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Time Out
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time Out
The Triumph of Art at Trafalgar Square: Artist Jeremy Deller is Hosting a Massive Free Street Party in Central London
Pigeons, protests and plinths – that's what Trafalgar Square is usually known for. But it's also a heck of a party destination, having held plenty of sports screenings and day festivals (like the recent edition of West End Live). The square's party rep is being revived later this month, this time in the name of art. Jeremy Deller, Turner Prize winner and all-round art world icon, is throwing a massive, one-day street party in Trafalgar Square. Taking place on Saturday July 26, it's called The Triumph of Art, and it's shaping up to be a joyful, chaotic blowout of banners, brass bands, inflatables, puppets and public performance. No tickets. No barriers. Just turn up. The event marks the end of the National Gallery's 200th birthday celebrations and is the culmination of two years of projects across the UK. Deller has very much been part of those anniversary celebrations, being part of collaborations in Derry, Dundee, Plymouth and Llandudno. Each of those places staged its own art event earlier this year, and now it all comes together for one big finale in central London. The party will start with a procession up Whitehall at 11am which will wind its way into Trafalgar Square, where things will keep going until 4pm. Expect music, performances, workshops, banners, costumes and, crucially, a giant puppet called Quingo Starlequinn. This towering creation was built by learning disability arts collective Do Your Own Thing, and there'll be DJs performing from inside it throughout the day. Deller has called the event 'a big fête/bacchanal-type thing' and says it's about rethinking who makes art, what it looks like, and where it belongs. This isn't a stuffy gallery show. It's a noisy, funny, generous invitation to be part of something together. Whether you come for the spectacle, the music, or just to say you saw a DJ puppet in Trafalgar Square, The Triumph of Art is a chance to loosen up and do something properly unexpected at a London landmark. You can find more details about what to expect here. Did you hear? London is the best city in Europe for students. Get the latest and greatest from the Big Smoke – from news and reviews to events and trends. Just follow our Time Out London WhatsApp channel.
Time Out
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Artist Jeremy Deller is hosting a massive free street party in Trafalgar Square
Pigeons, protests and plinths – that's what Trafalgar Square is usually known for. But it's also a heck of a party destination, having held plenty of sports screenings and day festivals (like the recent edition of West End Live). The square's party rep is being revived later this month, this time in the name of art. Jeremy Deller, Turner Prize winner and all-round art world icon, is throwing a massive, one-day street party in Trafalgar Square. Taking place on Saturday July 26, it's called The Triumph of Art, and it's shaping up to be a joyful, chaotic blowout of banners, brass bands, inflatables, puppets and public performance. No tickets. No barriers. Just turn up. The event marks the end of the National Gallery's 200th birthday celebrations and is the culmination of two years of projects across the UK. Deller has very much been part of those anniversary celebrations, being part of collaborations in Derry, Dundee, Plymouth and Llandudno. Each of those places staged its own art event earlier this year, and now it all comes together for one big finale in central London. The party will start with a procession up Whitehall at 11am which will wind its way into Trafalgar Square, where things will keep going until 4pm. Expect music, performances, workshops, banners, costumes and, crucially, a giant puppet called Quingo Starlequinn. This towering creation was built by learning disability arts collective Do Your Own Thing, and there'll be DJs performing from inside it throughout the day. Deller has called the event 'a big fête/bacchanal-type thing' and says it's about rethinking who makes art, what it looks like, and where it belongs. This isn't a stuffy gallery show. It's a noisy, funny, generous invitation to be part of something together. Whether you come for the spectacle, the music, or just to say you saw a DJ puppet in Trafalgar Square, The Triumph of Art is a chance to loosen up and do something properly unexpected at a London landmark. You can find more details about what to expect here.
