The smartly silly comedian is making two stops off in Wales with his imaginatively self-titled tour Philly Philly Wang Wang. Covering his British-Malaysian heritage, his tragic dating life, and the aches and pains of his advanced 29 years, you’re going to want to book this show before it sells out, again!
Grand Theatre, Swansea, Sat 28 Mar; St David’s Hall, Cardiff, Thurs 23 Apr. Tickets: £17. Info: see venue for details.
OPERASONIC: VEHICLES
Newport-based company Operasonic produce this brand-new opera for children aged 8-12, composed by Martyn Harry and directed by Rhian Hutchings. A fun, energetic production devoted to time travel and the history of transport, Vehicles follows Captain Houston and Lieutenant Schmidt on an intergalactic mission that goes horribly wrong!
The Riverfront, Newport, Tue 3 Mar. Tickets: £8/£6. Info: 01633 656757 / www.tickets.newportlive.co.uk
BEAUTIFUL: THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL
This earth-moving jukebox musical was a hit on the West End. It pays tribute to the legendary singer-songwriter Carole King, who sold her first hit Will You Love Me Tomorrow when she was only 17. Soon, she was reeling off number one hits for the biggest acts in rock’n’roll, until she found the courage to step into the spotlight herself.
Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay, Mon 9-Sat 14 Mar. Tickets: £18-£52. Info: 029 2063 6464 / www.wmc.org.uk
GURU LIVE
Guru Live gathers together leading professionals in the film and TV industry for an exciting one-off event in collaboration with BAFTA Cymru. This year’s programme of talks, masterclasses and panels features advice on producing your first TV series, working in the game industry and venturing into make-up and hair design, plus much more.
Cardiff & Vale College, Cardiff, Sat 21 Mar. Tickets: from £6. Info: guru.bafta.org/guru-live-cardiff-2020
AN EVENING WITH JO BRAND
The comedian and actress comes to Swansea for a tribute to a close friend: Welsh actress, playwright and screenwriter Helen Griffin, who passed away in 2018. The event will feature special guests and is set to be a moving celebration of the passion at the heart of the creative industry. Proceeds will contribute to a young actor’s development.
Grand Theatre, Swansea, Tue 31 Mar. Tickets: £23. Info: 01792 475715 / www.swanseagrand.co.uk
FRANCISCO RODRÍGUEZ
This Chilean artist exhibits his paintings for the first time in Wales as part of Chapter’s Art In The Bar this Spring. Featuring a cast of sinister characters in intriguing situations, his work references graphic animation and Japanese drawing, with a limited colour palette and a dark, off-the-wall sense of humour.
Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff, from Fri 14 Mar. Admission: free. Info: 029 2030 4400 / www.chapter.org
LOST IN THE RHYTHM
Welsh Strictly star Amy Dowden and her British dance champion partner Ben Jones are touring Wales with a night of elegance and opulence, fusing Latin and ballroom dance. Recreating the Strictly experience with live vocals and a thumping soundtrack, they are joined by Welsh athlete and Strictly finalist Colin Jackson.
Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl, Thurs 19 Mar; Memorial Hall Theatre, Barry, Fri 20; Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli, Fri 27; The Riverfront, Newport, Thurs 2 Apr; Aberystwyth Arts Centre, Sun 5. Tickets: £28. Info: www.audiencewith.co.uk
MICROWAVE
Run Amok present this gutsy new play from Elinor Cook (one of the writers working on Killing Eve’s third series) examining the pressures facing young women today. Following the friendship between straight-A student Kelly and homeless teenager Carly, this could be described as a feminist spin on Willy Russell’s Blood Brothers for the 21st century.
The Riverfront, Newport, Tue 17-Fri 20 Mar; Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli, Tue 24; Aberystwyth Arts Centre, Fri 27. Tickets: £14/£12. Info: see venue for details.
FY NGHYMRU – MY WALES
This selection of photographs, by Cardiff-born Kyriacos Asprou, are the result of five months’ worth of travelling throughout Wales, taking over 16,500 pictures. But don’t worry – there won’t be that many to look at! This exhibition presents whimsical snapshots of Welsh people and landscapes in all seasons, inspiring you to travel around the country more often.
M.A.D.E. Gallery, Cardiff, Thurs 12-Sat 28 Mar. Admission: free. Info: 029 2047 3373 / www.cardiffmade.com
WALES ONE WORLD FILM FESTIVAL
Returning to venues across Wales, this film festival brings a superb selection of world-class cinema from across the globe. It opens at Newport’s Riverfront on International Women’s Day with Rubaiyat Hossain’s Made in Bangladesh – an emotionally charged drama about a female sweatshop seamstress. The second AberCon, the anime convention, coincides with the fest on Sat 21 Mar.
The Riverfront, Newport (Sat 7, Mon 9-Wed 11 Mar); Taliesin, Swansea (Sat 14 Mar, Mon 6-Wed 8 Apr); Aberystwyth Arts Centre (Fri 20-Thurs 26 Mar); Pontio, Bangor (Thurs 26 Mar-Wed 1 Apr); Mwldan, Cardigan (Thurs 16 Apr). Tickets: Info: www.wowfilmfestival.com
THE SLOW READERS CLUB
The Northern indie rockers were previously unheard of outside a Manchester postcode. But now they’re selling out venues all over the shop, and they stop off in Cardiff this month on their mammoth UK and European tour after recently announcing the release of their fourth album The Joy Of The Return (out 20 Mar).
The Globe, Cardiff, Sun 29 Mar. Tickets: £19.60. Info: 07590 471888 / www.globecardiffmusic.com
PUSSYCAT DOLLS
Don’t cha wish your magazine was free like me? Cos if it wasn’t, you might’ve missed out on this. Performing together for the first time in over a decade, this major UK tour sees the return of the chart-topping girl group from Los Angeles, comprised of Nicole Scherzinger, Ashley Roberts, Kimberley Wyatt, Jessica Sutta and Carmit Bachar.
Motorpoint Arena Cardiff, Mon 6 Apr. Tickets: £47.50 (sold out – check box office for returns) Info: 029 2022 4488 / www.motorpointarenacardiff.co.uk
JOHN KEARNS
A double Edinburgh Comedy Award winner and renowned plonker, John Kearns offers up absurd, comedic performance art that leaves half the audience in hysterics and the other half cheesed off. For his tour Double Take And Fade Away, he has chosen to book places where it looks like “people share hot water bottles with their landlords”.
Glee Club, Cardiff Bay, Tue 17 Mar. Tickets: £12. Info: 0871 4720400 / www.glee.co.uk/cardiff
FRIENDSICAL
If the title didn’t provide enough explanation, this musical theatre parody of, yes, the iconic 1990s sitcom Friends is a safe bet for anyone looking for a big slice of nostalgia. Writer Miranda Larson has taken the show’s most memorable moments and quotes and turned them into songs like (He’s Her) Lobster! and Richard’s Moustache.
New Theatre, Cardiff, Tue 17-Sat 21 Mar. Tickets: £10-£30. Info: 029 2087 8889 / www.newtheatrecardiff.co.uk