THEATRE

Happy Birthday Spot! Interactive family theatre tour Spot’s Birthday Party (based on the much-loved Spot the Dog stories), comes to Rickmansworth Watersmeet 16-17 March and Bedford Quarry Theatre 23-24 March, the Eric Morecambe Centre, Harpenden, on 25 March and the Radlett Centre on 2 – 3 April. Woof to that! The show, which promises songs and dance, is being produced by the guys behind David Walliam’s Mr Stink production, so it bodes well. For children 2+. Book here.

Then it’s rhinestones all the way, as Dolly is doing her thing in the musical 9 to 5 at the Factory Playhouse in Hitchin from 12 – 17 March. And Elle Woods puts the doubters in their place in Legally Blonde The Musical at South Mill Arts from 14 – 16 March.

A new adaption by OVO of Romeo and Juliet is set in Northern Ireland in the late 90s where mutiny reigns over the streets. See it at Broadway Letchworth from 15 – 16 March.

Things are getting a little gory as thee demon barber shows up at the Eric Morecambe Centre from 20 – 23 March in Sweeney Todd. And brand new from Dyad Productions (renowned for their one man/woman shows) is Austen’s Women: Lady Susan at The Quarry Theatre – a dark comedy reflecting on Georgian society. Think Bridgerton on stage, but with one actor playing all the parts. 22 March.

MUSIC & DANCE

St Albans’ Chamber Opera brings Verdi’s La Traviata to Abbey Theatre from 17 – 23 March. And if that’s not enough for you, there’s Beethoven Unwrapped, performed by the de Havilland Philharmonic at The University of Hertfordshire Arts’ Weston Auditorium on 24 March.

Oh hi there Damian Lewis! Who knew he had another string to his bow (or his guitar, should I say)? Following some successful gigs on the festival circuit, he’ll be playing songs from his album Mission Creep at Watford Palace Theatre on 20 March for your delectation. Get your tickets pronto!

Bizet’s sizzling Spanish opera, Carmen, performed by The Ukranian National Opera is calling at Gordon Craig Theatre Stevanage on 21 March.

Get those fans out, ladies, Strictly’s sizzling hot star, Graziano Di Prima will perform along with his wife, Dancing with the Stars’ Giada Lini, while sharing stories of how he got into dance from his roots growing up on a Sicilian vineyard. Believe – My Life on Stage is at the Grove Theatre on 28 March.

ART & EXHIBITIONS

Illustration is everywhere – from newspapers and magazines to product packaging and books. The World Illustration Awards 2023 Touring Exhibition, calling at the University of Hertfordshire’s Art + Design Gallery from 23 Feb – 22 March, celebrates the very best emerging talent in the industry. There’ll be over 40 pieces from Category Winners, Overall Winners and Highly Commended works.

World ilustration awards touring exhibition. Sara Neuhart, 'Visual Thoughts on Current Affairs' — *Sara Neuhart, ‘Visual Thoughts on Current Affairs’*.

Women doing everything, everywhere, all at once – No we’re not talking about our busy lives but those of the female archaeologists who worked on the Verulamium dig site in the 1930s who unearthed the stories of the Roman and Iron age communities who lived there. With artefacts from the time from notebooks to ‘voices’ from women of the past, the exhibition has been guest curated by the aptly named Lexi Diggins, as part of the Verulamium Museum’s Revisiting the Romans series. 8 March – 4 July.

Sculptor Henry Moore’s Studios & Gardens in Much Hadham will reopen for the Spring on 28 March, for the chance to explore his incredible bronzes, sketches and more in his former home and studio. It also marks the opening of the new exhibition by Felix Taylor, Listening/Mapping, for which the artist has created an immersive soundscape in response to the annual theme of Inspiration, Sculpture and our Natural Worlds. It has been composed from field recordings taken in the grounds and is designed to be listened to out loud, as you wander through the gardens and sculptures, and to intermingle with the sounds of nature around you. Until 3 November.

