THEATRE REVIEW: The Wiz - Hope Mill Theatre, Manchester.

It has been a very long time since I last had any dealings with Brown and Smalls's 'The Wiz' - a Black take on Baum's The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz, and it also happened to be the first time that I have seen it performed as was originally intended, by an all black cast. [My previous involvement with this show being on an amateur and Youth Theatre level].

Let me tell you right now... I LOVE this show. It's far superior in my opinion to the rather twee 'Wizard Of Oz', and Matthew Xia's production at Hope Mill Theatre is joyous, liberating, colourful, upbeat, and contemporary. It's big, bold, brassy, and with a whole lot of heart.

The show starts in modern day Kansas. We are presented with blacks and greys, and an omnipresent television showing on loop a Black Lives Matter march. It's gloomy, minimalist, authoritarian, bleak.  And then the tornado comes along and suddenly we are transported (seemingly back in time several decades... but that doesn't matter) to a graffitied crazy world peopled by interesting and eccentric characters.

The quality of talent on display throughout the show is mesmerising and mindblowing. From a street-dancing, body-popping, gymnastic ensemble, to leading characters who simply cannot put a foot (or a note) wrong, singing and dancing music which, from my middle-class, middle-aged, white man perspective, is ALWAYS best when performed by Black people: gospel, hip-hop, blues, funk, Motown, etc... it must be a part of their DNA or something. 

The show should also be praised for championing LGBTQ performers in this production too. 'The Wiz' lent itself nicely to this and this evening's audience were more than appreciative of this in the casting / directing of the show. 

It would be wrong of me to try and single out any one cast member from this truly amazing ensemble piece. They were all astoundingly talented and every number was a complete showstopper in its own right. Jonathan Andre (Lion), Llewellyn Graham (Tinman), Tarik Frimpong (Scarecrow), and Cherelle Williams (Dorothy) were an epic foursome, supported by an equally epic team of Cameron Bernard Jones (The Wiz), Bree Smith (Aunt Em / Glinda), Anelisa Lamola (Addaperle), Ashh Blackwood (Eveline), Kofi Dennis, Dylan Gordon-Jones, Andle Mabhena, Shayna McPherson, Marisha Morgan, and Samatha Shuma (all ensemble).

Simon Kenny's set is clever and creative, using the space available to him optimally, although the single row of audience seats at either side are extremely close to the action - so close in fact that they more or less are the action at times. A much more visceral perpsective from these seats than even the banquettes at The Royal Exchange (a theatre Xia is more than familiar with).

Musically (under the direction of Ehsaan Shvarai) sounded superb, however there were a couple of times when the levels were just not quite right and the band was too loud overpowering a quiet solo section.

'The Wiz' calls for a large cast and chorus (hence it being ideal for Youth Theatre), and it must be noted that at times the ensemble moments were extremely sparce here. Only 4 Munchkins isn't really enough for example. But wow.... what they didn't have in number, they more than made up for it in zeal, zest, and expertise every single time. 

A wonderful, feel-good, all-encompassing, not-often-performed Musical, [actually only the fourth professional production of the musical ever to be staged in the UK!], which is guranteed to blow off the Winter blues, and bring a huge smile to your face. And even though this particular song had been cut from this production, I can firmly state that "I Want To Be Seen Green!" 

"Ease On Down The Road" to Hope Mill Theatre for a thrilling and positive journey full of optimism and joy!

Reviewer - Matthew Dougall
on - 28.11.21

STAND-UP COMEDY REVIEW: Andy Parsons: Healing The Nation - The Lowry Theatre, Salford.

I have been a fan of Andy Parsons since his first tentative entry into the panel of 'Mock The Week' for the show's second episode in June 2005. It has taken me until now to see him live. It has taken him almost as long to play Salford's Lowry Theatre as part of his current tour! His first two bookings having had to be postponed due to the you-know-what! In fact, Parsons himself admits that this tour, which started in Autumn 2019, is perhaps going to hold the world record for the longest ever tour, and it still might never be completed!

Way back in 2019, many things were dividing the nation; of course Brexit was top of the list, but there was also climate change, Donald Trump, sexual orientation, and badgers.. yes, badgers! And so Parsons thought a tour which was intented to bring people together and 'heal' the nation would work nicely... and then the C-word happened! And perhaps his tour title is just as apt now as ever, as the coronavirus and Johnson's handling of the situation has divided our country like nothing ever has - not even Brexit. And in our covid times we need the power of laughter and a couple of hours' diversion like we haven't needed since 1945.

There's no point in hiding it, but we were a tough audience to crack this evening. It was a hard gig for Parsons. Not only is he still trying to find his stride again - like all of us, we are still feeling uncertain in our work, despite being totally capable and confident... something unnamable has knocked us all a little off kilter - but we weren't for letting ourselves go and toying with him as much as he would have liked us to. We were being very 'British' and sitting back looking up at the stage saying, "Go on then, entertain us.. that's what you're being paid for!"

Parsons chatted aimiably in his own unique style, the comedy coming just as much through the way he says things as what he says. He covered subjects such as coping through isolation, home-schooling, parenting, and other tasks during the lockdowns; the NHS, pensions, Richard Branson, David Attenborough, Boris Johnson, and badgers.... yes, badgers!

Parsons is never one to let a good ad-lib go unnoticed, and despite the heckles being very few and far between, he still managed to wring every inch of humour out of those he did receive. He is a consummate comedian and obviously loves standing on stage and entertaining; something he has been doing since his student days with comedy partner Henry Naylor. And his heartfelt message from this tour, as he is still trying to bring a separated nation together again, is, "look for the small positives in the world and our situations". When a check-out operator can't scan an item from the trolley, and simply passes it through by saying "bip" himself, we know everything will be well! 

Reviewer - Matthew Dougall
on - 27.11.21

BOOK REVIEW: Joy's Playground

TITLE: Joy's Playground
AUTHOR: Lizzy Shortall
PUBLISHED BY: Cranthorpe Milner

With a suggested reading age of 4-8 year olds this entertaining story, told in rhyme is sure to delight young readers. In the book, the author uses animals who face challenges to bring home the message to children that obstacles can be overcome, and different methods of how to do so are described in the story.

The star in the story is a young girl called Joy and her animal friends in this delightful book are playful, entertaining and have a sense of understanding beyond their years. With Joy’s help they find different methods to get though the challenges they face in their daily escapades. In doing so, they gently remind children and adults how to help each other and themselves, if things become demanding.

