The Frieze Art Fair draws the world's most influential art buyers to Regent's Park in October, Rembrandt comes to the National Gallery, the BFI Film Festival, the London Restaurant Festival whets the appetite and a new version The Cherry Orchard begins at the Young Vic.
The Big Draw takes place nationwide throughout the month of October and museums, galleries, heritage sites, libraries, schools and parks all play host to a variety of events encouraging people of all ages to discover how drawing can connect them with their surroundings and communities. Put together by the Campaign for Drawing, a charity which aims to eradicate the words, "I can't draw", The Big Draw is one of the world's largest drawing festivals and more than 1,000 organisations in the UK and fifteen other countries participate each year. In 2013 The Big Draw collaborated with the Family Arts Festival to create the largest arts festival the UK has ever seen and that will continue into this year. London institutions like the British Museum, National Gallery, Victoria and Albert Museum, the Wellcome Collection, the British Library and Discover children's centre are all hosting events so there's a good chance something will be going on at a venue near you.
Keri-Lynn Wilson conducts Puccini's 'American' opera, The Girl of the Golden West (La fanciulla del West), set during the California Gold Rush. It's a story of true love and second chances involving the love triangle between a wanted bandit, the Sheriff and Minnie (sung by internationally acclaimed soprano Susan Bullock), the girl who runs the saloon. Richard Jones has enjoyed recent English National Opera successes with Rodelinda, Julietta, and The Tales of Hoffmann, and now returns this autumn, collaborating with designers Miriam Buether and Nick Gillibrand to direct ENO's first production of The Girl of the Golden West in 50 years.
Following on from 'The Iron Lady' Phyllida Lloyd's 2012 all-female production of Julius Caesar which placed the play in a women's prison, the director now takes on Shakespeare's Henry IV in the second instalment of what will be a trilogy of works at the Donmar. If Julius Caesar is anything to go by - which stunned audiences on both sides of the Atlantic - this women-only production is set to be a sell-out success. In Henry IV, which reunites the director with Harriet Walter (who played Brutus in Lloyd's 2012 production of Julius Caesar and who returns to take on King Henry), Lloyd asks 'what makes a King?' and 'what makes a father?' bringing the heart of family, duty and country to the fore in Shakespeare's monumental history play. Clare Dunne (playing Hal) and Jade Anouka (playing Hotspur) also return to the Donmar having previously appeared in Phyllida Lloyd's production of Julius Caesar.
Exploring the enduring influence that the gothic genre has had on literature, film, fashion, music and art, Terror and Wonder: The Gothic Imagination at the British Library provides a comprehensive look at gothic literature. Ranging from Horace Walpole to Angela Carter, there will be over 200 rare exhibits including manuscripts, paintings, film clips and posters. The exhibition promises to be 'beautiful, dark, inspiring and haunting' with the original Dracula play script in Bram Stoker's own hand among the items on display.
Award-winning playwright Ayub Khan Din's first play, East is East, which premiered at the Royal Court and was later turned into a much-loved feature film, returns to the London stage after 17 years starring Jane Horrocks (Young Vic's Annie Get Your Gun, Sunshine on Leith, The Rise And Fall Of Little Voice, Absolutely Fabulous) as Ella Khan. The author co-stars in his own play for the first time, stepping into his semi-autobiographical take on British Asian life set in 1970s Salford to play her husband, Pakistani chip-shop owner George 'Genghis' Khan. Directed by acclaimed young director Sam Yates, East is East follows Richard III in Jamie Lloyd's second season for Trafalgar Transformed and runs from 4 October 2014 to 3 January 2015.
The inaugural London 3 Peaks, the capital's first endurance and adrenaline event of its kind, takes place in October 2014. Organised by Cancer Research UK, the event invites Londoners to Stand Up To Cancer by being sponsored to take part in this gruelling event. The event will see participants climb the steps of three of London's tallest buildings, running in between each location (a total of 5k) and abseiling 56 metres down the third tower for a truly dramatic finale. The Gherkin, which celebrates its 10 year anniversary this year, is the first of the three buildings, followed by Salesforce Tower London (formerly known as Heron Tower) and 200 Aldersgate. The three buildings combined have a total of 2,000 steps, meaning this will be a true test of stamina, courage and determination. Those who think they've got what it takes must pay a £75 entry fee and raise £900 in sponsorship for Stand Up To Cancer.
