Here's What Heather Is Booking This Year
THEATRE
The Seagull, Barbican
It’s no longer unusual to see A-listers on the London stage – and 2025 is showcasing some of the brightest. Top of the list is Cate Blanchett who will make her return to the stage in Thomas Ostermeier's new production of Chekhov’s The Seagull. Blanchett is Arkadina, a celebrated actress whose larger-than-life presence dominates both the stage and her personal relationships. Arriving at her family's country estate for the weekend, she finds herself caught in a storm of conflicting desires. Her playwright son Konstantin (the excellent Kodi Smit-McPhee of The Power of the Dog) struggles to step out of her shadow as he pursues his own artistic ambitions, and her lover Trigorin (Tom Burke, Strike) becomes the object of affection for the aspiring young actress Nina (Emma Corrin, The Crown). As their lives entwine and they each grapple with their desires, ambitions, and disappointments, Chekhov's timeless story unfolds in a gripping tale of vanity, power and sacrifices made in the name of art.
26th February-5th April
Visit BARBICAN.ORG.UK
Richard II, The Bridge Theatre
Fresh from a tremendous 2024 – when he starred in Bridgerton, won a Critics Choice Award for his work in Fellow Travellers and became A-list famous thanks to Wicked – Jonathan Bailey is taking on the role of Richard II in Nicholas Hytner’s new production at The Bridge. Richard is charismatic, eloquent and witty. He’s also a disastrous king – dishonest, dangerous and politically incompetent. Echoing down the centuries is the eternal problem: how to deal with a ruler who has a rock-solid right to rule but is set on wrecking the country he leads. Shakespeare’s subtle yet powerful play revolves round two startlingly modern figures: Richard, an autocrat who believes he is divinely sanctioned, and Henry Bullingbrook (Royce Pierreson), a hard-headed pragmatist who has genuine authority.
10th February-10th May
Visit BRIDGETHEATRE.CO.UK
Elektra, Duke Of York’s Theatre
I loved Robert Icke’s recent production of Oedipus, which starred Mark Strong and Leslie Manville. So I’ve booked in to see Elektra – another Greek tragedy – in Brighton before it lands for a six-week run in London next week. Haunted by her father's assassination, Elektra (Brie Larson, Lessons in Chemistry) is consumed by grief and a thirst for vengeance. When her long-lost brother Orestes at last returns, she urges him to a savage and terrifying conclusion. Daniel Fish (Oklahoma) directs the first major revival in over a decade of Sophocles’ timeless play, which has been translated by award-winning poet Anne Carson.
24th January-12th April
Visit ELEKTRAPLAY.COM
Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, Almeida
I can’t wait to see this Tennessee Williams play for the first time next week – and what a cast to witness for my first watch. Following her Olivier award-winning production of A Streetcar Named Desire, Almeida’s associate director Rebecca Frecknall is directing Kingsley Ben-Adir (Bob Marley: One Love; Barbie) and Daisy Edgar-Jones (Normal People; Twisters) in this Pulitzer prize-winning play. The Pollitt family gathers to celebrate a birthday, but behind the smiles is a family in crisis. With Brick and Maggie’s marriage plagued by secrets and deceit, the question of legacy lingers. And as the family confront the impending death of their patriarch, a war of truth and lies is waged.
Until 1st February
Visit ALMEIDA.CO.UK
Unicorn, Garrick Theatre
I love Abi Morgan’s BBC drama The Split – and now its stars Nicola Walker and Stephen Mangan are getting back together on the stage in Mike Bartlett’s new play Unicorn, alongside The Crown’s Erin Doherty. Polly and Nick have it all. Happily married, two children, successful careers. And yet there’s something missing… Unicorn also sees director James Macdonald, Bartlett and producer Kate Horton reunite following their collaboration on the original production of Cock at Royal Court in 2009 – so I’m very much looking forward to this.
4th February-26th April
Visit UNICORNTHEPLAY.CO.UK
Inside No 9. Stage/Fright, Wyndham’s Theatre
If you tuned in to the final ever episode of anthology series Inside No 9 last year, you’ll be happy to know that, while the classic BBC series may be over, there is a new stage version coming to London. Beyond the show’s signature absurdity, horror and black comedy, details are under wraps, but rest assured its genius co-creators Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton will be starring.
