Your weekly what’s on guide for Bedford and the surrounding area from The Bedford Clanger.
Never miss a thing in Bedford ever again. From theatre to film, live music to art exhibitions, The Bedford Clanger what’s on guide lands every Thursday and is the only guide you need to know what’s on and what’s happening across the Borough for the next 10 days.
Thursday 26 January 2023
Live music: Francis of Delirium + Sloe Noon
Bedford Esquires @ 8pm
Tickets: £8
The project Francis of Delirium was created by 19-year-old Jana Bahrich (Vancouver) who invited drummer/producer, Chris Hewett (Seattle) to form an indie rock band who would based in Luxembourg. With a sound that mixes nineties grunge and shoegaze, Francis of Delirium have to date released 2 EPs to widespread and worldwide acclaim.
Friday 27 January 2023
Film: Heathers (1989)
The Place Theatre @ 7pm
Tickets: £5
Bedford Film Programmers invite you to join them at the popular kid table for a screening of the best 1980’s anti-high school movie – John Hughes this isn’t!
A girl who half-heartedly tries to be part of the “in crowd” of her school meets a rebel who teaches her a more devious way to play social politics: by killing the popular kids.
Friday 27 January 2023
Live music: The Stilettos – a rock & roll fundraiser
Bedford Esquires
Tickets: £12.50
Local legends The Stilettos are back for one night only for this charity fundraiser in aid of Bedford Borough Parent Carer Forum.
Formed in 1960, The Stilettos were spotted by the Barron Knights’ manager Tony Avern. After touring extensively with the Barron Knights the Stilettos went on to tour in their own right and were a mainstay at venues such as the California Ballroom, Dunstable, the Locarno/ Mecca Ballroom, Stevenage and Leyton Baths, London.
Their most recent claim to fame was a spot with Matt Goss at Henlow Grange. A night of rocking nostalgia is guaranteed.
Friday 27 January 2023
Live Music: Carlos Linnet
The Cellar Bar @ 8.30pm
Free Entry
Carlos Linnet will be playing The Cellar Bar for the first time, an intimate venue for a talented musician and his acoustic guitar, not one to miss!
Saturday 28 January 2023
Comedy: Jokes and Laffs
The Place Theatre @ 7.30pm
Tickets: £14.99
An evening filled with laughter and more. Showcasing the very best of established and new comedy talents – both homegrown and international, while also making sure to cater for all comedy lovers of all ages and backgrounds.
Performing on the night are President Obonjo (compere) Rudi Lickwood, Thenjiwe and Wilson Milton.
Saturday 28 January 2023
Live Music: Five Five Six
The Cellar Bar @ 8.30pm
Free Entry
The Cellar Bar welcomes back Five Five Six so get ready for a rocking night of legendary tunes!
Saturday 28 January 2023
Live music: The Quireboys + The A Band
Bedford Esquires @ 7.30pm
Tickets: £10
Esquires welcomes back The Quireboys for their hometown gig – and avery special annual January show to celebrate Griff’s birthday. Support on the night comes from Bedford legends, The A Band.
Tickets available from Slide Record Shop and Esquires from Friday 13th January
Saturday 28 January 2023
Dance music: Huey Morgan’s NYC Bloc Party
Bedford Esquires @ 9pm – 2am
Tickets: £15
Woo hoo! Huey Morgan is coming to Esquires to present his NYC Block Party!
DJ, raconteur, author, producer, broadcaster and fun lovin’ criminal, Huey Morgan – a modern-day rock’n’roll Renaissance man – is many things to many people.
As the whisky-soaked Lower East Side voice of 6 Music and Radio 2, he’s the man who joins the dots between funk, soul, disco, classic hip hop and rock’n’roll.
As a broadcaster, he’s the man who tells laugh-out-loud stories and talks to the listener as if pulled up on a bar stool next to them. And as a musician, he’s the frontman of legendary 90s outfit Fun Lovin’ Criminals, a funk-fried indie outfit that broke big worldwide selling over 10 million records, recently celebrating their 20th anniversary.
