10 things coming up in the Chichester and Bognor area!

Things you won't want to miss...
Alistair McGowanAlistair McGowan
Alistair McGowan

1 Theatre. A remarkable group of seasoned radio pros are converging on Chichester Festival Theatre for Wireless Wise, an evening of comedy and music nostalgia on January 19. BBC Today programme sports presenter Garry Richardson will be joined on stage by Sir Richard Stilgoe, Alistair McGowan, the Rev Richard Coles and Charlotte Green.

2 Theatre. Flute Theatre presents Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare in Chichester’s Minerva Theatre from January 15-26. Flute Theatre’s unique production of one of Shakespeare’s greatest comedies has been performed across Europe and makes its UK premiere at the Minerva Theatre. Viola is saved from drowning with a bucket of freezing water and welcomed into Illyria by a mysterious clown who leads us all on a melodious and dreamlike odyssey.

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3 Art. Island Fine Arts’ winter exhibition in Chichester continues until January 26 (Tuesday to Saturday, 10am to 3.30pm) at 12 Southgate (01243 532798). Among the works is April morning, Waterloo Bridge from Victoria by Peter Brown.

4 Theatre. Arundel Players’ first production for 2019 is The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, directed by Kate Bennett, which opens on January 21 and runs until January 26 at The Priory Playhouse, London Road, Arundel, BN18 9FA. Tickets on 07523 417926. To book on line visit www.arundelplayers.org.uk.

5 Theatre. Jodie Prenger leads the cast as Beverly in Mike Leigh’s ground-breaking comedy classic Abigail’s Party which begins a major UK tour at Theatre Royal Brighton (January 10-19).

6 Exhibition. Chichester Camera Club’s advanced workers’ exhibition represents the very best work of some of their best photographers. It takes place at North Mundham Village Hall on the weekend of Saturday, January 19 (10am to 5pm) and Sunday, January 20 (10am to 5pm). Free parking, but £1 to get in.

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7 Music. The Bully Wee Band (top circle) are the guests at Grayshott Folk Club on Friday, January 18 at 7.30pm at Grayshott Village Hall, Headley Road, Grayshott on their 15th anniversary reunion tour. They will be with the club to celebrate its eighth birthday. Tickets on 01428 607096.

8 Anniversary. Keats in Chichester offers a bicentennial celebration at St Pancras Church on Saturday, January 19 from 5.15-8pm. Free event. The celebration of the bicentennial of Keats’s visit to Chichester will form the first event in the South Downs Poetry Festival for 2019. 5.15pm. Introduction: Professor Fiona Price, Keats and History; 5.25pm. Guest Speaker: Professor Nicholas Roe, John Keats and The Eve of St Agnes; Comfort Break; 6.15pm. Outdoor performance – Keats’s statue in Eastgate; 6.30-8pm. Keats in Chichester and the Eve of St Agnes: A Dramatic Reading.

9 Theatre. James Bolam and Sue Jameson bring A Victorian Celebration to Guildford’s Yvonne Arnaud Theatre for one night only, on Friday, January 18. May 24 2019 marks the 200th anniversary of the birth of Queen Victoria, and James Bolam and Susan Jameson (left) invite you to celebrate in Victorian style.

10 Music. Emily Barden will be the glue as 300 pupils from across the Chichester area unite as one massed choir, accompanied by a live band, to present an evening of uplifting song at Chichester Festival Theatre. Chichester Sings Live 2019 on January 17 will bring together Chichester Free School, Boxgrove Primary School, Ormiston Six Villages Academy, The March C of E Primary School, St Philip Howard Catholic High School, Kingsham Primary School, St Richard’s Catholic Primary School, East Wittering Community Primary School and Slindon C of E Primary School. The event is a collaboration between West Sussex Music and the participating schools.

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