Diaries at the ready! Autumn is a busy time in the capital. Here’s our round-up of the best festivals, art fairs, theatre shows, parties and concerts taking place across London this October
1.London Literature Festival, Southbank Centre, 28 September – 12 October
Southbank Centre has announced several exclusive bills to headline the ninth London Literature Festival. A highlight will be the four-day live reading of Herman Melville’s Moby Dick (1-4 October), alongside a host of talks, readings, poetry, films, comedy and music from the likes of Terry Gillam, PJ Harvey and Tim Key. See our pick of the best festival events here. Full listings are available at southbankcentre.co.uk/londonlitfest
London Literature Festival returns for its ninth year
2.Tom Kerridge joins Harrods as Chef of the Season, 1 October – 5 January
Chef Tom Kerridge will join the famous Knightsbridge shop as guest chef from 1 October, when he’ll be serving comforting winter dishes-to-go from a dedicated area within the store’s Food Hall. To celebrate the launch of his book Tom’s Table: My Favourite Everyday Recipes, the chef will also be hosting a 21-cover pop-up restaurant from 2 – 8 November. When it’s finally time to get in the festive spirit, it will be worth stopping by to try a selection of seasonal classics from Tom’s Christmas menu launching on 12 November. Bookings for Tom’s Table at Harrods open from 1 September. Email tomstable@harrods.com to register interest and find out more information. harrods.com/tom-kerridge
Tom Kerridge takes up a new post at Harrods
3.Eaton Square Concerts, St Peter’s Church Eaton Square, 1 October – 5 November
The autumn season of Eaton Square Concerts will celebrate the anniversaries of great composers and musicians. These include 150 years since the birth of Scandinavian composers Nielsen and Sibelius, 100 years since the premiere of Rachmaninov’s iconic ‘All-Night Vigil’ and the 65th birthday of the great Chopin interpreter Janina Fialkowska. See the full programme at eatonsquareconcerts.org.uk
Eaton Square, Belgravia
4.Photomonth, East London, 1 October – 30 November
Photomonth returns once again, bringing an exciting range of exhibitions and events to galleries and venues across East London. Highlights this month include Photoblock at the Old Truman Brewery featuring the Royal Photographic Society International Print Exhibition from 8 – 13 October, the AOP Awards 8 – 11 October, Photomasters MA Photography Show also 8-11 October, and Hasselblad’s Shoot LDN 8-9 October. Expect jaw-dropping photography. See the listings at photomonth.org
Aurora Panorama, Jan R Olsen, on display at Photomonth
5.The Amazing World of M.C. Escher, Dulwich Picture Gallery, until 17 January 2016
Dulwich Picture Gallery opens a major retrospective of Dutch graphic artist Maurits Cornelis Escher (1898 – 1972), on 14 October. The Amazing World of M.C. Escher offers a rare opportunity to rediscover a master of illusion and paradox with more than 100 works – original drawings, iconic and lesser known prints, lithographs, woodcuts and archive material – highlighting his unparalleled technical ability. Gallery Road, Dulwich SE21, dulwichpicturegallery.org.uk
Day and Night, M.C. Escher
6.Alex Chinneck’s installation, NOW Gallery, Greenwich, until 10 January
Greenwich Peninsula has a new installation. Created for the London Design Festival by British sculptor Alex Chinneck, A bullet from a shooting star (below) – an inverted electricity pylon – will by illuminated at night, projecting a maze of latticed shadows onto Ordnance Crescent. Its sister installation, Straight jacket star jumps – a 20-metre-long curled up pylon – will be exhibited at NOW Gallery from 19 September until 10 January. NOW Gallery, The Gateway Pavilions, Pavilion Square, Greenwich Peninsula SE10 0SQ, nowgallery.co.uk
A bullet from a shooting star
7.Kinky Boots, Adelphi Theatre, until early 2016
The huge-hearted, high-heeled sensation Kinky Boots has arrived in London. No stranger to awards – the musical has won six Tonys including Best Musical – the show has now opened at the Adelphi Theatre. Factory owner Charlie Price is finding it difficult to live up to his father’s expectations and maintain the family business, Price and Son. With the future of the factory hanging in the balance, the stimulus the shoe factory needs is found when Charlie sparks up an unlikely friendship with Lola, the glamorous high-heeled dancer who needs a new pair of stilettos. Take a step in the right direction and sometimes you discover that the best way to fit in is to stand out. Kinky Boots will be on at the Adelphi Theatre until early 2016, Readers of The Resident can save 5% when booking with Shows in London or calling 020 3567 0620. 6 MORE THEATRE SHOWS COMING TO LONDON THIS AUTUMN!
