Mixing it up! Improv comedy

Round & About

Surrey

Expect to be involved in the show in the latest improv offering from The Noise Next Door.

Lightning-quick wit and comedic talent have helped improv troupe The Noise Next Door take the comedy world by storm.

They have sold out the Edinburgh Fringe 11 times with their distinctive brand of off-the-cuff comedy which the foursome have been performing together since meeting at university.

The boys – Charlie Granville, Tom Livingstone, Sam Pacelli and Robin Hatcher – are back with a new full-length adult show, The Noise Next Door – Remix and you can find out what all the fuss and noise is about for yourself when they bring it to Farnham Maltings on Friday, 8th February.

If you’re going along be prepared to be part of the show – the guys take audience suggestions and transform them into funny scenes and songs in the blink of an eye with a combination of characters, one liners, epic stories and ‘explosive physicality’.

They have appeared on numerous TV shows and alongside established British comedy names such as Michael McIntrye, Al Murray and Harry Hill. But their appearances don’t stop there, as they’ve also played to the British armed forces, secondary school students (a tough crowd) and even on stage at Download heavy metal festival.

They have been described as ‘comedy gold’ and as offering ‘a superior kind of chaos’. Remix will see them at their most creative yet with this new cutting edge and hilarious show.

  To book go to www.farnhammaltings.com but if you miss them there or had such a good time you want to go again, they’re at Cranleigh Arts Centre on 15th March.

Chocalicious! Woking festival

Round & About

Surrey

Now the festive season is a memory, cheer-up treats are needed and what could be better than The Fantastical Chocolate Festival in Woking?

Chocolate… nothing more needs to be said to get your attention, who doesn’t love it? So all chocaholics listen up…

Woking’s H G Wells Centre is hosting The Fantastical Chocolate Festival to get the month off to a delicious start.

Kids of all ages can enjoy a day of delectable confectionery, sing-along live music, chocolatiers, tasty treats and Willy Wonka-inspired characters to keep you entertained all day.

An array of chocolate and confectionery goodness is on offer with everything from chocolate fountains and fondues to artisan traders and tasting experiences. If you decide you have perhaps overdone the chocolate, then how about candyfloss flowers, candy apple stalls and ice cream to dive into..?

You can also enjoy artisan hot chocolate to keep you warm and if you fancy something stronger, how about chocolate vodka, wine, gin and beer for the “bigger” kids?

Younger members of the family can even enjoy playing with the stuff – how lucky are they? – as well as having a go at decorating an egg and getting creative at the arts and crafts station.

Included with your ticket price are a cotton chocolate festival bag to collect your goodies, a festival mug and a sweet or savoury skewer for dipping in the fountains.

This feast of chocolate is on Saturday, 9th February, 11.30am to 8pm.

  For more details and ticket prices email [email protected]

Purls of wisdom: unravel knitting festival

Round & About

Surrey

Farnham Maltings will once again host unravel… a festival of knitting, between Friday, 22nd and Sunday, 24th February.

“It’s amazing to see the community of knitters, crochet and craft enthusiasts of all ages and backgrounds return year after year to celebrate their love of yarn,” says festival organiser Gemma Curtis. “Whether you’re new to knitting and crochet or have years of experience, there is something for everyone.”

Since its launch in 2009, unravel… a festival of knitting has become one of the leading independent events, with yarn enthusiasts visiting from across the country and around the world.

The hub of the festival, unravel’s marketplace, allows visitors to buy products from more than 70 quality exhibitors from across the UK and Europe. Exhibitors include locally based The Little Grey Sheep and international vendors including Dye Dye Done from Poland, Fine Fish Yarn from Belfast and Lanivendole from Genova as well returning favourites and some new to the show for 2019.

As ever, unravel is offering expert-led workshops and talks on a range of disciplines. Classes include a mystical lantern class by crochet expert Jane Crowfoot, international tutor Kate Atherley introducing participants to the skills of glove-making and renowned knitwear design Alison Ellen leading an Entralec skills class.