If you've ever seen the 1988 film Cocktail and wished you had the ability to mix and pour drinks with the style and rhythm that Tom Cruise does, then you're in for a treat at London Cocktail Week. Taking place at more than 100 cocktail bars across London, Cocktail Week offers cocktail lovers tasting sessions, tours, pop-up events, parties and masterclasses in the art of pouring the perfect concoction. Cocktail lovers simply have to purchase a wristband from the official website to be treated to a number of deals and bespoke drinks. Last year saw 17,451 wristbands collected, eight pop ups temporarily set up shop in Seven Dials, 176 bespoke events and activities, and 163 bars on the cocktail tours. Let's see if they can top that this year.
French director Gerard Garutti presents a modern adaptation of Notes from Underground, the novella by Fyodor Dostoevsky, at the newly reopened Print Room which launches at its new home at The Coronet this October. A man, scared and disdainful of the real world, shares his ideals that he has developed underground, explaining why he has to live this way. He wants you to understand his madness, and pity his torment. This one-man show stars Harry Lloyd, the Eton and Oxford educated actor and producer who's best known for his roles in Games of Thrones, The Iron Lady, Jane Eyre, and Robin Hood, and who also happens to be the great-great-great-grandson of Charles Dickens.
Returning to Sadler's Wells in 2014, energetic Cuban dancers perform to mainstream chart hits by Bruno Mars, Usher, Beyonce, David Guetta, J-Lo, Prince and Rihanna. Choreographed by Aaron Cash and Roclan Gonzalez Chavez, and performed by dancers from the Escuela Nacional Cubana de Arte, this dance show is an eclectic mix of ballet, hip hop and contemporary dance, "larded with MTV attitude and topped off with oddments of classical ballet" (The Independent). Ballet Revolucion showcases high octane dance routines with impressive athleticism and skill.
Keira Knightley, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Brad Pitt come to London this October for the star-studded BFI London Film Festival when 16 world film premieres are staged over 12 days. Knightley and Cumberbatch are in town to promote 'The Imitation Game' the historical thriller based on the life of code breaker Alan Turning which opens the famous festival when 245 films are screened at the BFI Southbank and selected cinemas across London. Bjork, Sienna Miller and Brad Pitt are all expected to put in an appearance at the 58th festival which, under Clare Stewart, director since 2012, will include gala screenings, premieres and A-list stars on the red carpet. The excellent film programme which includes many independent and foreign language films is enhanced by a number of correlating events, informal post-screening Q&As, guest appearances, workshops and masterclasses. The festival closes on 19th October with David Ayer's Second World War drama 'Fury' which stars Brad Pitt and Shia LaBeouf.
The London Restaurant Festival is a celebratory and all-encompassing food affair, showcasing a huge variety of events at venues across the capital. The annual festival takes place during October and incorporates over 800 different restaurants from around the capital. The Gourmet Odyssey is a hugely popular feature, taking diners to three top restaurants to sample a different course at each. Or you can take the Tapas Tour of London's top tapas bars - the likes of Fernandez & Wells, Copita and Barrica, El Pirata, El Pirata Detapas and Ametsa with Arzak Instruction have all previously taken part. Added to these are the Cicchetti Trails which take in the best Spanish, Italian and Japanese food and take place over the weekends of the festival. Some of London's finest foodies typically take part in the festival including Angela Hartnett, Theo Randall, Mark Sargeant and Jason Atherton. And awards are handed out to the best restaurants - last year's winners included Dishoom for Best Children's Menu, Social Eating House as Restaurant of the Year, Isaac Mchale (The Clove Club, Young Turks, Upstairs at the Ten Bells) was Newcomer of the Year, and Marianne Lumb, chef patron of Marianne on Chepstow Road, W2, who won London Restaurant Chef of the Year 2013.
Tracey Emin, one of the most colourful and controversial of the YBAs (Young British Artists) of the 1990s, presents 'The Last Great Adventure is You', a major new exhibition at White Cube Bermondsey, and her first exhibition at the London gallery in five years. In typical Emin style, the exhibition title is transcribed in neon, but the overall tone is more reflective than you'd expect from the creator of 'Everyone I Ever Slept With 1963-1995'. The works in the exhibition are the result of many years' development, from bronze sculptures to works on canvas. "The work is about rites of passage, of time and age, and the simple realisation that we are always alone," said Tracey Emin in July 2014.
