WHAT’S ON Four pages of unmissable, but possibly due to be

20 March -20 April WHAT’S ON Bring it on, spring…

If you thought you’d seen the last of The Pelican Daughters, you almost have

ART Until 22 March PACITA ABAD: LIFE IN THE MARGINS Characterised by bright colours and intricate construction, Abad’s fi rst UK exhibition reveals a pluralist approach to image making across cultures, histories and styles. At Spike Island; spikeisland.org.uk

AMAK MAHMOODIAN: ZANJIR An imagined photographic conversation between Bristol-based Amak Mahmoodian and the Persian princess Taj al-Saltaneh that explores universal themes of family, loss and homesickness.At Arnolfi ni; arnolfi ni.org.uk

INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITION 162 The world’s longest running photography exhibition at Royal Photographic Society features 43 international photographers and centres on themes of spirituality, identity, inclusion and the environment. At RPS; rps.org

Until 31 March ART OF WALES Lime Tree Gallery are bringing the artistic talent of Wales to Bristol, featuring work by selection of painters, sculptors and ceramicists. Tidy; limetreegallery.com

Until 19 April DO YOU BELIEVE IN MAGIC? From ancient uses of witchcraft to the role superstition plays in the modern mind, Bristol Museum explores how magic has been used to heal, hunt and harm down the ages; bristolmuseums.org.uk

Until 26 April ANGELICA MESITI: ASSEMBLY A large-scale video installation that imagines a community of movement, poetry and song. At Arnolfi ni; arnolfi ni.org.uk

Until 4 May WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR EXHIBITION

Wild things; we think we love you. The world-renowned photography exhibition continues at M Shed. bristolmuseums.org.uk

Until 24 May WILHELMINA BARNSGRAHAM AND THE ARTISTS OF ST IVES RWA’s spring season presents two exhibitions respectively exploring the work of Wilhelmina Barns-Graham and her peers; rwa.org.uk

25 March – 23 May CHRIS KILLIP: THE STATION A photo documentation of the anarcho-punk movement taken at The Station. At Martin Parr Foundation; martinparrfoundation.org

28 March – April 1 EARTH BODIES Earth Bodies celebrates and encourages a sustainable practice within contemporary art with a showcase of young artists’ responses to the current crisis of environmental neglect. At Centrespace Gallery; centrespacegallery.com 1– 28 April NO LIMITS A photographic celebration of active ageing with an outdoor exhibition in Castle Park; activeageingbristol.co.uk

2 – 25 April GLOUCESTER ROAD PHOTOGRAPHIC EXHIBITION The photographic exhibition of the mighty Glo Road kicks off with the launch of Colin Moody’s latest book, with a speech and signings from the man himself at Alchemy 198’s Downstairs Gallery; alchemy198.co.uk

10 April – 21 June SQUARING THE CIRCLE OF CONFUSION Taking its inspiration from pictorialism, the latest exhibition at RPS shows how photography has evolved as an artform, combining historical infl uences with today’s technology and approaches to photography; rps.org

18 – 29 April SECRET POSTCARD EXHIBITION Listen up; the RWA Secret Postcard

© MANUEL HARLAN

ABOVE: A female Faust strikes a more altruistic bargain than her male predecessors

LEFT: Police Cops’ ’90s inspired comedy blockbuster at TFT

BELOW: Glacier Knot by Wilhelmina BarnsGraham

Exhibition off ers you the chance to view all of the miniature artworks up close and to place some early bids before the actual auction event. At RWA; rwa.org.uk

SHOWS Until 21 March WHO’S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF? A new production of Edward Albee’s celebrated domestic bitchfest (review page 67) Unsettling, claustrophobic and darkly funny, it’s ideally suited to the Factory Theatre’s intimate setting; tobaccofactorytheatres.com

FAUSTUS: THAT DAMNED WOMAN A controversial new take on the ultimate deal with the devil continues at Bristol Old Vic. And Faustus is female; bristololdvic.org.uk

Until 28 March THE RED LION In a world removed from the wealth and television cameras, a nonleague team are struggling to make ends meet. So when a gifted young player arrives out of nowhere, it’s the opportunity everyone’s been waiting for. At BOV; bristololdvic.org.uk

