Children's Shows Festivals Film Music Theatre

Today in London: Wednesday 28 August 2013

By TW Editorial | Published on Thursday 22 August 2013

Fancy a mid-week reality breakaway? Scan no farther than this list of the day’s dreamiest cinematic, musical and theatrical tidbits…

TODAY’S FILM CHOICES

Portobello Film Festival, various locations, 28 Aug – 15 Sep
West London’s premier entirely-free film fest sets its celluloid reels spinning this eve by screening Phil Strongman’s never-yet-seen ‘Anarchist – The Malcom McLaren Generation’. Spotlighting all-things local and British-made, its still-worldly programme spans activist documentaries, avant garde art shorts, gory video nasties, animated features and family classics. Details here.

TODAY’S MUSIC CHOICES

BBC Prom 62: A Celebration Of Charlie Parker, Royal Albert Hall, 28 Aug (pictured)
Piano savant Django Bates (him in the hat) tickles the ivories in this, a nighttime Proms liaison with Sweden’s Norrbotten Big Band celebrating jazz great Charlie ‘Bird’ Parker. Bates, his trio, and the Big Band will put a ragtime dink on Parker staples like ‘Scrapple From The Apple’ and ‘Donna Lee’, throwing in Bates’ own compositions too. Details and tickets here.

TODAY’S THEATRE CHOICES

Captain Flinn And The Pirate Dinosaurs, London Wonderground, 28 Aug – 8 Sep
Hidden treasure, giant lizard fangs and a great deal of swashbuckling all feature highly in this ‘Alice’ meets ‘Indian In The Cupboard’-style spiral into an imaginary (or is it real?) action adventure, by Les Enfants Terrible‘s children’s sideline Les Petits. Details and tickets here.

Edward II, National Theatre, 28 Aug – 26 Oct
An acclaimed cast (‘The Hothouse’ actor John Heffernan, the BBC’s ‘The Hour’ star Vanessa Kirby) tackle director Joe Hill-Gibbins’ take on Marlowe’s violent and passionate power play of 1592, as King Edward II and his disgraced lover Gaveston make enemies, alienates the King’s wife and tear England to pieces. Details and tickets here.