Henry Moore, Two Piece Reclining Figure: Points 1969; Photo: Sarah Mason

The late India born, St Albans educated artist, Amal Ghosh, has had works on display at the Victoria & Albert Musuem, Art Council England, the Barbican and more national and international exhibitions. His work draws on his heritage – from Indian cave murals to Buddhist symbols – and feature distorted human and animal body forms. And exhibition of his work, Bridge, will be on at Broadway Gallery from 15 February – 6 April.

International artist Rana Begum (and St Albans Girls’ School and University of Herts alumni) is returning to her home town this month with a solo exibition at the St Albans Museum + Gallery until 14 April 2024. Ordered Form will focus on her geometric sculptures, paintings and screenprints – inspired by the urban landscape and Islamic art and architecture – as well as relief works and an panel painting installation created especially for the exhibition.

Rana Begum artist — Rana Begum. © Begum Studio. Photography by Philip White

COMEDY

And Jim Davidson is Swimming Against the Tide, as he resists the ‘radical pull of the woke minority’, on 13-14 March at Gordon Craig, Stevenage. Plus there’s yet another chance to catch Simon Brodkin, on 14 March, at the Leighton Buzzard Library Theatre.

Zoe Lyons (who needs no introduction) is joined by internet sensation Alasdair Beckett-King, Macedonian award-winning comedian, Vlad Ilich and comedian and podcast host, Darran Griffiths, for Hertford Comedy Club at the Corn Exchange Hertford on 14 March. While Alyssa Kyria (‘the Funny Mummy’ and co-creator of Bring Your Own Baby comedy) talks all things pregnancy to playdates in a hilarious show about the funny side of parenting at the Quarry Theatre on 14 March.

Comedy’s first ‘BAFTA Breakthrough‘ winner is Bitter… Luisa Omielan wonders why she’s always been told she’s too loud and crass in real life, but on stage she’s hilarious in her brand new show at Watford Palace Theatre on 15 March.

Taskmaster star Mark Watson is navigating that middleground between dad and overgrown kid and looking for meaning in life in his new show, Search, at the Hat Factory Arts Centre on 21 March. And Tom Walker (aka political correspondant, Jonathan Pie) is bringing his trademark ranting to The Alban Arena on 23 March in his show Heroes & Villains which celebrates the heroes (nurses, Gary Linekar…) and lambasts the villains (Tories, cyclists…).

Also at The Alban Arena, is Reginald D Hunter. The Man Who Could See Through Sh*t, explores this ability in his searingly honest social commentary-style comedy. 24 March.

SCREENINGS

The Royal Opera’s Madama Butterfly is screening across the UK this month. See it at Waford Palace Theatre and South Mill Arts on 26 March; Grove Theatre on 27 March; and Leighton Buzzard Library Theatre on 28 March.

The National Theatre Live’s play about a play, sees Mark Gatkiss and Johnny Flynn take on Richard Burton and John Gielgud – actor and director – as things come to a head over a Broadway production of Hamlet in The Motive and the Cue. It’s being screened at The Spotlight on 26 March, and Watford Palace Theatre and Leighton Buzzard Library Theatre on 27 March. And there’s another chance to catch Andrew Scott in The National Theatre’s Vanya at The Quarry Theatre on 30 March.

The motive and the cue national theatre live

TALKS & WORKSHOPS

Feeling creative? Learn how to make a spring wreath on 15 March at Jordans Mill led by Jenny from Hillside Market Garden, using locally grown and foraged materials. Add eggs, rabbit or carrot decorations to make a lovely Easter decoration.

Learn how to tell a story through art with this Drawing Narrative workshop with Freya Pocklington at Broadway Gallery on 16 March. She’ll guide you through techniques for how to create an attention-grabbing piece. And head to the University of Hertfordshire’s dark room at the Art + Design Gallery to discover how to create photograms – cameraless photography, using just photopaper and light in this creative workshop.

