Ten things to see in Sussex, July 27 to August 3

Looking for ideas about what do over the next seven days? Here are ten of the best events.
Artists Mary Hite and Jeanette Clarke display their work from July 31 to August 6 at the The Norfolk Centre, ArundelArtists Mary Hite and Jeanette Clarke display their work from July 31 to August 6 at the The Norfolk Centre, Arundel
Artists Mary Hite and Jeanette Clarke display their work from July 31 to August 6 at the The Norfolk Centre, Arundel

1. Fiddler on the Roof.

Until September 2, tickets from £10, Chichester Festival Theatre, 01243 781312, [email protected]. Based on the Sholem Aleichem stories by special permission of Arnold Perl. Fiddler on the Roof is set in 1905 in a small village in Imperial Russia. Tevye, a poor dairyman, and his wife, Golde, are blessed with five witty and beautiful daughters. But Tevye’s daughters have their own ideas about who they are going to marry. Omid Djalili makes his Chichester debut playing Tevye and Tracy-Ann Oberman plays Golde.

2. The Wiggles Big Show.

Thursday, July 27, £17.50, 2pm, The Hawth Theatre, Crawley, 01293 553636. Emma, Lachy, Simon and Anthony will be bringing some familiar friends to Crawley’s Hawth, including Dorothy the Dinosaur, Captain Feathersword, Wags the Dog and Henry the Octopus. The Wiggles Big Show will feature some of their best loved songs: ‘Hot Potato’, ‘Fruit Salad’, ‘Do the Propeller’ and ‘Rock-A-Bye Your Bear’.

3. Adam And Elsie Franklin.

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Friday, July 28, The Hawth Studio, Crawley, 01293 553636. Last at The Hawth supporting Paul Jones and Dave Kelly, Adam and Elsie Franklin offer an impressive mix of acoustic and country blues. Adam is a superb exponent of blues and ragtime from a Golden Age of American music. He has a powerful and soulful voice and is equally at home on guitar and resonator ukulele. Elsie is an up-and-coming blues artist who has a strong voice and incredible guitar skills. The gig is presented in association with Crawley Blues Club.

4. Tony Stockwell – An Evening of Mediumship.

Friday, July 28, 7.30pm, £20, Chequer Mead, East Grinstead, 01342 302000, www.chequermead.org.uk. The star of TV’s Street Psychic, Psychic Private Eyes and Psychic Academy, Tony Stockwell demonstrates his belief that those who have passed can communicate with their loved ones, all delivered with emotion, sensitivity and empathy. This is the postponed show from June 13.

5. Sussex Music Festival 2017.

Saturday, July 29, 12pm-8.30pm, £9 (under 18s free), Copthorne Prep School, Crawley. Tickets from ow.ly/Pwxj30brLB0. This is a family-run, family-friendly, all-day charity music festival in the heart of Sussex. Co-founder Sabrina Leech said: “Following the tremendous success of the first Sussex Music Festival last summer, raising over £400 for Cancer Research, Sussex Music Festival 2017 is shaping up to be bigger and better than ever! Some 500 people are expected to descend on Copthorne Prep School this summer to see 24 local bands play across two stages, supporting St Catherine’s Hospice Crawley and British Heart Foundation. In addition to a variety of local bands playing anything from blues rock and indie music to pure rock ’n’ roll, this family-friendly festival also features bouncy castles, children’s entertainers and face-painting for children or mums and dads. Grown-ups can also take advantage of the festival’s two fully-stocked bars and professional catering for all the family throughout the day. And for the first time this year a separate acoustic stage will feature local artists hand-picked by staff at Hospital Radio Crawley.” Find out more at www.srmf.co.uk.

6. Dr Seuss Summer School.

July 31 to August 4, 10.30am-3.30pm, The Hawth Studio, Crawley, 01293 553636. Sarah Slator from The Hawth’s Youth Theatre will lead two week-long workshops (top right circular picture). There are also shorter sessions run by Sway Perform tutor Charlie Joseph, which aim to help children improve their performance skills. The world of Dr Seuss will be brought to life when children between the ages of 6 and 10 are given the opportunity to learn, rehearse and perform. From The Cat in the Hat to The Lorax, Green Eggs and Ham and Horton Hears a Who, children will delight in performing the wacky show to family and friends at the end of the week.

7. Mary Hite and Jeanette Clarke.

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July 31 to August 6, 10am-5.30pm, The Norfolk Centre, adjoining the lower castle entrance, Arundel. Friends Mary and Jeanette once again exhibit their paintings together. This annual event has been taking place for nearly a quarter of a century, initially in Felpham where they both live. Since the year 2000, their art shows have been held in Arundel.

8. Harry and Chris.

Tuesday, August 1, £4, 8pm, Komedia, Brighton, 0845 293 8480. Following a sell-out Edinburgh Festival Fringe and Leicester Comedy Festival Award nomination, World Poetry Slam Champion Harry Baker and award-winning musician Chris Read (bottom circular picture) return with a second hour, promising “tightly-written, fast-paced and tongue-in-cheek lyrics set to be rapped over soulful melodies”. Spokeswoman Florrie Sheehan said: “Championing unadulterated fun in an increasingly downtrodden world, the pair will perform renditions on topics including the delights of time travel, robot wars and the survival of the panda bear. Performance poet (and maths student) Harry Baker’s poem about prime numbers has been shared on TED.com and has been translated into 20 different languages. It has a combined viewership of 3 million along with his other four TEDx talks. Chris Read is an up-and-coming talent on the UK jazz scene and performs regularly around the country, as well as overseas.

9. The Wall of Floyd.

August 2, £18.50, 7.30pm, The Hawth, Crawley, 01293 553636. The Wall of Floyd present their Earth and Space 2017 tour. Made up of six core members, with collectively more than 75 years of studio and live performance experience between them, The Wall of Floyd set out to reproduce Pink Floyd’s music to perfection. The band combine live musical performance with the latest digital technology to deliver fan favourites.

10. Sincerely Yours – The Dame Vera Lynn Story.

Thursday, August 3, 2.30pm, £12, Chequer Mead, East Grinstead, 01342 302000, www.chequermead.org.uk. A journey through the early career of Vera Lynn, (portrayed by Lorrie Brown) featuring the songs Dame Vera would have sung in her big band days, as well as the hits that propelled her to stardom. The show will also feature video footage. This is the postponed show from June 29.

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