The Royal Albert Hall welcomes a select group of 360 consummate dance floor experts, both amateur and professional, for the 58th annual International Ballroom Dancing Championships. Spectators will have the chance to see the pros compete in Latin class (Cha Cha, Samba, Rumba, Paso Doble and Jive). The amateurs, as well as dancing Latin, will go foot-to-foot in standard class, giving us a demonstration of the timeless classics (Slow Waltz, Tango, Viennese Waltz, Slow Foxtrot and Quickstep). The popular TV show Strictly Come Dancing has raised interest in dancing to unprecedented levels, and the standard here will be exceptional.
Gemma Arterton stars as Rita in Made in Dagenham, a musical drama directed by Rupert Goold and based on the 2010 hit British film which tells the true story of the 1968 strike of women working at a Ford plant in Dagenham, Essex. On hearing that the girls in the sewing room at Ford's Dagenham car plant are to have their pay grades dropped, Rita O'Grady decides to battle not only her employers but the union who are supposed to be looking out for the workers, whilst trying to keep together her happy home. Multi-award winning director Rupert Goold (former artistic director of Headlong who now heads up the Almeida Theatre) has teamed up with Richard Bean (writer of the global hit play One Man, Two Guvnors), Olivier Award-winning set designer Bunny Christie (A Streetcar Named Desire, The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time), and choreographer Aletta Collins (Awakenings by Rambert Dance Company, His Dark Materials at the National Theatre) to bring this musical adaptation of Made in Dagenham to the London stage.
Tate Modern presents an opportunity to see over 250 works by Sigmar Polke (1941-2010), one of the most experimental artists of recent times and a key figure in the generation of German artists who first emerged in the 1960s. An opportunity to see the astonishingly wide-ranging scale of his art, Sigmar Polke: Alibis displays paintings, films, photographs where Polke played with double-exposure, sculpture, drawings, prints, television productions and a film of his stained-glass windows for a Zurich church. An artist who "was trying to exceed the limits of painting" Polke's ambition "was to make extraordinary meaningful art" according to Burlington art magazine.
Groundbreaking director Katie Mitchell, who has worked at the National Theatre for the past 20 years, returns to the Young Vic for the first time in four years to stage Anton Chekhov's last and greatest creation, The Cherry Orchard. The play will be the fifth and final of Chekhov's great plays that Mitchell has staged following her Uncle Vanya at the Young Vic, and Three Sisters, Ivanov and The Seagull at the National Theatre. This new English language version has been written by Olivier Award-winning playwright Simon Stephens, whose acclaimed version of Ibsen's A Doll's House had two sold-out runs at the Young Vic, and whose adaptation of Mark Haddon's 'The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time' won him the Olivier Award for Best New Play in 2013.
A brand new event from the Mayor of London, Africa on the Square is a free festival celebrating African culture with performances by African drummers and a live talent show in Trafalgar Square. In addition to the stage shows there will be family workshops where you can try everything from batik to mosaic making.
Singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran joined Taylor Swift on The O2 stage for a surprise duet back in February and in October 2014 he returns to headline his own gig at London's massive live music venue in Greenwich. It's set to be a busy year for the successful multi-platinum selling artist who headlines Sir Elton John's Oscars viewing party in March 2014 and who has a new album out - three years after the huge success of his debut album ' ' was released. An album which went six times platinum in the UK. Blending soulful vocals with organic folk introspection and irresistible hip-hop hooks, the red-haired Ed Sheeran has enjoyed a meteoric rise and huge popularity, receiving two BRIT Awards and an Ivor Novello Award. His second album, which fans will hear at this concert, has been produced by Rick Rubin, who has worked with the likes of Kanye West, Jay Z and Red Hot Chili Peppers.
