SW275

southwark

WEEKENDER

January 2019 www.weekender.co.uk

inside:

Your guide to this month’s gigs

Pages 6 & 8

Look lean in 2019 - New Year, New You

Pages 15-21

Peppa Pig in concert

Page 13

Cinema ● Theatre ● Comedy ● Arts ● Music ● Food & Drink

WEEKENDER

Southwark

Look lean in 2019

Health and wellbeing special

January 2019 www.weekender.co.uk

4 January 2019

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Pick of the

Month

Matt Lucas at the RVT, the Vault festival, and Cate Blanchett on stage in SE1

By Laura Burgoine

HELLO FATTIES

Little Britain funnyman Matt Lucas is hosting a night of cabaret, drag queens and cake at the RVT. Joining Matt is Myra DuBois, Miss Hope Springs, Miss Penny, Holestar, Mrs Moore, Son Of a Tutu, Tracy Barlow, Mynxie and Stephanie Von Clitz.

Camp bespoke drag cupcakes are on sale all night long. Wednesday 9 January at 8pm. Tickets: £12. www.vauxhalltavern.com

Editor: Laura Burgoine

T

HE WEEKENDER is an independent newspaper, covering Lambeth, Southwark, Greenwich & Lewisham.

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A WORLD OF PURE IMAGINATION

Southbank Centre’s Imagine Children’s Festival turns eighteen but it’s nowhere near growing up. Over half the events are free during the 12-day extravaganza, which runs over February half term week. The multi-arts line-up includes former Children’s Laureates and creators of some of the best-loved characters in UK children’s literature: Jacqueline Wilson, Malorie Blackman and Chris Riddell, as well as Peppa Pig’s first concert with a full-size orchestra conducted - for the first time ever by Mummy Pig. February 13-24. www.southbankcentre.co.uk

CATE NIGHT

Cate Blanchett makes her National Theatre debut in When We Have Sufficiently Tortured Each Other.

Based on Samuel Richardson’s novel Pamela, the new play explores the messy, often violent nature of desire and the complicated roles men and women play. January 16-March 2. www.nationaltheatre.org.uk

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TRACEY EMIN IN BERMONDSEY Artist Tracey Emin has a major exhibition at the White Cube in February. A

Fortnight of Tears spans the entire gallery and brings together new painting, photography, large-scale sculpture, film and neon text.

Three monumental bronze sculptural figures, the largest Emin has ever produced, are shown alongside her lyrical and expressive paintings. White Cube also debuts a new photographic series: Insomnia, a selection from thousands of self-portraits taken by the artist on her iPhone over the last couple of years. The artist will show a new film as well as the key early work How It Feels (1996), a candid and moving account of her abortions that changed her whole approach to making art. A Fortnight of Tears is at the White Cube on February 6-April 7. 144-152 Bermondsey St, SE1 3TQ. whitecube.com

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LAST CHANCE: HOOK US UP

The first season in the Science Gallery’s permanent new home has been extended.

HOOKED: When Want Becomes Need is a free exhibition and event programme, which delves into the complex world of addiction and recovery.

From gambling to gaming, smartphones to social media, HOOKED questions what makes us as humans vulnerable to addiction and considers the underlying factors and routes to recovery.

Bringing together over 25 King’s researchers, artists, and people with experience of addiction, the exhibition poses the questions: how and why do we become addicted? What are the processes of individual and societal recovery? How can we protect ourselves and people living with addiction from harm? And does our consumerist society have a hand in feeding addiction?

Hooked closes on January 27 at the Science Gallery, Great Maze Pond, SE1 9GU. Open from Tuesday-Sunday from 10am-6pm over the holidays. Admission: free.

VAULT INTO Start 2019 with a bang; the VAULT Festival is back in January with over 350 shows

spanning eight weeks. From its inaugural 2012 event, which boasted 25 shows, the festival has grown and leaked out of Leake Street into other venues around Waterloo.

This year’s festival is supporting Help Refugees and child.org plus continuing its partnership with the Business Improvement District (BID) WeAreWaterloo.

Watch out for a new writers’ programme culminating in a public showcase. There’s an array of theatre, opera, live music, family fun, comedy and late night events as well as collaborations with schools. The biggest arts and entertainment festival in London, VAULT has something for everyone. VAULT Festival is on January 3-March 17. Admission: from £5. Phone: 020 8050 9241. vaultfestival.com

January 2019 5

Photos: Taran Wilku

Spotlight

She's got the whole world in her hands

P

eckham cartographer Loraine Rutt can put the whole world in your pocket. 25 years ago, the artist launched her business creating pocket sized porcelain globes and has been expanding the brand ever since, writes Hannah Kanik...

She went from making globes that people would buy as presents to being commissioned by the National Maritime Museum. “I was happy to find that people really like them,” Loraine said.

Her globes are topographically correct, hand painted and exactly to scale replicas of the earth.

They take three days to make but they require half a year’s dedication and commitment to making the models and moulds.

While they embody the sense of nostalgia and history behind a globe, they also incorporate the modern day inter-connectedness that technology has given us.

6 January 2019

“Something about holding a scale model of the earth in your hand is special,” Loraine said. “Nowadays you can make a difference and connect with people around the world.”

Inspiration comes in many forms. She remembers the moon landing aired on TV and being blown away with what a “gem” of a planet we have. “I like the idea of what makes humans want to explore,” Loraine said.

