I am 24 wks pregnant and live in London, I need some CULTURE before lo arrives, please help!

[canadianmum]

I want to go to some great plays or musicals before dc3 arrives in September. I also love opera and ballet, does anyone have any recommendations for the next few months?


Thanks

[DimpledThighs]

can you get hold of a copy of the metro?

if you can do stuff at short notice there is sometimes things in there - I went to see a wagner opera at the albert hall for £5 for a £60 ticket - went on for four hours though!

[DimpledThighs]

actually dp has just told me that that was 7 yrs ago so things may have changed now!

[ScottishMummy]

well what u waiting for girl..you are in the right city london ooozes culture

tate modern
borough market
smithfields
greenwich market/greenwich
dulwich art gallery
tate gallery
truman brewery
canary wharf
blackheath
london eye
camden

or just people watching
cafe bar italia
chinatown
compton street
soho
prince charles theatre

try lastminute website, metro website, thisislondon

[CaraLondon]

Macbeth will be on at Regent's Park until mid-Aug and Othello at the Globe (which was fab, but make sure you're on the rate seating above the crowds - climbing those extra stairs is worth it even if you are pregnant - I was 30 weeks when I went, and they are not that steep).

Am also looking forward to Gaslight at the Old Vic, as am a Patrick Hamilton fan, which is running from June to mid-Aug. There's a production of Saint Joan at the National, but I don't know what they are planning to do with it - still it is rare to see any Shaw, so it may be worth it. For comedy, do go and see The 39 Steps - it is a really good production and very silly, but there ain't much comedy out there, apart from the Shakespeare summer standards at the Globe and National.

Fidelio is on at the ROH throughout June, which promises to be good.

Know nothing about ballet except that the Swan Lake that is on at the ROH next week has been given mixed reviews.

Not much of a musicals' fan, myself, but the Boyfriend, also at Regent's Park should be good as it is an old standard.

But it does look like this summer will be a bit thin for good theatre itself - for example, the programme at the National is not that inspiring - but all the musicals are on for the tourists as ever over the summer, so if you like them, then you'll be spoilt for choice. Around The World in 80 Days is a Cole Porter musical that is on this summer at Sadlers Wells, but you wonder why it is so rarely performed, even if written by the master. But everyone I know has raved about Avenue Q, but I haven't seen it myself.

Hope that helps.

[canadianmum]

thank you!

Was going to try Into the Woods at ROH but looks like it has sold out

[warthog]

the proms will be on soon! you can get hold of listings for it from books etc. some fantastic concerts on.

[webchick]

Scottish mummy has mentioned a few places; here are a some others depending on your taste:

National Gallery and National Portrait Gallery
V&A Museum
Horniman Museum in Forest Hill, great place to chill out

plus go to the cinema as often as you can, thats what I did on my maternity leave. Check out the Prince Charles just off Leicester Sq.

Enjoy your time!

[Marina]

See The Drowsy Chaperone - it's had rave reviews, also Henry Goodman in Fiddler on the Roof.
Boeing Boeing is 70s farce revived to a pinnacle of perfection
Agree that Fidelio is proving deservedly popular.
Pack the theatre in IMO - galleries and museums can be done quite easily with a little baby

[MarsLady]

Go and see Havana Rakatan at the Peacock Theatre. Blardy brilliant! Check out www.lastminute.com for tickets. You can get £38 tickets for £10. It's only on until the 23rd June though.