With Halloween coming up and winter settling in, it's time to find some fun indoor (and maybe a bit spooky) activities to enjoy in our lovely city. But where to start? Here are some of our favourites...
Go to see Wicked
Can you believe Wicked the musical has been showing in the West End for a whopping NINE years? Currently playing the part of Elphaba is the incredible Miss Kerry Ellis (read our interview with the star here) and joining her on stage as leading lady is Savannah Stevenson, who plays Glinda. If you're not familiar with the story, Wicked is the prequel to family classic The Wizard Of Oz and tells the story of how the Wicked Witch of the West and the Good Witch came to be.
Kerry does a sterling job, with Savannah and the handsome Jeremy Taylor as Fiyero by her side. And with a fantastically talented chorus, this is most certainly one of the theatre district’s must-see shows.
wickedthemusical.co.uk
Nightmare on Earlham Street
Fancy a Halloween party but can’t be bothered to throw your own? Why not pop down to fright night at the Earlham Street Clubhouse in Covent Garden, where staff will be serving up pizza, cocktails and a whole load of 90s music. Doors open at 6pm and the party carries on until 3am. If you get there before 10.30pm, entry is free. Boom.
esclubhouse.com
The works of Quentin Blake
Join Quentin Blake at the House of Illustration where his show, Inside Stories, shares a very special look into some of the world’s best-loved character creations - using first roughs, storyboards, and finished pieces. Find out how the illustrator brought to life The Twits by Roald Dahl and David Walliams’ The Boy In The Dress, as well as many other books by huge authors – and explore the works of other illustrators and animators who produced that well-known furry kids’ favourite, Paddington Bear, at the Paddington: Illustrated & Animated exhibition.
Inside Stories runs until Monday 2 November. Entry is £7 for adults and £4 for children.
houseofillustration.org.uk
Celebrating Great British Art
Hands up who knew the great British painter William Turner was born where The Porterhouse bar on Maiden Lane, Covent Garden now stands?
This Wednesday, to celebrate the launch of the film Mr Turner, the team here will be transforming their outside terrace into a nautical-themed scape, where contemporary artists can paint live. Come down, grab a pint of Turner’s Sticklebract Bitter and watch art come to life.
The Porterhouse, 21-22 Maiden Lane, WC2E 7NA
Halloween Movie Mash-Up
From Friday 31 October to Sunday 2 November, the Portobello Pop-Up Cinema will be hosting the perfect interactive Halloween experience – complete with dressing up boxes, pumpkin carving, trick or treating and sing-a-longs. Tickets cost just £5 per person and the weekend kicks off with a showing of 1987 cult flick, The Lost Boys. The Shining and Little Shop of Horrors: Sing-a-long will follow.
http://teesandcees.org/thehalloweenmoviemashup
