1901 Arts Club Archives

More concerts at the 1901 Arts Club!

29th July 2025

Our residency at the stylish 1901 Arts Club in Waterloo, London SE1, continues this autumn. If you have not yet discovered this charming small venue, now is the time to do so! Join us for music and more.

8 Septemer TRADER’S CELESTIAL BIRTHDAY PARTY Our annual tribute to the actor, dancer, writer and raconteur Trader Faulkner from his friends in the worlds of music and theatre. Feat. Viv McLean, Susan Porrett, Sofia Kirwan-Baez, Alex Norton & a Celebrity Special Guest. Music by Gershwin, Debussy, Albeniz, de Falla & more

3 November ANTHONY HEWITT piano. A recital by “remarkably gifted” (Gramophone) pianist Anthony Hewitt, in support of Parkinson’s UK.

21 January 2026 EMANUIL IVANOV piano. Music by Schumann, Messiaen, Hough together with the world premiere of Emanuil’s own work, ‘Dreamscapes’.

Alongside these concerts, we return to convivial Cafe Yukari in Kew on 21 November for a concert by Emanuil Ivanov and his wife Irini Chagunava. Before that. we’re back at Ham House Stables with Viv McLean and friends for a special Celebration! concert on 14th October.

Find full details and tickets for all our forthcoming concerts on our Events page.

We look forward to seeing you at our concerts.

Divine Fire at the 1901 Arts Club

20th June 2025

We are delighted to announce that our acclaimed music and words production Divine Fire receives its 1901 Arts Club debut as part of our residency at London’s most stylish small venue.

Featuring some of Chopin’s loveliest piano works, Divine Fire traces the passionate and at times tempestuous relationship between Fryderyk Chopin and the authoress George Sand, from their first meeting in Paris in 1836 until their parting in 1849.

‘Divine fire’ was Sand’s own description of the intensity of her attraction to Chopin, suggesting a love that transcended the purely physical to a more spiritual plane, a meeting of bodies and minds.

The story unfolds through a compelling, dramatic narration of events by the RSC, National Theatre and TV actress Susan Porrett, interspersed with fiery Scherzos, heartrending Ballades, intimate lyrical Nocturnes and stirring Polonaises, performed by acclaimed concert pianist Viv McLean.

An absorbing, moving and beautifully presented evening of words and music

The Cross-Eyed Pianist

Tuesday 24 June at 7.30pm (doors/bar open 6.30pm)

Tickets £35

Post-concert Q&A and meet the performers

BOOK TICKETS

George Sand & Fryderyk Chopin

SAVE THE DATE! Alistair McGowan at the 1901 Arts Club

15th October 2024

We’re excited to announce two dates with comic, actor, writer and pianist Alistair McGowan at the convivial 1901 Arts Club.

Wednesday 22 January 2025

Alistair McGowan : 3-in-1

Poetry, comedy and piano

Alistair brings you the comedy and impressions for which he is known and loved, plays short piano favourites by Chopin, Grieg, Elgar, Satie and others, and reads from his newly-published poetry collection. Expect beautiful music, poignant poems and spot-on mimicry. It’s three great shows in one!

Tuesday 11 March 2025

Alistair McGowan : “Erik Satie : his words, his music, your ears”

Using Satie’s own surreally comedic writings and extracts from his letters as well as playing many of his best known short piano works, Alistair tells the story of Erik Satie’s bizarre, brave and lonely life. With vocal contributions from soprano, Charlotte Page. “A perfect Edinburgh show” (Stephanie Merritt, The Observer)

Tickets will be on sale soon. If you haven’t yet discovered the 1901 Arts Club, an intimate salon-style small venue close to Waterloo station, now is the time to do so! (See our listings for other concerts at this exquisite gem of a venue).

https://www.1901artsclub.com

TRADER’S CELESTIAL BIRTHDAY PARTY at the 1901 Arts Club

8th September 2025

A celebration of the life of Trader Faulkner – film and tv actor, writer, director, translator, raconteur, acrobat and Flamenco dancer, who died in 2021 – performed by his friends from the worlds of music and theatre.

Performers include:

SOFIA KIRWAN-BAEZ
ALEX NORTON
SUSAN PORRETT
SUSIE LINDEMAN

Tickets £30

In support of the ENO Benevolent Fund

BOOK TICKETS

So glad I didn’t miss it! An all- star line-up from @7stararts celebrating the special genius of the late Trader Faulkner with an ace evening of music, dance & drama – from Gershwin & Vivien Leigh to Shakespeare & Noel Coward with a fabulous touch of Flamenco – they did Trader proud!
Gyles Brandreth on Twitter, 2021

In his long, colourful, extraordinary career, Trader Faulkner worked with the greats of twentieth century theatre, including Peter Finch, Laurence Olivier, Vivien Leigh, Anthony Quayle and Paul Scofield, many of whom became life-long, close friends, and had encounters with a broad array of characters including Pablo Picasso, Marlene Dietrich, Hattie Jacques, Noel Coward, Martin Amis and Christine Keeler

Propelled by enchanting stories from his biography “Inside Trader”, read by his friend actor and writer Bill Roberts, we ‘put a girdle round about the earth’ in 90 minutes – from Australia to London to New York, to France and Andalusia, illustrated with the music of Debussy, Fauré, Gershwin, De Falla, Albéniz, Piazzolla… and the poetry of Shakespeare, Lorca, Coward…

Ronald “Trader” Faulkner (7 September 1927 – 14 April 2021) was an Australian actor, raconteur and flamenco dancer, best known for his work in the UK on the stage and television. A colleague and friend to stars like Vivien Leigh, Laurence Olivier and John Gielgud, he was also a great supporter of and friend to 7 Star Arts, appearing in many of our shows, including our sell-out Cocktails With Vivien.