On entering the Fitzrovia Chapel, you feel like you are in an encrusted jewelled box.
The gleaming golden, pristine space is quite the opposite of a a dusty, ancient church. This is in part due to its recent restoration. The chapel was restored by conservation architects as part of a £2m renovation as recently as 2013-2015.
Originally, the chapel was part of the Middlesex Hospital and its services were broadcast on the hospital radio to those who were too sick to leave their beds.
The History of the Fitzrovia Chapel
In the 1700’s London only had two hospitals and there was a huge demand for more infirmaries. Middlesex Infirmary opened in 1740 and it was founded as a charity for the “sick and lame of soho”.
It was called the Middlesex Hospital as London at the time was in the county of Middlesex.
In the 1880’s the hospital board of governors were keen to create a chapel. Up unitil that point, all their religious services were being taken in meeting rooms. The governors commissioned the gothic revival architect John Loughborough Pearson to undertake the project.
Construction began on the Fitzrovia Chapel in 1891. When Pearson died his son Frank took over the project. The resulting design is a tribute to both father and son. Its first ever service was on Christmas Day in 1891.
The Chapel’s Design
Ceiling
The awe-inspiring vaulted ceiling was not part of the original Fitzrovia Chapel design. It was first intended to be open oak ceiling. Frank Loughborough Pearson changed this to gilded mosaics. He adopted the mantra “Does it send you to your knees?” for all of his design modifications.
The Baptistery
The baptistery has a European influence and is similar to other baptisteries found in in Palermo and Venice The surrounding four windows show the soldier saints of Joan of Arc, Saint George, Saint Alban and Saint Martin as a memorial to those who died in the First World War.
The baptistery mosaics.The stained glass windows in the baptistery.
The Font
The font is inscribed in Greek with “wash clean my sins, not just my face” which is the same inscription as that used on the font outside the Haghia Sophia in Istanbul.
The font is carved in Verd Antique which is a decorative dark green and mottled white facing stone.
The Organ
The mosaics above the organ show the Latin phrase ‘Gloria in excelsis deo et in terra pax hominibus bonae voluntatis’ which means ‘Glory to God in the highest, and peace to all men on earth’
The original thirteen stop organ has been removed and replaced with an electric Allen organ. This is occasionally used for weddings and concerts.
The Altar
The chapel altar
Fitzrovia Chapel’s has a marble altar. The piscina, balustrade and eagle lectern are carved in alabaster. Near to this, an incision commemorates the lying-in-state of Rudyard Kipling, the poet and author, who died at the Middlesex Hospital.
The Fitzrovia Chapel Today
Today its purpose is to act as a:
Film location
Exhibition space
Wedding venue
Concert studio
Workshop
Marriage Proposals and Weddings
The small redbrick annexe leads into a surprising romantic cocoon making it popular for marriage proposals.
Petals are scattered, candles are lit, a harpsichord or violinist plays. Any lover would be mad to say No when confronted with such a romantic setting.
A proposal may last just an hour but here it will be remembered for a life time.
The intimate venue also makes it perfect for small weddings, even very small weddings of just a handful of people. I see it as the perfect alternative to an elopement. Do people elope anymore? It is certainly much more intimate than a registry office. When I visited, someone who had recently got married at the Fitzrovia Chapel was there to reminisce about her wedding. The chapel clearly held beautiful memories for her.
Book Launches
More surprisingly book authors, including the leading poverty campaigner Jack Monroe, have held their book launches in this opulent environment.
Filming and Recording
The Fitzrovia Chapel has also featured in films and as a recording backdrop for various music artists. As the chapel has not been over used the venue still creates a backdrop buzz.
Fitzrovia Chapel Opening Hours
It is open to to public for reflection or to see the interior every Wednesday from 11am and 4pm.
Entrance is free. There is no need to book an online ticket.
Book in advance for groups larger than 15. Guided tours can be arranged on request and there may be a small fee.
Fitzrovia Chapel Friends Membership
You can become a member for £25 a year and this will entitle you to a programme of members only events.
Details of their exhibitions and cultural programme can be found on their website.
Finding the Fitzrovia Chapel
The address is: Fitzrovia Chapel, Fitzroy Place, 2 Pearson Square, London W1T 3BF
It is just off Goodge Street in Central London. The nearest tube stations are Tottenham Court Road and Goodge Street.
Accessibility
The chapel is accessible to wheel chairs as it is all on one floor. There is a step outside but there is a wheel chair ramp.
This is our no compromise list of cheap and free things to do in London
Free Things to Do in London
London is the city of free. We have free museums, galleries, parks and interesting streets and alleyways. Combine this with some exotic, tasty and cheap street food and you are all set to go.
1. Check out the Dinosaurs at the Natural History Museum.
You won’t need to look far to find your favourite dinosaur as there is a massive beast towering above you in the Victorian foyer. In fact, the Natural History Museum is a bit obsessed with these animals as relics, exhibitions, talks and colouring books are everywhere. And best of all it is one of our top free things to do in London.
2. Find the Mummies at the British Museum
Mummies, coffins, funeral masks and all manner of useful objects that the dead took with them into the after-life are displayed in the Egyptian room of the British Museum. Look out for the beautifully engraved inner coffin of the priest Hornedjitef from Thebes 240BC and the mummy of a cat from Abydos AD 1-100.
Egyptian hieroglyphics at the British Museum
3. Explore Modern Art at the Tate Modern
There’s no need to splash a lot of cash when you visit the Tate Modern. This contemporary art museum is housed in the Bankside Power Station. There is an impressive selection of free art in its public galleries which includes works by Salvador Dali and Pablo Picasso. You can find out more about its top exhibits here.
If you head to the Kitchen & Bar on the 6th Floor, you can sit on a bar stool and enjoy the majestic view of the River Thames, Millennium Bridge and St Pauls – all for the price of a coffee.
Forget the touristy and expensive Hop-on Hop-off bus we have a cheaper alternative. Take one of red buses on the 9, 11 or 73 bus routes and see famous London sights for a fraction of the price. The stops and attractions on these routes are explained here. The cost of a day bus pass is currently £6 and you can check out the latest prices and child ticket prices here.
Photo by Tim
5. Discover Your Inner Foodie at Borough Market
This famous foodie market in London Bridge has all manner of delicacies sold from their more permanent stalls to their food pop-ups towards the rear of the market. You won’t be dining in a lot of elegance…there are a few tables and loos. Bring your wet wipes and paper tissues. Sauce on your chin is never a good look
Our blog post on popular London Snacks may provide you with less foodie inspired ideas that can be purchased at the local supermarket.
6. Feed the Ducks at the Serpentine
This was a favourite pastime for a generation of children growing up in the 1950s and 1960s. Parents would give kids a bag of stale chopped up bread and they headed to the serpentine to feed the ducks while their parents had coffee in the Serpentine Lido café. Why not revive this tradition on a nice Spring day.
