and utter despair, there is one major, crucial difference to her play. Beckett’s tramps existed inside an anywhere, anytime vacuum; Nwandu’s young men are grounded in a reality that’s horrifically recognisable. Paapa Essiedu’s Moses and Gershwyn Eustache Jnr’s Kitch kill time through ritualised jokes, routines and daydreams. They tease and playfight; get angry at each other’s presence; and share their imagined versions of heaven, listing its rewards like kids writing to Santa Claus. There’s a beautiful tenderness to their exchanges, the way there often is just below the bantering, back-chatting surface of guys’ friendship. And, as the sun comes up each day, they discuss how they’re going to leave this spot, get up from this kerb and ‘fulfil their potential’. Yet the thing keeping them on the kerb isn’t their motivational skills or a ride out of there, but the lurking presence of the white police officers who keep shooting men like them. Eustache Jnr’s Kitch is the softer of the pair, the one who is more willing to keep playing their childish games each day and who is more instinctively trusting of the bizarre, hyper-American stranger (Al

This show opens with a black blob. An inky, scrawly, looming lump of damp mountainside, like a geological metaphor for impending doom. And from there, it doesn’t get much lighter. Léon Spilliaert was born in Ostend, Belgium, in 1881. He spent most of his life between there and Brussels, and his gothicky, wobbly paintings are filled with the frigid features of the local landscape. The strongest sense conveyed is how freaking freezing it is. Every tiny figure is battered by a bitter wind, each hunched-over human a drastically poor opponent when pitted against the elements. His favoured medium of fuzzy Indian ink washes and gouache makes everything look like it’s viewed through the evening mizzle. This neatly comprehensive exhibition moves through the themes of Spilliaert’s career, including the Symbolist-ish illustrations he made for a couple of books and his woe-is-me self-portraits. But Spilliaert was remarkably consistent. He found his niche and stuck to it. And that niche was: desolation. These are sad, gloomy, lonely images in which even the women he idolises turn their back on poor Léon. There are paintings titled ‘Alone’ and ‘Misery’ (the latter showing a bit of black cloth dripping from a droopy clothes line). The most obvious artistic comparison is with Edvard Munch, but whereas the painter of ‘The Scream’ slapped his bare soul across the canvas, spreading existential angst like Marmite, Spilliaert gives only a sense of emptiness. And that’s the essential problem of

Theatre The blockbuster ‘The Burnt City’ Punchdrunk are the gods of immersive theatre, their intense, gloomy, hyperdetailed epics making most other immersive theatre shows look like glorified fancy dress parties… which to be fair, they basically are. After a long absence from the UK, Punchdrunk returned in 2022 with their gargantuan Trojan War epic ‘The Burnt City’.One Cartridge Place, Woolwich. Until Apr 16 2023. From £56.50. The Insta fave ‘The Great Gatsby’ Party like it’s Prohibition with a visit to the immersive version of F Scott Fitzgerald’s novel. Guests are encouraged to fully embrace the 1920s vibe with flapper-style clothing and plenty of bootleg booze. London’s longest-running immersive show, it finally leaves town early in 2023 as its building is being redeveloped, though a comeback is possible.Immersive LDN. Until Jan 7 2023. From £41. The niche one ‘The Witches of Oz’ The Vaults has carved out an unexpected niche as a home for queer immersive dinner theatre fabulousness. ‘The Witches of Oz’ sees the team behind improbable smash ‘Mulan Rouge’ – that's a mash-up of ‘Mulan’ and ‘Moulin Rouge!’ – join forces for a brand new show riffing off Frank L Baum’s ‘Oz’ books that follows the adventures of Dorothey in an enchanted kingdom. The Vaults. Booking to Jan 14. From £20, or £45 dining. Photograph: Christoph Bolten Art The blockbuster ‘Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience’ From ‘The Starry Night’ to those joyful sunflowers, this 360-degree VR experience takes you in

