Art In The City: Our Summer Guide

BP Portrait Award 2015

Like the RA’s Summer Exhibition and standing in the courtyard of The Globe to see some Shakespeare as a groundling, the NPG’s Portrait Award is a summer tradition. This year saw over 2,700 entries to the competition, all vying for the top prize of £30,000, and – more importantly – acclaim and prominence in the British art world. With a variety of styles and sitters, sometimes the stories behind the works are more interesting than the paintings themselves. As usual, entrance is free (although perhaps selling out to an oil giant is the real cost), so unless you’re willing to go at an odd time you’ll need to suck it up, make your way through the hell that is Trafalgar Square, and be prepared to barge stupid tourists out of the way to get a view of the paintings.

BP Portrait Award 2015 is on at the National Portrait Gallery until 20th September. Admission Free

Barbara Hepworth: Sculpture for a Modern World

A highly anticipated exhibition, this will be the first retrospective of one of the most famous British sculptors of the 20th century since the 1960s. If you think you don’t know who Barbara Hepworth is, think again: her Winged Figure adorns the John Lewis flagship store, just by Oxford Circus – in order to preserve the view she ordered that a street lamp be taken down. Her sculptures, with their dynamic properties, exploration of tension, and undulating curves, are some of the best examples of British modernism, equal – if not better – than those of her contemporary Henry Moore. The Guardian’s art critic Jonathan Jones called her a ‘second-rate artist’. Fuck him. Go see this show at the Tate Britain.

Barbara Hepworth: Sculpture for a Modern World is on at the Tate Britain 24th June - 25th October. Tickets from £14.50

We Want More

What with PJ Harvey taking up residence at Somerset House earlier this year, and the Björk retrospective currently taking up space in New York’s MoMA, it seems that there is a resurgence in collaboration between popular musicians and fine art venues. The Photographers’ Gallery picks up on this with their latest exhibition, We Want More, which looks at the role visual artefacts – in particular photos – play in the creation of a musical artist. In a world of Instagram and Pinterest, the impact that photographs can have on the identity of a musician has never been stronger; expect bold looks, creative set-ups, and simply stunning photographs.

We Want More is on at The Photographers’ Gallery from 17th July - 20th September. Free admission

The World Goes Pop

Too often is any discussion of the Pop Art movement centred solely around the USA, and – to a lesser extent – the UK. Any retrospective of the movement tends towards simply showing the same old Warhol and Lichtenstein, and perhaps the odd Richard Hamilton. Luckily for us, the Tate Modern’s upcoming show explores the links between different places, revealing Pop Art as an international language of protest and uprising, one that questioned concepts like domesticity, the politics of the home, and the body as property. Shying away from the traditional narrative, this show will offer work from across the world, from Tokyo to Tehran, from Paris to Panama.

The World Goes Pop is on at the Tate Modern from 17th September 2015 - 24th January 2016

Opera

Over the summer, the opera world has a tendency to somewhat ‘shut down’, as patrons eschew sitting in a dark auditorium listening to gloomy tales of revenge and lust in favour of outdoor pavilions, promenades, and Pimms. At the English National Opera, just three productions remain: Tchaikovsky’s tale of greed, murder, and playing cards, The Queen of Spades, is on until 2nd July; a dramatic reimagination of Bizet’s Carmen, which shifts the action to Franco’s Spain, is on until 3rd July; and Mike Leigh turns his attention away from JMW Turner towards Gilbert & Sullivan, in his production of The Pirates of Penzance, on until 4th July. After these finish their run, the opera season closes until September.

Luckily, the Royal Opera House is able to pick up the slack: their roster of operas is also reduced, but productions continue throughout the season. Highlights include: Guillaume Tell, Rossini’s final opera, whose complex melodies will be taken on by Damiano Michieletto, in his ROH debut (29th June - 17th July); Puccini’s La bohème, a classic in the opera repertoire, with its dark tale of love and loss, also makes an appearance, with a revival of the 1974 production (23rd May - 16th July); and Shakespeare’s comic hero Falstaff makes an appearance in Verdi’s hilarious, witty opera, which is relocated to 1950s England (6-18th July). For those of you who prefer a slightly more modern take on opera, the ROH is also putting on a double programme of chamber operas by composer Harrison Birtwistle, to celebrate his 80th birthday, celebrated last year: The Corridor, which premiered at the 62nd Aldeburgh Festival, and The Cure, which will be having its debut at the ROH. Both are collaborations with the librettist David Harsent, a long-time collaborator of Birtwistle, and centre around his obsession with classical mythology.

Ballet & Dance

Fans of dance are luckier than the opera buffs: summer sees the ballet schools putting on a number of recitals and shows, displaying what they have been working on throughout the year. At the Royal Opera House, the Royal Ballet School have their annual summer performances in the Linbury Studio from 1-4th July, showing off the school’s talent, and the Annual Performance (12th July), which gives a taste of the stage to the entire school, which ranges from eleven year olds to graduates, about to embark in a career in ballet. Another ROH highlight is Whelan/Watson: Other Stories (9-12th July), a collection of works for American dancer Wendy Whelan and Royal Ballet Principal Edward Watson – one of the works is by Arthur Pita, the choreographer behind the production of The Metamorphosis with which Watson made his name, winning the Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in Dance for his role as Gregor Samsa.