The artist was also influenced by travels of her own and her earlier years where she served as a cartographer for the University of London’s Birkbeck College. She later followed her love of pottery and sculpting and got a degree in ceramics from Central St Martins.

Loraine has lived in Peckham for the past 30 years where she is an active member of the artist community. She is the cofounder of the Arches studios, which opened 28 years ago and has twenty other makers sharing the space. www.thelittleglobeco.com/

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January 2019 7

Tues 1st Jan, SE1

Brixton Buzz

Gig guide

Audio Rehab at Ministry of Sound 103 Gaunt Street, Elephant & Castle, SE1 6DP, 6.30am-4pm, £16

Born and raised in the land of Ozzy Osbourne, 23-year-old singer-songwriter, Lawrence Taylor, has been paying his dues on the road, taking in major UK festivals and a European and US tour.

Described as “Jeff Buckley meets Elvis via Fleetwood Mac and Black Sabbath,” he’s an intriguing prospect.

Fri 11th Jan, SW9

Burlesque at Courtesan 69-73 Atlantic Road, Brixton SW9 8PU, 9pm, Free The cocktail and dim sum-dispensing Courtesan venue is a treat to look at, with its exotic interior making you feel you’re a world away from Coldharbour Lane. Now established on the burlesque and cabaret scene, you can enjoy the fabulously named Miss Cherry On Fire “embracing the vintage aesthetic and old glamour whilst fusing it with her Latin spirit and sizzling performances,” whatever that means.

For hardcore hedonists who want to wrench every last millisecond of revelry out of NYE, the Ministry takes over in the early morning and carries on till four in the afternoon. There’ll be two rooms of action, with French party starters, Amine Edge & DANCE, bundling up a fresh batch of Tech, House, Philli Funk and 80’s Hip-House, with US techno queen, Lupe Fuentes giving 2019 a box around the ears with an onslaught of repetitive beats, backed by Mark Radford, Carnao Beats, Savio Testa and Deck Radford in The Box.

Sat 12th Jan, SW11

Fri

11th

Thurs 3rd Jan, SE27

Brass Band Thurs at The Railway Tavern 7 Station Rise, Tulse Hill, SE27 9BW, 9pm-1am, Free If you go all a-quiver for a bit of brassy parping and tooting, then gyrate yourself in the direction of the Railway and soak up their monthly brass band bash.

Fri 4th Jan, SW2

Brixton Buzz party night at the Effra Social 89 Effra Road, Brixton, SW2 1DF, 9pm1am, Free

December

389 Coldharbour Lane, Brixton, SW9 8LQ, 8pm-3am, £7

This charity night invites David Bowie fans to drink, dance and celebrate Brixton’s legendary son. First launched on the day Bowie died in 2016, the now-annual event sells out every year, with DJs playing Bowie’s hits, album tracks, obscurities and more, and mixing in tracks from some of his musical influences and the artists he inspired (Velvet Underground, Mott The Hoople, Chic, Kraftwerk etc). The night also features Bowie videos, slideshows and photos, facepainters, Bowie bunting and surprise guests. Unlike many other commercial Bowie events taking place around London every year, this is a fundraising event put on by fans, for fans, with ALL profits going to local charities in his hometown.

Sat 5th Jan, SW9

Stepping into this former social club is like walking into a 1970s film set, with the faded wood veneer walls, dusty trophies and wellworn furniture oozing period detail. It’s now a great place to dive into a wide selection of beers and dance the night away with well-oiled Brixton Buzz DJs on the decks spinning floor-crunching party bangers till 1am, backed by crazy dance visuals. The music policy is: paaaaaaarty, so expect pop nipple-tweakers like Cyndi Lauper, Jackson 5, Beyonce, Bon Jovi, A-Ha, Fleetwood Mac, Dolly, Whitney, Queen, Bowie, Outkast and more.

Brixton Rooftop Afro Disco at PoW Prince of Wales, 469 Brixton Rd, SW9 8HH, 8pm-4am, £12.50 Mac & Jhz and Make Believe DJs will be providing the rattles, grooves and pops in this two-floor event, with the roof terrace mercifully being both covered and heated.

Sat 5th Jan, SW4

Saturday Sessions at Gigalum 8 Cavendish Road, Clapham Common, SW4 9DW, 8pm-midnight, Free A night of deep house and commercial house delivered via Gigalum’s beefy

Fri 4th Jan, SW9

Detroit Swindle at Phonox 418 Brixton Rd, Brixton, SW9 7AY, 9.30pm-4am, £20 Amsterdam-hailing Heist Recordings duo Detroit Swindle meld a cunning blend of house, funk, afrobeat and soul, as showcased on their second album, ‘High Life.’ Also grappling with the sliders and manipulating the frequencies is Schloss Records’ boss, Karima F, making her Phonox debut.

8 January 2019

Soul Club at White Lion 234 Streatham High Road, SW16 1BB, 8pm-4am, £15 A veritable panoply of soulful DJs will be on hand to soothe down the pints in this friendly Streatham boozer.

Sun 6th Jan, SW2

Sisters of Reggae at Upstairs at the Ritzy Brixton Oval, Brixton, SW2 1JG, 7pmmidnight, Free Brixton’s reggae sisters will be a supplying a bountiful surplus of ska, rocksteady, rub a dub, lover’s rock, roots and reggae, all conveyed via the time-honoured medium of vinyl.