The British Film Institute (BFI) on the South Bank has Mediatheque. This is a media viewing lab with an archive of 95,000 films and television programmes. Just go in, wait for a booth and they will give you a set of headphones. A happy way to spend a rainy afternoon when you don’t want to walk much. There are plenty of nearby interesting places and cafes all with a view of the Thames.
Harrods is one of our most outrageously expensive stores but this makes it window shopping heaven. The designer boutiques on the first floor showcase the cutting edge in fashion from Yves Saint Laurent, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Dior, Versace and Valentino (to name a few).
Their lingerie department is a paradise of totally unwearable intimate apparel and expensive silk kimonos. Just don’t reach for your credit card.
Exotic lingerie in Harrods
9. Walk with a Londoner
There are many free walking tours in London. Of course these guides make a living from the tips that they receive so we recommend that you tip generously.
One of the best tour guides is Barry Greene from Back in the Day Walks. His tours are reasonably priced and he knows his stuff. Barry is a born and bred Londoner who conducts the most fascinating and well researched walks all over London. I have been everywhere with him from Brick Lane to Kensington. His latest tour of Southall is truly eye opening.
10. Eat Weird Stuff in China Town
If you fancy a tasty morsel that can be held between a paper napkin and licked off your fingers go to China Town. Check out the Pleasant Lady for tasty wraps. The Evening Standard has many more great suggestions in Cheap Eats in China Town for under £10.
Red lanterns in London’s China Town
11. Listen to Live Jazz at Café Boheme
Get on your toe tapping shoes. Café Boheme is probably on one of the busiest corners in Soho and between the hours of 3-5pm they have a live jazz band playing…these are usually the hippest and most talented jazz musicians on the London scene. You can hear them for the price of a couple of drinks. See their live music schedule here
12. Take a Boat Down the River Thames
There’s no need to pay for a luxury Thames cruise just head to Embankment (near Westminster tube station) and embark on an Uber boat by Thames Clippers and set sail down the river. You’ll down the river past the South Bank, the Globe, the Tower of London and all the way to Greenwich.
After you’ve fortified yourself, strolled in the park or visited to the free National Maritime Museum you can do the journey back. Have a drink on deck and wave at the other vessels. You will pay in the region of £10-20 for a return journey depending on whether you qualify for one of their many concessions.
If you are looking for tips on how to plan a day out in London read our guide.
13. Admire the Deer at Richmond Park
When feel like a break from the great metropolis take a safari to Richmond Park. I prefer to go by car (avoid sunny days at the weekend when the car parks are busy). You can take the tube to Richmond and the 65 or 371 bus.
You will see ancient trees, lakes and a herd of red deer. It’s all on a scale that is breath taking. You almost feel that you are on an African safari. The park is free with several very good value cafés and ice cream vans. Our blog post on Richmond Park will give you more information.
A herd of deer at Richmond Park
14. Become a Groundling at the Globe
In Shakespeare’s Day, the poor who couldn’t afford the more expensive, covered seats would elect to stand for a performance. The same is true today. Ditch the pricy seats in favour of a £5 ticket and experience the play like the Elizabethan peasants. The groundlings are closely monitored, so you’ve got no chance of sneaking into the seated area, sitting on the floor or leaning against a balcony. Standing means standing. Not many people can last the whole performance and you’ll be at the mercy of the elements but you can leave anytime you like.
Groundlings at The Globe Theatre
15. Ogle the Street Performers at Covent Garden
Covent Garden, our famous fruit and vegetable market of days gone by, now has a new speciality…street performers. You’ll find jugglers, musicians, human statues, theatre troupes. Take your camera and small change for tips.
Our original inspiration for this blog post came when we experimented with going out in London on an extreme budget of just £5 a day. Find out more about it in our post on London on the Cheap.
16. Watch the World go by on Piccadilly
This is great activity on a sunny day when you don’t feel like walking much. Head to Pret or any of the other outdoor cafes on Piccadilly. Get yourself neatly sandwiched between Fortnum and Masons, the Royal Academy and the Ritz. Then sip iced coffee and people watch. You’ll see celebrities, tourists, business men, tramps and people from out of town dressed in their best. When you feel like a break you can visit the free galleries at the Royal Academy. Or take a stroll down St James’s and find the shops with Royal Warrants who supply the King and the Royal Household.
The Royal Academy on Piccadilly
17. Eat a Salt Beef Beigel in Brick Lane
Eating a salt beef beigel at Beigel Bake is like going on a religious pilgrimage. It must be done at least once in your lifetime. And you’ll join the queue with actors, royalty, office workers, police men. They all know a bargain when they see it. You’ll get a massive bun stuffed with salt beef, gherkins and a tingly mustard which you can eat while walking down Brick Lane looking at the menus of the Indian Restaurants,
Salt beef Beigel from Beigel Bake in Brick Lane
18. Check out Graffiti Art in the Leake Street Tunnel
Banksy popularised the Leake Street Tunnel under Waterloo station. It is the only legal graffiti wall in London. Local artists are encouraged to bring their spray cans and paint here. You’ll now find an ever-changing display of street art as new artists paint over existing exhibits. If this is your thing, be sure to check out our blog post on the Leake Street Tunnel.
Graffiti street art in Leake Street
19. Walk Across Tower Bridge
Before braving this iconic London landmark, I recommend going for a leisurely stroll to St Katherine’s Wharf. Have lunch of a drink overlooking the harbour. This is particularly idyllic on a warm Summer’s day. Then put your tourist hat on and walk over Tower Bridge. It’s a marvel of Victorian architecture. If you are lucky, you’ll see the bridge rise to let a tall ship pass.
Tower Bridge, a London landmark
20. Visit Temples and Sample Dhosas, Bhagis, Pakoras and Samosas in Southall
Southall is an Asian area in West London. In fact, it used to be so Asian that it was rare to see any other ethnicity. However, it’s recently become a stop on the new Elizabethan line. This will mean almost instant gentrification…new homes and a fast journey time to the City will attract many young professionals. Why not make use of this interim period and stroll around the Indian wedding dress shops?
If you bring a head scarf you can also enter the local temples.
When you want to rest, find Spice Village . This award winning Pakistani curry house. Or do what the locals do when shopping…sample the huge variety of samosas, pakoras, bhagis and other, mostly deep-fried, Indian snacks which are sold outside shops and from food stalls. These are in the range of £1-2 per portion. You can top this indulgence off with an Indian sweet from Royal which is arguably the king of Indian sweet treats.
Additional Resources for Free Things to Do in London
The Londonist produces a weekly newsletter of cheap and free things to do in London. Sign up here.
Look around you, London is ablaze with red icons and they are not just any shade of red. They are Pantone 485C…the colour of our London buses, Royal Mail, London Underground, the Union Jack, the Coldstream Guards and the Beefeaters at the Tower of London. What is the cause of this rash of redness?
Why Are Our Cultural Icons Red?
Perhaps the fault lies with our long line of monarchs? Our flag designers? Or our military garment manufacturers?