DOCTOR DRACULA This new immersive theatre project at Ashton Court integrates actors' performances with fi lm projection and live music and explores the links between mythology, culture and medicine, with the aim of raising the profi le of rare and treatable medical conditions; four-of-swords.com

24 March – 4 April THE KING AND I Set in 1860s Bangkok, the musical tells the story of the relationship that develops between the King of Siam and governess Anna, who is brought to Siam to teach the king’s many wives and children. At Bristol Hippodrome; atgtickets.com

25 – 26 March FIJI Nick and Sam have a date this weekend, and if things go well, it will be the fi rst and last time they will ever see each other. You see, Nick wants to eat Sam – and Sam really wants to be eaten. Yup, this cannibalistic rom-com is pretty much as taboo as they come. At The Wardrobe; thewardrobetheatre.com 26 – 27 March BEST OF BE FESTIVAL 2020 An all-female line up of companies from Belgium, Switzerland and Hungary will showcase snapshots of storytelling, dance, physical theatre all in one evening; tobaccofactorytheatres.com

27 – 28 March A GIRL IN SCHOOL UNIFORM (WALKS INTO A BAR) It’s the future. But only slightly. There are blackouts. No one knows what’s causing them, but that doesn’t stop people going missing and Steph and Bell, a schoolgirl and barmaid, have to search for their missing friend. At The Wardrobe; thewardrobetheatre.com

POLICE COPS: BADASS BE THY NAME In a gritty northern town in 1999, complete with a ’90s rave soundtrack, a kitchen sink drama turns into a vampire-slaying horror epic. At Tobacco Factory Theatres; tobaccofactorytheatres.com

30 March – 4 April COULROPHOBIA Dik and Adam are clowns. They couldn’t fi ght their way out of a paper bag, let alone a surreal cardboard world. Why are they there and what are they supposed to be doing? Join them on their quest for freedom at The Wardrobe; thewardrobetheatre.com

1 – 4 April THE YEOMEN OF THE GUARD A glimpse into the bloodthirsty world of Tudor London. For once, even in the fantasy world of light operetta, everything might not be alright in the end. At Redgrave; redgravetheatre.com

3 April VERVE: MIXED BILL Fourteen dancers. Four distinct, exhilarating works. See where dance is now and where it may go next from the Northern School of Contemporary Dance’s touring postgraduate company. At 1532 Performing Arts Centre; 1532bristol.co.uk

7 – 11 April PRIDE AND PREJUDICE (*SORT OF) Blood of the Young returnby popular demand to BOV with their unique karaoke take on the Jane Austen classic. Six young women have a story to tell, and there are no blokes in the cast; bristololdvic.org.uk

ABOVE: Wild Swimming have got the Monster Munch out again

LEFT: No-one works a brick wall like JP Cooper

7 April – 9 May LES MISÉRABLES Hailed as ‘Les Mis for the 21st century’, this new staging tells the story of broken dreams and unrequited love, passion, sacrifi ce and redemption. At Bristol Hippodrome; atgtickets.com

8 – 9 April SEXY LAMP Ever since landing a lead role in her school play, Katie believed there was a place for her in showbiz, but since then named, speaking and fully clothed roles have been thin on the ground. Her solo show at The Wardrobe combines storytelling, comedy and song to shed a light on how ridiculous the arts industry can be; thewardrobetheatre.com

WILD SWIMMING Nell and Oscar meet on a deserted beach in Dorset. It’s 1595...or maybe it’s 1610. They will meet here, again and again, on this beach, for the next 400 years. Stuff will change, as it does with time. They will try to keep up. At BOV; bristololdvic.org.uk

10 – 11 April THE ACCIDENT DID NOT TAKE PLACE Somewhere on the other side of the world a plane is falling from the sky. You can see it on your laptop; watch it happening on YouTube; hit rewind and watch it burning on repeat. YESYESNONO come to The Wardrobe with a hyperreal exploration of the way we consume information, and the way information consumes us; thewardrobetheatre.com 14 – 25 April POLLY (THE HEARTBREAK OPERA) Sharp Teeth Theatre and Marie Hamilton present a radical adaptation of Polly, John Gay's banned sequel to The Beggar's Opera. At The Wardrobe; thewardrobetheatre.com

