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Thursday 29 March Kazuo Ishiguro // Never Let Me Go
Thursday 26 April Francoise Sagan // Bonjour Tristesse
Thursday 31 May Marcel Proust // Remembrance of Things Past
Friday 22 June Fyodor Dostoyevsky // The Brothers Karamazov
Thursday 27 September John Fowles // The French Lieutenant’s Woman
Thursday 25 October Jane Austen // Pride and Prejudice
Thursday 29 November Boris Pasternak // Dr Zhivago
Thursday 13 December Rudyard Kipling // The Jungle Book
£6.50 Book four or more lectures for £5.50 each
Gary Barlow announced that he will embark on a solo tour of the UK kicking off in April 2018, playing 33 dates in 24 intimate venues.
The tour will see Gary play intimate venues across the UK and Ireland including some never visited before. The last time Gary played a string of venues this size, demand was so high he could have sold certain venues out six times over!
"I had such a lot of fun back in 2013 when I played those smaller venues because you’re so much closer to the fans" says Gary of his forthcoming tour. "The audience always seem to love the intimacy of it all too. I’m also really looking forward to playing in a couple of cities I’ve never played before as well as getting a chance to meet the fans there."
Gary last toured as a solo artist in 2014 to acclaim from fans and critics alike, playing some of the biggest venues he had ever played as a solo artist including The O2 London, Birmingham LG Arena, Glasgow The SSE Hydro and Manchester Arena.
Gary Barlow is a British singer-songwriter and record producer who found worldwide fame as a member of British pop group Take That. Since forming in 1989 Take That have won eight BRIT awards, sold over 45 million records and over eight million concert tickets.
Gary is one of Britain’s most successful songwriters, having written 14 Number One singles as well as being a six-time recipient of an Ivor Novello Award. Aside from his achievements with Take That, he has also co-written and produced music for other renowned artists including Dame Shirley Bassey, Sir Elton John and Robbie Williams. Gary’s last solo record Since I Saw You Last sold more than 600,000 copies and was the ninth biggest selling album that year. In more recent years, Gary has also turned his attention to the world of theatre, composing the score for the hugely successful production Finding Neverland, working alongside screenwriter Tim Firth to write the music and lyrics for musical The Girls and also working alongside his Take That band mates to produce The Band, a record breaking musical featuring the music of Take That.
Maximum four tickets per person.
6.30pm doors - please note this is the time De Montfort Hall opens, not the start of the show.
No under 16s in the standing area. Under 16s must be accompanied by an adult.
Broadway glamour and toe-tapping tunes in an all-Gershwin extravaganza - Rhapsody in Blue, Shall we Dance, Lady be Good, But Not For Me, S’Wonderful, I Got Rhythm, Lets’ Call the Whole Thing Off, Summertime, A Foggy Day in London Town, They Can’t Take That Away From Me, The Man I Love and Strike Up the Band.
Katie Birtill guest singer
Rodney Earl Clarke guest singer
Viv McLean piano
Richard Balcombe conductor
London Concert Orchestra
Plus a glamorous ballroom duo and two sensational tap dancers.
Cream teas available 1pm and 2pm £6
Tickets £39 £34 £28
Groups of 10+ £31.50 £27.50 £22.70
The Waterboys return with their seven piece band, for the second leg of their current UK tour in support of their new critically acclaimed double album Out Of All This Blue, which entered the UK album charts at number eight, their highest chart position since 1993.
Ever since Mike Scott first brought The Waterboys to public attention their career has been marked by storied departures. Staking out bold, new territory with fresh approaches and inspirational collaborators has been the defining factor of Scott’s creative flow.
"A rich feast of country, soul and down home Rock n Roll." Q Magazine
"A perfect anecdote to end-of summer ennui." Sunday Express
"A triumph of both hope and experience." Mail On Sunday
"Mike Scott in flying form." Irish Times
"The best Waterboys album in decades, if not ever." Sunday Independent (Ireland)
"A sparkling pop tour de force." Elmore Magazine
"The album is loaded with future Waterboys classics." Daily Mirror
"Scott has his song-writing mojo in full swing…a wonderful return to form." Hot Press
Please note: the format for this show has changed, there will be no support and The Waterboys will be on stage from 8pm.