The story begins whilst Joy is in the playground with her two friends, Jumpit the frog and Tortie the tortoise. They are joined by other friends who have been having a very bad day but they all work together to help their friends overcome the challenges they face through gratitude, mindfulness and self-belief.

This instructive book promotes resilience in children though practising and teaching important skills. Unfortunately it is common knowledge that now more than ever, anxiety, stress and change-management are crucial for young children. The book is a fun way to teach children resilience tools and coping strategies during their formative years whilst starting school and meeting new friends and discovering new skills and interests. Moreover, following the Covid pandemic, anxiety, stress and change management are crucial along with separation anxiety which will also be high on the list of important issues for some young children.

The story will encourage young, inquisitive minds to question their feelings and try to work through those which are troubling them. Teachers (and parents) can use the book as a resource to host a discussion about feelings, emotions, mindfulness, anxiety and stress. 

There is a useful reminder page at the back of the book with helpful messages for parents and teachers to use to reinforce the messages within the story to young children.

The colourful illustrations bring the story to life and make this a very enjoyable read for young children and early readers.

The book’s compact size makes it manageable for a child with small hands to hold. Plus, it has easy-to-slide pages which make it easier for small hands eagerly wanting to turn over to the next part of the story to handle. An added bonus are the wipe-clean front and back covers, ideal for parents reading the story to children with sticky fingers.

The book is delightfully illustrated by Roberto Crux.

Reviewer - Anne Pritchard

AMATEUR THEATRE REVIEW: Pippin - The Chambers' Theatre, Students' Union Building, Manchester University, Manchester.

Coming straight off the back of the acclaimed, 'Godspell' (1971), composer Stephen Schwartz, along with legendary Broadway director / choreographer Bob Fosse mounted a new production, 'Pippin'. There are many parallels between the two shows, and both are products of their contemporaneous milieu, but for some reason, 'Godspell' remains a well known show, whilst 'Pippin' seems to have been sidelined, and so it was wondeful to see such an energetic and faithful recreation of the show by Manchester University's Musical Theatre Society.

The UMMTS (as the society is abbreviated to), has a constantly changing membership. The cast and crew of each production having been sourced from the current university student body, and how they manage to find such talent, every time, is nothing short of a wonder. One might even say that it was 'extraordinary' (a-hem...!)

The story of 'Pippin' is a little strange. Emperor Charlemagne and his son, Pippin, are real historical characters. However, that is the only historical accuracy in the entire show. Here Charlemagne is shown as a ruthless warrier, womaniser, and all-round evil despot, preferring his other son, Lewis, over Pippin, as Lewis has more qualities which Charlemagne admires, whilst Pippin is a dreamer, and ideologist, and sets off on a quest to find the meaning and significance in his life. Act one is very upbeat and is much more in standard musical theatre vein; whilst act two takes the pace down quite a lot, and becomes more reflective, obscure, and dark. Perhaps this is why the musical hasn't stood the test of time like others from the same period have. 

We are in a circus tent (or similar); a ring master (or 'Leading Player') controls the cast and the story, and they (the troupe of travelling players) perform their story of 'Pippin' for us. It is where the line between strolling player and real character become a little blurred that the show becomes more interesting and meaty. 

Nyah Nish played the role of Leading Player. I have to admit to not being able to relate to her much at the beginning as she kept a very po-face and was incredibly dour in her characterisation. Once she warmed up and grew into the role though losing the austerity she had created, the role suited her very well indeed. A talented performer who can sing and dance to a high standard too. Charlie Steggall's 'Pippin' was excellent. Steggall too, grew throughout the show, although his growth was scripted and directed and was a joy to see. A well-measured performance by a personable actor who understood the character's arc, and worked intelligently through the piece adding a few lovely touches such as an incredibly athletic gymnastic display during a song in the second act. 

The supporting cast were all very good. I shall make particular mention of the females however, who all had not just a superb understanding of their roles and characters - they also proved to be consummate actresses too. Sophie Chamberlain's plaintive and humble approach to Catherine was excellently observed; Heather Harrison's glint-in-the-eye grandmother who isn't yet ready to have the "old" moniker was excellent; and Isobel Rust had just the right amount of scheming using her sexuality well as Charlemagne's current wife. Roisin Craney was convincing as an 11 -year old boy.

If I am honest then I found the two male leads were overacting and trying to find comedy where there was none by shouting or posing a lot quiet unnecessarily. Whether this was directorial or not I couldn't say. It was obvious that both actors had the potential to create meaningful characters, but Charlemagne (Minh Ngo) in particular, was very OTT in his characterisation thus losing much of the nuances and subtleties of his character.

The chorus work was, generally, superb. They worked as a true ensemble, and the quality of their harmony singing was delightful. Some great characterisations emerging from them as recognisable individuals, and the choreography (Molly Henman) was creative and used the cast to their best advantages. 

Directed by Jessica Bradley, this production of 'Pippin' was very much a traditional one, sticking very closely to the original ideas and overall design of the show. I acknowledge and applaud the inclusion of the so-called 'Manson Trio', and the use of the preferred 'Theo Ending'.. without it, the show feels somehow incomplete. However, I have no idea why the show started at 8pm. This was a little too late for a full 2,5 hour musical. I did like, however, the employing of a close-up magician to entertain small groups of audience members during the interval - a nice touch. 

The costumes and make-up, again, in general, were very good and well thought-through, working well. It was the lighting this evening which I sadly found lacking. The use of gobos worked well, and generally, the ideas behind the lighting were sound; it was the actual execution of them that didn't work. Cast members were oftentimes in semi-darkness when performing or would move from semi-darkness into brightly lit without any reasoning behind it. The lights were also quite often performing a "disco routine" all of their own, meaning I was focusing on them when I should have had my focus on the actors. Odd.

Muscially the show was very secure, and a large band (hidden away in another room) under the direction of Sam Talbot-Williams sounded amazing. The sound levels coming through the mics being just about perfect. 

'Pippin' was a highly enjoyable show; and even despite my above criticisms, a high energy, entertaining, and well produced production which truly does deserve to be highly praised. Thank you all, and I am already looking forward to seeing whatever you have in store next!

Reviewer - Matthew Dougall
on - 26.11.21

 

NEWS: Cast announced for new gender-swapped and renamed world premiere production of Tim Firth's 'Neville's Island'.