A famous red icon – the red, white and blue in our Union Jack
A Red Uniformed Coldstream Guard Outside Buckingham Palace
In fact, we probably need to thank the management of the London General Omnibus Company.
A Bus Company Randomly Chooses Red
In the 18th century, there were several different bus companies who ploughed up and down the streets of London with green, yellow, brown and maroon liveries. Then in 1907, the London and General Omnibus company merged with the Vanguard Motor Bus Company and became the leading bus operator in the capital.
The Vanguard Motor Bus Company took a momentous decision that would shape our lives and photography forever, they decided to paint all their buses a cardinal red.
A Red London Bus
And we don’t know why!
There were no meeting minutes. It could be because red is a symbolic colour for England but the most likely explanation is that it made the buses easy to spot. Imagine an elderly English gent with failing eye sight (and without recourse to the NHS which was a later 1940s initiative), he needed to be able to spot the bus amongst the dense London smog, get his pennies ready and prepare to board.
“Prior to 1907, it was common to see buses in green, brown, yellow and maroon.
Red Pillar Boxes Were a Red Icon Forerunner
The red of course wasn’t entirely plucked from nowhere, our streets were already littered with Royal Mail pillar boxes which had been in use since 1852.
Our Red Pillar Boxes Date back to 1852
Then Came Our Emblematic Red Icon – The K2 Red Phone Booth
And after the red buses came the red telephone boxes. In 1924 Sir Giles Gilbert Scott won a competition for the redesign of the red phone kiosk (known as K2). This was famously made of cast iron and smelled of urine – an indelible feature of my teen years spent ringing boyfriends out of earshot of nosy parents.
The Iconic K2 Red Phone Booth designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott
London Underground Creates Yet Another Red Icon
Things must have snowballed from there, as London Underground adopted red for its logo and red for the Central line on the tube map – symbolically, this line goes through the heart of London.
London Underground Adopted the same Colour Red as Buses and Pillar Boxes for its Logo
London Underground Adopted the same Colour Red as Buses and Pillar Boxes for its Logo
Then It Was the Turn of One of our Famous Chocolate Brands
And then Nestle used red on the packaging of Kit Kat one of our most famous bars of chocolate
The Kit Kat Packaging in London Red.
Margaret Thatcher Launches “Buy British” with the Union Jack
In the 1980s, we had Margaret Thatcher as prime minister, who berated us to buy British to revive the failing economy. Companies up and down the country used the Union Jack on their labels to signify British made goods. The Union Jack thereby became a symbol for quality against an influx of supposedly cheaper fruits and vegetables from South Africa and inferior goods from Hong Kong.
The Buy British Campaign Used the Union Jack
Then we had Cool Britannia and punk rock…
Cool Brittania and the Skin Head Movement Used Red British Motifs
Cool Brittania and the Skin Head Movement Used Red British Motifs
…and the England Football Team and some rather nasty right wingers (not to mention the Labour Party with their Red Rose insignia and Red Flag anthem) and before we knew it our streets, our homes, our shops were emblazoned with red, white and blue, billowing in every direction in a dystopian nightmare.
Fast Food Gets on the Red Icons Bandwagon
And just as we were coming up for air, it was the turn of fast food…Wimpy Bars, Coca Cola and then Macdonald’s cheekily turned to patriotism and used our primary red colour for their logos.
Macdonalds Used the same Pantone Red at the Base of its Yellow Arches Logo
Macdonalds Used the same Pantone Red at the Base of its Yellow Arches Logo
The cultural elite thought they were safe from this onslaught until the artists of the modern age started to adopt our red cultural icons for their own purposes…Pop Art was on the bandwagon and our galleries were no longer safe from red.
And as with anything, London tourists got a taste for red; they wanted some of the action, our flags, our buses, our underground symbols, our beefeaters, our phone boxes. Things at this point started getting seriously out of hand as we began to disseminate cheap plastic souvenirs in Pantone Red 485C to all nations of the world.
Tourists Can’t Get Enough of Our Cultural Red Icons
Even Las Vegas, with enough kitsch of its own, was given the Gordon Ramsay restaurant with its iconic K2 phone booth doors.
Gordon Ramsay Fish & Chip Restaurant in Las Vegas has K2 Phone Booth Doors
Gordon Ramsay Fish & Chip Restaurant in Las Vegas has K2 Phone Booth Doors
And before we knew it the whole world was drowning, not waving or basking, in LONDON RED. And all (in my view) because an unknown person, in an undocumented meeting, decided to paint their London bus fleet red.
London on the cheap? That is the question. Can you go out for a fiver for a full day of London food and entertainment? This is a story of my £5 a day experiment and how I had a fabulous time and restored my health and sanity. My life was a mess there was no denying it. Suffering from exhaustion and overwhelm, a chance reading of a blog changed me forever…
Events that Led up to Doing London on the Cheap
A London in the Cheap experiment wasn’t in my horoscope but here is how it came about.
My mother had been ill for some years and was now confined to a wheel chair. My father at 87, was a bit doddery but still a practising pharmacist. And I was working 80 hour weeks managing the e-learning output for a large organisation…and managing my investments and properties…think deadlines, mold, damp, repairs, neighbours, tenants. It wasn’t kittens and roses.
And just when it didn’t look as if it could get any more complicated, my father had a fall on a bus sustaining a bleed on the brain. So now I had two parents, both frail and bonkers, and a pharmacy to close down, plus everything else.
On the exact day of my father’s death, the phone rang…I had won a lucrative but complicated project in Sweden, the land where a glass of wine costs £15, the sun sets at 2pm in December and waiting for a bus causes icicles to drip from your nose.
My face was red and puffy from exhaustion. My eyes had shrunk further into my skull. My whole life was subcontracted to cleaners, gardeners, virtual assistants and doctors. And my sole entertainment comprised going to the local pub for lunch on Sunday.
And all of this came at a monetary cost too. I was earning a fortune and spending £21,000 a year on foreign travel, meals away from home and the plethora of other useless things that go with an executive consulting career.
A Blog Post on a £5 a Day Challenge Changed my Life
Late one night I was researching investments, when I fell upon a blog written by a business school professor. She described how she was was paying off £60k of debt by eliminating all unnecessary outgoings with the exception of gym membership and a meagre £150 a month for entertainment. This worked out at a fiver per day.
Her story preyed on my mind. Could this be the key to changing my life? Where would a fiver in London take me?
My plan on how to do London on the cheap took some working out. I would ignore any transport costs. I joined a luxury gym. And I wouldn’t take into consideration any of my existing memberships which were:
In turn this £5 a day challenge became the inspiration for me starting the Londonology bog as I explain in Hello World.
London on the Cheap, or for a Fiver, per Day
That left me with a fiver, or £5 a day, to go out..and as a cup of coffee in London was about £2.50, I was clearly not going to get very far.
But what if I stayed local to my home in West London on one day, used my memberships and took a picnic lunch? My expenses for those days would be zero. Then on alternate days, I would have £11 to spend. This was much more viable. The plan was born.
