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Barbican Centre Review
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Barbican Centre
Arts / Performance Venues, The City
Fodor's Review:
With two theaters; the London Symphony Orchestra and its auditorium; the Guildhall School of Music and Drama; a major art gallery for touring and its own special exhibitions; two cinemas; a convention center; an upscale restaurant, cafés, terraces with fountains, and literary bookshops; and living space in some of the most desirable tower blocks in town, the Barbican is an enormous 1980s concrete maze that Londoners either love or hate. Navigation around the complex is via the yellow lines running, Oz-like, along the floors, with signs on the walls, although it's still easy to get lost. Actors rate the theater acoustics especially high, and the steep rake of the seating makes for a good stage view. The dance, music, and theater programs have been transformed into a yearlong fest named BITE, which stands for Barbican International Theatre Events, and encompasses dance, puppetry, and music. The emphasis is on presenting tomorrow's names today, although there are performances by established companies and artists, such as Merce Cunningham.
INFO
- Address: Silk St., The City, London, EC2
- Phone: 020/7638-8891 box office
- Web site
- Cost: Barbican Centre free, art gallery £6-£8, films £5-£7, concerts £5-£27, theater £3-£27
- Open: Barbican Centre Mon.-Sat. 9 AM-11 PM, Sun. noon-11 PM; gallery Wed. and Fri.-Mon. 11-8, Tues. and Thurs. 11-6; conservatory weekends noon-5:30 when not in use for private function; call first
- Tube: Moorgate, Barbican
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