What's on where around Leamington: listings, February 19 edition

ONGOING

Leamington Spa Art Gallery & Museum: New exhibition Through the Shop Window provides a glimpse at shopping in Royal Leamington Spa from the 1880s to the 1980s, including personal stories, photographs and objects from the collection. The exhibition runs until Sunday, April 17.

Belgrade Theatre, Coventry: A new production of Molière’s rarely performed romantic comedy, The Sisterhood, runs until Saturday, February 20. Tickets cost from £12 to £27. Call 024 7655 3055 or visit www.belgrade.co.uk to book. .

Loft Theatre, Leamington, until Saturday February 20, 7.30pm: The theatre presents Sean O’Casey’s Juno and the Paycock, which has been a hit on stages around the world and was adapted for film by Alfred Hitchcock in 1930. Tickets can be booked online at any time via www.loft-theatre.co.uk, or by calling 0844 493 4938 between 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday.

Kenilworth Castle, until today (Friday): Children of all ages will love discovering what life was really like in a medieval castle. For more details, visit www.english-heritage.org.uk/kenilworth

Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, until Saturday February 20: The Belgrade Theatre welcomes back The Birmingham Stage Company in the world-stage premiere of David Walliams’ best-selling novel, Gangsta Granny. Adult tickets from £14.75, children from £10. Visit www.belgrade.co.uk or call 024 7655 3055 to book.

Deasil Gallery, Oxford Street, Leamington, Saturday February 20 to Thursday March 10: An exhibition by Leamington photographers Kim and Paul Ingvar taking the elements of Air, Fire, Water and Earth to create a series of unique portraits. Visit www.deasil.co.uk for more information.

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 19

Pump Room, Leamington, 1pm: Local artist Gabrielle Rucinski will discuss her glass and ceramic work. Gabrielle’s ceramics are also available to buy in Leamington Spa Art Gallery & Museum’s shop. Free admission.

Oak House (formerly Liberal Club), Upper Holly Walk, Leamington: The Firm.

SATURDAY FEBRUARY 20

Hill Close Gardens, Warwick, 11am to 4pm: The gardens will be opening in aid of the National Garden Scheme. If you are a fan of the many varied types of snowdrops and winter flowers, you may enjoy what Hill Close has to offer. The café will be open. Call 493339 for more information.

Leamington Art Gallery and Museum, 6pm to 7pm: Wine tasting evening. Participants will get to explore the history of wine merchants Burgis and Colbourne while enjoying a selection of white wines from Majestic Wine Warehouse. Visitors will also have an opportunity to take a look around the Through the Shop Window exhibition. Tickets are £5 per person. Call 742700 for more information.

Spa Centre, Leamington, 7.30pm: Sean McLoughlin’s stand-up career may be doing well, but he’s had difficulties in his personal life. From these two conflicting circumstances a question has emerged: Can a man rise and fall at the same time? Join Sean as he tries to resolve the conflict. Sean’s show I Will Prevail was met with tremendous underground success at the Edinburgh Festival. Sean has been invited to appear at the prestigious Cat Laughs Comedy Festival in Kilkenny and is profiled as ‘One To Watch’ in Time Out. Tickets: £10 or £8 concessions. Call 334418 or visit www.royalspacentreandtownhall.co.uk to book.

Spa Centre, Leamington, 6pm: All-star Superslam Wrestling. Come and see the larger-than-life characters from all corners of the world. Superslam wrestlers will be going to battle inside the ring with heavyweight collisions and high-flying action. Tickets: £15 or £10 concessions. Call 334418 or visit www.royalspacentreandtownhall.co.uk to book.

Sydni Centre, Cottage Square, Sydenham, 11am to 2pm: Craft fair and table top sale. Free entry. Money raised will go directly into Sydni community activities.

Oak House (formerly Liberal Club), Upper Holly Walk, Leamington: Quiz.

SUNDAY FEBRUARY 21

Hill Close Gardens, Warwick, 11am to 4pm: The gardens is hosting a volunteering day. The café will be open. Call 493339 for more information. Anyone who can help with gardening, the cafe, guided tours, events, administrative support, plant sales, education, gift shop, fundraising or marketing is invited to meet the team and find out more. Call 493339 for more information.

Leamington Salvation Army Church, Chapel Street, 10.30am: The West Midlands Youth Band lead morning worship at and will be performing a concert at the same address at 3pm. They young people within the band come from different areas in the West Midlands. Call 883309 for more information.

St Nicholas church, Warwick, 3pm: Mendelssohn’s String Quartet no.2 will be performed. Free admission Refreshments.

Oak House (formerly Liberal Club), Upper Holly Walk, Leamington: Vinyl afternoon.

TUESDAY FEBRUARY 23

Warwickshire County Record Office, 1pm to 1.30pm: Show and Tell: Bookbinding. Watch senior conservator Donata Santorini at work as she shows the skills and techniques of her profession as she conserves items from our collections. Free drop-in, no need to book.