The cast of Kinky Boots
8.Kettner’s Lights Out Party, Soho, 2 October
Expect Union Jacks, sandbags, oil lamps and searchlights as Kettner’s returns to wartime London on Friday 2 October. Tom Collins cocktails in tin cups will be served alongside a 1940s-inspired dinner, which will be followed by swing dance classes and rousing renditions of old classics with Tom Carradine’s Cockney sing-a-long set. Dinner and party tickets are £65 per person, party only tickets are £20. kettners.com/lights-out
9.Dressed By Angels, The Old Truman Brewery, 2 October
Dressed by Angels opens at this East London venue this month. It’s a brand new interactive exhibition that tells the story behind Angel Costumiers, who have involved in screen and theatre for 175 years. Tickets are available at dressedbyangels.co.uk
An Elizabethan costume from Angels
10.Fun Palaces, 3- 4 October
Inspired by theatre director Joan Littlewood and architect Cedric Price’s idea for a ‘laboratory of fun’, Fun Palaces will once again pop up all over the country on the weekend of 3-4 October. The event, founded by writer Stella Duffy, will see the return of mermaids and magicians to Brockwell Lido as well as events at the Albany in Deptford, Greenwich Dance, West Norwood Library and more south London locations. To find your nearest event, see funpalaces.co.uk
Fun Palaces at Brockwell Lido
11.London Cocktail Week, 5 – 11 October
London Cocktail Week returns for its sixth year with £5 cocktails on offer at 250 venues, plus pop-ups, demonstrations, tastings and mixology classes taking place around town. Highlights include the cocktail village at Old Spitalfields Market, a lesson in classic cocktails at The Jones Family Project in Shoreditch and Oriole’s (from the people behind East London speakeasy Nightjar) two-day pop-up bar at the Bear Gallery. Find out more about what’s on here. drinkup.london/cocktailweek
London Cocktail Week returns!
12.Henri Cartier-Bresson: The Decisive Moment, The Fine Art Society, 6 – 29 October
The Fine Art Society has collaborated with the Peter Fetterman Gallery in Santa Monica to celebrate one of the greatest artists of the 20th century. The exhibition will feature over 50 photographic masterpieces by Cartier-Bresson including Behind the Gare St Lazare, Paris 1932, Coronation of King George VI 1937 and Easter Sunday, Harlem, New York 1947. The exhibition is free and is open 10 am – 6pm, Monday – Friday. faslondon/fas
Madrid, Spain, 1933. Henri-Cartier-Bresson
13.RHS London Harvest Festival Show, Lindley Halls, 6–7 October
Love seasonal ingredients? Then head to the RHS London Harvest Festival Show, where you’ll be able to browse, taste and buy a host of autumnal fruit and vegetables, which will be on display from some of the UK’s best growers and independent producers. Don’t miss the heaviest pumpkin competition too, to get you in the mood for Halloween. The show is held in the RHS Lindley Halls, between 10am–9pm (6 October) and 10am–5pm (7 October). RHS London Harvest Late is on between 6pm–9pm (6 October). 80 Vincent Square, London SW1P 2PE, rhs.org.uk/shows.
Pumpkin judging!
14.Gathered Leaves, Alec Soth, Science Museum, from 6 October
The Science Museum’s Media Space will welcome the first major UK exhibition by award-winning American photographer Alec Soth this October. Gathered Leaves will showcase a decade of Soth’s work and will premiere his latest project Songbook (2012-14), a series which explores the search for human interaction in an era defined by virtual social networks. Tickets £8, sceincemuseum.org.uk/alec-soth
Misty, from Niagara, 2005 © Alec Soth
15.Handmade in Kew, Royal Botanic Gardens, 8 – 11 October
Handmade in Britain has teamed up with the Royal Botanic Gardens to showcase the best in British and international craftsmanship. Work by the majority of the 150 exhibitors at the show will never find its way to the average high street, making this the place to head to for something exclusive and unique. For ticket details, visit handmadeinbritain.co.uk.
A design by Holly Young, Handmade in Kew
16.Open Art Spaces, Kensington & Fulham, 9-18 October 2015
With 50 free exhibitions across an area stretching from Pimlico to Hammersmith, Open Art Spaces is back and is bigger and better than ever before. Work from 170 local artists will be on display, along with performances, talks and workshops taking place throughout the 10-day event. Visitors will be able to navigate between events and venues via the Open Art Spaces map, which will include everything from exhibitions in private homes, studios, offices and cafés to an interactive art performance in a travelling tent. High-street venues, including Whole Foods, Bumpkin restaurant and headline sponsor Faron Sutaria estate agent will also take part. Entry to all Open Art Spaces venues is free. Opening times can eb found at openartspaces.co.uk.
17.Glass Door’s Sleep Out, Duke of York Square, 9 October
West London-based charity Glass Door will host the third Sleep Out event this October, which will see 300 sleepers give up their beds for the night to raise awareness for homelessness. The charity hopes to raise £150,000, which would fund the running of the second shelter for the entirety of the winter season alongside the original centre in Kensington and Chelsea. Registration is free and there are no minimum fundraising requirements, although participants are encouraged to try and raise at least £500 each. glassdoor.org.uk.
