What's on in Watford this week, 2nd-6th March, 2020

The Boys are Back

Catch 5ive, A1, Damage and 911 at Watford Colosseum, bringing you a hit-packed show of pop classics. Four acts, one unforgettable night.

Watford Colosseum, Rickmansworth Road, Watford, Wednesday, March 4, 8pm. Details: 01923 571102 watfordcolosseum.co.uk

Keith Nichols’ Hot Five

Keith and his band play a wonderful mix of vintage jazz from the 20s and 30s plus an added dash of ragtime. There’ll be music by Fats Waller, Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington and many more – a mix of well-known favourites alongside rarely heard curios, and all delivered with Keith’s humour and erudition.

Pump House Theatre, 5 Local Board Road, Watford, Thursday, March 5, 8.15pm. Details: pumphouse.info

Elton John: It’s a Little Bit Funny

This show tells the incredible story of Elton John’s rise and fall (and rise again) as one of the most successful singer/songwriters ever. It also tells the tale of one extraordinary night in Las Vegas when Martin Kaye bumps into the bespectacled star and happens to spend the evening with him. It’s a night of confessions, anecdotes, jokes and – of course – fabulous songs. Martin Kaye is the biggest Elton John fan ever – so who better to sing and play Elton’s greatest songs and narrate this tall tale of an unforgettable celebrity encounter?

The Radlett Centre, 1 Aldenham Avenue, Radlett, Tuesday, March 3, 7.30pm. Details: 01923859291 radlettcentre.co.uk

The Lieutenant of Inishmore

Who knocked Mad Padraic’s cat over on a lonely road on the island of Inishmore and was it an accident? He’ll want to know when he gets back from a stint of torture and chip shop bombing in Northern Ireland: he loves his cat more than life itself.

Kings Langley Community Centre, The Nap, Kings Langley, Thursday, March 5, to Saturday, March 7, 7.45pm. Details: 0333 666 3366 info@klp.org.uk

Talking Heads

An evening of three entertaining monologues by one of Britain’s most brilliant and best-loved writers, Alan Bennett. Talking Heads invites us into the hearts and minds of three peculiarly English ladies - Muriel in her tweed skirt and pearls in Soldiering On, the public-spirited Miss Ruddock in A Lady of Letters, and Susan, the long-suffering vicar’s wife in Bed Among The Lentils. Actress, impressionist and Dead Ringers star Jan Ravens will play Muriel and Miss Ruddock, with accomplished stage and screen actress Julia Watson, seen recently as Leonato in Much Ado About Nothing at Watford Palace Theatre, playing Susan. Artistic Director Brigid Larmour directs, following her successful production of Alan Ayckbourn’s comedy Absurd Person Singular in 2019.

Watford Palace Theatre, 20 Clarendon Road, Watford, Wednesday, March 4, to Sunday, March 29, various times. Details: 01923 225671 watfordpalacetheatre.co.uk

Sound of Music

The final collaboration between Rodgers & Hammerstein was destined to become the world’s most beloved musical. When a nun proves too high-spirited for the religious life, she is dispatched to serve as governess for the seven children of a widowed naval captain. Her growing rapport with the youngsters, coupled with her generosity of spirit, gradually captures the heart of the stern captain.

The Alban Arena, Civic Centre, St Albans, Thursday, March 5, to Saturday, March 7, various times. Details: 01727 844488 alban-arena.co.uk

Jim Davidson

The masterful, outrageous and hysterically funny comedy legend ‘General’ Jim Davidson embarks on his comedy campaign around the UK in 2020. Who will he upset this time? Which battles will he win, which will he lose? One thing’s for certain, Jim never retreats.

The Radlett Centre, 1 Aldenham Avenue, Radlett, Wednesday, March 4, and Thursday, March 5, 7.30pm. Details: 01923859291 radlettcentre.co.uk

Just Mercy (12A)

World-renowned civil rights defence attorney Bryan Stevenson works to free a wrongly condemned death row prisoner. Stars Jamie Foxx.

Watersmeet Theatre, High Street, Rickmansworth, Wednesday, March 4, 2pm, 5pm and 8pm. Details: 01923 711063 watersmeet.co.uk

Plastic Matter

We encounter plastic in our everyday actions; we buy it, use it, throw it away when we are done, we touch it as we type on our phones, travel in our cars, open pre-packaged food. Plastic is synonymous with modern life and an increasingly contentious issue. Rather than concentrating on the dichotomies of this complex issue, the exhibition gathers a mix of tales of plastic – as inspiration, material, resource and waste. Artists in Plastic Matter explore different aspects to plastic’s story; its potential to become something more treasured, its availability and its hasty disposal. Through their work, the artists imbue new worth and meaning to the material, and ask us to consider its role and future in contemporary society.

Art and Design Gallery, College Lane Campus, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, until Saturday, April 18. Details: herts.ac.uk

Cassiobury’s Swiss Cottage

The Swiss Cottage was built for the Earl of Essex next to the River Gade in Cassiobury Park in the early 1800s. Demolished in the 1940s the site was excavated and details recorded in 2016. This talk is by Laurie Elvin.

Watford Museum, 194 High Street, Watford, Thursday, March 5, 2pm. Details: 01923 232297 info@watfordmuseum.org.uk

Dom Joly’s Holiday Snaps

Dom Joly is best known as the creator of Trigger Happy TV. And now the writer and broadcaster is undertaking his first UK tour since 2011, giving fans a rare opportunity to see him live. Dom will be talking about his exploits as a serial globetrotter and seeker of dangerous travel spots. From North Korea though the Congo and Syria to Chernobyl, he's visited some of the most unusual places on the planet. Armed with a trusty Powerpoint, fans can expect his holiday snaps to provide comedy and a sense of danger.

Watford Colosseum, Rickmansworth Road, Watford, Thursday, March 5, 7.30pm. Details: 01923 571102 watfordcolosseum.co.uk

Afternoon Tea

The Palace Theatre’s new afternoon tea includes unlimited tea or filter coffee, unlimited selection of filled sandwiches, mini cake slices and traditional British scones with a selection of jams and clotted cream.

Watford Palace Theatre, 20 Clarendon Road, Watford, Wednesday, March 4, to Saturday, March 28, 4.30pm. Details: 01923 225671 watfordpalacetheatre.co.uk