The National
23-06-2025
- Politics
- The National
I was at the protest for Palestine Action – this is what happened
It was a strange scene when one considered that in precisely a week's time, this gathering would be categorically illegal. Expressing support for the group, which last week broke into RAF Brize Norton and damaged planes, will become a criminal offence carrying a 14-year prison sentence. Wearing clothes or holding banners reading 'We are all Palestine Action', as some protesters in Trafalgar Square did, will also be a crime. Quite how ludicrous that situation is was laid bare on Monday during a peaceful demonstration demanding the Government reverse its stance. Supporters of Palestine Action who came out to central London were plainly not terrorists. They chanted, they got in minor skirmishes with the police, they banged drums; they are a million miles away from Daesh or Al-Qaeda. But in the eyes of the law, as of next week, Palestine Action will be considered equivalent to those organisations. (Image: Jeff Moore) Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn called the group's proscription a 'draconian assault on the democratic attempt to protest – and is a disgraceful attempt to hide the real meaning of violence: the mass murder of Palestinians'. He added: 'The UK Government is complicit in genocide and we see this latest move for what it is: an act of desperation from a government trying to shield itself from accountability.' Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie echoed those criticisms, saying: 'It's obviously absurd that throwing red paint on things could cause a group to be listed alongside Al Qaeda, Isis and Russia's Wagner Group, with membership carrying a 14-year prison sentence.' READ MORE: Arrests at Palestine Action protest as group to be proscribed He added: 'Labour's priorities are completely backwards – and will have devastating consequences for Palestinians under siege in Gaza and non-violent protesters here in the UK.' They were sentiments which found a voice at the protest, with demonstrators carrying signs expressing bemusement that arming a genocidal power was fine but campaigning to stop that was terrorism. (Image: Lucy North) That the protest, which lasted over three hours in 23C heat, passed without much incident was a credit to those involved. Some heavy-handed crowd control techniques employed by the police resulted in small scuffles and there were a few arrests that I witnessed. But given the circumstances, it would have been unsurprising had things properly kicked off. READ MORE: UK is not selectively applying international law, Labour minister insists Protesters found themselves in a farcical situation when they began to arrive at midday. The Metropolitan Police had imposed a large exclusion zone preventing the protest from taking place in Parliament, perhaps so as not to disturb a veterans' event taking place in New Palace Yard. Organisers chose Trafalgar Square as the alternative – but seemed dismayed to find on arrival that most of the space remained fenced off as crews took down the stage from West End Live, a theatre event which took place over the weekend. (Image: Lucy North) This resulted in the protest taking place mostly in the top right-hand corner of the square, which caused tension with the police who periodically decided they wanted to try and reopen the road, to little success until the end. One of the more absurd scenes came as pro-Israel agitators took refuge inside an abandoned bus parked outside St Martin-in-the-Fields Church. Quite how the situation with Palestine Action will pan out remains to be seen. If they become a cause celebre of the Palestine movement across the UK, will the police be able to enforce their proscription when campaigners deliberately voice their support to make a statement? In her statement to Parliament announcing her intention to ban Palestine Action, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said that the group had 'a footprint in all 45 policing regions in the UK' – suggesting that the crackdown might turn into a game of whack-a-mole. Cooper also said: 'It is vitally important that those seeking to protest peacefully, including pro-Palestinian groups, those opposing the actions of the Israeli government, and those demanding changes in the UK's foreign policy, can continue to do so.' Some protesters on Monday suggested that Palestine Action was being banned because of their successes in frustrating the Israeli war machine. In that case, the UK Government's message appears to be: You are allowed to protest, but you're not allowed to change things.
RTÉ News
21-06-2025
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
SIX star Alexia: 'I think it's quite inspirational'
Hit musical SIX is back in Dublin and the show's original star Alexia McIntosh has also returned – and she's having a ball - as Anna of Cleeves. Currently running at Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, SIX follows the six wives of the infamous English King Henry VIII as they take to the mic to tell their own personal tales, remixing five hundred years of historical heartbreak into an 80-minute celebration of 21st century girl power. For her performances, Alexia received an Olivier Award nomination for Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical and recently reprised the role on-screen in the record-breaking SIX the Musical Live. RTÉ Entertainment caught up with her the day after the show opened in Dublin and she was in great form. "Oh, it was brilliant," she said when asked about opening night. "I always enjoy performing SIX, it's such a great vibe." And she speaks as someone who there, back at the start, of course . . . "Yeah, back in 2018. The original. It's been quite a journey. It's been a dream come true for me." SIX has enjoyed a remarkable run of success since then. Unlike most hit shows, it was a first-time effort from Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, a pair of students who thought it would be a good idea to write a musical about the six wives of Henry VII from the wives' perspectives. They couldn't have dreamed of the heights the show has attained. It became a global hit that rocked both London's West End and Broadway in New York. No mean