SouthseaScene

The Endless Village - a satirical sitcom from General Public, set in an imagined future post-Brexit Britain will be launched on Thursday 29 March at the Aspex Gallery. Investigating life, localism and trade relations, the sitcom pilot - entitled Banana Day - presents a meditation on future daily life in NFKATUK - the Nation Formerly Known As The UK: It is 2066, 50 years since Brexit and 1000 years since the Norman Conquest. A devolution revolution has gripped the public consciousness as countries then counties seek political control on a local level - leading to a succession of tribes, small self-sufficient communities and 'endless villages'. The resulting breakdown in global trade renders legally sourced bananas virtually non-existent. But each year in Kingdom#3, a special community celebration is held called ‘Banana Day’, a time to celebrate the forbidden fruit. Why do Kingdom#3 insist on celebrating the banana, an unavailable fruit with a colonial history? How will t

Ferocious clubber and party girl Eleanor Conway has always been a woman of extremes; she partied around the world as a music journalist, ran off to Asia to work for the triads, made porn and Tinder’d her way through most of London… Now sober from alcohol and substances she’s failing to find moderation and meaning. Following two hit runs at Edinburgh Fringe, a sellout 100-date global tour and a Stockholm Fringe nominee, this critically acclaimed comedy comes to The Spring. Thu 24 May 2018 7:30pm, followed by a post-show chat Tickets: £12.50, £11.50 concessions From The Spring ★★★★ “CHAOTIC & ELECTRIC” THE SKINNY WALK OF SHAME TRAILER: https://youtu.be/jVVWf70SNDI

Acclaimed pianist and composer Steve Christie – the pianist for The Spitfire Sisters – will be performing a unique participative piano recital to help raise money for The Spring in Havant to purchase a new grand piano! In this interactive show, Steve will take audience requests for songs that he will perform in an astounding medley. In a new venture for The Spring, part of this recital will also be broadcast live on social media.  Steve has previously given interactive performances featuring themes such as The Beatles, TV Theme Tunes, 80s Hits, Kate Bush, Jazz Standards and Elvis Costello! A percentage of the proceeds from this performance will be donated to The Spring’s Grand Piano Appeal. Thursday 17 May 2018 7:30pmTickets £10 from The Spring website

Article as appeared in Portsmouth View published 16 March 2018 March opens with a celebration of International Women’s Day. In this centenary year of women getting the vote, Dr Helen Pankhurst gave a free talk at the University of Portsmouth on the legacy of the Suffragettes. The New Theatre Royal was transformed into the streets of New York when West Side Story by students from the University’s Dramatic and Musical Society opened on Thursday 8 March. On until 10 March, so there is still time to catch the show. British Science Week presents an array of interesting science activities. The Mary Rose Museum is offering hands-on activities during the regular opening hours and a special evening lecture on the preservation of the ship on Wednesday 14 March. Join a treasure hunt and discover various scientists who lived and worked in Portsmouth, including Hertha Ayrton who was born in Queen Street. Collect the map from Aspex Gallery and join the fun from 11 am to 4 pm. Then fini

The Spring Arts and Heritage Centre in Havant has been awarded a £57,100 National Lottery grant through the Heritage Lottery Fund to record and celebrate the history of Havant and Waterlooville Football Club. The project will tell the story of the club since the merger of Havant FC and Waterlooville FC in 1998 and also track the development of football in the borough following the formation of Havant FC in 1883. The stories of fans, staff and players will be collected by volunteers and used to create a book and short documentary film to be premiered at The Spring. A group of young people will also be mentored by film production company Millstream Productions to make a second film focusing on Havant and Waterlooville’s famous FA Cup run ten years ago when the club received national attention after twice taking the lead at Anfield, home of five times European Champions Liverpool. The documentary films will feature as part of a temporary exhibition in The Spring’s mezzanine in e

Portsmouth City Council has been awarded a £79,700 Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) grant for a two year natural history project called: 'Wild about Portsmouth', which will share and raise the profile of the city's natural history collection. The project will develop a group of 'Wild about Portsmouth' natural history advocates who will champion the city's collection. They will work alongside museum staff and volunteers to develop and promote the natural history museum. The funding will also enable the museum to appoint a curator of natural history and an assistant who will deliver activities at Cumberland House as well as working on the collection in store. Cllr Linda Symes, Cabinet Member for Culture Leisure and Sport said: "The city has a fabulous natural history collection and this funding will make it more accessible to everyone: "The specialist staff will also help communities, residents and visitors get more hands on with our collection with natural h

The award-winning University of Portsmouth Choir will be singing the Chichester Psalms to celebrate 100 years since Leonard Bernstein’s birth. The Choir, who recently scooped the Best Classical award at The News Guide Awards for their performance of The Messiah in March last year, will pay tribute to the legendary composer with a rendition of one of his greatest works. The concert, which takes place in St Mary’s Church, Fratton on Saturday 17th March at 7:30pm, will also feature Janacek’s Otcenas in its original Czech and Karl Jenkins’ The Armed Man as the Choir sings an exciting array of choral repertoire. Choir conductor, Dr George Burrows, says the four psalm texts of the Chichester Psalms, which is sung in Hebrew is “at once modernistic, powerful, dance-like, melodic and beautiful.” Comparatively Janacek’s setting of the Lord’s Prayer Otcenas is just as distinctive and modern but was written some 60 years before Bernstein’s work and the musical language is more sparse and mo