Each week we provide a comprehensive guide to all that is going on and The Weekend Guide this week covers the Friday evening of September 17 through to Sunday 19 September. We will endeavour to provide you with all the local information for each weekend, whether it is going for a drink, listening to some live music, going to the theatre, watching our local sports teams or anything else Guildford has to offer. If you would like your team/bar/production/event etc to feature on any upcoming weekend editions then please get in touch HERE.
Friday Night (19.09.14)
La Traviata, 7.30pm, G Live, tickets from £14.50. Following the success of La bohème and Don Giovanni, Olivier Award-winning company OperaUpClose and director/translator Robin Norton-Hale bring their new English version of La Traviata to G Live, direct from the West End. With Verdi’s much-loved melodies orchestrated for a live trio of clarinet, cello and piano by composer Harry Blake, La Traviata will serenade you, seduce you, and break your heart.
Showstopper! The Improvised Musical, 7.30pm, The Electric Theatre, £14. The Showstoppers are delighted to return to Guildford with their multi award-winning show. A brand new musical comedy is created at every performance by transforming audience suggestions into an all-singing, all-dancing production with unpredictable and hilarious results. The Showstoppers have performed in the West End and around the world, as well as six sell-out seasons at Edinburgh Fringe.
Not About Heroes, 8pm, The Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, tickets from £19.50. Not About Heroes is the extraordinary story of two of the ‘Great War’ poets, Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoon, their friendship, their inter-dependency, their poetry. Through the letters and poems of these two men, Stephen MacDonald’s acclaimed play paints a vivid and moving picture of their friendship and the conflict that brought them together.
The Knicker Lady, 8pm, The Mill Studio, £13. Combining drama, satire and broad comedy, Rosemary’s brilliant one woman show delves through two hundred and fifty years of bloomers, bras, briefs and bustles and presents the myriad of colourful characters that wore them. High tempo and bursting with hilarity, this romp through the history of the humble knicker leaves audiences, men and women alike, breathless.
Rob Newman 2014, 8pm, G Live (Bellerby Studio), £13. Comedian, journalist, novelist and activist Rob Newman makes a hotly anticipated return to comedy with his first complete show in 7 years. Rob describes the 150-year controversy in evolutionary theory and explores how the latest science demonstrates that DNA is not destiny.
The Willow Band, 8.30pm, Bar des Arts, free entry. It’s hard to believe that The Willow Band only formed towards the end of 2012 given their accomplished song writing and confident performances. Paul Alexander and Dave Blake played in a duo around the Surrey and Hampshire borders for several years before Fi Channon, brought a woman’s touch to the bromance that saw 2013 result in such a ground-breaking year for the trio.
Saturday (20.09.14)
Artists and Makers Festival, 10am, Holy Trinity Church, £2 entrance. The festival will be showcasing innovative Artists, Designers and Makers with an emphasis on quality from across Surrey, London and the South-East. See our full preview HERE.
‘Write Time’ Writers Retreat, 10am, Bar des Arts, £45. Lock yourself away for the day to write or edit. No distractions, no excuses- just you and the page in a comfortable, secluded environment. Hosted by ‘Write Time’ the retreat is minimally structured, allowing you all the space you need but with support on hand if you run out of inspiration or motivation.
Spectrum Photo Art, 11am, Guildford House Gallery, free entry. Spectrum Photo Art are a group of ladies of diverse backgrounds, influences and interests, who share a passion for taking and making images. This diversity is evident in the variety of photographs on show, demonstrating differences of thought and versatility in approach to the subjects of their choice.
Teddy Time, 11am & 2pm, The Mill Studio, £9. It’s bedtime for Lily – she knows bedtime is never fun without a story from her magic storybook. Come, bring your teddy along and watch Lily reveal two favourite children’s classics; Goldilocks and the Three Bears and The Three Little Pigs. Maybe your teddies can be part of the story as Lily tells the tales. Most suitable for ages 3-7 yrs.
Not About Heroes, 2.30pm & 8pm, The Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, tickets from £19.50. Not About Heroes is the extraordinary story of two of the ‘Great War’ poets, Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoon, their friendship, their inter-dependency, their poetry. Through the letters and poems of these two men, Stephen MacDonald’s acclaimed play paints a vivid and moving picture of their friendship and the conflict that brought them together.
Guildford City FC v Windsor FC, 3pm, Guildford Spectrum, Adults £8, Children £4. Guildford City sit second bottom, only spared the embarrassment of 21st place (after being demoted last season) due to one goal on goal difference. This is due to a poor start to the season that has seen them lose six of the opening seven games.