18 – 19 April I BELIEVE IN UNICORNS Tomas doesn’t like books or stories, until the Unicorn Lady comes to town and reels him in with her irresistible magic tales. But then disaster strikes and puts everything that matters most in Tomas’s life in terrible danger. This stage adaptation of Morpurgo’s spellbinding story should be even more magical in the Tobacco Factory Theatre’s intimate space; tobaccofactorytheatres.com

21 – 25 April THE LAST OF THE PELICAN DAUGHTERS The Pelican Daughters are home for the last time. With their trademark irreverent humour and lovable characters, The Wardrobe Ensemble explore what it means for young people to grapple with inheritance, loss and justice in this comedy about four sisters trying to come to terms with their mother’s death. At BOV; bristololdvic.org.uk

COMEDY 23 March, 6 April, 20 April CLOSER EACH DAY The world’s longest improvised narrative. Unplanned. Unscripted. Unconventional. Think EastEnders meets The League of Gentlemen via Love Island. At The Wardrobe; thewardrobetheatre.com

25 – 26 March ALEXEI SAYLE Alexei Sayle has been performing stand-up for 40 years since the day he invented modern comedy. He’d like to stay at home with his cat, but he’s still really funny, dangerously political and wildly energetic, so he feels compelled to do a live tour. At Redgrave; redgravetheatre.com

28 March SAM AVERY: TODDLERGEDDON The time is 4.17pm. No-one is dressed yet. Civilisation has collapsed. Law and order have broken down. The adults have

lost control. The coff ee has run out. A child scribbles on the wall. Someone spills a drink. Everyone is shouting. This is Toddlergeddon. At Redgrave; redgravetheatre.com

3 – 4 April SMILE CLUB A darkly comic, searingly satirical one-woman show, set in the dystopian world of Smile Club, in which a government drive exists to tame and prune unruly women deemed unable to fi t into society. At Tobacco Factory; tobaccofactory.com

5 April JAYDE ADAMS AND GUESTS Bristolian funny girl Jayde Adams is “an uncut gem; a force of nature; dangerous and unafraid; the future” – and she’s at The Wardrobe for one night only; thewardrobetheatre.com

19 April JOHN SHUTTLEWORTH’S BACK! John Shuttleworth’s back... is giving him trouble. Years of strenuous DIY, not to mention playing his organ whilst perched upon a multi pack of Diet Sprite with no lumber support, has taken its toll; At BOV; bristololdvic.org.uk

MUSIC 21 March SAMANTHA LINDO Samantha Lindo will be performing a stripped back set at St George’s, focusing solely on her ‘hauntingly fl awless’ voice and her words; stgeorgesbrisol.co.uk

PHOENIX CHOIR BRISTOL Bristol Phoenix Choir and Orchestra and the Bristol Cathedral Consort will perform Brahms’s Ein deutsches Requiem and Vaughan Williams’s Five Mystical Songs at Bristol Cathedral; bristolphoenixchoir.org.uk

23 March CIGARETTES AFTER SEX Cigarettes After Sex return with their second album, Cry, and a brand-new set of tour dates across the UK. academymusicgroup.com

26 March JIMMY ALDRIDGE AND SID GOLDSMITH Bristol folk and acoustic scene’s celebrated duo are coming to Bristol’s New Room with their timeless music; newroombristol.org.uk

26 March – 29 March BRISTOL INTERNATIONAL JAZZ & BLUES FESTIVAL Bristol Jazz & Blues Festival presents as many different genres under the jazz and blues umbrella as possible, featuring international and local talent; see feature page 60. Various venues; bristoljazzandbluesfest.com

27 March PEE WEE ELLIS PLAYS THE BLUES Saxophone maestro Pee Wee Ellis’s new show features a personal selection of classic compositions and originals with a hand-picked all-star group. At St G’s; stgeorgesbrisol.co.uk