Tickets £41 £36.50
LEGACY OF A MAESTRO: Saturday 25 November
James Oldfield soloist
SARGENT Impressions on a Windy Day
GILBERT & SULLIVAN Song selection with James Oldfield (including The Policeman’s song, Major General and Pirate King from Pirates of Penzance and When I went to the Bar as a very young man from Iolanthe)
SULLIVAN Overtures
BORODIN/SARGENT Nocturne
BACH/SARGENT Air on a G String
BRITTEN (Purcell Variations) the Young Persons's Guide to the Orchestra
Pre-concert talk with Sam Dobson, LSO, and Sir Malcolm Sargent.
There will be an opportunity to attend an open rehearsal for this concert at Stamford Barn Hill Methodist Church on Sunday 24 September from 4pm to 5pm and join the LSO for tea – (Supported by Big lottery celebration fund). See the LSO website for more details: http://www.leicestersymphonyorchestra.co.uk/index.htm
ANIMAL ANTICS: Sunday 25 February
In association with John Ghent and The Little Theatre.
A family concert featuring:
Peter and the Wolf
ROSSINI William Tell Overture
GRIEG In the Hall of the Mountain King
RIMSKY-KORSAKOV Flight of the Bumble Bee
Plus music from films and TV, including Jaws, Harry Potter, Born Free and Paddington.
REVOLUTIONARY RUSSIANS: Saturday 19 May
Concert sponsored by Chris Shrawley
Simon Callaghan soloist
SHOSTAKOVICH Festive Overture
MUSSORGSKY Night on a Bare Mountain
MEDTNER Piano Concerto No.3
TCHAIKOVSKY Symphony No.3
Pre-concert talk at 6.30pm
Hey people! It's Tim Vine back on tour, telling lots of silly new jokes, showing off new homemade props, singing some new daft ditties, and all with the appearance of confidence.
The following subjects will be touched upon briefly: pixie football, ice cream and nibble feeders. Come along, sit down, and laugh. The quantity won't let up. This is comedy without a message. What an odd person. What a lot of nonsense. What else is he going to do? 'Sunsets are in the sky, milk's nice, and I’m an idiot.
"A symphony of silly." The Times
Tickets £25
Suitable for ages 12+
One of our most loved pop icons, Marti Pellow, will be coming to De Montfort Hall as part of The Private Collection Tour. The tour celebrates 30 years in the industry, including number ones and hit singles from his many albums as both a solo artist and with Wet Wet Wet.
How special is it that we have a singer songwriter that has a career that spans decades, oh and let's not forget he sang Love Is All Around (a little attempt at sarcasm creeping in there) which stayed at the top of the charts and gave him the longest stay at number one for a British artist? What a great accolade to have along with dozens of gold and platinum selling records from all over the world, which sit in a cupboard held open by his Brit award...
Marti Pellow is not a singer songwriter that is about yesterday or today, he strives to be about tomorrow and that is why he has longevity in his career and continues to push himself; be it on a Broadway stage, writing a new musical, making new records, starring in the West End or touring - all of this ties together for him - and its all about the music.
Marti said: “Playing live is about sharing a connection with your audience; be that with singing old songs, new songs, borrowed songs - I don’t care where the songs come from - it's about having the best night out - pure and simple. I was just blown away by the amazing response from fans after we did our big concert tour earlier this year – and then exactly the same response after we did a couple of our Private Collection shows in a much more intimate setting – and I thought – if you all really loved those shows - then I want to come out and play these great songs and more for you. I want to hear my audience singing and laughing with me and walking away that night knowing me just that bit better.”
After the success of his last tour, Marti put together the new concert idea of The Private Collection show. He showcased it to sold-out evenings at The Stables in Wavendon and such was their success Marti decided to turn this show into a UK wide tour in 2018.
Marti said: “Here’s a show for those that just would love to hear an extraordinary evening of music – from the hits you love the most, with massive brass-driven soul numbers to intimate acoustic ballads – and maybe a wee bit of chat along the way. We’ve got everything you love!”
Tickets £44 £41
James Bay is set to release his much anticipated second album, Electric Light in May, following up on his internationally acclaimed, multi-million selling, BRIT and Ivor-winning, triple Grammy nominated debut, Chaos & The Calm (2015). The release is accompanied by newly announced UK tour dates!
Aspiring to push his own musical boundaries with Electric Light, Bay notes: “If I had to describe my first album visually it would probably be a flame - while this new album is about a real sonic and artistic evolution for me. The feeling of a 100 watt bulb expanding and brightening is what I envisioned. Electric Light came to my mind and I knew it was perfect.”