As part of International Women’s History Month, costume and fashion designer, Melissa Simon-Hartman (she’s created costumes from everyone from Beyoncé and Doja Cat to Notting Hill Carnival and the Royal Shakespeare Company), is hosting a Carnival Masterclass focused on sustainability in costume design at the Hat Factory Arts Centre on 23 March.

FOOD & DRINK

Top chefs and restaurateurs, the Galvin brothers (above) are joining forces with THOMPSON St Albans on 21 March, to co-host a guest chef evening with Phil Thompson. Enjoy a fabulous four-course tasting menu with canapés on arrival. £95pp, (£59 for wine pairing).

GARDENS & OUTDOORS

Hatfield Park’s annual NGS charity open day falls on 16 March this year. There’ll be the chance to see the West Gardens, spring bulbs in the lime walk, sundial garden and the famous Old Palace garden, where Queen Elizabeth I grew up. The adjoining woodland garden will also be in full spring bloom carpeted with daffodils. Then on 17 March it’s the Dogs and Daffs charity walk, where you can bring your pooch along for a fun dog show and stroll around the Hatfield Park grounds, in aid of Riding for the Disabled Association.

Want to get outdoors with the clan? Family Saturdays at Celtic Harmony kick of on 16 March and the third Saturday of every month after, where you can get stuck into nature, conservation and learn about Prehistoric life, through activities like collecting firewood, building habitats and herb planting. The events are free as you’ll be volunteering to help the environment. Win, win!

FAMILY & KIDS

If you’re 11-18 year old wants to see their name in lights, sign ’em up to auditions for The Spongebob Musical: Youth Edition, which are taking place at Watford Palace Theatre from 13 – 14 March.

One to have on your radar is the Herts Big Weekend. You have to sign up for the chance to receive FREE tickets to hundreds of local attractions on 20 – 21 April. BUT the ballot opens on 15 March so mark it in your diary now!

Boxtale Soup Children’s Theatre’s production of Alice in Wonderland is coming to the Quarry Theatre on 16 March. Expect strange contraptions and curious characters as you fall down the rabbit hole with Alice and friends in this award-winning production.

This month’s family film club at Hat Factory Arts is Epic Tales on 16 March – a cat and mouse animated adventure set in Ancient Greece.

It’s the annual Celebration of Speedway at Hertfordshire Zoo (formerly Paradise Wildlife Park) on 17 March, where The National Speedway Museum and the Speedway Memorial Garden and will be open, with display bikes, pit lane start ups, rider meet and greets, plus a BBQ and stalls selling Speedway memorabilia. Tickets £15 (under 2s go free).

The mega popular kid’s author, Jacqueline Wilson will be talking about her exciting new book The Girl Who Wasn’t There, at The Reach Free School in Rickmansworth with the Chorleywood Bookshop on 23 March. £15 tickets include a copy of the book and £10 companion tickets can be bought in addition.

Zog and the Flying Doctors are swooping in to Watford Palace Theatre for a live on stage performance of the popular Donaldson/Scheffler kids’ book, on 23 March.

Catch a glimpse of some of the first spring lambs at Oaklands College lambing weekend in St Albans from 23 -24 March. There’ll be tonnes of family activities, special guests, tractor selfies, farm games, face painting, a scavenger hunt, and, of course, a chance to meet the farm’s local residents, including the newborn lambs.

Support a local youth theatre group for their production of The Addams Family at Leighton Buzzard Library Theatre on 23 March.

Looking forward to Easter – it’s early this year – there’s an Easter Spring Market at the Arcade in Letchworth Garden City on 30 March (10am – 3pm) with over 20 stalls, facepainting for the kids, an Easter egg hunt and more. And, from 30 – 31 March, don’t miss the Hertfordshire Family Easter Festival, which will all be under marquee cover (so no need to bring a pac-a-mac!). Tickets cover all activities, including an Easter egg character hunt, family neon rave, inflatables, VR simulators, crazy golf, live shows, circus school, street food village and beer tent, arts and crafts AND a funfair! Phew – sounds action packed! Tickets from £26.50.

