Subtle power: I, Joan, which reimagines Joan of Arc as a transgender person
(Picture: Helen Murray)And so the summer slows, and September has crept in. Now is the time to make the most of the summer hits — the rooftop bars, the al fresco restaurants — especially given the risk of sunburn is lessening.
This weekend, then, we’re taking it outside (although granted, there’s one hidden away speakeasy for the vampiric types out there). So, from a smoking hot barbecue restaurant to the capital’s most talked about play, here’s what to get up to in London this weekend. Have fun.
The restaurant: Acme Fire Cult
Barbecue restaurant Acme Fire Cult has been mentioned on these pages a few times since it launched, mostly because it’s really bloody good. From the early evening, co-founders and chefs Andrew Clarke (pictured, left) and Daniel Watkins will welcome their pal Neil Rankin (pictured, right) for a one-off evening, where Rankin — previously known as a devoted carnivore — joins them at the grill to do his thing with veg. Dishes, which run from £3 to £25, will include the likes of dan dan spring greens with grilled cucumber and a chilli ramen broth, Rankin’s three month-aged patty doner kebab, which is vegetable based and from his Symplicity brand, and crab and bonemarrow toast with salted cabbage and jalapeno verde. One not to be missed.
September 2, Abbot St, E8 3DP, acmefirecult.com
The bar: Lost Property Office
It can be taken as a given that anyone whose nickname is “the cocktail guy” knows how to mix a drink. So it holds for Rich Woods, an award-winning bartender whose previous London project was Scout, which ended up being listed at number 28 on the World’s 50 Best Bars list. Inside the enormous, enormous Brewdog in Waterloo — which claims to be the biggest bar in the country — Woods has created a proper speakeasy, dark and hidden away, and only found through a hidden entrace. It would spoil the fun to give too much away, except to say the drinks are first rate, the vibe is a good’un and, oh, watch out for martini roulette.
Inside Brewdog, Unit G, Waterloo Station, 01 The Sidings, SE1 7BH, brewdog.com
The show: I, Joan
Charlie Josephine’s play works by re-imagining Joan of Arc as transgender, following her story but doing so with this crucial new viewpoint. In his four-star review, our critic Nick Curtis calls it an “expansive, unifying and overall joyful piece of work” and one that is “too subtle for a hot culture-war take.” It provokes but it ponders, too, and shies away from trivalising or cheapening its central premise. “It features an astonishing, star-making professional debut from non-binary actor Isobel Thom as a goofy, charismatic Joan,” adds Curtis.
The Globe, 21 New Globe Walk, SE1 9DT, shakespearesglobe.com
The event: The Hundred
Cricket devotees think it’s too simple by half, but this revved-up, sped-up version of the game seems to been a hit this year. Certainly, the roars from Lord’s seem louder — and much more frequent — than ever, proof of sorts that it is, at least, a decent watch. It’s certainly livlier than your usual test match (admittedly, the unlivliness of the game is something treasured by some fans), and after its debut season, both the men and women’s finals take place this Saturday. The women will play at the Oval at 3pm, the men at Lord’s from 6.30pm. Though sold out officially, there are still some tickets floating about from under £50.
Sept 3, Lord’s, NW8 and the Oval, SE1, thehundred.com
The wild card: final summer screenings at Underbelly
With summer slowly ebbing away, it’s time to make the last of sunshine. When much of the team headed up to Edinburgh for the festival, those left behind converted the Earl’s Court site into an urban beach with a huge screen. Films are shown for free on Friday and Saturday nights, and this weekend include Ghostbusters Afterlife, Amazing Grace, Dolittle and The Batman.
