Bristol highlights of 2015

THEATRE

By Steve Wright
Fanny Hill (Feb 5 – Mar 7 at Bristol Old Vic) should be unmissable. Based on John Cleland’s (in)famous 1748 novel, this adaptation by the National Theatre’s April de Angelis charts Fanny Hill’s fall into prostitution and rise to notoriety. Caroline Quentin stars. Staying on King Street, we’d also recommend Birdsong (Apr 27 – May 9), the acclaimed adaptation of Sebastian Faulks’ epic, visceral WW1 novel. And don’t forget, at the Old Vic and elsewhere around town, the wonderful Mayfest, which returns for more springtime theatrical wonderment from 14-24. Over on Raleigh Road, the ever-excellent Shakespeare at the Tobacco Factory will be pairing Will’s Romeo and Juliet (Feb 19 – Apr 4) with Sheridan’s The School for Scandal (Apr 9 – May 9). Hippodrome highlights include The Producers (Apr 27 – May 2), Mel Brooks’ musical comedy about a freewheeling producer and a timid accountant who together pull off Broadway’s greatest scam. And we’re agog to see The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (Aug 4-8) up on stage. Over on the fringe, Cornwall’s Silly Boys will grace Kingsdown’s Wardrobe Theatre with Two Punks And A Tandem (May 23-27), a witty, gripping tale of friendship, love and fear set at the high noon of Thatcher’s Britain.

FILM

By Robin Askew
The Wachowskis’ delayed Jupiter Ascending shows up on the same day as Aardman’s Shaun the Sheep (Feb 6). Fifty Shades of Grey is your spanking Valentine’s Day treat (Feb 13). Michael Mann does cybercrime in Blackhat (Feb 20). Ron Howard sets sail with Heart of the Sea (March 13) – the true tale that inspired Moby Dick. Disney live-actionifies Cinderella (March 27) and The Jungle Book (Oct 16), while Brad Bird directs George Clooney in Tomorrowland (May 22) – based on a Disneyland ‘zone’. Blockbuster season kicks off with The Avengers: Age of Ultron (April 24), followed by many more inevitable sequels: Mad Max: Fury Road (May 15), Jurassic World (June 12), Terminator: Genisys (July 3), etc. Costume drama enthusiasts get a new Far from the Madding Crowd (May 1) with Carey Mulligan and Michael Sheen. Joe Wright does a live-action (Peter) Pan (July 17). The Man from UNCLE (Aug 14) and Dad’s Army (TBA) are the latest ancient TV series to get a movie makeover. Spectre (Oct 23), aka the 24th Bond flick, will dominate the box office chart until The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 (Nov 20) arrives. Your Christmas films are Star Wars: The Force Awakens (Dec 18) and – no, really –  Mission: Impossible 5 (Dec 26).

MUSIC

By Laura Williams
George Ezra will no doubt continue to make headlines this year, with his bluesy blend of indie pop and a growing army of fans. Whether we can hold onto him as a Bristol musician is another matter! For more under-the-radar releases, keep your eyes peeled on rising star Trust Fund, Howling Owl’s Spectres and Bella Union’s Zun Zun Egui. And when it comes to live music, there’s a growing new wave of promoters, including Chiverin, Noise Annoys and Electric Harmony, putting on great gigs featuring both local bands and touring acts at venues across the city. New venue, Marble Factory, which opened at the end of last year could prove a game changer – having already lined up some great gigs, including J Mascis (Jan 7), Hawkwind (March 8) and Eurovision Song Contest stars Lordi (April 4). Hot on indie fans’ lips is a rare show from late 80s/early 90s rockers Jesus & Mary Chain at Academy (Feb 26) as well as a gig by fellow Scottish indie troupe Belle & Sebastian at Colston Hall (May 4). Finally, you can expect to hear more about the new Bristol Arena, to be built next year and opened in 2017.

