Category Archive for ‘News’

What’s On Magazine June issue features our exclusive pictures from
The Chelsea Flower Show 2018

Chris Beardshaw wins prestigious Best in Show Award at RHS Chelsea

The garden showcases a secure and sensory environment offering a tranquil woodland scene filled with soft, textured perennials. It is Morgan Stanley’s fourth year with Chris Beardshaw and has been designed to raise awareness of the work of the NSPCC.

On winning the award, Chris Beardshaw said: “It’s a genuine privilege to be holding the Best in Show Award at RHS Chelsea 2018. 20 years ago when I started designing Show Gardens I looked up to and was really inspired by the designers winning these sorts of awards, I hope what we do inspires people in the same way.”

RHS judge James Alexander-Sinclair said: “It has a very clear and concise message. The plants are of outstanding quality and beautifully put together. The building provides a calm and contemplative space for reflection which contrasts exquisitely with the exuberance of the surrounding planting – it works on every level.”
Gardens among the Gold Medal winners also included The M&G Garden with designer Sarah Price, The Wedgewood Garden by Jo Thompson and The Welcome to Yorkshire Garden designed by Mark Gregory, Managing Director of Landform who also received the Best Construction Award.

Kazuyuki Ishihara’s O-mo-te-na-shi no NIWA – The Hospitality Garden won Best Artisan Garden meanwhile Best in the all new Space to Grow category was awarded to Urban Flow – in partnership with Thames Water, by debut RHS Chelsea designer Tony Woods. The new category offers original ideas, trends and take home messages to inspire visitors to transform their outdoor spaces.

A total of 55 Gold Medals were awarded to nurseries and growers at the heart of the Show in the Great Pavilion. In addition a total of 35 Silver-Gilt Medals, seven Silver Medals and two Bronze Medals were handed out. The Diamond Jubilee Award for the best exhibit in the Great Pavilion was presented to Southfield Nurseries, who were awarded their 30th Gold Medal for their 30th appearance which also marked their last appearance at the Show before retiring from Chelsea.
The coveted President’s Award was presented to Ashwood Nurseries for their display of Hellebores which are being exhibited out of season for the first time.
The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) has awarded 124 RHS Medals to the gardens and floral exhibits in the Great Pavilion at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show sponsored by M&G Investments.

Our May 2018 issue features exclusive pictures from The Olivier Awards 2018, held recently at The Royal Albert Hall, London.
Pick up a copy at one of our many local distribution points including major supermarkets. You will also find a comprehensive list of forthcoming events for May in your area as well as many London exhibitions.

The winners of the Olivier Awards 2018 with Mastercard, the UK’s most prestigious stage honours, were announced at London’s Royal Albert Hall hosted by Catherine Tate. The full list of winners is available at OlivierAwards.com

New American musical Hamilton collected seven Olivier Awards including Best New Musical with composer-lyricist Lin-Manuel Miranda and orchestrator Alex Lacamoire winning Outstanding Achievement in Music. Giles Terera, who plays the part of Aaron Burr, was named Best Actor in a Musical, with Michael Jibson winning Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical for his portrayal of King George III. The musical, about the life of American Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, also went on to win Best Lighting Design, Best Sound Design, and Best Theatre Choreographer.
The Ferryman collected three Olivier Awards including Best New Play. Stage and film director, Sam Mendes, won Best Director with Laura Donnelly winning Best Actress for her role in the Northern Irish drama set during The Troubles.
The National Theatre celebrate five Awards including Best Revival for Angels In America and Best Musical Revival for Follies. Bryan Cranston won Best Actor for his role in Network and Denise Gough won Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her performance in Angels In America. The production is currently playing in New York to great acclaim.
Shirley Henderson and Sheila Atim won Best Actress in a Musical and Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical respectively for Girl From The North Country, Conor McPherson’s musical based on the work of Bob Dylan.
Bertie Carvel was named Best Actor in a Supporting Role for Ink, written by James Graham who won Best New Comedy for Labour Of Love.
The Royal Court’s production of Killology won Outstanding Achievement in Affiliate Theatre and Dick Whittington won Best Entertainment and Family.
In the dance categories, Best New Dance Production went to Flight Pattern by Crystal Pite for The Royal Ballet at Royal Opera House. Francesca Velicu won Outstanding Achievement in Dance for her performance in English National Ballet’s production of Pina Bausch’s Le Sacre Du Printemps at Sadler’s Wells.
The Royal Opera House won Best New Opera for Semiramide andJoyce DiDonato and Daniela Barcellona won Outstanding Achievement in Opera for their performances in Semiramide.
David Lan was this year’s recipient of the Special Award in recognition of his outstanding contribution in leading the Young Vic since 2000, his work within the local community around the theatre, and his commitment to internationalism and diversity.

