The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
3-7 May, Norwich Theatre Royal
The National Theatre’s Olivier and Tony Award-winning production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time returns to Norwich. Director Marianne Elliott’s ‘life-affirming and unmissable’ (Time) smash hit production brings Mark Haddon’s best-selling novel to thrilling life on stage.
Fifteen-year-old Christopher has an extraordinary brain. He is exceptional at maths, while everyday life presents some barriers. He has never ventured alone beyond the end of his road, he detests being touched and he distrusts strangers. When he falls under suspicion for killing his neighbour’s dog, it takes him on a journey that upturns his world.
Norfolk & Norwich Festival
13-29 May, Various Norwich
The wide-ranging ‘Festival 250’ programme for 2022 revisits seminal works premiered at the Festival as well as introducing 18 new commissions. Installations, exhibitions, gigs, cabaret, circus and even giant dominoes will be presented on beaches, in churches, at pop-up venues, chapels, art centres, in car parks and through the streets across the county from King’s Lynn, Great Yarmouth to Diss and Sheringham and throughout Norwich. Festival Gardens will be a place to eat, drink and gather for the duration, with al fresco performances from local artists as well as international performances in the Adnams Spiegeltent.
Kate Rusby
21 May, 7.30pm
Kate Rusby is often hailed as the ‘first lady of folk’. Announcing herself to the music press in 1999 with a nomination for the Mercury Music Prize, she has forged an impressive 30-year career, headlining everywhere from the Royal Albert Hall to Cambridge Folk Festival. Prepare to be thoroughly entertained by Kate’s wondrous singing and hugely engaging Yorkshire wit, and the intuitive support of the band in much-loved classics from her back catalogue, together with a selection of fresh new songs from her most recent albums.
Showwomen
20 & 21 May, Norwich Arts Centre
A spectacular new show from Olivier award-winning performance maker Marisa Carnesky, Showwomen is a feminist rewrite: The untold herstory of British working-class entertainment from immigrant, queer, activist and occult perspectives. 1940’s body magic star Koringa, 1930’s pioneer clown Lulu Adams 1920s female dare-devil Marjorie Dare and 1880’s teeth hanging aerialist superstar Miss La La have inspired an exploration of lesser-known stories of extraordinary women in variety performance from a century ago. Showwomen compares them to the lived experiences of exceptional performers today.
The High Kings
8 June, Apex, Bury St Edmunds
The High Kings are Finbarr Clancy, Darren Holden, Paul O’Brien and Brian Dunphy. Between them they play 13 instruments, creating their unique sound and atmosphere in the folk idiom and re-energise great Irish ballads. They have had great success over the years including Best Folk Act at Ireland’s Music Awards. Their reputation has grown tremendously, and they have had enormous success both within the US and Ireland. After 11 years at the top of their game, they are still selling out venues around the World to an ever- growing army of loyal fans.
They have charted across the world and performed for hundreds of thousands of fans, as well as in many prestigious situations including for the Prime Minister of England (2011), Barak Obama (2012) and George W Bush (2009 at The White House and at The Pentagon in 2015). They have made numerous coast to coast TV appearances including Good Morning America, Good Morning LA, The View and The Today Show.
Notable live performances include Glastonbury, the Isle of Wight Festival (3 times) headlining in 2015 and performed in Times Square as well as headlined the St Patrick’s Day concert in Trafalgar Square London in 2015.
Norfolk & Norwich Art Circle
6-13 May, 9am to 5pm daily.
Free Entry, The Forum, Norwich
After a wait of two years, one of Norfolk’s longest-running art groups will be staging its 202nd exhibition. Norfolk and Norwich Art Circle, which was established in 1885, will show more than 150 works by its members at the Forum in Norwich this May.
The exhibition will feature new selected artworks from members of the group in a variety of mediums, styles and art-forms with all artwork for sale. Hazel Pidsley, chairman of Norfolk and Norwich Art Circle, said: “I am delighted that we can stage an exhibition in The Forum again and I do hope we will attract many visitors to see the varied, high-quality art that is produced by our members. There are more than 150 works to peruse in diverse mediums. Thankfully the restrictions have been lifted so I hope people will enjoy the experience of seeing our members’ art in an excellent setting.”
Norfolk and Norwich Art Circle, which is marking its 137th year,
was established in 1885 following Crome & Cotman’s famous Norwich Society of Artists and has included in its membership artists of national and international acclaim such as Alfred Munnings, Edward Seago and
Bernard Reynolds. It now has more
than 200 members.
Southwold Arts Centre
World preview! Queen Elizabeth II for Dummies
1 June, 7:30pm
Award-winning author Stewart Ross in conversation. Stewart has just completed the ‘For Dummies’ guide to Britain’s longest reigning monarch, which will be available in bookshops from 19 June. In 2020, Stewart’s new play Attagirls! was filmed at Southwold Arts Centre and broadcast as part of the theatre summer season during lockdown. Stewart will be signing a limited number of pre-release copies of the book.
Tim FitzHigham and guests
2 June at 2.30pm and 7.30pm
Perrier-nominated Tim FitzHigham who rowed a copper bath across the Channel, sailed a paper boat the length of the Thames and Morris danced from London to Norwich is joined by special guests.
Westdal and Hayward
3 June, 2.30pm and 7.30pm
Two middle-aged women, who between them have three dogs, two kids but only one fully functioning pelvic floor. They’re a tiny bit cross and they’re not going to take it anymore, so they’re dishing it out instead. Beth Hayward and Freyja Westdal have supported Dean Friedman on tour, performed alongside and written songs for 4 Poofs and a Piano, and 2019 saw their sell-out Edinburgh Fringe debut.