Message from James Bay:
“To help combat ticket touts and make sure my fans get tickets first (not the touts!), the name of the lead booker will be printed on all tickets across the tour. Your party must arrive together and the lead booker will be required to present ID that matches the name on the tickets.
I’ve partnered with Twickets, a face value or less ticket resale platform, on this show so fans can buy and sell tickets safely and securely.
Hope to see you there. J x”
Tickets £31
Maximum four tickets per person.
No under 16s in the standing area. Under 16s must be accompanied by an adult.
Tickets will not be sent out until two weeks before the concert date.
See the iconic, world famous Teletubbies in their first ever theatre show created especially for your little ones.
Join Tinky Winky, Dipsy, Laa-Laa and Po in a show full of love and laughter as they explore the magical world of Teletubbyland. Look out for the Tubby Phone, Noo-noo and Sun Baby in a fun, bright and safe world which captures young children’s imaginations and encourages them to explore the world around them. Join in and enjoy beloved features from the TV series along with brand new songs.
www.TeletubbiesLive.com
#My1sttheatreshow
#TeletubbiesLive
#BigHugs
Tickets £21.50 £16.50 £14.50
Carer scheme available, receive a free companion ticket
Family of two £38 £28 £25
Family of three £55 £40 £36
Family of four £68 £52 £45
Suitable for children aged 7 and under.
Babes in arms policy for this show
Children aged 0 - 6 months are free of charge and do not require a ticket.
Tickets must be purchased for children over 6 months.
in association with Oadby & Wigston Lions Club
Stage and Screen Spectacular!
In aid of East Midlands Congenital Heart Centre Children’s Heart Hospital Relocation
Compered by Martin Ballard from BBC Radio Leicester
David Calow conductor
Jenny Saunders soprano
David Morris tenor
Tickets
£10 £12.50 £15
Senior concessions £8.50 £11 £13.50
NUS/18s and Under £3
Family ticket 2 adults and 2 children £20 £24 £29
Family ticket 1 adult and 3 children £16 £18 £20
Tickets £101.50 £76.50 £56.50 £51.50 £46.50 £36.50
Doors to the auditorium will be open from 6pm.
Prepare to experience the distinct sound of one the greatest bands to have ever graced the stage in this unforgettable concert spectacular. Immerse yourself in the brothers’ music through the sixties, seventies and eighties – including hits they wrote for artists such as Celine Dion, Diana Ross and Dolly Parton.
Join us for this breath-taking concert spectacular, taking you on a musical journey through all your favourite songs, including: Night Fever, Stayin’ Alive, More Than A Woman, You Should Be Dancing, How Deep is Your Love?, Jive Talkin’, Tragedy, Massachusetts, Words, I’ve Got to Get a Message to You, Too Much Heaven, Islands in the Stream, Grease, If I Can’t Have You and many more!
This fabulously authentic production ensures the Gibb brothers’ incredible legacy of classic hit songs is well and truly stayin’ alive.
Tickets £28 £26
Buy nine get 10th ticket free
Carer scheme available, receive a free companion ticket.
The Searchers
The Merseybeats
The Fortunes
PJ Proby
Love Affair’s - Steve Ellis
Vanity Fare
Following last years’ successful tour, Sixties Gold returns with an even stronger line-up of artists that, between them, scored over 50 UK Top 30 hits.
With a career spanning six decades, The Searchers now embark upon what will be their ‘Farewell 60s’ tour. It all began in Liverpool, where they were tipped to be as big as The Beatles, The Searchers spent 128 weeks in the charts, with sales of more than 50 million, including three massive UK No.1 hits.
The Merseybeats. Another success story from the Liverpool, Merseybeat boom years. Great memorable hit records including; Sorrow, I Think of You, and Wishin’ and Hopin’.
Following on in the wake of Merseybeat, The Fortunes added another dimension to the sound of the classic pop song. With hits including; You’ve Got Your Troubles and Here It Comes Again, The Fortunes remain one of the UK’s premier harmony groups.
This will be ponytailed P.J. Proby’s final tour. His controversial trouser splitting shocked the nation and in 1964 and was the Melody Maker teen idol award winner. His hit records spent 91 weeks in the charts.
Steve Ellis, the original lead vocalist and founder of Love Affair who had five Top 20 singles, including their No. 1 Everlasting Love.