Cast announced for world premiere of new comedy, Sheila’s Island by Tim Firth

UK Tour – February - May 2022

 

Olivier Award winner Sara Crowe (Private Lives, Aldwych Theatre; Calendar Girls the Musical, UK

Tour and West End; Four Weddings and a Funeral), Eastern Eye Award winner Rina Fatania

(Waking/Walking, Kiln Theatre; Dead Dog in a Suitcase, UK and International tour), Judy Flynn (The Brittas Empire, BBC; Dinnerladies, BBC), and Abigail Thaw (Endeavour, ITV) have been cast in Yvonne Arnaud’s production of Sheila’s Island by Tim Firth (Calendar Girls, Kinky Boots, The Band).  This sparkling, sharp-witted new comedy is akin to The Office meets Lord of the Flies meets Miranda.

Rooted in the everyday lives of four women finding themselves truly out of their comfort zones, Sheila’s Island examines what lies beneath the superficiality of office relationships.  With vulnerability, viciousness, painful honesty and great wit, we can all (female or male) see some of ourselves in Sheila, Denise, Fay and Julie.

 

Tim Firth comments, As a male writer I initially thought what happens on the island could only happen between men. It took Joanna Read to remind me that shoddy, childish and viciously destructive behaviour is not the exclusive preserve of the male sex.

 

Joanna Read, Director of Sheila’s Island and Chief Executive of Yvonne Arnaud Theatre comments, I’ve had a very enjoyable time demonstrating to Tim quite how mean women can be. I’m thrilled to be working with such a talented, well-known cast.  They have so much comedy experience between them it’s going to be hysterical working together.

 

Bonfire night 2019 and Sheila, Denise, Julie, and Fay are Team C in Pennine Mineral Water Ltd.’s annual outward bound team-building weekend.  Somehow, Marketing Manager Sheila has been nominated team leader, and, using her cryptic crossword solving skills, has unwittingly stranded her team on an island in the Lake District.  As the mobile batteries die, and cold and hunger take over, our intrepid heroines find themselves called on to manufacture escape routes using cable ties and spatulas and create a rescue flag with plastic plates and a toasting fork.  Is it possible to build an adequate night shelter with a prom dress and a sleeveless jumper?  Is there an I in Team?  And do endless verses of Kumbaya really keep up spirits?

 

Sheila’s Island is a sparkling new version of Tim Firth’s sharp-witted and highly acclaimed comedy Neville’s Island.  It will be directed by Yvonne Arnaud Theatre’s Director and Chief Executive Joanna Read.

 

The Yvonne Arnaud Theatre opened its doors in 1965 and built an impressive reputation as a producer of significant work much of which transferred to the West End and toured nationally. This new tour is at the forefront of Joanna Read’s commitment to re-establishing the theatre as a maker of great productions for Guildford, and beyond.

NEWS: Intergalactic story from the creators of The Gruffalo comes to Warrington next March.

Parr Hall to present intergalactic story by creators of The Gruffalo

 

The Smeds and The Smoos

Saturday and Sunday, 19 and 20 March. Tickets from £12

Parr Hall, Palmyra Square South, Warrington, WA1 1BL

Tickets and information 01925 442345 www.pyramidparrhall.com

 

The Smeds and The Smoos will be presented by children’s theatre specialist Tall Stories

 

A new out-of-this-world story by the creators of The Gruffalo and Room on the Broom is being transformed into a family play and it is landing at Parr Hall in March.

 

Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s award-winning The Smeds and The Smoos is a star-crossed tale of friendship and tolerance.

 

Tall Stories, the children’s theatre specialists with more than 20 years of experience, are inviting families to soar off into space to meet Janet and Bill, a young ‘Smed’ and ‘Smoo’ who fall in love.

 

But on this far-off planet, Smeds and Smoos can’t be friends so when the pair zoom off into space together how will their families get them back?

 

The Smeds and The Smoos will bring music, laughs and a thought-provoking story, all wrapped up in an interplanetary adventure that is suitable for youngsters aged three and above.

 

It is coming to Parr Hall on Saturday and Sunday, 19 and 20 March.

 

Chris Persoglio, Venue and Events Manager at Parr Hall, said: “We’re delighted to be working with Tall Stories to bring this heart-warming family tale to the stage.

 

“The company have adapted a number of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s well-loved books for the stage and it’s always a magical experience for all with even the youngest members of the audience captivated throughout.”

 

Tickets are on sale now; visit parrhall.culturewarrington.org or call 01925 442345.

NEWS: Manchester's Contact Theatre celebrates Queer Culture with an extraordinary line-up of talent.

CONTACT THEATRE CELEBRATES QUEER CULTURE WITH AN EXTRAORDINARY LINE UP OF LGBTQ+ TALENT

February 2022 sees Queer Contact return to Manchester’s Contact theatre for the first time in the newly transformed venue. Having recently undergone a £6.75million transformation of its iconic building on Oxford Road, Contact has expanded to create enhanced performance and event space to support queer communities from across the region. Tickets are now on sale for the 9-day celebration which will take over all corners of the venue.

Queer Contact began over a decade ago and has since become the beating heart of Manchester’s queer arts scene. The annual Vogue Ball, a riotous head-to-head display of skills from Vogue houses across the North West, is recognised as a trailblazing event. In 2022, the festival will platform a broad range of life experience, forge alternative paths for celebrating queer identities and – for the first time – will create opportunities to engage in educational activities around queer life and health.

Queer Contact 2022 was built to meet the needs of the next generation of LGBTQ+ artists and audiences. Through in-depth consultation, Contact has aimed to ensure that the festival truly speaks to a young queer audience in the city. By hosting workshops with individuals aged 13 – 30 Contact embedded a commitment to reflecting the experiences and interests of young people in the LGBTQ+ community. The workshops involved consultation on the outline, strategy and programme of this year’s Queer Contact.

The festival kicks off with drag king troupe Pecs: King of the North. Expect to be entertained with slick dance routines, sexy lip-syncs and raucous comedy. The regular Pecs team will be joined by guest Kings from Manchester’s scene in a night to celebrate queer community. Next up, The Enby Show, hosted by Carrot and featuring Divina de Campo, bringing together the best gender-benders and cis-tem offenders that the UK has to offer, in an all-star variety night popping with creme-de-la-thems.

Contact theatre is well known for its commitment to young and early-career artists, and Queer Contact’s line-up is no exception. Scratch will see tantalising glimpses of new work from a number of queer Manchester based creatives – including the two recipients of the GM LGBTQ+ Arts and Culture Network bursary: Jova and the Wave, Maz Hedgehog who share early material from their winning commissions. In addition, Plaster Cast Theatre, Sam Danson, Taylor le Fin (with TransCreative) and Chanje Kunda will also share early-stage material of new work exploring bisexual bliss, working class transmasculinity, LGBTQ+ mental health and queer desire.