This trip down the rabbit hole was set to be one of London’s cultural highlights last summer. The V&A’s highly anticipated ‘Alice: Curiouser and Curiouser’ exhibition was due to welcome fans in June 2020, but for obvious reasons, its opening was delayed. The immersive show will now debut this very weekend.  Designed by the award-winning Tom Piper, creator of the Tower of London’s poppies installation, ‘Alice: Curiouser and Curiouser’ will chart our continued devotion to all things Alice over the past 157 years.   Zenaida Yanowsky as the Red Queen, and artists of the Royal Ballet in The Royal Ballet production of ‘Alice's Adventures in Wonderland’ © Johan Persson/ Royal Opera House / ArenaPAL   We now know the displays will feature the original concept art for Disney’s 1951 animated version, plus sketches and costumes from Tim Burton’s deliciously weird 2010 film. These include Johnny Depp’s Mad Hatter outfit and Mia Wasikowska’s Alice costume, both designed by the Oscar-winning Colleen Atwood.  © Victoria and Albert Museum, London.jpg Other star attractions from the 300-plus items on display are John Tenniel’s iconic original illustrations for Lewis Carroll’s story and sketches by Ralph Steadman, former collaborator of Hunter S Thompson. Photographs by Tim Walker are also going to be on show, plus fashion designs by Vivienne Westwood and Viktor & Rolf. For more details and to book tickets, click here. Check out the V&A’s kimono exhibition online.For even more of a trip, t

ウサギの穴から始まる不思議の国への旅は、この夏のロンドンで見逃せないイベントの一つになるはずだった。しかし、2020年6月に予定されていたヴィクトリア＆アルバート博物館における「不思議の国のアリス」をテーマにした展覧会『Alice: Curiouser and Curiouser』の開催が、2021年3月末まで延期されることになった。 この展覧会は157年にわたり愛されてきた『不思議の国のアリス』の全てを網羅。展示のデザインを担当したのは、ロンドン塔でのポピーを使ったインスタレーションなどの仕事で知られるトム・パイパーだ。   Zenaida Yanowsky as the Red Queen, and artists of the Royal Ballet in in The Royal Ballet production of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, choreographed by Christopher Wheeldon, to music by Joby Talbot, with set and costume designs by Bob Crowley. Premiered at The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden on 25 February 2011. ARPDATA ; ALICES ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND ; Music by Talbot ; Zenaida Yanowsky (as the Red Queen) ; The Royal Ballet ; At the Royal Opera House, London, UK ; 25 February 2011; Credit: Royal Opera House / ArenaPALJohan Persson     展示の目玉は、ディズニーが1951年に公開したアニメ作品のために制作されたコンセプトアートの原画。また、ティム・バートンが監督した2010年公開の映画『アリス・イン・ワンダーランド』のスケッチのほか、デザイナーのコリーン・アトウッドがデザインし、ジョニー・デップが演じた帽子屋やミア・ワシコウスカが演じたアリスが着てオスカーを獲得した衣装もフィーチャー。さらに、ジョン・テニエルがルイス・キャロルの原作本のために描いた挿絵の原画、ハンター・S・トンプソンとの仕事で知られるラルフ・ステッドマンによるスケッチ、ティム・ウォーカーによる写真、ヴィヴィアン・ウエストウッドやヴィクター＆ロルフによるファッションデザイン作品など、300点を超える展示物が一堂に会する。   © Victoria and Albert Museum, London.jpg   展覧会期間は2021年3月27日（土）から12月末までの予定。ソーシャルディスタンスを確保しながらの開催になるため、十分な会期が設定されている。アリス展のチケットはまだ販売されていないが、ヴィクトリア＆アルバート博物館はすでに段階的に営業を再開。現在は、訪れる時間帯を予約すれば、無料の常設展を見ることが可能だ。 原文はこちら 関連記事 『ジブリ美術館が9月に一般客受け入れを再開』 『ハリポタの世界に旅へ、テーマパークについて現在分かっていること』 『ロンドンに世界最大のイラストレーション展示施設が誕生』 『世界の美術館のアートマスク9選』 『アートは飛躍するのか』