Now after countless DJ gigs across the globe, he’s focused his DJ talent on his NYC Block Party: imagine Huey soundtracking cult Netflix show The Get Down, and you’re close, as funk, soul, disco and hip hop jams get thrown into the mix battle style.
Support comes from simply the finest DJ this town has produced in many years, warming you up nicely will be MASS C.
Sunday 29 January 2023
Music: The Ronnie Scott’s Soho Songbook
The Quarry Theatre @ 7.30pm
Tickets: £24
Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club return to The Quarry Theatre with a brand new collection of music, narration and projected archive images and footage, celebrating Ronnie Scott’s ‘Soho Songbook’.
Since it’s humble beginnings as a basement music bar where musicians would jam, through to the internationally acclaimed music venue it is today, Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club has showcased the music of some of the world’s greatest and most influential artists.
Featuring classic music from the jazz greats who have performed at Ronnie Scott’s, alongside narration and projected archive images and rare footage from the club, ‘The Ronnie Scott’s Songbook’ is a glimpse into this unique world and its incredible history. Hosted and performed by the award-winning Ronnie Scott’s All Stars, led by the Club’s Musical Director, this is a unique evening celebrating the music and history of Ronnie Scott’s and is a must for any music fan.
Sunday 29 January 2023
Community Theatre: An Evening of Tennessee Williams
The Place Theatre @ 7.30pm
Tickets: from £10
Bedford Drama Company bring three classic radio plays to the stage. Join them for an exciting evening of intrigue, drama and suspense!
Sunday 29 January 2023
Live Music: Open Mic Night
The Cellar Bar @ 7.30pm
Free Entry
Mat Roberts hosts Open Mic nights at The Cellar Bar, so you know you’re in safe hands – and he might even be persuaded to do some gigging himself.
The Cellar Bar was made for nights like this, an opportunity for new and experienced performers to get up on stage and perform. So whether you think you are the next Tom Grennan or just want a good night of entertainment, The Cellar Bar every Sunday night is the place to be.
Tuesday 31 January 2023
Art: The Circus of Illustration’s Drink and Draw – illustrated poetry
The Park pub, Kimbolton Road @ 7.30pm
Free (donation appreciated)
Any skill level, free, no need to book, just turn up. Equipment and resources are provided in a no-pressure, relaxed atmosphere to chat, drink and doodle.
Children: Jackastory
The Place @ 10.30am
Tickets: Pay What you Can
Listen to members of The Place team read their chosen children’s stories and discover some new favourites of your own. You are welcome to bring your own book suggestions with you too. Each session runs for forty-five minutes to an hour, with a break for refreshments.
This will be a very relaxed event with young, and old, being invited to join the readers on the stage in an intimate and friendly atmosphere, on a mound of comfortable cushions! (Aimed at 2-5-year-olds, but all ages welcome)
Wednesday 1 February 2023
Theatre: Fanboy
The Quarry Theatre @ 7.30pm
Tickets: from £12.50
Joe has always been a nerd. In his teens, he hid it. In his twenties, he owned it. Now in his thirties, Joe’s started to sense something: a great disturbance in the fandom…
Alone, sorting through his old things, Joe finds an old video tape, in an old VCR, long forgotten. He presses play – and something amazing starts to happen…
In this love-hate letter to pop culture and nostalgia, Joe Sellman-Leava (Fringe First, Labels) explores our relationship to our past and future selves and asks why his generation is so obsessed with its childhood.
Wednesday 1 February 2023
Film: Cinema @ 3 St Peter’s presents – Rang de Basanti
3 St Peter’s Street @ 7pm
Tickets: £12/£10.50/£9/£6
Already a cultural phenomenon in India, this reformist melodrama by Rakesh Omprakash Mehra (Aks) uses razor-sharp technique and an eavesdropper’s ear for dialogue to update the patriotic fervour of Bollywood’s golden age.
