Latest news with #BatterseaArtsCentre
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
How to spend a weekend in Battersea, London
The experience The £1.5 billion renovation of Battersea Power Station has transformed this once-tired pocket of South London, and one of the four giant chimneys even houses an elevator that takes you up 109 metres – hence its name, Lift 109 (below). The experience starts with interactive displays detailing the history of the power station, before you enter the glass lift to experience a thrilling Charlie Bucket moment, shooting up towards the clouds (from £17, The culture fix In a handsome building that was once Battersea Town Hall you'll find a hub of dance, music and theatre. The Battersea Arts Centre has been open since 1974 but was nearly destroyed by fire a decade ago; the architecture cleverly marks this so you can see where the original bricks end and the new ones begin. Upcoming shows include singer-songwriter Tom Odell ( and if that's not enough, The Clapham Grand nearby has a brilliant line-up of live comedy ( The hotel Art'otel is the place to stay if you're visiting Battersea. Not only does it have wonderful views over the historic power station next door, but elements of that building's heritage were woven into the hotel's interior design by artist Jaime Hayon, whose works hang in the public areas and spacious bedrooms. Its crowning glory is the heated infinity pool, hot tub and bar on the rooftop, while 15th-floor Portuguese restaurant Joia is a worthy destination in itself (rooms from £259, The market A 6am start might not sound appealing, but early birds will be rewarded with the New Covent Garden Flower Market (it could be worse, the florists have to arrive at 4am). Tracing its roots back to the 17th century, the market is now in the newly revitalised Nine Elms district, where a huge warehouse is filled with flowers and plants from around the world. Breathe in the scents, listen to the market traders' banter and grab yourself a revitalising coffee from the Garden Café. The restaurant Ploussard, on St John's Road, serves Parisian-inspired small plates (below) from a menu that changes biweekly, overseen by chef Matt Harris. It's all buzzy ambience and reasonable prices – our £38 set-lunch menu included beef tempura, dry aged trout and courgette with black garlic croustade ( For a brunch fix, bustling Parker Café ( is the way to go, while Mahali Bakery's banana bread (£6, is worth queuing for. Both are near Battersea Park. The shop Back at the power station complex, The Battersea General Store initially looks like an upmarket convenience store but has been dubbed 'Britain's most expensive corner shop' for its staggering array of bougie produce. This includes 'the most insane wine selection', according to YOU's wine expert Charlotte Kristensen, featuring '£500+ bottles of wine alongside iconic labels, such as a Calvet Sancerre for £26.99.' The store made headlines for stocking a bottle of 1979 Petrus – priced £4,250.
The Guardian
15-02-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
On my radar: Malachi Kirby's cultural highlights
The actor and writer Malachi Kirby was born in London in 1989. He enrolled in a drama group at the Battersea Arts Centre aged 14 and later attended London's Identity School of Acting. He was shortlisted for outstanding newcomer at the 2011 Evening Standard theatre awards, for Mogadishu. On TV he has appeared in the 2016 remake of Roots, Black Mirror, and as Darcus Howe in Steve McQueen's Mangrove; his film work includes Boiling Point and Wicked Little Letters. Kirby, who lives on the outskirts of London, stars as Hezekiah Moscow in the Disney+ series A Thousand Blows, set in the world of illegal boxing in the Victorian East End. It starts on 21 February. Horse riding I started horse riding in 2015 when I was filming Roots and it was a crash course for sure. They had me riding bareback by the second lesson. It was exciting and terrifying, but I fell in love with horses very quickly and it brought me a lot of peace. I've wanted to go back to it ever since, so I've just started riding again and taking it much slower this time – even though I've cantered and ridden bareback in the past, I haven't actually gotten past trotting yet, but I'm really enjoying it. The Black Kitchen, London SW16 A friend was telling me about this place in Balham that has incredible Jamaican patties, which are one of my favourite things to eat. These ones are called secret patties, which made my guard go up: like, what's the secret? Why can't you tell me? Apparently it's got oxtail and mac'n'cheese in it, which is something I'd never considered, but it's an incredible idea. I don't know if I can eat a patty the same way again now. The restaurant is moving to a bigger place in Streatham and I'm excited to see what other secrets they've got on their menu. Hard Truths (dir Mike Leigh) I went to see this with my mum the other day. Mike Leigh is one of her favourite directors, and watching this one made me realise what she loves about him. He has a very distinctive style and a way of letting moments breathe, and I love that. Marianne Jean-Baptiste is incredible as a woman who's angry at the world. Her performance confused me at first, I wasn't sure if I was supposed to be laughing or feeling heartbroken, but then there's a moment where it all starts to make sense. Leigh manages to capture everyday life in a way that makes the ordinary extraordinary. Lessons in Chemistry (Apple TV+) I'm on the last episode of this show and honestly it's one of my favourite things right now. Brie Larson plays a brilliant scientist in 1950s America who isn't respected in her lab, so she brings her chemistry skills to cooking instead and ends up hosting a cookery show on TV. Essentially it's about a woman who, through remaining integral to who she is, changes the environment she lives in and the way that things are done in that time. I've been cooking a lot this year, so the show has inspired me in that regard as well. South Bank, London SE1 One of my favourite places in the world, especially in the summer. In my late teens I started going there to write, and I remember being taken aback because there would be dancers with boomboxes and people in suits having business meetings, and no one was looking down their nose at anyone. Everyone could fill the space without apologising for their existence. Also, it was the one public place that I was able to go and take a nap without getting [moved on]. I wish more of the world was like that. Retrograde (Apollo theatre, London W1, from 8 March) I saw this play at the Kiln last year and I'm really looking forward to seeing it on a bigger stage when it transfers to the West End next month. It's about the actor Sidney Poitier and it focuses on a single conversation that changed his career – he comes out of it completely transformed. I think Ryan Calais Cameron is one of the most exciting writers of this generation and Ivanno Jeremiah is brilliant as Poitier. It's one of those plays that speaks to right now. I wouldn't be surprised if it gets turned into a film or a TV series.
