In partnership with

This week, we’re excited to team up with Stratford East as they prepare to open their big 2025 pantomime extravaganza, Mama Goose.

The theatre, which has been putting on panto since 1884, has become famous for tearing up the rulebook and retelling classic fairy tale stories with a unique and memorable East London twist.

“This show is about Stratford,” says composer of music and lyrics, Robert Hyman. “When the kids come, they sit there and go… wait a minute, that's me, or that's my mum, or that's my granddad! Immediately, they belong.”

It’s a clever device for making a magical world of fairies and golden eggs feel relevant, vital and above all - local.

“We needed to have an African dame,” says the show’s co-writer and director, Tonderai Munyevu, “which seemed to change everything for us. Where would she be from? What kind of vibe would she have? And for her to be really celebrating the reemergence of African culture in Britain. There's a lot of references to pop culture, too, but we’re really celebrating Mama's Ghanaian sense of humour. She's indomitable and never gives up.”

The team have clearly had a whole heap of fun writing the story, and then seeing the whole thing come together during weeks of rehearsals, ahead of the imminent opening night.

“I firmly believe we've got the best panto cast in the country this year,” says co-writer/director Vikki Stone. “They are all so, so brilliant.”

It feels like this year’s show may well be the latest smash hit in what’s been a phenomenal run throughout 2025 for Stratford East, rounding off the year in the exuberant, creative style we’ve come to expect from the them - a golden egg indeed.

Mama Goose opens this Fri 21st Nov and is running right through the festive period, with tickets from just £10

🔊 Known for her vibrant use of colour, humour and evocative imagery, Annis Harrison’s new exhibition, Memory of Joy, is a celebration of heritage, identity, and exuberance through a series of oil paintings infused with sound and movement. The show features an immersive, soundsystem–inspired installation that blends interviews, sound effects and bass-heavy rhythms. Find it at Sugar House Island from tomorrow, then select dates until Sun 30th Nov.

🖼️ Bow Arts’ renowned biennial showcase of moving image, digital, and performance art, is back, with Visions Programme 2 led by acclaimed moving image artist Onyeka Igwe, whose own work explores diasporic African life and colonial history. Runs to Sun Dec 21st. at the Nunnery Gallery.

🧠 The third Braintopia returns to The Loop on Sun 30th Nov, offering a gym for the mind via an assortment of experiences and practices to get involved with across the afternoon into evening. Create a collage, draw something, print a t-shirt, make music, sculpture or a simple toastie - it’s up to you, and it’s free to join in.

🍝 Local Italian Carbobar is throwing a first birthday party this Fri 21st Nov, with music, good vibes, and free appetisers all night long if you pre-register.

🏀 50% off tickets to see London Lions tonight

There’s more top draw basketball action at the Copper Box Arena tonight, Wed 19th Nov, as home team London Lions take on JL Bourg Basket in the BKT EuroCup. Then they’re back in action again on Sun 23rd Nov too, where the visitors are Newcastle Eagles in the SLB Championship.

The Wick readers can access all tickets at a 50% discount via this special link

👂🏽 You’re invited to listen actively to music on vinyl and to hear the stories that brought Charlie Dark MBE and DIVINE KIND to the sound system, at a special immersive session on Wed 26th Nov, in the UCL Urban Room. Unlike traditional listening sessions, this is not about sitting still - it’s about making space, so you can move, and (if you wish) record your own story to be woven into a collective soundscape documenting our shared routes to sound, belonging, and connection in London.

🫦 There’s a live show from the fierce and seductive SIX SEX at Colour Factory this Fri 21st Nov, fusing euphoric pop, hard trance, latincore, ghettotech and electro for the London debut of her brand new live show, 'X Sex', exploring themes of liberation, desire and queer empowerment.

🎺 There are a whole load of choice events taking place at Grow this week as part of their EFG Jazz Festival programme, ranging from Magro x Sedric Perry live on Fri 21st to Jamie Stew digging in the crates on Sun 23rd. 

🎂 In house and infamous, Half Baked celebrates its 16th birthday at Number 90 on Sat 29th Nov with Shonky, Garrett David live and Reflex Blue supplying the soundtrack until 6am, with a cheeky afters lined-up at Starlane if you want to party for 24-hours solid.

🧢 Academy Breakin Convention are running a series of Open Days for aspiring students of hip hop dance and culture to come and find out more about their ground-breaking Level 3 Extended Diploma in Performance and Production Arts at their Sadler’s Wells East home. There will be free taster workshops, and the chance to discover first hand how you can become a part of the ABC 2026 cohort. Book your place now, as the first one is on Mon 8th Dec. 

🍷 The new Sip & Scrawl Creative Writing Experience is a two-hour session led by comedian Mike Sheer, with fun, guided writing exercises from haikus to sensory descriptions and character creation at the People's Park Tavern, next happening on Mon Nov 24th.

♻️ UCL Innovation & Enterprise are running an Upscaling Circular Economy event on Thurs 20th Nov at The Loop. Through panel discussions, workshops and networking, you’ll explore how to turn circular ideas into scalable, commercially viable, and socially beneficial innovations, plus there’s an opportunity to co-develop project ideas and apply for up to £5,000 in funding to pilot circular solutions.

💪🏼 There’s a paid opportunity to have a say in how East London creative arts activists, Skaped creates change locally, by becoming a Community Consultant for a weekend full of activities and discussions, 6th-7th Dec. Applications by Sun 23rd Nov.

💁🏽‍♀️ Hackney Council is launching the second phase of its six-month, UK Shared Prosperity Fund-backed Hackney Impact program to provide practical workshops, coaching, and mentoring to over ninety small local businesses and entrepreneurs, with a focus on supporting underrepresented communities like Bengali, Charedi, Kurdish, LGBTQIA+, and younger entrepreneurs.

🆕 Creative workspace and training hub Poplar Works is expanding, with more studios available alongside their existing collection of resident designers, makers, and London College of Fashion’s Making for Change programme. To celebrate the launch, they’re offering new tenants one month free on a 12-month lease. Info and to book a tour.

💁🏼‍♀️ Tower Hamlets have a free Business Support Projects Launch at the Town Hall on Mon Dec 1st, for a new £400k suite of options for Tower Hamlets residents who want to start a business, providing support to early stage start ups and a specific package of support for female led/owned businesses.

Uniting our otherwise depressingly polarised nation somewhat this week, via the universality of puerile humour, this viral TikTok reveals…. the flatulent-sounding Velodrome in the Lea Valley Park. The iconic building parps when fireworks go off. Enjoy.

@mat_thew_paul

Who designed this? #velodrome #farts #london #olympics