image: The Television Workshop
Female Transport
The doors of the Television Workshop are opening to the public once again for their annual play season. This year, it’s kicking off with Steve Gooch’s Female Transport. Back in the 18th century, when America closed its doors to our criminal population, we started shipping pickpockets and fraudsters to Australia instead. Depicting the brutal reality of life on board one of the female convict ships, students of the Workshop are ready to take you on a perilous journey to the land Down Under. Starring kids who’ve bagged themselves parts in Toast, Great Expectations and Game of Thrones, youth theatre this is not.
Tuesday 15 - Saturday 20 March, 7.30pm, The Television Workshop, Stoney Street
illustration: Quentin Blake
image: Theatre Royal
Gangsta Granny
Everyone reckons they’ve got the coolest nanna about. But whether yours sneaks you a tenner under the table, or lets you have a sip of her brandy on Christmas day, we’re sad to say that your grandma han’t got nowt on David Walliams’ Gangsta Granny. Taken from the former seafaring Little Brit’s popular children’s book, the play adaptation by Birmingham Stage Company is set to be the hootiest of hoots. When little Ben goes to stay at his usually dull grandma’s house, he expects nowt but cabbage soup and Scrabble. Little does he know that gran is a jewel thief who’s keen to get her grandson involved. Weekends at grandma’s just got a whole lot more interesting. Tek yer granny and hope she picks up a few pointers.
Tuesday 15 - Saturday 19 March, £10 - £22.50, Theatre Royal
image: PubhD
PubhD
Getting well smart while neckin’ a pint of Harvest Pale is exactly how we like to spend our week nights. Thankfully, PubhD are always about to facilitate. This week, Nottingham Trent PhD student, Richard Bromhall will fill us in on the literary responses to the 2008 financial crisis, and Mathematical Physics student Benito Juarez from the University of Nottingham is gonna try to explain – in layman's terms – the quantum aspects of black holes, and objects with such a strong gravitational pull that light can’t escape from them. What?! Finally, Microbiology PhD student, Florence annan from the University of Nottingham will fill us in on the basis of her PhD – tricking bacteria into making jet fuel out of greenhouse gases. Don’t worry, it’s all made easy to understand, so that even three pints in, you still know wha gwarn.
Tuesday 15 March, 7.30pm, free, Vat and Fiddle
image: New Art Exchange
Citizen Action and Collective Imagination Discussion
Demolished in 1988, the Hyson Green flats form a huge part of Nottingham’s unsung housing history. Replaced by ASDA, the site was once home to a hell of a lot of Hoodtown-ers. Bahbak Hashemi-Nezhad, a Citizen Design Activism designer will be presenting his findings surrounding the former habitat. Straddling both an art exhibition, architectural study and a community call to action, the New Art Exchange will mark the end of a fair few months of research into the ideas behind citizen-led design, and the ‘role of community makerspaces’ in our city today.
Thursday 17 March, 7pm, free, New Art Exchange
image: Small Plate Speed Date
Small Plate Speed Date
Sisters Sally and Becky Morris have been blogging as A Recipe for Gluttony for several years now, and more recently, they’ve been flexing their culinary wizardry with a series of supper clubs in Nottingham, Sheffield and Bristol. Now they’re trying something new with an event that pairs food and dating: Small Plate Speed Date. With a carefully chosen, ten-course vegetarian menu, you’ll have about seven minutes to decide if your scran-partner is worth their weight in gold, before moving on to the next one. And no need to fear about dropping spag-bol down your front, the Morris sisters have made sure there’s only the cleanest of eats on the menu. Book your places online, and have your best one-liners at the ready.
Saturday 19 March for men and women to meet, 7pm, £25, COB, Cobden Chambers
image: Spanky Van Dykes
MC DEVVO
Alright youns. Can you remember that wappy bloke off fat dash pie dot com? He got well famous on the internet back in the day for the comedy improv videos he made with David Firth (Salad Fingers) and now he’s reviving the movement of shouting at buses in our fair city. Yes, the Donny soldier himsen is gracing Nottingham with his presence for a night full of jokes and tunes. Have a read of our interview with our Devs before you go, and be sure to refresh your knowledge on the t’interwebs. Best to get down early as it’s free so it’s gonna get crazy busy. Ya dik ‘ed.
Friday 18 March, 9pm, free, Spanky Van Dykes
image: The Boogie - women only dance night
The Boogie
Friday nights in town can be a minefield for women. Dodging unwanted advances from lager louts and offensive ‘compliments’ hurled at them from across Market Square. The Boogie are revamping Friday nights out with the girls, and creating a safe space for women of all ages to get down to some proper music, courtesy of DJ Blonde Ambition. House of Violet superfood fashion label will also be launching their new spring line for you to have a sneaky peak at. There’ll also be a bar serving superfood juices and virgin cocktails, as well as a fair few superfood truffles to re-energise yoursens. You’re also promised a fair few surprises during the night. It’s a women only event, so fellas, it’s the same old rigmarole for you lot. Soz.
Friday 18 March, 8pm, £9.50, Bohunk Institute
image: The Musix Exchange
Goodbye from The Music Exchange
If you’ve not heard by now, sorry to be the bearer of bad news – The Music Exchange is set to close its doors after serving the city with vinyl and good vibes since 2009. A project set up by Framework, it was more than just a record shop. It was a community where volunteers could gain valuable work experience and move forward with their lives. As with all passings, the best way to get through it is with a good old knees-up to celebrate what we had. All the proceeds from the event will go directly to Framework, and lending a helping hand will be a grand bunch of Nottingham musicians: Kagoule, whose debut album last year smashed it out of the park; Crosa Rosa, who are rapidly becoming one of Nottingham’s must-see rock bands; and Rattle, two girls, two drums. Lovely stuff that won’t be like anything you’ve seen before, plus John Carpenter-esque horror-inspired electronica from Deadbeat at Dawn. Not too shabby at all, we think you’ll agree. Plus, staff, friends and special guests on the wheels of steel throughout the night – if they can’t chuck a load of bangers together, we don’t know who can. A send-off to end all send-offs.
Saturday 19 March, 7.30 - 10pm, £5, The Bodega
For the motherload of everything else going on this week check out our comprehensive Nottingham events listings.
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