Where to go, what to see this coming week in West Berks and beyond
Old-Time Appalachian
TOMORROW night’s gig (Friday) at ACE Space brings a taste of the southern states with old time Appalachian music from three of the most accomplished performers of this style of music: the trio of Hannah Read, Michel Starkey and Vera van Heeringen. Fiddler and singer-songwriter Hannah Read met banjo player Michael Starkey at an Appalachian old time session in Edinburgh in late 2019. The moment they first struck up a tune together there was an immediate meeting of musical minds.They have since become a dynamic fiddle and banjo duo, playing repertoire deep from the old time tradition as well as newly self-composed tunes and songs. On this tour Hannah & Michael are joined by Vera Van Heeringen. Originally from The Netherlands, she is firmly rooted in transatlantic traditions. Her emotionally astute songwriting is underpinned with an understated rich instrumental craft on guitar and mandolin. Opening the evening will be Ben Baron, a singer and banjo player from Newbury but now living in Glasgow. His music, influenced by Delta Blues, Country, and Folk, is performed in the old-time ‘clawhammer’ style. https://acespace.org.uk/
Comedy with Lucy Porter
THE irrepressible Lucy Porter visits Arlington Arts tomorrow (Friday) with a show all about regrets. Frank Sinatra had too few to mention, but Lucy’s got hundreds, and she’s prepared to go into graphic detail about all of them. Disastrous dates, professional calamities, ruined friendships and parenting fails. Lucy describes all the mistakes she’s made, works out why they happened, and ponders how her life would have turned out if she’d acted differently. Lucy looks at the things we might all collectively regret - not sticking to the work-life balance we strove for during lockdown, not realising that clapping for the NHS wouldn’t be enough to save it, allowing people we thought were quite fun on TV to become politicians. How does regret tie in with guilt and shame? As a middle-aged, middle-class, left-leaning ex-Catholic, guilt is one of Lucy’s top five hobbies (along with going to the garden centre, doing jigsaws, making bread and watching subtitled foreign dramas on Netflix. She’s also ashamed of all these hobbies.) It’s not all negative though. If you regret something, you can use it to change your ways: see the thing you regret as your rock bottom, and let it spur you on to become a better person. Lucy looks at how she can use shameful or annoying things from her past to change her future. Lucy regrets volunteering at the school fete when her kids were younger, because now she’s committed to being the Hook a Duck Lady twice a year for the rest of her life. Maybe she could learn to say No a bit more? No Regrets! starts at 8pm. https://arlington-arts.com/
Bridget Jones is back
THE latest Bridget Jones film About the Boy (15) is screening at the Corn Exchange from tomorrow (Friday 21) until Thursday, March 6. Two-time Academy Award winner Renée Zellweger returns to the role that established a romantic-comedy heroine for the ages, a woman whose inimitable approach to life and love redefined an entire film genre. Bridget is alone once again, widowed four years ago, when Mark was killed on a humanitarian mission in the Sudan. She’s now a single mother to 10-year-old Billy and 6-year-old Mabel, and is stuck in a state of emotional limbo, raising her children with help from her loyal friends, including her former lover, Daniel Cleaver (Hugh Grant). To forge a new path toward life and love, Bridget goes back to work and even tries out the dating apps, where she’s soon pursued by a dreamy and enthusiastic younger man (Leo Woodall). https://cornexchangenew.com/
Children’s theatre
FOUR Seasons is a theatrical love letter to nature for children and their families. It runs at the Corn Exchange, Newbury, from tomorrow (Friday) to Sunday. Join the fearless team of magical gardeners as they tend to the marvellous menagerie of flora and fauna at every stage of nature’s miraculous journey. Four Seasons is a celebration of the wonder and weirdness of nature and our place within it, all set to an exciting score of seasonally inspired tracks including, of course, Vivaldi’s iconic piece. Expect an enchanting and innovative theatre performance featuring puppetry, physical theatre and clowning fun – everything we’ve come to expect from Olivier award-winning Little Bulb (Hibernation, CBeebies’ The Nutcracker). https://cornexchangenew.com
Last chance to see Yinka Shonibare show
CATCH Yinka Shonibare's vibrant prints in Ritual Ecstasy of the Modern at The Base Greenham before the exhibition closes on Sunday. Through symbols, batik fabric patterns and memorable characters, this colourful collection of woodblock prints seeks to celebrate cultural identity. Relax and take a seat in the Gallery space where you can have a go at woodblock rubbings, or read more about Shonibare's work. You can even watch a short film of Shonibare creating his prints or listen to the podcast as you immerse yourself in the artwork. Turner prize nominee Shonibare has exhibited in some of the most notable collections internationally – don’t miss your chance to see his work in West Berkshire
Meet the landscape artist
“IT begins with a moment, a holiday, a walk and the feeling that it evokes. The landscape that surrounds us has a direct effect on our emotions and so can a painting.” Kingsclere artist Jonathan Freestone has a new exhibition - Horizons - in the New Era Theatre Foyer, Wash Common, opening tomorrow (Friday) and running to April 14. You can meet him at the open evening between 7pm-9pm, but if you miss it, you have another opportunity at his Meet the Artist over coffee, on the Saturday mornings March 1 and 22 (10.30am-12noon). Jonathan trained at both Bournemouth College of Art and Edinburgh College of Art. His work focusses primarily on the landscapes he experiences. He says: “I paint directly onto plywood; building up textural layers of paint using both brushes and palette knives to create a sense of depth, feeling and movement.” To see more of his work, visit www.jonathanfreestoneartist.com
Award-winning Chicago on tour
CHICAGO, the "sexiest musical ever" (Metro) arrives at New Theatre Oxford on Monday for one week only, starring Coronation Street’s Faye Brookes (Dancing On Ice, Grease, Legally Blonde) as Roxie Hart, West End and TV stars Brenda Edwards (Loose Women, Chicago, The X Factor) as Matron ‘Mama’ Morton and Kevin Clifton (Strictly Come Dancing, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie) as Billy Flynn. Created by the musical theatre talents of John Kander, Fred Ebb and legendary choreographer Bob Fosse, CHICAGO’s sexy, sassy score with one show-stopping song after another includes “Razzle Dazzle”, “Cell Block Tango”, and “All That Jazz”. With 6 Tony Awards, 2 Olivier Awards, a Grammy. It would be criminal to miss it... https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/chicago/new-theatre-oxford/
Stamp valuation day
STANLEY Gibbons, the world’s longest-established rare stamp dealer, based in London, is hosting a free local valuation day in Newbury on Thursday (February 27) for hobbyists, collectors and philatelists alike. The valuation will take place between 10.30am and 3.30pm, at The Chequers Hotel in Oxford Road and will be attended by Mark Smith, who is known for his expertise on the BBC series Antiques Roadshow. They are offering 10-minute appointments on the day which can be booked at valuationday@sgbaldwins.comThey will also be hosting other specialists from Stamps and Coins, who will be offering free valuations. A Stanley Gibbons spokesperson said: “We are doing free valuations on coins, stamps, medals and militaria, gold and silver and trading cards including Pokémon and Magic: The Gathering. With a heritage dating back to 1856 our experts can be relied to offer honest, reliable guidance on the value of your items. If you choose to sell, we can also guide through the process.” There is no charge for the event . Visit https://www.stanleygibbons.com/auctions/valuations to learn more, including the history of Stanley Gibbons.
