April 2008

April is a month to take a brolly with you - what with those showers. But it's also a month of sporting fixtures with the London Marathon and the first signs of the Beijing Olympics with the torch coming to town.

Sylvie Guillem & Russell Maliphant - PUSH

The Coliseum, WC2N 4ES
4th April 2008 - 7th April 2008

This is the kind of show that is anticipated with an expectant hush over an audience, such is the belief that they are about to witness something magical. Sylvie Guillem and Russell Maliphant, arriving at The Coliseum in the spring, will not disappoint with their dance programme 'PUSH', which has a host of sell-out shows and a plethora of awards to its name. Combining Maliphant's beautiful choreography and Guillem's classical and contemporary techniques is a winning formula. She shows off her signature high extensions and whips off perfectly-executed pirouettes in 'Solo' before Maliphant takes to the stage to play with his own looming dancing shadows in 'Shift'. It's back to Guillem for 'Two', a dance trapped in a box of light, and then the piece de resistance 'Push', which fuses their bodies together in a sensual pas de deux of poetic strength and taut, feather-light touch. The image of Guillem 'falling' from Maliphant's shoulders is at the heart of the piece as is the electrifying connection between these two huge talents.

More info: Sylvie Guillem & Russell Maliphant - PUSH Map, Prices, Opening Times and Nearest Tube

Olympic Torch Relay

6th April 2008

As it makes its way around the globe on the way to Beijing for the start of the 2008 Olympics in August, the ceremonical flame passes through many of London's boroughs carried by 80 torchbearers. Events dotted along the route offer spectators the chance to mark the occasion with a range of different community activites before the final torchbearer ignites a cauldron at the end of the route.

More info: Olympic Torch Relay Map, Prices, Opening Times and Nearest Tube

Flora London Marathon 2008

13th April 2008

Every April, 30,000 runners flood the streets of the capital to do battle with themselves and each other for the London Marathon. Serious competitors mingle with charity fun-runners in the spring sunshine as the 26.2 mile route comes alive to the sounds of bands, cheering crowds and pounding feet. The race is the biggest of all city marathons and attracts many of the world's top athletes. It kicks off at Greenwich Park and Blackheath, continues through Surrey Quays, Brunel Rd, Tooley St, Canary Wharf, the Tower of London, Embankment, Parliament Square and Birdcage Walk, with a royal finish on The Mall by Buckingham Palace. Entry to run closed in November but if you're raising money for charity - around £750 is the bottom limit - they'll let you in after the closing date. For the less active, you can join the crowd for an event that's increasingly becoming a festival as well as a sporting event.

More info: Flora London Marathon 2008 Map, Prices, Opening Times and Nearest Tube

For Your Eyes Only

Imperial War Museum, London, SE1 6HZ
17th April 2008 - 1st March 2009

The man who made a martini look cool, Bond - James Bond - is shaken, not stirred, in this exhibition celebrating the centenary of his creator, Ian Fleming. With his license to kill and uncanny ability to defeat death, even when outnumbered 100-to-one, 007 is the spy who loved me - and the one we love. With the gadgets, wry sense of humour and just a suggestion of a raised eyebrow, Bond could escape situations that Houdini would throw his hands up at. The phenomenal success of Bond - in cinemas since Dr. No debuted in 1962 - is evident through the very fact that an institution of the Imperial War Museum's standing has chosen to stage this exhibition. As well as film props - including 'blood-splattered' shirt worn by Daniel Craig in 'Casino Royale' - there's biographical information on Fleming and his wartime experiences and work as a journalist. The inspiration for some of his now legendary characters like M and Goldfinger are traced to his real life experiences providing a fascinating insight into the author behind one of our best-loved secret agents.

Photo: Getty Images

More info: For Your Eyes Only Map, Prices, Opening Times and Nearest Tube

Camden Crawl 2008

KOKO, London, NW1 7JH
18th April 2008 - 19th April 2008

April is a fine month for live music in London, and the Camden Crawl is the first proper music festival of the year. Given the changeable spring weather, we're fortunate that this isn't the traditional sit-in-park-swig-warm-lager formula. A huge selection of upcoming bands play gigs in just about every important venue in Camden over two nights of music-fuelled abandon. What makes it so special is that exactly where and when the bands are playing often isn't announced until the last minute, creating a great buzz as you sprint from gig to gig (though around the 3am mark, sprinting starts to become a bit of a challenge). As this is an event for bands on the way up, it's never an obviously star-studded line-up, but the promoters have a consistent ability to spot the artists who are just on the point of going stratospheric and this is a great way to see them up close and personal before they start playing stadiums.

Artists: To be confirmed

More info: Camden Crawl 2008 Map, Prices, Opening Times and Nearest Tube

Alternative Fashion Week 2008

Old Spitalfields Market, London, E1 6AA
21st April 2008 - 25th April 2008

Forget the insipid media circus of London Fashion Week, if you enjoy fashion and want to stay ahead of the pack, this event wins by several lengths. Alternative Fashion Week is all about supporting new talent and making a fashion show more approachable and affordable to everyday folk. We love it. Bright young designers show off their innovative fashions - some on the edge of the mainstream, some utterly mad (think fetishwear and fantasywear). Old Spitalfields Market is a suitably cool place to host the week-long fashion gala full of fabulous frocks and a fair number of outfits suitable for the street and affordable too. The lunchtime shows are open to all and are accompanied by the lilting sounds of contemporary jazz. The event is packed to bursting point with aspiring models, who rock up en masse to try and get scouted, which makes for some fabulous people-watching opportunities. Entrance is free but they take collections for AIDS charity Terrence Higgins Trust.