My “Free” Local Days
My local days didn’t involve much suffering despite all expenditure being (largely) forbidden.
Invariably, I would start my gallivanting, with a trip to the gym where I spurned any form of strenuous exercise and headed straight to a hot foaming jacuzzi alternating with the steam room, solarium, a brief swim and the sauna.
My gym and the jacuzzi where I whiled away my mornings
Sometimes I would swing by Waitrose for a free coffee (it’s shame that they stopped that source of profound pleasure).
Kew Gardens in West London is cheap if you have an annual membership
Or a free Tai Chi class overlooking a grand tree lined vista…
Free Tai Chi classes at Kew Gardens
Or a trip to Richmond Park to see ancient trees and deer…
The Deer in Richmond Park
I discovered that the Odeon ran a scheme for the over 60s (Odeon Silver cinema) where I could have tea and biscuits and watch a movie for £2…so not zero expenditure but fairly close.
Ultra cheap Odeon Silver Cinema screenings
My “free days” were, in fact, quite a lot of fun!
My First London on the Cheap Adventure
On an overcast day in December 2013, I embarked on my first budget adventure with a well researched plan.
Among the costumes, set designs, advertising posters and oil paintings was the horse from the theatre production of Warhorse. Joey the puppet had starred in over 1,640 shows of the stage adaption of Michael Morpurgo’s book before he retired to the V&A in March 2013.
Joey the Warhorse puppet
Slightly exhilarated with my no cost V&A success, I walked on icy pavements to the Serpentine Gallery. I was overawed by the cafe extension, built that year and designed by Zaha Hadid; a cloud like edifice of steel and glass where the undulating roof plummets to the ground at various points. I stopped for a pot of tea with a complimentary lavender shortbread biscuit.
The Zaha Hadid designed cafe at the Sackler Serpentine Gallery
There was an interesting, if not unnerving exhibition, of Klu Klux Klan figures and multilated art in their Contemporary Art Space (free and entertaining).
Walking back to South Kensington, I abandoned my plans for crepes when I saw the welcoming orange awnings of Comptoir Libanais.
I had a late lunch feasting on the Mezze Platter of hummus, baba ghanuj, quinoa, tabbouleh, falafel, labne, cheese samboussek, flat bread and pickles. And to drink, I had rose mint tea which arrived in a steaming Middle Eastern silver tea pot and was a refreshing blend of green tea, fresh mint, rose water and sugar.
I then hopped on a bus to Harrods to see the Christmas windows. It was the year that they were decked out like carriages on the Orient Express. Really, they were a 1920s marvel to behold.
I ended my First London on the Cheap mission with a walk round the Harrods Food Hall which was brimming with Christmas treats – bronze turkeys at £120 and all manner of pricy delicacies.
The total for my exhilarating day out had come to £11.34 including tea at the Serpentine cafe and my mezze lunch at Comptoir Libanais. The theatre tour at the V&A was complimentary, as was entry to the art exhibition at the Serpentine Gallery. Bear in mind these are 2013 prices but this wouldn’t cost much more today.
My “London on the Cheap” plan was not only born but my plan worked!
Fine Tuning My Days Out
Over the coming months, I discovered a few things that helped me to refine my London on the Cheap plan.
The key was lunch for a fiver, a few coffee stops to rest and get a caffeine boost and a well researched plan of things to see and do.
Of course, anyone can get a sandwich on-the-go but I wanted something better and for £5 there’s a surprising range of tasty morsels.
I was bowled over by both Mr Sammy (such a charming man) and his Beigel Bake shop in Brick Lane where I was given the most enormous white doughy bread roll stuffed with huge amounts of salt beef, neon yellow, nose tingling mustard and gherkins for £4.25.
A Beigel Bake sandwich is delicious and perfect when you are doing London on the Cheap.
Then there was Five Guys, where somewhere at the bottom of the menu they advertised a small beef burger for £4.75 and when they asked me what toppings I wanted, I said “All of them!”. This was a gargantuan lunch time treat as they slapped on tomatoes, mayo, lettuce, grilled onions, grilled mushrooms, jalapeño peppers, green peppers and ketchup.
And I loved the soup and crumble combination at Cafe in the Crypt under St Martins Church. Each day they brought out a vat of fresh home made soup, hot baked bread and an apple crumble with a jug of custard which was £5.95 (slightly more now).
These days my caffeine fix is taken care of with a £20 monthly subscription to Pret which includes smoothies, cappuccino, hot chocolate and a large range of barista drinks – useful for someone like me who is always on the go. You can have up to five drinks a day at 30 minute intervals.
It is worth noting that Pret does a black filter coffee for a £1 reduced by 25p (pre coronavirus) if you bring your own travel mug.
It’s easier to do London on the Cheap if you use the Pret subscription which provides free hot and cold drinks.
The easy part was finding things to do. I discovered the key was to research the day before online, find vouchers and keep an eye open for membership based entertainment. I would try and contain my activities within a small area, or on a single tube line, and have some variety between them eg. an art gallery plus a performance or recital.
I still get excited when I find an interesting lunch deal for a fiver. Look at this one that I found yesterday at the famous Poppies which is arguably the best fish and chip shop in town. But honestly, if you are near a market, or street food stall, you can pick up amazing things in the £5-8 range.
The key to doing London on the Cheap is to spend no more than £5 on lunch.
So Where is My “London on the Cheap” Plan Now?
Before my great budget project, the only people I really knew were old friends, neighbours and IT work colleagues.
Now my friendship circle is simply magical…amazing, creative people with interesting stories, who I have met on my London adventures. We hoot with laughter and are always booking things for each other and zooming into town.
As I was having such a good time, I would prefer to be out living it up, instead of chained to a desk and a computer, so I retired.
And I no longer look like the walking dead.
Do I still go out for a fiver? No, sadly not. I did it for years and it was the most fun ever but I decided to pay more to properly recompense the fantastic venues, bars and restaurants that are the backbone of my new life. And I like to be out with my friends without feeling financially constrained.
I think back to 2013, the blog that started it all and my chance decision to click on the author’s About page which was the catalyst for my London for a Fiver project. But even 7 years later, going out every day to fascinating places, all for the price of your average office worker’s lunch is definitely achievable.
Me, Today
Happy and relaxed with friends in our opera box at the London Coliseum.
Me following my London on the Cheap experiment in a box at the London Coliseum.
So I implore you dear reader, get off your sofa now and go out. You can go out for free! And you can definitely have the time of your life in London on the Cheap.
This is what we recommend as a London Winter Packing List and we also advise on where to shop for the things you forgot. Do you spend your journey to the airport remembering all the things that you forgot to pack? Well you aren’t alone…
What Goes into the Perfect London Winter Packing List?
London can be wet and dreary when you are trudging about on foot and then you find yourself thrust into overheated steamy shops, sipping cocktails in chic hotel bars or spending the night at the theatre. So there is a lot that needs to be crammed into a small suitcase. Here we explain the 15 must haves for a London trip – the perfect London Winter Packing List.
