A Friday-night dance performance by a couple from TV’s Strictly will get the weekend started in style, before a boat show, a theatre festival and lots more to enjoy.
Kevin & Karen Dance The Live Tour 2018, Ipswich Regent
June 1
If you love dance shows, you’ll enjoy this performance by Strictly Come Dancing couple Kevin and Karen Clifton. Following last year’s sell-out tour, they are back with a new show including the waltz, cha-cha, fox trot, tango and salsa.
The Strictly pair will be backed by a supporting cast of dancers, as well as a live 12-piece show band. A high-energy performance is promised, filled with sassy tunes, heart-pounding choreography and sparkling costumes.
For more details, see the website.
Ipswich Boat Show,Ipswich Waterfront
June 2 and 3
The new Ipswich Boat Show hosted by Ipswich Haven Marina will be held this weekend, including the first-ever Ipswich dragon boat race on Saturday, in aid of children’s charity Fresh Start - New Beginnings.
Go along to cheer on the teams. Each crew will be made up of 10 teams, plus a drummer. There will also be a boat jumble on Saturday, and cream teas will be available on Barge Victor.
The show will run from 10am to 4pm, with an all-day riverside extravaganza, including activities such as face painting and colouring. Ipswich Haven Marina and ABP are also offering crowds the chance to try dragon boat racing on dry land. See the event’s Facebook page.
Pulse Festival, New Wolsey Theatre
June 2 and 3
The 10-day Pulse Festival Ipswich is back for its 18th year, with an impressive showcase of contemporary performance from established and emerging artists.
The event will have over 50 shows in the programme, so there really is something for everyone.
Scratch Day, on Saturday, June 2, will see 13 acts bravely present new works before asking for audience feedback, and Free Day on Sunday, June 3, will invite audiences to pay what they think for the shows that they see. For more details, visit the website.
The Carpenters Story, Ipswich Regent
June 2
Musical nostalgia galore is served up in this concert-style production, with singer Claire Furley and pianist and artistic director Phil Aldridge.
Richard Carpenter’s original orchestral arrangements, performed by live musicians, will be used for hits including We’ve Only Just Begun, (They Long to Be) Close to You, Rainy Days and Mondays and many more.
For more details, see the website. It’s Yesterday Once More...
Show, Jerwood DanceHouse
June 1-2
This unusual performance is an evening of three acts: The Entrance, Clowns and Exit. Combining Hofesh Shechter’s bold choreography with a lively score, it revolves around a group of riotous performers as they play their parts in a grisly circus.
Expect a spike in adrenaline as your senses get submerged in comedy, murder and desire.
Show will be performed by Schechter II, an eight-strong apprentice company, chosen from young talent around the world. For more details, see the website.
Contemporary Chinese Works on Paper Exhibition, Ipswich Art Gallery
June 2-3
If you fancy going to an art exhibition with a difference this weekend, this varied exhibition of Chinese art is the answer.
The largest selection of contemporary Chinese works on paper outside China is on show, with 72 different artists and more than 100 works of art featured.
Many artists from China still employ traditional techniques of calligraphy, while also embracing more modern methods, so the exhibition is extremely varied. See the website here.
A Bunch of Amateurs, Sir John Mills Theatre
Until June 2
Comedy takes the stage in this production from Two Rivers Theatre Company, written by Ian Hislop and Nick Newman, which ends its run on Saturday.
Keen to boost his flagging career, fading Hollywood action hero Jefferson Steele arrives in England to play King Lear in Stratford – only to find that this is not the birthplace of the Bard, but a sleepy Suffolk village.
As acting worlds collide and Jefferson’s career implodes, he discovers some truths about himself – along with his inner Lear! For more details, see the website.
Charity Fun Day and Barbecue, Brewers Arms
June 2
A charity fun day is being held at this Ipswich pub, from 12 noon to 10pm, in aid of a three-year-old boy, Joe, who is fighting cancer.
There will be music all through the day, a barbecue and a raffle. The event will also include a head shave in aid of the cause. Children are welcome up to 9pm.
For more details, see the event’s Facebook page.
Charity Quiz Night, Greshams
June 3
Fancy testing your brain power and helping a good cause at the same time? Billed as Suffolk’s biggest charity quiz night, this event is being organised by the Hearing Care Centre in aid of Hearing Dogs for Deaf People.
More than 200 people are expected to attend. Teams can include between four and six people, but you do need to book if you want to go.
Visit the Hearing Care Centre’s website for details.
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