Ten things to see in Sussex, Friday to Thursday, March 23-29

Wondering what do over the next seven days? Here are ten of the best events.
Jason DonovanJason Donovan
Jason Donovan

1. Jason Donovan and his Amazing Midlife Crisis.

Friday, March 23, £25, 8pm, Chequer Mead, East Grinstead, 01342 302000. Jason is taking his latest show across the UK, offering intimate gigs that let people see him like they’ve never seen him before. Aged 49 with a wealth of tantalising tales under his belt, this autobiographical show will take Jason’s looming 50th birthday as its starting point and will zigzag back and forth through his life. Fans can hear some new stories, plus some of his most popular songs. This is the postponed show from October 21.

2. An Audience with Ian Waite and Oti Mabuse.

Friday, March 23, £27.50-£29, 7.30pm, The Hawth Theatre, Crawley, 01293 553636. Ian and Oti offer a night of thrilling Latin and ballroom numbers. The Strictly Come Dancing pros star in a dance spectacular that should dazzle audiences everywhere. Oti is fondly remembered for her celebrity pairing with Danny Mac where they received a perfect score of 40 in the Samba. Ian is a regular on TV screens with the spin off programme It Takes Two on BBC 2.

3. East Grinstead Spring Comedy Gala.

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March 24, £14-£16, 7.30pm, Chequer Mead, East Grinstead, 01342 302000. Nish Kumar is unable to perform as previously advertised, but the Comedy Gala has an excellent replacement in the form of Hal Cruttenden. A hugely successful touring comic, Hal is also an accomplished writer, actor and stand-up who has made many appearances on TV programmes like Live at the Apollo, Have I Got News For You and Channel 4’s Comedy Gala. This event also features Zoe Lyons and Adam Riches. Zoe is known for her brilliantly observed routines, which have earned her spots on Mock the Week, The Wright Stuff and Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Road Show. Having won the Edinburgh Fringe Best Comedy Award for his 2011 show Bring Me the Head of Adam Riches, Adam is becoming notorious for his comedy parodies and extreme audience participation.

4. Barnstormers Comedy.

Sunday, March 25, 7.30pm, £10, The Capitol studio, Horsham, 01403 750220, www.the

capitolhorsham.com. As usual, three top circuit acts will be gracing the Capitol stage with guest host Dan Evans on hand to oversee the proceedings. This month’s trio of mirth-makers include entertaining Kiwi Javier Jarquin, clever up-and-coming one-liner wizard Peter Brush and outstanding improvisational comedian Russell Hicks.

5. Jazz Lunch with Jo Fooks and Ted Beament.

Sunday, March 25, £21.95, 12pm, The Hawth Theatre, Crawley, 01293 553636. Saxophonist Jo Fooks and pianist Ted Beament both had the pleasure of playing in Humphrey Lyttelton’s band. Jo was in it for seven years and Ted was a member for 13. At this special lunchtime gig they will play a varied set of standards, as well as some tracks from their own albums. Diners can enjoy some fantastic music alongside a traditional roast with a choice of meats followed by dessert. Fish and vegetarian options are available. Advance booking is essential.

6. Neil Marshall.

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Monday, March 26. One of the directors of the global blockbuster series Game of Thrones will be speaking about his career at the University of Chichester. Neil Marshall (top circular picture) was responsible for the Emmy-nominated Blackwater and The Watchers on the Wall episodes from the medieval fantasy franchise. The filmmaker also wrote and directed cult movies Dog Soldiers and The Descent. Adam Locks, programme coordinator for film and television studies at Chichester, will be in conversation with Neil before hosting a question-and-answer session with the audience. The talk is part of the University’s department of creative and digital technologies ‘presents’ series, which invites stars of the big and small screens to discuss their work. The talk starts at 5.45pm and is free for the public, staff and students. It will be held in the Show Room at the University’s Bishop Otter campus in Chichester. Seats need to be reserved in advance by contacting administrator Tracy Vine at [email protected].

7. Niall Horan.

March 27, 6.30pm, tickets from £32.90, Brighton Centre, 0844 8471515. This concert is part of Niall Horan’s extensive European run on his Flicker World Tour 2018. Rising star Julia Michaels will be the special guest. Niall, who has sold more than 70 million records as part of One Direction, launched his solo career with the singles ‘This Town’ and ‘Slow Hands’, which have both achieved Platinum certification in many countries around the world.

8. The Doris Day Story – It’s Magic.

March 28, £15-£16.50, 2pm, Chequer Mead, East Grinstead, 01342 302000. Nick James Entertainments presents the biography of the iconic film star and singer Doris Day. The show features seasoned vocalist Susan St Nicholas (bottom circular picture) who specialises in music for more mature audiences. Classic clips of Doris’s movies feature with a montage of photographs that weave in and out, telling an intriguing tale from Doris’s beginnings as a child dancer right up to the present day with her animal league foundation in Carmel, California.

9. Matt’s Comedy Club.

Thursday, March 29, 8pm, Connaught Theatre, Worthing, 01903 206206. Paul Kerensa is a writer and comedian who is a regular at the UK’s biggest venues and one of the BBC’s go-to writers. He has written for various sitcoms, including Not Going Out and After You’ve Gone. Support comes from the surreal song bag of Jay Foreman, plus some West Sussex acts.

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10. The Magic Of Hollywood – Pasha Kovalev and Anya Garnis.

March 29, 7.30pm, £26.50, The Capitol, Horsham, 01403 750220. Pasha from Strictly Come Dancing returns with his new show The Magic of Hollywood alongside dancing partner Anya. It will be jam packed with glitz and glamour as Pasha takes to the stage with his sensational dancers. They are ready to give Oscar-worthy performances, all set to a Hollywood theme. Pasha will be hosting a ‘meet and greet’ at 6.30pm.

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