How Not To Look Like A Tourist
Wear dark colours like navy, black and dark grey and only wear one or two colours. Don’t carry a selfie stick or camera. The London look is understated and ‘put together’.
Hannah at Cocobeautea has nailed London style and you may want to check out her blog and Instagram for ideas.
London Winter Packing List Essentials
Outer Wear
It rains a lot in London. You won’t get very far with just a blazer, hoodie or a fake fur coat. So unless you’ve arrived on the one week of the year where no rain is forecast your coat will need to be waterproof.
In the midst of Winter, this may be a full length down filled coat, and in Spring or Summer you may get away with a lightweight Mac or thin padded jacket.
Go to M&S if you haven’t brought this item with you. It’s a mid range shop selling quality clothing and you’ll be able to pick something up in the £40-£100 category. Make sure your coat is labelled as Stormwear…unless of course you are here to buy an iconic Burberry.
There are large M&S stores in Victoria, High Street Kensington, Marble Arch and Oxford Street.
It can get chilly here in Winter so you’ll need a scarf, fingerless gloves (so you can text) and a warm hat.
The leader in high street scarfs, wool hats and gloves is Accessorize. There are branches throughout the West End. You’ll be able to pick up something on trend…be that clashing or co-ordinating. Fortnum & Mason do a nice range of hats. Or you could try the Royal Hatters Lock & Co.
High Street clothes Shops for the Young or Super Stylish:
Zara
H&M
Mango
All Saints
Hobbs
Walking Shoes
Leave your high heels at home, as you’ll need comfortable, easy-to-put-on flats for getting about and travelling on public transport in London in Winter.
For daytime walking, Clarks has a superb quality flat shoes with a grip. Look for Goretex lined leather that makes the shoes waterproof. You may also find what you are looking for at Uggs, just off Piccadilly Circus. Carvela and Kurt Geiger do some ultra chic trainers.
Bear in mind that you are looking for urban walking shoes or chic trainers not hiking boots or scruffy, utilitarian trainers.
Jumpers and T Shirts
The London climate tends to be mild and damp, even in the middle of Winter. Added to that, you will be going in and out of department stores, museums and hopping on and off the tube, so you don’t want to get too hot. It’s best to dress in layers. I would recommend a dark merino wool or cashmere jumper over a cotton long sleeved T shirt. Or you may consider a loose fit jumper half tucked into jeans or trousers. Cardigans are a difficult look to pull off when wearing a coat.
M&S does a good range of wool mix and cashmere jumpers in plain colours and layering pieces like t shirts and vests. River Island and H&M sell nice winter knits.
Evening Wear
If you are going out, you’ll need to be able to switch up your outfit for the evening. For most of the year, I wear black trousers which I have in a variety of fabrics e.g. faux leather, velvet, jeans and suiting. I wear these with an evening top and jewellery for the London theatre and restaurants. I can then add a coat, scarf, gloves and Uggs to stay warm for the tube journey home.
Monsoon does a good range of tops and evening dresses which can work as tunics over black trousers. Also check out evening knits.
Nightwear
I buy all my nightwear in the ultra low cost store Primark. They sell 100% cotton night dresses and pyjamas in the £5 price range which wash well and last forever. Check out their slipper socks for using in your hotel. There is a large Primark on London’s Oxford Street.
Tiger is also good for slipper socks.
Underwear
M&S has made a name for itself as the leading brand for quality high street underwear, bras and socks. Why would you go anywhere else?
Bags
Bags are an emotive subject as many feel that this is where their social status is judged. If you are after a designer bag head to Harrods, Selfridges, Liberty’s or Harvey Nichols.
Kurt Geiger is a UK company focussed on the London Look . Bags are mostly priced bag in the £100-200 category. Their flag ship store is in Covent Garden. For everyday use, I wear one of their leather crossbody bags.
Umbrella
Bring a telescopic, ultra light weight umbrella. London rain can be gusty and travel horizontally!
As there’s a high risk of losing umbrellas in cafes, buses and tubes I’d recommend a cheap, sturdy umbrella from Tiger for approximately £5.
Toiletries and Beauty Essentials
There’s always a huge number of items required to maintain a beauty routine and some you are not able to carry in hand baggage. Tiger will be able to fulfil most of these needs from small magnifying mirrors with suction pads, foot files, emery boards, scissors, tweezers and travel hair brushes – all at very low prices in stylish colourful, Scandi designs.
For really high quality hand creams, in lovely retro metal effect tubes, go to The Body Shop. I always carry a travel size of their Hemp Hard Working Hand Protector which has a nice slightly earthy smell – perfect for chapped Winter hands.
Alternatively, try Superdrug for essentials, it is slightly cheaper than Boots with an excellent range of vitamins and drug store brand makeup.
The best drug store make up brands are:
Bourjois
L’Oreal
Max Factor
No 7 (Boots)
Medicines and Vitamins
When travelling, I bring a small toiletry bag containing all my meds for any past, current or (likely) future illness. I also use 7 day tablet organisers containing my prescription meds and daily vitamins which I carry in both my hand luggage and my carry on.
If you are after medical advice, head to Boots or anywhere that you see the green cross pharmacy sign as they will have a resident pharmacist who will be qualified to advise.
While you are in a pharmacy consider the purchase of these Winter essentials
blister gel plasters
lip salve
anti bacterial hand gel
multi packs of travel tissues
Splitting headache with no pharmacy in sight? Try a newsagent as they have a small range of over-the-counter meds.
Phone Chargers
A couple of small lipstick style phone chargers will get you through the day. You can buy these plus the phone leads in Tiger or most drug stores. While you are there check out their travel plugs.
Electrical Equipment
Most hotels have an iron, hair dryer and phone chargers if you ask at reception.
Looking for specialised camera or phone equipment? Try the vast number of shops on the Tottenham Court Road.
Writing and Drawing Equipment
You may have the urge to document your thoughts and travels the old fashioned way, using a pen and paper, or get crafty, or creative. Tiger does a range of notepads, pens, drawing or craft supplies…you could also try Paperchase and John Lewis.
Things to Buy When You Arrive
Cooking Utensils
If you are here for longer and self catering, you may require utensils or equipment. Most Londoners will buy these from large out-of-town supermarkets like Tesco, Waitrose or Sainsbury’s. If this isn’t an option for you try John Lewis in Oxford Street, Peter Jones in Chelsea and there is a limited range of very basic equipment in Tiger.
Hotel Room Dining and Snacks
On some cold, rainy days in Winter, you may not feel like going out for a meal, or you are preparing for when the urge for a midnight snack strikes. M&S Food Hall in Marble Arch is a paradise of pre prepared food which will cater for every need, from a substantial dinner, to snacks on-the-go, park picnics or midnight morsels. Alternatives are Pret and the Selfridges or Harrods food halls.
