Five of the best things to do in and around Leamington, Warwick and Kenilworth in the next seven days

From a night of funk and soul to outdoor theatre at its best, there's lots to enjoy...
Craig Charles is bringing his Funk and Soul Club to LeamingtonCraig Charles is bringing his Funk and Soul Club to Leamington
Craig Charles is bringing his Funk and Soul Club to Leamington

1 THEATREBrontë, Loft Theatre, Leamington, June 6 to 16Three girls grow up in an isolated parsonage on the Yorkshire moors with a clergyman father and a brother unable to cope with the weight of his family’s expectations. Against this backdrop, the Brontë sisters write their famous novels. Polly Teale’s Brontë explores the real and imaginary worlds of the Brontë sisters. As the sisters’ story unfolds, Heathcliff, Cathy Earnshaw, Arthur Huntingdon and Mrs Rochester (the mad woman in the attic) come to life to haunt their creators.Details: www.loft-theatre.co.uk

2 THEATREPride and Prejudice, June 2 and 3, and Much Ado About Nothing, June 6 and 7, Jephson Gardens, LeamingtonOutdoor theatre returns to Jephson Gardens as Leamington-based Heartbreak Productions brings its latest shows to the town. Join Heartbreak, the Bennet sisters, and a host of charming young bachelors (yes, Mr Darcy will be there) for an evening of comedy, romance, and more than one come-uppance in an adaptation of Jane Austen’s classic Pride and Prejudice. A playful outdoor adaptation of one of Shakespeare’s most popular comedies, Much Ado About Nothing, takes to the stage next week. For Hero and Claudio it’s love at first sight, while Benedick and Beatrice carry on a charade of witty insults that hides their true feelings. Hearts will be won and lost and won again as war makes way for masked balls, gossip, deception and true love.Details: heartbreakproductions.co.uk

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3 THEATRESteptoe and Son, Priory Theatre, Kenilworth, June 1 to 9The classic sitcom about a father-and-son rag-and-bone business takes to the stage in Kenilworth. Steptoe and Son live at 23 Oil Drum Lane, a fictional street in Shepherd’s Bush, London. Four series of Ray Galton and Alan Simpson’s comedy were broadcast by the BBC from 1962 to 65, followed by a second run from 1970-74. Albert Steptoe, a “dirty old man”, is an elderly rag-and-bone man, set in his grimy and grasping ways. By contrast, his son, Harold is filled with social aspirations, not to say pretensions.Bound together by birth, business and bloody bad luck, Albert and Harold Steptoe wake up every morning to the same old, same old, sickening sight of each other. The three episodes chosen for the Priory are Men of Letters, The Three Feathers and the 1974 Christmas special A Perfect Christmas. Albert is played by Paul Muldoon and Harold by Tim Guest. Stuart Lawson, Brian Goredema-Braid and Simon Brougham complete the cast, with Kate Guest directing. Details: priorytheatre.co.uk

4 MUSICThe Craig Charles Funk & Soul Club, The Assembly, Leamington, June 1The hugely popular actor, comedian, author, poet, television presenter and DJ has continuously toured The Craig Charles Funk and Soul Club since 2008. Craig, who presents the Funk and Soul Show on BBC Radio 6 Music, said: “It’s two pounds of funk in a one pound bag.”Details: leamingtonassembly.com

5 THEATRELighthorne Festival of One-Act Plays, June 5 to 9Theatre groups from Warwickshire and beyond perform in hope of being named the best.lighthornefestival.org.uk

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