Running throughout the whole Maltings building, visitors can enjoy the relaxed atmosphere of the show in this unique setting.

• Tickets £8 in advance / £10 on the door and workshops can be booked in advance and include the price of same day entry.

  Call 01252 745 444 or visit www.farnhammaltings.com

Jazz gem: Ron Green Big Band

Round & About

Surrey

The Ron Green Big Band will perform at Cranleigh Arts Centre on Saturday, 2nd February, from 8pm.

The Ron Green Big Band were formed 12 years ago, by Ron, an enthusiastic jazz follower who was playing with Slinfold Concert Band, and still occasionally plays with the Petworth Town Band. At the age of 90 he has decided to call it a day with the band and has been thanked by his fellow members for setting it up and all his hard work over the years.

Most of the former members came from these two bands, starting as a group of friends who just wanted to play swing music for fun. It soon became obvious more was possible from this enthusiastic and talented bunch. The band has grown into a semi-professional group playing at dance venues, wedding receptions, parties and concerts, including Wentworth Golf Club and The Amex stadium at Brighton & Hove FC. They have also performed regularly at Cranleigh Arts Centre (CAC).

The band members travel from around Sussex, Hampshire and Surrey to rehearse on a monthly basis at The Band Room at Cranleigh. Now under the musical direction of Xav Riley, an accomplished Ewhurst musician, the normal line-up features six saxophones, three trumpets, three trombones, a rhythm section of piano, bass, guitar and drums, together with a female singer.

Their repertoire covers music from many eras and you can expect to hear Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington, George Gershwin and other great jazz composers.

The concert on 2nd February is a joint fundraiser with Cranleigh Arts Centre, so make every effort to attend.

  For tickets call 01483 278000 or visit www.cranleighartscentre.org

Give it a whirl: Woking waltzing

Round & About

Surrey

Waltzing in a Winter Wonderland comes to Woking’s New Victoria Theatre on Sunday, 20th January, at 3pm.

What can be more uplifting in winter than the Viennese waltz..?

Especially when the music is written by Austria’s own Strauss dynasty who wrote hundreds of pieces with a clear emphasis on memorable melodies and dance rhythms.

The team at Raymond Gubbay have been producing a Johann Strauss Gala tour for more than four decades and this year they are bringing their new show to the New Victoria Theatre.

Audiences will be whisked back to the glittering romance of a 19th century Viennese ballroom, as you hear some of the most wonderful waltzes and liveliest polkas ever composed; Cinderella Waltz, Thunder and Lightning Polka, Emperor Waltz, Voices of Spring and of course the iconic Blue Danube. The enjoyment of the music will be enhanced by watching the Johann Strauss Dancers capture the occasion with glorious period costumes and exquisitely choreographed routines by Alexandra Worrall, also the show’s director.

The Johann Strauss Orchestra will be under the baton of John Rigby, and the concert will also feature soprano Corinne Cowling and tenor Nico Darmanin. Don’t forget: not only did Johann Strauss bring us delightful dance music, he also wrote operettas. Perhaps Die Fledermaus is the best-known – the tale of one man’s revenge after he is left stranded following a fancy dress party in the middle of town, dressed as a bat!

Big society: Surrey novelist

Round & About

Surrey

Shamley Green pilot-turned-author Heather Lanfermeijer explains more about how her experiences of motherhood led her to write her debut novel The Society Game.

My daughter suffered the onset of the “terrible twos” before she was one. Although, perhaps a better way of putting it is: I suffered my daughter’s terrible twos earlier than I expected.

To remedy this my mother suggested I take up knitting, my friends suggested I take up drinking. I don’t have the patience for knitting and I’m too vain to drink the amount of calorific wine needed to drown out tantrums. Instead I vented my frustration on paper on the odd occasion when my beloved was quiet.

