THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT
A chronicle of all things arts, crafts, culture and entertainment taking place in Surrey this January…
CHRISTINA ROSSETTI: VISION & VERSE / UNTIL MARCH 17 / WATTS GALLERY ARTISTS’ VILLAGE
Discover the celebrated Victorian poet Christina Rossetti at this fascinating exhibition. Rossetti’s connection with visual art is presented via paintings and illustrations inspired by her poetry, alongside the poet’s very own and virtually unknown drawings.
For more information, visit www.wattsgallery.org.uk
WILLOW CRAFT & YOGA / JANUARY 15 / NOWER WOOD, LEATHERHEAD
Leave the stresses of the season behind and get back to nature with a spot of willow weaving: bend, twist and shape a candle-holder or bird feeder to take home with you. Follow your morning’s crafts by bending and twisting yourself back into shape, with an invigorating yet hugely relaxing yoga session amidst the wilds of Nower Wood Nature Reserve.
For more information, visit www.surreywildlifetrust.org
NT LIVE: THE TRAGEDY OF KING RICHARD THE SECOND / JANUARY 15 / EVERYMAN CINEMA, ESHER
Sit back and relax in the luxuriously comfortable environs of the Everyman Cinema for Shakespeare’s tale of vanity, crumbling kingdoms and power struggles as the Almeida Theatre’s production of King Richard the Second starring Simon Ruseel Beale, is broadcast live from the stage.
For more information, visit www.everymancinema.com/esher
SANDI TOKSVIG LIVE! NATIONAL TREVOR / JANUARY 16 & JANUARY 23 / G LIVE GUILDFORD
‘National treasure’ and darling of the stage and screen, the imitable Sandi Toksvig enchants audiences of Guildford’s G Live not once, but twice this month. Let Sandi serenade you with silly quips and funny facts aplenty in her brand-new one-woman show.
For more information, visit www.glive.co.uk
OUTSIDE THE BOX COMEDY CLUB / JANUARY 16 / THE BARN THEATRE CLUB, WEST MOLESEY
Looking for a laugh in West Molesey? Hosting some of the finest funnies from the stand-up circuit be sure to pull up a pew for the Outside The Box Comedy Club this month as funny folk Maff Brown, Tom Lucy and Milton Jones stop by for a night of humour and hilarity.
For more information, visit www.outsidetheboxcomedy.co.uk
ASTRONOMY EVENING / JANUARY 16 / UNIVERSITY OF SURREY, GUILDFORD
Marvel at stars and planets impossible to see with the naked eye and gaze into the night sky at this fabulous and free stargazing night. Listen to a cutting-edge research led lecture prior to perusing the night sky via the university’s high-powered telescope (weather permitting).
For more information, visit www.surrey.ac.uk
CONTEMPORARY ART & MODERN BRITISH PAINTINGS AUCTION / JANUARY 17 / EWBANK’S AUCTION HOUSE, WOKING
Lover of art? Looking for that something special to add to your collection? Bid on an array of pieces at this auction; from paintings to porcelain, and beyond, masterpieces of modernity await.
For more information, visit www.ewbankauctions.co.uk
FURNITURE PAINTING WORKSHOP / JANUARY 17 / PACKHOUSE, FARNHAM
If you’ve found a relic of a rocking chair or are looking to spruce up some forgotten furniture from around the house, try this workshop. Using chalk paints, pick up some top tips on how to add new life to a rather lacklustre chair or side table.
For more information, visit www.packhouse.com
THE BULLY WEE BAND / JANUARY 18 / GRAYSHOTT FOLK CLUB
Brush off those winter blues and get into the groove again with a hearty does of live music courtesy of folk/rock gang, The Bully Wee Band. Prepare to party during a night of knees-up noise.
For more information, visit www.grayshottfolkclub.co.uk
MORGAN AND WEST: PARLOUR TRICKS / JANUARY 18 / ELECTRIC THEATRE, GUILDFORD
Witness mind-melting magic in front of your very eyes as the time-travelling team of two, the mighty Morgan and West, present their Parlour Tricks. Enjoy an evening of remarkable illusions and impossibilities and leave wondering what just happened.
For more information, visit www.electric.theatre
GAG HOUSE COMEDY CLUB / JANUARY 19 / BROOKLANDS MUSEUM, WEYBRIDGE
Christmas is done for another year, the New Year’s resolution isn’t going so well, and there isn’t another bank holiday weekend for months. Turn that frown upside down and enjoy some comic relief at a new installment of the giggle factory that is the Gag House Comedy Club.