After a group of friends graduate from Delhi University, they listlessly haunt their old campus, until a British filmmaker casts them in a film she’s making about freedom fighters under British rule. Although the group is largely apolitical, the tragic death of a friend owing to local government corruption awakens their patriotism. Inspired by the freedom fighters they represent in the film, the friends collectively decide to avenge the killing.
Wednesday 1 February 2023
Live music: Independent Venue Week – Trampoline + The Rills
Bedford Esquires @ 8pm
Tickets: £10
Fresh from tours with The Libertines, Pete Doherty and Liam Gallagher, the Swansea three-piece has garnered a reputation for packed-out, reckless, and brilliant live shows.
Thursday 2 February 2023
Folk music: That’s All Folk: Suthering
The Place Theatre @ 8pm
Tickets: £13
Suthering combines the musical talents of Julu Irvine and Heg Brignall. A couple in life and in music, the duo have taken the folk scene by storm with their unusual and fresh approach to folk.
Julu and Heg champion female characters, creating new narratives for women and unearthing the heroines of folk. What sets them apart is their wonderful chemistry and charisma on stage, natural humour and two beautifully matched voices. With an unusual mix of cascading, dramatic piano, intricate, fingerstyle guitar, flute, whistles and harmonium,
Julu and Heg bring an exciting take on folk storytelling with their evocative and distinctive sound. Their debut album If We Turn Away was released in February 2022.
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Friday 3 February 2023
Dance: Unbroken
The Place Theatre @ 7.30pm
Tickets: from £10
Unbroken is Nikki Rummer’s solo debut: beloved father David Bruce Rummer summons his family for one last Christmas gathering. In one bittersweet day, three generations celebrate the life of a man who demands to be remembered.
Told through the eyes of a daughter, Unbroken is a one-woman show that brings a whole family to life. The pieces of memories and fragments of secrets are woven into the body of one performer as she unpicks the question: Am I going to end up like them?
For Ages 16+
Friday 3 February 2023
Live Music: Ben Kelly
The Cellar Bar @ 8.30pm
Free Entry
The very versatile Ben Kelly performs at The Cellar Bar for a night of Rock, blues and country, music for all tastes and ages. Come down and show your support for this talented musician.
Friday 3 February 2023
Dance Music: Dance Floor Fillers – 70s, 80s and 90s
Addison Centre, Kempston @ 7.30pm – midnight
Tickets: £8 advance / £10 on the door
Love all those great dance floor fillers by Black Box, Gloria Gaynor, Baccara, The Weather Girls and those other artists from the Golden Age Of Disco?
Then the Addison Centre might just be the place to go. With music by provided by Sonik Wave Disco this is a real chance to dust off the leg warmers, get out the neon and break some moves. Or just come as you are, get nostalgic and dance the night away. There is a fully licenced bar and the convenience of on-site parking. As well as enjoying a fun evening there’s also the extra glow of helping the community-owned centre to raise funds to replace its current heating system.
Friday 3 February 2023
Theatre: NTLive: The Crucible
The Quarry Theatre @ 7pm
Tickets: from £12.50
A witch hunt is beginning in Arthur Miller’s captivating parable of power with Erin Doherty (The Crown) and Brendan Cowell (Yerma).
Raised to be seen but not heard, a group of young women in Salem suddenly find their words have an almighty power. As a climate of fear, vendetta and accusation spreads through the community, no one is safe from trial.
Friday 3 February 2023
Live music: Anti Nowhere League
Bedford Esquires @ 7pm
Tickets: £18
The Anti Nowhere League are back and making a rare appearance at Bedford Esquires. With support from 16 Guns.