On the morning of March 16, 90-year-old Diana Cohen travelled from Norfolk to King's College London's Bush House in London for the opening of ‘Alfred Cohen: An American Artist in Europe’, a retrospective of her late husband’s work and the first public exhibition of it since 2001, the year he died. But by that evening the show had been formally closed to the public as part of London’s coronavirus lockdown. The product of 20 years work, and a labour of love on the part of Diana Cohen and Max Saunders (the artist’s stepson and co-curator of the show), it had been open less than 24 hours. Alfred Cohen was born in Chicago in 1920, the son of Latvian immigrants to the United States. His American art education preached the virtue of all things French and, not long after the Second World War, he moved to Paris, the first step in a new life that ended with his permanently relocating to Britain. His paintings – many of which are landscapes – are a pool of different influences swirling together. There are river views bearing the wispy imprint of Impressionism; a patchwork of blocky, boldly coloured rooftops in a borderline abstract manner; and a parade of joyfully creepy carnivalesque characters completed along the wobbly, whimsical lines of Marc Chagall.  Best of all, he painted countless images of London and the Thames, filled with nods to Whistler and Monet, but imbued with something more modern and melancholy. They’re empty, quiet vistas – and they feel weirdly appropriate for right

After a bit of escapism? Paradise City, the latest immersive cinematic experience from Backyard Cinema, opens on April 17 and it’s tropical-themed. Concealed behind a retro launderette that guests will enter through, the neon-soaked, plant-filled interior will form the backdrop to screenings of classic films, live performances and light shows. Housed in Backyard Cinema’s permanent space in Capital Studios, Wandsworth, Paradise City invites Londoners to watch a film while reclining on giant beanbags and sipping luxury cocktails (including champagne slushies). They will also be able to buy food and snacks from Honest Burger and Mother Clucker, plus artisan pizzas and vegan dishes.  Photograph: Backyard Cinema The line-up of movies is crammed with feelgood hits, including a good dose of kitsch in keeping with the setting. Along with singalong screenings of films including ‘The Greatest Showman’ and ‘Grease’, the bill features popular favourites like ‘Dirty Dancing’, ‘School of Rock’, ‘10 Things I Hate About You’ and ‘Moulin Rouge!’.  Previous Backyard Cinema experiences include The Winter Night Garden, The Lost World and Baz Luhrmann’s ‘Romeo + Juliet’ in a church with a live choir. This latest enterprise ensures at least one bit of London will resemble a tropical paradise in late spring, no matter what the weather is doing outside. Paradise City is on from Apr 17 at Capital Studios. Click here for more details and to buy tickets. For the best films to see in cinemas across Lo

London’s V&A Museum of Childhood has announced plans for a major makeover. The Bethnal Green landmark will reopen in 2022 with a radically reimagined interior by AOC Architecture, including three new galleries and a re-configured central space. Colourful, playful and filled with natural light, the £13million refurb has the needs of little ones at its heart: the new displays and interactive exhibits are all being designed according to how children aged 0-14 years learn best. The museum closes on May 11 2020. To mark the start of its new phase of life, three-day free festival RE-INVENT will be on across the May bank holiday. Visitors will be able to explore specially commissioned art installations, live music and drop-in events. The museum is also partnering with Ideas Store Whitechapel and local schools to hold events and activities during its two-year closure. The shiny new space features three galleries: ‘Imagine’, ‘Play’ and ‘Design’. ‘Imagine’ is an ‘Alice in Wonderland’-inspired display bringing together the most famous characters from myths, legends and storybooks – from the Loch Ness Monster to Paddington Bear. It will also include the itsy-bitsy National Collection of Dolls’ Houses.   'The Stage' area of redesigned V&A Museum of Childhood in Bethnal Green Photograph courtesy of V&A Museum of Childhood   In ‘Play’, children and their families will make their own fun with interactive exhibits showcasing the weird and wonderful world of games, whether that’s soft play,