Tues 8th Jan, SW2

The Soothsayers at Effra Hall Tavern Kellett Road, Brixton, SW2, 9pm-11.30pm, Free Glug down a Guinness in this old-school Brixton boozer and enjoy splendid original Afrobeat and reggae-influenced grooves from local legends, The Soothsayers.

“One of the finest slices of Anglo Caribbean fusion since The Specials in their prime,” purred Uncut magazine.

Weds 9th Jan, SE24

Live Music at Off The Cuff 301-303 Railton Road, Herne Hill, SE24 0JN, 8pm-11pm, £3

Sat 12th Jan, SW9

Five Miles From Woodstock at Pop Brixton 49 Brixton Station Road, SW9 8PQ, 8pm, Free

A three act acoustic/indie/pop bill featuring the big voiced, Gateshead-spawned, radioplay attracting, contemporary popster Beth Macari - one for Adele fans - who shares the bill with Kaiza and Neda Eliza Khalili.

Thurs 10th Jan, SE5

Open Mic at The Joiners Arms 35 Denmark Hill, Camberwell, SE5 8RS, 8pm, Free Test out your talent in this friendly old school boozer where aspiring comedians, musicians and poets are cordially invited to wow the crowds or die a thousand deaths onstage.

Fri 11th Jan, SW4

Lawrence Taylor at Bread & Roses 68 Clapham Manor Street, Clapham, SW4 6DZ, 9pm-11pm, Free

Rock/indie/disco outfit pledge to take you on a, “psychedelic journey through the musical ages,” complete with costume changes. Well, at least it’s free.

Sat 12th Jan, SW16

Polar Bears Can Dance at Pratts & Payne 103 Streatham High Road, SW16 1HJ, 9pm-2am, Free DJs serve up soul, disco, funk and reggae in this retro chic bar stocked with lovely real ales.

Sun 13th Jan, SW2

Sat 5th Jan, SE5

Twobob’s Indie Disco at The Joiners Arms 35 Denmark Hill, Camberwell, SE5 8RS, 9pm, Free

Sat 5th Jan, SW16

Sat 12th Jan, SW4

DJs at Fu Manchu 15 Lendal Terrace, Clapham, SW4 7UX, 10pm-3am, £10 Resident DJs churn out Commercial Anthems, Rnb, Old Skool & Club Classics in a “mysterious late night venue,” that apparently, “raises the bar.” If shelling out for your own, Moet-furnished, private table is your thing, then get FUing.

David Bowie charity event at the Dogstar

Roll down to the base of Denmark Hill and inhale a night of indie hits in this splendid, two-room affordable traditional boozer with a splendiferous selection of spirits.

Saturdays at the Clapham Grand 21-25 St John’s Hill, Clapham, SW11 1TT, 9pm-2am, £10 Get ready to sweep, strut and sashay in the direction of the dancefloor and unleash your animal loin-thrusts to an uncomplicated amalgam of crowdpleasing party classics, with house DJs spinning Hip-Hop to House, Disco to R&B.

Funktion One sound system with resident DJs banging out a half ton of classic tunes till close.

No Frills Sunday Session at The Windmill 22 Blenheim Gardens, Brixton SW2 5BZ, 7pm, Free With the hard drinking No Frills Band at the helm, this jaunty, round-the-table

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Theatre

Muppets aside, A Christmas Carol is one of those tales as old as time, regurgitated every Christmas in one way or another that can make it seem a bit ‘done’. The Old Vic’s offering of the magical Jack Thorne’s adaptation is anything but that, bringing a new lease of life to the text and old Ebenezer alike.

Stephen Tompkinson’s miserly curmudgeon Scrooge is more grumpy than evil but it works.

This Scrooge has a sense of self-awareness to him that almost makes you pity him as he lurks about the stage with his scruffy hair and tattered clothes.

You are really rooting for his transformation from economical to extravagant along his ghostly journey through past, present and future. The performance presents a complex look at coldheartedness that neither belittles Scrooge’s past nor scrimps on the festivities of the ending.

The piece as a whole feels very Dickensian, from the top-hatted and tail-coated cast handing out mince pies and oranges upon entering, to the amber glow of lanterns adorning the set. The hand-bells played by the cast, pealing out ethereal versions of carols throughout the show were a real treat, paradoxically conjuring a Gothic atmosphere as well as a festive one. After the spectral decadence of the first act, parachuting Brussel sprouts, ziplining turkey and a snow cannon see you through the infectiously joyous second half, resulting in a pantomime of pandemonium.

If the message of A Christmas Carol is ‘God bless us, every one’ then Thorne’s adaptation (and, for this performance Luka Petrovic’s Tiny Tim) certainly delivers on it.

Moving and atmospheric, this is one that is likely to thaw even the biggest Scrooge out there this Christmas.

The weather outside was truly frightful the evening I saw this and yet my mum and I left the theatre with smiles on our faces, carols in our ears and full of Christmas cheer.

A Christmas Carol with all the trimmings Photo: Helen Maybanks

As a true child of the ‘90s, my main reference point for A Christmas Carol was handed to me in the form of the Muppets. For a long time I thought that was all I needed as far as this story goes but, it turns out, perhaps less surprisingly to most, that I was wrong and there is a whole lot more this tale has to offer, writes Rosie O’Connell...

