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 Luckily London has no end of choice for romantic places you can take a date on 14th February. Seek out special love themed art exhibitions, classical music nights and theatre shows from the shortlist below.
 Lust for Love Coningsby Gallery, W1T 4RJ 1st - 14th February 2009 Neatly timed to coincide with Valentine's Day, this one woman exhibition shows 15 love themed new works by Pomme Chan, a Thai born, Bermondsey based illustrator. Putting the lust into love, matters of the heart are examined through her highly original illustrations, pencil sketches and photo-collages. Pomme's appealing drawings have featured in the Telegraph, IDN, Grafik and FT magazines and her talents have brought her commissions from the likes of Sony, Mercedes, Marc Jacobs and Topshop. Venue: Coningsby Gallery Address: 30 Tottenham Street, W1T 4RJ Phone: 020 7636 1064 Date: 1st - 14th February 2009 Time: 10am-5pm Pricing: Free Nearest Station: Goodge Street Tube Lust for Love - Information   National Gallery Valentine's Day TourNational Gallery, WC2N 5DN 14th February 2009 Dominating Trafalgar Square, the National Gallery's imposing presence is a wonderfully romantic place to admire some of the world's most important art treasures. Just for Valentine's Day, the gallery offers a guided tour to take you to the heart of some of the most romantically significant paintings in the permanent collection. The tour begins at 4pm and lasts about an hour and, like all of the gallery's guided tours, these romantically led annual Valentine's Day Tours are free. Simply turn up at the Sainsbury Wing Information Desk to join in. Your guide will encourage you to look at the way love is depicted in the five or six chosen paintings - inviting you to appreciate the sumptuous pink fleshy tones and explore the theme of lurve. Venue: National Gallery Address: Trafalgar Square, WC2N 5DN Phone: 020 7747 2885 Date: 14th February 2009 Time: 4pm-5pm Pricing: Free Nearest Station: Charing Cross Tube National Gallery Valentine's Day Tour - Information  Love and Marriage in Renaissance FlorenceCourtauld Institute Gallery, WC2R 0RL 12th February - 17th May 2009 The magnificent pair of Italian wedding chests on display at the Courtauld Gallery, Somerset House were commissioned Lorenzo di Matteo Morelli in 1472 commemorate his marriage to Vaggia di Tanai Nerli, the daughter of a wealthy Florentine. The gilded and painted chests, on display alongside a pair of paintings by Giovanni Toscani reunited for the first time in over 150 years, give a fascinating insight into family life in Renaissance Florence. Marriage was not so much a union of love as a financial exchange, and the chests - or cassoni - would have been one of the most expensive items in the home, used to store valuable possessions and clothes. The painted scenes adorning the chests were more than mere decoration too, re-telling familiar stories like a storybook in an age when relatively few knew how to read or write. Venue: Courtauld Institute Gallery Address: Somerset House, WC2R 0RL Phone: 020 7420 9400 Date: 12th February - 17th May 2009 Time: Daily 10am-6pm (last admission 5.30pm) Pricing: £5 (Adults), £4 (Concs), Free (Under 18s, Students & Unemployed) | Free admission Mon 10am-2pm (excluding Public Holidays) Nearest Station: Embankment Tube Love and Marriage in Renaissance Florence - Information  Valentine's Day Love ClassicsBarbican Centre, EC2Y 8DS 14th February 2009 The classy alternative to sitting in a crowded restaurant eating overpriced food is the Barbican's evening of Valentine's Day Love Classics. The programme includes performance of Johann Strauss' swooningly romantic waltz 'Roses from the South Waltz' and Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake Suite. There's also a rendition of Ravel's popular one-movement orchestral piece Bolero (famously used by ice skaters Torvill & Dean for their 1984 Olympic Gold performance) and a free rose for every couple in the audience. Verdi - Force of Destiny Overture Mascagni - Intermezzo from Cavalleria Rusticana Strauss - Roses from the South Waltz Grieg - Piano Concerto Tchaikovsky - Swan Lake Suite Delius - The Walk to the Paradise Garden Elgar - Salut d'amour Ravel - Bolero Venue: Barbican Centre Address: Silk Street, EC2Y 8DS Phone: 020 7638 4141 Date: 14th February 2009 Time: 7.30pm Pricing: £16.50-£35 Nearest Station: Barbican Tube Valentine's Day Love Classics - Information  Gabrieli Consort and Players perform HandelWigmore Hall, W1U 2BP 14th February 2009 Love is a complicated thing - just ask Galatea. Greek mythology has it that the semi-divine nymph fell in love with shepherd Acis only to see her blissful union doomed when he was killed by the jealous, lustful giant Polyphemus. All Galatea could do was make her dead lover immortal by turning him into a fountain - which by today's standards doesn't exactly evoke a happy ending. The Gabrieli Consort and Players present a rare opportunity to hear, side by side, Handel's two dramatic works inspired by Ovid's Acis and Galatea. Join the ensemble and a stellar cast of soloists for Aci, Galatea e Polifemo, Handel's thrilling Italian serenata, which contrasts in the evening with Handel's elegant English setting, Acis and Galatea, a delightful pastoral masque and one of the most popular in the repertoire. Between concerts, Paul McCreesh and soprano/broadcaster Catherine Bott give an insight into these two stunning works. Venue: Wigmore Hall Address: 36 Wigmore Street, W1U 2BP Phone: 020 7935 2141 Date: 14th February 2009 Time: Aci, Galatea e Polifemo (3pm) and Acis and Galatea (7.30pm) Pricing: £20-£38 (single), £30-£55 (joint) Nearest Station: Bond