Art & Events Comedy Theatre

Today in London: Thursday 7 February 2013

By TW Editorial | Published on Wednesday 30 January 2013

Since it’s Ballet Day today, now’s as apt a time as any to take in London’s ever-changing dance programme. The Royal Opera House’s resplendent ‘Onegin’ perhas, or, if you prefer something contemporary, Brazilian Olivier-winner Deborah Colker and companhia’s ‘Tatyana’ at the Barbican. All lithe dance spectacles considered, today’s pretty flexible in terms of art, comedy and theatre, too…

TODAY’S ART CHOICES

Man Ray Portraits, National Portrait Gallery, 7 Feb – 27 May
The NPG hosts the world’s first large-scale expo of photographic portraits by modernist artist Man Ray. A collation of 150 vintage prints features images of Marcel Duchamp, Pablo Picasso, Kiki de Montparnasse, Lee Miller and Catherine Deneuve. Details and tickets here.

TODAY’S COMEDY CHOICES

Stand Up For Darwin, Conway Hall, 7 Feb (pictured)
This evening’s compere, Robin Ince, has a pack of able intellectuals stay stationary for a night of laughter and logic in the name of Mr Charles Darwin, who’d be celebrating his birthday today if he weren’t dead. Anyway, the pro-evolutionary, anti-creationist comics appearing tonight are Helen Arney, Kate Smurthwaite, Iszi Lawrence, Rosie Wilby, Gemma Arrowsmith and still others besides. Each and every ‘Darwin’ (ie £10 note) raised will go to promoting science in schools. Details and tickets here.

TODAY’S THEATRE CHOICES

Playing Cards 1: Spades, Roundhouse, 7 Feb – 2 Mar
The “world’s greatest director” (says the Telegraph) Robert Lepage’s “addictive crackpipe of a play” (says the Toronto Star) is the first quarter in a deck of four suit-themed ‘Playing Cards’ dramas. Crowds will marvel at its 360° panoramic action, theatrical trickery and bold/political/sexy insights into an Iraq War-era Las Vegas. Details and tickets here.