For more information, visit www.gaghousecomedy.com
1750 COMEDY CLUB / JANUARY 19 / SANDOWN PARK, ESHER
Come out of the cold and let laughter be your remedy, as the 1750 Comedy Club makes its monthly return to Sandown Park. Catch future comedy stars from the stand-up circuit and leave with a satisfied smile.
For more information, visit www.sandown.thejockeyclubco.uk
INTRODUCTION TO TAPESTRY WEAVING / JANUARY 19 / THE LIGHTBOX, WOKING
Love crafts? Fancy learning a new one? Head for the Lightbox and try your hand at tapestry with a morning’s introduction to this ancient and expressive pastime. Whether you’re looking to create the next Bayeux Tapestry or simply after a taster, this session will teach you about various techniques including, the use of a lap loom, before you make your very own wall hanging to take home.
For more information, visit www.thelightbox.org.uk
CIRCUS OF HORRORS: PSYCHO ASYLUM / JANUARY 19 / NEW VICTORIA THEATRE, WOKING
Roll up, roll up for the terrifying and death-defying Circus of Horrors, as it parks its Big Top at New Victoria Theatre for one night only. Back with a brand-new show, Psycho Asylum, expect a visual feast that will leave you spinning in your seat. For a thoroughly entertaining night, get your tickets today.
For more information, visit www.atgtickets.com/woking
RAIN MAN / JANUARY 21 – 26 / NEW VICTORIA THEATRE, WOKING
The theatrical adaptation of the Oscar-winning classic, Rain Man comes to the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre in Guildford, promising an evening of immeasurable and incalculable emotion. Starring Mathew Horne (Gavin and Stacey) as Raymond Babbit, an autistic savant who inherits a family fortune, opposite Ed Speleers as self-centred brother Charlie Babbit, enjoy an evening of classic screen-to-stage entertainment.
For more information, visit www.atgtickets.com/woking
ROH LIVE: THE QUEEN OF SPADES / JANUARY 22 / EVERYMAN CINEMA, WALTON
Tchaikovsky’s The Queen of Spades, presented by the Royal Opera House, will be beamed to screens nationwide. Telling the tale of a penniless soldier, unrequited desire and a ‘secret three-card trick’ – this is a story of gambling with love and loss.
For more information, visit www.everymancinema.com/walton
STEPHEN K AMOS – BOUQUETS AND BRICKBATS / JANUARY 23 / EPSOM PLAYHOUSE
The purveyor of feel-good comedy is back on tour with his new show Bouquets and Brickbats. Amos has established himself as a household name over the past decade, performing shows at the Edinburgh Fringe every year since 2003, and has a multitude of TV credits including The Stephen K Amos Show, Live at The Apollo and Mock the Week.
For more information, visit www.epsomplayhouse.co.uk
MOOD BOARD WORKSHOP / JANUARY 24 / WATTLE & DAUB, GODALMING
Got an interiors project on the horizon and looking to find some sense? Learn how to create the perfect mood board for your creative projects with this workshop. Mood boards are great for helping you realise your vision, and can provide those moments of clarity and cohesion that you may be seeking prior to giving the living room that much-needed makeover.
For more information, visit www.wattleanddaubhome.co.uk
CRAFTING LIVE / JANUARY 25 – 26 / SANDOWN PARK, ESHER
Crafting Live is returning to Sandown Park and bringing a whole host of crafty celebrities. Whether you’re an experienced crafter or you’ve only just started, there are projects that you can either follow step by step or add your own personal touch to. Learn lots of new techniques and make new friends.
For more information, visit www.sandown.thejockeyclub.co.uk
LOUISE DISTRAS / JANUARY 25 / THE BOILEROOM, GUILDFORD
The “Street Revolution” and “Land of Dope and Glory”, singer, punk rocker Louise Distras comes to Guildford for a night of anthemic singalongs. Covering a range of topics for our times, and tipped for big things, be sure to get a ticket quick before a certain sell-out.
For more information, visit www.theboileroom.net
TONI KOFI QUINTET – ‘A PORTRAIT OF CANNONBALL’ / JANUARY 25 / RIVERHOUSE BARN ARTS CENTRE, WALTON
Get into jazz this by checking out the staggeringly tremendous Toni Kofi Qunitet as they celebrate the late great Julian ‘Cannonball’ Adderley in all his musical glory. Featuring Toni Kofi on saxophones, Andy Davies on trumpet, Alex Webb on piano, Andy Cleyndert on bass, and Alfonso Vitale on drums, with the added extra of guest vocals courtesy of Deelee Dube.
For more information, visit www.riverhousebarn.co.uk
SEX IS ANOTHER LANGUAGE / JANUARY 25 / THE MILL STUDIO, GUILDFORD
One of the first true greats of our time, the elegant and electric Elizabeth Taylor and her life of luxury, lust and lasting endearment are brought to life in this compelling and freshly perceived production, performed for one night only at Guildford’s Mill Studio.
