Ten things to see in Sussex, Friday to Thursday, October 5-11

1. Comedy Beats.

Friday, October 5, 8pm (doors 7pm), £5 in advance, £10 on the door, The Grasshopper, Tilgate, Crawley, www.comedybeats.com. Comedy Beats are back in Tilgate on Friday for their monthly show. Spokesman Mark Coxon said: “I started as a comedian myself back in 1997. Many of the acts that I cut my teeth with back then are now coming to do Comedy Beats gigs. It’s helping us to build a brand that is rapidly becoming one of the strongest in the south east. When you have comedians of Andy Parson’s calibre doing your gigs people really start to sit up and take notice. Viewers of Mock The Week will remember him as the regular panellist who appeared in nine series of the show.” Mark added: “The closing act is another Comedy Beats debutant – Sean Collins. He is a Canadian storyteller whose big break in TV came when he appeared in the second series of Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow.” Opening the show is John Fothergill.

2. Some Kinda Wonderful – The Music of Stevie Wonder.

October 5, £16, 7.45pm, The Hawth, Crawley, 01293 553636. After a series of sell-out shows in 2017, celebrating the genius of Stevie Wonder, vocalist Noel McCalla and award-winning saxophonist Derek Nash, with a band of top musicians, play a wide-ranging catalogue of Stevie Wonder’s greatest hits. Noel is “one of Britain’s best soul singers” (Blues and Soul Magazine) and Derek plays in Jools Holland’s band and has won several British Jazz Awards.

3. Alfie Moore – Getting Away with Murder.

Saturday, October 6, £13.50, 8pm, The Hawth, Crawley, 01293 553636. In his latest stand-up show former Detective Sergeant Alfie Moore, and star of BBC Radio 4 comedy It’s A Fair Cop, takes audiences on a thrilling and interactive journey through the art and science of murder investigation. The show blends humour, policing experience and detailed knowledge of the law as Alfie answers the questions ‘What makes a murderer?’ and ‘Why do they caught….or not’?

4. Brooks Williams.

October 7, £15, 7.45pm, The Hawth, Crawley. Brooks, from Georgia, plays acoustic music that draws heavily on both his blues and Americana roots. A spokesperson said: “Like drinking whiskey from a honey jar, you get both the sweet and the bite. Slide and acoustic guitar lay down the groove while his laid-back vocals float over the top.”

5. How To Hide A Lion.

Sunday, October 7, £8.50, 12pm/3pm, The Hawth studio, Crawley, 01293 553636. By Helen Stephens. Directed and adapted by Peter Glanville and with music and songs by Barb Jungr. When a lion is chased out of town, a little girl, Iris, helps him to find somewhere to hide. Iris embarks on a mission to fit her new friend into a variety of sneaky tight spots as the town folk try to track him down. Helen Stephen’s book, How to Hide a Lion, is brought to life with playful humour, dazzling puppets and jazz.

6. Richard Alston Dance Company.

Tuesday, October 9. Ticket prices start at £16.90, 7.45pm, Theatre Royal, Brighton, 0844 871 7650. Richard Alston Dance Company celebrates 50 years of dance with an autumn tour of Mid Century Modern. This is a mixture of brand-new pieces and extracts chosen from the past decades of Alston’s choreography. Included is the new piece Alston’s Brahms Hungarian, set to Brahms’ Hungarian Dances – music that Alston had planned on choreographing to for years. Spokeswoman Laura Poncia said: “Brahms’ piano pieces will be played live on stage by RADC’s outstanding pianist Jason Ridgway. Full of passionate drive and joyful gusto, the dance is swept along by the energy of this hugely popular music. Another brand-new dance will be premiered by associate choreographer Martin Lawrance, inspired by Drumming Remix, a reworking of music by American master Steve Reich.” Find out more at www.richardalstondance.com.

7. The Three Degrees.

Wednesday, October 10, £28.50, 7.30pm, The Hawth, Theatre, Crawley, 01293 553636. Celebrating more than 50 years in the business, The Three Degrees are renowned for their soulful voices, beautiful gowns and fabulous stage shows. Their hits include ‘When Will I See You Again’, ‘Dirty Ol’ Man’, ‘Take Good Care Of Yourself’, ‘My Simple Heart’, and ‘Year of Decision’.

8. Russell Watson: Canzoni d’Amore.

Tuesday, October 9, £36.50-£46.50, 7.30pm, Assembly Hall, Worthing, worthing

theatres.co.uk. Having sold more than seven million albums worldwide, Russell Watson is firmly established as the UK’s best-selling classical crossover artist of all time. To date, his illustrious career has included performances for Her Majesty The Queen, The Pope and two US Presidents. Following a series of sell-out performances in 2015-16, The People’s Tenor returns to the stage with his brand-new show Canzoni d’Amore.

9. Nish Kumar – It’s In Your Nature To Destroy Yourselves.

Wednesday, October 10, 8pm, £23.50, The Capitol Theatre, Horsham. Double Edinburgh Comedy Award Nominee Nish Kumar is taking his new stand-up show on a tour of the UK. A spokesperson said: “The title is a quote from Terminator 2. There will be jokes about politics, mankind’s capacity for self-destruction and whether this will lead to the end of days. Good fun stuff.” Nish is the host of the Mash Report on BBC 2. Audiences will also recognise him from Live at the Apollo (BBC2), Taskmaster (Dave), Live From the BBC (Netflix), QI (BBC2) Have I Got News For You (BBC1) and Joel and Nish Vs The World (Netflix/Comedy Central). Find out more at www.nishkumar.co.uk.

10. A Frog Called Woânda.

October 10, £8.50, 1.30pm, The Hawth, Crawley. Laura’s mother is ill and she is being looked after

by her grand-father. While washing her paintbrushes in the bathroom, Laura drops her mother’s ring down the sink. Up pops Woânda the frog and a series of adventures ensue as Laura and Woânda try to find the ring. Performed in simple French and told through live action, puppetry and music, this funny and touching tale is suitable for ages five to 10.

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