Story Stock is Back: Saturday December 9 & 16

StoryStock is returning to the Bush Theatre tomorrow Saturday December 9th and next Saturday December 16th, bringing art and culture to children of all ages.

Children are invited to learn about stories, and storytelling, putting on their own seasonal drama.

The event takes place over two saturdays - each day has a special focus of its own.

Hammersmith Society Awards

Last night the Hammersmith Society announced this year’s winners of its annual awards, presented by Cllr Michael Cartwright, Mayor of Hammersmith and Fulham. The ceremony was held at the Hammersmith Society AGM on Wednesday 21 June.

Every year the Hammersmith Society hands out awards for good architecture in our neighbourhood - and wooden spoons for bad projects which make our urban environment worse.

So, who were the winners (and losers) this year?

Comedy Festival at The Bush Theatre 1-4 June

The Bush Theatre is hosting a Comedy festival this summer, running from June 1-4, featuring comedy acts Nina Conti, Tim Key, Joe Lycett and Shaun Keaveny.

The Bush theatre re-opened in March this year, after a year-long period of restoration, with a new season of political theatre, starting with "Black Lives, Black Words" on March 23.

For more details, times and tickets, visit: www.bushtheatre.co.uk or call the Box Office on 020 8743 5050.

The Shepherd's Bush Blog offers a personal view on life in Shepherd's Bush.  If you would like to contribute a story about our neighbourhood, email us at shepherdsbushblog(at)gmail.com

Bush Theatre Shines

Bush Theatre

The Bush Theatre gleams as never before as the scaffolding comes down, revealing the beautiful honey-coloured stone of philanthropist Passmore Edwards' original building.

The Theatre itself re-opens in March, with a new season of political theatre, starting with "Black Lives, Black Words" on March 23.

The Bush Theatre's artistic agenda is now to "fight the right wing". You can see the full program here.

Bush Theatre "To Fight Right Wing" When It Re-Opens

The Bush Theatre - closed until 2017

Here at The Shepherd's Bush Blog we've long been big fans of the Bush Theatre on the Uxbridge road, currently undergoing a major renovation.

Lately though we've noticed a bit of a detour into some less entertaining and more obviously political programming. Think the potty-mouthed "F*ck the Polar Bears", "Islands", a sweary rant about tax avoiders, or "Boys Will Be Boys", a cliche-ridden polemic about sexism in the City.

And now, it's official. The Bush Theatre artistic director Madani Younis has vowed - not to put on great theatre entertainment - but to "fight the right wing" when the building re-opens.

Trouble is - Is this what audiences want? And should public money be spent on such an overtly political goal?

Review - Boys Will Be Boys

Here at The Bush Telegraph we're big fans of the Bush Theatre, our temple of culture on the Uxbridge road, currently undergoing a major renovation.

Overall, the standard of theatre is very high, comparable with the best of the West End, but lately we've noticed a bit of a detour into some less thoughtful programming. Think the naughtily-titled "F*ck the Polar Bears", or "Islands", a potty-mouthed rant against tax avoiders. It's not that these plays don't have something to say, it's just that what they do say isn't necessarily very well said.

"Boys Will Be Boys" continues this recent trend. Here is what our reviewer thought of the play, which is currently playing at Bush Hall until 30 July.

Bush Theatre "Breaks Out" and Moves To Bush Hall

The Bush Theatre has "broken out" of its home on Uxbridge Road (where they have got the builders in all this year and early next) and taken up temporary residence at Bush Hall, a short walk west down the Uxbridge Road.

Bush Hall was originally a dance venue but today hosts all sorts of events including theatre, cabaret, comedy and live music.

The Bush Hall dining rooms are located conveniently next door, now serving pizza from their wood-burning pizza oven.

Right Now at the Bush Theatre is "Unmissable" - Says Time Out

"Right Now" at the Bush Theatre

"Right Now" is playing - right now - at the Bush Theatre, and has been described by Time Out as "unmissable".

The Bush Theatre will be closing soon for a full renovation, and won't re-open until 2017 at the earliest.  So anyone wanting to soak up some culture in the Bush this year better move fast. Prices start at just £15.

Bush Theatre to Close for Renovations in March for One Year

The Bush Theatre - closing in March

The Bush Theatre on the Uxbridge Road is to close for a year for renovation. Just over a year ago they held a public consultation about their plans to redevelop the theatre, and the plans have now been announced publicly.

The project is scheduled to take just under a year, and during this period the Bush will be closed to the public.

They start work at the end of March 2016 and hope to open the redeveloped Bush Theatre to the public at the start of 2017.

