What’s on

THEATRE

THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL The egg, Thurs December 6 until Sun January 13, performance times vary, £18/£12 » See The Guide, previous pages

RISE 2018 Bath Spa University Theatre, Sat December 8, 2.30pm & 7.30pm, £10/£6

» A world of quirky characters and abstract movement, inspired by Klee and themes of surrealism and expressionism, with B&NES Youth Dance Company and RISE Youth Dance.

BEDROOM FARCE Mission Theatre, Tue December 11 until Sun December 15, 7.30pm (& 2pm Sat), £12.50/£10.50

» This classic Ayckbourn from the 1970s blends his incisive observation of human relationships with a fast-paced storyline. A Next Stage production.

ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA: NATIONAL THEATRE LIVE SCREENING Little Theatre Cinema, Thurs December 6, 7pm, £22/£17.50/£10 » See The Guide, previous pages

A WARNING TO THE CURIOUS Rondo Theatre, Sat December 8, 8pm, £14/£10

» More than a century after they were first published, the ghost stories of MR James retain their power to terrify and amuse. This gripping one-man show retells two of the eeriest.

MACBETH Theatre Royal, until Sat December 8, 7.30pm and 2.30pm Sat, ticket prices vary

» Shakespeare’s infamous exploration of betrayal, corruption and abuse of power, directed by National Theatre artistic director Rufus Norris and designed by Rae Smith.

THE MODEL APARTMENT Ustinov Studio, until Sat December 22, 7.45pm (Monsat) and 2.30pm Thurs and Sat, £22.50/£17.50

» A black comedy by award-winning playwright Donald Margulies, starring Diana Quick and Ian Gelderstar (Game of Thrones). Directed by Laurence Boswell.

AND THEN THERE WERE NONE Tovey Hall, Bath Central United Reform Church, until Sat December 8, 7.30pm, £10

» Agatha Christie’s story of eight strangers trapped in a house on a remote island, together with two house servants. Presented by Bath Argyle Players.

CHRISTMAS STOCKINGS: A FESTIVE CABARET Rondo Theatre, Thurs December 6, 8pm, £15/£10 » An evening of cabaret, featuring pole

dancers, drag acts, singers and, of course, burlesque. An antidote to the usual familyfriendly activities.

UNTAMED BURLESQUE Chapel Arts Centre, Sat December 8, 7.30pm, £15

» Back for its second ever Christmas show, a night surrounded by some of the brightest burlesque and cabaret stars in the South West.

MUSIC

THE KING IS BACK The Forum, Thurs December 6, 7.30pm, £28.50

» Internationally renowned as one of the best Elvis tributes in the world today, Ben Portsmouth brings his unique style, charisma and ten-piece band.

KATIE MELUA WITH THE GORI WOMEN’S CHOIR The Forum, Fri December 7, 7pm (doors), from £19.50

» Katie will be joined by members of the Gori Women’s Choir who featured on the silver-certified 2016 album In Winter, recorded in Georgia.

THE PEOPLE’S STRING FOUNDATION: RES PUBLICA Rondo Theatre, Fri December 7, 8pm, £14/£12 » This Cornish band are an army of bohemians and vagabonds, mixing world,

classical and urban styles in anarchic embroilment.

FROME JAZZ CLUB: COLD FUSION The Cornerhouse, Frome, Sun December 9, 7.30pm, free entry

» Featuring Jake Mcmurchie (sax) and the Keith Harrison-broninski Trio, who delve into the far corners of the jazz repertoire to bring unexpected delights.

A CHRISTMAS BAND CONCERT WITH MILITARY WIVES CHOIR St Michael’s Without, Broad Street, Fri December 7, 7.30pm, £10/£8

»

With music by Borodin, excerpts from The Greatest Showman and Christmas music. Raffle in aid of Macmillan Nurses organised by Bath Rotary Club.

BATH CHORAL SOCIETY: HANDEL’S MESSIAH Bath Abbey, Fri December 8 and Sat December 9, 7.30pm, £32/£6

» This Bath Choral Society concert with the Bristol Ensemble marks the start of the season of Christmas music at Bath Abbey, conducted by David Gostick.