What’s On Magazine April 2018 is out now with an exclusive from The Prince’s Trust Awards.
Pick up a copy at one of our many local distribution points including major supermarkets.
You will also find a comprehensive list of forthcoming events for April in your area as well as many London exhibitions.

Ant & Dec hosted the annual Awards, attended by guests including Olivia Colman, Helen McCrory OBE, Cheryl, Sir Tom Jones, Bryan Cranston, Tom Hardy, Thierry Henry, Phillip Schofield, Olly Murs, Laura Whitmore and Caroline Flack.

HRH The Prince of Wales, founder and President of The Prince’s Trust, attended The Prince’s Trust and TK Maxx & Homesense Awards national final, held at The Palladium in London.

The Prince’s Trust and TK Maxx & Homesense Awards recognise disadvantaged young people who have succeeded against the odds, improved their chances in life and had a positive impact on their local community, as well as those who have played a part in supporting the work of The Trust.

A series of regional events took place in November 2017 and culminated in a red-carpet ceremony hosted by Ant & Dec at the national final at the London Palladium. Eight awards, including the Homesense Young Achiever of the Year Award, were given out by celebrity presenters, including Prince’s Trust celebrity Ambassadors.

Among them were actress Olivia Colman, singer and TV presenter Cheryl, actress Helen McCrory OBE, singers and The Voice mentors Sir Tom Jones and Olly Murs, Breaking Bad star Bryan Cranston, actor Tom Hardy, ex-footballer Thierry Henry, and TV presenters Phillip Schofield, Laura Whitmore and Caroline Flack.

Prince’s Trust Trustee Thierry Henry said: “I am very proud to be a Trustee for The Prince’s Trust and continue to be inspired by all the work they do to transform the lives of young people. I’ve been lucky enough to meet a number of those whose lives have been changed by the support of The Trust. Many have had to face monumental life challenges, yet their strength and determination have overcome all obstacles. Learning about the achievements of all those who were awarded at this year’s Prince’s Trust awards has been incredible, what an amazing event.”

Daisy McDonnell, 22, from Bransgore, was the winner of the Homesense Young Achiever of the Year Award.
Daisy was facing homelessness and grief, and feeling very vulnerable.

“After a traumatic and harrowing bereavement, the collapse of my relationship and the reclaiming of my apartment, I began to give up hope. Trying to hold down a full time job while living on the streets proved extremely difficult.

“The people that were around me during that period of my life were volatile at best, on several occasions becoming increasingly dangerous and aggressive. I felt like there were situations where I could have died.

After the death of a very close friend Daisy sought help, and the Clockwork Sanctuary, a homeless day centre, suggested she take part a Princes Trust programme. Daisy enrolled on the Team programme – a 12-week course that builds the confidence and employability skills of unemployed young people.

“Team became the one constant I could look forward to. And I did. Every single day.

“Following Team, and due to lots of hard work, I managed to secure an apprenticeship as an outdoor instructor and find more stable living accommodation. This has been a great opportunity – I have developed new skills, new confidence and new passions. I am now sitting my yacht masters with UKSA in the Isle of Wight and aim to have completed my ocean yacht masters and dive masters within the next five years. I am surrounded by likeminded, happy people and am living at sea, in my element and have grown to accept my past and learn from my mistakes.”

Daisy said: “I can’t believe I’ve won this Award, I really wasn’t expecting it. I’m in a really happy place now and looking forward to making the most of the opportunities that come with UKSA. I can’t thank The Prince’s Trust enough for all their support, I don’t know where I would be without them.”

“Huge congratulations to Daisy, the Young Achiever of the Year, on behalf of everyone at Homesense and TKMaxx. Daisy has displayed courage, determination and resilience to turn her life around and this award is testament to all of her work. A truly inspirational young woman.” Louise Greenlees, President of TK Maxx and Homesense

TK Maxx and Homesense have been a partner of The Prince’s Trust since 2013 and are one of The Trust’s largest delivery partners of the Get into Retail programme. This is a two to six week course that develops young people’s skills in the retail sector and supports them into positive outcomes in retail. Since the partnership began, over 70% of young people who have taken the course went on to full time employment at TK Maxx or Homesense.

TK Maxx and Homesense are proud to have helped 871 young people through the Get into Retail programme

Homesense supports The Prince’s Trust’s work with vulnerable young people through the Achieve programme, which helps young people aged 13-19 to engage and succeed in education.

Achieve helps vulnerable young people to overcome the barriers holding them back and provides them with the support and skills they need to get their lives back on track. With the support of Homesense associates and customers, vital funds will be raised to help more than 1,500 young people in local communities across the UK to develop the skills and confidence needed to engage and succeed in education, through relevant, engaging and informal learning.
Youth charity The Prince’s Trust gives disadvantaged young people the skills and confidence to find a job. Three in four young people helped by The Prince’s Trust move into work, training or education.