Aldershot Town FC v Lincoln City, 3pm, Electrical Services Stadium, Adult seating/standing £19/17, Juniors seating standing £7/£5. This Saturday sees a mid-table clash between fourteenth placed Lincoln and fifteenth placed Aldershot. The shots are going through a sticky patch of form after taking only one point from their last four games that included a loss to local neighbours Woking, so this could be the perfect game to turn things around.
The Knicker Lady, 4.30pm & 8pm, The Mill Studio, £13. Combining drama, satire and broad comedy, Rosemary’s brilliant one woman show delves through two hundred and fifty years of bloomers, bras, briefs and bustles and presents the myriad of colourful characters that wore them. High tempo and bursting with hilarity, this romp through the history of the humble knicker leaves audiences, men and women alike, breathless.
Michael Palin ‘Travelling To Work’, 7.30pm, G Live, £29.50. To celebrate the publication of his third volume of Diaries, Travelling To Work, Michael Palin presents a brand new two-part stage show, looking back at twenty-five years of exploring the world and nearly fifty years in radio, television, books and films.
Surrey Mozart Players, 7.30pm, The Electric Theatre, £17. Surrey Mozart Players open their 2014-15 season with the welcome return of star violinist Alexander Sitkovetsky to play the dramatic Sibelius violin concerto. True to their roots, they pay homage to Mozart with his overture ‘The Impresario’ and, introducing a less well known classical symphony, conclude their concert with Dvorak’s 5th symphony.
Failure By Design Records present: Fox and The Law, 7.30pm, The Boileroom, £5. Failure By Design Records is proud to present a night of sweet grooves, blues infused guitar and good vibes with… Fox and the Law + The Greasy Slicks + The Cultural Other + A R T E L S.
Rob Newman 2014, 8pm, G Live (Bellerby Studio), £13. Comedian, journalist, novelist and activist Rob Newman makes a hotly anticipated return to comedy with his first complete show in 7 years. Rob describes the 150-year controversy in evolutionary theory and explores how the latest science demonstrates that DNA is not destiny.
Sunday (21.09.14)
Hospice 2 Hospice bike ride, 8am, £20 adults, £15 child. To date the event has raised an incredible £117,000 for Shooting Star Chase and with your pedal power this year we can reach new heights! This year’s distances include a 30, 60 and 80 mile route, passing through Bushy Park, Newlands Corner, and Box Hill – a very similar route to Ride 100 and the Olympic Road Race.
Walk from Leatherhead, 10am, River Mole, no cost. A 9 mile walk with the option to drop out after 4.5 with Guildford Rambling Club. The walks incude a pub and picnic lunch by the river after 6 miles and some sightseeing in Leatherhead and afternoon tea at a farm. You could opt out after 4.5 miles at about 12.30.
The ‘Devil Run’, 10.30am, Devil’s Punchbowl, 5k (£6), 10k (£12), 15k (£13). Age UK has been chosen as the nominated charity for this year’s ‘Devil Run’ where your legs can support more than just your body weight in three different distances.
Wedding Fair, 11am, Holiday Inn Guildford, free entry. A wedding fair organised by Berkshire Wedding Fairs is coming to the Holiday Inn Guildford on Egerton Road- expect all the usual wedding accessories and services all in one place!
Saxophony, 2pm, Guildford Castle Bandstand, no cost. Music lovers young and old can enjoy free live music this summer, thanks to a series of bandstand concerts in the Castle Grounds. This week sees some light music by a saxophone quartet grace the grandstand in late September.
Guildford Flames v Swindon Wildcats, 6pm, Guildford Spectrum, Adults £10.95. The Flames face a double header against the Wildcats in the League Cup this weekend. The first game will see them play away on Saturday and they will be hoping to stamp their authority so that by Sunday’s home game at the Spectrum, the Flames will have the upper hand.
Allusondrugs, 7pm, The Boileroom, £5. Allusondrugs is a 5-piece alternative rock band from Castleford, West Yorkshire, who formed in late 2012. They are signed to Clue Records and although a fairly new band they are already making waves on the local music scene through their heavy gigging and captivating live rock performances. Also featuring: Scouts + The Belladonnas + Happy Accidents.
The Electric Comedy Club, 7.45pm, The Electric Theatre, £9. Award-winning Scottish comedian Alan Francis returns to The Electric Theatre, poised with his passport and visa application (expect a few wry comments about the outcome of the Scottish Independence vote). Topical, satirical and hugely entertaining, Alan joins congenial sketch troupe Three Half Pints, grumpy young man Nick Root and Irish upstart Aiden McQueen.
James Martin