Upcoming events in London 02.19.07

Britain’s Got Talent Auditions for another Simon Cowell led ‘talent’ show are taking place at the Business Design Centre in Islington. We’ve had Pop Idol, Popstars, X Factor, where a bunch of tuneless karaoke singers try there luck at getting on tv, if you think you can do better the auditions start at 9am on 19-21 and 23-24 February. The Business Design Centre is on Upper Street, Islington, five minutes walk from Angel Tube station.

Chinese State Circus This new two hour show at the Hackney Empire combines for the first time Kung Fu from the monks of the Shaolin Temple, artistes from the Peking Opera along with the acrobats from the Chinese State Circus. If you like sensational gymnastics, contortionists and martial arts you can catch this show from the 20-25 February. The Hackney Empire is close to the town hall on Mare Street in Hackney, there are no Tubes close by but there are three overground train stations in the vicinity, Hackney Central, Hackney Downs and London Fields which you can catch from Moorgate or Liverpool Street. There are two shows a day and tickets cost between £10-£20.

Renoir Landscapes A new exhibition at the National Gallery featuring over 70 landscapes painted between 1865-1883 by the famous French artist Pierre-Auguste Renoir. Among the locations Renoir painted are ones in the South of France, Italy, North Africa and the Channel Island of Guernsey. The exhibition is on from 21 February-20 May, 10am-6pm daily and there is an admission charge of £12.

Australian Dance Theatre are presenting a show called Held at the Sadlers Wells Theatre in Islington which features athletic dance moves that are captured by a photographer on stage and instantly enlarged and shown on giant screens behind the dancers. The show is on from 20-21 February with tickets from £10-£28. Sadlers Wells is on Roseberry Avenue in Islington, a few minutes south of Angel Tube station.

Imagine:Childrens Literature Festival Looking at the world of childrens literature with authors, illustrators and storytellers, the festival takes place at the South Bank Centre from 18-21 February. They’ll be readings and a chance to meet various writers. Tickets are £7 adult, £4.50 child or 4 tickets for £17. The Centre is on the south side of the Thames around the Waterloo Bridge area.

Celebrating Auden at Westminster Abbey On 20th February at 6.15pm there’s an evening of the poems of WH Auden read by actor Sam Dastor, to celebrate the centenary of Auden’s birth. Its taking place in Westminster Abbey because there’s a memorial to Auden in their Poet’s Corner. Admission is free but you need to get a ticket from the Projects Officer at the Abbey.