About The Prince’s Trust
The UK’s leading youth charity The Prince’s Trust helps young people to get their lives on track. It supports 11 to 30 year-olds who are unemployed and those struggling at school and at risk of exclusion. Many of the young people helped by The Trust are in or leaving care, facing issues such as homelessness or mental health problems, or have been in trouble with the law.

The Trust’s programmes give vulnerable young people the practical and financial support needed to stabilise their lives, helping develop self-esteem and skills for work.

Three in four young people supported by The Prince’s Trust move into work, education or training. The Prince of Wales’s charity has helped 870,000 young people since 1976 and supports over 100 more each day.

Further information about The Prince’s Trust is available at
princes-trust.org.uk

On Magazine March 2018 is out now with an exclusive of Julia Bradbury.
Pick up a copy at one of our many local distribution points including major supermarkets.
You will also find a comprehensive list of forthcoming events for March in your area as well as many London exhibitions.

What’s On Magazine met up with Julia at Destinations: The Holiday and Travel Show – The Essential Event For Travel Inspiration held recently at London’s Olympia.

Packed with hundreds of leading and independent tour operators, over 75 tourist boards from across the globe, cultural entertainment, world flavours, travel celebrities and more, Destinations: The Holiday & Travel Show is the UK’s largest and longest-running travel event.
With the largest choice of exhibitors anywhere in the UK and a huge variety of holiday and travel options on offer, the Destinations Show inspires you to discover new destinations and adventures from their expert exhibitors.
There was an unbelievable line up of exciting talks, presentations, performances and flavours to enjoy over the three days at Olympia and we can’t wait for next years event.

Julia is also now involved with The Outdoor Guide
www.theoutdoorguide.co.uk
The Outdoor Guide (TOG) is an online resource set up by Julia Bradbury and sister Gina that aims to bring together information for walks all around the UK. Julia is also proud to be the first female President of The Camping and Caravanning Club.

On TOG (The Outdoor Guide) you will find fab walks including those from Julia Bradbury’s most recent programme ‘Britain’s Favourite Walks: Top 100’. It aims to put companies with the same ethos together under one roof to inspire families to get out and explore this wonderful country.
This is a place for people who love the outdoors. You don’t have to be an enthusiast. Maybe you’re just someone who enjoys hiking, or taking the family camping for the odd weekend. Or perhaps you like ambling around quaint villages, enjoy good country pubs or cycling through picturesque scenery.
Gina, Co-founder says “There is also some amazing gear and gadgets to browse through, interesting things to do, along with suggested Camping and Caravanning Club sites to stay! There really is something for anyone who enjoys the outdoors.”
TOG is not in competition with anyone or trying to sell you stuff, but it’s about sharing stories, outdoor intelligence and knowledge. TOG wants the community to grow and to start sharing stories to inspire more outdoor adventures!
AccessTOG is the mobility ‘arm’ of The Outdoor Guide run by disabled Ambassador Debbie North. TOG is committed to creating a countryside for all through the development of wheel-friendly walks for people with poor or no mobility. AccessTOG is putting together complete wheelchair-friendly packages for wonderful days out in the hills, towns and canals including the perfect pitstops, the perfect accommodation and the perfect cuppa.
In Debbie’s previous ‘life’, before she became a wheelchair user, she was a keen hill walker and spent much of her time in the Yorkshire Dales, the Lake District and completing long distance walks like the Coast to Coast, The Dales Way and Cumbria Way.
From a hospital bed she began researching all-terrain wheelchairs (ATW) as she was keen to get back out into the hills, despite having to now use wheels. Since then, as a result of major spinal surgery, she has got stronger and is now fulfilling her passion of hill walking using an ATW. She is also a bit of a dare devil seeking routes that are longer, higher and more challenging. A real up close and personal experience, if you like, with hills, mountains and weather.
The website is evolving and has some truly wonderful partners with direct links to all. www.theoutdoorguide.co.uk

What’s On Magazine February 2018 is out now with exclusive pictures from the London opening of Cirque du Soleil’s new show OVO which is running at The Royal Albert Hall until 4th March 2018.

Our cover celebrity is Game of Thrones star Natalie Dormer who joined other celebrities on the press night performance.
Pick up a copy at one of our many local distribution points including major supermarkets.
You will also find a comprehensive list of forthcoming events for February in your area as well as many London exhibitions.

Celebrities including Game of Thrones star Natalie Dormer helped launched Cirque du Soleil’s latest show OVO at the iconic Royal Albert Hall, London. The show has never been seen before in the UK and is filled with a colourful carnival of crazy crickets, amazing ants and flexible fleas, OVO uncovers the natural world at our feet. Rush headlong into an ecosystem teeming with life, where insects work, eat, crawl, flutter, play, fight and love.
Crawling with fun, OVO is a non-stop riot of energy and movement featuring many of Cirque du Soleil’s mind-blowing signature acts including a stunning 14m high flying trapeze act – the biggest of its kind! OVO will keep the whole family buzzing!

