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October's Cog Night was a virtual screening of BFI shorts. Find links to the shorts and read our collaborative review in our journal on the Cog website. Read on for mini-reviews of premieres, plays, exhibitions, talks, concerts, dance, opera and human towers. Underneath those you can find our recommendations for November and beyond.
Out and about with the Cog team
Drawn by the name, Lily travelled to Hastings. High expectations were exceeded.
Every Day I Pray For Love, is the latest show by the 95 year-old. Michael loved it.
The Cog team gathered for some spooky activities and after work pumpkin carving.
A must-see exhibition for Nazma & Lily, Locke provides a scrutinising framework for the BM's collection.
Justin had a great time revisiting this citywide fiesta, featuring castells (human towers) & other festivities.
Morfydd Clark is magnetic in this important but arcane period piece. It left Michael an angry, if not so young man.
Michael’s favourites, Forced Entertainment, marked 40 years of tearing up the rulebook, exceptionally.
Laura & Lily popped to The Albany for this camp yet emotional musical about the impact of Section 28.
Michael lived through a hijack and watched the unpacking of a lot of emotional baggage in this excellent play.
Worth a visit for the shoe gallery alone - Laura was in awe of Elton John’s giant boots from Tommy.
Laura dusted off her National Trust membership to take in gorgeous autumn colour across 1000s of trees.
Laura & Michael saw this play separately. Michael found it enigmatic. Laura's never a fan of child characters.
This physical show had Nazma cheering and wishing she could join the girl gang on stage.
Michael saw 2 performances of this one-person, cold-read show. The audience interaction was astounding.
Nazma appreciated how this exhibition added context to the South Asian items which now live at Powis Castle.
Laura loved this dinky museum and the gentle canal boat ride into Blisworth Tunnel and back.
Alex, Lily & Nazma saw Britten's classic, reframed & narrated in operatic flashback from a psychiatric ward.
Emma was blown away by how busy the Tate Modern was on a Friday evening, for their monthly Tate Late.
Laura was surprised and intrigued to learn that Rene Makintosh designed a house in Northampton.
Michael loved Es Devlin’s 50 portraits of Londoners, each with personal stories of forced displacement.
Nazma had the privilege of being in the audience for this special live streamed gig in Manchester.
A highlight of Manchester Literature Festival for Nazma, this year’s Cabaret for Freedom spectacular.
Michael had a quieter festival than most years but caught a few premieres, spotted stars and marvelled at the mastery.
A spooky tale with jumpscares and sinister vibes, Nazma really got into the thrill of this show.
The stunning imagery & audio onslaught of Hofesh Shechter’s show left Michael agog (and a little deaf).
Every material imaginable was used to create the sculptures in this exhibition visited by Laura Mc.
An evening featuring four amazing performers. Nazma came away from this evening inspired to write.
Justin saw the stage turned into a pool of water in this reimagining of Shakespeare as Korean opera.
The Japanese surf-rock trio (famous via Kill Bill) were in town and Michael was there to Do the Barracuda.
Ain Bailey's DJ set was the highlight of Lily's month. The L. Clark & S. Boyce exhibitions were great too.
Justin was happy that he managed to see five different films during this mammoth annual film festival.
The monumentally atmospheric Mono filled Hackney Church with sound. Michael revelled in it.
Laura Mc really enjoyed the set which turned out to be part club night, part performance art piece.
Nick caught a local production of the George Bernard Shaw play that inspired My Fair Lady.
"Neneh is cool, Neneh is wise, Neneh is a legend." Lily saw this tour in London, Nazma caught it at HOME.
Michael sat on stage as Zbikowski’s company performed (incredibly) to their internal count.
Nazma loved Abdalla's show delving into his life as an actor & activist, & has praise for the creative team.
Michael thought Mark Strong and Lesley Manville were mesmerising in this brilliant staging from Robert Icke.
Nazma isn’t often moved to tears but this beautiful and poignant show really hit her hard.
Nazma knew all the iconic lines to the classic Bollywood film Deewaar, screened at the Barbican.
The Oxford band were back in London for another excellent gig on a packed bill from Underground Sound.
A huge fan of Babel and an admirer of Yellowface, Nazma loved getting an insight into the mind of this author.
