London Loves - the very best of November

London Loves - the very best of November

25 October, 2011
by: Spoonfed Team

The Spoonfed editorial team select the biggest and best events taking place in London this November.

Comedy
Comedy fans are spoilt for choice this month with loads of excellent gigs ranging from mini festivals to star-studded charity bashes and the cream of the Edinburgh Fringe. There's the extraordinary and brilliant Ben Target and Edinburgh 'Best Newcomer' nominees 2011 Totally Tom. Max and Ivan [above] present an action-packed comedy tour de force about Sherlock Holmes. We're really looking forward to Notting Hill's Dialogue Festival (predominantly curated by comics), while Stewart Lee and Richard Herring both present their new solo shows and Tim Minchin headlines a massive Friends of the Earth fundraiser at the Hammermsith Apollo. EM


Live Music
Break out the good china and clean your toilets London, as there’s some real indie royalty descending on us this month. With grizzled campaigners like The Specials, Gang Gang Dance, Jeffrey Lewis and Stephen Malkmus all playing over the coming weeks, November is going to feel like happy hour in the indie section of HMV, with fireworks. November is also the time that our cousins from across the pond nip over to play a few shows and drop off some Christmas cards. The next 30 days will see gigs from Washed Out, Vivian Girls/Woods super-group the Babies, and Jeff The Brotherhood. DH


Art
With tickets controversially limited, the most hotly anticipated exhibition this November is definitely the Leonardo Da Vinci show at the National Gallery. With over 60 works focusing on his career as a Milanese court painter, this is the largest exhibition of his paintings, ever. The other biggie is the British Library's exhibition of illuminated manuscripts from the 9th to the 16th century. For fans of contemporary art, there's a survey of German artists opening at the Saatchi Gallery; John Maine's monumental stone work at the Royal Academy; and a host of the brightest young things at the ICA in the form of Bloomberg New Contemporaries. TJ


Theatre
November's biggest openings begin with Trevor Nunn's take on power, betrayal and the family in The Lion in Winter starring Robert Lindsay and the ever-regal Joanna Lumley. National Theatre soon follows with Sean O'Casey's Juno and the Paycock, also addressing family matters, but this time in the midst of IRA violence and strikes. New plays poised to get people talking are Rachel De-lahay's The Westbridge which looks at the divides within a south London community, while Fanta Orange points a periscope at racial and sexual tensions in Kenya. Finally, Howl's Moving Castle looks like light, magical relief at Southwark Playhouse. NK


Clubbing
Bookended by a warehouse show from the brains behind Classic Records, and The Together Winter Music Festival, November is going to be a brilliant clubbing month. Together at Ally Palley has an immense line-up: Ed Banger's ace card SebastiAn, plus Alex Metric, Fake Blood, Vitalic, Maya Jane Coles, Simian Mobile Disco – not to mention dance titans Pete Tong and Eric Prydz. Other November highlights include new Corsica Studios rave Tief, with complex techno protagonist Stimming performing live; Jaded's seventh birthday party; and  the high-flying emo kid of dubstep, Skrillex, landing his Mothership Tour at Koko. Bring earplugs... LC


Other cool stuff
With over 600 stalls to rummage through, the Antiques Collectors and 20th Century Fair will provide some serious entertainment for vintage bargain hunters this November. The temperature may well plummet but Londoners can get themselves hot under the collar at the annual Erotica show, one of the largest exhibitions of its kind in the world. Spoonfed favourite Scottee presents his new alternative cabaret show, Violence, at The Riverside Studio, and the London Young Film Festival gives aspiring film-makers a chance to showcase their work at selected cinemas across the capital. With over 100 films from over a dozen countries, it's a sure-fire winner. TA


Click here for things to do in London.

Spoonfed Team