Pick of the Week: 29 - 6 March

Mmm, a nice slice of human pie...

Sweeney Todd
The demon barber of fleet street is making his way from the great black pit that is London, to the rebellious streets of Hoodtown, razor blades in tow. Hugh Wheeler’s tale, along with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim is to be brought to the masses by the West Bridgford Operatic Society. With a cast made up of some of Notts’ finest am-dram talent, a fat slice of the tastiest human pie is bound to be served up main stage at the Arts Theatre. The show isn’t recommended for kiddos under twelve, so book a babysitter, and catch the latest offering from the group that brought you Me and My Girl last year.
Runs until 5 March, various times, £7.50 - £14, Nottingham Arts Theatre

Get down and support...

Madder Than We Look Launch
Back in October of last year, Write Minds launched a project for young people between 16-24 who have been affected by self-harm and mental health issues. This week, the first poetry collection is ready for you to absorb, in a beautifully put together booklet, edited by Hayley Green. Das Kino is ready to host the evening, that comes ram-packed with poets, including Anne Holloway, Neal Pike and Harry Gallagher. Music’ll be on hand, too, with Broken Wordsmiths confirmed so far. It’s proper brave for these youngsters to write about the stuff they’ve dealt with and been through, so make sure you get down and support.
Tuesday 1 March, 7.30pm, free, Das Kino

image: Mik Godley

Drawing with iPads and Charcoal 
Technology is ever-present in our lives. We can’t leave our homes without our phones that double up as personal assistants, encyclopedias and music players, accessed in one fell touch-pad swoop. The possibilities are endless. City Arts are on hand to help you explore one of those possibilities, with their six week course led by artist and teacher, Mik Godley. Learn a whole range of brand new drawing techniques, using both analogue and digital methods, exploring both the differences and similarities between the mediums. It’s a bit of a spend, so make sure you can commit.
Weekly from Wednesday 2 March, 7-9pm, £69, City Arts

image: VG Photography

Acid Test
The doors of the illustrious Television Workshop are opening to the public, this week, as both former students and the former director, Ian Smith, take to the stage. The basement will see the foursome perform Anya Reiss’ second play, in which Jim Bank is kicked out of his gaff, he has to move in with his daughter. Relationships are tried and tested as alcohol and weed are added to the mix, and we begin to question if you ever really grow up at all. Top notch contemporary comedy delivered by some top notch actors, with performance credits to include BBC3’s In The Flesh, CBBC’s Diddy TV and E4’s Misfits.
Thursday 3 & Friday 4 March, 7pm, £5, The Television Workshop

Cuba comes to Notts...

The Cuban Brothers
Ok. So these guys are pretty much a big deal. Elton John and his hubby had ‘em flown over to France in a private jet, Vernon Kay and Tess Daly had ‘em booked for their wedding, and the couple were hired to perform at Damien Hirst’s swanky art do. Now, they’re topping all of that by turning it up at Riverbank this weekend. Treating us to songs from their brand new album, Yo! Bonita!, and a live DJ set, you’d be foolish to miss it. Book a babysitter, and for the love of God, whack on a pair of dancing shoes. This one’s about to get mad crazy.
Friday 4 March, 8.30pm, £15, Riverbank

Social media & race...

Media in my Mind
Facebook, Twitter and Instagram have become a part of our daily life. You can barely pop out for lunch without catching someone taking a selfie with their panini and hashtagging #blessed underneath a picture of their scran. New Art Exchange are taking a deeper look into the effects of social media, and discussing whether or not it is an influential factor in regards to racial discrimination. Activist Josephine Taylor will use social media as the focus for her informal discussion and workshop, that will focus around the way that social media can often influence and change our perception of heritage, identity and race. The event is free, but you’ll need to book your place online, sharpish.
Saturday 5 March, 2pm, free, New Art Exchange

Do yer bit, duck...

Nottingham For Nepal
Back in April 2015, Nepal was hit by a massive earthquake, measuring 7.8 on the richter scale. The initial blow caused incredible devastation across the country, killing thousands of people and destroying the homes and livelihoods of millions. Aftershocks were felt until July. You can do your bit to help restore the lives of those affected by heading to The Albert Hall this Saturday, for an evening of music in the hopes of raising enough money to make a bit of a difference. Performers include The Robin Hood Youth Orchestra, Laura Roberts, and the Carlton Male Voice Choir. Dig deep, and do your bit.
Saturday 5 March, 6.15pm, £5/£10, The Albert Hall

There's gonna be a party!

Fan Club Birthday Party
Women of Nottingham, hold onto your hats, ‘cos we’ve got a double whammy comin’ your way. Fan Club are celebrating their first birthday, and it just so happens to fall on the same week as International Women’s Day. Join them in Rough Trade for a mammoth, day-long celebration. Expect to see bands Babe Punch, Haiku Salut and Amber Arcades, as well as DJs Kelly B, The Sourcerer and Call Tyrone’s Aicha. There’ll be glitter on hand for you to decorate yourselves in the standard Fan Club war paint, and a ‘smash the patriarchy’ pinata. Bangin’. On top of all that, there’s gonna be a film screening of Spice World at 2pm, workshops, and the chance to buy zines and tattoos. What more could you want from a birthday party? See you there.
Saturday 5 March, 2pm, free, Rough Trade

image: Olivia Brabbs

The Big Vintage Festival
Take yourself back in time for the day, at The Big Vintage Festival in Newark on Saturday 5th March. Spend your day exploring the rooms of Kelham Hall filled with all things vintage, from clothes to memorabilia; with live vintage music in the background adding to your experience, you can’t go wrong. Gentlemen you can park yourselves at the classic car collection, whilst the Ladies can find themselves at the beauty bar, being transformed into their favourite vintage icon. Take your experience into the night, with performances from the Hotsie Totsies and Katrina (From Katrina and the waves) and of course, there will be a bar selling a wonderful little thing called alcohol.
Saturday 5th March, Day Tickets from £4.50 (10:30am-4:30am), Evening TIckets from £19.00 (7pm-10pm), Kelham Hall & Country Park, Newark

For the motherload of everything else going on this week check out our comprehensive Nottingham events listings.

Promoters: Want your event featured in one of our upcoming Pick of the Weeks? If so then you can start by adding your event details into our magazine and website database.