THE OCTET WINTER CONCERT St Michael’s Without, Broad Street, Fri December 8, 7pm, £10/£6

» Joined by the sought-after Adam’s Apple Jazz trio, the choir bring together a feast of romantic and contemporary music, including Chilcott’s A Little Jazz Mass.

ST SWITHIN’S CHRISTMAS St Swithin’s Church, Wed December 11, 7.30pm, £10/£5

» Students from Bath Spa University present a programme which includes Tchaikovsky’s enchanting Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture and highlights from Bernstein’s Candide.

A CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION FROM GRENVILLE JONES St Saviour’s Church, Larkhall, Sat December 8, 7.30pm, £12/£8

» The Welcome Choir and Bath Male Choir, with guest soloist Kirsten Barker, perform some Christmas favourites, raising money for the Peggy Dodd Centre.

RUSH HOUR CONCERT: MATTHEW SPRING AND SINGERS Michael Tippett Centre, Bath Spa University, Wed December 12, 6pm, £5/£3 (BSU students and staff free)

» Matthew has an active career as a performer on the lute and other associated early musical instruments, and has appeared on more than 50 CD recordings.

ART

CLIVE ARROWSMITH PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITION: PETER GABRIEL REFLECTIONS Museum of Bath Architecture, until Sun February 3, £6.50/£5.50/£3.20 (50 per cent discount with Discovery card)

» Images taken in 1978 at a number of key locations around Bath, including the Roman Baths, presented alongside new pictures taken in the same Bath locations.

NICK CUDWORTH: BATH NIGHT PAINTINGS 2003-18 Victoria Art Gallery, Sat December 1 until February 17, free entry

» Well known for his portraits of celebrities and paintings of Bath street scenes, this exhibition presents Nick’s stunning Bath night paintings as giclée prints on stretched canvas.

ON PAPER EXHIBITION: FROM THE ARTS COUNCIL COLLECTION Victoria Art Gallery, Sat December 1 until February 17, £4.50 (free with Discovery Card) » Paper artworks from leading artists such as Damien Hirst, Roy Lichtenstein,

Bridget Riley, Gillian Ayres and Eduardo Paolozzi.

AXLE ARTS WINTER SHOW Tasburgh House Hotel and Axle Arts, Upper Weston (by appointment), until Sun December 9

» Includes colourful abstracts from Derek Balmer, abstracted figurative painting from Iryna Yermolova, and warm woodcut prints from Frans Wesselman.

EMMA ROSE: DECEMBER DREAMS Emma Rose Art Works, Walcot St, throughout December

» December’s exhibition is built around Emma’s work Monet’s Dreams. A large proportion of her work echoes the land, sea, sky, gardens and the elements.

RODIN: RETHINKING THE FRAGMENT EXHIBITION Holburne Museum, until January 27, £11/£5.50/free for 18 and under

» This display focuses on one of the world’s most renowned sculptures, The Thinker (1880-81), on loan from the Burrell Collection, Glasgow.

VISITING MASTERPIECE: MR AND MRS CLARK AND PERCY Holburne Museum, until January 27, £11/£5.50/free for 18 & under

» This well-loved painting by David Hockney (b.1937) is one of the greatest portraits of British art. On loan to Bath from the Tate, this painting is monumental in size – over two by three metres.

GAINSBOROUGH AND THE THEATRE EXHIBITION Holburne Museum, until January 20, £11/£5.50/free for 18 and under

» This exhibition brings together some of Gainsborough’s finest portraits of his friends in the theatre from the 1760s to 1780s.

THE WONDER WOMEN OF SPACE EXHIBITION Herschel Museum of Astronomy, until Tues January 1, £6.50/£5.50/£3.20 (50 per cent discount with Discovery card)

» Caroline Herschel, who discovered comets and mapped the stars, claimed a rightful place in scientific circles during times when intelligence in women was frequently disregarded.