Things to do in London: November edition

Don't hibernate just yet – we round up the best London things to do in November, featuring a Michelin-starred punk restaurant, gender-swapped Shakespeare and a tale of siamese twins

Explore the Frieze Sculpture Park 2016

Though the main Frieze event was last month, Frieze Sculpture Park is our favourite part of the whole Fair affair. Every year, a series of sculptures from both Frieze and Frieze Masters are installed in Regent's Park.


Freed from the claustrophobic and overwhelming interior of the tents, the artworks are allowed to breathe, and you can walk among them.

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WHEN
05 Oct 2016 – 08 Jan 2017, Regent's Park October Opening Time: 5am-5pm
WHERE
Frieze
Regent's Park, London, NW1 4NR

Go cross-eyed at Picasso's Portraits

He's widely considered the greatest artist of the 20th Century. This autumn, for the first time in more than 20 years, London is treated to an exhibition of Pablo Picasso's portraits.

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WHEN
06 Oct 2016 – 05 Feb 2017, Opening hours Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday: 10.00 – 18.00, Late Opening: Thursday, Friday: 10.00 – 21.00
WHERE
National Portrait Gallery
St Martin's Place, London, WC2H 0HE

Celebrate all things Bad Taste at the Baribcan

Jean Paul Gaultier, Vivienne Westwood, Malcolm McLaren, Moschino and Gucci... Fashion has a tempestuous relationship with the concept of taste.

This Barbican exhibition explores the origins and evolution of 'The Vulgar', with exhibits including bling, ostentation and cringe-inducing tackiness.

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WHEN
13 Oct 2016 – 05 Feb 2017, Sat–Wed 10am–6pm, Thu–Fri 10am–9pm
WHERE
Barbican Centre
Silk Street, London, EC2Y 8DS

Experience the drama of Mozart's life story on stage

37 years after opening to sold out crowds, hoards of awards, and a blockbuster film adaptation, Peter Shaffer's Amadeus returns to the National Theatre's Olivier stage. Expect a bold update, with live orchestral accompaniment from the Southbank Sinfonia.

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WHEN
19 Oct 2016 – 31 Dec 2016, 7:30 PM – 10:00 PM
WHERE
National Theatre
South Bank, London, SE1 9PX

See David Bowie's bizarre musical

Imagine a musical with the songs of David Bowie and the avant-garde vision of director Ivo van Hove. Lazarus is, according those that saw the New York premiere, "… Unapologetically weird… and oddly intriguing". Expect theatre at its oddest as the show arrives in London.

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WHEN
25 Oct 2016 – 22 Jan 2017, Tuesday to Sunday at 8pm
WHERE
Kings Cross Theatre
King's Cross, , London, , N1C 4UR

Elystan Street restaurant, Chelsea

Recovered crack addict and culinary genius: yes, both of these are true of Phil Howard, the Michelin-worthy chef behind new Chelsea restaurant, Elystan Street.

After 20 years of sobriety, Howard has become one of Britain's most accomplished and respected chefs. Expect ambitious cooking to the highest standard.

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WHEN
27 Sep 2016 – 27 Sep 2020, 12:00 AM
WHERE
Elystan Street
43 Elystan Street, Chelsea, SW3 3NT

Catch a three-Michelin starred mohawk-sporting chef shock your tastebuds

David Muñoz: the man behind the triple (yes, triple) Michelin-starred DiverXo in Madrid is coming to London: and everyone is talking about it.


In Madrid, Muñoz is famous for his urban vibe: inspired by street-food and complete with graffiti-covered walls, StreetXo will channel his unique aesthetic of "punk-rock meets fine-dining."

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WHEN
31 Oct 2016 – 31 Oct 2020, 12:00 AM
WHERE
Street XO
15 Old Burlington Street, Mayfair, London, W1S 3AJ

Glide across an ice rink in the neoclassical surrounds of Somerset House

Somerset House is the most beautiful example of crisp Georgian architecture in the capital. Skate, now in its 17th year outside this magnificent building,has become a beloved staple of London's winter season.


Little skaters can learn at the Polar Cub Club, and there is also a Skate School for those wanting to brush up on their skating skills. At night, the rink is hosting Club Nights for grownups.

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WHEN
17 Nov 2016 – 16 Jan 2017, Book your time slot in advance
WHERE
Somerset House
Strand, London, WC2R 1LA

Be stunned by a musical that tells the true story of conjoined twins

Take a seat at the freak show, where the stars are Daisy and Violet Hilton, two conjoined twins that perform tacky routines and sing. The musical (based on a true story) follows the girls as they leave the freak show behind, and strike success in Vaudeville shows, and in the cinema, all the while wondering what it might be like to have private lives.


The Tony Award-nominated script is an alternative story transferred from Broadway that Londoners will relish.

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WHEN
21 Oct 2016 – 03 Dec 2016, 7:30 PM – 10:00 PM
WHERE
Southwark Playhouse
77-85 Newington Causeway, London, SE1 6BD

Open your eyes to one of Britain's greatest Modernist painters.

Shooting stars, mystical suns and moonlit landscapes summon up the hidden magic of human experience: Paul Nash's visionary works redefined our idea of landscape painting. Engaging with new European avant-garde movements such as Surrealism and Vorticism, they also worship and mythologise England's ancient past.


It's very moving. Don't miss it.

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WHEN
24 Oct 2016 – 05 Mar 2017, Open daily 10.00 – 18.00
WHERE
Tate Britain
Millbank, London, SW1P 4RG

Discover the quintessential L.A artist: Ed Ruscha

American artist Ed Ruscha has a way with words. For more than five decades he has played with language and image, mining the American psyche along the way.


Ruscha's wry choice of words and phrases ensure that the works are accessible - irresistible, even. There is something uniquely pleasing about them.

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WHEN
05 Oct 2016 – 17 Dec 2016, Tuesday — Saturday, from 10:00 to 18:00
WHERE
Gagosian Grosvenor Hill
20 Grosvenor Hill, London, W1K 3DL
TRY CULTURE WHISPER
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