April highlights Marty and the Party

Marty is heading to the best party there has ever been in the history of ever. Follow them there for an adorable, cheeky show about fun, friendship and finding your groove.

There’s a party. It’s sure to be arty. There’ll be giggles and nibbles and the dress code is ‘smartly’. Everyone has their dance moves at the ready – Fox is doing the foxtrot, Flamingo is doing the flamenco!

But what about Marty?

One of our fun-filled family events for Easter, Marty and the Party is a charming and cheeky story for little ones aged 2 – 6 and their grown-ups, packed full of songs, laughter and dancing.

Friday 7 & Saturday 8 April

Thu 6 Apr – Sun 28 May

Aladdin Sane: 50 Years

The 50th anniversary of one of music’s eternal images sparks an electric celebration of David Bowie’s album, featuring an exhibition, talks, poetry, club nights and gigs

Just one image has managed the impossible: defining the undefinable David Bowie. The iconic lightning bolt cover of his 1973 album Aladdin Sane, created by Brian Duffy, remains alive with Bowie’s unique energy: the vivid character-building; the ethereal otherworldliness; and the androgyny that helped build Bowie’s status as a queer icon. Little surprise it’s still known the world over. As it turns 50 years since the release of Aladdin Sane, join us as we celebrate with an exhibition and events devoted to its cover, its music and the lasting legacy of Bowie himself.

The exhibition

Aladdin Sane: 50 Years uncovers every detail of the story of Brian Duffy’s portrait. Go back in time to the political, social and cultural context of 1973, learn how Bowie continually refashioned his image, relive Duffy’s momentous shoot, and discover how Bowie and Duffy shifted the perception and the imagery of sexual and gender identity.

The music

The album’s songs – including ‘The Jean Genie’ and ‘Drive-In Saturday’ – took shape as Bowie toured the States, grappling with alien stardom in an alien landscape. In our gig Aladdin Sane Live, the Nu Civilisation Orchestra reimagines the classic album, track by track, calling on the talents of Anna Calvi, Scissor Sisters’ Jake Shears, Roxanne Tataei, Lynks and Tawiah in a performance hosted by Amy Lamé. And there are more excuses to stay out late and dance, as Bowie’s unflinching spirit of expression animates two Concrete Lates in our cavernous Queen Elizabeth Hall Foyer. First up is radical DJ collective Queer House Party; and the next night it’s Queer Bruk, a group on a mission to diversify queer nightlife through the lens of Black music and culture.

Talks and poetry

To map the connections between Bowie and these modern expressions of queer identity, join writers Paul Burston and Golnoosh Nour as they mull over the legacy of his sexual ambiguity and subversion of gender identity. Other talks offer the insights of curator Victoria Broackes, co-curator of the V&A's landmark David Bowie Is exhibition, and photographer (and son of Brian) Chris Duffy, as well as a look at the success of immersive music exhibitions –of which Bowie has been one subject.

The National Poetry Library, meanwhile, passes the baton to a group of gifted poets. Forward Prize winner Luke Kennard, Keith Jarrett, Golnoosh Nour, Mark Waldron and spoken word legend John Hegley are all set to share their Bowie-inspired work.

Our history

And on a final note, let’s remember that the Starman and the Southbank Centre go way back. Retrace David Bowie’s long history of appearances here in The New Heathen Archives, our free display of never-before-seen archive material.