A Londoner’s London Winter Packing List
As a Londoner, these are the things that I advise my visiting friends to put on their London Winter Packing List…and I never leave home without my tissues, phone battery charger, paracetamol umbrella and a comfortable pair of shoes.
If you are looking for places to go to that will fully utilise all your wet weather and outdoor clothing look no further than our posts on Richmond Park and Kew Gardens.
So exactly how do you plan a day out in London? Here’s how to go from a hum drum day in which you have little to show for it but throbbing blisters to one where you are energised by London in its glory. As they say, “fail to plan and plan to fail”.
Plan a Day Out in London by Finding Your Starting Point
Well in advance of your day out, decide where are you going. The sooner you start to plan the more options you will have. You will be able to book tickets that will be sold out nearer the day and you will have more time for research.
Research London Activities and Restaurants
Your start point is going to be the theme for your entire day.
For example, if you are going to see Buckingham Palace you may decide to have a Royal day. Or maybe a Thames Clipper boat trip to Greenwich could become a maritime adventure taking in the naval museum and the the Cutty Sark. Or the Churchill War Rooms could be the spark for a military history day.
Think of what could spoil your enjoyment like long queues and crowds, rain and bad weather and make contingency plans.
If a heatwave is expected, you may want to postpone a walking tour of Kensington for a trip to the Regents Park Open Air Theatre where you can rent a deckchair and have a picnic and a leisurely stroll of the famous rose garden before a performance. If rain is forecast you won’t want to be on a Thames river boat so consider indoor or covered venues like The Tate Modern and Borough Market.
If you are planning many weeks in advance you can check the average weather and precipitation levels for the month online.
Match your activities to the weather forecast
Is there a Google chart which shows when the venue is less busy? Avoiding busy periods means that you are more likely to get tickets and you’ll spend less time waiting in queues.
Amp Up Your Main Experience
Check the Events page of the venue’s website. By arriving earlier or later you may be able to take advantage of a free guided tour or performance.
Or maybe you could plan your day out in London to coincide with with a Happy Hour at a nearby bar or the pre-theatre menu.
Time your activities to make the most of Happy Hours
Museums and major attractions often have delightful museum shops and cafes.
Museums often have fabulous cafes.
Read about the main exhibits, paintings or features of the place that you are visiting in advance as this definitely enhances the experience.
Add Additional Activities
Now we are going to look at how to take the day from special to amazing by researching nearby activities which are a different type of experience to your central event. If you have been on your feet sightseeing or at an art gallery, look for concerts, restaurants, cafes and theatres.
TripAdvisor is a useful reference as it has a map function which shows nearby attractions, restaurants and bars.
Put your Day Out in London Plan Together Like a Movie
Once you have your plan, sequence it together in your mind like a movie. What’s is the day going to look like? Imagine the photos that will make up your day.
If you live in London mix things up, don’t just tread a well worn path to your favourite cafe or restaurant.
Be Realistic About Your Time and Energy
When you plan a day out in London, allow for both travel time and downtime. Also allow for things going wrong. Check, and double check, opening, closing and last entry times. Does anything need to be eliminated or saved for another day?
Be realistic about the time available.
Refine the Plan to Meet Your Budget
Are you getting the most for your expenditure?
Get the most value from your money when you plan a day out in London
It’s about getting the best value for money not about overall cheapness.
Maybe you could switch in some more budget friendly options, or spend more on some aspects of the day for a memorable, luxurious experience.
Save Vouchers and Make a Rough Schedule
Finally, print out anything that you will need like vouchers, tickets etc or photograph them to save to your phone. You will need a record of your London day plan and easy access to it.
Photograph your tickets and vouchers on your phone
Its amazing how your internet signal mysteriously disappears as soon as you arrive at a box office.
I sometimes use Tripit for planning day trips especially if my day includes a lot of time critical events.
With a bit of forethought and research, you can plan a day out in London that is truly amazing.
Additional Information on how to Plan a Day Out in London
London West End theatre offers a dizzying choice. I go to the theatre most nights and I have some tips on how to to avoid a dud.
Begin by Choosing the Right London West End Theatre
My success lies mostly in selecting the right venue…that’s right, the venue is absolutely key. Each theatre has a budget for a play which determines all critical factors like its director, cast and set design. The better known West End theatres simply have bigger budgets! And that means one thing, more razzmatazz!
Different London West End theatres are known for producing different types of plays. Here is a general guide.
The Dominion and The Palladium are the Biggest Theatres in the West End
The Palladium is one of the biggest theatres the London West End. Expect block busters.
The theatres with the highest seating capacity are more likely to produce “blockbusters” with mass appeal. Theatres like the Palladium and the Dominion need to fill thousands of seats each evening they won’t put on esoteric play that would be attractive to only a small sector of the theatre-going public. And as they have bigger stages, you are likely to find large cast musicals with elaborate stage effects…think cars, helicopters and aerial stunts.
The Savoy is one of the Smallest but Most Stylish Theatres in the London West End
The Savoy Theatre was rebuilt in 1929 as a magic miracle of Art Deco modernism, by Rupert D’Oyly Carte with the architect Frank Tugwell and decorative designer Basil Ionides.
I always think that its productions echo the values of the adjacent Savoy Hotel that shares its name; classy, stylish and with plenty of glamour. Expect music, beautiful costumes, dancing girls, clever staging. And there are some lovely bars which let you bask in its jazz age setting.
The Trafalgar Theatre is known for its Avant Garde Productions
The Trafalgar Theatre specialises in productions that are vibrant and cutting edge. The smaller of the two studios is a stage in the round where you feel that you are on set with the performers. Often portraying harrowing, or controversial subject matter, the performances are emotional and breathtaking.
Pay Attention to the Playwright and Casting at the Duke of York, the Garrick, the Noel Coward, the Wyndhams, the Vaudeville, the Adelphi, the Lyric, the Vaudeville, the Theatre Royal
Dotted around St Martins Lane, The Strand and Haymarket are a number of theatres primarily owned by the Ambassador Theatre Group, Delfont Mackintosh and Nimax. You can expect to see a wide range of plays and musicals with everything from everything from Ibsen to Meat Loaf. It’s hard to generalise about these productions so pay special attention to the playwright, reviews and casting.
Theatres Outside the London West End That Offer a Unique Experience
The National Theatre on Southbank Has a Wide Arts Remit
The brutalist, concrete exterior of the National Theatre
The National Theatre on the South Bank is state subsidised theatre with a remit to promote the arts to the widest possible and most diverse audience. Here you will find productions of high artistic merit. The NT usually push the boat out with their special effects, sounds and lighting systems. There are three stages at the NT, the largest stage is The Olivier and there is a smaller, newer theatre, The Dorfman, at the rear of the building, which I always feel is more akin to the Young Vic…showing avant garde productions appealing to a younger, Converse trainer wearing audience.
