Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Little Miss Random Recommends – Week Ending 02/09/2012

Long story short: I had a great weekend and that's why this is late. Let's just jump straight into this week's list, shall we?

Enjoy!

School Nights
  1. Camille O’Sullivan, queen of sultry glamour, is back with a dark and deliciously sensational show, taking audience on a hypnotic journey into the heart of contemporary song with her new studio album, Changeling. Till Sep 1st (ex. Aug 30th), London Wonderground, 9.00 pm, £20.50 (including £1 fee)
  2. This month’s Lates at the Science Museum dives into the world of science fiction. Highlights include learning about quantum physics, or, in layman’s terms, about being in two places at once, and the (alt) history of steampunk (or, in layman’s terms, science fiction set in the Victorian era). Come dressed as your favourite sci-fi character. Provisos include not bringing any weapons, not wearing the mask prior to entering the museum (though you can wear them inside). Aug 29th, Science Museum, 6.45 pm, free
  3. Salon London, those incredible curators of intellectual activity in this city, are teaming up with the National Theatre to dig deeper into Marianne Elliot’s production of Simon Stephen’s adaptation of Mark Haddon’s The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. (Phew! That was quite a mouthful to type.) If you’re not familiar with the book or the play, it’s about a 15-year-old autistic boy called Christopher who’s a genius at math but can’t cope with everyday life. To that end, Marcus Chown, Cosmology Editor for the New Scientist, will be explaining what you need to know in order to understand the quantum world, while David Speigelhalter OBE, Professor of Understanding and Risk, explains the numbers behind uncertainty. Staff Director Katy Rudd finishes off the night by explaining the NT’s production. Aug 30th, National Theatre, 7.30 pm to 9.30 pm, £10
  4. Venture into the world of the weird and wonderful as Fortean London presents its second series of talks on supernatural London, including an aptly-timed talk on the hunt for the Hackney Bear. Other topics include Ghost Hunting in London and Magical Fitzrovia. Aug 30th, The Bell, 8.00 pm (start), free
  5. With the Paralympics starting this week, it seems an appropriate time to visit Superhuman, the Wellcome Collection’s exploration of the extraordinary ways people have sought to improve, adapt and enhance their body’s performance. Experts, performers and artists perform every Wed, Thurs and Fri in September and October. Till Oct 16th, Wellcome Collection, opens at 10.00 am (Tue to Sat) / 11.00 am (Sun), free

Weekend
  1. V&A’s Friday Late presents an evening of Lolita fashion, the street style that combines Japan’s obsessions with cuteness, punk and Gothic macabre (in other words, cosplay). Be styled in pink, frills and wigs, and learn how to dress up in a kimono. Watch the Kamikaze Girls. Learn about British Lolita Culture. Ask questions you thought you’d never get answers to. Aug 31st, V&A Museum, 6.30 pm, free
  2. Fatboy Slim is one of my favourite DJs of all-time. Yes, he’s not always consistent and he’s definitely not the most technically-gifted out there, but, it’s undeniable just how great of a performer he is when he’s on form. I was thrilled to see him and his giant purple octopus at the Olympics Closing Ceremony, but thought his time was just far too short (mainly ‘cos I thought the rest of the ceremony was rubbish). In any case, if you’d like to see him in his element, don’t miss the Big Beach Bootique Cinema Dance Party this Friday when footage of his epic Brighton party at the American Express Community Stadium will be broadcast across screens in the UK. One night only! Aug 31st, screens across London include Hackney Picturehouse, Curzon Soho and Vue Westfield, check sites for times and prices
  3. Assuming the weather’s ideal – and I am by no means convinced it will be given the tempestuous nature of London weather – I’d think the best way to spend it would be on a rooftop garden, sipping luxurious cocktails, much like what I was doing last weekend. Luckily for us Londoners, you can get to do just that at The Midnight Apothecary, a cocktail party with a difference. Curator Lottie Muir has transformed the rooftop gardens above the Thames Tunnel into a wondrous space filled with vegetables and flowers. On Saturday night, she becomes the Cocktail Gardeners, utilising ingredients from the garden to concoct immensely drinkable cocktails. Tours of the Grand Entrance Hall takes place at 7.30 pm. Sep 1st and 8th, Brunel Tunnel, 5.00 pm to 10.30 pm, free admission and cash bar.
  4. Stop whatever it is you’re doing and schedule in some gym time now! You’ll need it if you’re going to go to the King’s Cross Ice-Cream Festival this weekend. This free event showcases the best ice-creams available in London and the South-East and commemorates the arrival of Carlos Gatti aka the man who brought ice-cream to England in 1851 and to whom the phrase “penny lick” can be attributed. Learn about the ins and outs of ice-cream making, whether that’s milking a cow in the petting farm, helping to make ice-cream using liquid nitrogen or learning how ice-cream was first brought to London. Sep 1st and 2nd, Granary Square, 11.00 am to 6.00 pm, free entry
  5. Find out the path to well-being from performance artist Bobby Baker in Mad Gyms and Kitchens, a show which charts Bobby’s journey through mental distress. The show has been designed in collaboration with sculptor Charlie Whittock and features an extraordinary set of fantastical ‘recovery’ apparatus. Till Sep 9th, Southbank Centre, tickets available for Sep 1st – 1 pm and Sep 2nd – 5 pm shows, £15
  6. Watch the world’s top deaf and disabled performers and artists at the 10th annual Liberty Festival. Performances will be taking place at various venues across the city including BFI Southbank, National Theatre, Southbank Centre, Trafalgar Square and Potters Fields. Highlights include the Troi's eclectic mix from DJ Chinaman, the inventor of the deaf rave and the Clore Ballroom Cabaret (both on Saturday at the Southbank Centre). Sep 1st to 3rd, various locations across London, free

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