Kent

<h2 class="wp-block-heading">FREEBIE FUN</h2>



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Spent all your money over the summer? No worries, there’s some stunning freebies to enjoy in the capital this month. Take in the views at London’s newest (and Europe’s highest) public viewing platform. At 833 ft (254m),&nbsp;<a href="https://horizon22.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Horizon 22</a>&nbsp;offers sweeping panoramic views across the city, opening&nbsp;from 27 Sep&nbsp;you’ll catch us here at sunset,&nbsp;22 Bishopsgate.&nbsp;



Back on ground level,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.frieze.com/article/frieze-sculpture-2023-announced" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Frieze Sculpture</a>&nbsp;is transforming&nbsp;Regent’s Park&nbsp;into a massive outdoor gallery again. This year expert curator&nbsp;Fatoş Üstek&nbsp;is driving the fantastic immersive exhibit of sculpture and performance pieces from the likes of&nbsp;Hank Willis Thomas,&nbsp;Ghada Amer,&nbsp;Li Li Renamong other international artists. It’s September so SPF and/or a brolly may be needed but whatever the weather, it’s worth a look (20 Sep-29 Oct). The same goes for the month-long&nbsp;Thames Festival, a celebration with different events (<a href="https://thamesfestivaltrust.org/whats-on/once-up-on-a-cube-at-syon-house-17456/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">immersive exhibits</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://thamesfestivaltrust.org/whats-on/mask-making-with-the-line-at-greenwich-peninsula-17283/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">creative workshops</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://thamesfestivaltrust.org/whats-on/the-great-river-race-18449/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">river races</a>) cropping up along the banks in different boroughs across the capital. Go on make a splash and check out the full schedule&nbsp;<a href="https://thamesfestivaltrust.org/whats-on/#search=&amp;pp=12&amp;p=1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">here</a>.



Fred Sirieix has spoken: summer isn’t over yet! Catch him at pop-up&nbsp;Endorphin Shop&nbsp;(5-6 Sep) with&nbsp;Neilson Beach Clubs&nbsp;for a whole host of free, endorphin-boosting events, giving you the sunny summer feels that the weather has failed on this year. On the docket is yoga, Vitamin D drips, massages, mood-enhancing edibles and the opportunity to challenge Andy Murray’s former coach to a game of Pickleball, a fun racquet sport that’s a little bit tennis, badminton, and ping-pong combined. Work on your game and one day you can challenge George Clooney, Emma Watson or Selena Gomez to game. They can’t get enough of this competitive bat and ball game,&nbsp;Gallery Different, 14 Percy Street,&nbsp;9am-6pm.



Not technically free, but you’ll get plenty of bang for your buck at the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bbcgardenersworldlive.com/autumn-fair/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">BBC Gardeners’ World Autumn Fair</a>,&nbsp;1-3 Sep. Tickets include access to expert talks, demonstrations, the street food market and&nbsp;all&nbsp;the garden inspiration as well as access to the stunning&nbsp;Audley End House&nbsp;which is worth a nosey in its own right.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-must-see-exhibitions">MUST-SEE EXHIBITIONS</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/369861637_684279877061402_4666036383094334961_n.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-76680" /><figcaption>Marina Abramović, Four Crosses: The Good (positive), 2019, the Marina Abramović Archives</figcaption></figure>



There are some stonking exhibitions to have a nosey round this month (some perhaps more than once), like the&nbsp;Royal Academy of Arts&nbsp;major survey of iconic performance artist,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.royalacademy.org.uk/exhibition/marina-abramovic" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Marina Abramović</a>. Showcasing prominent pieces from her 50-year-career, in a UK first, the exhibition will combine sculpture, installation, images and, what we’re most excited for, re-performances of some of her most well-known pieces,&nbsp;23 Sep-1 Jan.



Similarly, the internationally acclaimed, multi-media artist,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-britain/sarah-lucas" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sarah Lucas</a>, takes over the&nbsp;Tate Britainfrom&nbsp;28 Sep. The exhibition will showcase her works of sculpture, photography and installation exploring the connection between humans and objects. It’s bold, brilliant and bonkers.&nbsp;



Prefer portraiture? Head to Dulwich Picture Gallery for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dulwichpicturegallery.org.uk/whats-on/exhibitions/2023/september/rubens-women/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Rubens &amp; Women</a>, an expose of the Flemish artist, Paul Peter Rubens, and the women who inspired some of his most recognisable pieces, from&nbsp;27 Sep. And to the&nbsp;National Gallery&nbsp;for the first retrospective of Dutch painter&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/exhibitions/the-credit-suisse-exhibition-frans-hals" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Frans Hals</a>&nbsp;in over 30 years,&nbsp;30 Sep-21 Jan.&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/VA_240323_Dorothy2020Little20Bara20priest20Paris20Vogue20C2A920196020William20Klein20.jpg-copy-750x1000.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-76608" /><figcaption>Dorothy and Little Bara Priest, Paris (Vogue), 1960, William Klein</figcaption></figure>



Stepping away from paintings and into a pair of Chanel pumps for a&nbsp;Fashion Manifesto! That’s right, it’s the one you’ve all been waiting for, the first UK exhibition dedicated to the glorious work of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.vam.ac.uk/exhibitions/gabrielle-chanel-fashion-manifesto" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel</a>. From opening her first millinery in 1910 to her final collection in 1971 and all the glorious bouclé suits in between, the V&amp;A have outdone themselves with this one – with a little help from Palais Galliera and the Patrimoine de CHANEL,&nbsp;V&amp;A,&nbsp;16 Sep – 25 Feb.