Saturday 4 February 2023
Children: Comedy Club 4 Kids
The Quarry Theatre @ 2pm
Tickets: from £5
Since 2005, the Comedy Club 4 Kids has been getting the best stand-ups and sketch acts from the international circuit to do their thing for an audience of children and their families… but without the rude bits! It’s just like a normal comedy club, but it’s on in the day, kids are allowed in, and thus there is a higher-than-usual chance of
heckles like “why is that your face!?”
Saturday 4th February 2023
Live Music: The Last Chance Ragtime Band
The Cellar Bar @ 8.30pm
Free Entry
The Last Chance Ragtime Band come to The Cellar Bar this week. In their own words: “We are a stomping Lindy Hop Jazz Band from Bedford. We play the best swing music especially crafted.” Can’t wait!
Saturday 4 February 2023
Live music: Independent Venue Week – Sick Joy + Torus
Bedford Esquires @ 8pm
Tickets: £9
With an expertise in fuzzy riffs, melodic heaviness, high energy and sharp lyrics, Sick Joy are not only one of British rock’s most promising young bands, they know a lot about overcoming challenges and learning to breathe again.
Catch them at Esquires as part of this year’s Independent Venue Week.
Sunday 5 and Monday 6 February 2023
Children: Professor Slug’s House of Bugs
The Place Theatre @ 11am and 2pm
Tickets: from £8
Professor Slug’s House of Bugs is a show all about bugs. Professor Slug is an eccentric expert on invertebrates who helps bugs out with their buggy problems – and you can too!
Get as strong as an ant! Teach a bee how to buzz! And help a dung beetle make a pooey perfume for its big date…
Ages 3+
Sunday 5 February 2023
Poetry: Read Poets Society – Spring 2023
The Eagle Bookshop @ 7pm
Tickets: Free but please book via The Place Theatre website
Join the Read Poets Society for their monthly poetry reading of poems reflecting the season. This month’s theme is ‘My pets and other animals’.
This monthly event takes place at The Eagle Bookshop in St Peter’s Street.
Sunday 5 February 2023
Live music: Independent Venue Week – Large Plants
Bedford Esquires @ 7.30pm
Tickets: £9.97
A night of fuzzy psych folk rock from ex-Wolf People member Jack Sharp’s new project. The event will be downstairs in Holy Moly’s.
Sunday 5 February 2023
Live music: The Legends of American Country Show
Bedford Corn Exchange @ 7.30pm
Tickets: £23.50
Now seen by over 350,000 fans live and watched by millions on TV Europe’s No.1 multi-award-winning show ”The Legends of American Country” returns for another fantastic night of toe-tapping Country nostalgia.
The 2023 tour will showcase highly acclaimed tributes to Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash, Don Williams, Patsy Cline and Kenny Rogers and new tributes to icons Hank Williams, Charley Pride, Glen Campbell, Tammy Wynette, John Denver and Jim Reeves with countless other well-known singalong hit songs in this must-see musical extravaganza.
The show features 4 fantastic singers who are all accompanied by a superb live band of musicians with that authentic Tennessee sound coupled with an authentic stage set and state-of-the-art production that will transport you all the way hand clapping and toe-tapping to Nashville and back in one night.
One thing is for sure if it’s Country music you like then this is the only show in town!
Until April 2023
Art and culture: Changing Times: A century of modern British art
The Higgins Bedford
Free entry
Some of the most well-loved British artists of the 20th and 21st centuries feature in a new exhibition at the Higgins Bedford on Castle Lane this autumn.
From Eric Ravilious, Edward Bawden and Paul Nash to Elisabeth Frink, David Hockney and Lucian Freud, the exhibition brings together some of the biggest names in British art, and explores its history since the 20th century.
Changing Times: A Century of Modern British Art is the first large-scale exhibition since the post-pandemic reopening of The Higgins Bedford.
Read more: David Hockney and Lucian Freud shine in new Higgins autumn exhibition
Theatre highlights by Paula Walker