Photo: Manuel Harlan

A Christmas Carol is on at The Old Vic, The Cut, SE1 8NB, until January 19.

Admission: £12 - £67.50.

Phone: 0844 871 7628. www.oldvictheatre.com

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January 2019 9

candlelit session invites musicians of all abilities to join in with new and traditional songs. Like a musical Whicker’s World without the airfare or cavity searches, feel free to sing along to globally sourced tunes.

Weds 16th Jan, SE11

Pete Saunders at ToulouseLautrec 140 Newington Butts, Kennington, SE11 4RN, 7.30pm-10.30pm, Free Former Dexys ivory tinkler Pete Saunders has distilled his own unmistakable bluesy style with his soulful gritty originals and timeless classics providing hints of Tom Waits and Dr John.

Thurs, 17th Jan, SE11

Live Music at Brown Derby 336 Kennington Park Road, Oval SE11 4PP, 8pm, Free Unspecified ‘live jazz and blues artists’ bring the music to this unpretentious, 1920s-themed boozer right next to Oval tube station.

Fri 18th Jan, SE27

Burns Night Ceilidh at Portico Gallery 23A Knight’s Hill, West Norwood, SE27 0HS, 7pm-11pm, £12 Kilt raising capers abound at this former music hall where Charlie Chaplin once performed. As it’s a Burns Night special there will be dancing, pipes, haggis, neaps, tatties and much whisky drinking with The Ceilidh Tree gang providing the stomping fiddles, accordion and expert caller shouting out the dance moves.

Fri 18th Jan, SW8

Underground Sound at The Cavendish Arms 128 Hartington Road, SW8 2HJ, 7pm11pm, Free Unspecified ‘new indie artists’ will be adorning the bijou stage at this offbeat, friendly boozer.

Fri 18th Jan, SE15

Cartel 6th Birthday at The Bussey Building 133 Rye Lane, Peckham, SE15 4ST,

Brixton Buzz

Gig guide

27th

5 Farrell Court, Elephant & Castle, SE17 1LB, 11pm-6am, £20 Drum & Bass crew Critical Sound set up their stall in the DJ booth to deliver a fivehour set from Sam Binga and Chimpa.

Also keeping the beats coming faster than Brexit facepalms are Kasra, Halogenix, Foreign Concept, QZB, Bou, SP:MC, Mantmast, Carasel and Badger.

January

Sat 26th Jan, SW9

Sun

Shut The Front Door at AMM 261 Brixton Road, Brixton, SW9 6LHm 10pm-5am, £20 With a name seemingly inspired by 70s Terylene king, Larry Grayson, Shut The Front Door will be throwing down seven hours of glitter-powered, disco-influenced music with Big Miz, Earl Jeffers, Swales and making sure the oops remain up side your head.

Azealia Banks at Electric Brixton

Sat 26th Jan, SW9

Town Hall Parade, Brixton, SW2 1RJ, 7pm-11pm, £24

Britpop to Beyonce at Market House 443 Coldharbour Lane, Brixton, SW9 8LN, 10pm-3am, £5 There’s going to be another jam-packed night upstairs at the Market House as DJ Editor and Jizzy Rascal pump out their trademark category-catapulting selections of dance zingers and pop tunes to keep the floor bouncing like an extra-springy Zebedee after a WD40 bath.

Controversial, social media agitating, Trump-supporting American rapper, singer, songwriter and actress Azealia Banks brings the noise to the Electric. Raised in the Harlem neighbourhood of New York City, she began releasing music through Ye Olde Myspace in 2008 before being signed to XL Recordings when she was just 17 years old. In 2011, her song “212” went viral and entered several international charts. Banks subsequently signed with Interscope and Polydor Records and swiftly set about annoying celebrities on Twitter.

Sat 19th Jan, SW2

Acantha Long at Blues Kitchen 40 Acre Lane, Brixton, SW2 5SP, 8pm3am, £10

Sat 26th Jan, SE1

Grime Originals at Fire Arch 39 - 43 Parry Street, Vauxhall, SW8 1RT, 10pm-5am, £9.50 Expect an evening of gusset-disrupting grime pumping through the hefty sound systems at Fire with in honour of Wiley’s birthday bash.

Tues 29th Jan, SW2

house and Latin beats, accompanied by an undetermined sax player, who we’ll call Sax X.

Sun 20th Jan, SW2

Sunday Jam at the Hand In Hand 61 New Park Road, Streatham Hill, SW2 4LA, 8pm-1am, Free Hosted by fast-rising local musician Ese, this jam session sees talented local musicians and singers take to the stage in a laid back and friendly venue. Recommended.

Sun 20th Jan, SW9

Grass Roots Live Music at Club 414 414 Coldharbour Lane, Brixton, SW9 8LF, 10pm-3am, £3 Expect a night of live uplifting Blues, Reggae and Ska in front of a busy, old school mixed Brixton crowd. It’s open till late and a big hit with locals.

Monday 21st Jan, SE5

10pm-5am, £12 Afrobeats, dancehall and more with DJ Marfox busily deconstructing AfroPortuguese rhythms and repackaging them in an electronic, urban style. In front of your very eyes. Also swooshing the sliders around with gay abandon will be The Busy Twist, Tash LC, Kouslin and Moto.