OVO is a headlong rush into a colorful ecosystem teeming with life, where insects work, eat, crawl, flutter, play, fight and look for love in a non-stop riot of energy and movement. The insects’ home is a world of biodiversity and beauty filled with noisy action and moments of quiet emotion.
When a mysterious egg appears in their midst, the insects are awestruck and intensely curious about this iconic object that represents the enigma and cycles of their lives.
It’s love at first sight when a gawky, quirky insect arrives in this bustling community and a fabulous ladybug catches his eye—and the feeling is mutual.
OVO is overflowing with contrasts. The hidden, secret world at our feet is revealed as tender and torrid, noisy and quiet, peaceful and chaotic. And as the sun rises on a bright new day the vibrant cycle of insect life begins anew.
The name OVO means “egg” in Portuguese. This timeless symbol of the life cycle and birth of numerous insects represents the underlying thread of the show. Graphically, OVO hides an insect in its name: The two “Os” represent the eyes while the letter “V” forms the nose.

• OVO is the 25th Cirque du Soleil live production created on the company’s 25th anniversary.
• OVO first premiered in Montréal in April 2009
and has visited more than 30 cities in 6 different countries as a Big Top show before transforming in an arena show in 2016.
• OVO celebrated its 2000th show in February 2015 in Fukuoka, Japan.
• The crew of OVO is an international one, representing 17 nationalities: Australia, Belarus, Belgum, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Denmark, France, Moldova, Mongolia, Russia, Spain, Taiwan, Ukraine, United Kingdom and United States.
• Although you will generally hear French and English spoken on-site, many other languages are spoken: Chinese, Portuguese, Russian and more.

Complicity with the world of insects
Liz Vandal, the costume designer for OVO has a special affinity for the world of the insects. “I’ve always had passion for them,” she says. “When I was just a kid I put rocks down around the yard near the fruit trees and I lifted them regularly to watch the insects who had taken up residence underneath them. I petted caterpillars and let butterflies into the house. So when I learned that OVO was inspired by insects, I immediately knew that I was in a perfect position to pay tribute to this majestic world with my costumes.”

The show continues until
Sunday 4 March 2018 –
www.royalalberthall.com

What’s On Magazine January 2018 is out now with exclusive pictures from The London Evening Standard Theatre Awards 2017. Our cover celebrity is Australian actress and theatre director Cate Blanchett. Pick up a copy at one of our many local distribution points including major supermarkets. You will also find a comprehensive list of forthcoming events for January in your area as well as many London exhibitions. www.whats-on-magazine.com
Cate Blanchett was dressed in an Alexander McQueen gown as she joined Dame Anna Wintour and Lin-Manuel Miranda to co-host the A-listers event.

The winners of the London Evening Standard Theatre Awards in association with Qatar Airways have been announced at a ceremony at London’s Theatre Royal, Drury Lane.
Nine awards which recognised excellence in theatre over the last year were presented.
The Ferryman scooped three of the four awards for which it was nominated, with Jez Butterworth honoured for Best Play, Sam Mendes picking up Best Director and Tom Glynn-Carney taking home the Emerging Talent Award. Jez Butterworth’s win marks his third Evening Standard Theatre Award, winning Most Promising Playwright in 1995 and Best Play for Jerusalem in 2009.
Andrew Garfield won Best Actor for Angels in America, despite stiff competition from Bertie Carvel and Andrew Scott. Garfield was the recipient of The Milton Shulman Award for Outstanding Newcomer eleven years ago, in 2006.
The annual awards, marking their 63rd year, were co-hosted by the newspaper’s owner, Evgeny Lebedev, American Vogue editor-in-chief, Dame Anna Wintour, star of stage and screen Cate Blanchett and Hamilton creator and original star Lin-Manuel Miranda. The on-stage host for the evening was Phoebe Waller-Bridge.
Glenda Jackson was awarded Best Actress for her role in King Lear, triumphing over Laura Donnelly and Victoria Hamilton, who were all shortlisted for the award presented in memory of the late Natasha Richardson.
Amber Riley – who performed at last year’s ceremony – won the award for Best Musical Performance for her role in Dreamgirls, whilst the Evening Standard Radio 2 Audience Award for Best Musical was presented to Bat Out of Hell – The Musical.
Bunny Christie was honoured with the award for Best Design for Heisenberg: The Uncertainty Principle, Ink and The Red Barn. Christie previously won Best Design for Baby Doll in 2000.
The Charles Wintour Award for Most Promising Playwright was presented to Branden Jacobs-Jenkins. Previous recipients of the award include Tom Stoppard (1967) and Polly Stenham (2007).