feat. "Exactly!" says Alkexia. "And I remember getting the phone call asking if I'd like to audition. Two students from Cambridge have made this musical. And none of us really knew what it was about. "So we were thrown in at the deep end. I was cast at the last minute, then a week later we hadn't read the script but had to rehearse a song to then perform at West End Live in Trafalgar Square. "You can look that up on YouTube. It's in a raw format. We're all in our clothes (laughs) - and we still hadn't read the script yet! "To see it become the phenomenon that it is, is just amazing." With the exception of prog rock keyboard whiz Rick Wakeman's 1973 concept album The Six Wives of Henry VIII, it's not a subject that would've been part of pop culture. Naturally, it's also not the kind of topic that would feature highly in history lessons in Irish schools, but Alexia McIntosh grew up in Birmingham. Even then, she admits no previous expertise on the subject before SIX came calling. "Well, in school you're taught a bit about Tudor history . . . you don't really go into detail. For me, I knew kind of the basics, but to be able to research these women, it just changes your whole outlook on life because you can't believe what was going on in those times - and what they got away with, really. As for Henry himself? "He was a bit bipolar I think! If you got on the wrong side of him, you would end up dead! I think people were walking on eggshells, to be honest."And a lot of these women were teenagers, they were Ladies in Waiting. To know that they all knew each other and some form of friendship, association, makes it even more amazing. "Because that's not really taught [in English schools]: how he was cheating on his wife with this one; he was in love with these teenage girls; it starts to become really dark when you get into the nitty-gritty of what went on. "I think I was shocked. Disgusted. These women really do need a voice, to say what they went true - we just need to keep their legacy alive." Of course, that's the thing about SIX - it takes this dark tale, six of them really, and turns it in a joyous, uplifting show. That's quite an achievement. The fact that it's been such a hit – and not just in its native England, but all around the world – tells a tale about its impact as a show. "They always say there's nothing new under the sun," says Alexia. "Unfortunately, people will experience some form of trauma in their lives. "I think that the style of the show is telling these stories through songs so that makes it more palatable . . . and actually, we need to celebrate these lives and show that there is hope. "I think it's quite inspirational and that's why people gravitate towards this musical."
Time Out
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Five great open air theatre shows to watch while London swelters this summer
London is hot right now. Literally. And it's only going to get hotter. Next week, it'll probably cool down a bit at the start and then get hot again. It's basically unbearable, but at the same time it's outdoor frickin' theatre season, baby. Where better to cool down than at an open air theatre with a gentle night breeze and glass of something cold, preferably watching something classy but not aggressively difficult. Here are five outdoor shows on right now or about to start that will take you outside the scorching concrete hellscape that is our beloved city. 1. The free outdoor musicals festival Is it possible to simply show tune your way through 30-plus degree heat? They'll be giving it their best try at West End Live this weekend, the two day festival at which the cast of pretty much every musical in town will be singing a song or two, for free, in Trafalgar Square. The catch? The best shows are early on the Saturday, and it'll hit capacity rapidly. Plus it'll be 'el scorchio'. For a complete guide including full line up, head here. Trafalgar Square, Sat Jul 21 and Sun Jul 22. 2. Shakespeare's daftest play The Globe has fine productions of Romeo and Juliet and Arthur Miller's The Crucible currently in its rep. But if tragic deaths and people named Goody are a bit much for your heat fogged brain, get down to its new production of Shakespeare's dumbest play. The Merry Wives of Windsor is a joyously silly romp in which his beloved character Falstaff – who dies offstage in Henry V, which is set in 1415 – is somehow not only alive but getting up to mischief with the womenfolk of Elizabethan England. It's a hoot! Shakespeare's Globe, Jul 4-Sep 20. Buy tickets here. 3. A YA thriller There'll be nothing trashy about the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre's stage adaptation of Malorie Blackman's immortal dystopian race drama Noughts & Crosses. However, it's not going to be arty, impenetrable theatre: it's a thriller, a properly accessible, teen-orientated story that should get the pulse pounding enough to let you forget the heat. Regent's Park Open Air Theatre, Jun 28-Jul 26. Buy tickets here. 4. Shakespeare's darkest play (but fun!) Okay that was a bit of a shout back to number two: The Taming of the Shrew probably isn't really Shakespeare's darkest play, but taken at face value its account of how boisterous Petruchio breaks the spirit of the feisty Katherina is pretty damn problematic. But you can massage it to make it a lot less grim, and I gather that's the deal with this pop song-saturated production from the redoubtable Shakespeare in the Squares. They're midway through their annual tour of London's outdoor spaces – check out the schedule to see if they're coming near to you soon. Various venues, now until Jul 12. 5. Stand in the street and watch Rachel Zegler sing 'Don't Cry for Me Argentina' Jamie Lloyd's Evita revival has made worldwide headlines this week for its typically ballsy showstopper moment, wherein US star Zegler sings the anthemic 'Don't Cry to Me Argentina' from a balcony on Argyll Street. Nobody is suggesting that this constitutes an entire theatre show, but it's a uniquely London theatrical moment that will probably never be repeated in our lifetimes, and you do get a pretty banging song sung by a celebrity for five minutes or so at a time of day (around 9pm) when the temperature is finally something approaching 'pleasant'.