Glamrou (the alter ego of Amrou Al-Kadhi) presents their debut solo show, exploring the tensions between the artist’s queerness and Iraqi/Islamic heritage. Glamrou takes us from the depths of hell to the zenith of Islamic paradise, saying the things that no one else dares to, and showing us what it means to live in a state of harmonious contradiction.

This is followed by a celebration of global vogue culture at the House of Suarez and Contact Vogue Ball at Manchester Academy 1. House of Suarez’s legendary annual Vogue Ball is returning to Manchester with a 2022 theme of Night at the Poseum, with performances inspired by treasures from around the globe currently on display in museums throughout the North West.

Other festival highlights include:

Programmed by our young queer community consultants, The Untold Orchestra present a contemporary classical music show with a diverse Manchester-based 15-piece orchestra playing a set inspired by a journey through decades of queer musical icons.

Emma Frankland’s Hearty is the fifth and final solo show in the None of Us is Yet a Robot project - a series of performances which have been a response to Emma’s gender transition and the politics surrounding trans identity over the past seven years. Bearing wings made of sharp knives and shooting fireballs into the air, Emma tackles the current media fascination with trans lives and interrogates the controversial bio-technology of HRT.

Nominated for “Best Collective” for QX Cabaret Award in 2019, The Bitten Peach is the UK’s only Pan-Asian cabaret collective, made up of performers of Asian descent working in a variety of nightlife performance genres, including drag, burlesque, dance, comedy, music, and circus.​

Further events will be announced.

Contact’s President Dr Carl Austin-Behan OBE DL, formerly Manchester’s first openly gay Lord Mayor, said: “Queer Contact is an annual celebration that promotes and highlights the creativity and expression of LGBTQ+ artists from across the world, a festival that reflects the rich and honest diversity of our community here in the Northwest. For 2022 it’s great to see that our young queer community have been instrumental in the programming process and the performances reflect this. Diversity in culture is not a luxury, it’s an important integral part of community life which brings vibrancy, individualism, and reality to all ages”.

Matt Fenton, Artistic Director and Chief Executive of Contact, said: “Over the last 3 years we’ve had a blast presenting Queer Contact across the city at some amazing partner venues, and more recently online. But we’re so excited to be welcoming festival audiences safely back home to Contact, with a really exciting and diverse line-up for all ages”.

Mahala Tucker, Artist and Young People’s Consultant, said: “I was so glad to see Contact was looking for young Queer people to consult for the festival since it’s so easy to feel alone and unseen particularly when you’re just coming out. To be part of the decision on what I can learn and experience and hearing what is important to others is so valuable. I can’t wait to be surrounded by all the colours of the rainbow and get my fill of art and queer joy”.

Heidi Taylor-Wood, Creative Producer and Young People’s Consultant, said: “It’s great knowing that Contact are consulting with the audiences that they aim to engage with in Queer Contact 2022. By further diversifying the group of individuals with which Contact consult, the festival will begin to become more genuinely inclusive to a wider audience; in turn increasing conversation and ally-ship around our community”.

NEWS: The full line up for Manchester's Hope Mill Theatre's annual LGBTQ Turn On Fest is announced.

Full line up announced for Hope Mill Theatre’s third annual LGBTQIA+ Arts Festival

Returning to live events after 2020 launch and online festival 2021.

The headline event is a rehearsed reading and concert of ‘The Regulars’ a new US folk music musical,

about identity and self-love which is being produced and developed by Hope Mill Theatre

Hope Mill Theatre Artistic Director Joseph Houston, said; “We are thrilled to be bringing Turn On Fest back to live audiences in 2022. While we  were glad that we managed to go online with this year’s festival, we felt the loss of not being able to bring artists and audiences together, especially within the LGBTQIA+ community, that we serve.

 

The headline event of the festival is a rehearsed reading and concert showing of new musical, ‘The

Regulars’, a folk musical, which is being produced and developed by Hope Mill Theatre, with Music, Lyrics and Book by trans writter Will Shishmanian. The musical has been developed with and Directed by Miss Hazel Jade. With a passionate score and a familiar story, ‘The Regulars’ is a captivating original musical about identity and self-love - reminding us that despite our differences, we are all deserving of acceptance for who we are.

Mark Howard moves away from his West Virginia home to a rural, upstate town in search of a new type of family. When he picks up a stockroom position at the town’s local orchard, he’s met with toxic masculinity and comes to terms with his newfound male privilege. During his first day at wirk, he befriends Dani Thompson, a Black queer woman who is opening her own gay bar. Over time, these two very regular people form and find chosen family in one another and their community.

The Hope Mill will be bringing the team over from America to work with a company of 10 actors on a preview concert showing of the musical, which will then go into workshop and development in early 2023.

Director of ‘The Regulars’, Miss Hazel Jade, said: “I am unbelievably thrilled to showcase Shish’s (Will Shishmanian) beautiful songs at Turn On Fest and continue developing ‘The Regulars’ with Hope Mill! It is a dream to share the world of Amberland with Manchester audiences.”

Hope Mill Theatre will be collaborating with Trans Creative to double bill ‘The Regulars’ alongside new Trans writing. This event will be a Trans Social event.

Run by Trans Creative, Trans Social Club is a space for trans and non binary people and allies to come together, socialise and share work in a safe trans friendly space to tell our own stories. Come and be part of the first 2022 Trans social club. Look out for the call out for new trans writers mentoring for this performance . Featuring Maz Hedgehog, Taylor Le Fin and more.

Other Festival highlights include:

Other festival highlights include: Hive North and Hope Mill Theatre present the Turn On Fest Scratch Night, a bumper evening of LGBTQ+ live theatre dedicated to developing ideas, sharing sparks of creativity with audiences and asking for your feedback.

The Story of Derek Jarman, written and performed by Mark Farrelly; a physical, poetic and moving piece about the English film director and gay rights activist.

The Festival Launch night on Saturday 22nd January with Dungeness by Chris Thompson, directed by Esther Dix, the show will feature a cast of young performers, from Hope Mill Theatre School.

The venue will host a Turn On Queer Social in their bar area on, creating an opportunity to bring together likeminded creatives and individuals from the city. The venue will also be working with DIBBY theatre and The Proud Trust, offering artist development opportunities and workshops.