The Royal Parks Foundation Half Marathon takes in four of central London's best loved parks, an iconic stretch of the Thames and some of the capital's most famous landmarks. What's more, at 13.1 miles, it's a manageable run for those still daunted by the colossal feat of a full marathon. Starting and finishing in Hyde Park, runners pass Buckingham Palace, St James's Park and the Houses of Parliament before following the river to Blackfriars Bridge and back. The next leg takes them under both Admiralty and Wellington Arch, through Green Park, all around Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens (through avenues of beautiful autumnal trees) before passing the Royal Albert Hall and across the finish line. In its inaugural year back in 2008, the event was won by a man wearing a rabbit mask - later to be revealed as Kenyan middle distance ace John Muriithi. There's usually plenty to keep spectators busy - including The Brakes Food & Fitness Festival running from 8am-4pm in Hyde Park on race day. There's also the Pulse 3K run for 11-16 year olds and for those who don't fancy breaking into a sweat, there's always the Hearts and Heritage Walk.
Known as the festival of lights, Diwali has religious significance for Hindus, Sikhs and Jains and is celebrated by many of the capital's South Asian communities. Diwali on the Square gives Londoners a chance to come together and celebrate at a free concert with backing from the Mayor's office. This annually occurring event in Trafalgar Square has become a major fixture in London's calendar with colourful decorations, Indian music and theatrical displays all adding to the sense of occasion. Contemporary and traditional dances including the energetic Garba and Dandia are traditionally performed to celebrate Diwali and people of all faiths are welcome at this celebration of the victory of light over darkness.
Winner of three Classical BRIT Awards, trumpeter Alison Balsom, the darling of the classical musical world, performs her first solo show at the Royal Albert Hall on Monday 13th October 2014. Alison has delivered a number of acclaimed performances at the iconic London concert hall since she first appeared here in 1994 as part the National Youth Orchestra, including a notable solo performance at the Last Night of the Proms in 2009. But this is her first solo concert here, when she will be performing music from her yet to be released album with some of her favourite artists.
One of the world's leading dance festivals, Dance Umbrella has been bringing new dance experience to London since 1978 and in 2014 under new Artistic Director Emma Gladstone the festival celebrates its 36th anniversary. Highlights of the 18-day festival include 'Le Patin Libre', a show by Canadian collective which reinvents ice skating at Alexandra Palace; 'Bosque Ardora' by world-renowned flamenco dancer Rocio Molina who performs at the Barbican; Ivan Blackstock presenting a Harlem-set hip hop show at the Young Vic; and Beijing-based choreographer Tao Ye who brings TAO Dance Theatre to Sadler's Wells. The festival of contemporary dance takes place across fourteen venues including The Albany, Artsdepot, The Unicorn, Stratford Circus and Watermans, beginning with Jerome Bel at the Shaw Theatre and culminating with La Veronal at Southbank Centre.
Placido Domingo takes on the title role of the Doge Francesco Foscari in Verdi's I due Foscari, the first new production of the 2014/2015 opera season at the Royal Opera House. Directed by American director Thaddeus Strassberger, this production reunites Domingo with Royal Opera Music Director Antonio Pappano, the pair having last worked together on Simon Boccanegra in July 2010 when Domingo sang his first baritone role for The Royal Opera. The dramatic story sees the son of the Doge of Venice, Jacopo Foscari convicted of murder and treason. Italian tenor Francesco Meli takes on this part, a role he sang in 2012 at the premiere of this production in Los Angeles. His wife Lucrezia (played by Italian soprano Maria Agresta who makes her Royal Opera debut in the role) is sure of his innocence but the Doge, trapped by the machinations of a corrupt city, is forced to make a terrible decision leading to the dramatic climax as the bells of St Mark's sound.
A major exhibition surveying US artist Richard Tuttle's career from the 1960s to today. He is renowned for being one of the first artists to make the radical gesture of taking the canvas off the stretcher and hanging it directly on the wall in works such as Purple Octagonal (1967), as well as making provocative sculptures such as Third Rope Piece (1974). This exhibition at the Whitechapel Gallery ties in with a large-scale sculpture in Tate Modern's Turbine Hall and traces the use of textile in his 50-year career.
As the country's leading contemporary art fair, the Frieze Art Fair draws the world's most influential art buyers to Regent's Park each October. Specially commissioned art works are exhibited alongside curated exhibitions as well as the pieces for sale presented by over 150 of the most highly respected contemporary art galleries in the world. Among the paintings and installations in Regent's Park there's an amazing jumble of the comical, the beautiful and the shocking. You can expect site-specific projects, short films, a prestigious talks programme and an artist-led education schedule all presented in a captivatingly chaotic atmosphere. It's packed into a vast temporary structure in the park with work by around 1,000 contemporary artists crammed in. Frieze Masters, a showcase of Old Masters and art up to the 20th century, is expected to return this year following its successful inagural show last year. To find out what's on in London during Frieze Week see our full feature on the best events including art fairs, exhibitions and new openings.
