The West End has always drawn dreamers, makers and storytellers. This September, from Fitzrovia to the Strand, from Soho to Covent Garden, it opens up as never before. The theme, “Maybe It’s Because I’m a Londoner”, takes inspiration from the wartime song written by a soldier as V2 bombs fell. First performed in West End venues, it captured the energy, pride and resilience of Londoners in the city’s darkest hours. It is joyous not jingoistic. It is a celebration of fellowship rather than rivalry, of belonging rather than exclusion. It honours the enduring spirit of London itself: diverse, resilient, welcoming and endlessly alive through the people who call it home.
At the Museum of Soho, a special exhibition 'West End at War', explores the people and places that shaped the area during WW2. It traces famous figures who made Soho their home, including Charles de Gaulle and the French government in exile, and those who arrived during the period before finding post-war fame, such as Lucian Freud, Francis Bacon and Dylan Thomas. It honours everyday heroes who kept a glimmer of light alive amid the destruction. Visitors can discover the story of 6 Charing Cross Road, from Victorian warehouse to fascist club, New Zealand servicemen’s club and, finally, Charing Cross Library.
The festivities begin on Saturday 12 September in Soho Square Gardens, with dance, movement and drama celebrating the cultures that make London one of the world’s great cities.
Head north to Fitzrovia, where Virginia Woolf and George Orwell once walked. The Fitzrovia Centre opens its Secret Garden and community spaces, while the University of Westminster welcomes visitors to the emerging community space Tower Tavern. In Covent Garden, the London Film School opens its studios for tours and archive screenings. Near the Strand, RSA House reveals the Great Room, the Vaults and rooms once associated with Dickens, Marx and Franklin.