Hope Mill Theatre will also be opening up a call out for Queer Artists to receive £250 and a slot as part of an artists developemt opporutinuty, which is looking to support a variety of artists who have a piece in devleopemt and want to try it out infront of an audience.

Turn On The Mic, will be an evening of LGBTQIA+ song, featuring singers from the community soming together to celebrate queer music from pop and musical theatre. This evening will be hosted by musical theatre performer Duncan Burt.

‘Everybody’s Talking about Jamie’, the venue wanted to host a queer friendly prom for everyone, allowing people to come together and celebrate being their true selves. The festival will close with Turn On - The Prom, a prom style event for 18+, featuring live performances, a DJ and special guests. In the spirit of recent successes such as Ryan Murhpy’s ‘The Prom’ and

Joseph Houston added: “We have an extremely exciting line up of shows and events this festival and as always we are happy to be working with an array of partners including Superbia, Trans Creative and Hive North. Hope Mill Theatre has become known for its musical productions and championing new work so we are truly hoboured to be working alongside the creators of a new trans musical, ‘The Regulars’ and can’t wait to start the journey of bringing this show to life. Since launching the festival in 2020, so many amazing queer artist have already gone on to really exciting careers in the arts, we built this festival both as a spring board for new creatives as well as an opportunity to showcase the best queer art the region has to offer, and I can tell you, there’s an abundance. So Turn Up and Turn On!”

Listings

Saturday 22 January, 2022 at 7pm Launch party with a performance from Hope Mill Youth Theatre

Sunday 23 January
Scratch night in partnership with Hive North

Monday 24 January

Turn On Development evening

 

Tuesday 25 January

‘Derek Jarman’ by Matthew Farrelly

 

Wednesday 26 January Superbia Event

Thursday 27 January Superbia Event

Friday 28 January

Turn On the Mic: Queer cabaret

 

Saturday 29 January

‘The Regulars’; new musical and Trans Social Event

 

Sunday 30 January
Turn On – The Prom

EXHIBITION REVIEW: Postman Pat: Welcome To Greendale - Lauriston Gallery, Waterside Theatre, Sale, Manchester.

A family exhibition of Postman Pat collectibles / memorabilia from the children's TV animated series are on display at the Lauriston Gallery at Sale's Waterside until 8 January.

On show are some of the sets used in the series, such as Greendale School (1979 - 1981), Greendale Street showing post office exterior (1979 -1981), the Greendale Post Office interior (1979 - 1981), Pencaster Square (2013 - 2107), Pat's van (2003 - 2017),The Greendale Rocket (train) (2003 - 2017), and several others. Also on display are a large selection of the people who lived there too. Obviously there are a few Postman Pats (along with his little black cat, Jess), as well as Sara Clifton, Alf Thompson, Mrs. Goggins, Amy the vet, and Rev Timms to name just a selection.

These are all the real set pieces and characters used in the TV series, and the amount of thought and detail that has gone into making them when viewed clos-up like this is actually quite incredible. Everything, even down to the postage stamps being scaled down correctly. 

Greendale (the village where the stories are set), we are informed, was created by John Cunliffe, and he was inspired by the tiny village of Longsleddale in Cumbria. This is why the architecture of the village is reminiscent of the Lake District towns, and the fields are divided by dry stone walls.  

In a corridor adjacent to the Lauriston Gallery are further exhibits which include the original sketches of the characters' costumes, their proportions in relation to each other, as well as part of the filming schedule and storyboards from episode 23, 'Disco Machine'.

Children, or those who have grown up with Postma Pat, have the opportunity to see close-up the incredibly detailed and cleverly designed figures and sets, and ogle, or maybe even reminisce about a loss of innocence. 

Reviewer - Matthew Dougall
on - 25.11.21

BOOK REVIEW: A Zombie Bit Myffanie

TITLE: A Zombie Bit Myffanie
AUTHOR: Simon Carr
PUBLISHED BY: Simon Carr

In typical author Carr style, this book is rude, crude and hilarious with gratuitous violence; Carr’s regular readers will love this story set in a Welsh village where an invasion by zombies takes place. 

This horror comedy story is as ridiculous as Carr’s previous tales; this one describes how a plague is spreading across the world; hero Barry and girlfriend Myffanie need to somehow save the market value of the house they purchased in Ptthwit five years earlier by battling a zombie apocalypse whilst at the same time somehow making an effort to save the planet.

A zombie horde is overrunning the village due to an accident in a nearby cosmetics laboratory; the entire planet could be over-run if they aren’t stopped or worse still, it could completely wipe out the extra value Barry's garage extension put onto their property.

Readers who enjoy crude humour, dry satire, talking cows and two of the dumbest heroes ever, will enjoy this foray into the bizarre world of author, Carr.

This humorous story appears to be a satire aimed at the government’s mishandling of the Coronavirus pandemic and as such it is an interesting well-written story with a diverse approach, likening it to a zombie outbreak.

Regular readers of Carr’s books will be thoroughly immersed in the plot and will enjoy the humour, the characters and the dialogue. It is well-paced and well-structured. Unfortunately, the copy I have uses a type face which is very difficult to read and could be off-putting for some readers.

Reviewer - Anne Pritchard

THEATRE REVIEW: The Not So Ugly Sisters - Waterside Theatre, Sale, Manchester.

What a joyously refreshing and unique spin this was on the Cinderella story. In a show lasting just under an hour, our two actresses, Lucy Rafton and Daisy Ann Fletcher capture superbly the contemporary millennial lifestyle, speech and demeanor as Barb and Dolly, who, it turns out, are actually Cinderella's "ugly" sisters. 

They own a hair salon which, until the death of their mother and Cinderella's engagement to the Prince, was booming and busy. However, the gossip mags and gutter press are inventing untruths about the two elder sisters in order to romanticise and purify Cinderella's upcoming marriage all the more, as each publication vies for readership. The sisters become more and more disgruntled and are now at the point - on the day of the royal wedding - of having lost all their customers. They decide it is time the world knew the truth, and they tell their (real) story of the three sisters.

The dialogue is witty, sharp, and prescient, extremely "of the minute" and cleverly written. It is also interspersed with a few catchy songs which break up the duologue and add greatly to both the characterisations and the production. The set is simple but effective, and items from the salon are used creatively throughout. Sound and lighting are both good.

Rafton and Fletcher work together with ease, - I loved their use of physicality throughout - and since this production is aimed primarily for children, there is much within the script and the directing thereof (Elvi Piper) to engage them right from the start, and the children in this evening's audience were hooked right from the start, laughing and following the story all the way. There are also a couple of jokes for the adults too - a nice touch.

