Film
Away
From 18 January on digital download
For fans of Studio Ghibli, as well as Jérémy Clapin of I Lost My Body fame, this is a similarly life-affirming and wonderfully hypnotic animation that’s decidedly not just for kids. The feature, written and directed by Latvian filmmaker Gints Zilbalodis, opens with a boy who finds himself in a barren land, hanging from a tree by his parachute. When a menacing, shadowy creature starts to follow him, he embarks on an epic journey of adventure, survival and dreamy landscapes. Without dialogue, just a beautifully gripping score, it is a sensory feast – and one that’s guaranteed to re-awaken our travel wants.
Pre-order at itunes.apple.com
Musical Theatre
Doorstep Productions
Throughout January, London-wide
There really are no people like show people… Doorstep Productions, the brainchild of actors Maria Friedman and Adrian Der Gregorian, offers performances of much-loved musical numbers and snippets from our favourite shows, thrillingly, at our own front door. Backed by theatrical big guns such as Cameron Mackintosh and Sonia Friedman, the pair have put together a cast of West End and Broadway performers who’ll sing and dance on our doorsteps and driveways. Whether you plump for Les Mis, Dreamgirls or Mary Poppins, this promises to be nothing short of magical. And, with each booking, the company will make a contribution to various theatre charities, giving vital support in these challending times.
Set to run until London’s theatres can open without social distancing. To book, call 020 7183 4414 (doorstepproductions.com)
Exhibition
Frank Stella: What You See Is What You See
28 January-20 March, Shapero Modern
This is an exhibition of milestones: not only does it launch antiquarian book specialists Shapero’s new Maddox Street art space, but it’s the first comprehensive Frank Stella show in the UK since 2013. Exploring the progression of his career, with prints, paintings and sculpture from 1967 to 2001, What You See Is What You See focuses on the American painter’s artistic practice, bringing his print experimentation, love of colour, and his relationship with abstraction to a London audience. For gallery director Tabitha Philpott-Kent, the exhibition marks an exciting move, which, she says, “solidifies the gallery as a distinct entity from our Rare Books counterpart. Our opening exhibition offers the rare chance to explore this highly renowned artist.”
41-43 Maddox Street, W1S (020 3693 2197; shaperomodern.com)
Book
Radical Architecture of the Future
By Beatrice Galilee
Inviting us to think outside the box – or rather the bricks and mortar – London-born, New York-based Galilee profiles some of the world’s most exciting projects in architecture and spatial design, noting that today, architectural practice transcends the design and construction of buildings. Digital landscapes, art, apps, films, installations and virtual reality all feature in this forward-thinking book, which is as visually arresting as it is informative. Comprising five chapters – Visionaries, Insiders, Radicals, Breakthroughs, and Masterminds – and featuring illustrious architects, designers, artists, writers, filmmakers and AI creators, this is one for design-lovers in all shapes and forms.
£39.95, hardback (phaidon.com)
Exhibition
Tracey Emin/Edvard Munch: The Loneliness of the Soul
Until 28 February, Royal Academy
In this haunting, multi-layered exhibition, we get to see the eminent Emin as both artist and obsessive art lover. Her long fascination with the Norwegian expressionist, best known for The Scream, has been well documented: in the 1998 work Homage to Edvard Munch And All My Dead Children, we saw the confessional artist curled up and naked on a jetty on the Oslo Fjord. “I’ve been in love with this man since I was eighteen,” she says. Here, Emin’s paintings, neons and sculpture will flank 19 oils and watercolours from Munch’s rich canon, carefully selected by Emin herself to unite the works in their common themes of loss, grief and yearning.
Burlington House, Piccadilly, W1J (020 7300 8090; royalacademy.org.uk)