The Enlightenment Café is a unique theatrical project that combines the beauty of science with the power and imagination of immersive performance. Originating from the Coffee Houses of the 17th century, Enlightenment Cafés (also known as Penny Universities) were ‘theatres of exchange’ and social hubs for new thinking in science, philosophy, politics and arts – places where ideas came together and bubbled with excitement.

LAStheatre brings this concept into the 21st century and promises it will be just as intellectually promiscuous. The Enlightenment Café is a place of exploration where people from all walks of life can debate, play and laugh the night away. There will be fire scientists, neuroscientists, microbiologists and botanists. Scientists in residence include Tim McInerny, Stuart Clarke, Alex Bellos and, maybe even Darwin.

This is an interactive adventure where we can moot new theories as to why things are, how they got there and what will happen next. The Enlightenment Café will delve into topics ranging from astronomy to paleontology, from My Little Pony to zombies and from art to invention. Only the tedious will be off limits.

Doors to the Old Vic Tunnels will open every night at 7pm and the evenings will be split into three sections: firstly, a period of immersive theatre and free exploration; secondly, stage pieces and panel discussions; and, finally, live music and entertainment. Each night will have a different theme and aesthetic but will all inspire, breaking away from the idea that science and facts can only be learnt in a lecture theatre or laboratory.

The Enlightenment Café aims to provoke imagination and intrigue; it is a place where scientists demonstrate their art and artists demonstrate their science. Meet amazing minds of our time, interact with characters and attend lectures, all within a vivacious Victorian night of entertainment. Come to indulge your adventurous side at The Enlightenment Café!

THE ENLIGHTENMENT CAFÉ
The Old Vic Tunnels

31st May – 3rd June 2012

Tickets are priced at £15 with a booking fee of £1.55

- Free Entry
- Lavish Beer Garden ~ Gastro Fare ~ Vintage Dancing
- Live Swing: The Silver Ghosts
- Beginners Dance Lesson: Gaia Facchini
- Vintage hair stylist: Heyday Honey
- One man and his ukulele: Colin Chambers
- Swing playlist from 4pm til about midnight
- Vintage / Smart Dress code positively encouraged!

5pm
COLIN CHAMBERS & his ukulele

7.00pm
SWING DANCE CLASS
For beginners. USA dance coach Gaia Facchini.
£2/£3 for couples.

8.30pm
THE SILVER GHOSTS 1st Set
1920s – 40s swing dance music.
£3 ‘hat’ donation suggested.

10pm
SWING PLAYLIST til close

Monday, 4 June 2012
4pm til about midnight

The Canonbury
21 Canonbury place, N1 2NS Islington

Cabarera is a themed cabaret/comedy night which transports you to a different era each month. This month you’re going back to the roaring 1920′s!

The eclectic line up includes the wonderful Pippa Evans (as seen on Channel 4’s The Morgana Show, BBC’s The Wrong Door & Fast and Loose) and acclaimed puppeteer Aya Nakamura who will be performing puppet burlesque!

Wednesday, May 16th, 2012
Doors at 6:00pm starts at 8:00pm

The Vandella
15 to19 Goldhawk Road
Shepherds Bush, London, W12 8QQ, GB

Tickets: £9 (On door), £7 (in advance) & £5 in 1920′s attire

After a glowing New Band Of The Day write up in The Guardian, (hailing them as “The English Pogues with better teeth”) and being signed up to the Vans Warped Tour, it seems this five-piece folk troupe really are on the up.

Skinny Lister are Daniel Heptinstall, Lorna Thomas, Maxwell Thomas, Sam Brace and Dan Gray who came together in the summer of 2009.  United by their love of folk, jigs and the outdoors, the band have been riotously swinging the festival scene since day one, notching up an impressive 30 festivals last year.

Their live shows often feature a bric-a-brac merch stall, where you can treat yourself to old pocket watches, pub mirrors, tankards and a spectacular anchor or two. What better band to play a series of gigs at vintage stores? Though they’re not bringing it all with them for this mini-tour, there’ll be plenty to buy at each of the shops.

With the unrelenting, tenacious energy that carried them through their endless summer of touring, the band’s four-show extravaganza is not to be missed – come prepared for flagons of rum, armfuls of fun and the finest young folk group playing today.

Vintage Store Pop-Up Tour – Tuesday 15th May
FREE ENTRY TO ALL VENUES

2:00pm            Beyond Retro        Cheshire St, E2 6EJ
2:30pm            Hunky Dory            Brick Lane, E1 6SA
3:00pm            Blitz                Hanbury St, E1 5JP
4:00pm            Paper Dress            Curtain Road, EC2A 3AH

Head to the Jubilee Tea Dance in Walthamstow for an afternoon of swing dancing. There will be music from DJ Jerome, hair and makeup by the lovely Ginger & Greene, cakes by Kath Cakes, and music and memorabilia from Tony Tunes.

Saturday 2 June
1-5pm
£2

Ye Olde Rose & Grown Pub
53-55 Hoe Street
Walthamstow
E17 4SA

Get those old bones moving to the nostalgic sounds of the Vintage Dance Society who will bring you an evening filled with vibrant live music and dance from the roaring Twenties. Hosted by the dashing Fred Snow, you will b treated to live performances by Twenties band Top Shelf Jazz and the acclaimed Benoit Viellefon’s Orchestra with fast paced swing and jazz dance routines by The Filthy Rascals from Swing Patrol.  DJ Tim Hellzapoppin will also be on hand to transport you with his unique collection of vintage tunes on the gramophones.

This exceptional line up promises to inject plenty of glamour and fun into an otherwise ordinary week night and we predict everyone will be swaying if not downright shimmying and breaking into Savoy kicks and Bees Knees moves by the end of the night.

Tickets are now on sale via The Royal Albert Hall and include a Twenties-style gin cocktail on arrival. This is a standing event with some unreserved cabaret style seating.

The Vintage Dance Society
Thursday 12 July 2012 at 8pm. Doors 7.15pm
Elgar Room, Royal Albert Hall, Kensington Gore, London, SW7 2AP
Tickets £18.50 (booking fees apply).

Text: Rebecca McWattie