Get all kinds of arty at the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.londondesignfestival.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">London Design Festival</a>,&nbsp;16-24 Sep, where London will be transformed into a giant art gallery with different events and projects popping up across the city as well as a jam-packed programme of talks with leading design experts. Check out the full programme&nbsp;<a href="https://www.londondesignfestival.com/programme" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">here</a>.



And just when you thought immersive exhibits were over, a new one dedicated to&nbsp;<a href="https://monetexpo.com/london/?utm_source=google&amp;utm_medium=sc&amp;utm_campaign=136494_lon&amp;gclid=EAIaIQobChMInsWatejRgAMVRfjtCh21fAwHEAAYASAAEgK1VPD_BwE" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Claude Monet</a>&nbsp;is hotfooting it to the capital and it looks&nbsp;amazing. Featuring 360 degree projections of his most famous pieces, 15,000ft screens, virtual reality (yes, weird headsets are involved) and, the&nbsp;pièce de résistance, a bridge where you can walk over his Water Lily Pond painting.&nbsp;The Boiler House&nbsp;in&nbsp;Shoreditch, from&nbsp;30&nbsp;Sep.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">TO THE STAGE!</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Vanya_Prod_1920x1080.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-76562" /><figcaption>Andrew Scott in Simon Stephens’ stage adaptation,&nbsp;Vanya.</figcaption></figure>



It’s back to school for the kids and back to the theatre for you, with plenty of fantastic new productions hitting the West End this month. First up, Ian McKellen and Roger Allam (we know, enough said!). The titans of the West End reunite in&nbsp;<a href="https://theotherpalace.co.uk/frank-percy/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Frank And Percy</a>, a heartwarming comedy about two men who bond over their shared love of dogs (aww). Opens&nbsp;8 Sep&nbsp;at&nbsp;The Other Palaceafter a lauded run in Windsor and Bath – a must see.&nbsp;



As is Lolita Chakrabarti’s adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s bestseller,&nbsp;<a href="https://nimaxtheatres.com/shows/hamnet/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Hamnet</a>, which comes to the&nbsp;Garrick Theatre,&nbsp;30 Sep-6 Jan&nbsp;ahead of an already sold-out run in Stratford-upon-Avon. Pack your tissues – the story of Shakespeare’s wife, Agnes, and the life and untimely death of their son will have you sobbing in the aisles.



He stole your heart as the sexy vicar from&nbsp;Fleabag,&nbsp;and now Andrew Scott is at it again in new one man show&nbsp;<a href="https://vanyaonstage.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Vanya</a>. Run, don’t walk, to see him bravely explore what it is to be human through the many characters in Anton Chekhov’s tragicomedy&nbsp;Uncle Vanya. An impressive feat, but if anyone can do it, Scott can,&nbsp;15 Sep-21 Oct,&nbsp;Duke of York’s Theatre.



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/365169898_247432598183945_5502348968142196999_n.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-76605" /><figcaption>Derren Brown presents&nbsp;Unbelievable.</figcaption></figure>



For something more musical, don your mini skirts and get ready for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.menierchocolatefactory.com/tickets/close-up-the-twiggy-musical/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Close Up: The Twiggy Musical</a>. Ben Elton’s new jukebox jiving stage musical all about the 60s fashion icon, Twiggy, swings into the&nbsp;Menier Chocolate Factory Theatre,&nbsp;18 Sep-18 Nov&nbsp;and with it a whole lotta welcome nostalgia.&nbsp;



Nicole Scherzinger makes her return to the West End in another Andrew Lloyd Webber smash,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.thesavoytheatre.com/shows/sunset-boulevard" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sunset Boulevard</a>. She’ll be taking on the role of has-been movie star, Norma Desmond, in a performance you definitely need to see:&nbsp;21 Sep-6 Jan,&nbsp;Savoy Theatre.