28 March RITUAL UNION Ritual Union are bringing their multi-venue festival to Bristol for the first time, celebrating home-grown acts as well as artists from further afield; ritual-union.co.uk

29 March CHINA MOSES The high voltage soul and jazz diva is back in Bristol following the release of her new album. At St George’s; stgeorgesbrisol.co.uk

29 March THE SLOW READERS CLUB The Manchester electronic-rock outfit are back with aptly-titled new album: The Joy Of The Return. At Thekla; theklabristol.co.uk

4 April BECKY HILL The chart-topping artist’s 2020 UK tour will showcase Becky’s incredible on-stage energy along with an array of her most recent releases. At SWX; swxbristol.com

6 April CARIBOU Caribou is welcoming in a new era with new music and a fresh set of tour dates for 2020, joined by Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith. At O2; academymusicgroup.com

7 April LLOYD COLE The latest album Guesswork sees Cole turn to keyboards, creating a mostly electronic setting for his voice. At St George’s; stgeorgesbrisol.co.uk

10 April TERRACE SESSIONS: JOEY NEGRA AT BAMBALAN Terrace Sessions are back at Bambalan with an even bigger lineup for 2020, kicking off with dance legend Joey Negro; eventbrite.co.uk

17 April MAKI NAMEKAWA One of the pre-eminent interpreters of Philip Glass’s music on the piano, Maki Namekawa will light up St George’s with the UK première of his first piano sonata, written specially for her by the composer; stgeorgesbrisol.co.uk

21 April JP COOPER JP’s at SWX with Raised Under Grey Skies, his debut album inspired by his life and times. At SWX; swxbristol. com

23 April FEEDER The British rock band have extended the live run and are heading our way after the huge success of their Tallulah album tour. At O2; academymusicgroup.com

23 – 26 April BRISTOL NEW MUSIC Returning for its fourth edition with four days of concerts, exhibitions and workshops across the city. Various locations; bristolnewmusic.org

OTHER Until 22 March LYRA: BRISTOL POETRY FESTIVAL Back and bigger for 2020 with an array of local, national and international poets performing in venues around the city; lyrafest.com

Until July 4 BRISTOL FILM FESTIVAL Catch a variety of screenings at site-specific venues across the city, ranging from wine cellars to spooky caves. Various locations; bristolfilmfestival.com

21 March THE BRISTOL FOOD TOUR A triple bill of foodie tours offering a taste of Bristol’s best indie businesses across the city; thebristolfoodtour.com

21– 31 March THE BRITISH DAL FESTIVAL A nationwide celebration of the magic of dal and pulse dishes, encompassing a Dal Trail of shops and eateries across the UK. See page 76; britishdalfestival.com

top: Michael Morpurgo’s magical story comes to TFT above: Feeder will be Feeling a Moment at O2

25 March BRISTOL LIFE BUSINESS CLUB: NICK STURGE, ENGINE SHED In this edition of Bristol Life Business Club, we’ll be speaking to Nick Sturge, the founder of Engine Shed, who has just recently left the business. At Avon Gorge Hotel; eventbrite.co.uk

28 – 29 March BRISTOL WOMEN’S LITERATURE FESTIVAL At Watershed with a fourth programme for a tremendous celebration of women’s writing and literary history. At Watershed; watershed.co.uk

30 March – 4 April UNFINISHED BUSINESS A week-long series of events marking the 40th anniversary of the St Pauls Uprising, its context and legacy. At BOV;bristololdvic.org.uk 12 April BRISTOL VINTAGE PHOTOGRAPH FAIR A new event that gives collectors of early photography a chance to meet specialist photograph dealers from the UK and Europe, and to view and purchase fine and rare vintage photographs from all around the world. At RPS House; bristolphotofair.uk

21 April 5 X 15 BRISTOL Five speakers, 15 minutes each, no scripts. This month’s talks include ‘Memoirs of a Muslim Drag Queen’, and that’s just for starters. At The Station; bristol.5x15.com

23 April BRISTOL LIFE AWARDS The best of Bristol businesses and organisations join us for an evening of glitz, glamour and music – oh, and awards; bristollifeawards.co.uk n