Sat 19th Jan, SW9

Alchemy at Cafe Cairo 88 Landor Road, SW9 9PE, 8pm-2am, £8 There’s a chilled out Alchemy coming up with a cellist & harpist duo kicking off the mellow entertainment plus blues guitarist and singer, Tom Williams and rapper/performer Deacon keeping the stage warm before Sleight wrap up the night. In the outdoor cinema tent, there’s short films and moving illustrations from 8-11pm.

10 January 2019

New Orleans-born, soulful vocalist Acantha Lang belts out the first set, followed by resident outfit The Beekays, playing a party set of funk, soul and Motown covers till 1am. Downstairs, the Marcus Bonfanti Trio spin out some soul & blues, with DJ King Kuda whirring vintage dance classics all night.

Sat 19th Jan, SE27

Young Culture at the Railway Tavern 7 Station Rise, Tulse Hill, SE27 9BW, 9pm-2am, Free An established young reggae outfit from Birmingham, Young Culture bring the vibes to Tulse Hill’s finest pub.

Sat 19th Jan, SW2

Funky House at Gremio de Brixton St. Matthew’s Church, Effra Road, Brixton, SW2 1JF, 9pm-2am, Free DJ Yvette Lindquist spins funky vocal

Folk Jam at The Old Dispensary 325 Camberwell New Road, SE5 0TF, 8pm-1am, Free This traditional Irish boozer is the perfect setting for a spirited weekly folk jam where anyone can join in with the band and sing, strum, rattle or parp to their heart’s content.

Fri 25th Jan, SW16

Vinyl DJ at the Rebel Inn 78A Streatham High Road, London SW16 1BS, 9pm-midnight, Free We’re not sure if it’s a DJ made of vinyl or someone playing proper old-school 45s, but we like the boozer so it’s worth a Friday night punt. Come down and shake a body part to old school funk, reggae, hip-hop and more.

Fri 25th Jan, SW2

Burns Night at Hootananny 95 Effra Road, Brixton, SW2 1DF, 9pm3am, £5 Superhoot’s Burn’s Night special is headlined

by Leeds-based funksters, The Haggis Horns, who’ll be cooking up a selection of caber-tossing breakbeats, hip hop, soul and afrobeat. Also on the bill is festival trouserflappers BYOB (Bring Your Own Brass), an 11-piece brass band ready to get the bass cones throbbing to a medley of heavy riffs and dancefloor grooves, plus kilted Highland pipers Calum Fraser and Euan Macenzie with DJ Reuben Green squeezing smooth grooves and mash ups from the decks.

Sat 26th Jan, SE17

Critical Sound London at Corsica Studios

Phobophobes at The Windmill 22 Blenheim Gardens, Brixton, SW2 5BZ, 8pm, £5 Now in its sixth year, Independent Venue Week is a nationwide celebration of the spirit of independence and culture of live music and venues. Headlining Brixton’s finest small venue is the Phobophobes, meshing three guitars, ‘Wall of Voodoo’ style Hammond organ and droll, deep vocals dripping dark social commentary.

Weds 30th Jan, SE1

Hamzaa at Omeara 6 O’Meara Street, SE1 1TE, 7pm, £14 Fast making waves in the biz is Hackneyborn Hamzaa, a 19-year old R&B / Soul-singer, songwriter and producer, who recently appeared on BBC’s Later with Jools Holland. The Evening Standard were impressed, saying that, “her music inhabits the soulful jazzy space left by Amy Winehouse. A star is born.”

Thurs 31st Jan, SW16

Wandsworth Jazz Orchestras at Hideaway 2 Empire Mews, Streatham, SW16 2BF, 7.30pm, £10 The Wandsworth Jazz Orchestra and Jazz Orchestra 2 are joined by the Music Academy Senior Pop Band for a night of classic big band jazz, pop, rock and funk hits, with a performance by the next generation of jazz and pop musicians from the Wandsworth Music Academy.

Weds 23rd Jan, SW9

Brixton Late Night Jam at Club 414 414 Coldharbour Lane, Brixton, SW9 8LF, 10pm-3am, £3 A great place to listen to talented local musicians, and maybe step up on stage to take a turn, you can hear a stirring selection of jazz, and reggae till very late in a super friendly venue.

Thurs 24th Jan, SE5

Jazz Jam at The Junction 171 Coldharbour Lane, SE5 9PA, 8pm11pm, Free Tuesday’s jams have proved so popular, they’ve expanded into Thursdays, with bar manager Luke Fowler getting dextrous on the double bass, ably supported by an accomplished house band throwing more shapes than an acid-infused mime artist.

Phobophobes at The Windmill

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January 2019 11

Theatre Photos: Johan Persson

Five daughters and a wedding Tradition! What is it and what does it mean, they all ask in the opening song?

“I don’t know,” answered Tevye, the dairyman and star of this rather uplifting - in a downbeat way production of Fiddler on the Roof, writes Michael Holland...

In a small Russian village the Jewish community are trying to carry on in their old ways as best they can, even though word is on the wind about racial unrest in the towns. Part of their traditional life is asking someone in the sky for horses, husbands and riches, as well as to bring bad luck to those they do not like. One scary villager is Yente, the traditional matchmaker, who pairs up old men with young girls for money, so when Tevye’s five daughters see her coming with her black book of names it spreads panic, because these were changing times and the girls did not want to stay stuck in a tradition that was going to leave them unhappily married.