Street Tube Gabrieli Consort and Players perform Handel - Information  Mamma Mia!Prince of Wales Theatre, W1D 6AS 29th February 2004 - 25th April 2009 The hit musical, made into an even bigger hit movie, puts classic ABBA songs to a modern day romantic love triangle tale. It's set on a Greek island and culminates in an all-singing wedding scene. The perfect material for a Valentine's Day date. First off, we meet Donna, a feisty forty-something single mum, who recalls the distant memories of carefree days and careless nights whilst her daughter Sophie dreams of tradition, romance and a big white wedding. This infectious and funny musical features 22 of ABBA's best known songs. It's a great night out with plenty of participation by the audience and some rousing moments. Venue: Prince of Wales Theatre Address: Coventry Street, W1D 6AS Phone: 0870 906 3838 Date: 29th February 2004 - 25th April 2009 Time: Mon to Thu 7.30pm | Fri 5pm & 8.30pm | Sat 3pm & 7.30pm Pricing: Mon to Fri £27.50-£55, Sat £20-£59 Nearest Station: Coventry Street Mamma Mia! - Information  Dirty DancingAldwych Theatre, WC2B 4DF 29th September 2006 - 17th October 2009 This is not a West End show that boyfriends or husbands would usually choose to book but if you're going to be kind to the missus one night of the year, now's the time to do it. And she'll love you for taking her to this. The film that had girls doing dance moves in front of the TV, and boys experimenting with quiffs and leather jackets, is on stage and more popular than ever. Great dancing, all the hits (Hungry Eyes, I've Had the Time of My Life, She's like the Wind) and the famous reassurance that 'nobody puts Baby in the corner' have ensured an all-conquering West End run. Originally written by Eleanor Bergstein, Dirty Dancing is based on her experiences as a teenager on a family holiday. She adapted it for the stage after realising that nearly 20 years since coming out it is still the bench mark against which all other chick flicks are measured. We defy anybody not to enjoy themselves once the curtain rises and the magic begins: "Come on ladies... God wouldn't have given you maracas if he didn't want you to shake them." Venue: Aldwych Theatre Address: Aldwych, WC2B 4DF Phone: 0870 4000 805 Date: 29th September 2006 - 17th October 2009 Time: Mon to Sat 7.30pm, matinees Fri and Sat 3pm Pricing: £27.50-£63 Nearest Station: Covent Garden Tube Dirty Dancing - Information  TracesPeacock Theatre, WC2A 2HT 3rd February - 14th March 2009 If you want someone to jump through hoops for you, this is the show for you. Les 7 Doigts de la Main (The 7 Fingers) are a dance circus troupe who literally jump through hoops in their show 'Traces', arriving at the Peacock Theatre this February. They also somersault through the air, spin around on a circular frame and do a very acrobatic version of a fireman's pole. This is high-energy stuff with a definite spring in its step - the five performers really do seem to be bouncing off each other with incredible speed and poise - but there's a deeper human pulse to be found at the heart of the action. 'Traces' is about the human traces we leave behind and, with an 'unknown catastrophe' waiting outside the door, the performers are inspired to find the ultimate expression of life; by sharing their stories, taking risks and even playing a little street basketball, they reveal a beautiful, chaotic and infectious spark. Venue: Peacock Theatre Address: Portugal Street, WC2A 2HT Phone: 08444 124322 Date: 3rd February - 14th March 2009 Time: Tue to Sat 7.30pm | Sat Mat 2.30pm | Sun 4pm Pricing: £10-£36 Nearest Station: Holborn Tube Traces - Information  Valentine's Day Special at Ronnie Scott's47 Frith Street, W1D 4HT 14th & 15th February 2009 As a special treat for Valentine's Day, Ronnie Scott's offers a romantic evening of music and song hosted by two of the finest vocal talents working the London circuit today, Mr Joe Stilgoe and Ms Natalie Williams. Both are well known at the club - Williams for her consistently popular Soul Family sessions, and Stilgoe for the recent launch of his debut album I Like This One (Candid). Presenting a wide range of styles between them, from Natalie's swinging soul and R & B to Joe's updated take on the classic lounge crooners, Ronnie's is the perfect place to celebrate Valentine's Day with that special someone or perhaps to meet them to begin with. Venue: 47 Frith Street Phone: 020 7439 0747 Date: 14th & 15th February 2009 Time: Doors at 6pm & 11pm Pricing: £20-£40 Nearest Station: Leicester Square Tube Valentine's Day Special at Ronnie Scott's - Information  Valentine's Day ConcertRoyal Festival Hall, SE1 8XX 14th February 2009 Set your heart racing on Valentine's Day as pianist Dominic Piers Smith makes his debut with the London Philharmonic Orchestra in what had been dubbed 'romantic classics for the day of classic romance'. Under the baton of exciting young conductor Eivind Gullberg Jensen, the uniquely talented soloist makes a pit stop from his day job working in the aerodynamic development group of the now defunct Formula One Honda Team to deliver a high-octane performance of one of the world's best-loved piano concertos by Rachmaninov. The concert will mark the release of Piers Smith's debut solo recording 'The Power of Dreaming'. Wagner Prelude & Liebestod (Tristan und Isolde); Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No.2; Dvorak Symphony No.9 (From the New World) Venue: Royal Festival Hall Address: Belvedere Road, SE1 8XX Phone: 020 7960 4242 Date: 14th February 2009 Time: 7.30pm Pricing: £12.50-£55 Nearest Station: Waterloo Tube Valentine's Day Concert - Information |
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