It’s a new year, full of new shows at Haverhill Arts Centre this spring. Entertainment writer Wayne Savage looks at some of the highlights.
Music, comedy, children’s shows, talks, cinema; Haverhill Arts Centre has it all.
Highlights include The 60s Britpop Girl Show on February 5 as Helen Abbey pays tribute to iconic female performers of the decade like Cilla Black, Dusty Springfield and more. The swinging vibe continues on February 17 with 60s Night with The Dreamers and Sounds Force Five. March 4 sees the welcome return of The Barron Knights, still going strong after more than 40 years.
Storming Haverhill Market Square with a free performance last summer, Uncle Funk and the Boogie Wonderband are back. Their fun Ladies’ Night on February 6 will feature the best disco dance grooves. You can relive the super 1970s with Wrong Stewart and The Farces on April 29 and Bob Drury in the Viva Neil Diamond tribute on April 15. Switching the pace are all-male four piece acapella group The TestosterTones on February 19, followed by Irish chanteur Dominic Kirwan who brings his Here for a Good Time show with his son Barry to the centre on April 7.
The arts centre also has two guitar nights in April, the first is renowned Flemish fingerstylist Jacques Stotzem on April 2. On April 22 Vicki Genfan and Stuart Marsters showcase the breadth of the acoustic guitar with songs and tunes with a global influence.
Comedy fans are in for a treat, with Omid Djalili and support act Boothby Graffoe dropping by on April 16. There are also two Monkey Nuts Comedy Club Nights on February 21 and April 24.
Children’s shows include Blunderbus Theatre’s My Pet Monster on February 17 and Freehand Theatre’s Frogs and Snails and Teddy Bear Tales on March 30. Both are full of songs, puppetry and plenty of chances to join in. Dorothy, Toto, Scarecrow and friends bring Oz to Haverhill in the Easter holidays with a panto version of The Wizard of Oz on April 9.
Historian and broadcaster David Starkey, forced to postpone his last lecture at the arts centre, appears on April 23 to discuss the Magna Carta and the long-reaching effect it has had on the British constitution and our culture.
Psychic Tony Stockwell, known for his TV appearances on Street Psychic, Psychic Private Eyes and Psychic Academy; is back on April 20 to reconnect those who have passed on with their loved ones.
Events cinema includes a mix of live and recorded broadcasts from national and international companies.
The Bolshoi Ballet perform The Taming of The Shrew, Spartacus and Don Quixote on January 31, March 20 and April 10 respectively. Matthew Bourne provides a contemporary take on Bizet’s Carmen with The Car Man, transporting the action to a greasy 1950s garage-diner on March 1.
Dramatic broadcasts include Donmar Warehouse’s Liaisons Dangereuses on February 11 starring The Affair’s Dominic West and As You Like It from the National Theatre on February 25. The English National Opera presents The Mikado and The Magic Flute on January 27 and March 9.
“I’m particularly thrilled we managed to secure Omid Djalili on his national tour and the fact Boothby Graffoe is his support act was the icing on the cake. As ever we have a wide range of musical and community events and our cinema broadcasts continue to go from strength to strength. They’re great for us as they allow us to programme ballet and opera productions that otherwise wouldn’t be possible for us,” says Nick Keeble, arts and leisure manager.
“Appealing to another audience perhaps, we have a male variety show Forbidden Nights on February 26. The event sold out very quickly after it was announced on Facebook.”
Click here for the full spring programme.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here