A stranger appears in their midst, Perchik, who tells the men to stop calling down curses from above that don’t work but to do something practical - prepare for

12 January 2019

the pogrom he knows is coming.

Perchik’s big city ideas has him quickly deemed a ‘Radical’.

Tevye, however, allows him to tutor his daughters in exchange for food.

In time Yente pairs one daughter off with the old butcher but when the girl says she loves a poor young tailor Tevye sees how much happier they will be, so gives his blessing to the wedding. When another daughter falls in love with Perchik and follows him to Siberia, he is not so happy. When the next in line is enamoured with a gentile he is absolutely livid and forbids the union, but that didn’t go well.

“Love is the new style,” says the father as his traditions slowly get eaten away.

Fiddler on the Roof is about traditions and how they change with time and circumstance.

Director Trevor Nunn draws every nuance of perceived Jewishness out of his cast with black humour used to get through the eternal hardships: “So happy they don’t know how miserable they are.” Song and dance appears to be how the village survives even when the bully boys start their intimidation during wedding celebrations. But,

over a century on from when the play was set, and 60 years since the play premiered, we laugh while knowing anti-semitism has been hard for Jews, and is again on the rise. Plus, arranged marriages is still a problem over many cultures. Nunn, however, ensures this is not one big happy wedding party so sends the

audience home content but with a lot to think about.

Andy Nyman is fantastic as Tevye; the whole cast are wonderful. The singing is a joy, the choreography is a miracle for what is performed in this small space. Yes, there is not much to smile about in the story but there is much to be pleased with after

seeing this great production.

Fiddler on the Roof is on at The Menier Chocolate Factory, 53 Southwark Street, SE1 1RU until 9 March.

Admission: £45 - £57.50.

Phone: 0207 378 1713. www.menierchocolatefactory.com

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14 January 2019

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Imagine Children’s festival to return with Peppa Pig and Going on a Bear Hunt Southbank Centre’s Imagine Children’s Festival turns eighteen in 2019, and is returning with children’s theatre, comedy, parties and dance – including Peppa Pig’s first concert.

The concert will include a full-size concert, conducted by Mummy Pig! Some of the bestloved names in UK children’s literature, Jaqueline Wilson, Malorie Blackman and Chris Riddell will be coming together on stage to celebrate 20 years of the Waterstone’s Children’s Laureate.

Current laureate Lauren Child, the multi-award-winning author and illustrator behind Charlie and Lola and Clarice Bean, is also in the festival line-up.

She will be in conversation with Alexandra Derbyshire, the executive producer on the Paddington films, talking about her time as laureate, as well as her characters and inspirations.

Other events include Sue Perkins conducting the Orion Orchestra’s

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Noisy Notes, and David McKee, author and illustrator of Elmer the Elephant, in an exclusive event celebrating the 30th birthday of his popular patchwork friend.

The Kids Takeover returns for another year, giving a group of children the chance to take the reins of the festival alongside the Southbank Centre team, from contributing to the line-up to selling programmes and making tannoy announcements.

There will also be an interactive screening of We’re Going on a Bear Hunt, with a live orchestral soundtrack from the City of London Sinfonia, and a fun sing-along; and an action-packed theatrical pirate adventure, Captain Flinn and the Pirate Dinosaurs 2: The Magic Cutlass.

The Imagine Children’s Festival is on from February 1324, 2019, for a half-term week of children’s fun.

Tickets are now on sale www.southbankcentre.co.uk/

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Photo: Dan Tsantilis

January 2019 15

16 January 2019

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New year, New you

2019

Learn to fight like a girl A

Peckham-based female martial arts master has just launched her own martial arts association, Phoenix Eye, and is teaching ‘fight like a girl’ workshops all over London.

Della O’Sullivan stared her career in the martial arts style of Wing Tsun Kung Fu after being victim to a violent stalker in her late teens -for nearly five years. This sparked her interest in martial arts and later led her to teach.

Now 15 years later, after dedicating her life to the art, Della has achieved highly in her rank within the system and has now launched a group of workshops across the capital called “fight like a girl’ while supporting a local women’s refuge in Southwark.

Della has been featured on the BBC, ITV, BBC RADIO 4 and in the Evening Standard. She has trained bodyguards, worked with disadvantaged teens, taught in local schools, run summer camps and performed along with

the Shaolin monks in China’s Shaolin temple.

Now Della, who teaches in Waterloo, Dulwich, Wandsworth and Bexley, has launched Phoenix Eye with a group of new association instructors. “I want to do more and although it has never been my ambition to lead my own association I am now in this position so I want to lead only with an ethical approach to martial arts and helping people become the very best they can be,” Della said.

“Martial artists are supposed to be invested members of the community, they are supposed to have higher ideals and higher moral standards.”

Della is hosting a women’s self defence course from January 12-February 9 and is offering five spaces free to women or girls who have suffered from any form of violence or emotional abuse.

For more information visit: www.phoenixeyewingtsunlondon. co.uk or email: enquiries@dulwichwingtsun.com

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or running. Everything counts from walking to gardening to washing the car. I love Spinning and weightlifting in the gym to get my Body Magic!”

Like Amy, Slimming World Consultants are all former members who have lost weight at their local group themselves and groups are set up as micro businesses in the heart of local communities. There are currently around 4,000 Slimming World

r A fte

important to a successful journey.

That’s why, at my Slimming World group, there’ll be tons of support, encouragement and fun.