Following its successful debut two years ago Frieze Masters, a showcase of Old Masters and a spin-off of Frieze Art Fair, London's leading contemporary art fair, returns to London's Regents Park in October 2014. Located in a bespoke structure on Gloucester Green, to the north east of Regent's Park, it's a short walk from its contemporary sister event, and the two fairs together present a unique perspective on the relationship between old and new art. Frieze Masters present over 90 of the world's leading galleries, with works by great artists like Warhol and Basquiat, Avedon and Hockney, Rubens and Picasso on display and for sale. A programme of talks accompanies the fair, bringing together leading international artists with the directors and curators of renowned historical and encyclopedic museums.
Approximately 40 paintings, 20 drawings and 30 prints from Rembrandt's final creative period are featured in Rembrandt: The Final Years, a blockbuster exhibition at London's National Gallery staged in autumn 2014. Organised by the National Gallery in collaboration with the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, it's the first ever in-depth, focused exploration of Rembrandt's late works. Works from the final years of his life, from the 1650s until his death in 1669, show how Rembrandt showed no signs of complacency. In fact, his later works are among his best and its this period that defines our image of Rembrandt the man and the artist.
Returning to Berkeley Square in Mayfair for its eighth year, the PAD London Art Fair, or Pavilion of Art & Design London if you prefer, brings together exceptional works of modern art, design, decorative arts, photography, jewellery and tribal art from 1860 to today. With 50 distinguished international exhibitors from Barcelona, Brussels, Cologne, Geneva, London, Milan, New York, Paris and Zurich, select galleries from around the world exhibit at this exclusive art fair each year. PAD London, which takes place at the same time as the Frieze and Frieze Masters art fairs, helps to attract the world's most influential art buyers to London each October.
Actress Fiona Shaw directs the English National Opera company in a production of Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro, following Figaro, the Count's valet, as he tries to wed Susanna, the Countess's maid, before their master beds her first. This production was first staged at the London Coliseum in 2011 - prompting The Telegraph opera critic Rupert Christiansen to write, "Fiona Shaw's new production of Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro is humane, intelligent and buzzing with energy." This revival, conducted by Jaime Martin with David Stout playing the title role, gives opera fans another chance to be whisked through the whirlwind events of 'one crazy day' - Beaumarchais's title for his original play.
Taxidermy, immersive theatre, craft beers and DJ sets, The Other Art Fair breathes fresh air into the tried and tested art fair format. Returning to The Old Truman Brewery for its seventh edition, the fair once again shares the space with Moniker Art Fair but is 25 per cent bigger than its previous incarnation. The October 2014 art fair which takes place during Frieze Week, the busiest week in the UK's art calendar, includes taxidermy from Polly Morgan, and immersive theatre by non zero one whose interactive piece remains a closely guarded secret until the fair opens. The Other Art Fair distinguishes itself by being an art fair where unrepresented artists can showcase their pieces, and visitors can take something home without breaking the bank. Don't be mistaken though, you won't be presented with any old paintings. All 130 artists have been chosen by a selection of committee experts including Anita Zabludowicz and Whitechapel Gallery curator Omar Kholeif. With more than one thousand pieces starting at £50 as well as many arty events such as curated walks and live music, this is a completely unstuffy art experience.
One of the three big London art fairs which take over the capital in October, the Moniker Art Fair returns to The Old Truman Brewery's impressive 21,000 square feet space, sharing the venue with The Other Art Fair. This year's fair brings artists talks, affordable prints created at screen-printing workshops and a live external mural project with artists customising six walls in the grounds of the Old Truman Brewery. A reminder of the international scope of street art and beyond, Moniker has firmly put east London on the art fair map and now returns for a fifth year. 'Moniker' has established a positive reputation among art collectors, critics and lovers alike with more than 14,000 people expected to attend this year. It aims to challenge traditional conventions with a variety of gallery exhibits and further signature project spaces. As well as the main art fair, 'Moniker Projects' commissions a series of off site projects which this year include the immersive exhibition 'Aqua Regalia' by contemporary artist Faith47 which can be seen in nearby Dray Walk, 91 Brick Lane.
