St John's Wood Area Guide

The only gut-wrenching, heart-breaking, snot-inducing breakups we hear about are the romantic ones. But what relationship is more intimate, more enduring, more important than the one with your best friend? And what happens when it crumbles? Dumping is a brand new play by Alex Summer Milne coming to The Cockpit this April for three exclusive preview shows. Bea is appalled at how conventional Alana has become and wants to 'untether' herself so she can advance on her spiritual journey. But when she initiates a 'divorce', Alana is outraged. Why can't Bea just ghost her like a normal person? And why should Alana feel guilty for becoming a mother? 'We can't all be Carol Vorderman'. Their incessant bickering and clashing ideas make The Talk tricky... but not as agonising as deciding who will get custody of the Fendi bag they've been passing back and forth for a decade. A play about navigating the changes between girlhood and womanhood. About needing people. About facing ourselves. It asks, what are friends for? ‘Absolute f-ing dynamite’ ‘Timely, beautifully written, beautifully performed’ ‘Like two halves of my brain having a row’ ‘Razor sharp. Had me laughing and crying.’ - Audience reactions at a scratch performance Be among the first to see this breakout show by emerging writer-director Alex Summer Milne, recently named one of Hachette’s ‘fiction stars of the future’ with ‘a gift for writing comedy’ (Paul Vale of The Stage). Her previous theatre work has been hailed as ‘hilarious and thought-provoking', ‘enchanting’, and ‘an absolute treat to watch’. Dumping first came to The Cockpit as part of our scratch night Theatre In The Pound. Now it's back as part of Theatre Maker, our programme that supports early career development. Follow us on Instagram @dumping_play.

RE:ENCHANT - Poetic Experiments For A New World Live literature every third Sunday at 5.00pm. The world changes: we make new poetry to vandalise literary forms or retrieve those we need to renew. We make new poetry to hybridise new species of understanding and reframe consciousness. We make new poetry to have a good time. Readings, recitations, incantations and events from established and upstart poets, word artists, ranters, spell-casters, rappers......and you if you want. SUNDAY 20 April Nick Makohah Nick will be reading from his new work The New Carthaginians (Allen Lane 2025) In The New Carthaginians, time – and with it the world – is out of joint. A hijacked plane lands at Entebbe International Airport in 1976, triggering the crisis that leads to Uganda becoming a pariah state and later to the young Makoha’s escape from the country. ”A work that’s ingenious and bold in its formal daring." - Erica Wagner, Literary Editor for Harper's Bazaar, contributing writer for The New Statesman ”Nick Makoha has found an otherworldly, visionary voice and diction that arrest you from the first page and never let you go." - Roger Robinson Nick Makoha is a Ugandan poet and playwright based in London. His debut collection, Kingdom of Gravity, was shortlisted for the Felix Dennis Prize and was one of the Guardian’s Best Books of the Year. His poems have appeared in The New York Times, the Poetry Review, Poetry Wales, Wasafiri, Boston Review, and Callaloo. He is the founder of Obsidian Foundation, winner of the 2021 Ivan Juritz Prize and the Poetry London Prize. Plus poets in our open mic slot.

Enjoy a two or three course lunch or indulge in the full three-course experience at Smith's Bar and Grill, featuring a variety of mouthwatering dishes to suit all tastes. Start with a comforting seasonal soup or creamy burrata, then savor mains like the succulent flat iron steak or tender baby chicken. With a welcoming atmosphere, impeccable service, and the finest ingredients, it's the perfect spot to elevate your lunch.

Mia is going out of her mind in a flat with a baby that won’t feed. Her son Alfie’s getting bullied at school; her husband Joe is working all hours for the police on a job he can’t talk about; the neighbour keeps blasting music at 2am; and another body has been found in the Thames. As Mia desperately looks for something in her life she can control, Alfie’s teacher Ana proposes an unconventional route to empowerment – and suddenly the hunted becomes the hunter… John Donnelly’s genre-busting new play is at once a sophisticated critique of the way we live now and a supernatural thriller. Donnelly’s other plays include The Knowledge (Bush) and The Pass (Royal Court). Director Blanche McIntyre returns to Hampstead following her record-breaking production of The Invention of Love. ASSISTED PERFORMANCES: Captioned, 22 April, 7.30pm Audio Described, 26 April, 2.30pm

Marylebone Youth Theatre Summer Term Junior Group runs 9am-11am Senior Group runs 11.30am-2pm Dates as Follows- Saturday 26th April Saturday 3rd May Saturday 10th May Saturday 17th May Saturday 24th May Saturday 31st May Saturday 7th June Saturday 14th June Saturday 21st June Saturday 28th June

FUKURO is a Visual-Kei rock band from Tokyo formed by: Yoshiatsu - Vocal Daisuke - Piano Yutara - Bass Lotto - Drums Active since September 6, 2021, and performed live on the West Coast of the U.S. in July 2024 as their first overseas tour. Their latest single, “ROAD TO THE FUTURE”, was released in November 2024, and its music video is now available on YouTube. VIP Ugrade (from 6pm) includes: \-) Priority entrance to the venue (from 6pm) \-) Photo with FUKURO (with fan’s phone) \-) Dedicated pass \-) The first 15 purchasers will receive a signed photo. It DOES NOT include an Entry Ticket; it’s an Upgrade ticket that needs to be purchased separately. Presented by The Underworld. This is a 14+ event. 14 and 15 year olds MUST be accompanied by an adult (18+) / All ticketholders under the age of 25 will be required to carry PHOTO ID.