Ten things to see in East Sussex, Friday to Thursday, March 8-14

Wondering what do over the next seven days? Here are ten of the best events.
The House on Cold Hill. Peter James, Rita Simons and Joe McFadden. Picture by Helen MaybanksThe House on Cold Hill. Peter James, Rita Simons and Joe McFadden. Picture by Helen Maybanks
The House on Cold Hill. Peter James, Rita Simons and Joe McFadden. Picture by Helen Maybanks

1. Sarah O’Kane Contemporary Fine Art Spring Show.

Friday, March 8, to Sunday, March 17, 10am-5pm (including Sundays), Lewes House, 32 High Street, Lewes. A selection of new paintings by Nick Carrick, Linda Felcey, Jo Lamb, Julian Le Bas, Jane Hansford Kathleen Mullaniff and Julian Sutherland-Beatson. Advance enquiries are welcome. A full price list and further images are available. Art enthusiasts can view a selection of the spring artworks at www.sarahokane.co.uk.

2. The Curst Sons.

Friday, March 8, 8pm, free entry, Lewes Con Club, 139 High Street, Lewes, www.lewesconclub.com. A spokesperson said: “The Curst Sons have been playing their powerful stripped-back take on early American traditional music since 1998. Performing mainly original material with a few distinctive arrangements of traditional songs, they have released six CDs and one 10” vinyl EP on their own Curst Mountain label.” Find out more about the band at www.thecurstsons.com.

3. The Urban Voodoo Machine.

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March 9, 7.30pm (ages 18+), £15, Lewes Con Club, 139 High Street, Lewes, www.lewesconclub.com. A spokesperson said: “The Urban Voodoo Machine is a collective of shadowy, London based, ne’er do wells, led by Norwegian-born songwriter and frontman Paul-Ronney Angel.” They mix guitars, twin drummers, fiddle, trumpet, tuba, banjo, washboard, upright bass, gong, mandolin, harmonicas and even empty bottles to create their unique brand of blues.

4. Rave On – A Tribute To Buddy Holly.

March 9, 7.30pm, £19, Uckfield Civic Centre, www.civiccentreuckfield.com. 2019 will be the 60th year since Buddy Holly lost his life. Starring Marc Robinson as Buddy (from the West End) and the Counterfeit Crickets, Rave On will celebrate the man’s music with hits such as ‘Heartbeat’, ‘Peggy Sue’, ‘True Love Ways’, ‘Every Day’ and ‘It Doesn’t Matter Anymore’. Marc has invited a few friends to celebrate the era with Darren Page as Roy Orbison and Steve Halliday as Elvis.

5. The House on Cold Hill.

Until Saturday, March 9. From £12, 7.45pm (Thurs/Sat mat 2.30pm), Theatre Royal, Brighton, 0844 871 7650. Crime author Peter James is back with the premiere of this spine-chilling thriller. BAFTA nominated actor and winner of BBC1’s Strictly Come Dancing 2017, Joe McFadden and award winning actress Rita Simons (Roxy Mitchell in EastEnders) star in the ghostly story of the Harcourt family, who move into the house of their dreams that has been empty for the past 40 years.

6. Disney’s Aladdin JR.

Beacon Academy Performing Arts Department. March 12-13, 6.30pm, £5, Beeches Main Hall, Beacon Academy, Crowborough, www.beacon-academy.org. This is a magically updated version of the Academy Award-winning Disney musical and spectacular West End show. The new adaptation aims to open up “a whole new world” for audiences of all ages and showcase Beacon Academy’s talented students’ abilities in drama, music, dance and set design.

7. The Fureys.

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Tuesday, March 12, 7.30pm, £22, Chequer Mead Arts Centre, East Grinstead, 01342 302000, www.chequermead.org.uk. This Irish folk band has been entertaining audiences worldwide for 41 years. The members are responsible for some of the most stirring music to ever capture the public imagination, and they have received standing ovations in some of the world’s biggest concert halls. Their hits include ‘I Will Love You’, ‘The Green fields of France’ and ‘From Clare to Here’.

8. Beer tasting.

March 13. Crowborough Cross, Beacon Road, 7pm-10pm, £15 (including a burger and a beer), www.hospicesofhope.co.uk. Hospices of Hope hosts its first beer tasting event in Crowborough to raise funds for hospice care in southeast Europe. The charity has teamed up with the Sussex brewery Bedlam who will be offering people the chance to sample four different types of beer. Another local brewery, Gun, has also donated beers. The estate agency Peter Oliver Homes is sponsoring the evening.

9. The Poozies.

March 13, 7pm, £15, Lewes Con Club, www.lewesconclub.com. A spokesperson said: “The Poozies first burst onto the folk scene in 1991, when folk music wore elaborately patterned woolly jumpers and was only seen in dingy back rooms and very late at night on BBC2 – yet from the word go they were breaking out and happily exploring the musical universe. The folk scene was then, as now, very male-dominated and so it was a conscious decision back then to be an ‘all-female’ band.”

10. Elkie Brooks.

Thursday, March 14, 7.30pm, £26-£36, Theatre Royal, Brighton, 0844 871 7650. One of the most successful and popular singers the UK has ever produced – now in the fifth decade of her career. A spokesperson said: “With numerous hit singles, million selling albums and awards, her annual tours are treat for fans old and new. Performing some of her classic hits, blues and jazz, an electric evening with Elkie Brooks is guaranteed to leave you begging for more.”

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