Your guide to What's On this weekend

Your essential guide to What’s On in and around Exeter this weekend (23-25 March).

THEATRE

Up 'n' Under
Friday & Saturday, Exeter Northcott
The Wheatsheaf Arms rugby team, the laughing stock of Castleford’s Amateur Rugby League 7-a-Side tournament have never won a game, don’t have seven players and spend more time in the pub than on the pitch.  With just 5 weeks to go, our hero coach Arthur has to convince them they can beat the mighty Cobblers Arms, but first he has to work out how to communicate with them… https://exeternorthcott.co.uk

Jonny and the Baptists: The World is a Mess, Here are Some Songs
Sunday,  Bike Shed Theatre, Exeter
It’s very hard to tour topical material these days. For multi-award-nominated musical comedy stars Jonny & the Baptists, it’s been a real nightmare. Every time they try to write something silly about the world, the world does something even sillier. Either way, this spring they’re coming to Exeter with lots of new songs (and some old ones) to try to make sense of the mess. https://www.bikeshedtheatre.co.uk

MUSIC

Hold it Down
Friday, Exeter Phoenix
For aspiring DJs and producers, or indeed anyone who appreciates a good story, the genesis of Palms Trax couldn’t have read any dreamier. You know the one; curious yet naive son of the English Riviera lands a job at one of London’s leading record stores and discovers the masters of Chicago House and Detroit Techno. Later, stumbling around Berlin, his primitive attempts to emulate the sound of his newfound heroes accidentally land him a bona fide dance floor hit.  10pm-3am. Over 18s.

Joey The Lips
Friday, Sandy Park, Exeter
South West favourites Joey The Lips will return to Sandy Park on March 23rd with their high energy funky soul, blues and disco revue. The 10-piece band includes three vocalists, a driving rhythm section and a killer horn section and they have worked with Will Young and Bob Geldof and the Boomtown Rats and headlined many music festivals. www.sandypark.co.uk/book

Police Dog Hogan
Saturday, Exeter Phoenix
Police Dog Hogan are a high-energy and eclectic eight-piece, combining fiddle, trumpet, mandolin, drums and guitars with four-part harmonies in an exuberant and genre-defying fusing of country, pop, folk, and rocking urban bluegrass. Much-loved Guardian columnist Tim Dowling adds his banjo to the musical mix. http://www.exeterphoenix.org.uk

The Bon Jovi Experience 2018
Saturday, Exeter Corn Exchange
Lead singer and World's leading look-alike, Tony Pearce, takes on the noteworthy task of emulating the legendary namesake of the band Jon Bon Jovi and he does so with ease and panache.  The only tribute band in the World to have shared the stage with the real McCoy. This show includes all the hits.  www.exetercornexchange.co.uk

ELO Again
Saturday, Exmouth Pavilion
Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of ELO's iconic album Out of the Blue. ELO Again really do give you a dramatic taste of what the classic ELO were like in the heyday. The whole experience is a professional re-enactment of an ELO concert with a great sound reproduction lightshow and visual effects. https://www.ledleisure.co.uk/exmouth-pavilion/

The Fallen State
Sunday, Exeter Cavern
Fresh off tours with the likes of Black Stone Cherry Halestorm, 3 Doors Down and fellow UK rockers Young Guns. The Fallen State are bringing their brand of groove-ridden anthemic rock to the Cavern in Exeter. https://www.ents24.com/uk/tour-dates/the-fallen-state

The Young’uns
Sunday, Exeter Phoenix
Twice BBC Radio 2 Folk Award winners the Young’uns present a timely tale of a boy who walked out of poverty, a teenager who stood up to racism, a soldier who fought fascism and an old man who inspired a new generation. From the shadow of the Teesside shipyards, to the banks of the Thames. From Cable Street to the Spanish Civil War. Johnny Longstaff bore witness to some of the most defining moments of the early 20th century.  http://www.exeterphoenix.org.uk

