Ten things to see in Sussex, August 10-17

Looking for ideas about what do over the next seven days? Here are ten of the best events.
Elio Pace will perform the hits of Elvis Presley at Horsham's Capitol on August 16Elio Pace will perform the hits of Elvis Presley at Horsham's Capitol on August 16
Elio Pace will perform the hits of Elvis Presley at Horsham's Capitol on August 16

1. Mamma Mia! The UK Tour.

August 15 to September 3, Brighton Centre, King’s Road, Brighton, 0844 847 1515, brightoncentre.co.uk. More than 60 million people around the world have fallen in love with the characters, the story and the ABBA tunes that make Mamma Mia! the ultimate feel-good show. Writer Catherine Johnson’s sunny, funny tale unfolds on a Greek island paradise. On the eve of her wedding, a daughter’s quest to discover the identity of her father brings three men from her mother’s past back to the island they last visited 20 years ago.

2. Chichester International Film Festival.

Until August 27. Last summer, the Chichester International Film Festival marked its first 25 years in style. This year, artistic director Roger Gibson has created another exciting programme. There will be a John Hurt retrospective with films including The Naked Civil Servant, The Shout, Elephant Man, The Hit, Scandal, The Field, Englishman In New York and That Good Night. Another retrospective will look back over the work of Tilda Swinton, from Orlando to John Berger and A Bigger Splash with a supporting illustrated talk. The opening film will be Hotel Salvation, which Roger describes as an Indian version of Marigold Hotel. Another key film will be Blood And Glory, which is set during the Anglo-Boer War. Roger is promising premières, previews and new releases from UK distributors, plus European premieres from European sales agents and distributors. In the independent low-budget section, there will be feature films, documentaries and animation selected from personal submissions from film-makers and festival sites (FreeFilmway) with particular interest from Eastern and Western Europe. Another strand will be Focus On The Documentary with premieres of feature-length documentaries from around the world; plus also French cinema in partnership with the French Institute: a selection of unreleased (in the UK) French films. The festival is based at the Chichester Cinema. Visit www.chichestercinema.org or call 01243 786650.

3. Horsham Battle of the Bands 2017.

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The line-ups for the heats in the Originals category of this year’s Horsham Battle of the Bands have been announced. The heats are on August 13 and 18 at Horsham Sports Club, Cricket Field Road, Horsham, from 7pm. Three bands from each heat will go through to the Originals final during the Festival Weekend in the Human Nature Garden, Horsham Park, on Saturday and Sunday, August 19-20. Heat one – August 13: Ichiro, Soho Dukes, The Unblessed, Luna Blue, Squibs, Mannaforra, Leave The Engine Running. Heat two – August 18: Juxta, Five Rounds Rapid, Hydrocele, Perfume, Echium, Isles, Numskull. Entry to the heats is free, while tickets for the weekend are on sale now at www.horshambotb.co.uk or can be purchased on the gate.

4. Dirty Dancing.

August 14-19, £37.50-£46.50, 7.30pm (Saturday matinee 2.30pm), The Hawth Theatre, Crawley, 01293 553636. It’s the summer of 1963, and 17 year- old Frances ‘Baby’ Houseman is about to learn some major lessons in life, as well as a thing or two about dancing. On holiday in New York’s Catskill Mountains with her older sister and parents, she shows little interest in the resort activities, and instead discovers her own entertainment when she stumbles across an all-night dance party at the staff quarters. Mesmerised by the raunchy dance moves, Baby can’t wait to be part of the scene, especially when she catches sight of Johnny Castle the resort dance instructor.

5. Play In A Week – The Twits.

Monday to Friday, August 14-18, 10.30am-3.30pm, £85 (£75 for Sway/Perform), The Hawth, Crawley, 01923 553636. Roald Dahl’s tale of the horrible Mr and Mrs Twit, a hideous, vindictive, spiteful couple who live together in a brick house without windows. They continuously play practical jokes on each other out of hatred, but will they get what they deserve in the end? Sarah from The Hawth’s Youth Theatre leads week-long workshops for 10-15 year olds who will work together to bring Dahl’s classic to the stage in a performance for family and friends on Friday at 4pm (tickets cost £5).

6. La Cage Aux Folles.

August 15-26, Theatre Royal, Brighton, 0844 871 7650. Based on the French play of the same name, La Cage Aux Folles (top circular picture) follows the story of Georges, the manager of a Saint Tropez nightclub, and his partner Albin, a drag artist and the club’s star attraction. They live an idyllic existence, but behind the curtains all may be about to change when Georges’ son Jean-Michel announces his engagement to the daughter of a notorious politician determined to close down the local nightlife.

7. Elio Pace presents Elvis Presley.

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August 16, 8pm, £23.50, The Capitol, Horsham, 01403 750220, www.thecapitolhorsham.com. August 16, 1977, was the day that the King of Rock ’n’ Roll died. To mark the 40th anniversary of that day, Elio honours his childhood idol with a personal and powerful performance featuring many Elvis Presley classics, as well as some rarely-heard and forgotten gems.

8. Morgan M-James.

August 17, £5, 7.30pm, Komedia, 44-47 Gardner Street, Brighton, 0845 293 8480. The up-and-coming acoustic pop star (bottom circular picture) performs live with his full band.

9. Summer exhibition.

Arundel Museum, Mill Road, Arundel, www.arundelmuseum.org. Now in its third year and gaining much interest, this special exhibition features the GCSE and A-level artworks created by students aged 16-18 from West Sussex Schools. More than 80 pieces on display until August 28.

10. Krater Comedy Club.

Thursday to Sunday, August 17-20, 7.30pm/ 8pm/ 10.45pm, Komedia, Brighton, 0845 293 8480. Award-winning comedy with top international and UK comedians. Acts can include: Dan Evans, Jack Howie, Mark Cram, Stefano Paolini, MC Stephen Grant, Andrew Bird, Robin Morgan, Danielle Ward, Jeff Innocent and Keith Crater. Check the website – www.komedia.co.uk/brighton – to see who’s performing each night.

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