OOPS, TOO LATE FOR THESE

Then kicking off the month with a bit of Shakespeare, but not as you know it, the improv show at the Spotlight, Hoddesdon, You’re Bard, is a combo of four different plays, with everything decided by you, the audience, from who plays who, to the performance style. 1 March.

If you like your thrillers, there’s more nightmarish happenings in Kafka’s The Metamorphosis at Hat Factory Luton, as a man in the midst of a crisis experiences a terrifying transformation (1 – 2 March)

Remember the movie, with Julia Roberts, Dolly Parton, Sally Field and Shirley MacLaine? Now Steel Magnolias – the story of female friendship triumphing over tragedy – is coming to The abbey Theatre, St Albans from 1-9 March – bring on the hair spray, Deep South drawls and hankies for the weepy bits.

There’s a community performance of Matilda The Musical at The Grove Theatre Dunstable on 4 March – good one to take the kids to. Whilst Bleak Expectations brings a very silly radio-play adpation of one of Dickens’ most famous works, as he might have written it after one too many gins! Catch it at the Queen Mother Theatre Hitchin from 4 – 9 March.

The heart wrenching one-woman play about a mother whose son has been on death row for 22 years after committing a horrific crime, Apples in Winter, is coming to the Old Town Hall in Hemel Hempstead on 8 March.

And an eery adaptation of Frankenstein featuring an expectant couple confronting their fears takes a psychological turn at Watford Palace Theatre from 6- 9 March.

Frankenstein Watford Palace Theatre — *Frankenstein*

The world renowned tenor and four-time Brit Classical Award winner, Russell Watson, will be performing at the beautiful St Albans Cathedral accompanied by pianist Mike Moran for a very special evening of song on 2 March, as part of his Magnificent Buildings Concert series.

Lady Nade plays tribute to the dulcet tones of Nina Simone at a special live music event at the Hat Factory Arts Centre on 8 March. And at the same venue, to mark International Women’s Day, Luton-based mentoring project, The Skill Lab, will be celebrating the legacy of women in music with al all-female DJ and live music line up on 9 March for Live From The Hat Factory X The Skill Lab.

Classical buffs can enjoy the sounds of the Bedfordshire Symphony Orchestra performing works by Schumann, Fauré and Mahler at the Bedford Corn Exchange on 10 March, shortly followed by Beethoven and Brunch with Nicola Benedetti, a philharmonia concert with the GRAMMY award winning solo violinist – at the same venue on 12 March.

Courtyard Arts’ Starting Point – Inspired by Hockney and Miró exhibition will see artists’ work placed alongside prints of the original works of these two great painters, which served as a ‘starting point’ for their pieces. Until 2 March.

Ria Lia‘s Reawakening is coming to The Old Town Hall in Hemel on 1 March, which brings together her two skillsets of comedy and science – she’s also the only Filipina comedian on the British stand-up circuit.

Everyone’s favourite potty mouthed Geordie, Sarah Millican, hasn’t always been so outspoken. Her new show, Late Bloomer, is all about her transformation from quiet school girl to comedy legend, and calls at the Alban Arena on 7 March. Simon Brodkin is back this month at The Spotlight Hoddesdon on 7 March.

Also on 7 March, Dom Joly is exploring the whacky world of conspiracy theories (Is the world flat?) and sharing his findings on the subject from his world travels. He’ll also be joined by a real conspiracy theorist on stage at The Gordon Craig Theatre in Stevenage. And, fresh from his Edinburgh Fringe sell-out Run, Kieran Hodgson talks about how life changed when he moved to Scotland in 2020 in his show Big in Scotland at the Quarry Theatre, on 7 March as well. At the same venue, Jo Caulfield (nominated as Best Female Stand Up in the country) brings her razor sharp wit for her new show, Here Comes Trouble on 10 March.