On now...The Wild Duck by Henrik Ibsen The Coronet Theatre, until 2 Nov
Finn Beames & Company: Quiet Songs features Ruth Negga Barbican Pit, until 2 Nov
Jack McNamara directs a new stage version of St Maud Live Theatre, until 2 Nov
Funnelwick Limb's Chronicles of Atom and Luna Theatre Hullabaloo, until 2 Nov
Headlong and RSC present David Edgar's The New Real The Other Place, until 2 Nov
Yoshida: Three Generations of Japanese Printmaking Dulwich Picture Gallery until 3 Nov
Statues, written and performed by Azan Ahmed Bush Theatre, until 9 Nov
Inspiration Lecture Series exploring identity and faith St Martin in the Fields, until 18 Nov
Wish You Were Here (UK Premiere) Gate Theatre, until 23 Nov
Leyla Nazli adapts Ece Temelkuran’s Women Who Blow on Knots Arcola Theatre, until 23 Nov
Atri Banerjee directs Look Back in Anger Almeida, until 23 Nov
What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank Marylebone Theatre, until 23 Nov
How to Survive Your Mother King's Head Theatre, until 24 Nov
Amy Gledhill's award winning Edinburgh show on tour, until 29 Nov (at Leicester Square Theatre)
The Fear of 13 stars Adrien Brody in his London debut Donmar Warehouse, until 30 Nov
People's Art a celebration of folk art by unnamed artists Sunderland Culture, until 1 Dec
Michael Craig-Martin fills the halls with colour Royal Academy, until 10 Dec
Donmar's Macbeth with David Tenant and Cush Jumbo Harold Pinter Theatre, until 14 Dec
Ben Whishaw and Lucian Msamati in Waiting for Godot Theatre Royal, until 14 Dec
Jason Wilsher-Mills' show Jason and the Adventure of 254 Wellcome Collection, until 12 Jan
The Imaginary Institution of India: Art 1975–1998 Barbican Art Gallery, until 5 Jan
Haegue Yang: Leap Year multisensory installations Hayward Gallery, until 5 Jan
Francis Bacon Portraits National Portrait Gallery, until 19 Jan
Scran! A history of Food & Drink Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums, until 25 Jan
Towards New Worlds is a large-scale exhibition at MIMA, until 9 Feb
Outlaws: Fashion Renegades of 80s London Fashion Textile Museum, until 9 Mar
Inside/Outside and All In Between Migration Museum, until 15 Mar
The World of Tim Burton Design Museum, until 21 Apr
On this month...Gazelle Twin and London Contemporary Orchestra British Library, 1 Nov
The incredible Kae Tempest Koko, 5 Nov
Tim Etchells teams up with Bert & Nasi in L'Addition Battersea Arts Centre, 5–16 Nov
Cog favourite Natalie Palamides: WEER Soho Theatre, 6–30 Nov
Acclaimed composer Max Richter plays at The Royal Festival Hall, 8 & 9 Nov
Cryptocurrency deep-dive Wolves on Road Bush Theatre, 9 Nov – 12 Dec
The Great Mughals: Art, Architecture and Opulence V&A. 9 Nov – 5 May
Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker's Exit Above Sadler's Wells, 12 & 13 Nov
Blood Show from Ocean Hester Stefan Chillingworth Battersea Arts Centre, 12–23 Nov
Paulina Lenoir: Puella Eterna Soho Theatre, 13–16 Nov
EFG London Jazz Festival London-wide 15–24 Nov
Self-Made: Reshaping Identities Foundling Museum. 15 Nov – 1 Jun
If All Else Fails is absurdity from Forced Entertainment Battersea Arts Centre, 19–23 Nov
Akram Khan's new show, Gigenis Sadler's Wells, 20–24 Nov
Cabbage The Clown (Work In Progress) Museum of Comedy, 21 Nov
Photographing 80s Britain: A Critical Decade Tate Britain, 21 Nov – 5 May 2025
The Importance of Being Earnest with Ncuti Gatwa National Theatre, 21 Nov – 25 Jan
K-Foundation's The People's Day of Death celebrates MuMification Liverpool, 23 Nov
The chaotic variety fever dream, Stamptown Leicester Square Theatre, 24 Nov
The wonderful Cockpit Open Studios is back for '24 Bloomsbury, 24 Nov; Deptford, 29 Nov
We're booking early for...
Anne-Marie Duff is in The Little Foxes Young Vic, 2 Dec – 8 Feb
Julia Masli's exceptional: ha ha ha ha ha ha ha is back Soho Theatre, 3 Dec – 11 Jan
Stewart Lee vs The Man Wulf Leicester Square Theatre, 3 Dec – 17 Jan
Virginia Gay’s gender-flipped retelling of Cyrano de Bergerac Arcola Theatre, 11 Dec – 11 Jan
Circa's Duck Pond: Swan Lake x circus skills... Royal Festival Hall, 19– 30 Dec
Roy Williams’ wonderful adaptation of The Lonely Londoners Kiln Theatre, 10 Jan – 15 Feb
Cate Blanchett and Tom Burke star in Chekhov’s classic, The Seagull Barbican, Feb '25
Dennis Kelly's Girls & Boys Nottingham Playhouse, 8 Feb – 1 Mar
Lynette Linton directs Michael Abbensetts’ Alterations National Theatre, 20 Feb – 5 Apr '25
James Graham's excellent Punch transfers to London Young Vic, 1 Mar – 12 Apr '25
Hamlet x Hail To The Thief Aviva Studios, 27 Apr – 18 May; RSC 4–28 Jun '25
4.48 Psychosis by Sarah Kane Royal Court, 12 Jun – 5 Jul
Penn & Teller 50th Anniversary Tour London Palladium, 13–24 Sep '25
Image creditsJosé Fernández Villamayor created our fantastic illustration. See more here. Other images are provided by members of the Cog team, with due credit to those who created the works we have photographed.
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