Writing down my bugbears about exploding dirty nappies, supermarket screaming and continual sterilising of baby bottles was cathartic and helped me face another day and another tantrum. These baby annoyances merged into writing about other daily grievances; dog walkers’ inability to pick up their dog’s mess, the bollards my car keeps backing into (I swear they weren’t there when I got in the car). From there, my frustrations morphed into things that really irritate me about aspects of our society and thus began my book.

I used to live in an area along the A3 full of million-pound mock-Georgian houses with new supercars on display in the driveways. To my jealous eye, the women who lived here enjoyed blissful, carefree days with only the odd First World problem to bother them, such as: “the cleaner has dusted my pictures and left them wonky and I now have to straighten them before I go out!” (genuine conversation!). Over the years, I noticed a pattern emerging: between the ages of 30 and 40 these beautiful ladies seemed to me to spend their days in coffee shops with their baby (always) asleep in the pram. From 40 to 50 there were no children only coffee but they looked strangely younger than their previous 30-something self. By 50, the Botox and fillers left these women with a mannequin face I could no longer relate to. And sadly, coffee is replaced with Prosecco from wine bars as they fight to find husband number two (or three).

Possibly a cruel summation but it occurred to me that our society favours a beautiful façade over a happy marriage. So, the social defect explored in Olivia, is about our generation’s obsession with how we look as we are led to believe success is not just about keeping up with the Joneses but now keeping up with the Kardashians.

Olivia is based around true stories collected over the years from friends’ tales, stranger tales and pub tales. The book is moulded into one story based on my perception of our society. For those intrigued then maybe check out my website www.thesocietygame.com. I write a weekly blog including excerpts from this and future books where I invite debate as I assume some may disagree with my view but that’s OK; art is just another person’s perspective on life and Olivia is my art.

  The Society Game, by H. Lanfermeijer, is out now.

Mozart magic

Round & About

Surrey

There’s a trio of celebrations in the all-Mozart programme for the first event on the Grayshott Concerts calendar for 2019…

Mozart and clarinet virtuoso Michael Collins MBE share a birthday – 27th January – just two weeks before Orchestra-in-Residence, the London Mozart Players (LMP) reach their 70th anniversary.

The concert at St Luke’s Church, Grayshott, on Friday, 25th January, features one of the best-loved concertos of all time – the Mozart Clarinet Concerto in A, K622. Completed just two months before his death, Mozart’s lyrical Clarinet Concerto is considered one of his greatest works. Though often played on the modern soprano clarinet, concertgoers will be treated to a performance on the sonorous basset clarinet, the instrument for which it was originally written.

Distinguished artist Michael Collins will bring his dazzling virtuosity to this masterpiece. He will also conduct two Mozart symphonies, one of his earliest, No. 4 in D, K19 – composed in 1765 at the age of nine – and his magnificent and final symphony, No. 41 in C, K551 (Jupiter) dating from 1788.

London Mozart Players musicians say Grayshott is one of their best show venues. Grayshott Concerts co-founder Peter Harrison says: “They love the warm, intimate nature and acoustic quality of St Luke’s as well as meeting and interacting with our ever-enthusiastic audiences.”

Demand for seats at this grand opening to the 2019 programme is expected to be high, so early
booking is advised.

  Please visit www.grayshottconcerts.co.uk

Woking Street Angels

Round & About

Surrey

Do your children or grandchildren go out in Woking during weekend nights? If so, they will probably have met, or perhaps been helped by, Woking Street Angels.

These are the trained volunteers who, for the past seven years, have walked the streets of Woking town centre every Friday and Saturday night, from 10pm till 4am, offering help, or a listening ear, wherever it is needed.

Typically Street Angels look after people who have had too much to drink and are ill, vulnerable or just need help getting home.

They also chat to the homeless and other lonely or needy people on the streets, and generally help make our town centre more pleasant for the hundreds of night-time visitors.

