COMEDY
Luisa Omielan
March 15
Watford Palace Theatre
Luisa Omielan is a comedic force of nature. The first stand-up to receive a BAFTA Breakthrough accolade, with four consecutive smash hit shows, she is credited with creating ‘genre-defining’ one-woman shows. In 2024, Luisa will return with a brand-new touring show: Bitter. Luisa’s fans know she is incredible, hilarious, life-changing, and a superstar, but she’s also endured years of being told she’s too loud, too crass, and too emotional. But following the rules hasn’t worked for her…
EVENT
Great British Dog Walk
March 24
Munden Estate
There will be abundant waggy tails and wet noses at the Munden Estate near Watford on 24 March, when hundreds of dog walkers gather to raise money for a national charity Hearing Dogs for Deaf People. The walk, which Specsavers Audiologists support, is the first of 13 similar events to be held in picturesque locations across the UK as part of one of the charity’s most important annual fundraisers, the Great British Dog Walk. By taking part in either the 3km or 6km sponsored dog walk, people will be helping to train more incredible hearing dogs to alert partners to life-saving and important sounds and help them reconnect with life.
THEATRE
Love from Carmen
March 7-23
Chickenshed
Chickenshed’s new production, Love from Carmen, is set in a not-so-distant future where Carmen, a rebel refugee by circumstance, takes centre stage every evening in the Refugee Camp Circus. Carmen distracts the guards, but can she lead her fellow residents to freedom? Bizet’s original Carmen explores themes with newly developed arrangements and a rap dialogue. Tickets from £8.
COMEDY
Daliso Chaponda
March 9
Artsdepot
Malawian-born stand-up Daliso Chaponda did his first solo show, ‘Feed This Black Man’, 20 years ago in Canada, which saw him dissect the way Africans were always portrayed as starving, negative stereotypes that were all supported by charities. In this brand-new show
Daliso mulls over the wisdom of age. Wouldn’t you love a chance to have your first relationship again? Be employed at your first job, but stand up to your boss this time? This show has the same themes as ‘Feed This Man’ (written when he was extremely thin!) but with brand new jokes.
FILM
Argylle
March 1-7
Odyssey
Bryce Dallas Howard is Elly Conway, the reclusive author of a series of best-selling espionage novels, whose idea of bliss is a night at home with her computer and her cat, Alfie. But when the plots of Elly’s fictional books – which centre on secret agent Argylle (Henry Cavill) and his mission to unravel a global spy syndicate – begin to mirror the covert actions of a real-life spy organisation, quiet evenings at home become a thing of the past.
St Albans Festival of Film
March 16-17
The Alban Arena
St Albans Festival of Film will celebrate British film and TV history presented by Renown Pictures and Talking Pictures TV with celebrity hosts, guests, stalls, and exclusive show offers – look out for Neil Brand, Britt Ekland, Rick Wakeman, and even Hartley Hare. This is a must for all-screen aficionados who love nothing more than settling down to watch some British classic.
Mother’s Day
March 10
Sopwell House
This Mother’s Day, treat the Mum in your life to a day of dining delight and entertainment at Sopwell House. From Afternoon Tea in Omboo, with champagne and a gift for Mother, or popular three-course Sunday lunch in the Brasserie, to live entertainment with a Michael Buble tribute act in their fabulous St Alban Suite, enjoyed over Afternoon Tea, they have Mother’s Day treats covered this year.
COLUMN
Picture this
UH Arts + Culture is hosting a touring exhibition of the World Illustration Awards 2023
From book covers to newspapers, packaging to murals, illustration is the visual language of everyday life. This touring exhibition of the World Illustration Awards, running until 22 March, celebrates the engaging art form with a diverse range of styles, materials, and topics – featuring an extraordinary range of illustration practices.
The World Illustration Awards are the illustration industry’s most prestigious showcase of the very best work being made by emerging talent and professional illustrators across the globe today. UH Arts + Culture is thrilled to bring this exciting touring exhibition to campus, containing over 40 works of art from Category Winners, Overall Winners, and Highly Commended projects.
The Association of Illustrators has run a juried illustration competition since 1976. The latest incarnation, the World Illustration Awards, in partnership with the Directory of Illustration, has been going strong and growing since 2015. WIA supports and celebrates creativity internationally by connecting illustrators with their peers and the global illustration industry.
There are ten award categories: Advertising, Animation, Book Covers, Children’s Publishing, Design, Product & Packaging, Editorial, Exploration, Publishing, Science and Technology, and Site Specific. The call for entries runs from December to February in each award year.