THURSDAY FEBRUARY 25

Warwickshire Museum Collections Centre, Montague Road, Warwick, 10.30am to 12 noon: Behind the Scenes at the Museum Stores. Collections staff will take visitors on a tour of the collections, highlighting aspects of geology, archaeology, natural history and social history, and explaining how we care for and store these fascinating items. Cost: £5, call 01926 738959 to book.

Tree House Bookshop, Kenilworth, 8pm: Quiet Hour are a trio - guitar, vocals and bass - offering a fresh approach to songs from sources as diverse as alt country, classic pop and jazz. The trio formed when singer Angie Collins and guitarist Matthew Salisbury, one third of the town’s popular folk band Romany Pie, met while providing the music for a Loft Theatre production of The Hollow Crown. Tickets cost £5 and can be obtained at the bookshop or through the venue’s Facebook page.

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 26

Pump Room, Leamington, 7.30pm: The Signum String Quartet will perform Haydn’s Quartet in Eb Op 20 No 1 and Berg’s Quartet Op 3 in the first half, followed by Brahms’ Quartet in A minor Op 51 No 2. Call 334418 or visit www.royalspacentreandtownhall.co.
uk for tickets or more information.

Oak House (formerly Liberal Club), Upper Holly Walk, Leamington: The Jay Kays.

Eathorpe Village Hall, 5.30pm to 11pm: Eathorpe Beer Festival. Free entry, with 15 beers, two ciders, one perry, soft drinks. Families welcome. Call 632575 for more information.

Unitarian Chapel, High Street, Warwick, 8pm: Songs For The Way Home. Trio concert with Helen Chadwick, Liz Terry and Sophie Greatorex. This comic and moving female trio show is an adaptation of Dalston Songs, which was commissioned by the Royal Opera House. The performance is inspired by interviews with Helen’s neighbours in East London about “home” - telling stories in song around ideas of roots, displacement, and belonging. It includes harmony songs, body percussion and witty choreography. Helen Chadwick Song Theatre perform a wide range of song theatre performances composed by Chadwick, including for the Royal Opera House, Amnesty International’s and Peace Brigades International’s birthday celebrations, as well as international festivals in Europe and Latin America. Helen has also composed songs for the National Theatre, the BBC, and the Royal Shakespeare Company. She runs singing workshops world wide. Tickets: £10. Email [email protected] or call 778454 to book or for more information.

Leamington Art Gallery and Museum, 1pm: In a Friday Focus talk, doctoral researcher at University of Birmingham Jamie Edwards will give a talk on his investigation into 16th-century Netherlandish art with a particular focus on the art of Pieter Bruegel the Elder. The talk is free and there is no need to book. Visit www.warwickdc.gov.uk/royalpumprooms or call 742700 for details of Friday Focus talks.

SATURDAY FEBRUARY 27

Warwickshire Exhibition Centre, Fosse Way, Leamington, 11.30am to 4pm: The annual joint championship show for the Coventry and Leicester Cat Club and the Hertfordshire and Middlesex Cat Club will be held at the venue. Organisers expect over 700 exhibitors and visitors to come along and enjoy the day along with over 500 pedigree and non-pedigree cats within the competition across the 800 classes. Visitors will also be able to purchase supplies and treats for their furry friends from the many suppliers present. Admission costs £3 for adults and £2 for over-60s and children. Visit www.warwickshireexhibitioncentre.co.uk for more information.

Eathorpe Village Hall, 1pm to 11pm: Eathorpe Beer Festival. Free entry, with 15 beers, two ciders, one perry, soft drinks. Families welcome. Call 632575 for more information.

Spa Centre, Leamington, 7.30pm: Warwickshire Symphony Orchestra will be performing an evening of opera. The evening will feature a range of operatic delights from Wagner, Verdi, Puccini, Smetana, Saint-Saens, Woff-Ferrari, Leoncavalio and Rimsky-Korsakov. Featuring soprano Nadine Benjamin, tenor John Hudson and guest conductor Tony Ayres. Tickets: £12 or £5 concessions. Call 334418 or visit www.royalspacentreandtownhall.co.uk for tickets or more information.

Kingsley School, Beauchamp Avenue, Leamington, 7.30pm: Divertimento, Sheila Koch conductor. Birds & Bees – an entertainment with words and music. Tickets £10/£3. Call 778646.

Spa Centre, Leamington, 7.45pm: Comedian Shazia Mirza performs her showexploration of life, love and Jihadi brides. Tickets: £14 or £12 concessions. Call 334418 or visit www.royalspacentreandtownhall.co.uk for tickets or more information.

Southam Sports & Social Club, 9pm: Live band The Missing Lynx. Free entry

Warwickshire County Record Office, Cape Road, Warwick, 2pm to 4pm: Life in the Madhouse: Warwick County Lunatic Asylum. The history of the Hatton Asylum provides an insight into how the Victorians treated mentally ill people . The Hatton Records include admission notes, case books and photographs.