The Globe and The Sam Wanamaker Produce Memorable Shakespearean and Revival Plays
The Globe Theatre on the South Bank
The Globe is a specialist Shakespearian Theatre which produces authentic Shakespearian drama. As far as the Board of Directors is concerned, this means mostly two things, “shared light” and “no voice amplification”.
‘Shared light’ is able to provide an atmosphere wherein the people onstage are playing ‘with’ rather than ‘to’ or ‘at’ those in the audience.
A few years ago, the Globe hired a brilliant artistic director, Emma Rice, who introduced stage lighting and microphones but this wasn’t really “Shakespeare” so she fell on her sword. You can find out more about this controversy on The Guardian website.
This is the place where men and woman “shout Shakespeare” and it all makes for a historically accurate and riveting Shakespearian experience.
If you are on a budget with a lot of stamina, you can buy standing tickets for £5 per performance. Those that do so, are called “groundlings”
However, not many groundlings can last the full duration of the play. The staff have a special mission to make sure that groundlings don’t lean on the wooden posts, or sit on the floor!
The Globe is only open during the summer months as there is an open roof. Wrap up warmly if you are attending an evening performance and hire a cushion if you don’t relish sitting for several hours on a hard bench.
Inside the Globe there is a newer theatre, The Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, which is a little wooden timbered and stencilled, jewel box of a theatre, lit by candles. It specialises in small period plays. This is one of my favourite theatres – small, intimate and with a special atmosphere.
The Old Vic and the Young Vic Theatres in Waterloo Offer Unusual and Unique Plays
The Old Vic is a not-for-profit beautiful and slightly decaying, grand, traditional theatre with historic decor performing high quality drama and musicals. Famed for its £10 previews…I am still gutted when I think of the performances there that I have missed.
The Young Vic is an offshoot of the Old Vic aiming at a hip and cool younger audience (diverse and engaged) with cutting edge material performed in the round.
Frank Dunlop, the Young Vic director, wanted to create a new kind of theatre for a new generation – one that was unconventional, classless, open, circus-like and cheap.
The Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre Offers a Memorable Experience in All Weathers
The Regents Park Open Air theatre is not in the London West End…you’ll find it in the middle of Regents Park. I remember my first visit to the Regents Park Open Air Theatre and how I kept double checking the weather forecast and the night temperatures. Not least as their plays always proceed almost regardless of the weather.
A lovely, balmy sunny day where you are donning sun hats and slathering on sun scream quickly becomes a night of freezing temperatures, where you are rustling in your bag for hats, scarfs and thick coats and even blankets. Rain rarely deters this theatre either. They will stop the performance for a few minutes and the audience hurries to the bar and prays for it to stop.
This theatre epitomises “summer in the city” for me…you can get there early and walk through the confetti-like rose garden, grab a drink or a pizza in the park cafe or hire a deckchair in the park before the show.
The theatre opens two hours beforehand to enable people to eat their picnics or indulge in their legendary burgers that are barbecued in the garden.
And then there is the excitement of the show and the the thrill of the weather!
Other London West End Theatre Considerations
Playwright
Don’t sail blythely into a production if your unaware of the genre of the play. For example Samuel Beckett or Jean Paul Sartre plays usually have a small cast and a dystopian theme…think half a dozen people locked in a room, sitting on a sofa, or a woman up to her neck in rubble for the duration of the first act.
Plays by Eugene O’Neill or Tennessee Williams may be set in the American mid west and explore themes of alienation and the American Dream. Hard work for some!
Or a historical reenactment of Webster’s Duchess of Malfi will have blood, guts and madness at his heart with a rendition in Jacobean English.
Everyone has their own tastes but make sure that you choose a play that best suits your particular palate.
Cast
Check the cast beforehand
Famous names, like Simon Russell Beale, famed for his Shakespearian roles and Maggie Smith, of Downton Abbey fame, will only appear in top notch productions. So check the cast as this can indicate the strength of the play.
Press Reviews
Check but don’t slavishly believe all the press reviews
I have often seen amazing performances that the critics have hated. Sometimes I think that we have been to two different plays! Therefore, I don’t pay too much attention to an isolated poor review. However, if the play is consistently poorly reviewed across a range of media, you want to consider giving it a miss or buy a cheaper seat, so that you have less invested.
Look at the Theatre Website in Advance
Check the Theatre Website
The play will be promoted on the London West End theatre’s website. You will doubtless find a gallery of photographs and possibly a video as well. The synopsis, costumes and cast list should give you an accurate flavour of the production.
The theatre management may have also uploaded to Youtube.
It is invariably forbidden to use your phone for video or audio recording within a theatre.
Check that Seasonal Specials are to your Taste
Going to the theatre in Winter
At Christmas, it is common for theatres in the West End to put on pantomimes and Christmas themed productions like Dickens’s A Christmas Carol. It will explain on the website if these productions are suitable for children and adults alike.
Don’t make my mistake and go to see The Snowman and find yourself surrounded by an audience of toddlers in fancy dress waving fairy wands.
General London West End Seating Tips
London West End Seating Tips
The most expensive seats in a London West End theatre are the front row of the stalls and the boxes. The boxes have more prestige but often have a slightly restricted view as they are usually at right angles to the stage.The front rows of the dress circle are also good seats. As you move further towards the back row the view can be slightly restricted or you feel further away from the action. In the Upper Circle, you will definitely benefit from bringing opera glasses. Some theatres have a further level knowns as the Balcony or the Ampitheatre. Seats here can be surprisingly cheap and it is a good way of trying out something that isn’t in your usual genre.
Are you also an opera fan? If so you may enjoy our tips on a night at the London opera. You can also check out our blog post on how London Theatre’s achieve their ultra realistic special effects.
With these tips you are well equipped to make the best London West End theatre choices.
Elephants in Green Park. Whatever next? We see a lot in London! I barely bat an eyelid when I come across Bengali cats being walked on leads by their owners, pirates with peg legs and squawking parrots, inflated Donald Trump balloons boasting an orange perma tan…but this herd of elephant statues really gave me pause for thought.
Elephants in Green Park Come From India
Dozens of elephants, old and young, fit and frail are crafted in the Nilgiri Hills of India out of the weedy, reed like stem, Lantana Camara. This plant poses a threat to wildlife as it is poisonous, so it’s great to seeing it being hacked down and put towards a good cause.
This exhibition is the brain child of Shubhra Nayar and Ruth Ganesh has been facilitated and promoted by HRH Prince Charles and his wife Camilla to draw attention to the elephants fragile co-existence with man. Camilla’s brother Mark Shand ran an elephant charity before his death.
Elephant Statues in Green Park
Elephant statues in a London park
The elephants in Green Park have been beautifully characterised.
Powerful elephant trunks
Elephants in procession
Close up of the reed like stems used to make the elephants
The tails of the elephants in Green Park
But what got me thinking as I surveyed this woody procession was how we as humans depend on each other.
The Power of the Herd
Think of the solitary human, perhaps a cold and dishevelled homeless person begging on a grimy London pavement, with a paper cup containing a few coins at their feet. Or an elderly man who, after a life time of work, is cast alone on his sofa, slowly dunking digestive biscuits into his tea with daytime television as his only source of company.