Chris McCausland‘s new show for 2024, Yonks!, should be well worth the wait (hence the name!), catch him at the Radlett Centre on 12 March.

Winner of 5 Tony Awards, Titanic the Musical is being released in cinemas on 12 March. Catch it at Leighton Buzzard Library Theatre first!

Local artist, Alexa Loy, is hosting this month’s Drink and Draw for Letchworth Lates at Broadway Gallery on 7 March. Just rock up, grab a drink and get drawing!

Everyone’s favourite adventurer, Ben Fogle, will be talking about his remarkable journeys and encounters with the natural world in WILD at the Alban Arena on 8 March. And if you watched Clarkson’s Farm, you’ll also have fallen for the… shall we say, rustic charm, of Kaleb Cooper, the farmer and unlikely star of the show. Having barely left Chipping Norton before the show, he’s now touring the country with The World According to Kaleb, calling at Stevenage Concert Hall on 9 March.

To coincide with the World Illustration Awards 2023 Touring Exhibition [see ART & EXHIBITIONS, above], at the University of Hertfordshire is hosting a Sat-ART-day on 9 March, with drop-in art activities, a self-guided sculpture walk and a guided tour of the exhibition itself.

Like ale? Head to Ware Real Ale Festival at Southern Maltings on 1-2 March. There’ll be over 30 real ales and ciders to try and pre-booked tickets include one free drink. Plus there’s a BBQ both nights and live music on the Saturday night.

Treat mum to a lovely mother’s day afternoon tea at the Grade II listed Rothamsted Manor in Harpenden on 10 March. Make like ladies of the manor and take a seat in the grand Drawing room (bookings from 12 – 3pm), £45pp (add a glass of Prosecco of £6.95). Or, also on 10th, you can book Sunday lunch at Knebworth Barns, with three courses, a glass of fizz and a special sweet treat for mum, (£38 for adults; £19 for children). Tickets include access to the Knebworth Gardens and Dinosaur Trail so you’ll be able to walk it off afterwards!

Wondering what you can do to keep mum and the kids happy on Mother’s Day? Dinosaurs and Daffodils is on at Knebworth House on 10 March, where the adults can enjoy the glorious gardens full of sunshiney blooms while the kids make their way around the roar-some dino trail, ahead of the official season re-opening on 23 March (the house, park and adventure play are closed until then). Tickets from just £9.

Can’t get the kids off their devices? Bring them along to Wifi Wars at Watford Palace Theatre on 2 March – a live comedy game show where the audience can play along. There are two performances (each with different quizzes) at 2.30pm (for ages 6+) and 7.30pm for ages 12+.

Calling all LEGO mad kids (and big kids), there’s a National Brick Event coming to Hemel Hempstead on 3 March, where you will have the chance to browse and buy rare and retired LEGO sets and explore the incredible creations made buy the brick-building pros.

child playing with lego national brick event

Also on 3 March, Mead Open Farm is hosting a charity day, where you can visit for just £10 with the money from all ticket sales going to charities, KidsOut and Mencap. The rock climbing wall, Skytrail, go-karts, mini golf and more will be open, as well as all the animal enclosures. And on 10 March, for Mother’s Day, mums go free with a fully paying child!

Hitchin Children’s Book Festival will celebrate World Book Day (7 March), on 9 March at the British Schools Museum in partnership with local book shop Next Page Books. There’ll be two author talks in the morning from Ian Eagleton and Paula Harrison (for age 3+ and 5+), then two in the afternoon from Frances Durkin and A. M. Dassu (for ages 7-12). Buy a morning, afternoon or all day ticket and enjoy author Q&As and book signings, crafts, storytelling, theatre, live performances and more.

Enjoy a free snoop around the gorgeous Shuttleworth House and grounds on 10 March when there’ll be a Mother’s Day Market. Expect stalls from lots of lovely local food, craft and gift producers, cake and Prosecco in the Garden Suite and street food outdoors.

March forward! 85+ marvellous things to do this month

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