W H AT ’ S O N
return to Bristol Old Vic; one of the most memorable and moving productions we’ve ever seen; bristololdvic.org.uk
Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s hit comes to The Hippodrome; star casting still to be announced. atgtickets.com
25-28 JANUARY
Music
THE DEPRAVED APPETITE OF TARRARE THE FREAK After sell-out performances at Bristol Festival of Puppetry and Suspense 2015, Wattle & Daub bring their extravagantly grotesque puppet opera to TFT; tobaccofactorytheatres.com
ARTS
13 JANUARY
BOWIE EXPERIENCE Spectacular concert featuring the man’s music. Revisit the golden years (whop whop whop); at The Hippodrome; atgtickets.com
25 JANUARY-4 FEBRUARY
CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG Various humans may feature – but the star is the car, and it still holds the record for the most expensive stage prop ever made. at The Hippodrome; atgtickets.com
14 JANUARY
2 FEBRUARY
15 JANUARY
ON THE ROAD No, not the Kerouac man-trip, thankfully, but Scotland’s visual theatre festival Manipulate, here with two pieces; in La Causeuse a young woman guides us through the memories of a doomed romance, while Cloth explores a woman’s dreams and desires; tobaccofactorytheatres.com STRANGE FACE/ ADVENTURES WITH A LOST NICK DRAKE RECORDING Michael Burdett’s quirky, funny and poignant award-winning solo show: a celebration of life, coincidences and the legacy of singer-songwriter Nick Drake; stgeorgesbristol.com 11 FEBRUARY
AIDA Opera & Ballet International present a spectacular interpretation of Verdi’s classic opera; at The Hippodrome; atgtickets.com 12-14 FEBRUARY
THE GIRL & THE GIRAFFE An uplifting family show about friendship; TFT’s first visit to the new 1532 Performing Arts Centre at Bristol Grammar School. tobaccofactorytheatres.com 14 FEBRUARY
ABBA MANIA ABBA the concert; expect to hear all the faves. at The Hippodrome; atgtickets.com 14-18 FEBRUARY
EVITA Bill Kenwright’s production of
THE BRISTOL SESSIONS One of the best live soul nights in Bristol; expect soul, R&B and rare groove classics at The Lantern; colstonhall.org RUMOURS OF FLEETWOOD MAC Not the return of the Mac, but a damn good tribute act; colstonhall.org 17 JANUARY
BILLY BRAGG & JOE HENRY In March 2016, Billy and Joe boarded a Los Angeles-bound train from Chicago, looking to reconnect with the culture of railroad travel music. Here’s the result, among other stuff; stgeorgesbristol.com 19 JANUARY
BETH ROWLEY The Bristol singer brings her soulful tones to Colston Hall; colstonhall.org 20 JANUARY
SOLOISTS OF THE OAE A virtuoso programme presented by principals and guests of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment at St George’s. stgeorgesbristol.com 27 JANUARY
METAMORPHOSIS The Tallis Scholars perform sacred works down the ages – Pärt, Palestrina, Stravinsky and Tavener et all; at St George’s; stgeorgesbristol.com 2 FEBRUARY
ST PAUL AND THE BROKEN BONES Six-piece soul band based out of Birmingham, Alabama; has there ever been a wider
Real Magic at IBT; Wordless girl talk with Manipulate at TFT
disconnect in music between the way Paul Janeway looks and sounds? colstonhall.org
Awards for three years running; now ‘the natural-born scamp’ is back on tour; colstonhall.org
9 FEBRUARY
18-22 JANUARY
QUERCUS The peerless voice and regal presence of June Tabor with pianist Huw Warren and saxophonist Iain Ballamy: a chamber jazz-meets-folk trio of equals at St George’s; stgeorgesbristol.com
SLAPSTICK FESTIVAL The annual mash-up of classic silent comedy and more recent chortlesome stuff – this year including special tributes to Victoria Wood and Rik Mayall; colstonhall.org 21 JANUARY
Comedy 17-18 JANUARY
JACK WHITEHALL: AT LARGE Jack was crowned ‘King of Comedy’ at the British Comedy
LEE NELSON ‘The world’s most famous blagger’, acclaimed character comedian and untameable prankster – most recently seen handing out swastikaemblazoned golf balls at Donald Trump’s new Scottish w
www.mediaclash.co.uk I BRISTOL LIFE I 33