A bit off the top

I wasn’t supposed to take this photo, and it’s the only shot I took, but it gives a tiny glimpse on what to expect if you attend a performance of The Masque of the Red Death based around Edgar Allen Poe’s short stories at the Battersea Arts Centre.

The audience enter not through the main doors, but through a side door, and are given white masks and capes to wear. Entering the inner recesses of the building through a series of curtains gives you a feel for what’s to come: dark passages filled with side doors leading into candlelit rooms where tableaux are played out, sometimes involving audience members. It’s intricately detailed, absolutely enthralling, and completely sold out now (though I have a few extra dates booked). You might be lucky enough to get a ticket on eBay, or if you’re a Wandsworth resident you could enquire about the ‘pay what you like’ tickets for Tuesday night performances. Look out for more Punchdrunk productions in the future.

Amazing light sculptures. Go soon - it’s only until February 3rd. Don’t get caught taking photos though…

I didn’t do this

Autumn’s approaching - mist on the river this morning, and the amazing sight of every spider web jewelled with water droplets, hanging in bushes along the banks of the River Lee, like hundreds of tiny galaxies.

A tea dance in Spitalfields Market and Acoustic Ladyland giving it some at the Spitz in it’s last month of existence as a music venue.