While it feels like winter isn’t going anywhere fast, it’s time to cast your mind forward to the summer. The design for the Serpentine’s annual pavilion has just been announced and this year it has a special London focus. The temporary structure, which opens on June 11, is designed by Johannesburg-based architectural studio Counterspace. The all-female team of Sumayya Vally, Sarah de Villiers and Amina Kaskar (who, incidentally, were all born in 1990, making them the youngest ever architects to get the prestigious commission) have created a structure integrating ‘places of memory and care’ from Brixton, Hoxton, Hackney, Whitechapel, Edgware Road, Peckham, Ealing, North Kensington and elsewhere in the city. The completed pavilion will include small, moveable parts that will first be on display in those London neighbourhoods as part of a series of community events. The pieces will then be incorporated into the main structure in Hyde Park throughout the summer months. The geometric shapes making up the main bulk of the dark grey and pink-tinted construction are also inspired by existing London spaces used by migrant and other marginalised communities. Counterspace’s design marks the twentieth anniversary of the Serpentine Pavilion. The first, in 2000, was designed by Zaha Hadid and since then the commission has famously embraced bold, experimental designs. Last year, Japanese architect Junya Ishigami’s design involved a cooling, black slate roof sweeping dramatically across th

What’s your favourite London-related song? The Kinks’ earworm hit ‘Waterloo Sunset’? Taylor Swift’s seismically divisive ‘London Boy’? Nick Cave’s gloriously gloomy ‘Brompton Oratory’? Or perhaps you instantly answered that question with The Clash’s seminal ‘London Calling’. Whatever tune best captures London for you, the simple fact is that our fair city has served as inspirational fuel for a lot of musicians. And, thanks to a new art installation at the London Mithraeum, you can now choose between 70 London-themed tracks on a specially created jukebox. Artist Susan Hiller, who passed away in 2019, completed the ‘London Jukebox’ project over ten years from 2008-2018 (meaning: no Taylor Swift on the tracklisting).  The featured songs dart through London’s neighbourhoods from Kilburn High Road to New Cross, Hammersmith to Mile End, plus a fair old whack dedicated to central and the West End. The artist intended the compilation to be a homage to all the different areas, people and sounds of the capital.  Visitors to the London Mithraeum, an ancient Roman temple restored to where it was originally excavated, can listen through headphones to a track of their choice or hear one selected by someone else.  But first – how many of those 70 can you guess in advance? ‘London Jukebox’ is on at the London Mithraeum Bloomberg Space until Jul 11 and is free to visit. Click here for more details. And for more great art exhibitions to visit, check out our guide to all the latest openings.

Last year, a genius art project took over an old Walthamstow bank and started printing its own money. Featuring local community heroes instead of the Queen, Bank Job’s artwork banknotes were sold for a total of £40,000. Half of that went to charity and the other half towards abolishing more than £1 million of high-interest debt in the community, which had been written down in value by being resold on the secondary market. The UK economy is turbocharged by debt. It’s created by banks in the form of loans to people and companies, then sold and resold in the financial market. But while the banks get bailed out in times of crisis, it’s estimated that more than half a million Londoners are in problem debt – often as a result of taking out predatory payday loans. This project wants to tackle that. And so Bank Job has big plans for 2020, including the release of a full-length documentary about debt. But now it’s been asked to leave the ex-bank it has run as a community space since 2018. Support the project by treating yourself to one of its artwork bonds or coins, or head to its website to find out how else you can help Bank Job stay on the high street and fight for economic justice – with art! Sign up here to get the latest from London straight to your inbox.

