Oscars in London: sightseeing guide to the stars

Catch up with Kenneth Lonergan's play The Starry Messenger

Kenneth Lonergan is one of the world’s most acclaimed writers of both plays and films. His script for Manchester by the Sea saw him win the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay in 2017. The Starry Messenger began its Broadway in 2009. Now, Lonergan's play coming to the West End with its original leading man Matthew Broderick.

Broderick plays Mark Williams, an astronomer who starts an affair with a woman called Angela, played here by Elizabeth McGovern. As well as discovering performances from two acclaimed actors, The Starry Messenger offers a chance for you to see Lonergan’s renowned writing brought to life on stage.

Join the debate about one of the most divisive nominees

Love him or loathe him, Adam McKay is back. The director of The Big Short, which won the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay in 2015, is now nominated for seven Academy Awards with his new film Vice.

With a public release date coming just in time for the month of predictions and speculation ahead, head to cinemas in London to make up your own mind about the divisive Dick Cheney biopic, sure to be a talking point on the night.

See Cate Blanchett in When We Have Sufficiently Tortured Each Other

Cate Blanchett is a two-time Oscar winner, having won Best Supporting Actress in 2005 for her performance as Katharine Hepburn in The Aviator and Best Actress in 2014 for Blue Jasmine. Her award for The Aviator saw her become the first, and to date only, performer to win an Oscar for portraying another Oscar-winning actor. Now you can see her live on stage in When We Have Sufficiently Tortured Each Other at the National Theatre.

The new play, directed by Katie Mitchell and written by Martin Crimp, is a contemporary take on the classic book from 1740. It has already gained some notoriety, with reports of people fainting in the aisles due to its explicit content. While tickets are hard to come by, a limited number of Day Tickets are available from 9.30am on the day of the performance. However, with the opportunity to see a double Oscar winner perform, expect long queues.

Admire Sandy Powell's costumes from The Favourite

Sandy Powell is one of Hollywood’s most sought-after costume designers. She has won three Oscars already (Shakespeare in Love, The Aviator, The Young Victoria) and is heavily tipped to receive a fourth this year for her work on Yorgos Lanthimos' The Favourite.

Many of Powell's costumes for the period piece (starring Olivia Colman, Rachel Weisz and Emma Stone) are currently on display at Kensington Palace. Many of the events that inspired the film took place there, as it was one of Queen Anne's main residences.

This display presents a stunning showcase of Powell's work. However, even if she doesn’t end up being recognized for The Favourite, Powell could still win a fourth Oscar this year as she also designed the costumes for Mary Poppins Returns.

Feel the love in The Lion King on stage

Similarly to Aladdin, Disney's animated staple The Lion King was awarded for its music at the 1995 Oscars for both Original Score and Original Song. In this instance, composer Hans Zimmer was at the helm of the film that beat the likes of Forrest Gump and The Shawshank Redemption.

Elton John’s ‘Can You Feel the Love Tonight’ won Best Original Song, over its own competitors by beating ‘Circle of Life’ and ‘Hakuna Matata’. The West End production of The Lion King has been running for over 16 years now, proving its Oscar-winning music is a perfect fit for the stage. If you’re yet to see the original film and can't wait for the live-action remake, now might be a good time to do some homework.

Go to a whole new world with Aladdin on the West End

Released before there was a Best Animated Feature category at the Oscars, Disney’s 1992 classic Aladdin was awarded for its Original Score and in the Best Original Song category for the classic, ‘A Whole New World’.

Head to a whole new world in the big smoke at the Prince Edward Theatre, where a stunning production brings all of the magical music to life. An entertaining spectacular for the whole family, it’s worth seeing before Disney brings the film back to the big screen this summer for a live-action remake.

Marvel at this year's Best Picture frontrunner on the big screen

While you can enjoy Alfonso Cuarón's monochrome love letter on Netflix, there's still time to bask in its beauty on the big screen, courtesy of Curzon.

Roma is leading this year's nominations in 10 different categories, including Best Picture and Best Foreign Language Film, as well as a Best Director nod for Cuarón and Actress in a Leading Role for newcomer Yalitza Aparicio. Catch up with all the nominations here.