What's on where around Luton: listings, April 27 edition

Here's your guide to what's on where around Luton over the coming week. Please email [email protected] with details of your events at least a week before the edition in which you'd like them to appear.
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What's On

WEDNESDAY APRIL 27

Adults with learning difficulties arts and craft sessions. Every Wednesday 10.30am to 12.30pm and Saturdays from 11am to 1pm at Arttrend, Arundel Road, Luton. Social and creative activity for adults with learning difficulties, engaging in all types of art and craft work such as painting in acrylics, papier mache, salt dough, cross stitch, rug making etc. Please see the website www.arttrend.co.uk and go to Art ALD, then see the gallery of work already done. Tel 07794 987796 if you would like more details. 10.30am to 12.30pm Wednesdays, 11am to 1pm Saturdays – but you can come and go at any time. £6 per session including materials and refreshments.

Luton Irish Forum holds a weekly Tuesday and Wednesday Club from 11am to 1.30pm at 102 Hitchin Road. This is a great chance to meet old friends and make some new ones. Refreshments are all included along with soda bread, scones with jam and monthly chicken and chips. Entry costs £1, plus optional £3 for two games of bingo and a raffle.

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After his successful UK tour, Life Through Dance, Pasha Kovalev, the winner of Strictly Come Dancing 2014, welcomes you to his new and exciting dance spectacular – It’s All About You. On his fifth UK tour, audiences can expect another evening of your favourite music, spectacular dancing, energy, lights and sparkling costumes filled with positive emotions and great entertainment for the entire family. Tickets: £25 or £23. Call 01582 60 20 80 or visit www.grovetheatre.co.uk to book.

THURSDAY APRIL 28

Critically acclaimed show Essence of Ireland takes on a new lease of theatrical life with Ireland’s Call at the Grove Theatre, Dunstable, following the journey of a young man, who leaves behind his childhood sweetheart Cora and his beloved homeland Ireland, in search of a better life in New York. Tickets: £23.50 or £21.50. Call 01582 60 20 80 or visit www.grovetheatre.co.uk to book.

FRIDAY APRIL 29

Members of TADS Teens are performing the plays Harmony by Neil Armstrong and Light and Shade at the TADS Theatre, Toddington at 7.45pm. Tickets cost £8 for adults and £6 for concessions. Visit www.tadstheatre.org or call 07952 633234 to book.

Legal Immigrant is the story of a 10-year-old Hackney boy, leaving London for Lagos in 1990. In his new home of Nigeria the local kids find his British accent hilarious, and whilst UK culture is changing - the rise of the Spice Girls, Gazza and Blair - all he really wants to know is what’s happening to Kylie and Jason. At 16 he goes back to Hackney, and has to deal with his new fellow students’ misconceptions of Africa. The one-man show is presented by TV comedian Funmbi Omotayo and comes to the Hat Factory in Luton, starting at 8pm. Tickets cost £10 or £8 for concessions. Call 01582 878100 to book.

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A ballet version of the heart-warming tale The Princess and the Frog is coming to Luton Library Theatre. Suitable for ages two to nine and their families, this original ballet by Let’s All Dance aims to charm audiences both young and old, exploring the theme of friendship through simple story-telling. The 30-minute performances take place at 10.30am and 1.30pm. Tickets cost £8 or £24 for four. Call 01582 878100 or visit lutonculture.com to book.

Saturday APRIL 30

Opera & Ballet International proudly presents an Ellen Kent production of Tosca with international soloists, highly praised chorus and full orchestra at the Grove Theatre, Dunstable at 7.30pm. This traditional production is a heady mixture of true love, torture and treachery, with two of the best roles for tenor and soprano, plus a truly blood-curdling villain. Tickets: £30.50, £26.50, £17.50. Call 01582 60 20 80 or visit www.grovetheatre.co.uk to book.

Members of TADS Teens are performing the plays Harmony by Neil Armstrong and Light and Shade at the TADS Theatre, Toddington at 7.45pm. Tickets cost £8 for adults and £6 for concessions. Visit www.tadstheatre.org or call 07952 633234 to book.

A ballet version of the heart-warming tale The Princess and the Frog is coming to Luton Library Theatre. Suitable for ages two to nine and their families, this original ballet by Let’s All Dance aims to charm audiences both young and old, exploring the theme of friendship through simple story-telling. The 30-minute performance takes place at 11.30am. Tickets cost £8 or £24 for four. Call 01582 878100 or visit lutonculture.com to book.

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Luton Poetry Society celebrates William Shakespeare’s birthday at 2pm at Luton Central Library’s conference room with theatrical recitals of Shakespeare’s sonnets and poems by Luton poets. All are welcome to bring along their favourite sonnets by the Bard. Luton Poet Laureate and founder of the group Mary Emeji will be performing with a mystery William on the day. Refreshments are also available to celebrate the Bard’s 452nd birthday. New members welcome. Visit www.lutonpoetrysociety.com for more information.

SUNDAY MAY 1

Encore Screening from the Royal Opera House to the Grove Theatre, Dunstable at 2pm. Lucia di Lammermoor tells the story of an ongoing feud between two families in 17th century Scotland that has terrible consequences. It contains what is undoubtedly one of opera’s most poignant and gripping mad scenes, and is regarded as one of Donizetti’s finest works. The opera has not been seen at the Royal Opera House in more than a decade, so this new production by Katie Mitchell will be particularly notable. Tickets: £15. Call 01582 60 20 80 or visit www.grovetheatre.co.uk to book.

Collectively they’ve performed on records that have sold more than half a billion copies (Stevie Wonder, Herbie Hancock, Amy Winehouse). Together as Brother Strut, they are one of the tightest funk, soul and blues bands in the UK. They marry real musicianship with fine on-stage presence and exude funk and soul like few other acts today. Brother Strut features Steve Pearce (bass), Frankie Tontoh (drums), Otha Smith (electric guitar), Sam Tanner (keys/ lead vocals) and Stevie Jones (saxophone/keys) – all great showmen who love being on stage as much as audiences love seeing them. They come to the Stables, Wavendon at 8pm. Tickets cost £19.50. Call 01908 280800 or visit www.stables.org to book.

MONDAY MAY 2

In her extensive and varied career, Rita Coolidge has worked with many names of rock royalty, including tours and recordings with Eric Clapton, Ray Charles, Bob Dylan, Leon Russell and Stephen Stills. In the past decade Rita has recorded a critically and commercially acclaimed jazz album And So Is Love, a live DVD On Stage At World Café Live and, with Universal Records, released a 41-song retrospective of her four decade long career entitled Delta Lady: The Rita Coolidge Anthology. This year sees the release of her memoir Delta Lady and a new CD. She performs at The Stables, Wavendon at 8pm. Tickets: £25. Call 01908 280800 or visit www.stables.org to book.

WEDNESDAY MAY 4

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Ragtime Jazz Band are regarded by many as the world’s most versatile jazz band. The eight members own 20 instruments and play all of them. Specialities include making music with instrument-like tools, a cappella singing and the occasional spot of dancing. Although the band focuses on American music, old Hungarian jazz songs are an integral and important part of the repertoire. They have appeared at some of the greatest jazz festivals in Europe and North America, including Montreux, Pori, Sacramento, Breda and many others. They play at the Stables, Wavendon at 8pm. Tickets: £17.50. Call 01908 280800 to book.

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