The minute a ray of sunshine envelopes London, the South Bank is transformed into the capital’s hub of al fresco comedy, theatre and variety performance. At the centre of this is the Udderbelly Festival, which will return in 2013 for its fifth year.Open in spring and running throughout the summer, Udderbelly plants a giant upside-down purple cow outside London’s Southbank Centre and stages a diverse programme of entertainment. Ranging from classic stand-up to intriguing fringe, the iconic fixture hosts a number of award-winning London events and one of the biggest outdoor bars in central London.
Also returning to the South Bank is London Wonderground. Following its inaugural year in 2012, Wonderground will stage five months of cabaret, circus and sideshow within its outdoor playground and giant Spiegeltent. Its headline show will be Limbo, which combines a heady mix of heart-stopping illusions, meticulous manoeuvres and breath taking dance moves.
Further down the Thames, opposite the Tower of London, the Scoop at More London’s outdoor amphitheatre will offer another summer of free theatre, film screenings, live music and community events.The ‘king of al fresco venues’ splits its summer season into four months, with each dedicated to a specific genre. More theatre can be found within The Shed, the Southbank Centre’s temporary performance venue. The Shed’s summer programme features Bullet Catch, a dark and exhilarating one-man show that will test audiences’ nerves; Mission Drift, award-winning New York ensemble The TEAM combine mythic and contemporary stories; and Romeo and Juliet, a contemporary family-friendly celebration of Shakespeare’s much-loved romance drama.
Titling its 2013 season ‘A Season of Plenty’, London’s Globe Theatre promises a bold and vibrant programme throughout the summer and the rest of the year. Among the fifteen shows there will be three world premieres: Gabriel, Blue Stockings and The Lightning Child, while classics such as A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Tempest and The Taming of the Shrew will offer special midnight matinees.
The Southbank Centre’s Meltdown Festival returns to London for 2013 and this year cultural icon Yoko Ono is taking the reins.This will be the 20 th anniversary of the festival and Ono, who celebrates her own 80 th birthday this year, will bring a lifetime of achievement in music, visual art and peace activism to the occasion. Another anniversary is being celebrated at BFI Southbank, with monthly screenings of past Doctor Who episodes to celebrate the Doctor’s 50 th anniversary.
Serving up its annual dose of world class literature, the London Literature Festival brings an exuberant mix of spoken word performances, exciting new collaborations, workshops and talks from international writers and thinkers.
Keep up to date with all of London 2013’s summer events by downloading a free copy of London 2013: The Annual, the best London events, openings, anniversaries & experiences for 2013.
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