Finally, Vanity Fare, scored with three top 20 hits in the late sixties, including their catchy ‘Hitchin’ A Ride.
Re-live the magic of the 1960s with six of the biggest chart acts of the decade. Get your tickets by calling the box office or book online.
Tickets £36.50
Restricted view £34
Carer scheme available, receive a free companion ticket
Calendar Girls The Musical is based on the story of the calendar girls – a group of ordinary ladies who achieved something extraordinary.
This marvellous musical comedy, which received fantastic five star reviews in London’s West End, now comes to Leicester with an all-star cast.
The Times described Calendar Girls The Musical as ‘pure gold’. Don’t miss your chance to see this glorious production, straight from London’s West End.
“You’ll cry with laughter.” The Daily Mail
“This is a soaring, emotional and hilarious triumph.” The Sun
“It’s gorgeous...it’s a beaut.” The Telegraph
“A gloriously fun celebration... make a date now to see the girls...it is riotously brilliant.” The Mirror
Friday 7.30pm and Saturday 2pm 7.30pm
£49 £45 £41
Tuesday to Friday 7.30pm
£45 £41 £37
Wednesday and Thursday 2pm
£33.50 £27.50 £21
Group booking offer available Monday to Thursday only
They have even inspired a musical, the play and film Sunshine on Leith. The musical has its fourth UK run from April to June this year, with its biggest production to date by West Yorkshire Playhouse. 2018 also marks the 30th anniversary since the release of the Sunshine On Leith album.
August sees The Proclaimers add to their magnificent songbook with the release of their 11th studio album and another UK tour from July to December.
Tickets £34
Carer scheme available, receive a free companion ticket
Iconic British band Soul II Soul are embarking on a landmark tour of the UK marking 30 years of hugely influential success, and paying tribute to their legendary debut album, Club Classics Vol 1.
The double Grammy Award winning and five-time Brit Award nominated band will be stopping off in Leicester for the tour, which features a stunning production.
With huge hits including Keep On Movin (which sold over a million copies in the US alone) and the UK number one single Back To Life (However Do You Want Me), Soul II Soul progressed from being one of the leaders of the 1980s warehouse scene to pioneering British black music around the world, and securing commercial success for themselves and the huge amount of artists they have influenced.
During the course of their stellar career the band have sold over 10 million albums worldwide and main man Jazzie B was awarded an OBE for services to music in 2008, as well as winning an Ivor Novello Award for Inspiration, as “the man who gave British black music a soul of its own”.
Tickets £34 £30 £28
Carer scheme available, receive a free companion ticket
No under 16s in the standing area. Under 16s must be accompanied by an adult.
7pm doors - please note this is the time De Montfort Hall opens, not the start of the show.
The legendary Joanna Lumley will embark on her first ever live tour, It's All About Me, in autumn 2018.
Joanna will take audiences through her hilarious and interesting adventures from her incredible career spanning more than four decades, recounting some never heard before stories. She will also be joined on stage by friend and producer Clive Tulloh, who will put to Joanna questions from the audience that they’ve always wanted to ask, making the show a unique and hilarious night to remember.
On announcing It’s All About Me, Joanna said: "The thought of this tour next year, travelling across the British Isles and Ireland, has completely taken over my waking hours. It’s utterly thrilling to start planning the stories I can tell, and the rapture (and gratitude, to be fair) with which I shall greet the audiences. Nothing like this has come my way before, and I may have to be dragged off with a hook at the end of each show. Oh people! This is especially for you from me, with masses of love. I think it will be fabulous."
Joanna Lumley icon, national treasure, activist, comedy actress and all-round top girl is barely off our TV screens and appears to have been a permanent fixture in our sitting rooms since she burst onto our screens as Purdey in the New Avengers in 1976. Now in a nationwide tour she will take us through the random journey that started in London in the swinging 60’s. Beginning as Jean Muir’s house model and muse, progressing to becoming a full-blown photographic model, featuring in knitting patterns, mini-skirts, toothpaste commercials and the occasional front cover.
From there Joanna will share her stories of her acting career that includes Coronation Street, On the Buses, Dracula and as a brainwashed Bond Girl in Blofeld’s lair in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. Joanna’s breakthrough role was as Purdey, a part for which over 800 girls auditioned. Purdey propelled her to instant fame and created one of the "must-have" hairstyles of the 1970s – the Purdey bob. She became a pin-up figure for a generation of British males who grew up watching her as the high-kicking action girl.