This vital work by Woking Street Angels has been noted by Surrey Police, who reported that in 2014/15 violent crime in the town centre reduced by 64% during the hours that the street angels were active, and that this reduction has further reduced year-on-year.

Woking Street Angels now urgently need more team members and are asking anyone over the age of 18, and particularly those whose friends or families benefit from their help, to consider volunteering. Full training is given, and once trained they commit to just one shift a month. Street angels always walk around in teams, never alone, and may be of any faith or none.

If you would more information about Woking Street Angels please visit www.wokingstreetangels.org.uk or contact the co-ordinator on 07827 914714.

Cracking highlight: The Nutcracker in Farnham

Round & About

Surrey

Story Pocket Theatre bring their entertaining family-friendly version of The Nutcracker to Farnham Maltings later this month.

Christmas Eve is here and Clara has just been given a wooden nutcracker in the shape of a handsome Prince. Little does she know she and her brother Fritz are about to be drawn into the adventure of a lifetime.

The Mouse Queen has stolen the magic of the Christmas Tree star and the whole Land of Make Believe itself is in danger. The children, a host of toys and the Nutcracker Prince himself, must battle the rotten royal rodent to save the magic of Christmas and restore the Prince to the throne. But first, Clara and Fritz must learn how to believe…

The Story Pocket Theatre team are back at Farnham Maltings with a colourful and high-energy new version of The Nutcracker. A sparkling new adaptation of Christmas story that has thrilled and delighted children for generations promises seasonal magic and wonder. The colourful, spectacular and fun-filled show has been produced by the award-winning team behind the success of Arabian Nights, A Pocketful of Grimms, Storyteller, Storyteller, Michael Morpurgo’s King Arthur and, most recently, David Baddiel’s ANiMALCOLM.

Will Clara and Fritz learn how to believe, and save Christmas and the Land of Make Believe? Well to find out catch The Nutcracker from Thursday, 20th December, 2.30pm & 4.30pm, Friday 21st & 22nd, 11.30am & 2.30pm at Farnham Maltings, Bridge Square, GU9 7QR. To buy your tickets, £10, call 01252 745444 or visit www.farnhammaltings.com

Peter Anderson

Market forces: crafty shopping in Godalming

Round & About

Surrey

Two creative Godalming locals have set up a local market to showcase local craftspeople and help make your Christmas shopping fun!

Danielle Giornandi and Laura Goddings wanted to bring something to Godalming that would reinvigorate the high street and give something fellow locals could get excited about.

Coming from backgrounds in humanitarianism, art history, jewellery design, event design and management, and sales they realised they had the right skill set for this kind of venture to be successful.

Danielle says: “One day over coffee, Laura said ‘hey, that old little shed is up for rent, shall we see it?’ ‘Yes!’ I said, though we had no idea what we were looking at or why. The moment we went in, the space just spoke to us and we both spontaneously had the same idea – to have a kind of brick-and-mortar Etsy, permanent contemporary craft fair promoting independent artists and creatives. Throwing caution to the wind, we put in a bid…and we got it!”

The pair’s idea has grown into an amazing venture with more than 40 artists, almost all local, renting a little space, specifically sized and designed for them and their type of products.

“We’re excited to provide Surrey residents with high-quality, unique, handmade goods created by independent artisans and producers,” adds Laura. “In an age when the high streets are dominated by chains and mass-produced products, we pride ourselves on representing and working for  both the artists and the consumers. With the rise of online shopping, our high streets have taken a huge hit. We want to re-establish the relationship between consumer and producer, as well as reigniting that tactile and sensory experience a shopper has when they find a product in a shop – something that cannot be reproduced online.”

More than 150 people attended the opening party in October. “Everyone that’s come through the doors has been so surprised and pleased that something exciting like this has come to Godalming. We look forward to a successful Christmas shopping period, highlighted by events such as the Godalming Christmas Lights Festival and Late Night Shopping Evenings with Prosecco. We are determined to make Yard Market more than just a shop, but an exciting and vibrant community creative space.”