“Like a lot of slimmers, I had tried to lose weight so many times before by following numerous diets but they were never sustainable because I’d always get tired of restricting what I ate. I thought I was destined to struggle with my weight for the rest of my life, but when I came to Slimming World it was different. I never felt like I was on a diet. The eating plan encourages you to eat lots of tasty, filling foods like pasta, rice, potatoes and lean meat and fish.

You are never hungry and no foods are banned so there’s no deprivation. I couldn’t believe I’d found a way to lose weight without starving myself.”

“Slimming World isn’t just about changing what you eat. Becoming more active is important too. Our Body Magic programme takes the threat out of activity by showing people, many of whom have unpleasant memories of being forced to take part in activity at school, how they can build activity into their daily routine without having to take up traditional forms of exercise like going to the gym

ef

Amy Smith, 29, joined Slimming World group in Essex seven years ago before moving back to London and joining a local group in Bethnal Green. Initially weighing in at 18 stone, she dropped from 14st 10 ½lbs to 10st 10 ½ lbs to reach her initial target of 100lbs, after already having lost over 3 stone.

Now, the Surrey Quays local who trains at Fitness Space, has trained as a consultant for Slimming World, the UK’s largest group-based weight loss organisation, at their national training academy in Derbyshire.

Members at Slimming World’s Greenwich group are getting ready to welcome Amy as their new Consultant when she takes over on Monday 31 December.

The latest government figures reveal that around one in four adults are obese and it is estimated that, by 2034, this will increase to one in three. 58.9 percent of Greenwich’s population

is now overweight or obese, and Amy says her new role has never been more important.

“Obesity is becoming such a huge issue across the UK,” she said. “When I first joined Slimming World as a member, I never dreamed that I would end up helping other people to lose weight but now I just can’t wait to get started. After losing 3stone and completing my training, it’s a privilege for me to be able to pass on the experience, insight and understanding that helped me, so that I can give my members the support they need to get to target.”

“Support is really the most important thing. It all starts with feeling that you’re not alone.

I couldn’t have lost that 4 stone without the weekly help, encouragement and understanding of my own consultant and group.

As someone who has lost weight myself I know the challenges people can face, which is why, along with the group, I will be there to support every one of my members all the way to their chosen target weight. Setting targets, sharing recipes and other ideas, and working together as a group to overcome challenges and celebrate success is so

B

A slimmer who transformed her life by losing 7 stone is using her success to shape a whole new career, helping people in Greenwich change their lives and achieve their weight loss dreams too.

or e

Achieve your weight loss dreams

Consultants across the UK and Ireland running 15,000 groups.

Amy’s Slimming World group will be held at James Wolfe Royal Hill Campus every Monday at 7:30pm from 7 January 2019. For more information or to join Amy’s group either pop along on 7 January or call her on 07429580415.

For more information visit www.slimmingworld.co.uk or call 0344 897 8000.

January 2019 17

18 January 2019

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New year, New you

2019

Beauty

Freshen up for the New Year

The Moisturizing Cream, La Mer, £60 www.cremedelamer.co.uk L’Huile Vanille Body Oil, Chanel, £172 www.chanel.com

Jasmine & Sun Rose Exquisite Bathing Oil, Molton Brown, £40 www.moltonbrown.co.uk

Pro-Collagen Rose Cleansing Balm, Elemis, £48 www.elemis.com

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Goddess Cleansing Ritual, Charlotte Tilbury, £32.50 www.charlottetilbury.com

Liquid Gold Bath Elixir, Sanctuary, £12 www.boots.com

Vitamin E Travel Kit, Jo Malone, £42 www.jomalone.co.uk

January 2019 19

20 January 2019

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7 Ways to Wellbeing #1 Be Active!

Do you, or someone you care about, wish to be more active, so as to improve your health and wellbeing? We can help - with general exercise programmes, a specialist gym equipped for people with disabilities and with social activities.

Aspire Wellbeing offers adults with short or long term physical disabilities, and individuals with learning disabilities, services and opportunities to improve your overall quality of life, and to gain and regain the skills and abilities that will enable you to live as full and healthy a life as possible.

To discuss how we can support you towards greater wellbeing, please call us on 020 8265 1125 or email health@aspirewellbeing.org

Aspire Wellbeing 1 Park Hall Road, West Dulwich, London SE21 8EH.

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January 2019 21

22 January 2019

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Advertorial

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January 2019 23

24 January 2019

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Complex Care Nurses Needed Nights ÂŁ30+/hour 5.6 weeks holiday PAYE Required to look after a child in his own home, in the Herne Hill area.

ITU experience helpful.

For more details call Chris at 07846155162 or email judegreenfield@taniabrown.com Quote Ref CL1 news@weekender.co.uk /

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January 2019 25

26 January 2019

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Food & Drink The Meet @ Fu Manchu 15-16 Lend al Terrace SW4 7UX Phone: 020 3397 7475 www.theme et.co.uk

The place to Meet I believe that if you don’t have a go at trying different things you’ll end up leading a very boring life and will miss out on so much, hence why I jumped at the chance of visiting the Meet, a vegan restaurant and bar in a Clapham railway arch with Chef Dominic Taylor at the helm, himself a vegan. But I wasn’t jumping in the deep end all alone. My vegetarian friend Fiona came along to hold my hand and check that I hadn’t smuggled in any meat-based snacks, writes Michael Holland...