All in all, this was an absolute gem of a piece; delightfully realised, and a funny and clever production to be enjoyed by children and those who are still children at heart! Heartily recommended. 

Reviewer - Matthew Dougall
on - 25.11.21

MUSIC REVIEW: Lunchtime Concert, Thursday 25.11.21 - RNCM, Manchester

Live music is back at the Royal Northern College Of Music, and I can't tell you how wonderful it was to be there. The last 2 years have taken their toll, and strict COVID procedures are still in place within the building; but those are minor hoops we are all prepared to jump through in order to enjoy the thrill of live audiences. 

This afternoon's lunchtime concert was a 45 minute blast of three completely new-to-me pieces all with a very contemporary jazz flavour.

First we heard Graham Fitkin's 'Hard Fairy'; a composition which, in this instrument grouping, was probably receiving its world premiere. Here it was scored for two pianos and two soprano saxophones.The piece was programmatic in style, and firmly based upon jazz rhythms and motifs, but given a 'funky' twist. The majority of this rather extended piece was fast, flowing, and furious, but there were a few moments of more calm, refelctive writing, giving the saxophonists a slight chance to catch their breath! A lovely call and response section towards the end gave a grandiose build-up to a much more bluesy and mellow denouement. 

The middle piece was Sarah Gibson's 'Outsider', scored for 2 pianos and 2 melodicas, but requiring only two instrumentalists. In the introduction to the piece we learned that the work was inspired by J.P. Lovecraft, and was written in 2016 in response to the contemporary political situation. My companion at the concert turned to me after the piece finished and remarked that this was the product of a disturbed mind. It was an apt response, whether true or not. The work starts slowly and sedately as a minimalist repetitive melody is constructed and then deconstructed on the pianos, which is then expanded upon further building up a dramatic but bleak soundscape - along come crashing discords in the lowest register of the pianos, whilst one of the pianists uses the exposed strings to pluck harp-like creating a different timbre and texture, before a blast of shrill top notes, and suddenly crashing discordant bass chords again. This signals the transfer to play the melodicas, as the last note is held using the sustain pedal. A simplistic call and response section follows on the melodicas, which again is built upon only to be deconstructed, as one pianist goes back to the piano keyboard the final section of the piece is a duet between melodica and piano which again is a slow and dramatic progression of repeated melody fragments building louder and louder to a discordant crashing fortissimo finish.

The final piece of this concert was 'Flint' by Michael Torke. Scored for 2 pianos, 4 saxophones, cello, and double bass. This was pehaps the most jazz-based of the three pieces, and was a jagged and disjointed melody which would have been ideally suited as the theme and incidental music to a Hollywood slasher film. Even in the quieter and slower passages, the muisc was unrelenting. 

A hugely interesting concert which showcased the abundant talent on display from the RNCM students as well as introduced me to contemporary composers and their music. The instrumentalists this afternoon were: Cameron Dickason, Nye Hughes-Watts, Evi Wang, Liane Storey (piano), Rob Buckland and Carys Nunn (soprano sax), Laura Kjaergaard (alto sax), Don Gribbin (tenor sax), Ben Jackson (baritone sax), Neil Sild (cello), and Harvey Falla (bass).

An excellent re-introduction to the RNCM and live music there. It's great to be back and can't wait until I come again!

Reviewer - Matthew Dougall
on - 25.11.21

MUSIC REVIEW: Chetham's School Composers' Concert - The Stoller Hall, Manchester.

Chetham’s School of Music presented an evening of thirteen brand-new musical compositions by students from its Year 12 and Year 13 cohorts, performed by, and on occasion conducted by, fellow students from the music school.

The programme commenced with ‘The Nevermoor Suite’ by O. Wallace. The suite consisted of five movements and was based upon a series of Young Adult fantasy novels by Jessica Townsend referred to as ‘The Nevermoor Series’. The five movements demonstrated that Wallace has a keen grasp of the dramatic within music, using changes in tempos and rhythms from movement to movement and within the same movement. The second movement (‘Wundersmith’), in particular, incorporated a time signature which was more akin to jazz than classical music. Movement three (‘How To Answer’) adopted a more sombre tone throughout, allowing the string instruments the chance to dominate the musical mix. B. Wang’s percussion skills were given plenty of exposure in the fourth movement (‘Chasing A Ticket’), providing a militaristic rhythm throughout the piece. The string section, however, were not to be outdone and all players demonstrated considerable aptitude with their playing of discordant lines which combined with the martial percussion to create a striking sense of drama. It will be interesting to see how Wallace continues this suite, particularly as the series is still ongoing.

R. Vasey-Saunders’s string quartet composition, ‘Sequential Crossings’ was an interesting exercise in Stravinsky-esque rising string tones and the minimalist works of Terry Riley as shifts in the piece's melody crossed from one player to another throughout the piece.

The third work to be presented was D. Nutter’s ‘Oboe Sonata’, which featured Nutter herself on piano playing alongside E. Clynes on the oboe. This composition contained two movements – the first one focused closely on the interplay between the two instruments and featured a melody line on the oboe which recalled the music from the perennial festive children’s classic ‘The Snowman’. The second movement introduced a more pastoral quality to the music but also gave Nutter the chance to perform some incredibly delightful runs along the piano up and down the scale.

J. Zhu’s ‘Piano Sonata - 2nd Movement’ continued the evening’s entertainment with a clash and mixing of high and low tones (representing the sun and the clouds) and the eventual coming together and interplay of them at the climax of the movement in a pleasant choral section.

The string quartet ‘Serene Strings’ by Z. Zhang was a short but very sweet piece exploring pleasant, joyful string sounds akin to the works of Vivaldi before presenting a more melancholic mood prior to a return to the pleasing sounds of the opening. Zhang himself played violin on this piece which gave all members of the quartet a chance to explore the high and low registers of their instruments.

Providing a sharp contrast to Zhang’s piece was the solo oboe work ‘440’ by K. Farn. This composition was arguably the most avant-garde work of the whole evening’s programme and pushed oboe player I. Oldham into some very atonal, repetitive, jazz-esque phrases. The opening motif, repeated at the end of the piece, feature sharp blasts which were strongly reminiscent of the stabbing, wailing blasts of alto saxophone which conclude David Bowie’s 1977 instrumental ‘Neuköln’ from his album “Heroes”.