16th January-5th April
Visit WYNDHAMSTHEATRE.CO.UK
The Score, Theatre Royal
Succession star Sarah Snook pulled off one of the performances of 2024 in The Picture Of Dorian Gray. Now her on-screen father, legendary actor Brian Cox, is playing Johann Sebastian Bach in Oliver Cotton’s new play. Set in Prussia in spring 1747, Bach reluctantly visits the court of Frederick II, Europe’s most ambitious and dangerous leader. The two men could hardly be more different. But Frederick remains in awe of Bach’s genius, and has mischievously prepared a musical conundrum that he hopes will baffle the composer and amuse his court. The explosive events of the following days could not have been predicted by either man…
20th February-26th April
Visit TRH.CO.UK
ART
Brasil! Brasil! The Birth of Modernism, Royal Academy
This upcoming RA exhibition explores how a new modern art emerged in Brazil in the early 20th century, informed by local cultures, identities and landscapes. It features over 130 works by ten important artists. Starting in the 1910s and continuing into the 1970s, everyday life in Brazil was the subject of this new modernism, with Indigenous identity and Afro-Brazilian experience among the many influences these artists drew upon. The majority of works are coming from Brazilian private collections, with many never before exhibited in the UK.
28th January-21st April
Visit ROYALACADEMY.ORG.UK
The Face Magazine: Culture Shift, National Portrait Gallery
This is a celebration of iconic fashion images and portraits from The Face, the trail-blazing youth culture and style magazine that shaped the cultural landscape in Britain. From 1980 to 2004, the mag played a vital role in creating contemporary culture. Musicians featured on its covers achieved global success and the models it championed – including a young Kate Moss – became the most recognisable faces of their time. The publication also launched the careers of many leading photographers and fashion stylists, who were given the freedom to radically reimagine the visual language of fashion photography and define the spirit of their times. This exhibition will bring together the work of over 80 photographers, breathing new life into their work’s print beginnings.
20th February-18th May
Visit NPG.ORG.UK
Cecil Beaton’s Fashionable World, National Portrait Gallery
I’m so looking forward to this, as I was meant to see the Bright Young Things exhibition at the NPG in 2020, which was cancelled due to the pandemic. Renowned as a fashion illustrator, Oscar-winning costume designer, social caricaturist and writer, Cecil Beaton was known as the ‘king of Vogue’, and was a major player in the 20th-century British and American creative scenes. Elevating fashion and portrait photography into an art form, his era-defining photographs captured beauty, glamour and star power in the interwar and early post-war eras. Cecil Beaton’s Fashionable World will showcase Beaton at his most triumphant – from the Jazz Age and the Bright Young Things to the high-fashion brilliance of the 50s and the Oscar-winning success of My Fair Lady.
9th October-11th January 2026
Visit NPG.ORG.UK
Lee Miller, Tate Britain
Tate Britain will host the most extensive UK retrospective of Lee Miller’s photography yet. First exposed to a camera by working in front of it, Miller was one of the most sought-after models of the late 1920s. She stepped behind the lens to become a leading figure in the avant-garde scenes of New York, Paris, London and Cairo. The exhibition will showcase her extraordinary career, from her participation in French surrealism to her fashion and war photography. With around 250 vintage and modern prints, including those never previously displayed, the exhibition will reveal Miller's poetic vision and fearless spirit.
2nd October-15th February 2026
Visit TATE.ORG.UK
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Leigh Bowery!, Tate Modern
An artist, performer, model, TV personality, club promoter, fashion designer and musician, Leigh Bowery took on many different roles, all while refusing to be limited by convention. From his emergence in the nightlife of 80s London through to his daring and outrageous performances in galleries, theatres and the street, Bowery always forged his own path, reimagining clothing and make-up as forms of painting and sculpture. This immersive exhibition is a rare chance to experience many of Bowery’s looks alongside his collaborations with artists including Michael Clark, Charles Atlas, Nick Knight, Fergus Greer, Stephen Willats, Nicola Rainbird, Mr Pearl and Lucian Freud.
