10 things to do in Peterborough this week

Top Secret - Magic of Science

Key Theatre, March 20

A show which fuses the mystery of magic with wondrous and miraculous feats of science.

Hang on to your seats as the venue is transformed into a real life science laboratory for the day.

Experience the non-stop action packed interactive magical science experiments that will capture the imagination.

Top Secret is a fast moving colourful magical science show filled with mystery, suspense, lots and lots of mess!

Top Secret will inspire and educate every young budding magician and scientist, as well as proving fun and exciting entertainment for all of the family.

Tickets: keytheatrepeterborough.ticketsolve.com/

Peterborough Mart Fair

Town Bridge, until March 27

With over 50 rides and attractions there’s something for everyone at this year’s mart fair - the latest thrill rides, family favourites rides, loads of children’s rides and some tasty fairground food. Open 6pm - 10pm weekdays, 2pm -10pm Saturday and Sunday.

Footloose

New Theatre until Saturday

Based on the 1980s screen sensation which took the world by storm, Footloose sizzles with spirit, fun and the best in UK musical talent. With cutting edge modern choreography, you’ll enjoy classic 80s hits including Holding Out for a Hero, Almost Paradise, Let’s Hear It For The Boy and of course the unforgettable title track Footloose.

Dancing on Ice winner Jake Quickenden and West End legend Darren Day star.

Mary Rose

Key Theatre, March 18

An old Sussex manor house, standing empty and for sale, is haunted by the ghost of a young woman who once lived there.

37 years earlier, a 12 year old girl by the name of Mary Rose went missing on a small island in the Outer Hebrides while on holiday with her parents. After a month, she mysteriously returned unaware that she had been away for any length of time. Years later, Mary Rose, her new baby son and young husband return to the same island, where she disappears for a second time.

After the passage of 23 years, when her family have come to terms with her loss, she reappears yet again but by now her parents, husband and child have all aged while Mary Rose has remained just the same as the day she vanished.

In this hauntingly beautiful and witty play, from the creator of Peter Pan, comes an exploration of time, love and loss.

Cubed

Key Theatre, until March 23

Brought to the stage by Peterborough’s Mask Theatre are six short plays; heartbreaking, emotional, hilarious and exciting.

Presented in double bills, you can see all six plays over three nights.

Featuring: March 18th and 21st, Contractions by Mike Bartlett, a black comedy about work and play and the corporate machine, and Constellations by Nick Payne, a beautiful and heartbreaking romance in parallel universes.

March 19th and 23rd, How These Desperate Men Talk by Enda Walsh, a dissection of memories in search of truth, and Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons by Sam Steiner, a dystopian drama about what we say, how we say it and the effects of restrictions on our lives.

March 17th, 19th (matinee) and 22nd, Sitting Here by Di Fox, an intimate look at a life well lived, and How To Date A Feminist by Samantha Ellis, a hilarious take on the different views of feminism.

Handel’s Messiah

Peterborough Cathedral, March 19, 7pm

Peterborough Cathedral Choir, Youth Choir and Festival Chorus are to be joined by Peterborough Choral Society and the musicians of Eboracum Baroque, in a performance conducted by the cathedral’s director of music, Tansy Castledine.

Tickets are £25, £20 or £15 (plus booking fee), with unreserved seating, at www.ticketsource.co.uk/peterborough-cathedral/

Dead White Anarchists

Metal, Chauffers Cottage, , March 18, 7.30pm

Paris, 1982. If you’re not rich, things look bleak. Political bombings and police crackdowns tear the city apart. Out of this carnage steps Emile Henry, a young anarchist preparing his war against the state. But when he hears strange mumblings from the future, madness beckons...

Dead White Anarchists is a solo theatre show, a Molotov cocktail of radical history lesson, spoken word and sci-fi crime thriller. It’s a reflection on a bloody past and a chaotic present, but always holding hope for the future.

Written and performed by Paul Case, an Edinburgh-based writer and spoken word performer. He has been performing poems, monologues and stories both nationally and internationally since 2008.

Entrance is free, but donations will go towards Peterborough’s first Radical Book Fair - to be held at the George Alcock Centre on October 29.

Bourne In Lights

North Street, Bourne, March 19

Bourne’s special evening of illuminations is offering an unforgettable experience, thanks to the magic of the mesmerising Illumaphonium.

Organisers have added the lights-and-music apparatus to the evening’s light projections and entertainment, all part of a series of free events funded by the Government’s Welcome Back Fund.

The giant installation has more than 100 touch sensitive illuminated chime bars producing ever-changing patterns of light and sound, spreading out like waves over the giant instrument’s surface to create music spontaneously and collaboratively.

The street will be closed to traffic from 3pm with a trail for people to follow, as shops, pubs and food outlets stay open late.

Ed Gamble - Electric

The Cresset, March 24

After a sell-out tour of his house in 2020 (extended into 2021 due to popular demand), Ol’ Broken Pancreas is charged up and ready to flick the switch on another night of attention seeking.

Ed is co-host of the award-winning mega-hit podcast Off Menu with James Acaster, Taskmaster champion, and has his own special Blood Sugar available worldwide on Amazon Prime.

As seen and heard on Mock the Week (BBC2), Live At the Apollo (BBC), The Russell Howard Hour (Sky), QI (BBC2), Would I Lie To You (BBC) and Sunday mornings on Radio X alongside Matthew Crosby.

Someone Like You - The Adele Songbook

New Theatre, March 24

A stunning live concert performance, celebrating the music of one of our generation’s finest singer-songwriters. Katie Markham leads a super-talented six piece band through all your favourite Adele hits, plus much more in this internationally acclaimed show.