FOCUS Favourites April 2019
April is cherry blossom time in London and one of the highlights of the gardening year. Petals are falling off the trees covering the ground with a beautiful pink carpet. Depending on the weather, the season runs from late March to early May. You can see them in almost every park, big or small: just walk around and have your camera ready!
Our curated selection of things to do in April, in and outside London.
20 July - 29 September
Ten weeks each summer the magnificent State Rooms of Buckingham Palace are open to the public. Book your tickets in advance and visit the official London residence of the Queen. Explore some of the finest English and French furniture in the world and enjoy paintings by Rembrandt, Rubens, Vermeer, Poussin, Canaletto or Claude. Since 1993 visitors can walk around 19 magnificent State Rooms, used during the year for official entertaining and ceremonial functions.
7 April
Up to 250,000 people come to the riverbanks every year to join the festive atmosphere on the banks of the Thames. You should be able to cheer on rowers on either side of the river. Some of the best spots include Putney Bridge, Craven Cottage, Hammersmith and Barnes, Duke’s Meadows and Chiswick Bridge. The eight-oared rowing boats race along the famous 6.8 km Champions Course between Putney and Mortlake. The women’s race starts at 2.15pm and the men’s race at 3.15pm. Watch one of the biggest free sporting spectacles in London, The Boat Race. The Oxford University Boat Club and Cambridge University Boat Club first raced each other in 1829. Almost 100 years later the first women's boat race battled it out on the Thames.
6 April - 11 May
As of the 6th of April the Bridge Theatre presents “A German Life”, directed by Christopher Hampton. The play follows Brunhilde Pomsel, a secretary in Berlin during the 1930’s. She got close to one the the biggest criminals, and one of her employers Joseph Goebbels. Pomsel finally revealed her secrets, shortly before she passed. You can either buy tickets online or £15 tickets are available on the door on the day. This play is an adaptation of the movie released in 2016. With Maggie Smith alone on stage portraying Pomsel this is a play that’s worth going to and shouldn’t be missed!
13 April -27 October
A series of 32 spectacular sculptures will be placed in 13 locations within the historic garden landscape, vistas, galleries and great glasshouses and will transform Kew Gardens into a contemporary outdoor gallery. Often described as exaggerated celebrations of what is found in nature, the colourful glass sculptures respond to the living plant collections, listed architecture, and Georgian vistas of Kew. A fun and interactive trail, designed for families, will take visitors around the Chihuly artworks.
Once again the famous american glass artist Dale Chihuly, who is known for his iconic colourful luminous unique artworks from delicate glass will be exhibiting at Kew Gardens, featuring pieces never seen before in the UK.
Children: My first Ballet: Sleeping Beauty
16-27 April
A gorgeous treat for children this April is the colourful classical fairy tale Sleeping Beauty, performed by the English National Ballet at the Peacock theatre in Holborn.
Dazzling dancers and gorgeous costumes bring this amazing glittering classical ballet to life. A narrator helps the young audience to follow the classic story of Princess Aurora and her true love’s kiss. A shortened version of Tchaikovsky's beautiful music is the perfect introduction to the ballet.
Music: Sydney Youth Orchestra
18 April
Sydney Youth Orchestra is the leading orchestral training provider in New South Wales, founded as a single orchestra in 1973 by the visionary music educator and conductor, Peter Seymour. For almost half a century the orchestra has grown to become a community of over 550 young musicians, aged 6-24. On 18 April, the Sydney Youth Orchestra and conductor Geoffrey Paterson perform Rachmaninov's sumptuous Symphony No 2, with Wagner's Tannhäuser Overture and Strauss' virtuosic Horn Concerto No 2 with Katy Woolley. The concert takes place at the Orchestra’s music education centre LSO St Luke’s on Old Street London. Young children are welcome.
Festival: Vaisakhi Festival
27 April
On Saturday, 27 April, head down to the heart of the city centre and enjoy the annual free Vaisakhi festival at Trafalgar Square. Welcome the Sikh New Year and celebrate the Sikh and Punjabi tradition, heritage and culture. The historic and religious event marks the birth of Guru Gobind Singh’s Khalsa - the inner core of the Sikh faith - over 300 years ago. The festival is filled with talks, traditional food, turban tying, live performance, folk dance and spiritual music sessions. Thousands of people have attended the celebration in the previous years which typically ends with a final prayer for the good and well-being of the whole of humanity.
Not to be missed: Sculpure in the City
until 30th April
Sculpture in the City is an annual sculpture park that uses the urban realm as a rotating gallery space. Explore the 18 artworks animating the Square Mile by internationally-acclaimed artists. Set amongst the iconic architecture of the City’s insurance district, the sculptures animate public spaces and engage visitors and passers-by alike. Now celebrating its 8th edition, Sculpture in the City has shown 81 artists and 97 artworks to date, continuing to grow from strength to strength.
