by Tristan Summerscale

THEATRE, COMEDY

Kim Noble Will Die – Soho Theatre

Until 9th January

This show has been called ‘unwatchable’, ‘visceral’, ‘hysterical’ and ‘inspiring genius’. It’s meant to be one of the best shows to catch over Christmas if you’re not after panto and has been racking up five star reviews all over (though apparently Pamela Anderson is also doing the UK panto rounds this year so that may change your mind about it). Kim Noble guides his audience through a tough world, while simultaneously laying out his plans for leaving it, using video, comedy and theatre. For more information and to book tickets click here.

ILLUSTRATION, COMICS

Comixmas: When Worlds Collide – London Print Studio

Until 6th February 2010

This exhibition at the London Print Studio contains examples of the illustrative talents of many of the leading comic book artists working currently as well as past masters such as Herge, creator of Tintin. If you can wait until 2010, then you can go to their event ‘How a Comic is Made’, part of London International Comics Festival which is on Thursday 21st of January at 6.30pm. For more information click here.

MUSIC, POETRY

Winterreise – King’s Place

17th December, 7.30pm

Schubert’s Winterreise (winter journey) song cycle takes is lyrics from a cycle of poems by Wilhelm Muller that represent a man’s journey, both physical and mental, after he is jilted by his sweetheart and his subsequent descent into despair. It isn’t cheery, but it is incredibly powerful, and the addition of Schubert’s music makes it a phenomenal experience. James Gilchrist is one of the leading tenors in the country at the moment and this should be a great night even for people who aren’t traditional classical music lovers. More information here.

THEATRE, OPERA

Image by Leonora Saunders

La Bohème – The Cock Tavern Theatre

Until the 23rd January

Opera Up Close have succeeded in achieving the aim set out in their name with this production, which transposes Puccini’s classic opera to North London and plays to audiences of 40 people at a time. Moving the setting of the opera from the Left Bank in Paris to a far less romantic setting, and putting the audience so close to the performance could be a huge disaster if the cast and director could not pull it off – if something’s terrible, the embarrassment of sharing the experience is worse if you’re about two feet away from the lead actress. However, by all accounts they have pulled off a great show even with a miniscule £7,000 budget. With tickets for £15 (£5 for regulars at the pub above which it is shown) it could be well worth it for those looking for an unusual night out. More information here.

PHOTOGRAPHY, FREE

Points of View: Capturing the 19th Century in Photographs – British Library

Until Sunday 7th March, Open Seven Days a Week

This week’s free listing is a new exhibition of early photographs taken from what the FT has called ‘one of the world’s great photography collections’. This it the first time examples from this great collection have been put on display so it’s something of a treat. This diverse exhibition contains some wonderful examples of an art in its infancy, and has been praised for showing off the spirit and warmth of photography from this period. For more information click here.