18.Multiplied Art Fair, Christie’s South Kensington, 16 – 18 October
Taking place during Frieze Week, Multiplied is back for a sixth year. Work from celebrated artists such as Sir Peter Blake, Mat Collishaw and Eileen Cooper will be featured alongside new pieces from some of the hottest new talents from London’s leading art colleges including the RCA. Look out for these five emerging artists on display. Open from 9am – 7pm (16 October), 11am – 7pm (17 October) and 11am – 6pm (18 October). Admission is free. Christie’s South Kensington, 85 Old Brompton Road, SW7 3LD. Find out more about what’s on at christies.com/multiplied.
Mutliplied Art Fair is back
19.Phil Jupitus at the Cutty Sark, 18 October
The star of BBC2’s Never Mind the Buzzcocks, West End productions Hairspray and The Producers and Radio 4’s award-winning News Quiz hosts a night of stand-up comedy and poetry onboard the Cutty Sark on Sunday 18 October. Tickets £20, rmg.com/tickets
20.Murray Ralfe and Richard King celebrate the African landscape, Osbourne Studio Gallery, 20 October – 4 November
Artists Murray Ralfe and Richard King celebrate their beloved home country in an exhibition inspired by the South African landscape. Ralfe, who grew up in Port Elizabeth, has a passion for wild birds, while King, a fourth generation Zimbabwean, is best known for capturing African wildlife with intense power. See their work at The Osborne Studio Gallery, 2 Motcomb Street, SW1X 8JU. osj.uk.com
Midday On The Floodplain, by Richard King
21.Affordable Art Fair, Battersea, 22-25 October
Battersea will be buzzing from 22-25 October as the Affordable Art Fair celebrates its 50th edition. The fair, which brings over 100 contemporary art galleries together under one roof, gives serious collections and first-time buyers alike the opportunity to browse an eclectic mix of original artworks from over 1,100 living artists. Art at the fair is price between £1,00 – £5,000, making it the ideal place to invest in new artists and well-known names. Tickets are on sale at affordableartfair.co.uk
22.Hibiscus cookery course, Mayfair, 24 & 31 October
Always wanted to learn a few tricks of the trade from a top London chef? This autumn , Claude Bosi’s two Michelin-starred restaurant is offering bi-monthly cookery and wine tasting experiences in its brand new workshop. The October classes will allow guests to prepare a four-course menu demonstrated by one of Claude’s senior chefs, with full recipes and tips to recreate dishes at home, as well as a small parting gift. The package is £225 per person, on 24 & 31 October (upcoming dates 14 & 28 November 2015). All packages include refreshments on arrival at 9.30am, and the two-hour course begins at 10am. There is a maximum of six guests per class. Reservations can be made at 020-7629 2999, or reservations@hibiscusrestaurant.co.uk. 29 Maddox Street, Mayfair, W1S 2PA, hibiscusrestaurant.co.uk
The new cookery workshop space at Hibiscus in Mayfair
23.The Wind live screening, St John’s Church, Notting Hill, 24 October
On 24 October, masterpiece of the silent film era The Wind, 1928 will screen in the gothic surrounds of St John’s Cathedral, set accompanied by the evocative music of the restored organ, played by Donald MacKenzie, resident organist at the Odeon, Leicester Square. The event is one of many celebrating the restored organ at St John’s, the central heritage of the cathedral dating back to 1794. The Wind, starring silent film star Lilian Gish, who plays a frail A frail young woman from Virginia moves in with her cousin in the west, where she causes tension within the family and is slowly driven mad. Starts 8.00pm (doors open at 7.00pm) St John’s Notting Hill, W11 2NN; Tickets £10. All profits go to putting on more organ events and film nights at St John’s Notting Hill; stjohnsorganproject.com
24.Family Arts Festival, Greenwich Theatre, 26 October
A magical story-telling show combining puppetry, music and circus launches the third annual Family Arts Festival at Greenwich Theatre in October. The King of Tiny Things, the story of two sisters who go on a moonlit adventure with a winged creature, was adapted by Metta Theatre company’s artistic director with help from her three-year-old son. 26 October, 12pm & 3pm, greenwichtheatre.org.uk
A circus act at Family Arts Festival
25.The Kiss Haunted House Party, Wembley, 29 October
Kiss FM is taking its Haunted House Party to the next level following its showstopping debut last year. The Halloween must-see heads to The SSE Arena on 29 October and live acts already revealed feature Rita Ora, Jason Derulo, Jess Glynne, Krept & Konran and Years & Years. Tickets are available from £25 at kissfmuk.com/hauntedhouseparty
Rita Ora joins the line-up at Kiss FM’s Haunted House Party
26.Suffragette, released in UK Cinemas on 30 October
Led by Carey Mulligan who plays Maud, an A-list cast tells the story of the foot soldiers of the early feminist movement as they fought for the right to vote. Directed by Sarah Gavron and also starring Helena Bonham Carter, Ben Whishaw and Meryl Streep, this inspirational drama is set to be this autumn’s film highlight. Suffragette hits cinemas on 30 October.
Carey Mulligan plays the lead role in Suffragette