Whether you fancy an evening at the ballet, a bit of live music, or a spot of Christmas shopping this weekend, don't make any plans until you have checked out our essential guide to what's on in and around Exeter:
THEATRE
The Nutcracker Friday, Manor Pavilion, Sidmouth Whether continuing a valued tradition or discovering the magic of this beloved festive classic for the first time – Ballet Theatre UK’s Nutcracker is sure to leave you with a sense of warmth and treasured memories that will last a lifetime. Shows at 2.30pm and 7.30pm. www.manorpavilion.com
2013 has been a year of reunions. Some have resulted in reincarnations of former musical glory and some have been completely disastrous resurrections of pop music’s better-off dead. ITV’s reality sensation ‘The Big Reunion’ has paved the way for boy bands and girl groups from the 1990s to step back into the limelight for one last helping of fame and fortune.
On Thursday night Blue stopped off at the Plymouth Pavilions to perform to a sell-out crowd of their fans from the glory days alongside support acts Keedle and Loick Essien, as they travel around the country on their UK Tour....
And what do you do?: I am the marketing manager for Oxjam Exeter Takeover 2013, a music festival taking place on 19 and 20 October all over the country, which is in aid of the charity Oxfam. I started this voluntary position earlier this year after taking redundancy from my marketing role at a large Exeter employer.
I also work as marketing director for Exeter based marketing/PR agency Astley Media and I am mum to a one-year old daughter.
How would you describe yourself in 5 words? Friendly, loyal, passionate, sociable, positive...
Following the revelation that Shelley Smith, the bubbly single mum and X Factor contestant from Farringdon, Exeter, was going to have to do battle in a sing-off due to the newly established 'Flash Vote', shell-shocked Shelley told Dermot O'Leary on Saturday night: “I’m just going to sing my little heart out and try my best, that’s all I can do. I have so much more to give.”
And sing her little heart out she did, with a powerful rendition of Jennifer Hudson's One Night Only, a song in which she could display the versitility of her voice.
Whether it's a spot of theatre that takes your fancy or you just want to have a good old guffaw at some of the region's best undiscovered comedy talent, don't plan your weekend until you have checked out our essential guide to what's on in and around Exeter...
THEATRE
The Mikado Friday & Saturday, Barnfield Theatre, Exeter St David’s Players present one of Gilbert & Sullivan’s best known works. The wandering minstrel son of the Mikado falls for and flirts with a girl who is engaged to her guardian Ko-Ko. Unfortunately the Mikado has decreed that flirting is...
As part of the fantastic Exeter Phoenix autumn programme, Robin Ince came to visit.
The auditorium was packed, so it's a good thing the Phoenix staff came up trumps to offer an alternative solution when Ince's laptop died. As a fan of stand-up, I found it unusual that a laptop was a necessary part of the show, but Ince makes it so and does a marvellous job of using a slide show as a visual prop to his verbal material.
Ince starts by describing the crux of his show, talking about 'everything I love about the Universe'. He gets his first big laugh admitting that the show was...
Melanie Wilson and Fuel bring a brand new performance, Landscape II , to Exeter Phoenix this week. Three women separated by a hundred years start a conversation across time as Melanie Wilson's show brings together performance, film and sound art to create a highly contemporary and minutely observed piece of new theatre.
Tuesday night promises to be an exciting evening and we spoke to Melanie about the her work.
WHAT IS THE GENESIS OF YOUR NEW WORK, LANDSCAPE II?
With the likes of Kiki Dee, Ralph McTell and The Incredible Spice Men on our doorstep this weekend don't make any plans until you've checked out our essential guide to what's on in and around Exeter:
COMEDY
Exeter Comedy Club Friday, 8.30pm, Exeter Corn Exchange Exeter Comedy Club returns with the first show of the autumn programme with a top quality line up including Devon's very own Charlie Baker, winner of the Mervyn Stutter Spirit of Edinburgh Fringe Award in 2009 and Paul McCaffery winner of both The London Paper and the Latitude Festival new act competitions in...
Travel to Treasure Island and search for pirates and loot in a story based on Robert Louis Stevenson’s book. It is 1953 and wartime sugar rationing has finally ended. Jess Hawkins and her gang, dreaming of gobstoppers and pineapple chunks, slip into old Mr. Jenks’ garden, just like they do every afternoon after school. Jenks has never caught them… not until today that is.
Mr Jenks is a gardener… but he is also a pirate! Threatening them with the Black Spot, he takes them on a wild adventure on the high seas meeting bloodthirsty Black Dog, mad Ben Gunn and the infamous one-legged...
Mike Krage of Exeter-based graphic design studio Krage Design has worked with Val Wilson, Arts & Events Manager, and Catherine Devenish at Exeter City Council to design the distinctive UnExpected Exeter branding. The branding and headline 'Expect the UnExpected' were developed to produce a strong, bold, modern image that would reflect the exciting new festival produced by Exeter City Council, taking performance & art into unexpected locations across the city from 15-22 Sept this year.
As well as the A3 programme which doubles as a poster, Krage Design produced...
