Editor Emma Clarendon reflects on three years since she started Love London Love Culture and to celebrate highlights some of her favourite moments in that time…
1. Screening of Zootropolis: this was a fantastic opportunity to get a chance to see Disney’s highly anticipated release that was heartwarming to watch and the first big opportunity that Love London Love Culture had. Who can resist a bit of Disney right?
2. Watching the London Musical Theatre Orchestra’s concert performance of Mack and Mabel at the Hackney Empire: it is rare to be blown away by a concert in quite the same way that I was watching this. Not only did it showcase some major talents from the world of theatre but it made me want to get up there and join in!
3. Watching Romantics Anonymous at the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse: part of the joy of Love London Love Culture is getting to see new musicals and type of theatre on all sorts of topics being developed and staged. This charming and lovely musical certainly deserves to be seen again soon. Just beautiful!
4. Afternoon tea with Alan Menken: Love London Love Culture has been lucky to be invited to so many different events and spending the afternoon in the company of this Oscar winning composer was a definite highlight! Performing some classic Disney songs as well as introducing a couple of new ones (as the event was organised to celebrate the new release of Beauty and the Beast) – it was a charming and lovely way to spend the afternoon.
5.Chatting to Alfred Molina and Alfred Enoch: ahead of Michael Grandage’s production returning to London, Love London Love Culture was fortunate to talk to the pair about the production and Mark Rothko – giving a fascinating insight into the play.
6. Paying a visit to the British Library to see its Harry Potter exhibition: this was a hugely anticipated exhibition that every dedicated Harry Potter fan will possibly have visited more than once. Love London Love Culture was impressed with the way in which it was presented and thoroughly enjoyed the experience!
7. Interview with Selina Siak: over the years, the website has expanded its type of content to include interviews. One of the first ones LLLC did was with author Selina Siak talking about her latest novel When the Future Comes Too Soon – paving the way for more!
8. Celebrating the 25th Anniversary since the release of Aladdin: ok it would be fair to say that there is a slight Disney theme happening with this list! But this was a fabulous evening marking this special occasion, allowing a select few to see the show in London and talk to the cast afterwards. Completely memorable.
9. Vanities the Musical at Trafalgar studios: I loved this musical so much when I saw it – light and bubbly it didn’t fail to charm! But what made watching this doubly special was then seeing Love London Love Culture’s review quoted on the marketing for the show in newspapers for the first time!
10. Julius Caesar at the Bridge Theatre: there’s always something exciting about visiting a new venue for the first time and I instantly fell in love with the Bridge Theatre when I first stepped in – gorgeously contemporary in style and fitting perfectly with its surroundings it felt like a real treat to come along and watch Julius Caesar.
So there you go – just a few select highlights from the last three years – who knows what will happen in the next three!
By Emma Clarendon