As with all of Derren Brown’s live performances, information about the contents of his newest show is pretty hush hush, however what we do know is Brown won’t actually feature in this show at all! That’s right, in&nbsp;<a href="https://unbelievablelive.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Unbelievable</a>, the self-titled ‘mentalist’ enlists an assortment of performers and musicians to wow and shock audiences on his behalf.&nbsp;Criterion Theatre, from 19 Sep.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">OPERA &amp; BALLET</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/7f9c348d-4380-4c0c-bd15-9ef2c80ae13e_DasRheingold_V3.jpg-copy.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-76647" /><figcaption>Das Rheingold&nbsp;at the Royal Opera House</figcaption></figure>



It’s all going on at the&nbsp;Royal Opera House, with three gorgeous new operas landing this month. The first chapter of Wagner’s Ring cycle,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.roh.org.uk/tickets-and-events/das-rheingold-by-barrie-kosky-details" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Das Rheingold</a>,&nbsp;has been beautifully reimagined by Barrie Kosky and Antonio Pappano catch it&nbsp;11-29 Sep, followed by Verdi’s psychological drama,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.roh.org.uk/tickets-and-events/la-forza-del-destino-by-christof-loy-details" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">La Forza Del Destino</a>,&nbsp;19 Sep-9 Oct, and Laurent Pelly’s much-loved staging of Donizetti’s funny, sunny comedy,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.roh.org.uk/tickets-and-events/lelisir-damore-by-laurent-pelly-details" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">L’elisir d’amore</a>,&nbsp;22 Sep-10 Oct.



And for something a bit grittier, Benjamin Britten’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.eno.org/whats-on/peter-grimes/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Peter Grimes</a>&nbsp;storms into the&nbsp;Coliseum,&nbsp;21 Sep-11 Oct, exploring the small town community gripped by fear, intolerance and suspicion. Sung in English by the ENO, it’s a great intro to opera if it’s not your usual jam.



On the ballet front, transport yourself to Spain with Carlos Acosta’s vibrant production of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.roh.org.uk/tickets-and-events/don-quixote-by-carlos-acosta-details" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Don Quixote</a>,&nbsp;30 Sep–17 Nov. Cervantes’ classic novel about the outlandish nobleman and his loyal steed is brought to life with stunning choreography and a vibrant score by Ludwig Minkus – just perfect,&nbsp;Royal Opera House.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">COMEDY &amp; TALKS</h2>



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Jack Dee, Ardal O’Hanlon, Russell Kane, Jayde Adams, Simon Amstell, Stewart Lee and Nina Conti are just some of the names that will be bringing the laughs to the&nbsp;National Maritime Museum&nbsp;at this year’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.greenwichcomedyfestival.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Greenwich Comedy Week</a>&nbsp;(13-17 Sep). Be quick though, as a few performances have sold out already.



And if all that wasn’t enough, the eternally wonderful&nbsp;<a href="https://lwtheatres.co.uk/whats-on/dawn-french-is-a-huge-tt/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dawn French</a>&nbsp;will be bringing her new stand-up show to the Palladium before taking it back out on the road,&nbsp;21-24 Sep.



See your favourite podcasts recorded and performed in real time at the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kingsplace.co.uk/whats-on/london-podcast-festival/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">London Podcast Festival</a>. Now in its seventh year,&nbsp;Kings Place&nbsp;will host the best podcasting talent with the likes of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kingsplace.co.uk/whats-on/comedy/the-guilty-feminist-7/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Guilty Feminist</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kingsplace.co.uk/whats-on/comedy/i-weigh-with-jameela-jamil-2/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">I Weigh with Jameela Jamil</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kingsplace.co.uk/whats-on/comedy/fame-with-jo-elvin/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Fame with Jo Elvin</a>&nbsp;already on the books,&nbsp;7-17 Sep.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">FOOD &amp; DRINK</h2>



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Mop up the last bit of summer sauce with some lush food and drink fests before being confined to roast dinners and cosy fire places.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pubintheparkuk.com/chiswick#" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Pub in the Park</a>&nbsp;returns for a second sesh this summer at&nbsp;Chiswick House and Gardens,&nbsp;1-3 Sep, where Tom Kerridge, Andi Oliver and one half of the Hairy Bikers, Si King, will be rustling up the grub while Ronan Keating, McFly and Squeeze provide the soundtrack.&nbsp;



Still hungry?&nbsp;<a href="https://www.lords.org/the-home-of-food" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Ultimate Food Festival</a>&nbsp;is bowling into&nbsp;Lord’s Cricket Ground, 9-10 Sep, where there’ll be cookery demos, wine tasting, talks with leading chefs, plenty of food stalls to sample and shop – a tasty day out by all accounts and probably the only time you’ll catch us that close to cricket!&nbsp;



Wash it all down at the&nbsp;<a href="https://ginandrumfestival.com/festival-tickets/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Gin &amp; Rum Festival</a>,&nbsp;The Kia Oval,&nbsp;23 Sep, where over 120 producers and artisanal distillers will assemble to showcase their cocktail making skills while you sample the goods and dance the night away – winning.



Somewhere where it’s always hot hot hot is&nbsp;<a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.amazonicorestaurant.com/london/__;!!Ivohdkk!nO39kjEn2ZTnCLUNfZv_2jk5JHjuQMhxDowYEXvKJG6NJXzIuVD1RWyAx71lRsPR8POBg21yoXElGMZnR8uq$" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Amazónico</a>, the Latin American restaurant in&nbsp;Berkeley Square. This Autumn sees the return of their&nbsp;Noche Tardiva&nbsp;parties where one Friday night a month, their cocktail bar OCTO hosts world renowned DJs well into the early hours. Launching&nbsp;15 Sept, grab your party flats and get the Negronis in!

Slip into September! 30 things to do and see in London this month

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