For more information, visit www.yvonne-arnaud.co.uk
2019: THE NEXT CHAPTER / JANUARY 25 – 26 / THIRTY3HZ, GUILDFORD
Love to party? For those with a penchant for a particularly fine sound system to deliver your dose of bass to the dancefloor, look no further than Thirty3HZ. The team is back with a weekend of epic parties to really get your new year into gear; expect an eclectic mix of dance music for the most discerning of ravers.
For more information, visit www.thirty3hz.com
SEWING MACHINE DRIVING LICENSE / JANUARY 26 / PACKHOUSE, FARNHAM
If your new year’s resolution was to finally use the sewing machine that you picked up, but don’t actually know how to operate it, then this is a date well worth sticking in the diary. Get a crash course in the basics of where to put your bobbins and get stitching.
For more information, visit www.packhouse.com
IVW: THE BOILEROOM / JANUARY 28 – FEBRUARY 3 / THE BOILEROOM, GUILDFORD
Revered by many a music fan, the local music venue is a social staple in rapid decline. Whether it’s noise complaints from new neighbours or landlords prioritising yet more flats are needed; the live music scene has never seen so many providers closing. Independent Venue Week is a national initiative set up four years ago to highlight the importance of such venues and the lifeblood they supply to musician and music-lover alike. Week-long events will be taking place the length and breadth of the country, with The Boileroom flying the flag for independent Surrey via performances from the likes of Childcare, Her’s, Ben Ottewell, Me And The Moon, Swim Deep, Black Futures and A.
For more information, visit www.theboileroom.net
ACOUSTIC SESSIONS / JANUARY 29 / THE FIERY BIRD, WOKING
Still recovering from the festive furore that was? If you’re in need of something to soothe your sensitive soul, then make your way to the Fiery Bird, kick back, and relax with some live acoustic music courtesy of some of the finest local talents in Surrey.
For more information, visit www.fierybirdvenue.org.uk
EVERYBODY’S TALKING ABOUT JAMIE / JANUARY 29 / DORKING HALLS
Inspired by true events, catch a modern-day musical befitting our times by watching this screening of West End hit Everybody’s Talking About Jamie. Hailing from a council estate in Sheffield, Jamie doesn’t find it as easy to fit in, overcoming prejudice and bullies to pursue his dreams.
For more information, visit www.dorkinghalls.co.uk
FALLING THROUGH THE CRACKS / JANUARY 31 – FEBRUARY 1 / THE MILL STUDIo, GUILDFORD
“How did I end up here? More to the point, where do I go now? Truth is I don’t even know where to start.” We are all at some point in our lives one sliding door away from hero to zero. Falling Through The Cracks is an exploration of life’s pitfalls.
For more information, visit www.yvonne-arnaud.co.uk
MOOG SYMPOSIUM / FEBRUARY 1 – 2 / UNIVERSITY OF SURREY, GUILDFORD
For those utterly fascinated by the synthesized sound that Moog has become synonymous with, be sure to snap up some of the limited tickets for this symposium dedicated to the revolutionary music hardware. Featuring guest speakers and performances throughout the weekend, get out and geek out with Moog.
For more information, visit www.surrey.ac.uk
MATT FORDE: BREXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP / FEBRUARY 1 / CAMBERLEY THEATRE
Brexit. What a maniacal mess of what ifs, whens and whatevers. Who will save us from our impending doom? Who knows? Join leading political comedian Matt Forde as he comes to Camberley Theatre with his highly acclaimed show, making no attempt whatsoever to make any sense of it all.
For more information, visit www.camberleytheatre.co.uk
MEASURE FOR MEASURE / FEBRUARY 4 – 23 / HOLY TRINITY CHURCH, GUILDFORD
Guildford Shakespeare Company celebrates its 40th production by returning to the stage, with their latest endeavour, the hard-hitting and aptly chosen Measure for Measure. Exploring our expectations and preconceptions of gender and the power structures that sit so ostentatiously beside them. This is a thought-provoking tale of sexual harassment and suppression.
For more information, visit www.guildford-shakespeare-company.co.uk
POP-UP POETRY / FEBRUARY 2 / WATTS GALLERY ARTISTS’ VILLAGE, COMPTON
“Remember” to see in the New Year with compassion and contemplation…and what better inspiration can there be than the atmospheric setting of Watts Gallery Artists’ Village? As part of the exhibition Christina Rossetti: Vision & Verse, listen to live renditions of Rossetti’s poems read by volunteers, plus members of Watts Gallery’s Art Forum and Art for All community programme.
For more information, visit www.wattsgallery.org.uk