Andy Slaughter MP Remembers Alan Rickman

Alan Rickman. Wikimedia

In this piece at the New Statesman, Shepherd's Bush MP Andy Slaughter remembers Alan Rickman, the Acton-born actor who became an internationally famous movie star.

In particular, Slaughter remembers the actor as "As a West London boy, Labour Party loyalist and supporter of the arts in his local community".

Both men were educated at Latymer Upper School in Hammersmith, then a grammar school. Alan Rickman was a staunch supporter of our very own Bush Theatre, promoting high quality writing and drama in our neighbourhood. To read the full story, follow this link.

What's on at the Bush Theatre?

The word from our local temple of culture, The Bush Theatre on the Uxbridge Road, is that the next few plays are going to be good 'uns.

So beat the rush and book your tickets now to see West End quality acting at bargain prices - barely more than the cost of a movie ticket.

So, what is the inside scoop? Which plays are going to be winners?

Story Stock Starts Today At The Bush Theatre

From today Wednesday October 28 until Friday October 30, StoryStock returns to the Bush Theatre, bringing art and culture to children of all ages.

Children are invited to learn about stories, drawing, films - even animation.

The event takes place over three days - each day has a special focus. One day has an emphasis on story telling, another is all about drawing and visual arts.

Are You a Pushy Parent? Find Out at The Bush Theatre on October 28

Which are you? Honestly? Tom Hodgkinson knows which he is – he wrote The Idle Parent – and Toby Young – author of What Every Parent Should Know – is so sure that he co-founded the West London Free School so he would be able to send his children to a pushy school.  Come and see these two battle out this modern obsession with parenting and decide whose corner you are in.  Chaired by ITV newsreader Mary Nightingale.

F*ck The Polar Bears at The Bush Theatre

The Bush Theatre on Uxbridge Road is currently showing a play titled F*ck The Polar Bears. But must they?  I'd rather go and see the play because it's good, and gets good reviews - not because it has (shock!) naughty words in the title.  Anyway, the play is on until October 24th, and it got 3 stars in a recent review by the Guardian.

Storystock returns to the Bush Theatre October 28-30

The Bush Theatre is our newest temple of culture in The Bush, occupying the formerly vacant old library on the Uxbridge Road, a venerable Victorian structure founded by entrepreneur and philanthropist Passmore Edwards in the late 19th century.

From October 28-30 StoryStock comes back to the Bush Theatre, bringing art and culture to children of all ages.

Review - The Invisible at the Bush Theatre

The Invisible

The Invisible is a new play at The Bush Theatre by From Rebecca Lenkiewicz‎. It is a story about poverty and law, about the difficulties faced by those of very limited means seeking access to justice in an age of legal aid cuts.

What do you do if your benefit is cut, your housing is withdrawn, you are denied access to your children, you can't afford a solicitor and you don't understand how the legal system works?

Bush Theatre Offers 10% Discount to Local Residents!

Bush Theatre: Queen of The Uxbridge Road

Discounts on theatre tickets, food and drink are being offered throughout 2015 to anyone who lives or works near the fabulous Bush Theatre on the Uxbridge Road. The free Bush Local Scheme will continue this year thanks to a generous £6,000 donation by the West 12 Shopping Centre.

Shepherd's Bush "a Dystopian Vision of Kebab Shops", says the FT

Shepherd's Bush Green: "a dystopian vision...a windswept traffic island ringed by kebab joints"

According to an article in May in The Financial Times, Shepherd’s Bush is "not one of London’s lovelier districts". Apparently we are "sandwiched between the elegant suburbs of Holland Park and Chiswick", and our architecture is "for the most part a tangle of unprepossessing Victorian streets clustered around a dystopian vision of the traditional village green", which the FT memorably describes as "a windswept traffic island ringed by kebab joints and mobile phone shops". A pretty harsh assessment - but is it a fair one? 

The Visitors at The Bush Theatre Gets 5 Star Reviews

The Visitors - now playing at The Bush Theatre

The Bush Theater moved to its new home in the old library on the Uxbridge Road in 2011, and since then has established itself as a worthy temple of culture in Shepherd's Bush, bringing excellent new writing and rising talent to a building which had been dark since the new library opened in the Westfield Centre in 2008. Now playing at The Bush Theatre is - The Visitors - getting 5 star reviews.

A Bird in The Bush - Your Guide to Shepherd's Bush

A Bird in The Bush

A Bird in the Bush was an excellent blog about our neighbourhood. Now sadly discontinued, the archive is still accessible and you can see plenty of recommendations about places to go and things to see and do in our part of West London. Some of it is a bit our of date, but overall it's still a great resource.