Welcome to the London For Fun regular newsletter keeping you up to date with what's new in London`s events.

LONDON FOR FUN Newsletter: 14 July 2009 Issue No.176

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1.) Top 10 London events
2.) Other Events, Theatre listings, Museums and Galleries
3.) How to unsubscribe

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1. Top 10 London events
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1 - Baroque 1620-1800: Style in the Age of Magnificence - The magnificence and splendour of Baroque, one of the most opulent styles of the 17th and 18th centuries, will be the subject of the V&A’s spring exhibition. The exhibition will reflect the complexity and grandeur of the Baroque style, from the Rome of Borromini and Bernini to the magnificence of Louis XIV's Versailles and the lavishness of Baroque theatre and performance. On display will be religious paintings by Rubens and Tiepolo while silver furniture, portraits, sculpture, a regal bed and court tapestries will conjure up the rooms of a Baroque palace. Until 19 July. www.vam.ac.uk LAST CHANCE

2 - Summer Exhibition 2009 - Now in its 241st year, the Royal Academy's Summer Exhibition 2009 continues the tradition of displaying a wide range of new work by both established and unknown artists in all media including painting, printmaking, photography, sculpture and architecture. Until 16 August. www.royalacademy.org.uk

3 - Gilbert & George: Jack Freak Pictures - The dominant pictorial element is the Union Jack, itself an internationally familiar, abstract, geometric pattern and a socially and politically charged symbol whose significance spans the cultural spectrum from contemporary fashion to aggressive national pride. Equally prominent, and linking the ‘JACK FREAK PICTURES’ to almost every work previously created by the artists, are Gilbert & George themselves in a variety of guises: dancing, gurning, howling, watching, waiting. Sometimes their bodies seem complete; other times they have been fragmented or contorted. Invariably they feature as both subject and object, artwork and artist; they are players in the epic and complex pictorial drama they have created. Until 22 August. www.whitecube.com

4 - Notting Hill Carnival - London's most vibrant celebration of diversity, colour and sound, Notting Hill Carnival has become an internationally acclaimed event which remains true to its Caribbean roots. It is Europe's largest street festival with hundreds of thousands of regular visitors enjoying live Masquerade bands, Soundsystems, street food, dancing and much more. 30 and 31 August. www.nottinghillcarnival.biz

5 - Proms in the Park - Join in the Last Night celebrations in Hyde Park with Sir Terry Wogan and a host of internationally acclaimed stars, including Katherine Jenkins, accompanied by Proms in the Park favourites the BBC Concert Orchestra, conducted by Martin Yates. 12 September. www.royalalberthall.com

6 - Ben Hur - 50 years after the famous Oscar-winning film, Ben Hur Live brings to life the love story of Judah and the beautiful slave girl Esther. It leads the audience on an awe-inspiring and fantastic journey through deserts, on high seas, into the hectic crowds of an Arabian bazaar, all produced on a huge scale with breathtaking action and amazing effects. Be amazed by the legendary chariot race, be awed by an incredible sea battle and extraordinary daring stunts. The creative team brings together a host of top international experts, with musical composition by Stewart Copeland (from The Police and composer of scores of film, TV, ballet and opera) and book by Shaun Mckenna whose work cludes the recent West End epic The Lord of The Rings. Step back 2,000 years and experience the spectacular production. A once-in-a-lifetime epic staging! From 15 September until 19 September. Buy tickets

7 - Live Forever: Elizabeth Peyton - Executed in oil paint, watercolour, ink or pencil, her small but intense portraits may be inspired by photographs in the media, but often and increasingly they are drawn from life. Citing literary influences such as Oscar Wilde and Gustave Flaubert, she shares their absorption with reflecting a social milieu. Peyton portrays artists and musicians of her own generation including Matthew Barney, Jake Chapman, and Angus Fairhurst, Jarvis Cocker and Liam Gallagher. She also pays tribute to iconic figures who have inspired her, including the young Elizabeth II, Georgia O’ Keefe and Frida Kahlo. Until 20 September. www.whitechapel.org

8 - Serpentine Gallery Pavilion 2009 - Sejima and Nishizawa have created a stunning Pavilion that resembles a reflective cloud or a floating pool of water, sitting atop a series of delicate columns. The metal roof structure varies in height, wrapping itself around the trees in the park, reaching up towards the sky and sweeping down almost to the ground in various places. Open and ephemeral in structure, its reflective materials make it sit seamlessly within the natural environment, reflecting both the park and sky around it. Until 18 October. www.serpentinegallery.org

9 - Rigoletto - Brilliantly relocating the original Renaissance court setting of Verdi’s great revenge drama to the vendetta-driven culture of 1950s Mafia-run New York, Jonathan Miller’s ‘Little Italy’ staging of Rigoletto was acclaimed as a classic when it was first seen in 1982 and has remained in ENO’s repertoire ever since. For its latest revival, leading Verdi baritone Anthony Michaels-Moore, who has sung the title role to acclaim in Brussels, Vienna and the Netherlands, now sings it for the first time on the British stage. From 21 September until 20 October. www.eno.org

10 - Moctezuma: Aztec Ruler - This major exhibition explores Aztec civilisation through the divine, military and political role of the last elected ruler, Moctezuma II (reigned AD 1502-1520). From his capital in Tenochtitlan (the site of modern Mexico City), Moctezuma's empire comprised much of modern highland Mexico, stretching from the Gulf Coast to the Pacific Ocean. His power was reflected in the splendour of his capital's architecture, his command of the prestigious Jaguar and Eagle military orders, and his sacrificial rituals to the gods. Moctezuma's world was unrivalled until the devastating arrival of strangers - Cortés and his Spanish fleet. Rediscover the world of the Aztecs and trace the foundation of modern Mexico in the British Museum's next major exhibition on great rulers. From 24 September until 24 January 2010. Buy tickets

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2. Other Events, Theatre listings, Museums and Galleries:

Events listing:
http://www.londonforfun.com/events-in-London.htm

Theatre listings:
http://www.londonforfun.com/London-theatres.htm

Museum listing:
http://www.londonforfun.com/London-museums.htm

Galleries listings:
http://www.londonforfun.com/galleries-in-London.htm

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