Day 15: The World of Tim Burton, Cahoots and A Christmas Carol”ish”
Jimm and I are both big fans of Tim Burton, so when I heard there was an exhibit of his work at The Design Museum, I knew we had to go see it. The Design Museum is located in Kensington, so we hopped the Piccadilly line to Earl Court station and made the 20 minute walk to the museum. The World of Tim Burton is an extensive exhibition that delves into the creative universe of this acclaimed filmmaker and artist. It showcases over 600 items from Burton's personal and studio archives, offering a pretty comprehensive look at his journey as an artist from childhood to the present day. The exhibits includes drawings, paintings, photographs, sketchbooks, moving-image works, and sculptures. Highlights include iconic props and costumes from his films, such as Michelle Pfeiffer's Catwoman suit from "Batman Returns,” Johnny Depp’s Edward Scissorhands costume and delicate mannequins from "Corpse Bride” and “Nightmare Before Christmas.” The whole thing made me want to get back home and start drawing and painting again.
Once we finished at the museum, it was lunchtime so we headed back to Leicesture Station and went over to Chinatown. There was a restaurant we had on our list called Leong’s Legend that I had seen on a Facebook Reel where they have bottomless dim sum. We opted to just order the pork xiao long bao (soup dumplings) with tea and beer. They weren’t as good as Din Tai Fung, but still very very good! On the way back to our flat, Jimm stopped for a steamed duck bao bun and I grabbed a treat from the Donutelier which was also on our list of things to try. Then it was back to our flat to start the packing process during a short break before dinner and our show.
Dinner tonight was at a Cahoots Underground. Cahoots is a 1940s-themed cocktail bar located in Soho's Kingly Court, London. The bar is set in a disused underground station, inspired by the post-Blitz era when cocktails and swing music were popular. The venue is designed to resemble a vintage Tube station, complete with old-fashioned wooden escalators, a tiled platform bar, and a vintage train carriage. The cocktail menu is presented as a 1946 newspaper, offering a variety of creative drinks that reflect the resourcefulness of the post-war period. It was such a fun atmosphere to grab a drink and bite before heading to the theater. For our show tonight we had tickets to A Christmas Carol”ish”. It is a comedic musical adaptation of Charles Dickens' classic tale, presented by Nick Mohammed's (from Ted Lasso) alter ego, Mr. Swallow. In this rendition, Santa Claus assumes the role of Ebenezer Scrooge, deciding to cancel Christmas. Consequently, he is visited by three ghosts who endeavor to change his mind and restore the festive spirit. The show was querky and hilarious in many spots and other times went off the rails a bit, but all in all a entertaining show. Just one more day and night in London before we head back to the States. It has been a perfect trip so far.