At the heart of London is Covent Garden, a place buzzing with culture, sophistication, and innovation. Eat at one of the many restaurants here, soak up the atmosphere at one of the trendy bars, or enjoy the thrill of the opera at the Royal Opera House. It’s hard not to be swept up in the historic and artistic feel of Covent Garden and, regardless of how many times you have previously visited, there will always be new things and places to discover here. If you are planning a trip to the city, this should be firmly on your list of places to visit, and with the Travelodge by Covent Garden you can afford to stay in the very epicentre of the action for an even better experience. Here’s what’s on in Covent Garden this March:
Ballet
From the end of February through until April, the Royal Opera House is home to the Royal Ballet, as they tell the classic tale of The Sleeping Beauty. Adapted for ballet by Petipa, this is a story that adults and children alike will know inside out. Breathtakingly brought to life on the stage by these incredible ballerinas, the tale has a whole new elegant appeal. The Sleeping Beauty ballet has history here too, as it was the first ballet performed when the Company reopened following WWII – now showing again with some modern adaptations.
Art
Just a five-minute walk from Covent Garden market is the National Gallery, home to some of the most iconic works of art in the world. Since January the gallery has offered the rare opportunity to see two of the five Van Gogh Sunflower paintings in one place, as the Van Gogh Museum has kindly lent their incarnation to the National Gallery. Running until the end of April this year, this may well be the only chance art lovers get to compare and contrast these two works in the flesh.
Comedy
A new show to the comedy circuit this March is the much-anticipated Blithe Spirit written by the marvelous Noel Coward, and directed by Michael Blakemore. The story follows Charles Condomine who skeptically invites a medium to his house. Unfortunately for him, although fortunately for the audience, the ghost of his dead wife Elvira is summoned, and she takes an immediate dislike to Charles’ new wife, who of course can’t see Elvira. The result is a play that is funny, well acted and intriguing. All in all it’s a must for any comedy theatre fan.
Covent Garden is famous for many things, and there is something going on all hours of the day and night in this fabulous area of London. Accessible by all forms of transport, you can wander the market, check out the high-end boutiques and enjoy a coffee in the square by day, and by night you can have dinner and drinks before indulging in some of the most wonderful nightlife the city has to offer. If you love culture and traditional forms of entertainment such as ballet, art and the theatre then there is no better choice than Covent Garden.
Post by Catherine Lavinia in coordination with Travelodge Covent Garden. Thank you so much for contributing to Of Revolt, Catherine! // Photography Credits: 1 and 2.