The penultimate piece of the first half of the concert was called ‘Mutations’ and was by E. Harris-Brown. Harris-Brown also played piano on this work. This piece, perhaps unsurprisingly given its title, explored mutations within themes and motifs through the sections of the piece – the strings, clarinet, and bassoon opening with a building up of rhythms before the piece developed to introduce piano and short, sharp stabs of strings into the music. Towards the end of the piece, plucked cello strings introduced a turbulent wave of sounds before returning to the calmer feeling of the opening of the work.

The final work before a brief interval was A. Tanfield’s frankly breathtaking ‘The Final Hour.’ Conducted by S. Steveson, this composition was for a large orchestra (four violins, two violas, two cellos, acoustic bass, and harp) and opened with a fantastic arrangement as the harp gently wove its way into the work of the other stringed instruments. A piece full of drama, and melodic highs and lows, this provided a fantastic note (if you’ll excuse the pun) on which to draw the first part of the concert to a close.

The evening recommenced with a rather unusual piece – in that there was no orchestra, instead the music was electronic and accompanied a film which had been edited together by the music’s composer and performer, B. Morrison. The film (and accompanying soundtrack) was called ‘The Lost Village Of Romania’ and told the story of Geamăna in north-west Romania which was flooded to provide somewhere for the nearby copper mine to dump its toxic waste. The soundtrack completed the video footage well, although the story of the village and the promises made and broken to the residents who were forced to move, took centre stage over the music.

I. Oldham’s ‘Octet’ was an extended piece made up of four movements and was superbly conducted by I. Chan, who was very animated throughout this piece which moved fluidly from an opening which featured just the clarinet and bassoon and recalled the famous soundtracks of Henry Mancini. This lightly toned piece gave way to a more sombre mood as the movement progressed which was then picked up by the opening of the second movement. The mood was stretched and remade into a lighter feeling as the movement progressed, adopting a feeling of an old-time style dance music as the tempo quickened. The third movement opened with the acoustic bass and the horns interlocking and interplaying before the fourth movement drew all the musical moods and themes together.

Pianist D. Downs presented two short songs as part of his compositional presentation: ‘Lines Written In Early Spring for voice and piano’ which was based on a poem by William Wordsworth and ‘Psalm 133’. The Wordsworth piece featured some fantastic baritone vocal work from J. Fradley, and Downs’ playing didn’t overpower the vocals. ‘Psalm 133’ featured a delightful singer called Lianneke who brought a sense of holy devotion to her singing.

D. Pengelly wrote and performed the following work called ‘Archaeoacoustic’ which demonstrated his considerable skill and dexterity on the flute. Pengelly performed runs up and down the range of the flute and produced some highly interested and unusual sounds within the piece. A fascinating demonstration of the capabilities of the flute as an instrument.

The final work of the whole evening was ‘Théma Iroa (Theme and Variations for Brass Quintet)’ by F. Courtney. Built around a loud, bold, suitably brassy theme, the piece proceeded to rework and deconstruct this theme throughout by offering variations on it – muted trumpet and trombone, for instance, replaced the brashness of the original version. This was an interesting exercise in the art of repetition and variation.

It is safe to say that the evening revealed the wealth of talent currently at the school – and while the focus was on the composers (all of whom show considerable skill), it is important to praise the performers of the works too. All the students featured in the evening deserve to give themselves a well-earned pat on the back. Who knows, maybe one day they will either compose, conduct, or play on one of the seminal works of 21st century classical music? They were very strong signs these students have the potential to do so in the years to come.

Reviewer - Andrew Marsden
on - 24.11.21

THEATRE REVIEW: The Bolds - Unicorn Theatre, London.

What a treat it was to be at 'The Bolds'. The Unicorn Theatre sits within a five minute walk of London Bridge Station and is a theatre dedicated to showcasing children’s productions. 'The Bolds' is the first production to take place since the theatre has reopened.

This performance was the first evening performance to take place in the run up to Christmas. If you are looking for a pantomime type of show – this isn’t it, 'The Bolds' is so much better. It is hilariously funny with one-liners for the children and for the adults. When I arrived there were a lot of excited children waiting to go in to watch the show all wearing their animal ears! After all we have lots of animals living in disguise everywhere.

'The Bolds' is based on the book written by Julian Clary, and has been adapted for the stage with songs written by Julian Clary and Simon Wallace. It is riotous fun as you would expect from the exuberant Mr Clary. He has even lent his voice to introductions and at stages during the show. There is a modern world undertone of being outsiders and trying to fit in and being accepted within their new community. How many hyenas do we know living in disguise in a suburban house in Teddington? Mr and Mrs Bold disguise themselves and fly from Tanzania to London taking on their new personas. Remember these are laughing hyenas so Mr Bold finds a job writing Christmas Cracker jokes in order to pay the bills. David Ahmad (Mr Bold) was brilliant – one after another, corny jokes from beginning to end. Instead of 'he’s behind you', we had the repeating of the joke before Mr Bold gave us the punchline. The arrangement of seats at the Unicorn meant that all children did not struggle to see the performance from where they were sitting. Mrs Bold (Amanda Gordon) was the linchpin that held the story and family together.

Mr and Mrs Bold, in time, where greeted by he arrival of their twins Bobby and Betty, who had to keep the secret that they were hyenas by tucking their tails in at school. It was at school that they met Minnie (Charity Bedu-Addo) who found out about their tails and inevitably about their real identity.  All was happy in the house apart from the angry Mr McNumpty (Sam Pay) who lived next door. At every opportunity he was watching the Bolds and listening to what was going on. He was like a bear with a sore head.

As the children were born in London they had never seen wild animals so they went off on a trip to the safari park. Hyenas actually driving a car! It was here they decided to embark on an adventure to free Tony, an elderly hyena who was in line for being put to sleep. This echoes of our current age concern about what value do the elderly have? Anyway, Tony (Jon Trenchard) was the one who wins Mr McNumpty round and everyone lives happily ever after in Teddington.

A great star performance by all the actors, a diverse company that relates to the audience and filled with jokes, songs and dancing. The children were interacting and joining in. As a teacher it was a pleasure to see the utter enjoyment on their faces and I am sure for many of the children this was their first time at the theatre. Well done Unicorn for tapping into the audience and for working with schools to develop a love of acting, performing and watching a live show. 

Reviewer - Penny Curran
on - 24.11.21

NEWS: What's happening in January at Poole's Lighthouse.

EVENT LISTINGS: JANUARY 2022 

 

Please find below details of shows and events at Lighthouse, Poole’s centre for the arts, for January 2022.  