Returning for a fifth year, Multiplied returns to Christie's in South Kensington, showcasing the best in contemporary art editions, as part of Frieze week. Some of the hottest new names in contemporary art will line up side by side with some of most established and well known artists in the business. From prints to photos and artist books to 3D multiples, the fair will comprise of various different forms of media. Alongside the carefully curated selection of 40 galleries from around the world, there will also be an exciting programme of lectures, workshops and events taking place so you can really get involved.
Likely to be one of 2014's most popular exhibitions, Sherlock Holmes at the Museum of London will be the largest exploration of the fictional detective in over 60 years. Drawing on the museum's Victorian and Edwardian collections, as well as material from across the globe and costumes and props from the recent BBC series, the exhibition will ask searching questions such as who is Sherlock Holmes and why does he still hold such fascination.
Celebrating its tenth year - and a third at the Barbican - the Battle of Ideas is a weekend of high-level, thought-provoking public debate. As many as 350 guest speakers exchange views at some 80 sessions on some of the biggest issues facing the world, covering a range of topical themes in a mixture of interactive talks, sessions and open discussions. Over 2,000 visitors who typically attend are invited to do battle in a war of words in which free speech is the primary weapon.
The Royal Ballet celebrates its founder choreographer, Frederick Ashton, with a mixed programme of some of his finest works including A Month in the Country based on Turgenev's play of the same name. One of the last works Ashton made for the company, A Month in the Country, is performed at the Royal Opera House this autumn as part of a mixed programme. Other works in the programme include Scenes de ballet, Five Brahms Waltzes in the Manner of Isadora Duncan and Symphonic Variations, intended to be the ballet company's first production after the troupe took up residence at the Royal Opera House in 1946.
Elaine Paige, legendary star of West End musicals including Evita, Cats, Sunset Boulevard and Chess, performs songs from the world of musical theatre and her recording catalogue, accompanied by the BBC Concert Orchestra.
The Lady Gaga circus rolls back into town this October playing at The O2 on Thursday 23rd October, returning to the UK capital after her hugely successful sell-out gig at Twickenham Stadium two years ago where she played to a 55,000-strong crowd. This time the multi-million album selling star is bringing her artRave: The Artpop Ball tour to London, which is supporting her number album Artpop. Expect classic singles such as Poker Face and Paparazzi to be given an airing, a fair few costume changes and an elaborate set. If her last London outing is anything to go by there'll be "frequent moments of chutzpah and high-wire ingenuity" (The Guardian), and, quite possibly one bit where "she emerges from between the legs of an inflatable pregnant version of herself". Totally Gaga.
Erotic drawings and watercolours of male and female nudes, some of an explicit nature, Egon Schiele: The Radical Nude provides an insight into the short-lived career of Austrian artist Egon Schiele (1890-1918). "A groundbreaking exhibition of Egon Schiele's electrifyingly frank nudes (both male and female) at the hallowed home of art history, the Courtauld." (RA Magazine). The exhibition brings together more than thirty of these radical works, an outstanding group of the artist's nudes to chart his ground-breaking approach during his short but urgent career. This is the first ever solo show of Schiele in a British public gallery and offers a rare chance to see works by "undoubtedly one of the most powerful and original painters of the human body of any time", RA Magazine.
Award-winning Indian restaurant Carom Soho is celebrating Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, with a beautiful candle display and a special sharing menu. The entire restaurant will be bathed in candlelight, including striking hurricane lamps scattered around the atrium, lounge and main restaurant, and decadent fabrics and antiques scattered throughout will add to the ambience. Plus, Carom's menu has been updated to include a unique Navagraha dish inspired by Hindu astrology. Representing the nine planets and lunar nodes that make up Navagraha, it features nine sample-sized curry dishes including Shalgam lamb, Alleppy prawn curry and Paneer saffrani. Further dishes on the menu include white crab puttu with onion, coconut, curry leaf and shrimp chutney; Kodi Vepudu curry, an Andhra speciality with chicken and cashew nuts; and white chocolate and cardamom mousse.