Now let us transport our fictitious humans to the convivial atmospheres of outreach shelters, community cafes, tea after church on Sundays or strolling round London on a walking tour, in the background there is chatter, laughter, warmth and friendship and now you can see the power of community.
This exquisite herd of elephants in Green Park reminds us of both the vulnerability of the solitary individual and how our very survival is dependent on our proximity to each other.
If you liked this piece you may want to visit our blog post on Richmond Park where there is plenty of living wildlife.
Sadly, this was a temporary exhibition and the elephants have moved on to new pastures. Some have been sold to adorn people’s gardens and the good news is that these elephants are still available for sale if you have a spare £6k-£30k one of these elephants in Green Park could be yours! Check them out.
The ENO has produced a sparkling revival of Philip Glass’s opera Satyagraha to commence their 2021 Winter season at the London Coliseum. It follows Ghandi’s early career in South Africa and is part cirque du soleil, part mystical experience, part manifesto for radicals.
ENO Satyagraha 2021
A young Gandhi, a suited, suitcased lawyer, ejected from a first-class South African rail carriage sits in a heap besides the road. He depicts the struggles of the immigrant, subjected to small acts of everyday prejudice, shoved, pelted with debris and always being treated as “less than”.
Immigrants are the shoe shining underclasses who pander to the boorish Afrikaners; tattered, dusty, rusty and invisibly blending into the corrugated iron back drop of the set.
Gandhi turns to the holy scripture the Bhagavad-Gita, not to bear his lot, but to plan his movement. When you wage a war with weapons you don’t battle a faceless enemy, you kill your family, friends and neighbours who hold differing viewpoints. The author, Leo Tolstoy provides Gandhi with a formula for winning a revolution in “Letter to a Hindu”, you fight back with love.
Satyagraha means “insistence on truth”. It encompasses methods of passive resistance; the 240 mile Dandi Salt March in 1930 to protest the British imposed salt tax is enacted by peasants, farmers and urban labourers who swish the water with baskets to harvest salt. Gandhi galvanises his supporters with his newsletter, The Indian Opinion which rains on the stage like confetti. The crowds, with trepidation, burn their discriminatory Asian registration certificates in a fire pit.
The libretto (Phelim McDermott and Constance De Jong) is sung in Sanskrit without surtitles, rendering the performance more mime than opera with the Bhagavad-Gita acting as a philosophical and vocal backdrop. Gandhi’s (Sean Panikkar) vocals soar and dip in both hope and spiritual lament.
I had so many questions…some of them more pragmatic than artistic.
How do you train an English performing chorus to sing in Sanskrit?
How does Carolyn Kuan, in her debut performance, manage to conduct the obscurest of vocals?
And the questions kept on coming…
I implore you read a plot synopsis. Otherwise, you will spend the first interval queuing for a programme and playing speed-reading-catch-up instead of drinking a gin and tonic in the bar.
Maybe you struggle with non-linear plots and meditative eastern chanting is “all Greek to you”. Maybe you are a person like me! So why venture out on a cold, dark, autumnal night?
Go…this opera is a rare act of beauty, a spiritual tour de force with Glass’s signature minimalist music counterbalanced by a visually spectacular set filled to the rafters with aerialists, grotesque puppets and props crafted out of waste and humble materials.
Go…to be moved by the sheer pathos of a thin, wiry, magnetic man who faced injustice head on to start a movement which changed the world.
Satyagraha ENO – to book tickets go to the ENO website.
HMS Pinafore is unashamedly the epitome of flag waving, English Englishness. I immediately sensed fish and chips, fairgrounds, childhood cut-out paper dolls and folk watching their Ps and Qs.
HMS Pinafore Review at ENO (c) Marc Brenner
This 1878 comedy opera, aimed at satirising Victorian inept politicians and ridiculous social mores, has the audience rolling in their seats as the near-knuckle jokes reveals much about their own personal prejudices and proclivities.
HMS Pinafore Cast
So who is taking us on the HMS Pinafore voyage of discovery?
The faffing Captain Corcoran is well liked, despite having all the charisma of a soggy packet of crisps. John Savournin delightfully conveys this blustering ineptitude through his deep, well-modulated tones.
Welcome “his betters” – deluded, class-obsessed Sir Joseph Porter and the exceedingly well-heeled entourage of “his sisters and his cousins and his aunts”. Les Dennis, is a casting masterstroke…his arthritic hips don’t stop him clambering about the deck, chasing the captain’s daughter and sabotaging the carefully choreographed dance routines. He does a blissful job of “When I Was a Lad”. You can envisage him sweeping and polishing as an office junior and marvel at the cronyism that caused him to rise to First Lord of the Admiralty.
Hilary Summers, as Little Buttercup, cuts a matronly, common-sense figure with her fine voice and no-nonsense attitude. You do wonder how one so refined could have been involved in the deplorable profession of baby farming.
HMS Pinafore’s two lovers, Alexandra Oomens (Josephine, the Captain’s Daughter) and Elgan Llyr Thomas (Ralph Rackstraw) are beautifully melodic and hit the highest, highs of dramatic intensity and passion. And then there is a suitably, irritating tap-dancing cabin boy (Rufus Bateman) who masterfully gets into character and produces the desired effect, as I had a burning urge to get on stage to chastise him.
HMS Pinafore Directed for Laughs
Cal McCrystal directs this opera for laughs…a hunched, elderly, confused, stick bearing woman, dwarfed in acres of lime green netting stole the show by falling down a trap door. Boris Johnson, makes a hilarious entrance on a zip wire waving a Union Jack. And the blast of a firing canon wakes the odd audience member who had too much wine at the interval.
Masterly and Upbeat Conducting
Chris Hopkins conducts the orchestra with the energy that you would expect on the last night of the proms…upbeat, punchy, knee bobbing and seamlessly blending with the vocals.
Colourful Period Costumes Worthy of Hollywood
Period costumes by takis, colourful, voluminous and crinolined, turn a bleak sea of blue and white into scenes worthy of “The Greatest Showman”.
The set design has a whiff of extravagance…a huge vessel, rotating to reveal the top deck, the captain’s quarters and the ship exterior.
HMS Pinafore a Glorious and Sumptuous Spectacle
Finally, we must offer posthumous thanks to our fine Victorian composer and librettist, Gilbert and Sullivan who through plot twists and turns, avoid controversy by ensuring that each of our eminent Englishmen marries within his social class.
HMS Pinafore is a glorious and sumptuous spectacle that conveys a simple, almost Shakespearian message, that “all’s well that ends well”. Maybe HMS Pinafore is our rightful reward for surviving Brexit and the dark depths of the pandemic.
HMS Pinafore is unashamedly the epitome of flag waving, English Englishness. I immediately sensed fish and chips, fairgrounds, childhood cut-out paper dolls and folk...
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ENO Satyagraha 2021
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