′with spring approaching, Live & Local revives your evenings with a thrilling season of theatre, film, storytelling and live music performances from some of the finest artists in the UK and beyond. Shows take place at community venues throughout the Midlands; from village halls and civic centres, and inns and social clubs, to churches and schools, Live & Local’s new season of entertainment guarantees a great night out in the most picturesque corners of the region, right on your doorstep.’

John Laidlaw MBE, Executive Director of Live & Local

If folk music is what you’re after, there are plenty of occasions to experience top quality performances from Ashley Hutchings, former Fairport Convention vocalist,and Becky Mills. They perform their music and storytelling experience, Paradise and Thorns at Brailsford & Ednaston Village Institute on Saturday 12th March and at All Saints Church, Bradbourne on Saturday 2nd April.

There are plenty more shows to enjoy this season including George Egg’s entertaining and unique one-man show, mixing stand-up comedy with ingenious live cooking; Ma Bessie and her Pigfoot Band’s dedication to prohibition era blues and jazz; and Nikky Smedley’s Confessions of a former Teletubby – a digitally interactive mix of theatre, stand-up and stories.

If music is what you’re after, there are plenty of occasions to experience top quality music with performances from Flats and Sharps (Ordsall Parish Hall,13th May), Mumbo Jumbo (Coddington Village Hall|, 15th April) and Blair Dunlop. The award-winning singer-songwriter performs his traditional and contemporary folk music album Trails at Egmanton Village Hall on Friday 20th May.

There are plenty more shows to enjoy this season including Rob Gee’s Forget Me Not, a compassionate, honest, clever and ‘seriously funny’ (Sunday Mirror) one-man murder mystery, and Kick in the Head’s Three Men in a Boat, an adaptation of Jerome K Jerome’s ridiculous tale of men behaving badly while messing about in boats.

If music is what you’re after, there’s the opportunity to see one of the UK’s hottest Bluegrass outfits in an intimate setting. Flats and Sharps deliver energetic, enthusiastic and spirited Bluegrass to audiences all around the world and they perform their unique take on this music at Wymeswold Memorial Hall on Friday 11th March.

There are plenty more shows to enjoy this season including ‘Britain’s best klezmer and Balkan music group’ (Evening Standard), She’Koyokh; a wonderfully funny musical puppet performance starring Goldilocks as an old lady rediscovering the bears’ house in the wood; and the elegant jazz of Alan Barnes & David Newton peppered with deadpan wit and entertaining anecdotes.

Maybe jazz music’s your thing? Don’t miss Dudley – The Jazz of Dudley Moore by the Chris Ingham Quartet at the Old Town Hall in Bourne on Saturday 2nd April and on Sunday 3rd at Ropsley Village Hall – a scintillating performance laced with anecdote; a heartfelt tribute by an outstanding quartet. You can also catch the elegant jazz stylings of Alan Barnes and David Newton as they tour to Terry O’Theatre on 7th May and Market House in Long Sutton on Saturday 14th May.

There are plenty more shows to explore and enjoy this season including Oh La La!’s A Tribute to French Music from 1880 to 1970; Pickled Image’s mesmerising woodland puppetry show with an important environmental message; and a whole host of music performances with inspirations from around the globe.

For the kids, Oldilocks and the Three Bears is a must see. Garlic Theatre perform their puppetry show at Foxlowe Arts Centre Leek on Friday 25th March and at Foxt Village Hall on Friday 17th June.

There are plenty more shows to enjoy this season including Tears of Laughter, where Simon Mayor’s inimitable brand of off-the-wall humour as well as mandolin, guitar and fiddling wizardry meets Hilary Mayor’s ‘honey-dripping’ vocals; live soundtrack group Minima and FW Murnau’s expressionist classic silent horror film Nosferatu; and one-person theatre, comedy and spoken word show Kevin – King of Egypt by Rob Gee.

If music is what you’re after, there are plenty of occasions to experience top quality performances near you. London quartet, Latchepen bring their Gypsy-inspired acoustic chamber jazz full of romanticism and nostalgia to Bubbenhall Village Hall on 27th March and Bonfire Radicals, one of the most exciting and eclectic groups on the folk/ world scene take their distinctive and gloriously high-spirited live stage show to Harborough Magna Village Hall on Friday 13th May.

There are plenty more events to enjoy this season including a screening of the latest James Bond and a Mamma Mia singalong; ‘Britain’s best klezmer and Balkan music group’ (Evening Standard), She’Koyokh; and Nikky Smedley’s Confessions of a Former Teletubby – a digitally interactive mix of theatre, stand-up and stories.

If theatre is what you’re after, there are plenty of occasions to experience top quality dramas with performances from Kick in the Head: they perform their shows Three Men in a Boat at Bishampton Village Hall on Friday 29th April and Florence ‘Flo’ Smith – Now and Then at Feckenham Village Hall on Saturday 12th March.

There are plenty more shows to enjoy this season including contemporary duo Daisy Chapman & Sue Lord, the critically acclaimed harp and guitar duo Máire Ni Chathasaigh & Chris Newman, and award-winning folk singer-songwriter Blair Dunlop’s live album performance Trails.