From the tiniest creepy crawlies to giant roaring beasts, the Wildlife Photographer of the Year award captures the awesomeness of the entire animal kingdom. This year’s winners were announced this week and they include a startled Chinese marmot, a spider disguised as an ant and a pair of super adorable horned sheep. You can see all the winners, plus many more entrants, at the Natural History Museum’s annual exhibition, which opens today (October 18). To get you excited, here’s a peek at some of the winning images – and yes, firework-watching sound effects are necessary throughout. Overall winner and joint behaviour – mammals winner: 'The Moment' by Yongquing Bao © Yongqing Bao / Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2019  Animal portraits winner: 'Face of Deception' by Ripan Biswas © Ripan Biswas / Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2019 Mammals behaviour joint winner: 'The Equal Match' by Ingo Arndt © Ingo Arndt / Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2019 Invertebrates behaviour winner: 'The Architectural Army' by Daniel Kronauer © Daniel Kronauer / Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2019 Amphibians and reptiles behaviour winner: 'Pondworld' by Manuel Plaickner © Manuel Plaickner / Wildlife Photographer of the Year Birds behaviour winner: 'Land of the Eagle' by Audun Rikardsen © Audun Rikardsen / Wildlife Photographer of the Year Animals in their environment winner: 'Snow-Plateau Nomads' by Shangzhen Fan © Shangzhen Fan / Wildlife Photographer of the Year Wildlife Pho

The Maurizio Cattelan exhibition at Blenheim Palace this autumn has received more publicity than it could ever have wished but, unfortunately, for the wrong reasons. Two days after opening, one of the artworks – a solid gold, fully working toilet titled ‘America’ valued at £4.8million - was stolen in a smash-and-grab raid.     America, 2016, Victory is Not an Option, Maurizio Cattelan at Blenheim Palace Photograph: Tom Lindboe/courtesy of Blenheim Art Foundation   The bling loo was intended for public use, but sadly visitors are now limited to the manor house’s regular facilities. But don’t let regular ol’ ceramic toilets stop you from visiting this year’s exhibition before it closes on October 27 – there’s still plenty of reasons to make the trip.   Untitled, 2018, Victory is Not an Option, Maurizio Cattelan at Blenheim Palace Photograph: Tom Lindboe/courtesy of Blenheim Art Foundation   Cattelan’s conceptual installations cleverly riff on the oddities found in an English estate of this sort, including the monumental pieces of taxidermy and heroic battle scenes adorning the walls. It’s disconcerting, fun and completely different from seeing his art in a normal white-walled gallery.   Photograph: Pete Seaward/Blenheim Palace   And when you’re done with that, head out for a walk in the expansive grounds. The rose garden is an ‘Alice in Wonderland’-style paradise, with lots still blooming at the start of autumn, and The Cascades (basically a mini waterfall) is picture-per

Forty London museums and galleries are being taken over for a mix of late-night gigs, tarot readings and DJ sets. How many can you make in one night? London, meet Emerge, a brand new festival that’s breaking down the doors of more than 40 iconic museums and galleries for a brilliant programme of lates spanning 11 boroughs (Fri Sep 27-Sat Sep 28) . You’ll only need one ticket per night whatever you choose, whether that’s an Ady Suleiman gig at the Horniman, gothic fairytales at Strawberry Hill House or poetry in a former convent. Queues are inevitable, and with miles separating some of these venues, you’ll need to plan your night wisely. Put on your plimsolls, you have a lot of ground to cover…  Friday Ice Sound Bath at London Canal Museum Cool off with an arctic dip in the sonic soundscape of Tom White. The electronic musician layers sound samples from an ice factory and the waterways of London to create a chilling immersive experience. The cleverest part is how it references the Victorian ice business, which transported boatloads of frozen stuff along the canals. Ice, ice, baby. London Canal Museum. Tube: King’s Cross. 6pm. Can’t make it Friday? This one is on the Saturday too!  Number One London House of Scandal at Apsley House Slip on some silk stockings and ramp up the face powder, we’re on our way to Regency England. Held at Apsley House, former home of the Duke of Wellington, this party takes you back to when pamphleteers were the Twittersphere and the servants knew you