things to do in February 5

Be entertained

Immerse yourself

Bristol Old Vic Theatre School is bringing Shakespeare’s As You Like It to the Malcolm X Community Centre from 9 –11 February.

Banished by her power-hungry uncle, a disguised Rosalind – and her cousin Celia – find solace in the Forest of Arden, which is occupied by a bohemian community of New Age Travellers led by Rosalind’s father, Duke Senior. The forest provides a magical playground for self-exploration and transformation, where its inhabitants are liberated from an establishment intent on cracking down on free parties and rave culture.

Set against a backdrop of post-Thatcherism and accompanied by a throbbing acid house soundtrack, Shakespeare’s poetic and punchy ode to love and identity is transformed by Bristol Old Vic Theatre School.

• Book your ticket at: oldvic.ac.uk

A Cadbury House favourite and one of its most popular events is back on 3 February with a Murder Mystery Night. To set the scene: it is 1941. While the might of the German army wages war across Europe, British intelligence is hard at work to develop a weapon that will aid the invasion by sea onto the beaches of France. Many prototypes have been tested, but most have failed miserably. Now it is the turn of The Great Panjandrum, and such is the interest in this machine of destruction that Churchill himself will witness the tests.

An advance party from army intelligence is in the town, ensuring that all is ready. However, when the whole world is at war, you can never be too sure who is your friend or your deadly enemy. Unfortunately for some people, by the time they have worked out the dilemma, they will already be dead...

• Enjoy a three-course dinner with coffee or tea and entertainment until midnight; £45. For more information, visit: cadburyhotelbristol.co.uk

Watch

A conservative family in Pakistan is torn apart when a son falls in love with a transgender erotic dancer, in director Saim Sadiq’s riveting queer drama, Joyland

Set in bustling Lahore, the Ranases are, on the surface, a functional, patriarchal family. The household is made up of Abbas, the elderly father, the older brother, Saleem and his wife Nucchi, and younger brother Haider and his wife Mumtaz. Much to the embarrassment of his traditional father, Haider is the one in his relationship who stays at home, whilst Mumtaz goes to work at the salon every day –a job that she loves. When Haider gets a job in an erotic theatre as a backup dancer for trans starlet, Biba, and starts secretly dating her, everything changes, and the cracks that have always been there, tear the family apart.

Joyland has made history by being the first feature film from Pakistan to make it on to the Academy Awards shortlist and the first film by a Pakistani director to win at the Cannes Film Festival. Malala Yousefzai signed on as Executive Producer and actress Alina Khan was the first transgender actor from Pakistan to have walked the Cannes red carpet.

• Enjoy a preview of Joyland at Watershed on 24 February: watershed.co.uk

Enjoy

Dine out

Dine in style this Valentine’s Day at The Second Floor Restaurant in Harvey Nichols Bristol and make your day a special one.

Enjoy a glass of champagne on arrival, followed by canapés and a three course menu. Available from 11 –14 February from 6pm, celebrate the most romantic time of the year at Harvey Nichols.

• To book, visit: harveynichols.com

Following the success of last year’s inaugural GLOW Festival in Weston-super-Mare, the enchanting event is back in 2023 to light up the town with a dazzling array of illuminated artworks and performance.

A new, expanded programme, funded by Arts Council England, the National Lottery Community Fund and Weston-super-Mare Town Council, will see the event shine bigger and brighter in the town's Grove Park and additional town centre locations.

Over four evenings during February half term, visitors to GLOW can expect to be enthralled by stunning light displays, interactive activities and sensory experiences suitable for all the family –from nationally-acclaimed installations and new showcase commissions to a shining community programme of local, creative talent.

• Book your tickets at: cultureweston.org.uk