EVENTS & EXHIBITIONS

Leon Underwood: Figure And Rhythm

Pallant House Gallery, North Pallant, Chichester. From 10am to 5pm. Entry from £8.50. Call 01243 774557.

The Argus:

PAINTINGS, etchings, wood engravings and sculptures feature in the first major museum retrospective for 40 years of British artist Leon Underwood.

Underwood, who died in 1975, has been described as the precursor of modern sculpture in Britain. This exhibition, with one painting pictured inset, explores his non-Western art influences and his creation of the Brook Green School Of Drawing whose pupils included Henry Moore and Eileen Agar.

 

John McKean: The Impossibility Of Truly Seeing What Is In Front Of The Eyes

House Of Friendship, High Street, Lewes. From 9.30am to 1pm. Entry free. Call 01273 476469.

The Argus:

BRIGHTON-BASED photographer John McKean captures images which make you look twice, in an exhibition based around optical illusions rather than post-production trickery.

 

Dean Zeus Colman: Pills 

Prescription Art Gallery, Beaconsfield Parade, Brighton. Open: Check website. It's FREE. www.prescriptionart.com 

The Argus: FORMER street artist Zeus has drawn on his memories of growing up during the 1980s explosion of club culture for his new exhibition of hand-sculpted over-sized ecstasy pills made from plaster and printed with their own authentic branding.

“I was fascinated by how despite being illegal, branded culture was so integral to this scene – with logos of every type identifying the different pills available,” he says.

“In the same way that people have favourite sweets growing up, people looked for their preferred brand of tablets for their night out.”

 

Three Dimensions 

Ink_d, North Road, Brighton. Open: 10am to 6pm. It's FREE. Call: 01273 645299 

BRIGHTON’s Ink_d art gallery is celebrating all things 3D ranging from ceramics to sculpture in a new group show, featuring contributions from Matt Smith, Dan Baldwin, Paul Scott, Gilles Buxton, Maria Rivans, Petro, Andy Doig and Graham Carter.

 

STAGE

Benefactors 

New Venture Theatre, Bedford Place, Brighton. Starts: 7.45pm. Tickets from £8/£7. Call: 01273 746118 

MICHAEL FRAYN’S satire follows an idealistic architect and his anthropologist wife as they try to look after the world by replacing slum housing with new homes – only for their good intentions to be foiled by their neighbours.

 

Peter Pan Goes Wrong
Devonshire Park Theatre, Compton Street, Eastbourne. Starts: 2.30pm & 7.45pm. Tickets from £15.50. Call: 01323 412000

The Argus:

HAVING already destroyed a murder mystery, Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society turns its attention onto the classic children’s pantomime with a trip to Neverland.  Also at Theatre Royal Brighton Monday, April 20, to Saturday, April 25.  

 

The Weir 

Lewes Little Theatre, Lancaster Street, Lewes. From 7:45pm.  Tickets: £10/£8. Call: 01273 474826.

Play about locals who swap ghostly stories to impress a visiting stranger, 

 

Anything Goes

Congress Theatre, Carlisle Road, Eastbourne, Tuesday, March 24 to Saturday, March 28. Starts: 7.30pm, 2.30pm matinees Thurs to Sat. Tickets from £26. Call: 01323 412000.

The Argus:

Anything Goes is set in the golden age of travel, during a trans-Atlantic cruise. It follows the trials and tribulations of young Wall Street broker Billy Crocker who falls in love at first sight with a mysterious heiress. 

 

Rambert

Theatre Royal Brighton, New Road, Wednesday, March 25, to Saturday, March 28, 7.30pm, 1.30pm matinee Thurs, from £11.90, 08448 717650

The Argus:

THE touring dance company brings Christopher Bruce’s take on the swinging 60s Rooster back to Theatre Royal Brighton.
The programme also includes the science-inspired The Strange Charm Of Mother Nature and Alexander Whitley’s meta-dance piece Frames. 

 

Sweet Charity

Pavilion Theatre, Marine Drive, Worthing. Starts: 7.30pm. Tickets £12. Call: 01903 206206.

The University of Chichester Touring Company tells of the misadventures of a woman who always gives her heart and dreams to the wrong man. Featuring the hits Hey, Big Spender and Rhythm of Life. 

 

Oak Grove College

Connaught Theatre, Union Place, Worthing. Starts: 7:30pm. Tickets: £10. Call: 01903 206206.

Another inclusive production of a West End favourite. With last year’s production of Cats featuring a cast of 100, this musical promises to be a colourful showstopper.

 

The Heist by Jo Smith

Ferring Village Hall, Ferring Street, Ferring. Starts: 7:30pm. Tickets £7.50. 

Bored with life and tired of being down on his luck, Eddie Smith gathers his not-so-merry men for one last heist. If tempers aren’t frayed enough, as the has-beens dust off their stocking masks and plan the raid of a lifetime, a surprise appearance from a skeleton in the cupboard threatens to throw a spanner in the works.

 

 

GIGS

Rottingdean Spring Music Festival

Various venues until Sunday, March 29, see rottingdeanarts.org for full programme

HERBIE Flowers, Claire Martin, English Studio Opera and baroque ensemble Red Priest are among the special guests at this year’s musical celebration across Rottingdean.

 

Red Priest - Pirates of the Baroque

Village Hall, Park Road, Rottingdean. Starts: 7:30pm. Tickets: £17. Calls: 01273 300894.

This outstanding baroque ensemble play music by Telemann, Albinoni, Vivaldi, Bach, Couperin and Handel in their very individual and entertaining style. 

 

Melting Vinyl presents: Tom Williams + The Fiction Aisle + Bella Spinks

Komedia (Studio), Gardner Street, Brighton. Starts 7:30pm. Tickets: £8/£10. Call:  01273 685758

Full-blooded, with a bit of heart, soul and character, Tom Williams brings us his personal and narrative edge to song-writing.

 

South Coast Big Band

The Cavendish Hotel – Coronet Bar, Grand Parade, Eastbourne. From 8pm. It's FREE. Call: 01323 410222.

The Big Jazz Quintet led by trombonist play jazz and swing standards with a superb line-up of musicians. Like big band swing classics? Ask the band to play some of the specially arranged swing tunes.