February — the endurance month
Once you’re past the novelty of Halloween, Christmas and the reset month of January — you hit February. A month where your tolerance of dark evenings is at its limit and you have grown tired of the grey skies that plunge the city into a monochromatic colour grade. February (and oftentimes the first half of March, too) is the endurance month — the last sprint before things start to feel a little lighter. Spring is soon. For now, here’s some entertainment, art and wellbeing bits to get you through the slog.
Ronnie Scott’s art-deco makeover
Photograph: Courtesy of Ronnie Scott’s
If there ever was a place that could emulate the peak of 1920s art deco design, it is the leading stage of jazz music — Ronnie Scott’s. On Wednesday 4th, the club reopened its upstairs room after a significant refurbishment into a geometric, low-lit haven fit for an array of jazz-adjacent performances. Expect a reoccurring jazz night in their programme every Wednesday evening at Upstairs at Ronnie’s.
Art & theatre
Dracula | Noël Coward Theatre | Opening 4 February
Cynthia Erivo leads a new stage adaptation of Dracula. It follows Jonathan Harker’s journey into Transylvania and the slow, unsettling spread of Dracula’s influence into Victorian England. Expect psychological tension.
Chiharu Shiota: Threads of Life | Hayward Gallery | Opening 17 February
Chiharu Shiota is best-known for her large-scale installations which engulf ordinary objects – such as shoes, keys, beds, chairs and dresses – within huge web structures made from woollen thread.
Tracey Emin: A Second Life | Tate Modern | Opening 27 February
This is a landmark exhibition that traces 40 years of Emin’s practice through painting, video, textiles, neons, writing, sculpture and more. Emin, who is one of the most important contemporary artists of her generation, was catapulted into the public eye in the 90s with iconic works like her Turner Prize nominated My Bed.
A member’s club health retreat
Images courtesy of Stay Crafted
Crafted at Powdermills is a new members’ retreat set across 78 acres of lakes and woodland on the outskirts of London in East Sussex. Membership unlocks gym and studio classes, lakeside sauna and cold-water swimming, co-working spaces, padel courts (soon), dining, a pub and creative workshops. It’s designed for switching pace rather than escaping life — with priority booking, guest passes and a steady programme of wellness, culture and social events.