Photo: Bob Stuart

More info: Alternative Fashion Week 2008 Map, Prices, Opening Times and Nearest Tube

The Queen's Birthday Gun Salutes

Hyde Park, London, W2 3JA
21st April 2008

Being Queen involves many privileges, not the least of which is getting to celebrate your birthday twice every year. The Queen's Birthday Gun Salutes is a smaller occasion than Trooping the Colour, but does have the advantage of taking place on her actual birthday - 21st April - and of being loud, spectacular and smoky. Cannon and gun shots will be fired across the green expanse of Hyde Park and across the Thames from outside the Tower of London. You'll be able to see the Honourable Artillery Company and the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery who will be at the Tower and Hyde Park respectively, dressed up in full regalia, in a ceremony that takes you right back in time. Happy Birthday Lizzy!

More info: The Queen's Birthday Gun Salutes Map, Prices, Opening Times and Nearest Tube

Gone With the Wind

New London Theatre, WC2B 5PW
22nd April 2008 - 27th September 2008

Trevor Nunn's West End musical credits include 'Cats', 'Les Miserables' and 'Starlight Express', so he was the only choice to make an attempt at turning the most succesful film of all time into a stage musical, which premieres at the New London Theatre this April. The new version is actually based on Margaret Mitchell's original book, rather than the 1939 film, with music and lyrics from first-time composer Margaret Martin. It remains to be seen whether 'Gone With the Wind's' huge landscapes, swooning southern belles and powerful soundtrack can be reproduced onstage, but we can expect a production of unprecedented grandeur.

More info: Gone With the Wind Map, Prices, Opening Times and Nearest Tube

Shakespeare's Globe Season - Totus Mundi

Shakespeare's Globe, London, SE1 9ED
23rd April 2008 - 5th October 2008

The magic of Shakespeare's Globe is not just a consequence of its Elizabethan beauty (though it is certainly one of the capital's most romantic summer spots) it also comes from the unique way the theatre works: with most of the audience standing mere inches from the stage there is a real sense of participation, and the crowds can be noisily appreciative. With standing tickets available for around a fiver, it is also one of the cheapest top class theatres in the world. This summer's season is called 'Totus Mundus', and features new productions of 'King Lear', 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', 'Timon of Athens' and 'The Merry Wives of Windsor'. There are also world premieres of three new plays and another chance to enjoy John Dove's production of 'The Winter's Tale'. Whichever production you choose, it's a fantastic step into London's theatrical past, full of blood and thunder with the audience drawn deep into the action by imaginative staging.

More info: Shakespeare's Globe Season - Totus Mundi Map, Prices, Opening Times and Nearest Tube

St George's Day Events

Covent Garden / Cenotaph / Shakespeare's Globe, WC2E 8HD
23rd April 2008

In the last few years, our dragon-slaying patron saint has been thoroughly reclaimed from the football hooligans to become the symbol of a united multicultural country - appropriate, since he was, himself, a Turk. This year's celebrations will include a big parade, with floats, music and dancing (still to be confirmed). Covent Garden Market will have traditional English 'entertainment' like Punch and Judy shows and Morris dancing (shudder). Shakespeare's birthday falls on the same date, and the Globe Theatre will be having its usual big celebrations. There will be stalls and entertainment at the theatre, and the chance to get onto the stage and deliver a few lines. This event gets bigger every year, with pubs and private homes a riot of red and white bunting on the day. Alongside all the official celebrations, there will be parties going on in venues throughout the capital.

More info: St George's Day Events Map, Prices, Opening Times and Nearest Tube

The Real Food Festival

Earl's Court Exhibition Centre, London, SW5 9TA
24th April 2008 - 27th April 2008

You only have to battle with the crowds at Borough Market to realise that strolling around looking at food rates highly when it comes to things to do with our spare time. Stepping up to rival Borough is this new four-day Real Food Festival, based on the principles of slow food. Anyone who cares about where their food comes from will already know what this means - bigging up the little people, the small producers who are only involved in the process in the first place because it's their passion. For those who are conscious about where their food has come from this show is the place to go. You can be sure that all of the 500 traders have been rigorously assessed and recommended for their quality, trust and integrity. As it's both a Trade and Consumer event (Trade Only on Thursday), it's a great way of networking and building a little black book of trusted suppliers. With the support of big name eco warriors like the Whole Foods Market, eco chef Barny Haughton of the acclaimed Bordeaux Quay in Bristol and Ecologist editor Zac Goldsmith, it's already a deliciously anticipated hot new event for foodies.

More info: The Real Food Festival Map, Prices, Opening Times and Nearest Tube

Vaisakhi

Trafalgar Square, WC2N 4JJ
27th April 2008

Even by the eye-catching standards of other festivals from the Indian sub-continent, Vaisakhi, the Sikh New Year, is spectacularly colourful. Although the slick weapon-twirling displays that form part of the ceremony have been removed by the politically correct organisers, there is still plenty of music, dancing, acrobatics and other entertainment to enjoy on the big stage in Trafalgar Square. The Sikh religion is one of the world's most inclusive and visitors are made very welcome at this entertaining festival.

More info: Vaisakhi Map, Prices, Opening Times and Nearest Tube