Pick of the Week: 6 - 12 July

Strut your stuff in style, this week...

Peter Pan Goes Wrong 
It sounds like a disaster waiting to happen. A bunch of thespians causing chaos on one of Nottingham’s best loved stages, turning a well-loved classic into an absolute farce. But apparently, it’s bloody brilliant. The Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society have taken J M Barrie’s fairytale, and turned it - or rather, chucked it - on it’s head. The cast are mightily accident prone, and their well-meant quest to save Neverland goes awry from the off. Peter Kay is a massive fan, and we’ve no doubt you scruffy lot will be to. It might be getting pretty warm up in here, but with a production this bloody funny, there’s always time for the theatre, darling.
Monday 6 July - Saturday 11 July, various times, £15-£29.50, Theatre Royal

Samba for the Over 50s 
They say life begins at fifty, and this week, City Arts are proving just that. They’re bringing a slice of Rio to Hood Town, and teaching the more refined amongst us to strut our stuff in that traditional South American style. Taking heed from the tradition that all older women during carnival don extravagant Biana costumes and strut their stuff with the grace and elegance that only comes with age, City Arts are planning to teach you all the moves to wow your friends of a Friday eve down t’pub. It won’t cost you a penny, and it’ll be a brilliant way to try sommat new and exotic, from the comfort of your own beloved city. Kind of like a mini holiday every Tuesday afternoon.  
Tuesday 7 July, 2pm, Free, City Arts

Your favourite bassline is back

Tumble Audio and RubberDub 
After years of delivering a place for the raving population to get their skank on with no qualms about producing tank-loads of sweat, RubberDub have again teamed up with the latest bass dons on the scene – Tumble. The two promoters are relentless in their endeavour to deliver the biggest names in everything from reggae to garage to our doorsteps, and this month they’re taking it to the back of the bus. But instead of a shitty Nokia, they’ve got an earthquake-inducing two-stack system. The legendary Jamie Duggan is set to break some hearts with a niche and bassline set, alongside a mystery second headliner. Support comes in the form of back to back sets from Killjoy and Hank Limit, as well as A.Don and Freestone, with the RubberDub crew keeping the place tumping with a bassline and drum‘n’bass set. All this, in the wonderful house party vibe of The Irish Centre. 
Friday 10 July, 11pm, £8/£10, The Irish Centre

Ian Douglas Smith Book Launch 
Now this one’s exciting! One of LeftLion’s own contributors has only gone and decided to write a bloomin’ book and throw a blinkin’ party to celebrate! Our beloved writer has written the sequel to his sci-fi novel, The Infinity Trap, and named it Gravity’s Eye. Pretty darn good, if you ask us. There’s killer alien robots and psychic schools on Mars in this nail biting space odyssey thriller, and there’ll be free nibbles for yer while you have a natter to the author himself about the ideas behind his work. Get brushing up on your Mars knowledge, and get the pennies out to support a proper local author.
Friday 10 July, 7.30pm, Free, Nottingham Writers’ Studio

Juicy meat treats & bangin' beats...

BBQ, Beats and Burgers
A day laced with three of the best things known to mankind. First of all, there will be a summer barbecue crackling away out the back, kicking off at 2pm, with all the meaty goodness you could ask for – burgers, hot dogs, and even some home-made chilli. But do not fret, herbivore friends, as there will be a vegetarian option to sink your teeth into. Secondly, Nottingham promoters Where You At have curated oodles of beat masters from around and about the city to create a smorgasbord of underground sounds to get wrapped up in for thirteen hours straight. Dutty, Local Housing, Local Motive, White Rabbit, Wigflex, Subtone, Flouche, Flesh and Kinky Movement are all locked and ready to party all day with every genre from house to drum ’n’ bass. And no, we aren’t too old for the glitter face painting, apple bobbing, and fancy dress box. Keep an eye out for the afterparty.
Saturday 11 July, 2pm, Free, Bodega

Chilli, Beer and Artisan Festival
If you like boozing and getting your head blown off with scotch bonnets, it might be time to listen up. There’s a camping festival cracking off down in the depths of Rolleston, with all the gorgeous atmosphere that comes with a little gathering. That being said, there’s some rather big stuff going on, including some local musical favourites to make sure your feet lose the plot in a fair few uncontrollable crazy dances. Gypsy swing bosses Hallouminati, shanty-riddled Seas of Mirth, bluesy rock ‘n’ rollers The Tom McCartney Band, cover masters Dangerously Pink, reggae-riddled hip hoppers Unknown Era, and classic rockers Acoustica are all lined up to keep the weekend lively. But there are more dimensions to this party – chilli artisans, non-chilli artisans, street food, local real ales, chilli beers and ciders, competitions, cookery demonstrations, face painting, theatre, workshops and loads more. There’s even a chilli cook-off. This one’s perfect if you fancied whipping off the kiddywinks for a weekend, or if you just wanted to spend some time in the countryside having a good owd knees up.
Saturday 11 July, 10am, £1-£42, Orchard Farm, Rolleston

Dust off the owd viola & get practising...

The Big Busk
Performers, musicians and entertainers of almost every kind (no willy weightlifters please) are invited to take over Nottingham streets for one day only, with BBC Radio Nottingham broadcasting throughout the day. So whether you fancy brushing the dust off your triangle, or you care for a wander around Nottingham’s resonating roads, get your arse into the sunshine. They’ve even got cool kid favourites Johnny and the Raindrops in Trinity Square for some afternoon glee. If you’re planning to busk, be sure to visit Nottingham City Council’s website to register. You don’t wanna get yer wrist slapped now, do you? Later on in the evening, at 7.30pm, there’s an unrelated busk from all-female choir Belters, and you can find them in The Park tunnel. They’re raising money for Emmanuel House, so dob ‘em five quid and, on top of the beautiful sounds bouncing off the walls, you’ll bag yourself a free drink. Lovely.
Saturday 11 July, 11am, Free, City Centre

Taken Too Soon Football Match 
We’ve had a bit of a bad rep as a city in the past. The media love to brand our fair city, ‘Shottingham’, thanks to a couple of acts of mindless violence a few years back. It can be hard to shake a reputation like that, but we think we’ve done a pretty darn good job, and recently, gang violence has been at an all time low. We have to attribute some of that success to charity events such as this one, which aim to raise awareness of, and prevent youth violence within Notts and the UK as a whole. There’ll be a couple of big names in the mix, such as Rudimental and Carl Froch as well as a dance show and craft stalls - sommat for everyone, you might say. If you’re passionate about your city, and improving the lives of the youts on your street, then round up the family and do sommat productive with your Sunday.
Sunday 12 July, 11am, £5-£30, Inspire Community Stadium

Oooh look at that bum chin...

Byron Festival 
We’re celebrating the fella who was deemed “mad, bad and dangerous to know” by all his mates back in the day. At his old gaff, no less. With all this warm weather we appear to be having, it’s the perfect time to get yerselves outside and in the open air to have a proper knees up in the name of one of Nottingham’s greatest artists. There’ll be  Greek dancers, tying in nicely with the poet’s love of all things European, and a live band playing on the West Front so you can get your groove on in the afternoon sunshine.. There’ll also be loads of fun events for all the family to tire the little ones out before bedtime. What more could you want of a Sunday? Hoo-bloody-rah.
Sunday 12 July, 11am, Free, Newstead Abbey