Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Royal Opera House
The Royal Ballet and the Royal Opera are at home
again in this magnificently restored theatre. The entire northeast corner of one of
London's most famous public squares has been transformed, finally realizing Inigo
Jones's original vision for his colonnaded Covent Garden.
Performances at the Royal Opera are usually sung in the original language, but
supertitles are projected. The Royal Ballet, which ranks with top companies such as
the Kirov and the Paris Opera Ballet, performs a repertory with a tilt toward the clas-
sics, including works by earlier choreographer-directors Sir Frederick Ashton and Sir
Kenneth MacMillan. The box office is open Monday to Saturday from 10am to 8pm.
Bow St., WC2.
&
020/7304-4000.
www.roh.org.uk. Tube: Covent Garden.
Sadler's Wells
One of London's premier venues for dance and opera, Sadler's
Wells occupies the site of a series of theatres, the first built in 1683. The original
facade has been retained, but the interior was completely revamped in 1998 with a
stylish, cutting-edge design. The new space offers classical ballet, modern dance of
all degrees of “avant-garde-ness,” and children's theatrical productions, usually
including a Christmas ballet. Performances are generally at 7:30pm. The box office
is open Monday to Saturday from 10am to 8pm.
Rosebery Ave., EC1.
&
0844/412-4300.
www.sadlers-wells.com. Tube: Angel.
Southbank Centre
Its brutalist concrete exterior may not be to everyone's
taste, but there's no denying that the Southbank Centre contains three of the most
acoustically perfect concert halls in the world, the Royal Festival Hall, the Queen
Elizabeth Hall, and the Purcell Room. Together, the halls present more than 1,200
performances a year, including classical music, ballet, jazz, popular music, and con-
temporary dance. Also here is the
Hayward Gallery
(p. 106). The box office opens
daily 9am to 8pm.
The Centre itself usually opens daily at 10am, and offers an extensive array of things
to eat, see, and do, including free exhibitions and musical performances in the foyers.
South Bank, SE1.
&
0844/875-0073.
www.southbankcentre.co.uk. Tube: Waterloo or Embankment.
Wigmore Hall
An intimate auditorium, Wigmore Hall offers an excellent series of
voice recitals, piano and chamber music, early and Baroque music, and jazz. With
over 400 performances a year, plus workshops and community projects, Wigmore
Hall is a vitally important venue, ensuring new generations are introduced to the joys
of classical music. The box office is open Monday to Saturday 10am to 7pm and
Sunday from 10:30am to 5pm.
36 Wigmore St., W1.
&
020/7935-2141.
www.wigmore-hall.org.
uk. Tickets £10-£35. Tube: Bond St. or Oxford Circus.
The Bar & Pub Scene
BARS & COCKTAIL LOUNGES
Alibi
As Shoreditch has become ever more popular over the last decade, many
of those originally drawn to this arty enclave of East London have been pushed
out. Dalston and Bethnal Green have mopped up the overspill, and now hold the
title of London's hippest areas. The Alibi is the best among a number of bars to
open in Dalston in 2010, and implements a policy of giving interesting record
labels and promoters a small space in which to throw big parties.
91 Kingsland High
St., E8.
&
020/7249-2733.
www.thealibilondon.co.uk. Tube: Old St. then bus 243/Train: Dalston
Kingsland or Dalston Junction.
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