Hidden gems: St. Bartholomew the Great
St. Bartholomew the Great is London’s oldest parish church. The church is located in West Smithfield, in the city of London. Founded in 1123, it is considered a secret escape from the hustle and bustle of the normal busy lives in the City. The founder, Rahere, fell ill and on his return saw a vision of St. Bartholomew-the-Great. This led to the creation of a hospital upon his return. One of the few remaining buildings from medieval times in London, this is a sight worth seeing. As well as regular weekly services, there is a vibrant programme of music and events. Join one of the City Music Foundation Lunchtime Concerts in April with the Polish accordionist Bartosz Glowacki on Wednesday 17th of April. His programme will include works for accordion by J.S.Bach, Vivaldi, Penderecki and Piazzolla.
Les Petits Gourmets is a wonderful little restaurant located in Little Venice. Serving French cuisine in a small atmospherically beautiful restaurant, it is the perfect place to go for a nice intimate dinner with family, friends or loved ones. The French twist on the restaurant allows for dishes such as baked camembert, escargot and sea bass. A dish to remember is the tagliatelle with truffles and asparagus. This dish, combined summer flavours of asparagus with the traditional creamy tagliatelle. Another special mention is the beef and foie gras which is cooked just like the French do. This little restaurant is a unique find in the hustle and bustle of London, it is perfect for all occasions and boasts an impressive wine list. Honestly a hidden gem, this is worth the visit!
Day trip: Bodiam castle
Have a lovely family day out at a picturesque 14th century castle with ruined interior and splendid grounds during the Easter holidays. Set in rural countryside near Robertsbridge in East Sussex the magnificent medieval castle is a two hour drive from London.
The impressive and beautiful symmetry of Bodiam castle with its massive towers rising majestically from the moat, is exactly what people think a castle looks like. It is a quadrangular design and features chambers on the outer walls as well as towers on each of the entrance points and the corners. These towers were important as lookouts for any potential attacks that would require a quick response.
The Castle was originally built with the intention of defending this area against the invading armies of France and as a private residence for Sir Edward Dalyngrigge.
During the Easter holidays, the National Trust has set up many special events and activities for children in the grounds. Join in the fun on a Cadbury Easter egg hunt, a craft session where you paint your own egg pot or discover your hidden talent when you have a go at the medieval skills of archery. Please check the website for a full event listing and more information.
Dance: JV2 2019 Tour
16-27 April
Tour dates:
16 April: Canterbury, Gulbenkian
24 April: Exeter, Exeter Northcott Theatre
26-27 April: London, Sadler’s Well
The Jasmin Vardimon Company presents a programme that celebrates youth culture and showcases the wealth of talent for an exciting performance.
The established JV2 Professional Development Diploma provides young talents a unique opportunity to train one on one with Jasmin Vardimon and company members. Developed by Jasmin Vardimon JV2 is designed for a small group of students touring with the company as multi-disciplinary performers.
This year’s JV2 are an ensemble of 14 international bright new talented dancers, presenting a triple-bill premiering works created by David Lloyd (NeverLand) and Maria Doulgeri (Laboratory), culminating with Jasmin Vardimon’s Tomorrow.
Glasgow: Mini Makers
1-5 April
Glasgow Mini Makers is a brand-new theatre course for young people and takes place in the first week of April at the 'Scottish Youth Theatre‘ in the centre of Glasgow.
Some of Scotland’s best theatre makers will work together with the youngest interested ’theatre makers’ between the age of 3 and 11 years old and teach them how to play, create and perform. Scottish Youth Theatre is one of Scotland’s national youth performing arts companies and has been providing theatre arts experiences to young people in Scotland since 1977. Alumni can be found working in all types of professions as well as theatre, film, television and radio.
During the workshop participants will learn how explore the world of poetry, puppetry, music and movement. The aim of the week is to create your own piece of theatre and perform it to the public audience on Friday 5 April. The workshops are arranged by age and time. No experience is necessary.
Glasgow: The Girl on the Train
16-20 April
Based on the best-selling novel by Paul Hawkins, the Theatre Royal Glasgow presents the gripping new play 'The Girl On The Train' with Samantha Womack and Oliver Farnworth. Rachel Watson, the main character of the play, is obsessed with the perfect couple she watches through the train window every day. Their life, as she sees it, is perfect. But then Rachel witnesses a shocking event, finds herself as a witness and even a suspect in a thrilling mystery. You will keep guessing until the final moment.
Northampton: Ballet Black
17 April
The Royal and Dernate Theatre presents a one-night-only event, performed by classical ballet dancers of black and Asian descent. Cassa Pancho’s Ballet Black is a Neo-classical ballet company breaking new ground with cutting edge choreography.
As part of their latest double bill, this award-winning company presents two exciting new narrative ballets, including Ingoma, created by South African choreographer, Mthuthuzeli November. Ingoma is a fusion of ballet, African dance and singing. This powerful new piece portrays a milestone moment in South African history and is about the 1946 mining strikes and what was widely considered to be the start of the anti-Apartheid movement.