Friday
On Fridays I usually watch the early show of Punchdrunks The Drowned Man, above (Temple Studios, 31 London Street, W2, 020 7452 3000, templestudioslondon.com,) and have a cocktail in the bar the Old Fashioneds are my tipple. Studio 3 - the bar at The Drowned Man - is a great place to hang out and listen to the house band, below, as they cover a Shangri- Las classic. I love the moment when the audience come from the end of the show into the bar, some looking wild- eyed, some looking bemused, but all swapping stories about their Punchdrunk experience.
Im a real South London girl at heart, so afterwards I head to Brixton Village for dinner and maybe another cocktail (Coldharbour Lane, London SW9 8PS, 020 7274 2990, brixtonmarket.net).
I love the village because its really buzzy, with a host of affordable places to eat, drink and listen to live music. Sometimes we might get pizza at The Agile Rabbit (Unit 24, Brixton Village Market, Coldharbour Lane, London, SW9 8PR, 020 7998 3448, facebook.com/the-agile-rabbit), where theres always live music being played outside by local musicians.
I also really like Seven, above ( 7 Market Row, London, SW9 8LB, 020 7998 3309, sevenatbrixton.wordpress.com), the tapas and cocktail bar. Try the cucumber and elderflower martini cocktail or the classic mojito.
Also in Brixton village is Cornucopia, above (65 Brixton Village Market, Coldharbour lane, London, SW9 8PS, 07919542233, brixtoncornercopia.ning.com), a fantastic place to buy locally made produce and particularly delicious jams and chutneys.
Saturday
On Saturday morning I do a yoga class at Brockwell Lido (Dulwich Rd, London SE24 0PA, 020 7737 8183, fusion-lifestyle.com/centres/Brockwell_Lido,) and then have a coffee at The LIdo Café, above.
Sometimes Ill go to Dulwich Park (Dulwich Park, College Rd, London SE21 7BQ, 020 7525 2000,.southwark.gov.uk/info/461/a_to_z_of_parks/1296/dulwich_park) for brunch in the park café, where all food is organic and homemade.
Saturday afternoons well take a walk down Lordship Lane and browse North Cross Road street market (North Cross Road, East Dulwich, London, SE22 9EV). We stock up on favourites such as brownies from Maria at the South East Brownie Bar (North Cross Road Street Market, North Cross Road, East Dulwich, London, SE22 93V, southeastcakery.com,) and cheese from Mootown (54 Radford Road, Hither Green, London, SE13 6R, mootown.co.uk,).
The Bishop pub (thebishopeastdulwich.com) is great for a pint or, if were feeling a little more adventurous then Toast, above (36 - 38 Lordship Lane, SE22 8HJ, 0208 693 9021, toastdulwich.co.uk) serves interesting small plates and a vast selection of wine. My favourites include cheese and honey toast and the salted classic chocolate and raspberry tart.
Ottolenghi
If Im not at The Drowned Man, I try to go to the theatre to see some contemporary dance or theatre. Recently I saw Sun by the amazing Hoffesh Schecter at Sadlers Wells (Rosebery Avenue, London EC1R 4TN, 020 7863 8198, sadlerswells.com), and Im looking forward to seeing Fabulous Beast (11/12 April) and Kidd Pivot / Crystal Pite (May) and Rosas (27-29 May) there.
The Begging Bowl
Afterwards, well either hang around Highbury and Islington and go to Ottolenghi, above (287 Upper Street, London N1 2TZ, 020 7288 1454, ottolenghi.co.uk,) for a special dinner, or drive south of the river for Thai street food at The Begging Bowl, above (168 Bellenden Road, Peckham SE15 4BW, 020 7635 2627, thebeggingbowl.co.uk).
Sunday
Balthazar,London; photo by David Loftus
I often travel to New York to oversee auditions for Punchdrunks show Sleep No More ( 530 West 27
In summer, there's always lots of live music and street theatre along the Southbank - particularly outside the National Theatre (Upper Ground, South Bank, London SE1 9PX, 020 7452 3000, nationaltheatre.org.uk,). I like the Hayward Gallery (Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London SE1 8XX, 020 7960 4200, southbankcentre.co.uk,) currently showing Martin Creeds great Whats the Point of It exhibition - and the roof terrace bar at the Queen Elizabeth Hall roof garden has lovely views over the Thames. The Wahaca Southbank Experiment (Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London SE1 8XX, 020 7928 1876, wahaca.co.uk) serves tasty Mexican street food from recycled shipping containers, and is great for breakfast and lunch.
Maxine is the co-director and choreographer of The Drowned Man: A Hollywood Fable and Sleep No More, and the Associate Director of Punchdrunk. Since 2000, PUNCHDRUNK has pioneered a game changing form of theatre in which roaming audiences experience epic storytelling inside sensory theatrical worlds, which blend classic texts, physical performance, award-winning design installation and unexpected sites.
The Drowned Man: A Hollywood Fable is currently booking to 29
Temple Studios, 31 London Street, W2, 020 7452 3000, templestudioslondon.com