Greenwich and Docklands International Festival (GDIF)

I had a great time at GDIF on Sunday afternoon. The grounds of the Old Naval College in Greenwich were packed with people enjoying the sunshine (or seeking out a spot to rest in the shade) and making the most of all the fabulous free entertainment. There were also performances in St Alfege Park - a great new find for me. I hadn't realised there was such a peaceful spot so close to Greenwich town centre. Some of the activities spilt out on to the streets of Greenwich too like these glamorous stilt walking Princesses with outsize feet.

The Princesses in Greenwich High Street

The 'not so dainty' feet of one of the Princesses

With so many different things going on it was hard to know what to pick from the programme but as is often the best way with these types of event, we decided to just wander around and stop for a while when something took our fancy. We saw a performance called Heartland which was apparently inspired by the Minotaur and Icarus legends. To be honest, I didn't pay too much attention to the plot but I was impressed by the aerial acrobatics.

Aerial acrobatics in Heartland

The Iron Man in St Alfege Park proved a more absorbing plot and was clearly captivating the dozens of children sitting in the blazing sun to watch as the eponymous hero saved the planet from a murderous dragon.

A captivated audience watches The Iron Man

St Alfege Park

An interactive sculpture park  provided entertainment for those looking for something other than theatre. Various artists had re-imagined famous sculptures as machines or games that could be moved or played with, providing an opportunity for visitors to engage with these works of art in a new way.

A sculpture park with a difference

The Bollywood dancing I'd had hoped to watch was cancelled for some reason but there were lots of other weird and wonderful things to see from 6ft tall meerkats to a phoenix rolling by dispensing gifts as she went.

6ft tall Meerkats introduce themselves

The Phoenix

 The festival continues next week-end with dancing at Canary Wharf and a finale at Woolwich Town Centre on Saturday night and there's further entertainment in St Alfege Park the following Saturday (9 July) when the friends of the park are organising what sounds like a great festival.

Festival time

Just as the April showers finally seem to have arrived, the summer festival season is upon us and there are some great free festivals happening in London this summer.

In my local area, the annual Brockley Max festival kicked off last Friday with a lively afternoon and evening of music outside the Brockley Barge. I was there for a couple of hours in the evening and there was a fantastic atmosphere and a great mix of different types of music, ranging from a community choir to a ska band. The festival runs all this week and includes theatre, comedy, dance, workshops and children's events as well as lots of music.

Another of my favourite free festivals begins in a few week's time. The Greenwich and Docklands International Festival runs from 24 June to 2 July and if past events are anything to go by is likely to include some amazing spectacles. A year or two ago we watched a fire lit dance performance after dark in Greenwich Park. There doesn't seem to be anything quite the same this year but there are lots of other interesting free events on offer, including:

• A 21st century version of the Greenwich Fair which was the 'largest and most uproarious gathering of outdoor entertainment in Britain' until it started getting abit out of hand 150 years ago and was shut down.
• As the World Tipped , an aerial theatre performance about climate change in Mile End Park.
• An opportunity to view dance from an unusual angle at Canary Wharf with La Mirada Transparente's transparent stage. The audience sit on reclining seats underneath the stage.
• Les Girafes, the festival's finale in Woolwich town centre which includes life-sized giraffes, confetti explosions and evocative music.

Also, just about to start is the More London Free Festival at The Scoop. It starts with theatre performances from tomorrow but over the coming months there will also be music and film at this outdoor venue next to City Hall.

These are only a few of the many free festivals in London this summer ranging from one day local events to summer long celebrations at central locations. Let me know if you have any particular favourites.

Free Theatre in London

London offers some great opportunities for free entertainment, especially in terms of live music but it's generally more difficult to find free theatre performances. That will change over the next few weeks as there are some great opportunities coming up.


This week sees the start of the summer season at The Scoop at More London. Over the course of the summer there will be theatre, music and films all on offer for free at this outdoor venue next to City Hall. It all begins this Wednesday with 'Shakespeare Happens: The Tragedy of Macbeth' which is described as high energy, interactive and colourful. Apparently it aims to bring the look of a graphic novel to life on stage so I'm guessing it may be a different take on Shakespeare! This production runs until 30 May and there are a series of other theatrical performances throughout June including a contemporary take on The Canterbury Tales and a play about rival tour guides competing with each other (Citiest of Cities). July at The Scoop is dedicated to free music but theatre returns in August with 'Around the World in 80 Days' and Brecht's 'The Mother'. It's a great venue but I would recommend wrapping up warm and taking a cushion if you want something soft to sit on.

If musicals are more your thing, then don't miss West End Live in Trafalgar Square on 18 and 19 June. This is an annual celebration of the big West End shows which includes hits from around 20 of the current big hits such as The Lion King, Mamma Mia! and War Horse.