Alongside iconic hairstyles Joanna started to develop a nice side line as adventurer and activist; popping up all over the globe she was often seen gasping at the Northern Lights, turning her bra into espadrilles and finding the source of the Nile.
Then as Patsy Stone in Absolutely Fabulous she became a degenerate role-model for a generation. Winning two BAFTAs, Joanna emerged as one of the best comedy actresses of her generation. For 25 years the adventures of Patsy and Edina have sporadically lurched across our screens culminating in AbFab The Movie in 2016.
This intimate night with Joanna tells some of these tales and more as we gallop through almost 50 years in this business we call show.
Tickets £61 £41 £31
Deacon Blue are delighted to announce their 2018 Tour, To Be Here Someday, a celebration of 30 years of Deacon Blue.
The last five years have been something of a renaissance for the band, and a prolific surge of creativity that has spawned three new albums released in quick succession, including 2016’s studio album Believers, which became their highest charting album in 23 years. To Be Here Someday is a tour that celebrates the band’s entire career, and will see them play some of their biggest ever shows.
The tour’s title To Be Here Someday is a line from their iconic single Dignity and encapsulates the band’s hopes, their passion and joy in being able to share with their fans the biggest songs from throughout their career. As has become a feature of their live shows, they will present a set list that will change night by night but will always be full of classic Deacon Blue.
Tickets £41 £31
7pm doors - please note this is the time that the hall will be open and not necessarily the start time of the performance
Formed in the late 70s by Sheffield-based computer programmers Ian Craig Marsh and Martyn Ware, The Human League evolved into one of the seminal 80s electro pop bands. Fronted by former hospital porter, Philip Oakey – and featuring female vocalists Susan Ann Sulley and Joanne Catherall – the band have gone on to sell millions of records, inspired two generations of artists, written some of the all-time great classic pop songs, had #1’s across Europe and the US and yet still remain fiercely independent.
With Midge Ure's Band Electronica
Tickets £61.50 £41.50
No under 16s in the standing area. Under 16s must be accompanied by an adult.
7pm doors - please note this is the time De Montfort Hall opens, not the start of the show.
Music fans are invited to the biggest party of the year as the unstoppable Magic of Motown show steams into town!
Seen by over a million people, it's no surprise that the show is one of the biggest success stories in British theatre history, even performing for Her Majesty the Queen, as special guests at the Royal Variety Performance.
Prepare yourself for 40 back-to-back classic Motown hits, glittering costume changes, dazzling dance moves and outstanding musicianship in this explosive concert experience.
Celebrate the sound of a generation as the timeless music of Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder, The Temptations, The Supremes, The Four Tops, Martha Reeves, Jackson 5, Smokey Robinson and more, are sensationally recreated for you by an exceptionally talented cast and band.
This breath-taking concert spectacular takes you on a musical journey through all your favourite songs, including: Ain’t No Mountain, Signed Sealed Delivered, Grapevine, Get Ready, Dancing In The Streets, My Girl, Blame It On The Boogie, Uptight, Endless Love, My Cherie Amor, All Night Long, Heatwave and many, many more.
This is a tribute show and is no way affiliated with any original artists/estates/management companies or similar shows.
Tickets £27.50 £25.50
Buy nine get 10th ticket free
Carers scheme available, receive a free companion ticket
So it's time to prepare yourselves for two amazing shows with Horrible Histories live on stage! Using actors and ground-breaking 3D special effects, these two astounding shows are guaranteed to thrill you and your children. Historical figures and events will come alive on stage and hover at your fingertips!
Terrible Tudors
From the horrible Henries to the end of evil Elizabeth, hear the legends (and the lies!) about the torturing Tudors. Find out the fate of Henry's headless wives and his punch up with the Pope. Meet Bloody Mary and see Ed fall dead in his bed. Survive the Spanish Armada as it sails into the audience!
So it's time to prepare yourselves for two amazing shows with Horrible Histories live on stage! Using actors and ground-breaking 3D special effects, these two astounding shows are guaranteed to thrill you and your children. Historical figures and events will come alive on stage and hover at your fingertips!
Awful Egyptians
From the fascinating Pharaohs to the power of the pyramids, discover the foul facts of death and decay with the meanest mummies in Egypt. Are you ready to rumble with Ramesses the Great? Dare you enter through the Gates of the Afterlife? It's the history of Egypt with the nasty bits left in!