EVENTS

Charity Bat Day
Saturday, Beer Quarry Caves, Quarry Lane, Beer
As part of the Natural History museum Dippy Dinosaur Adventure Tour many organisations stands offering bat information, crafts, nature walk, photo display, face painting and more all free of charge.  10am-4pm. Bat tours: £5 per head, £15 family of 4, under 5years free. Free shuttle bus to event from village. http://www.beerquarrycaves.co.uk

Easter Holiday Hunt
Daily, The Donkey Sanctuary, Slade House Farm, Sidmouth
Can you find the Easter eggs that Lucky the Easter Donkey has hidden around the sanctuary? Embark on an eggciting adventure around The Donkey Sanctuary and discover which donkeys are full of the joys of spring to win a tasty treat. Holiday Hunt sheets will be available from the new Visitor Centre for just £3. There will also be a daily programme of activities for you to enjoy during the school holidays, including guided tours, donkey talks, demonstrations and must-visit points of interest. https://www.thedonkeysanctuary.org.uk/visit-us/sidmouth

Book signing: Diane Janes
Saturday, WH Smith, Guildhall Shop Centre, Exeter 
Meet author Diane Janes in Exeter where she will be signing her new book Death at Wolf's Nick from noon. 

Exeter Aces Cycle Speedway floodlight switch on evening
Saturday, 7pm, Wheels Centre, Cofton Road, Marsh Barton Estate, Exeter EX2 8QW
Racing has been organised with elite (adult) riders competing, as well as our junior club members.  The evening will be to ‘celebrate’ the completion of the new LED lights.  https://www.facebook.com/groups/exeteracescyclespeedway/ 

Bride: The Wedding Show
Saturday & Sunday, Westpoint, Clyst St Mary, Exeter
Welcoming more than 4,000 brides-to-be and their guests to the October 2017 event, Bride: The Wedding Show at Westpoint Exeter will feature more than 130 inspirational wedding suppliers under one roof. http://westpointexeter.co.uk/whats-on

EXHIBITIONS

Branded: Fashion, Femininity and the Right to Vote
Killerton House, Broadclyst
To mark 100 years since some women got the right to vote, this exhibition reflects the timeline of the campaign for women’s suffrage from 1866 until 1928 through the changing styles of fashion. The exhibition highlights the relationship between politics and dress and how this was exploited by the campaigners and supporters of women’s suffrage. Groups involved in the campaign used design and colour to identify themselves and to raise awareness and support for their cause. The exhibition runs until 4 November and entry is free, but normal admission charges apply for the venue. https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/killerton

Dartmoor’s Hidden Depths
Dartmoor National Park Visitor Centre, Princetown
A new exhibition by two Dartmoor based artists, Dave Peake and Rosemary Bonney focusing on the influence of water on the Dartmoor landscape as well as providing a glimpse of what lies beneath! The exhibition runs until 15 April, admission free. 

Exeter’s Fine Art Collection: Modern
RAMM, Queen Street, Exeter
This exhibition includes two works by the British Pop Art movement artist Brian Rice, gifted through the Art Fund and on display for the first time. This diverse selection features Barbara Hepworth’s remarkable figurative drawing Preparation, Leighton Hall Woolatt’s Post Eleven Speaking and Patrick Heron’s Two Vermilions, Green and Purple in Red. RAMM’s fine art collection is on display until 29 April.  http://bit.ly/RAMMFineArt

A Curious Turn: Moving, mechanical sculpture
Thelma Hulbert Gallery, Dowell Street, Honiton
Automata are moving mechanical sculptures which are brought magically to life through a sequence of cogs, cams and levers. For centuries they have delighted and bewitched people. Visitors are able to turn, push and crank to see many of the pieces in action! A Curious Turn presents automata from the leading makers of the last 40 years, ranging from the humorous to the macabre and from the playful to the satirical. Works on show take a look at key automata makers such as Rowland Emett, famous for creating the elaborate inventions of Caractacus Potts in the 1968 film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. The exhibition runs until 19 May. https://www.thelmahulbert.com