FESTIVALS

By Laura Williams
Bristol and festivals go together like Chas and Dave. Barely a weekend passes over the summer when there’s not at least one festival to go to. Often there’s more to choose from and Bristol has proven its ability to support more than one festival at a time, so once again, Love Saves The Day, Dot to Dot and VegFest return on the same weekend (May 23 & 24). Other big hitters include support for a varied selection of genres – Bristol International Jazz Festival (March 6-8), Bristol Ska & Mod Fest (April 5), Bristol Folk Festival (May 2-3) and Simple Things (Oct 24). After a brilliant debut event last year (2014), Temples returns to Motion on May 29-31 to satisfy the appetites of heavy music fans and there’s a new Americana festival in the pipeline at Colston Hall. Head a little beyond the Bristol border and you’ll find Nibley Festival (July 3-4) up in Gloucestershire, ArcTangent in North Somerset (Aug 20-22) and of course, a short jaunt down the A37, the world-famous Glastonbury Festival (June 24-28). Glastonbury will once again feature Bristol’s Chai Wallahs, as will Green Man Festival in Wales (Aug 20-23), and the brilliant Arcadia, which will also launch its own event in Bristol this year (details TBC).

ART

By Lou Trimby
Richard Long’s 70th anniversary solo exhibition with a new commission will be presented at the Arnolfini as part of Bristol 2015. Commissioned by Bristol 2015 and Arnolfini this exhibition will present a number of Turner Prize winner Long’s works covering the various media he has used during his illustrious career. The exhibition will also include new work created for the exhibition. Long is considered one of the major artists of his generation and this show is a genuine coup for the gallery. Also part of Bristol 2015, Luke Jerram will be working with the National Trust on a large scale installation of fishing boats deep in the heart of Leigh Woods. Bristol Museum & Art Gallery are showing David Hockney’s pop-art interpretation of Hogarth’s A Rakes Progress from January to June which leads into a major retrospective of Hogarth’s work later in 2015. The museum is also collaborating with a number of other galleries located in the South West to present Modern Art In Britain highlighting the galleries finest pieces of modern art. At time of going to press other galleries in Bristol were finalising their 2015 shows so keep an eye on Bristol24/7 to see what aesthetic delights you can find in the city.

BOOKS

By Joanna Papageorgiou
2015 has a lot to live up to after a great boon of a year last year for Bristol literature and our hopes rest on the following releases. Jane Shemilt will be following up Richard and Judy book club favourite Daughter with The Third Child and MP Wright who wrote the soulful and intense Heartman will be releasing the second, in the series of three in May. We Hunt & Gather are bringing out their second book which will be on beer, while fellow Bristol publisher Spannered is releasing The Secret Life of Freaks. Emma Newman, guest of honour at BristolCon in 2014 is bringing out science fiction work Planetfall which  is unrelated to her previous Split Worlds series, while husband, Peter Newman is releasing his debut novel the Vagrant. Lucy Robinson‘s The Day We Disappeared is out in April as is CL Taylor‘s second book, the Lie. Award-winning author Jill Mansell‘s Three Amazing Things About You is out this month as is Macaque Attack by Gareth L Powell. This is the conclusion to the award-winning Macaque Trilogy, where he is not only facing danger at every turn but also the unexpected challenge of impending fatherhood.

COMEDY

By Steve Wright
Josie Long is one of the comedy circuit’s most beguiling performers – a truly original, bracingly cerebral comic who never fails to get across her wonder at life – so we have high hopes for Cara Josephine, her most personal show to date, which visits the Tobacco Factory Theatre on February 22. Other Factory fixtures include the waspish, confessional Richard Herring (Mar 15), surely Cheddar’s second finest export. If you like your punchlines faster, meanwhile, snap up tickets fast for the visit of punmeister general Tim Vine to the Redgrave Theatre from April 1 to 4. Fans of edgier, more confrontational comedy, meanwhile, should book now for Brendon Burns, an Aussie expat who will take no prisoners at the Cube cinema on February 13. All-female comedy night What the Frock! stage their annual Newcomer Award at Riproar Comedy on April 25. Returning for its third year, the award celebrates the best up-and-coming female talent on the circuit; tonight will also feature a guest slot from 2013 award-winner Bethan Roberts. Last but not least, if absurdity and malapropisms are your thing, no one does them better than the bumbling Count Arthur Strong, who brings his verbal buffoonery and amiable befuddlement to Bristol Hippodrome on April 19.