We were warmly greeted by Zak on arrival and led to a table where we could look through the menu. There were several plants I had never heard of but as Zak explained each one to me so temptingly I was inspired to order them. Fiona, not an excited newbie like me, ordered the Sunday Best (Nut Roast). There was a slight downturn in her

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smile when told there were no Yorkshire Puddings left, but she took succour in tasting some of the six small plates Zak brought for me. I had only picked three but he insisted on more, so who was I to argue?

And what a result I had. I now know Southern fried seitan is fantastic when dipped in a sweet curry sauce; this morning I didn’t know what seitan was. And the same with jackfruit tempura with pickled ginger, kaffir lime and chili. It was unbelievably good.

The ginger was an absolute dream, a genius stroke. I will go back to Clapham to have that again.

With those two came maple glazed cauliflower florets with blue cheese and a nice broccoli dish. Those vegetables can often become mundane in the wrong hands but with a little thought and some culinary flair in the Meet kitchen, they were lifted up to another level. Plus, Fiona said her nut roast was “very, very,

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good.”

While all this succulent fare was being enjoyed there was also some serious vegan supping to be done. I had the American Pilsner, a sensible 4.5% that did its work well, which I followed with a smooth white from Spain. They were excellent accompaniments to the food.

By now we were quite done in but in a nice way. Sated.

However, after a decent interval there was talk of dessert. Fiona already knew what she was having and I knew I couldn’t handle a whole one so I shared her pineapple and almond upside-down cake with coconut ice cream. You only have to say those words out loud and you know it’s going to be good. And it was. Of course it was, it involved cake and ice cream.

Sitting beneath the railway letting that plant-based repast digest, we discussed our good fortune. Fiona was impressed with the Meet and I was more

the damage

than impressed in the range of tastes and textures that can come from fruits and vegetables.

Chef Taylor says “Veganism is one of the largest growing lifestyle movements and has fully embedded itself into London’s restaurant culture.”

I can safely say it is now embedded in me.

Sunday Best Southern fried Seitan Cauliflower Florets Jackfruit Tempura Broccoli Satay Sweet Potato Fries Fries and dip Pilsner x 2 Lemonade Wine Upside-down cake

£12.00 £5.50 £5.50 £5.50 £5.50 £4.00 £4.00 £11.00 £3.90 £5.00 £5.50

TOTAL

£67.40

Food (1-5) 0 0 0 0 Ambience (1-5) 0 0 0 0 Value (1-5) 0 0 0 0 Disabled access YES Disabled toilet YES Booking RECOMMENDED

January 2019 27

New Year’s Eve

All about (New Year’s) Eve DISCO FEVER

POW Brixton is going Up on the Roof for a NYE disco.

Liverpudlian legend Greg Wilson is spinning an extended three-hour set. One of the UK’s brightest stars of disco, funk, electro and soul since emerging on the DJ scene in the ‘70s at age 15, Greg has held residencies at some of the North’s most seminal party spots, including Wigan Pier, Legend and the Hacienda. Monday 31 January, 8pm-5am. Tickets: £22.50-£27.50. www.pow-london.com/

NYE BY SW4

Following a sold-out weekend at Clapham Common earlier this year, South West Four is now turning its hand to New Year’s Eve with a final party to end all parties of 2018. A handpicked selection of SW4’s favourite artists who have graced Clapham Common over the

28 January 2019

years are putting on another show stopping performance.

Expect world-class artists, unrivalled production levels and over 4500 people partying into 2019. O2 Academy Brixton on 31 December from 9pm-5am.

Tickets: £45.70. www.academymusicgroup.com

ENCHANTED FOREST RAVE

The Clapham Grand transforms into an enchanted forest for a night of immersive raving. Expect mythical beast puppeteers, walkabout characters, LED and pyrotechnic displays, inflatable creatures, face and body painters, and confetti cannons. December 31, 9pm-4am at Clapham Grand. www.theforeverland.com

DISCO MADE

If you’re staying out late at Pop Brixton, blame it on the boogie.

This year’s Disco Made Me Do

it NYE party sees Joey Negro taking the stage by storm. The house music producer and British DJ is headlining while DJs are playing all night long, from 4am, in the Pop Box. All the bars are open and serving a selection of local craft beers, draught beer, cocktails and champagne.

Pop’s street food traders will be open from 9pm ‘til late, serving everything from wood-fired pizza to bleeding vegan burgers.

Tickets: £22.50-£27.50. pow-london.com

The Big Dong

The legendary Royal Vauxhall

Tavern is celebrating New Year’s Eve with Beefmince. Bear full and attitude free. Admit it.

Who doesn’t like a big dong at midnight? Doors open at 9pm this time and at 10pm the show starts with MYRA DUBOIS (yes, off the telly). The Siren of South Yorkshire will be on stage for a whole hour with songs, dance and razor-sharp, comedy that will have you laughing your way into the New Year.

After the big dong at midnight, it’s party party party! Resident DJs Silverhook and Cactushead are taking turns on the decks playing the biggest and most uplifting Beefmince anthems until 3am when Tareq takes over until the end of the night at 5am.

The club can only guarantee entry to all ticket holders 11:30pm.

Tickets: £20 online at beefmince. co.uk/tickets / £25 on the door (not guaranteed entry). www.vauxhalltavern.com/

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January 2019 29

30 January 2019

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