 

Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra: New Year Gala 
Saturday 1 January, Concert Hall, 3pm 
Conductor Michael Seal takes the rostrum as the BSO sees in the New Year with a fine selection of Viennese waltzes by Johan Strauss and his contemporaries. 

St Peterburg Classic Ballet: Giselle 
Thursday 6, Friday 7 January, Theatre, 7pm 
One of the few 19th century Romantic ballets to survive intact, this is the quintessential story of unrequited love following Giselle, an innocent young village girl, through tender romance, heartbreak, death and the afterlife, as she ultimately saves the life of a man who has betrayed her. 

St Peterburg Classic Ballet: The Nutcracker 
Saturday 8, Sunday 9 January, Theatre, 2pm, 7pm 
This spectacular new version, with its stunning baroque designs, is a delightfully festive tale and the perfect treat for the whole family. Full of magical effects, the ballet is set to the captivating and instantly recognisable Tchaikovsky score.  

Live and Unheard: Sirpico + Pharoahs + Vision 
Thursday 13 January, Sherling Studio, 7.30pm 
Our monthly grass roots music night rings in the New Year with the enduring guitar pop fizz of Sirpico, Southampton indie outfit Vision and Pharoahs, the new band fronted by singer songwriter multi-faceted local artist Cherry Morris. 

Omid Djalili: The Good Times Tour 
Friday 14 January, Concert Hall, 7.30pm 
After experimenting with a Zoom gig where he got muted by 639 people, multi award-winning comedian and actor Omid Djalili is now back where he belongs, on our stage and bringing back the good times. 

Studio Jazz: Scott Hamilton Quartet 
Friday 14 January, Sherling Studio, 8pm 
The legendary American tenor star Scott Hamilton, who cut his teeth in Benny Goodman’s band, returns to Lighthouse with his regular, all-star UK quartet.  

Believe: The Cher Songbook 
Saturday 15 January, Concert Hall, 7.30pm 
Experience the ultimate tribute to Cher with dazzling costume changes and outstanding musicianship to relive the Cher songbook including ‘I Got You Babe’, ‘Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves’, ‘Just Like Jesse James’, ‘If I Could Turn Back Time’, ‘Walking in Memphis’, ‘Strong Enough’ and ‘Believe’, as well as songs from Mamma Mia and her new album Dancing Queen. 

Coastal Comedy: Laura Lexx + John Newton + David Arnold 
Saturday 15 January, Sherling Studio, 8pm 
Our monthly stand-up comedy night starts the New Year in the company of Edinburgh Fringe award-winner Laura Lexx with old school gag teller John Newton opening the show and versatile Welsh comedian David Arnold in between. 

Rock of Ages 
Tuesday 18 – Saturday 22 January, Theatre, 7.30pm (not Fri), 5pm (Fri), 8.30pm (Fri), 2.30pm (Sat) 
The smash-hit musical is back, and the party is bigger than eve with more than 25 classic rock anthems, including ‘Don’t Stop Believin’’, ‘We Built This City’, ‘The Final Countdown’, ‘Wanted Dead or Alive’, ‘Here I Go Again’, ‘Can’t Fight this Feeling’ and ‘I Want To Know What Love Is’, played loud and proud by an awesome live band. 

Ed Byrne: If I’m Honest 
Friday 21 January, Concert Hall, 8pm 
Join Ed as he takes a long hard look at himself and tries to decide if he has any traits that are worth passing on to his children. 

The HandleBards: Macbeth 
Friday 21 January, Sherling Studio, 8pm 
Forget the tears and tragedy and join the all-female troupe of HandleBards for their unhinged, bicycle-powered, laugh-out-loud version of Macbeth. 

Jayde Adams: The Ballad of Kylie Jenner’s Old Face 
Saturday 22 January, Sherling Studio, 8pm 
Since Jayde's first stand-up special launched on Amazon Prime in 2020 it's received a huge amount of critical acclaim, amassing a staggering 60 million views across social media and longlisted for the Best Variety Special Emmy in the Hollywood Reporter Predictions.  

NT Live: Leopoldstadt 
Thursday 27 January, Cinema, 7pm 
Aidan McArdle in Tom Stoppard’s Olivier Award-winning new play Leopoldstadt, a passionate drama of love, family and endurance. 

Kevin Clifton in Burn the Floor 
Thursday 27 January, Concert Hall, 7.30pm 
Kevin Clifton and the sensational worldwide ballroom dance company Burn the Floor return with a bang in 2022 as this fiery, energetic and revolutionary production will, once again, show audiences why it is still the world’s leading ballroom show after more than two decades. A mix of eclectic music, jaw-dropping choreography and ground-breaking moves, this show has an abundance of infectious, rebellious energy and passion. 

How To Live a Jellicle Life 
Thursday 27 January, Sherling Studio, 8pm 
Following five-star reviews, two sold out runs and a national tour the jellicle show is back! A show that provides a jellicle discussion about the jellicle aspects of the jellicle cats in Cats and how you can apply them to your life in order to make it truly jellicle.  

Magic of Motown 
Friday 28 January, Concert Hall, 7.30pm 
Get ready for the glittering costumes, dazzling dance routines and outstanding musicianship in this spectacular live concert celebration of classic Motown hits from artists such as Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder, The Temptations, The Supremes, The Four Tops, Martha Reeves, The Jackson 5, Smokey Robinson and many, many more. 

Studio Jazz: Arnie Somogyi’s Soho Loop Project feat. Soweto Kinch 
Friday 28 January, Sherling Studio, 8pm 
This special band came together for Lighthouse’s Jazz BounceBack mini online festival back in April and went down so well they are reuniting, complete with superstar saxophonist and MC Soweto Kinch whose albums under his own name include a Mercury Music Prize nomination, two UMA Awards and two MOBOs. 

Shlomo: Beatbox Adventure for Kids 
Saturday 29 January, Sherling Studio, 11am, 2pm 
Having dazzled audiences in the first Lighthouse: OUTSIDE festival, world record-breaking beatboxer SK Shlomo is back to make more mad music with his mouth. Become one of this sonic superhero’s sidekicks in a world of funny sounds, brilliant noises and cool music, whether you’re aged 1 or 101! 

Jamali Maddix: King Crud 
Saturday 29 January, Sherling Studio, 8pm 
As seen on Taskmaster (C4) and Frankie Boyle’s New World Order (BBC2) Jamali Maddix is heading out on tour with a brand-new show tackling more home truths and universal issues. A master of the craft this latest show is not to be missed.