Sadler’s Wells has a number of productions on over the summer, with one highlight being Matthew Bourne’s The Car Man (14th July - 9th August), which first premiered in 2000. The production’s longevity is only a testament to its ingenuity: loosely based on Bizet’s opera, The Car Man updates the action to 1950s Americana, introducing elements of physicality, lust, and homoeroticism into the mix. Also on offer is TOROBAKA, a collaboration between the celebrated dance artist Akram Khan, and the award-winning flamenco dancer Israel Galván. The resulting work brings together two very different dance cultures into one sublime show (30th June - 5th July)

Meanwhile, at the English National Opera, we have the last recitals of French dancer Sylvie Guillem, possibly one of the most highly-regarded artists alive today. A continuation of her sell-out run at Sadler’s Wells, the programme sees Guillem going out in triumph, with a quartet of daring, modern works that show off her fluid movement and easy sensuality (28th July - 2nd August). Another ENO highlight is their production of Cinderella, which will run from 8-11th July. Choreographed by Cheistopher Wheeldon, the internationally acclaimed artist, and scored by Prokofiev, this show made its debut with the Dutch National Ballet in 2012, where it recieved a glowing reception from fans and critics.

National Theatre

The National’s new season has kicked off, under the guiding hand of new director Rufus Norris. With the Entry Pass scheme for 16-25 year olds providing £5 tickets to every show, and the new Friday Rush system providing £20 seats to sold-out shows each week, there’s no excuse not to catch the work of Britain’s leading producing theatre.

The Motherf**cker with the Hat

Already playing, this Tony nominated play by Stephen Adly Guirgis looks at the nature of love and addiction in New York City. It’s the story of Jackie, a former convict who finds himself finally moving forward in the world, staying clean and maybe even finding a job.

Until 20th August, Lyttelton Theatre

An Oak Tree

The 10th anniversary of Tim Crouch’s classic production means it’s time for a revival. The show is performed by two people: Crouch himself, and a different actor for each performance. The actors involved won’t have seen or read a word of what they’re about to engage with, leading to a wide array of potential paths for the actors to explore.

From 23rd June - 15th July, Temporary Theatre

Our Country’s Good

The tale of the birth of Australia as we now know it, thanks to the actions of the English government. In 1788, the first ship loaded with English convicts lands in Botany Bay. This new prison in a far away land is brutal and unforgiving, and demands a new method of keeping the prisoners in control. One officer suggests a play, and as rehearsals begin a new sense of common purpose begins to develop.

From 19th August - 17th October, Olivier Theatre

The Royal Court

The Court are slowly winding down, but they still have one last play up their sleeve this season in the main Jerwood Theatre Downstairs, as well as plenty more productions to land in their studio space.

hang

A new play by debbie tucker green debuts at the Royal Court. Little is available about the contents of the plot. A crime has occurred, a criminal has been convicted, and a choice must be made. Short, sharp, unforgiving.

Until 18th July, Jerwood Theatre Downstairs. Tickets from £10

Men in the Cities

A one man show that first debuted at the Court in 2014 before appearing at the Edinburgh Fringe, Men in the Cities spirals around the murder of Fusilier Lee Rigby in 2013, and the suicide of a young gay man, using them to examine how our relationships, our lives, are shaped by forces beyond our control.

21st July - 1st August, Jerwood Theatre Upstairs. Tickets from £20

The Young Vic

Never one to be outshone, the Young Vic are looking to repeat the enormous successes they found with their productions of A Streetcar Named Desire and A View from the Bridge, both of which are making their way to Broadway.

The Trial

Next up is an adaptation of Franz Kafka’s The Trial, starring Rory Kinnear. Josef K’s 35th birthday is interrupted by three unnamed, unidentified agents knocking on his door to arrest him for unknown crimes. A terrifying interview follows, as K realises that is far beyond any prank, this is a matter of life and death.

19th June - 22nd August. Tickets from £10

Song from Far Away

The UK’s most prolific playwright has another work on the London stage this year, as Simon Stephen’s latest play appears in a co-production with Toneelgroup Amsterdam. Directed by Ivo van Hove, the man behind A View from the Bridge, this is the story of a young man forced to return home by a death in the family, a family he’s been estranged from for years.

2-19th September. Tickets from £10

The Old VIc

The National isn’t the only major theatre enjoying its first season under a new artistic director, as Matthew Warchus follows on from Kevin Spacey. His first season in charge promises an eclectic mix of shows, with revivals of old classics alongside new works.

Future Conditional

Matthew Warchus kicks off his tenure with Future Conditional, a new play by Tamsin Oglesby. Starring Rob Brydon alongside a cast of 23 young performers, the play deals with the mess that is the British education system. One young Afghan refugee, Alia, has some bold ideas that could shake everything up…

1st September - 3rd October. Tickets from £10

Donmar Warehouse

Always exciting, the Donmar never fail in quality productions. Fresh off the back of The Vote, broadcast live on election night, and currently in the middle of a run of the critically acclaimed Temple, there’s still plenty of life left in one of London’s most consistently exciting and innovative theatres.

Splendour

A new play by Abi Morgan, Splendour is the story of four women, brought together for one moment. A photojournalist, the wife of the dictator she is here to photograph, the wife’s best friend and an interpreter all await the arrival of an unnamed dictator. All four have secrets, all four are in danger, and all four stand in a Presidential Palace on the day of a revolution.

30th July - 26th September. Tickets from £10