Some photographers wait for weeks in order to catch that one great action shot, some set up elaborate timing mechanisms. Others have simply seen an opportunity, grabbed a camera and produced a unique picture of the natural world. The annual Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition at the Natural History Museum consistently shows fresh perspectives on animals, insects, plants and landscapes - capturing brilliantly across a number of categories the most colourful and heart-warming collection of images on display in the capital. This year the competition celebrates its 50th anniversary and has introduced a new 'People's Choice Award' which invites the public to vote for their favourite from a selection of 50 images. This can be done through the Natural History Museum website and each person can only vote once. The overall winner and the people's choice winner will be announced in October 2014 and the images, alongside other commendable entries, will be on display at the Natural History Museum exhibition.
Portrait paintings by the 16th-century Italian artist Giovanni Battista Moroni, known as a contemporary of Titian, go on display at the Royal Academy of Arts this autumn. One of the most important painters of the Northern Italian Renaissance, Moroni is widely regarded as one of the greatest portraitists of all time - writing in The Guardian, Jonathan Jones names Moroni's 'The Tailor' as "one of the best paintings in the National Gallery". He's "the kind of obscure genius it's a delight to discover", he continues, describing Moroni as an "incredible colourist" whose "portraits are stupendous evidence of how Renaissance ideas spread far beyond Florence". The exhibition in the Sackler Wing will present Moroni not only as a distinctive portraitist but also his lesser-known religious paintings.
Puccini's moving tale of love and anguish follows Rodolfo the poet and Mimi the seamstress as they fall for each other by moonlight when their candles are blown out. The beginning of this production promises all the fragile romance of a great love story and Puccini's indulgent score does not disappoint. Some lovely touches bring to life the spirited world of 19th century bohemian Paris, peppered with colourful characters, including a warmly funny rent-dodging interlude and the merry chorus of a street market. Jonathan Miller's production, inspired by photographs of the 1930s Paris Left Bank, makes its third revival on the London Coliseum stage, and Isabella Bywater's period designs evoke the grimy streets, adding a faded glamour to the story.
Exploring how influential women have used fashion to define and enhance their position in the world, Women Fashion Power at the Design Museum brings together clothing, photography, archive footage and interviews. Twenty-five high-profile women - including Naomi Campbell, Roksanda Ilincic, and Princess Charleen of Monaco - have contributed a personal item to the exhibition, and each shares their style philosophy. The event also explores the last 150 years of women's fashion, delving into the eras of flappers, screen goddesses, hippies, punks and power dressers through unique items including a punk wedding dress by Zandra Rhodes, the blue Mansfield suit worn by Margaret Thatcher when she was elected leader of the Conservatives, and the Jacques Azagury dress worn by Princess Diana on her 34th birthday.
Lucky young theatre goers are treated to two versions of Oliver Jeffers's 'The Way Back Home' in London this autumn/winter. London is having a love-in with Irish author and artist Oliver Jeffers with Branar Teatar do Phaisti and Denmark's Teater Refleksion presenting the story of a boy and his plane with puppets at the Southbank Centre's Purcell Room at the end of October. Come December children can see the English National Opera performing their take on the space adventure at The Young Vic where The Way Back Home is brought to life though Joanna Lee's opera for families and children aged between 5 and 8 years. Discover Children's Centre is also showing the love with their Once There Was... The Wonderful World of Oliver Jeffers interactive exhibition, and the Southbank Centre is giving young fans the chance to meet the man himself on Saturday 1st November 2014, an afternoon session where Oliver shares his love of words and pictures in celebration of the tenth anniversary of his famous picture book, 'How To Catch A Star'.
Planning to hit the slopes next winter? Before you take off for snowier climes you'd be wise to put in some pre-ski prep work at the Ski & Snowboard Show which turns Earls Court Two into a giant snow dome. This snow show, which has been running for 40 years, is almost as much fun as the real thing and makes for a great day out for friends and families. As well as the chance to buy all the latest gear and clothes, there are bargain ski trips, ice skating, ice sculpting and practical advice on how to juggle your passion for skiing without giving up the day job. Centre stage is the main slope - where expert skiers perform and compete. It's a great spectator sport. Take the kids along - anyone under 11 goes free and there's a free creche as well as ski lessons, penguins and a pop up cinema.