27th February-31st August
Visit TATE.ORG.UK
Cartier, V&A
The V&A always brings glamour to the capital’s roster of exhibitions. One of the museum’s major exhibitions this year focuses on French jewellery house Cartier. Featuring more than 350 pieces, including precious jewels, historic gemstones, iconic watches and clocks, the exhibition will chart the evolution of Cartier's legacy of art, design and craftsmanship since the turn of the 20th century.
Opens 12th April
Visit VAM.AC.UK
Wes Anderson: The Exhibition, Design Museum
For now, the Design Museum is still showing its excellent Tim Burton retrospective. Later this year, it will be shining a light on another ground-breaking film director, Wes Anderson. This exhibition will follow the evolution of Anderson’s films from his early experiments in the 1990s right up to his most recent Oscar winners. Through a collection of original props, costumes, and behind-the-scenes insights, this exhibition will celebrate his enduring influence on contemporary cinema.
21st November-4th May 2026
Visit DESIGNMUSEUM.ORG
Blitz: The Club That Shaped The 80s, Design Museum
Behind a door in a Covent Garden side street, the Blitz club was the place where 80s style began. Inspired by everything from David Bowie and the punk and soul scenes to continental cinema and cabaret culture, the brightest young talents of their generation came together to revolutionise fashion, music and design, turning a niche club night into a launchpad for global superstardom. Forty years after its closure, visitors to the Design Museum will be able to revisit the trailblazing club's history and feel its atmosphere through a sensory extravaganza of music, flamboyant fashions and pioneering art, film and graphic design. Developed in collaboration with some of the ‘Blitz kids’ who were there, the exhibition will feature garments, drawings, photographs and videos from the club and beyond, including items that have never been on public display.
19th September-29th March 2026
Visit DESIGNMUSEUM.ORG
FILM
A Real Pain
This is technically cheating – as I’ve already seen this – but A Real Pain is well worth catching at the cinema. Written and directed by Jesse Eisenberg, the film is a 90-minute romp that follows two mismatched cousins David (Eisenberg) and Benji (Kieran Culkin, who has already won a Golden Globe for his performance) as they tour Poland following the death of their grandmother. Their adventure becomes complicated as old tensions resurface while exploring their family history. It’s a lot of fun – and moving and hard-hitting – with The White Lotus’s Will Sharpe helping to bring the laughs.
Out now
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The Brutalist
It might be almost three-and-a-half hours long, but The Brutalist is still one of the most anticipated films of the year, having turned heads at last year’s Venice Film Festival. It follows visionary Hungarian architect László Toth (Adrien Brody), who escapes postwar Europe for America to rebuild his life, his career and his marriage. On his own in a strange new country, László settles in Pennsylvania, where the prominent industrialist Harrison Lee Van Buren recognises his talent. The film also stars Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn, Raffey Cassidy, Stacy Martin and Emma Laird.
Out 24th January
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The Last Showgirl
Following her brilliant autobiography, a documentary and a series of stellar red-carpet appearances, Pamela Anderson has reclaimed her status as an American icon. Now, she’s acting once more. Gia Coppola’s The Last Showgirl is a poignant film of resilience, rhinestones and feathers. It stars Anderson as Shelly, a glamorous showgirl who must plan for her future when her show abruptly closes after a 30-year run. The film also co-stars Jamie Lee Curtis as Shelly’s best friend, who brings her own brilliance to the story, alongside Dave Bautista, Brenda Song, Kiernan Shipka and Billie Lourd.
Out 10th February
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Saturday Night
At 11.30pm on 11th October 1975, a ferocious troupe of young comedians and writers changed television – and culture – forever. Directed by Jason Reitman (Juno, Thank You For Smoking), Saturday Night is based on the true story of what happened behind the scenes in the 90 minutes leading up to the first broadcast of Saturday Night Live. Full of humour, chaos and the magic of a revolution that almost wasn’t, the film counts down the minutes in real time until we hear those famous opening words… Lorne Michaels is played by Gabriel LaBelle, who I thought was brilliant in Steven Spielberg's semi-autobiographical The Fabelmans, so I’m expecting great things.
Out 31st January
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For more cultural ideas, follow Heather at @STEELEHEATHERRR
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